Chapter Three: Risks and Confrontations
Vash watched as his sons played in the early morning sunshine. This time of the morning was the perfect time to be outside, since it wasn't too cool and the suns have not reached their full daytime heat yet.
"Hey, Daddy! We've found something! Come and see!" Grant called, from the corner of an abandoned house. Vash smiled.
"Coming!" Vash replied, as he got to his feet, wincing a little at the stiffness he sometimes felt from his many old wounds. When he had arrived at where the boys were standing, he was surprised to see that they had found a spider web. In the web itself was a spider and a butterfly. Then a realization dawned on him; this was almost an action for action repeat of the day Knives showed his true colors for the first time. Tensely, he watched and waited to see what would happen.
"Hey, Lee, can you get the spider? I'll rescue the butterfly." Grant said, not noticing his father's look of discomfort.
"Okay. Come on, Mr. Spider." Lee said, as he gently put one hand between the spider and its prey, and used the other to push the spider onto his hand. When the spider was clear, Grant moved in to free the butterfly.
"There you go! You're free now, Mr. Butterfly!" Grant said, as he gently released the insect, watching as it fluttered away from him, landed on Vash for the briefest of moments, then flitted away.
"Sorry about your web, Mr. Spider. Here you go, you're home." Lee said, as he set the spider down on what remained of its web. Vash had to fight to keep himself from sighing in relief; the boys had defeated history instead of repeating it! What pleased him even more was the respect the twins had for life. They had worked together to save both the spider and the butterfly, something he and Knives would never have considered doing.
"Vash, Lee, Grant! Breakfast!" Meryl called, from the doorway of the hotel they were staying in.
"Breakfast! All right! Let's go, Lee!" Grant whooped, as they made a mad dash for the hotel, whizzing past their mother so quickly that she had to do a double take when they were inside.
"They enjoy their food, don't they?" Vash asked, as he stood up (he had been kneeling) and stretched.
"Don't you? It amazes me how fast they have grown. They are really only two years old, and yet they look like any normal five-year-olds. I wonder what caused that." Meryl mused, then added, "Are you all right? You look pale."
"Guess I've not been getting much sleep here lately. Meryl, there is something you need to know." Vash said, as he walked over to her.
"Yes? What is it?" Meryl asked, sensing that something was bothering the gentle gunman.
"I will have to go somewhere very soon. If I may, I would like to take Lee and Grant with me." Vash said, as he cupped the side of Meryl's face with his right hand.
"Where will you be going and how long will you be gone? Why can't I go with you?" Meryl asked, concerned for her sons' safety.
"I will be going to visit some friends. I want them to meet my sons………no…..our sons. We should be gone no longer than a day or so. Don't worry, I will make sure nothing happens to them. I would give my life to protect them." Vash said, softly.
"I know, but you still haven't told me why I can't come along with you." Meryl said, with worry in her eyes.
"It would be too difficult to explain, Meryl, without having to go into too many painful and unbelievable details." Vash said, as he leaned against one of the support posts tiredly.
"Vash? Are you sure you're all right?" Meryl asked, as concern for her sons turned into concern for Vash.
"Yeah. I just have a bit of a headache, that's all." Vash replied, quietly.
"Let me see." Meryl muttered, mostly to herself, as she reached up and placed a hand on Vash's forehead. She was startled by the fever she found there.
"You're burning up! Why didn't you tell me you were sick?!" Meryl asked, amazed that Vash was even up at all.
"I had promised the boys that I would watch them as they played. I didn't want to disappoint them." Vash replied, with a weak smile. Meryl tsked as she shook her head in disbelief.
"You're as crazy as you were back then, when you faced Brilliant Dynamites Neon in that duel, wounded as you were. Come on. You need to get back to bed. Those friends of yours will have to wait a little while longer before they can meet Lee and Grant." Meryl said, sternly, as she led Vash back inside by the arm.
"Thank you, Meryl." Vash murmured, when they had gotten back to his room and he had returned to bed.
