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Editor: Ucha Nekome

Thoughts = italics / yelling = bold (unless it's a single word)

-Rocky's Tavern in Hellus City-

Just as Spike thought he would be able to just go back to the good old days when him and Jet would hunt bounties together. No worries, no complications. It was really just his luck the woman he called out had to be one of his old partners, Faye Valentine, and now she was trying to kill him.

"GET BACK HERE!!!" Faye yelled as she was chasing him down.

Spike was still stiff, though he kept dodging hit after hit, he was beginning to tire. He needed find a way to catch her off guard, which was far easier said than done. The woman's punches smashed through tables and chairs. He felt the kinetic energy of every swing as they flew past, narrowly missing him every time. Spike knew he was in trouble when he felt his back hit the wall. The bartender hid behind the counter, customers were ether ducking away, fearfully gawking, or enjoying the show as Faye tore the place apart trying to smash the thin man to pieces.

It was at this moment that Jet finally came out of the bathroom. He was rather cautious having heard all the noise outside. However as he glanced around to see the source of the destruction, and in doing so he found Spike on the floor. "Spike what the hell are you doing!?"

At that moment Faye immediately snapped out of her rage. Her fist was embedded in the wall where Spike's head had been. When she turned her head to look at Jet, Spike leapt to his feet and kicked her in the stomach HARD causing her to be pushed back a bit. However Faye was undeterred, she snapped back into her rage then smashed Spike right in nose causing him to fall flat on his ass. For the second time since he woke up, he found himself knocked silly by an old friend. Spike got up and wiped the blood off of his face, and just as he thought Faye would hit him again, suddenly, but not surprisingly, Jet grabbed her from behind.

"That's enough! Both of you, calm down!" He demanded. "Dammit Faye, this was not how we planned to handle this."

Faye squirmed out of Jet's grip, than with a couple of deep breaths, she sat down at a booth. The other two joined her. Spike, more hesitantly, sat as far away from Faye as possible. Faye wanting to do the same, scooched in towards the wall until flat against it. The other people in the bar began whispering and gossiping.

Jet turned to Faye and asked. "I haven't seen you for 3 whole years. With only the occasional phone call, no videos, no visits. All I gotten from you is the woolongs to keep Spike alive. All these years, and the first thing you try to do when you see him is beat the crap out of him. Not that I don't understand why, I do, but you didn't have to destroy the entire bar for that, now did you? Tell me what happened?"

Faye lit up her last cigarette and took a drag. Blowing into the air, she watched the smoke rise quietly for a moment before, answering in a hard voice. "I was just frustrated okay, the moment I saw his face I thought back to the day we last saw each other...Remembering that day..." She crumpled the empty carton in her hand tightly in her strong fist."Makes me feel like putting my fist through something..."

Spike retorted after lighting up his own cigarette. "Oh you did plenty of that now didn't you. It's okay though, I've been wanting to put my foot through something for a while so at least you gave me that."

Faye stared daggers into him. "I know, and I'm probably gonna foot shaped bruise on my stomach now thanks to you!"

Spike then replied. "Well what did you think I was gonna do? You cornered me!"

Jet then slammed his fist on the table, causing the two to pause. "Would you two settle down! Jeez, even after 5 years you two still act like children. Now answer the question Faye, and no more bickering damnit."

Faye sighed, leaning back into the booth. "Your one to talk even after all of that, all you do is lecturer and complain as if nothing has changed between all of us." Then she looked down as if she were trying to find the right words to say to both of them. During this moment of reflection, Faye suddenly realized something. "How about I show the both of you instead?"

Spike and Jet looked at each other then after a moment Spike spoke. "Sure..." "As long as your not gonna bash my head into bits..." Wisely deciding to keep that Last part to himself, Spike continued. "But first, we gotta go pick up our new bounty." As Spike mentioned this, a young waiter. He looked roughly around the age of 14 with fair skin, and light pink hair in a braid and thin gray blue eyes. Nervously, he came in to serve their food along with a third meal no one ordered. As he handed it to Faye, the two guys glanced at the boy, confused. As the boy carried on his business, the bartender who looked similar to the waiter only roughly around his 60's started to sweep up the mess Faye made. She looked at the waiter then said. "Bruce, Muhammad, I'm sorry about the mess this time. I will actually pay you for your troub-"

The bartender Muhammad interrupted her and said. "Lanna and you exposed Pin didn't you?"

Faye paused, then bowing her head answered. "She told you about it then."

Muhammad was putting the dirt he swept up in the garbage can then replied. "Of course she did, she's my daughter in-law, and Bruce's mother after all. Even though he got more of mine and his father Lee's appearance than his mom's side."

