Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Unveiled Emotions ❯ A Warrior Dies ( Chapter 6 )

Vicious paused for a second and gazed down at Rei. Had there been no purpose in their unexpected reunion? Had he actually grown to care for someone other than himself and his self-interests? Did he want to lose that? He frowned as Stinger used the opportunity to drop back to the ground.

"God, he's got a temper," Stinger commented as he brushed himself off.

"I've tried, Vicious. I really have. I can deal with the way you are but jealousy moves your decision to kill him. I remembered everything and I grabbed onto the first thing I could for support and that was him. He was only trying to help and you fault him for that?" Rei asked.

"You know how I feel but that bastard has taken entirely too many liberties," Vicious replied.

"It's my nature. Also if you kill me now, you're screwing your operation up," Stinger said and Vicious gazed coldly at him. He raised his hand and sharply dropped it. Stinger's ears twitched as he heard the fluttering of feathers from the bird. Rei covered her slightly pointed ears in an attempt to drown out the thoughts.

She now knew why Vicious had taken her in the beginning. He had wanted to use her and kill her when her usefulness had run out. She knew that such a plan was not new to him but why had he allowed himself to take liberties with her? Had it been a tactic designed simply to gain her trust?

Someone grabbed her and she screamed as she felt claws dig into her neck. She glanced at Stinger, whose eyes were filled with an emotion she did not recognize.

"All right, Vicious. If you kill me, then I'm taking her with me," he hissed and Vicious' gaze darkened.

"Damn you," he growled as he signaled to his bird. The bird reluctantly stopped its attack and flew off to a tree to sulk.

"Have you gone insane? Let me go," Rei demanded.

"You tell me. You can hear my thoughts," Stinger said. "I told him not to push me."

"What do expect to gain from this?"

"Perhaps not a damned thing but it'll most definitely lengthen my life."

"Give her to me," Vicious said and Stinger bared his fangs.

"I'm not stupid. If I let her go, I'm a dead man," Stinger said.

"You keep her, you're a dead man."

"Perhaps, but you're not as likely to make a move because I hold her."

"I should have let the Black Wolves kill you."

"I told you not to make me bare my claws. You just had to provoke me, didn't you?"

"I don't care how you take my actions. You're just supposed to accept it."

"You can accept this as well."

Stinger picked Rei up and leapt to the top of a tree. He walked onto a tree branch that was nearest to the iron gate surrounding the house and took a flying leap. Rei screamed as they both dropped onto the ground on the other side of the fence. Stinger quickly regained his balance then started to run.

He stopped suddenly when Vicious appeared in front of him and glanced down at the metal sticking into his flesh.

"You've been out maneuvered. I wonder if I should cut off your head and mount it on my wall as an ornament."

"Bastard."

"You had plenty of chances to leave, yet you chose not to take them. You willingly endangered yourself by staying here."

"Yeah. Blame it on me. She'd be a lot worse off if it wasn't for me."

"Would you shut up and die or do I need to dice you like a piece of meat?"

"Why should I give you any extra satisfaction?"