"No problem. Stay put, and I'll bring you something to help bring down your fever." Meryl said, before disappearing into her room. Vash sighed and closed his eyes; this wasn't good. He knew that if Knives were to come upon them then, he would not be strong enough to protect his family or friends (Wolfwood had decided to stay with them until the incoming typhoon was past). He winced when a shudder traveled down his spine, signaling the onslaught of chills. It was at that moment that Lee and Grant appeared in the room, looking concerned for him.
"What's wrong, Daddy? Are you sick?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, Dad's come down with something. Don't you worry though, I'll be fine in a little while." Vash said, trying to encourage the twins.
"You sure?" Grant asked, allowing Vash to ruffle his hair.
"Yeah, I'll be all right. Why don't you go play? It'll soon be too hot to do so." Vash suggested, as he looked out at the brightening sky. Reluctantly, the twins agreed, and went back downstairs to finish their breakfast. Meryl soon returned with the medicine Vash needed, and, when he'd taken it and settled down, she watched over him.
"Something is bothering him, and it's making him this way. What is it? What's he hiding from us?" Meryl wondered, watching as Vash's brow furrowed and he uttered a soft moan.
"What's wrong with him, Meryl?" Milly asked, as she came into the room and sat down beside Meryl.
"He's hiding something, Milly. Something that is worrying him sick. I wish he'd tell me what." Meryl murmured, as she watched Vash sleep.
"He's not likely to do that any time soon. Yet, my best guess would be that part of his worry is directed at what might hurt the twins." Wolfwood said, from the doorway.
"You might be right, Wolfwood. But until he comes right out and says it, we'll never know. One thing is certain, he sure is different from the way he was when Milly and I first met him." Meryl said, as she stood and walked towards the door, with Milly following her. This left only Wolfwood in the room.
"Vash, the longer you hide this from them, the more it'll eat you up inside. Whether you realize this or not, those twins' lives depend on what decisions you make. I would certainly hate to be the one to take those children to the orphanage just because you were too reluctant to part with your secrets." Wolfwood muttered, as he looked down onto the pallid features of the Humanoid Typhoon.
By the late afternoon, the real typhoon was well underway. Meryl sat at her desk, thoughtfully watching as the storm raged outside.
"Hey, Meryl, where's Lee and Grant? I haven't heard a peep out of them all day." Milly said, with a note of concern in her voice. This caused Meryl to bolt to her feet and rush into Vash's room. She was shocked to discover that Vash was missing from his bed, and that a note was on the bedside table.
"What does the note say, Meryl?" Milly asked, when her partner had picked it up and looked at it.
"It says that he's gone to see his friends, and that the twins are with him. He also said that he'll be back as soon as he can." Meryl muttered, as she looked out at the chaos that was whirling around outside.
"They went out in that?! We've got to go after them!" Milly said, as she donned her coat.
"Dammit! Not only have they gone into that dangerous weather, but Vash is also still sick! He shouldn't even be out of bed, much less dragging my children into that!" Meryl fumed, as she threw on her derringer coat and followed her friend.
Vash panted as he stopped to rest at the base of a cliff. Huddled beside him, Grant and Lee looked worriedly up at him.
"Are you all right, Daddy?" Lee asked, when he saw the strained look on his father's face.
"I will be………in a few minutes……………It's not far now. The floating platform is just beyond this cliff." Vash said, as he started walking again, gently leading his sons by their hands. When they had reached the cliff, Vash picked up both boys and held them close.
"Now, I want you to both hold on to me. This is the tricky part." Vash said, getting an immediate compliance from the twins. With a deep breath, Vash jumped into the wind, allowing it to carry him and the boys to where a here-to-fore invisible in the sand, floating platform waited. When they had landed, Vash sank to one knee, allowing the boys to get down.
"Whew! Every time I do that I nearly have a heart attack!" Vash muttered, then asked, "Are you two all right?"
"That was great, Daddy! Can we do it again?" Grant asked, enthusiastically. Vash promptly did a face-fault.
