Vicious

Little is known about the enigmatic man called Vicious. Details on him and his background are sketchy at best, but what is known gives all who meet him a reason to fear him. Vicious was a radical lieutenant in the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, cold and ruthless, as if his heart and soul had been dead for years. His preferred weapon was a long katana, with which he was extremely adept. They say he invaded enemy strongholds alone, armed with with his katana, and cut down all his enemies. He was also rarely seen without his jet black bird, which was often perched on his shoulder.

Presumably he was taken in at a very young age by a Red Dragon capo named Mao Yenrai, and was raised side-by-side with the man who would be both his best friend and worst enemy- Spike Spiegel. Vicious and Spike grew up together in the Syndicate. They were both obviously being groomed for leadership positions, as they held a lot of power even at a young age, and answered only to Mao. At some unknown point in his life, Vicious became involved in a relationship with a woman named Julia who was also involved in the Syndicate (though once again, the details are sketchy). The relationship did not last long at all, for Julia became involved with Spike also, and the two of them fell in love.

Learning of their tryst, as well as Spike's plan to leave the Red Dragons with Julia, Vicious felt he had been betrayed by the two people he had come most to trust and believe in. Thus, Vicious gave Julia a choice: either she kill Spike, or both she and Spike would die. Vicious even gave Julia his gun to do the deed. Julia chose to run, and Spike disappeared, faking his death. Vicious knew he was alive, but chose to let his revenge wait, as he had other plans. However, he still managed to track both Spike and Julia.

(At some unknown point, Vicious fought in the war on Titan, working as a spy for the other side, and framing another soldier in his unit named Gren by planting the evidence on him- a music box with a transmitter inside (the music box being a memento of Julia)).

Three years later, the Red Dragons were becoming much more moderate, making peace treaties with other Syndicates. On the night Mao signed a peace treaty with [Carlos], a leader from the [White Tiger Syndicate], Vicious blew up Carlos' helicopter and had Mao's throat slit. Knowing that Spike had become a bounty hunter, Vicious put out a fake bounty on Mao for 28 million woolongs for the murder of Carlos, and paid a violinist at the Tharsis Opera House to call the Bebop with a tip on Mao's location. Faye Valentine came to the opera to try and capture Mao, but instead walked into Vicious's trap. He took her to an old church outside the city of Tharsis- the same church where, three years ago, Spike had faked his death. Vicious forced her to call the The Bebop with her location, and orders for when Spike was to arrive. She arrived, and shortly after Vicious and Spike had their long awaited reunion. Vicious explained that Mao had to die because "he was a beast who lost his fangs," and he and Spike fought to a standstill- Vicious with his katana at Spike's chest, and Spike with his gun at Vicious's shoulder. The battle ended in a draw when the two stabbed and shot each other; Vicious threw Spike out the window, and Spike left Vicious a grenade which destroyed the church. However, Vicious survived and was seen again months later.

Taking Mao's position in the Syndicate, Vicious now directly answered to the three elders known as the Van. Gren had contacted Vicious to make a deal to sell the drug Bloody-Eye to the Syndicate. After receiving authorization from the Van to go through with the deal, Vicious and his subordinate Lin headed to the town of the Blue Crow on the moon of Callisto to go through with the deal. While there, Vicious again encountered Spike, but their duel was cut short when Lin tranquilized Spike and they left him lying in the snow. Vicious met with a woman Gren sent to sell the Bloody-Eye, and Vicious left his payment- a suitcase with a bomb in it, as Gren's usefulness to him was over. However, the "woman" turned out to be Gren, and attempted to kill Vicious instead. Lin died taking a bullet for Vicious, and Vicious took the Bloody-Eye and ended up in an aerial dog fight with both Spike and Gren. He shot Gren down, and almost shot Spike down as well, but the bag of Bloody Eye-exploded (the music box that he planted on Gren years ago was in the bag, with a small bomb in it). Though his ship was crippled, Vicious managed to escape back to the Red Dragon mother ship.

Months later, all of Vicious's plans were set to bloom: he'd rule the Red Dragons, and Spike and Julia would soon be dead. Vicious and his subordinates attacked the Van in their chamber, but found that there had been a leak. The Van were waiting for them with enough of their own men to easily overpower Vicious's cell. Vicious warned the Van to kill him now, but the Van wanted him to learn humility. They handcuffed him and had him taken to the Judgement Chamber. He spent a couple of days chained to the wall of the Judgement Chamber, knowing his operatives were still on the move. At last, the time came for his execution, which would have gone swiftly has his pet bird not flown into the Chamber and exploded dropping smoke bombs, and providing enough of a distraction for Vicious's operatives close to the Van to free him. Freed, Vicious finally killed the Van. With them dead, Vicious was now the leader of the Red Dragon Syndicate.

Now, it was Spike and Julia's turn. Vicious's operatives managed to track them down and in a fire fight, Julia was killed. Vicious knew Spike too well: he wouldn't run, and with Julia dead, Spike would come to him. Vicious waited for Spike in the Red Dragon Ceremony Room, katana in hand. Sure enough, Spike came fighting his way through the entire skyscraper to the chamber, bruised and battered but ready for battle. The two began their final duel, Vicious with his katana, against Spike with his Israeli Jericho 941. The two agreed to end it, and and Vicious swung his katana while Spike pulled the trigger. Vicious was killed instantly as the bullet pierced his heart and collapsed on the floor, but not before administering the death blow to Spike as well.