Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or its characters. This is a story involving the cast of Trigun, but is written without the creators consent. Please don't sue me, I'm not making money off of this, this is purely for my own enjoyment. All other characters in this story besides those of Trigun are mine.
Authors Note: wow, this is really fun! I just uploaded my first chapter (though, I haven't figured out how to give the chapter a name. Could someone help? Just put in a review please.) So I just HAD to star typing my next chapter. Hope you're liking this as much as me! Is funness supreme! ^_^
* * *
The burning, please make it stop!
It subsided.
Thank you…I sighed in relief as it went. Now, I was only warm. My body lay cushioned on something soft. I smiled and inhaled as the wind blew over me.
Wait…inhaled? Wind?
"Waaaahhhhh!!"
I sat up so quick that spots crossed my vision. I spit and blew out my nose, trying to excavate the sand that had taken up residence there.
"How in the Hell did sand get up my nose?" I asked no one in particular. As the spots cleared, I saw before me the most stark and desolate landscape I could ever remember.
My eyes were wide in disbelief. "Damn. Where in God's name did I end up? Aren't I supposed to be dead?"
To answer my own question, I decided to try an old trick. I pinched myself. "Ow. Ok, so I'm alive, or something to that effect."
I shaded my eyes from the harsh sun and looked around.
Oh, wait…there are two suns… that's new. Well, if there are two of them now, I'll just dehydrate faster since I seem to be in a desert. Time to take inventory.
Ok, white long sleeve under shirt; blue camouflage tank-top (standard issue uniform); kaki combat pants; shin length black combat boots; dog tags; boot knife; dirk (long dagger); auto-target laser pistil; and .45 Long colt with ammo. I pulled out the .45 from my waistband and looked at it. It had become a standard issue weapon with the Special Corps because of its accuracy and it was small enough to hide but still powerful. Also, it was so heavy that and you could hit people with the thing. As I looked at it, the two suns reflected off the reverse barrel and it reminded me of something.
"Vash. It's like his." I smiled at this thought. Now I know why I've always liked it.
My smile faded as I looked at the barrel. But, it's different too.
I unscrewed the bolts that held the top part of the barrel on. Inside, I found 5 of the 6 black cubes that acted as "insurance" in my line of work. I sighed, remembering how I had used the first one. I sat reminiscing for a few more moments before I shook my head and chided myself for just sitting around,
"No use dwelling on the past. Gotta work on the present."
I took one last look around, seeing if I was the only one to come here. I sighed, resigning to the fact that I was the only one there. I stood up straight and saluted up to the sky, in honor of my only friends. I hoped that they were all in a better place, and not having to worry about dehydration.
"Allrighty then. Time to go and figure out where that damned wormhole dropped my ass."
* * *
"Ok, I officially detest walking in the desert, with NO WATER!"
I'm cranky. Walking around the desert for 4 and ½ hours was starting to get to me.
" 'Dun dun dunun, might as well be walking on the sun, dun dunun, might as well be walking on the sun…' "
Hmmm… singing Smash Mouth didn't seem to be helping any.
"Ok, new plan. How about I just lay down and die?"
I looked up at the horizon and shaded my eyes. "Huh?" I blinked a few times and stood up straight. The horizon was wavering from the heat, but there was something dark on it. A city?
I picked up my pace more and made a B-line for the spot. There was no way I was going to run in this heat to something that I didn't even know if it would help or not, but better to see any way.
* * *
"Wow. This is nice."
The dark spot was a town, well a maybe more like a large village. It had only taken me a few more hours to reach it (and they were very painful). I now stood on the boarder, looking in at all the people walking and talking, laughing and shopping. It all looked so peaceful.
Something thudded at my feet.
It was a ball. I picked it up thinking; Ball equals kids playing. I looked around for the pint sized culprits.
"Hey mister, over here!" A small dark haired boy ran up to me, his face flushed. "Hey mister, can we have our ball back, please?"
I smiled and tossed him the ball.
"Thanks mister." He turned and started to run back to his gang of buddies but stopped when I called him back. He turned around and looked at me. "Yeah?"
"Do you know if there is a well around here?"
His eyes lit up, happy that he knew something that a grown up didn't. "Sure. Just go down this street, turn right and it'll be down that street." He pointed to the main street, the one that led into the village. I smiled at him. "Thank you." He nodded and ran back to his friends.
I strolled down the street, kicking up a small cloud of dust as I went. When I turned the corner, I saw the well. It was so beautiful that I ran the rest of the way and almost cried when I got the first mouthful of water down.
