A/N: As a note, I personally screwed up and Vicious uses a gun in a later scene. I hadn't seen the series in a year at this point. So forgive the OOC! [He's pretty OOC, but he's my Vicious - so just take him as he is]. As a reminder, some of the characters have been adapted to fit the needs of the game.

Characters might also disappear if someone dropped out or took a break from writing. Some plotlines may just trail off and come back later. If something doesn't make sense, feel free to ask!

Violence Warning!

Thanks!
Kajouka


*********************


Only the Beginning...


Vicious hummed as he drove his black sports Ferrari down the road. He pulled up front of Julia's house, parking the car about three feet from the curb. He cared little for rules. The Red Dragon logo etched into the back bumper kept the police off his tail. They couldn't handle the syndicate and most didn't want to. He walked up the stairs, carrying a dozen red roses. He took a huge breath, blew it out, then knocked on the door. Julia was too much a part of his plans for him to mess this up now.

Julia had finally finished her hair when she heard a knock at the door, and picking up the bottom of her dress she rushed to it. Opening the door, she smiled. "Hello again."

Vicious held out the flowers. "I got these for you." he said softly, taking a few small steps back so he could see her dress. "Turn around, show it off for me." He said, stunned by the beautiful dress she had picked off.

Julia giggled and turned for him after she took the roses he had handed her. She felt so young again and didn't know why. Maybe it was just him, or the plethora of compliments coming her way. Either way she was happy, which she hadn't been in a long time. Was she just trying to find a replacement, she didn't know, but maybe it would work this time. "Your card is in my coat pocket, Please come in and make yourself at home while I get it."

"You look absolutely beautiful," Vicious said as Julia turned for him. He followed her into the apartment and took a seat on the couch while he waited. "I drove the Ferrari tonight. I remember that was one of your favorites."

Julia blushed as she set the coat on a chair next to the door. She crossed the room and knelt down in front of him, "You didn't have to do all this." she said as he took the card from her.

"I wanted to." Vicious said. He placed one hand on her cheek. "Don't think for a moment that I haven't missed you all these years." He stood, and taking her hand, pulled her up as well. "Let's go. I have reservations at the best Italian restaurant in town."

She smiled, maybe all this would work out, and maybe dreams should stay dreams right? "Okay, let me get my coat." Julia said as she grabbed it, threw it over her shoulders and locked the door behind them. She put her keys in the pocket and felt the handgun inside. She didn't think she'd need it but a girl should always be prepared.

Vicious led her to the car, opening the door for her and helping her in. As they headed for the restaurant, Vicious watched Julia out of the corner of his eye. Although she had approached him about this dinner, he still could not be sure that her loyalties were not with Spike. He grumbled inside at the thought. "So tell me Julia, what have you been doing these past few years."

Smiling she thought back a bit, "I've been doing a lot of traveling, though, being alone was okay, I guess it just got too lonely for me you know?" she asked as she looked down. "So I came back here, to where I knew a few people, at least at the bar."

Vicious nodded, "I don't mind being lonely," he replied. It was true - Vicious was a man who cherished his solitude. "But I'd prefer to spend my time with you." He drove the car more carefully than he had on his way to Julia's.

Julia blushed, "Well I have a lot of time on my hands. Haven't really seen anyone else I knew since I left except for the familiar bartenders."

Vicious pulled up to the valet parking, and the pair exited the vehicle. Vicious was silent until they were seated at the table. It was a private table, located in the back of the restaurant. "Julia, there are things I wish to ask of you, that you cannot tell anyone else."

Growing suspicious she nodded, "I can keep a secret." she unfolded the menu the waiter had handed them and placed it flat on the table. Looking into his eyes she smiled softly.

"Julia, I'm taking over the Red Dragon, tomorrow." The comment was short. Vicious wanted to see her reaction before he continued.

Julia blinked, "I guess that doesn't surprise me as much as it should." she said with a smile "You've always wanted to haven't you?"

"I have," Vicious replied. "And the time is right. Everything has fallen into place." Just then the waiter arrived. Vicious quickly placed their order, and indicated they wished to be left alone until the food arrived. "Julia, I want you to come back."

"You want me to come back?" she asked. She thought for a moment. "Convince me." she said with a teasing smile.

Vicious reached a hand across the table and took Julia's. "Be my woman again, Julia. Sit next to me on the Dragon throne. I will rule the world - it's only a matter of time. I want you there with me."