Jet was slowly eating, listening intently to the conversation between the two. Spike, on the other hand, was wolfing down his meal, though he choked a bit when he took a sip of the beer. "Maybe I should have waited a week longer for the alcohol." He thought as his throat burned.

Though, as Faye began to eat as well, Jet gave her a concerned look. "What?" Faye asked uncomfortably.

It was then he said. "So, how do you know King Pin? I mean, you released his information, but why didn't you just capture him? Or, was that perhaps your plan all along?"

Faye flinched a bit, then she said hesitantly. "That's why I want you two to come with me, I'll explain the plan me and Lanna had came up with once we're there." Jet was beginning to get frustrated by Faye's constant question dodging.

Faye then went to go apologize to Muhammad again, he just smiled and gave her a pat on the back. The man then straightened out an old photo of him in coaching attire, along with a younger lanna, her sister, and a man with short pink hair and gray eyes. He then just stood there looking like he was going to cry. Faye turned away, looking instead out the windows into the setting sky. While the two finished eating, the waiter Bruce turned on more lights. It was at that moment Jet and Spike had finally got a good look at Faye. The pub had been on the darker side, but with the lights on they suddenly could see how muscular she had gotten, Fayes clothes were similar to her old one's. Two dark violet belts wrapped around her hips and her waist just below her breasts. Her top and shorts were still yellow though in shabby condition. A red scarf was around her neck and an orange headband around her head. Pink knee highs under orange and purple combat boots decorated her feet. But the worn orange and purple kick boxing gloves with red stains, and the humongous scar all down her inner left thigh were the most telling things about her wardrobe. That's when she noticed them looking at her, they approached her, rather quietly until Spike spoke up.

"So, what are you a kick boxer now?" He asked. "I gotta say I never thought I'd see the day. That actually explains alot though. I just never expected you'd be the type to get your hands dirty like that." He paused for a second taking in her appearance once more. "Heh, I gotta say, you look way better like this. The bruting buff guy look really suits you."

Faye almost growled at Spike as he smirked at her. "NO IT DOESN'T YOU ASS!" She wailed. "I LOOK TERRIBLE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE THE ELEGANT BEAUTY I WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE WITH ALL THESE BULKING MUSCLES AND BROKEN NAILS?!"

Jet who had a 'REALLY GUYS' expression on his face replied dryly. "Elegant beauty my ass, you've always acted like drama queen about these kind of things. Like getting a little roughed up means the end of the world... Women... Honestly your more trouble than your worth."

The clock struck 7:00 pm, and suddenly Faye felt a sense of dread. If she was late the plan she came up with would be in vain. That's when Spike began to sense her fear and sighed. "Fine we'll play along with your little scheme. Let's go Jet."

Jet nodded in agreement. Since she was one of the people paying the bounty, they didn't really have a choice in the matter. As the three were boarding their ships in the docking bay, Faye was just getting seated in the Red Tail when she glaced at Spike's Swordfish 2 and sighed in relief. "Well at least he hasn't trashed it yet." She whispered.

- Coliseum Ali-

Landing near the entrance, they all headed in the commons area to pay for vip tickets for final fight of the night. This was when "security" walked up toward them. "Miss Valentine the Boss is waiting for you in the vip suite as usual."

Faye nodded as the guards turned their backs to talk through their earpieces. She quickly handed Jet and Spike two gas masks, a bug, and a couple of earpieces. Then she whispered the plan to the both of them. When she was done she added. "When I give the signal put those on and get your guns ready."

Jet was taken aback bit by just how well thought out this plan was. Especially for Faye who always went by her "woman's intuition"... But by the way she was acting, it finally occurred to him why she was dodging all his questions earlier...this was personal.

After going through the MANY halls and seeing the terrible living conditions all the boxers male and female had been living in, they finally reached vip suite. There both Spike and Jet were instructed to sit outside on the bleachers until The Boss was done talking with Faye.

She nodded to the two men before going in. Looking around her eyes met with those creepy squinting green ones. It was those eyes and that unnaturally straight toothy smile that had haunted her dreams since she first saw them. She remembered how she struggled to just to help Jet pay for Spike's ever climbing hospital debt. Everything she fought for, everything she subjected herself to was, was all to make certain he would wake from his dream. At that time she was tired, scared, and vulnerable. She had no other choice than to sign that fucking contract betting everything on one small hope that things could go back to the way they were. But after Lee and Abigail, Lanna's sister and husband were killed, she lost two out of the three things keeping her sane in this horrid place. She had had enough, this is where it ends!

"~Oh Fairy, have you missed me like I missed you?~" Faye no longer cared about put up facade in front of him so she said. "Yeah sure, hey I wanted to tell you something. But first where's lanna?"

Pin's face began to twist...

