Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Guided Steps ❯ True Demons ( Chapter 14 )

The battle against Legato was going mostly according to plan. They'd figured on Legato having firepower, but neither Livio nor Wolfwood had counted on him raising an enormous spiked flail that was more like a wrecking ball from the remains of his life pod. Only Legato's wires allowed him the strength to control such an impossible weapon with such incredible speed. Both of them were having a hard time staying completely out of its path and both were much the worse for wear.

 

Try as he might, Livio just couldn't capitalize on his body's resources the way Razlo had been able to. If only he could move a little faster, get a little closer to matching Wolfwood for speed he knew he'd be better able to keep Legato pinned. It was beyond frustrating.

 

But Wolfwood didn't seem to notice those hits and grazes he couldn't dodge, concentrating on Legato with a single-minded brutality that Livio had never seen from him before. His movements were savagely beautiful in their own way, much like a dance accented not by flowers and swirling scarves, but by airborne streaks of liquid crimson. Wolfwood had warned him this would be a different kind of fight and as painful as his newfound knowledge was, he was grateful for it because seeing Wolfwood like this without it might have frightened him otherwise.

 

Master C's preferred method for battle involved ferreting out weaknesses and utilizing the element of surprise. Both strategies combined seamlessly to bring swift death to any enemy. Wolfwood seemed to be doing the opposite though, occasionally passing up potential chances to bring things to a close for the opportunity to cause pain and to inflict damage. Part of it was strategy, certainly. Better to wear Legato down than risk losing too much too early because moving on a feint could be deadly.

 

The rest, Livio knew, was vengeance pure and simple: Wolfwood living up to his Eye of Michael title. Even though he was going against Master C's most basic teachings, Livio was sure the old man would have wept at seeing his prodigy finally unleashing that natural talent he'd so coveted.

 

In between dodging and doing as much damage to Legato's body as he could Wolfwood tested Legato's grotesque weapon systematically for weaknesses. He was able to reveal and disable three of the four gun ports, but was forced to abandon the idea of destroying the wrecking ball outright. It was so solidly built that he suspected Knives' hand in its construction. So too had Legato given up on trying to put the Punisher out of commission because there was just no opportunity. It was less a weapon than an extension of Wolfwood's body, and even when using it defensively he protected it well.

 

Livio put his skills with the Double Fangs to good use. He harried Legato from a distance with a degree of accuracy only he could manage. Even so, the incredible speed of combat acted as a check on his skills; he estimated that only a third or so of his shots were connecting. But every bullet that tore into Legato's body was a frustrating distraction that forced him to further divide his attention to repair the worst of the damage to his body. Every one of Livio's attacks he dodged put him right where Wolfwood wanted him. They read each other beautifully.

 

`So why am I so worried?' he thought, ducking and rolling in a blur of motion to avoid another swing of that lethal weapon.

 

`Because I never would have agreed to a plan that brought him within arm's reach of his own rapist if I'd known. No wonder Vash was ready to take my head off when he heard about this.'

 

But it was too late to change things now. He could only do his part and hope things would work out the way they wanted.

 

***************************************************************** *******

In all his years, leaving Wolfwood behind was the most difficult thing Vash had ever done. It took a great effort of will to continue moving away at a fast clip when all he really wanted was to wheel around and go right back to where he'd come from.

 

Instead, he coaxed more speed from the jeep than was advisable on the increasingly sandy terrain. The miles flew by and Knives' presence pulled him steadily onward. He finally saw rising smoke in the distance and knew it to be the spot where Knives had crashed into the planet. When he was close enough to see the rim of the newly formed crater in the sand he felt something coming at him. He swerved quickly, throwing the car into a roll and using its momentum to hurl himself as far away from it as he could. He spun to a halt and looked up to see the two cleanly sliced halves of the car crash to a dead stop in the sand.

 

Knives watched him from the edge of the impact crater. Scowled as Vash rose from the sand and noticed him. “If you're here to try and convince me that it's over, don't waste my time. As long as I have even a little power left to me I'll devote it to finding a way to burn the human infestation out of our universe. And it will be much easier after I get you out of my way once and for all.”

 

Vash approached him silently, not even acknowledging his words and Knives' fury grew. He spread his arms wide, knowing the effect it would have. His nude body was stunning in its perfection, a complete mockery of Vash's choices and they both knew it.

