Still don't own Trigun. But the 'trademark' is mine.
Note: I have taken the time line and attacked it like a chiropractor, so it is completely out of sync. This is after the series, but as if Legato never actually happened or existed back then (yes, that throws off a lot of the events in the series, but ah well). So there might be some slight spoilers (for those who have no idea about the City of July incident and stuff) but I don't think too many.
I'm glad you like her name, Alucard, I always thought it was pretty cool as well. You and Bluesummers keep coming back, yay! ^.^ Don't worry, all your questions will eventually be answered.
Thanks to Eria for a very thoughtful E-mailed review, it was appreciated. I hope I can entice you to read til the end.
*~*
Vash groaned; he had been traveling for two days and finally reached the large town, but no one had seen any remotely like the women, male or female. He had a fifty-fifty chance of getting to her and he blew it. Resigned, he stopped in a small bar. While slowly drinking, he began to listen in on a conversation two men were having nearby.
'I'm really thinking about quitting,' muttered one man. 'I'm getting tired of my boss, and even more tired of my job. It's the same thing every day,' he complained. His friend laughed, gulping his drink.
'So what the hell are you gonna do? You're just gonna keep running into this problem over and over again. People will stop hiring you.'
'You know where there's a lot of money?'
'Where?'
'Being a bounty hunter.'
'No shit.'
'Damn, there's a Goddamned river of cash in that business, especially if you go for the violent guys. There's one guy, er uh...Legato Bluesummers. Craziest bastard there ever was! He's been on the scene for at least a decade and no one so much has seen his face. No one knows what he looks like, how old he is, or where he came from.'
'Well, then how the hell does anyone know he exists?'
'Because in the beginning, he let people go. They were blindfolded, so they never saw what anyone looked like but they all say if they ever heard that voice again, they'd remember. Now a days he's completely ruthless, let's nobody live, and has a whole bunch of men, practically an army at his disposal. They either never get caught, or are always dead if there's confrontation. Those that get captured alive are either broken loose or killed before the sheriff can get to em. Even in jail. And no one can explain how.' He finished his sentence with a mystical whisper, then finished his drink. His friend rolled the glass around the table, shaking his head.
'Legato Bluesummers sounds like a man you shouldn't mess with. It's also one of the dumbest names I've ever heard.' He laughed a barking laugh and poured himself another drink. 'I mean, it's a damned mouthful. I bet his men just shorten it down. Like, Yo, Gato! Or how about LB?' Slightly sloshed, both men convulsed in laughter and the conversation drifted to the aspects of being a bounty hunter, none of which were true, accurate, or helpful. But for Vash, the previous conversation had been a proverbial goldmine.
::LB? Legato Bluesummers! That's the name of the guy those thieves worked for! That's what's getting at her. That's why she's so secretive. Does she work for him? No, she wouldn't kill her fellow thieves. She must be after Legato. How the hell does she expect to catch him if she never saw him? Or did she...?:: Vash frowned. This was a very new development, and very helpful. He know nothing about being a bounty hunter or about this man Legato, but he'd find out. But in the mean time, he had to find the lady and convince her to let him stay around. He paid for his drink and was soon on his way South, hoping to catch up to her as soon as possible.
*~*
'Goddamn! I'm finally here!' Trieste breathed a sigh of relief as the small town loomed ahead. It was roughly two o'clock in the afternoon, hot as the Devil's bedroom, and Trieste had been cursing her luck-a worn water bottle had given way a few hours ago, leaving her and her horse in need of a good drink. As they got closer, Trieste slowed their pace; she was suddenly troubled. Something was wrong in this town, she knew it. Something deep inside her told her plain as day that trouble was to be had-very important trouble. Urging her horse in a wayward direction, Trieste entered the town indirectly, immediately noticing the lack of people and usual sounds. There was shouting. Peering around a corner, she saw a large group of townspeople bunched together on the main street, guns from many men pointed at them. A young man was standing apart, seeming to be arguing with one of the gunmen. Behind him a young woman with a little girl clutching her dress was watching them in terror. In fact, all eyes were on the apparently brave man who was taking a stand.
'You can't do that! You're taking everything, what will we survive on? Please, we beg you, leave something for us to live!' The thief laughed.
'When our boss gets pissed off, all suffer. You should know that. Besides, you need to learn to let go of material possessions, we'll all be dead soon enough.'
