***DISCLAIMER*** Vash-chan and the others aren't mine!! *cries* Why do ppl
always have to rub it in???
OK PEOPLE, this is my first and probably last Trigun fic. It was just a sudden compulsion to write something different, and mess with the dear reader's minds, but unless another strange spark comes to me, I probably won't be writing another. (Don't get me wrong, I luv Vash!!!! ^.^)
I've REALLY screwed with the characters in this fic! THEY'RE ALL IN HIGH SCHOOL!! Not only that, they're all around the ages of 18 and 19! (But I'm sure you don't mind too much, right?) Don't worry though, I'm gonna keep them as IN CHARACTER as possible ^.^' I hope.
IMPORTANT: Vash DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT have his angel arm! (or that other gun that's part of his arm) =( Me sorry, but poor DFS couldn't make it fit in with a high school fic…
LEGATO: SHUT YOUR TRAP AND START THE FIC ALREADY!!
ME: *glares at Legato* Just for that buddy, you're gonna be the first to go. .
LAGATO: '…' ???
ME: *grins evilly* I'm the narrator, remember?? ^.^ MUHAHAHA!! On with the fic!
(DFS is suffering from temporary lack-of-sugar-insanity and is repeatedly talking about herself in third person. Bear with her)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
EVEN THE STRONGEST WALLS CRUMBLE
CHAPTER 1
Meryl stared blankly at the paper in front of her, rereading the contents over and over again. She was in the middle of a VERY important math test, but for some reason she couldn't get her brain to think right. The numbers and letters swirled together every couple of seconds, and not for the first time Meryl realized how worn out she was. She should have stayed home today, like she had been planning, but she had had tests planned all day and didn't feel like making them up.
She had a good reason for being so worn out. Really, she did. She had been staying up till 2:00 in the morning lately, finishing up reports and projects two or three weeks in advance. Of course, she really had no reason to do that except for the fact that she had to do SOMETHING when she couldn't sleep.
And she had a good reason for not being able to sleep as well. It was all his fault, it had to be. Him and his damn friend always bugging her with their stupid problems and dumb jokes. Sure, she had known Wolfwood long enough to learn not be annoyed by his strange antics, but everything had gone down hill ever since the new guy had arrived… the new guy by the name of Vash.
Vash had been bothering her constantly ever since he had arrived at her high school. Maybe it was his strange behavior, or maybe it was the fact that him and Wolfwood quarreled nonstop and LOVED to egg each other on. Whatever the case, Meryl was slowly loosing every last bit of her composure. She was forced to deal with Wolfwood, for Milly's sake, since her best friend happened to have a crush on the young man. But there was NO. WAY. IN. HELL. she was going to put up with Vash much longer.
She may have been over-reacting a bit, but Meryl had a very good reason for being ticked off. Every since Vash had arrived he had been hanging around her, Milly, and Wolfwood. He had managed, repeatedly (and purposefully, she suspected) to get under her skin. Not only that, he had embarrassed her in front of everyone on a number of occasions, whether he claimed they were accidents or not.
Take two days ago, when he had spilled a soda on her lap in the middle of lunch. He had apologized over and over, but Meryl had had to walk around with a large stain down the front of her shirt all day. And she had been wearing a WHITE shirt.
That was only one in many incidents that he had started to make Meryl's life a living hell. It gave her a headache just thinking about it, and she wished for the fourth time that morning that he had never transferred to their school.
Meryl glanced across the room towards the young man that was filling her thoughts. He was dressed in his usual, baggy dark blue jeans and a regular white tanktop. Dog tags hung from around his neck, and at the moment he was leaning over his desk, a look of concentration growing on his face as he read the questions to the test. Meryl couldn't help but notice his lanky but still tough-looking build. She had to admit that he was sorta cute, and probably a really nice and caring guy deep down inside…
…but… he was still a jackass. She refused to forgive him.
"Ok class, pencils down. Hand in your tests and pack up." The teacher said from the front of the room, rapping his yardstick against a desk for attention. Meryl quickly yanked her gaze away from Vash and glanced down at her blank test, going slightly pale.
