Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Life Thereafter ❯ Devastation ( Chapter 33 )

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

 

A/N: Dun dun DUN! Next chapter!

 

Sorry about the late post, everyone, back as you can see, this thing turned out REALLY long. ABOUT 8000 DAMN WORDS! Yes, behold my mad writing skillz!!! XP

 

Oh, and if anyone complains about this chapter being late, I am going to -bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-!!!!!!

 

Anyway…HERE WE GO!!!

 

 

Devastation

 

Vash shuffled through the city of Inepril, on his way back from the desert, rubbing his eyes roughly. He was sure there were bags under his eyes, both from lack of sleep and worry. Nothing ever seemed to go his way, it seemed, and this was absolute proof of it.

He and Meryl had arrived in Inepril a few days ago to a warm reception from the townspeople, and in Vash's case, the children had given him an exceptional greeting. Of course, he was still nursing a few small bruises. A gang of kids (led by Tonis) had tackled him the moment they saw him, berating him for not visiting sooner. When he had beseeched for assistance from Meryl, she had simply shaken her head, hiding a smile behind her hand. It had taken him a while to disentangle himself from the children after that since he had had to apologize profusely multiple times until they were satisfied that he was truly sorry.

I deserve a lot of things, but I certainly didn't deserve that! Those kids are brutal…

Since then, Vash and Meryl had been living in a vacant house that had been left open when one of the residents had decided to move to a larger city. The place was not really well-furnished, but it had the necessities. There was only one bed, though, and even though the townspeople had offered to supply another, Vash had simply told them he would sleep on the couch and let Meryl have the bed. Last night, though, Vash had spent the entire night alone in the desert. Just thinking.

Life was actually rather calm around here. Vash liked it. It reminded him of the two years he had spent with Lina and her grandmother Sheryl. He could almost forget what was actually going on in the outside world. Almost.

Every day, Vash would sit and listen to the radio while Meryl cooked dinner. And, every day, there would be something about his humble self. Warnings (“armed and extremely dangerous”), vague descriptions (“clothes stained crimson by the blood of his victims”), and of course, how Vash could do what he did (“the Devil's Helper”). He never heard anything regarding the Feds or the military, nothing useful anyway. Whatever the federal government was doing, it was keeping everything hush hush.

Why do I bother listening anyway? All they're doing is building the hype of “Vash the Stampede” up all over again. They want someone to blame, and I guess I'm the unlucky person they chose. Still…did they have to say that I eat small children for breakfast?

Vash shook his head, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose before sticking his hands within the folds of his red duster. He was grateful to the people of Inepril for hiding him and Meryl. And, it really touched him that they did not believe everything being broadcasted about him. Sure, they still believed they owed him for saving their city twice (which had since been restored, the sand gone from the previously dead half of the city), but it was more that they genuinely believed in him, a rarity for Vash these days.

But, that was just the problem. Vash was not sure if he could trust himself now. All of those strange episodes he had had, like when he had appeared next to Meryl that night. He had no memory of actually moving over there in the first place. It was so strange, but Vash could not put his finger on the problem.

Unless it's because of the merger…

But even that made little sense. From what Vash was able to discover about merging while going through Knives's research with Meryl before they had left, merging involved one personality being dominant over the others, and judging by the outcome, Vash had come out on top.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. I wish it hadn't come to that…

Still, nothing could be done about it now. As much as it bothered him, there was no way to separate two fused Plants. Or, if there was, Knives had either not discovered it or left no record of there being one. So, Vash was stuck.

Why me?

Vash looked up, furrowing his brow. He turned facing the direction of the outskirts of town. He thought he had just heard something. It was muffled, but that sounded a lot like…

Gunfire.

“Psst. Over here…”

Vash blinked, looking around for the source of the voice. In a deserted alleyway, he saw a man standing there, beckoning towards him. He pointed at himself, a confused look on his face.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Come here. I want to talk to you.”

That's weird… “Ok…”

Vash walked over to the man, his expression quizzical. “What is it?”

Right then, a large hand grabbed him and yanked him into one of the buildings.

“HEY! LET GO!”

“Well, that's a fine `howdy do.' Where're your manners, Vash the Stampede?” a gruff, bemused voice asked.

Vash turned, his eyes widening with surprise as he saw the speaker. “Brilliant Dynamites Neon! What're you doing here? Did you find Millie, Lina, and her grandmother? What-?”

“Whoa, whoa! Slow down there, pal!” Neon said, lighting one of his sparkling cigarettes, the end sizzling loudly as he balanced it between his teeth. “They're all fine. And as for why I'm here, I'm looking after your sorry ass, that's what!”

Vash stared at him. “What do you mean?”

BDN jerked a thumb towards the outskirts of town. “Didn't ya hear it?”

Vash looked at him for a moment, his expression becoming serious. “Then…is that-?”

“Gunfire? Yup.”

“Who's doing the fighting?” Vash asked, dread growing within him.

Releasing a puff of smoke, Neon shrugged. “The Feds.”

“The Feds?”

“Yeah, the Feds!” BDN growled. “Dirty bastards.”

“But how'd they know I was coming here?” Vash asked, appalled. He did not want Inepril's citizens to get dragged into this mess!

