Chapter 10
February 17, 2071
Mars
Eight long days had passed on the Bebop as Jet and Spike watched over their newest charge. Unlike with Ed, Spike actually took an interest in what she was doing, saying, and how she was feeling. Jet found someone else to mother, and Obsidian reacted much in the same way as Spike, she hated it. However, Jet didn't give up, even resorting to tying her down with duct tape to the faded yellow couch in the hopes of keeping her in one place long enough to heal. Spike thought back on that memory and chuckled.
~~ He had been out at the bar, wasting time playing pool and making a tidy sum sharking the patrons of the bar as he did. The hallway in the ship had spun slightly as he had entered, and he knew at that moment that the hangover he would have in the morning would be spectacular. The first thing he had seen upon entering the living quarters was Jet, asleep in the chair, book in his lap. He had apparently been reading a bedtime story to Sid. Spike had shrugged, thinking she was a bit too old for bedtime stories, until he had looked down at the couch and seen her eyes. She was wide-awake and furious. He had almost fallen over he was laughing so hard. Over her mouth was a strip of tape that rendered her silent, her hands were taped into fists and in turn taped to her chest. When he pulled away the green blanket that covered her, he saw that her ankles had been loosely taped together and in turn taped to the couch cushion itself. At that point, Spike Spiegel, hardened bounty hunter and ex-syndicate assassin, almost lost his mind he was laughing so hard. Jet woke up and had glared at him. ~~
~~ "Quiet. You'll wake her up." Jet growled softly. ~~
~~ "Oh she's up and she looks pretty pissed off to me." Spike slurred as he stumbled to his room. "She try and run off again?" ~~
~~ "Yes." Jet barked the angry reply at Spike's closing door. ~~
After that day, she hadn't tried to run again. Spike figured she'd finally gotten it in her head that they weren't going to just let her go, no matter what she said or how she acted. Sid had really pushed all the limits testing their patience. Between her attitude problem and her extreme independence, she had driven Jet straight up the wall alongside Spike. Ed refused to get close to her, but Ein would sit right by her side. Obsidian didn't pay to much attention to Ein when she thought anyone was looking, but the second she was alone it was a totally different story. She would pet the little dog affectionately and talk to him softly about what a good boy he was.
When she finally pushed them too far with her mouth and behavior, Spike coldly sat her down and explained that she could quite easily be dropped off at an orphanage on Pluto. They weren't about to cut her loose on the streets of Mars any more than they would raise a hand to her, no matter how tempting it might be. Once she had a clear understanding that she was safe, she calmed down considerably and even began a timid friendship with Ed. Spike was surprised to find that they actually had something in common, they both loved to play internet games. Since that day, they were hard pressed to pry Obsidian off the computer long enough to check their mail. Spike walked into the living area only to find Obsidian back on the computer again and Ed on the floor, both of them playing another game of internet monopoly.
"Ok kids, its time to go to the store." Spike waited until they looked up to continue, "Who want's to go with?"
Both girls jumped up with shouts of "Me Me ME!"
Jet chuckled happily as he came out of Faye's old room with her winter coat. "Guess wherever she took off to, she wasn't worried about catching a chill."
Jet wrapped Ed up in Faye's coat and smiled. "It's a bit big, but it should keep you warm. Sid, I have a sweater for you to wear under your trench, so you won't get sick again. The first thing we need to do is get you some new clothes."
Ed danced about swimming in Faye's coat; her hands were completely swallowed by the sleeves and the bottom of the coat hung down almost past her tanned knees. Sid allowed Jet to help her get on his sweater before running for her trench. Jet stood up and looked at Spike, his face wore an expression of what Spike swore looked just like paternal pride, though Jet would never admit it. After the two adults put on their coats, the group left in high spirits to the store. The money Spike had made playing pool would buy Sid her clothes and pay for a few bits of food until they left Mars for another bounty at the end of the week. Jet carried Ed on his back since she hadn't quite mastered the art of wearing anything on her feet, and Obsidian walked along holding Spike's hand as if it were old times.
"First stop is for some clothes for you." Jet said to Sid as they turned the corner walking out of the docks and into the market district. "We don't have a lot of money, so we're going to a resale shop ok?" Sid nodded happily and Jet continued. "Do you know where one is?"
"Yep" chirped Sid, "Take a left here and go down two blocks. I like that one best."
