Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ And So Shall Darkness Fall ❯ Lies and Betrayal ( Chapter 5 )

Part Five-Lies and Betrayal

Jenny-"Ooooh, Psych is a liar!!"
Kelly-"Jenny! Shutup! You're ruining it for everyone!."
Jenny-"Gee wiz, I sure am sorry."
Kelly-"Why are you talking like the Beave?"
Jenny-"You know what? I have no idea."
Kelly-"Ok, now you're just freaking me out. I'm so outta here. Enjoy the fic, folks."
Jenny-"Wait up! Come on Kelly! I said I was sorry..."
******

Meanwhile, back at the jail cell...

"Ya know Psych, this shit is uncommonly boring. And how are we gonna get out of being stretched?"

Psych looked around uncomfortably. "I dunno. We'll find a way, I suppose. Don't we always?"

"True," Sight replied, then started studying her fingernails. "I need a manicure..."

"Excuse me?"

Before Sight could respond, the sheriff came up to the cell. "Well, ladies, your executions are scheduled for dawn tomorrow. Or I suppose this morning. Anyways, what do you want done with your weapons? Should we melt 'em down for scrap, or sell to some homeless bum?"

Psych looked at the sheriff evilly. "It's not like we can't get new guns, ass."

Sight nodded. "If you melt down my lancer, I will personally remove all your fingers from beyond the grave. If, of course, you actually manage to kill us."

The sheriff swallowed. "We'll see," he snapped, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Psych shouted. "You can't kill us! I was only doing my job. Listen, I'm the sheriff of October, and my name is Aeya Sutherwind. I've been tracking an outlaw, and she's my partner. Check my coat if you want, my ID is in there and everything."

"You expect me to believe that? I think not!" The sheriff stalked out.

Psych let out a breath and sat down on the cot next to Sight.

"Well, it was a good try. Where'd you get that name from anyways? You couldn't have just pulled something like that out of your ass. Who is she?" Sight asked.

"Ummm, she's me. That's my real name."

"Really. Hehe, and I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that you really are the sheriff from October, and that you are really tracking an outlaw."

Psych didn't answer.

"Um, Psych?"

Still no answer.

"I don't fucking believe this shit. You were serious?!"

"Sight, it's not what you think! I never meant for this to happen!"

"You were using me. An outlaw to catch an outlaw, eh? Who? Nevermind, I don't goddamn want to know. Let me get this shit straight. When we met each other, you damn well knew what I was?" Psych nodded. "Ok, and you still became friends with me? Or is that a lie too?"

"Sight, I swear it's not like that. I'm looking for someone, and I hoped you could help me find him. Yes, I knew that you were an assassin, but that didn't matter to me. I just needed your help. We're still friends."

"Oh no. No we ain't," said Sight, shaking her head quickly. "First you fucking well tried to kill me in Inepril, and now you're a goddamn sheriff? Sorry, Psycho, or should I say Aeya? You are on your own."

"Sight--"

"Don't talk to me. You're fucking lucky that we're in jail right now, or so help me, I'd so kill your lyin' ass. Unbe-fucking-lievable."

The sheriff of Mei City had been listening to the conversation the whole time, and was kind of shocked to hear that Psych was actually a sheriff herself. Still, that didn't excuse her from killing a pile of innocent people. He was going to enjoy stretching her neck. Not as much as he was going to enjoy watching the other one die, but it would still be sweet.

Sight lay on the cot, brooding. Every so often, she would glance to the floor where Psych was lying. Sight had been very angry and hurt that someone she considered her best friend would betray her like that. But that wasn't the reason she exploded. She knew damn well that the Mei City sheriff had been listening, and had put on that little show for his benefit. Sight was kind of sorry to lead Psych on like this, but this made them even.

The next morning, the whole town it seemed gathered around the gallows to watch the lynching. Vash and Wolfwood were standing nearby, ready to put thier plan into action.

The sheriff led Psych and Sight out of the cell and into the town. Sight was first in line, and Psych was right behind her. A small grin played around the corners of her mouth as she thought about her escape plan. She started to hum "Taps", and got a slap upside the head for her troubles.

