Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Hunting Two ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 5 )

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Death of an Angel

 

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“VASH, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, NOW?”

A bullet ripped through the air barely missing Meryl Stryfe, and shattered a near by table. She ducked covering her head to escape the shower of splinters directed her way.

“I didn't do anything!” the infamous Vash the Stampede squealed. He dived behind the bar counter, narrowly missing hot lead. “I only asked if they had any donuts, and they just started shooting at me!”

Meryl rolled her eyes, sometimes he really annoyed her. She scanned the half destroyed bar for the remainder of the gunmen they were up against. Five already lay unconscious on the ground; Vash had taken care of them before she arrived but three were still up and heavily armed. A fat one with clothes that were a bit too small was standing at the door holding two guns larger than him. Another one was hiding behind a large round table across the room with a colt like Vash's, but his aim was terrible. He should be easy to take care of. The third one however was nowhere to be seen, and Meryl was running out of ammunition.

She shot one more bullet at the fat one and ran to duck behind the bar with the legendary Stampede. Vash shot at the fat one's hand managing to knock one of his guns out of his grip. He cried out in shock and stammered back. Taking the advantage, Vash jumped up from behind the counter and kicked him in the face. The overweight man stood still for a moment without moving, almost counting the stars dancing around him, then his eyes rolled into his head and he fell backwards rattling the floorboards. One down, two to go, Meryl thought and pulled out another trademark derringer. From behind the counter she carefully sneaked out. She aimed at the gunmen on the other side of the barrier and fired.

Bull's-eye. The bullet made its ways cleanly through the room finding its mark in the man's thigh. He screamed in pain and pulled the trigger, aiming the gun blindly towards petite woman. She froze and for a split second she saw the bullet rushing at her. The next thing she knew the world around her twisted and a shrill scream filled the room. Meryl snapped open her tightly shut eyes. Her face was glued to the floor with something cupping the back of her head. She forced her face up to find yellow spikes fill her vision. Vash?

The outlaw was lying beside her, one arm across her head and one arm in the air behind him, with his smoking colt attached to his hand. Silence rung loudly as moments passed yet Vash didn't move. His arm still hung in the air and Meryl was still trapped and confused underneath his prosthetic arm. Suddenly something crashed loudly behind her. Vash removed his arm and pushed himself off the floor. He extended a hand to Meryl and pulled her up. Once vertical, Meryl looked down to find a thin, red haired woman sprawled across the floor with a gun in her hand a bullet hole in her shoulder.

“Is she…?” Meryl began.

“No, just out cold.”

Immediately Vash's face lit up and his eyes glittered like diamonds,

“But she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! Why her---?”

Without warning Meryl landed a hard blow perfectly on top of Vash's head. If the act hadn't been so violent, it could've been considered art. She flushed red with anger and another emotion she was much too used to. Vash whimpered and stared at her bewilderedly.

“What was that for?”

“In a bar, Vash? You asked for donuts, in a bar?”

“Well,” he started apologetically, “the donut shop was closed and I really wanted…”

Vash trailed of, shrinking at the cold glare coming from the insurance agent. Meryl growled in frustration and stamped off, stepping casually over the grounded bodies. Why did her day have to start like this?

 

The day was beautiful. The sky was blue, the birds were singing, children were playing happily in the streets and the town bar was destroyed in a fight. People were going to want answers for this, some very angry, sober, people and somebody would have to answer them. Yes, the day was truly beautiful.

Meryl and Vash made their way through the dusty roads. The insurance agent was calmer now but she still shot daggers at the tall blonde, who smiled nervously and looked away. Meryl sighed, just another day living with Vash the Stampede.

