"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!" Vash cried out as he raced across the busy street to the doughnut vender. He sighed and bent down to sniff at the vender "Mmmmm, crispy hot doughnuts right of the rack. Heaven!"

He straightened again and opened his mouth at the same moment another voice said at the same time "I'd like a bag of doughnuts please."

Vash blinked in surprise. "Is there an echo in here?" he turned coming face to face with a tall stranger. Almost reaching Vash in height he was dressed in a long blue-black cloak with the hood up obscuring his features. A pair of familiar misty blue eyes blinked back at him with the same assessing look.

"Sorry guys." Vash turned back to the vender seeing the stranger do the same. "We've only got one left." He held up the one doughnut then dropped it into a bag and held it out. Vash and the stranger both grabbed it at the same time.

"Hey! It's mine I got here first." Vash cried tugging at the bag to no avail.

"You'd think so. But I believe I was here for much longer a time. Now. Let go of my bag please.

Vash hesitated for a moment then grinned "Ok!" He leg go of the bag and at the same moment snatched the doughnut out of it turned and moved to run away but the stranger was suddenly beside him and tripped him. There was a plash of silver and the doughnut was shot out of his hand and into the street where a stampede of children trampled it.

Vash stared in shock then shot up to his feet. "Just what was that all about? You ruined a perfectly good doughnut-" The stranger pulled back their hood and a long mass of shining butter blonde hair dropped to her waist. She was beautiful with smooth alabaster skin that hadn't looked even brushed by the morning sun. Her pale rose lips were plush and soft and her perfect oval face had men stopping to stare.

Her sharp mist blue eyes flashed dangerously "I wish you'd use more restraint when addressing a lady."

"Vash blinked in surprise. "I...I didn't notice you were a miss, ma'm." Strange, he thought. I don't feel stupid and attracted to her like other girls. It's not that she's not pretty. She most defiantly is.

"Well that certainly boosts my ego." She smirked and tilted her head looking ready to walk away when suddenly a pair of voices shouted.

"Vash!"

Vash turned as Meryl and Milly ran up. He grinned sheepishly. "Oh hey guys! I was jus-" He fell over as Meryl clouted him over the head. "HEY! What was that for!?"

"You idiot." She sighed at him then looked at the woman. "Are you alright? He wasn't bothering you was he?"

The woman smiled genuinely at Meryl lighting up her face and making it look softer instead of the weathered icy winter look it had had before. "No, he just spoiled my lunch."

"I spoiled it!? You're the one who put another hole in the-"

"It solved the problem didn't it?" She said. Her face suddenly turned deathly serious. "Did you say this man's name is Vash?"

Milly nodded and smiled brightly. "Yes ma'm. This man is the legendary gunman Vash the Stampede.

Vash sweat dropped stilled sprawled out on the ground. "I really wish you guys would stop telling everyone that." He wined.

"Sorry Mr. Vash."

The woman bent over and met his face squarely her eyes gleaming with a fatal warning, although even deeper it seemed a kind of endless sorrow. "Are you really the humanoid typhoon? Don't lie to me. I will know and you will pay, dearly. Are you The Stampede?"

Vash looked at her confused. "Yes. I hope you're not a bounty hunter."

The woman's eyes flared with some emotion for a moment then she straightened quickly, her face becoming impassive and grim. She pulled her hood up again then flashed another smile at Meryl. "Work on his manners." She turned and walked away. The three stared after her.

"That was odd." Milly commented quietly.

"There's more to her that we're getting." Meryl and Milly looked at him as he spoke. "There's something strange-" He fell over again as Meryl clouted him once more. "Oooow. Would you stop hittin meeeeee."

"She's probably sill shaken from you attacking her."

"What! I didn't even touch her!"

Meryl huffed and crossed her arms. "A likely story. Now come on," She started dragging him of. "We found a restaurant where you can stuff your face."

"OH YIPPY!" He jumped up and started dragging her instead. "Food!"

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The woman stood on the roof of a building near the restaurant she watched him and the other two walk into. The dark cloak billowed softly around her as she lowered her chin a bit and the lightest wicked smile tugged at her soft lips under the shadows of the cloak.

