Chapter Eight: "Trust In Me"

Jet stood at the edge of the ship, his arms folded across his chest as he gazed over the water. Not far away from the temporary port for all other craft, was the smoldering crater that was once a bustling spaceport. The spot where the Bebop was docked marked the extreme edge of damage area. He couldn't figure out how someone related to Vash could be responsible for something like this. Little made sense anymore, though.

His head turned slightly when he heard footsteps behind him. From the corner of his eye, he spotted the bright red of Vash's coat.

Vash stopped in the middle of the deck, his eyes riveted sadly to the remnants of the spaceport. His heart sank further into his chest as he looked down at his feet. He could've prevented this long ago. Why didn't he? What if Spike was right? What if the only way to stop Knives was to kill him? It couldn't be. He wouldn't let it be.

"You all right?"

His head lifted when Jet spoke. He couldn't quite read the expression on the man's face, but what was in his eyes was more than enough – disappointment. He only looked away.

"You think this is your fault, don't you?"

His gaze shifted back to Jet.

"You'd be right." He paused. He hadn't meant for his words to come across so coldly. When they were in his head, they hadn't sounded that way and he hadn't intended them to. "You care too much, Vash. As noble as it is, it's your greatest weakness. You have to realize, one way or another, that not everyone deserves to live."

Since he'd met him, Vash imagined Jet to be more like him than any of the others on the Bebop, even Ed. She was without real life experience, so her optimism was natural, not something that was found from within. Jet had been through a lot, yet retained the honorable traits Vash regarded in humankind. Now, to hear him say that, it hurt.

"You're in the position to make that decision, Mr. Black?"

"When it involves the lives of millions of innocent people, yes, I believe I am." He approached the blond, his arms dropping to his sides. "Your optimism is admirable, I've always thought so. Your sense of reality, however, it's … almost non-existent."

"Murder is reality?"

"Self-defense isn't murder. Life isn't always black and white. Large portions of it are gray." He stopped in front of Vash, his eyes never leaving the other's. "Have you heard the saying 'The good of the many over the good of the few, or the one.'?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand what that means?"

"Despite what your colleagues may think, I'm not an idiot."

For a moment, Jet wanted to laugh. He could only imagine the reply Vash's comment would've earned from Spike. "Then you understand what I'm saying, Vash. I know you want to save your brother, but what if you're not able to? What then? Let him continue to do this?" He pointed to the one-time spaceport. "Is that it? How's it going to end?"

"I … " He averted his gaze. "I don't know." He didn't like to think in terms of failure. He couldn't fail – not with Knives. He'd promised Rem so many years ago. He'd promised.

"If you don't know, you'd better ask someone." He placed a hand on Vash's shoulder. When Vash looked at him, he added, "Starting with yourself." He patted Vash's shoulder then walked away.

As he approached the other side of the deck, he heard familiar voices – Spike's was one of them. His eyes narrowed when he saw another person on the dock with his partner.

"MacGruder."

Great. That was the last thing they needed – the one person in the universe who managed to get under Spike's skin more than Faye.


"What's your problem, Spiegel?" MacGruder asked as he stepped back from Spike. "I saw the ship and I thought I'd say hi to some fellow bounty hunters." He glanced at Faye, who stood not far behind Spike with her hands on her hips.

"There's only one reason you'd even be here, MacGruder, and it's not to get chatty with 'old friends'." Spike scanned the dock area, wondering where Linares was. He didn't mind the woman, it was this asshole who grated on his last nerve.

"Okay, so I'm after that 300 million woolongs. Sue me."

"300 million?" Faye repeated. Her mouth promptly dropped open.

MacGruder looked past Spike to her. "Yeah. Dead or alive. Martian Government matched Earth's bounty. Apparently, everyone's eager to get this Vash the Stampede." He snorted. "Vash the Stampede. What kinda stupid name is that, anyway?"

"300 million?" Faye whispered, her eyes still wide. Vash's brother was worth a lot of money – dead or alive. Just a third of that bounty would have her set for life. Maybe 100 million woolongs could help her forget about Spike, too.

"Look," MacGruder was saying as Faye tuned back in to the world around her. "We don't like each other –"

"That's one way of putting it," Spike muttered.

"- but if we work together on this," MacGruder continued as though Spike hadn't said a word. "Think, Spiegel, for once in your life. Three … hundred … million woolongs. Cut in half, of course; 150 for us and 150 for you.'

Faye came closer. She stopped beside Spike and looked at him. He didn't acknowledge her, he only continued to stare at MacGruder. She wondered what he was thinking. MacGruder and Linares were decent enough bounty hunters. With their help, they could catch Knives in no time.

