Title: Space Cowboys 4/?

Author: Countess Rachel  

Rating: R, things will start to heat up a little

Warnings: A little yaoi, violence, language etc. PG-13

Disclaimer: Don’t own it, don’t sue me.

AN: Muchas gracias to the readers. You honor deeply you do, and give me the incentive to write. And so, I write on, for you... *bows and steps out of the way*

 

“Whaddaya ya mean there’s no bounty reclaim in this town? What kind of sheriff’s office is this?!” Spike fumed.

 

Vash stood next to him, his hands bound so tightly, even he couldn’t loosen the ropes. Ed held his colt .45-- unloaded-- flipping, twirling and examining the custom-made firearm. The typhoon sighed, rolling his eyes, “Wayshe is such a rundown, there’s no use in having a bounty reclaim. Everybody here is a criminal. Even the sheriff.”

 

Looking thoroughly vexed, Spike checked back to the sheriff who shrugged in agreement. “He’s right you know. Worth a few hundred double D’s my self.” What the--? This made no fucking sense. How can a sheriff have his own damn criminal record. It was like typing  two plus two into a calculator and getting a big, fat E.  “Course, scrawny fellow like you’s probably got the wrong guy. Can’t nobody catch Vash the Stampede. Probably an imposter you got there.”

 

“Shit!” Spike slammed an angry fist on the wooden table, surprising a coffee cup with few pencils. “Come on Ed!” Jerking Vash by one arm, he dragged his quarry from the ratty precinct.

 

“Where to now, lunkhead?”

 

“To another town,” he growled. “If this place won’t take him, I’m sure someone will...” He glared out on the dusty horizon as he marched.

 

Something surged behind her, and Ed glanced out the corner of her eye just in time to see the sunglasses man yank her from the group.

 

“Actually, we’d be glad to take him, if you don’t mind.” Spike spun around to see a black-clad man with a hefty metal cross slung over one shoulder: Vash’s little clique. The short black-haired girl stood next to him with a laughable mini-pistol pointed toward him, while the big, dumb-looking brunette was on his other side brandishing what looked like an automatic machine gun from a fighter jet. 

 

The Martian sighed. “Come on guys, I’ve had a really rough day...”  Wolfwood held Ed tightly and Spike held on  even tighter to Vash.

 

Wolfwood smiled a genuine smile and raised his glasses to sit on his hair. “Well now. It looks like we’re at a stalemate my friend. So lets just make this easy and count to three when we swap, shall we?”

 

Spike chuckled lowly. “Aw, man. You think I care about her?” Ed’s head shot up at her teammate in distress. “Tch, with sixty-billion big ones right here, you can keep her. Just less cash to split.” Spike shuffled, pulling Vash backwards with him. He was getting himself ready, poised yet loose.

 

Ed felt hot tears stinging her eyeballs, as dry as they were. “Spike-person...doesn’t care...about Edward?”

 

Wolfwood glanced down at his little captive. “How’s that for trust, huh?”

 

Vash pouted. “And she was the one that caught me too. You’re not being very fair, pal.”

 

 Spike smirked, “All’s fair in the world of a low-life bounty hunter...” He shoved Vash forcefully forward so quickly Wolfwood and the others didn’t have time to react. Milly, who panicked, sharply let loose a staple. It flew and clamped around Vash, bounding him even worse than the few knots  at his wrists. 

“Hey!” Vash screamed, folded helpless on the ground. Dust blanketed him, lacing itself in his hair and clothes.  

 

Milly cupped her hands and shouted an apology over the noise. Meanwhile Spike somehow had quartered Nicholas from the rest and proceeded to show him just what he was up against. He danced, one foot skipping back in front of the other, his hands occasionally landing punches here and there. The priest did his best to dodge each blow, but Spike was better at delivering them.

 

This stranger was just like the bandits described. He moved like nothing he’d ever witnessed in his life, weaving and bouncing from side to side. Spike jerked and dodged the priest’s own attacks until a solid upper cut finally sent him stumbling back. “It ain’t over yet.” Spike growled and with a perfect, flying tiger kick, he nailed Wolfwood straight in the chest, bringing him down for the count. He turned to see both girls slack-jawed, Ed pouting and Vash...freed? With his fancy silver revolver aiming dead at his face.

 

“Ed! What’re you doing! You’re not supposed to let him go! ”  

 

Vash grinned. “I don’t appreciate you dragging me from my bed, tying me up and beating my friends down.” The blond looked at the little girl who seemed pissed beyond the epitome of pisstivity. “And I don’t think your friend appreciates being short changed either. Especially since she did most of the work.”

 

Spike was furious, to put it nicely. “Ed! I wasn’t--You’ve got everything all wrong!” But Ed just glared back defiantly, her wild orange hair burning like a bon fire. 

