Cowboy Bebop: Rise of the New Syndicates (Athene & Casket)

[LadyAthene]

Suki Kimura

EPISODE 1: A Fateful Meeting

It had only been seven years since Vicious and Spike Spiegel had their last fight against one another. But in the span of those years, things had quickly moved. In fact, one could say their defeats and deaths were the cruel start of a long, bumpy domino effect.

The worst part?

No one could have had even the slightest chance at being able to start it. Not even the strongest gods or any living form of some human version of Fate, Karma, whatnot.

Truth be told, if anyone had to guess, those manifestations likely helped ensure the events all played out, much like a perfect marionette or actor would comply with playing their parts. Worse off, they did so with no questions asked, no will remaining in tact with them, no desire to fight against something that clearly felt or sounded wrong lingering in their heart or soul.

Yet, what people wanted no longer mattered.

What did were the results, which led to the here and now .... ​

***​

October 8th
04:07 AM

Europa was a perfect example of just how drastically things had changed. It used to be a planet full of opportunities and chances. Admittedly, there were the typical share of shady people, but what planet didn't have those?

Still, the pros versus cons would have revealed that prior to everything that had happened with Spike and Vicious, life was at least ... better. More livable.

Now?

Europa had become a living version consisting of people who resided primarily in the slums.

What few were lucky enough to reside in the middle-upper or solely 'upper class' parts of Europa only earned their way there through various illegal activities. From gambling - not only with money but people - to prostitution rings and that was just a few that anyone could list off the top of their heads.

Mainly because they were the most common activities that could be seen, regardless of where one lived.

"Disgusting," came a soft, feminine voice. As the woman shook her head from side to side, it made multiple, raven locks lightly swing and sway. "I don't think I've wanted to smoke as many times as I have recently ... "

Were anyone else nearby, they would have been able to find and detect the musings had belonged to a young female.

On the outside, she looked relatively normal, all things considered.

But to those in the more ... 'professional' careers, they would recognize the twenty-year-old easily.

Why?

Because that same lass had a bounty on her head, one that wasn't exactly an amount to sneeze at either. The prize - should anyone be successful - was fifty million woolong.

And nowadays, with the economy having gone to shit in almost every planet, it was days like today that Suki Kimura appreciated the most.

She could breathe. She could relax.

But perhaps most importantly ... she could drink.

The old laws that used to be on Earth no longer existed, and even then almost no one cared to enforce them. Thus, there she was, sitting atop a stool and mulling over everything, namely her life and how she got into this mess again.

Because you're an ambitious, idiotic bitch ...

The inner scolding made herself unable to help but smirk.

But then, it's not like you would have had this happen any other way, would ya?

"Amen," she muttered to herself, taking a hold of her shot glass which had been filled for the third time now with some of the best whiskey she could afford.

Her crime, for those that cared to find out what was so desired about Suki, was hacking.

Particularly against really rich, well-off people.

If one wanted to use an old tale, she was pulling a Robin Hood-esque act, except instead of giving money to everyone who needed it, she was keeping it all for herself.

But hey, a girl had to make a living, right?

And this one sure as shit was not about to do so by selling herself, thank you very much.

"Besides," she mumbled, "I'm too good and worth way too much than any of those bastards would be able to pay you."

A small sigh passed her lips as she raised her right hand and ran it through her hair.

"Hmmm .... "

Catching some black strands around her right index finger, she began to twirl it in circles as she thought.

"Probably need to start moving again after this one," she decided, nodding firmly to herself before pressing the glass against her lips once more and swallowing the drink.

" .... One last one. I promise, this one really will be the last glass."

Ignoring the scoffing from the bartender, Suki chuckled softly as she watched her glass get filled up once more before slowly closing her light blue eyes, enjoying the mostly silent tavern. The only noises echoing around her were her heartbeat - which was slightly faster than usual - and some soft, jazz music coming from a barely functioning jukebox.

 

[Casketslinger]

Cain Devilin sat against the hull of his wrecked spaceship, his ass planted firmly in the mud and debris that surrounded the crash sight. He puffed gently on his last cigarette and stared up at the blue Europan sky and damning his bad luck. The bright sun shining down on his blonde hair and scruffy chin hair and illuminating the bright red brush burn on his otherwise handsome cheek. He tied a bandanna around the wound on his head that he'd suffered during the crash. The lower part of him had suffered fewer abrasions thanks to his former ship's safety measures. His shirt was torn and hung down exposing his lean muscular chest on one side, while his black jeans were soiled with mud thanks to the swamp he'd come to a stop in.