Crap.
* * * * * * *
"Are you OK Meryl?" Milly asked as she walked down the hall at the end of the day, glancing down at her friend. "You look really tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"
Before Meryl could answer, both Wolfwood and Vash sauntered over, goofy grins on their faces. Milly smiled immediately, welcoming the two with a cheerful wave. Vash returned the wave, not noticing the death glare he was receiving from Meryl.
"Hi girls, happy to see us?" Wolfwood asked, giving them his all- famous fox-grin.
"I'm jumping with joy," Meryl drawled, ignoring Vash's friendly smile as she grouchily pushed past them to her locker. Wolfwood raised an eyebrow at Milly.
"What's up with her?"
"………Girl stuff."
"Oh," both boys said at once, and immediately changed the subject to sports.
Milly could be very smart sometimes.
* * * * * * * *
"Hey Meryl!"
"Hmm?" Meryl asked, lost in thought as she started out of the school and towards the sidewalk. She always walked home, since she didn't own a car and hated the bus.
"Meryl!"
"Yeah?" Meryl still hadn't looked at the speaker, staring forlornly down at the ground. She heard the footsteps quicken behind her.
"Hey, MERYL!!"
This time the shout was right in her ear, and so loud it made her jump half a foot up in the air.
"WHAAAT?!?!?!"
Vash stopped beside her, smiling innocently as Meryl glared at him.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you answer."
*twitch*
"So anyway, I just wanted to know if you wanted to go with me, Milly, and Wolfwood to the movies tonight. We all decided to go as a way to celebrate the end of the week, and having finished all the end of the semester tests."
Meryl had flunked all of those tests. She twitched again.
"No thanks."
Vash immediately jumped, putting on his best set of puppy dog eyes as he circled Meryl, jabbering like an idiot. "Aw, c'mon Meryl! Everyone's worried about you… you've been acting weirder then usual lately! You need to get out and do something!"
'Not with you I don't,' Meryl thought, putting on a poker face and continuing her journey towards the sidewalk. Vash flashed his puppy dog eyes again.
"Pretty please? You might enjoy yourself, even if you are on PMS-"
Meryl cut in immediately, eyes flaring.
"What. Did. You. Say?!"
"Um… well… Milly said that-"
"I DO NOT HAVE PMS! NOW GO AWAY BEFORE I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL!!!"
Her face was a furious red as Vash made a sort of 'ack' sound, hurrying back into the school as Meryl stalked off, her black sneakers pounding against the concrete.
After five minutes of breakneck pace, Meryl finally slowed down, letting out a frustrated sigh. She knew perfectly well she had probably over-reacted, but the stress and lack of sleep was getting to her, and all she wanted to do at that moment was get back to her apartment and take a nap.
As she walked down the old streets of the small, trashy town she lived in, Meryl caught glimpses of herself in the shop windows. She was decked out in baggy jeans and a gray shirt underneath a black leather jacket. She didn't look that bad, but she could tell that her face really was a bit paler then usual, and she could feel the stress in her muscles as well. But she didn't think much on it. Soon she would be home, and able to sleep. Nothing else mattered to her tired mind.
Just as she was passing through a side alley, a shortcut from the sidewalk to her apartment, she heard footsteps behind her. Meryl tensed and stopped, listening as the footsteps slowly stopped as well. A vein popped in her forehead. If that was Vash again, he was going to get-
A chuckle sounded behind her and Meryl gritted her teeth, eyes going wide. That definitely wasn't Vash.
"So what do we have here?" The voice asked as Meryl slowly turned around to face the mysterious person. She knew it wasn't Vash, but at first glance he LOOKED like Vash. He had the same spikey blonde hair, except shorter, and he seemed about the same height. But Meryl could tell by the almost psychotic look in his eyes that it wasn't him.
This guy was dressed in all black, from jeans to muscle shirt. He even had black gloves on, which made him seem very sinister. He was staring at Meryl weirdly, an unreadable expression on his face as he took a step towards her, holding out his hand.