 

“If Spike-person doesn’t care about Ed, then fine! Ed doesn’t care about Spike-person.” If only that were true though. Ed’s broken heart went against her words; just saying them made her chest ache even more.

 

Spike slapped his forehead. “Geez...Ed. I--Ed listen to me!”

 

But Ed wasn’t complying. In a delicate fashion, she plugged her ears with her pinky fingers, humming loudly. The older bounty hunter’s  frustration blossomed, embarrassed that he had to play child’s games in public with a thirteen year old girl.

 

The priest, who lay staring at the blue sky concentrated on breathing. Well, he half concentrated on inflating his battered lungs and half concentrated on rebuilding his shattered pride. He was, to say in the least, utterly stupefied. In less than two minutes, effortlessly, he had been licked by a scrawny, weaponless freak from nowhere. That bastard.

 

Milly looked at Meryl who shrugged and mouthed ‘I don’t know,’ to her co-worker as the two strangers continued to argue. And Vash, Vash was busy slowly trying to sneak out the back door so to speak. No need to butt in arguments that didn’t concern him. Not for the literal part anyway. “Stay where you are, Vash. We’re not through here yet.” Spike commanded. Caught like a child, he stood where he was, watching as Spike threw in the towel. 

 

He grumbled, “Fine then, don’t listen to me. I’ll just book Vash somewhere else, buy my own ship and fly back to Bebop without you, Ed.”  That seemed to break Ed from her contention and she looked up at him with fear.

 

“I told you, follow my lead. You don’t listen Ed. When bounty hunting, stay on your toes.  You know I wasn’t serious when--Agh!” Talking became extremely difficult for the green-haired hunter when a hefty cross  slammed directly into his back. Instantly he was out cold in the sand and Wolfwood stood, dusting his hands.  “Persistent fucker, wasn’t he?” Hoisting up his Punisher, he started away.

 

Ed knelt down to her unconscious friend. “Spike-person...? Spike-person, wake up! Come on Spike...” She trembled and nudged  frantically at his shoulder.

 

Meryl whispered softly. “Nick, I think you might’ve killed him...”

 

Pulling down his shades . “Oh please, that couldn’t have possibly killed him. I didn’t throw it at him that hard...” Ed was in tears now.  He stood there, his eyes moving slowly back and forth from the prone figure in the dirt and the little girl kneeling next to him. It hurt. To see kids desperate and helpless like that made Wolfwood’s chest burn like Gunsmoke’s suns. 

 

“Edward was it?” Ed looked up to the priest curiously. “...You two need a ride?” She smiled a sad smile.

 

~~~

 

Knives cracked his fingers as he sat in his garden. His private Eden brimmed with life and blossomed, horribly contrasting with the dusty desert skirt surrounding him. Legato lay next to him, his eyes closed, his breathing soft. He wasn’t wearing that shell of a coat for once, only the black skin suit underneath. There was something about the boy, despite the fact that he was human.

 

A beautiful spider...

 

He hated all the spiders though. They were evil, wicked creatures that spun webs of deceit and lies to ensnare the feed on butterflies like himself. And yet, the little blue-haired spider that napped next to him was so graceful, spun webs so delicately and maliciously that Knives himself was beginning to become trapped.

 

“Such a lovely, lovely spider...”

 

Legato blushed in his sleep, feeling Knives’ mind reach out to erotically touch and squeeze his own. He mentally braced himself. Whenever Knives connected to his mind, it was almost always painful. He would bring up horrible, unspeakable memories, or just send electrical energies to physically torture his head, numb his body. This time however...

 

Legato softly moaned, sensing a warm, pleasant heat tingle his skin. He kept his eyes closed, knowing it was his master making him feel this way. That made Knives smile, “Send them to check up on things, Legato. I want to know how our little friend is doing.”  Legato nodded in his sleep, though he was well aware of the conscious world.

 

//...More...please Master?//

 

He twisted in agony as lightning seared his eye sockets. Curling up, Blue-Summers screamed.

 

~~~~

 

“...So we walk out of the bar, and when Spike looks down, he’s as naked as a jay-bird.” Faye and Jet roared with laughter. “And that’s when the rest of the cops show up.” Faye tipped back one of the few bottles of vodka, wiping her face with her arm.

 

She slobbered, “Wanna know about this time where me and Spike was in the back seat of this cruiser he stole?”

 

“Hm, yeah.” Jet grinned and leaned forward over his fifth glass of grey goose.

 

Faye itched at the side of her breasts, “Well me and him were waiting for this head to come outta some local club. It was about...oh...four in the morning, Venus time. Spike had a lot to drink, and lil ole precious me, well, I was just sober as usual ya know?” She guffawed so hard her face turned as purple as her hair.  “Woo, where was I now...?”

