And I'm back. My updates will most likely become less and less frequent, as I finally have a girlfriend. I will try to update again as soon as possible, though. Anyway, let's begin.
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Cowboy Bebop: The Second Session
Edward awoke in a dark, damp, abandoned warehouse. Shaking her head, she looked around, squinting as she spotted her two kidnappers. She was currently handcuffed to a support beam, her arms behind her back. Unafraid, she mocked the two criminals. "An abandoned warehouse, oh please… How cliché."
"Hey, don't push your luck!" Drake warned, waving his finger near her face. Big mistake. The young woman took this opportunity to bite his digit. "Ow!", he screamed, "Let go!" After managing to yank his finger out of her mouth, he backhanded her. "You bitch, how dare you!" Turning to his partner, he began whining. "Can we kill her now, Lance? Please?"
"Not yet…" the thin man replied. "I wanna have a little fun with her, first."
"Ew, how brutal and vulgar you two are. I'm sooo turned on." Ed replied sarcastically, blood trickling down her mouth and chin. "Do you always beat and rape on the first date?" These guys didn't scare her. She could easily get out of the cuffs with a little maneuvering and moving of bone, and then she could easily beat them. She had been distracted earlier. It was Dex she was worried about. He looked pretty bad when they left him there. What if he was dead?
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Session 6: Adieu (Part 2)
When the aforementioned awoke, he was back on the Bebop. "Agh… What the hell?" He winced as he tried to sit up, shirtless and his upper body bandaged up. "Where's Ed?"
"I don't know…" Jet replied, sitting across from him with his arms crossed. Staring down at the ground, he growled slightly. "Perhaps I can ask you that question? What the hell happened out there?"
"How'd you find me?…" Dex asked, staring at the ceiling. "I didn't think you'd know where to look for us."
"Well actually, I was looking for Edward." Jet replied bluntly. "She left to go on another hunt, didn't come back for quite some time, so I started to get worried." Standing up, he began to walk towards the younger man. "After checking Ed's computer, I went to go to the scene to see just what the hell was going on… And then I found your half dead ass and Ed was nowhere to be found." Leaning down, he glared. "So I will ask you one more time… Where the hell is Edward?"
"I don't know…" Dex replied, gritting his teeth. "Damn it, I don't know!" Closing his eyes, tears rolled down his face. "She could be dead, for all we know… And it's all my fault… Those guys… They've had it out for me for years…"
"What do you mean?" Jet asked, his voice becoming threateningly low. "Speak up now, or that gunshot wound won't be the only thing you have to worry about."
"I used to rob houses with them. I had no place to call home, and these guys took me in. Then they started to get violent, so I ratted them out. It looks like they broke out of jail." Sighing, Dex smacked his forehead. "And now Ed's gotten herself caught up in my mess…"
Jet's expression softened. "Oh, I see…" He yelped as Dex began to get up. "H-hey! What the hell are you doing? You're in no condition to be up and about like that!" The usually whiny Cowboy was starting to remind him of someone familiar.
Dex smirked, groaning in excruciating pain. "I gotta get Ed outta this mess, right?" He began to walk towards the hangar. "My King is back, right?"
Jet let himself get distracted by the question as he walked towards the blonde. "Yeah, I had both ships towed and-- Hey, wait!" he shouted, snapping back to reality. "You're not going anywhere! I'll find Ed, you rest!"
Dex laughed, loading his gun. "No way, Pops, this is my job to finish…" Locking himself into his room, he emerged fully dressed a few minutes later, ready to go. "Besides, you have no idea where they are. I know those two. I know where they go."
Sitting on the couch, an exasperated expression on his face, he reluctantly waved him off. "Fine, fine… But if you get yourself and Ed killed, I'm gonna kill you."