“Someone snitched on you. Ain't it obvious?” Neon said wryly.

Vash shook his head. “Who're the Feds fighting?”

Neon took another long drag from his cigarette. “Well, I left some of my Bad Lads out there to distract `em for a bit.”

“Why'd you do that?” Vash demanded. “They have nothing to do with this!”

BDN grabbed Vash by the front of his coat. “In case you haven't noticed, ya spiky bastard, we are a part of this!” he snarled. “And don't be givin' me shit over it either!”

Vash stared at him as Neon released him, a pissed look on the large man's face. Vash had not really thought about it that way. When he had first asked Brilliant Dynamite Neon to do a couple favors for him, he had never really expected to see the man again. But now, like Meryl and Millie, he was involving himself in something that he need not have gotten into in the first place.

Why do things like this happen? Because of me? What about me is so special that it could inspire a ruffian like Neon to help me…?

“I'm sorry…”

“Feh!” Neon scoffed, flicking the cigarette away, grinding it against the floor with his boot. “Don't start that with me either. Now come on. We're leavin'.”

Vash blinked. “Going? Where?”

“Somewhere where the damned Feds can't get at ya!” Neon exclaimed.

“I can't do that!” Vash said indignantly.

“Why the hell not?” Neon asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I can't just let the Feds tear up this town looking for me! The only way to prevent that is for me to reveal myself.”

“You're a damned idiot! That's what you are!” Neon roared. “What? You just gonna turn yourself over to `em?”

“No!” Vash said loudly. “I have no intention of doing that…”

“Then what are you gonna do, smart guy?” Neon mocked. “Ask them to a tea party and be one big happy family?”

Vash stared at BDN stoically. “I'm going out there. Will you help me get there or not?”

“Fine! Fine!” Neon grumbled. “But if you're gonna go through with this idiotic stunt, you can forget about me helpin' ya!”

Vash nodded. “I understand.”

“Hmph!” Neon muttered. “Let's get goin' then.”

Guiding Vash out of the building, Neon led him around the back way. Vash gaped. “That's our ride?”

“Yeah, sure is!” Neon said proudly, indicating the large, Bad Lads vehicle parked behind the empty residence.

“Is that thing safe?”

“Hell yes, it is!” BDN growled.

“Oh, ok. Just checking because it looks kinda-”

“Just get in, dammit!”

Vash grinned, climbing into it behind Neon as the large man took the wheel. Even though the situation was a serious one, he had to admit that Brilliant Dynamites Neon was quite the character. However, knowing what lay ahead, Vash steeled himself for it. He could not believe he was saying this, but he was actually glad that he had both Colts with him. Vash had a feeling that he was going to need them before this day was over…

 

 

“Vash, I'm back!”

Meryl closed the door behind her with her foot, shifting the groceries in her arms. She made her way into the small kitchen, setting the bags down carefully. Brushing a few stray strands of black hair out of her eyes, Meryl began to put things away, her thoughts wandering.

Vash should have been back already. At night, he would always go out near the edge of town. He never came back before she went to bed, but when Meryl started making breakfast in the morning, he would always be sleeping on the couch in his pajamas, yawning loudly and asking if donuts were for breakfast when the meal was almost ready.

At least that part of him hasn't changed…

This morning had been different, though. He had not been on the couch, and it made Meryl wonder just what he was doing out there. She had asked once, but Vash had merely smiled and said he just needed some time alone to think. It made sense, but she also wished that he would open up a bit more…

Well, she thought, I guess he's been alone so long that it's hard for him to break the habit of pushing those close to him away. I hope he'll break it someday…

She sighed, beginning to put several of the necessities she had bought today away. Of course, donuts did not exactly count as “essentials,” but Meryl was willing to make an exception. After all, Vash deserved to have at the very least the smaller pleasures in life. And donuts…well, they were quite special to him for some reason.

Meryl smiled. Maybe I should ask him someday just why he loves donuts so much…

It felt strange to Meryl, after so many weeks of tension and worry, to indulge herself in a mundane lifestyle. Not that she disliked it. The past few days had been dull but…somehow pleasant. Meryl found herself relaxing a little now, but a few things were always lurking in the back of her mind.

There had been no news of the federal government's movements or activities, just propaganda, the sort that was supposed to frighten small children at night. Meryl shook her head. She did not understand how they could just outright lie like that to so many people. But, the sad thing was, no matter how farfetched the things being said about Vash were, people believed every word of it.

Meryl sighed, putting the last of the groceries away, closing the cabinets as she did so. Absentmindedly, she began to clean up the kitchen, picking up the plate of food and cup of coffee that she had let out for Vash. They had been left untouched.

Knowing the food would probably go bad anyway, she dumped the whole plate outside. Several fuzzy bodies perked up, darting for the discarded victuals. A faint smile tugged on the corners of Meryl's lips as she watched the stray cats eat. The back one looked very much like Kuroneko, the one she had left behind. She wondered briefly what had happened to him before walking back into the house.

“Sempai!”

Meryl jumped, suddenly finding the breath being squeezed out of her by a very familiar person. “Millie…can't…breathe…”

“Oh, sorry about that!” Millie laughed sheepishly, releasing Meryl.

