Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Life Thereafter ❯ Demonic Angels ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer:How I wish I owned Trigun. Sadly, I own it not.

 

A/N:ANOTHER 2000 word chapter! Yay! Sorry about the last chapter being a bit of a cliffhanger. I just couldn't resist. Anyways, here's the next chapter!

 

 

Demonic Angels

 

“Meryl? Pay attention!”

Meryl blinked. Suddenly, she noticed that the water she was pouring had already spilled over the customers' glasses. She hurriedly stopped pouring and began to appologize. The customers looked at her disapprovingly.

“I'm sorry!” Meryl said. “I'll be right back to clean it up.”

Meryl hurried past her fellow waitress, who had snapped her out of her reverie, to the kitchen to fetch a towel. When she came back, she quickly mopped up the water and appologized again. The customers looked slightly mullified.

“Meryl, could I speak with you a moment?”

It was Mr. Johnson. Meryl looked at him blanky before nodding. She followed him past the many tables, some occupied and some not, to his office. He indicated that she should take a seat in front of his desk. She sat.

As Meryl took in her surroundings, she noticed several small, insignificant items. However, what caught her eyes was a small plaque addressing Samuel H. Johnson. It was an award thanking him for providing the town with guns. Meryl stared. She hadn't known Mr. Johnson had been a gunsmith.

“Meryl, I called you to my office because I'm...concerned.”

Meryl blinked and turned her attention to her boss. “About what, sir?”

Sam smiled slightly. “You called me `sir' again.”

“Sorry, sir...I mean, Sam. Old habits die hard.”

He smiled wryly. “Yes, I know. But we're getting off-topic.”

Meryl nodded, not saying anything.

Sam sighed. “Listen, Meryl, when you came in today, you were late. Now, now, don't get upset,” he interrupted her before she could protest. “I'm not angry about it. But, ever since you came in, you've been zoning out. That's not like you.”

“I just didn't get much sleep last night. That's all,” Meryl said, her voice tired.

He frowned. “Meryl, I may be old, but I'm not stupid. I saw the marks on your neck.”

Meryl's eyes widened as she reflexively reached for the scarf she had worn to cover the bruises on her neck. The marks that disturbingly resembled hand and finger prints.

“Now, calm down,” he said placatingly. “I'm not going to tell. But, I'm...concerned.”

She swallowed. “It's...nothing.”

 

Several hours ago...

 

Meryl gasped, her lungs begging for the oxygen that would not come. She clutched at Knives's arm, trying to make his grip losing. Nothing worked. She looked up into his eyes, praying that there would be some mercy there, some indication that he might let her go. However, she knew before she looked that her hope was in vain.

What she saw both revolted and terrified her. Deep in those artic blue eyes she saw her fate. She saw the fate he would force upon every single one of her kind. His eyes burned with an intense hatred. He was disgusted with her presence. He wanted her to die. Also, there was a callous amusement there, behind that deceptively cool gaze. He was actually enjoying choking the life out of her.

That's all I am to him. Vermin, she thought dispairingly. There is no mercy to be had from someone like him. In his eyes, I am lower than the smallest speck of dirt. Just because I'm human...

Knives grinned. “I see you have recognized your own insignificance. Your intelligence is slightly above that of the average human.”

He tightened his grip further. Meryl gasped again. However, her mind began to feel fuzzy as the darkness kingering at the edge of her vision began to draw closer.

“I know you,” Knives mused to himself. “You're that human I've been sensing occassionally when my foolish brother comes in.” He looked at her disdainfully. “I cannot understand why my brother is so fascinated with your disgusting species. However,” he continued, scrutinizing her closely, “perhaps there is something more to my dear brother's interest in you, hmmm?”

Meryl felt a sudden pounding in her mind. It was as though someone was attempting to invade her private thoughts. Memories of her time with Vash flashed before her eyes. Their first meeting, how she had followed him everywhere, even her innermost thoughts about him were all revealed.

The process wasn't comfortable either. It felt like her brain was being pulled out through her ear, squeezed, and shoved back in. In addition, despite her fear, Meryl was beginning to feel a surge of hatred, of revulsion, so all-encompassing that it blighted out the fear she felt and made her thoughts crystal clear despite the lack of air. How dare he invade her mind and rape it for information to use against Vash! How dare he try to intimidate her! How dare he try to cut off her life!

Yet, she realized bleakly, there was nothing she could do to stop him. He had her at his mercy. Vash...

Knives laughed. “My fool brother can't help you now!”

Meryl felt herself beginning to black out when she heard Knives say, “Interesting...”

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Knives paused and gazed at the doorway, looking supremely unconcerned. Meryl twisted her head a little, trying to get a better view. What she saw caused what little breath she had left to leave her.

Vash the Stampede stood in the doorway, wearing only a pair of jeans, his scars criss-crossing his tall form. Whatever weariness he had displayed last night had completely vanished. His hair, usually spikey, was hanging loosely about his face and over his eyes. Yet, through them, Meryl could see his eyes glowing a bright and deadly blue.

Meryl's eyes widened fearfully at the sight of him. Not only were his eyes glowing, but his right arm...

...it was sprouting feathers.

“So, brother, is this the way you greet me?” Knives asked nonchalantly.

“Knives...” Vash rasped out in barely contained fury. “Let...her...GO!”

Meryl looked from one to the other, eyes wide with fear. Knives was sinister to be sure, but Vash... What was wrong with his ARM? It was sprouting feathers! But, that only happened when he had his gun! Why was it happening NOW?

Knives looked at his brother, unperturbed by his fearsome appearance. He shook Meryl roughly by her neck. Meryl felt like her brain was rattling around in her skull. Vash's eyes glowed even brighter.