Julia squeezed Vicious' hand "Okay." she said with a smile and a nod. And that was all it took for her to sign her life away. How quick could she have done this, such a thing and without a thought or care. "I could do that for you." she said flashing a teasing smile.

Vicious breathed in a deep breath. He would have expected more resistance from her. Was it possible that she really had forgotten Spike? He would have to make sure that Spike never showed up again. He would not lose Julia twice. "Let's toast then, so the soon-to-be leader of the Red Dragon and his beautiful woman." He held up his glass.

She rose her glass with him and didn't let go of his hand. "A toast." she said with a smile. She would figure out what he was up to, but maybe she was a bit too far in.

"Vicious clicked his glass softly against Julia's and then tipped it back to drink. The food arrived, and the waiter set down numerous plates around the table. Vicious had spared no expense with the tab. After all, it was coming out the Red Dragon's pocket. They ate, while conversing about unimportant topics such as the weather and latest news from the planets around the galaxy. Vicious even laughed a few times, something that rarely happened anymore. He felt like a different man when he was with Julia.

Julia ate as she talked with Vicious. He seemed so much more reserved tonight for some reason, yet she smiled and laughed with him all the same. It was very weird; it felt like before, before she met Spike.

Vicious finished eating, and continued to sip on his wine as they talked. He could have stayed there all night if he hadn't had a take over to execute the next day. "I regret I can't stay out all night with you Julia, but tomorrow is an important day."

Julia smiled "But staying out all night is only half the fun." she pretended to be disappointed and then smiled again after she finished her wine.

"I know, and there will be plenty of wine-filled late nights in the future." He stood and walked around the table to give her a soft kiss on the lips. "Even so, I am happy that you joined me. This has been one of the most pleasant dinners I've had in a long time."

She received the kiss softly and smiled as he pulled away. "I'm glad you invited me. This has been a great night." she stood up to look eye to eye with him and took his hands.

Vicious squeezed her hand softly as he led her from the restaurant. There would be many more nights with Julia in his future. He could already tell.




*************


Ed walked into the lounge with her new contraption grasped in both hands. "Ohh Edward hopes this works." she said plopping down in front of her computer.

Ein came in behind Ed, watching her intently. He trotted up alongside her after she had seated herself and laid down, resting his head on his outstretched paws.

Faye wandered into the room. "Ok so I have sixteen gallons left in my tank. I think that will work," she mused to herself as she wandered back out.

Ed tilted her head back and watched Faye move in and out of the room and shook her head. "Edward thinks that this will work. Edward will put this on Ein." she said as she strapped a small metal plate onto his head and tiny plugs into his ears. She moved on to plug it into her computer. "Edward may be right, if Edward is not then she will be sorry." Logging into her computer Ed typed in a series of codes. And some unreadable binary came up. "Whoa Ein! Slow down!" she said with a smile.

"This thing is terribly uncomfortable," Ein thought as he continued to watch Ed. He did not yet realize that his thoughts would now be understood. "I don't care for these things in my ears..."

Ed began to type as fast as she possibly could. "Edward should be able to put Ein's thoughts into recognizable characters." Her tongue hung out of the side of her mouth as she typed. "AHAH! Edward has fixed it?"

Faye wandered in again, "Ok, if I leave as soon as we get to Estoria, I should be back before Jet leaves." She plopped on the couch and watched Ed. "What are you doing?"

Ed giggled more girlishly then normal and made a slight hand motion for Faye to come over to the computer. "Edward thinks that Ein should show Faye Faye how smart he is."

Ein sat up, looking towards Faye. "I wonder why Faye is avoiding Jet... she's going to have to face him sooner or later. She owes him money whether she hides from him or not..."

Ed laughed as she pointed to the window on the computer screen. "Edward likes it now that Ein can talk to her."

Faye rolled her eyes. "Yes Ed, I know you think the dog is smart, but really." She yawned. Ed could have easily typed those words on the screen.

Ed huffed "So, you don't think that Ein is smart. Ein should show her how smart you are."

"Maybe if she didn't gamble so much, she wouldn't eat my last can of food either...," Ein thought, as he casually scratched his ear with a hind paw.

"He's a dog!" Faye barked. "I'm sure he's very smart for a dog Ed, but he's still a dog."

Ed looked at Faye and then down to the computer. "You ate Ein's food?" she asked with a disgusted look.