Back outside, Spike sat across from Jet in a crowd full sickos who come to bet on people's lives while happily saying things like. "I wonder why they put a curtain around the area?" "Is it to hide the new the toy to use on the loser?" "I hope they use a drill I'd love hear the screams of a girl while having it screwed into her skull!"

Spike slowly looked at Jet, then said in the most sarcastic voice he could make. "Oh yes this is such a nice simple job."

Jet narrowed his eyes then murmured in an aggravated voice. "Hey you made plenty of bad calls too so don't act all high and mighty. Though...after seeing this makes me realise I should've forgotten my dumbass stubbornness and gotten more involved with both you and Faye then. Maybe neither of you would have ended up like this."

Spike just stared at him for a moment then said in almost cold voice."If you did, you could've been killed. You did the right thing by letting us learn the hard way. Now we have to deal with the consequences of our choices."

Jet looked at Spike in an understanding way. Then their attention was drawn to Faye standing behind them inside the glass walls of the vip booth. She gave them a quick glance before returning her gaze to the stage. It was then, both of them put the earpieces in. Now all they had to do was listen for the signal...

Back inside, Pin said in a very cold sounding voice. "Just watch the stage Valentine, and you will get your answer." Faye looked towards the covered stage. Then slowly the curtain unveiled to reveal a beaten and bruised Lanna. Both of her arms and legs were black and blue broken beyond repair. Spike's eyes widened, and Jet shook in anger, but the rest of the crowd cheered as the woman lifted her swollen face towards VIP booth, she smiled gently as her bloodshot eyes rested on Faye. Faye's blood was like ice her body paralyzed as she watched her friend of the past three years be untied and collapse aimlessly on the floor. They a wire onto her. "Now let's start the show" Pin's voice sounded so far away, like some sort of echo across a field. He flipped a switch, and at that moment she was lifted by a wire up to a platform. The men with "Security" shirts stood on the platform with harpoon guns. Lanna attempted to struggle but it was in vain. When Lanna was high above the men, Pin flipped the switch again. The three of them were forced to watch as the wire released the woman...Her body seemed to hang there suspended in midair for a second before being shot through with ten harpoons. Blood shot out of her streaming onto the floor far below as she hung from harpoon cords. The men wielding the guns playfully swung her body around like a lifeless puppet speckling blood left and right. The crowd cheered and laughed as they continued their demented puppet show. Spike gritted his teeth but just barely restrained himself. Though he could tell Jet was squeezing the metal bleachers so hard he bent them. He wanted to beat the bloody hell out of everyone here.

Back inside, Faye slid to her knees. Pin spoke to her coldly. "She was the traitor Valentine, and you know very well how I deal with such insolence now the original idea was to have you two fight tonight, but then after Lanna was told the good news she snapped! She actually tried to KILL me, so I realized right then and there that she had to be the one who defied ME." Faye eye's were wide with horror while Pin chuckled. The entire room flooded with the sounds of laughter from the crowd outside. Then Pin asked gleefully. "Now what did you want to tell me?~"

Fayes blood boiled in that moment. She felt the burning hatred growing within her like a little monster scratching at her insides wanting to be freed. There was a moment of silence then she pulled out a small metal object from between her breasts the said in a sensual voice. "I was just thinking about surprising you with a gift of my utmost gratitude now that i'm done getting my stuff together now!"

She pressed the button on the small device. Sleeping gas began rise out of the bleachers and began covering most of the entire coliseum, knocking most people unctuous except for security who had been trained to withstand even deadly poisons. They finally dropped the poor woman's corpse, made their way down off the platform. However; their attempts to reach the VIP room where their boss was seated was thwarted by shots ringing out from the fog like gas. They were being picked off one by one. Even though they fired in retaliation the thickness of the gas made it so they could not tell where their shooter was. Spike had to remember to thank Faye for the gas masks as him and Jet hid behind the bleachers and using them for cover. After most of them were picked off, leaving only five left. Jet grabbed one from behind and flipped them onto their back. Jet decked the man in the face a few times for good measure, and knocked him out. Jet kicked another man HARD in the ribs causing him to fall to his side, then Spike elbowed him in the back of the head as he tried to get backup. As the gas cleared, so too did the remaining three's security guards' vision. Now out of bullets, they rushed at Spike thinking he was the weaker of the two. They were shocked however, when his kick smashed the tallest one in the face, actually causing him to fall backwards. The man staggered before making another attempt at Spike. But he was having none of it. He dodged the man's advances countering by punching him square in the jaw. Spike watched the man fall into a crumpled heap. The last two tried to intervene but were stopped by Jet who grabbed both men and put them in a headlock. "Now now fellas. There's a reason we didn't kill all of you. Now tell us where's Pin's safe?"