"Well, what do you say?" MacGruder asked as he hooked his thumbs around the leather straps that criss-crossed his chest.

"You really want my answer?"

Behind Spike and Faye, Jet appeared. He froze in place, curious as to what was going on between these three. And what was it that Spike had an answer for?

"Sometimes … it's about more than just money." Spike shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked slightly. "So piss off."

MacGruder's jaw tightened. "Why you lousy – " His sentence dropped off suddenly when another person joined Jet on the other end of the dock. His eyes narrowed as he grabbed the shotgun from the holster on his back. "Hold it right there, pal!" he shouted as he leveled the gun on the tall blond in the long read coat.

"Oh no," Vash murmured when he saw the gun pointed at him. "Not this again." He couldn't decide if he should run or attempt to reason with the stranger. Fortunately, and surprisingly, he didn't have to do either.

Spike stepped into MacGruder's line of sight. "Put it down."

MacGruder laughed shortly. "What's this? You in kahootz with this psycho? And to think I used to respect you, Spiegel." His finger curled around the trigger. "Don't believe for a second that I won't blow a hole through you to get to him."

To Spike's surprise, Faye put herself between him and MacGruder. "I guess you'll have to shoot through me, too." Did I just say that? She focused on the barrel of MacGruder's shotgun Why am I doing this? This isn't me. I … I don't do stupid things like this -

Vash appeared in front of Faye, his arms extended out to his sides and a look of resolve on his face as he stared MacGruder down.

- this idiot does, she finished as she shook her head.

"No one's going to die here, not over me," Vash simply stated. He lowered his arms and made his posture as non-threatening as possible. "I'm not the one you're looking for, anyway."

"Vash, what the hell are you doing?" Spike asked as he pushed Faye aside. He felt Vash shove him back, to keep him out of path of MacGruder's shotgun. "This guy will kill you. He doesn't care if you're the right brother or not."

MacGruder's brow furrowed. "Brother? What are you talkin' about, brother?"

Ignoring Spike, Vash took two measured steps forward. "The man responsible for the spaceport –" He nodded in the direction of the rubble. "- and for the Earth city, it's my brother. And I plan to stop him."

MacGruder shifted is gaze between Vash and the crew of the Bebop. "How dumb do you think I am? Why would your brother have the same name as you?"

"Because that isn't his name." He stopped walking when the man pointed the shotgun in his face. "They're not protecting a killer. I'm not your enemy. Believe me."

He gripped the shotgun tightly. A few beads of sweat rolled down his face. He wasn't sure what to believe. The guy in front of him fit the description … and who knew what Spiegel's game was? "You've got two choices, pal." He pressed his finger to the trigger again. "With your shield, or on it."

"Spoken like a true soldier," Spike murmured.

"Mr. MacGruder! Hey!" a little girl's voice called. "Don't shoot anybody!"

Spike recognized that voice. He momentarily met Faye's gaze. She, too, remembered that day in the alley with Paul Saverem and his daughter. They both watched as the girl, aged a few years, running towards them. Ana Linares was right behind her.

"Rem, stay back!" MacGruder shouted. He cursed when then girl ignored him and jumped in front of Vash. "Dammit. Get out of the way!"

"Rem?" Vash whispered. He stared at the top of the black-haired head. Flashes of the Rem he'd known filled his mind – her smile, her eyes, her face. As well as the last time he ever saw her beautiful face. 'Vash … take care of Knives …'

Linares came to a halt beside MacGruder. She leaned over and placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "She … got away … from me, Nate. Sorry."

"Please, don't shoot anyone," Rem begged. She motioned to Vash. "This isn't the man who was at the spaceport."

"What?" MacGruder narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"That man, the one who did everything, I saw him. He was dressed similar, but he was different." She turned around and looked up to Vash. Her head tilted to one side as she studied him. "He … had a different face. And his eyes, they weren't so friendly."

"Rem?" Vash whispered, unaware he'd spoken aloud. The girl, she resembled the woman he'd known so much. It was eerie. But this couldn't be his Rem, she was over a thousand years too early. If anything, she was an ancestor. In which case, the girl was just as important. This couldn't be coincidence, could it? No. It couldn't be.

She smiled. "Yes, I'm Rem." The smile faded away. "You're not like him. You're not so … sad."

Slowly, MacGruder's shotgun lowered but his finger never left the trigger. "You saw the guy?"

The girl nodded. "He was in the spaceport, watching the news reports about Earth. I asked him if he was the man on the news and he said he was."

"There goes your 300 million, eh, MacGruder?" Spike commented with a smirk.

"Shut the fuck up," MacGruder snarled.

"Nate," Linares hissed. She nodded towards the girl when he gave her a puzzled look in response.