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As Dex wandered all over Mars, looking for any leads as to where his two former comrades could be, he found himself in a familiar setting. "This is where…" His voice trailed off as he got lost in nostalgia. "This is where I used to live…" The busy streets and buildings crowded together brought back memories from his childhood, reminding him of simpler days when he and his family all lived together in the same house. He wondered… he began to run down the sidewalk, bumping into people and making the occasional apology. Stopping as he arrived at his destination, he stared at the building in awe. "It's still here…" Collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, he smiled. "I'm home…" After resting in that spot for a few moments, he pondered over whether or not he should go in. It had been over a decade since he had last been there. For all he knew, someone could have moved in quite some time ago. But still, he had to do this. This house was one of the last links to his past, and perhaps the only way he'd find out where to find Ed. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. To his surprise, the door swung right open. In fact, it pretty much came off the hinges and fell to the floor. Obviously, the theory of someone else living here now was pretty much shot. He swallowed a lump in his throat, taking the first step he had made in that house in almost 13 years. It was eerie. Nothing in that house had been moved or taken. It was exactly the way it had been when he left. He wiped his eyes as he rediscovered an old picture of himself and his parents. He had been 4 years old at the time. As he stared wistfully at the picture, he failed to notice the shadow looming over him. He screamed as he was hit in the head with a broom. "H-hey! What the hell?"
A tall, elderly woman with gray hair tied in a bun stood over Dex, waving her broom threateningly. She was dressed in a pinkish red shirt, blue apron, jeans, and white sneakers. Her were a deep, yet somewhat fiery brown, and she was quite wrinkled. "Don't you dare try and rob this house, you… you hooligan!"
"Nana? Is that you?" Raising an eyebrow, he smiled, grabbing the woman in a big hug. "Nana, it is you!"
"Let go of me, you fiend! I'll--…" Her eyes widened in realization, tears running down her face in happiness. "Dexter?… Is it really you?" She hugged him back, closing her eyes. "Dexter, you're alive… Welcome home…"
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The two soon sat down to enjoy a cup of tea together. "It's been too long…" The man's old housekeeper replied. "After your parents died, we grew farther and father apart. Your time spent at home lessened until one day, you just up and left… Where did you go off to?" She and Dex had been so close before, it was as if they had been relatives. She was eager to hear what he had been up to during the past decade.
Dex sighed, not knowing how to break it to her. "Well um, you see…" He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. He yelped as Nana reached for her broom. "I've become a bounty hunter! Don't hit me!"
"I see…" she began, settling down. "So you've gone and become a Cowboy…" Smiling, she shook her head. "Oh well, I suppose it's better than playing with those delinquents you used to hang around with. Always hanging around that abandoned warehouse… Weren't they locked up for beating an old man? I was so relieved when I found out you weren't involved."
"Actually, Nana…" Dex began, frowning. "I was there. I'm the one who snitched on them." Standing up, he sighed. "I have to go. I have to find someone and I have no idea where to go-- Wait, did you just say warehouse?"
"Yes, the old warehouse that--" The old woman came to a sudden realization. "Oh, I see… Wait right here. Before you leave, I have something to give you…" Leaving the room for a moment, she returned with a smooth oval shaped, aqua colored jewel on a gold necklace. "Take this… It will bring you good luck."
"But Nana…" Dex replied, getting choked up on the inside but hiding it with a somber look. "I can't take this. It's your favorite."
"Take it" , she urged, "you need it." Her expression softened, and she began to tease him. "Besides, maybe you'll finally find a nice girl…"
"Yeah, right…" Dex muttered, accepting the amulet and putting it on his neck. "The only woman who will even speak to me right now is clinically insane." He hugged her one last time and turned to leave. "Well, I'm off."
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As Lance finished gagging Ed, he sighed in relief. "That ought to shut her up. Damn, she's got a great body, but once she opens her mouth…" Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled. "Anyway, I'd better get to work on her before something else comes up." Just as he started to reach for the top button on her pants, he soon found himself locked between the woman's legs, in danger of being strangled by them. He screamed out in a muffled voice, surprised to find a hand reaching for his gun. Poking out his head from Ed's crotch, he soon found himself face to face with the barrel of his own gun.