"Hey! Can you give me a hand from up there?" a voice asked, sounding a bit put off. The trio rushed to the side and looked down. They were surprised to see Wolfwood dangling there.
"Uncle Nick! What're you doin' here?" Lee asked, voicing his surprise.
"Following you three! When I saw you jump off that cliff, I thought you were committing suicide!" Wolfwood shouted, in exasperation. Vash smiled, nervously, as he extended a hand to the priest, and helped him up. After Wolfwood had settled into the platform, he lit a cigarette and looked up.
"So, where are we headed?" Wolfwood asked.
"We're heading to one of the ships that never crashed. You and the twins are going to be its first guests in twenty years." Vash said, as the ship itself came into view.
"Wow! It's even bigger than the Sand-steamer! Are we gonna be going inside of it?" Grant asked, getting a chuckle from Vash.
"Yeah, we'll be going inside it. There's someone I want you two to meet." Vash said, as the platform landed near a door.
"Whoa. I'll bet Mama will never believe us when we tell her about this!" Lee muttered, as they stood and waited for the door to open. They didn't have to wait long. With a whirring noise, the door opened and two people greeted them.
"Vash! Welcome back! It's been five years since you last came here! And I see you have been busy!" the first man, an older man, said, with a kindly smile. This got a blush from Vash and a snicker from Wolfwood. The second man, a tall, younger man, merely uttered a growl under his breath and glared at Vash and his group.
"It's not nice to glare, mister." Grant said, quietly, having felt the hostility towards his father and was angered by it.
"That's right. Brad; try to be a little more hospitable, if you please. Now, come along. We can't very well leave you all to stand out there, can we?" the older man asked, as he ushered for them to follow. As they followed the older man, Lee and Grant warily looked around. They were surprised and pleased to discover that there were other people on board the ship as well, and not just the old man and the hostile younger man.
"Vash! You came back!" a feminine voice shouted, gleefully, as the owner rushed over to him, nearly knocking him over in her enthusiasm.
"Hello…………………erm……………..have we met before?" Vash asked, struggling to retain his balance as the world spun crazily around him for a brief moment.
"Surely you remember me! It's me, Jessica!" the girl said, with a smile.
"Jessica? You're that Jessica! Wow, you've grown up on me!" Vash said, relieved when the girl finally let go of him. Jessica giggled, then looked down at the twins.
"Oh! How cute! They look almost exactly like you!" Jessica gushed.
"Yeah, well, they are my sons. Their mother is still in the town nearby. The one with the light blond hair is Lee, and the one with the darker hair is Grant." Vash said, steadying himself against a wall for a moment before moving on.
"Vash? Is something the matter? You seem a little bit quieter than you were the last time you were here." The older man stated.
"Actually, he's sick. He came out here despite the way he felt. Why, I have no idea." Wolfwood said, from the back of the group.
"Come to think of it, you do look pale, Vash." Jessica said, as she put a hand to the gunman's forehead, shaking her head when she'd found his fever.
"I'm fine, really. Doc, there is something I need to talk about with you. Wolfwood, wait here. I'll be back in a little bit." Vash said, as he led the twins away. When they had gotten to a secluded room, Vash tiredly sat down in the one chair in front of the desk, while 'Doc' sat behind the desk. Brad stood in the shadows, eyeing Vash and the twins with distrust and much dislike.
"So, what is it that brings you here, Vash? Does it have to do with that explosion in Augusta?" Doc asked. Vash flinched and nodded.
"What explosion?" Grant asked, confused. The old doctor smiled patronizingly at the boy.
"Nothing to concern yourself with, young man. Vash, what triggered it this time? Was he around when this happened?" Doc asked.
"No, but a man by the name of Legato was. I don't remember much of what happened, but I know that I did it." Vash murmured, sadly.
"And what about the children? What concerns you about them?" Doc asked, watching as Lee and Brad exchanged 'dagger glares' with one another.