She doesn't know her own strength, Meryl thought, wincing slightly, feeling as though she would have been crushed if Millie had hugged her any tighter. Still, she managed a smile. It was good to see her old friend again.

“How've you been, Millie?” Meryl asked.

Millie's smile faded a little. “Well, things have been the same at Bernardelli, Sempai, but it's kind of awkward there now just because of…you know, you going missing.”

Meryl sighed. “I expected as much. What did you tell the chief, anyway?”

Millie blinked. “Well, Miss Marianne told me that I shouldn't say anything. In fact, she told the chief that since I was part of a federal investigation, he didn't need to know anything.”

“But did you tell him anything?” Meryl asked.

“Well…”

Meryl narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Millie…what did you do?”

“All I told him was that you and Mr. Vash ran off together with his brother-”

“You did what?” Meryl squawked, smacking her forehead. “You made it sound like we went off and…and…”

“Eloped?” Millie suggested.

Meryl rubbed her brow. “UGH!”

“I'm sorry, Sempai!”

“No…no, it's fine…” Meryl said, calming herself down. “Just…why are you here? And how did you know we'd be here?”

Millie brightened somewhat. “Well, Miss Marianne told us that someone snitched on you and Mr. Vash to the Feds (I oughta smack them!), and she told us that you were coming to Inepril so Mr. Neon, Miss Marianne, and me came to find ya!”

Meryl blinked. “Wait a minute…Miss Marianne the Federal Marshall? And…Brilliant Dynamites Neon?”

Millie nodded. “Yup!”

At that moment, Marianne walked in, smiling upon seeing the shocked look on Meryl's face. “Amazing, isn't it?” the Federal Marshal asked.

Meryl nodded slowly. “Yeah. It is…”

Marianne indicated the door. “Come on. We have to leave.”

“Leave?” Meryl frowned. “Why?”

“I just got a message from Neon,” Marianne said, making her way towards the front door. “Vash is going out to fight the Feds as we speak.”

“WHAT?” Meryl shouted.

“But…I thought Mr. Neon was taking care of them!” Millie exclaimed.

Marianne shook her head. “He was, but then when he told Vash about it, he wanted to go out and face them himself.”

Sounds just like him, Meryl thought, dread rising within the pit of her stomach.

“Then what're we gonna do?” Millie asked.

“Well, Neon wants us to head out of the city,” Marianne said. As her hand turned the handle on the door, she turned, smiling mischievously. “But, I think this is too important to leave just to the men, don't you agree?”

“Absolutely, Miss Marianne!” Millie said, grinning widely. She pushed Meryl forward towards the stair. “Get your derringers, Sempai! You might need them!”

Meryl stumbled due to the force of Millie's push, but she could not help but smile as she ran up the stairs, rummaging around for her derringer cloak. It would not match her current outfit, but at this moment, it did not matter. Grabbing the white cloak, Meryl swung it around her, the familiar weight resting on her shoulders once more. Then, she went back downstairs, still worried, but feeling less so than she had before.

“Ladies,” Meryl said, a twinkle in her eye, “let's be off!”

 

 

“Distracting? You called this distracting?”

“Shut yer trap!” Neon growled.

Vash and Brilliant Dynamites Neon stood upon a bluff several iles outside of the city of Inepril, overlooking the battlefield. Twisted hunks of metal and the remnants of vehicles lay scattered across the desert. Corpses were strewn randomly and unceremoniously about, some Bad Lads and others clad in army uniforms. From where he was, Vash could still see people out there fighting, the roar of machine gun fire and bombs exploding sporadically ringing in his ears.

“Neon, you told me your Bad Lads were just distracting the Feds!” Vash shouted. “You didn't tell me this was an all-out war!”

Neon pointed at Vash, jabbing his finger into the red-clad outlaw's chest. “Don't you lecture me!” he snapped. “Those are my men fightin' and dyin' out there! For you, ya spiky bastard! So don't lay the blame on me!”

Vash shut up, obviously taken aback by the vehemence in Neon's tone. This man really did care about those under him. Staring up at Brilliant Dynamites Neon, Vash found himself wondering about this infamous individual, who seemed to be a decent enough person at heart considering how much he cared about his “maggots.” But then, why had he chosen this lifestyle?

“Why?”

Neon looked at Vash. “Why what?”

Vash met his gaze, his voice serious. “Why are you helping me? And, why do you do what you do?”

“Well, that's a stupid ass question!” Neon scoffed, a lopsided grin twisting his lips upward. “I like things that sparkle. And you, my idealistic friend, do indeed sparkle, even more than jewels and precious metals, which,” he added, laughing heartily, “I damn well enjoy collecting!”

Vash blinked. Well that's… “Uh…”

Neon stopped laughing, his expression becoming serious once more. “So, you still wanna go through with this?” he asked shrewdly. “Because I mean it. I won't help your sorry ass with this. You'll have to go it alone.”

Well, it won't be the first time… “I'm sure.”

“Alright then,” Neon agreed gruffly. “BAD LADS!” he roared, his voice booming across the battlefield. “GET YER ASSES OUTTA THERE!”

Immediately, Bad Lads began to scramble away from the fight, vehicles leaving the area as quickly as possible while those on foot scrambled after then, hitching rides if at all possible as they carried their dead with them. Vash watched as the Feds paused, ceasing their fire upon the retreating combatants. Then, once the field had been completely cleared, Vash turned to face Neon one last time, smiling easily.