"Give me your money now and I might let you live."
*twitch*
"E-Excuse me?" Meryl asked through gritted teeth.
The gangster misread her stutter as nervousness and smirked. "I said give me your money NOW bitch, and anything else worthwhile that you've got. Then I MIGHT let you live."
*twitch* *twitch*
"Listen buddy… this is NOT the day to piss me off…"
The man's smirk slowly faded as Meryl stepped menacingly towards him, one hand in a tight fist and the other stuffed into the side pocket of her leather jacket. As he tried to take a step backwards, she yanked a small bottle of pepper spray out of her pocket and shot it right in his eyes.
"Get her!" Voices yelled from the shadows as the man doubled over, screaming and holding his face.
Meryl growled under her breath, looking around as a small group of large men circled her, all scowling. Despite her small size, when Meryl took a threatening step towards one of them he backed off, shielding his face. With a smirk, the young woman sprayed the nearest gangster in the eyes, knocking his neighbor off balance with a splintering kick to the knee.
She felt a fist slam into her back but ignored the pain, only stumbling a bit as she turned to face the people behind her, armed with the pepper spray. Her stormy gray eyes were sparking with anger.
"Ok, who else wants to tick me off? Come on!"
She had suddenly found a good way to relieve stress. Interesting.
"Meryl?!" A voice called down the alley, making her look up. The gangsters noticed and scampered, leaving only the one with the broken knee and the guy who had been pepper-sprayed behind. The leader was gone.
"Meryl?!" Vash repeated as he appeared around the corner of the alley, his sea-green eyes holding a hint of surprise as he surveyed the scene. Meryl growled with frustration, giving him another becoming-all-too- frequent death glare. Vash just looked confused.
"What happened here? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she snapped, dusting off her jacket as she raised her chin just a bit higher, "You have to be tough to survive in this gutter town. Gang attacks are common."
"What?" Vash gulped, once again surprised, "C-common?!"
"And what exactly are you doing here?!" Meryl suddenly snapped, changing the subject. "Were you FOLLOWING me, VASH?!"
"Um… not… really," Vash said in a small voice, looking worried, "I… just kinda wanted to make sure… you got home alright. Milly told me to."
"Don't do it again," she snapped, leaning so close to Vash that he actually squeaked in fear, "Or I really AM gonna do something illegal."
"That's… not… nice…" Vash whined pathetically, watching as she stalked out of the alley and towards a nearby apartment complex. Then he grew serious, standing up and glancing at the two men lying on the ground in pain on either side of him. He picked the one with the injured knee up, ignoring the guy's small protests.
"You're both very very lucky," he said, a cheerful expression on his face, "I'm gonna take you to the hospital Mister, but I suggest you don't try attacking her again."
Despite his cheerful expression, something unreadable flashed through Vash's eyes as he dragged the man out of the alley.
* * * * * * * *
The leader of the gang and his men were sitting in a nearby club, watching out the window as Meryl left the alley and entered her apartment. The leader was still rubbing his face gingerly, glaring at the small form of the young woman.
"Knives…" someone murmured, sitting at the table next to him, "You okay, man? You look-"
The leader, Knives, raised his hand to silence his companion, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Perfect. I just wasn't expecting her to try anything, that's all. Definitely a strange girl. I think I'll have to pay her back… personally."
The same smirk spread across his companion's face as Knives leaned back in his chair, his eyes glued to the apartments across the street.
"You'll pay for that, girl… no one attacks my gang and gets away with it. No one."
* * * * * * * * * * *
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY! Done with the first chapter!! ^.^ DFS admits to a little bit of OOCness, but she doesn't really care.
(And yes, DFS is still talking about herself in third person. Do you mind?)