'This isn't about having material possessions! This is about buying food and having enough money to pay for our houses!'
Trieste sighed, and turned her horse away. The next town was only a few miles, she could survive without a drink for that length of time. The conversation behind her became garbled. Then what sounded like an explosion ripped through the air; it was a short round of gun fire. Closing her eyes, Trieste continued trotting away when a split second later a small voice ripped through the space: 'Maaaammaaaa!!!! Mommy! Mommy!' Trieste stopped her horse, and, gritting her teeth, began to turn around when more rounds were fired. The girl continued to scream, and there was a furious, terrified roar from the crowd. When Trieste looked around the corner, the young woman was lying in a bloody pool, the little girl beside her, shaking her and crying uncontrollably. A few feet away the young man also lay dying, reaching his arm towards the remains of his family. 'Li-sa...' The arm dropped.
'When you argue with Legato, that is what happens! Remember that, kid.' The murderer laughed, dropping his gun in to his holster.
'Fuckers!' Trieste cursed to herself, enraged. 'Legato again! Can I possibly be close? These bastards are *mine*...' She checked her gun, slipped down from her horse, and soon climbed her way onto a balcony of the building she was next to. It was an odd style, wrapping around the entire building and she found a window in the back to force open. She found herself in an empty man's bedroom, with a doorway facing the main road. She listened for movement downstairs, and when there was none, crossed to the door and opened it slightly. Looking out carefully, she could see two men on the street, one man on a roof, and another on a balcony across from her. There were more somewhere, but she couldn't see them. 'Roof boy, you're first to go.' She aimed, and quickly fired, then pulled down and shot the confused guard on the balcony. The man on the roof plummeted to the dusty street a few seconds later. People were yelling in the street and soon running away; after the first shot was fired, the thieves began diving for safety. She closed the door and, ducking under the window, began her descent downstairs. She could hear the thieves yelling to each other as she made her way down.
'Goddamnit, where the hell did that come from?'
'I don't know!! Maur and Dace are down! I think they're dead!'
'I'll kill the bastard who did this!'
Trieste opened another back window and slipped out, trying to hide from the people running away. Crouching behind random boxes and barrels, she surveyed the area and saw the hat of someone peering over boarded railing. She looked for the subtle Legato trademark and, when seeing it, carefully aimed and fired. There was a dull thud, a cloud of dust, and no movement.
'Syo! Syo!!' No response. 'Alright you coward, come out here! It'll be a dual!' Trieste sneered.
'An unfair dual!' she shouted harshly from behind her barrel. 'Your men are all around, I'll be shot on my first step out in the open! No, I think a dual would be a very foolish move on my part.' Silence followed and Trieste strained her ears. She heard the light crunch of footfalls in the dirt behind her, and swiftly turned around, aiming her gun.
'No! No, don't shoot!!' A young girl, maybe nineteen, had crept up behind her and had thrown her hands up as if to stop Trieste's bullets. Savagely reaching up, Trieste grabbed her arm and jerked her down.
'Damn fool, are you trying to get me shot?' She was about to continue when there was a shout from the thieves nearby.
'Left side of the Red Stone Inn! Now!' Trieste looked up to see a man with a very large gun over his shoulder launch two whistling rockets in her direction.
'Sweet Jesus!' Trieste pushed the terrified young woman out of her way and managed to throw the both of them across the space of the two buildings into a large window; the rockets, aimed crookedly, exploded against the building they had just been hiding against with an incredible force. It began to collapse, sliding into the building Trieste had catapulted herself into. She shoved the girl. 'Go, Goddamnit, go!!' It seemed like the world was falling apart around the two of them when Trieste heard the odd whistling of the rockets again. The explosion ballooned in front of the two of them and the young girl continued to scream. Trieste, still holding onto the woman, dove under a sturdy looking table and covered the girl with her body inadvertently; the roaring filled her ears and wood pierced her body and all she could breath was perfume scented dust. Silence suddenly dropped like a bomb, and the only sounds were her heart beating and the girl's terrified, racking gasps of air. It seemed so dark. Pushing herself up with her arms, Trieste groaned and dropped; her bullet wound hadn't healed too much, and this had just opened it again. In fact, her entire right arm was in increasing pain. Taking a deep breath, she grasped her gun as tightly as possible with her right hand and with her back, exploded out of the debris and dust with a furious roar. The girl at her feet squealed and curled up into a ball. The four thieves that had been left over had wandered into a group looked at her, shocked that anyone could survive, much less get out with such force. Trieste launched herself over table and collapsed second floors and ran towards the small group. Dumbstruck and confused they just watched as she threw herself into the closest man and tackled him. They rolled and he was on top; he grinned but it was quickly squelched by the feeling of cold steel against his chest. She slowly pushed him up with her gun until they were both standing up, him acting a shield between her and the other three. Forcibly she turned him around, narrowed her eyes, then spat blood onto the ground.
