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Chapter Text

Faye looked at her singed yellow vest and matching hot pants.

What the hell?

She held both articles of clothing in front of her, and just gawked.

She examined and inspected the tight material, and had to give herself a pat on the back.

She did get very drunk last night, and she didn’t remember much beyond that. But if Jet wasn’t yelling her butt off and she’d woken up in her own bed, then it must’ve been pretty uneventful.

Faye laid the clothes on her bed and turned around to get some of that QUICK PRESS out of her drawer. It was a bottle (product) of enhanced baking soda and something that closely resembled detergent.

She hummed off key as she sprayed and spritzed the agent on the yellow.

“Ah,” she said warmly. “Like new.”

She took a few hangers laying nearby and hung the clothes up to air dry next to the portable fan she’d stolen from Jet’s room.

As she shut her closet door, Spike barged in.

Slam!

“Who said you could touch the Swordfish?!”

Faye nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around slowly.

“What?” She said with bemusement evident in her tone. “You know I never touch your toy.”

Spike laughed without humor. His eyebrows were creased so hard she expected his eyebrows to never move again.

“Romani,” he said seriously. “Don’t touch my things again.”

Faye should have simply nodded. She saw his facial expression, heard his tone, and listened to his words.

Only, she wasn’t going to be accused of something she knew she didn’t do.

Therefore, she stood up a little straighter and said, “I didn’t touch your things.”

Spike had almost exited the room when she spoke.

He stopped and turned around.

She kept talking.

“I may do a lot and say a lot. But I’m not a liar.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “You’re full of shit, Faye.”

He tapped his foot and looked up at the ceiling. “You come in at bumfuck 5 am, dripping wet, and smelling like kerosene.”

Faye took a step back. Her face wrinkled up into confusion. “What?!”

He wasn’t listening.

“I didn’t even know you took out my ‘ship,” he said. “It’s not my fault the Red Tail is out of commission.”

Faye shook her head in denial. “That didn’t happen to me,” she said. “I didn’t take the red dingy thing. An- and I was still in my room.”

Spike stepped closer to Faye.

Faye didn’t look away.

She wasn’t going to let him win.

“You really think so, huh?” He said. “You think you didn’t do anything?”

She nodded.

He stared at her for a long time.

She stared back. If he thinks he knows–

Smack.

A pack of her preferred brand of cigarettes were in the palm of her hand. Spike held it.

She gasped. “What the–“

“Typical,” Spike emphasized. “Con artists really do believe their own lies.”

Faye’s eyebrows were creased in anger, confusion, or stupid frustration.

It was hard to tell.

“But I–“ She hit him in the shoulder. “I don’t know why you’re trying to set me up, asshole!”

Spike waved her away. He looked at the almost-empty box of cigs and took one. “You owe me for your little excursion, and mileage.”

He let out a small snort and turned around. His eyes were no longer on hers.

Faye threw the box at him. “I don’t owe you a thing!” She screamed frustratedly. “I never flew your stupid Swordfish!”

Spike didn’t turn around or acknowledge her words with a smart ass retort. He simply kept walking, and exited the room without a word.

Faye stomped her foot in anger. “That bastard!” She spat. “He really thinks he can trick me?!”

Without much thought she walked over to the cigarette box she’d thrown, and picked it up. She took out the last cancer stick and lit it.

Despite how sure she was when Spike confronted her, after things died down, doubt crept in.

She couldn’t have possibly gotten black out drunk to the point she could fly a spacecraft? She was Lady freakin’ Luck, but she didn’t gamble without a little self-knowledge. Meaning: she never pushed her limits to the point of death, or just based on the mere idea that she was bionic woman.

Faye sighed frustratedly and ran her fingers through her hair.

She then glanced at the mirror.

“What the…” she whispered as she looked in the mirror and examined herself further. “Where’d that come from?”

She saw parts of a bruise below her collarbone. Upon further inspection, she noticed the scabbing near her armpit.

So, maybe she got into a bar fight.

“But…” Faye murmured to herself. “I- I don’t remember fighting anyone.”

She decided then and there that she was not going to get black out drunk again.

If so, it wouldn’t be alone.

“You know what the color means, right?” The old woman said. “It means purity.”

She held out a lilac sweater. It had a sunshine in the center.

Faye let out a snort. “You’re shitting me,” she said before taking a sip of the rum punch she’d opted in order to showcase some respect for the woman. “What’s that got to do with me?”

The woman shrugged. “Your balance is off.”

“Balance?” Faye almost wanted to yawn. This was beginning to get redundant. She’d prevented the old woman from getting pick-pocketed and somehow she’s turned into some test monkey for the old woman’s seemingly repetitive speeches and philosophy.

The woman insisted she wasn’t a psychic or did anything involving Crystal balls and such. She simply wanted someone to listen to her for once. The old woman decided Faye was very pretty and reminded her of an old friend from her youth.

“Have you heard of the song ‘Hold The Girl’?” The old woman then asked.

Faye shook her head before taking another sip of the watered down “PG-13” soda pop cocktail. “No. Never heard of it.”

“Not even that cover the one young girl did three years ago?” The old woman said. “Everyone claimed that she did it better than the original artist. Bullshit. I could almost spit.”

Faye let out another snort. “Really?” She said with a little more interest. At least to let the woman know she was trying. Trying to listen to her meaningless stream of consciousness.

The old woman nodded. “Yes,” she said adamantly. “I think the song lost meaning.”

Faye made a sound of disagreement. “Nah,” she said. “A song can’t lose meaning to the listener, if they felt something listening to the original version the first time.”

“Hmm…”

Faye reclined on the couch and looked up at the ceiling.

The woman insisted she stay the night.

Because she was feeling bored, Faye asked, “do you have any family?”

The old woman took awhile to answer. For someone so talkative, Faye was a little surprised at the silence.

Maybe she hit a sore spot.

“Yeah,” the old woman finally said. “I have a granddaughter about your age. And a son. My nephew visits me once or twice a month.”

She sounded sad.

“I see,” Faye said. “What are they like?”

“My granddaughter doesn’t do much. She works in the city but it’s not a job. And my son, he married his second wife and moved back to Earth. And I’m not sure if I have any new grand babies. And my nephew? He’s a case. But he’s genuine, if not a bit impulsive. I had to visit him in the hospital about a week ago.”

The old woman stopped braiding the bracelet she was working on. “You know, honey. I think people forget to reminisce. Forget to find meaning with others. People don’t realize how much they mean to a person.” She looked at Faye with a sadness the shrew wasn’t familiar with showing. “You mean a lot to someone too, dear.”

The woman continued. “People protect themselves. They protect themselves because they’re used to disappointment or they’ve been hurt really bad by others in the past. Or they’re afraid. They’re afraid people will realize they’re human.”

Faye turned away to face the cushions. She then asked the woman, “but isn’t it okay to protect yourself? It’s better in the long run.”

The old woman laughed. “Yes. It’s okay to protect yourself. But in the long run you start to regret.”

Faye closed her eyes. “I don’t think I’d have any regrets,” she murmured. “The people who mattered are gone.”

“You matter, Dear.” The old woman affirmed. “You have to look at the ones who stayed. And you have to meet others who fill the spaces left behind.”

Regardless if Faye wanted to admit it, the woman’s words took the edge off her negative feelings.

Matter.

That was a lovely word.

“Reach inside and hold you close;
I won't leave you on your own,” the old woman said after some more silence.

Faye took another sip from the glass.

“Do you know what that means?” The woman asked as she clipped a few inches of thread from the spool.

Faye rubbed a hand over her face. Maybe the rum punch was making her a little more drowsy than she’d seen coming.

“I don’t know,” Faye replied. “Maybe it’s talking about how one must learn to trust who they are. Or some crap about forgiveness.”

The elder let out a friendly laugh.

Faye rolled her eyes. “Wrong answer. Right?”

“No! Not at all dear!”

Faye scoffed. “Then why’d you laugh?”

The elder woman sobered and said, “because you’re right.”

“Huh?”

“And you got to understand that you always have the privilege to still be whole.”

Faye took a sip of the rum punch.

♥

Chapter Text

Can't you see that this is fading?
A love affair
Baby, let's keep it out of our feelings
Baby, be fair
Making promises is dangerous
I'm just a phase

I'm just your valentine

- Rina Sawayama

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Hold The Girl: “Alterlife”

Act I

“I wish she would stop hurting me,” a young girl said. She had wrapped her arms around her body and looked down. “It hurts.” She sat on the floor of a small dirty room and leaned against a wall. The floor was made out of old cedar and showed wear and tear made by the critters and mites infesting the weathered two-story home. The walls were dingy and water stained.

The clothes she donned were a dirty and mangy sundress, and ill-fitting socks. Her hair had been long once, but its length was now well above her ears. The haircut courtesy of the woman the girl was hiding from.

The girl shook in fear. Her small hand rubbing up and down her leg to sooth the stinging pain that was beginning to subside.

The yelling heard coming from the other room wouldn’t stop, the drugs permeating from the other room wouldn’t stop filling the room, and the blood, cuts,scars, and bruises wouldn’t stop. They never did.

What made it different this time?

The child closed her eyes and leaned against the corner–where both walls met. “Maybe if I disappeared…she wouldn’t- she wouldn’t be so mad or unhappy.”

Sniffling some more, she rubbed at her eyes. “I’m scared.”

Tears uncontrollably sprang at her eyes again. “I can’t take the pain. I don’t want to fall asleep again…my head hurt.”

“I know you’re in there!” A woman’s voice bellowed. The child started to shake in fear.

“Ai hia!” The adult yelled. “I’m gonna break the door down!”

“Help,” the little girl pleaded quietly. Her eyes closed. “Jei jei…”

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Faye Valentine didn’t say much when she looked at Jet for the first time after Spike left. Why would she? They both knew how everything had gone.

What was everything?

Faye didn’t like putting a name to things. Things that’d soon diminish once everyone got sick of each other.

It was how everything in her life was up to this point.

“I’m sorry,” Jet said. His voice was a lot quieter than she was used to. Thoughtful and maybe a little somber. Who knew?

Again, she didn’t like putting a name to much of anything. Especially when she started to feel it matter.

When things mattered that was when she got the itch to take-off.

