Disclaimer: No Trigun characters are mine. That sucks :(
-----------------------------
A/N: Thanks people for reviewing or not reviewing. This note is more for the people who responded to the review(or really the thing trying to pass off as a review). I just want to thank you for your comments made. They were all intelligently delivered and I appreciate it that so many people understood what the argument was about and its faults. I wish that none of it had happened. I realize that this person decided that because they misread my statement in the incompleted form of chapter 3 and so she decided to cut me down. Thanks again to the people who responded against what she did and voicing your opinions. I never really planned to stop this story for good. I wanted to see if people were actually reading it. I`m sorry if I offended people with that. I did, however, plan to stop it after that girl`s comments but that is going behind me now :) I still plan on writing it and I`m happy to see that people actually want me to. Thanks for your support and anyone reading this and understanding :)
-----------------------------
Chapter 4: Cat and Mouse
Vash stood on Meryl`s doorstep. He could feel that presense, His essence. It was everywhere and it intoxicated him. He hated his borhter`s attitude to wards humans. He gave his brother a chance a long time ago and he had shoved it aside. He had a feeling awhile back. A bad feeling. He only ignored it because he had the same feeling weeks before this incident.
`It must have happened a few days ago. I`m sorry, Meryl. I should have listened to my instincts.`
The sun blazed down causing his back to sweat. A small transparent patch increased in size on the back of his white button-up shirt. He wiped his hands on his black pants. His eyes were narrowed as he opened the slightly ajar door. Nothing was out of place except for the kitchen. There was a plate of days old donuts in the middle of the table. He could almost imagine what had happened though the donuts confused him.
`I know that she doesn`t eat these without me...or maybe company. Who else was here?`
He felt no other presense. Now he understood. Having been around Meryl for so long she must have thought that Knives coming down the road was him so she went inside to fix up everything. A lump grew in his throat.
`He must have overtaken her...though I imagine that she must have intelligently countered every one of his statements and insults. He knew about how humans changed over the years. Meryl was apt now to be more sensible about fighting. She enjoyed using witty remarks that would make anyone red in the face. He missed the old Meryl but he respected the woman she was no matter what. He especially enjoyed it when she fought with Wolfwood. There was something about proving him wrong that made the priest very frustrated and it was hilarious to watch.
Vash grinned then it faltered.
`Knives wouldn`t think that it was funny.`
He put his hand immediately to his hip. No gun was there of course. He dropped it seven years ago to pick up his brother and forget about fighting all together. Now he wished that he had kept it. He smiled slightly as he looked over his left arm.
`Well I still have this. I haven`t used it in awhile but it should come in handy.`
"Kneedle noggin!"
He turned and waved out to Wolfwood and Milly. They were also supposed to meet at Meryl`s house today. Their children were being taken care of at their orphanage. He frowned a little.
`Milly`s gonna start crying. I hate when women cry.`
He smiled at them as they approached. Milly cut her hair recently. Now her brown locks stopped just below her shoulder blades. Wolfwood had his hair about an inch longer than usual. They both looked somewhat aged in the face but hardly noticeable. Vash hated how he could detect such minor things in humans.
`They`re getting older while I...`
He rubbed at the back of his head. His hair was already nearly halfway black.
`Possibly I am not that far behind.`
"Hey, Vash!" Milly exclaimed. She managed to keep most of her bubbly attitude though it was a bit softer. Vash`s smile widened.
"What took you guys so long?"
"We stopped in town to get some things. Milly wanted to have something to give to Meryl."
At the mention of her name Vash`s smile faltered. Though he was able to quickly recover Wolfwood appeared to catch on. He hesitantly glanced over at Milly then shook his head.
"What happened?"
"Knives."
Milly cocked her head but said nothing at first.
"When?"
"Recently. I think a few days ago."
"Any note?"
"Nothing. I have a feeling that it has to do with me. The last time that I saw him he was trying to persuade me to go with him to finish his plans. I couldn`t change him even then."