 

“What do you have to say for yourself?!” he roared. “How many more of our kind do the humans have to kill before you stop protecting them?!” He aimed another cutting blast of energy at Vash but this time Vash didn't dodge, or even stop walking. He swept his arm before him in an arc and dissipated Knives' attack in a blur of feathers and a crackling absence of light. He looked over the one he'd once called `brother' with a chillingly cold glare.

 

“You have killed more of our kind than all the humans put together, Knives. They died because of your actions, not mine. And I have every intention of fighting you. I'm not here to reason with you. There are things you need to learn and I came here… to teach you.”

 

At first Knives could only look at Vash in shock, too incredulous to respond. Finally he chuckled. Then he began to laugh. “So my soft, nerveless little brother thinks he's grown some fangs, eh? Well then, come! Let me feel how sharp they are!”

 

Vash didn't let the invitation go to waste. He held out his right arm and let his power uncurl, marking Knives' look of surprise with grim satisfaction.

 

***************************************************************** *************

Legato was wearing down. Wolfwood had correctly banked on the fact that his wires could do nothing against blood loss. He made more and more mistakes, errors in movement that opened him to harder and more damaging attacks. Unfortunately Livio and Wolfwood were wearing down as well. Wolfwood was more used to fighting stacked odds than Livio and his weariness only showed in the harshness of his breathing. Livio didn't fare quite so well; his accuracy suffered and his reaction time decreased from exhaustion and damage to his body.

 

It was only a matter of time before one of the three of them gave, and it was Legato who faltered first. They both saw it coming: a small but costly opening in his guard courtesy of a ballsy maneuver on Wolfwood's part. No communication was necessary. Livio opened fire on Legato's vulnerable right shoulder and chest as Wolfwood moved in almost faster than he could follow. Wolfwood took a fraction of a second to give a surprised Legato a sadistic grin before felling him with a point blank shot from the rocket launcher. His scream echoed madly above the sound of the explosion as he worked to keep ruined flesh and vital arteries from leaking his life out into the sand.

 

Wolfwood let Livio take over again, quickly snaking a hand into the small holster at his left side. He thumbed the cap off his second to last vial of regenerative and hoped that Livio could keep Legato pinned long enough for him to get it down so they could switch off; Livio looked like he was badly in need of another dose. They both needed to be in as good a shape as they could be before he tried to finish Legato off. The monster was down for the moment but he knew how little that meant. An animal like him would be at his most dangerous when wounded and cornered.

 

The lesson proved to be too true. Legato's left hand whipped out in a quick movement before he could even get the vial to his lips. He'd kept the motion small and tried to disguise it in his pained thrashing, but Wolfwood saw the flail's handle curled in his fingers. There was no time for a warning. The chain snaked to life and the weighted end flew toward Livio from the side as he continued to focus his fire on Legato.

 

He never saw it coming. He only heard Wolfwood call his name with such terror in his voice that it chilled him to the core. A fraction of a second later the weight crashed into his side with enough force to lift him several feet into the air before slamming him into the ground. He felt his last vial of regenerative crunch against his side under the assault.

 

This was just the second time since the Eye of Michael's meddling that he'd felt physical pain. He only experienced it when his injuries were bad enough to pose a mortal risk, and he'd only fought one person that brought him anywhere near death before now. The screaming agony radiating through him was a shock. He could feel every inch of his body being crushed under that immense weapon. The pain lessened only slightly when Legato jerked it off of him but he had no time to feel relief because it was already on the way to its next target.

 

Wolfwood, too shaken by what he'd seen couldn't move out of the way in time. The long spikes caught him full in the gut. Legato didn't allow it to pulverize him as he had Livio, but he made sure the spikes twisted horribly into his stomach. He wrenched it free in a spray of crimson and Wolfwood staggered, finally crumpling to the ground in a gush of coughed-up blood. Legato lurched painfully to his feet and moved toward the fallen priest.

 

He fought it with all his strength but to no avail: Livio's world began to darken. He knew the slide down into unconsciousness was inevitable, so he concentrated his will on a repetitive mental chant of `wake up fast.' After such extensive training he knew his body would respond to the command as long as it drew breath.

 

He watched Legato kick Wolfwood over onto his back, saw Wolfwood's body jerk as Legato dropped down to kneel over him, a hand slowly squeezing around his throat. He didn't think he could hurt any worse, but somehow he did. `Please,' he begged of the universe. `If anyone's listening let me wake up fast.'