If she was willing to admit it, that was when the ones who started to matter to her took off if she wasn’t one step ahead.

So, when she heard Jet utter an apology, that was when she had to turn her head away. Because if she didn’t, he’d see her glistening eyes and the way she held her knuckles to her mouth. She wouldn’t cry again.

She wasn’t a baby.

Therefore, she stood up from the yellow couch she’d been sitting on and walked to her room.

Everything was heavy.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

It’d been a good 5 days before she got the courage to get out of bed and “participate”. After she stopped sniffing her nose and holding herself, she decided she wasn’t going to feel bad anymore.

It wasn’t fair to herself. Nor was it fair to Jet. He hadn’t bothered her, and had left her food for the past 5 days, in the front of her bedroom door. While she stayed cooped up in her own misery.

Apparently, he’d gotten a few small-time bounties, despite his leg injury.

And with them both just on the Bebop, it was enough to get 4 pounds of premium beef and more fuel for the Bebop.

So, she decided to start pulling her own weight around.

Who cared about the little girl and the data dog? Who cared about the man with a death wish?

She could carry on with her life and make something of herself.

She could try.

Jet was still in his room that morning, the door closed to indicate so.

With a burst of small enthusiasm, she took Jet’s hammerhead and headed to the nearby city that so happened to be Alba. Maybe Jet wanted to avoid the city that was as far away from the enclave that housed the place-that-shall-not-be-named.

Once she landed a bit of distance at a stop, she got started on her mission. She tightened her red sweater about her torso, and put on her shades.

Swallowing loudly and briefly closing her eyes (you’ve got this, Faye), she started walking in the North direction. Despite taking the cash that was left in the sugar jar in the kitchen, she was still strapped.

“I can’t come back empty handed,” She mumbled to herself annoyedly.

How would she explain the empty cookie jar?

Maybe she’d never go back to the old fishing vessel. Yet, she had an inkling that she was lying to herself.

Her conscience, who was a lot more sound and self-aware, chastised her.

As she continued walking, she stopped at an LED directory stand. Her finger ran down the list of establishments. From massage parlors with “happy endings” to noraebangs that served 50 cent beer, her finger stopped at one name in particular that was pretty self-explanatory.

“Bingo,” She said with a smile.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Faye looked at her communicator, and read over the details regarding JJ Biyu. No one knew JJ’s gender. But after winning a game of Chuck-a-luck at a gambling hall disguised as a Buddhist temple, she was able to get in on a betting pool that was leaning toward the favor of the majority. About 75 percent of the pool guessed JJ was a man. The remaining percent were apparently shit out of luck unless one of the 25 percents could actually have the balls to go and see for themselves.

“JJ likes frequenting hostess bars,” She said to herself. “Fuck.”

With the newly acquired cash and a bit more luck, Faye managed to pop into a nearby boutique that sold all sorts of costumes and women apparel.

Most of the staff didn’t bother to greet her (which she didn’t mind. She wanted to be left alone. Alas, they were missing out on adding a sale to their commissions).

She went over to the area that displayed hoards of gaudy colored dresses. From bright yellow princess dresses to fuchsia tight slip dresses, she had a lot to choose from. Instead of being picky about it, and spending an hour indecisive, she did what she was best at.

She gambled.

She chose blindly from a rack for petites and went over to shoes.

She was an 8.5 in heels. So, she requested a pair of d’orsays from a bored looking young woman who had an affinity for eye make up.

Once Faye paid for the disguise and walked out into Alba City’s polluted air, she walked back to the glowing directory stand.

Eventually she found a decent naming hotel that included the words “cheap” and “clean”.

She counted the money in her hand, and using her communicator she checked the balance on her card. She was still sitting comfortably, considering she’d bested the housewife who had a penchant for laughter when she thought she was winning. Coincidentally, the housewife was actually sitting on cash.

Faye took the bus card out of her pocket and walked to a nearby depot.

Considering the fact that a lot had happened in Alba City once upon a time (A murderer, famine outbreak, alleged glowing butterflies, pumpkin parade, and etc.), she didn’t (with force) break out into a cold sweat due the possibility of thinking of…them.

JJ Biyu. That was who she needed to worry about. Therefore, she sobered up and listed out what was known about JJ Biyu.

1. JJ has never taken off their mask.
2. JJ fights with weapons or doesn’t fight with weapons. Very unpredictable.
3. Gun of choice is a Glock.
4. JJ never speaks
5. JJ starts fights
6. JJ doesn’t kill
7. JJ is wanted for damages and for ATTEMPTING to kill five people.
8. JJ frequents hostess bars, but has been seen in casinos and churches.

To Faye, JJ was a small potato. Not only would she be a couple thousand woolongs richer after turning in JJ, but she’d earn some respect. Jet wouldn’t run out of premium beef anymore, and she’d be a couple steps nearer to her goal.

She just needed to focus.

Finding JJ shouldn’t be too hard. With a Glock and decent hand-to-hand combat skills, she’d be able to catch the bounty in no time.

So, 6 hours later Faye was sitting between two business men who liked to smoke, drink, and fondle women. She wouldn’t have been particularly bothered about it if she hadn’t seen her glass of liquor slightly change color.

Earlier, when she’d first stepped into Wong’s Mood (the name of the hostess bar), she was surprised at how vacant it was. Yet, she eventually considered the fact that it wasn’t night life hours yet. Salarymen and syndicate joes were still wrapped up in their jobs. Hostess bars were where people came out of the shadows every night.

“We’re not hiring,” One of the woman said as Faye approached the front counter. The woman was in a short tight-fitting sleeveless black dress. She wasn’t wearing makeup. And her teeth were yellow and kind of crooked. She was also smoking a cheap pack of cigarettes. Or menthols, maybe? The smell of her breath brought about the possibility.

“Oh, really?” Faye said challengingly. “I heard someone just quit.”

The woman blew out some smoke before putting out the cigarette in a nearby soda can. “BeBe really can’t keep her mouth shut…” she said defeatedly. Unwilling to make eye contact with Faye.

The other woman (the prettier one of the two), who’d been busy punching in numbers on the cash register and staring at a notebook said nicely, “Talk to Chip. He’ll hire you on the spot.”

“Charlie!”

Faye smiled. In fact, she hadn’t known someone quit. Yet, the nightlife entertainment industry had a high turnover rate, so she’d improvised.

“Thank you,” She said to Charlie. “He’s in the back, right?”

The woman with the cigarettes glared at her, and Faye smirked back.

“Yes,” Charlie said. “He’s wearing a purple blazer.”

Faye nodded in thanks before walking to the back of the club.

She’d almost walked past a small area, that looked like a locker room almost. An older man, who looked a little older than Jet, was writing something down in a notebook and scratching his forehead. “Fuck,” He said with a sigh. “We might not make it next month.”

Faye knocked on the open door and put on her best smile.

The guy who she presumed to be Chip, looked up and he looked like he was about to yell, when his facial expression turned from annoyed to…admiration (lust?).

Faye recognized that look, and she was going to use it to her advantage. “Charlie told me I needed to see you.” She said this in a falsely confused tone. She was going for a naive approach. “Chip, was it?”

The man with stars in his eyes nodded quickly. “Yes, that’s me!” He shut the book quickly and walked over to her. “Are you looking for a job?” He asked.

Faye pursed her lips as though she were contemplating her answer. “Ah, I don’t–“

“I’ll double the hourly wage!”

If she wasn’t acting Faye would’ve immediately shouted out, “I accept the job!”

But she stayed calm and collected, and raised a brow. “Hmm….”

Chip put his hands together as though he were going to say a prayer. “Please, Miss…”

“Grace,” Faye lied. “Jasmine Grace.”

“Miss Grace,” Chip said. “I know you’d be a hit with the guests”. Faye knew he meant customers instead of guests.

He was full of shit.

Yet, right now in the present, as she was ogled at by two old men, she could only force a grin. One was more drunk than the other, she would never underestimate Chip again. Apparently, the two richest men in the establishment wanted them all to herself.

“How ‘bout you have a drink!” Sakimura (she believed that’s what he introduced himself as) said. “It’s the best brand here.”

Faye smiled politely despite wanting to punch him in the face. “Sure.”

Then very smoothly with false clumsiness and the flick of her wrist, she spilt the drink on Mr. Koor, the other man sitting on the other side of her.

His face turned slightly red. He let out a hiss as though he’d been scalded with piping hot water, and Faye saved herself. “Mr. Koor, I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed with false remorse. “I’m rather clumsy tonight.” She then grabbed a napkin from the dispenser on the table and wiped his torso and lap. She rested her hand on his neck and then shoulder, uhm, innocently.

The rich man seemed to relax at her touch.

Sakimura let out a huff. “Jasmine,” He said annoyedly. “Let me offer you another drink.”

Before she could come up with another excuse or make another distraction, someone else beat her to it.

Everyone heard the breaking of glass and a shriek. “Asshole!” A fellow hostess screamed. “Get your hands off me!”

The woman adjusted the gaudy colored tight skirt she wore, smoothing out the wrinkles with her hands.

Faye raised a brow.

She could hear Sakimura and Mr. Koor mumbling “dramatic” and “unnecessary”.

“You’re just a tease!” The sleazy customer fumed. “You should be glad I let you entertain me! I don’t know why anyone else would want an ugly bitch like you!”

The hostess let out a huff. Yet, after a beat, no one saw it coming when she picked up the hefty bottle of Hennessee and poured it on top of the rude customer’s head. “Who’s the ugly bitch now?!”

She then turned around to make an exit but the customer grabbed her arm forcibly. “I won’t let you ge–“

The hostess, who wore 5 inch yellow heels, then stepped on his foot.

The rude customer let out a bunch of expletives before his crew of bodyguards held her back. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbow, popped his knuckles, and he slapped her. Not once. And not twice.

Blood spattered.

Faye looked away.

“Dame should know better,” Sakimura said knowingly. “We’re the only reason this place stays afloat.”

Koor snickered. “Good thing Miss Jasmine here has class,” He said while nudging Faye in the side. “How ‘bout a drink?”

The hostess’ screams continued to be heard, but Faye tuned it out. She smiled at Koor and began to charm her way out of drinking the polluted glass of liquor–

Crash!

Thunk!