One remained silent while the other blathered out. "It's in the head office! There's a two part code under each of his coffee tables next to the desk." They tied the five together leaving them there. But before they both left the arena area, Jet turned to Spike and asked. "Are you sure we should leave Faye alone with King Pin? What if she kill's him? We'll lose the bounty..."

Spike paused for a second before replying. "Then we will have the money from the safe to compensate for it. Besides she has alot more restraint than me or you. Especially if she held off on her plan this long." Both nodded in agreement. They headed toward the main office.

While all of this was going on, back after the explosion of smoke. Faye tried to open the door to let the gas flood into their small room, but Pin quickly rose in a fit of pure rage began swinging his left hook at her, only to have her knee him in the leg. He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her down to try to get the gas mask he thought she was gonna use for her escape. When he realized she didn't have one he screamed at her. "WHERE IS YOUR MASK I KNOW YOU BOUGHT! TWO OF MY MEN SAW YOU, NOW WHERE ARE YOU HIDING IT? OR ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US BOTH?!"

Faye realized he must of believed the gas was poison meant to kill him. At that moment her plan was working just as Lee, who came up with the idea first, predicted it would. Thinking back on everything that had happened during those three years. She released it all, her anger, her pain...She finally understood. She now knew how Spike must of felt after he lost Julia, or how Jet felt when he went to Alisa's wedding or Fad's grave. She may have lost people in the distant past, but the greater pain was the present one. It was like a knife stabbing into you with no remorse. She glared at him with a new found strength and smiled like she hadn't done in 5 years. "The only one dieing here is you i'm afraid." She said happily as he began to panic.

"WHAT?!!" He exclaimed, as he let her go she stood up tall staring him down as he gazed up in fear and alarm. "'You can survive anything now.' A quote from an old acquaintance of mine who gave me an immunity far greater than any of your men. Why do you think every time you tried to get me drunk or ruffeyed my drinks it never worked?" Pin realize she wasn't joking when remembered back when met her on that fateful night. He had drugged the beer he gave her fully prepared to switch the contact with one of a prostitute's contract when it didn't work he blamed it on the drug dealer who gave it to him. He killed him. He lost a perfectly good drug dealer because of that...

He lunged at her deciding to take her down with him. When he did, she dodged it, then they began fist fighting. At first Pin had the upper hand punching her relentlessly but after 8 consecutive punches Faye got into her stance.

"Is that all you got?" She said, "Don't make me laugh!" She dodged his next punch and in kind punched him in the shoulder then the chest. Her fists flew strong and true colliding with his face, groin and stomach. Each time she hit him as hard as she possibly could. It was then the gas began clearing, she could see the yellow moon as it shined down through the large skylight. The fog like air began to thin. It was time to end it, his back to the window, he looked at her with that smile, that same look of insane glee as he took a knife out of his sock. The last thing he said to her, was. "~Auf Wiedersehen Fairy...~"

She channeled everything she had into one punch, causing him to fly through the glass walls of the vip room onto the gas filled floor below shortly after the others had left. She knew, when she saw him breath in the fog, that it was all over. She could finally let it out....

the tears flowed down her cheeks hot and fast. But just as soon as started, she wiped them away. She knew there were a couple lunk-heads she had to chase.

Before leaving she collected the sad distorted figure that was her friend off of the floor and sat her down against the wall. Closing her eyes she got to her feet. She took a deep breath and took one last look at Lanna. "Thank you for being a friend."

When she was done collecting her bounty from the police, she went to grab her stuff. But the only thing she cared to take with her was her bag of cloths and the cracked photo of her crew and the siblings. And with that she closed the door for good, and headed for the office. Spike was trying to get the safe open with bare hands while Jet looked out the broken window scratching his head in confusion. "What are guys doing?" Faye asked.

Spike replied irritated "Pin apparently left the code for the safe under his two tables but ones missing and we can't open it without it."

Faye then remembered what she did earlier before she left, then laughed nervously and said. "You know what? Just forget about it, Pin is alive but unconscious...The police just took him away, So here your part of the bounty." She gave them each third of the woolongs.

When they gathered outside, the police asked them a few questions and left with the criminals in tow. One of the officers asked Jet who both Spike and Faye were. This made them both a little nervous because of their previous record. Jet just laughed loudly and said "Of course you do, they're my partners. We've been together for a long time. Now if you excuse us, we'll be on are way!"

As the three began walked off together Faye looked at Spike and said. "Sorry about earlier, I wasn't really thinking clearly. I'm actually happy you came back alive an-"

Spike interrupted her by laughing then jokingly said. "It's not like you to give apologies so easily. Where's the fiery romani I know and love."

She chuckled then winked and said. "Don't worry cowboy, she's still here, and you can pay her back by not running off on her again."

GET HIT AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD...

