Chapter 2: Picking Up the Trail
On board the Bebop everyone was gathered in the lounge, looking through the newest bounties available. None of them were worth going after.
"We haven't had a decent bounty to go after in months. What happened? Did everybody suddenly decide to be nice to each other?" Faye asked.
"It's been that way ever since the incident with that Predator." Jet answered. "Since it was mainly criminals he went after everybody has been lying low, afraid that if they do anything they're going to end up skinned and beheaded."
"And the worst part is we can't tell anyone he's gone." Faye grumbled.
"They must be really spooked to, the highest bounty out there now is only two thousand for some no name arsonist." Spike put in. "For a change we aren't so desperate for supplies and we can afford to wait for something better."
"Speak for yourself." Faye snorted as she stood up. "We've been on Mars for almost a week waiting for new something to pop up and I'm starting to get cabin fever." She picked up her jacket and headed towards the hangar.
"Where are you headed?" Jet asked.
"I'm going after that arsonist." She said.
"It's not like you to go after the small fish Faye." Spike pointed out.
"Two thousand is better then nothing." She called back. Spike and Jet just shrugged.
"I have to admit, I'm getting a little stir crazy myself." Spike said. "Even going after the small frys almost seems like fun right about now."
"You need to have more patience Spike." Jet spoke up. "Persistence has its own payoff."
"First time I've seen persistence means doing nothing." Spike noted. Jet was about to say something when a window flashing 'Update' appeared on the screen. Clicking on it a new bounty profile popped up. The first thing the two of them noticed was the three million bounty posted on the head of the con in question.
"See Spike? Good things come to those who wait." Jet said. Spike raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Both began to study the profile. The mugshot was a grainy photograph that looked like it was taken from a security camera and zoomed in. "This is new. Most of the information is blank. Name, age, planet of origin, its like this guy was dropped out of the sky."
"Well he dropped in with a bang." Spike said. "He's wanted for twenty one counts of murder, all at the same time." Jet said nothing and clicked on a button that said 'More information' on it. Footage from a security camera began to play. It showed a lobby of some building that was occupied by several men wearing suits. A faint crack was heard, followed by several more in rapid succession. The suits looked at each other in confusion then started to pull out weapons. Gunfire came from off screen and the suits began to fall, some being torn to shreds by the stream of bullets. A large man stepped into the camera's view, armed with two machine pistols, both smoking, and began to search the area for any other signs of resistance. The camera got a clear shot of his face and both Spike and Jet saw it was the new bounty. The man calmly reloaded his weapons and walked forward. He began talking with a wounded man but the words were inaudible. As the man started walking towards the elevators the wounded suit reached for his fallen gun the man turned and pumped more rounds into him and he fell over dead. The screen spilt into two halves, each showing the security footage from each elevator. The man walked into one elevator, pulled off the button panel and began crossing wires. When he was finished he went over to the second one and casually pushed the up button. As the elevator started moving he opened the hatch in the ceiling and climbed through.
"Smarter then he looks." Jet stated. Spike nodded in agreement. The car the man had been in came to a stop and the doors opened. Gunfire again roared as a hail of bullets shot apart the interior of the car. The camera, being in the ceiling of the car, managed to survive. Shouts were heard and after a moment the man reopened the hatch and climbed back down into the car, taking out his guns. Walking out he turned and began firing. The next camera footage came from inside an office. Sitting at a desk was a bald man calmly doing paperwork and only after an explosion that threw a door across the room did he stop and look up. Jet paused the film. "Recognize that guy?" Spike nodded.
"Alex Vega. Medium level flunky for the Blue Snakes syndicate. Had a five million Woolong bounty on him but it was dropped after evidence of his crimes was lost and witnesses started disappearing. Looks like the big guy has a bone to pick with him." Jet restarted the recording. Vega spoke with no fear in his voice and asked who the man was. In a strange accent the man answered he was part of the Red Dragons. Jet glanced at Spike but Spike gave no reaction to the statement. The man then went into an explanation that sounded like just a fancy way of saying Vega had operated on the wrong turf. Vega seemed to give in but he pulled a gun and shot the man twice before fire was returned. What was odd was that the man didn't seem to feel the bullets striking him. "That was interesting." Spike stated. "Body armor?"
