"Will you shut up! It's your fault the damn car broke down!" Roxanne bonked Vash in the head, "Dumb ass!"
Vash whimpered, "Common, what did I do?"
"The car needs water to keep cool! You shouldn't have drunk the bottle labeled emergency. Now shut up and push."
Vash and Priest had tied ropes to the front of the car. They pulled it into town, "I heard there's a good mechanic here."
Priest groaned, "he'd better be here. This is a classic car damnit. How are we going to pay for this?"
Roxanne laughed, "Why don't we get Vash insurance?"
Vash collapsed, "Where did you hear that?"
Roxanne pointed to a sign by a building, "They offer it inside. What does this thing say? Bernard Daily insurance society? That's odd."
(insert guitar riff)
Blood Eye
"WHAT!" Vash screamed, "Bernard Daily? Nobody told me we'd be coming here!"
Knives was sitting in the back of the car, "Of course Vash. With our airship as big as it is we have to go around cities. It's shorter to pass through. The first impact point is five miles on the other side of town. We'll have to walk if we want to make it in time."
Priest helped Vash to his feet after collapsing, "What do you have against the Bernard Daily? Do you owe money or something?"
Knives laughed maniacally, "I know why. Those two girls you used to hang out with worked here. Merle and Molly I think."
"Milly! Merle and Milly. They have orders to keep me under twenty four hour surveillance. My days of traveling would be over."
"So it was those two, you and Wolfwood?"
"Yes. Milly and Wolfwood would have started dating."
"Isn't that interesting."
Knives got out of the car, "This is all very interesting but Vash, we have some walking to do." Vash and Knives started walked, "By the way, if you see a huge light in the sky, don't worry. It's just Vash."
Priest watched them walk off, "What do you suppose that means?"
Roxanne shrugged, "Not our business. Let's go to the bank. We should have a few hundred thousand double dollars left in our account after we bought back the orphanage. We can use some of that to fix the car."
* * * *
Priest and Roxanne walked into the bank. The place wasn't at all crowded which was odd for this time of day. Priest walked up to an teller, "Hello good sir, I'm here to make a large withdraw."
"Name."
"Sebastian P. Wolfwood. Rox, this may take a while. Why don't you go wait over there." Roxanne was glad she had left the cross punishment in the car. Roxanne walked over to a table where people came when they needed a flat surface to write on. Standing there was a large woman wearing a tan cape and a red necktie. She seemed a pleasant enough person. Roxanne leaned against the wall, "So, who are you here with?"
The woman looked. She had a certain ditsy look on her face, "Me? I'm not here with anyone. Merle asked me to run to the bank and drop off the checks we collected from insurance customers." She looked over at Priest, "That's an odd jacket with the crosses on the sleeves. Is he a friend of yours?"
"Oh, that's Sebastian or Priest as he likes to be called. It's just a way to make himself sound cool because Sebastian is such a dorky name."
"I don't know. I kind of like the name Sebastian. It's sort of gallant."
Roxanne looked up at her with a bewildered expression, this person clearly wasn't all the way in this reality, "Uh, yea. He's a priest, just like our step father."
"He reminds me of someone I used to know, only he had a black suit with white crosses. His name was Wolfwood."
Roxanne's eyes widened, "You know Wolfwood? He owned the orphanage where we grew up."
The woman gave Roxanne a big hug. Roxanne was finding it hard to breathe, "Oh my god! This is so great! You've grown up so big and strong with a man like Wolfwood helping you out all the way."
Roxanne finally broke Milly's death grip, "Yea, I guess. Let me guess, Wolfwood helped you out or something?"
"Uh, I think so. We did travel together for a while. I'm forgetting something. Oh! My name is Milly, Milly Thomson."
"Where have I heard that name before?" Roxanne thought to herself. She thought she should introduce herself before Milly forgot what they were talking about, "I'm Roxanne, Roxanne Wolfwood."
"You have the same last name as Mr. Priest, that's what I called him."
Roxanne looked over at Priest, "What do you know."
Milly had sort of a silly smile, "So, what brings you all the way out here?"
"Oh, we're having car trouble. So, you guys actually have Vash insurance now?"
"Vash insurance? Merle recommended it. Since we kept paying for damage Mr. Vash caused we thought it'd be easier to have Vash insurance so we wouldn't have to pay for damage otherwise. It's really catching on."