They walked along chatting between them as they went, until they came to a simple storefront with resale painted on the window. They entered the shop and about half an hour later came back out with two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, and a sweater for Sid. Ed had gotten a pair of mismatched socks that caused both Spike and Jet to roll their eyes. They knew that she would never wear them, but they seemed to make her happy so they had thrown them in the basket anyway. The small group had then made their way to the market to pick up some supplies, this time with Spike carrying Ed, though he grumbled about it for the first half of the walk. Once in the market, Ed was deposited back onto the ground as they split up and wandered the isles looking at the food.
"Hey Jet," Spike yelled to Jet from down one of the isles, "You better be getting some beef to go with those bell peppers."
"You wish." Jet yelled back in response to Spike's teasing.
Neither one of the men noticed the man behind the counter pick up the phone and place a call.
**
Vicious sat in his office, anger rolling through him. The stress of the last few days of worry was eating away at him, leaving a lingering migraine in its wake. He absently rubbed at his temples as he rethought the search process again. It had been over a week with no sign of Obsidian. He never knew that he could feel like this again, not since he had lost Julia had anyone effected him like this. This feeling made him vulnerable and he wondered for the thousandth time if he wasn't risking too much by using Red Dragon resources to look for her. As far as he knew, the Van didn't know of her existence and he preferred to keep it that way, though he didn't know how he would hide her this time. He did not want her used as leverage against him, which is undoubtedly what the Van would do with her. A simple quiet knock at the door gave him the second he needed to compose himself before Shin walked in.
"What is it?" Vicious snarled, his migraine must have been bothering him more than he knew, he thought to himself.
"One of the shopkeepers that we use for distribution is on the line. He says that he has information about the man called Jet."
Vicious clicked on the display without waiting to hear any more. His eyes narrowed in pain, though to look at him you would almost think it was contempt. "Yes?"
"Sir? I was told to call if I received any information about a man named Jet. He is over six feet tall, bald, with a cybernetic arm correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Was it his left or right arm sir? The report didn't specify." The shopkeeper was direct and to the point, which, at that moment Vicious appreciated more than painkillers.
"It was his left arm. Do you have anything to report?" He growled.
"Yes sir, he is in my store currently, in the company of two young girls and a tall green haired man."
"What?" Vicious paused. "What do the girls look like?"
"One is very... active, with red hair and an odd orange color eyes. The other has long black hair and bright blue eyes, she is more subdued than the other child."
Vicious felt relief flood through him, though his facial expression never changed. "Very well, my men will be there shortly. This information has been helpful, thank you."
The screen went blank as Vicious turned to Shin. "She is found, send four men to retrieve her and bring her back to me."
Shin nodded and turned to walk out the door. "Shin?" He paused in the doorway and turned to look back at Vicious. "She better be completely unharmed."
**
Jet and Spike checked out of the store while the shopkeeper was busy with a phone call. The cashier rang them up and seemed to take quite the interest in Spike, flirting with him shamelessly while Jet bagged the groceries. Obsidian rolled her eyes then couldn't seem to help opening her mouth and making a comment.
"Are you in heat or something?" She asked smugly.
"Obsidian!" Spike hissed at the same time Jet, in a very disapproving tone, said, "Don't be so damned obnoxious."
The girl behind the counter stared at her, shocked and embarrassed.
"What?" Sid said as she slid a glance down at the floor.
Jet raised an eyebrow at her and Spike turned back to pay the cashier.
"Thanks, have a nice one." The girl behind the counter muttered as she handed Spike the change.
The group walked out the door silently, Ed being carried back to the ship by Jet, and Spike carrying the bags. Sid walked along quietly beside them kicking rocks as she went. She felt weird inside, some undefined emotion chewed at her stomach. She hesitated a look at Spike, but he completely ignored her. Jet looked down at her disapprovingly when she glanced up at him. Obsidian couldn't understand it, she actually felt bad for insulting the clerk, though she didn't know why. She did however have a sneaking suspicion that Spike and Jet were making that feeling worse than it normally would have been. Ed looked lost in thought, though that wasn't uncommon, and it was halfway back to the ship that she uttered the words that made Spike openly glare at Sid and frustrated Jet beyond all belief.
"What does 'in heat' mean?"