Three years had passed since the letter from Bernadelli arrived that stormy day. Even now Stryfe could remember her hands shaking as she opened the envelope. A thousand questions ran through her mind, Meryl had tried so hard to stay calm. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she read it, she could hardly believe what her higher officials were asking her to do. Other letters have come since then, but none taking her and Milly Thompson of off Vash's case, not that Meryl was complaining. Still, every time she had to report back to headquarters she'd wonder what she should write about. Their travels weren't so disastrous anymore and due to that she feared they would be removed from trailing the outlaw. Life had gotten so much better and she couldn't bare the thought of leaving it behind. She was happier now, sometimes even carefree. The heavy burdens once put on her shoulders were gone. She went days without stress or pain. But living with her infamous assignment always brought some kind of excitement.

Vash was the same as ever… but somehow he was different. He was still the annoying, clumsy, spiky haired, donut craving, skirt chasing, man she fell for, but different, he seemed happy. She hadn't seen him put on one of his masks in ages. He didn't hide things anymore and he laughed and smiled like there wasn't a care in the world. Naturally, bounty hunters and the law were still out to get him, but that was all in a days work. Even a bar fight like the one they just had was rare. Whatever the reason for his change, Meryl was glad. Of course some things didn't change, like his insuperable love for donuts and alcohol. The drinking thing hadn't been so bad lately; he'd only get drunk few days a week, but the donuts! Meryl just couldn't see what was so great about a center-less piece of cake covered in topping. Unfortunately she made the mistake of voicing her opinion one day. Vash had stared at her in utter disbelief with his face covered in pink sprinkles. She also got looks form Milly sharing Vash's disbelief and Knives because…well, it's Knives.

The duo reached the home they had temporarily rented. A kind, rich, elderly couple had offered it to them at quite a cheap price after Knives saved their granddaughter, Stephanie, from a gang of bandits. The rescue had been on accident and Knives wasn't about to take credit for saving a human. The other three, however, had quickly accepted with great appreciation before he had a chance to open his mouth. The granddaughter, a beautiful blonde girl, had been especially thankful, a little too thankful for Knives' liking. She even called Millions Knives her hero. Meryl chuckled at the memory of Knives' face that day, he looked like he wanted the passing steamer to run him over… and over… and over.

A dry scent filled Meryl's nostrils as she entered the comfortable living room. Compared to all of the places the group had to stay in, this house was a palace. The furnishings weren't torn or questionably discolored; the floors weren't cracked and dingy and the walls weren't crumbling or crawling with unidentified who-knows what. But best of all, in Meryl's opinion, was the bedding. What ever the sheets and pillows were made from, they were definitely not of this world. The covers were so soft to the touch, the instant she touched the surface of the bed she was out cold. Just the thought of her gigantic cloud of a bed made her drowsy.

“Lose another game, Knives?”

Vash's voice snapped Meryl out of her trance. The platinum blonde brother sat in the oversized sofa staring at a played chess game. Knives growled at Vash and gingerly picked up his defeated black king. His eyes swept over the chess board calculating all possibilities of a different outcome of the game that could've been. Meryl recalled the first time she saw Knives like this, the day Milly first defeated him. He was so furious she thought he'd kill her for sure. Now, he still didn't except defeat but he wasn't going to go on a killing frenzy either. Knives too, much to Meryl's surprise, had become different. The change in him was gradual, very gradual; it took the trio months to get Knives to stop calling her and Milly spiders. But he definitely wasn't the same Knives she knew three years ago. His distaste of humans hadn't left completely, but he somewhat accepted the fact that he had to share this desolate planet with them. Although if any human, other than Milly or Meryl, gets with in ten feet of him they will receive a grand order of cold glares with a side of a few frightening threats.

“Oh, Sempai, Mr. Vash, you're back.”

Meryl looked up to find a short haired Milly Thompson smiling sweetly with an apron tied around her waist and a wooden spoon in her hand. Meryl face fell, she was cooking?

“Uh, yeah. Milly… you're cooking?”

“Uh-huh, Miss Stephanie wanted to know how to make pasta so I thought I'd teach her how.”

“Milly, do you even know how to make pasta?” Vash asked sitting down next to Knives.

Milly thought for a second before saying,

“Well, don't you fry some pasta and boil some meat and then put it together?”