Description
Editor: Ucha Nekome

Thoughts = italics / yelling = bold (unless it's a single word)

-Rocky's Tavern in Hellus City-

Just as Spike thought he would be able to just go back to the good old days when him and Jet would hunt bounties together. No worries, no complications. It was really just his luck the woman he called out had to be one of his old partners, Faye Valentine, and now she was trying to kill him.

"GET BACK HERE!!!" Faye yelled as she was chasing him down.

Spike was still stiff, though he kept dodging hit after hit, he was beginning to tire. He needed find a way to catch her off guard, which was far easier said than done. The woman's punches smashed through tables and chairs. He felt the kinetic energy of every swing as they flew past, narrowly missing him every time. Spike knew he was in trouble when he felt his back hit the wall. The bartender hid behind the counter, customers were ether ducking away, fearfully gawking, or enjoying the show as Faye tore the place apart trying to smash the thin man to pieces.

It was at this moment that Jet finally came out of the bathroom. He was rather cautious having heard all the noise outside. However as he glanced around to see the source of the destruction, and in doing so he found Spike on the floor. "Spike what the hell are you doing!?"

At that moment Faye immediately snapped out of her rage. Her fist was embedded in the wall where Spike's head had been. When she turned her head to look at Jet, Spike leapt to his feet and kicked her in the stomach HARD causing her to be pushed back a bit. However Faye was undeterred, she snapped back into her rage then smashed Spike right in nose causing him to fall flat on his ass. For the second time since he woke up, he found himself knocked silly by an old friend. Spike got up and wiped the blood off of his face, and just as he thought Faye would hit him again, suddenly, but not surprisingly, Jet grabbed her from behind.

"That's enough! Both of you, calm down!" He demanded. "Dammit Faye, this was not how we planned to handle this."

Faye squirmed out of Jet's grip, than with a couple of deep breaths, she sat down at a booth. The other two joined her. Spike, more hesitantly, sat as far away from Faye as possible. Faye wanting to do the same, scooched in towards the wall until flat against it. The other people in the bar began whispering and gossiping.

Jet turned to Faye and asked. "I haven't seen you for 3 whole years. With only the occasional phone call, no videos, no visits. All I gotten from you is the woolongs to keep Spike alive. All these years, and the first thing you try to do when you see him is beat the crap out of him. Not that I don't understand why, I do, but you didn't have to destroy the entire bar for that, now did you? Tell me what happened?"

Faye lit up her last cigarette and took a drag. Blowing into the air, she watched the smoke rise quietly for a moment before, answering in a hard voice. "I was just frustrated okay, the moment I saw his face I thought back to the day we last saw each other...Remembering that day..." She crumpled the empty carton in her hand tightly in her strong fist."Makes me feel like putting my fist through something..."

Spike retorted after lighting up his own cigarette. "Oh you did plenty of that now didn't you. It's okay though, I've been wanting to put my foot through something for a while so at least you gave me that."

Faye stared daggers into him. "I know, and I'm probably gonna foot shaped bruise on my stomach now thanks to you!"

Spike then replied. "Well what did you think I was gonna do? You cornered me!"

Jet then slammed his fist on the table, causing the two to pause. "Would you two settle down! Jeez, even after 5 years you two still act like children. Now answer the question Faye, and no more bickering damnit."

Faye sighed, leaning back into the booth. "Your one to talk even after all of that, all you do is lecturer and complain as if nothing has changed between all of us." Then she looked down as if she were trying to find the right words to say to both of them. During this moment of reflection, Faye suddenly realized something. "How about I show the both of you instead?"

Spike and Jet looked at each other then after a moment Spike spoke. "Sure..." "As long as your not gonna bash my head into bits..." Wisely deciding to keep that Last part to himself, Spike continued. "But first, we gotta go pick up our new bounty." As Spike mentioned this, a young waiter. He looked roughly around the age of 14 with fair skin, and light pink hair in a braid and thin gray blue eyes. Nervously, he came in to serve their food along with a third meal no one ordered. As he handed it to Faye, the two guys glanced at the boy, confused. As the boy carried on his business, the bartender who looked similar to the waiter only roughly around his 60's started to sweep up the mess Faye made. She looked at the waiter then said. "Bruce, Muhammad, I'm sorry about the mess this time. I will actually pay you for your troub-"

The bartender Muhammad interrupted her and said. "Lanna and you exposed Pin didn't you?"

Faye paused, then bowing her head answered. "She told you about it then."

Muhammad was putting the dirt he swept up in the garbage can then replied. "Of course she did, she's my daughter in-law, and Bruce's mother after all. Even though he got more of mine and his father Lee's appearance than his mom's side."