'Found him. All I need is to get to him. Then it's Knives.' She mused silently lost in thought for a moment before she noticed a large group of men pulling out of a van. She edged closer to the edge of the rooftop. 'What have we here.'

She watched the men pull out loaded guns and cackle at each other in apprehension before walking into the restaurant and she heard the sound of bullets and screams. She smirked. 'Oh good. More fun.;

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

"Mmmm. This is great, really!" Vash got out through a mouth full of spaghetti. "Are you sure you guys don't want any?" He asked looking up at Meryl and Milly who cringed back.

"Positive." Meryl looked away and sighed thoughtfully. She felt stressed and tired and a bit wary even though she wasn't exactly sure what was causing it.

Vash and Milly blinked at her curiously. "You ok Meryl?" Milly asked worriedly.

Meryl smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm fine Milly. Just wondering when this air head is going to finish."

"Oh hey, don't be like that." Vash said. "You must enjoy the finer things in life!" He grinned brightly and held up a fork full of spaghetti. "Like food!" Just then a bullet hit the fork blowing it away out of his hand and everyone's eyes shot to the front of the restaurant where a group of 14 armed men stood.

"Alright. Hands up. This is hostage scene now."

Meryl, Milly, and Vash looked at each other then cried out. "NOT AGAIN!"

They stood still as the men tied them and the rest of the customers up most of them to tables of chairs connected to the floor.

Meryl looked at Vash a whispered "Any bright ideas?"

"I could probably do better if I wasn't teamed up with a table." He said sheepishly and she sweat dropped.

Meryl looked at Milly. "Can you do anything?"

Milly shook her head. "They took all out weapons! What are we going to do Meryl?"

'I'm not sure.' Meryl thought silently. 'There's so many of them.' Vash was musing the same thing.

'To many. The ropes are to tight it'll take to long to get out of them. Now what?'

They were all snapped back to attention of a door open. They looked up and saw the woman from the doughnut venders in the doorway. The hood of her cloak was pulled down revealing the gorgeous face underneath it. The bandits snickered and one of them looked her up and down.

"Just what do you think you're doing doll face. Come to see real men in action."

She smirked slowly and her eyes gleamed. "Action. That's indeed what I'm in need of."

Vash grimaced as he worked at the ropes, 'Just what is she doing?'

Another bandit a fatter one chuckled. "Then you came to the right place sweetheart. But this is hold up doll. Looks like we have to tie this one up too now."

"Are you?" She walked in letting the door close behind her and stood in the light where her hair looked like woven sunlight. "I was under the impression that you were going to let all these people go." She smiled and tossed her head so her hair rippled. "Then you were going to get down on your knees to bow to me and beg forgiveness for you awful sins."

The largest man the one Vash had judged to be the leader growled. "Just who do you think you are!?"

She smirked then grasped her cloak and pulled it of. Beneath the cloak she wore a pair of tight black pants that only came down to about mid calf held by a belt of thin gold disks. Her top was merely intricately twisted ebony-violet scarves that covered half of her upper body. In her hand gleamed an odd looking silver gun with the words 'The Pierce the Heart you Chilled' written out in what seemed to be blue diamond in the silver steel of the gun.

She launched forward in a flash taking out the first three men who had raised their guns. "My name is Rhianista. I am your nightmare." She turned to catch a man in the chest who had lifted on of the serving girls to use as a hostage. "I'm the mirage of your deepest fears," She caught two at the same time who had tried to attack her then flipped her gun over her shoulder for a back shot of one who had attempted to attack her from behind even as she brought her knee up to the groin of one coming at her physically.

"I am the Lady Viper," She ducked under the bullets of the other men and almost seemed to appear behind a group of 3 catching them in the neck "Those I strike fall instantly." She took out the last three easily "I am the Mistress of Death." She ended up infront of the leader her gun pointed at her forehead and she smiled evilly as he dropped to his knees. "You can simply call me Rhia. Bow to your Queen and beg forgiveness."

"Please forgive me!" He pleaded cringing.

She nodded. "Apology accepted." She lowered her face to his. "Run."