I'm sorry if any of you are upset with the events of this chapter, but
please understand that it had to be done in order to continue my story.
Sorry to all the Milly fans!! -.-
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I rose to my feet and looked around more carefully. I was wrong about them all being gone, because Milly laying on the couch; her hands and feet were tied, and she had been gagged. A placed my gun into its holster and bent over to untie her.
"Thank you!" she cried happily, flinging her arms around my neck. I feel over the back of the couch and lay sprawled on the floor for a few minutes.
"You're welcome," I muttered. "Do you know where they went?" She shook her head as she sat up. I jumped to my feet and began to pace.
"Mr. Vash?"
"Not now, Milly. Now, where could they have gone? Not back to one of the major cities, because he'd be too obvious there; But not necessarily. He might have--."
"Mr. Vash?"
"Not now! Now, where was I.. oh yes! Knives might have taken Meryl to where we fought. That would make sense. In fact, that makes too much sense. He wouldn't take her there. Now, maybe--."
"MR. VASH!!"
"What?" I asked, still pacing.
"There's a note on your back," she replied gently, pointing at me. I stopped walking, and my hand shot to my back. Sure enough, a piece of paper had been stuck to the back of my shirt. I pulled it off and began to read aloud.
"I'm sorry that things had to go this way, but your mind had been so tainted by those insects that it left me no choice but to render you unconscious. It was the only way I could possibly force you to allow me to do what is best for you. Because you have been exposed to their idiocy for so long, you have absorbed many of their weak traits. Don't sympathize with them, Vash. This is for your own good. However, if you must save the day (as usual), I'm where you betrayed me the first time. Feel free to stop by." I crumpled the paper in my fist and threw it across the room. I spun on my heel and pulled open the door; I found myself staring into Knives' eyes; his gun was pressed against my shoulder.
"Going somewhere, brother?" he asked dryly.
"Only to find you," I replied. "Where is Meryl?" He laughed and pulled his gun away, sliding it gently into its holster.
"Where I said she was."
"What did you do to her?"
"She isn't dead--."
"What did you do to her?!"
"—yet."
"What do you mean, 'yet?'"
"She'll be dead soon; unless, of course, you hurry to save her. As we speak, her precious life-giving blood is flowing from her tiny body, staining the earth where it was stained so long ago with my blood. And I did it with one of your bullets, Vash, so she can feel the pain I felt."
"Damn you!" I cried, lunging at him. Knives stepped to the side, and I tumbled down the stairs.
"You'd better hurry, if you want her to live. Just remember: You can't save everyone." I pushed myself back to my feet and ran. Knives turned and leaned against the doorpost.
"Well done, Ms. Milly," he said. She nodded.
"Just carrying out orders, sir," she replied. Knives nodded in return and stepped inside, pulling his gun from its holster.
"You're a very good actress," he added as he cocked his gun expressionlessly. "However, your importance to me has come to an end."
"Knives!"
"You are no longer necessary. Farewell, Ms. Milly." With that, Knives pulled the trigger. Milly stumbled back against the wall before falling heavily to the floor. Knives turned again to watch Vash running.
"You should have taken my advice, brother. Now, one of your friends will die, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it."
Sorry to all the Milly fans!! -.-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I rose to my feet and looked around more carefully. I was wrong about them all being gone, because Milly laying on the couch; her hands and feet were tied, and she had been gagged. A placed my gun into its holster and bent over to untie her.
"Thank you!" she cried happily, flinging her arms around my neck. I feel over the back of the couch and lay sprawled on the floor for a few minutes.
"You're welcome," I muttered. "Do you know where they went?" She shook her head as she sat up. I jumped to my feet and began to pace.
"Mr. Vash?"
"Not now, Milly. Now, where could they have gone? Not back to one of the major cities, because he'd be too obvious there; But not necessarily. He might have--."
"Mr. Vash?"
"Not now! Now, where was I.. oh yes! Knives might have taken Meryl to where we fought. That would make sense. In fact, that makes too much sense. He wouldn't take her there. Now, maybe--."
"MR. VASH!!"
"What?" I asked, still pacing.
"There's a note on your back," she replied gently, pointing at me. I stopped walking, and my hand shot to my back. Sure enough, a piece of paper had been stuck to the back of my shirt. I pulled it off and began to read aloud.
"I'm sorry that things had to go this way, but your mind had been so tainted by those insects that it left me no choice but to render you unconscious. It was the only way I could possibly force you to allow me to do what is best for you. Because you have been exposed to their idiocy for so long, you have absorbed many of their weak traits. Don't sympathize with them, Vash. This is for your own good. However, if you must save the day (as usual), I'm where you betrayed me the first time. Feel free to stop by." I crumpled the paper in my fist and threw it across the room. I spun on my heel and pulled open the door; I found myself staring into Knives' eyes; his gun was pressed against my shoulder.
"Going somewhere, brother?" he asked dryly.
"Only to find you," I replied. "Where is Meryl?" He laughed and pulled his gun away, sliding it gently into its holster.
"Where I said she was."
"What did you do to her?"
"She isn't dead--."
"What did you do to her?!"
"—yet."
"What do you mean, 'yet?'"
"She'll be dead soon; unless, of course, you hurry to save her. As we speak, her precious life-giving blood is flowing from her tiny body, staining the earth where it was stained so long ago with my blood. And I did it with one of your bullets, Vash, so she can feel the pain I felt."
"Damn you!" I cried, lunging at him. Knives stepped to the side, and I tumbled down the stairs.
"You'd better hurry, if you want her to live. Just remember: You can't save everyone." I pushed myself back to my feet and ran. Knives turned and leaned against the doorpost.
"Well done, Ms. Milly," he said. She nodded.
"Just carrying out orders, sir," she replied. Knives nodded in return and stepped inside, pulling his gun from its holster.
"You're a very good actress," he added as he cocked his gun expressionlessly. "However, your importance to me has come to an end."
"Knives!"
"You are no longer necessary. Farewell, Ms. Milly." With that, Knives pulled the trigger. Milly stumbled back against the wall before falling heavily to the floor. Knives turned again to watch Vash running.
"You should have taken my advice, brother. Now, one of your friends will die, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it."