The hostess’ wails stopped when not only the breaking of glass was heard but a knife landed into the wall.

The weapon landed right next to Faye’s head.

Poker Alice turned her head sharply to the perpetrator.

It was as if it were in slow motion when the masked assailant leaped from table to table before stopping on the one where Faye and her two customers sat.

The figure stood defiantly and stared down at Faye. They crouched down and took the knife that stuck out next to Faye’s head.

The figure donned a mask. So it was hard to decipher their intent. They wore a gray hooded leather fisherman’s vest, black cargo pants, and black combat boots. It was hard to identify the sex of the individual because of their layers.

Regardless, without notice, they reached into Sakimura’s shirt pocket and took out a brown bottle. Without herself knowing, Faye’s eyes widened in alarm.

Sakimura grabbed for the bottle but the masked individual quickly threw it up in the air. And with one gunshot, down came glass confetti.

Sakimura and Koor shot up in their seats, faces red and snarling. But Faye remained seated and seemingly unperturbed. Her eyes no longer wide.

The whole establishment was still. Chip, who stood a couple feet back with a flip phone at his ear, looked aghast with his mouth wide open. Charlie was presumably crouched behind the front counter quaking in fear, and a majority of the other hostesses were glancing at the back room, but still with their assigned customers.

The music had been paused, but the air conditioning still sounded from its unit.

Faye studied her manicure while also anticipating the unknown figure’s next move.

She glanced at the figure again and her breathing hitched.

The figure held the screen of a dingy mobile phone in front of Faye’s face, waving it side to side tauntingly. The screen read: I’m who you’re looking for. – J x2

What the–

“Ughhh!”

Just as Faye shot up from her seat, the customer with the mean jabs ran at JJ from behind but JJ gracefully dodged the lad, grabbed the back of his collar, and rammed his head right into the table.

His bodyguards rushed towards the bounty but JJ put a hand up as if to say “halt!” They naturally acquiesced by subconsciously hesitating.

“Fuck it!” Impatiently and with a growl Faye broke the top off to the bottle of booze sitting on the table and without warning, proceeded to advance on JJ.

That was when all hell broke loose.

JJ let out a loud and very deep laugh. Boisterous. Hard to tell their gender. They jumped back onto one of the tables. This time, with much practiced grace, they stuck their hand inside their vest’s pocket and produced an expandable baton that was banned in many places on Earth. As the baton expanded, they kicked some drinks off the table.

Faye threw the glass at JJ.

The bounty dodged effortlessly.

As most of the men advanced on the mysterious figure, the individual performed a tumble over their heads effortlessly.

The assailant’s full attention was now on Faye. They beckoned her with their hand, as though they were saying, “come at me!”

Faye smirked. Without further ado she striked but missed. As a result, JJ kicked her into the wall. The kick was so powerful, Faye could feel her back crack.

Young and limber, Faye was grateful for adrenaline and got up quickly. JJ shook their head, unimpressed.

Faye took out her Glock. “You’re going down!” She yelled.

JJ shrugged.

Another yell was heard. This time it was the big guy who liked to slap women around. Along with his bodyguards, he attempted to put JJ in a chokehold. Yet, JJ was faster.

With the expandable baton, JJ hit their knee-caps and jaws.

Snaps, crackles, pops, and expletives were heard.

Faye wiped the blood from her nose and gripped her gun. With practice, she’d gotten a fixed eye on her target right away.

To Faye’s credit, JJ misstepped, barely avoiding the bullet as they tripped onto the ground.

Faye stomped her foot. “Fuck!” As drinks toppled over and guests ran out of the establishment, the sound of police sirens were growing louder.

In her peripheral vision Faye saw a hostess grab some cash that sat on the table she’d sat at with Sakimura and Koor. It was the hostess with the yellow crooked teeth, still donning the little short black dress. What was different was the purple wig, red lipstick, and pricey black stilettos she was donning due to happy hour.

As Faye made eye contact with the woman a bullet grazed Faye’s arm.

JJ.

Faye bit down on her lip in pain and turned around.

The bounty pointed at Faye in acknowledgement. The individual then gave the callous guest and his bodyguards a few more kicks before running toward Faye.

She was ready.

With a menacing smile she shot.

JJ kicked the Glock out of Faye’s hand. Once more they beckoned Faye for hand-to-hand combat.

Faye popped her knuckles, moved her head side to side to alleviate some stiff muscles, and ripped the skirt to her tight-fitting jade colored cheongsam, it now above her knees. She then ran at the shit-starter and performed a strike.

JJ easily missed it. They maneuvered effortlessly, dodging each of Faye’s attacks.

After awhile of doing that, Faye was punched in the stomach and kicked in the shin.

She tried standing up but the assault had taken more out of her than she realized.

With a bullet grazed arm, dislocated shoulder, broken rib, bleeding nose, and a momentarily lame ankle, she could hardly stand up straight. Her vision was shaky.

JJ became two people.

Faye’s eye twitched as she watched two JJ’s twirl around, mocking her with a wave every now and then.

Faye spit on the ground and stood up straighter.

Quickly, she glanced around the room. There wasn’t anyone here. Not even the big guy with the heavy hands and his two bodyguards.

She briefly thought of Chip. What the hell would he say to her? Would he have her arrested for all of this? Nah. Faye was taking down a bounty after all. The police would tell him so.

Yet…why did she care about Chip? Faye Valentine was always on the move. She’d managed to evade arrest several times, still counting.

Faye got into position and made a move. She managed to kick JJ, and that’s as far as she got.

Sirens were loud and wailing.

Which meant that police were about to infiltrate the premises.

JJ ran out of the second entrance.

Without much thinking, Faye ran to the back door near the dressing room. It had an exit.

Although she had a feeling her foot was fractured, she found she could still run all on her own.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Meanwhile, young men and women were crowded in Alba City’s Square Park. A man who donned a t-shirt with the words, “ISSP and HGP HATE LOVE, PEACE, AND TLC!” stood on top of a platform facing the big crowd.

The man spoke into a bright yellow megaphone that had flashing LED lights blinking on it. Despite it being about 11:00 pm, everyone in the square was wide awake.

“Are we going to stay silent?” The man asked, the bandana on his head lightly flapping away on top of his head. “When the suffrage we deserve is vanquished by those who wish to silent us?”

The crowd was silent. But naturally no response was needed.

“This is the first night we have gathered here to peacefully demonstrate to the higher-ups that we want a democracy. In the last 2 years we’ve dealt with the changes and harm that have racked this city into the worst version of itself it is today.

“The Inter-Solar System Police has strong armed many of us into revoking our complaints. They’ve demanded via push back, and threatened with the cuffs and bars that cage anyone into thinking they don’t have a right to be heard.

“Can we say we’re safe here in Alba?! Does the youth here in Alba feel safe? If they don’t have a voice, what does that mean for the future generations?!

“Out of all areas in the solar system, Mars is still breaking the margin of obtaining justice in the inhabitants’ best interest, worldwide. Just yesterday, another child went missing, and everyone knows where that child went. Everyone knows. Even here, publicly, it pains me…it makes me ANXIOUS to utter the names of the individuals who put them there.”

The man’s face had grown noticeably pale. If anyone were to have been closer to him they wouldn’t have missed the sweat dripping down his temple, or the way his body shook. He’d put the megaphone down by his side.

The crowd was silent.

After about a minute the speaker straightened his posture. His breathing had stabilized, and he raised the megaphone to speak again.

“The name of that scum is the–“

Pop! A gunshot was heard. Followed by another gunshot.

“Ah!” The leader of the protest grunted. “Shit!”

He’d been hit in the right shoulder. Before he could even blink, he was hit in the arm.

Pewww!

He dodged the bullet this time as he limped to a place to hide. Gunshots whizzed past him.

One barely got his foot.

Blood.

This was bad.

Really bad.

Others were counting on him to be here. After all, he’d been bringing back a movement that’d originated all the way back on Earth to Hong Kong Island. After all, it was in his DNA to–

He fell to the ground. He was in the midst of the crush, people running and screaming in different directions. He heard someone say over and over again, “My baby! Where’s my baby?!”

Shit. Who brings a baby to a protest? Of course, it was meant to be at most, a peaceful protest. Yet, there was always a chance of misfire.

Surrendering himself to be stomped on and blindly discarded, a hand grabbed him. Two hands wrapped around both of his arms and proceeded to drag him away from the crush. The ISSP’s military police were starting to swarm the area.

Meanwhile, Faye’s eyes widened at the scene. She’d heard the gunshots once she neared the square having stopped to fasten the straps on her shoes. Her communicator had been in her right hand, trying to get a signal to access information regarding JJ.

As she’d heard the ding coming from her communicator the shots started. Her first instinct was to run away from the gunshots. That was what her body was starting to do. As she turned around to run, she looked back and there was the elusive figure standing there, with a hand on their hip and a hand on their chest as though they’d been running a marathon.

Perfect.

JJ was unguarded.

Faye went back in the direction she’d avoided. Instead of walking directly towards the bounty, Faye went east. Despite the dark sky the city’s lights still illuminated the area. Traffic lights and directory stands still glowed, and fixtures still remained in their gaudy colors.

Swarms of yellow umbrellas descended onto the streets, fleeing the city square. A mass statement.

Utter evanescence.

JJ was still unguarded. Their eyes (given where their head was angled) appeared to be fixated on an area that Faye paid no heed to.

Hidden among the yellow umbrellas, with all the young men and women running in the opposite direction, she had her chance. She walked carefully as she neared her target evenly. Breathing steady. Yet, JJ was faster than her.

“Shit!” Faye cursed loudly. “H- Hey!”

She followed the figure, weaving in and out of the pool of umbrellas. JJ stopped to turn around, and wave.

JJ was mocking her.

With a growl, Faye about reached them but ran into someone.

Shit.

As she toppled to the ground with the stranger, JJ made an easy escape. As Faye looked up, feeling a bruise forming on her forehead (it didn’t show yet. It’d take a awhile.), she mumbled a few expletives under her breath.

“Get off of me bitch!” a voice screeched. Suddenly Faye was pushed back as she remembered that she’d fallen on top of someone.

The individual who’d kicked her off of them was an older woman with mousy brown hair and a rather long chin. She wore a jumpsuit with a belt around the waist.