Jet entered the living room, rubbing his head from a newly formed headache. "What's all this shouting?" Jet, noticing the awkward silence, pressed his point in an admonishing tone "Well?"

Ed smiled "Faye Faye is upset. Edward helped Ein tell her what he thought of her."

"Is that so?" Jet mused to himself while suppressing a slight smile. "Well we're leaving for Estoria, is everyone here?"

Ein glanced at Faye, seemingly offended by her last comment. "Do you want to remind Jet how much money you owe him, or shall I?" he thought.

Faye blushed at Ed's comment, then focused on Jet. "I have something to talk to you about by the way."

Ed laughed hysterically and pointed at the monitor. "Edward thinks that Jet should come and read all of this."

Jet glanced at the monitor and silently cursed to himself. He knew a lot of Woolongs had been going missing. He decided to keep that knowledge to himself though when he said "What did you do Faye?"

Ed laughed and squeezed Ein, "Edward likes that you can talk now!"

Faye bit her lip. "Well, I made a friend. She's nice. She didn't have a home, so I brought her back to Bebop with me." Faye rushed out the words as fast as she could.

"That's very touching Faye," Jet said sarcastically but in some, albeit few, ways meant it honestly. "Hopefully, you can pay for this new member to our crew. And not with my money this time."

Ed giggled, "Edward has to say that she is nice. Faye thinks she can help hunt."

Ein licked Ed's face, wagging his tail happily, "and I like that you can understand me! Maybe I'll get a little more respect around here now." He glanced towards Faye quickly, "but I won't hold my breath..."

"I'll talk care of her," Faye grumbled, ignoring the comment about money. It was always about money. "When the hell are we going to be in Estoria anyway?" I have a bounty to catch, she thought.

Jet checked his watch then thought to himself for a minute. "Around half an hour, unless you decided to pay for your new friend by selling our fuel..."

Ed smiled and patted Ein "No one gets respect from Faye Faye and she never gets any either. Edward will make it so she can see what Ein says in her goggles now."

"Funny Jet," Faye replied. "Why the urgency to get there anyway?"

"I'm picking up a friend as well," Jet said plainly.

Ed unhooked the device from Ein's head and tinkered with it. "Edward must fix it."

"Well don't use my money to pay for .. him." Faye spat back.

"Actually it's 'her', and you never have any money... not for long anyway..." Jet said, mumbling the last part.

Ein looked between Faye and Jet. Although he was no longer wearing the device, it was clear that things were going through his mind as he watched them. After a moment, he decided he might need a nap. If Ed was going to succeed, as he knew she would, he was going to need his rest. With his tail wagging, he trotted out of the room.

"Whatever," Faye muttered.

"So, who is this 'friend' of yours," Jet asked, taking a seat on the ragged couch. "I hope they like Bell Peppers..." he mumbled to himself.

Ed laughed. The classic, Jet had won the argument closer, 'whatever'.

"Pudding?" Ed's head popped up from behind the couch to look at Jet with hope that she misheard him correctly.

Faye turned to Jet. "Her name is Paris. I met her, well, at the dog tracks." No point in lying now, Spike had already found her out. "She's about 17. Besides, Ed needs other friends besides a dog."

"ED DOES NOT!" she hissed "But it would be nice." She grinned and went back behind the couch.

Jet nodded in slight agreement to Faye's last statement. "Does Spike know?" Jet asked with a slight note of worry.

"Spike knows. I already told him," Faye replied. "He said the same thing you did."

"We already have one kid... I suppose we can stand another. But if she doesn't carry her weight we drop her on the first planet we come to." Jet said, hoping this might stop Faye from bringing back more kids.

"Well what about your little friend then?" Faye barked. "She'd better pull her weight too. You gonna drop her? Why do you have to single out my friend?"

"Because mine is family and yours is some random kid."

"She could be my family," Faye said. "I don't know anything about them, and she is a lot like me." Ok, so the chances were small, but she still didn't like the fact that Jet's friend was more important than hers.

One could hear clicking on the other side of the couch and then a voice. "Edward says the chances of her being in your family are 0.2556502271638%, which is impossible. Edward is never wrong!"

"Anyway, we'll be at Estoria soon. I'm going to the kitchen to cook some Bell Peppers and Beef...." Jet said as he walked to the kitchen, his headache getting worse by the minute.

Faye rolled her eyes. "As if we really have beef," she muttered, getting up and heading for her room.

