Session Thirty One

"Alright, Ed, give me five minutes," Faye said.

After causing a scene in the ballroom by pretending to be sick, Faye and Malcolm made an ungraceful exit while Malcolm loudly announced that Faye drank too much last night and was still suffering the effects. The guards had given her looks of disgust and a wide berth as she puffed out her cheeks and pretended to dry heave. As soon as they were outside the ballroom, they ran for the nearest bathroom - the only rooms in the Dragon Tower that didn't have cameras. Faye slipped off the pearl bracelet and tossed it into a nearby potted plant as she ran. Although she felt naked without the protective field, it blocked Ed from using remote access to track her through her earpiece just as much as it blocked the Dragon from finding her. And now that the plan was in motion, she needed Ed's backup more than she needed safety.

Faye threw open the door to the bathroom where she had stashed a large purse earlier. Thankfully, the bathroom was empty so she dropped her sick act. She walked over the the stall where she left her purse and pushed on the door. Still locked. Good. No one had messed with it. She shimmied under the door while Malcolm kept watch in the hall, looking worried for his "sick girlfriend." Her purse still hung on the inside of the stall door.

Faye slithered out of her dress and shoes in almost the same motion, leaving them lying on the bathroom floor. She winced as the blue silk crumpled to the floor, but she'd just have to leave the dress. There wasn't any way to carry it with her. Faye pulled an old pair of Spike's slacks and a familiar yellow button-up out of the purse and began getting dressed. She pulled on a bulletproof vest before she put on the shirt, a precaution Jet convinced her take in case something went horribly wrong. They were banking on the fact that Villanova would be so stunned at the transformation, she wouldn't immediately shoot Faye, but that was assuming the method for killing Leon was by gunshot. Thinking of death only made Faye go faster.

After she got the suit on, she pulled an eyepatch out of the purse and slipped it over her left eye, then she grabbed a fedora and put it on, tucking her hair under the hat. She stashed a brown, curly wig, a small makeup bag, and Malcolm's ISSP badge and pistol in the pockets of the trench-coat. Lastly, she grabbed the pair of special shoes she and Jet worked on last night. They looked normal from the outside, but they had inserts in them that added to Faye's height so that she stood nearly as tall as Leon. She put the shoes on, stuffed her dress and party shoes back into the purse and commed Ed. "Alright, Ed, how'd I do?

Three minutes and forty-eight seconds.

Faye smiled at her own quick change.

"How much time do I have to get out of here?" she asked. Ed wasn't able to completely cut all the security cameras from her remote access on the Bebop, and the crew didn't want to raise that much suspicion yet anyway, but she could scramble camera feeds so that they showed a different image than what was actually going on. Faye heard Ed mutter something under her breath and then she gave an exclamation of delight.

You're all clear, Faye Faye! You've got two minutes to get out of the hall before the camera picks up normal feed again.

"Alright, thanks, Ed." Faye stepped out of the bathroom and met Malcolm in the hall.

Malcolm whistled, impressed.

"I've never seen anyone change that fast," he said.

"You've never seen me change before then," Faye quipped. With the shoes on, she was eye to eye with Malcolm.

Malcolm chuckled as she pulled his ISSP badge and pistol out of the trench coat and handed them to him. He pinned the badge to the inside of his jacket so that it wasn't immediately visible and slid the pistol into a shoulder holster also under his jacket.

"I'm going to call in back-up now," he said. "I've got enough proof to convince even the laziest beaurocrat. But I'll keep pacing in the hall for a few more minutes so that everyone will think you're still in the bathroom puking."

"Ha ha, thanks," Faye said dryly. "You think ISSP'll really come?" she asked.

"They better. Or I'm going to be a sitting duck in a few minutes," Malcolm said. "But I've got this," he pulled a pen from his suit pocket and pressed the cap. A recorded version of Villanova's speech from earlier began playing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I've called you here today to witness the rise of the Syndicates. To witness the rebirth of the Red Dragon and to usher in an era of Syndicate reign that we haven't seen in over twenty years. And we're doing it all under ISSP's crooked nose. Some scattered cheering followed and Malcolm turned off the recorder. "Once Captain Gunnel hears this, he'll have to send men in. He won't have a choice. This constitutes a planetary threat."

"That's what Jet kept trying to tell ISSP back when he worked for them," Faye said.

"I wish they'd listened to him," Malcolm grumbled.

Faye nodded. "Yeah. Now I'm going to find Leon," she said, making sure her receiver was still secure in her ear after her change.

"I'll give you a few minutes head start, then I'll call the Captain. Tell Leon to com me when you bust him out. Then we'll get Jet and we'll be back in for you."

Faye nodded, not trusting herself to speak anymore. Then she turned and headed down the hall, affecting a limp in her right leg. "Alright, Ed, give me directions," Faye said.

At the end of this hall, you're going to take a right, Ed said. You've got thirty more seconds of hidden time, but as soon as you turn the corner, you'll be on camera again. There's some sneaky sneaky secret halls you're going to take, ok?

