Enigma
Nouvelle
Part 6: Bounty
I'm back! And I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I've had a lot of school work and finals. But now before I leave to another country, I figure I should write my next chapter. And I apologize for the length of my chapters. I am aware that they are short. I just can't seem to put any more in. Or I'm lazy... Anywayz, I'm not sure how long I should keep going. I think I might end the fanfic real soon. Maybe only one or two more chapters. Pretty long for my first fanfic. I'm working on some others right now so basically I'm swamped, and even if I did decide to make this fanfic even longer, I wouldn't know what else to have happen. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And make sure to review. Reviews make me happy and make me want to write more Cowboy Bebop or any of the characters don't belong to me, unless I made them up.
Note: After this update, don't bother asking me to update until July 25. I won't even be in the country, so I will be unable to continue until then. So, enjoy.
I didn't leave right away.
What? Did you think I would just pack my bags and walk through the door?
I wasn't exactly thrilled to be departing from the only home I've ever really known.
That's why, when Jet proposed that I stay at least one more day so I could get my share of the bounty, I jumped at the prospect.
Stupid me huh?
Just only a few hours before, Spike threatened me, and here I was: wanting to spend my last moments with him.
I'm utterly pathetic.
Or foolishly in love...
But you probably don't want to hear that.
You probably want to know what happened instead.
Jet left me in my room after awhile so that I could collect my thoughts and get some well needed sleep.
I was dead tired but unfortunately, I couldn't fall asleep. Or at least I don't think I did. I think I just oscillated back and forth between the two. I only know that when I was awake, I lay in my bed, not moving, just staring at my ceiling.
I didn't leave my room until half the day had passed. No morning coffee; no morning shower; just me, on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
I wasn't ready to see Spike again. I didn't know if I ever would be.
Heck, I didn't think I even took at a bush the same way again.
But it was almost time to leave. I couldn't just stay in my room locked away from the world. That wasn't Faye Valentine.
No.
Faye Valentine is the high roller, the woman who always has a spare card, the one that could make a man's head turn with a flash of legs. That was Faye Valentine. And I'd be damned if I spent my last day on the Bebop acting like an injured puppy. Even Ein doesn't act like that when he gets sick, and I am certainly no one's bitch.
That's why, when I walked through that door, I went out with my head held high and the last threads of my courage wrapped around me like a security blanket.
Too bad I never had a security blanket when I was a kid.
You'd think that being raised in a huge mansion, they'd give a little girl something to comfort her when her parents went away, but no... Instead they expected me to act like a dignified adult. And there I was only 4 years old.
Ed was sitting on the table with the laptop in lap. Ein was off at her side just panting away like always.
I didn't see Jet anywhere but that was to be suspected. I didn't see Spike either.
"Faye Faye's up late today," piped Ed as I made my way to make a batch of coffee for myself.
"Yeah," I muttered. Lazily, I grabbed the coffee strainer and filled it with crushed beans before placing it back. Yawning, I waited until the pot was brimming with coffee before grabbing my mug and filling it.
"Where's Jet?" I asked as I moved out of the kitchen, cup in hand.
"He and Spikey went out back," Ed informed me as she continued to type away.
"Oh."
Quickly downing the rest of the hot liquid, I paused briefly to wonder what Jet and Spike might be doing before dropping my mug off at the sink and heading towards the bath.
"Spikey got up late too."
Inhaling sharply, I turned so that I could see Ed out of the corner of my eye. She hadn't bothered to look up from her screen and continued to ferociously jab away at the buttons.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent to the whole matter.
I wonder if it worked...
"Well," Ed continued. "Ed heard Spikey leave during the middle of the night. He didn't get back until just awhile ago."
"So?" I argued back. "That doesn't mean that he got up late."
"Mmm," Ed said thoughtfully as she finally looked up. "Yeah, but Spikey had bags under his eyes. Ed doesn't think Spikey got enough sleep."
Shrugging, I continued to the bathroom.
"He must have had a rough night."
Ed didn't bother to remark as I closed the bathroom door.
After securing the lock, I half grinned and frowned.
At least it wasn't just me who looked like shit.
After my shower I went into my room and got started on packing. Or at least, what was supposed to be packing. I shoved some things in a few boxes. It wasn't a lot, mostly clothes and some make-up. What can I say? I don't own a lot of things.
Funny huh?
As I sat there grumbling to myself, I heard a distinct slam. Like a body being thrown against a wall. Started, I hastily got up and opened my door to call Ed.
"Ed, what was that?" I asked in concern.
"Ed doesn't know. Ed believes it came from where Jet and Spike are," she informed me.
"Oh," I said, closing my door again. What they were doing didn't really concern me. Well, maybe Jet, but definitely not Spike. I don't care what Spike was doing, not in the slightest bit...
Damn.
Do you know how they say that curiosity killed the cat?
Well I'm one fine kitty.
Deciding that I was finished packing, I picked myself up off my floor and proceeded to head out of my room as if were an everyday occurrence.
Given it is an everyday occurrence that I leave my room...
Never mind.
Anyways. By the time I was back in the main room, Jet and Ed were packing up and getting ready to head out. Well Jet would be heading out. Ed and Ein would probably move to another room in the Bebop. Lucky, lazy ducks.
Spike wasn't anywhere, and deciding it was a safe enough topic, I enquired about his whereabouts.
Of course, Jet was already out of the room by then.