"Maybe this time I can help you finish the job. Do you have any leads?"
"Nothing."
"Where`s Meryl?" Milly piped in. Wolfwood gestured for Vash to go inside. He complied. Just as he closed the door he heard Milly cry out. He shut his eyes and faced up towards the ceiling.
`I`m sorry I did not protect her, Milly. I will get her back. Knives...`
His eyes opened. They were dark.
`Was I too easy on you....brother?`
-------------------------------------
Avoiding Knives was not as easy as Meryl thought it would be. Sure. She did make friends...well....sort of...with Talon. He spoke to her every once in awhile when he was not following Knives around like a dog. She wondered if he supported Knives or was just afraid of Knives and followed his orders to stay out of trouble. She did not know which. All she knew is that she had someone to talk to. The rest of the Gung-Ho Guns were not that talkative.
She left it at that and left them alone.
Recently she picked up on a conversation between Knives and the GHG about gathering information from certain towns. She did not listen further than that. She presumed that they intended to kill everyone there when they were done with messing around with them.
`How can he do this and keep a straight face?`
She found herself immensely enjoying being outside. Yes. Knives let her outside. Well...he did notget on her case about it which suited her just fine. The farther away from him the better even though getting into philosophical discussions with the plant was becoming a surprisingly enjoyable activity. They did that a lot even if it was just in their minds. Soon after hearing him speak an insult in her mind she found that she could speak back to him.
She of course answered with her own insult.
Smiling at the thought she jumped when she heard someone behind her. She whirled around. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was only Talon. He half smiled at her.
"I am ordered to leave to mess with Vash and his friends. Is there anything you wish to tell them?"
"Is that by choice or order?"
"Order...always."
"Tell them to take their time and keep a heads up then."
Talon chuckled.
"Then they will hear that you are scared and frightened and you want Vash to join his family."
"Knives?"
"I must go now."
He left without another word. She shook her head in disgust.
"Do you not like my translation of your words?"
She ignored the plant behind her. She stared off into the sun, imagining what Milly must be doing. She turned her attention back to the flowers growing outside. She wondered how they grew there.
"I can make anything happen."
She ignored that too...though now he was peaking her interest. She turned to him.
"How?"
Knives cocked an eyebrow.
"I never said that I would tell you."
"Fine."
She started walk off. She knew how much that kind of thing got on his nerves. Ignoring a "superior" being pissed him off the most and especially if it was him. Something stopped her.
"You are trying on my last nerves, spi...Meryl....Do not tempt me to kill you."
"We have spoken about that before. I don`t believe that you will because you need me to lure your brother. Honestly, Knives, are you that small-minded to forget your own plan?"
She could only imagine his face now. Her back was still to him. Whatever held her back released her. She smirked without turning.
"I`ll see you later, Knives. It`s been fun. It really has."
She walked back inside the compound.
-------------------------------------------
The compound was empty and night was falling. Knives stared out the window of his unofficial office. His hands were crossed over the sill of the window. He smiled broadly at the thought of what was happening.
`My plan is running smoothly. Already, brother, you are fallign into my little net which I will close around you when you are near. Patience. Your precious little human friend is still alive...for now.`
Speaking of human friend...
He turned around. His eyes slitted then he frowned. Turning back around to face out the window he laughed. He snapped his fingers.
"You can come out of hiding now! I know that you are there!"
He listened to the soft click of her small boots on the cement floor. He waited for them to be about a yard behind him to turn around. Meryl sat down at the table that he had placed near the window.
"It`s nice out there."
"It is even nicer when you think of the suffering that will soon occur."
Meryl frowned a bit at that. Instead of saying something to refute that she did not. She had a tendency to do that to him and it was getting more annoying each time that she did it. She found a weakness and she hit it everytime. Despite this little flaw in his day he planned on doing the same with her. In fact if he simply mentioned hurting others then she would be hesitant to react. They were toying with each other.