**
Four men wearing expensive suits walked into the market after exiting the limousine that was waiting outside. The shopkeeper sucked in his breath sharply, hoping that he wouldn't be held responsible for the man and the girl getting away. He knew, however, that shit rolled downhill and he was at the bottom of the food chain currently. The men walked up to the counter and the shopkeeper sent the cashier into the back to stock the supply shelves. She had left as eagerly as the shopkeeper would have liked to.
"Judging by the fact that we are alone in here, I assume that the party in question has left. Am I correct?" The youngest man, about seventeen years old and their leader obviously, spoke.
"Yes sir." The shopkeeper said respectfully to the man he remembered as Shin. "I didn't think it would be beneficial to try and detain them."
"A wise choice." Shin noted, "You have the security tape, I need to verify that it was them."
The shopkeeper closed and locked the door, then led Shin to the small closet-like room that served as the office. He pushed open a cabinet and a small recording device was found. After a moment of rewinding, the man found the frame that he was looking for. Shin stared at the screen, his mind rejecting the image before him.
"Spike." The name slipped unbidden from Shin's lips.
This was impossible, he was dead. Vicious had killed him in the church on that fateful day. No report had been made about him living, one would think that if something of this magnitude had happened there would have been a report filed. A small glimmer of hope ignited in Shin's heart. Perhaps he come back to them, perhaps he was simply biding his time. In the span of a second the decision was made. He would not tell Vicious of this sighting. A moment later, the object of his quest appeared on the grainy screen, Obsidian. There was a man with her. Cybernetic arm, bald, scar on his face, it must be the man Vicious was looking for.
"Freeze the frame there." Shin directed. "Now, zoom in on his face."
The shopkeeper complied readily, still unsure as to his fate before the Red Dragon's men left. He focused the image then cleaned it up using a security program he had installed on the store's computer. When the image was to Shin's liking, he copied it to disk and handed it to the young man. Shin simply walked from the office holding the disk, proceeding out of the store with his men around him. When they reached the waiting limousine, he turned to one of the men.
"Deliver this to the police, press charges for kidnapping and have them place a bounty on this man called Jet."
Shin handed him the disk, then got into the limousine with the other two men. As they drove off, his mind was full of questions and very few answers. What fate would befall them all in the end, it all hinged on the whim of two men. One cold as ice and the other as carefree as the wind.
February 17, 2071
Mars
Eight long days had passed on the Bebop as Jet and Spike watched over their newest charge. Unlike with Ed, Spike actually took an interest in what she was doing, saying, and how she was feeling. Jet found someone else to mother, and Obsidian reacted much in the same way as Spike, she hated it. However, Jet didn't give up, even resorting to tying her down with duct tape to the faded yellow couch in the hopes of keeping her in one place long enough to heal. Spike thought back on that memory and chuckled.
~~ He had been out at the bar, wasting time playing pool and making a tidy sum sharking the patrons of the bar as he did. The hallway in the ship had spun slightly as he had entered, and he knew at that moment that the hangover he would have in the morning would be spectacular. The first thing he had seen upon entering the living quarters was Jet, asleep in the chair, book in his lap. He had apparently been reading a bedtime story to Sid. Spike had shrugged, thinking she was a bit too old for bedtime stories, until he had looked down at the couch and seen her eyes. She was wide-awake and furious. He had almost fallen over he was laughing so hard. Over her mouth was a strip of tape that rendered her silent, her hands were taped into fists and in turn taped to her chest. When he pulled away the green blanket that covered her, he saw that her ankles had been loosely taped together and in turn taped to the couch cushion itself. At that point, Spike Spiegel, hardened bounty hunter and ex-syndicate assassin, almost lost his mind he was laughing so hard. Jet woke up and had glared at him. ~~
~~ "Quiet. You'll wake her up." Jet growled softly. ~~
~~ "Oh she's up and she looks pretty pissed off to me." Spike slurred as he stumbled to his room. "She try and run off again?" ~~
~~ "Yes." Jet barked the angry reply at Spike's closing door. ~~
After that day, she hadn't tried to run again. Spike figured she'd finally gotten it in her head that they weren't going to just let her go, no matter what she said or how she acted. Sid had really pushed all the limits testing their patience. Between her attitude problem and her extreme independence, she had driven Jet straight up the wall alongside Spike. Ed refused to get close to her, but Ein would sit right by her side. Obsidian didn't pay to much attention to Ein when she thought anyone was looking, but the second she was alone it was a totally different story. She would pet the little dog affectionately and talk to him softly about what a good boy he was.
