2 Months Later
"OOOOWEEE! We need to celebrate!" Jet cheered.
He couldn't believe the fortune streak the Bebop was in. Nothing but successfully bounties, something that was so radical. In the past, Jet and the Bebop had hit a rut of unsuccessful, no money bounties. But all that seemed to change when everyone left and then Edie came in the picture. In secret, Jet thought of Edie as his lucky lady.
"No," Edie outright rejected. "I know just what you got in mind and I can already see it blowing up in our faces." She sat at the kitchen table and turned another page of her manga.
"Do you know who you are talking to? Edie, you're talking to a professional. We'll come back with a hell of lot more than 7 million Woolang."
Since they just got paid Jet cooked, this time with actual beef because they could afford it. Thankfully, Spike and Edie didn't damage their ships too bad this time.
"That's not how I remember things." She grumbled, her eyes not leaving her page. Jet waved her away.
"What do you say, Spike?!" Seeing Spike sneak into the kitchen.
"I do need a vacation. I mean there has to be more to life than a scruffy old man and a blue-haired kid." Spike lackadaisically shrugged and opened the fridge. Jet chuckled to himself and Edie flicked her chin at Spike then went back to reading.
"Wait," perked Edie. "A vacation? I guess if you put it that way, I'm in."
"Let's hit the casinos!" Jet threw his arm in the air in victory and continued cooking.
"I know I'm going to regret this." murmured Edie.
"Hey, when's the grub ready?" added Spike, looking out from the fridge.
...Mars
"I feel like we're always in Mars." opined Spike as the elevator carrying all three of them lowered. Spike fingered a cigarette till Edie elbowed him and pointed to the posted suggestion: PLEASE NO SMOKING
"Man, Jet, you groom up nicely." Edie giggled.
"I'll take that as a compliment.' Jet fixed the collar of his suit and dusted himself off. "You didn't get the memo or something, Edie? I told you we were going to a casino, that means you're supposed to look the part."
Edie looked down at her apparel. She wore the same black crop top and high waist jeans she always wore.
"Are you saying I should've covered up my navel for such an occasion?" she jested.
"You should cover it up anyways." Spike butted in. The elevator doors zipped open to a luxurious lobby and countless of slot machines.
"Play nice, kids." Jet strolled off.
"Don't get us thrown out!" Spike called after him, hoping he heard him.
Spike grabbed a chip he found on the floor, flipped it in the air and walked off to the tables. Edie craved a drink and headed for the bar. She wasn't much of gambler. Frankly, she sucked at it. She would rather blow all her money on drinks than blow it gambling, losing every damn dime. Edie had no luck for casinos, nor any in her life for that matter. She took a swig of her gin and tonic. The alcohol made her feel warm. She could already feel the flush creeping into her cheeks. It had been awhile since she had anything more than beer so she wanted to start off her vacation right. As she asked for another, the bartender eyed her cautiously, probably mistaking her for a child.
"What child wears dark purple lipstick? Huh?" She hissed at him. He said nothing and cleaned the glasses. Edie was starting to get bored. She wanted to do something actually fun. Don't get her wrong, drinking can be a blast! But that depended on the type of drunk you are. Edie could turn into an emotional drunk at any moment.
"Hey, bartender," she was buzzed and giddy. "There any fun places around here like a roller-skating rink or something?"
The irony of such a question. Here she was trying to prove herself an adult to this guy and yet, she's asking for such a childish place.
"There is a bowling alley not far from here. Practically, down the street." the bartender answered.
"Thanks." She finished her drink and exited the casino. Edie looked up into the dark starry night sky and watched a star soar by.
Shooting Star, make a wish.
The streets were full of commotion. People in a rush to go nowhere, if you asked Edie. After asking an older gentleman who owned a small corner store for directions, she finally spotted the bowling alley. The bowling alley was colorful and played lively music. It kind of mirrored a club, in a way. Edie entered noting the atmosphere was full of smiling faces and laughter.
"Hi, I'd like to bowl." She told the lady in the front.