 

~*~

 

It was like seeing a terrible nightmare come to life, replayed in unforgiving clarity as well as slow motion. Wolfwood heard the wet, sickening crunch of Livio's body being crushed by an unyielding force. Saw the blood and mangled flesh and somewhere in his rational mind he knew he should be using the time to move, shoot, do something other than let his voice give rise to the sheer grief in his heart but it was all he could do.

 

Only a second, two at most and it was too late. At least two of the longer spikes of Legato's weapon tore clean through his midsection. The impact jerked him backward and he lost the vial of regenerative from his left hand and the Punisher from his right. The pain was blinding to begin with, and it only intensified when Legato jerked back on the chain and yanked it out of him. His last vial of regenerative remained safely tucked into its holster against his ribs, but the emitter clipped securely to his belt cracked and fell apart, scattering broken coin pieces into the sands.

 

`Dammit… how could I… Livio, shit,' he thought as he fell to his knees. A copper tang at the back of his throat was all the warning he had before a gush of blood fought its way out of him to stain the sand. `Too much damage. Won't heal without help. Slow bleed, slow death. If he lets me die.'

 

Legato's footsteps came toward him and he made a blind grab for the Punisher only to be knocked backward by a sharp kick to his shoulder. That coupled with the force of Legato's weight dropping onto him had him fighting for consciousness.

 

Long fingers squeezed around his throat and he looked up into spiteful golden eyes. “I'm feeling generous so I'll make you a deal. Give me what I want and I'll make this easier on you than I did last time.”

 

A curse was on his tongue in a flash but the look on Legato's face made him bite it back. He seemed more desperate than anything else and Wolfwood's eyes narrowed. `All right you waste of skin. I meant to beat some answers out of you but one way or another I'm going to get them.'

 

“And what is it you want from me, monster?” he growled out.

 

Legato's lips twisted into a bitter smile. “That's right. I am a monster. But Knives-sama trusted me, as far as he trusted any human. I thought he held no secrets from me about his plans until he told me… about you. About your little assignment. About the fact that he gave it to you when you tried to kill him, betrayer!”

 

Several odd things all fell into place and Wolfwood's mind resolved a mystery in a sudden burst of clarity. “You were a slave.”

 

Legato flinched and reared backward, a look of horror in his eyes. “I'm right aren't I? Of course I am, it's pretty obvious,” Wolfwood sneered. Only one way a `master' like Knives could warrant that kind of devotion: save a young charge from something even worse. “You know, Legato? If you weren't such a total fucking shitbag, I might actually pity you.”

 

“Spare me your pity!” Legato snarled. “Once Vash is dead and Knives-sama sees that I've safely crushed you under my heel I'll have everything I need!”

 

Legato moved to grasp his wrists, using the leverage to throw him over onto his stomach in the sand. The new position was something he'd been afraid to even think about, but now that it was happening it felt surreal. He saw a black handle sticking just out of the sand and he remembered that he'd lost it in a particularly violent exchange about ten minutes ago. Now it was a scant three feet out of his reach.

 

When Legato began to tear violently at his clothes the sharp pain in his gut morphed into a massed ball of agony and he grit his teeth around a scream. `I don't care what you do, monster. You get no more from me.' There were no torturous intrusions from Legato's wires and he took some comfort in that knowing he'd enraged Legato beyond his ability to reason. Blood dripped steadily into the sand next to him proving that Legato had only bothered to close the most grievous of his wounds.

 

“Always you!” Legato roared in a fury. “You were rebellious, defiant, and Knives-sama gave you to his own brother! Even after Vash became enamored with you, he still wouldn't let me kill you! So I dirtied you, tried to make you just like me and it didn't work because he still looked through me to watch you. What makes you so special?! Why you and not me!!!”

 

`Keep ranting. Keep bleeding. Keep wasting your energy,' Wolfwood thought. `He doesn't know about the gun. Just have to hold out… `til I can get to it.' It was a fight to stay above the pain, a fight he began to lose when Legato tore into him. Sheer will was the only thing that kept him from screaming. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to let his fury burn away all else in his mind, but he was so tired, too tired to sustain it. And between his wounds and the pain lancing up his spine his body hurt in ways even he couldn't endure. Desperation and despair began to claw at him and he recognized that the rage he felt couldn't hold out against it much longer.

 

“Then just leave it for a while,” a soft voice seemed to sing to him. “Come,” it beckoned and Wolfwood couldn't think of a reason not to trust in it. He reached out to it and left his body behind to retreat into memory, letting Legato's still-raving voice fade to a dull buzz in his ears.