The door to the bank burst open, "This is a hold up!" Five men with bandanas covering their faces walked into the bank. They each had two revolvers, "Alright, nobody be a hero, nobody gets hurt. You!" He pointed to one of the tellers, "Open the safe and give us the money, otherwise we'll start shooting people."
Priest turned around and lit a cigarette, "Are you sure you boys don't have the wrong building? Bone head thugs belong in the prison, not the bank."
"Oh, a wise guy? You want to die first?"
Priest took a puff of his cigarette, "That's the stuff. Sure, let's rumble. I've got to warn you, I'm unarmed." Priest charged. The robbers were to surprised to react. The one who appeared to be the leader was about to fire when Roxanne ran up and punched his lights out. Roxanne picked up his guns and fired both at once. Now there were two robbers left. Priest gave one of them a swift boot to the face. The other one charged Priest forgetting that he had guns.
Priest and Roxanne were surprised when there was a loud cracking sound. Milly was standing by the table holding a gigantic stun gun. The robber was knocked out on the floor across the room, "Hi! Just thought I'd help out." Roxanne and Priest both looked on in amazement as she rested the stun gun on one shoulder, "What? Did I smudge my make up?"
Priest and Roxanne both scratched their heads, "Uh, no. Hey, thanks for your help." Priest whispered, "Hey Rox, who's your friend?"
"Milly. She's a little slow, be nice."
* * * *
"Thanks again for helping us." Priest, Milly and Roxanne were all pulling the car down the street, "Our friends ran off before we could move the car to the mechanics."
"Glad to help. Besides, a friend of Wolfwood is a friend of mine." was clearly stronger than she looked.
Roxanne and Priest were behind the car pushing it, "What's the matter Rox, I thought you were allergic to your own sweat."
"Will you shut up? Milly's doing most of the work."
Milly finally stopped pulling the car, "We're here!"
Priest and Roxanne fell over when Milly stopped pushing. The car just got a lot heavier, "Thanks."
"I'd better be getting back to work. Merle will be worried."
There was a huge explosion in the distance. A white beam of light care from the horizon line and went straight up into the sky. There was a large explosion in the sky. Priest put on his sunglasses, "What happened, I can't see anything?"
Roxanne also put on her shades, "Vash said not to worry if we saw a huge light in the distance. Thanks for your help Milly."
Milly waved as she walked off, "Hmmm, Vash, I wonder what that could mean."
* * * *
Priest was sitting in the waiting room of the mechanics reading an issue of hot rod monthly. Roxanne had been asleep for about an hour. Priest just put a cigarette to his lips. He pulled out a lighter, "I think he said another hour."
Roxanne moaned, "That's nice." She was still asleep mostly.
The doors to the waiting room burst open, "Where is he!!!"
Priest almost dropped his cigarette. Roxanne jumped awake and reached for where her guns would be. This woman was short with black hair. She wore a white cape with blue pants. She was trying to catch her breath, "I said where is he!"
Priest stood up, "Exactly what are you going on about?"
"I am Merle Stripe from the Bernard Daily Insurance Society!" Merle pulled out a loud speaker and held it in front of Priest's face, "Where is Vash the Stampede?"
Priest fell back. That was way too loud. Roxanne looked out the window to see Milly come running up, "Sorry, about this." Milly was out of breath, "Merle wanted to see Vash again."
"I want to beat his ass! That little jerk ran off to take care of his brother. He said he wanted to be alone for a while. Next thing I know there's a black and a white angel arm explosion in the sky and we never see Vash again. After a few weeks we returned to the Society, with no Vash. Do you know how long it took us to come up with Vash insurance so we could get our old jobs back?"
Milly tried to smile, "She's not always like this, you have to believe me."
Priest and Roxanne were up against the wall. Merle looked like she was going to shoot something. Roxanne stepped forward, "Brother? You mean Knives?"
Merle had a scary look on her face, "Yes, why do you ask?"
"Because he's traveling with Vash now."
Merle produced a pair of derringers from her cape, "Where are they?"
Priest shrugged, "I don't know. There was a bright light in the sky a while ago. You might try there."
"Vash moves to fast. I'd never find him, that's why I'm here yelling at you!"
Milly patted Merle on the shoulder, "Now Merle, try to calm down, remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure."
"This is more important. I'm going to wait right here and when he comes back, I'm going to shoot him." Merle and Milly sat down. Merle did not put her derringers away.
Priest and Roxanne finally took their seats. Milly whispered, "She's not like this all the time, I swear. Say, are you finished with that issue of seventeen?"