'Listen, old man, we didn't have anything to do with you. You brought this on yourself!' The man with the rocket launcher seemed surprisingly empathetic, but she laughed.
'You work for Legato, thus you have everything to do with me. Tell me, before I open up this young man's chest, where can I find Mr. Bluesummers?' Stunned silence.
'You-you want to go find him? Are you crazy, old man?' asked a middle aged, bushy-haired thief. He stared at her over chubby cheeks in disbelief. 'You don't want to find Legato, he'll find you.' Trieste sneered, though they couldn't see it.
'That's the problem, he *hasn't* found me. So you can take me to him. Right now. I am only patient for so long.' The men looked at each other, baffled.
'Listen,' said Trieste's captive. 'if Legato hasn't killed you yet it's because he hasn't felt like it. He's a busy man, he can't be bothered by every person who has a petty grudge against him for relieving them of their mortal possessions-aaah! Goddamnit!' Trieste pistol-whipped him against the side of his head with her gun, though careful to not knock him out.
'Why I want to find him is of no concern of yours. I just want to find him and discuss some...business with him. Just take me there and it's the last you'll ever hear from me again.'
'Yea, you'll be dead!' remarked her captive caustically. She tapped him where she had hit him before.
'Hold your tongue, or I'll shoot it off from behind you.' The young man closed his mouth, casting a pleading look to his companions. The other three looked at each other and talked quietly. The man with dark brown hair and a stud earring in his ear lobe-apparently the make shift leader-kept shaking his head vigorously. Finally the chubby man and the rocket launcher man gave up. The leader turned back to Trieste.
'We can't tell you where Legato is. We're sworn to secrecy.' Trieste shook her head.
'That's too bad.' The man in front of her closed his eyes and prepared for the gunshot that would end him, hoping all that Legato had said and done was worth it. But when the shot rang out, it didn't hit him; it didn't even come close. Trieste had reached around him and shot the leader in his leg, right above the knee. He collapsed, holding the bloody wound and screaming aloud, often in a language neither Trieste nor anyone understood. 'Now, will you tell me where Legato is?'
'You-you're down right cruel!' gasped out the bleeding man painfully. 'No! I will not betray Legato!' Trieste rolled her eyes, almost laughing at the irony of his statement.
'Fine, maybe someone else will!' She was about to shoot the man with the rockets when a clamor rose up in the town and a large group of man with guns came running up, obviously pissed off beyond belief. 'Oh, shit!' Groaning angrily, she threw her captive into the group, forcing him to trip over the one on the ground. She dashed back behind the building that had fallen on top of her and watched what would happen. As the crowd came upon the small band of thieves, the three men opened fired very quickly, but it was no use; there were too many people and soon all three were shot dead; the fourth had stayed on the ground and was being ignored. The crowd cheered. Trieste decided it was time to leave; now that the stupid people had killed the men of Legato before she could get her questions answered, she would have to continue to wander without any sort of information.
'Oh! You're OK! Thank God!' The young woman Trieste had accidentally helped, bruised and battered but in one whole piece, had seemed to come out of no where and grabbed Trieste's arm. 'Come on, you have to meet the people in town! You're a hero!' And with a surprisingly hard pull, the young girl tried to drag Trieste into the street; Trieste shook her head and tried to pull away. It was rather difficult, for the girl was actually quite strong and Trieste was wounded. But she finally managed to wrench herself free and shove the girl into the street, yelling at her 'NO!' But a series of events suddenly covered that all up.
The young woman had been pulling herself out quietly during Trieste's conversation and found another way out to avoid being seen. When the crowd began cheering she had come out to greet them, but was stopped when she saw her saving figure duck behind the wall again. While the two women struggled against each other, the fallen leader was staring in the direction angrily; he knew the bastard who had screwed up their plans was over there. Slowly, slowly he had been reaching up the rocket launched laying on the ground, dropped when the man had been shot several times. Turning it around he pushed it up slightly and, as a yell went out he was still alive, he fired the rocket into the next building, and it all came tumbling down. At that precise moment Trieste had shoved the girl into the street; the self sacrifice to save the girl, so evident to the people watching, was nothing but a fluke and Trieste knew she would pay for it as the wood and glass engulfed her. Then there was nothing.