Ed got on all fours and crawled out of the room with her new contraption in her mouth, chanting "Ed must fix. Ed must fix. Ed must ..." soon she was down the hall and gone.




*************


Vicious stood and looked at his men. Lin was standing off to one corner, while the others were in front of him. His eyes glanced to Lin, who already knew the plans. Then he turned back to the others. "Today, we are going to kill the Van, and take over the Red Dragon," he began.

Mei glanced down at her hand, where she'd written down the address of her destination. Dark eyes looked up at the building before her and she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. If it was all just bullshit, she could probably get some fun out of it all anyway. A man was standing at the door and Mei didn't give him a second glance as she attempted to move past. He grabbed her by the arm but his words were cut off at the cold look he received.

"I was invited," Mei hissed, pulling her arm free from the guard's grasp. The guard eyed her warily but pressed the intercom while not taking his eyes off of the girl in front of him.

"Sir, there is a young woman at the door, claiming she was invited."

Vicious paused, listening to the intercom message, "Well, then, by all means send her up," he replied. Mei had arrived. The woman had impeccable timing. Vicious liked her already.

Lin sat in the corner loading his twin Glock 9 mm pistols and some extra clips. Upon hearing the intercom, his attention snapped towards Vicious and his response. "What in the hell," he thought to himself, "What is Julia doing here?" He cocked bullets into the chambers of both of his guns and stood, waiting to see what would happen next.

Mei couldn't help the smirk that touched her lips and pushed past the guard without another word. Only a couple minutes later, the slender form of a Chinese girl entered the office through the door. She strode in as though she owned the place and gave no care to the men already gathered--some of whom were already visibly armed. Amused, she looked at Vicious. "I do hope I'm not late," she murmured, gaze quickly moving to catch every person in the room.

"You're right on time," Vicious replied, a hint of amusement in his voice at the surprised faces of his men. "We're just about to kill the leaders of this syndicate and take over. I do hope you'll be willing to participate in the execution." He tossed a gun her way.

Lin stood, staring alternately at Vicious and the Chinese girl. "Sir, if you don't mind, who is this and why the hell are you getting her involved?" He saw that the other men shared his opinion on the matter by their reaction, but knew he was the only one who could raise such a question without being cut down where he stood.

Vicious grinned, "Because Mei and I are playing a little game, and I want to see how much she's willing to take." He turned to Lin as he spoke. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing here." Vicious respected Lin's opinions on most matters, but he wouldn't ask for one here. He had to see what the girl was capable of. It was part of his plans.

Mei caught the gun that had been tossed at her and inspected it. Her dark gaze settled upon the only one who had spoken up in question at her arrival, but she only smiled at him. A moment's pause was given and then she winked and silently blew a kiss before looking at Vicious again. "So, an execution, hmm? How many?" Mei looked almost excited at the idea.

One of the men, Paolo, was currently wondering why this... girl... had been brought in. She certainly didn't looking anything but harmless. But he wouldn't dare raise his voice in question. Still, it annoyed him. And why NOW? She wasn't accustomed to the plan. She'd ruin everything!

Lin saw the girl's reaction to his question, and smirked while holstering his weapons at the kiss she blew him. He turned back to the corner to grab his Kevlar vest and addressed Vicious again, "Whatever you think is for the best." He slung the vest over one shoulder before looking back at the girl, "Just try to stay out of the line of fire," he cautioned her, much to the amusement of several of the other men.

Vicious watched Lin's reaction to the blown kiss and suppressed a grin. He had more important things to focus his mind on. "As Lin reminded us all, stay out of the line of fire. We have three main targets, Miss Mei, Wang Long, Ping Long and Sou Long. They are the 'Van', the leaders of this syndicate. There are of course, quite a few faithful that will need to be knocked off as well. You'll be able to spot them easily, as they will be trying to kill you." With that, Vicious slung his own bulletproof vest around his arms and onto his body. "Oh, Miss Mei, you will find an extra vest in the closet. I'd advise wearing one. These men are trained snipers and they will be aiming for your heart. Let's go." Vicious said.

Rocko nodded, and pushed out the door first. His job was to blow open the main door to the Van's room. He carried his rocket launcher over his shoulder. He pushed the button for the elevator. They would take it to the floor just under the Van's, then use the stairs from there on up.

