The next few chapters spend their time bouncing between multiple perspectives per chapter, because I felt like this was the best way to describe everything that's about to happen. Let me know if it's working! Enjoy :)

Session Nineteen

The Ares was a large casino smack-dab in the middle of Tharsis. No one could remember a time when it wasn't standing and everyone agreed on its neutrality. It was one of the few casinos that wasn't Syndicate-run and one of the few casinos the Syndicates left alone. No one seemed to know for sure who owned it and how they gained such autonomy, but everyone respected The Ares as a civil location and a no-weapon zone. Or at least, they had fifteen years ago. Before the Red Dragon re-formed under a more militant leader than Yenrai. Jet hadn't heard anything to the contrary, but his contacts on Tharsis were old and limited and some of their information was unreliable. He'd just have to hope they were right about this one.

Jet watched from their rented transport as Leon and Faye crossed the street to the marble steps of the casino. He had to do a double take when Leon gave Faye his arm and she draped hers through it. From the back, Leon looked just like Spike and Jet felt like someone threw him back fifteen years as Leon and Faye ascended the steps and disappeared inside the double front doors. What if Spike hadn't gone to fight the Dragon? Would this be a scene he'd be watching? Jet shook his head and glanced back at Ed in the rearview mirror. She was putting the finishing touches on Tomato, making it look more like a company computer.

"Well, Ed, you ready for this?" Jet asked.

Ed gave him a devilish grin from behind her goggles. "Let's kick Dragon butt," she said.

The inside of The Ares was sleek and expensive. Crystal wall lights gave the entryway a warm glow. The floor was tiled in alternating squares of black and white marble and the walls were paneled in dark mahogany. Everything was polished to a high shine and staff in crimson coats were evenly spaced throughout the entryway to give directions and guide customers to the gaming floor. Leon and Faye were greeted by a smiling staff member who gave them a deep bow and indicated they should follow him. He led them through a pair of grand, gold doors to a circular gaming hall decorated in muted shades of red and black, lit by crystal chandeliers hanging high overhead. The game floor was inset by three stairs and and a ring of private booths overlooked it three-quarters of the way around. The fourth quarter of the outer ring was taken up by a curved bar with mirrors across its front, reflecting the light of the crystal chandeliers. The bar opened toward the private booths on one end, and was closed off on the other by a wall. Two bartenders worked the bar and a few dozen other staff members worked the game tables and waited on patrons. Men and women of obvious affluence cast bets and oozed money on the game floor.

"Can I get you all anything?" the staff member asked.

"A private booth, please," Leon said. "Something with a good view of the door. We're expecting company within the hour."

"Certainly, sir. Right this way." The staff member led Faye and Leon to a table at the end of the bar with a good view of the door. A potted plant at the edge of the booth kept one of the bench seats mostly hidden from view unless it's occupant stood at the end of the table. Leon scrutinized the staff member for a moment. This was an awfully convenient booth for their purposes and Leon hadn't even mentioned anything about wishing to remain out of sight. But there was nothing amiss with the man that he could tell. Perhaps he just seated enough customers "expecting company" that he had a vague idea of what was really going on.

"Will this be alright for you?" the staff member asked.

"This is perfect." Faye purred, taking off her sunglasses and giving the man a charming smile. "Now how about a drink for the lady?"

Jet gave Leon and Faye a fifteen minute head-start before he and Ed walked up to the service door at the back of The Ares. They didn't want to all arrive at the same time, just in case someone was watching them.

"Alright, Ed. Time to find out if your magic worked."

Jet wore a security outfit in black and grey with The Ares stitched across his front pocket. His ID card identified him as Barrett Jones, and, according to Ed, verified with any computer systems he accessed that he'd been working at The Ares for about a week. Enough time to have access to most places in the building, but not enough time to be recognized by everyone. Ed wore a blue jumpsuit and matching cap with a false name stitched on the front pocket and she had an ID card from a Tharsis IT business. Her goggles swung from around her neck again. She carried Tomato in an official-looking, heavy black case that swung awkwardly against her knees as she walked. In the end, Jet convinced Ed that a Corgi carrying her computer would blow her disguise. She agreed to leave Ein behind with the caveat that he could guard the Bebop.

Ed had been up all night procuring the codes and creating false IDs. Jet and Leon had gone out hunting appropriate maintenance outfits and stitching logos and names on pockets. As it turned out, the kid wasn't half bad with a needle, but Ed's fake name - Wong Hau - did curve up to the right a little. Jet swiped a speck of dust from his black sleeve and pulled out his ID card.