*~*
Vash trotted along, disappointed as ever. He had passed through the town he met the damned woman in three days ago, and was beginning to think of just giving up and not worry about her. He was much relieved to see the town and quickened his Thomas's pace. ::What a nice looking town,:: he thought as he came through. Then he came to the three destroyed buildings and stopped his Thomas, staring. It had been a long time since he had seen this much damage in one small town. Men were working to clear the wood and glass, while women provided the food and water. Vash did a double take when he saw a lovely young woman, wearing pants and shirt, helping with some of the physical work. He was about to yell out to her when he quickly realized it wasn't her; this girl was more slender, had longer hair that was dark blonde, and a much younger face. He trotted up to a group of men taking a break.
'Hello!' he called out, giving a wave. The men raised their hands in a friendly greeting back.
'Hiya, sir.'
'What happened here?' Vash asked, looking around.
'Well stranger,' said one. 'about a week ago a group of seven men came into town very early morning and basically rounded up the entire town family by family. They took everything-emptied our bank, our homes, anything of value was taken to their very large cart. One very good, upstanding young man-Jenis Hadway-began to plead with them to leave something for us to survive. They all laughed and Jenis's lovely wife also spoke up, at one point called them beasts without hearts. Well...' the man paused sadly. 'Well, sir, it pains my heart to say it, but they shot that lovely young lady dead right there in the street.' Vash gasped.
'No! How could they? Oh...' He unsuccessfully tried blink back tears.
'Well, Jenis was enraged and he rushed the shooter, but he was shot down, too.' Vash closed his eyes, hanging his head. 'Those bastards,' the man said angrily. 'They left a poor four year old girl without a mother or father-and she saw it.' Vash put his hand to his face, covering his tears. The man sighed and one of his friends spoke up.
'The thing is, while we were all shocked and feeling completely helpless, something crazy happened. We heard two quick gunshots and one of the thieves-he had been on a roof-came tumbling down, dead. Well, we all ran because the thieves had ran into hiding. Now everything I'm about to tell you is from that remarkable young lady right there.' He pointed to the working girl. 'Apparently Liana-that's her name-had snuck behind some buildings as well and came upon a crouching figure who almost shot her but when saw she was one of us, pulled Liana down to protect her. Then a thief with a gun that shot exploding bullets shot into the building they were next to and the cloaked man grabbed Liana and threw themselves into a building next door-through the window! Well, that thief shot again-front of the building-and Liana thought they were gonna die. Well, that man tossed em under a table and they both survived!' Vash quickly swiped his eyes, intrigued.
'A-a cloaked man? What's his name?' asked Vash urgently.
'Oh, I'll get there! Apparently he managed to get out from the rubble and got into a fight with the four remaining men. Oh, yeah, he had killed a third guy at some point-forgot. Anyways, by this time we had all gotten our guns and came back. Those sons-a-bitches began to shoot us but we got them, killed all four.'
'Well, at least we thought we did,' interjected a third man. 'While we were all standing around cheering, Liana had gotten herself out and found the cloaked man. She tried to get him to come out, but she said he was shy or embarrassed or something, cause he didn't want to come out-' The first man interrupted.
'While this was going on, one of the men was still alive and I guess pissed at the man who had stopped them so he managed to move the big gun with exploding bullets enough and shot the building Liana and the man were next tp. Well, that man must have heard the bullets because he pushed Liana out of the way to save her. Everything fell on top of him.'
'Was he...dead?'
'No, sir!' said the second man, shaking his head. 'We all rushed to get him out and cleared away the wood. When we found him and got him out, you won't believe what we found out-he's a woman!' Vash froze. He had found her!
'Tell me, where is she? Did she leave?'
'Leave? Friend, she's asleep in Sunny Tavern. Hasn't really woken up, but the doc says she'll be fine. She was all bruised up, cut, fractured her ribs, broke her right arm and leg. She had a bullet wound right here-' he pointed to his right shoulder. 'that had been beginning to heal, but the doc had to stitch it up after that.'
'Do you think the doctor would allow me see her?' asked Vash tentatively. The men all shrugged.
