Author's Note: In this chapter, ( ) will represent a flashback.
It seemed like any other afternoon in the town of Crystal Vista. People were out and about doing their own business, and things were calm. The local bar had its usually customers in, mostly the drunks and drifters. Just then, three mysterious people entered. The first one was a man that looked to be in his thirty's, had spiky black hair, and was wearing a gray trench coat. The second person was a woman in her mid to late twenty's, had blond hair with blue highlights in it and had on a similar trench coat. The third person was an older man whom looked to be about forty-something, had thinning gray hair, and what appeared to be a cybernetic right eye that glowed red. He too wore a trench coat, but his was black. All three headed up to the counter.
"What'll you have?" the bartender asked.
"I'll take a whiskey sour." the older man said.
"A gin and tonic." the woman replied.
"Vodka for me." the younger man said.
The bartender started to get the drinks when older man leaned forward.
"One more thing," the older man said, "have you heard anything about The One Man Demolition Team?"
"You mean Ace Landen?" the bartender asked.
"That's right." the older man replied.
"Sorry, I haven't heard anything." the bartender said and he sat the drinks on the counter.
The three stranger started to drink when a skinny, little man got up and walked over to them.
"Hey, old man." he said, "You looking for Ace Landen?"
"Yes, I am." the older man said., "What's it to you?"
"Well, it so happens that my men and I are doing the same." the little man said and he pointed over to a table where four other men were sitting, "We're after the reward money for his capture."
"You won't get it if my two associates and I find him first." the older man said as he sipped his drink.
"You after the reward money as well?" asked the little man.
"No, we just some unfinished business to deal with him." the older man replied, "Even if we have to kill him."
"Hey, I'll be damned if I'm going to let some geezer, a blond and blue haired chick, and a over-sized guy that looks like he has a porcupine on his head get to Ace Landen before me!" the little man shouted, "That'll happened over my dead body."
"Funny one should say that." the older man stated, "Ivan, Sphinx."
The younger man and woman turned around, threw off their trench coats, and the the younger man pulled out an old M-60, while the woman pulled out a custom made rifle. The little man pulled out his gun, but one shot from the woman's rifle went right into his chest and he was killed instantly. His men saw this and went for their guns, but before they could get a single shot off, the younger man mowed them all down. The whole thing lasted less than ten seconds. When it was over, the man and woman downed the last of their drinks, as did the older man.
"Come on, let's go." he said and they left.
Everyone one left in the bar was in a state of shock at what had just happened.
Meanwhile, out in the middle of nowhere, Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Kate continued their search for Ace Landen. They had managed to acquire four thomases, and were glad because they wouldn't have to walk all the time through the desert. While they were traveling, Kate was deep in thought. It had been five days since they had met the mysterious man back in Walsh Town. One thing kept repeating in Kate's mind. It had been the moment right before the young man left.
("Wait, we didn't catch your name." Meryl had said.
"I didn't throw it." was the young man's replied.)
Meryl had noticed Kate's behavior, and decided to talk with her friend.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing." Kate replied, "I was just thinking about that strange guy back at Walsh Town." "I have been thinking about him too." Milly said, "He was very secretive to me."
"I agree." Vash added, "He seemed like he was hiding something when we talked to him."
"I know, he left almost immediately and didn't tell us his name." Meryl said.
"I wish he did." Kate said, "I would've liked to getting to know him."
Just then, Milly pointed at something in the distance. Everyone saw that it was a person sitting next to the trail. They rode up quickly, and when they had gotten close they saw it was the very person from five days ago.
"Hey friend, you remember us?" Vash asked.
The young man looked up.
"Yes, you're the people I met back in Walsh Town." the young man said, "It looks like my horoscope was right."
"Pardon me?" Meryl asked.
"I had read my horoscope for today earlier." the young man said as he pulled a newspaper out of his pocket, "Under my sign Scorpio it said, ÔToday you will meet up with associates from the past The situation could be good or bad.' I was to meet you again."
"Same here, we wanted to ask you a few things, but you left in a hurry." Milly said.
"Really, what about?" asked the young man.
"Well, actually I had some questions for you, but I'll ask them later." Kate said, "Are you heading somewhere?"
"There's a town called Crystal Vista about seventeen miles in that direction." the young man said as he pointed north, "I am planning going there."
"Would you like a ride?" Kate offered.
"Yes, and thank you for asking." the young man said and he climbed onto Kate's thomas.They were off again and headed north where the young man had pointed. Some time later, another conversation started when Kate had decided to ask her questions.
"Excuse, but by any chance do you have any info on a man named Ace Landen?" Kate asked the young man.
"No, I can't say that I do, but I have heard of him." the young man said, "Why are you looking for a guy like that?"
"My two friends and I work for the Beradelli Insurance Society and we're investigating all the damage Ace Landen has caused." Kate said, "And when we find him, we have to keep track of him so no further damage is done."
"I see." the young man said.
"I just realized something." Meryl said, "We didn't tell you our names."
"Say, you're right, Meryl." Vash said and he turned to the young man, "My name's Vash."
"As in Vash the Stampede?" the young man asked.