"How much of me did they get? How is it that they could have been born at all, considering what I am?" Vash asked, with a troubled look in his eyes.
"Ah, that's where genetics has the answer. Lee, Grant, come over here please." Doc ordered, careful not to startle the boys.
"What do you need, mister doctor?" Lee asked, strangely at ease with the small, unassuming man.
"Would you and your brother mind if I took a blood sample from you to study?" Doc asked, getting an exchange of confused looks between the brothers.
"I guess it'll be all right. Just don't take it from the butt." Grant said, cringing when both Vash and Brad did a face-fault behind him.
"I promise, I won't take it from the butt. Instead, I will take it from the arm. Is that all right with you?" Doc asked, again.
"Yeah, I guess so." Lee said, looking decidedly uncomfortable when the doctor brought out two sterile hypodermic needles and two small bandages. As Vash watched, he was amazed by how brave his sons were; when he'd first been presented with a needle, Rem had had to chase him all over the ship before they could even give him his flu shot!
"There! All done! I am impressed with how brave you two were!" Doc said, as he placed the bandages on the boys' arms.
"That's because we have the bravest dad in the world!" Lee said, giving his father an admiring look as he said that. Vash let out an embarrassed laugh; he'd never been flattered in that way before!
"Your dad ain't even human." Brad growled.
"And who said you were, turd-head?" Lee snapped back, unaware of his father's look of shock as he glared angrily at the adult that had dared to insult his father. With a snort, Brad stormed out, leaving the twins, doctor and Vash behind.
"Don't mind him. He's just upset that he's finally told the girl he loves about his feelings, and she ignored him. Don't take it personally." Doc said, though he still looked a little surprised by the 'turd-head' comment.
"But he is right. I'm not human, yet Grant and Lee strongly attest that I am human enough." Vash said, smiling softly as the twins gave him a concerned look.
"I wonder…………………..How many times did I give Rem that look when I was worried about her?" Vash thought, looking in confusion at the doctor when he handed him a briefcase.
"You'll be needing this." Doc said, as Vash opened the case. In it, there was a new arm.
"Daddy, why'd he give you an arm?" Grant asked, voicing his and Lee's confusion on the matter.
"Because I lost my real left arm a long time ago." Vash replied, putting a hand to his forehead when a wave of dizziness washed over him.
"Are you all right?" Doc asked, with some concern in his voice.
"Yeah. Just a bit dizzy, that's all." Vash replied, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, in an effort to drive the uncomfortable feeling away.
"Then I'd better give you something for it. Here, these should help to bring the fever down and put a stop to the dizzy spells." Doc said, as he tossed a bottle to Vash.
"Thanks." Vash murmured, sounding every bit as bad as he felt.
"Will Daddy be all right?" Lee asked, turning an almost frightened look to the doctor as he said that.
"He should feel a whole lot better after he takes some of that medicine." Doc replied, in an effort to reassure the boy. They were all startled when Jessica burst into the room, carrying something in her arms.
"Vash! I've got something for you! And for the boys too!" Jessica said, as she handed Vash a red coat identical to the one he'd lost in Augusta.
"Thank you, Jessica." Vash said, already looking like he felt better since he'd taken two of the pills.
"And these are for you. I started these on a whim and thought they were so cute, that I would keep them for when Vash came back here to show us his family." Jessica explained, as she handed the twins each their own red coat.
"Cool! They're just like Daddy's!" Lee said, as he tried his on. It was a perfect fit.
"And they fit, too! Thank you Miss Jessica!" Grant said, smiling in delight when he found that his coat fit too.
"You're very welcome! I have the outfits that go under them here too. I'll see you in a little while, I've got to finish cooking dinner!" Jessica said, as she bustled out of the room, leaving the four males looking rather surprised.
"It is amazing how much they look like you, now that I see them in those coats." Doc said, as he watched the boys get dressed, ignoring the adults while they were at it.
"Yeah. It's almost scary. Yet, they don't have that malicious streak Knives had; they're both gentle and have a love of life." Vash said, proudly.