'Dun see why not, stranger. Say, what's your name?'
'Vash,' he said with a smile and got off his Thomas. 'Any idea where I put my ride?' He patted the sides of his Thomas affectionately.
'Sure, Sunny Tavern has their own stable. The girl's horse is staying there, too. Smart creature, won't let anybody ride it or get near the bags. I wonder how she managed to train it, or afford one for that matter. We barely ever see horses, though they are becoming slightly more common these days.'
Vash shrugged. 'I know I could never afford one! But thank you for your help. My most heart felt sympathy for this town and that poor little girl. Does she have anyone to take care of her?' The men all vigorously nodded.
'We look after each other in this town. She'll probably live with Liana and we'll all take care of her. We take care of our own, and any others who wander into town. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Mr. Vash.' Vash waved his hands.
'Just Vash. I think I'll stay for a while-thank you for the invitation.' Tipping his head, Vash led his Thomas towards the Sunny Tavern. As he passed the three demolished buildings, he sighed sadly. The pretty Liana was working as hard as the men, lifting beams of wood and splintered tables into piles. Vash decided he would come back, not only to lend a hand, but to get to know Liana.
*~*
Note: I have taken the time line and attacked it like a chiropractor, so it is completely out of sync. This is after the series, but as if Legato never actually happened or existed back then (yes, that throws off a lot of the events in the series, but ah well). So there might be some slight spoilers (for those who have no idea about the City of July incident and stuff) but I don't think too many.
I'm glad you like her name, Alucard, I always thought it was pretty cool as well. You and Bluesummers keep coming back, yay! ^.^ Don't worry, all your questions will eventually be answered.
Thanks to Eria for a very thoughtful E-mailed review, it was appreciated. I hope I can entice you to read til the end.
*~*
Vash groaned; he had been traveling for two days and finally reached the large town, but no one had seen any remotely like the women, male or female. He had a fifty-fifty chance of getting to her and he blew it. Resigned, he stopped in a small bar. While slowly drinking, he began to listen in on a conversation two men were having nearby.
'I'm really thinking about quitting,' muttered one man. 'I'm getting tired of my boss, and even more tired of my job. It's the same thing every day,' he complained. His friend laughed, gulping his drink.
'So what the hell are you gonna do? You're just gonna keep running into this problem over and over again. People will stop hiring you.'
'You know where there's a lot of money?'
'Where?'
'Being a bounty hunter.'
'No shit.'
'Damn, there's a Goddamned river of cash in that business, especially if you go for the violent guys. There's one guy, er uh...Legato Bluesummers. Craziest bastard there ever was! He's been on the scene for at least a decade and no one so much has seen his face. No one knows what he looks like, how old he is, or where he came from.'
'Well, then how the hell does anyone know he exists?'
'Because in the beginning, he let people go. They were blindfolded, so they never saw what anyone looked like but they all say if they ever heard that voice again, they'd remember. Now a days he's completely ruthless, let's nobody live, and has a whole bunch of men, practically an army at his disposal. They either never get caught, or are always dead if there's confrontation. Those that get captured alive are either broken loose or killed before the sheriff can get to em. Even in jail. And no one can explain how.' He finished his sentence with a mystical whisper, then finished his drink. His friend rolled the glass around the table, shaking his head.
'Legato Bluesummers sounds like a man you shouldn't mess with. It's also one of the dumbest names I've ever heard.' He laughed a barking laugh and poured himself another drink. 'I mean, it's a damned mouthful. I bet his men just shorten it down. Like, Yo, Gato! Or how about LB?' Slightly sloshed, both men convulsed in laughter and the conversation drifted to the aspects of being a bounty hunter, none of which were true, accurate, or helpful. But for Vash, the previous conversation had been a proverbial goldmine.
::LB? Legato Bluesummers! That's the name of the guy those thieves worked for! That's what's getting at her. That's why she's so secretive. Does she work for him? No, she wouldn't kill her fellow thieves. She must be after Legato. How the hell does she expect to catch him if she never saw him? Or did she...?:: Vash frowned. This was a very new development, and very helpful. He know nothing about being a bounty hunter or about this man Legato, but he'd find out. But in the mean time, he had to find the lady and convince her to let him stay around. He paid for his drink and was soon on his way South, hoping to catch up to her as soon as possible.