Mei took the advice and moved to the closet, finding a vest in there. Lucky for her, it was on the small side--undoubtedly why it had been overlooked--and didn't leave her torso unprotected too much. She quickly caught up with the group and mentally began memorizing each of the members. It really wouldn't do well to shoot one of them. Fun, yes. Good for her first impression? Probably not.

Paolo just shook his head and followed Rocko. Ignore the girl, focus on the fire power. If she got in the way, it was her own damned fault. No skin off his back... or however that expression went.

Lin dropped to the back of the group to walk alongside Vicious. "So today's the day, how's it feel to be the next leader of the largest crime syndicate in the galaxy?" "Almost as good as it will feel to be to the second-in-command of the largest syndicate in the galaxy," Vicious replied, giving Lin a small pat on the shoulder. "Of anyone here, I think you've earned that."

Lin chuckled before replying, "I appreciate that. I just have one request, let me be the one to put a bullet between Ping Long's eyes. That arrogant old fool has been nothing but a thorn in my side since I've been here." As the time grew shorter before their revolution, Lin began turning over in his mind the list of other former comrades that he would take great pleasure in killing. There were many, including Ping Long, who thought he had rose to his position in the Red Dragon on Viscious' coattails, but today he'd show all of them what he was really made of.

"I will make sure you have your vengeance," Vicious replied, as the pair entered the elevator. Once Mei had joined them, the elevator doors closed and they rose to the 99th floor. "Alright, Rocko will go first. Lin and I will follow behind him. The rest of you pan out. Kill anyone who puts up a resistance. Mei, you'll come around a back route through this duct right here." He led her to air condition duct. "This duct comes up right behind the chairs of the Van. From there, you will easily be able to stick a gun in the back of the head of the middle one. Order him to call off his men."

Vicious turned to the rest of the group. "And do not kill Ping Long. Lin has that honor." With that, he gave Rocko the signal. Rocko nodded, and headed first up the stairs. Vicious followed.

Mei nodded and waited for the others to move before she would go into the duct. And if things didn't go as planned, she'd get to put a bullet through at least one person's head at least. She'd already exchanged the gun from Vicious for her own--not quite willing to put that much trust into the man just yet--and was merely awaiting the time to move.

Paolo grinned and cocked his own pistol. "So we kill those who put up resistance. What about the ones who don't? Kill them anyway?"

Vicious paused. "I'll leave that up to you. It's in our best interest to kill anyone who has loyalties to the Van. After all, we don't want them turning around on us."

Rocko pushed open the door to the stairwell. "Fire in the Hole!" he yelled, as he pushed the button on the rocket launcher. The missile screamed from the launcher towards the large, red, double doors that opened into the main room of the Van. As soon as the missile left his launcher, he dove back into the stairwell, letting the door close behind him.

The missile hit the door and exploded, blowing the doors into the room. Rocko jumped back up, and pushed the stairwell door open. He tossed the launcher to the side, and pulled twin Desert Eagles .50s from his holsters. There was no one left alive in the hallway, so he headed for the main room.

Vicious pulled his own gun as well, a Glock 9 mm pistol that matched Lin's. He followed behind Rocko, then signaled back for the other men to go in the left side of the doors.

Rocko entered the room, and quickly shot the first man he saw in the head. The Van were seated above, and did not move, as though they had expected the attack. In reality, they simply did not feel there was a force that could take down all their men. They had not bet on Vicious's wildcard.

Lin's mouth broke into a wicked smile as the doors that lead into the Van exploded. He looked over at Vicious, "Time to get some promotions," he laughed as he rolled out into the hallway and into the next room. Smoke and debris from the explosion was everywhere, but he could still make out the forms of the guards running chaotically around the room. He shot round after round into the guards, laughing maniacally as gunfire rained all around him. He knew that when the shooting stopped it would mean the girl had done her job, but until then he was aiming for as high a body count as he could muster.

Mei had pulled away the grate that covered the opening to the duct and slipped inside with ease. Her body easily fit inside and she was able to navigate without problem. She heard the explosion and gunfire and pressed on, her heart racing with the adrenaline kick. The sounds were getting louder and Mei knew she was nearly there. She shifted her position in the duct and shimmed the rest of the way.

With one strong kick, the grate flew off her exit and she followed swiftly, sliding to the ground. Her entrance might have been heard over the gunfire but it didn't matter. The center member--as Vicious had promised--had the cold barrel of her gun against the back of his head. She leaned in near his ear and smiled. "I suggest you call off your men unless you'd like your brains splattered all over the place," she purred into his ear, keeping her body mostly behind his to avoid some hero trying to pick her off.