When she finally pushed them too far with her mouth and behavior, Spike coldly sat her down and explained that she could quite easily be dropped off at an orphanage on Pluto. They weren't about to cut her loose on the streets of Mars any more than they would raise a hand to her, no matter how tempting it might be. Once she had a clear understanding that she was safe, she calmed down considerably and even began a timid friendship with Ed. Spike was surprised to find that they actually had something in common, they both loved to play internet games. Since that day, they were hard pressed to pry Obsidian off the computer long enough to check their mail. Spike walked into the living area only to find Obsidian back on the computer again and Ed on the floor, both of them playing another game of internet monopoly.
"Ok kids, its time to go to the store." Spike waited until they looked up to continue, "Who want's to go with?"
Both girls jumped up with shouts of "Me Me ME!"
Jet chuckled happily as he came out of Faye's old room with her winter coat. "Guess wherever she took off to, she wasn't worried about catching a chill."
Jet wrapped Ed up in Faye's coat and smiled. "It's a bit big, but it should keep you warm. Sid, I have a sweater for you to wear under your trench, so you won't get sick again. The first thing we need to do is get you some new clothes."
Ed danced about swimming in Faye's coat; her hands were completely swallowed by the sleeves and the bottom of the coat hung down almost past her tanned knees. Sid allowed Jet to help her get on his sweater before running for her trench. Jet stood up and looked at Spike, his face wore an expression of what Spike swore looked just like paternal pride, though Jet would never admit it. After the two adults put on their coats, the group left in high spirits to the store. The money Spike had made playing pool would buy Sid her clothes and pay for a few bits of food until they left Mars for another bounty at the end of the week. Jet carried Ed on his back since she hadn't quite mastered the art of wearing anything on her feet, and Obsidian walked along holding Spike's hand as if it were old times.
"First stop is for some clothes for you." Jet said to Sid as they turned the corner walking out of the docks and into the market district. "We don't have a lot of money, so we're going to a resale shop ok?" Sid nodded happily and Jet continued. "Do you know where one is?"
"Yep" chirped Sid, "Take a left here and go down two blocks. I like that one best."
They walked along chatting between them as they went, until they came to a simple storefront with resale painted on the window. They entered the shop and about half an hour later came back out with two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, and a sweater for Sid. Ed had gotten a pair of mismatched socks that caused both Spike and Jet to roll their eyes. They knew that she would never wear them, but they seemed to make her happy so they had thrown them in the basket anyway. The small group had then made their way to the market to pick up some supplies, this time with Spike carrying Ed, though he grumbled about it for the first half of the walk. Once in the market, Ed was deposited back onto the ground as they split up and wandered the isles looking at the food.
"Hey Jet," Spike yelled to Jet from down one of the isles, "You better be getting some beef to go with those bell peppers."
"You wish." Jet yelled back in response to Spike's teasing.
Neither one of the men noticed the man behind the counter pick up the phone and place a call.
**
Vicious sat in his office, anger rolling through him. The stress of the last few days of worry was eating away at him, leaving a lingering migraine in its wake. He absently rubbed at his temples as he rethought the search process again. It had been over a week with no sign of Obsidian. He never knew that he could feel like this again, not since he had lost Julia had anyone effected him like this. This feeling made him vulnerable and he wondered for the thousandth time if he wasn't risking too much by using Red Dragon resources to look for her. As far as he knew, the Van didn't know of her existence and he preferred to keep it that way, though he didn't know how he would hide her this time. He did not want her used as leverage against him, which is undoubtedly what the Van would do with her. A simple quiet knock at the door gave him the second he needed to compose himself before Shin walked in.
"What is it?" Vicious snarled, his migraine must have been bothering him more than he knew, he thought to himself.
"One of the shopkeepers that we use for distribution is on the line. He says that he has information about the man called Jet."
Vicious clicked on the display without waiting to hear any more. His eyes narrowed in pain, though to look at him you would almost think it was contempt. "Yes?"
"Sir? I was told to call if I received any information about a man named Jet. He is over six feet tall, bald, with a cybernetic arm correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Was it his left or right arm sir? The report didn't specify." The shopkeeper was direct and to the point, which, at that moment Vicious appreciated more than painkillers.
"It was his left arm. Do you have anything to report?" He growled.
"Yes sir, he is in my store currently, in the company of two young girls and a tall green haired man."
