057 Spy

[jammin_with_ed]

Who: Ed and Spike
What: A BOUNTY (or so Spike thinks)
When: Tuesday
Where: Spike's place and probably moving to around the castle
Rating: PG-13 at most

Edward burst through Spike's door without any thought to knocking, privacy or, well, anything really. Tomato was balanced precariously on her head as she threw the door open and looked around, "Spiiiiiiiiiike! Spikey Spikey Spike Spike!"

No response. She frowned, taking a more proper look at the room. "Not here?" With a sigh she shuts the door and start searching for her wayward crew mate and friend. She checked all the likely places - the kitchen, the couches in the lobby, even the garage. After an hour of fruitless searching she remembered that he had moved into the town and she wasted no time in racing out the castle doors and downtown.

She bounced up and down the main street, computer still inexplicably balanced on her head as she goes. Finally she spotted her prey sprawled on a bench. With a wicked grin she dropped to the ground, slithering behind the bench. She popped up, grinning over the back at him, "Spiiiiiiiike!!"

Comments

[gottaknockhard]

Spike wasn't usually the best at checking in. The last month or two was a blur, not to mention moderately traumatizing, and he couldn't seem to focus on any of it. He overloaded and shut down; or tried to. Mostly all that time spent avoiding everything had resulted in too much introspection, which wasn't healthy for anyone. It was also what he was in the middle of while he was smoking on his reclaimed bench.

So Ed suddenly tracking him down and jumping out of nowhere managed to surprise him. He opened his eyes and looked back up at her with a blank expression. "...What's up?"

[jammin_with_ed]

Edward knew Spike had been in a funk for a while, now. He wasn't his usual... uh... well he was sort of his usual self but he was being his usual self in a way that was a lot less like his usual self and more like someone else like Spike who was kind of mopey and preoccupied with other stuff. So she came up with the most amazing plan in the history of amazing plans to help Spike!

She hopped from foot to foot, Tomato bouncing on her head, "Spike! Spiiiiiiiii~iiiike! Edward has a bounty for yooouuuuu!" She stopped bouncing and crouched to peek over the back of the bench, eyes wide as she stared at him. "Some mysterious criminal has stolen Edward's scooter!"

[gottaknockhard]

This was unusual. Spike must have still been lost in his thoughts, because he wasn't quite sure he heard her right. When was the last time anyone had come to him about a bounty? He lowered his cigarette and considered the possibility.

"A bounty, huh?" Maybe she was playing a game. That wasn't as uncommon. He sort of owed it to her to humor her, whether he was in the mood or not. "What is it?"

[jammin_with_ed]

Edward frowned, bouncing up and down. Silly, Spike, weren't you listening?! "Someone took Edward's scooter! It's miiiissiiiiing!!"

She hits a key and Tomato's screen flickers on, showing a picture of the scooter in question. See, Spike? No game, here. Nope. Not at aaaaaaaall.

[gottaknockhard]

Spike forced a brief grin. He'd meant how much was the bounty for, but he realized that was probably a stupid question if Ed was the one who put it out.

Sometimes he really forgot where he was. Old reflex.

"Can't just wish for a new one?"

[jammin_with_ed]

Ed shakes her head, Tomato shaking from side to side with it. Her eyes soften and she actually looks a little sad.

"No... Edward got it for Christmas Edward's first year at Disa-Disa. Edward didn't wish for it..."

See, Spike? It's importaaaaaaant!

[gottaknockhard]

He frowned, doing his best to look annoyed when she started giving him that story. Obviously crying had no effect on him, he was only motivated by... some kind of compensation. Ed really picked the wrong guy to come to.

"You know who took it?" Just asking for the sake of conversation. He didn't have anything better to do at the moment.

[jammin_with_ed]

She shook her head, "If Edward knew that Edward wouldn't be asking Spikey-Spike for help!" Duuuuhhhh. Geez, Spike, you'd think she didn't think this through or something.

Bobbing from foot to foot she smiles, "If Spike helps Edward catch Edward's bounty Edward will give Spike a big rewaaaaa~aaaaard!" The screen changes to say 10.000 caisos. What? It worked last time, didn't it?

[gottaknockhard]

Spike bent to read the screen. Like he was even considering this. Although that she went so far as to make up a reward made the whole thing weirdly nostalgic. "Ten-thousand caisos? You've been holding out on me, Ed."

He was careful not to agree, still keeping things conversational. "When did you lose it?"

[jammin_with_ed]

Heee. Success! She knew it would work! She remembered using it once before... though for the life of her she couldn't remember why she'd used it to track someone... oh well. She grinned, "Edward doesn't buy things. Edward just wishes!"

Where did she lose it? That was a silly question. "Edward didn't looooooose it! Someone stole it!" Silly Spike. She tapped her cheek with one finger, thinking, "Edward had it in Edward's roooom. Then Edward took it outside. But Edward stopped to see Arshi and when Edward came out again it was gooooooooooone!"

[gottaknockhard]

"Arshi?" He hadn't been keeping up with Ed's friends, or most of the people in the castle, but that was usually the place to start with these things.

He still wasn't convinced that it was stolen, or that it wasn't just the castle messing with her. Yet he was still asking questions, so that spoke to how desperate he was for a distraction.

[jammin_with_ed]

"Uh-huh. Arshi is Edward's arachnisheep! Edward met him when Edward went on the expedition two years ago."

She smiles. She has bittersweet memories from that expedition. You know, with the near kidnapping and getting covered with blood... and scaring Faye coming back covered in blood. Yeah. Good times.

[gottaknockhard]

That answer didn't make a lot of sense to him, other than it was some kind of pet. So probably not the one that stole it. More than likely.

"Maybe the castle took it back."

[jammin_with_ed]

Only Spike would blame a sheep for stealing a scooter. Silly Spike, how would Arshi fit?!

She frowned, shaking her head. "Edward doesn't think Disa-Disa does that. Edward's scooter was still here when Edward came back from Paris. Edward found it in the garage."

[gottaknockhard]

Can't trust an animal with anything. Maybe the sheep ate it. Especially if it was some weird alien-sheep. Spike wouldn't be surprised at all.

"Didn't think to put a tracker or anything on it?" He was still trying to take the lazy way out, but who could blame him? His enthusiasm is so fickle.