A/N: I'm back with File 03 of the Bounty Hunter Files featuring our favorite red-haired devil. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Eva or Bebop.
File 03: The Red Devil and Casinos
Flashback, yesterday…
"Tell me, why you beat up my men? And not only that but cost me a bundle in damages." said a bald man in a white suit called Gordon. He's currently interrogating an 18 year old woman in a yellow dress.
"Ha, like I, the great Asuka Langley Sohryu, will tell you anything," said Asuka.
Asuka Langley Sohryu, Age 18, Weapon of Choice: MAC-10, Walter PPK. She's a proud woman who can never stand being inferior to others. Her past is truly painful as she refuses to speak about it. Like Shinji she pilots a unique ship dubbed Scarlet and its installed AI is Sohryu, who's pretty protective of Asuka.
"Since you refused to cooperate, maybe we'll tear apart your ship for scrap money. Then we'll sell your body to the highest bidder."
"…sickos. Fine, I whacked them because they cheated me of 600,000 woolongs. And they also have to pay the 'viewing' fee. Quite a bargain."
"Since you managed to tell me why, I might let you go, on one condition."
"And what's that?"
End Flashback…
With their last bounties being small fries they found at 7-11, the crew of the Seatbelt minus a penguin decides to go and gamble what they have left on casino orbiting Jupiter. Shinji can play cards fairly well, Emiko sticks to slots, and Misato…"Winner, black 33."…she's the Goddess of Roulette.
"OH YEAH! 100,000 WOOLONGS!" yelled Misato.
Emiko however...
"GODDAMN MACHINE MUST BE RIGGED!" roared Emiko.
Shinji's currently looking for a blackjack table after helping some old guys win a hand and took some of their winnings as payment when he finds one occupied by a certain red-haired devil.
"Hmm, this should be interesting." said Shinji as he heads over to the table.
Asuka, while dealing cards, notices Shinji.
"That's the target." she thought.
Continued Flashback…
"Tomorrow a contact of mine will appear at the blackjack table you'll be stationed at. Here's his picture." Gordon said. He shows the picture of the contact, a man who looks like Shinji including his clothes (a dark blue leisure suit with a white shirt, but normally he wears a t-shirt with pants) except for his mug.
"Not much to look at."
"Don't complain. Anyways he's supposed to come to your table and supposedly win for a while. Then you cheat him to his last chip and he's to give you that chip."
"What's the chip for."
"That's none of your concern."
End Flashback
"Yo dummkopf, wanna try your luck with me." said Asuka.
"Got nothing to lose." Shinji shrugged.
Meanwhile with Emiko…
"YES! JACKPOT!" she yelled after winning a few jackpots (2 of them were the actual amount she lost. As for Misato, to celebrate after she won 600,000 woolongs and immediately converted them to her card she got drunk.
About 5 hands later…
"Damn it! How can I be down to my last chip?!" Shinji said.
"So, do you want to risk your last chip?" Asuka said thinking that the plan is taking effect.
"Nah, I'll keep this as a souvenir." Shinji said calmly and left the table.
"Hey, wait!" she went after him.
Meanwhile the look-alike Shinji bumped into the real Shinji. At that moment both of their chips flew out of their pockets and switched sides.
"Dude, you need help?" asked Shinji as he offered to help the look-alike up. However said look-alike frantically search for his chip, found it and pocketed, and immediately left.
"That was weird." he said as he picked up the chip.
Meanwhile Asuka caught up with Shinji. "Hey you." said Asuka which got his attention. "Did you forget the plan? You were supposed to give me the last chip."
"Why when you were the one who cheated." said Shinji.
And pretty soon the whole casino shifted their focus on Asuka. "The dealer cheated?" "I knew it!" "Give back my money bitch!" they said. Asuka was about to maul Shinji when she saw the casino's thugs and made herself scarce. Said thugs approached Shinji. "Come with us."
"Why? I didn't do anything." questioned Shinji. One of them took a swing at Shinji but it barely fazed him. "You know, that was really rude of you." And he retaliates by kicking the thug's jaw. The other one tried punching him but Shinji dodged and elbowed the back of his neck. It caught the attention of the other guys and they approached him. "Come on, I can always use a good workout."
Meanwhile Asuka found a deserted spot between slot machines and pressed a button on her bracelet that activated a communicator. "Come in Sohryu, its Showtime."
Somewhere in the parking lot a red ship activated itself. "Read you loud and clear Asuka- darling." And said ship flew around and crashed into the casino to where Asuka is. Meanwhile with Shinji he took out one thug with the side of his fist aimed for his jaw, elbowed one in the chest, kneed another Muay Thai style, and roundhouse kicked three more. The commotion attracted the attention of the other guards. Meanwhile with Misato…
"I don't care who you are, you touched my chest." she slurred as she beat the living crap out of more thugs. And Emiko who was carrying her winnings heads over to the fight.