“Thanks for everything…”

“Shaddup,” Neon muttered. “Just get goin', ya jackass.”

Vash's smile widened for a moment before he turned away and began his descent down the desert slopes. As he walked, he did his best to ignore the bodies which still remained, none of which bore a Bad Lads uniform. Vash remembered how BDN had insisted upon giving the men who had died back at the SEEDs ship a proper burial, and it looked like this time was no exception.

As he walked, Vash's thoughts began to wander. The sheer amount of things that had happened in just the past few months was enough to blow his mind. He did not even want to think about it all because if he did, it would probably overwhelm him.

Smiling wistfully, he thought, But…there have been one or two benefits…

Picking his way through the debris, Vash ignored the suspicious (and somewhat awed) stares of the soldiers. He caught snippets of exchanged whispers as he made his way towards what seemed to the main transport of the military, a large sand steamer.

“Is that-?”

“-the Stampede-”

“-what's he doing-?”

“-true what they say-?”

“-devil in a red coat-”

Vash stopped in front of the sand steamer, aware that the soldiers were drifting closer to him, forming a loose perimeter. A whirring sound above his head caused Vash to look up as multiple guns lined across the sand steamer (obviously specifically developed for the military) turned upon him. Lifting his hands slowly, Vash stood still, waiting.

A few moments later, a voice blared across the battlefield over a loudspeaker. “ARE YOU VASH THE STAMPEDE?”

“I am,” Vash said calmly.

“ARE YOU WILLING TO LET US TAKE YOU INTO CUSTODY?”

“No. I came to-”

“THEN, PREPARE TO BE TAKEN IN BY FORCE.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Vash exclaimed. “I just came here to talk!”

“WE WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH CRIMINALS.”

“Criminals?” Vash frowned indignantly. “I'm not a criminal!”

“YES, YOU ARE. TROOPS!”

“No!”

“ATTACK!”

Bullets whizzed all around him as Vash hit the deck, rolling over and into a crouching position as he reached for and drew both Colts. He darted away, firing rapidly as men dropped like flies, clutching at their legs, arms, or sides, wounded but not fatally so. Dodging behind the remains of a Bad Lad vehicle, Vash winced as bullets from the sand steamer pierced it, clipping him in the side.

His eyes widened as he saw two more militarized sand steamers rumbling towards him from opposite directions. Peaking around the side of his cover, Vash jerked back as a bullet ripped through his left shoulder. He gasped, dropping his gun as he wrapped his fingers around the wound, warm blood oozing between his fingers.

He was surrounded. Soldiers were closing in from all directions, and judging by the fear and determination in their eyes, they would shoot him on sight if he made any hostile actions towards them. It was not only the result of the recent propaganda put out by the media and the government but also the years of rumors since the destruction of July.

Vash had been condemned in the mind of his opponent by his actions, and he could not deny that he deserved their fear. He was Vash the Stampede, the man who had reduced two of the Seven Cities to rubble. He was not human. And, even though Vash had asked for none of this, there was nothing that he could do to change these facts.

“VASH THE STAMPEDE. LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER.”

I can't do that. I must keep moving. No matter what, I can't let myself just give up here. There are people waiting for me…

Vash pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, smiling easily as he picked his Colt up again. If this was how it would end, he was ready for it. But, he sure as hell was not going to go down without a fight!

“VASH THE STAMPEDE! IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND, WE WILL OPEN FIRE!”

Vash leapt up, firing both Colts in rapid succession, picking off his attackers one by one. The army let out a collective roar, charging forward, bullets tearing through the air, as Vash dodged, twisting around and about in their midst, knocking them out by smashing them with one of his guns, disarming them, or disabling them. Dozens of men lay around Vash, who fought like one possessed, his eyes hidden from view behind orange lenses.

Every now and then, dull, burning pains would shoot through him as army rounds clipped him in various areas, until finally, and even darker crimson speckled Vash's duster. But Vash fought on, ignoring the pain as even more fell at his hand. He flipped over one man, reloading a gun as he did so before landing in the sand, rolling over as the grit clung to his bloodied form, reloading his second Colt at the same time.

Vash sucked in his breath sharply with pain as pain shot up his right leg. He stumbled, rolling off to the side a machine gun fire thudded in the sand next to him. Scrambling for cover, his leg burned violently when Vash sat down briefly, checking the injury. He tore a strip off his coat and tied it tightly around his leg before getting to his feet.

As he reentered the fray, Vash suddenly found himself bombarded with the sound of mini-explosions. He darted to the side, rolling in the sand as he caught small grenades going off out of the corner of his eyes. Righting himself quickly, Vash looked around wildly for the source.

Vash yelped a bit when one when off particularly close to him, singeing his clothing before he managed to leap away. Patting himself frantically (just in case he caught on fire), he whiled about just in time to see a young, uniformed man, perhaps in his teens, poking his head over a pile of rubble, a grenade in on hand.

Racing forward, Vash dashed up to him, as his eyes widened in shock. Vash knocked the grenade from his hand, snatching the bag full of explosives next to him. Smiling pleasantly (despite the gunfire whizzing around him), he pulled the guy down next to him.

