The sound of running water roused Knives the following morning. He sat up rubbing his eyes. Kira groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "I feel like shit," she mumbled crossly.
Knives stared at the doorway across the room from which the water sound was emanating. Vash must be in the shower. He set his legs over the edge of the bed and was immediately struck with a wave of nausea. "Ugh… yeah. This sucks." He forced himself to his feet. "Would you like some water?"
"Please."
He trudged to the kitchen, filled a couple glasses, and returned, handing one to Kira, who'd managed to sit up, although her face was still contorted in a grimace of discomfort.
"Thanks," she said.
They sat together with their backs resting on the adjoining wall, sipping at the water slowly. Knives let out a deep breath. "We're going to get out of here today. The people on this ship are more familiar with my history than the general population and are therefore more likely to recognize me, so the sooner we leave, the better."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Do you have a destination in mind? I mean, is there a place you can live without having to worry about getting caught?"
"I don't know. Vash has a lot of friends, although I can't imagine any of them would be eager to help me."
She smirked. "True."
The water stopped and muffled sounds of motion radiated from the bathroom. The door slid open and a half-dressed Vash stepped through it, his damp hair sticking out in every direction. "Oh! Uh… Good morning. I didn't think you'd be up yet."
Kira's eyes were wide as she stared at the tapestry of scars covering his torso. "What happened to you?" she said softly.
Vash blushed and ran to the dresser, grabbing a shirt and buttoning it quickly.
"I'm sorry—I didn't mean to be rude," she apologized.
"No, it's okay," he said peaceably, a fake smile plastered on his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have surprised you like that."
Knives rolled his eyes. "You don't need to apologize to us. We invaded your room, moron."
"Hey—who are you calling a moron, you jerk! I was just trying to be polite!" They cast simmering glares at each other until a snort from Kira broke the tension.
"Wow, you two really are brothers."
Vash grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. Anyone else wanna use the shower? I figured you guys could get ready here so we can just swing by your room and grab your bags on the way out."
Kira nodded. "Right. Well, I could definitely use a shower… unless you'd like to go first?" she asked, turning to Knives.
"No—go ahead."
Vash and Knives went out to the living room, closing the door behind them and the aqua-eyed plant stretched out on the couch, kicking his legs up on the coffee table. "Whew! It feels so good to be clean!"
Knives sneered, taking a seat across from him. "How nice for you."
"Oh relax, you'll get your shower soon." He began running his fingers through his hair, trying to arrange it into a more acceptable style. Mostly it just flopped forward over his head.
Knives had to smile at his attempts. "So, where are we going to go, once we get out of here?"
"I really don't know. I figured I'd start with the 'getting out of here' part and deal with it after that."
Knives buried his head in his hands. "Great plan. Don't know why I'm surprised."
"Well it's not like I had time to prepare or something! Don't worry. I've had a lot of experience staying hidden from people."
"From what I've heard, you get attacked by bounty hunters all the time, so forgive me if I don't exactly trust in your skills."
Vash pouted. "Mean."
x.x.x.x.x
Kira stepped out of the shower and toweled off before putting her clothes back on. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head. "What the hell were you thinking?" She'd crossed a line last night. It was one thing to share a bunk; it was another to fall asleep with her arms wrapped around him. The alcohol was definitely a factor, but…
No. She didn't want to investigate any other possible motivations. Even if she could blame her actions entirely on a drunken stupor, she still felt a little guilty for what she'd done.
He was goddamn Millions Knives! Yes, she'd forgiven him, to some extent, but this…? She was fairly certain he still harbored a desire for her, and she'd taken advantage of that fact to cuddle up with him. She had momentarily lost herself in the comfort of a physical connection with him. And… it had been nice. Soothing. Surprisingly alluring… No! She could not feel that way about him. It was unthinkable… wasn't it?
They were friends. Friendly. That was more than enough. It… it had to be… right?
She narrowed her eyes as the uncertainty continued to gnaw at her.
Dammit. Stupid drunk self…
x.x.x.x.x
As she walked out into the living room, Knives rose, making his way to the bathroom and closing the door behind him. She sat down on the couch he'd vacated and leaned back with a sigh, still battling her hangover.
"Hey! Being clean feels great, right?" Vash said cheerfully.
"Huh? Oh… yeah." She smiled weakly.