Meryl sighed, the boys were so lucky Milly wasn't the one who usually cooks.

“Milly, how about I teach you and Stephanie both how to make pasta?”

“Yay!” Milly chirped, clapping her hands. “That'd would be wonderful, Sempai!”

Meryl smiled and took the apron from her friend. As she tied the flowery cloth around herself she asked,

“So, where is the pasta?”

“In the frying pan.”

Meryl stopped and stared at her friend. She put her hand on her back and gently pushed.

“Let's go Milly. You have a lot to learn.”

-

Vash smiled as he watched the two women disappear into the kitchen. He leaned back into the sofa and watched his brother replace all the pieces to their original posts.

“Game?” Knives asked, looking up.

“What? You want to loose twice in one day?” Vash challenged.

Knives raised an eyebrow cockily. He got up and sat down on the opposite side.

“You're move.”

Vash moved his pawn up two. Knives immediately followed up with his own black pawn blocking Vash's. You're going to lose Knives, Vash moved his knight into play. That's what you said the last time, again Knives copied Vash's move with his knight. Yes, but I've gotten better since then, Vash moved the other knight, placing it straight across from Knives'. Vash, I played you last week and you cried like an annoying human child, once more Knives mirrored Vash's move. The four knights now stood facing the enemy across the board. Vash paced his chin in his hand and stared at the board for a while. Then he picked up his bishop and slid him over the board, I've been practicing, Knives. Knives moved his black horse next to Vash's pawn, No, you haven't. You're making the same mistakes. In a fatal swoop, Vash kicked Knives' pawn and replaced his post with his knight, You were saying? Knives picked up his queen, A small sacrifice, and placed her between her soldiers. You're moving you're queen so soon? Vash asked, contemplating his next move. Just as he picked up one of his knights a thunderous knock rattled the door. Two envelopes slipped from the crack at the bottom. Replacing his knight where he found it, Vash got up to fetch the two covers.

“Who's it from?”

“Bernadelli,” Vash read, “and…Jessica?”

Immediately Vash's face lit up. He threw the letter from Bernadelli to the ground and ripped open the other one. He bounced onto the sofa and read:

Dear Vash,

How are you? We're doing just great. It's been a long time since the last time you came to visit, we all miss you. So I just thought I should tell you come see Seed City. I can't believe how different people are now that they're living on land. I think it's safe to say they're happy. Anyway the Doctor also wanted to talk to you about something, he won't tell me what, says it's need-to-know-information. I never get to know what's going on! Anyway I hope you can make it soon. Oh, and I also a surprise for you.

Lots of Love,

Jessica.

P.S. Say hi to your priest friend for me.

Vash stared at the letter half-heartedly. He was happy to hear from Jessica, but her letter brought back painful memories. Vash swallowed hard and pushed his thoughts aside rereading the letter. Seed City, he thought almost smiling, named after the ship. I guess it has a nice ring to it. He skimmed over the message once more letting his eyes linger. Need-to-know-information, what does that mean? Vash thought. The only thing he could think of was that the Doc might've invented a new arm.

“Are you going to tell me what it says or not?”

Vash looked up from the letter to find Knives staring fixedly at him. He hesitated, unsure of Knives reaction. Even if he didn't show anything, Knives certainly felt a little something about what happened with the residents of the ship.

“We have to go to Seed City.” he answered finally.

Knives stared of blankly for a moment, then he quietly got up and made his way to the stairs.

“We should leave soon then. There's supposed to be a storm coming in.”

With that he disappeared into his room. Vash watched him until the door was shut and locked. Vash turned back to the letter in his hand. He set it down next to the abandoned chess game and got up to tell Meryl and Milly about the move. He really wanted to beat Knives this time, but that would have to wait.

 

The journey to Seed City started right after lunch. Milly and Meryl packed their things and a bit of food for the road. Meryl was less than trilled about the sudden move but Milly was delighted that she was finally going to meet his family.