 

~*~

 

`Hi there.'

 

A soft laugh answered him. “Hi yourself.” Wolfwood smiled. He didn't need to open his eyes to know where he was or whose arms encircled him. This was the internal hiding spot he'd chosen for himself should things go badly: the safest, most tender time he'd ever experienced now shielded him from reality.

 

Gone was the hot sand digging into his open wounds. In its place were a warm, soft bed and an equally warm body curled up against his. He drew in a deep breath and could actually smell the flower-scented laundry soap the inn used for their sheets. `It feels like we're really here.'

 

“Of course it does. Didn't you commit every last detail of this night to memory just in case you had to do something like this?”

 

`Damn. Busted by the boyfriend in my head. I hope this doesn't mean the real you knows what I was doing.'

 

Agony chose that moment to bully its way in to his rest and it tore through him so hard he couldn't breathe. He felt Legato pull out of him only to flip him over and contort his body painfully to start the process anew. He couldn't tell which hurt worse, the fire in his gut or the vicious thrusts that sent fire tearing up spine. `S-stop. Stop it,' he gasped out. His body clenched up into a tight ball and Vash's cool hands smoothed over his back. The gentleness and concern in the gesture were a balm to his badly injured soul and gave him the focus he needed to retreat from the pain once again.

 

He shuddered in this imaginary Vash's arms, closer to tears than he cared to be. `It hurts. I'm so damned tired of all this. I don't want to go through it again.' He knew that all he had to do was sink a little deeper, open his eyes to see Vash's wide blue looking down at him. He could make this pleasant fantasy real and the pain would stop. `I know how I could… stay here with you,' he murmured in a small voice, burrowing into Vash's warmth. `I'm so tired.'

 

“I know you are. And you could stay if you chose. But make sure you're all right with what that would mean. What about Livio?”

 

Wolfwood shivered again. `It's too late. Legato - no, I - I killed him. He's-'

 

“Not dead. What if he's not dead? You'd be leaving him to die. Could you really stay here, knowing that?”

 

`Of course not! But…'

 

“You know that you'll be giving Legato exactly what he wants. And what about me, the real me? What do you think will happen to me when Legato shows up on my doorstep parading your empty, catatonic shell around like some kind of trophy?”

 

He knew Vash well enough to guess. Either he'd be too devastated to fight and Legato would kill him, or he would rip Legato to shreds and never be himself again. Both possibilities were terrifying enough to send a shudder down his spine and make him ashamed of his earlier moment of weakness. Hot tears plinked down onto his cheeks and Wolfwood had to stop himself from opening his eyes in surprise. Vash's arms tightened around him and the sheer sadness in his voice when he spoke again made Wolfwood question whether or not this was truly his imagination. “I don't want to send you back, Nick! I don't want you to be hurt, but…”

 

`No, it's what I have to do. I can't let Legato use me against you like that. I have to protect you from him. I have to… to…'

 

“Go back. Livio has to be alive, so there's-”

 

`A chance. He's not dead; he can't be. I won't let him die, somehow…'

 

“There's always a way, Nick. There's always a way. Find it, then come find me. I'll wait for you.”

 

Vash's hands drew away from him and the warmth of his body disappeared. Pain took its place and he accepted it, using it as an anchor to pull his wandering mind back to its body.

 

Acclimating to it, however, was a completely different story. It wasn't just the pain from the hole in his stomach and the rhythmic, brutal slam of Legato into his body. His entire body hurt, but he had to ignore all that pain, think around it and keep from panicking. He remembered just in time to keep his body loose and eyes vacant. If he couldn't continue to appear as a man who had completely given up getting he and Livio out of this mess would be impossible. If he showed any signs of having any fight left Legato would have those wires in him faster than he could move.

 

Focus returned to his eyes slowly and when it did he almost reacted violently at seeing Legato hovering above him. His ranting and raving had tapered off into smug laughter and a triumphant smile as he believed he'd truly broken his adversary. That he could get this kind of satisfaction from raping what he believed to be a broken shell of a person was beyond sickening. Wolfwood clamped down hard on the bile rising in his throat.

 

`There's always a way. Look for it.'

 

Light glinted off of something out of the corner of his eye and he let his head loll to the side after a particularly vicious thrust to get a better look. The source came from the top of a small dune and he fought off a burst of hysterical laughter.

