Title: When Death Comes To Play

Author: Beckzy

Summary: Prior to the Cowboy Bebop sessions. Mao Yenrai, the leader of the Red Dragon, brings his niece to the syndicate after his brother and his sister-in-law were killed by a rival syndicate. The White Tiger syndicate is after his niece and the Red Dragon. Faye is her name and she falls for Vicious, but what happens when Spike falls for her?

Dislclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop.

Chapter Four

-

Dancing With The Devil

Her dress flowed down to her knees and its dark crimson color matched well with her colored lips.  It showed much cleavage, and left little to the imagination.  Her hair was up with a few strands framing her face.  She wandered about as the many guests sipped Champaign and had pointless conversations with one another.  She was bored… she was only here because of her uncle; he was talking to some "very important people" at the time.  She roamed over to the bar and sat on a stool.  She put her elbow on the counter and rested her head in her hand as she waited for the bartender.

"Whiskey."  She watched at he filled her glass with the dry liquid. 

"Here you go, miss."  The glass was place on the counter before her and she grasped it with her hand.  She swished it around and then shot it down in one gulp.  It burned down to her stomach where it settled.  She called the bartender for another… then another.  She was never the biggest of drinkers, but she needed something to stifle the pain of loss.  She wasn't full intoxicated, she knew she needed more, and she was going to do whatever it took to get there.  She grasped her fifth cup and chocked it down.

"Sure can drink."  She looked over to her side, at the man in a black suit and hat now occupying the stool that had been empty.  He hadn't looked at her; only waved to the bartender.  "Shot of Vodka."  She turned her head to the man filling up Spikes drink and tipped her glass to make him aware that she wanted another.

"Where's your date?"  She looked over to him as he shot down his vodka. 

"She's not here yet… what about you?"  She stared in a daze ahead of her, staring at nothing as the sorrow of not having anybody and liquor started kicking in.  "Faye?"  Spike had a perplexed look on his face as he waved a hand in front of her.  She lost her train of thought and looked over to the green haired man.

"No one."  She drowned in her glass… and called for another.

"The shrew has no date?..."  He watched as she swallowed her seventh… or was it eighth cup of whiskey.  "… If you keep that up you won't make it for the rest of the night."  He sipped his drink looking away from her.

"And what more will be awaiting me this night?"  She was right, this night wasn't the highlight of any of their days.  He looked over to her once again and realized that her eyes were falling and her mouth hung open.  If she kept it up, she'd pass out on the ball room floor.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?  I'm sitting with the best of the best…"  She looked at him with a dopey smile. "… Life couldn't be any better."  Her voice spat sarcasm as she looked around for the bartender.  Where the hell is that guy?  She thought to herself.  Spike looked around the lodging area to see the most beautiful women walk in… his women.  He didn't excuse himself, but Faye hadn't noticed, she was busy screaming for the bartender.

"Hey there."  He wrapped his arms around her waist for a tight embrace.  She wore a long black dress that swung low in front and had two slits on the sided, exposing her legs.  Her hair was pulled up half way accenting to her eyes.

"Hey."  She turned around to face him as she put her arms around his neck. 

"Where have you been?" 

"I was looking for you, but I saw you talking to her." Julia pointed to the women reaching over the bar, steeling a bottle of liquor.  He couldn't help but smirk.

"What… you jealous."  He teased.

"No." She looked over to the women, chugging down the bottle with disgust.

+

Faye walked to the restroom with the bottle in tow.  She looked at herself; her face was pale and her eyes were almost bloodshot, and it hadn't even been an hour into the banquet yet.  God Faye, you look like shit, she thought.  She looked away from the mirror and took another sip from the bottle.  She left the restroom and headed out the door.  She looked around the city as darkness swallowed it whole.  Only a few street and building lights illuminated the avenue.  She lit a cigarette as she stumbled down the stairs in front of the building.  She took a little more from the bottle and placed the cap back on shakily. 

'Do you know what it's like to loose a love.'

'I've never loved before.'

'Then, you don't know what its like to feel'

'I can fe…'

'Love is the feeling of every emotion… without it you have nothing.'

'Love only makes a person weak… it holds you back from what's real.'

'Reality only exists to those who can't see passed it.'

"Here's too love."  She was tipsy.  She sat on the stairs outside and drowned away all her pain with the poison that was now only half full.  She stomped on her cancer butt and stood; only to fall down, laughing.  Damn she had sure gotten herself into something.

"Miss Valentine."  His voice was blank.  She looked up to see the silver haired man that she had seen in the workout room.  She greeted him with a dense smile.  He held a hand out to her and helped her up.

"Thank you."  She wobbled about and looked up to the man before him as she stuck out a hand for him to shake.  "We were never properly introduced… I'm Faye… Faye Valentine."

"I know who you are…"  She stared at him, waiting for him to mention his name and shake her hand.  "Vicious."

"Nice to finally know your name… Vicious."  She truly was drunk.  She wouldn't remember any of this in the morning, but she would have gained one thing… a hangover.  She smirked at Vicious as his face showed nothing; she then looked to the ground to find her bottle.  She bent to her side and retrieved the whiskey.  With one last sip she passed out.