"So," he said with a wry look, "what are your plans for my brother?"
Kira blanched. "Sorry?"
"I know this is really forward, but I have a feeling things are going to be kinda dicey for a while. I need to know where you stand. What part do you intend to play in this?"
"I've been helping him… I didn't really have an endgame in mind. He said he wanted to speak to you and that you would decide what to do with him, so I'll ask you right back: What are your plans for your brother?"
Vash grinned. "I'm going to try to keep him safe. I'm not quite sure how, yet, but I'll figure it out. There're still a few places we could probably go. And you?"
"I want him to be safe. I'll do whatever I can to help you, but I don't really have experience with this sort of thing."
"Will you be travelling with us if we go into hiding? It's a lonely existence. Not something to be taken lightly."
She frowned. "I… I don't know. I hadn't thought about it…"
He nodded. "Well, until you decide… just… be careful with him." He stared into her eyes, his expression suddenly serious. "Please."
She flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't pretend she didn't understand his meaning. There was too much going on for her to play around with romance. They didn't need that kind of distraction. Maybe it would be best for both of them if she just left.
Where would she even go? Delnashville was done for, but she could start over in Octovern, like she'd planned. Maybe Meryl or Millie could help her find some work. But was that what she wanted—to say goodbye to Knives? It was hard to picture life without him… She didn't want to picture life without him. She wished she could keep following him without a thought to the consequences, but she knew it wasn't that simple.
And it would only grow more complicated the longer they were together…
The door slid open, disrupting her stream of thoughts. Knives walked in, a few drops of water still clinging to his shaggy hair, and sat beside her. "So, are we ready?" he asked, looking at Vash.
The aqua-eyed plant stood. "I gotta throw a couple things in my bag and we can go." He walked into the bedroom and Kira could hear him rummaging through drawers.
She stared at Knives in silence. He toyed with his hands distractedly. Finally, he glanced over at her, but looked away immediately when he found her watching him. "Knives…"
He turned to her, an almost shy hesitation in his manner. "Yes…?"
"… I—"
"Okay! Let's do this!" Vash said, striding over to them with a broad smile.
x.x.x.x.x
With Knives back in his 'disguise' they followed Vash as he led them to their room. She was the tiniest bit disappointed that he wasn't wearing his trademark red coat, but she imagined it would draw too much attention, not that they saw a single soul on their way through the ship. She was glad Meryl and Millie had thought to tell him the room number before they left. He seemed to know his way around really well. When they arrived, Kira typed in the code Luida had given them and the door slid open. She and Knives quickly grabbed their bags. Vash must have told Meryl about the plan the night before because she and Millie were already waiting when they pressed the buzzer.
Without a word, Vash began leading everyone down the hall at a quick pace. They continued through the maze of a ship until he suddenly stopped at a large metal door. He typed in a code and it slid open. They stepped through and found themselves back in the hangar where they'd first arrived. It was empty. No people and no aerial lift.
The aqua-eyed plant ran over to a panel and began typing quickly. "It'll take the lift about twenty minutes to get up here. The folks who run security on the ship know me pretty well," he said with a smile and glanced at a camera on the wall that was pointing down at them. "They usually let me come and go as I please, although occasionally someone will swing by to chat while I'm waiting. If they do, just keep quiet and I'll handle it." He looked up as the motor began humming, pulling the long propulsion cable back up to the ship.
"Vash, stop!" A clear female voice echoed through the hangar. Luida stepped through the door along with two men carrying unusual looking guns. "I can't let you do this."
"Luida!" Vash grinned broadly. "You're right. I should have said goodbye first."
"You can't take him with you. The women are free to leave but you and your brother must stay here."
Fuck. Kira stepped defensively in front of Knives.
Vash looked up sadly. "Please, Luida. I won't let him hurt anyone. Please. Let us go."
She bowed her head. "You know I can't do that. The choice of what to do with him belongs to the people who've suffered because of him. They deserve a trial. They deserve justice."
"Then why don't you just kill me now and get it over with?" Knives stepped around Kira and strode forward aggressively. "Surely that will be the result of any trial I am subjected to."
"Knives. Dammit! Get back here," Vash growled.
"I cannot say what the result would be. Maybe the people will be lenient." Luida stood her ground as Knives continued to approach. The two men beside her took aim but immediately began cursing in confusion and fear as he commandeered their limbs, forcing them to drop their guns.