Faye rolled her eyes, but nonetheless got into a defense pose. “You were in the way,” She said.

The woman with the chin laughed. “I don’t have time for this.”

As the woman turned around and walked away, Faye’s facial expression went from annoyed to donning a devilish smile. “Patty Menton. Age 40. Wanted for tax evasion and assault. The woolongs are a pretty hefty number, too.”

Yet, before she could even pursue Patty, JJ was at it again. Huh?

It was as though the figure had come out of no where. They’d rushed past Faye, already ahead, and about 5 seconds later, Patty was lying on the ground with two cuffed and broken wrists and a nasty split lip. JJ flashed Faye another smile (she was pretty sure they were smiling despite the mask), and easily escaped. Faye was caught off guard after all.

Patty was a gurgling mess. “Y- you will pay, bitch!” The woman cursed at Faye. “I won’t let you get away with this! I’m only serving 9 months.”

Poker Alice raised a brow in confusion. What the hell?! Didn’t she see that it was all JJ’s doing?

Before she could even explain herself, the police were already picking the woman off the ground and getting her into custody.

Faye stomped her foot. “Shit.”

But her scowl faded away, and her facial expression turned into something mischievous. “I’ll get them next time,” she said to herself with a smirk. “I know that freakin’ much.”

Faye then turned back around in search of the ankle strap d’Orsay heels (she’d lost in her pursuit of the bounty), before going to collect the money at the police station.

♥

Chapter Text

Hold The Girl: “Through the Wire”

PART 1 of “Through the Wire”

When Faye came back to the Bebop she thought she was going to be met with a beyond furious Jet Black. But he didn’t even meet her at the garage.

She got out of the Hammerhead cautiously, and slowly crept inside. She opened and shut the door quietly.

What if Patty made good on her word? Faye thought.

That was stupid. How could anyone possibly know the Bebop was her home? And besides, she wasn’t able to get the cash because the police already had her in their custody once JJ intervened. And Faye wasn’t exactly in good standing with the cops. Go figure.

Yet, once she was in the common area, she saw a couple plates of food on the counter, along with a note.

“Hm?”

Faye picked up the piece of paper and it read:

I got the Red Tail up and running. I’ll be back soon. Dinner is on the table.

“That quick, huh?” Faye mumbled under her breath. She took out her credit card and held it up to her face. “I guess I don’t have to tell him about the bounty I caught.” Okay. She’d been able to catch another small fry. And this time she had to turn on the Poker Alice charm.

She then shrugged to herself and walked back to her room, disregarding the cooked dinner. After a long and exhausting day she needed a good rest. She’d decided (when back in the city) against staying at the hotel and opted to come back to the Bebop. It wasn’t as long of a journey then some would think, but naturally, Faye was tired from it.

She knew that when she’d wake up tomorrow she’d have a hard time getting out of bed. After JJ gave her the ass kicking she typically avoided from others (or one she’d never forget).

Especially when luck was always on Faye Valentine’s side.

Yet, the problem was, she could hardly fall asleep. Not when the yellow umbrellas came to mind, along with the police and JJ running towards her, soon evading her dreams.

What the hell was going on in Alba City?

All she knew was that JJ Biyu was a new enemy and she was going to bring them down.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

The following day, Faye stayed in bed. She watched a bit of TV as she shoveled the dinner (she didn’t eat yesterday) into her mouth. The peppers were sautéed with fresh Adobo. Apparently, Jet used the marinade he learned to make from his abuela.

After attempting to finish an old Chinese dubbed dorama that failed to keep her attention for the last ten minutes, she clicked off the television and exited her bedroom.

As expected, there was hardly a sound on the old shipping vessel. The only sound was the units and fans and plumbing.

Faye let out a disappointed sigh before walking to the room with the dryer and washing machine.

There were only two more minutes until the dryer machine was done doing its thing, so Faye sat on top of it and waited.

Her eyes roamed around the room and came across a doggy bowl.

She looked at it for a couple seconds before looking elsewhere.

She tapped her fingertips on the metal machine and looked up at the ceiling.

“Seasons, eh?” She quietly said to herself. “Why not a day or two, eh? Seasons don’t have dates…”

The tapping turned into fist. Her fingernails broke skin inside her palm.

Everyone always had a dirty habit of leaving. It was as natural as breathing for some. An itch one couldn’t scratch. It was like trying to kick a nasty gambling habit, which she didn’t necessarily have the discipline for.

But to leave? Without saying a proper goodbye? That was a nastier habit because it involved more than one person. It involved emotions and stupid thoughts. It involved the ability to withstand all the feelings from others and descending into the vast area of the unknown.

She grabbed a loose string at the end of her shorts, pulling harshly. Why couldn’t it loosen? Why couldn’t it let go?

The beeping of the dryer sounded but Faye was focused on the stupid string. 

As she pulled at the string, changes in her shorts’ design started to take effect. They rid up a little above her thighs.

Crap.

She tugged on the string again and the shorts rid further up her thigh.

The string wouldn’t break off. Or leave. Or go away. It was still there to make things worse and ugly and…weak!

She ripped off her shorts and held them in front of her. She then examined the worn shorts. “Ugly,” she said aloud. “Despicable.”

Before she could think deeply on it, she grabbed the pair of scissors sitting on the shelf nearby, and cut the shorts into tiny little pieces.

Instead of discarding all the pieces into the trashcan she put them in the washer along with the clothes she was wearing.

Now she was only clad in her underwear.

She still held the pair of scissors in her hand.

Despite what others would ever think about Faye Valentine, she had to remind herself that she was the only one who had the power to determine and say who she was.

She never really sought the absentees’ approval when they were here, snoozing on a yellow couch or typing away on a computer, or licking a bowl and anticipating seconds.

So, she held the scissors up to her face and snipped.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“Faye,” Jet said through the communicator. “Do you see them?”

Faye sat up straighter in the Redtail and nodded in affirmation. “Yes, I see Luca!” The infrared camera installed in the spacecraft was able to scope out a man in a room with a box?

“Good!” Jet said. “I need for you to come around the back.”

It had been the middle of day when Jet came back from his excursion, throwing a piece of paper her way. It was a new bounty. A couple. The man was blonde with piercing grey eyes. And the woman was a redhead with a chipped front tooth and murky green eyes.

The man, Luca Frank, was a smuggler, and had ties to one of the biggest sex trafficking rings on Mars. He had an accomplice named Star (the redhead) who lured the victims, parading as a friend or good-natured stranger turned friend (“You’ve been such a big help! Let’s become friends!). After all, there would always be unassuming strangers needing help with navigation.

The shtick had been perfected to the point that the pair had managed to evade arrest on several occasions. It was alleged that they’d almost gotten caught on Tharsis. A stand off against undercover military ISSP. The only reason it may have failed was because of the sudden storm that had swept through that day. Debris and gunshots and blood everywhere.

Faye maneuvered the Red Tail to the left before coming upon the path she’d first saw as she scoped out the area. “What event is this?”

Jet sighed. “I heard it from an old friend, whose son so happens to be a cybersecurity techie…apparently it’s a place for people like Luca and Star. It’s an auction of sorts.”

“What?!” Faye said loudly. “An auction?!”

Through the communicator she could hear Jet sigh again. “I thought you’d been listening back on the ship–“

“ Bullshit!” Faye interrupted. “You told me we’d be flying to where Luca and Star live, and staking out the place.”

“Faye–“

“And now you bring to me this– this fuckery?”

Jet was silent.

“This is too big for us,” Faye said. “We’ll just leave it to some dumbass who doesn’t know the difference between their ass and their foot.”

Faye stared daggers at the place. The outer interior was luminous and swanky. It almost looked like a nightclub.

People came out of the shadows to come to a place like this. It was much more than a hostess bar.

“Okay,” Jet finally said. “W- we’ll drop it.”

As Faye set her coordinates for home she saw a familiar vest and boot ensemble creeping onto the lot.

The same elusive figure who was the sole reason she was banned from working in any of the hostess bars in Alba City.

Faye’s hands gripped the reaction wheel.

Without even thinking about it, Faye shut off the coordinates to home and landed the Red Tail in its proper place as planned.

“Faye?” Jet said through the communicator. “Faye, what are you do–“

“We can do the job,” she said distractedly as she holstered her Glock. “I’m going in.”

“But–“

“We’re already prepared,” Faye said mildly. “I’m vested, and armed. I even have the mentos.”

“But–“

“I’m armed and ready!” Faye whispered harshly. “I won’t ruin the mission!”

“Faye–“

She sighed. “Jet–“

“Dammit Faye, just be careful!”

Faye paused.

“You’re going into the lions’ den,” Jet continued. “If you get caught in the pride, you won’t ever get out.”

Unbeknownst to Jet, Faye rolled her eyes. She was smart to leave her communicator on audio only. “It’s not like anyone would care,” she said bitterly. “I’m going in.”

Before she could hear anymore words from Jet, she pressed the red button on her communicator to end the call. “Let’s do this,” she said to herself. “JJ is mine.”

Faye sashayed onto the lot in a short glittery champagne-colored draped dress, and applied a bit more lipstick than usual. She put the lipstick back into her compact purse and smiled confidently. Once she reached the main doors two figures stepped out. “We need ID,” one of the figures said with a stoic face. “Pat her down.”

As Faye showed him her ID, the other individual, a woman, proceeded to pat her down. As expected she didn’t find anything.

“She’s good.”

After scanning the ID, and searching her hand bag, the male nodded. “This woman has a bounty on her head, AND an invitation.”

Faye smiled.

The man and woman exchanged looks before letting her in. The door automatically opened and shut.

Once Faye stepped inside of the establishment she was met with strobe lights, a smell that resembled hookah but not quite, and a dance floor.

The place wasn’t dark. All the bright lights made it brighter than it was. In hues of red, blue, and yellow, the atmosphere wasn’t as grim.

Regardless, Faye’s eyes did a one-over of the place the best she could.

Guards were stationed at each door. She looked up and saw the little area that resembled a luxury box at a sporting event. She could see shadows moving but couldn’t make out any faces because of the windows’ tint.

Yet, she assumed that’s where other guards gathered ready to pounce on anyone who caused a problem or looked out of place.