*~*
'Goddamn! I'm finally here!' Trieste breathed a sigh of relief as the small town loomed ahead. It was roughly two o'clock in the afternoon, hot as the Devil's bedroom, and Trieste had been cursing her luck-a worn water bottle had given way a few hours ago, leaving her and her horse in need of a good drink. As they got closer, Trieste slowed their pace; she was suddenly troubled. Something was wrong in this town, she knew it. Something deep inside her told her plain as day that trouble was to be had-very important trouble. Urging her horse in a wayward direction, Trieste entered the town indirectly, immediately noticing the lack of people and usual sounds. There was shouting. Peering around a corner, she saw a large group of townspeople bunched together on the main street, guns from many men pointed at them. A young man was standing apart, seeming to be arguing with one of the gunmen. Behind him a young woman with a little girl clutching her dress was watching them in terror. In fact, all eyes were on the apparently brave man who was taking a stand.
'You can't do that! You're taking everything, what will we survive on? Please, we beg you, leave something for us to live!' The thief laughed.
'When our boss gets pissed off, all suffer. You should know that. Besides, you need to learn to let go of material possessions, we'll all be dead soon enough.'
'This isn't about having material possessions! This is about buying food and having enough money to pay for our houses!'
Trieste sighed, and turned her horse away. The next town was only a few miles, she could survive without a drink for that length of time. The conversation behind her became garbled. Then what sounded like an explosion ripped through the air; it was a short round of gun fire. Closing her eyes, Trieste continued trotting away when a split second later a small voice ripped through the space: 'Maaaammaaaa!!!! Mommy! Mommy!' Trieste stopped her horse, and, gritting her teeth, began to turn around when more rounds were fired. The girl continued to scream, and there was a furious, terrified roar from the crowd. When Trieste looked around the corner, the young woman was lying in a bloody pool, the little girl beside her, shaking her and crying uncontrollably. A few feet away the young man also lay dying, reaching his arm towards the remains of his family. 'Li-sa...' The arm dropped.
'When you argue with Legato, that is what happens! Remember that, kid.' The murderer laughed, dropping his gun in to his holster.
'Fuckers!' Trieste cursed to herself, enraged. 'Legato again! Can I possibly be close? These bastards are *mine*...' She checked her gun, slipped down from her horse, and soon climbed her way onto a balcony of the building she was next to. It was an odd style, wrapping around the entire building and she found a window in the back to force open. She found herself in an empty man's bedroom, with a doorway facing the main road. She listened for movement downstairs, and when there was none, crossed to the door and opened it slightly. Looking out carefully, she could see two men on the street, one man on a roof, and another on a balcony across from her. There were more somewhere, but she couldn't see them. 'Roof boy, you're first to go.' She aimed, and quickly fired, then pulled down and shot the confused guard on the balcony. The man on the roof plummeted to the dusty street a few seconds later. People were yelling in the street and soon running away; after the first shot was fired, the thieves began diving for safety. She closed the door and, ducking under the window, began her descent downstairs. She could hear the thieves yelling to each other as she made her way down.
'Goddamnit, where the hell did that come from?'
'I don't know!! Maur and Dace are down! I think they're dead!'
'I'll kill the bastard who did this!'
Trieste opened another back window and slipped out, trying to hide from the people running away. Crouching behind random boxes and barrels, she surveyed the area and saw the hat of someone peering over boarded railing. She looked for the subtle Legato trademark and, when seeing it, carefully aimed and fired. There was a dull thud, a cloud of dust, and no movement.
'Syo! Syo!!' No response. 'Alright you coward, come out here! It'll be a dual!' Trieste sneered.
'An unfair dual!' she shouted harshly from behind her barrel. 'Your men are all around, I'll be shot on my first step out in the open! No, I think a dual would be a very foolish move on my part.' Silence followed and Trieste strained her ears. She heard the light crunch of footfalls in the dirt behind her, and swiftly turned around, aiming her gun.
'No! No, don't shoot!!' A young girl, maybe nineteen, had crept up behind her and had thrown her hands up as if to stop Trieste's bullets. Savagely reaching up, Trieste grabbed her arm and jerked her down.
'Damn fool, are you trying to get me shot?' She was about to continue when there was a shout from the thieves nearby.
'Left side of the Red Stone Inn! Now!' Trieste looked up to see a man with a very large gun over his shoulder launch two whistling rockets in her direction.