“Hey. These are dangerous.”

The man swallowed. “W-what?”

“You heard me,” Vash said sternly. “You'll end up blowing yourself up with these things someday. Now,” he stated, a twinkle in his eyes, “I'll show you how they should be used.”

“H-how's that?” he stuttered.

“Like this!”

Vash chucked the whole contents of the bag out, shooting each one right before it landed, kicking up a sand screen, the perfect cover. Then, without another word, Vash took off once more. This time, he had a bigger target in mind.

He darted forward, charging directly for one of the other sand steamers. As he had expected, the other two stopped firing at him. Charging up the side, gunfire whizzing around him, Vash blasted the large guns installed on the decks of the sand steamer, smoke clogging the air as they exploded amidst the shouts and screams from the ones manning them.

Vash skidded to a halt, knocking several men aside as he took control of the one gun he had purposely left unharmed. Turning it about, he aimed at the other two sand steamers and fired, the rounds tearing through the armored bulk as army men scrambled for cover. Smiling grimly, Vash shot the last gun turret before leaping off of the sand steamer, sliding down the side before landing in the sand once more, quickly rolling to his feet, his Colts held at ready.

A deathly silence reigned across the battlefield, smoke and dust swirling lazily about as the soldiers left stared in horror at Vash the Stampede, who had single-handedly done this much damage to this large force. Vash stood before them, wounded in various places, his face smudged with dirt and blood, but still he remained, favoring his left leg.

“You can still stop this,” Vash called out, his voice carrying over the battleground. “We don't have to fight anymore. I will lay down my guns but not to be arrested. I want to…explain myself to you all. To the people of Gunsmoke.” He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “Will you let me?”

Vash waited, hoping against hope that they would agree to this. He could see a number of soldiers conversing, glancing at him suspiciously but also with curiosity. In that moment, Vash thought he could see them looking on him not just as an enemy who had to be destroyed, or a legendary outlaw whose story was told to frighten small children, but rather as…a person.

But, it took only one word to snatch that hope from him…

“NO.”

The sides of the sand steamers clanked, part of them detaching, revealing a ramp that lowered to the sand. Vash's eyes widened as hundreds of reinforcements marched out of them, their faces set and hard. It was clear now that there would be no quarter asked for and none given.

Vash sighed, his body aching from the injuries he had already received. But, there was no help for it. He reloaded his Colts once more, his face resigned. It truly was the end, then. Vash absently pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose once again, grinning wryly when he realized that he had already done so several times today.

He smiled, facing the men as they lined up, their weapons directed straight at him. “Come at me, then.”

Not waiting for a response, Vash darted forward, picking up speed until he smashed into their ranks, sending men and guns flying. Chaos ensued, gunfire going off in sporadic bursts. Soldiers dropped to the desert floor, clutching their wounds, either from Vash or their own comrades.

Several minutes of this passed by, and Vash knew he was reaching his limit. He had acquired several more injuries, a few of them more serious than his previous ones. However, he refused to stop, resorting to smashing the butts of his Colts into his adversaries' faces when he finally ran out of bullets.

He stumbled then, his right leg finally giving out. Vash struggled to his feet, his heart sinking as he realized he had lost what mobility he had possessed. Now, it was all or nothing…

Fighting with strength born of desperation, Vash refused to stay down, even as rough hands pulled against his red duster, an even darker shade of crimson it had originally been. He struck out right and left with his guns, knowing that he could not win this way. In all actuality, Vash was well aware that he could have used his Angel Arm, but that power was too great to be controlled. The risk was too high.

Vash gasped with pain, falling to his knees as something slammed into the back of his head, the sheer force of the blow knocking the sunglasses off of his face as his eyes watered, his vision blurring. A victorious howl shot up amongst the soldiers as each one shoved their way forward, determined to pin the “monster” to the ground. Rough hands held him down as Vash's consciousness began to fade…

`Is this…is this the end…?'

`Only if you want it to be.'

`Who…who's there?'

`Go on. Use it.'

`What?'

`Yes…show them…SHOW THEM!'

`NO!'

`YES!'

He opened his eyes, staring upward at the ones holding him down. His lips curled upward into a cruel smile as his right arm began to sprout feathers, tearing everyone around him apart. Blood spurted, and fleshy chunks thudded against the ground. He got to his feet slowly, his eyes glowing and eerie blue.

Raising his right arm, his fingers were wrapped securely around the black Colt as its top popped off, revealing a spinning cylinder. Energy crackled and laced up his arm as it began to glow brightly. The bodysuit and sleeve of the red duster began to peel back, shredded clean off as the metamorphosis began, scarred flesh melding with cold metal. He brought his “arm” around, satisfaction etched across his face as feathers sprouted from his shoulder.

“Bang.”

Moments later, a dome of burning, white light appeared, dying the sky crimson…

 

 

“What the hell do you three think you're doin' here?”

Brilliant Dynamites Neon, Meryl, Millie, and Marianne stood on top of the same bluff where Vash had stood a little over an hour ago. The women had found Neon by watching the Bad Lads stream from the battlefield and following them. Finally, when they had found the Bad Lad leader himself, he had greeted them as such.