"Most likely." Jet answered. "Look, no blood on the floor so he didn't hurt the guy. Most good vests can stop anything short of a rifle round and this guy looks strong enough to take the shock from the impact." While they were talking they missed the conversation between Vega and the Red Dragon elder. When they turned their attention back to the screen them man was arming some sort of bomb. He threw it across the room and then ordered Vega to turn around. He then shot Vega and the Blue Snake underboss fell to the ground. "We know the rest." Jet stated as he stopped the recording. "So what do you think?"
"Looks like the Dragons have recovered from their encounter with the Predator enough to start up again. They start hitting other syndicates and bounty hunters work clean up."
"I mean do you think we should go after him?"
"Well, let's look at what we've got. An unknown hitman, smart, strong, a very good shot and wearing body armor." He seemed to consider it for a moment then shrugged. "Why not? After the Predator this is going to be a piece of cake."
"Then let's get going." Jet said. "We'll start with the area of that building he blew up." Somebody had to have seen him and possibly saw where he went." As they went to that hangar a thought struck Jet. "You think we should let Faye in on this?"
"Nah." Both said after half a second of thought. They took a net launcher along with them since their guns would be ineffective if he was wearing his body armor.
"Think catching this guy is going to be as easy as you said?" Jet asked as they prepared to take off.
"If we get the drop on him we'll have him in jail so fast he won't know what hit him." Spike answered.
Red Dragon Headquarters
At that moment the bounty in question was standing before the three Red Dragon elders. Now dressed in a traditional uniform of the clan he gave his report on the elimination of Alex Vega.
"You have done well agent." Wang Long started.
"You have proven yourself an invaluable addition to our clan." Ping Long continued.
"And by doing so you have shown yourself worthy of another assignment." Sou Long finished.
"Who is to be my next target?" The agent asked, ignoring the praise he had received.
"There will be no specific targets this time." Wang Long explained. "We have killed the head viper but there is always more then one snake in a nest. You are to find anyone from Vega's operations who are still alive. When you have found them you are to deal with them in the appropriate manner."
"As you command." The agent replied.
"One should never be so eager to obey." A voice said from behind the agent. The agent turned and the elders looked up to see Vicious entering the room. "It's a sign of weakness."
"The matter we are discussing does not concern you Vicious! You would be wise to keep to your own matters!" Wang Long warned.
"I kept to my own matters and this was the result." Vicious answered, gesturing toward the agent.
"You fear you are being replaced Vicious. Such a reaction from you is unheard of." Ping Long said with some amusement. Vicious responded with a cold stare.
"I fear nothing." He said in an emotionless voice. "What you are doing will lead the entire clan to ruin."
"You seem very sure of yourself." Sou Long noted.
"I have seen the laboratories." Vicious said. "You've finally managed to synthesize the metal of that alien spear, and with it created an almost indestructible new type of armored vest. I've also seen the genetics lab and read the data on what is being created." He paused for a moment to gauge the reactions of the other four. The agent's face remained unchanged and the elders began to show signs of anger. "Cloning has always been unreliable, but yet you have ordered the creation of clones to be used as assassins. All of them genetically engineered for maximum strength and efficiency, but for minimum intelligence, thus ensuring complete loyalty. One who cannot think for themselves will not question what they are told. Equip them with the new vests and you have a perfect enforcer. You may think replacing every member of this organization with one of these gives the illusion you are solidifying power but if they were to develop a mind of their own they would be able to overthrow you with little effort."
"And how do respond to this agent?" Ping Long asked. The agent looked Vicious right in the eye.