Faye also had a hunch that’s where Star and Luca sat. Because of the infrared camera she knew for a fact Luca was in there. Spying on potential customers or better yet, more prey.

Taking a deep breath, Faye turned back around to face the dance floor. People moved their bodies and gyrated to the powerful beat. The DJ was giving the fist pump as he grooved to his beats.

Faye joined the crowd of moving bodies. One couple was practically having sex with their clothes on, and another were full on eating each other’s faces.

She effortlessly blended into the crowd, even participating in a dance off: the gals vs the guys. Who knew you could make the most out of undercover work when at a club (no matter how sadistic).

So immersed, she failed to see a guy come up behind her. She jumped. He whispered in her ear, “are you in?”

Faye smiled to conceal her surprise. “One for the party. One for the show. One for the place where the treasure goes.”

The man then grabbed her hand. “Let’s go get the treasure,” he whispered readily.

She still hadn’t seen his face.

Faye laughed.

Despite what Jet knew, and the lack of interest she’d conveyed, he probably would’ve never guessed she’d taken the initiative as soon as she did.

♥

Chapter Text

 

PART 2 of “Through the Wire”

There were videos everywhere.

Once she walked into the back rooms where anyone with the right words were privy to, she was met with countless videos on different monitors and screens.

“This is where the magic happens,” Fur, the man who’d whispered in her ear, said. He’d told her his name (which she knew was an alias) when they were walking to the room they were in now.

He walked over to one of the monitors and pointed at it. “This woman is worth twice  the woolongs. She came from somewhere on Earth.”

Some of the monitors weren’t turned on. Some of them were blank. Some of them were staticky. The person Fur pointed out on the screen of a working monitor, was a young woman who looked a couple years older than a 13-year-old she knew.

The woman’s facial expression was blank. But her face was covered in a lot of make up. Glitter eye shadow. Luminous contour. Bright pink lipstick. Smooth blush. Light brown eyes. Bottle-red hair. She was modeling for the camera in nothing but her underwear.

“So…” Faye began. “How’d Luca and Star nab her?”

Fur shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably told her she’d won free tickets to a concert, or asked her to sign a petition.”

“What’s her name?”

“Hen.”

“Hen?” Faye said in bemusement. “Is that–“

“Her real name is Muji Gyna,” Fur elaborated. “Roughly, based on Luca’s broken-ass Chinese, her real name translates to ‘chicken hen’, depending on the dialect and region.”

Faye raised an eyebrow. “Gai na?”

Fur made a sound of surprise. “Hm?”

“Gai ji,” Faye tried. “Luca was trying to use a play on. He almost got it right.” No, it still didn’t seem quite right.

“How so?” Fur asked. “Do you know Chinese?”

In her mind there were flashes of a teenage girl who bared a strong resemblance to her. She shook pom-poms and declared to the intended viewer that she’d be cheering them on.

She’d be cheering Faye on.

Maybe the cheerleader knew Chinese.

“Hoh yee.” Yes. “Siu siu.” A little bit.

Fur gave her a faint smile.

“Maybe you’ll know where to take her,” he said. “Luca can’t use her too much longer. He’s been looking for a place.”

Simply because she had a bit of time before her session with Hen, she asked the man who looked to be a few years younger than her, “how long have you been doing this?”

Fur looked away from the screen and his eyes flashed quickly. “What about you? You have a big debt.”

Faye resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Of course he’d be paranoid.

So, Faye shrugged. “On-and-off for three years,” she said easily. “It’s whatever I’m offered.”

“You work with other people?” Fur asked.

Faye nodded. “Yeah. You could call me a contractor of sorts.”

Fur smiled. “But you also indulge?”

Despite putting on an act, Faye really didn’t like the feeling in her stomach at that statement.

Either way, she ignored the feeling and nodded. “Yeah. Why not?”

He smiled even wider.

“Can I watch?” He asked.

Faye laughed. “Can I watch you?”

Fur’s smile vanished. “Do you want to see the girl or not?” He asked coldly. He no longer made eye contact with her.

Faye nodded adamantly. “Yes.”

Fur sighed. “Okay then.”

He then walked out the room and Faye followed.

The music from the dance floor was faint.

As she walked down the hallway she looked at the numbers on each door.

When she and Fur passed a particular door a loud thump and broken glass was heard.

“Sometimes, and this is very few and far in between–one of the girls might want to fight. Don’t be afraid to fight back. There’s always more girls.” Fur’s tone was nonchalant as he explained this to her. As though he were telling her how to tame a wild horse, or how to avoid the express way when driving a car.

“I see…” she muttered. “Been there, done that.”

Fur laughed.

He eventually stopped at a door near the end of the hallway. “Room 104.”

Faye nodded. “Thanks,” she said.

The man laughed. “No prob. Enjoy. Take your time.”

He then turned around and walked back to the monitoring room.

Once he was out of sight, Faye entered the room Hen was assigned to.

When she walked in she could hear electronica music playing, and a shower running.

Faye sat down and scanned the room with her eyes. The walls were an orange sherbet, and the artwork was…interesting. It was M.C Escher-esque. Spirals and illusions showcased in the framed decor.

The lights were dim and red. There were very few. Instead, most of the light came from a few candles. The aroma calming and smelly at the same time; pungent and nauseatingly sweet.

Faye took off her black D’Orsay heels and threw on one of the robes.

She took out the fancy clip in her hair, and placed it in the corner of the vanity. Intentionally.

She heard the water shut off.

Faye was ready.

Muji made her entrance, only in a bright yellow towel. Her hair was still wet, but she’d put on a bit of make up.

She wore a blank look, although she looked to force a brief smile. “Ni hao.”

“Dim aa?”

Faye looked her up and down, and that feeling in her stomach hit her again. It was nausea and a tightness there. Yet, it was brief. She hid a grimace with a smirk.

She was trying for salacious.

Muji, or Hen, smiled shakily and walked over to the closet. “What costume would you like for me to wear?” She undid the towel, and Faye acted as though she were just noticing the big bottle of cognac sitting on the table in the corner of the room. She walked over to it and put some ice in a glass with the tongs in the bucket.

“Anything,” Faye murmured, her eyes still focused on the bottle of cognac. “Better yet, match me.”

Why’d she take off her fucking towel like that? Faye thought. She’s a fucking kid.

Faye could hardly keep her hand from shaking.

“Are you ready?” Hen then asked. “Do you want me on the bed?”

Faye then felt a hand on her shoulder. “A massage, maybe?”

Faye threw the glass against the wall, having taken a sip, and quickly turned around.

She had the young girl against the wall, her arm on her neck and whispered in her ear, “tell me where Star is.” It was harsh.

Hen’s eyebrows were creased but she didn’t look as scared as Faye expected. The young girl looked withdrawn, and hardly made eye contact.

Faye’s eyes started to water. But she blinked the moisture away. Where the hell was JJ anyway?

Faye took a piece of glass from the broken glass and forced it into the young girls hand. “On the count of 3, I need for you to cut me.”

She then nodded her head towards one of the lit candles. “But first you need to knock that candle away after I do this.” She stepped back and took off her heels. Very quickly she closed her eyes. “For the money,” she whispered to herself.

Faye advanced on Hen, and grabbed her arm roughly. She walked over to the circular Queen sized bed, pushing her onto her back. She reached down as though she were gonna kiss her. Faye whispered, “1…”

Hen’s eyebrows were still creased, but she made eye contact with her. “Wh- what?”

“Tell me where Star is,” Faye said. “2…”

Muji shut her mouth and her chin wobbled. “I don’t know where they are.”

Faye let out a grunt in both frustration and an act of deceit. Fur was a sick fuck.

Faye’s face hovered over Muji’s, and the girl’s face still showcased her confusion. “3.” She loosened her grip.

Then like clockwork, Hen sat up and moved herself from right under and away from Faye.

Once Hen’s hand knocked over the candelabra, Faye jumped off the bed quickly. “You crazy bitch!” Faye shrieked. “You stupid crazy bitch!” Hen’s eyes were closed. Possibly quaking in fear.

Faye then backed away and briefly looked up at the tiny little fixture in the corner of the room, sandwiched between both walls.

“It’s spreading!” Hen screamed.

The fire reached the fake polyester covering the chair.

Faye swallowed. Of course, the cheaper the wax the more hazardous. Before she could say anything, the fire sprinkler systems turned on.

Faye nodded towards the table. “Cut me!” She shouted at Hen. “Then follow me!”

The young girl’s eyebrows creased in confusion and she looked to be hesitating. “But–“

“I know you want to get the fuck out of here,” Faye said. “Don’t trust a stranger too much. Be done with it!”

Hen sighed and took a shard of glass off the table and she moved closer to Faye. She looked like she wanted to kill her.

As expected, a hot pain shot up in her body, more specifically her arm and chest. It was a clean slash that she would thank Hen for later.

Before the young girl could even ask if she was okay, Faye ran to the door.

Once she and Hen were out in the halls, the sprinklers had made it into Taipei’s twin. A lot of rain with an unpredictable outcome and human traffic.

Customers and workers–in robes and half of their clothing on–filled the halls. Mixed dialects and languages filling the halls. People drenched and slipping as they ran to cover.

Faye ripped a piece of fabric from her robe, and wrapped it around the blood oozing from her chest. She then ran opposite.

She had an inkling that the other side of the whole building was unaffected. It was a very risky move to try to separate both entities in one building. That meant one half of the building could be in flames while the other side was completely oblivious, people still dancing the night away. Yet, based on Faye’s somewhat of an experience in shady dealings, there were tunnels in these type of places. And she was pretty sure Fur was leading the customers into them so they wouldn’t be exposed as the elite doctors and lawyers who had a penchant for professionals of the oldest profession. Preferably the youngest of the youngest in said profession.

Therefore, Faye was at a standstill. Yet, she had a debt to pay off, and scum would always be scum. Why try to be superwoman?

She quickened her pace (falling at times) to the room the couple most likely were in. Faye was certain they’d leave their pedestals and royal court to see what ruckus was transpiring at the other side of their underworld haunt.

With abandonment, Faye continued running as she wiped her chest using the material of her cloth, before quickly taking out a card from her bikini briefs and held it in front of a scanner. She then walked through the doors that opened, and as lucky as old Poker Alice was, she managed to slip past two guards and go in through the little window that led to the inside door of the box seating area. She crawled in.