"The same." Vash replied.
"My name's Meryl Stryfe." Meryl said.
"I'm Milly Thompson." Milly said.
"And I'm Kate Horton." Kate said, "What's your name?"
"Well, I'm...." the young man started, but he then pointed, "Hey, we're here."
Everyone looked ahead and saw Crystal Vista a sort ways away. The covered about five square iles and had a population of six hundred people. In the center of the town stood the town's monument. It was an abstract sculpture made by one of the townspeople that was constructed out copper and perfect crystal. Meryl had mentioned that it was valued at $$20,000. When they entered the town, they instantly noticed a commotion near the saloon. They rode up and dismounted.
"What happened here?" Vash asked.
"There's was a shooting here about an hour ago." the sheriff said, " Three outsiders came in and two of the shot a bounty hunter and his men after a short confrontation."
"What did they look like?" Meryl asked.
"Well, like I said, there were three of them." the sheriff said, "Two men, one woman. The younger man had spiky black hair and had an M-60, the woman had blond and blue hair and carried some kind of custom rifle, and the older man was said to have a red cybernetic eye."
As Vash and Meryl talked to the sheriff, Kate noticed that the young man had started to look nervous.
"Is something wrong?" she whisper to him.
"Yeah, I might have misinterpeted my horoscope." he said.
Vash had one more question for the sheriff.
"Are those people still here in town?" he asked.
"Most likely, yes, but we don't exactly where." the sheriff replied," I have to get back to my office now."
When the sheriff had left, Vash and Meryl came back to where Milly, Kate, and the young man were waiting.
"It looks like those three people are still in this town." Vash told them.
"I think I know who they are." the young man, "And I have some advice, either get the hell out of here, or find a really good hiding place."
"Why's that?" Milly asked.
"No time to explain, just do it." the young man replied and he ran off.
"Who the hell is that guy?" Vash asked.
"I don't about you, but I going to find out." Kate said, "Every time we try to ask what his name, he changes the subject. I'm getting tired of that."
And with, she started to follow the young man. She saw him go into a middle-sized warehouse and she went in after him. The young man went up two flights of stairs, and Kate stayed close behind him. Then the young man went onto a second story balcony, and stood out and looked around the area. Vash, Meryl, and Milly saw him from their hiding spot.
"I wonder what he's doing." Vash thought.
"Hey, Miller!" the young man called out, "I know you're out there, so you might as well show your ugly face!"
Just then, the three people who had been involved in the shooting came out from behind a small toolshed and stood in the street.
"So, we finally found you, old friend." the older man said.
TO BE CONTINUED...
It seemed like any other afternoon in the town of Crystal Vista. People were out and about doing their own business, and things were calm. The local bar had its usually customers in, mostly the drunks and drifters. Just then, three mysterious people entered. The first one was a man that looked to be in his thirty's, had spiky black hair, and was wearing a gray trench coat. The second person was a woman in her mid to late twenty's, had blond hair with blue highlights in it and had on a similar trench coat. The third person was an older man whom looked to be about forty-something, had thinning gray hair, and what appeared to be a cybernetic right eye that glowed red. He too wore a trench coat, but his was black. All three headed up to the counter.
"What'll you have?" the bartender asked.
"I'll take a whiskey sour." the older man said.
"A gin and tonic." the woman replied.
"Vodka for me." the younger man said.
The bartender started to get the drinks when older man leaned forward.
"One more thing," the older man said, "have you heard anything about The One Man Demolition Team?"
"You mean Ace Landen?" the bartender asked.
"That's right." the older man replied.
"Sorry, I haven't heard anything." the bartender said and he sat the drinks on the counter.
The three stranger started to drink when a skinny, little man got up and walked over to them.
"Hey, old man." he said, "You looking for Ace Landen?"
"Yes, I am." the older man said., "What's it to you?"
"Well, it so happens that my men and I are doing the same." the little man said and he pointed over to a table where four other men were sitting, "We're after the reward money for his capture."
"You won't get it if my two associates and I find him first." the older man said as he sipped his drink.
"You after the reward money as well?" asked the little man.
"No, we just some unfinished business to deal with him." the older man replied, "Even if we have to kill him."
"Hey, I'll be damned if I'm going to let some geezer, a blond and blue haired chick, and a over-sized guy that looks like he has a porcupine on his head get to Ace Landen before me!" the little man shouted, "That'll happened over my dead body."
"Funny one should say that." the older man stated, "Ivan, Sphinx."
The younger man and woman turned around, threw off their trench coats, and the the younger man pulled out an old M-60, while the woman pulled out a custom made rifle. The little man pulled out his gun, but one shot from the woman's rifle went right into his chest and he was killed instantly. His men saw this and went for their guns, but before they could get a single shot off, the younger man mowed them all down. The whole thing lasted less than ten seconds. When it was over, the man and woman downed the last of their drinks, as did the older man.
"Come on, let's go." he said and they left.
Everyone one left in the bar was in a state of shock at what had just happened.