He took a deep breath and swiped his card on the security readout next to the door. After a moment of holding his breath, the light blinked green and the door clicked open.

"You've just been hacked by Radical Edward," Ed said, making a gun out of her fingers and pretending to shoot the security readout.

"Excellent job as always, Ed," Jet said.

The two stepped inside. Jet paused. "Now to find the security room."

"Second floor, west wing, third door on your right," Ed sang.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one escorting you?" he sighed.

Ed just grinned.

She and Jet had spent hours memorizing and studying maps of the casino layout last night as well. Jet rubbed a hand over his eyes. If Leon had one thing against him, it was his lack of preparation for this plan. He'd inadvertently catapulted the Bebop crew into one of their most frenzied planning sessions in several years. None of them had gotten more than a few hours of sleep last night. Jet found the plans were a jumble in his mind this morning. I'm getting too old for this, he thought.

"Stairs?" He asked Ed.

"Escort, escort," Ed said, shaking her head. "Escorts don't need directions."

"They do if they want to look like they know where they're going," Jet admitted.

"Down the hall, on the left," she supplied, sticking out her left hand and foot to point.

"Thanks, Ed."

Ed saluted him. "No problem, sir!"

Jet had to fight back a smile. "Remember, you're company, Ed. You're supposed to be serious."

Ed thrust out her lower lip in a pout.

"You're right. That's asking too much, isn't it?" Jet said.

Ed nodded, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, c'mon." Jet motioned for Ed to follow and they walked down the hall to the stairs. They met no one on their way to the staircase and Jet was beginning to think they succeeded in their little scheme after all. He took the staircase at a leisurely pace, like he had all the time in the world. At the top of the stairs, they passed a waitress heading down. She barely gave the two a second glance before sliding past them and skittering down the stairs in a hurry. Ed gave Jet a thumbs up as the clicking of the waitresses' heels faded. Jet stepped out into the hallway and turned right, heading toward the third door down. A man in security black and grey left the room and turned toward them.

He stopped short.

Jet stopped too, not wanting to appear rude.

"Good morning, sir," he said, noting the man's name tag. Head of Security was printed in black under his name, Richard Almance.

"Good morning," Almance said slowly. "Who are you? I don't believe we've met."

"Jones, sir," Jet said. "I'm a new recruit. And this is Ms. Wong Hau," he gestured at Ed, "from Tharsis IT and Systems Maintenance. I was just taking her to the security room for routine check-up." Ed gave him a friendly wave.

"New recruit, huh?" Almance asked. "You look like you might be pretty good at the job. You got experience in the field, Jones?"

"Yes, actually, I do," Jet said. If only you knew, he thought. "I did a stint with ISSP back in the day, but I got too old to chase people. I figured this would give me something to do in retirement," Jet chuckled.

"ISSP, huh?" Almance sounded impressed. " Good to have you on the team, Jones." He stuck out a hand.

Jet shook. "Glad to be here, sir."

"Well, on with business, eh? Wouldn't want to hold you up. Just tell Sam to let you have the security room for now. I know how these IT types are, wanting to work without too many security goons in the way. I take it you can handle the booth alone for a few hours?"

"Of course," Jet said, hiding his smile. This was turning out better than he thought.

"Good. I look forward to working with you." And with that, Alamance threw them a casual salute and continued down the hall.

Ed looked up from under her cap. "Easy peasy, pudding and pie," she said.

"Let's just hope Sam agrees," Jet muttered.

"Quit fidgeting. It makes you look nervous," Faye kicked Leon under the table as she reached up and adjusted her fur stole for the tenth time. Leon bit his tongue to stop an exclamation of pain and gave Faye his surliest glare. The two had been sitting in their private booth for about half an hour, drinks chilling in front of them. Faye barely touched hers; Leon was on his second. She kept alternating between gazing longingly at the gaming tables and anxiously at the door. He kept playing with his lighter, flicking the little flame to life only to let it die out without lighting the cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"Same to you," Leon growled, finding new purpose in his lighter. He lit his cigarette and inhaled. He closed the lighter, but didn't put it back in his pocket, opting to flip it between his fingers instead.

"I'm not nervous," Faye insisted, glancing at the door again.

"I am," Leon said, smoke seeping between his words.

"What?" Faye looked at him wide-eyed. "This was your idea from the get-go and now you're telling me you've got cold feet?"