“My my my,” a feminine voice said smugly. “What do we have here?”

Faye looked up and all she saw was the bottom of a pink stiletto shoe.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Faye came to.

She groaned.

All she saw was a bright light, and her head was being pounded into it seemed.

It was a pounding headache.

Maybe she was in Heaven.

She was giving herself too much credit.

Maybe it was hell.

Yet, when a bucket of water was dumped onto her, she realized she was wrong to come to that conclusion as well.

Her vision was still blurry after having come to. A man with blonde hair and a crew cut looked down at her. If he weren’t the scum of the earth, she’d assume he was conventionally attractive. Meanwhile, she could barely keep her eyes open.

A hand slapped her across the face and the muzzle of a gun was pressed into her chest. More blood oozed out.

Faye’s eyes burned in pain as she held back a grunt.

“Fur has always had a fetish for green eyes,” the man said. “If your hair wasn’t dark, I’d probably had a round with you myself.”

No.

He didn’t…

What?

Faye forced herself to not outwardly react towards what he was insinuating. She had to trust her abilities of knowing when her panties had and hadn’t been forced off.

He was just trying to get into her head.

Besides, a stomp to the head probably meant she’d been out for a good 15 minutes.

“And I don’t like short haired women,” the man said promptly. “But since l’ve seen your mug shot, you’re still kinda cute to me.”

Faye smiled. It was faint.

He noticed.

“Ah…” he said quietly. “Is this funny to you?”

She didn’t say anything. He dug the muzzle deeper into her fresh wound. She gave it all she had to not show him how much it hurt.

“I said…” he said a little louder. “IS this funny to you?!” The last part was a yell.

Faye put her head up to look him square in the eye. She smiled slyly. “You’re a fuckin’ comedian.”

He gun slapped her, and kicked her in the chest. The chair went with her, and shattered.

“Star!” Faye heard the man yell angrily. “Star!”

As Faye got her bearings straight she heard the woman, Star, walk in. She was pretty sure Star was the one to stomp her foot on her face.

“Yes, Luca?” Star said sweetly. “What’d the bitch do?”

“Did you manage to get the shit resolved?” He asked. “Did the fire get put out? And did it reach the lounge?”

“No,” Star said quickly. “All the clients were compensated. I offered to send some of our employees with them. But most declined and reaffirmed that they’d be back.”

Luca sighed in relief. “Good.”

“Babe,” Star said. “What are we gonna do with her?”

Faye wasn’t unconscious. She was simply closing her eyes and breathing slowly. One two three four. Hold. One two three four. Breathe.

“Strip her,” he said without a beat. “You can have her and then I will.”

Faye felt the vomit trying to make its way up from her stomach and out of her mouth.

As soon as she heard Luca’s footsteps grow faint and the opening and closing of a door, Star advanced on her.  “You’re ours tonight…”

Faye head butted her while also biting her. She tasted skin and spit it out.

JJ wasn’t worth all of this.

Star screamed and put her hand to her face in agony. Faye could barely manage to stand up. Her hands were still chained.

If there was anything Faye promised herself,  It was to never let anyone do anything to her without her consent. Even if they threatened to blow her brains out, she’d fight like hell. If she died, she’d die with herself in tact.

Faye didn’t think victims were weak. She thought they were people one could hug with open arms if they were allowed to do so.

She simply didn’t like hugs.

Star took her hand away from Faye’s bleeding face and screamed, “your ass is mine!”

Star whipped out a pocket knife and ran toward her.

Faye met her halfway.

Admittedly, there wasn’t much Faye could do at first. She was cuffed, and still dealing with a (possibly) minor concussion.

Regardless, she still gave as good as she got.

Until she got sucker punched from behind. Or more like a bottle of glass broke over her head and she hadn’t seen it coming.

She was winded and an arm suddenly wrapped itself around her neck, putting her in a chokehold.

There was ringing in her ears.

Faye scratched at the persons (possibly a man’s) arm, and bit down once the grip was loose enough.

In flashes she could only experience what happened from then on. In another flash she found herself on the ground being kicked repeatedly from behind.

Dammit. It hurt.

Of course she’d been kicked like a dog before, in the past, when she’d first woken up from cryogenic sleep…after Whitney left her with his debt.

When she evaded capture from those who wanted to hound her about the debt, she found out the hard way that the future was a cruel place.

Before she’d acquired the yellow outfit, she was used to wearing boy clothing; something to hide in. Therefore, more times than not, she’d find herself on the other side of someone’s fist when she’d try to swindle them out of their money at dice, or steal a pack of cigs at convenient stores.

Believe it or not, she wasn’t a good pick-pocket.

The point was, Faye Valentine had played this game for more than a couple years now, and dammit! She was gonna have something to show for!

All she needed to do was stand up.

C’Mon! She thought angrily. This isn’t the end of me…yet.

She swallowed the pain and with one big scream, she stood up. In the process, Star hit the wall from the impact of Faye’s move.

Breathing heavily, Faye turned around and came face to face with Fur. “Stupid bitch,” he said with genuine disgust.

He then ran forward and Faye dodged him and hit him in the back with her elbow.

Huh?

Without even thinking, she used the chains on her cuffs to decapitate him. Or almost. She only heard a pop of his neck and he fell to the ground.

She sensed Star coming and was able to dodge her leg and counter back with a strike that sounded akin to a baseball bat. Faye looked at her hands in surprise.

Where’d the hell that move come from?

“Fuck it!” Faye cursed, before desperately squeezing her hands out of the cuffs.

She grunted, screamed, and cursed. Just as she was able to break free of them; the cuffs clinking on the ground, she was kicked in the back.

Faye crashed into the wall. The impact made a loud thump noise.

Relentless, Faye rolled out from under Star’s incoming kick and flipped back. It was a simple somersault.

Star ran forward and Faye kicked. The woman swung again, Faye turned and hit with her elbow. She then grabbed Star’s leg and twisted.

When Star slipped from her grip, Faye stood in something that resembled an orthodox pose. She’d ask herself questions later about these newfound reflexes.

Star on the other hand eyed her up and down with a dubious look. “You’re a lot tougher than you look,” she said honestly before reaching down to take off her pink stilettos.

Faye tightened her fist and put on her meanest face.

Star ran forward to strike.

Faye emitted multiple kicks as her opponent attempted to bring her down, some were aimed at Star’s face and others at her chest and legs. Of course it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Star managed to dodge some of her strikes, and even gave her a few licks in return.

Every time Star came forward, Faye would deliver a blow to one of the woman’s limbs. Faye would perform a hand stand to elevate herself, and come out from where Star was blocking her.

“Ugh!” She grunted as she punched Star in the face.

This bitch never quits, Faye thought.

She managed to kick Star again when the redhead ran at her once more. Yet, this time the kick was heightened and even more fervent.

Star was sent flying across the room.

Faye smiled mockingly.

Without a warning, Star ran at her again, head butting her. In the process they both slammed into the window, glass everywhere, and they ended up on the ground of the club.

Screams and gasps were heard.

Faye was caught in a grapple. Star repeatedly punched her in the face.

Surprisingly, the woman hadn’t broke her nose. But it was getting to that territory.

Until Star was kicked to the wall again.

Faye got off the ground, back on her feet.

Despite feeling a bit dazed she couldn’t be mistaken of who was standing before her.

It was JJ Biyu.

The figure didn’t say anything. They barely even acknowledged her. It was with a slight nod before they  ran past her and up the steps quickly. “What the hell are they doing?” Faye said to herself.

The crowd of club goers began to exit the club.

Murmurs of questions and surprise filled the club. The music still going.

Faye spit out blood quickly and walked towards Star who was still down.

Faye took off the one trusty bracelet of hers she always wore.

The bracelet turned into a pair of constraints.

“Not so fast, Faye Valentine!” A voice yelled.

She turned around and was tackled. It was Fur, again.

Faye grunted and cursed, struggling to get out of his hold. To no avail, he had her pinned down. She felt bile threatening to make its way up to her mouth when she felt how hard he was.

“Get a hit of this,” he said salaciously, branding a syringe filled with glowing purple liquid. “Galaxy dust and red eye. It’ll do wonders.”

Faye’s eyes subconsciously grew wide.

Before Fur could stick the syringe into her neck, a piercing noise sounded through the establishment.

Faye closed her eyes in pain. Fleeing club goers cursed audibly.

“Fuck!” Fur accidentally let her go again, and that gave Faye enough time to roll out from under him, stand up, and kick him across the face when he ran at her again.

The room was suddenly encased in a red glow. Party goers were still running out the club, creating a crush. Fur got caught up in it.

Faye took refuge in the corner of the room. She needed to get her bearings straight.

This was starting to become too real.

Despite knowing that when it came to pursuing bounties, there was always the unexpected to anticipate; she never experienced bounties at this level of chaotic. Even when she was infiltrating that stupid cult, there wasn’t blood, drugs, and sex involved.

Wait–

Scratch that.

There was a time in this very city that she was nearly assaulted but luckily, it didn’t result in that. And she had the crew. And there was that whole thing at the cathedral…but she hadn’t been entirely alone…and…

Regardless, now, despite Jet being on standby, she didn’t have her Glock, communicator, nor her normal gadgets. The only ones she had on her no longer served any purpose.

She did have the mentos. But she wasn’t thinking quite as fast as she wanted to in this moment.

Maybe she was going to die.

That’s right.

This was it.

Maybe this is what he…he felt like when he knew this was the end of his fight.

Thunk!

“Shit!” Faye cursed.

She held a part of her cheek that was hit with a pair of-

“Keys?” Faye said when she crouched down to pick them up off the ground.

The chain in her hand held about 5 keys, and 2 plastic squares:

CAMERA ROOM

CUSTOMER ROOMS

There were two things she needed to do.

Faye spit some more blood out before running up the stairs. Despite the fire not touching this part of the place, she was starting to smell something that resembled barbecue.

When she got back into the area where Hen and others were used for their bodies, she was met with a charred hallway. The fire was gone but the smoke was atrocious.

Faye coughed loudly, the fog spreading to her lungs. She ripped another part of her robe and used it to cover her nose and mouth.

It helped somewhat.