Jet was slowly eating, listening intently to the conversation between the two. Spike, on the other hand, was wolfing down his meal, though he choked a bit when he took a sip of the beer. "Maybe I should have waited a week longer for the alcohol." He thought as his throat burned.

Though, as Faye began to eat as well, Jet gave her a concerned look. "What?" Faye asked uncomfortably.

It was then he said. "So, how do you know King Pin? I mean, you released his information, but why didn't you just capture him? Or, was that perhaps your plan all along?"

Faye flinched a bit, then she said hesitantly. "That's why I want you two to come with me, I'll explain the plan me and Lanna had came up with once we're there." Jet was beginning to get frustrated by Faye's constant question dodging.

Faye then went to go apologize to Muhammad again, he just smiled and gave her a pat on the back. The man then straightened out an old photo of him in coaching attire, along with a younger lanna, her sister, and a man with short pink hair and gray eyes. He then just stood there looking like he was going to cry. Faye turned away, looking instead out the windows into the setting sky. While the two finished eating, the waiter Bruce turned on more lights. It was at that moment Jet and Spike had finally got a good look at Faye. The pub had been on the darker side, but with the lights on they suddenly could see how muscular she had gotten, Fayes clothes were similar to her old one's. Two dark violet belts wrapped around her hips and her waist just below her breasts. Her top and shorts were still yellow though in shabby condition. A red scarf was around her neck and an orange headband around her head. Pink knee highs under orange and purple combat boots decorated her feet. But the worn orange and purple kick boxing gloves with red stains, and the humongous scar all down her inner left thigh were the most telling things about her wardrobe. That's when she noticed them looking at her, they approached her, rather quietly until Spike spoke up.

"So, what are you a kick boxer now?" He asked. "I gotta say I never thought I'd see the day. That actually explains alot though. I just never expected you'd be the type to get your hands dirty like that." He paused for a second taking in her appearance once more. "Heh, I gotta say, you look way better like this. The bruting buff guy look really suits you."

Faye almost growled at Spike as he smirked at her. "NO IT DOESN'T YOU ASS!" She wailed. "I LOOK TERRIBLE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE THE ELEGANT BEAUTY I WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE WITH ALL THESE BULKING MUSCLES AND BROKEN NAILS?!"

Jet who had a 'REALLY GUYS' expression on his face replied dryly. "Elegant beauty my ass, you've always acted like drama queen about these kind of things. Like getting a little roughed up means the end of the world... Women... Honestly your more trouble than your worth."

The clock struck 7:00 pm, and suddenly Faye felt a sense of dread. If she was late the plan she came up with would be in vain. That's when Spike began to sense her fear and sighed. "Fine we'll play along with your little scheme. Let's go Jet."

Jet nodded in agreement. Since she was one of the people paying the bounty, they didn't really have a choice in the matter. As the three were boarding their ships in the docking bay, Faye was just getting seated in the Red Tail when she glaced at Spike's Swordfish 2 and sighed in relief. "Well at least he hasn't trashed it yet." She whispered.

- Coliseum Ali-

Landing near the entrance, they all headed in the commons area to pay for vip tickets for final fight of the night. This was when "security" walked up toward them. "Miss Valentine the Boss is waiting for you in the vip suite as usual."

Faye nodded as the guards turned their backs to talk through their earpieces. She quickly handed Jet and Spike two gas masks, a bug, and a couple of earpieces. Then she whispered the plan to the both of them. When she was done she added. "When I give the signal put those on and get your guns ready."

Jet was taken aback bit by just how well thought out this plan was. Especially for Faye who always went by her "woman's intuition"... But by the way she was acting, it finally occurred to him why she was dodging all his questions earlier...this was personal.

After going through the MANY halls and seeing the terrible living conditions all the boxers male and female had been living in, they finally reached vip suite. There both Spike and Jet were instructed to sit outside on the bleachers until The Boss was done talking with Faye.

She nodded to the two men before going in. Looking around her eyes met with those creepy squinting green ones. It was those eyes and that unnaturally straight toothy smile that had haunted her dreams since she first saw them. She remembered how she struggled to just to help Jet pay for Spike's ever climbing hospital debt. Everything she fought for, everything she subjected herself to was, was all to make certain he would wake from his dream. At that time she was tired, scared, and vulnerable. She had no other choice than to sign that fucking contract betting everything on one small hope that things could go back to the way they were. But after Lee and Abigail, Lanna's sister and husband were killed, she lost two out of the three things keeping her sane in this horrid place. She had had enough, this is where it ends!

"~Oh Fairy, have you missed me like I missed you?~" Faye no longer cared about put up facade in front of him so she said. "Yeah sure, hey I wanted to tell you something. But first where's lanna?"

Pin's face began to twist...