"Don't hurt them!" shouted Vash. He ran over, grabbing Knives' arm and wrenching him back, breaking his concentration. The two men fell to the floor.
The blue-eyed plant shook him off. "You idiot! We have to do this if we're going to escape."
"No," Vash grabbed him again and they began grappling as Knives struggled to push him away. "You'll just make things worse!"
Pfft. A strange sound cut through the air and the brothers stopped their scuffle.
"What the hell?" Vash mumbled, putting his fingers to the dart sticking from his neck.
Knives turned swiftly to the man with his gun extended. "You're going to regret that," he hissed with unbridled ferocity. The man began screaming as his arm twisted unnaturally behind his back. The other man and Luida were frozen in place, looks of horror on their faces.
"Knives—stop!" Vash threw himself at his brother, knocking him to his knees and breaking his concentration once again. "I'm fine, see! I'm… ugh." He suddenly lost his footing and plummeted forward.
"Vash!" Knives, still on the ground, half-caught the aqua-eyed plant as he fell.
Pfft. A second dart flew threw the air, embedding itself in Knives' shoulder. He snarled and set Vash down roughly, turning back to their attackers.
"Knives, please," Vash said weakly, reaching out a hand and grabbing his brother's wrist. "It's over. We lost. Please don't hurt them."
Knives let out a strangled cry of frustration and drove his fist into the ground. He sat there panting for a moment before slumping to the side. Kira's heart constricted at the sight. She began to move forward but Meryl held out an arm in front of her. "It's too late. The best thing you can do right now is to stay in their good graces."
Knives' strength failed and he fell forward. The two men rushed in and began cuffing the brothers, injecting further substances into their arms. Luida watched calmly before walking over to the three women.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," she said evenly. "I really hoped it would go differently. I must thank you for the information, Ms. Stryfe. We could not have done this without your help."
Kira whipped around to the petite woman. "You told them about him? How could you?"
"Be quiet!" Meryl said harshly, turning back to Luida. "What are you going to do with Vash?"
"Don't worry. We'll keep him here. The Federation is more interested in his twin. They've agreed to remove the bounty from his head in exchange for Knives."
"Then let us take him before they arrive."
"I can't do that. We need to keep him contained for now. If we release him it's very likely he'd attempt to rescue his brother."
Meryl nodded. "You promise that you won't hurt him?"
Luida looked appalled. "Of course we won't! This is just a precautionary measure. He will be comfortable although likely upset."
"Can we see him?"
"They'll both be unconscious for several hours while we install the cerebral collars."
"Wait—you're putting one of those things on Vash too?"
"What things?" Kira blurted out.
Luida pursed her lips. "They're a defensive mechanism. They'll allow us to interrupt the telepathic and energy manipulation abilities that Vash and Knives possess. It won't harm them—it only prevents them from doing exactly what Knives did here today. The Federation will arrive this evening to transport him to Octovern where he will receive a fair trial. He will be treated like any other prisoner, but in order to do that, we need to be able to control him."
Kira felt a dull ache in her chest. Of course… it was… fair. Horrible and devastating and… fair. Even if a jury was willing understand his motivations, it wouldn't matter. He'd still committed atrocities. He was a criminal—a terrorist. His offences would have been enough to warrant the death penalty even before the Federation enacted its more stringent laws. He wouldn't live through this. Tears began welling up in her eyes and she did her best to hold them back. More men arrived with a pair of stretchers and began loading the unconscious plants onto them.
"You may wait in your room, if you'd like," Luida said, "unless you'd prefer to leave and return to Octovern."
"No," answered Meryl quietly. "I think it would be best if we speak to Vash when he wakes up."
"Very well, I'll escort you back."
Kira picked up Knives' bag along with her own and followed the other women numbly, unsure of what else she could do. Her eyes stayed fixed on him and Vash being strapped to the narrow stretchers as she passed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Millie's somber face staring down at her.
x.x.x.x.x
Luida led them quickly back through the labyrinth of hallways and deposited them at their door with curt turn. "I'll return when he's awake."
After a quick nod of acknowledgement, Meryl typed in the code for the door. The three women stepped through it and it slid closed behind them.
It was Millie who spoke first. "What's happening, Meryl?"
"Luida and I made a deal with the Federation. We traded Knives for Vash."