She took the keys and used the one labeled “CAMERA ROOM”. This time she used her trusty bracelet as a thumb drive.

First, she examined all the monitors and channels, and found that most of the rooms were empty…except one.

“Hen?” Faye said in surprise.

It showed the young girl wrestling with a woman who was trying to take something out of her hair. In the process, they were both grabbing at each other’s clothes, and it looked to be getting a little bloody.

Faye shook her head. She couldn’t save Hen. She had to get the data on the thumb drive from an SSD, which was going to take roughly 10 minutes on a 7.0 3 TB thumb drive.

Crap.

Deciding to make use of the time, Faye looked around the room for any other signs of exploitation and such.

The room wasn’t very big. Maybe the size of a walk-in closet, or an en-suite.

Faye’s heart thumped quickly.

Her eyes landed on an item in the corner, small, silver, and glistening.

It was a necklace.

Faye bent down to pick it up.

Right as Faye lifted the chain by her finger, the door slammed open.

Star was back from the dead.

Or at least that’s what it felt like for Faye when she’d honestly forgotten about the woman.

Star’s hair was stringy, wet, and sticking out all over the place. Her face was smoky and nearly singed. She was without her gaudy pink fur coat, and name-brand clothing.

“Didn’t expect to see me again?” She asked after a beat.

Before Faye saw it coming, Star ran towards her to attack and she felt her back hit the shelf against the wall.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

100 percent complete.

Faye glanced at the monitor.

She let out a breath in relief. “Whew.”

She then looked down at the woman she had in a hold. Her hands were wrapped around the woman’s neck, pushing on her throat.

Suddenly, all of the monitors in the room turned off.

Faye opened her mouth.

The monitors turned back on and the screens were brighter than before.

A matrix was rapidly moving up and down on the monitors–except one.

Star grunted. Faye squeezed.

“Pass out!” She wheezed.

Suddenly, for a reason unknown to Faye, herself–she looked up at the one monitor not in green and black MS-DOS.

Faye squinted her eyes.

It was the club floor. The big video monitor that was leveled against the wall further north was on again.

She saw a masked figure standing near the CCTV. The figure turned and looked up at it with a small wave.

“JJ,” Faye said. “What the hell are you doing?”

As though responding, JJ looked up the CCTV, looked away, and threw the tiny pebble-sized bomb at the big screen.

Faye could only look in awe as the electricity tore through the electronic device. When the strobe light above met the screen, a fire erupted. It only grew worse when the water sprinklers rained water.

It was almost like watching a firework go off.

Faye heard more screams. She turned her head and the other monitors flicked on with the click of a button. She saw Hen run out of the room in only her underwear. Her hair was askew and her bra strap torn.

“Ugh!” A grunt came from the individual who Faye was choking.

Before Faye could even get her in cuffs, Hen opened the door, came from behind Star and stuck the needle full of bloody-eye and Galaxy dust into her neck.

Faye stopped squeezing, letting go of Star’s head. The woman started convulsing.

JJ smiled up at the camera.

“People like you deserve a special place in hell!” Faye yelled before spitting on the criminal. She then grabbed Hen’s hand. “You’ve gotta go…Now! Run. So, the police can find you!”

The teen girl’s eyes were wild with fear.

Faye looked at JJ who was crouched and at eye level with Star (Faye thought: “How in the hell did they get here so damn fast?”).

The woman’s body was still shaking. Faye had even missed it when JJ took out a small white pebble and forced it into the woman’s mouth.

Faye pushed Hen out into the hallway. “Go! Now!”

JJ looked at Faye as they took out a device from their vest’s pocket. The device looked like a remote.

Faye’s eyes widened.

No no no–

“Shiiiit!” Star screamed in agony, and with one more squeeze of her body, she was out.

More fire erupted with a roar.

JJ gave a salute before jumping out of the window. Faye ran forward to follow.

A big light fixture falling in front of her ruined her chances to catch the masked figure.

Faye closed her eyes in frustration, suddenly very exhausted. She forced herself to walk the last 8 or 9 steps to an opening on the ground, and jumped.

Funnily enough, as she landed on her feet, she could hear the sound. A crackling sound.

“Faye?”

She frowned. Is that my name? She thought.

“Faye!”

What the hell? I thought…I thought I was the only one left here.

“Faye! Do you hear me? This is Jet!”

She swallowed hard and shook her head. She limped towards the crackling. The voice was going in and out.

She stepped towards the device.

It was her communicator.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

1 year ago.

Faye stared through the window.

She stood in the room where she could see all the action.

Minus a cigarette, she fumbled for the toothpick she nabbed from a restaurant she got back at that diner. The one where she’d almost picked up the one bounty with the dragon tattoo.

An eel fetish? Really, big dude?

As the bebop passed typical things in the galaxy, abandoned and and lifeless, she also took note of the pretty things.

After things calmed once all the riffraff from a bounty chase went away, Faye started to treasure these moments of respite.

Although she’d lived for action, she decided that Bebop was a place where she had the option to choose. To choose when to lie low, and watch the stars.

She grabbed her communicator and looked through the mp3 files on it. She decided to settle on a song titled, “Through the Wire.”

Faye closed her eyes and hummed along to it.

I need a break from breaking up

My heart is cold from all these false starts

 

It was nice to just be.

Regardless of how lowly much of the crew saw her, and there being the matter of the bounty on her head, she definitely had the right to take a break.

As some say, you can be cruel to a person, and say so many terrible things about them…but they’re still someone’s child. They still have a mother.

Meaning that no one had a right to make anyone feel bad for surviving and existing.

At least, that’s how Faye saw it.

It's all because of who we are

Who I am, who I wanna be

 

She smiled softly.

Maybe she could try to be better. Everyone on the ship could tolerate each other, and it’d gotten comfy.

Somewhere in the distance there was the constant bark of Ein’s heard. Who pissed him off?

Maybe he and Edward were horsing around.

“Want a snack?”

Faye nearly jumped out of her skin.

She turned around and rolled her eyes at her shipmate.

“No,” she said confidently. “I’m good here.”

The man laughed. “Of course you are.” He walked closer. “I mean, it’s not like you didn’t eat Ein’s food once.”

Faye blushed and turned her head away. “That was not me,” she denied. “I was delirious.”

“Of course, of course.”

Faye harrumphed and stood up. She was going somewhere else to listen to her playlist of songs alone.

Before she could even turn around and take one step forward, the shipmate extended his hand out to her.

It was a bag of red dates.

Faye didn’t do anything. She could only stare at the fruits and wonder if they were poisonous. Why in the hell was he giving her these?

She then looked up and met his eye. “Hong Zhao (Red dates)?” She said with a question mark.

I'll keep checking you out from my bedroom

I'll keep feeling your arms through a screen

I'll keep filling you in on my movements

Spike didn’t say anything.

Until he did.

“Natsume,” he muttered. “But you say the word with a Chinese accent.”

Faye raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

His facial expression was still nonchalant, and his eyes more expressive than he knew. “I first thought you were illiterate,” he said knowingly. “But you sound like some of Mao’s relatives, so, that’s how I knew.”

She shook  her head. That was kinda not nice to say.

So, she was a dumbass to him? Is that it?

Before she could start an argument with him, he easily took her hand and placed the bag of jujubes inside of it. “Happy Chinese new year, Faye.”

I'll keep being the girl that you see

Through the wire, through the wire

Through the wire, through the wire

Through the wire~

♥

Chapter Text

♥ PART 3 of “Through the Wire”

“Apparently the patient was dropped off.”

“Really? I thought the patient was dead.”

“Me too.”

“It’s a miracle they made it.”

The conversation then grew to a whisper as the doctor of the hour walked into the ICU.

He wore a serious and cross facial expression. He briefly moved his hands around as though he were ringing them out.

His eyes did a one over on each of the patients. He stopped to look at the woman who’d come in with a split lip, and facial trauma evident. Her bangs were cut even further up to her hairline to better put in the stitches. He then looked at all the other patients who were more or less just as pitiful.

The woman with the new facial scar was laying face up. She was still in a deep slumber; and her arm was hanging off to the side, limp and unmoving. Right next to her on another bed was a patient whose hand hung off to the side too, just as unconscious. Funnily enough, the doctor was the comedic type; he’d say they looked like they were getting married, and he was the priest officiating their union. Whereas the nurses and candy stripers and other patients were part of the wedding party.

Did the hospital cafeteria serve cake?

“Dr. Keshōhin!”

One of the more attractive nurses in the hospital staff ran over to him. “Are you sure about this patient? Wh- what if the hospital gets shot up or something?”

“Huh?” The doctor said in genuine bemusement. “Shot up?”

He scratched his forehead.

Maybe he needed to stop taking all-nighters. His late wife, Ai, always chastised him for his workaholic ways. Maybe it was finally catching up to him.

“Didn’t you see the button on the jacket?” The nurse asked with more exhaustion than fear. Her curls bounced as she spoke. “The little tiny shiny button next to the pocket?”

She proceeded to walk over to the patient to show Keshōhin what she was talking about but he shook his head fiercely. “Don’t bother. Let the patient sleep.”

“But–“

“Peggy,” he said sternly. “We help anyone regardless of their background. If anything bad happens I’ll take full responsibility.”

“But what happened last–“

The doctor shook his head adamantly. “Let’s give all the patients some peace,” he said thoughtfully. “Besides I’m officiating a wedding. You’re in the middle of a wedding ceremony.”

The nurse quirked an eyebrow. She looked back and forth between the patients and the doctor. “What do you–“

“Shh,” the doctor said. “They’re exchanging vows.”

“But–“

“Shh."

Peggy held the clipboard to her chest and closed her eyes. She said a silent prayer in her head.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Faye begrudgingly took Jet’s hand as he helped her out of the spacecraft. After an argument that lasted about an hour, he’d finally given into her protest; to let her fly the Red Tail home. Not him.

He didn’t say anything as he handed her her bag of things, but grabbed the remaining ones she didn’t have enough room in her arms to carry.

The last time Faye checked, it was a little after 3 pm, and it was near happy hour. But right now a drink didn’t seem to assuage her feelings. She simply opened the door to the hull and Jet followed.

Once they’d entered the living area, that was when it finally happened.

When Jet let her have it.