Meryl stood her ground, staring defiantly back at BDN. “Where is Vash?”

Neon glared at Marianne. “This is your fault. I told ya to take these two to the drop off point!”

Marianne shrugged. “They didn't want to go, and neither did I.”

“Mr. Neon, we want to know what happened to Mr. Vash!” Millie said stubbornly.

BDN glowered at them. “Fine! The spiky bastard went down there to fight the Feds on his own!” he stated, pointing towards the battlefield, the sound of gunfire muffled in the distance.

Meryl frowned at BDN. “Then why aren't you out there helping him? You let him face them all by himself?”

“HEY! What is this, `Blame BDN Day'?” Neon growled. “Listen, I'm gonna tell you three the same thing I told him! I won't risk my neck OR my men on a suicide mission! I was fine with distracting `em for a while, but an all-out war? Hell no!”

Meryl was about to protest when a violent wind hit. She instinctively grabbed onto something, which ended up being the car they had come in. She clung to it, her grip slipping somewhat as the torrent of air become stronger. Her eyes watered as sand was blown into her face, rasping across her skin as she squinted at the brilliant light coming from…

Her eyes widened in horror. No…this light… He wouldn't!

Shouts of alarm went up all around her, but she could not see them. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing all too well what was happening now. Images of Augusta disintegrating before her very eyes flashed through her mind. She shook her head violently, trying to block them out, but she could not.

Meryl had no idea how long she clung there, holding on for dear life as screams went up around her, small objects smacking into her as chaos reigned throughout the area. She bit her lip hard, blood and dirt mingling on her tongue as she tried to cling to her lifeline, already feeling her feet beginning to slide back.

Finally, the wind began to die down and, Meryl opened her eyes, prepared for the worst as the blinding light faded. The breath caught in her throat as she surveyed the scene, a large crate burned into the ground below with random scraps of debris littering the area. And above, the sky had turned blood red, white, swirling clouds stark against their cruelly hued backdrop. Beyond that, there was nothing else to see. Nothing.

Meryl's throat worked but no words would come. Why? Why would he do this?

Looking behind her, Meryl saw that the Bad Lads were in complete disarray, vehicles and shelters turned over on their sides, the men themselves looking completely disoriented. One by one, a few who were not helping others pinned beneath something began to crawl up the slope, their eyes wide with awe and fear at the blasted scene before them. For several long minutes, no one spoke. Then…

“What the HELL was that?” Neon demanded, the first one to find his voice.

Meryl swallowed. “It was…Vash…”

Neon blinked, staring at her. “He did that? Then…it's the same power…”

Meryl nodded, her mouth dry. “Yes.”

“What the HELL is WRONG with that sorry bastard?” BDN bellowed, his eyes flashing angrily. “That was completely out of line!”

“We have to look for him,” Meryl whispered.

“Are you kidding me?” Neon shouted, storming over to her. “Why the hell would you wanna go look for that asshole? Look!” he barked, his arm sweeping across the air, indicating the blasted crater in the ground. “It's one thing if he was defending himself, but you see that? There's no way in hell those guys out there survived that! That jackass is not better than that damned brother of his!”

“What brother?” Marianne asked, her brow furrowing.

“I'll tell you later,” Millie whispered hurriedly.

“We have to look for him!” Meryl insisted, her voice shaking as it grew in volume.

“Why? Tell me that!” Neon demanded.

Meryl hesitated. “I…I need to know why…”

“WHY?” Neon roared. “Of all the-!”

“Mr. Neon, that's quite enough!” Millie said sternly, marching right up to him, looking the Bad Lad leader in the eye. “Mr. Vash deserves the right to explain himself, and Sempai deserves to find out why he did what he did. Now, are you going to help or not?”

BDN scowled. “I ain't going down there. And none of my men will either. You can go if you want, and I'll wait. But now, I'm not goin' down there.”

“Even if you don't go, I am,” Meryl said quietly.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Marianne asked, concerned. “What if he-?”

“He's alive!” Millie said indignantly. “He's Mr. Vash! Of course he isn't dead!”

Meryl looked at Neon, his expression unreadable. “BAH!” Neon scoffed, brushing himself off. “Fine. Go. I'll be waitin'.”

“Thanks so much, Mr. Neon!” Millie said sincerely.

“Hmph! I'm getting soft…” Neon muttered.

“So, are we going, Sempai?” Millie asked.

Meryl looked at her friend and Marianne, her expression uncertain. “Actually, I think I need to go alone.”

“But, Sempai-!”

“No,” Meryl said, her voice low. “I think…I need to look for him by myself.”

Millie's eyes widened. “Oh. Ok. I understand, Sempai.”

Meryl smiled weakly. “Thank you, Millie.”

Marianne walked up to her, her gaze serious. “But remember, we're coming in after you if you're not back in an hour.”

“Fair enough,” Meryl acknowledge, managing another smile before beginning her descent.

As she wandered carefully down the slope, she began to have second thoughts about her course of action. Maybe I should have allowed them to come with me. Since no one else could have done this besides Vash, I wonder if being around him is even safe anymore. He wouldn't normally do this. But, he has been acting strange recently…

She shook her head, little clouds of dust rising beneath her feet as she padded quietly across the barren plane, debris scattered in random clumps, becoming more dense as she proceeded further and further into the wasted area.