"I don't have cold feet. I said I was nervous." Leon unconsciously rubbed at his right shoulder. "There's a difference."

"There is?"

"Yeah. Cold feet turns and runs. Nervous fights like hell."

"Oh good," Faye muttered.

"Hey, you agreed to this plan too, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Faye said, waving a hand at him.

Leon pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. 11:30 a.m. "Let's just hope Jet and Ed are in position now." He put his phone away.

"They will be." Faye said. As would the Dragon, if her conversation with Miriatha was any indication. She adjusted her stole again and glanced up at the security booth over the bar. She saw figures moving behind the glass, but the dark tint prevented her from identifying them. She wouldn't admit it out loud to Leon of course, but she was nervous as well - for entirely different reasons.

"You look a little pale, Faye," Leon said. "Everything ok?"

"Of course." Faye gave him a smile and took a sip of her drink. Leon watched her for a minute then let his gaze roam over the gambling hall again. He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder at the security booth. He'd just have to trust that Jet and Ed were ready.

Just then Faye grabbed his hand and pushed it down to the table, flattening his lighter underneath. "They're here."

"They're early, dammit." Leon pulled his hand away and put his lighter back in his pocket before looking at the entryway. Framed between the large, gold doors, a graceful Villanova was draped over Draugh's arm. Leon was surprised to see Villanova in a dress much like Faye's. He'd been expecting the military vigilante-turned-Dragon-leader to come dressed like her bounty picture. The blood-red dress clung to Villanova's lithe figure before flowing outward at the knee to cascade over her feet in ruffled folds. Her short black hair was smoothed down and curved, falling to her cheekbone on one side of her face. Her lips were painted red and her throat flashed with a singular glint of red on gold. Draugh looked somber beside her in a tailored black suit with red accents. Aside from a scar or two across his face and hands, he had survived his encounter with Faye at the temple.

Leon turned back to Faye and licked his lips. "Here goes nothing."

Faye nodded once, the movement sharp.

Leon stood up and raised his glass in a toast towards Villanova and Draugh. Villanova noticed him immediately and pointed him out to Draugh. The two made their way across the floor to Faye and Leon's table. Leon dropped into a bow as they arrived.

"So it is you. I was right," Villanova said. Her voice betrayed nothing, but her eyes were cold. Draugh openly scowled at him.

"I hope I'm everything you were expecting," Leon gave her a tight smile through his cigarette smoke.

"You'll do nicely," Villanova purred. "And quite the gentleman too, I see." She gave Faye a glance. The two women sized each other up. Leon could all but see animosity flicker between them like lightning.

"Won't you take a seat?" Leon gestured to the bench he just vacated.

"Of course," Villanova smiled. Draugh waited for her to arrange herself in the seat, then sat down beside her. Leon slid into the seat beside Faye. At least this way if they had to run for it, he and Faye were on the same side of the table. He took a sip of his drink and set it down.

"A drink for the Dragon perhaps?" Leon asked.

"I'd like that, yes," Villanova said, folding her arms on the table in front of her. Leon flagged a passing waiter and gestured at the drinks on the table, indicating one more. The waiter disappeared with a nod. "I hope you don't mind a bit of old-fashioned whiskey."

"Not at all. I'm an old-fashioned girl."

"We're not here to chat over a drink," Draugh interrupted. "Where are the drugs, boy?"

Leon bristled. "You'll find out when we're good and ready to tell you."

"Now, Draugh, that's no way to start civil conversation." Villanova admonished him like a mother with a small child. Draugh scowled.

"I didn't know the Dragon could be civil," Faye needled. "I thought you all prefered gunshots to conversation."

"I thought that's why we were meeting here," Villanova gestured to the casino around them. "Over, say, a warehouse somewhere. So that there won't be gunshots."

Leon narrowed his eyes. Faye looked even paler in the casino's dim lighting. Villanova smiled.

Just then the waiter returned with Villanova's drink. He set it on the table and gave them a crisp bow before walking away.

Villanova took the drink with a smile and raised it in toast to Leon. She took a sip and set it on the table in front of her. "Now, all pleasantries aside, I must admit I do want my property back. What are you proposing?"

"I don't suppose disbanding the Syndicate would be on the table, would it?" Faye asked slyly.

Villanova laughed. "Surely, you're joking. I can't disband my Syndicate any more than you can shirk your debts, Ms. Valentine."

Faye looked like she'd been slapped in the face. "What?"