“You mean this pathetic creature who is unworthy of your time and deserves to be exterminated with the rest of her vile race?”

“KNIVES!” Vash roared as the feathers on his arm began to bristle with apparent fury.

Knives grinned. “Careful, Vash. You're losing control.”

Vash didn't seem to be able to hear him as he strode into the room, ivory feathers expanding as his arm morphed even more, his eyes glowing intensely. Meryl looked fearfully back at Knives, who continued to grin.

Suddenly, when Vash was mere feet away from the bed, Knives released Meryl roughly and shoved her right into Vash. Meryl yelped a little, but her fall was cushioned by...feathers?

Meryl found herself enveloped in feathers. Much to her surprise, they were warm and soft. As they receded, Meryl felt two, strong hands holding her shoulders. They turned her about.

Meryl stared in the eyes of the man she had been thinking of for the past month. The blue glow had faded, and he gazed at her through twin pools of aqua. He looked her over, looking almost fearful that lasting damage had been done.

“Meryl...?” he whispered. “Are you alright?”

Meryl looked up at him slowly as her vision came back into focus, the oxygen reaching her brain once again. At the look on her face, Vash let her go, an appalled look in his eyes, although she could not tell ifit was because of the look on her face or at what he had just done. Meryl glanced back at Knives, who seemed rather pleased for some reason, and then at Vash.

“I...I'm sorry, but...I have to go to work!” she said, her voice pitch rising to almost a shriek before fleeing from the room.

 

Present

 

“Meryl? What is it?”

Meryl blinked. He hands were both cleched so hard that he nails had dug in the palms of her hands. She looked at them, the blood oozing from them. She barely felt the pain.

“Meryl!” Sam exclaimed. “You're bleeding!”

She nodded absently.

“Well don't just sit there! We have to take care of that immediately!”

Sam jumped up and left the room quickly someone so large. A few minutes later, he returned with a first aid kit and tried to patch her up as best he could. The whole time, Meryl said nothing.

When he was finished, Sam looked at her sternly. “Now listen, Meryl, I don't know what happened to make you this way, and I wish you would tell me although it's pretty clear you won't. However,” he said, eyeing her not unkindly but firmly, “feel free to talk to me.”

Meryl nodded absently again.

He frowned. “Meryl, you really need to snap yourself out of this funk. I can't let you work here if you don't. Do you understand?”

That got Meryl's attention. “But, I need this job!”

Sam sighed. “I know you do. So, I'll tell you what. I'll give you a week off to straighten yourself out. If you can prove to me when you come back that you are alright, then everything will be fine. Deal?”

He stuck out his hand. Meryl stared at it a moment before shaking it.

“Good! Now that that's settled, I want you to go home. Right now.”

Meryl blinked. “I haven't finished my shift yet.”

He waved his hand, dismissing her. “It doesn't matter! Go home! Take a load off!”

“Thank you,” Meryl said, a bit puzzled as she turned to go.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Meryl looked Sam in the eye.

“Was Vash the Stampede the one who did that to you?” he asked, his tone of voice serious as he indicated her neck.

“No...no, he didn't,” Meryl replied solemnly.

He scrutinized her for a moment before nodding. “Alright. I believe you. Now, shoo!”

Meryl thanked Sam again as she left his office. As she gathered up her things, she pushed her hair out of her face, her expression pensive. She straightened and walked out the door, aware of others staring at her departing form. Yet, she didn't care.

The twin midday suns were bright and heat radiated off them in waves. Meryl shrugged it off as best she could as she trudged wearily home. Yet, she had no desire to be there. Millie was still at work, and she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to her earlier. Meryl had simply grabbed a clean pair of clothes and left without even taking a shower.

Meryl looked down at herself. I look like hell, she thought wryly.

Meryl sighed. She felt slightly ashamed of herself. Vash had come in to save her from Knives this morning, and she couldn't even thank him. She had been too scared. Living with Vash was something she had come to like over the years. Even after learning he was a plant, she had never given much thought to that side of him because he didn't think about it much either. He obviously preferred to act like a human. But today, seeing that side of him, Vash had seemed to her a demon, despite his angelic wings.

Heh, demonic angels, she thought wryly. Two of them, one more angel than demon and one more demon than angel.

Meryl rubbed her brow. She had never expected that part of his life to become a part of hers. She had accepted the risks of living with him and his brother Knives, but the implications hadn't really sunken in until today. She had thought the Angel Arm was only possible when either twin has his gun, but apparently that wasn't true. That made Knives even more dangerous since he was almost healed!

Meryl stopped just outside the house. It didn't look homely to her anymore. It rose up before her, a bleak beacon against the suns. She wandered onto the porch and sank into the rocking chair Vash had occupied all those weeks ago after he had killed Legato. As she rocked back and forth, the chair creaking slightly, she tried to see some bright spot on the horizon for her. She tried to envision a time when Knives would no longer be a threat, and she and Vash could be together. It didn't even occur to her to contradict that thought.

As she hoped and wished, she was disappointed when she couldn't see how any of those scenarios were possible. Then, she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly, the taste of salt in her mouth.

 

 

Wow. That chapter got kind of angsty. Sorry!

Knives: I thought it was excellent!

-glare- You would! Sadistic plant that you are.

Knives: Indeed!

Hmph! I'm sick of you! -pokes him in the eye violently-

Knives: OW! What was that for?

I did that at the request of a reviewer. However, your true punishment is Kuroneko!

Kuroneko: -attacks Knives- NYAH!

Knives: ARGH! Get it off!

Never!