The elderly couple was disappointed to see them leaving but they welcomed them back anytime. Stephanie was sad, to put it lightly, to see her hero leaving. She clung to Knives like a leach and promised to him that she would write everyday. Knives could not have been more thankful that the girl had no idea where he was going.

Knives wasn't lying when he said a storm was coming. Just as they neared night fall monstrous black clouds loomed over them. Lightening flashed and thunder boomed and gusts of wind threatened to throw the small jeep off its wheels. They found a small town and took shelter for the night. The storm cleared the next day and the four of them resumed their two day trip to Seed City. Vash could hardly wait to see his friends again. He could hardly wait to return home.

By noon the city was in their sight. It was magnificent. Vash couldn't believe that they managed to build such a city in three years. Even in the distance Vash could see the buildings rise high and mighty into the sky. The two plants that survived seemed to be keeping the city running. As they entered the city, a group of people awaited them.

“Vash!”

A bubbly young girl, with auburn hair jumped up and down waving her hands frantically.

“Vash! I can't believe you came!”

Vash was barely out of the vehicle when the girl jumped on him knocking him over.

“Hey it's good to see you too, Jessica.” Vash said, struggling beneath her grip. “I see you haven't lost your enthusiasm.”

“Jessica, I think you should let Vash breath.”

A short, bald man in a brown coat stepped forward. He smiled happily at the spiky haired blonde.

“Hey, Doc. Long time no see.”

“Yes, well, it should've been you coming to visit. Do you need an invitation every time?”

Vash rubbed the back of his neck and smiled apologetically. Behind him Meryl cleared her throat loudly. She slipped out of the jeep and folded her arms across her chest.

“Oh,” jumped Vash, “this is Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson.”

Meryl smiled at the group and Milly chirped a quick hello.

“And this,” Vash turned to his brother, “is…”

Vash hesitated. Should he tell them who Knives really is? He was sure some of them already knew, so there was no point in lying, but still… His brother climbed out from the back seat of the jeep. His face was blank and empty. If he was feeling anything, he was doing a very good job of not showing it.

“Knives.” the Doctor finished.

To Vash's surprise the doctor smiled gently at the other brother.

“We know who he is Vash, we also know what happened.” said Jessica.

“But what is done is done, it is in the past, we can talk about that later.” said the Doctor, “Right now I have to talk with Vash.”

The small man turned to the group behind him. He spoke quietly to them and with a nod of his head they dispersed. Before they left a few of them glance strangely at Knives but quickly turned away. Then the old man turned to Jessica,

“Take Miss. Stryfe and Miss. Thompson to the guest house. Help them settle in then take them out and show them around, okay?”

“But, I wanted…” Jessica began.

“Jessica.” the doctor commanded.

“Yes, sir.” she said softly.

“What about Mr. Knives?” Milly asked.

Knives shot Milly a look but stayed quiet.

“I think he should come with us. He should probably know this--”

Suddenly an explosion rattled the city. Instinctively Vash grabbed Jessica and crouched against the jeep, covering her head. Meryl and the doctor fell to the ground clutching their heads. Milly and Knives disappeared in the cloud of dust. Seconds passed and screams burst out. The dust cleared slowly but Vash was already on his feet. Knives, from the other side of the vehicle, pulled himself and Milly up.

“What the hell was that?” Meryl shouted, shaking the ringing from her ears.

“It came… it came from the direction of the plant.” the Doctor coughed, pushing himself off the ground.

Vash and Knives immediately took off running toward the explosion. Vash tried hard to communicate with the plant but reached nothing. He reached for his gun and ran faster.

A crowd had already gathered around the Plant. Children were crying and a few women were screaming. Vash halted to a stop next to his brother. His eyes widened, he began to tremble. Bodies were scattered across the dirt ground, limbs missing, blood sprayed. Glass covered the street and bodies. Vash slowly looked up at the giant bulb, he froze. The caged angel lay at the bottom of the giant bulb, the bright glow diminished forever. Vash the Stampede stared at the lifeless figure blankly, the Plant before him was dead.