"It's soooo good!"
I drank some more, but not a lot since I didn't want to make myself sick. After I was done, I took in the buildings. As I did, I thought of that kid again. Why did he call me "mister"? I reached up and scratched my head. Then I got it. "So that's why!" I laughed to myself. My hair's so short. A buzz-cut. I smiled and went back to looking at the buildings. There was hotel right here, but that wouldn't do me any good since I didn't have any money. But, I found what I was looking for a few buildings up the street. It was on the right side of the street.
I walked thru the swinging post doors (I never know what to call these things) and into the bar. The suns shown thru the huge windows around the door, one on either side. Dust motes pranced and completed complex movements wherever the sun was. The dust was everywhere, but that just made it more homey and lived-in which is more my style anyway.
The bar was empty of any life except the bartender, a stocky, muscular man with bare arms, a faint paunch and he was as bald as a cue ball. I walked up to the counter and sat down on the comfortably worn bar stool. He looked up from the paper he was reading, his eyes telling me he'd brook no trouble.
"What can I get you, stranger?"
I took in the selection behind him but shook my head. "No thanks. Actually, I was wondering if you knew of any businesses that needed any extra help as of late."
He squinted at me from behind the counter and leaned forward a little. I beamed at him. His eyes widened and he pulled back. "You're a woman." His deep baritone turned higher in his amazement. My smile broadened. "Yes sir, the last time I checked."
His face just faintly reddened. "Sorry, it's just you look…" he trailed off sounding apologetic. I nodded. "I know, buts it's a long story, one I'm not in the mood to explain. Anyway, how about those 'want-ads'?" He looked thoughtful as he took another look at me, and then nodded. "I could use some help around here. What can you do?" I thought for a moment then started to rattle off my "skills". "I can cook, some what; clean, wait tables and tend the bar. Though, I got to tell you, mixed drinks are not my strong point." He stood for a moment, absorbing what I told him, then nodded. "That's good. You're well rounded. Not many people here order mixed drinks anyway, and if they do it's pretty self explanatory, like "Vodka with water.""
"All right. May I ask how much you are willing to pay?"
He did calculations on his fingers for a moment then answered, "Say, $$5 an hour?"
"Sure. Sounds good to me."
"When can you start?"
"Right now if you need me."
He looked behind me to the empty bar and a half smile crossed his face. "Maybe not this second, but tonight would be great. 5:30?"
I nodded and held out my hand. "Name's Nicolae."
He tried it out. "Nick-oh- lay?" He grimaced, not too happy with calling me that.
I laughed at the look, the sounding echoing faintly throughout the bar. "Nicky for short."
He looked grateful not to have to call me by my full name. He grasped my hand and smiled as well. "I'm Jess. Nice to meet you Nicky."
A thought came to me as we shook hands. "Um, Jess, I hate to ask you this, but do you know of a place I could stay, just until I get my first pay check?" He smiled. "I understand. You can stay in the extra room above the bar. It's not very big, but you're welcome to it."
I sighed and thanked him. "I really appreciate this. I'll pay you back." He shook his head firmly. "No need. It hasn't been used in ages. Besides, you're paying me with the work you'll be doing. Now, you have a few hours till 5:30, so you're excused to go do whatever you want. Just be back in 3 hours."
I spent the rest of the day walking around the small town, looking at the shops and watching the people. 3 hours later, when the twin suns were low, but not quite touching the horizon, I headed back to the bar. Jess looked up as I walked thru the doors.
"Good, right on time. We should be getting the regulars in soon. Watch out for the lowlifes, the few that still come. Not to worry though; you'll be able to pin them on sight."
* * *
The man walked across the dark sand, his movements hampered more by his bag than the mass slung over his right shoulder. "We're almost there. The town's just a few more iles up ahead. We can stay there till you're well enough to travel again." He shifted the mass slightly higher up on his shoulder. It sighed and twitched, barely, but the man noticed. "Sorry Knives. Hang on a little longer."
* * *
Ok, so working at the bar wasn't too bad. Most of the patrons, which consisted of all men tonight, were descent to me when they knew I wasn't going to put up with any of their crap. But finding out I was a woman, now that was different…
A man, decked out in a slightly dusty navy blue two piece suit, sauntered up to the bar, sat down and looked around, taking careful notice of me out of the corner of his eye. Turning back to the counter, he looked me full in the face. His face was as creased as crumpled paper with crow's feet around his pale green eyes and his black hair lay limp on his head. He smiled at me. "Hello there. Could you tell me where Jess is?"