Rem gazed up at Spike. "I remember you," she said. She noticed Faye nearby. "The both of you."

"Okay! Time out!" MacGruder exclaimed as he formed his hands into a time out signal. "I've been lost since this guy here is Vash the Stampede, who isn't." He paused, running what he'd just said through his head, trying to make sense of it.

"Only since then?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

He glared. "I'm confused. I don't like bein' confused. Somebody better explain to me what in the hell is going on around here. Right now!"

"It's a long story," Vash calmly replied.

"I don't care if it's War and Peace! I want to know what's goin' on!"

"We'll try not to use big words," Spike assured him.

"Fu –"

Linares clamped a hand over MacGruder's mouth. "That'll be fine."


Phoenix Corp.


The doors swung open and Knives entered the room. He almost laughed when he saw where Lao Chan had escorted him. It resembled a throne room, as if any of these humans could declare himself more worthy than the others. Their true superior had arrived and he would make them realize it soon enough. Once he'd used them to his purposes, naturally.

"Lord Vicious will see you now," Shin greeted as he half-bowed to Lao and the man he'd brought with him. He felt a chill run down his spine as he caught the cold blue eyes of the blond. He reminded Shin of Vicious … except more … sinister. He attempted to smile but that didn't happen.

Lao shoved Shin out of his path as he and Knives approached Vicious who was poised in his chair with more authority than before. When in front of his leader, Lao graciously bowed then looked to Knives with an expectation for him to do the same. "Bow," he prompted in a hushed voice.

Never taking his eyes away from Vicious, Knives replied, "I bow to no one."

Lao's eyes darkened. He pulled out his gun, cocked the hammer and pressed the barrel to Knives' right temple. "Bow."

"Lao."

He looked to Vicious when the man spoke. "Yes, sir?"

Vicious gestured for him to lower the gun. "We don't need to bother with formalities."

Gritting his teeth, Lao complied with Vicious' order. He tucked his gun back into its holster underneath his coat then clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Leave us, Lao."

"What?"

"Leave."

Lao stared at Vicious, stunned. "But I – "

"You've done your job?"

He blinked. "Sir?"

"You've found our missing brother?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then you haven't done your job. Go." He glanced to his left. "And take Shin with you this time."

"Shin?" He shifted his gaze to the man, who seemed equally surprised at Vicious' command. "Sir, he doesn't even – "

"Go."

His shoulders slumped. "Yes, of course, Lord Vicious," he murmured as he bowed respectfully. As he passed by him, he grabbed Shin by an arm. The still befuddled young man was practically dragged out of the room, his gaze flicking between Lao and Vicious.

Once the doors closed with a resounding clang, Vicious shifted his attention to Knives. He carefully studied him for a minute before he spoke. "You've been a menace to me, do you realize this?" he asked, his voice a monotone.

"Am I supposed to care?"

Vicious pressed the tips of his fingers together as he leaned forward. He recognized the emptiness in the blond's eyes. He knew it. Whatever part of him that was capable of feeling, of caring, of being ... human, it died long ago. "Spike Spiegel," he quietly said. "You're searching for him. Why?"

"He'll be useful for my side project," Knives casually replied. He glanced at the shadows to the left of Vicious' chair. "I'm looking for my own wayward brother. His connection to this ... Spike will surely draw him out. I have plans in mind afterward, as well."

"What do you plan to do afterward?"

"Finish what I started."

"Which is?"

"Turned on your monitor lately?"

Vicious stared. Obviously, Knives was completely insane. What other sort of man would make such a declaration without fear of what may happen to him? Still, if this person could bring Spike to him, it would be worth putting up with asinine delusions of grandeur. Once he was reunited with his old friend, he would simply eliminate Knives.

Knives smiled inwardly at the reaction he'd garnered from Vicious. So, he believed him to be insane? If that's what made him feel safe, so be it. He had no care for what this cold human thought. He had knowledge of the universe, the time, the man he sought, and the resources to make something happen. Allying himself with Vicious was merely a courtesy, in his opinion. Also, it could prove to be ... fun.

After a few minutes of dead silence, Vicious spoke. "When you've used Spike for your own purposes, he becomes mine." He paused. "Is that ... acceptable?"

Knives shrugged. "We both want different things and he's the key to mine. A key is useless after it has unlocked the desired door."

Vicious rose to his feet, stepped down to Knives' level and offered his hand. "We have our alliance, then."

He stared at the hand, then looked to the garbage who offered it to him. Normally, he wouldn't insult himself by touching one of them, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. His hand clasped Vicious' and he forced a smile. "Yes. That we do."


End Chapter Eight

Song Title Used: "Trust In Me" - The Jungle Book (1967)