"Kiss ass, ass," Sight spat at the sheriff, who pushed her roughly up to the gallows. He bound her hands behind her, and slipped the noose around her neck. Then it was Psych's turn. As Psych was maneuvered into the right position, she caught Sight's eye.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, resigned to her fate.

Sight smiled. "Psshh. Nonsense," she said, and let her legs go out from under her. Since the noose hadn't been tightened yet, her head slipped easily through the hole.

Vash and Wolfwood saw Sight go down. That shot their plans to hell, but they moved in anyways, kicking and punching anyone who got in their way. Vash ran up to Psych and cut her loose, while Wolfwood untied Sight's hands.

During the commotion, Milly and Meryl acted out their part of the original plan by stealing back the women's weapons.

Milly used her stun gun to clear a path into the police station. Meryl backed her up, waving her derringers around threateningly.

"I can't believe those two idiots talked me into this," muttered Meryl, following Milly farther into the police station, "I'm just as bad as those two women now."

Milly ignored her and broke into the sheriff's office, "Grab their guns Meryl," she ordered, "I'll get their coats."

Meryl was stunned by Milly's behavior, "Boy Milly, I never thought that you, of all people, could be so full of authority."

"This is no time to play around Meryl," she said seriously, "Mr. Vash and Mr. Priest are counting on us to pull through for those two women."

Meryl sighed and grabbed the weapons, "You're right. But if the chief ever finds out about this, we'll lose our jobs for sure." She followed Milly from the building, just in time to see Wolfwood and Vash causing a riot in the center of town.

Wolfwood busted out with his cross and started to shoot anything and everything.

"Hey pal!" cried Vash, seeing how careless he was being, "Don't kill anyone!"

"Don't worry," he replied, not even looking at Vash, "No one's going to die. At least, I sure hope not. Heh, the Lord works in mysterious ways I guess."

Psych was in shock. It was those same guys that they had met in December. Why the hell were they helping them? And why were they so heavily armed? Red coat? Blonde hair? Could it be that he's Vash the Stampede? She looked around for Sight in the crowd of confused people. She spotted her chasing down the sheriff, her lance gun at hand. How did she get her stuff back and now that she had her gun, would she try to kill her?

"There you are," breathed Milly, stopping in front of Psych, who was even more surprised now, "You sure are hard to find. Here."

"What's that?" asked Psych, taking the pile of things that Milly and Meryl handed her.

"Why your guns and belongings of course," snorted Meryl, looking not at all happy, "Now c'mon, let's get the hell out of here. I've broken enough laws for one day."

"You guys all right?" called Vash, decking a police officer. He noticed that Psych was fully armed again and shot the two insurance girls a thumbs up, Vash style, "Hey, way to go Meryl and Milly! I knew I could count on you two!" he said, followed by a stream of his most raucous laughter

Meryl blushed but then put her most peeved face on, "Will you and Wolfwood stopped messing around already? I swear to God, you two are worthless! Let's go Milly."

"Yes Meryl," replied Milly, following her in the opposite direction of the chaos. Milly glanced behind her and saw that Psych looked very unsure of what she should do, "Are you coming with us, Ms. Outlaw?"

"I, uhhh," Psych plopped her hat on her head and put her coat on quickly, "I guess I have no choice." She ran after them, momentarily looking back for a glimpse of Sight, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your friend?" questioned Meryl, darting into an alleyway, "You two looked pretty much inseparable."

"We're goin' through some tough times," replied Psych, "Don't worry 'bout us, we're still friends ...I think."

"Gee, you must have done something terrible to her..."

"Milly! You really should mind your own business," reprimanded Meryl, "I'm sure she doesn't want someone like you nosing into her private life."

Milly put her head down, "Sorry."

"No," said Psych, giving Milly a smile, "It's ok. I'm just grateful for your help. May I ask why you helped anyways?"

Meryl stopped running and leaned, out of breath, against a wall. "Actually, it was Vash and Wolfwood's idea. Which reminds me, where the hell did they go?"

"Them women went this way!" cried a voice, followed by numerous agreements.

"Oh crap," said Psych, drawing her guns, "They found us. You two get outta here, I'll hold'em off."

Milly and Meryl looked at each other, "I'm afraid we can't do that," explained Meryl, "As employees of the Bernardelli Insurance Society it's our duty to keep an eye on you. You're just as reckless as Vash, and the last thing that we want is unnecessary destruction of public property."

