1. The deserts of Gunsmoke

Grand Eastern Wasteland

24 Iles from December

Stardate 1105

36 PM.

Two suns were burning thier rays onto his skin... for serval hours now.

136 degrees Fahrenheit, exactly.. but with the body heat of his brother over his shoulder, and under a black, armored suit, you could add a lot more.

Vashs sweat ran down his face, dripping down into the sand... it made a sharp noise, and the salty water was gone in a little cloud...

His dry gasps were slowly going faster, but weaker. Just like the effect you have when youre letting a flower stay in a microwave...

„Brother..." came an rough, quiet reply from Knives.

„Dont speak. Were just have to walk alittle more towards December." Vash muttered, mostly to himself, but also to his brother.

„No.. thats not what i mean..." his voice was seemingly growing stronger, but he was just mobilizeing his last resorts of strength.

„... what is it, then?" Vash replied after a sigh.

„.. the...the Angel Arm... it took too much enegy out of me. I wasnt prepared... you... you must have been the stronger one, after all.."

„What are you saying, Knives?!" Vash started, but shutted his mouth at Knives painful groan.

„... ill be gone soon, Vash. Its my own fault, too.." He stopped for a moment, but then spoke the one sentence he always wanted to say, but never had the guts to do so. „Vash... im sorry... i didnt wanted her to die..."

„Its alright Knives. She chosed the death by herself, i think." The gunman was quiet for a moment, but then looked over his shoulder. „Dont you...?"

Knives didnt respond. His brain stopped functioning, along with his heart, which died down.

Vashs eyes widened, before he let out a loud, long scream of terror.

Millons Knives, his own brother, was dead.

Much further away, in a secret room twenty foot under the ground level, a dead body reawakened.

The cold bones and veins, the muscles, the tissue and organs, regained a painful new life.

His grey eyes opened slowly, and even through the blurry sight, he could still acknowlege the man before him.

„... Chapel Evergreen.." escaped his lips.

The man nodded, makeing his long beard move along.

„Yes, yes Nicholas... isnt it nice to meet again? It has been serval years since we last did..."

The slow, soft voice of the old man wasnt careing at all. It was simple acting.

Wolfwood slowly sat up, looking around in the room.

„Where am i?" he asked, without looking at his real mentor.

„The Eyes headquarter. But down in the dungons. Just a few Iles away from where we found your body."

His body?... Wolfwood started to remember... he was battleing... and got killed.

He. got. Killed. These three words were hard to comprehend, considering that he seemed to be very alive.

But there were more important matters to clear up with.

„What do you want from me, Evergreen?" Wolfwood asked, glareing at the man.

„Its a quite simple mission i have in mind for you. In exchange for your new life, you must find Vash the Stampede and inform him that the Eye is comeing to kill him. Thats the first part. The second is, you are not to interfere any battles that involve an member of us, but you have to keep him alive at all costs until he meets me. Thats all i need from you, it would simply be too dangerous for me to tell him myself. And he thrusts you the most."

Wolfwood lowered his head. That didnt sound too bad. And if he would do that, he could see his girl again.

„Alright. But i have to ask you one favor, Chapel." Wolfwood looked up again, „After this mission, i need to be free. I dont want to be a member anymore."

Chapel raised an eyebrow. „Is that what you really want, Nicholas?"

„Yes. That is my only request for this. Ive killed people far too often and too much now. I want to settle down and retire. Thats all i need."

Chapel sighed, but nodded. „So be it. The Eye has spoken, may God be with you, son."

5th Town of Gunsmoke

December City

Stardate 1105

07 PM

"So what do you think, Milly... when will Vash come back?"

The question of the short girl flew across the room, like it didn´t matter to Milly at all.

Something happened... she had some sort of connection with Wolfwood ever since he died, but now... something or someone broke that link of the two. She didn´t want to admit it, but she was worried.

Now, after Meryl poked her shoulder, Milly Thompson looked up.

"Huh? Wha... Sorry, ive must have fallen asleep for a minute... what did you say?"

The shorter, dark haired girl sighed and started again. "Vash. When do you think he will be back here."

Milly shruged, having not a clude at all. "I dunno, its thirty iles from here, afterall.. and that way goes double as he must come back..." She didnt want to worry Meryl as well, but it was no use.. the look on her face was clear.

"I just hope hes going to be alright, Milly. I dunno why, but somehow id care more than usual about this good-for-nothing gunman.. and his brother must be his worst enemy of all." she said, looking to the ground.

Milly gave her a pat on the back, and a quick hug. "He will be back, Meryl... thats the kind of guy Mr. Vash is."