Chapter 5: Extra baggage

The planned day of departure...

It was mid morning when they arrived by bus they had to take after getting off the steam roller at the last town. "So this is the little dinky town they've holed themselves in?" One of the figures asked taking her hat out of her bag and placing it on her head to block the suns' rays. The other figure nodded as she looked over a file in her hands through her glasses. "Well, mama said that she'd be here and the other two should have been able to follow the instructions." They both looked at each other and could barely hold their excitement, they were about to meet Meryl Stryfe! A. K. A. Vixen, A. K. A. Regulator. A. K. A. Derringer Meryl

"Just think the faster we get her home, the faster we can go out and be normal!" The first one wearing the hat said as she skipped in joy.

"No more paperwork does sound wonderful, I don't know how she did it and she was younger then us!" The second said as she too skipped down the street. "Ria, this means we can finally date and not have to worry about leaving in the middle of those dates!" She squealed in happiness as her face got red at the thought of going out with a boy.

"I know Lita! I can model our brother's clothes and not be late for any meetings with my friends! Heck we can even try going to the bigger cities and try out a vacation with our friends!" She giggled as she skipped along and smiled brightly as they came across a man fixing his porch. "Hello sir!" She greeted as she waved at him the man smiled back at the enthusiastic girl and said hello, "My associate and I would like to know how to get to the mayor's office from here."

The man gave them a blank look as he looked at both the girls and thought they were too young to be traveling alone, he also let them know.

Azaria just laughed it off and replied that they just looked younger then their age suggested and asked if he could direct them to the mayor's office again. When she was question why, she just said that they were there to deliver the certificate of approval to have a plant delivered and make the town official. After that the man enthusiastically pointed and showed them where to go. Lita was pouting as they walked in the direction that they were told to take to get to the mayor's office. "You know I am not going to miss having to lie about my age, I am fourteen not some twenty four year old hag."

Lita felt her head being patted and looked at her sister, "Now, now, being old has had its perks don't you think? It was because people thought I was older that they took us more seriously and trusted us." Reaching the mayor's office they didn't notice a figure clad in a white cloak leave the building in a rush.

INVISIBLE LINE

By the afternoon they had finished their meeting with the mayor and were walking out of the office building. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to us. First we find water and now a plant! The citizens are going to be overjoyed!" The mayor said as she walked them out and shook their hands. Happiness was radiating from her as they stepped out of the building.

"Indeed ma'am, as the ones in charge of the plants delivery it is going to be a while before it can get here, so until it arrives we'd appreciate if you kept it quiet." Lita said sounding serious as she adjusted her glasses on her nose and was holding the town's files in her bag.

"Of course Miss Stryfe, mums the word."

"By the way mayor is there any place to stay for the night, we have to leave in the morning and we would like to get some sleep and go somewhere to eat." Azaria asked as placed her hat back on her head, she helped Lita with the paperwork they had just filled out.

"Of course, do you see that building there it was a bar that recently turned restaurant. Another employee that works for me works there as well, just say that you come on my behalf and she will show you around. Though she did say that she was leaving town today, but she never specified what time I'm sure she can't be gone just yet."

"Thank you mayor and the name of you employee?"

"Meryl Stryfe. Hey she has the same last name as you do, perhaps you are related?" The mayor said as she laughed.

Lita smiled wanly as Azaria giggled and answered, "Maybe mayor, Stryfe is a very common surname." She grabbed her sister's hand and off they went to the bar where Meryl was working.

INVISIBLE LINE

They approached the bar were their sister worked, excited energy around them. They could hardly believe that they were going to meet their big sister again. They opened the door with a loud bang and the noise within the establishment hushed, they walked towards the bar and sat on the stools. The bar tender quickly walked up to them and asked what they would like to drink and if they wanted a table to sit and eat lunch. Nodding they walked towards an empty table, feeling the eyes of all the people there burning their gazes into the skulls of their heads.

No longer energetic they sat down and took sips of their drinks, as they spoke in quiet tones. No one approached them as they did. "Hurry up and serve those dishes girls!" Which was answered by a "YES, BOSS!" By the time the waitresses had come out of the kitchen each one carrying a different plate conversation started back up. Only five people didn't speak as they watched the two girls. Those five pair of eyes stayed glued to them, Milly finally said something to break the uncomfortable silence, "They are the little ones."

"Little? They look as old as you do." Knives said disbelievingly as he continued to watch them.

"It is an illusion, Wiley created those clothes for them, to help them when they left town. It was for the best, Ariana was willing to send out her own children to look for Meryl back then and we always managed to steer them off track to give you time to leave where ever it was you were staying at."

"They are just as eager at Ariana is to make Meryl go back, they think they have been cheated out of a childhood and a normal life. Always willing to do as she says if it means they get to have normal lives." Wiley scoffed and scowled in their direction, "It's sad to think that they'd be selfish this way. Most humans born in the Thompson family are kind, how was it that they managed to breed children like that?"

"It really depends on who the parent is, Wiley." Milly answered a small smile upon her lips as she looked at her drink in her hands. "Not all of us will be as kind and honest, but some of us do try." Wiley and Deryl stared at her as Vash and Knives watched Meryl take the girl's orders with a blank face. It seems that she recognized them.

"Uh-oh looks like trouble." Vash said as he watched.

The girls gave their order and off Meryl went off to get them their orders. After a few moments they also left their table and followed.