Here he was, out one interceptor ship, a crew that had stolen his mothership and abandoned him to die alone on a planet he had no wish of ever setting foot on again and all for a bounty that had ended up being dead end. He'd accepted this bounty over the one he'd actually wanted to go after because his treacherous former partners had out voted him. He was sure they pull an easy payday from nabbing some hacker named Suki Kimura, which would have raked in something like 50 million woolong, but his crew decided that some douche bag rock and roll star with sticky fingers would be the better payoff.

Cain had accepted the bounty and when a he got the lead that the rocker was on Ganymede thanks to a food fetish involving sea rats, he jumped at the chance and flew off to bag the perp. The rocker or more realistically the washed up rocker, Headon Nibfinger had caught wind that the syndicate newest fancy gadget, one that allowed you to alter the wavelengths of your voice in order to make post hypnotic suggestions to listeners and figured it might be just the thing to revitalize his career.

Long story short, Cain managed to grab the gadget but Headon escaped and without the thief the bounty wasn't even half. As he exited Ganymede's orbit thought the real knife in his back was shone to him, a prerecorded message from his crew and their new partner Headon, who'd decided that bounty hunting was more profitable than rocking or rolling for that matter. They informed him Cain that he was now wanted by the syndicate for being in possession of the device and best yet, they'd sabotaged his interceptor's engine. Cain ended up crash landing on Europa and now here he was, stuck and screwed over by the only people he'd trusted.

He stood and started to wipe some of the mud off his ass but in doing so dropped his last smoke, only half gone into the cesspool at his feet. "shit..." He muttered. With no other reason to stay he gathered his things, a twin set of snub nosed .44 revolvers which were tucked into his brown leather shoulder holsters and his red linen jacket which had thankfully come out of the crash without damage and began trudging toward civilization.

Town was baron, since the syndicates had started their take over of many of the major cities people began to move off planet. He'd was only on the outskirts when he saw the rundown pub. It had three scantily clad woman standing outside pressing their wares and Cain approached them.

"Scuse me ladies, I was wondering if I might borrow a credit or two to make a phone call...." Cain started to say but the fat woman in lead cut him off.

"Kick stone slag.....I ain't got no credits fo' you!" She said and her two cronies cackled behind her. Normally Cain was handsome and debonair and woman of this low caliber would be swooning over him, but as he looked down at his current appearance he could understand why they'd shunned him.

"Thanks anyway..." He muttered under his breath and walked into the bar. Cain walked in with is hands up. "Hey I know I look pretty rough right now but I've had a hard day and I don't want to be hassled, I just want a drink." Cain said, seeing only a single black haired woman sitting at the bar and the bartender serving her.

Cain walked up to the bar and sat down next to the pretty girl. "Don't worry, I don't have enough money to proposition you. I just wanna have a drink and then I'll be on my way...." Cain started to say, but as he got a better look at the girl she seemed to look almost familiar to him and his words trailed off. "You look familiar, have we met?"

 

[LadyAthene]

Suki Kimura​

Naturally, she had her own ship which she had also stolen. She had affectionately called it the ISV Orion, as Suki was actually a huge fan of various mythologies. No, it certainly wasn't typical from a woman, let alone a wanted one. But then, Suki wasn't a normal person to begin with.

Hmmm, where to go next? Titan? Or is that too easy to think of? Hmm, might be.

Her fingernails lightly tapped against the surface as she continued to silently contemplate.

Suffice to say, the calm atmosphere of being in a mostly void mindset vanished the moment her ears detected a new, foreign voice.

"Don't worry, I don't have enough money to proposition you. I just wanna have a drink and then I'll be on my way...."

The faintest of smirks spread over her lips as she looked at the rather battered, wounded male. She pulled her trenchcoat slightly, both out of habit and to conceal her own dual 9mm pistols. While killing wasn't her preference, it was something that Suki could do -- if and when needed, of course.

"Sure. Having one of those days, eh? Where everything seems to just laugh and work against ya? I hear you. What do you want? Ask and you shall receive."

Suki was feeling rather generous, as this was definitely not something she tended to do; share or even buy people anything. But there was something ... not bad ... unique? Was that the right word?

Either way, the man was surrounded with an aura of sorts. Even with the risk of this decision biting her in the ass later being a possibility, it was a risk Suki was perfectly fine with taking.