After about half an hour of searching, Meryl realized that she must have reached the center of the devastation. Looking around, Meryl could see large twisted, steaming hunks of metal. Judging by their size, she assumed they had used to be large vehicles of some sort, perhaps sand steamers.

She shivered, pulling the cloak closer about herself. It was not cold, not the least bit since residual heat still remained. It was more the general “feeling” of the place. People had died here. There was no mistaking it. No one could have survived a blast like that, and since she had seen no survivors…

“Mmmph…”

Meryl jumped, startled as she began to look around wildly for the source of the noise. Then, she caught a glimpse of red stuck underneath a twisted strip of metal. She rushed over to it, sucking in her breath when she saw him.

Vash the Stampede lay pinned to the ground, unconscious, his breathing low and shallow. Meryl knelt next to him, hesitating for a moment when she noticed that his right sleeve looked like it had been shorn off. Ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach, Meryl shook him a few times, a bit more forcefully with each push.

“Vash. Vash!”

“Ugh…”

Vash's eyes flickered open, his gaze shifting onto her. Meryl jerked her hand away quickly, watching him with unease. He blinked, turning his head this way and that, apparently trying to get his bearings. She wondered why he had not said anything. On the other hand, he did look a bit disoriented…

“Help me move this, will you?” Meryl asked, indicating the slab he was stuck under.

Vash looked at her and nodded slowly before beginning to push upwards, grunting with the effort. Meryl pressed against it as hard as she could until she felt it shift. The slab toppled over, nearly taking Meryl with it. She almost toppled onto Vash but managed to catch herself just in time.

She watched him for a moment, trying to read his blank expression, but to no avail. What's wrong with him? He doesn't seem to know where he is. She bit her lip. Did the blast affect him somehow?

He sat up slowly, wincing as he did so. Meryl's eyes widened as she saw all the blood stains on his coat. She felt her heart sink then, knowing that he would have even more scars because of this.

“Vash, come on. We have to treat your wounds!” Meryl said, tugging on his arm.

He ignored her, burying his face in his hands, his body trembling slightly. She hesitated, not sure what to do. He was behaving so oddly. What was she supposed to do with him if he did not respond? Meryl bit her lip, touching him lightly on the shoulder.

“Vash…are you…alright?”

Vash looked up, his eyes wide as his face contorted with horror. He whipped his head about, taking in his surroundings, his expression growing more stricken with each passing second. Meryl did not move, her heart wrenching, knowing what was probably going through his mind.

“I…I did this…” Vash whispered, his voice cracking. He paused, his eyes widening. “No…I didn't…he did…and I…”

Meryl stared at him. What does he mean? “Vash…what are you-?”

He shook his head, staggering to his feet, both Colts still firmly clutched within each hand. Vash stared at down at them, something akin to revulsion twisting his features before he holstered them. He sucked in his breath, wrapping his hand around his left shoulder.

“I have to go…”

Meryl scrambled up, standing in front of him. “What do you mean?”

He looked at her, his face bearing a terrible, blasted expression. “It's not safe for you to be around me…no, it's not safe for me to be around anyone else! I have to go, Meryl.”

“What do you mean, you're leaving?” Meryl demanded angrily, even though her words had hit her like a smack in the face. “You can't do that! Look at this place!” she shouted. “You at least owe me…I mean, all of us an explanation!”

He shook his head. “I can't…I'm not even sure I understand it myself…”

“Don't say that to me…” she whispered hoarsely. “Don't tell me you don't know how. Don't just say `I'm leaving' and nothing else. I…I deserve more than that…”

Vash stared at her sadly. “I'm sorry. But I don't have any other choice. I have to go, Meryl. It's just…not safe anymore…”

Meryl did not move, her throat working, but no words would come out. He's leaving? Just like that? Just like he did before…but that time, he came back. This time he…

“Will you…come back?”

Vash did not answer, but the look on his face said it all.

She wiped at her eyes roughly as they began to burn, swallowing hard against the knot in her throat. Why am I acting like this? I shouldn't…

Suddenly, she felt warm, strong arms wrap around her small frame. Meryl's eyes snapped open, and she felt numb with shock. Vash smiled sadly, drawing her closer to him.

“What…what are you-?”

He put a finger to her lips, his expression solemn. “Don't cry, Meryl. Especially not because of me…”

Meryl sniffed a couple times until finally, she hugged him back, trying to hold the tears back but failing miserably at it. “I can't help it…”

And when he hugged her back, Meryl really did not know what to think then. She was so angry at him, hurt that he would just suddenly decide to leave without explaining himself. Her rational side argued that he had done it before, but the head cannot rationalize away what the heart feels. And now, when he was about to leave, and most likely never come back, he hugged her. That made her so angry she almost could not see straight. And yet, she did not want the moment to end…

She had no idea how long they stayed like that, thinking only of how she did not want him to leave, not after everything they had been through together, before and after he had brought Knives home. Was it all for nothing? The thought of having thrown almost three years of her life away for nothing was just…

It's not fair…none of this is…

Then, so slowly that she almost did not notice, Vash's arms began to tighten around her. Her eyes widened in shock as he began to squeeze. Not the secure hug kind of squeeze. No, the kind that cause bones to crack until they shattered from the pressure. Her mouth opened soundlessly, her eyes wide with shock.