"Spikey already headed out," Ed said smiling that dumb smile of hers.
Nodding my head curtly, I proceeded out after Jet.
There would be time later to say goodbye to Ed and Ein. I needed to come back and pick up my stuff for heaven's sake.
My steps pulsated in the quite hallway. I could hear each pounding step as I made my way towards the hanger.
Finally finding myself in front of my Red Tail, I took a deep steadying breath. This would be my last bounty with my family on the Bebop.
We had cared for each other, gotten to know each other, and even shared things with each other.
We were family.
And yet, it was because of the things we've shared that we were now being ripped apart.
Spike's disappearance was what brought us back together. Now, it was his return, that was breaking us apart.
Shaking my head, I pulled myself into my Red Tail and start it up.
It was mission time, and I didn't plan on messing up.
After flying for a bit, I landed at the designated location. I could see Spike's Swordfish somewhere off to the side. I docked mine a little distant from his.
Stepping out, I breathed in, and proceeded towards a club.
I wasn't wearing my yellow hot pants and killer boots right then. Nope, I was wearing something more sluttier.
Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it.
The club was located within a warehouse. A couple others lined the road. The little weasel was trying to sell some weapon and he had it hidden in one of the vast number of abandoned warehouses. He was wanted for some other stuff before that.
I entered the club lazily, and made my way up to the bar. The music was blaring and I caught sight of a bush. Ignoring the man next to me who was offering to buy me a drink, I swiveled around in my chair and scanned the room for Jet. I found him in the corner of the club with his eyes closed just standing there. Satisfied that I had found my two other team mates, I returned my attention back to the man and gave him my award winning smile.
I think I spent about 30 minutes at the bar. I only had a Bailey's Milk, but the guy was already passed out. I think it's because I egged him on into having a drinking game with another man who had wanted my attention.
My influence over the inferior sex startles even me. But that doesn't mean I won't use it.
And then there was Contestant Number Three. This one was a tall and lanky who had two girls hanging off his arms. Of course when he saw me, he shook them off and came to sit next to me.
"Hello beautiful," he whistled in appreciation.
I eyed him and continued to sip my drink.
"Never seen you around here," he informed me.
"Oh really? That's because I'm not from around here," giving a quick quirk of my lips.
"I can show you a good time if that's what you are here for?" He said, sliding his hand up and down my thigh.
Thoroughly annoyed, I smirk and nodded to the bartender for my bill.
I was on assignment and I needed to locate Mr. Weasel in order to complete it. This guy would just distract me if I didn't leave right away.
I discretely paid my tab and gave a brief wink to the bartender before stepping away from the bar.
Contestant Number Three had just lost, but little did I know that Contestant Number Three was persistent.
All I remember was a hand encircling my face and pulled me back out a side door. I think I was hit over the head and knocked out.
Hopefully I won't get a concussion.
Can't say I was knocked out for long however, because when I came to, I was being bound and tied up.
How many times have I found myself in this kind of situation?
Never mind, I don't want to think about it.
"Hello there," my abductor said.
I rolled my eyes in response. Oh sure, like I was actually going to say hi back. I noticed faintly that I probably wasn't at the club anymore and probably in a back room of another warehouse.
His eyes flashed and in a couple of seconds he had me pinned to the wall, his fist choking me.
At my hissed intake of breath he smirked.
God, I wanted to murder this man. Not because I was at a disadvantage, but because he was bringing up painful memories.
Memories that were only a couple of hours old.
One of his hands began to caress my cheek.
"How would you like this babe? Hard and fast, or slow and easy," he asked as he drew lazy lines across my lips.
My eyes twitched and with a quick move of my jaw I bit his hand.
He backhanded my as he yelped out in pain.
I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth as I blinked to get rid of the black dots in my vision. Grabbing a fist full of my hair he pulled my head back viciously. Shuddering, I closed my eyes against the pain.
"Fine," he muttered.
But before he could even breath out another word, the door to the room opened and another man's head poked in.
"The truck's here, we're ready to load the weapon," he informed Contestant Number Three.
"Alright then," my abductor replied.
Lucky me. My abductor happens to be my bounty and here I am bound and tied up instead.
Before leaving, he slammed my head to the ground where it impacted painfully against the concrete floor.
Looking at his hand once more, he made a face of distaste and unexpectedly kicked me in the stomach. There was a sadist cracking, and I was pretty sure he had broken a rib. Breathing shallowly, I tried to catch my breath and not cry out against the pain. He took one last look at me before turning off the lights and shutting the door.
I lay there, curled up, hoping to ease my pain. I had one broken rib with a nasty bruise probably forming, and another appearing on my face where he hit me. This was not a very fun evening for me.
Too much was going on in my life. Maybe it was a good idea to get away from it all. Of course that would be hard to do since I could even see anything around me much less even move.
I don't know how long I was in there for but it seemed like forever.
Being isolated in a room will do that to you. I eventually fell asleep.
Where was Spike when you needed him?
Hahahahahahahahaha! Did you like my latest chapter? I thought it was pretty good. They ddiiieee!!!! No, not the character's in this story. I am talking about an anime show I just watched. It was the last episode and they just died. It was so sad; I was so ready to cry when she cried she wanted to live just a little longer. At least they died together. But yeah. I think my next chapter will be the last chapter of Enigma. I can't believe some of the stuff I used in my story. Oh well, it just means I'm creative. Wish my luck on my trip to Cambodia. Until then.
Love & Peace.