Well...here we go. Chapter numéro 2! xx; Man..you guys have NO idea how exciting this is for me! And I really must say, PaulC, you truly made a young writer very happy. ; I was getting nervous becuase I thought that nobody liked it...anyway...here ya go everybody!

Chapter 2:

Easier to Run

Walking down the street, completely unaware of her predicament, Emp Nemio was on her way to get a drink. She was still somewhat depressed that she couldn't find a job, so there was only one thing left to do; drink her troubles away. Her long brown hair shone in the sun whilst her golden brown eyes, usually full of life, were dim. It was winter on Mars, so the overcoat she was wearing raised no suspicion whatsoever. She was just a cold civilian. However, she was only cold on the outside; there wasn't a single drop of cold blood in her veins. Not like the cold blood that killed the ISSP executive.

When she entered the bar, it seemed busier than usual. She chose the only available seat, which was next to a man in a blue coat. She ordered her usual: two shot glasses of tequila, which she gulped down rather fast. In curiosity of why the little bar was so busy, Emp leaned over and asked the bartender.

"They're all bounty hunters. A bounty of theirs is supposed to be coming here later." Said the man in the blue coat sitting next to her.

"Oh. So these are all bounty hunters?" she asked him.

"Yup. They're after a murderer; an 11,000,000 woolong bounty."

"Wow. I can see why there are so many." She put money on the counter. "Well, I better get going. I wouldn't want to be here when their bounty shows up." She smiled, waved to the bartender, and walked out the front. Another man, sitting three seats down from hers, followed her out. Spike reached into his pocket and took out a picture printed off from Jet's computer. The woman that was sitting next to him a moment ago was Emp; She looked a lot more attractive in person. Of course, 11,000,000 woolongs were better in person too. He put the picture back in his pocket, put a woolong note onto the counter and walked out through the back exit, which led into the alleyway.

Emp began walking down the sidewalk, but a crowd pushed her into the alleyway. She wasn't really thinking about them; she was thinking about the man she was sitting next to. His voice, it was so calming. It made her feel better about her many problems. She wished she had stayed, but she couldn't go back so all she could do was continue walking down the alleyway. She had almost reached the end of the alley when a scratchy voice shouted at her from behind.

"Stop right there, Emp Nemio!" said the scratchy voice. Emp whipped around to see a shadowy man pointing a gun at her.

"Wha...what are you talking about?" she whimpered, no idea of what was happening.

"You're mine now, my precious bounty head." He growled, creeping towards her. She began stepping backwards when she suddenly bumped into somebody. She realized, after taking a look to see who it was, that it was the man in the blue coat. However, she didn't know that he was Spike Spiegel and that he was after her bounty also. He was holding a gun as well, but he shot at the shadowy bounty hunter, who dodged and fell into a trashcan. Emp backed away from Spike and turned to look at him.

"Thanks. I don't what that was all about." Laughed Emp. Spike just grinned and stared at her beautiful face.

"Well, I wouldn't want him to get my bounty, now, would I?" he chuckled. Emp's eyes went wide and her heart began racing.

"You're…you're…" she gasped in confusion and fear.

"That's right. I'm a bounty hunter too and it looks like I get paid today." He reached into his pocket and pulled out handcuffs. He examined them and when he looked up, Emp was running at him. She didn't look strong, but her ISSP training proved useful for she pushed Spike into the brick wall and started to dash down the rest of the alley. Spike, dazzled by her strength, quickly regained his balance and chased after her. Then, a trashcan rolled over and the shadowy bounty hunter wobbly ran after them.

Emp's heart was racing and she couldn't help but look back every couple of seconds only to see Spike practically breathing down her neck. Why was she a bounty; there must've been some sort of mistake. She had to loose them, but where? Slowly coming into view was a construction site; she'd try to lose them there. She climbed up a big pile of dirt onto the second floor of the steel structure, Spike and the other bounty hunter right behind her.

Twisting and turning, jumping from one steel beam to another, she managed to find herself sandwiched between the two bounty hunters. Spike, ahead of her, came to a screeching halt when he reached a dead end. Emp managed to stop from knocking both of them off the second floor.

"Phew. That was close." She sighed. Spike looked at her, confused. Suddenly, the shadowy bounty hunter bumped into both of them and Spike and Emp fell off into a big pile of cement powder, which cushioned their fall.

After minutes of coughing just to inhale all the dust again, Spike realized that his bounty was gone. She had slipped away; she had recovered faster than himself. Now, crowds of people were surrounding where they fell to see what happened and he heard something about a call to an ambulance.

"How'd she get away?" he coughed. "I guess, for 11,000,000 woolongs, she's not exactly easy." He waved off any attention and ran off to find his bounty. She couldn't have gone that far.

Emp was dizzy; she had just had the wind knocked out of her. She had started walking down the closest alley she could find. Her apartment…she had to get back to her apartment. Her apartment was the only place she was safe. However, she felt different. She wasn't as afraid as she figured she should be. She was almost hoping to be chased by the hunter again. That bounty hunter; something about him made her long to see his face again. What was she thinking? He was a bounty hunter. There were too many things she didn't understand. Her sudden attraction to someone she didn't know and what all this bounty business had to do with her.

"Tired, huh?" said a familiar voice behind her. She slowly turned around to see the one she was thinking about: the bounty hunter. He laughed. "You think this is all a game don't you?"

"I…I…" she couldn't speak. The handcuffs twirling on his finger struck her with fear. Her heart was pounding, but she wasn't quite sure if it was the presence of him or her predicament. He strode up to her and they stood face to face. His eyes, glowing with pride; hers, shimmering with panic

Without warning, a bicyclist came zooming down the alley. In an attempt to get out of the way, Spike leapt forward, pinning Emp against the wall. He stared straight into her eyes and she stared straight into his. She was confused; more confused than ever.

"Why…why are you chasing me?" she asked him, the frustration getting the best of her voice. He stared into her eyes, as if he were reading her mind; trying to answer her questions. Something drew him to her as well. But, no; he couldn't. He needed the money. It's 11,000,000 woolongs. That's more than he had gotten in a long time and right now, he could easily grab the money. It was so close, but something inside of him told him that it was a lot farther away than it seemed. He couldn't just turn her in.

Off in the distance, sirens sounded. The police and the paramedics had arrived. If the police found her, they would take her away, but he wouldn't get the money. That same something inside him also told him that this wasn't about the money. If it wasn't for the money, then why was he considering all these things?

Emp looked in the direction of the sirens. She was going to go to jail. She didn't do anything, yet, hundreds of bounty hunters were after her. She felt the tears swell up in her eyes and slowly, the flowed down her face. Spike couldn't stand it; he decided what he wasn't going to do. However, he still didn't understand or agree with himself. So, in utter confusion of his own emotions he said it.

"Run. Run now."

"What?" Emp gasped. What was going on? Was this guy trying to help her or trying to capture her? She just wanted to scream for answers. Instead, she just looked at him, sniveling and trying to hold back her tears.

"Just run. Don't ask any questions." Spike backed away from her so she could get away, but he didn't understand. She was just standing there, staring at him. Why wouldn't she run? "Run NOW!"

"Who are you, cowboy?" she finally asked, taking a step towards her hunter.

"Spike Spiegel." He replied, still staring into her golden eyes as she approached him. She placed her hand on his face, gently.

"Thank you, Spike Spiegel." She whispered and her hand drifted off his face as she ran out of the alleyway.

Voila! There ya go. Chapter 3 will be up in a few days..I wanna leave a little bit of space between chapters...:P happy