He's going to crush me!

Meryl gasped for breath, feeling as though her bones were about to splinter. She looked up at him in horror, nearly crying out when she saw the look on his face.

Vash was grinning, his lips twisted upward into a cruel smile, his eyes glinting coldly, glowing an eerie blue. Meryl's heart nearly stopped, her eyes wide with recognition and terror. She knew that expression…how could she forget?

“Knives…” she gasped.

“Quite so,” he sneered, his voice a terrible mix of Knives's tone with Vash's voice.

“But…you're…”

“Gone?” he mocked. “No. I yet remain, and I will always exist as long as Vash is alive.”

“Then…you're the one who-!”

“Yes,” he said smoothly. “I destroyed the pitiful humans since Vash didn't have the stomach to. And now,” he continued, his grin widening, “I will finish what I started.”

His arms constricted further, and Meryl screamed. Screamed because of the pain. Screamed because of the injustice of it. Screamed because she was helpless. And most of all, she screamed because Knives was using Vash to kill her.

“VASH!!!”

Meryl fell to the ground, struggling to catch her breath as pain lanced across her body. She felt as though her entire form was covered in one, big bruise, and she winced as she tried to sit up. Meryl fell back into the dirt, her vision blurring. She was vaguely aware of Vash (or was it Knives?) falling to his knees next to her.

“V-Vash?” Meryl whispered, her voice shaking.

He stared at her, shock etched across his face. “What…what have I done?”

Reaching for her, he lifted her up, cradling her in his arms, their cheeks touching. And, despite the haze of pain Meryl was currently floating through, she could feel the damp against her skin, knowing that it was not hers alone.

Then, Vash's eyes widened, fear chiseled across his face as his mouth opened and began to move of its own accord.

“Go on. Finish it!” he said, his voice cruel and unfeeling.

“I can't…” he whispered.

“Do it!” his other spat, his eyes glinting murderously. “Do it now, or I will!”

“I can't,” he said again, looking at her fearfully. “I WON'T!”

His body convulsed sharply, and Meryl heard muffled sounds of a struggled as he let her fall back, both twins fighting for dominance. She blinked rapidly, fighting to stay conscious as she lifted herself slowly, painfully, onto her elbows, her heart torn as she watched Vash tear at himself, as though trying to rip Knives from his body.

Vash collapsed suddenly, his breathing harsh and uneven. “Huhn….huhn…hunh…”

“Vash...?”

He turned over, his expression pained. “I…I can't hold him forever,” he whispered harshly, his voice cracking.

Vash forced himself to his feet, wandering over to her prone form, kneeling next to her for the last time. He traced a finger over her cheek, his expression stricken, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

“I am so sorry, Meryl. For all of this,” he murmured, his eyes glistening as he looked her straight in the eye. “But…I can't stay. I'm so sorry…”

“Vash…don't…” she managed, her vision beginning to fade.

Vash smiled sadly, his expression slightly strained. “Don't come after me, Meryl. And please…don't wait…”

Then, he stood slowly, and began to walk away, the world fading into darkness as Meryl lost consciousness…

 

 

“Are you sure she went this way, Millie?”

“Yes, I am quite sure, Miss Marianne!” Millie said stubbornly.

She turned away, biting her lip with worry. Meryl had gone out to search by herself about an hour ago. She should have reported back by now. Something was up. Of course, BDN had been kind enough to offer to send a couple Bad Lads with them (despite his earlier stubborn statement that he would do no such thing), but both women had told him quite firmly that they needed no assistance.

“Woman…FEH!” he had grumbled before sending them off with a wave of his hand.

Millie really did appreciate what he had done over the past several weeks. He was a true gentleman (albeit a gruff one), but that was fine. He had helped her when she needed it, and Millie was grateful.

I should try to give him something to thank him…

She frowned. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. She had to find Meryl and Vash. She had not seen him in a long time, and she wanted to, not only to hug Vash and tell him how much she had missed him, but also to punch him. He had gone and caused a huge amount of destruction again!

Doesn't he know how much this kind of thing hurts Sempai?

“Look, over there!” Marianne exclaimed, pointing towards a particularly large pile of debris, shaking Millie from her thoughts.

Millie gasped. Meryl was lying on the ground, unconscious, covered in dirt. She rushed to her friend's side, with Marianne following close behind.

“Sempai! Sempai, wake up!”

Meryl groaned, turned over on her back, her eyes slipping open. Millie sighed with relief, glad that Meryl seemed alright. Meryl blinked, apparently trying to get some sense of her surroundings again. Then, her eyes widened. She sat up quickly, sucking in her breath sharply.

“Sempai…what's the matter? Where's Mr. Vash? Did you find him? What happened to you?”

Meryl looked at them, her voice nearly failing her as she spoke. “Yes…I found him…”

“Well? Where is he?” Marianne asked.

“He…he's gone…”

“Gone?” Millie whispered.

Meryl nodded, a lump in her throat. “And…I don't think he's ever coming back…”

 

 

Yes, I know that I'm evil. Go ahead and tell me about it in a review. -pushes review button towards the reader-