Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ And So Shall Darkness Fall ❯ Fragile Bonds ( Chapter 7 )

Part Seven: Fragile Bonds

Jenny- I believe that this is my favorite chapter to date.
Kelly- Psych and Sight have absolutely no morals.
Jenny- Of all places to rob, a damn church. ::shakes head sadly::
Kelly- Plah plah!
Jenny- What as that all about?
Kelly- I'm running out of things to say dammit. Give me a break here!
Jenny- You? Run out of things to say? Wow. I never thought the day would come….
Kelly- ::points:: Look! Wolfwood naked as the day he was first priested!!
Jenny- Where? Where?!
Kelly- Sucker.
******

Psych slowly opened the shack's door, making sure she didn't wake anyone. She tiptoed in the direction of where she thought her bed was. She stepped over a lumpy object, and much to her surprise it cracked and then groaned. "What in the--?"

"My damn back! Jesus!"

"Mr. Priest?! What happened to not taking the Lord's name in vain?"

"Went out the goddamn window! Someone stepped on my back!"

"Hey, I'm so sorry," apologized Psych, backing up and crushing Meryl's hand and then Milly's leg, "Oops, don't mind me, terribly sorry. Pardon me, pardon me, sorry about that foot. Isn't there any damn light in this fucking shanty?! Whoaaaaa!!" Psych fell backwards, arms flapping in the air wildly for balance. She landed on something hard and metal. "What's this shit? My ass!" She used a free hand to grope the strange object.

"Don't touch it! Don't touch it!!" yelled Wolfwood, but he was too late.

"Hey, I found a switch. Maybe it's a light," Psych said, flipping it at the same moment. It started to vibrate underneath Psych and she looked wildly around the dark room for help, "Whhhhaaatt iiissss hhhaaaaappennninggggg?"

"For the love of God, get outta here!" Wolfwood yelled, tearing out of the shack. Milly and Meryl followed, fighting Vash for possession of the exit. Psych blinked. "What the hell is going on?" <Oh hello. We have liftoff!> She jumped off and dived headfirst from the shack just as a huge boom shook the ground. The shack went up in flames, and pieces. Lumber showered down on the cranky people as they watched their only shelter burn to a crisp.

"Wonderful," said Meryl, clapping Psych's back.

"Wow, that sure was a big explosion," giggled Milly. Everyone gave her an evil look, "What did I say?"

"There goes our only place to stay," sighed Wolfwood, plopping down onto the sand, "Wait, MY CROSS!!! OOOOHH SHIT!!!!" He pulled at his hair and jumped up and danced an angry jig.

Psych rubbed the back of her head and smiled, "Gee, I'm so sorry. Where's Sight?"

"Here," a hand waved around from underneath a pile of debris, "Ouuuch. Little help? Boy, if I wasn't fucked up before I sure as hell am now. What the hell did you do Psych?"

Psych started to pull the still burning boards from her friend's mangled body, "Gee, I'm sorry again."

"What the hell are we going to do now?" hollered Wolfwood, "You two are nothing but trouble!"

"You're the damn priest!" yelled Sight, "Get to consoling!"

"I ain't that kind of priest!" he yelled back, getting nose to nose with Sight, who fell down.

"Ooof," she said, "Damn, those things are lethal. Damn cactus." She gestured to his unshaven chin, "One word for you: Gillette."

He turned away, offended, "I'll have you know that some women think my chin hair is sexy."

"Cheap whores think anything's sexy, if the price is right," retorted Sight, getting to her feet, "And why don't you lay offa us?"

"Me? Lay off of you?" cried Wolfwood, turning red, "Why don't you lay off of my chin hairs!"

"This is stupid," commented Psych.

"You shut up!" Wolfwood and Sight said in unison.

"This is your fault!" Wolfwood pointed at Psych, "Clumsy ass reject of an outlaw!"

"Reject?!" screamed Psych, starting towards him while rolling her sleeves up, "Say that to my face you lame excuse for a preacher!"

"I will then!" he stomped towards her, steam pouring from his ears, "You are going to hell for insulting a man of God!"

Psych rolled her eyes, "Oh my Satan, I'm crushed," she said dryly.

Meryl jumped between the two, "C'mon! Stop this nonsense already! Everyone is tired, and cranky, and..."

"Unholy," interrupted Psych, looking at Wolfwood.