 

`Bingo.'

 

~*~

 

Strangely enough, the sunslight was the first thing Livio felt as he fought his way up from unconsciousness. He could only lie there gasping when the pain came hot on its heels, making itself known in a rush of sheer misery. The only upside to his predicament was the hard object digging into the small of his back; apparently his body had shielded his own emitter from damage and he didn't have to fear Legato's wires.

 

Looking up he could see nothing but the blue sky above him, but he could hear sounds coming from somewhere behind him. There was Legato's voice in smug tones, and there was the hard slap of flesh hitting flesh too hard to be anything but agonizing.

 

His efforts to turn over to get a look were in vain. He couldn't get anything on the left side of his body to obey him and his right side was only slightly more obedient to his wishes. The only thing he could do was tilt his head backward, slowly and painfully.

 

Livio squinted at the scene in dawning horror. The sticky combination of blood, sweat and sand that marred his vision turned out to be a godsend. Even so, the blurry image of limbs akimbo and wrenching movements would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

 

His current position didn't allow much air into his damaged lungs, otherwise he'd have been screaming in horror. He panicked and tried to move but accomplished only frenzied jerks that resulted in more damage and pain, and ultimately his body rebelled and slumped back down into the sand. In a final fit of powerlessness tears rolled down his cheeks into the sand. `This can't be all I can do for him!' He then felt a flicker inside him, a growling and sullen response to his desperation. It was a presence he thought he'd banished.

 

I give up control to you and this is what you do? Way to fuck things up, asshat.

 

Razlo?! I thought you were gone! What are you - never mind; there's no time. Do something!

 

Those days are over. You want something done, do it yourself.

 

But I can't move! You're stronger, faster; you can do things I can't do…

 

That's because you created me that way to be the ultimate protector. Don't you get it? It was always you. You're the one who worked so hard for that fucking traitor of a master, you're the one with the strength and the skill. You're the one keeping me around, too. If you'd just let me go you'd have everything you need.

 

I… didn't realize. But it's true! I created you, made you deal with all of the horrible crap I couldn't handle. Destroying you now that we're free would be cruel!

 

You can't destroy me. I am you. God you're stupid. I protected you for years, took all the shit you couldn't handle and kept you safe. Then this guy shows up and just like that you suddenly sprout a pair and tell me to fuck off. If you're that in love with the guy why are you letting this happen to him? No, don't bother trying to deny it. I'm in your head, remember?

 

After what happened… I was sure that you'd hate him.

 

Don't pretend it would matter if I did, which I don't.

 

I can't save him. I'm too bad off.

 

Listen to yourself. Since when has that guy ever needed you to save him? Just give him a chance to save himself and let him do the rest. You got it now or do you wanna act like a helpless little shit some more? Move it!

 

Thank you, Razlo. Thank you for protecting me for all those years. I promise that we'll do things together from now on. It's time… for you to go, Razlo.

 

Don't screw… this up…

 

…dumbass.

 

Livio felt Razlo slipping away, dissolving and becoming a part of him. It was a strange sensation, like gaining something vital he didn't even know he'd lost. Livio, whole again for the first time in years opened his eyes once more and snarled furiously at what he heard.

 

`You were right, Razlo. I've loved him since we were kids.' He tried to move his limbs but again they only trembled at his efforts. `I know I can't have him. But neither can you, Legato!'

 

New strength flooded him and this time his body obeyed his demands, screaming a painful protest. He rolled to his stomach to give himself a better view of his target. He brought his arm up and aimed carefully at Legato's hunched back, blinking away the blurriness from his eyes. `You can't have him!!' Sweating heavily from the effort, he pulled the trigger.

 

The shot rang out and the bullet sank deep into Legato's already wounded shoulder. He screamed and lost focus for a split second, just long enough for Wolfwood to reach out and break through his feigned powerlessness. `Let's try this move again, asshole.' His fingers closed around Legato's neck in a steel vice and snapped it in a heartbeat. The beast dropped onto him but this time no one was there to come to his aid. Logically Wolfwood knew that his body was shot through with pain but adrenaline kept him from feeling it. He clambered out from under Legato's dead weight and went straight for what he needed.

 

Legato lay there, face down in the sand paralyzed and unable to mend such a serious injury quickly. He'd started the process even before Wolfwood was on his feet, but the priest was already calling out to Livio in frenzied tones, the once buried pistol now in hand.