"But why?" The larger girl looked perplexed. "Vash is going to be so sad."
"I… I know. But we had to. Vash doesn't deserve the bounty on him. This way we could get rid of it. And Knives..." Her shoulders drooped slightly from the weight of her choice. "He deserves to be judged."
"You mean killed," Kira hissed. "You just sentenced him to death."
Meryl sighed. "Maybe he deserves that too…"
"And Vash? What does he deserve? You gave him his brother back only to take him away again! Why didn't you just turn him in back in Octovern?"
"We needed him somewhere he couldn't escape from easily. If he started attacking people up here, he'd still have nowhere to go. And we knew Vash wouldn't let the situation get too out of hand. He saved that man's life today—you know he did. If we tried to capture him in Octovern, there would have been bloodshed, and we still might have failed. And… I think seeing how Knives reacted will help Vash understand too—why we can't just let his brother run free. He's too dangerous."
"He only lashed out because you pushed him into it!"
"It doesn't matter!" Meryl's eyes glittered furiously. "This isn't about what happened today—it's about who he is and the choices he's made! He knew what he was doing when he took the plants from us. He knew the death and destruction it would cause. I know you think you can trust him, but I'm not willing to put people's lives at risk based on your opinions alone. He needs to be judged for his actions, and even if he's allowed to live, we need to be able to monitor him. Can't you understand that?"
"I…" Kira's voice caught in her throat. Of course she could understand why Meryl felt that way, but the situation had become so much more complex than that… to her. Only to her… A month ago she would have supported the raven-haired woman's decision entirely, but now she felt painfully and cruelly betrayed. There was no point in arguing any further—she'd never be able to convince Meryl that she was wrong. It was too late. It was done.
x.x.x.x.x
They waited in uncomfortable and pensive silence for what felt like an eternity before the buzzer finally sounded, startling all three of them. Luida was at the door. She gave them a faint, weary smile. "He's awake but very distraught. He has been restricted to his quarters and was given a mild sedative to calm him. I can take you to him now."
"And Knives?" Kira took a step forward. "Can I see him?"
Luida looked confused. "You want to…?"
"They travelled together," Meryl explained. "She considers him a friend."
"Oh… I see…" She frowned. "I… suppose you could see him briefly. They'll be here for him soon."
"Please," Kira said stiffly.
"Very well, you may follow me. His room is on the way to Vash's."
x.x.x.x.x
There were two guards standing outside of Knives' door when they arrived.
"Here you are. I must warn you, he tried to fight his way out when he regained consciousness, so we were forced to take extreme measures. Also… you should know that your visit will be monitored so please don't do anything that might force us to cut it short. I hope you understand," Luida said, her lips tight.
Kira gritted her teeth but nodded.
The thin woman opened the sliding metal door. Kira walked in and it closed behind her with a soft whoosh. The room was very dimly lit but she could see him lying on a sort of gurney. She turned up the lights and gasped.
Knives had clearly been beaten. There were dark, swollen bruises scattered about his face and his lip was split. He was also tethered to the bed with padded cuffs holding his hands and ankles in place as well as a few straps across his body. So that's what Luida had meant—if she untied him they'd kick her out. His regular clothes had been taken and he was dressed in what looked like an orange prisoner's uniform. She could see an unusual metal device around his throat that could only be the 'collar.' He appeared to be sleeping.
She put a hand on his arm and he woke with a start, trying violently to sit up before falling weakly back against the pillow, held in place by the strap across his chest. He looked at her dully and let out a soft breath. "… You're here," he mumbled, his eyes closing again. He was obviously heavily drugged.
"Yes. I'm here." She put her fingers around his, holding his hand gently, and he tightened his around hers. "Are you okay?"
He half-opened his eyes. "Don't I look okay?" He grinned for a moment then winced with a groan. "Vash…?"
"He's fine. They're keeping him here… and sending you to Octovern."
"I figured… But he's staying here?"
"Yeah. I guess it's a trade. The Federation gets you, and in exchange his bounty is wiped clean."
"Right… That's good… Maybe it's for the best." He closed his eyes again with a resigned smile.
"No!" she choked out. "No, it's not! It isn't fair! I don't want you to go like this! Not after everything!"