'Sweet Jesus!' Trieste pushed the terrified young woman out of her way and managed to throw the both of them across the space of the two buildings into a large window; the rockets, aimed crookedly, exploded against the building they had just been hiding against with an incredible force. It began to collapse, sliding into the building Trieste had catapulted herself into. She shoved the girl. 'Go, Goddamnit, go!!' It seemed like the world was falling apart around the two of them when Trieste heard the odd whistling of the rockets again. The explosion ballooned in front of the two of them and the young girl continued to scream. Trieste, still holding onto the woman, dove under a sturdy looking table and covered the girl with her body inadvertently; the roaring filled her ears and wood pierced her body and all she could breath was perfume scented dust. Silence suddenly dropped like a bomb, and the only sounds were her heart beating and the girl's terrified, racking gasps of air. It seemed so dark. Pushing herself up with her arms, Trieste groaned and dropped; her bullet wound hadn't healed too much, and this had just opened it again. In fact, her entire right arm was in increasing pain. Taking a deep breath, she grasped her gun as tightly as possible with her right hand and with her back, exploded out of the debris and dust with a furious roar. The girl at her feet squealed and curled up into a ball. The four thieves that had been left over had wandered into a group looked at her, shocked that anyone could survive, much less get out with such force. Trieste launched herself over table and collapsed second floors and ran towards the small group. Dumbstruck and confused they just watched as she threw herself into the closest man and tackled him. They rolled and he was on top; he grinned but it was quickly squelched by the feeling of cold steel against his chest. She slowly pushed him up with her gun until they were both standing up, him acting a shield between her and the other three. Forcibly she turned him around, narrowed her eyes, then spat blood onto the ground.
'Listen, old man, we didn't have anything to do with you. You brought this on yourself!' The man with the rocket launcher seemed surprisingly empathetic, but she laughed.
'You work for Legato, thus you have everything to do with me. Tell me, before I open up this young man's chest, where can I find Mr. Bluesummers?' Stunned silence.
'You-you want to go find him? Are you crazy, old man?' asked a middle aged, bushy-haired thief. He stared at her over chubby cheeks in disbelief. 'You don't want to find Legato, he'll find you.' Trieste sneered, though they couldn't see it.
'That's the problem, he *hasn't* found me. So you can take me to him. Right now. I am only patient for so long.' The men looked at each other, baffled.
'Listen,' said Trieste's captive. 'if Legato hasn't killed you yet it's because he hasn't felt like it. He's a busy man, he can't be bothered by every person who has a petty grudge against him for relieving them of their mortal possessions-aaah! Goddamnit!' Trieste pistol-whipped him against the side of his head with her gun, though careful to not knock him out.
'Why I want to find him is of no concern of yours. I just want to find him and discuss some...business with him. Just take me there and it's the last you'll ever hear from me again.'
'Yea, you'll be dead!' remarked her captive caustically. She tapped him where she had hit him before.
'Hold your tongue, or I'll shoot it off from behind you.' The young man closed his mouth, casting a pleading look to his companions. The other three looked at each other and talked quietly. The man with dark brown hair and a stud earring in his ear lobe-apparently the make shift leader-kept shaking his head vigorously. Finally the chubby man and the rocket launcher man gave up. The leader turned back to Trieste.
'We can't tell you where Legato is. We're sworn to secrecy.' Trieste shook her head.
'That's too bad.' The man in front of her closed his eyes and prepared for the gunshot that would end him, hoping all that Legato had said and done was worth it. But when the shot rang out, it didn't hit him; it didn't even come close. Trieste had reached around him and shot the leader in his leg, right above the knee. He collapsed, holding the bloody wound and screaming aloud, often in a language neither Trieste nor anyone understood. 'Now, will you tell me where Legato is?'
'You-you're down right cruel!' gasped out the bleeding man painfully. 'No! I will not betray Legato!' Trieste rolled her eyes, almost laughing at the irony of his statement.
'Fine, maybe someone else will!' She was about to shoot the man with the rockets when a clamor rose up in the town and a large group of man with guns came running up, obviously pissed off beyond belief. 'Oh, shit!' Groaning angrily, she threw her captive into the group, forcing him to trip over the one on the ground. She dashed back behind the building that had fallen on top of her and watched what would happen. As the crowd came upon the small band of thieves, the three men opened fired very quickly, but it was no use; there were too many people and soon all three were shot dead; the fourth had stayed on the ground and was being ignored. The crowd cheered. Trieste decided it was time to leave; now that the stupid people had killed the men of Legato before she could get her questions answered, she would have to continue to wander without any sort of information.