I was a little taken aback by his question, but I nodded anyway. "Sure, he's in the back, getting some more beer."
"Ahhh. So you must be his new assistant, are you not?"
"Yes sir I am. This is my first day…er…night."
Just then, Jess came out from the back with more beer. He put them up, and then noticed the man before me.
"Rogers, good to see you again." His eyes, though, said otherwise. The man, Rogers, smiled and nodded. "Thank you Jess. I see you have a new assistant. Would you formally introduce us?"
Jess stood there for a moment, seeming reluctant to acknowledge Rogers' request. I looked at him, curious at his reluctance. He glanced at me then sighed, as though he was resigning to some unpleasant truth.
"Rogers, this is Nicky. Nicky, this is Rogers, a regular."
Rogers grasped my hand and shook it hard. As he looked at me, bewilderment crossed his lined features. Suddenly, he pulled me forward, across the counter and grabbed my chest. I felt his hand thru my shirt as he squeezed my small, but unmistakably bandaged, breasts. He looked astounded at what he felt. Then he shouted, "You're a woman!" The men in the bar all became quiet and looked at us.
Then, actions ingrained in my brain by the Navy and Specials Corps kicked into action.
The next thing Rogers knew, he was flying thru the air and landing with a thud on the wooden floors. He was dazed into almost unconsciousness and his nose was bleeding furiously. The other tenants, including Jess, were stunned.
I hopped over the counter and stood over Rogers, my face blank but I knew my eyes were blazing with hate.
"And the last time I heard, you treat women with far more respect." I grabbed the back of his shirt, dragged him out onto the sidewalk and flung him across the street into the dirt.
"Normally I don't hold a grudge, Rogers," I said loudly, enough for the men back in the bar to hear. "But in the future it would be in your best interest to stay away from me, 'cause I might just make an exception." I turned and walked back into the bar, my head held high. No one looked at me as I got behind the counter once again. Jess paled when I looked at him. I knew I still had the fire of hate in my eyes. He gulped. "Nicky, I'm sorry. I should have warned you about Rogers." He paled more and finally looked away.
My expression softened. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I put my hand on Jess's shoulder, making him look at me. I smiled and explained myself. "Sorry Jess. It wasn't your fault. You did warn me about the lowlifes, I just wasn't paying good enough attention. Forgive me?"
He relaxed visibly. His half smile appeared on his features and he nodded, grateful that I was Ok and not mad at him.
I turned to the rest of the people in the bar. My face turned serious as I addressed them. "Now, I meant what I said about respecting women. I don't want to hear of any of you disrespecting them, or I'll come and hunt you down." They all paled at the last bit. I grinned. "Just kidding about that last bit. Go on everyone! Don't let me stop your night." They all smiled and some even laughed. I beamed at them and they all laughed. "Thanks."
* * *
The night was cool. The stars glittered in the heavens, splashed across the sky as if by some mad painter onto black velvet. Vash the Stampede had finally reached the small town.
"Hmmm… it took longer than I'd meant it to-."
The man over his shoulder, Knives, coughed and twitched. Vash's eyebrows knit in concern for his brother. He quickened his pace and headed into the town.
As he walked along the sidewalk, he heard a thud a few yards in front of him.
"What was that?" He started to walk toward it, passing the hotel he had been heading for when he heard a voice and stopped.
"Normally I don't hold a grudge, Rogers, but in the future, it would be in your best interest to stay away from me, 'cause I might just make an exception."
Vash watched as the figure, it seemed to be a young man, walked back into the bar.
Ok, that was interesting. I always pegged this as a quiet town.
He watched as the man who had made the thud staggered to his feet and wobbled down the road and around the corner. Vash shook his head in resignation that the town just wasn't as quiet as it used to be. He turned around and went back to the hotel. He checked into one room with two beds. The porter was kind enough to ask if Vash would like to have a doctor look at his "friend". Vash politely declined, saying that his friend had "sun stroke", but would be fine after a few days of rest.
The porter smiled and nodded.
Once Vash was in his room, he made sure Knives would be comfortable and headed out to the bar for a drink.
* * *
So how was that? I'm really getting into this. Well, it's late and I've got school in the morning. Next chapter will be up soon.
***Grabs Vash as he tries to escape and runs to room and starts telling him about her day***
Later days!