A game of cat and mouse where they would switch roles from time to time depending on what the others attacked with. Even if she was a human Knives enjoyed games that had an evil twist in the end. He took a seat across from her.
"What are you doing in here?"
"Do you care? I didn`t know that you did. That is very kind of you."
Damn. Cat got him.
"The only thing that I do care about is tormenting inferior beings that laze around wasting plants that happen to be my bretheren."
"They only use it because they can`t find anything else....but I do see your point. We should find another source of energy."
He cocked his eyebrow. It was another argument that was turning into a discussion that they found many beliefs that they have in common.
Damn.
"What do you suggest?" he asked "Using humans to light your houses? They do not have the power."
Meryl giggled. The lighthearted sound made him want to gag. He hated it when she was happy yet...something about it made him want to hear it again.
It was pitiful but it was true.
"No! I don`t mean that! I suppose that we could use...we don`t have enough water but maybe someday we can utilize that."
"It has a dismal future for your inferior species."
"I`m only suggesting."
"Your suggestions are too simple...but coming from your mind I suppose that makes it a great possibility."
He was being sarcastic. He made sure to lace his words with it. He dripped it from his lips. He wanted her to refute him...to argue with him. Instead she stood up. Her face was unreadable even to him.
"I going to go to sleep. I`m very tired."
"As a human would be."
She left without another word. Knives found himself sitting alone. Staring around the room and out the window a couple of times he could not help but feel compelled to race out of the room and drag her back just to be able to argue more.
And perhaps so he would not be alone.
***So......that`s what I wrote :) Yes. Meryl is OOC. She is this way because seven years have passed. Don`t worry. Maybe she will gain some of that fire back later...who`s to say!!! There will be more Vash and Co. and they will have bigger parts! I promise!! I will describe more of the Gung-Ho Guns but that is to come. I hope that this was a good chapter. I`ll try to have Chapter 5 up soon as college will allow....LOL!!
Later the chapters may get longer. Who`s to say though? It all depends :)
-----------------------------
A/N: Thanks people for reviewing or not reviewing. This note is more for the people who responded to the review(or really the thing trying to pass off as a review). I just want to thank you for your comments made. They were all intelligently delivered and I appreciate it that so many people understood what the argument was about and its faults. I wish that none of it had happened. I realize that this person decided that because they misread my statement in the incompleted form of chapter 3 and so she decided to cut me down. Thanks again to the people who responded against what she did and voicing your opinions. I never really planned to stop this story for good. I wanted to see if people were actually reading it. I`m sorry if I offended people with that. I did, however, plan to stop it after that girl`s comments but that is going behind me now :) I still plan on writing it and I`m happy to see that people actually want me to. Thanks for your support and anyone reading this and understanding :)
-----------------------------
Chapter 4: Cat and Mouse
Vash stood on Meryl`s doorstep. He could feel that presense, His essence. It was everywhere and it intoxicated him. He hated his borhter`s attitude to wards humans. He gave his brother a chance a long time ago and he had shoved it aside. He had a feeling awhile back. A bad feeling. He only ignored it because he had the same feeling weeks before this incident.
`It must have happened a few days ago. I`m sorry, Meryl. I should have listened to my instincts.`
The sun blazed down causing his back to sweat. A small transparent patch increased in size on the back of his white button-up shirt. He wiped his hands on his black pants. His eyes were narrowed as he opened the slightly ajar door. Nothing was out of place except for the kitchen. There was a plate of days old donuts in the middle of the table. He could almost imagine what had happened though the donuts confused him.
`I know that she doesn`t eat these without me...or maybe company. Who else was here?`
He felt no other presense. Now he understood. Having been around Meryl for so long she must have thought that Knives coming down the road was him so she went inside to fix up everything. A lump grew in his throat.