"Hey, Daddy! Lookit this! We have coats like yours now!" Lee said, happily.
"I see that! And they look good on you too! I wonder what your mother will think of them?" Vash asked, now sitting on the desk, since the doctor was detaching the old arm and was working on attaching the new one.
"Doesn't that hurt, Daddy?" Grant asked, flinching when the doctor fitted the new arm into place.
"It hurts a little, but I've become used to getting the replacements. Don't worry about me, son." Vash said, with a smile.
"Daddy, how did you lose your real arm?" Lee asked, curiously.
"Lee, that'll be a story I will tell you when you're older. For now, let's just say that I was clumsier than usual." Vash said, half-serious, half-joking. At first the boy looked a little uncertain, but then he smiled and nodded.
"Okay, Daddy." Lee said, as Vash stood and flexed his new arm.
"Wow, this arm's a whole lot smoother than the old one. Doc, you've really outdone yourself." Vash said, as he prepared to put on his new outfit and coat.
"I try. Do you want me to send the children into the hallway while you get dressed?" Doc asked. Vash's expression sobered for a moment and he slowly nodded.
"Please." Vash said, softly, watching as the twins were gently ushered out of the room.
"Why doesn't Daddy want us to see him without a shirt on?" Grant asked, very curious about this turn of events.
"It's because your father has a rather painful secret he would rather not show you. He doesn't like anyone to see him when he's getting dressed." Doc, who had also come out of the room out of respect for the gunman, said, solemnly.
"Oh." Grant and Lee said, in unison. Moments later, Vash stepped out, looking as formidable as he had the day he'd gone into Augusta.
"Whoa. You look awesome, Daddy!" Lee said, giving his father a hero-worshipping look. Vash only smiled and ruffled the twins' hair. The peaceful moment was shattered when several gunshots sounded down the hall.
"Lee, Grant, stay here with Doc! I'm going to go see what's going on!" Vash shouted, as he dashed down the hall.
"Wait! Daddy, wait for us!" Lee yelped, as he and Grant went after their father.
"Lee! Grant! Come back! It could be dangerous!" Doc shouted, in vain. They arrived at a horrific scene; about a dozen people lay dead on the floor, their blood making the smooth floor slick and dangerous. In the midst of it all, Brad stood with a gun pointed at Wolfwood's head, threatening to shoot.
"Uncle Nick!" the twins shouted, afraid for their 'uncle'. Startled, both men turned to look and saw that Vash, Lee and Grant were standing there, with horror on their faces.
"Who……………….who did this?" Vash asked, with rising anger in his voice. It was then that evil laughter filled the air, and the sound of wooden planks clinking together came to their ears.
"Well, well. It seems that the celebration for you return has begun, Vash the Stampede! And it appears that there are two more attendees!" the sneering voice said, as the apparent owner appeared before them.
"You leave them out of this! This is between you and me!" Vash shouted, angrily, as he got in front of the twins, shielding them with his body. Wolfwood stood where he was and stared at Vash in amazement; normally Vash would have been spouting nonsense about peacefully leaving the people alone, but, since Vash's own children were in the line of fire, he was willing enough to protect them at any cost. Even if it meant killing the Gung-Ho Gun that stood before him.
"Now that's showing some backbone, Vash!" Wolfwood thought, with admiration, watching as the hackles rose on Vash's neck, signaling that he wasn't going to take any crap from the ruthless Gung-Ho Guns this time around.
"Ooh! Such a show of temper! This should get you even more riled up!" the puppet said, as another puppet stepped forward, with a captive Jessica in front of him!
"Damn you!" Vash snarled, whipping out his gun and shooting the two puppets, succeeding in making them shatter into a million pieces.
"Are you all right, Jessica?" Brad asked, as they gathered around her.
"Yes, I…………….I think so." Jessica stammered, understandably shaken by the experience. Then the eerie laughter sounded again.