"I am fully capable of making decisions without orders. I will never act against my superiors." He said in a voice as emotionless as Vicious had. "And I am more intelligent then you are." He stated flatly. Vicious returned the agent's unwavering stare but the other man refused to back down.
"I believe you have your answer standing right in front of you." Sou Long stated. "There were many failed experiments but before you stands evidence of our success. You should accept that there is now another who holds a position just as high as you, and who this clan holds in higher esteem then yourself." Vicious glanced at the elders then back to the agent.
"More intelligent then I am?" He favored the agent with a humorless grin. "If you believe that, you are truly a fool. I do not yield so easily."
"Neither do I." The agent responded. The grin left Vicious' face when he saw the agent unwilling to back down.
"Do as you will then." He said and left the chambers.
"Your analysis?" Wang Long asked the agent after they were sure Vicious had gone.
"He is unaware." Was the agent's reply.
"Very good." Ping Long said. "The less truth Vicious knows the better." He motioned to one of the guards, who gave the agent a palmtop computer. "A list of the most likely places you will find what remains of Vega's agents, as well as the times they are most likely to be at those locations. If someone attempts to directly interfere with you mission they must be dealt with, but there is to be no unnecessary killing. To do so would bring unwanted attention upon yourself and us. You will find and eliminate those listed, and do not return until you have done so. Above all you are to not allow anyone to find out you're true nature."
"As you command." The agent said with a salute and left the chambers to prepare for his mission. As soon as he stepped out of the doors he was picked up my multiple cameras. Watching was Vicious and a security technician that was part of his growing opposition to the current leadership of the Red Dragons.
"Have the arrangements been made?" He asked the technician.
"As you have ordered sir. The bounty has been put into effect. With any luck some bounty hunter will find and catch him within an hour."
"And in the process show how undependable artificial soldiers are, even perfect ones." Vicious finished. "However we cannot depend on the off chance that he will be captured. Have you developed a backup in case the first plan fails?" The technician nodded.
"We have the time and place, and we believe we have found the perfect candidate to do the job. Unfortunately cooperation has not been easy to come by." The tech waited nervously for Vicious to react at the bad news.
"Tell whoever it is there will be a substantial bonus if they agree to do this, and no questions asked. Bottom feeders always cooperate if you throw them enough money. See to it right away."
"Yes sir." The tech responded, relieved that Vicious had not become angry. Vicious turned and left, deep in his own thoughts. This new card in the deck was interfering with his plans. He had seen the unwavering loyalty the agent and immediately had him gauged as a threat. This man, this genetically engineered freak, had shown no hint of fear during their encounter. That made him dangerous, everyone who Vicious encountered were afraid of him, on one level or another. Even the elders, for all their posturing and threats, feared him. In all the solar system the only one that did not fear him was Spike, his only equal. That led to the very real possibility that the agent was also his equal, and his bid for leadership would be endangered. As soon as he had heard about the assassination of Vega he knew the agent had to be dealt with. He could not do it himself, so he would have the bounty hunters do it for him. If fate was truly kind the agent and bounty hunters would kill each other and that would be the end of it. After that, nothing would stop him.
In a subway station not far from the Red Dragon's headquarters Jet and Spike were planing their search. Some cops had given them trouble when they saw the bulky net launcher Jet was carrying but after they had explained they were bounty hunters they had been left alone.
"I'll take the west side of town." Jet said, pointing at a wall map of the city and raising his voice to make sure he was heard over a train that was beginning to pull in. "You take the east. If either of us find our bountyhead we radio his position and follow the target until the other arrives. Got it?"
"Yeah, sure." Spike replied as he leaned against the wall and lazily looked around. "Hey Jet. You're not going to believe this but our bounty just got off the train."
"No kidding? This must be our lucky day." Jet casually turned around and seemed not to look at any one thing but immediately picked out their bounty. Wearing a trenchcoat he stood about six eight, and heavily muscled, with brown hair and an emotionless face. He swept his head from side to side, carefully scanning the crowd with very alert eyes. When he looked over at Jet and Spike both remained calm and the man just kept looking. Satisfied that nothing was amiss the man started walking.