 

He raced to complete repairs, and had just managed the first step of reattaching nerves and restoring minor motor function when Wolfwood delivered a hard, sweeping kick to his gut and forced him onto his back. His eyes widened in horror to see the priest reach up and catch emitter thrown by the partner he thought he'd killed.

 

Wolfwood held it there for him to see, waiting just long enough for Legato to realize what he meant to do. `No! Don't you dare!' Wolfwood dropped the thing onto his chest and a strangled gurgle was all that remained of his terrified scream. With the device so close, his wires would no longer obey him leaving him completely crippled. Immobilized.

 

Helpless.

 

He looked up to see Wolfwood standing above him, looking satisfied and nothing more. “You were fooling yourself if you ever thought Knives trusted you. He never respected you, and he sure as hell would never have loved you because blind obedience is so fucking boring.” Wolfwood paused to drop the half expended clip from his gun, sliding in a fresh one and chambering the first bullet. “As a parting gift, I'll tell you why I'm the last one standing.”

 

Rage flared with no outlet, and Legato beat against his dying body. `How dare you! You've ruined everything, destroyed my dreams… I'm not supposed to die here, not by your hand!' But his indignance did him no good, and Wolfwood's eyes digging past his own to see into the ruin of his soul felt like a violation far worse than anything he'd ever inflicting on the priest's body.

 

Legato's grief, his utter devastation showed in the golden eyes as clear as glass and the roiling anger in Wolfwood's soul began to settle. “Remember this in your next life, Legato,” he said low and even, driving the knife deeper and twisting it with every word. “You brought this on yourself the second you picked a fight with me. I am stronger than you. I have always been stronger than you. This couldn't have ended any other way.” His words echoed mercilessly in Legato's ears far louder than the gunshots that followed. Then pain - sharp and intense - exploded between his legs and he knew no more than that.

 

~*~

 

Livio watched in dark pleasure as Wolfwood emptied the last of his ammo clip into Legato's groin, making a bloody mess of the most vile weapon in the man's arsenal. It wouldn't take him long to bleed to death. Such a humiliating and inglorious death was never more justly deserved.

 

~*~

 

Wolfwood watched the blood draining from Legato's body into the hot sands and felt his own rage draining away with it. “If you have a soul, I commend it to hell, you sick animal. I hope they can think of a punishment bad enough for you.” He kept watching until the golden eyes dulled. When the last trace of life left them, satisfaction and relief flooded him in quantities that drowned the adrenaline keeping him on his feet. The gun slipped from his fingers and fell amongst the expended shells at Legato's feet, forgotten. He made his shaky way toward Livio, suddenly afraid he'd run out of strength before he got there.

 

Every step was a fresh agony, but he had to do what he could to mitigate what Livio might have seen. There wasn't much left of his clothing, though he managed to clutch what was left of his dress shirt and pants more tightly to him as he moved. He wrapped his arm around his stomach tightly as he went in an effort to slow the bleeding and cursed under his breath. The wound wasn't closing, and the way his vision swam told him his body couldn't keep up with the damage to his organs or the massive blood loss. When he reached Livio he collapsed to his knees, further jarring his wounds. He bit his lip hard at the jolt up his backside. `Later, not now,' he thought to himself. `Just don't think about it now.'

 

Thankfully Livio needed him and he managed to refocus. “You look like shit, kid. But that was damn good work. We actually pulled it off.”

 

“You're joking, right?” It was almost a sob. Livio managed to roll himself over onto his back to take immediate notice of what Wolfwood was trying to hide. Words of self-recrimination died in his throat. “Shit, Nicholas… That looks…”

 

Wolfwood waved him off. “Hey, don't talk about how bad I look. You look like you've been through a blender. You're not healing, are you?”

 

“Ah… I guess not.” He looked pointedly at the blood leaking steadily out of the hole in Wolfwood's gut. “But neither are you. That asshole wasted my last vial, but you should have one left, right?”

 

“Yeah. Just one.” Wolfwood drew out the last blood-slick vial of the drug and turned it in his fingers. `I got so close…' Grief welled up in him and he wanted to rage, to scream, to cry. He'd almost had everything he'd ever wanted: a home, a family, and someone who knew him and loved him. His own personal paradise was one gulp away and he didn't dare take it.