After all, no pain, no gain. That's how you've gotten as far as you have thus far ...

"Yo! Bartender! Whatever he wants! Put it on my bill!"

"You look familiar, have we met?"

Truthfully, that made her face almost pale in color and she had to fight off the urge to avoid choking on her whiskey. Instead, her smirk widened as she giggled softly. "No~ Afraid not. A lot of people - especially guys like you - say. Correct me if I'm wrong but ... you're looking for something, yes? Maybe someone? That's what it feels like and even seems; at least your eyes suggest as much."

With that, Suki went silent, curious to hear the man's response.

Regardless, one thing is for certain. You definitely leave after this drink ...

She'd - not literally but still - programmed her memory with responding to certain phrases. Suffice to say, when people asked if they knew her from somewhere, it tended to mean they were bounty hunters and thus had seen her posters or wanted ads on the few TV shows that still were on the air nowadays.

Of course it'd be your fortune to run into one of them today. Ah well; it's one of the things that's been making your life that much more interesting, I suppose~

 

[Casketslinger]

Cain noticed the subtle shirk into her trenchcoat when he'd asked if he knew her, but after the days events, namely crash landing his Interceptor, his brain was still too scrambled to recognize Suki from the Big Shot television show. The bartender approached but the scowl on his face made Cain wonder how good this young lady's credit actually was, but one should never look a gift-horse in the mouth as they say and so Cain ordered a whiskey on the rocks.

The barkeep moved slowly and it gave Cain time to consider they raven haired girl further. He didn't get too close, mostly because he stank from sitting in mud and then walking in the heat for the last two hours, but there was something there, he was sure about it and getting surer by the second.

"THAT'S IT!!!!" Suddenly Cain called out, his loud voice causing the barkeep to jump a little and almost spill the drink he was pouring. "I've got it now! You're this years centerfold in the Intergalactic Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition! Kelly Kapowski, right? Yeah sure I'd recognize you anywhere, I've spent hours and hours staring at your body. It took me a second because of all the clothing you are wearing now, but those.....eyes are unmistakable." He said, but his gaze was locked on her cleavage. Meanwhile, while his loud outburst was distracting her attention, his hand was slipping into the pocket of his James Dean retro jacket.

"Geez what are you doing slumming in a dump like this?" Cain asked shooting a big cheesy grin on his face while gawking at her. He leaned in, uncomfortably close, purposefully invading her personal space. "Wow oh wow, Say would you mind signing an autograph for me?" He said, and as fast as a flash his hand comes out of his pocket and with a pair of handcuffs, swinging them down at Suki's wrist. Cain was fast, it was what made him a good bounty hunter, he had the enhanced reflexes of known to those soldiers who'd had medical experimentation during the war on Titan.

 

[LadyAthene]

Suki Kimura​

... Oh? No answer?

Suki shrugged, figuring he had his reasons. Each to their own, as the old saying went. It would have no doubt been interesting if he had indulged her and replied whether she'd been correct if he was looking for someone or something. Her instincts were pretty damn good but, alas, they weren't always right. So even though they were screaming the answer was probably yes, Suki had been wrong from time to time.

Still, the longer she sat beside this man, the stronger they were leaning towards 'yes' being the right answer.

Finally, he did indeed give confirmation, albeit in a way she hadn't expected.

"THAT'S IT!!!!"

Oh shit ....

Her ankles tensed up as Suki prepared to break into a run but ... tilted her head instead as he went on to elaborate his answer.

"I've got it now! You're this years centerfold in the Intergalactic Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition! Kelly Kapowski, right? Yeah sure I'd recognize you anywhere, I've spent hours and hours staring at your body. It took me a second because of all the clothing you are wearing now, but those.....eyes are unmistakable."

"Oh ... oh my .... "

Suki raised a hand and covered her mouth as she began to giggle. Both his choice of words and the alcohol made her react in a way that she definitely wouldn't normally do.

But damn it all, it was too good for Suki to maintain a straight face.

"Well then ... I guess you found me out~" she teased, deciding to play along.

"Geez what are you doing slumming in a dump like this?"

"Ohhh ... someone told me Europa was supposed to be an amazing touring spot. But ... maybe that was back then. If I'd known ... hehe .... I definitely wouldn't have come here. Ah well. It has been interesting all the same."