"What?" Vicious paused. "What do the girls look like?"
"One is very... active, with red hair and an odd orange color eyes. The other has long black hair and bright blue eyes, she is more subdued than the other child."
Vicious felt relief flood through him, though his facial expression never changed. "Very well, my men will be there shortly. This information has been helpful, thank you."
The screen went blank as Vicious turned to Shin. "She is found, send four men to retrieve her and bring her back to me."
Shin nodded and turned to walk out the door. "Shin?" He paused in the doorway and turned to look back at Vicious. "She better be completely unharmed."
**
Jet and Spike checked out of the store while the shopkeeper was busy with a phone call. The cashier rang them up and seemed to take quite the interest in Spike, flirting with him shamelessly while Jet bagged the groceries. Obsidian rolled her eyes then couldn't seem to help opening her mouth and making a comment.
"Are you in heat or something?" She asked smugly.
"Obsidian!" Spike hissed at the same time Jet, in a very disapproving tone, said, "Don't be so damned obnoxious."
The girl behind the counter stared at her, shocked and embarrassed.
"What?" Sid said as she slid a glance down at the floor.
Jet raised an eyebrow at her and Spike turned back to pay the cashier.
"Thanks, have a nice one." The girl behind the counter muttered as she handed Spike the change.
The group walked out the door silently, Ed being carried back to the ship by Jet, and Spike carrying the bags. Sid walked along quietly beside them kicking rocks as she went. She felt weird inside, some undefined emotion chewed at her stomach. She hesitated a look at Spike, but he completely ignored her. Jet looked down at her disapprovingly when she glanced up at him. Obsidian couldn't understand it, she actually felt bad for insulting the clerk, though she didn't know why. She did however have a sneaking suspicion that Spike and Jet were making that feeling worse than it normally would have been. Ed looked lost in thought, though that wasn't uncommon, and it was halfway back to the ship that she uttered the words that made Spike openly glare at Sid and frustrated Jet beyond all belief.
"What does 'in heat' mean?"
**
Four men wearing expensive suits walked into the market after exiting the limousine that was waiting outside. The shopkeeper sucked in his breath sharply, hoping that he wouldn't be held responsible for the man and the girl getting away. He knew, however, that shit rolled downhill and he was at the bottom of the food chain currently. The men walked up to the counter and the shopkeeper sent the cashier into the back to stock the supply shelves. She had left as eagerly as the shopkeeper would have liked to.
"Judging by the fact that we are alone in here, I assume that the party in question has left. Am I correct?" The youngest man, about seventeen years old and their leader obviously, spoke.
"Yes sir." The shopkeeper said respectfully to the man he remembered as Shin. "I didn't think it would be beneficial to try and detain them."
"A wise choice." Shin noted, "You have the security tape, I need to verify that it was them."
The shopkeeper closed and locked the door, then led Shin to the small closet-like room that served as the office. He pushed open a cabinet and a small recording device was found. After a moment of rewinding, the man found the frame that he was looking for. Shin stared at the screen, his mind rejecting the image before him.
"Spike." The name slipped unbidden from Shin's lips.
This was impossible, he was dead. Vicious had killed him in the church on that fateful day. No report had been made about him living, one would think that if something of this magnitude had happened there would have been a report filed. A small glimmer of hope ignited in Shin's heart. Perhaps he come back to them, perhaps he was simply biding his time. In the span of a second the decision was made. He would not tell Vicious of this sighting. A moment later, the object of his quest appeared on the grainy screen, Obsidian. There was a man with her. Cybernetic arm, bald, scar on his face, it must be the man Vicious was looking for.
"Freeze the frame there." Shin directed. "Now, zoom in on his face."
The shopkeeper complied readily, still unsure as to his fate before the Red Dragon's men left. He focused the image then cleaned it up using a security program he had installed on the store's computer. When the image was to Shin's liking, he copied it to disk and handed it to the young man. Shin simply walked from the office holding the disk, proceeding out of the store with his men around him. When they reached the waiting limousine, he turned to one of the men.
"Deliver this to the police, press charges for kidnapping and have them place a bounty on this man called Jet."
Shin handed him the disk, then got into the limousine with the other two men. As they drove off, his mind was full of questions and very few answers. What fate would befall them all in the end, it all hinged on the whim of two men. One cold as ice and the other as carefree as the wind.