"You think you've won, Vash the Stampede? Well, there are two more Gung-Ho's in this ship. You'll have to take them out as well." The voice said, with a sinister undertone in his voice.
"Damn. Why do you like to do other people harm?" Vash asked, his voice carrying a steely edge in it.
"Because it's fun. And this is your return celebration, Vash the Stampede." The voice replied, as more puppets appeared. Vash's eyes hardened, but, before he could make a move, he heard a gunshot from the twins' level! Upon looking down, he saw that Grant had one of Meryl's derringers in his hands, and looked up again, just in time to see one of the new puppets fall.
"Grant! Where the hell did you get that?!" Wolfwood asked, in shock that the six-year-old had shot a gun, and nailed one of the puppets.
"From Mama's coat! I had a feeling that something was gonna happen, and Lee had the same feeling. So we took two of Mama's guns and promised that we wouldn't use them unless we had to." Grant replied, shakily. All three of the adults looked at one another in stunned amazement.
"Do you realize how dangerous your decision was, Grant? What if you had hurt yourself? How do you think your mother would feel about this?" Vash asked, keeping one eye on the puppets, and the other on his somewhat shame-filled sons.
"We didn't want you to die, Daddy. If we didn't come with our own weapons, then our visions would have come true." Lee sobbed, as tears came to his eyes.
"Visions?" Vash asked, surprised by this revelation. Lee sniffled and nodded.
"We'd both had visions of you and Uncle Nick dying and we didn't want them to happen. We wanna protect you and Uncle Nick, Daddy!" Grant said, as he wiped his tear-streaked face with the sleeve of his new coat. Vash sighed and shook his head; yes, these were his sons. They were willing to risk it all for those they cared the most about.
"All right. Just stay close to me. When I tell you to move, you move. Got me?" Vash said, sternly.
"Yessir!" the twins shouted, in response.
"What the hell are you thinkin' Vash?! They're just kids!" Wolfwood cried, aghast that the gunman was going to allow this sort of thing.
"They won't leave my side even if I told them to, Wolfwood. I just hope I can protect them and take care of those Gung-Ho Guns at the same time." Vash said, as he watched Grant reload his derringer carefully.
"Here. I know this is wrong, but these guns will be better than those derringers." Brad said, as he handed the twins each their own ship-made guns.
"Thank you, mister turd-head." Lee said, with a slight smile. Brad flinched, but smiled back anyway.
"You're welcome. But, next time, call me Brad instead, okay?" Brad asked, becoming a little self-conscious about his hair.
"Okay!" the twins agreed. Soon they were running through the halls, taking out any puppets they could find.
"Damn, is it just me, or are those kids natural gunmen?!" Wolfwood asked, watching in amazement as each shot the twins fired found their mark.
"They get it from their father, I suppose." Brad admitted, as they all stopped before a split in the hallway.
"Which way?" Grant asked, as he looked up to his father for the answer.
"I'll take the right, you four go to the left. We'll meet again at some point." Wolfwood said, as he took off down the right passage.
"All right, let's go." Vash said, as they also ran off.
"Vash!" the doctor's voice called, through the earring communicator Vash had on him.
"Where are they, Doc?" Vash asked, tensely.
"There's one near the second plant! I think they intend to send this ship crashing into the desert below us!" the doctor said, urgently.
"But that's six floors below us! We'd never make it down there in time!" Brad said, with despair in his voice. It was then that Vash made his arm change into a gun.
"Whoa……………….so it's more than just an arm! Cool!" Grant murmured, awestruck by this development.
"What are you doing?" Brad asked, confused.
"Making a quicker way down." Vash replied, as he started shooting a hole into the floor. It was then that realization set in on the gunman's face.
"You know, I just realized that this might not be such a good ideaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!" Vash said, before the floor dropped out from under him.
"Now that was a stupid idea." Brad muttered, as he and the twins looked down through the hole in the floor.
"Is that how Daddy lost his real arm?" Lee asked.
"Lee, I think it's better if we don't ask about that, ever." Grant said, with exasperation on his face. This got an agreement from Lee.