 

`It would have been wonderful. I'm sorry Tongari. But I'm responsible for him, and he's been through too much because of me already.' He wondered how long Vash would wait for him before he moved on. He prayed it wouldn't be too long, and that Vash wouldn't hate him or Livio for what he was about to do. `Oh god Tongari, I'm so sorry…'

 

A wet, wheezing cough convulsed Livio's body at that moment and pulled him out of his sorrow. It was a good trade. Livio could not be allowed to die here. He pulled the stopper from the vial. “I'll be fine, kid. Open up.”

 

Livio started to obey, but suddenly Vash's words to him on the ship came rushing back. “Even if things go wrong he'll protect you. If it comes down to you or him… He won't let you die.”

 

`So that's what he meant.' He'd thought at the time that Vash was trying to reassure him and set him at ease when it had truly been a warning; something to prepare him for this moment. Preparing him for a hard choice.

 

He looked up at Wolfwood - at Nicholas - and saw the boy he'd met so long ago, the first friend he ever had. The one who taught him how to love and fight for others, and who had saved his sanity and his soul.

 

It wasn't really a hard choice after all.

 

Livio's eyes and mouth shot open in readiness to protest, but he thought better of it just in time and squeezed his lips shut. He shook his head as violently as he was able and spoke through one corner of his mouth. “`Fine' my ass! You're gonna die without that dose!”

 

Wolfwood quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly not expecting any resistance to his orders. “I just have to sleep it off! Now open your big mouth!”

 

Livio snorted, wincing at the movement. “Not. Happening.”

 

“What else am I supposed to do? Drink it all and cry like a baby while I watch you die in my arms? Then I guess I'll live my life in honor of you, huh? Too melodramatic for me. You do it; it's more your style. And I fully expect you to weep at my grave once a year. Screw the flowers. Make sure you leave smokes and beer or my restless spirit will come back and kick your ass. Now open up!”

 

Livio still wouldn't budge. Fear softened Wolfwood's eyes, and he stopped joking around. “Come on Livio. You have a good life ahead of you. You've gotta marry the big girl. Have about eighty kids and name the grumpiest one after me. It's my fault you're out here in the first place. If you die it'll be `cause I killed you. Don't make me fail like that. Please.”

 

Livio wavered for a moment, but hardened once again. The thought of living on because Nicholas had died for him after everything he'd already been through was just too devastating to consider. Though the pain was wearing him down and it was getting more and more difficult to focus, Livio clung stubbornly on to life. “I came out here with you because I wanted to, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Don't carry this with you, please. Just… tell Milly I love her and… I'll see her again someday.”

 

`This is useless.' Livio's breathing was dangerously erratic, his pupils unfocused. `The stubborn little brat is dying and he still won't give. When did he get so tough?'

 

Livio watched him sigh in resignation and his heart lightened a fraction even as his vision began to grow dimmer. “Okay. If this is really the way you want it kid, I guess I've got no choice.” Livio smiled, watching Wolfwood pop the top and toss back the drug in one easy swallow. He thought of Milly and the bitter flavor of regret tinged his thoughts, but only briefly. Yes he would die here, but it would be on his own terms. `If I can save someone this important to me, I've got no right to be sad.'

 

He closed his weary eyes with a shallow, pained sigh. “Thank you Nic- Mmph!” The shock of soft, warm lips on his ended the thought. He froze, not knowing what to do until a hot tongue teased across his closed lips. `Is he… kissing me goodbye?!' His already devastated lungs burned uncontrollably, but… `Ah, what's so great about breathing anyway?' he decided. It took less than a second for him to open his mouth after that, eager to receive that most welcome intrusion. His body hurt and he tasted like blood, but he didn't care. As much as he didn't want to die, he couldn't help but think this was a damn fine way to go out.

 

But he only got the barest brush of Wolfwood's tongue against his own before precious drops of the drug flowed into his mouth. Wolfwood's dancing tongue kept him too distracted to notice and he swallowed the drug without thinking. Once he was sure all the drug was clear Wolfwood pulled away chuckling to fall back into the sand.

 

Once Livio's brain cells rallied enough to figure out what had just happened he was caught between anger and embarrassment. “What the hell did you do that for?!” he spluttered.

 

“Nobility is great, but devious gets the job done,” Wolfwood laughed, glancing over at him. “You're blushing, Livio.”

 

“S… Shut up!” Livio stuttered.

 

“No, really. You're bright red. Does Milly know she's getting involved with a male slut? I bet you'd jump anything that shoved its tongue in your mouth.”

 

Embarassment won out over anger and Livio groaned, so mortified he was ready to just sink down into the ground to disappear forever. “Just answer me already!”