* * * *
Vash and Knives were walking back to through the city. Vash was leaning on Knives for support. There was steam coming off his arm, "That was pretty good Vash. I'm just glad I had you take off your jacket. You would have gotten it shredded if I hadn't."
"I'm not feeling so good."
"Hey, you blew up the patrol ship."
"And you're sure these things are unmanned?"
"Absolutely."
Vash almost fell over. Knives saw the mechanics shop, "I'll just set you down. You just lay there and rest. I'll be back in a minute with those two."
Vash groaned as Knives set him down against the wall, "Thanks brother."
Knives walked into the waiting room, "Hey guys, we can move on to the next…" A gunshot rang out. Knives was knelt down clutching his shoulder. Merle put her boot on Knives' wounded shoulder and pushed down. Knives screamed as he was forced to the ground.
Merle put one derringer up to Knives' head, "I know you, Knives. You're the one who sent the gung-ho guns after Vash. You made him Kill Legato. Do you know how much pain and suffering you've put Vash through?"
Roxanne sat still. She was going to watch the show. Priest had already gotten up. He wrapped one arm around Merle's arm and pulled her off Knives, "Wait just a damned minute! He may be an ass hole but we need him alive."
Merle pushed Priest's arm off hers, "What are you talking about? How could you possible need this piece of trash?"
Knives was still lying on the ground with blood coming out of his shoulder, "This doesn't do anything for my love of humans. A little help down here!" Milly walked over and used part of her robe as a sling, "Thank you, I mean that."
Priest and Merle were still arguing, "We can't let him die. He's the only one who knows how to operate the grav ship. He's also the only one who knows where the alien ships are coming."
"What in the hell are you talking about? I don't know what he told you to gain your trust but he is an evil man. He will kill you."
"I trust what Vash told me. Vash says trust him, I trust him."
"Where is Vash anyway?"
Knives was able to stand again, "He's outside. I set him against a wall because he was hurt so bad."
* * * *
Merle walked outside. She saw the wall, there was even a mark in the sand where someone had been laying recently but there was no Vash. She looked around, "If he's here, I'm going to make damned sure he doesn't get away."
Vash was laying on the rooftop, "I know we're friends but I can't let you see me like this. Besides, you're a real bitch."
* * * *
Knives and Roxanne were sitting in the back of the car. Priest was driving back to the ship, "So, what did happen to Vash?"
"I don't know. I'll bet he found a really good place to hide. He'll catch up with us before we get back to the ship. I'll bet anything."
"Did you ever meet Merle or Milly before now?"
"No. Vash probably told them a lot of bad stuff about me. They probably believe I'm responsible for the common cold."
"You mean you're not?"
Priest was getting a little tired of Roxanne trying to start a fight with Knives. Knives got right in Roxanne's face, "No. I'm not. Do you want to know what I am responsible for? I'm the only reason humans are even on this planet. When Vash and I were on the Seed ship I rigged it to explode. This planet would have had three humans living on it, me, Vash and Rem. If Rem hadn't given up her life to activate the auto-pilot I would have gotten my way. Are you happy now that you know?" Knives took some sadistic pleasure in telling this to Roxanne. He was almost enjoying the fear in her eyes. "You want to know what I am responsible for? Now you do."
Priest stopped the car, "What the hell…" There was a man standing in the street. He didn't even flinch when Priest stopped the car only inches away from him. He wore a cowboy had and leather trench coat. His head was lowered and the brim of his hat was blocking part of his face, "Are you Knives?"
Knives stood up, "Yes. What do you want?"
"Jackal the Brain Trust wants to have words with you."
Knives reached for his gun. He forgot that his arm was still in a sling.
Roxanne and Priest were both watching Knives. Knives jumped into the air. He was at least ten feet off the ground. He pulled out his gun with his left hand and aimed. There was a bright flash of light. Knives was laying on the ground face down with a gun pressed into his back, "Will you come quietly?"
Knives snarled, "Who are you?"
"My name is Liam the Blood Eye. Jackal gave me the name, I think it suits me."
"Hold it right there!" Priest and Roxanne were both aiming their guns at Liam, "We can't let you kill Knives. You'll have to wait at the back of the line for your chance."
Roxanne cocked both of her guns, "The line starts with me and goes back."
Liam raised the brim on his hat. He was wearing a metal eye patch, "I've got no beef with you two. Let me take this one in and I'll let you live."