"Why you!!" he stepped in front of her like he was going to do something, but then threw his hands up in disgust, "Goddamn! I can't hit a woman, no matter how unwomanly she is!"

"I can hit a man though," Psych decked him, as hard as she could.

"Enough!" cried Vash, flinging Psych roughly aside, "Are you all insane? Stop this mindless violence! We're never going to solve anything with this childish behavior."

Psych growled at Wolfwood and he growled back, from the corner of his split lip.

"Okay, where are we going to sleep tonight? My leg is really killin' me. Seriously. I think it's getting gangrenous. Why don't we just go into town and hide in an inn or something."

Everyone looked at her.

"What? Okay, okay, bad idea. Anyone else?"

"Why don't we walk to another town?" Milly asked.

"Good thinking Milly! That way we can get seen by whoever passes us and get dehydrated in the desert!" said Meryl.

"Really? You think it's a good idea?"

"Never mind. Wait, I think I've got it! We can hide in a church! Wolfwood's a priest; he should be able to get us in no problem!" Meryl said.

"There's a priest here? Holy shit, where?" Psych asked, looking around. "All I see is a broom haired blonde guy, a giant woman, a short woman, a bleeding woman, and some unshaven mongrel."

"Hey, I'm not blonde!" Wolfwood shouted. Vash looked at him all crazy.

"She means you're the unshaven mongrel, Wolfwood," Vash said.

"Shut up," Wolfwood snapped. "Why is everyone picking on me? Why Lord? Why?"

"He doesn't answer under qualified wannabe priests," Psych said.

Before Wolfwood could respond, Sight hobbled between them. "Look'ere. I'm getting real tired of hearing you two bicker. Either shut up, or go somewhere else. I have a bullet lodged somewhere in my leg, and I have a headache. Enough."

Psych stuck her tongue out at Sight, and turned her back on Wolfwood. "You can't tell me what to do. I'll tease the bastard all I want."

"Bastard??" Wolfwood cried, turning around, "Just who the hell do you think you are anyways? You know what? We saved your useless hides so you can get lost now. I don't need this kind of aggravation right now; I have enough problems of my own."

Psych snorted, "Problems eh? You got problems? Well excuuuuuse me! I'm sorry to disturb you since you're the only one with issues here. I forgot that you were being hunted down by every lawman from here to December. I also forgot that you were the one that got a hole blasted in your leg. Oh wait, that wasn't you at all. It was me and Sight, ya ass."

"Can we please get going?" asked Meryl impatiently, "It's almost dawn and we gotta get outta here before someone sees us. Wolfwood, where's your cross?"

"It blowed up reeeeal damn good!" laughed Sight. She slapped her thighs and screamed, "Yeeeeeee haw!" right in the grouchy priest's face, "Ow! My damn leg! It was worth it though! Yeeee haw!"

"Hey Wolfwood! I found your cross!" called Vash, who was digging in the pile of shanty scattered everywhere, "It's a little dented…and melted…but still good."

Wolfwood grumbled something and went to retrieve his ruined toy. Psych and Sight watched with shit eating grins on their faces. A few minutes later, the group was on their way back to Mei City. It was still dark out when they reached town an hour later.

"It's still early," stated Milly, noticing it was dark out yet, "I'm hungry, I'll take a plate of buttermilk pancakes with blueberry syrup and a cold glass of chocolate milk please."

"Shhhh," shushed Meryl, "Do you want to wake the whole city up Milly? Be quiet for the 10th time!"

"Both of you just shut up! The church is on the next block," said Wolfwood, walking quickly as if trying to lose them.

"Wait up Mr. Priest!!" cried Milly, running to catch up, "Hey! Where are those two women? They were right behind me a minute ago..." Milly stopped next to Meryl and turned around and scanned the empty streets.

"They're gone," said Vash, "Forget them, let's get to the church. They'll catch up when they're good and ready."

"But what if they try to kill Legato?" Meryl asked, hands on hips, "Are you just going to let them get killed by that madman?"

"Ohyeah."

"What the hell are you guys doing? The sun's almost up! C'mon!" said Wolfwood, pushing open the door of the broken down church.

Vash sighed wearily but heeded Wolfwood's advice. The insurance girls followed close behind. But he took one last look back, and thought, 'I shouldn't let them go alone, but I can't take the others with me. I can't get them involved.'

"What can I do for you ladies?" the gunsmith yawned.