 

“Relax. Half for you and half for me. Equal chance at life for us both. That's fair, right?”

 

“You. Are such. An asshole.”

 

“I know. Can't help it.”

 

But it wasn't really an equal chance. Livio's system had just needed a kick-start; he could already feel his pain diminishing, a sure sign that he was beginning to heal. Wolfwood was the problem. Whether or not he could get enough mileage out of half the vial to close the hole in his gut was anyone's guess and they both knew it.

 

Suddenly Livio was terrified. He flopped over and pulled himself over to where Wolfwood lay, laying his head very gently onto the older man's shoulder and curling against him. When Wolfwood stiffened he said, “The sand was burning my head. You're the one who made me get a haircut. Take responsibility.” `I know I'm asking a lot, but I'm afraid of losing you. Don't push me away, please…'

 

After a few seconds Livio barely managed to stifle a sob. He knew from personal experience the strength of Nicholas' heart. So why then did it beat so weakly under his ear?

 

Finally Wolfwood relaxed, wincing as he brought his arm up around Livio. “I'm starting to think I have a weakness for leggy blonds.”

 

Livio smiled in gratitude, knowing that even now the guardian and protector in Wolfwood wouldn't let him succumb to unconsciousness before his charge. Even so he selfishly tried to hold onto Wolfwood's voice as long as he could. “I'll… kick your ass if you… start looking at Milly.”

 

“No worries. She's too smart for me. I like `em big and dumb.” Exhaustion forced Livio's eyes closed, and he prayed into unconsciousness that he wouldn't be alone when he woke up.

 

Once he felt Livio slump against him Wolfwood finally gave up the fight. Just before he drifted off he saw what looked like lightning crawling ominously across the sky high above him. His lips quirked into a small smile before the world darkened and spun away from him.

 

`Give him hell, Tongari.'

 

***************************************************************** *************

`This isn't a standoff,' Knives thought grimly. He rallied his energies, building power within him for the biggest attack he'd yet tried. `It's not even close. It feels like… he's playing with me.' No matter what he did, Vash did not fight back. Everything he threw at Vash simply disappeared. It took him a while to realize what was happening: Vash was quite literally swallowing his power, creating small black holes to do the job.

 

Vash's refusal to go on the offensive was completely unnerving; it was almost as if he was being toyed with by something he couldn't possibly understand. `He hasn't studied like I have. He never understood what we really are. He shouldn't be able to do these things!'

 

Knives released his pent-up energies with a roar and managed to surprise Vash with the ferocity of the assault, albeit briefly. His defense was an equally impressive vortex that took out his attack with considerably less composure than he'd managed so far. The explosive meeting of energies crackled outward across the sky and blew the two brothers apart. Both tumbled to a hard stop in the sand.

 

Knives stood shakily, feeling the drain on him. He didn't have to look at his head to know that he didn't have many blond strands left. If he continued on much longer it would be all over for him and he knew it. “Look at me, Vash!” he screamed in outrage. “Look what your meddling has done to me! My power is almost spent; I can feel death breathing down my neck!”

 

“And whose fault is that? Millions of lives lost in the crash that you caused. Hundreds of thousands killed since then and millions more killed by your Ark. You've devoted your entire being to destruction; did you really think it wouldn't touch you as well?”

 

“Human lives,” Knives sneered, “are beneath worthless.”

 

Vash pressed doggedly on. “Even if humans were as bad as you accuse them of being, Rem died to save them. If only for that reason, they deserve to exist. The capacity for self-sacrifice is something you could learn from them, the same way I learned from her actions.”

 

“Rem,” Knives spat. “After all this time you're still pining away for that bitch. What you learned from her was the real reason I wanted her dead. You only have to look in the mirror to see how she ruined you. I should have dragged her into the life pod and killed her with my bare hands when I had the chance.”

 

If he'd hoped to goad Vash into attacking in anger, Knives was sorely disappointed. His twin's eyes narrowed dangerously and bored into him. “Keep talking, Knives. I'm about to shove every word right back down your throat.”

 

*******************

How many bombshells did I drop in that chapter? Yowza. Well, I leave you to process… Drop me a line to let me know what you thought of the chapter if you don't mind; I've not really tried anything like this before and am anxious to know what ya'll think.

 

Next time: Vash fulfills his promises both to Wolfwood and to Rem, and Wolfwood's fate is revealed.