“You ditched the communicator, the body armor, and the guns!” Jet said loudly. He was never much of a yeller, but when he was mad, the volume of his voice would reach the level of pissed. “That wasn’t part of the plan!”

Faye turned around to face her comrade. She put her hand on her hip, her other hand was still holding her bag of clothes she’d slung over her shoulder. “You know that if I brought any of that inside, my cover would’ve been blown.”

The wrinkle between Jet’s eyebrows was still there. “Then tell me,” he said, “where’d you get the damn invitation? You didn’t even try to sneak in–like we planned.”

Faye opened her mouth to answer. But she realized she didn’t have an answer to the question. Better yet, she didn’t have much of a recollection of what transpired that night. She remembered fighting Star and getting gun slapped out Luca, but she didn’t know how she came out of there alive.

The poker-playing-addict rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I stole it.”

She wasn’t necessarily lying. She most-likely nabbed it from some unsuspecting sicko.

Jet gave her a discerning look. “Huh. That sounds more like you.”

Faye felt a blush creeping up onto her face. “Right.”

He sighed as he ran his hand down his face. “Where’d you get the mask?”

“Mask?”

“Yeah, the one you were wearing,” Jet said. “They had to cut it open when giving you stitches.”

Faye didn’t have an answer to that question either.

What the hell?

Was she on drugs that night? Was the last cigarette she smoked before going in laced with something?

“I didn’t want to be identified,” she said. “It was a part of the party favors.”

Party favors? That lie was kinda weak. But Jet, himself, did hear from one of his old associates that Luca and Star’s soirées were filled with BDSM behind the scenes too. Jet had relayed that to her before executing the job.

Suddenly, Faye felt nauseous.

“You’re ours tonight…” Star had said salaciously.

Faye was one to never admit when she was scared. She would take those rare moments to the grave. But she remembered in that moment what it felt like to be helpless without cover. When Star’s doormat brandished the needle filled with red eye and Galaxy dust, she knew she was done for.

That memory came to Faye all at once. Before she could pass out right then and there, Jet was at her side in an instant.

“Faye?” He said with concern. “Faye?!”

She sighed. “C- can I go to my room?”

Her tone was akin to fear and mixed with tiredness.

Jet nodded. “Yeah.”

He then picked her up bridal style and walked in the direction of her room.

Maybe in another life she would have thought Jet was someone she could’ve looked at romantically. Maybe her late parents would’ve been okay with the prospect of her marrying him.

Yet, that’d all gone out the window (or she never even looked Jet’s way) when she…when she showed a particular person (who shall not be named ever) her “love rice”. She’d done it the night he let her bum a cigarette off him.

Despite all of her bravado and negligence she started to really care for him after that.

After all, one act of kindness goes a long way.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“What do you think you’re doing!?” An angry voice bellowed. “Come back here!”

A little girl raced down the path to the only house in the area.

Her feet bled and her hair was barely out of a ponytail. Her dress had a level of dirt on it that a flower didn’t know.

“Ma!” The girl screamed. “I’m sorry!”

She could still feel the sting from the cane her mother brandished. It’d been a new stock, specifically picked out for these occasions.

“I didn’t raise a whore for a daughter!” The grown woman replied. “Your dad’s sister is a whore! I never was!”

The little girl opened the door to the house and didn’t stop running. She needed to reach the room.

The room was the only place her mother could never enter. No matter how much her mother tried, the lock wasn’t made to be broken.

The little girl then hopped over the couch and underneath the table. The steps were a few steps away, and she nearly slipped getting to them.

She routinely mopped the very steps she ran up.

The smell of cleaner and lemon filled her nose, and her feet stung. Tears ran down her cheeks, her face even redder because of fear.

“I’ll catch you!” Her mother yelled even nearer than before. “Get your ass back here!”

“Around the corner…” the prepubescent whispered. “Around the corner.”

Once she sped up and curved around the wall, there stood her savior. The door was open and she was almost there–

“Aah!”

Her mother grabbed a fist full of her hair. “No you don’t,” she said.

The girl was thrown to the floor and her mother lifted the stick–

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

“No!” Faye yelled as she shot up in the bed. Sweat dripped down her face; her whole body was covered in it.

She did a one-over of the bedroom, and didn’t spot any unknown figures.

Her body then relaxed, and she gave a hard swallow.

“I’m here,” she said to herself. “I’m in my room…in my room.”

She laid her head down on her pillow and stared at the wall.

She closed her eyes and took a couple more deep breaths.

In and out.

In….and out.

Arms suddenly enveloped her.

She jumped, and her breathing hitched.

“You’ll be okay,” a man’s voice said into her ear. “You tried your best.”

“No,” she said resignedly. “I didn’t. Stupid.”

His arms tightened around her. “Stop,” he said knowingly. “You’re beating yourself up.”

Faye attempted to remove herself from his hold, but he wouldn’t budge. She relaxed.

“You were never this clingy,” she said bitterly. “You never even hugged me.”

There was silence.

That was more familiar. Not stupid imaginary affection.

She breathed shakily. In and out.

“You’re hard to read,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I’m not sure you’d punch me.”

She scoffed. “So, why now?”

“Because you never look this beat up,” he said. “You’re the type of person I never want to see broken.”

He tightened his arms around her. “‘Cause then I know you could leave me,” he said. “People like you should live forever.”

Faye didn’t saying anything this time.

He’d become more weird. She could hardly even believe he was here. Holding her like his life depended on it.

Why was he here?

“What if I can’t?” She said after awhile had passed. “What if one day I die…on my own terms?”

“Then I was right all along,” he said. “I was never alive.”

She opened her mouth to reply to his condescending words, but no words came out.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Faye looked at the scar on her face. She examined it in the mirror with a distressed look evident on her face.

Whether she’d ever admitted it to anyone else, Faye recognized that her looks got her places she would never be able to go otherwise.

She even wondered if that’s the only reason why he’d approached her the first time they met. Even the kid pointed out her unique features.

Therefore, Faye could only stare in the mirror where the jagged scar ran across her forehead and a little bit past her eyebrows.

She was even more disconnected to the girl on the tape. The only person who cheered for her and held her dear.

Faye then wiped an angry tear from underneath her eye. Her hands shook and her mouth wobbled.

She wasn’t crying.

If all, she was angry and sad over the fact that she didn’t own enough woolongs for plastic surgery.

Now she’d have to see this jagged scar across her face and black eye, every time she looked in the mirror. The eye and split lip would heal.

The scar? It would always be there.

She touched it.

There was always make up. She could try that expensive ass make up she bought on days she won the horse races.

She turned around and opened the door.

She bumped into Jet. “What the–“

“Pasensya na,” he said quickly. “I was…”

The ex-ISSP worker dropped his hand and looked down at the floor. “I need to use the restroom.”

Faye rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so? Sheesh.” She walked past him.

Yet, Faye didn’t expect him to act so awkward around her. Heck, he acted like she wasn’t even on the Bebop sometimes.

The apologies were new.

He’d started to apologize more.

Of course the older man hadn’t said it outright like she was a freakin’ Queen. Rather, he’d asked her a few harmless questions and when he got answers he’d acknowledge them.

He’d left a plate of Hainanese Chicken Rice that following day. And for the next 5 days she received her dinner at the door.

Jet can make a mean Beef and Potato Stir Fry.

Then there were the movies and soaps.

It ranged from a Johnnie To box set to Chow Yun Fat’s The Bund.

She was watching the ending credits roll to The Heroic Trio when she heard a loud crashing noise coming from the kitchen.

“Damn it!” Jet cursed.

Faye ran down the hallway and turned. Once she reached the kitchen, she was met with a bleeding Jet Black. He was gripping his thigh desperately, blood coating his hand even more.

“J- Jet?” She said hesitantly.

He stared at the ground as though he hadn’t heard her.

“Jet.”

The blood continue to pool, and no words had left the older man’s lips.

Faye pinched the bridge of her nose.

He’s okay.

He’s okay.

She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Jet?”

Right when she touched him it was as though he’d been taken out of a trance.

He trembled and looked up at his shipmate. “Faye?” He murmured. His voice unsure.

“Jet?”

They both started at each other for a good while.

Faye swallowed seeing how much older Jet looked then. He was only in his mid-30s, and right now, in this moment, he looked like he’d aged beyond his years.

He was much paler, and his eyes had bags underneath them. Despite being not much of a smoker, his lips seemed to lack color as well.

Jet broke eye contact first and stood up. He waved her hand away, and limped to sit in one of the chairs that sat on the other side of the room.

Faye frowned.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Ever since that night, he couldn’t look at her.

“What the hell happened?” She eventually asked after a break.

Jet wouldn’t speak to her about the matter. He’d only told her she foiled the job and that they’d be having peppers and beef, without the beef. He’d started heading to the garage.

But of course, even in all of her confusion, she’d said crossly, “Apparently, this bounty running away overrides anything that I’ve brought in for the last two weeks!”

Jet stopped in his tracks. “They di- didn’t run away.”

Faye couldn’t see her eyebrows shooting up to her forehead. “Huh?”

“Faye,” he said turning around. His facial expression was hard to read. “Don’t jump headfirst into a situation like that, again. You’re new scar–“

“Yeah, it ruined my face!” Faye said touching it. “It’s because of my dumbass mistakes!”

“No,” Jet said. “That’s not–“

“You want me to leave?!” Faye said defensively. “You want me to leave like they did?!” She took out her communicator along with her credit card, and threw both things on the counter. “I can’t freakin’ believe this…”

She sighed. “I fucked up, okay?”

She then turned around avoiding Jet’s eyes.

“We got the money.”

Faye’s head shot up quickly. “Huh?!”

Jet shook his head as though he were surrendering. “I don’t know how you did it,” he said sparsely. “But you did.”

She looked at Jet as though he’d told her it was the second coming.

It was a couple beats before she started laughing. She slapped her hand on her forehead and rested her other on her belly. “Fuck me,” she said through her laughter. “I-I can’t.”

Jet grumbled something she couldn’t understand. Maybe it was in Tagalog.

Despite the cosmetic damage done to her face, broken ribs, and a craft out of commission, she didn’t know why her stomach felt funny. Her heart was beating, her chest tightening, and her eyes stinging.

Maybe Faye didn’t know the name of it. But it was something like growth.

♥