Priest also cocked his weapon, "That's cocky talk for someone with three guns pointed at his head."
Knives saw Liam wasn't looking at him. He wrapped his legs around Liam's legs and spun around. Liam fell to his knees. Knives got to his knees and tried to hit Liam in the back of the head with his gun. The moment he would have made contact there was a flash of light. Knives fell forward. Liam was right behind him, "Are you going to keep this up? I have orders to kill you if I have to."
Priest was watching, "What happened? He just vanished. That's it." Priest fired his giant machine gun. The moment before his finger touched the trigger Liam was gone.
Liam was standing on the car with two guns, one for Priest, one for Roxanne. "Look at me Knives!" Knives looked at Liam. Knives' eyes were wide with horror when he saw the eye patch, "Dominique the Cyclops?"
"Good guess. Did you think Dr. Jackal would forget how to do that to another person?"
"I killed Dr. Jackal!"
"Did you? Next time I see him I'll have to ask. Your brother killed Dominique, the question is how? It was a one on one fight. Legato is the only one who saw it. Either way, Vash did it. You'd better figure out how he did it because otherwise…" There was a flash of light. Liam whispered in Knives' ear, "…I'm going to kill you." Liam pointed his gun at Knives. He was getting ready to fire when a bullet whizzed past his ear. He looked around, "Where did that come from?"
Vash was standing on a rooftop with his gun pointed at Liam. Vash yelled, "Use your pain!"
Knives stood up, "What?"
"Use you pain! Focus on it! Let it fill your mind. His eye won't work if you're not focused on him!"
Knives chuckled, "I understand." Knives put one hand on his shoulder where Merle had shot him. He squeezed the shoulder. The pain was unbearable. Knives couldn't stand it. Knives picked up his black gun and pointed it at Liam, "So, I figured out how."
Liam had taken a few steps back, "So, it won't help you!" Liam's eye patch opened. Knives froze in place. Liam picked up his gun he dropped when his ear was shot at. He ran at Knives, this had to be the kill shot.
Knives suddenly aimed at Liam and fired. Everyone else watched Liam fall to the ground. Knives had gone for a leg wound. Liam was still alive. Knives rolled Liam over on his chest. Knives put one foot on the wound and pressed, "Where is Dr. Jackal and why is he calling himself the brain trust?"
Liam retched, "I, I can't…"
Knives pressed harder, "I think you can. He gave you Dominique's eye. That's no surprise, he made the first eye for Dominique. Who else did he copy?"
"I'll die before, before I…"
Knives pointed his gun at Liam's head, "That's just what I wanted to hear."
"NO!" Vash yelled from the rooftop.
Knives pulled back the hammer. He could feel the barrel turn, "Give me one reason!"
"I saved your life brother! You owe me!"
Knives groaned. He couldn't do it. He knew he couldn't do it. Vash knew he couldn't do it. There wasn't any choice. Knives raised his gun and removed his boot from Liam's leg wound, "You might pull through with medical attention. I want you to tell Jackal the Brain trust or whatever he calls himself, he won't stop me. If Vash defeated all the gung-ho guns his cheap knock off versions will not stop me. Unlike my brother, I am willing to kill."
* * * *
Vash and Knives were in the back seat of the car. Knives was leaned back thinking, "So, Jackal is still alive."
Roxanne was turned around in her seat talking to Knives, "Who is Jackal anyway?"
"About a year after Vash and I stopped traveling together I met a doctor in a small town. He claimed to have found a grav ship but nobody would believe him. He hacked the computer only this one was more of a laboratory instead of a sand steamer. He found pieces of alien technology and samples of alien DNA. We worked together. He used some on my own DNA and my technology to harness the alien's powers. Vash is the only one of you who would know this but I had eleven henchmen, the gung-ho guns. He helped me create several of them. He gave Dominique her demon eye, he operated on the gauntlet to give him his armor. He found a sand worm on the ship and made a device that allowed someone to control sand worms. He gave it to Zazi the Beast."
Vash crossed his arms, "Is that all?"
"No. He is the one who grafted Vash's left arm to Legato's shoulder."
Vash clenched his fist. This was enough to get him angry. Roxanne looked at Vash, "What are you talking about? He has two arms."
Vash removed the leather glove on his left arm. Everything between the shoulder and the hand was metal, "Not any more. Knives, what about the others?"