Also, DFS wants to mention that she likes reviews a lot, but that telling her you don't like the fic will not stop her from writing it. Comments are great ^.~, helpful hints are nice ^.^, and flames will be danced on .. She is writing this fic because she's bored, not for the reviews. ^.^
DFS is now going to go get herself some sugar. CIAO! *waves and skips off*
OK PEOPLE, this is my first and probably last Trigun fic. It was just a sudden compulsion to write something different, and mess with the dear reader's minds, but unless another strange spark comes to me, I probably won't be writing another. (Don't get me wrong, I luv Vash!!!! ^.^)
I've REALLY screwed with the characters in this fic! THEY'RE ALL IN HIGH SCHOOL!! Not only that, they're all around the ages of 18 and 19! (But I'm sure you don't mind too much, right?) Don't worry though, I'm gonna keep them as IN CHARACTER as possible ^.^' I hope.
IMPORTANT: Vash DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT have his angel arm! (or that other gun that's part of his arm) =( Me sorry, but poor DFS couldn't make it fit in with a high school fic…
LEGATO: SHUT YOUR TRAP AND START THE FIC ALREADY!!
ME: *glares at Legato* Just for that buddy, you're gonna be the first to go. .
LAGATO: '…' ???
ME: *grins evilly* I'm the narrator, remember?? ^.^ MUHAHAHA!! On with the fic!
(DFS is suffering from temporary lack-of-sugar-insanity and is repeatedly talking about herself in third person. Bear with her)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
EVEN THE STRONGEST WALLS CRUMBLE
CHAPTER 1
Meryl stared blankly at the paper in front of her, rereading the contents over and over again. She was in the middle of a VERY important math test, but for some reason she couldn't get her brain to think right. The numbers and letters swirled together every couple of seconds, and not for the first time Meryl realized how worn out she was. She should have stayed home today, like she had been planning, but she had had tests planned all day and didn't feel like making them up.
She had a good reason for being so worn out. Really, she did. She had been staying up till 2:00 in the morning lately, finishing up reports and projects two or three weeks in advance. Of course, she really had no reason to do that except for the fact that she had to do SOMETHING when she couldn't sleep.
And she had a good reason for not being able to sleep as well. It was all his fault, it had to be. Him and his damn friend always bugging her with their stupid problems and dumb jokes. Sure, she had known Wolfwood long enough to learn not be annoyed by his strange antics, but everything had gone down hill ever since the new guy had arrived… the new guy by the name of Vash.
Vash had been bothering her constantly ever since he had arrived at her high school. Maybe it was his strange behavior, or maybe it was the fact that him and Wolfwood quarreled nonstop and LOVED to egg each other on. Whatever the case, Meryl was slowly loosing every last bit of her composure. She was forced to deal with Wolfwood, for Milly's sake, since her best friend happened to have a crush on the young man. But there was NO. WAY. IN. HELL. she was going to put up with Vash much longer.
She may have been over-reacting a bit, but Meryl had a very good reason for being ticked off. Every since Vash had arrived he had been hanging around her, Milly, and Wolfwood. He had managed, repeatedly (and purposefully, she suspected) to get under her skin. Not only that, he had embarrassed her in front of everyone on a number of occasions, whether he claimed they were accidents or not.
Take two days ago, when he had spilled a soda on her lap in the middle of lunch. He had apologized over and over, but Meryl had had to walk around with a large stain down the front of her shirt all day. And she had been wearing a WHITE shirt.
That was only one in many incidents that he had started to make Meryl's life a living hell. It gave her a headache just thinking about it, and she wished for the fourth time that morning that he had never transferred to their school.
Meryl glanced across the room towards the young man that was filling her thoughts. He was dressed in his usual, baggy dark blue jeans and a regular white tanktop. Dog tags hung from around his neck, and at the moment he was leaning over his desk, a look of concentration growing on his face as he read the questions to the test. Meryl couldn't help but notice his lanky but still tough-looking build. She had to admit that he was sorta cute, and probably a really nice and caring guy deep down inside…
…but… he was still a jackass. She refused to forgive him.
"Ok class, pencils down. Hand in your tests and pack up." The teacher said from the front of the room, rapping his yardstick against a desk for attention. Meryl quickly yanked her gaze away from Vash and glanced down at her blank test, going slightly pale.