"Damn it!" Deryl said as he got up and followed as well as the others. "If they get it into their heads that Meryl is easy prey because she's gone these past ten years, they are going to be in for a bit of a surprise."

They finally reached the door to the side alley, they heard banging and yelling and a couple of shots going off. Wiley quickly opened the door as Deryl took out two guns that looked like Meryl's derringers. Vash and Knives stood in front of Milly as they stepped out. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the what was going on.

Both girls were on the ground the one wearing a hat on top of the one in glasses covering them with her hat. Meryl stood in front of them as she created an invisible force field blocking bullets aimed at them. As she shot back, all of which hit their intended targets.

"So this is the little woman we got to bring back, eh?" The last man standing said trying to get Meryl to waiver in her stance or a reaction of any kind. "Not really much to look at hiding behind that little trick of yours, just like the others." Then Meryl did something that gave everyone a fright, she dropped what ever shield she had up and walked towards the man. He tried to bring his arm up to aim as she walked close to him, but found he couldn't. He could move nothing as she slowly approached him. Finally reaching him she went up on tip toes to whisper in his ear.

"I am nothing like the others," using her power she pushed him back into the wall of the other building with a loud thud, they were far away enough that they couldn't be seen or heard by anyone inside the bar, "I am better," pulling him towards herself she pushed him back again another thud, "I worked hard to prove myself," pulls him and pushes him, thud, "I worked myself to the bone," pulls and pushes, thud, "I took every little job and I did them right!" Pull, push, thud, "What do I get in return for my hard work? NOTHING!" She released the body one last time as it hit the wall with a sickening thud. As the bandit unconsciously slid down leaving blood marks for all to see, Meryl gasped looking at the wall.

Slowly walking towards it, her right hand reaching out to touch the blood when another stops her, she looks to her right and sees Deryl's hand grabbing hers. "It's ok, Meryl." He says somberly pulling on her hand he wraps his arm around her to give her a half hug. The emotional high that Meryl was on slowly dropped and it seemed like her fox like features slowly bled out from her body as tears fell from her eyes.

Someone cleared their throats behind them, turning they saw the sources of their current trouble. "Um, hello, it's good to see you guys..."Lita said as she walked up to Meryl and Deryl, both had their derringers out and aimed at her, which caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Whoa, now!" Azaria said as she ran in front of her sister. "No need to be hostel, we are just here to officiate the town." She smiled sheepishly at them. "And of course if we can, try to talk Meryl into coming back home."

"Well you girls are in luck, we are leaving today. Might as well come with us, no sense in wasting money to go all the way back." Milly said as she walked up behind them and grabbed them by the scruff of their shirts. Both girls looked up to Milly as they hung there in mid air.

Lita's mouth hung open at what she heard, "What go home already? Why can't we stay here on break, while you guys go back?"

"You know Milly they do look a lot like kids now that I've seen them up close." Vash said as he walked up.

Azaria and Lita looked in awe of Vash, "You are Vash the Stampede."

"The Independent Plant that blew up the city of July!"

Vash blinked at them not exactly expecting that from them, "You kids look like you've never met another plant like me before."

"Because they haven't," Deryl said as he helped Meryl onto Wiley's back, "we are the only connection to the I.P.s that they have ever had. The town were we live and the town were I.P.s live are two different places."

Meryl's tired gray colored eyes looked over Wiley's shoulder at Vash as he turned them around. "I.P.s and humans were separated because many were imprinting on humans and causing them to live much longer life spans." She closed her eyes and looked as though she was going to sleep.

Wiley scratched his check as he adjusted Meryl, "Yeah I remember that," he chuckled remembering what insanity it brought about, "Men, women, children. No one was safe, no one from the city of Ruins was allowed to enter New July without permission and vise versa. Only imprinted humans were allowed to come and go as they pleased."

"My family lives in the city of Ruins," Milly said smiling broadly as they made their way out of the alley, "my ancestor was imprinted on by Meryl's mother. The Thompsons have been under her care for many years now."

"If the big sister's mother has been caring for the Thompson family like you claim, Aunt Milly, then why has the plant been failing?" Lita piped in.

That stopped everyone in their tracks. Meryl's drowsy eyes opened up, "Failing? What do you mean failing?" She looked like she wanted to get down Vash rubbed her back to get her to relax, Wiley and Deryl were sending Lita dirty looks.

"Big brother hasn't told you?" Azaira asked looking at them curiously, "I thought you'd would let her know how important it was for her to return."

"We were going to break the news to her gently, not all at once, idiot." Deryl said angry at Meryl getting upset.

"Milly can you let my bosses know that I am leaving early please? Tell them it's a family emergency. Wiley back to the house now, I just need my suitcase and the truck needs to be loaded and we leave at once." Looking at the girls she tried calculating what to do with them. "Like Milly said we should take them with us, no sense in wasting anymore money."

Everyone, except for Knives, sweat dropped at her comment. "Got it Meryl, you get some rest alright." Looking at Knives she asked, "Come with me?" He only nodded and they walked off.

"I'm going to rest my eyes now," Meryl said as her head fell onto Wiley's shoulder and she slipped off to unconsciousness.

Deryl looked at his unconscious sister as they made their way back to the house.

A/N: I am never sure where to continue a chapter or where to stop it, lol, I guess this is a good place as any.