"Oh, come now, dear, surely you didn't think I walked myself in here blind, did you? After seeing Leon with Jet Black at the Temple, Draugh and I did our research. I'm surprised they let you get a Cowboy's license, Ms. Valentine."

Leon and Faye had no response. Leon felt his heart slip into his stomach. If Villanova knew this much about Faye, what else did she know about the crew of the Bebop? Was it enough to guess their plans? Leon felt a cold finger of doubt slide up his spine. It was all he could do to keep himself from looking up at the security booth.

"Have I unsettled you?" Villanova purred.

"No." Leon winced at the belligerent tone in his voice.

"Then what's the offer?" Villanova asked.

"Three hundred million." Leon didn't skip a beat.

The corner of Draugh's mouth twitched. Even Villanova raised an eyebrow.

"Three hundred million?" Villanova repeated slowly, like she was testing the word on her tongue.

"And that doesn't include the 'bonus' you offered me for keeping Andross alive."

"Aren't you just the enterprising young businessman?" Villanova asked.

"ISSP is offering two hundred million." Leon shrugged, running a finger along the rim of his glass. "I gotta have some incentive not to just turn you in. The way I see it, you want your stuff and your freedom, I want woolongs, we do business, everybody's happy." Leon spread his hands.

"That's bull and you know it," Draugh growled.

"You're right. I forgot, you're never happy."

"Why you little - " Draugh pulled back a hand as if to hit Leon.

"Not here," Villanova laid a hand on Draugh's leg. "Remember, we're here to be civilised."

Leon wondered just how civilised they planned to be.

"Are you up to any negotiations on the matter?" Villanova asked.

"You want to offer more than three hundred million?" Faye asked, putting on her innocent face. "Why didn't you say so?"

Villanova scowled.

"Think of it this way," Leon said. "It's an assurance fee so that your stuff comes back undamaged."

"You wouldn't kill Andross," Draugh said. "You don't have it in you."

Leon shrugged one shoulder. He took a slow draw on his cigarette. "You don't know what I have in me."

"Whiskey and nicotine, for starters," Villanova said. "And if you're anything like your father, you've got something up your sleeve as well. Like that security guard and maintenance technician I took the liberty of detaining in the security booth." Leon felt the color drain from his face as Villanova continued. "I can only assume that your maintenance tech is that little Radical Edward. He's the only member of your party who doesn't have a digital footprint."

"That's because Ed's too good to leave footprints," Faye said angrily.

"Yes, he seems to be the only competent member of your crew. Perhaps he'll come up with a back-up plan for you. Although I doubt even his hacking skills are enough to get you out of this predicament."

"You have no idea what Ed can do," Leon said.

Villanova shrugged. "I can guess. But I doubt that turning off the lights will help you much. I don't suppose that there's much else you can do, stuck up there in the security booth."

Leon opened his mouth to reply, only to find he didn't have the words. He didn't have a snarky comeback or a smooth lie for this one. He felt like Villanova had flayed him open and laid him bare. It was all he could do to keep it from showing on his face.

"Speechless, Spiegel?" Villanova asked. "Perhaps you're not as much like your father as I thought. No matter," she waved a dismissive hand.

Leon scowled. He felt the heat rise to his face. Even his enemy expected him to be Spike.

Villanova continued. "Since I expected treachery on your part, I've come with a bit of an ace up my sleeve too, shall we say. I spent all night...bribing...the casino owners to let me plant a select few of my men as casino staff. When Draugh gives the signal, this casino turns into a pit of Dragons. You've got two options, Leon." Villanova sipped her drink again. "Give yourself up peacefully and come with me. Or, fight it out with the Dragon."

Leon froze. He scanned the casino making a quick headcount of the room. How many of the patrons and staff were actually Dragon? Or was Villanova bluffing? Either way, he cursed himself for not coming in armed. If Villanova really had locked Ed and Jet in the security booth like she said, then they couldn't get any weapons to Faye and Leon, like they planned. He counted at least five or six men and women with an undue amount of attention on their booth and decided they were probably Dragon. Which meant at least eight against two on the floor, eight against four if Villanova was lying about Jet and Ed. This felt too much like the pier. Leon took a deep breath.

"So, Mr. Spiegel. What's it going to be?" Villanova laced her fingers in front of her.

"I think…" Leon began slowly, gripping the edge of the table, "it's going to be eat and run!" He flipped the table over on Villanova and Draugh, spilling drinks and glasses on the Syndicate members. "Time to go, Faye!" he grabbed Faye's hand and pulled her out of the booth. The room exploded into chaos.