Crap.
* * * * * * *
"Are you OK Meryl?" Milly asked as she walked down the hall at the end of the day, glancing down at her friend. "You look really tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"
Before Meryl could answer, both Wolfwood and Vash sauntered over, goofy grins on their faces. Milly smiled immediately, welcoming the two with a cheerful wave. Vash returned the wave, not noticing the death glare he was receiving from Meryl.
"Hi girls, happy to see us?" Wolfwood asked, giving them his all- famous fox-grin.
"I'm jumping with joy," Meryl drawled, ignoring Vash's friendly smile as she grouchily pushed past them to her locker. Wolfwood raised an eyebrow at Milly.
"What's up with her?"
"………Girl stuff."
"Oh," both boys said at once, and immediately changed the subject to sports.
Milly could be very smart sometimes.
* * * * * * * *
"Hey Meryl!"
"Hmm?" Meryl asked, lost in thought as she started out of the school and towards the sidewalk. She always walked home, since she didn't own a car and hated the bus.
"Meryl!"
"Yeah?" Meryl still hadn't looked at the speaker, staring forlornly down at the ground. She heard the footsteps quicken behind her.
"Hey, MERYL!!"
This time the shout was right in her ear, and so loud it made her jump half a foot up in the air.
"WHAAAT?!?!?!"
Vash stopped beside her, smiling innocently as Meryl glared at him.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you answer."
*twitch*
"So anyway, I just wanted to know if you wanted to go with me, Milly, and Wolfwood to the movies tonight. We all decided to go as a way to celebrate the end of the week, and having finished all the end of the semester tests."
Meryl had flunked all of those tests. She twitched again.
"No thanks."
Vash immediately jumped, putting on his best set of puppy dog eyes as he circled Meryl, jabbering like an idiot. "Aw, c'mon Meryl! Everyone's worried about you… you've been acting weirder then usual lately! You need to get out and do something!"
'Not with you I don't,' Meryl thought, putting on a poker face and continuing her journey towards the sidewalk. Vash flashed his puppy dog eyes again.
"Pretty please? You might enjoy yourself, even if you are on PMS-"
Meryl cut in immediately, eyes flaring.
"What. Did. You. Say?!"
"Um… well… Milly said that-"
"I DO NOT HAVE PMS! NOW GO AWAY BEFORE I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL!!!"
Her face was a furious red as Vash made a sort of 'ack' sound, hurrying back into the school as Meryl stalked off, her black sneakers pounding against the concrete.
After five minutes of breakneck pace, Meryl finally slowed down, letting out a frustrated sigh. She knew perfectly well she had probably over-reacted, but the stress and lack of sleep was getting to her, and all she wanted to do at that moment was get back to her apartment and take a nap.
As she walked down the old streets of the small, trashy town she lived in, Meryl caught glimpses of herself in the shop windows. She was decked out in baggy jeans and a gray shirt underneath a black leather jacket. She didn't look that bad, but she could tell that her face really was a bit paler then usual, and she could feel the stress in her muscles as well. But she didn't think much on it. Soon she would be home, and able to sleep. Nothing else mattered to her tired mind.
Just as she was passing through a side alley, a shortcut from the sidewalk to her apartment, she heard footsteps behind her. Meryl tensed and stopped, listening as the footsteps slowly stopped as well. A vein popped in her forehead. If that was Vash again, he was going to get-
A chuckle sounded behind her and Meryl gritted her teeth, eyes going wide. That definitely wasn't Vash.
"So what do we have here?" The voice asked as Meryl slowly turned around to face the mysterious person. She knew it wasn't Vash, but at first glance he LOOKED like Vash. He had the same spikey blonde hair, except shorter, and he seemed about the same height. But Meryl could tell by the almost psychotic look in his eyes that it wasn't him.
This guy was dressed in all black, from jeans to muscle shirt. He even had black gloves on, which made him seem very sinister. He was staring at Meryl weirdly, an unreadable expression on his face as he took a step towards her, holding out his hand.