"Rigai the Blade, Chapel and Kane the Longshot I found. They trained themselves. Grey the Ninelives was built in an engineering plant based on alien technology. The rest are normal humans given a special item. E G Mine for example, was a normal human with the spike apparatus. Monev the Gale was a human with extreme physical training and a lot of guns. Midvally the Horn freak was a human with a love of the saxophone. Each of those weapons Legato was responsible for, not me."
"Gung-ho guns? What a dumb name."
"You can thank Midvally for that."
Priest interrupted, "Oh, Vash. We ran into Merle and Milly."
Vash gulped, "Really, those two are really nice."
Priest laughed, "Then we must be thinking about different people. The girls I met, one was dumb as a rock, the other was a stone bitch."
"That's them all right."
"You told them what I look like when you traveled together, didn't you?"
"Um, yes."
"That's why she put a derringer bullet in my shoulder. I almost killed that bitch."
"She's not always like that, honest."
* * * *
Elsewhere in a hospital Liam was in critical condition. He was lying in a bed half asleep. A shadow entered the room. Liam tried to sit up, he couldn't. He had been strapped down to avoid overusing his strength.
"You've failed."
"No! It wasn't my fault! Vash got in the way! He knew! He knew how to stop the demon eye!"
"It doesn't matter. Knives didn't know how to kill you. You should have taken advantage instantly. If Vash and Knives stop the aliens landing all Dr. Jackal's work will be for nothing."
"Give me another chance! Please!"
The shadow moved to the nearby table with surgical tools. He picked up a scalpel. "I can't let anyone figure out how the demon eye works. That's why I have to take it back to Dr. Jackal."
All through the halls a loud scream could be heard. After that there was silence.
* * * *
Priest drove up to the grav ship, "It's good to be home."
Knives was half asleep, "You know he will come after us. You should have let me kill him."
"I don't care. No human life has the right to take the life of another."
Knives was a little annoyed, "Your quoting Rem will be the death of us all."
Priest stopped the car. Standing in front of the cargo bay was a very angry Merle. Priest stood up, "Will you get out of the way? We're trying to get moving."
Merle didn't move, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where you're going, where you got this ship and why you're working with Knives. And I don't want to hear any of this alien bull shit!"
Priest and Knives got out of the car. Knives was the first to speak, "There are aliens coming back to this planet. They will kill everyone and destroy everything man has built. I'd like to see your insurance cover that."
"Like I believe anything you have to say."
"Then believe me." Priest was making his presence known, "I'm Wolfwood's first orphan, Sebastian. I wouldn't be lying right now if I didn't have proof. There are pictures on the ship of the actual alien ships we are trying to destroy. I heard that a while back Wolfwood and Vash fell into a sand pit a while back. It was an alien construct. When we found this ship it was much the same way. Knives helped us bring it out of the sand so we could use it."
"I don't think you know Vash that well. He is a walking force of destruction! We've already gotten an insurance claim from Castle in December City, one from the OSA in Octobra and got knows what else."
"I will tell you Castle deserved what he got. I was the one who destroyed that observatory."
"You're just covering for Vash!"
"You're just being a bitch, now move aside!"
"What did you call me?"
"I know you want to come with us." Vash was standing behind Merle, "This is to dangerous. The gung-ho guns have returned, we have to stop then before more innocent people get hurt." Vash's voice was calm, "The alien threat is very real. Knives and I are working together. He understands what Rem taught us all those years ago."
Merle calmed down, "I have to come with you." She didn't care about procedure anymore. She wanted to travel with Vash for different reasons. Vash was her friend. He had no right to treat her that way. "I have a job to do! I have to stop you from destroying everything." Merle's voice broke. She was about to start crying, "I was worried about you."
Vash put his arms around her, "I know, and I am truly sorry."
"Then why don't you stay?"
"Because I don't have a choice."
* * * *
Vash was standing on the hanger looking at Merle. She was standing on the sand, "You'd better not cause any damage, I'll haunt you!"
"Good bye Merle. We must journey onward for one simple reason." Vash took a dramatic pose, "Love and peace!"
We four are on a mission to save our race from people who have lived on this planet before us. We say we have a right to because we have made a home here. We have forgotten about a race who has lived on this planet for longer than the humans or the aliens. I speak of the sand worms. These creatures are usually harmless. We build our cities on bedrock where they do not travel. They live in open sand where humans do not usually venture. What happens when nature and civilization collide? We will soon find out.
Snakes, Rats and Worms