DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. But if I did, Spike would overcome his obsession with Julia and love me. And Ed would speak in complete sentences and wear a bra. And shoes. And jeans. In fact, I might make Ed normal the longer this continues...


The sun was shining brightly on Mars as Tilly walked out of the market, a full bag of groceries under her arm. As she crossed the street, the heels of her boots clicked on the cement. Being a denim kind of gal, she was comfortable in close fitting boot cut jeans and a pale blue paisley shirt under a long coat that works in function as opposed to fashion, covering the guns on her hips, just as the boots hid her favorite knife. She had her long chestnut hair pulled back in a low bun today, a change from its usual loose state.

As she hopped up onto the curb, she noticed a man in a blue suit leaning against a building, reading a paper. While this wouldn't normally be an unusual sight, all her alarms went off as she noticed the paper was upside down and there was a small pile of butts on the ground beside him.

Damn, she thought. He's watching me.

The biggest tip-off was the fact that he never looked up as she walked past. He just kept staring at his upside down paper.

Tilly turned as casually as possible down the nearest alley and crouched quickly into a doorway, setting her groceries down. She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable footsteps, and when they came she reached out like lightening and grabbed hold of a collar. His hand clamped onto her shoulder and she saw the other swinging up toward her face. She grabbed him by the wrist and used the full force of her body to throw him into the wall. He released her with a grunt and she jumped back, not surprised to see her adversary was the man in blue. He smiled and pushed away from the wall as she took another step back crouching into a fighting stance.

"You're faster than you look," he drawled. Tilly just watched him, waiting for his next move. "Come on," he smirks. "If you're not gonna have a sense of humor about this, it'll be no fun bringing you in."

Her eyes narrowed at this. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself saying "Shit. You're a cowboy."

"Come on, Tilly," he stepped toward her, but she just stepped back, ready to spring.

"How do you know my name?"

"It's on the bounty. Funny," he smiled. "Just that- 'Tilly.' Nothing more." He took another step forward. "Now, we can do this easy, or we can do this-"

Before he could say another word she let loose a spin kick to his gut followed by an uppercut to the jaw. He recovered quickly as he staggered back, and deftly parried her next assault. She tried some kicks and punches, landing few as he blocked her attack. His fighting style seemed vaguely familiar, but she pushed the thought away as she ducked a roundhouse kick.

"I love a woman who can kick my ass," he said between blows.

"Then you should adore me," she growled as she dropped into a low stance then pushed up to slam both fists into the soft spot below his ribcage.

The stranger fell back onto the ground, winded. Tilly turned and picked up her groceries. She got only two steps before she heard the unmistakable sound of a safety being removed at her ear. With a sigh she raised an eyebrow and turned her head.

The nails wrapped around the gun were shell pink, and at the end of the arm was a woman about Tilly's age dressed in a skimpy yellow outfit and a pointless red jacket. The outfit was completed with cheap looking white boots.

Why bother getting dressed? She sneered at the ridiculous outfit.

"Where do you think you're going, honey?" the poorly dressed woman asked with a smug smile.

"I was going home. But first I think I'll stop and pick you up an outfit that actually performs the normal function of clothes."

"Better watch out, there," came a voice from behind Tilly. She turned to see the man in blue pulling himself up off the ground. "Faye's touchy about her wardrobe."

Tilly smirked in derision and turned slowly back toward Faye.

"You mean lack thereof, don't you?"

"That does it," she snarled and pulled the trigger. Having anticipated her reaction to the remark, Tilly shoved her bag into the gun, sending the bullet through her newly purchased box of Cap'n Crunch. A right cross followed by a kick across the face took Faye out of the equation and Tilly turned to face the man. He merely smiled and pulled out a cigarette, leaning back against the doorway. As he lit up he surveyed Tilly's form, and then looked past her.

"About time you got here."

Tilly raised her eyebrow n disbelief, but her eyes widened as the shadow of someone behind her moved in to cover her own.

"Traffic," said a gruff voice.

She began to turn, ready to face her new assailant, when a pain at the base of her skull sent the world into shades of white, grey and then black. The last thing she heard was the man in blue.

"Don't let her fall."