"God Shinji, can't you go anywhere without causing a fight?" she said.
Asuka however climbed into the cockpit of her ship.
"What happened Asuka?" said a concerned Sohryu.
"Easy, I met an idiot; we had fun, and he screws me over. Get the hell out of here!"
"Roger."
"Emiko, less talk and more run!" Shinji yelled.
"Let me cash these in first." said Emiko. They passed by Misato. "Misato, lets get out of here."
"I'm not finished…" she slurred.
"We have better stuff at the Seatbelt, move it!"
Meanwhile Asuka shot a missile that blew open a new window to the casino which she used to escape.
Somewhere in Gordon's office…
"He doesn't have the chip." said a thug over a beaten look-alike.
"Kill him, I have no use for useless maggots." said Gordon.
"We also lost the broad."
"Find her, put a bounty on her for all I care." And soon a gunshot is heard.
While on the Seatbelt…
"LET ME OUT OF HERE! THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY!" yelled Asuka as she struggles to get out of her restroom prison.
"Wark." As Pen Pen waddled towards her leg.
"Get away you stupid penguin."
"Wark wark!" ( "I smell booze money")
"Whadda you know, the penguin is useful for once. She's made of money" said Shinji which Pen Pen retaliates by pecking his foot. "Ow you stupid penguin."
"You have GOT to be kidding." said Asuka.
"Emiko, how much did you lose." said Shinji.
"I say about an easy 250K." said Emiko.
"And whose fault was it?"
"Hmm?" she hmmed.
"Only 250K. That's nothing compared to what I owe. Now if you don't mind…GET ME OUT OF HERE."
"No deal, besides your ship might sell for a cool 1 million."
"DON"T.TOUCH.MY.SOHRYU." she threatened. "And if you gave me the chip we wouldn't be in this mess idiot."
"Don't worry about the chip, that's our bargaining tool." said Emiko. "With it we can ask the casino for a fair trade."
"Then do that, and let me go free."
"Nope, stay in here." smirked Emiko as she shut the door on Asuka.
"HEY…" she muffled through the door. She reached in her jacket and took out lipstick.
Meanwhile in the lounge…
"Analysis complete. There's a microchip contained in this thing." said Emiko.
"So, it's just a microchip." said Shinji as he turned on the TV and Big Shot came on.
"Howdy bounty hunters, leave it to us for bounty information!" said Aoba.
"Thanks for waiting and it's time for Big Shot." said Maya.
"First up on the list this week…" said Maya.
"Too bad we have to hand her in to the police. Although she's a looker…"
"This is...hey Shinji." said Emiko.
"…she's a mean one. Asuka Langley Sohryu."
"She's worth 6 million woolongs. Quite a bargain." Shinji is paying attention.
"Yo Emiko."
"First come, first serve. Until next time." said Maya. And Shinji shuts it off.
"I've been waiting for you." said Gordon.
"First off, I don't run." said Asuka through the communicator/lipstick. "I merely chose to hide out somewhere."
"I trust you, where are you."
"Some rundown ship near the gate. Hurry up, they have the chip…" communication is cut off. Gordon smirks.
"What's up." said Asuka.
"You know, we've been rude to treat you like this." said Emiko.
"Yeah, this is no place for a lady like you to hang out in." said Shinji.
"So you finally recognized me Asuka Langley Sohryu for what I am." she said with pride.
"Hey wait; you're not having weird thoughts are you?"
"Not at all." said Shinji. "I'm actually quite a gentleman."
"And I'm a woman, so no worries." Emiko said.
"Plus, we would like to escort you to a much better place." Shinji said.
"Oh and where's that?"
"The police." they both said.
"WHAAAT?!"
"Oh and we're sorry for the 200K crack."
"What they do, put a bounty on my head?"
"Yup, 6 million food money."
"6 million? I'm worth at least 500 million."
"…just how deep is your debt?" Emiko questioned.
"None of your business, now…GET ME OUT!!!" and again they shut the door on her.
"How annoying…"
"AT LEAST LET GO ONE HAND! I CAN'T USE THE BATHROOM LIKE THIS!" she roared through the door.
Emiko sighed.
About 20 minutes later…
"Like taking candy from a baby." said Shinji.
"Nah, more like making sacrifices for big reward. As they say, receive then give." Emiko said. Then something big shook the Seatbelt.
"What the hell?" said Shinji.
"Son of a…" said Asuka, rubbing her head.
Outside is Gordon's personal ship and he appears on the screen.
"Hello Seatbelt, I believe you owe me a chip." said Gordon.
"Personally, I don't give a damn and I refuse." said Shinji.
"That chip is useless to you guys."