+

"Ugg… too much light."  She flipped over on the bed she had been lying on to avoid the sunlight from entering her eyes.  She opened them quickly when the realization came to her… she wasn't on her bed.  She sat up and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and grabbed her head as everything began to spin and the pain kicked in… a hangover.

"Good morning Miss Valentine."  She was startled by the voice and looked up to see Vicious sitting on a chair ahead of her.  He watched the cars pass out the window; he didn't have to look at her to know she was awake.

"Its Faye."

"I'll remember that."  He looked at her as if he had no heart.  What the hell am I doing here, she thought.  The hangover had explained that she had been binge drinking, but only a few parts were there to clarify the rest.   It was pretty quiet momentarily, as she scanned the room for nothing in particular.  Her head began to pound harder and harder.

"Do you have any…"  She couldn't finish her sentence as a bottle of aspirin was thrown her way.  She was shocked as she stared at the bottle in her hands.  She took out two of the pills and swallowed them whole, but began to choke.  A glass of water came to view as two hands clenched it, offering her to take them from his grasp.  She took the water and swallowed.  "Thanks."  It was quiet again as he walked to the chair he had been sitting in.

"You could leave whenever you'd like."  He grabbed his coat that hung over the chair and threw it over his shoulder before proceeding for the door.

"Wait…"  He turned his head to look at her.  She really had no words, she just didn't want him to go.  Why… she didn't even know.  She turned her head and looked out the window.  "Thank you."  He turned his head without a response; only a nod.  Before she could say more, the door shut.

+

She sneaked into the building without a word.  Her nerves ticked throughout her body and her head still ached.  She tried not to make a sound as she closed her bed room door.  The building was big, but her uncle's office was only two doors away.  It was late in the afternoon now; she had taken her time putting herself together before she left.  She flopped on her bed and stared at her ceiling as the pain from her head began to subside.  She sat up and rummaged through her dressed from something to wear… she was planning to go see a little more of Mars tonight; a hangover wasn't going to stop her from that.  She laid a short black skirt and a matching black tank top on her bed next to her.  She slowly pulled off her dress from the banquet and replaced if with a small green robe.

She walked into her bathroom and turned on the hot water to the shower.  She let the robe flutter down to her feet before she walked into the water.  She let the water run down her back as she thought of her parents.  She thought of the past… a past that she no longer felt existed.  She turned her body and looked down to her feet as she let the liquid pour through her hair.  Reality only exists to those who can't see past it.

+

It began to rain as night took over.  Faye walked through stores and bars looking for anyone who knew anything on the White Tiger.  Apparently, the Red Dragon had set an explosion to the syndicate and most of the men died.  A few bodies were not found including that of Carlos Cruz.  That was the only thing she could find.  The people who gave her the leads, didn't know much; only the basics.  She strolled down the sidewalk pouting.  Life was a bitch.  Her hang over was gone but she didn't feel like having a drink, so she just walked.  She searched her coat pockets for her cigarettes and lighter.  With success, she place one in her mouth and lit it.  She left it dangling in between her lips as she placed her hand behind her head and walked on.

She passed a bar with open glass windows; she looked inside to see a few men circled around a table.  She watched as one man lifted his arm calling for the waitress; she couldn't make out the tattoo very well as it was hidden beneath a sleeve, but as he stretched his arm more, she saw it… those damn White Tigers.

Rage circulated in her head.  Memories of bloodshed spread throughout her thoughts.  She didn't move though, pain made it too hard.  She was brought out of her daze as a barrel of a gun was aimed at the side of her head.  She looked over to see another one of them.  She smiled seductively at the character next to her.

"I was just looking at your friend over there… but your much more hansom."  She reached behind herself and held onto the handle of her gun.  He shook nervously; evidently he was a rookie at this.

"Cut the shit… Valentine, I have orders to complete, and by all means, I will." 

"So the infamous Mr. Cruz is still breathing orders up young boy's backs, huh?"  She pulled out her gun but still left it behind her back until he noticed.  He shot missing she by a few inches.  She swung her leg, kicking the gun out of the man's hand.  She brought her gun out in clear view and shot him repeatedly in the chest.  It was obvious that the men inside had watch and heard and pretty soon they were chasing her.  She dodged a few bullets, but one penetrated through her rids, before she could fall, she was pulled into an alley.  She looked up as shocked as the pain would allow.  Vicious.  She fell to the ground behind him and watched as he drowned the oncoming bodies with bullets.  They didn't even have time to shoot. 

The bullet fire ceased as she dragged herself to lean her back against the building wall, leaving a trail of blood as she did so.  She saw him walk towards her, but her eyes were falling.  She looked at the blood around her as it mixed in with the rain that now poured harder.

"Is that mine?"  She thought aloud.  She removed her hand from her ribs and blood graced it.  She wasn't shocked or scared.  She just wondered, maybe, if today she would wake from the dream.  Death is the only consequence.

YOUR DREAMS JUST STARTED

Author's Note:  Hey there.  So what you'd think?  Yes, No… I think some of the characters are a little OOC, but you tell me.  Thanks for the reviews and I do have your suggestions in mind, so keep reviewing.  If there's anything I should do or change you know what to do.  BYE!