Mysteries Within

Chapter 2: Arrival on Mars

An abrupt knocking came from outside of the bathroom door. Faye was fixing her make-up in the mirror, and the loud bang was just enough to make her smear her chin with red lipstick.

"Enough Jet, I hear you!" came the response of a tempered Faye Valentine.

"Well could you at least hurry? I've got to go, and you always hog up the bathroom time!"

Out stormed the irritated woman, not a glance given to Jet as she proceeded to the exit of the ship. All Jet could do was shrug, as he knew he never had any control over Faye's thoughts or actions. She was one of a kind, that woman.


The atmosphere on Mars was no different then usual, the same petty people and the same boring structure as every other visit. Dusk came into view as Faye found a nice, secluded bench to sit down on and get away from all the hustle and bustle. She drew out a filtered cigarette, inserting it between her crimson lips, and pulling out a set of matches. She struck the match strip with the tip of the match stick, raising the radiant orange light to the tip of her cigarette. A swift inhale came at the second it was lit, followed by an exasperated sigh of relief as she proceeded to exhale. Her eyes were shut, legs crossed under her fluorescent yellow skirt.

"Hey baby, you looking good! How 'bout you come home with a REAL man?" hollered a guy from across the street. He was a creepy looking guy with a distinguishable afro and dressed in a formal black suit. A quick glance was all that was given in his direction, as Faye continued to puff away at her cigarette.

"Did you not hear me? Why don't you come and take a ride with me?" He pointed to his red corvette parked on the side street, just outside the coffee shop.

Another blatant look in the opposite direction was all she did as she attempted to ignore his attempts to pick her up. She took the last drag of her cigarette, flicking it onto the sidewalk below her and stomping it out with the heel of her shoe. The bench creaked as Faye stood up off of it, beginning to make her stride towards the more populated parts of the city. As her feet glided along the rubble sidewalk, the curses of the man with the afro came not too far from her. Sure enough, Faye found out where it was coming from, as the man managed to cut her stroll off with his slim form.

"Bitch, next time you listen to me when I talk to you. Don't you run away from me, I need to talk to you."

She wanted nothing to do with the man, so she managed to brush a shoulder past him and continue on her way. However, her retreat was once again halted by an outstretched hand on her shoulder. Faye turned to face the man that held her with a fiery facial expression.

"Back off, buddy."

"Or what, your going to hit me?" the afro man exclaimed.

Both of his massive hands went towards her hips in an effort to keep her in place while he could take advantage of her without anyone knowing. Faye resisted his rather tight grip, but she still wasn't powerful enough to break free.

"G-get off…of…m-me…"

"How about a little kiss, sweet cheeks?"

Without warning, a thundering fist came in the general direction of the man's nose. The man flew backwards a good two feet before he fell flat on his behind, gripping his seemingly broken nose with unrest. The blood from his nostrils oozed in a puddle on the sidewalk, both his eyes tearing like he had just cut an onion.

"You heard the lady, back off," came the booming voice of Jet. His face was as serious as ever. "Are you alright Faye?"

"Yes Jet, I'm fine. You know I could have handled that myself."

The man scrambled to his feet in a hurry, and began to flee in an effort to get away. Faye, of course didn't want to let the guy go so easily, and so she began to run off after him until the massive metal arm of Jet had stopped her in her tracks.

"Let the man go. I think he's learned his lesson. Now, how about you stick with me from now on? I cant have you off wandering the streets here alone. You never know who may lurk within the shadows of the city."

"Obviously scum such as him. Well, alright, we can search together."

"Sounds excellent, Faye. Say, how does a drink sound to you? Good?"

"Excellent. After that, I think I'm going to need a drink."

"My treat. Now, stay close to me, and hope we don't get into any trouble along the way."


"Damn, I think I split my knuckles on that idiots nose." Jet was ferociously rubbing the aching right knuckle with his left palm in an effort to sooth the pain.

"Hey Jet, do you think we should ask around a bit before we have something to drink? You know, that is the whole reason were here, aren't we?"

Jet put a forefinger to the side of his head and made a scratching motion in response to Faye. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he gently nodded in agreement.

"Well alright. Where shall we start?"

Not too distant, the sight of three elderly looking men could been seen from their standing position. The three men had been sitting about 2 tables away from Jet, excessive mumbling and occasional outbursts heard from their huddled seating. Jet made an effort to walk right up to the men and calmly ask them about Spike's disappearance.

"Uh, sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to see this man?"

Out from Jet's pocket came a solo picture of Spike at his best. Faye must have captured it while he was sleeping, because the drool oozed down his mouth in the picture as his head rested on a table. His features were still distinct enough to make a correct assumption as to who he was.

"Who?" came the response of the oldest-looking man.

"Uh…his name's Spike Spiegel. Have any of you seen him?"

"You mean that guy right there?" The oldest man pointed to a tree just outside the bar. The tree's leaves did, however, closely resemble that of Spike's hair.

"You senile bastard, that's a tree! Get your eyes checked!" came the thundering response of a younger looking man. This guy appeared to have some of his hair left.

"Eyes checked? I haven't gotten my eyes checked in over 50 years!"

"Then maybe its about time you did!" interjected the third guy, a balding man appearing slightly younger than the oldest man.

"You work as a miner for 35 years and then you can tell me what to do."

"Eh?" said the balding man. "I cant hear you."

"You heard me, and while your at it, why don't you take a walk in my shoes! Live the hard life I lead!"

"Hard life? All you did was drink and have a good time!" came the raspy voice of the youngest of the three.

Jet couldn't take the senseless bickering any further. He slapped a hard palm onto his own head, wondering how he got himself into this mess. Retracting the outstretched picture of Spike, he quietly walked away from the arguing with his head shaking. Faye didn't need to ask what had happened, judging by the disappointed look on Jet's face.

"Well how about that guy over there? You think he would know?" said Faye, her forefinger pointed directly at the man sitting just a few tables down.

The man wasn't blending into the crowd as much as it seemed he wanted to, judging by the ridiculous getup he wore. A long, black trench coat covered his entire body from his head to his toes. The black collar was raised up across his facial features, and his eyes were hidden behind thick, black sunglasses. Atop his head was a black top hat, and on each of his hands were white latex gloves. The hat was pushed slightly forward, casting a shadow across his forehead and parts of his nose. Not much skin was exposed to the public with this strange character.

"Faye, you know its not nice to point, but your right. Come with me this time."

The two partners made their way to the front of the mysterious man's table when the man noticed them. It was hard to tell where his eyesight was focused, but based on the jarred motion to get out of his seat, the two knew he had seen him. Instead of going up to greet the onlookers, the man bolted in the opposite direction without seconds notice. Jet and Faye were so confused, they were speechless. A simple wave on Faye's part was all that was given to the agile man.

"Uh…ok. Strange man he is. So…how about that drink?" Her entire face lit up as the two walked inside of the bar to get something to cool off their heads.


A/N: I hope this chapter was a bit more enjoyable for you all. I shall update this story every Sunday, so be on the lookout. And keep those reviews coming!