Meanwhile, out in the middle of nowhere, Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Kate continued their search for Ace Landen. They had managed to acquire four thomases, and were glad because they wouldn't have to walk all the time through the desert. While they were traveling, Kate was deep in thought. It had been five days since they had met the mysterious man back in Walsh Town. One thing kept repeating in Kate's mind. It had been the moment right before the young man left.
("Wait, we didn't catch your name." Meryl had said.
"I didn't throw it." was the young man's replied.)
Meryl had noticed Kate's behavior, and decided to talk with her friend.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing." Kate replied, "I was just thinking about that strange guy back at Walsh Town." "I have been thinking about him too." Milly said, "He was very secretive to me."
"I agree." Vash added, "He seemed like he was hiding something when we talked to him."
"I know, he left almost immediately and didn't tell us his name." Meryl said.
"I wish he did." Kate said, "I would've liked to getting to know him."
Just then, Milly pointed at something in the distance. Everyone saw that it was a person sitting next to the trail. They rode up quickly, and when they had gotten close they saw it was the very person from five days ago.
"Hey friend, you remember us?" Vash asked.
The young man looked up.
"Yes, you're the people I met back in Walsh Town." the young man said, "It looks like my horoscope was right."
"Pardon me?" Meryl asked.
"I had read my horoscope for today earlier." the young man said as he pulled a newspaper out of his pocket, "Under my sign Scorpio it said, ÔToday you will meet up with associates from the past The situation could be good or bad.' I was to meet you again."
"Same here, we wanted to ask you a few things, but you left in a hurry." Milly said.
"Really, what about?" asked the young man.
"Well, actually I had some questions for you, but I'll ask them later." Kate said, "Are you heading somewhere?"
"There's a town called Crystal Vista about seventeen miles in that direction." the young man said as he pointed north, "I am planning going there."
"Would you like a ride?" Kate offered.
"Yes, and thank you for asking." the young man said and he climbed onto Kate's thomas.They were off again and headed north where the young man had pointed. Some time later, another conversation started when Kate had decided to ask her questions.
"Excuse, but by any chance do you have any info on a man named Ace Landen?" Kate asked the young man.
"No, I can't say that I do, but I have heard of him." the young man said, "Why are you looking for a guy like that?"
"My two friends and I work for the Beradelli Insurance Society and we're investigating all the damage Ace Landen has caused." Kate said, "And when we find him, we have to keep track of him so no further damage is done."
"I see." the young man said.
"I just realized something." Meryl said, "We didn't tell you our names."
"Say, you're right, Meryl." Vash said and he turned to the young man, "My name's Vash."
"As in Vash the Stampede?" the young man asked.
"The same." Vash replied.
"My name's Meryl Stryfe." Meryl said.
"I'm Milly Thompson." Milly said.
"And I'm Kate Horton." Kate said, "What's your name?"
"Well, I'm...." the young man started, but he then pointed, "Hey, we're here."
Everyone looked ahead and saw Crystal Vista a sort ways away. The covered about five square iles and had a population of six hundred people. In the center of the town stood the town's monument. It was an abstract sculpture made by one of the townspeople that was constructed out copper and perfect crystal. Meryl had mentioned that it was valued at $$20,000. When they entered the town, they instantly noticed a commotion near the saloon. They rode up and dismounted.
"What happened here?" Vash asked.
"There's was a shooting here about an hour ago." the sheriff said, " Three outsiders came in and two of the shot a bounty hunter and his men after a short confrontation."
"What did they look like?" Meryl asked.
"Well, like I said, there were three of them." the sheriff said, "Two men, one woman. The younger man had spiky black hair and had an M-60, the woman had blond and blue hair and carried some kind of custom rifle, and the older man was said to have a red cybernetic eye."
As Vash and Meryl talked to the sheriff, Kate noticed that the young man had started to look nervous.
"Is something wrong?" she whisper to him.
"Yeah, I might have misinterpeted my horoscope." he said.
Vash had one more question for the sheriff.
"Are those people still here in town?" he asked.
"Most likely, yes, but we don't exactly where." the sheriff replied," I have to get back to my office now."
When the sheriff had left, Vash and Meryl came back to where Milly, Kate, and the young man were waiting.
"It looks like those three people are still in this town." Vash told them.
"I think I know who they are." the young man, "And I have some advice, either get the hell out of here, or find a really good hiding place."
"Why's that?" Milly asked.
"No time to explain, just do it." the young man replied and he ran off.
"Who the hell is that guy?" Vash asked.
"I don't about you, but I going to find out." Kate said, "Every time we try to ask what his name, he changes the subject. I'm getting tired of that."
And with, she started to follow the young man. She saw him go into a middle-sized warehouse and she went in after him. The young man went up two flights of stairs, and Kate stayed close behind him. Then the young man went onto a second story balcony, and stood out and looked around the area. Vash, Meryl, and Milly saw him from their hiding spot.
"I wonder what he's doing." Vash thought.
"Hey, Miller!" the young man called out, "I know you're out there, so you might as well show your ugly face!"
Just then, the three people who had been involved in the shooting came out from behind a small toolshed and stood in the street.
"So, we finally found you, old friend." the older man said.
TO BE CONTINUED...