"Give me your money now and I might let you live."
*twitch*
"E-Excuse me?" Meryl asked through gritted teeth.
The gangster misread her stutter as nervousness and smirked. "I said give me your money NOW bitch, and anything else worthwhile that you've got. Then I MIGHT let you live."
*twitch* *twitch*
"Listen buddy… this is NOT the day to piss me off…"
The man's smirk slowly faded as Meryl stepped menacingly towards him, one hand in a tight fist and the other stuffed into the side pocket of her leather jacket. As he tried to take a step backwards, she yanked a small bottle of pepper spray out of her pocket and shot it right in his eyes.
"Get her!" Voices yelled from the shadows as the man doubled over, screaming and holding his face.
Meryl growled under her breath, looking around as a small group of large men circled her, all scowling. Despite her small size, when Meryl took a threatening step towards one of them he backed off, shielding his face. With a smirk, the young woman sprayed the nearest gangster in the eyes, knocking his neighbor off balance with a splintering kick to the knee.
She felt a fist slam into her back but ignored the pain, only stumbling a bit as she turned to face the people behind her, armed with the pepper spray. Her stormy gray eyes were sparking with anger.
"Ok, who else wants to tick me off? Come on!"
She had suddenly found a good way to relieve stress. Interesting.
"Meryl?!" A voice called down the alley, making her look up. The gangsters noticed and scampered, leaving only the one with the broken knee and the guy who had been pepper-sprayed behind. The leader was gone.
"Meryl?!" Vash repeated as he appeared around the corner of the alley, his sea-green eyes holding a hint of surprise as he surveyed the scene. Meryl growled with frustration, giving him another becoming-all-too- frequent death glare. Vash just looked confused.
"What happened here? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she snapped, dusting off her jacket as she raised her chin just a bit higher, "You have to be tough to survive in this gutter town. Gang attacks are common."
"What?" Vash gulped, once again surprised, "C-common?!"
"And what exactly are you doing here?!" Meryl suddenly snapped, changing the subject. "Were you FOLLOWING me, VASH?!"
"Um… not… really," Vash said in a small voice, looking worried, "I… just kinda wanted to make sure… you got home alright. Milly told me to."
"Don't do it again," she snapped, leaning so close to Vash that he actually squeaked in fear, "Or I really AM gonna do something illegal."
"That's… not… nice…" Vash whined pathetically, watching as she stalked out of the alley and towards a nearby apartment complex. Then he grew serious, standing up and glancing at the two men lying on the ground in pain on either side of him. He picked the one with the injured knee up, ignoring the guy's small protests.
"You're both very very lucky," he said, a cheerful expression on his face, "I'm gonna take you to the hospital Mister, but I suggest you don't try attacking her again."
Despite his cheerful expression, something unreadable flashed through Vash's eyes as he dragged the man out of the alley.
* * * * * * * *
The leader of the gang and his men were sitting in a nearby club, watching out the window as Meryl left the alley and entered her apartment. The leader was still rubbing his face gingerly, glaring at the small form of the young woman.
"Knives…" someone murmured, sitting at the table next to him, "You okay, man? You look-"
The leader, Knives, raised his hand to silence his companion, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Perfect. I just wasn't expecting her to try anything, that's all. Definitely a strange girl. I think I'll have to pay her back… personally."
The same smirk spread across his companion's face as Knives leaned back in his chair, his eyes glued to the apartments across the street.
"You'll pay for that, girl… no one attacks my gang and gets away with it. No one."
* * * * * * * * * * *
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY! Done with the first chapter!! ^.^ DFS admits to a little bit of OOCness, but she doesn't really care.
(And yes, DFS is still talking about herself in third person. Do you mind?)
Also, DFS wants to mention that she likes reviews a lot, but that telling her you don't like the fic will not stop her from writing it. Comments are great ^.~, helpful hints are nice ^.^, and flames will be danced on .. She is writing this fic because she's bored, not for the reviews. ^.^
DFS is now going to go get herself some sugar. CIAO! *waves and skips off*