Back outside, Spike sat across from Jet in a crowd full sickos who come to bet on people's lives while happily saying things like. "I wonder why they put a curtain around the area?" "Is it to hide the new the toy to use on the loser?" "I hope they use a drill I'd love hear the screams of a girl while having it screwed into her skull!"

Spike slowly looked at Jet, then said in the most sarcastic voice he could make. "Oh yes this is such a nice simple job."

Jet narrowed his eyes then murmured in an aggravated voice. "Hey you made plenty of bad calls too so don't act all high and mighty. Though...after seeing this makes me realise I should've forgotten my dumbass stubbornness and gotten more involved with both you and Faye then. Maybe neither of you would have ended up like this."

Spike just stared at him for a moment then said in almost cold voice."If you did, you could've been killed. You did the right thing by letting us learn the hard way. Now we have to deal with the consequences of our choices."

Jet looked at Spike in an understanding way. Then their attention was drawn to Faye standing behind them inside the glass walls of the vip booth. She gave them a quick glance before returning her gaze to the stage. It was then, both of them put the earpieces in. Now all they had to do was listen for the signal...

Back inside, Pin said in a very cold sounding voice. "Just watch the stage Valentine, and you will get your answer." Faye looked towards the covered stage. Then slowly the curtain unveiled to reveal a beaten and bruised Lanna. Both of her arms and legs were black and blue broken beyond repair. Spike's eyes widened, and Jet shook in anger, but the rest of the crowd cheered as the woman lifted her swollen face towards VIP booth, she smiled gently as her bloodshot eyes rested on Faye. Faye's blood was like ice her body paralyzed as she watched her friend of the past three years be untied and collapse aimlessly on the floor. They a wire onto her. "Now let's start the show" Pin's voice sounded so far away, like some sort of echo across a field. He flipped a switch, and at that moment she was lifted by a wire up to a platform. The men with "Security" shirts stood on the platform with harpoon guns. Lanna attempted to struggle but it was in vain. When Lanna was high above the men, Pin flipped the switch again. The three of them were forced to watch as the wire released the woman...Her body seemed to hang there suspended in midair for a second before being shot through with ten harpoons. Blood shot out of her streaming onto the floor far below as she hung from harpoon cords. The men wielding the guns playfully swung her body around like a lifeless puppet speckling blood left and right. The crowd cheered and laughed as they continued their demented puppet show. Spike gritted his teeth but just barely restrained himself. Though he could tell Jet was squeezing the metal bleachers so hard he bent them. He wanted to beat the bloody hell out of everyone here.

Back inside, Faye slid to her knees. Pin spoke to her coldly. "She was the traitor Valentine, and you know very well how I deal with such insolence now the original idea was to have you two fight tonight, but then after Lanna was told the good news she snapped! She actually tried to KILL me, so I realized right then and there that she had to be the one who defied ME." Faye eye's were wide with horror while Pin chuckled. The entire room flooded with the sounds of laughter from the crowd outside. Then Pin asked gleefully. "Now what did you want to tell me?~"

Fayes blood boiled in that moment. She felt the burning hatred growing within her like a little monster scratching at her insides wanting to be freed. There was a moment of silence then she pulled out a small metal object from between her breasts the said in a sensual voice. "I was just thinking about surprising you with a gift of my utmost gratitude now that i'm done getting my stuff together now!"

She pressed the button on the small device. Sleeping gas began rise out of the bleachers and began covering most of the entire coliseum, knocking most people unctuous except for security who had been trained to withstand even deadly poisons. They finally dropped the poor woman's corpse, made their way down off the platform. However; their attempts to reach the VIP room where their boss was seated was thwarted by shots ringing out from the fog like gas. They were being picked off one by one. Even though they fired in retaliation the thickness of the gas made it so they could not tell where their shooter was. Spike had to remember to thank Faye for the gas masks as him and Jet hid behind the bleachers and using them for cover. After most of them were picked off, leaving only five left. Jet grabbed one from behind and flipped them onto their back. Jet decked the man in the face a few times for good measure, and knocked him out. Jet kicked another man HARD in the ribs causing him to fall to his side, then Spike elbowed him in the back of the head as he tried to get backup. As the gas cleared, so too did the remaining three's security guards' vision. Now out of bullets, they rushed at Spike thinking he was the weaker of the two. They were shocked however, when his kick smashed the tallest one in the face, actually causing him to fall backwards. The man staggered before making another attempt at Spike. But he was having none of it. He dodged the man's advances countering by punching him square in the jaw. Spike watched the man fall into a crumpled heap. The last two tried to intervene but were stopped by Jet who grabbed both men and put them in a headlock. "Now now fellas. There's a reason we didn't kill all of you. Now tell us where's Pin's safe?"

