Life Will Be What It Was
By Ryoko Kashino & Kitana blade studios
Hey all! Dang it! I got no reviews for the last chapter! Manm I guess no one is liking this story! Mwuhahahahahah! It's gonna get better I just gotta get further in the story people!!! Oh well to the faithful readers thanks again! I hope I get a few reviews for this and the next chapter. Okay here we go again! I don't own bebop, so don't sue, I'm very poor! Karma's a bitch people and it hits when you least expect it!
Chp 10 Familiar places and a new beginning
The wind brought up dust while the sun hung high in the sky. The clouds each held a perfect fluffy shape. Had Spike been a kid his imagination would've flourished with views of animals or maybe scenes of great battles. He really did hate earth. The last couple of times he'd come away with a booby prizes. Ed was one and the other Faye. He shook his head; he had to remember that that life was behind him. He looked at this new passport. He was now Brendan A. Michaels; a simple man without a tragic past.
The stellar port held nothing new. Filled to the brim with locals, vendors and visiting vacationers. The massive structure consisted of stainless steel supports, the sun beamed in through the gigantic windows. Lined along the very end of the building, ticket counters for leaving passengers. Spike entered the bustling area along with the rest of the flight's passengers. Checking out the baggage claim, he stood there impatiently for his bags.
This was earth. Yes, once it had been the ultimate place to live. People lived freely here. Science had flourished and brought new ways of living to other planets. Not that there had been any discovery of a new life forms. This whole solar system became theirs for the taking. Everyone had been from earth, but as years past and new generations came about so came the new specifications of Martian, or Jupitarian. It was futile. They were all humans.
Spike walked over to a vid phone and dialed a number that had been burned into his mind since he was ten. It rang twice before an old withered white haired man answered, "Duhan repairs, holy shit boy is that you?"
Spike smiled and said, "Depends if you're you then I'm me." A small chuckle followed.
"Damn it! Where the hell are you?"
"In the space port; about twenty miles from you, do you think your dusty ass could come get me?"
"I'll send Miles."
"Damn he's still there? I'd thought you'd have chased him away."
"Nope, he's a lot like you where then."
"That can't be good, look I would prefer you come get me."
"Alright, I have the swordfish II, is that why you're here?"
"What? How'd you..."
"Jet brought her back to me. He thinks your dead. Are you boy?"
"Just come get me. I'll explain it to you then."
"I'll be there in half an hour."
"Okay I'm starving, I'm gonna get something to eat while I wait for you."
Duhan nodded and hung up. Spike put down the receiver and sighed. His baby was at Duhan's. His good karma must be coming back.
****
The afternoon was going to be spent gambling at the races when Faye had spotted a bounty that had gotten away about two weeks before. So instead of gambling away the few woolongs that lined her pocket she hunted the two bit thug. Faye had scored a 200 thousand woolong bounty all by herself and that would definitely help her vacation from Jet. As the machine spit out her card Faye plucked it out and kissed the thin piece of plastic. Money was both her best friend and worst enemy. It was a love hate relationship, Faye loved the money and apparently the money hated her cause it never seemed to stay with her for very long. Faye stretched out and headed to her ship. She looked over at the clock on the control center of her ship the pale green numbers showed the hour of 6:37 p.m. It was still too early to hit the bars so instead Faye settled for a burger joint.
****
Before Jet could even park the hammerhead properly Ed opened the cockpit and danced along the flat hood.
"Damn it Edward!" Jet voice boomed.
Laughter sprang forth from the girl and soon a bark followed from the small dog as Jet landed then climbed out of the ship.
Ed squatted down and placed her hand above her eyes and scanned the hanger. Her face scrunched into a frown and her voice came out curious, "Where is Faye-Faye and Spike person?"
Jet looked at her quickly and then his view switched around to the empty spaces. He couldn't just tell Ed that Spike was dead, "Faye is as usual having a tantrum and run off till she needs money. Spike is…he's, shit I don't know where he is."
Jet stalked off towards the rotating hall and as he got to the door way he turned his head seeing Ed standing just a few inches shorter than the hammerhead front end. He smiled and then asked, "Ed, you hungry? I know I am."
The mop headed child violently nodded her head. She ran over towards Jet and jumped on his back. Ein trotted over slowly and the three of them left the hanger and headed for the kitchen.
