Pluto Correctional Facility

Pluto

Spike lashed out with a swift roundhouse kick, the blow shattered the nose of the convict in his way, blood sprayed out of the man's nose and he fell to the ground clutching it.

Spike continued running after Tobias and Ashtin, dodging prisoners sometimes, punching or kicking others to get them out of the way.

A few seconds later he arrived at the walkway that overlooked the main cavern where Spike could see prisoners running around every which way. The security bots that hovered in the center of the cavern were dealing with prisoners as often as they could, but there were far too many for the bots to deal with alone. Several guards had been killed outright; their weapons procured by resourceful inmates, however, Spike knew that it was only a matter of time until Marcus dispatched enough men to put down this riot.

But Tobias would be dead before they got here and Ashtin would vanish into the crowd and get away.

Spike saw that ahead of him, Ashtin and Tobias were being held up by a mass of prisoners that was throwing burning toilet paper down the massive cavern. Tobias was trying to push his way through the crowd, but making little headway.

Ashtin on the other hand was taking a decidedly more proactive approach, he killed any prisoner that got in his way by snapping their necks, or crushing their throats with a well aimed blow.

Spike lowered his shoulder and threw all his weight into a prisoner that was blocking his bath, the man grunted and flew directly into Ashtin's side. Ashtin who was so focused on his target didn't have time to react as the man slammed into him, sending him into the railing. Ashtin, with an annoyed look on his face, grabbed the prisoner Spike had knocked into him and threw up over the railing. The prisoner yelled as he plunged to his death.

That was all Spike needed.

He threw a jump kick at Ashtin's face. By this time, Ashtin had noticed him and simply sidestepped, catching Spike's leg in midair. He attempted to throw Spike over the railing, but Spike was ready for that. He lashed out with his other foot, catching Ashtin in the face. Ashtin dropped Spike, who fell to the ground.

Ashtin glared down at Spike, "You are starting to annoy me bounty hunter," he said.

Spike smiled up at him, "I tend to have that affect on people."

"I'm afraid its time I got serious about this, you should feel honored. I can't remember the last time I had to do this to a person in a face to face fight."

"Do what?"

Spike suddenly felt something. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Looking at Ashtin, he knew something was different. Ashtin's face appeared to be slightly different, his muscles appeared slightly larger, his entire body seemed like a coiled spring.

Spike stood up and threw a punch.

Only to have it fly through the empty air.

Ashtin had anticipated the move, but he hadn't just anticipated it, he damned near had almost known Spike would throw it before he did.

He was already ducking below the punch and his fist a blur, he drove his fist up into Spike's solar plexus. The blow was more solid than anything Spike had felt before. It seemed to travel all the way to his spine and over his entire body. He started to double over, but Ashtin wasn't finished. Spike could barely register it, but Ashtin dropped and swept out his right leg in a large arc, knocking Spike's feet out from under him.

Spike slammed face first into the hard metal walkway, gasping for air. Ashtin grabbed Spike by the back of his neck, intending to break his neck with but a quick twist.

A loud bang accompanied by a splatter of blood from Ashtin told Spike that someone apparently decided to be nice enough to rescue him.

His vision was blurry, but he could see Jet standing down the walkway, his pistol in his hand.

Ashtin showed no pain from the bullet wound, which had gone through his left side cleanly. Still holding Spike, he threw him with more strength than Spike knew no man could possibly possess.

Perhaps Ashtin had intended for Spike to sail into Jet and knock the both of them over. But instead, Spike flew over the railing and began to plunge down into the cavern.

The Cerberus

Orbit of Pluto

"I don't care what it takes! I want that riot suppressed now!" Marcus barked angrily into the video screen, he turned off the screen with disgust.

Faye stood on the bridge of the Cerberus, through the large windows she could see Pluto floating before her. Marcus had strode into the bridge after hearing of the riot, Faye had wanted to ask about Spike and Jet, but knew better than to bother Marcus at this point.

Marcus was seated in chair that could be rotated several different ways so Marcus could more easily view each station and monitor the situation on Pluto.

"Sir, I'm getting something from Gate 2," said one of the men sitting at a nearby station.

Marcus turned the chair and faced the man, "What is it now? The government?"

"No sir, it appears to be a ship," the man looked at his screen, "a large ship," he added.

"Can you identify it?"

"It appears to be a luxury space liner, however, its signature doesn't fit that of a normal cruise liner. It appears to be modified in several places. Its ID signature is broadcasting as the Agamemnon."

"The Agamemnon? Wasn't that the liner that vanished near Saturn a year ago?"

"Yes sir, it appears it has returned…Sir! It's launching what appear to be fighters!"

Marcus' face darkened, he looked at Faye over his shoulder, "It would seem that whatever it is that followed your friends here, it is big."

Faye didn't answer.

"Order our own fighters on the Cerberus and on Charon to intercept. Bring the Cerberus on an intercept course with the Agamemnon. We'll show those bastards what kind of teeth we have."

Pluto Correctional Facility

Pluto

Spike's life flashed before his eyes. Jet, Faye, Ed, Ein, Vicious, they were all there. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. There wasn't any way to stop it this time, he'd always lived life on the edge and now, the edge had cut him.

One final person flashed before him.

Julia.

Spike slammed into something hard and metallic. The hovering security bot's motors screamed at the addition of Spike's weight. It tried to gain altitude. Spike managed to get his bearings long enough to stand up and leap off the top of the bot and hit the walkway near Jet.

"Spike! Here!" Jet tossed him his pistol.

Spike caught it and aimed at Ashtin who was barreling towards them.

Spike pulled the trigger, but Ashtin seemed to almost duck out of the way of the bullet. Both Jet and Spike began to squeeze the triggers of their pistols as fast as they could. Ashtin as strong and fast as he now was, decided not to chance a lucky hit that might kill him. He threw himself over the railing.

As he began to fall, he reached out and grabbed a railing, his weight and velocity bending it as he did so. Spike knew that a normal man would have had his shoulder dislocated, but Ashtin seemed to have no side effects at all. He climbed onto the walkway and was now at least two levels below Spike and Jet.

Damn, Spike had lost him.

"Come on Spike! We've gotta get out of here!"

Spike nodded and still wincing from the blows Ashtin had given him, he and Jet began to run towards the hangar where their ships were parked.