...I'm back. wewt! ; Omg...cries I LOVE YOU ALL! >>; You're too damn nice to me! lol...eE; cant say that I MIND it though...whee. Okay...this chapter sucks...not because it's like..crappy writing, which it is, but it's just as boring as hell...blaaa...at least TRY to enjoy. ee() wewt...

Chapter 9:

Insanity

Spike's decision to go and see Jet was risky, for it was going to contradict everything he had told him previously about how he felt about Emp. Whatever he did, he had to make sure neither Jet nor Faye knew where Emp lived. He had to keep her location as secret as possible because it was already a luxury that she had a decent hiding place at all. If her apartment stayed a secret, then he could leave like this and not worry about her getting in trouble, but he hoped he wouldn't have to leave her often. This, however, was an emergency. They knew who did the crime, they just needed proof, and, as much as Spike didn't like to admit it, Jet was especially good at doing this. So, he landed his Swordfish on the BeBop and walked in.

Jet was sitting on the yellow couch, typing on his computer, when Spike entered. Spike didn't acknowledge him, but Jet looked up at his entrance. Jet started interrogating him, his voice sounding like a low growl.

"So…you've decided to come back, huh? Had enough fun playing around with our bounty? What makes you think that you could just come back?" he said. Spike calmly walked over to the yellow chair across from Jet, sat down, and put his feet up. "We have no money, thanks to your current antics! SPIKE…are you listening?"

"I came back…" Spike paused; he wasn't quite sure how to put his thoughts into words, "because we're having trouble." Jet continued leering at him from above his computer.

"We're having trouble? Who's we? I know you're not talking about Ed, Faye, and myself."

"Emp…and I. We're having trouble proving she's innocent." Jet began to laugh dryly.

"Of course you are. Because she's not innocent! You can't make up history!" Spike looked at him, unfazed by Jet's rude laughter.

"If you mean the murder of the ISSP executive, she witnessed it."

"Oh yeah? Then who really killed him?"

"Some hot-shot named Mark Sabatino."

"Mark…Sabatino? He's the leader of the Bacala Syndicate!" gasped Jet, then continued, "But, Spike, you'll have to produce more than a name just to make me believe that she's innocent." So, Spike explained to Jet the entire story: How, secretly, the ISSP was making deals with the Bacalas, how Emp and her partner had snuck into the Inosa's HQ, and how Emp got shot and her partner killed. After all the facts had been told, Jet sat thinking to himself.

"See? Story works perfectly." Spike gloated. Jet scratched his head staring into open air, as if analyzing the facts.

"Yeah, but there still are a few holes. Like, for instance, what kind of job were the Bacalas and the ISSP in together? It can't just be anything if the ISSP is involved." pondered Jet. They had most of the facts, but with some of them missing, a case against suit like Sabatino would prove futile. Sabatino had money, power, and a company that could make him seem legit. Except a select few, everyone else thought he was just a CEO, not a Syndicate leader. Plus, even if you tried to prove his involvement with the Syndicate, he'd have the courts crush you like a spider on the wall with no problem. However, even with that kind of power, you couldn't let one person get away with any information that, even if the chances were slim, could prove you guilty. If Sabatino were ever to be proven a Syndicate leader, every ally he had ever had–the courts, the ISSP, other Syndicates–would be on his back instantly in fear that their relations with Sabatino would ruin them. Jet continued, "So, somehow he must have figured out that Emp was the one that knew of their deal. But why kill Travaille, the ISSP suit?"

"Simple," said Spike, "if I were Sabatino and I was in a deal with an ISSP executive like Travaille, catching a couple of undercover ISSP officers would make me think that he hadn't stayed true to his deal." Jet nodded and using one hand, typed something on his computer.

"Alright. I'll help you two out, but if in the end it turns out that she's just lying to you, I get my share plus half of your share of the bounty." Said Jet, starting his low growl again. Spike stood up, stretched and began to walk out, but before he left the room he turned around.

"Thanks Jet, but I'm sorry that you'll be disappointed by not getting any bounty." Spike smiled and walked out.

Spike knew that later he'd want a drink, although, he wasn't quite sure why. All he knew is that when that time came, he wouldn't be able to because, just that morning, he had locked them away where Emp couldn't get to. However, what he didn't know was that she was an extremely heavy alcoholic and that she wasn't going to react well when the stress decided to jump on her all at once. For him, alcohol was just an occasional stress reliever, but for her it was her way of getting through each day, especially at times like these.

Figuring that she wasn't going to miss him much more if he stayed out for another hour, he went to a bar to get a drink and to think over his plans of action. Who was he kidding? He didn't have any plans of action. He was doing what Spike Spiegel usually did; he was winging it. For the duration of his entire bounty-hunting career, he never once planned out anything himself. If there were any plans it was Jet who thought them out. Spike himself was really just a worker bee, but did that bother him? Not one bit.

Okay..see? What did I tell you? meh...>>; Okay...so I feel bad at leaving everybody with a crappy boring chapter this week so I'll probably update later this week to make up for it. lol...Look for another chapter around wednesday or thrusday afternoon. YupYup...till then! wavie