`He must have overtaken her...though I imagine that she must have intelligently countered every one of his statements and insults. He knew about how humans changed over the years. Meryl was apt now to be more sensible about fighting. She enjoyed using witty remarks that would make anyone red in the face. He missed the old Meryl but he respected the woman she was no matter what. He especially enjoyed it when she fought with Wolfwood. There was something about proving him wrong that made the priest very frustrated and it was hilarious to watch.
Vash grinned then it faltered.
`Knives wouldn`t think that it was funny.`
He put his hand immediately to his hip. No gun was there of course. He dropped it seven years ago to pick up his brother and forget about fighting all together. Now he wished that he had kept it. He smiled slightly as he looked over his left arm.
`Well I still have this. I haven`t used it in awhile but it should come in handy.`
"Kneedle noggin!"
He turned and waved out to Wolfwood and Milly. They were also supposed to meet at Meryl`s house today. Their children were being taken care of at their orphanage. He frowned a little.
`Milly`s gonna start crying. I hate when women cry.`
He smiled at them as they approached. Milly cut her hair recently. Now her brown locks stopped just below her shoulder blades. Wolfwood had his hair about an inch longer than usual. They both looked somewhat aged in the face but hardly noticeable. Vash hated how he could detect such minor things in humans.
`They`re getting older while I...`
He rubbed at the back of his head. His hair was already nearly halfway black.
`Possibly I am not that far behind.`
"Hey, Vash!" Milly exclaimed. She managed to keep most of her bubbly attitude though it was a bit softer. Vash`s smile widened.
"What took you guys so long?"
"We stopped in town to get some things. Milly wanted to have something to give to Meryl."
At the mention of her name Vash`s smile faltered. Though he was able to quickly recover Wolfwood appeared to catch on. He hesitantly glanced over at Milly then shook his head.
"What happened?"
"Knives."
Milly cocked her head but said nothing at first.
"When?"
"Recently. I think a few days ago."
"Any note?"
"Nothing. I have a feeling that it has to do with me. The last time that I saw him he was trying to persuade me to go with him to finish his plans. I couldn`t change him even then."
"Maybe this time I can help you finish the job. Do you have any leads?"
"Nothing."
"Where`s Meryl?" Milly piped in. Wolfwood gestured for Vash to go inside. He complied. Just as he closed the door he heard Milly cry out. He shut his eyes and faced up towards the ceiling.
`I`m sorry I did not protect her, Milly. I will get her back. Knives...`
His eyes opened. They were dark.
`Was I too easy on you....brother?`
-------------------------------------
Avoiding Knives was not as easy as Meryl thought it would be. Sure. She did make friends...well....sort of...with Talon. He spoke to her every once in awhile when he was not following Knives around like a dog. She wondered if he supported Knives or was just afraid of Knives and followed his orders to stay out of trouble. She did not know which. All she knew is that she had someone to talk to. The rest of the Gung-Ho Guns were not that talkative.
She left it at that and left them alone.
Recently she picked up on a conversation between Knives and the GHG about gathering information from certain towns. She did not listen further than that. She presumed that they intended to kill everyone there when they were done with messing around with them.
`How can he do this and keep a straight face?`
She found herself immensely enjoying being outside. Yes. Knives let her outside. Well...he did notget on her case about it which suited her just fine. The farther away from him the better even though getting into philosophical discussions with the plant was becoming a surprisingly enjoyable activity. They did that a lot even if it was just in their minds. Soon after hearing him speak an insult in her mind she found that she could speak back to him.
She of course answered with her own insult.
Smiling at the thought she jumped when she heard someone behind her. She whirled around. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was only Talon. He half smiled at her.
"I am ordered to leave to mess with Vash and his friends. Is there anything you wish to tell them?"
"Is that by choice or order?"
"Order...always."
"Tell them to take their time and keep a heads up then."
Talon chuckled.
"Then they will hear that you are scared and frightened and you want Vash to join his family."
"Knives?"
"I must go now."
He left without another word. She shook her head in disgust.
"Do you not like my translation of your words?"