 

“Me and you were in the back of a cruiser....” Jet purred.

 

Faye had to pause for a moment. “No...it was you and Spike.” 

 

Jet burst out into laughter. “Aw man, now that’s another story...” They grew silent for a moment. “You know, you, you’re really pretty. And, and listen to me. I don’t think guys appreciate you the way they should.” 

 

Faye blushed lightly. “Jet stop...”

 

 “Naw, I’m serious now.” He sat forward, almost entirely across the table. “You’ve gots a great smile. And

 you’re goin’ places. Did I say you’re pretty...?” The ex-cop reached up to wipe some sweat from the top of his bald head.  The ship felt warm, and anything past ten yards blurred beyond recognition. Both bounty hunters licked their lips, Jet letting his eyes roam over Faye while Faye tried to avert her attention to a stack of haphazard magazines on the table.

 

Faye stood up as quick as she could, causing her to wobble. “I--I’m gonna go shower, kay?” She tried stepping around Ein’s food dish but failed miserably and began to fall. But before she could reach the floor, two strong arms, one real and one metallic ensnared her instantly. “Mm, for someone who’s drunk as a skunks, you sure do gots good reflexes.”

 

Jet smiled, “Careful there.” Faye blushed even deeper. Alcohol was a funny thing. It made everything in the world seem logically wrong. It made the walls grow, and square tiles on the floor dance back and forth. It made cold rooms hot and caused the potted plants to sing, the stars to tell jokes and the light bulbs burn brighter than fire.

 

And it made passion burn too. 

 

They kissed briefly, stopped to stare, and started kissing again. She smelled good, like warm toast, and his chest was rock solid, strong and sturdy. He breathed against her skin; she whispered something in his ear. Jet scooped Faye up in one swift motion and carried her to the ship’s main bathroom like a bride over the threshold. As the door slid shut, they giggled.

 

~~~~

 

As Spike came to, he felt hot wood rumbling beneath him. Two seconds later, Ed was on his stomach like an excited frog. “Lunkhead! Good morning!”

 

Scratching the back of his head, Spike pulled himself upwards to see that he was in the back of a canvas covered jeep with Ed, the priest and Vash.  His back ached terribly and his skull pulsed like a bass beat in a Mars rave club. The jeep was hot and stuffy, the bottom covered with a thin layer of sand and wood shavings while the huge, dirty window shield gleamed from his left.  

 

“Yo there!” Vash turned around from the front seat and waved, bearing his pearly whites. “Glad you’re not dead.” Before Spike could ask, Vash answered, “Wolfwood here threw his cross at your back. We couldn’t just leave you in the sand alone so we decided to bring you along for the ride.” Ed tumbled off Spike.

 

This made no sense at all. Being helped out by the bounty head was something in all his hunting career, he had yet to experience. His hackles were up in seconds, though he played it cool, wait for the opportune moment. “So...where are we going now?”

 

Wolfwood shrugged, still slightly irked to be in Spike’s presence. It was unfair how he got beat up, but when he retaliates, he was the bad guy. It made his skin itch. “Dunno. Just driving I guess.” By now, both suns were setting, painting the sky a luscious pastel pink-lavender. Didn’t make any damn sense, carrying this hothead around with them. Edward was okay, he could tolerate the animated adolescent. But this green-haired asshole, he sure as hell didn’t want to deal with. “Just gonna make trouble and get in the way,” Nick thought. “Legato, you dickhead. This is all your fault, I’m sure.” A bitterness buzzed at his chest and instantly he apologized. His knuckles trembling. The vehicle grew silent, Spike staring at a corner of the jeep while Ed fully examined her toes. 

 

“You’re quite the stranger, Mr. Spike.” Vash smiled.

 

“Eh, ...you could say that.”  Spike breathed slowly, not wanting to inhale too much of the dreary air. “So, what happened to your little girlfriends?”

 

Vash blushed a little, “Actually, they’re not our girlfriends. They’re some weird ladies that just started following me around one day. Said they were from some insurance company or something.  Meryl said she got a call from her boss, and they had to take the last steamer out to December.” Spike didn’t know whether to celebrate or fret considering the two could have also been worth some extra wulongs on the side. Then again, they were homely as hell. Looking at them made Spike truly appreciate Faye’s fantastic physique. 

 

Spike raised an eyebrow, confused. “Say, how many light years is it from here to the next warp gate?” The two didn’t answer, completely lost. “Okay...is there a place where I can use an intergalactic vid-phone or something?” The blank gazes continued.

 

“I’m afraid we don’t have anything like that here.” Wolfwood grunted. “You’re not from Gunsmoke at all, are you, sir.”

 

Spike laughed, “Hell no. I’m from Mars.”

 

 

TBC