Sight looked at the man's stock of guns. Psych whistled appreciatively.

"You've got some nice artillery here. Mind if we take it?" Psych asked.

The man yawned again. "Huh? Take it?"

"Yeah. We need guns, lots of guns," Sight said, "Liquor too, if ya got it."

"Must everything have to deal with booze?" Psych asked, a cigarette hanging off her lip. She was busy lifting guns and stashing them into a bag. "Check this shit out. Grenades! I haven't seen one of these in years," she said, turning it around in her hand. She stuck it in her pocket for future reference.

While Psych was busy with weapons, Sight took care of transportation. "Keys," she said, holding out her hand and looking at it.

"H-here. Take whatever you want, just don't hurt me!" he said, but his hand under the counter. Sight pulled her lancer and aimed it at him. The barrel touched his temple.

"Come on now," Sight said, and waved her hand again. The keys dropped into her palm. "Thanks. Ok, Psych, let's go. Have a nice day, sir," Sight said, tipping her hat. She walked out and got in the truck.

"Psych, what the hell are you doing?" She asked as her friend ran back inside. She came back out with an armload of weapons.

"Sorry, I thought they were pretty. Hold on, I forgot some," Psych said, and ran back in.

"HEY!! Enough!" Sight yelled when Psych came out with the second pile. "Now get in the truck and let's get out of here!"

"Hehe. Hey, who's shades are those? Didn't yours get taken by the cops? Uh-oh, I hope they don't belong to who I think they belong to."

Sight chuckled. "What are you talking about? These are my sunglasses. Oh here, I got you something too," she said, and tossed Psych something shiny.

"Oh hell no! You stole his cigarettes too? He's gonna be pissed!"

Sight shook her coat some more and more stuff fell out. "Let's see..."

"Christ, damn general store in there."

"I've got a few derringers courtesy of Meryl, some pudding from Milly, though I can't believe she carries this around with her, and this heavy ass gun from Vash."

"Oooo, you can have the derringers, I call Vash's gun. Hey, do you have Wolfwood's cross in there?" Psych asked, poking her head into Sight's coat.

"Excuse me? Yeah, I'm trying to drive here, and I'm still wearing the coat. Get your head out of there!"

"Awww, gee. I gotta pee. Pull over."

"Jumpin' Jesus H. Christ on a trampoline! We just robbed a weapon shop and we robbed the people that rescued us. Don't you think that we need to make some speed?"

"What is this 'we' garbage? I didn't rob our rescuers, *you* did. Damn Klepto and shit. Sticky fingers Mcgee. C'mon I gotta PEE!"

"Aggh," Sight said pulling the truck over. Psych jumped out before the vehicle was totally stopped. "Don't take too long."

"I'm just goin' pee, it's not like I'm going to give birth or anything," she said, and ran inside the first building she saw, which happened to be a church.

"Hey Padre!! Where's your bathroom? I gotta PEE!! C'mon! I'll do it right here on the pew, then."

"No, no, no. Please, right this way. And could you lower your voice? You're in a house of God," said a priest.

"Ohyeah," she said, and went into the bathroom. While she was busy, she lit a cigarette. After she was done, she opened the door, cigarette still in her mouth.

"Hello. I knew I heard something loud and obnoxious in here."

Psych nearly shit her pants when she saw Wolfwood leaning against the wall.

"H-hi! Fancy seeing you here, in a place of God, no less. Well, nice to see ya, goodbye!" Psych said, and turned.

"Don't you have something you want to give me?" Wolfwood asked. "Or should I say, somethings?"

Psych turned around. "What? I don't have anything! Are you accusing me of stealing?" she asked, and held out her arms. Numerous stolen items fell from her coat.. She looked down. "Whooa. Praise the Lord! Halle-damn-lujah! It's a mother fucking miracle!! Lookit this! I'm a genie!! Well, since you've got your stuff back, I guess I'll be going."

"I don't think so," Wolfwood said, and took the cigarette out of her mouth.

"Uheheh, uh, yeah," Psych said, and then tried to run away. Wolfwood grabbed her coat.

"My pudding!" Milly yelled, and tackled Psych. Psych then proceeded to get fucked up.

Sight looked at her stolen pocket watch, courtesy, once again, of Meryl. "Jeez," she said, and put the truck into drive. She rammed the truck into the church, driving up the aisle and to the brawl. "HEY!! Psych!! I thought you were just goin' pee! I didn't think that you were going to need my help to do it!"