Jet stood there in his apron with Ed smacking her lips as he cooked. Ein slept rolled in a ball in the hallway. Ed watched with wonder as Jet expertly threw the food in the air. Her eyes had a little sparkle in them as he shut off the grill and grabbed some plates. He poured her a serving and then himself. The girl danced as she headed to sit down in the living room of the bebop. She grinned widely as Jet sat adjacent from her on the couch. Jet took a good whiff of his cooking; it smelled so much better than the plain ramen cups he'd been scarfing for the past week. He smiled in satisfaction.
Ed ran over to the small fridge in the corner and grabbed a caffeine drink for herself and a beer for Jet. She hopped back over to the table and tossed the beer at Jet then she yanked open her drink. She licked her lips then shoveled some of her food in her mouth. Yummy sounds came from her causing Jet to chuckle as he took a sip of his beer.
****
Spike sat hunched over his noodles. He slurped them noisily as Duhan walked up. Pulling out the chair, Duhan cleared his throat and signaled for an order. The cook nodded his head and returned to the silver blackened stove to prepare it. Spike again, sucked down a wad of noodles. His eyes looking at Duhan, "So how is she?"
"Good, I fixed her up even though I heard you were gone, somehow I knew you'd come a callin'. You always do, boy, you always do."
Spike smirked, "What can I say? I missed you."
Both men chuckled and shook their heads. The grease stained cook came over and slapped down Duhan's food and a coke. Duhan smiled then dug in, "So how long will you be with me this time?"
"I dunno. It might be a while. I have some money, but nowhere to call home."
Duhan nodded as he chewed. Both sat in silence as they continued to finish their meal. Spike threw down enough cash to pay for both meals and a tip. Duhan nearly fell down and then looked at Spike. Spike looked at him and said, "Hey even I can pay for a meal now and then."
Spike lit up a cigarette as they piled into Duhan's old army jeep. Duhan looked over at Spike. The man's eyes were staring out into the desert plain that he called home. Duhan was wondering what happened but he wouldn't press him. Spike would talk in his own time. The ride to the small base that Duhan owned was filled with cigarette smoke rather than conversation. As they pulled up to the hanger, Spike spyed his baby. He leapt out of the jeep and ran over to her. Her body looked a little battered but he knew that she was still his. Her pink skin felt cool to his warm hand, he smiled to himself and kissed her, "That's right baby, daddy's back."
Duhan cleared his throat and said, "Damn, boy, she ain't no woman!"
Spike turned his head, "She ought to be she's the one thing that hasn't done me wrong."
Duhan chuckled and tossed something at Spike, "Here I'd figure you'd want to take her for a quick ride."
Spike caught the keys and leapt up on the Swordfish's wing as he popped open the cock pit and sat in his pilot seat a feeling came over him. His heart quickened for a moment. His hands glided slowly across the controls. This was almost as good and making love. This excitement he was feeling; he hadn't felt this in a while. He reached over to the glove compartment and he dropped it open there sat his piloting gloves. He snatched them up and put them on. He cracked his knuckles then checked out his reflection in the mirror. He grinned as he turned the key and the engines purred on.
Duhan stood ten feet away as he saw Spike fly off. His eyes looked lifeless when he'd first seen them today. Now, now they had a small twinkle. It reminded him of when Spike had been a boy and he'd taken him for a ride in a racer ship, the child had returned with a fire in his eyes for the adrenaline rush and passion for speed. Duhan had created a monster then. Every summer till the boy had turned 17 had been spent with him. That was when Duhan had surprised the 17 year old on his birthday with his own specially built racer, the Swordfish II. Spike had tears falling from his eyes as he hugged Duhan nearly crushing him. It was the first and last time Spike had shown his soft side. Remembering that always made Duhan happy, it had been one of the best days of his life too. He'd seen traces of his brother in the boy. He'd never thought that Spike would choose the life of a gangster instead of one as a Racer. He had the talent and had been faster than hell in that pod of his. It broke Duhan's heart when Spike came to visit him when he was 20, his eyes then had been cold and calm. Evil almost, it was when Duhan noticed the small dragon emblem on the lapel of his coat. The golden dragon had red eyes. The Red Dragons, Duhan was about to lecture the kid but as he looked at him he saw nothing of the boy he'd known. He instead repaired the damage to the ship and sent Spike on his way. The times after that had been sporadic; and slowly each time the boy he'd known had come back. Mostly, since partnering with Jet had the Spike he'd raised for seven summers totally came back.
A loud roaring engine turned Duhan's head as he saw Spike speed past him again. The tail of the swordfish burned a bright purplish blue in his sight. He shook his head as walked into the hanger and shook his head, "God damn kids."