"How many in your party?" The woman looked swamped with work. Of course, she had reason. The bowling alley was crowded with people.
"Party of 1."
The woman finally looked up from her work to glance at Edie and Edie felt the woman pitied her. "I'm sorry ma'm. Tonight, only people with 2 or more in the party can bowl. We do have single bowling during daytime hours." Edie didn't know which "single" the woman was referring to but thought best not to over think it.
"Okay, thank you." Edie had her mind set on bowling, so she was going to see it through. There was no way Spike or Jet would want to join her. She just needed a random stranger off the street. She'd even offer to pay for them. She quickly exited the bowling alley and read through the crowd.
"Ein!" Cried a young girl with fiery red hair as she swerved through the hordes of people. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi dashed through the legs of passerbys, following a familiar scent. He raced to the source of the smell which amounted to a young lady about Ed's height. The Corgi jumped high into the air in front of the young lady with sky blue hair and the lady caught him in her hands. He licked her face.
"Ein! Silly boy! You don't just go crazy like that!" scolded the girl. She glowed in a permanent blush. The Corgi whined in response.
"Is this your dog?" Edie scratched behind the Corgi's ears and he wagged his tail in contentment.
"That's Ein. Have you met this lady before, Ein?" The dog barked.
"Hi Ein." Edie smiled brightly and then handed him over to the girl.
"Thanks. Ed's name is Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tiverusky, the fourth! Or the infamous Radical Ed!" The girl threw Edie a playful smile.
"What a name!" gasped Edie. "My name is Edie, nice to meet you."
"Edie!? Your name is like Ed's name!"
Edie laughed, "You're so right! Hey where's your parents?"
"The Father-person is around here!"
Edie took her reply for face value. "Hey Ed, do you and Ein wanna bowl with me?"
"Oh boy! What do you say Ein?" Ed asked Ein and Ein barked in agreement. "Ed and Ein wanna bowl!"
Spike spotted Jet with two buckets of earnings.
"Where's my lucky lady?" Jet inquired.
"Your who?" Spike took a swig of his whiskey.
"Edie, where's Edie? With her help, I can take all this with us."
Spike believed Jet had finally lost. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I wasn't on babysitting duty."
"Well, go find her before all our luck runs out." Jet heaved the two buckets along and sat at another black jack table.
Spike figured it was about time to call it a day. With Jet's quick eye, he'd clean the casino, and guarantee a not so warm welcome back. Any more high winnings and surely they'd be kicked out. Spike tried recalling last seeing Edie. When they had all first arrived at the casino, she dawdled at the bar. Spike went over to ask the bartender and he'd remembered her alright. Couldn't forget her he said and went on about a bowling alley. He gave Spike the same general direction he gave Edie. Spike combed the streets for Edie and the bowling alley. He finally made his way to the bowling alley to find it crawling with people. Who'd to thought it? Spike believed bowling was dead but he guess he stood corrected. He continued to ask the lady at the front desk if she helped out any small woman with blue hair and she snapped her fingers and recalled right away.
"Lane 12." The lady returned her attention to her desk.
Spike meandered within the bowling alley, keeping an eye out for Lane 12. Sure enough Spike found Lane 12 and he found the surprise that it had along with it.
"Spike-person!" chirped Ed. Ein sniffed Spike's leg and pawed at him in excitement.
"Spike? You know Ed?" Edie asked, dumbfounded.
"Small world." was all that Spike said.
Jet began to get impatient. The more he paced, waiting, the more he was pressured to continue in his pursuits. But he knew better. He was already being eyed suspiciously. And on top of that, an unsettling feeling came upon Jet which unnerved him even more so. If he was betting man, he'd bet he'd be close to taking all the earnings to the Bebop but then suddenly something happens to where he loses it all. Jet never knew superstition until now. Until his lucky lady. So Jet awaited for their return. A sense of relief rushed into him at seeing a returning Spike along with Edie.
"Your Lady Luck has brought you something." Spike cautioned Jet.
"Jet-person!"
It was too late, all Jet's luck had run out.