Wang Long, who had been stoic up until this point, was now noticeably shaken. He glanced over at the other members of his triumvirate, looking for help that he knew they could not give. He shakily reached to the intercom, "All Red Dragon soldiers stand down. I repeat, stand down damnit!" he ordered. He glanced over his shoulder to see the girl who was threatening him, and her cold gaze gave him little hope for surviving the rest of the day.

The gunfire died down as the Dragons loyal to the Van dropped their weapons. A few of them were shot in the process, but Vicious could care less about a few more dead loyalists. He would kill them all in time anyway. "Wang Long," he called out. "You will forfeit your position as head of the Red Dragons, as well as those of Ping Long and Sou Long, or you will die." Lies, all lies, but they sounded so pleasant on his tongue.

Wang Long gazed hatefully at his traitorous charge, the thought of ordering a full-on assault with the sole mission of killing Vicious entering his mind. He saw the look of despair on his compatriots' faces, however, and realized he was beaten. "Fine, Vicious," he spat out, "The syndicate is yours."

Vicious grinned, "I knew you'd see things my way old man." He turned to his men. "Round up all those loyal to the Van and take them to the basement. Lock them up. We'll deal with them later." He took a few steps back. "Lin, be my guest."

Lin stepped to the front, drew his guns, and put two shots directly into the face of Ping Long, splattering blood across the faces of Wang Long and the girl behind him. He grinned cruelly and said, "So sorry about the mess."

The moment Lin's bullet hit Ping Long, Vicious's own gun was in the air, bullet screaming its way towards Sou Long's face. Blood hit the other side of Wang's face only a half a second later. "Mei, will do the honors of ending Wang Long's life? I think he's out served his purpose."

The men in the room laughed as they pushed the Van's followers out of the room. The attack couldn't have gone smoother.

The instant the 'request' was given, Mei pulled the trigger before her latest victim could even react. She smirked as Wang Long slumped forward and joined his comrades in death. Blood marked her face and chest but Mei didn't appear to notice. She chuckled and moved around the man whose life she'd just ended, lifting her foot. A strong nudge was given and the body fell from the chair.

Her dark gaze drifted to Lin first and then settled upon Vicious. "Well you were right," she said, clearly amused. "It certainly was entertaining." Briefly she wondered what would happen if she lifted her gun and fired at Vicious. But she pushed the thought back. Mei was interested in seeing where all of this would go.

Vicious smirked, "I can see how this would be considered entertainment. We'll have to send in a crew to clean up the bodies and make this hall ready. I think a nice celebration is in order." He turned to Lin. "See to it that everyone else is aware of their new leader." Then he looked at Mei. "We'll have to discuss your new role soon."




*************


Spike stood in a dark service corridor of the Bebop, staring out a window at the darker, star-studded sky. The far-off Mars looked like a tiny toy, and its twin moons of Phobos and Demos were another pair of twinkles like the stars. In another few hours Mars would be looming just outside their window as the Bebop blasted towards the city of Estoria.

Shirtless and shoeless, clad only in his customary blue pants, Spike reached down to touch the ground, then bent backward to do the same. After a few other simple stretches, he shifted seamlessly into the smooth and slow movements of a tai chi workout. The gradual motions of his hands and feet belied the brisker pace of his thoughts.

His initial anger at Faye had faded, the theft blending into a long line of skirmishes and offenses. He'd make sure that he got repaid at some point, that was for sure, but ragging on Faye for her gambling problem got old fast.

Then there was the matter of Paris. Spike had always preferred solitude, and his partnership with Jet had been one well-matched. The two, despite their frequent disputes, were good friends and complimented one another nicely. Faye was trying, but much as he hated to admit it, she could be useful. And Ed's hacking skills were invaluable. Even Ein, that worthless little corgie, was okay.

He didn't know anything about Paris. If she was going to be another cowboy, what were her skills? He, Jet, and Faye could easily hold their own in a fight, and Ed stayed in the ship. But if Paris couldn't handle the dangerous scenes that the normal crew often found themselves in, then he'd end up spending more time saving her ass than collecting bounties.

Spike broke the monotony of his hypothetically-relaxing workout with a sharp, savage kick above his head. He followed it up with a roundabout at an imaginary opponent. Dodging sideways, he kicked out again, low this time, then rolled back to his feet. He bounced twice on his toes then went back to staring out the window.