She ignored the plant behind her. She stared off into the sun, imagining what Milly must be doing. She turned her attention back to the flowers growing outside. She wondered how they grew there.
"I can make anything happen."
She ignored that too...though now he was peaking her interest. She turned to him.
"How?"
Knives cocked an eyebrow.
"I never said that I would tell you."
"Fine."
She started walk off. She knew how much that kind of thing got on his nerves. Ignoring a "superior" being pissed him off the most and especially if it was him. Something stopped her.
"You are trying on my last nerves, spi...Meryl....Do not tempt me to kill you."
"We have spoken about that before. I don`t believe that you will because you need me to lure your brother. Honestly, Knives, are you that small-minded to forget your own plan?"
She could only imagine his face now. Her back was still to him. Whatever held her back released her. She smirked without turning.
"I`ll see you later, Knives. It`s been fun. It really has."
She walked back inside the compound.
-------------------------------------------
The compound was empty and night was falling. Knives stared out the window of his unofficial office. His hands were crossed over the sill of the window. He smiled broadly at the thought of what was happening.
`My plan is running smoothly. Already, brother, you are fallign into my little net which I will close around you when you are near. Patience. Your precious little human friend is still alive...for now.`
Speaking of human friend...
He turned around. His eyes slitted then he frowned. Turning back around to face out the window he laughed. He snapped his fingers.
"You can come out of hiding now! I know that you are there!"
He listened to the soft click of her small boots on the cement floor. He waited for them to be about a yard behind him to turn around. Meryl sat down at the table that he had placed near the window.
"It`s nice out there."
"It is even nicer when you think of the suffering that will soon occur."
Meryl frowned a bit at that. Instead of saying something to refute that she did not. She had a tendency to do that to him and it was getting more annoying each time that she did it. She found a weakness and she hit it everytime. Despite this little flaw in his day he planned on doing the same with her. In fact if he simply mentioned hurting others then she would be hesitant to react. They were toying with each other.
A game of cat and mouse where they would switch roles from time to time depending on what the others attacked with. Even if she was a human Knives enjoyed games that had an evil twist in the end. He took a seat across from her.
"What are you doing in here?"
"Do you care? I didn`t know that you did. That is very kind of you."
Damn. Cat got him.
"The only thing that I do care about is tormenting inferior beings that laze around wasting plants that happen to be my bretheren."
"They only use it because they can`t find anything else....but I do see your point. We should find another source of energy."
He cocked his eyebrow. It was another argument that was turning into a discussion that they found many beliefs that they have in common.
Damn.
"What do you suggest?" he asked "Using humans to light your houses? They do not have the power."
Meryl giggled. The lighthearted sound made him want to gag. He hated it when she was happy yet...something about it made him want to hear it again.
It was pitiful but it was true.
"No! I don`t mean that! I suppose that we could use...we don`t have enough water but maybe someday we can utilize that."
"It has a dismal future for your inferior species."
"I`m only suggesting."
"Your suggestions are too simple...but coming from your mind I suppose that makes it a great possibility."
He was being sarcastic. He made sure to lace his words with it. He dripped it from his lips. He wanted her to refute him...to argue with him. Instead she stood up. Her face was unreadable even to him.
"I going to go to sleep. I`m very tired."
"As a human would be."
She left without another word. Knives found himself sitting alone. Staring around the room and out the window a couple of times he could not help but feel compelled to race out of the room and drag her back just to be able to argue more.
And perhaps so he would not be alone.
***So......that`s what I wrote :) Yes. Meryl is OOC. She is this way because seven years have passed. Don`t worry. Maybe she will gain some of that fire back later...who`s to say!!! There will be more Vash and Co. and they will have bigger parts! I promise!! I will describe more of the Gung-Ho Guns but that is to come. I hope that this was a good chapter. I`ll try to have Chapter 5 up soon as college will allow....LOL!!
Later the chapters may get longer. Who`s to say though? It all depends :)