"He's no slouch, I'll give him that much." Spike admitted. "You want to try and take him here or someplace else?" Jet did a quick analysis of the situation. Because the man had waited the platform was now almost empty. Now would be the best time to make a move. Jet brought out the net launcher and Spike took out his gun to give Jet cover if he needed it. Jet fired and the unlike most people who froze at the loud noise the man kept on walking until the net hit him. Acting even weirder the man just stopped, he didn't struggle or curse or try to get away, he just stopped dead in his tracks. He then turned around, the weighted net giving him no problems.
[Well that's no big surprise.] Jet thought to himself. The man was big enough to be half the defensive line of a football team. The man began to reach into his coat. Aloud Jet said "Ok big guy, just keep those hands were we can see them!" The man paused and looked like he was debating whether or not to ignore Jet. In the end he removed his hand and studied the situation.
"Told you this would be easy." Spike said.
"My business does not concern you." The man spoke up. "Leave now or you will be dealt with." Spike gave him a confused look and Jet laughed.
"Sorry friend, but you're going to the police station so we can cash in on that three million bounty that's on your head." The man narrowed his eyes and grabbed the net that held him captive.
"Wrong." He said and tore the net apart as easily as it was made of string. Spike aimed and fired but the man took the bullet to the chest with no reaction and threw the remnants of the net at Spike, almost knocking the gun from his hand. Sprinting forward he slammed into Spike like a truck, sending him flying for several feet, and sliding for several more. Not having time to draw his own gun Jet lunged forward and aimed a punch at the man's had with his artificial arm. The man caught the punch and held it with no apparent effort. With his other arm the man grabbed Jet by the throat and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing. "You were warned." He said and started crushing Jet's windpipe when something struck him across the head.
Spike got up groggily. He had tried to prepare himself for the blow but the man hit him like a freight train, knocking him unconscious. When he woke up the first thing he noticed he had somehow held onto his gun. The second thing he noticed was the man was holding Jet up by his throat. Knowing the armor would withstand his shots and not wanting to kill the man when he could take him alive he struck the man with the butt of his pistol as hard as he could. Not only did the man not seem to feel it but the gun broke over his head. Before the realization could set in the man dropped Jet, spun around and punched Spike in the jaw. Spike again literally went flying and landed hard. Jet tried to reach for his own gun but the man was quicker. He grabbed Jet's shirt with both hands then threw him into the wall with so much force the wall actually cratered. Jet tired to get up but the impact had stunned him so badly he couldn't move. The man reached into his coat and Jet could see he was drawing a large handgun. He knew that this was the end and closed his eyes. Instead of hearing a gunshot he heard a shout.
"FREEZE!!" Jet opened his eyes and saw the man looking behind him. Several ISSP officers were rushing onto the platform, guns drawn. The man put the gun back and, to the surprise of Jet and the cops, jumped off the platform. Taking off in a sprint the man ran down one of the tunnels faster then anyone Jet had ever seen run. Two of the cops pointed their flashlights into the darkness but the man was already gone. Once the area was secure a med team was brought down. As one paramedic checked Jet for internal injuries another was waving smelling salts under Spike's nose and he was slowly coming around.
"What the hell happened? " The senior officer asked Jet.
"We got our asses kicked." Jet answered. The senior officer looked down the tunnel the man had run down.
"Any idea who that was?" Jet just shook his head.
"A nameless bounty we were after that had a few surprises up his sleeve."
As the police tired to sort things out the agent continued to run. The run in with the bounty hunters was unforeseen but it had not compromised his mission. Obeying his orders he didn't kill them to keep any pursuit to a minimum. He was not concerned that the bounty hunters recognized him. Their brush with death would serve a warning to keep them from perusing him further. After running for half a mile he came to a maintenance tunnel and turned into it. Arriving back on the surface he first determined his location and then started towards the first location he had been given. Now that he was back on target he would let nothing stop him.