"Gotcha," Faye said, breaking into a fast lope. She didn't see anyone in the hall yet, but she kept her senses alert for any noise or footsteps. She would slow and affect the limp again when she heard anyone. But she only passed a few housekeepers on her way. She had a story cooked up in case anyone asked who she was - she was a Tiger lieutenant that had come late - and she planned to make a fuss about the lax security at the Tower if anyone made an accusation that they hadn't seen her come in. But the housekeepers she passed all kept their heads down and went about their business without a second glance in her direction. She took a right at the end of the hall like Ed told her.

Ok, Faye Faye, at the end of this hall, there's a door. It says "employees" on it. Take that."

"I see it," Faye murmured.

Ed's got the camera off in five...four...three...two...one...go!

Faye pushed open the employee door at Ed's signal and slipped inside. After guiding her around a few more turns, Ed told her to take the right-hand corridor and led Faye to a black steel door.

He's in there. Ed has the camera playing loop de loop so it won't show you, but you've only got ten minutes to swap places. Also, the door's locked, but it's not electronic, so you should be able to pick it.

"Thanks, Ed," Faye said. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming down the hall, then pulled a bobby pin out of her pocket and knelt by the door. Faye had the lock picked in two minutes. That left her eight for the switch. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door, not sure what to expect from inside.

She stepped into a dark room, lit only by pale blue lights on the walls. The corners of the room were in shadow and the shadows deepened as Faye slid the door shut behind her. She flipped the eye patch up and her eyes adjusted quickly. A haze of cigarette smoke hung near the ceiling and Faye quickly found its source.

Leon stood against the center of the back wall. The lights from the wall illuminated his chest and lower body, but his face was in shadow. His long legs were crossed, hands in his pockets, head tilted back and eyes closed. A cigarette sat between his lips, a thin trail of smoke swirling above his head. Burnt out cigarettes were scattered in the floor at his feet. In the dim light, he looked older and there were dark circles under his eyes, especially his right. He was breathing slow, steady, and still, the rise and fall of his chest the only movement in the dark space. The calm sense of predatory grace that surrounded him was the same feeling Faye had gotten from Spike the night he left to fight the Dragon. The feeling of a cornered wolf with nothing left to do but fight.

Faye cleared her throat.

Leon brought his head up and opened his eyes. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and took the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing smoke. He waited for it to clear.

"Leon...it's me," Faye finally said. She pulled off the eye patch and put it in her pocket.

Leon grunted, something between acknowledgment and anger. He put the cigarette back in his mouth and slid his hand in his pocket. He sighed and stared back up at the ceiling.

"What are you wearing?" he finally asked.

"One of Spike's old suits."

"Oh good, we match."

"That's the idea, genius," Faye snapped. She immediately regretted it, but she wasn't in the mood to take sass from Leon right now. She'd already taken heat from Jet and enough prickling from her own conscience. She'd known not to expect a warm welcome, but this dead sarcasm rubbed her nerves raw.

"Now we can declare everybody-dress-like-Spike-day," Leon said.

Faye frowned. Leon wasn't acting like his usual self and that scared her.

"So tell me something, Faye," he continued, his voice low, dangerous. "Do I look like him?"

Faye took a cautious step forward. She felt like she was dealing with an injured wild animal and she wasn't sure if she expected Leon to collapse or attack. "What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

Leon blew a thin stream of smoke at the ceiling before answering. He tilted his head toward her again, letting the light fall across his face. Faye felt like his eyes drilled holes into her soul. "Look me in the eye, Faye. Am I your lost cowboy now?"

Faye took a deep breath even as she felt her stomach plummet. "No, Leon, they didn't…" She came closer. Leon didn't move except to keep his eyes trained on her. Faye stepped up to him and put a hand to his face, her fingers tracing his cheekbone beneath his right eye. Leon took a draw on his cigarette to hide his wince as her fingers brushed his face. She pulled back. That explained the discoloration around his eye. He let out a smoky breath.

"Leon, I'm so sorry," she gasped, her gaze flicking back and forth between his eyes. His ever-so-slightly different colored eyes.

"I thought you'd like it," he said stiffly. "After all, I'm Spike now, aren't I?"

Faye took her hand away. She felt tears prick her eyes. "I never wanted this."

Leon laughed bitterly. "No, you never wanted me. Admit it, Faye. All you ever wanted is the one thing you couldn't have. You were right, that night on the Bebop. You hate me."

Faye felt the hot sting of Leon's words like a bullet. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. There would be time for insults and apologies later. "Maybe I did once," she admitted, stepping back and sliding out of the trench coat. She pulled her makeup bag out of the pocket and set it on the floor. "But now I don't. And I am not going to let you die for my mistakes. I know I can't say anything to instantly fix what I did, so instead, I hope you'll at least think I'm trying to help when I tell you to put this on." She thrust the trench coat and fedora at Leon.