"Right Meryl!" agreed Milly, getting her stun gun ready.

Psych grinned, "Aww, are you trying to say that you care?"

"I....uh," Meryl stammered, "Of course not, we're just doing our job."

"Besides Sheriff," added Milly, "It's also our duty as civilians to help you out, right?"

Psych cocked her head in Milly's direction.

"Sheriff?! Just be quiet Milly, you're embarrassing me," cried Meryl, "Brace yourselves, here they come!"

"There they are! Shoot them dead!" yelled an officer, pulling his gun out.

Psych fired at the wall in the alleyway, the bullet ricocheted and knocked the gun from his hand. Another man tried to rush them but Milly fired her stun gun, taking out not only him, but also the entire wall of a nearby house.

"Oopsie," she said guiltily, turning around to look at her friend, "Meryl? Will we get in trouble for that?"

"Not now Milly!" cried Meryl, firing her derringer's madly.

Psych was pretty impressed. These two weren't your regular, friendly, neighborhood insurance girls. "Heh, you gals are pretty good," said Psych, standing back and lighting a cigarette, "But you know what?" she took a deep drag, "I'm still better." Psych fired her gun into the air several times, taking out all their attackers immediately. She blew the smoke from her guns and put them away with one flick of her wrist. Milly and Meryl stood by, jaws on the ground, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"How'd you do that?" asked Milly, "You didn't even aim at them!"

"I don't aim," replied Psych, "I ricochet, hence my name, Psychout the Ricochet."

"I heard gunfire over there," said a voice.

"Yeah so? I also hear gunfire over there, and over there, and even over there," replied another voice.

"Where'd they run off to anyways?"

"Hell if I know."

"Well, you're the priest. Ask God for some help or something."

"God isn't a damn genie, Vash. He doesn't randomly pop up and grant wishes."

"What exactly does He do then?"

"This is hardly the place to be discussing religion."

"Fine. MILLY! MERYL! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Will you keep it down you moron? We finally lost those cops and you're just going to lead them back to us again."

"Do you have a better idea then?"

"......no."

"Will you both please shut up?!" whispered Meryl, peeking around the alley's corner, "We're over here."

"Praise the Lord," sighed Wolfwood, hurrying over with Vash behind him, "I'm so relieved. We thought you all got captured." He noticed Psych standing next to Milly, "So, where's your friend? It's kind of rude of her to just take off and not thank us for the help."

"She isn't with you?" Psych was starting to get worried. She thought that Sight would have come to find her already, "Didn't you see her anywhere?"

"No," said Vash, "She just took off."

"Well, enough with the chit chat," interrupted Meryl, tapping her foot impatiently, "We're all now wanted criminals. We'd best get out of this town ASAP."

Wolfwood nodded, "Meryl's right, for once. We'll have plenty of time later for introductions. C'mon, I know somewhere we can hide out for awhile, just until things die down a little bit." He started cautiously down the street. Everyone but Psych followed.

"Aren't you coming?" called Vash, "You're in danger if you stay here."

Psych shook her head, "I can't. I gotta find Sight. Thanks again." She waved and then took off in the opposite direction, back towards the center of town.

Wolfwood sighed, "Talk about bad-manners. We risk our necks for those two and this is the way they repay us? Whoever said that being a Priest has its rewards anyways?"

Vash put a friendly arm around Wolfwood's shoulder, grinning, "Like you once told me, 'believers will be redeemed in the end'."

Wolfwood growled incoherently, but followed the others out of town, then led them all to a raggedy shack.

Meryl looked around and sniffed. "Ew. Crack a window or something. This place smells like mothballs."

"Hey. Beggars can't be choosers. Besides, we won't be here for very long, just until it's safe to walk the streets," said Wolfwood, and sat down on a dusty couch.

"Ummm, Wolfwood, do you have anything to eat around here? I'm getting kinda hungry."

"Vash, I don't think you're going to fade away any time soon, so will you just relax?" Meryl said, sitting down on the cleanest part of the floor.

Meanwhile...

Sight stood over the now deceased sheriff of Mei city and wiped her forehead with a dirty hand.