To make matters worse, they'd be collecting that girl that Jet knew. She'd been incredibly trying the one time he'd met her, and he did not want to have to put up with that for an extended period of time.

Women, kids, and pets. Life would be so much better if they'd all just go away.

Spike reached into his pocket and withdrew a bent cigarette and his faithful lighter. Pensively, he lit it and took a long draw. The familiar scent of the smoke was soothing.

Then, of course, there was Julia. She'd been the nearest thing he'd ever found the perfect. Closing his eyes, Spike recalled the way her laughing eyes had always shone out of her narrow face, the way her hair had cascaded over her shoulders, the way that she'd smile whenever she saw him, the way -

- the way he'd abandoned her, because it was the only way he could escape from Red Dragon syndicate.

And he was NOT going to start thinking about Julia again.

Or Vicious -

- No.

Spike opened his eyes and took another puff on the cigarette. Cig clamped firmly between his lips, two fists and a toe tip lashed out in rapid succession at an invisible foe. Slowly, he brought his hands and leg back down again, and picked up his half-consumed cigarette.

To hell with this. The sooner they got to Estoria, the better. Suddenly, the Bebop seemed far too small. He wanted to get out and do something.

Spike finished the cigarette and dropped the butt, then headed back to his room. He'd take a quick shower, and then Big Shot would be on. If he was lucky, there'd be a fat bounty in the area that they could pick up. Preferably a bounty who'd put up a fight, so he'd have an excuse to fight back.

Yeah. A shower.




*************


Mei had managed to clean the blood off of her body but her clothes were blood-stained. Now she found herself at Vicious' new office. She reached out and opened the door, not bothering to knock. "Is now a good time to discuss the various matters concerning me and the Dragons?" she asked absently as she entered, looking at the lavish expanse of space that was now his office. Impressive.

Vicious leaned back in the plush leather chair. He was still facing out the window, much larger than the one in his previous office, and staring at the city when Mei walked in. "Ah, Miss Mei. I'm glad you've stopped by." Vicious turned around in the chair. "Please, have a seat."

"On one condition," she said, smirking faintly. "Drop the 'miss'. It's far too formal for the likes of me." With that said, she sat down in the chair he'd motioned to and propped her feet up on his desk. It wasn't a sign of disrespect toward him, merely her personality. She didn't care what others thought of her and her actions. "Nice place you've got here. However do you manage the rent?" Mei asked innocently.

Vicious leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Not a problem. I just thought it had a nice ring to it." He glanced around the room. "We're a syndicate. Crime, extortion, bribery. The illegal selling of arms. You name it." He sat up, "Now Mei, as to the subject of your employment here."

She smiled at him. "I'm listening... and quite interested in hearing what you have to say." Mei Makani was not one who liked to be kept waiting. "So spit it out," she chuckled.

Vicious grinned. He pulled a picture out of the desk and pushed it towards Mei. In the picture, Spike and Vicious were standing together. Both were smiling, and Spike had his arm around Vicious's shoulders. They had their thumbs up, as if they had just completed some exciting mission. "Take a look." he said.

Mei took the picture and picked it up, looking at it. "Since one of them is either or a twin... I'm guessing you want to the off the other guy?" she asked, looking up at Vicious with an eyebrow raised in question.

"Something like that," Vicious replied. "I think Spike could be very useful for us. You know he used to be a member of the syndicate, until he faked his own death and left. But we are just too close at heart. I can feel he's still alive, and just recently, I believe I have found him." Vicious sighed, "The easy thing of course would be to kill him. But that is not fitting for what he's done to me. It's too easy, and Spike is not afraid to die. I need to find something he is afraid of." Vicious closed his eyes, a slight look of pain crossing his face. When he opened them up, he was staring right in Mei's eyes. "That is where you come in. I want you to find someone close to him. Make friends. Find their weaknesses."

"And how am I supposed to find him and thus be able to find someone close to him? If you don't know where he is... how am *I* supposed to find him?" she asked, eyes lowering to the picture again. "Making friends won't be hard. I've played many parts in the past," Mei added quietly, a small smile touching her lips at various memories.

"Oh, I don't think you'll have a problem, Mei." Vicious replied. "You seem very resourceful." He flipped his computer around. "My sources tell me he's staying on a ship called the Bebop." The computer had a picture. "You can use our network to hack into the ship system and find its location. I think it's best you find someone close to him and work that person. Spike will figure you out, no matter how hard you try. As much as I hate to admit it, he was one of the best the syndicate had." Too bad he had to steal Julia from me, Vicious thought to himself. Yes, it was always about a woman, wasn't it?