Luckily for her, Suki was also quick. After all, her speed and dexterity were what tended to help her the most against physically stronger and usually taller men; by being able to think ahead of them.

Thus when Cain began to lean in, she chuckled softly and stood up from her seat.

"Unfortunately, I've probably stayed here too long and annoyed the barkeep long enough. I should probably ---- "

As the cuffs came down, Suki jumped back slightly, moving her wrists up so they were parallel to her head for a few seconds before lowering them by her hips.

" --- Take my cue and leave before I get the wrong kind of attention. It was ... fun if not interesting running into. See ya later, sweetie~"

Pivoting around on her feet, Suki began to turn and exit the tavern. She didn't stumble or trip, but it was easy to notice she definitely had sipped more than one shot glass, as every now and again she did walk in a slightly crooked manner.

Not enough to keep her from moving, but definitely enough to imply she was buzzed; yet only that. Certainly not full-fledged drunk, but most definitely not completely sober either.

 

[Casketslinger]

Cain went to reach for his pistol, his first thought was to pull the piece and threaten to pop her in the leg if she didn't get that hot little ass back here right this minute. But as he saw her sway a bit, possibly from alcohol a better idea popped into his head. The small harmonica sized device in his pocket may have cost him his ship and his crew but it might be good for something after all. He'd remembered that the specs on the device said that is wasn't a mind control device, it only issued post hypnotic suggestions. Simple commands worked fine, but if you told someone to kill themselves for instance, they'd have enough will power to resist it. Suki was probably a little buzzed, so that should theoretically work to his favor.

Cain held the small chrome voice modulator up to his mouth just as Suki was at the doors. "Come over here!" He said and heard the his voice distort into something that sounded almost electronic when it came out of the thing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the bartender coming up and turned to see what the hell the guy was doing. The barkeep was trying to climb over the bar toward Cain, a dazed and confused look in his eyes. It was then Cain realized that the device was a point-and-shoot sort of thing, apparently it effected everyone in earshot when a unspecified command was issued.

Cain pulled the device back up to his mouth and this time spoke directly to the old man trying to scale the bar. "No not you barkeep, You go and fetch us a bottle of whiskey....and free of charge." Cain said through the small machine and the bartender stopped his ascension, dropped back to the floor and went to grab a bottle.

"Suki Kimura come here, put these handcuffs on and sit down and join me at the bar for a drink." Cain reissued his command this time directly at Suki. He stood holding the cuffs out in front of him and waiting for her to obey his order. After all with a device like this there was no need for anything other than a casual encounter. He wondered how much fun he could have with such a thing. She had a great looking body, and the thought of forcing her to undress briefly swept through his mind but he pushed it off, wanting to keep things professional, atleast for now.

 

[LadyAthene]

Suki Kimura​

"Come over here!"

At first, Suki did indeed think the words had been directed at her. Because of this, it made her chortle and roll her eyes.

Why the hell do bounty hunters always think that'll fucking work? No one's that dense to listen to such a thing. Geez ...

Yet, as Suki turned to scold Cain for being so stupid, she saw why it sounded like his voice had abruptly changed. Suffice to say, it made her inwardly groan.

.... Really? Really? I pity the idiots whom have fallen prey to that thing.

Being buzzed was one thing; being stupid was another. Suki definitely did not fall under the latter.

... However, she was something that tended to get her in trouble. The infamous personality trait known as .... curious.

It was easy to see and tell that Cain could have gone about this in many other ways. Hell, he probably could have caught up to her with no real troubles. Even if he was a lightweight and couldn't hold his liquor too well, four drinks versus one ... yeah. It was obvious who should be a winner.

Disregarding that, he's armed more likely than not. Yet he's trying to manipulate me instead?

Alright. Even if it may bite her in the ass, Suki would humor him.

Besides, he'd left her a loophole. One that she wouldn't expose until after she took the cuffs.

A sly smirk crossed her face as she obeyed and cuffed her left wrist ... only to do the same with Cain's own left.

"You just said put them on; never said how."

Her grin extended across her face as she placed her right hand into her lap, not wanting to give him enough time to undo the cuffs and put it on both her wrists.

"Now then ... what do you really want? It's not only a drink ... is it?"

Something told Suki the answer was no. It was way too simple and he wouldn't have made her go through the trouble of cuffing herself if that was the case. Suffice to say, Cain seemed to be anything but a simple man.

... Well, she doubted it. But Suki supposed she'd be proven if that was right, wrong, or otherwise soon enough.