"That was a little harder than I thought it'd be," Sight said, hobbling away. The sheriff had managed to shoot her in the right leg, just below her knee.

A few minutes later, Psych came upon the dead sheriff, and also saw the bloody trail leading away from his body. "Sight," she said, and followed the trail.

The trail led to, surprise surprise, a bar. Psych spotted her partner seated at one of the stools, totally ignoring her injured leg.

"Hey, hey! Bartender, let me have another, m'kay?" The bartender was not about to argue.

"You can have all you want, missy, just don't hurt anyone," the bartender said fearfully. "Ummm, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but it looks like you've been shot."

Sight looked down at her leg. "So it does, so it does. Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'bloody mary' doesn't it? Eh, isn't the first time, certainly won't be the last, and I don't care. Where's my liquor?"

Psych made her decision and sat down next to Sight, who pretended she wasn't there at first.

"I'll have a ginger ale," Psych said, noticing the bartender get even paler. Sight looked over at her.

"Yo, how's it goin'? How're the kids? Life treatin' ya well? Boy, you look good. The years have been kind, eh?"

Psych was surprised, and a little nervous that Sight was being so nice.

"You bitch," Sight snapped, sweeping her arms over the bar top and clearing all the drinks from it. The few people that had been brave enough to be there in the first place headed for the door. The bartender ducked behind the counter. Sight stood up, still ignoring her leg.

Psych also got to her feet. She was used to Sight's mood swings. "I think you've had a bit too much excitement and too much to drink for one day. Whaddya say we go find a hotel?"

"Too much to drink? Me? I think not. And whaddya say you shaddup!" Sight wavered on her feet and blinked her eyes rapidly. "You know what else? I think ...think I'm sick," she slurred, and then proceeded to empty her stomach all over Psych's boots.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, 'm not done yet. 'm leg hurts like hell, and you're a bitch!"

"Yeah, you said that already. Come on, let's get out of here," said Psych, trying to get one of Sight's arms over her shoulder. Sight pulled away roughly, sending herself ass over head into a table. She lay there, breathing heavily and trying to stop seeing double. "S'kinda funny. I think I see two traitors..."

"Yeah, shut up," said Psych, flipping Sight over her shoulder and carrying her out of the bar, "Why do you always hafta do this to yourself?"

Sight opened one eye slowly, "Why do you hafta be a bitch?"

"Ok, I think we've established that I'm a lousy, no good, lying bitch," said Psych, "You know I never meant any of this to happen, right? I've gotten quite accustomed to my outlaw ways. It's been many years since I left October."

Sight was already passed out though. Psych sighed and started walking in the direction of the desert.

"Leaving so soon?" called a voice.

Psych turned her head and saw Wolfwood walking towards her, massive cross at hand. He glanced at the limp form on her shoulder, "That your friend?"

"I sure hope so," Psych snorted, "I don't go carrying around random drunken people covered in blood and vomit. It ain't somethin' I enjoy doin'."

"Well, c'mon," he said, "I got a place you two can stay for awhile. I just pray that when your angry friend there wakes up, she doesn't decide to go on a shooting spree with us in the room."

"I can't promise you anything, preacher," Psych replied, following him, "She's still pretty pissed at me. Called me a bitch several times."

"So, what'd you do to her?" he asked, while they walked towards the shack in the distance, "Must have been something pretty rotten."

"Why don't you mind your own damn business? I have a few things I wanna ask you too, but you don't see me being nosy."

"Like what kinds of things?"

"For instance, what in the hell kind of priest are you?" she asked.

Wolfwood was silent for a moment, "A damn good one."

"Good answer," she said sarcastically.

Wolfwood suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at Sight, his eyes full of hate.

"Hey, what's the problem?" she asked, a confused look on her face, "Why are ya stopping here?"

Wolfwood didn't answer. Instead, he stood his cross up and flipped one of the buckles, sending the cloth covering fluttering to the ground. Psych exhaled sharply when he hit another button, releasing the deadly weapons inside. He picked up two guns and cocked them, then aimed them at Psych's head.

"What the hell? Are you insane??" she yelled, backing up. There was nothing she could do to protect herself, Sight's weight holding her back from grabbing her own guns. "Look, I was just joking around with you before! No need to kill me!"

He smiled evilly, and fired one of the guns.