Mei nodded, mentally keeping track of all the new information. She pushed the photo back across the desk toward Vicious. "So until then... and on to more personal business... I'm gonna need some money. Clothes to buy, weapons to purchase... all that sort of fun stuff," Mei said with a smile. "Does the Syndicate have a running tab anywhere?" She brushed her long black hair over her shoulder and tilted her head cutely. And yes. It was always about a woman. Women were a man's downfall more often than not.

Vicious grinned, "You don't miss much do you? You of course will be privy to funds for your mission." He picked up the phone, briefly asking that an account be made for Miss Mei and that a card was brought up to his office. "You will be paid, weekly of course. The sum is more than enough to cover your needs."

"Lin will be in charge of a good deal of the operations here. You would do well to befriend him, although it will take a little effort on your part. He's a hard one to gain the trust of." Vicious was curious about her as well. "Everyone else will follow us no matter what we say. But tell me, Mei, about yourself. Where do you come from and why the interest in the darker side of life." He needed to feel her out - see how trusting and trustworthy she was. Vicious had a feeling that this one could turn if she wanted or if she was bored. He did not wish to see that. She had skills that he wanted in his syndicate. The thought made him smile. His syndicate.

Mei chuckled, closing her dark eyes for a few moments. "Ah, yes. The inevitable 'why are you a psycho freak?' question," she mused. Her eyes opened and she regarded Vicious thoughtfully. "Is it too cliché to say that I had a troubled past and was abused by my parents who never loved me?"

Without waiting for a response, she smiled. It was a dazzling smile. "It wouldn't be the truth anyway. They couldn't figure out why I was who I was. They sent me to the best psychologists money could buy. In the end, it really didn't matter. One day, when they came home from a vacation... boom. Blew up the damn house with them in it," she said, her voice holding a hint of affection for the memory, her hands moving a bit as though to accentuate the cloud of smoke that had billowed up from the remains of her destruction.

Her dark gaze caught that of Vicious' and held his gaze solidly. "I get bored easily. I've found that the best way to keep busy is to go against everything society has deemed acceptable. Nothing is more boring than some goody-two-shoes who is afraid to cross a street against a light."

Vicious nodded, listening to the story with interest. "I see. A woman who can blow up her parents obviously works hard not to become attached to things." A trait that could be an asset or a hindrance in his plans. Nevertheless, he would put his faith that she would find this mission more than pleasing. Spike was a very worthy advisory.

"Society places these rules to limit us - to control us. But there are some of us who like to control both our own destinies and those of the ones around us. I am that person, Mei. I can see you feel the same way. I'd like to think similarity between us will not cause undue conflict."

"Just so long as you keep up your end of the bargain, I'll keep up mine," she said simply, a shrug lifting her shoulders without care. "One question though. While I'm on this 'assignment'... am I free to do my own thing on the side?" Mei questioned. She already knew that it would take time to find her target and get in close. She figured she would need to do something on the side to keep herself busy.

"You can do whatever you wish, Mei" Vicious replied, "As long as it does not interfere with your mission or your loyalty." Vicious did not tolerate betrayers. "Otherwise, you are free to do as you please."

Just then a man entered the room, and handed Vicious a small card. "This will be your bank card. It is coded to a private bank, owned by the syndicate, where the police are unable to tap into our funds. You will find your account is full, and a deposit will be made weekly. Although I feel the amount should more than take care of your needs, if you feel you need more, please ask." With that, he handed the card to Mei.

Mei took the card and looked at it for a few moments before smiling and standing. "I know you will not be disappointed," Mei said. "And if that is all, I really do need to be going. Plans to make, loose ends to tie up..." she said, her voice trailing off.

Vicious stood. He took a few steps towards the door before turning around. "I expect that I will not be disappointed. You strike me as one who does things right the first time." He opened the door to his office. "Keep in contact. Do not be afraid to ask for something."

Mei followed him to the door and paused in the doorway, flashing an amused grin. "I do not fear anything," she stated, almost insulted by his use of the word 'afraid' when the subject pertained to her. "Have a lovely day. I'll leave you to your gloating," Mei chuckled, passing him and turning her back to Vicious as she left the office.

Yes. Plans to make.