"What is this, Faye?"

"Your coat."

Leon glared at her.

"We're switching places so that you can get out of here. Now, hurry!"

Leon took the coat and hat in confusion, cigarette gripped in his teeth. Faye began tying her hair up in a ponytail. She pulled the wig out of her pocket and slipped it on. Then she procured a compact mirror from her shirt and made sure to tuck any stray strands of her own hair under the wig.

"How is this going to get me out of here?" he asked.

"Because I walked in here looking like a guy in a trench coat with a limp and a bum eye and you're going to walk out of here looking the same. If anyone stops you, tell them you're a Tiger lieutenant. Malcolm will back you up."

"Malcolm?"

"Yeah. He's undercover ISSP. He's how I got in and he'll help you out. I'm going to put on your suit coat and this wig and pretend that I'm you so that when the Syndicate goes to kill you, they'll get a nasty surprise instead."

Leon's eyes widened as he realized what Faye was doing. "But Faye, what if they-?"

"They won't," she cut him off, pulling at the collar of her shirt so that he could see the edge of the bullet-proof vest. "Now give me your coat." She held out her hand.

Leon ground his cigarette out under his shoe then shrugged out of his coat and handed it to Faye. His expression was softer now, not as hard and desperate as before. Faye thought he looked less hopeless, less likely to do something suicidal. Faye slid into Leon's coat then sat down by her make-up bag so she could spread her tools out on the floor. She began shading her face, adding angles and shadow to match Leon's haggard appearance, using her compact mirror to see herself. Leon slipped into the trench coat as she completed her look. She was adding the finishing touches to her right eye when Leon looked over at her from under the brim of the fedora.

"You know, I can't figure you out, Faye."

"Most people can't."

Leon frowned at her. "Something tells me that's your problem." He stuck his hands in the trench coat pockets and Faye was struck once more at Leon's resemblance to his father. But as she looked closer she saw for the first time how different Leon was too. There was a more mischievous tilt to his eyes, a higher quirk to his mouth. Under the bruising and some obvious attempts to create the illusion that Leon was older than he was, Faye realized for the first time how young and scared Leon looked. Like Spike, she knew he'd never openly admit to fear. Fear would just make him fight harder, run faster, talk tougher until he ran himself into the ground. She suddenly realized how much she'd put him through and how far he'd gone to try to make the Bebop home.

"We can talk about my problems when we have you back on the Bebop," she said. "When you're safe. For now, you need to rendezvous with Jet and Malcolm. Here, take this." Faye pulled a wipe out of her makeup bag. "Wash your face off," she said. "Whoever did your makeup sucks."

Leon's mouth quirked up in the hint of a smile despite himself. "The distinguished Captain of the Guard," he said as he ran the wipe over his face a few times. The worst of the lines and shadows disappeared.

Faye snorted and shook her head. "Well, you look much better now," she said when he was done and the wipe looked more bruised than his face.

"Now, put this on." Faye handed him the black eyepatch from her pants pocket. "I had it on my left eye, but I don't suppose it matters much which one you cover up," she said. "I don't think too many people saw me well enough to remember which eye I covered."

He slipped it over his right eye. He didn't quite trust the cybernetic eye to be his only point of view yet. Faye nodded once, as if satisfied with his appearance, then pulled the receiver from her ear and passed it to Leon.

"Take this and talk to Jet when you get out of the room," she said. "He'll tell you where to go next."

Leon nodded and slipped the receiver in his ear with a grim expression. He paused, like he was going to say something else, but then something flickered behind his eyes and he seemed to change his mind. He walked toward the room's door. Right before he reached the door, he spoke again. He didn't turn around, but Faye could hear the hitch in his voice.

"What about Ed?" he asked softly.

"She's alive," Faye said. "And well. How do you think I got here without triggering every security alarm in the tower?"

She saw Leon's shoulders visibly relax and she thought she heard a sigh of relief.

"And Leon?" she said.

"Hmm?" he looked back over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. For everything. And I hope, someday, you'll let me make it up to you."

Leon paused for a long moment, but he didn't speak. He turned his face away and slipped out the door. The door clicked shut with an ominous sort of finality and Faye was left sitting alone in the small room, the only sound in the quiet space the thudding of her heart against her rib cage.

As I go forward, it's getting harder to decide whose perspective to do each chapter from. This one was a tough choice because it's Faye and Leon's first face-to-face encounter since the disaster at The Ares (and coincidentally, Leon's first contact with someone from the Bebop too). I decided to go with Faye's perspective here, so I had a good chance to describe Leon from the outside, since a lot of what's been going on in the Tower so far has been his internal thoughts. Hopefully his confusion and anger are evident here, but there's also that side of him that's relieved he's not going to be left in the Tower after all - even if it's Faye who came to the rescue. He'll get some more "screen time" coming up, so we'll dive deeper into his head later.