He opened his eyes and stared at her solemnly. "Kira… I'm sorry… I wish I could stay with you. You must know that." He exhaled slowly, dropping his gaze. "I… I need to tell you… how much… I… how important…" He trailed off and let out a frustrated huff. "Dammit. You know what I mean," he finished tersely.
She would have laughed if her heart didn't ache so much. She gripped his hand more firmly. "I understand. And I promise I'm going to do whatever I can to save you," she said fiercely, tears pricking her eyes. "I said I wouldn't abandon you and I meant it!"
She reached over with her free hand and cupped his jaw, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb and doing her best not to hurt his battered face. He leaned into her touch, disregarding his injuries entirely, and closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. They remained like that for several minutes as she continued to offer whatever respite she could. She almost thought he had succumbed to the drugs and lost consciousness when suddenly, and with surprising passion, he angled his chin and pressed his lips against her palm. Her heart began pounding, overcome with the conflicting emotions that his pseudo-kiss brought forth.
He nuzzled against her hand for a moment and then raised his eyes to look at her again. "… Could you tell Vash that I'm sorry too? That I didn't mean to leave so soon?"
The sound of the door interrupted their conversation and one of the guards stepped in. "They're here to take him, miss."
Her heart lurched. Already? She just got here! She turned back to Knives. "I'll tell him—of course. And… be strong. Don't give up. We'll be fighting for you!" He nodded and the guard took her arm, leading her out past several Federation soldiers.
Luida was waiting in the hall. "Come with me, I'll take you to the others."
x.x.x.x.x
The trip to Vash's room was a blur. Before she knew it, there was an open door before her. Meryl, Millie and Vash were seated around the coffee table and raised their heads as she walked in dazedly.
"What's wrong," Vash asked quickly.
His question was enough to rouse her from her numbed state, bringing her back to reality and forcing her to face the tempest of emotions whirling inside of her. Kira began sobbing. "They're taking him…" Millie ran over, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"Already?" Vash sounded panicked. "But… But that was so fast! I didn't—that wasn't enough time!" He was crying now too.
Meryl put her arms around him. "It's okay… it's going to be okay…"
Kira felt molten rage burning inside her chest. "Okay? For you maybe! How can you have the nerve to comfort him when this whole thing is your fucking fault?"
Vash sat up stiffly. "What did you say?"
Meryl took a step back, her head down.
"She's the one who told Luida that Knives was coming. They set this whole thing up."
Vash went pale. "Meryl… no… please tell me that's not true."
"Vash…" She was in tears now. "I had to…"
He let out a strangled sob. "No… how could you?"
"I had to! What was I supposed to do? When we tried to leave, you saw what he was capable of. He's dangerous!"
He buried his face in his hands. "Please. Leave… I need to be alone right now."
"Vash, I'm sorry," she murmured.
"Please… Just go."
She nodded, her bottom lip quivering, and walked out the door. Kira and Millie followed silently.
x.x.x.x.x
When they arrived at their rooms, Kira parted from them, going into hers alone. She couldn't stand being near Meryl for another minute. She spent several hours trying to distract herself with cards followed by several more hours trying to sleep, but her mind refused to stop its incessant churning. Eventually, she gave up and decided to walk, making note of the room number as she left. If she got lost, someone could probably direct her back… or she'd just sleep on the floor. She really didn't care at this point.
She aimlessly wandered from hall to hall, up and down flights of stairs, trying to wear herself into exhaustion when she strode through an open doorway and found herself in a beautiful green field. A geoplant… She'd never seen anything like it, outside of Knives' memories. It really was breathtaking. Was this what Earth had been like?
The place was empty, due to the late hour. She wandered through it and lay down on the soft grass. It was so surreal. Everything about today was surreal. Hell—everything that had happened since she'd met Knives had been surreal.
And now he was gone…
She knew it was stupid, but she felt like she'd failed somehow—like she should have been able to protect him. She should have seen it coming. He'd told her he didn't trust Meryl. She should have listened.
She had to do whatever she could to help him. Maybe she could speak in his defense, assuming he actually got a trial. She could at least visit him and try to give him comfort by being there to support him. Or maybe Vash had some ideas on how they could rescue him—he seemed to have experience with this sort of thing. Maybe… It all felt so hopeless.
Kira sighed and stood. She went back out into the empty hallway and started trying to find her way back. After a few wrong turns, she finally came upon her door, typed in the code and went inside, collapsing on the empty bed.