One remained silent while the other blathered out. "It's in the head office! There's a two part code under each of his coffee tables next to the desk." They tied the five together leaving them there. But before they both left the arena area, Jet turned to Spike and asked. "Are you sure we should leave Faye alone with King Pin? What if she kill's him? We'll lose the bounty..."

Spike paused for a second before replying. "Then we will have the money from the safe to compensate for it. Besides she has alot more restraint than me or you. Especially if she held off on her plan this long." Both nodded in agreement. They headed toward the main office.

While all of this was going on, back after the explosion of smoke. Faye tried to open the door to let the gas flood into their small room, but Pin quickly rose in a fit of pure rage began swinging his left hook at her, only to have her knee him in the leg. He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her down to try to get the gas mask he thought she was gonna use for her escape. When he realized she didn't have one he screamed at her. "WHERE IS YOUR MASK I KNOW YOU BOUGHT! TWO OF MY MEN SAW YOU, NOW WHERE ARE YOU HIDING IT? OR ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US BOTH?!"

Faye realized he must of believed the gas was poison meant to kill him. At that moment her plan was working just as Lee, who came up with the idea first, predicted it would. Thinking back on everything that had happened during those three years. She released it all, her anger, her pain...She finally understood. She now knew how Spike must of felt after he lost Julia, or how Jet felt when he went to Alisa's wedding or Fad's grave. She may have lost people in the distant past, but the greater pain was the present one. It was like a knife stabbing into you with no remorse. She glared at him with a new found strength and smiled like she hadn't done in 5 years. "The only one dieing here is you i'm afraid." She said happily as he began to panic.

"WHAT?!!" He exclaimed, as he let her go she stood up tall staring him down as he gazed up in fear and alarm. "'You can survive anything now.' A quote from an old acquaintance of mine who gave me an immunity far greater than any of your men. Why do you think every time you tried to get me drunk or ruffeyed my drinks it never worked?" Pin realize she wasn't joking when remembered back when met her on that fateful night. He had drugged the beer he gave her fully prepared to switch the contact with one of a prostitute's contract when it didn't work he blamed it on the drug dealer who gave it to him. He killed him. He lost a perfectly good drug dealer because of that...

He lunged at her deciding to take her down with him. When he did, she dodged it, then they began fist fighting. At first Pin had the upper hand punching her relentlessly but after 8 consecutive punches Faye got into her stance.

"Is that all you got?" She said, "Don't make me laugh!" She dodged his next punch and in kind punched him in the shoulder then the chest. Her fists flew strong and true colliding with his face, groin and stomach. Each time she hit him as hard as she possibly could. It was then the gas began clearing, she could see the yellow moon as it shined down through the large skylight. The fog like air began to thin. It was time to end it, his back to the window, he looked at her with that smile, that same look of insane glee as he took a knife out of his sock. The last thing he said to her, was. "~Auf Wiedersehen Fairy...~"

She channeled everything she had into one punch, causing him to fly through the glass walls of the vip room onto the gas filled floor below shortly after the others had left. She knew, when she saw him breath in the fog, that it was all over. She could finally let it out....

the tears flowed down her cheeks hot and fast. But just as soon as started, she wiped them away. She knew there were a couple lunk-heads she had to chase.

Before leaving she collected the sad distorted figure that was her friend off of the floor and sat her down against the wall. Closing her eyes she got to her feet. She took a deep breath and took one last look at Lanna. "Thank you for being a friend."

When she was done collecting her bounty from the police, she went to grab her stuff. But the only thing she cared to take with her was her bag of cloths and the cracked photo of her crew and the siblings. And with that she closed the door for good, and headed for the office. Spike was trying to get the safe open with bare hands while Jet looked out the broken window scratching his head in confusion. "What are guys doing?" Faye asked.

Spike replied irritated "Pin apparently left the code for the safe under his two tables but ones missing and we can't open it without it."

Faye then remembered what she did earlier before she left, then laughed nervously and said. "You know what? Just forget about it, Pin is alive but unconscious...The police just took him away, So here your part of the bounty." She gave them each third of the woolongs.

When they gathered outside, the police asked them a few questions and left with the criminals in tow. One of the officers asked Jet who both Spike and Faye were. This made them both a little nervous because of their previous record. Jet just laughed loudly and said "Of course you do, they're my partners. We've been together for a long time. Now if you excuse us, we'll be on are way!"

As the three began walked off together Faye looked at Spike and said. "Sorry about earlier, I wasn't really thinking clearly. I'm actually happy you came back alive an-"

Spike interrupted her by laughing then jokingly said. "It's not like you to give apologies so easily. Where's the fiery romani I know and love."

She chuckled then winked and said. "Don't worry cowboy, she's still here, and you can pay her back by not running off on her again."

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