Edward smiled, turning to Drake. "Now why don't you be a nice boy for Edward and get this other hand cuff off." She licked her lips, tasting the metallic-like flavor of the drying blood. "Otherwise, Edward can't guarantee your partner's safety…"
"Go ahead and kill him." Drake replied in a plain tone, cocking his gun. "Right now, he's just a reliability."
"Huh?" Ed raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"MMFFFF?" Lance screamed, voice still completely muffled.
As Drake prepared to pull the trigger, a stray bullet appeared from nowhere. It shattered the chain to Ed's cuffs. Taking advantage of the moment, Ed did a flip, taking Lance with her and slamming him into the ground. She went into a roll in the middle, dodging a few bullets before all out charging the tall man. She hit him right in the gut with her head, sending the man sprawling across the ground in shock that a woman that small could send him off his feet. Having dropped his gun, he quickly got back on his feet, smacking Ed's gun out of her hand as he got up. He was prepared this time.
Unfortunately for Ed, she had no idea what was in store for her next. After planting a few blows to areas Spike had told her about, she winced and shook her hands. What was this guy made of, steel? "Owie… That hurt."
"Heh, heh… Your martial arts won't work on me…" He knocked on his head, a few clanks implying that he wasn't completely organic. "While I was in prison, there was nasty accident one day that left me on the brink of death. They tested a new cybernetic experiment on me to try and save my life and see if their technique would work." Grabbing the now frightened girl's arm, he head butted her in the face. As her head flew back with a sickening cracking noise, evidence of her broken nose, he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and laughed. "Not so hot now, are you?" His eyes widened as a bullet found it's way into his back. Another soon ended up wedged in his skull. He fell to the ground, almost falling on top of Edward. Fortunately, she managed to roll out of the way.
She pinched her nose to stop the blood flow, smiling as a familiar face appeared above her, holding his hand out. "Dex-person… You're alive…"
Nodding, he smiled back. "Yeah. Sorry I cut things so short. You wouldn't be so messed up."
"Edward'll be all right." she replied, winking. "Edward can take care of herself." Her expression suddenly became serious. "Dex-person, you have something you have to take care of, right?"
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." He looked around the warehouse, a shiver going down his spine as a horrible revelation fell upon him. Lance and Drake had disappeared. "Shit…" Clenching his fist, he fell to his knees, punching the floor until his fist was bloody. "Damn it! Those bastards!"
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A battered Lance and Drake limped pitifully as they shamefully escaped from their defeat. "Don't worry, man…" the skinny man replied. "We'll get him next time… And we'll kill that bitch, too. No questions asked."
"Not before you help me torture her, I should hope…" a sultry voice replied from the shadows. "After all, I did break you out…"
"And who the hell are you?" Drake asked, still recovering from a few fried circuits.
"A friend…" she replied, her voice becoming a bit more lighter. "A hacker friend. A pissed off hacker friend who wants to wring Edward's neck!"
"I like the sound of that?" Drake replied. "What's your name, babe?"
"That is no concern of yours at the moment." she said, her tone deepening. "Come. We have much work to do."
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Ed awoke in the living room, wincing from the bright light. "Is Edward dead?"
"No, but both of us are pretty lucky that we aren't…" Dex replied, smirking. "We made some pretty stupid decisions today, didn't we?…"
"Yeah…" Ed replied, smiling. "Edward is sorry, Dex-person…" She gasped, blushing a bit as he patted her on the head.
"I know… Me too…" he chuckled a bit. "I… have to really work on my people skills… But for you, I think I can change."
"Awww, isn't that sweet?" Jet teased, having recently entered the room. Laughing heartily, he shook his head. "I only wish I had a camera…"
"Jet!" the two younger members of the Bebop shouted.
"…What?" he asked innocently, getting a pillow thrown in his face.
Some Things Just Never Change…