"Ah, from the mouths of babes." Brad mumbled, grinning when he got a quizzical look from the twins for that remark.
"Never mind. Let's get down there, your father might need help!" Brad said, as he led the way and the twins followed. They got to the plant room just as Vash was knocked to the ground, the sound of ribs breaking filling the air as they stood there.
"Daddy!" Lee and Grant cried, horrified when they saw their father lying there in a crumpled heap.
"Grant…………………Lee……………….Get out of here……………….Hurry…." Vash whispered, painfully, his eyes widening when he saw the Gung-Ho Gun turn towards Brad and the twins.
"Don't you dare!" Vash screamed, suddenly finding the strength to stand and fire a shot, hitting his enemy in the back, the only vulnerable spot on him. The Gung-Ho Gun fell with a cry, before he could do the twins and Brad any harm. As Vash fell to the ground again, he could hear the trio rushing over to him.
"Vash! Vash, c'mon, snap out of it!" Brad shouted, as worry replaced his earlier distrust and irritation.
"Ugh………………the plant…………….." Vash whispered, coughing a little when the effort in talking proved too much for him.
"It's been shot!" Lee said, as he rushed up the stairs towards the side of it.
"What should we do, Vash?" Brad asked, as he watched Grant go and join his brother before the glass wall of the plant.
"You head up the controls, I'll do the rest." Vash said, as he painfully got up and limped up the stairs, joining his children in front of the wall.
"Daddy, she's been hurt." Grant said, quietly.
"I know. Do what I do; put both of your hands on the wall and concentrate." Vash instructed, as he put both of his hands on the wall. The twins did the same, surprised when the humanoid part of the plant came up to the glass and looked out at them.
"She's so pretty. Like a flower." Lee murmured, in awe, as the plant smiled at them.
"She looks almost like that plant Mama showed us one time; the orchid. Remember, Lee?" Grant asked.
"Mmhmm! I sure do!" Lee replied. Once again, the peaceful moment was shattered by the Gung-Ho Gun launching himself into the air and crashing into the side of the glass wall. The moment the wall started giving way, a small miracle occurred; the humanoid part of the plant separated from the main plant and fell forward into Vash's arms, changing into a more human shape as she did so.
"Whoa!" Vash yelped, as he started to fall backwards, taking the plant-turned-girl and the twins with him. They all landed with a crash at the bottom of the stairs.
"Vash! Grant, Lee! Are you all right?!" Brad shouted, as he ran over to them.
"I will be………………when everyone gets off of my chest." Vash managed. Immediately, the twins and the plant girl got off of Vash's chest, leaving the Humanoid Typhoon to try and get his breath back.
"Vash………….?" The girl asked, looking concerned. Vash snapped his head up and looked at her, stunned that she had survived.
"This is something little boys are not supposed to see." Brad said, as he covered the twins' eyes. After locating a coat (and apologizing to the former owner for taking it) Vash covered the girl so she was a little more decent.
"So, what happens now?" Brad asked, as Vash lay back against the wall, taking each breath slowly, since it was now very painful to breathe.
"I guess we wait till we make landfall. There's nothing we can do now. Her change is irreversible and the main plant is damaged beyond repair." Vash murmured, grimacing with the effort to talk. Then, suddenly, the pain started to ebb and die away. Vash watched in stunned silence as the girl held her hands before his chest and used her mysterious powers to help heal his injuries. When she had finished, she looked up and smiled at him.
"Does it feel better now?" the girl asked, gently.
"Yeah. Thank you very much." Vash murmured, grateful that the pain was gone.
"Hey, do you have a name?" Lee asked, looking up at the girl with innocence in his young eyes. The girl shook her head.
"Then how does Orchid sound? It's a flower name." Grant suggested. The girl smiled, joyfully.
"I like it! Thank you for my name!" the girl said, her hazel eyes filled with happiness.
"Well, at least one good thing came out of today. There's a new person to show the world." Brad said, as he helped Vash to his feet.