Psych managed to get free of the four people piled on top of her. She hopped into the truck, but not before picking Vash's gun up.

"Hey! Those are my sunglasses! Thou shalt not steal!!" Wolfwood yelled when he saw Sight.

"Oh yeah? Well, thou shalt kisseth asseth!!" Sight shouted, and threw the truck into reverse. On their way out, both women grabbed collection plates and whatever else of value they could find that was within easy reach.

"Drive by robbing!!" Psych yelled.

"What are you doing? You are defiling a house of God!! Stop at once!" The priest yelled, waving his hands and stepping in front of the escaping vehicle.

"Stop this!" Sight yelled back, and flipped him off, just before running him down with the truck. His rosary beads showered down as he yelled "Sinners!" while shaking his fist. "Mother fuckers," he muttered as the truck sped away. "That's the third goddamn time this week."

Vash came up next to the bruised priest, watching the truck disappear. 'What am I going to do now? They took my gun.... Will they really go and try to kill Legato? They are brash enough to rob a church, so it's a possibility. I have to stop them.'

"Do you think we went too far this time?" asked Psych, counting the collection plate cash.

"You can never go too far," replied Sight, adjusting her new sunglasses.

"We just robbed a house of God."

"Yeah? Remember that orphanage we robbed a few weeks ago? Or how about that hospital we cleaned out back in Inepril, even after they were so nice to us," Sight said, "You didn't care then."

"Yeah but..." Psych looked at the large silver gun in her hand, "They helped us and trusted us though. And you stole from them."

"I didn't see you giving it back!" cried Sight, pointing at the gun, "And I bet that if that damn preacher's crossgun was in there, you'd just thief that too."

Psych thought for a moment, "Yeah, but you gotta admit that that crossgun looks pretty damn cool...and it vibrated."

"That is sooo nasty!" Sight's face looked disgusted, "Damn pervert up in here."

~"Where you going?"~

Sight turned the wheel sharply and hit a sand dune, "What the fuck??"

"What is you hollerin' fo'?" Psych asked, shaking sand out of her ears, "Are you drunk? Did you drink that damned holy water? Haven't you ever heard the stories about drinking that?"

"Shut up," Sight yelled, "I'm conversating."

Psych's eyes got wide, "Oh really. You do that. I'm stepping out for a smoke. Ta ta loony."

~"None of your damn business," Sight said mentally, "This is an unlisted number you know."~

~"Not when you have my gun it isn't. I want it back."~

~Sight laughed, "Come and get it all high and mighty humanoid typhoon. You're too chicken to do anything about it. I can read you like a book."~

~"You can read?"~

~"Ha ha. Funny. I'm going to kill Legato, whether you like it or not. The gun has nothing to do with this. You're just trying to stall the inevitable."~

~"Turn around. I want you to see something."~

"AY!" yelled Psych, already on her ninth cigarette, "Are you done talking to yourself or what?"

Sight turned around and saw an approaching thomas. "H-hey!! How do you stop this thing!!! Aaaaaaahhh!!" Vash was thrown off of the thomas and landed on the truck's roof.

"It's raining weirdoes!!" Psych pointed. Her cigarette dropped from her mouth. "God damn!"

"How in the fuck did you get here?" Sight asked, walking up to Vash.

"I dunno. Got any water?"

"Sight doesn't drink water. Only hard liquor. Though she did just drink some holy water that made her talk to herself."

"Um...shut the hell up," said Sight, rolling her eyes, "We were talking through our minds."

Psych blinked, "Oh."

"I guess I'm going with you two now," said Vash, jumping down from the truck's dented roof. He sat in Psych's seat and took a swig of water from her canteen. He made a face and put the water down, "Tastes like an ashtray. Bleeeh."

"Actually," smiled Psych, "That is what I used it for."

Vash started to spit crazily and he rubbed his tongue on his coat sleeve, "That's disgusting! You two act like men."

Sight gave Psych a look and then turned back to Vash, who was reclined in the chair, relaxing. "Don't get too comfortable. You're not going and that's final."

Vash yawned, "Come on ladies, I'm not going to get up so you might as well put up with me for the time being. Besides, I know where Legato and the Gungho Guns are headed to."

Sight perked up immediately, "How do you know that? Where are they going?"

