FRAMED - Cowboy Bebop fanfiction

Session 9

"That's the same person."

"No, there's a difference I'm sure."

"Well can you tell the difference because I sure as hell cannot!"

Quinn awoke to the sound of Spike and Faye squabbling yet again. As she slowly came to, she realized she was handcuffed to the very same railing she had been tied to days prior. Had everything just been a dream? It surely felt like it had been. 

Quinn's head was pulsing and her throat felt like it was made of sandpaper. Her body felt like it had been thrown down a flight of stairs and no matter how much air entered her lungs she still didn't feel like she was getting enough oxygen.

"They're both awake now," Faye gestured towards Quinn with a concerned look on her face.

"Both?" Quinn questioned before turning her head to the side. She screamed when she was met with her own face.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Quinn and Mack screamed in unison as they examined each others bodies. 

"Mack what are you trying to pull?" Mack said.

"I'm Quinn, you're Mack what are YOU trying to pull?" Quinn retort angrily as she tried to yank her hands away from the railing.

"This may be a problem," Spike scratched the back of his head while he examined the identical Quinn's.

"Didn't you mention the device is a mask?" Faye asked to which both Mack and Quinn replied.

"Yes."

"Would you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop pretending you're me!"

"I'm me, you're the one whos pretending!"

"ENOUGH!" Spike suddenly demanded causing Quinn and Mack to shut their mouths. Quinn had never heard Spike be so aggressive before, and for some odd reason she kind of liked it.

"Give me a break," he sighed as he grabbed his gun from his holster. Spike looked rough. His collar was lopsided, his shirt was half buttoned and his jacket was off and hanging from the side of his shoulder. Clearly he had been having a worse time than Quinn.

"As cliché as this is," Spike groaned as he pointed the gun in the direction of the two girls.

"The real Quinn is going to have to convince me that she's the real Quinn," Spike frowned as he moved his gun between Mack's, and Quinn's head.

Mack flinched as she got in Spike's line of fire. Quinn was able to pick up on this detail, but it was clear that Spike did not. She wished he was a little more observant, but to be fair in a situation like this she couldn't really blame him for not noticing such a miniscule reaction.

"There's got to be a better way of doing this," Quinn mentioned as Spike moved his gun back in her direction. She barely reacted when the barrel pointed towards her head. 

She didn't entirely know if she had one hundred percent gotten used to the feeling of having a gun drawn on her (usually she felt some sort of emotion), or if it was because she trusted Spike's judgment enough not to shoot her. Regardless, she hoped this would be something he took into consideration.

"I agree," Mack contested as the Spike moved his gun back to her. She flinched again. Quinn almost rolled her eyes when she felt Mack tense beside her. The girl could sure dish it out when she needed to, but boy was she a mess when she received the same treatment back.

"Where did we meet?" Spike asked, and once again the girl's answered in unison.

"A bar," they replied.

"Lucky guess," Quinn snarled as Mack gave her a dirty look.

"What ship do you fly?"

The girls answered in unison. Was Spike seriously that dense? Mack had known Quinn for years, how could she not know what kind of ship she flew? Even if she didn't, it was quite literally right in front of her when she came to kidnap Quinn.  

"What's your middle name?"

The girls answered in unison. That confirmed Quinn's suspicions. He was an idiot. 

"Please ask something more personal," Faye suggested, as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I've only known her for two days," Spike admit, and to be fair, that did make this process a little harder. Mack had known Quinn since she was 13. Her knowledge of Quinn was far greater than Spikes, but still, this man was as clever as they came, surely he was better than this. 

"I know nothing more than what I've asked," he added, but Quinn gave him a look of distress.  Why wasn't he mentioning the talk they had last night? Why wasn't he asking all those poetic questions he had brought up in the corridor? God, why didn't he mention the magazine? 

Quinn didn't know why he wasn't asking, but she assumed it was because he was too embarrassed to present that side of him in front of a group of people. Even in front of a crowd this was her life on the line! Couldn't he drop his bad boy persona for one second? 

"Why was I upset last night?" Quinn suddenly asked, but Mack answered before Spike could.

"You made out with Mack and I was jealous," Mack cut in. Of course she'd say such a thing.  Mack knew exactly what it took to make her upset, and she took every opportunity she had to push Quinn's buttons. 

"Jealous?" Quinn chuckled sarcastically. 

"Don't flatter yourself," she added, and Spike immediately shot Mack in the leg.

She screamed, and as her body lurched forwards in pain. The sudden movement caused the mask to detached from her face and her façade was suddenly no longer in place.

"Oh my god," Quinn sighed in relief as Spike came over to uncuff her from the railing.

"You fucking shot me!" Mack exclaimed through tears as she watched the blood pour from her leg. Faye stood dumbfounded as she watched Quinn's double quickly morph back into her real self.

As soon as Quinn was free, she picked up the mask and tucked it in her pocket.

"I'm happy to have this back," she chuckled, but suddenly her vision began to blur.

"Spike..." her voice trailed off.

"Maybe I stood up too f-fast..." she stuttered, and again she was out cold.