"Yeah. But I hope Meryl won't be too upset by her presence." Vash said, smiling as the twins started talking to Orchid about their mother, 'aunt', 'uncle', and father.
"Who's Meryl? Your wife?" Brad asked. Vash blushed and shook his head.
"No. But she is Lee and Grant's mother. Maybe, after all this is over, I will ask her to be my wife. Right now, however, it is still far too dangerous." Vash said, thinking about what he had to do in order to preserve his own peace, and that of his family. With a jolting halt, the ship came to rest on the planet.
"Let's go. I'm sure everyone else is going outside." Brad said, as he helped a still weak Vash to walk.
"Wait! Orchid needs shoes! She'll burn her feet if she goes out barefoot!" Grant said, showing that he did indeed have the common sense of the pair. Once again, an article of clothing was borrowed from one of the dead, and once again Vash apologized for taking it. With the salvaged trench coat and shoes, Orchid cut a pretty bizarre sight, as she, the twins, Brad and Vash all emerged into the sunshine. Once they got there, they could see a crowd of angry people gathered into a semi-circle around the ship, and they turned their accusing eyes onto Vash.
"It's all his fault!" one woman shouted, angrily.
"Yeah! If he hadn't come back, this would never have happened!" a man agreed, as he took a step towards them. There were other voices of malcontent, but these were soon silenced by one unexpected voice.
"Shut up, all of you! If it hadn't been for this man, none of us would be standing here! We knew that this would happen eventually, but we preferred to ignore that eventuality! Do not turn your blame onto Vash! If you must blame someone, then blame yourselves!" Brad shouted, angrily.
"You tell 'im, Brad!" Lee cheered, getting a grin from both Brad and Vash for that.
"Vash!" Jessica shouted, as she ran over to them.
"Jessica! It's good to see that you are safe!" Brad said, happily.
"Yeah! How do you like your new coat, Vash?" Jessica asked, wanting praise from the man she adored.
"It's perfect, Jessica. It fits like a glove." Vash said, with a smile. They were all startled when a voice interrupted the moment.
"Hey! Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood shouted, from a balcony above them. Shock registered on Vash's face when he saw who was with Wolfwood; it was Jessica! Within a second of that realization, the Jessica in front of Vash and Brad changed from bubbly human to deadly puppet, whipping out a gun and firing at Vash. Minutes dragged into eternity as the bullets raced towards Vash, but Brad shielded Vash from the onslaught. With equal quickness, both Grant and Lee fired their guns into the puppet, shattering it just as its gun emptied. Orchid looked on in horror as the man called Brad took the hits for his rival, and as tears flowed down the faces of Vash and the twins. With little more than a moan, Brad fell to the ground, and time resumed it normal flow once again.
"Brad! Hang on!" Vash begged, as he kneeled over the fallen man.
"Uh………………..It took thirteen years for my hands to get this big………………yet you remained the same. You live outside of time, Vash………………" Brad whispered, before finally passing away.
"Brad……………………." Lee and Grant whispered, as tears cascaded down their own faces. Orchid stood where she was in numb shock; this was the first time she had ever witnessed death outside of the plant container, and the lesson stung her like a sharp slap to the face. This was a hard lesson for all of those gathered around the ship; not only could life come into the world, but it could also be taken out.
Hours later, Wolfwood rejoined the group, limping painfully on a wounded leg as he did so. He could see that it wasn't just Vash that was emotionally scarred, but it was also the twins and Orchid as well.
"Uncle Nick, why did Brad have to die?" Grant tearfully asked, when Wolfwood had sat down and gotten the weight off of his injured leg.
"I don't know, kid. Only God knows why." Wolfwood murmured, as he looked up at the stars that were just emerging, also wondering the same thing.
Far away, Legato was just receiving word on the new developments with Vash the Stampede.
"Interesting. So he has children of his own, now? Hmm………..The more, the merrier, I suppose." Legato said, with a cruel smile, as he looked out at the starry sky as well.