"Tell us," Psych cried, grabbing Vash by the collar, shaking him, "One of them Gungho bastards killed my brother! I want my revenge! I can finally complete my job!"

"Take me with you and give me back my gun and I will tell you," said Vash, a twinkle in his eye, "Take it or leave it."

Sight sighed, "Fine, you can come with us. But I warn you, if you get in my way I will kill you."

Vash didn't look too impressed by her threat, "Uh huh, sure. Let's go."

Sight got into the drivers seat and Psych was forced to sit in between Vash and her friend. It wasn't exactly roomy either.

"Hey, move that skinny elbow of yours over dammit," complained Psych, pushing Vash over.

"I'll move my elbow when you stop blowing that smoke around," Vash said, poking her even more, "That stuff will kill you! And me!"

Psych took a deep puff of smoke and blew it slowly into Vash's face. He coughed a few times and waved his hand around, "Don't tell me where I can or can't smoke."

"I'm with Vash for once," Sight said, cracking a window, "Put that shit out already. It's making my eye water."

Psych growled and put out the end of her cigarette on her coat and then stuck it behind her ear, next to the one that was usually there. "You people are such goddamn babies. At least the priest didn't mind my smokin'."

"That's because he smokes almost as much as you do," cried Sight, "Of course he wouldn't care!"

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do?" Psych grumbled, "Smokin' was the only thing I had to keep myself occupied."

Sight pushed a silver canteen into her hand, "Here. Knock yourself out."

"What's this?" Psych unscrewed the cap and sniffed it. She pulled it away from her immediately, "I am not going to drink that."

"Hey my friend," Sight glanced over at Psych, "That's Hooch. Expensive stuff."

"Yeah, I don't drink."

"I wish you'd start, you're beginning to annoy me. You probably couldn't handle it anyways, you wuss," Sight taunted.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Fine!" Psych started to chug the burning liquid down and she didn't stop until the canteen was empty, "Whoa."

"There, that wasn't that bad, was it?" Sight asked, "Psych? Psych? Buddy, are you alright?"

Psych turned green, "I don't feel so hot. That stuff was terrible! <hic> My head is spinning...."

Sight laughed and patted Psych's back, "Welcome to the wonderful world of being drunk my friend."

"I...<hic> ain't not drunk," Psych slurred. Sight's eyebrow rose at the sound of the double negative coming out of Psych's usually intelligent mouth, "How could I be drank already? I'm as sober as a...as a...hell, I dunno."

Vash started to chuckle, "Yeah, you aren't drunk."

Psych turned her head in his direction and gave him what she thought was her most flattering smile. She winked at him, "H-hey <hic> you're a pretty handsome man. I mean, men. Damn there's a lot of you. I sort of liked that priestman. He weren't too shabby." She started to laugh uncontrollably, one hand draped over Vash's shoulder, "Jus don't you tell him I said that, ok? It's our little secret....Oooh, I like your coat. What color is it?"

"Um...red?"

"Red, eh?" Psych smiled crookedly, "Red." She began to laugh even more when she said red again, "REEEEEEED. Boy, that's a funny word. Let's try another. OOOORANGE." She laughed again, slapping her thighs happily.

"Geez," Sight shook her head, trying to concentrate on the road, "You're a wacky drunk! No wonder you don't drink."

Suddenly her mood shifted and she began to cry, "Everyone is always so mean to me. Why can't I smoke wherever I want? It's not fair." She sobbed into her hands. Vash tried to move as close to the door as possible to get away from her, "Why are you moving away from me?? Don't you like me?? Boohooooooo wahhhh!!"

"Psych, chill out already," Sight said worriedly, "This is all my fault. I never should have forced you to drink."

"You all hate me!! Especially that priest! I was so rotten to him and then I punched him! I can't stop <hic> cryin'!" Psych bawled on Vash's shoulder, "Then I took his last smoke. I'm such a bitch! Waaa haaa haaa haaaaaa! I don't wanna go to hell!"

Vash patted her back and looked at Sight, "Never give her alcohol again!"

"Oh ho, believe me, I won't."

Psych began to giggle again, "YEEEEEELLOOOW!"

"Will you sober up already!!" cried Sight, "Vash, where are we going already? I need to get out of this damned truck!"

"Aw gee Sight," laughed Psych, leaning on her now, "Can I play with your eye?"

The truck drove further into the distance, oblivious to the sad future that awaited the occupants.