"That may be so but what's IN it can be sold for a pretty penny." said Emiko. Gordon makes a face. "I believe it's called a Crypt-Breaker."
"SIT three years ago developed this program to break any encryption and protection. They said that the programmer who developed it went mad and killed himself and so it went to the black market. However the program was encoded and they needed a key and I did hear that the ISSP were losing their heads finding it. Never would've thought that said key was hidden on a betting chip." said the now sober Misato.
"When did you get up?" stated Emiko.
"Just now."
"You're good." smirked Gordon.
"I may be an ex-racer but I know what goes on in the crime world. I'm pretty sure that your casino was diverting attention away from the money and fool the cops. You just chose a bad day. However this thing is useless to us."
"I'll pay. How about 300 million?"
"Nah, 30 million. We may be hunters but we're not greedy." said Shinji.
"Deal, the exchange is on the deck of my ship."
Meanwhile with Asuka she broke free of her bathroom prison and sneaking out to her ship. In the lounge area she saw the fridge.
"Okay Shinji, 6 mil turns into 30." said Emiko.
"It just keep growing and growing." he smiled.
"Just don't lose focus."
"Yeah, yeah."
Shinji turns off the magnet on his suit and clings onto Gordon's ship. Facing him is some of Gordon's men with the 30 million woolongs. Meanwhile Asuka cleaned out the fridge and is making her escape. She manages to reach the Scarlet.
"You know it's rare for someone to specify cash up front nowadays." said Thug.
"Well, I am an old fashioned guy." said Shinji calmly.
Thug pushed the case up front, pressed a button, and showed the cash. Shinji shows the chip.
"Alright, on the count of three, we'll release the magnet on the case while you toss us the chip." said Gordon.
"I'm trusting you." said Misato. "Not."
Gordon notioned a guard "Sink the ship as soon we get the chip."
Outside the guard started counting while grabbing a pistol on the bomb. Shinji is focused on what's going to happen as so is Emiko & Misato.
As soon as three Shinji throws the chip and thug shoots at him but the orbiters blocks the bullet and as soon he gets a clear view Shinji disappears.
"What?" He looks up and sees Shinji holding onto the orbiter and kicks off it. At that same time Misato & Emiko felt a rumbling which was caused by Asuka breaking through the shutters.
"Goddamn it. Shutters are meant to be OPEN!" yelled Misato.
Shinji however dodges the bullets fired at him, grabs the gun, release the magnet holding the thug down, and kicks the thug out in open space where he hits his head hard. Shinji reaches out for his hand and grabs the chip. Asuka in the Scarlet grabs the case.
"Yo, I'll be taking this." she flies off.
"HEY WAIT!" yelled Shinji.
A gatling gun from Gordon's ship fires at them which both if the dodged.
"Damn." Shinji said as he released the magnet.
Said guns tries to gun Asuka down but she evades with grace. "Ha, there's no way you can gun down my beloved scarlet."
"Misato, get us the hell out of here!" Shinji yelled.
"Right" and the Seatbelt took off.
"Get them, get them! What the hell are you guys doing, GET THEM!" roared Gordon.
His ship fired off a flurry of missiles.
"Sohryu, activate AT mist."
"Roger."
The Scarlet let out a chaff mist that distorts the tracker leaving her ship unharmed. One of the missiles aims for Gordon himself. He screams before the missile kills him.
As Shinji looks on he sees the Scarlet fly off.
"Damn."
"Well that was interesting. At least we got some cash." said Asuka.
"Wark."
"What the…"
Back on the Seatbelt…
"Damn, once again we're broke." moped Shinji. "And that wench ate all of our food."
"Has anybody seen Pen Pen?" said Emiko.
"Like I give a damn about that stupid penguin." said Shinji.
Just then a red ship came crashing into the Seatbelt.
"OH WHAT NOW!"
"GET OFF ME YOU STUPID PENGUIN!" yelled the red devil.
"YOU!"
"Yeah yeah. Look before you ask I made a bet with the stupid penguin and I lost."
"Why is it that I can't understand what he says but you can?" said Shinji who shot Pen Pen a dirty look.
"Anyways since I lost, I'm forced to join you."
"What did you bet?"
"None of your business."
"Since you joined up with us, welcome to the Seatbelt." cheered Misato. "Now pay us for the damages."
"Great. A boozehound, a close friend, a stupid penguin, and a fiery bitch." Shinji complained which resulted in Asuka beating the living hell out of him.
"DUMMKOPF!"
Sorry, but I can't help you there cowboy…
A/N: And that's File 03. Review and until then, see you space cowboy…
Profile:
Name: Asuka Langley Sohryu
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 6
Weight: Unknown
Weapon: H&K MP5, Walter PPK
Ship: Unknown
Likes: cash, herself
Hates: "I won't stoop as low as tell you what I hate!"