'Oh! You're OK! Thank God!' The young woman Trieste had accidentally helped, bruised and battered but in one whole piece, had seemed to come out of no where and grabbed Trieste's arm. 'Come on, you have to meet the people in town! You're a hero!' And with a surprisingly hard pull, the young girl tried to drag Trieste into the street; Trieste shook her head and tried to pull away. It was rather difficult, for the girl was actually quite strong and Trieste was wounded. But she finally managed to wrench herself free and shove the girl into the street, yelling at her 'NO!' But a series of events suddenly covered that all up.
The young woman had been pulling herself out quietly during Trieste's conversation and found another way out to avoid being seen. When the crowd began cheering she had come out to greet them, but was stopped when she saw her saving figure duck behind the wall again. While the two women struggled against each other, the fallen leader was staring in the direction angrily; he knew the bastard who had screwed up their plans was over there. Slowly, slowly he had been reaching up the rocket launched laying on the ground, dropped when the man had been shot several times. Turning it around he pushed it up slightly and, as a yell went out he was still alive, he fired the rocket into the next building, and it all came tumbling down. At that precise moment Trieste had shoved the girl into the street; the self sacrifice to save the girl, so evident to the people watching, was nothing but a fluke and Trieste knew she would pay for it as the wood and glass engulfed her. Then there was nothing.
*~*
Vash trotted along, disappointed as ever. He had passed through the town he met the damned woman in three days ago, and was beginning to think of just giving up and not worry about her. He was much relieved to see the town and quickened his Thomas's pace. ::What a nice looking town,:: he thought as he came through. Then he came to the three destroyed buildings and stopped his Thomas, staring. It had been a long time since he had seen this much damage in one small town. Men were working to clear the wood and glass, while women provided the food and water. Vash did a double take when he saw a lovely young woman, wearing pants and shirt, helping with some of the physical work. He was about to yell out to her when he quickly realized it wasn't her; this girl was more slender, had longer hair that was dark blonde, and a much younger face. He trotted up to a group of men taking a break.
'Hello!' he called out, giving a wave. The men raised their hands in a friendly greeting back.
'Hiya, sir.'
'What happened here?' Vash asked, looking around.
'Well stranger,' said one. 'about a week ago a group of seven men came into town very early morning and basically rounded up the entire town family by family. They took everything-emptied our bank, our homes, anything of value was taken to their very large cart. One very good, upstanding young man-Jenis Hadway-began to plead with them to leave something for us to survive. They all laughed and Jenis's lovely wife also spoke up, at one point called them beasts without hearts. Well...' the man paused sadly. 'Well, sir, it pains my heart to say it, but they shot that lovely young lady dead right there in the street.' Vash gasped.
'No! How could they? Oh...' He unsuccessfully tried blink back tears.
'Well, Jenis was enraged and he rushed the shooter, but he was shot down, too.' Vash closed his eyes, hanging his head. 'Those bastards,' the man said angrily. 'They left a poor four year old girl without a mother or father-and she saw it.' Vash put his hand to his face, covering his tears. The man sighed and one of his friends spoke up.
'The thing is, while we were all shocked and feeling completely helpless, something crazy happened. We heard two quick gunshots and one of the thieves-he had been on a roof-came tumbling down, dead. Well, we all ran because the thieves had ran into hiding. Now everything I'm about to tell you is from that remarkable young lady right there.' He pointed to the working girl. 'Apparently Liana-that's her name-had snuck behind some buildings as well and came upon a crouching figure who almost shot her but when saw she was one of us, pulled Liana down to protect her. Then a thief with a gun that shot exploding bullets shot into the building they were next to and the cloaked man grabbed Liana and threw themselves into a building next door-through the window! Well, that thief shot again-front of the building-and Liana thought they were gonna die. Well, that man tossed em under a table and they both survived!' Vash quickly swiped his eyes, intrigued.
'A-a cloaked man? What's his name?' asked Vash urgently.
'Oh, I'll get there! Apparently he managed to get out from the rubble and got into a fight with the four remaining men. Oh, yeah, he had killed a third guy at some point-forgot. Anyways, by this time we had all gotten our guns and came back. Those sons-a-bitches began to shoot us but we got them, killed all four.'
'Well, at least we thought we did,' interjected a third man. 'While we were all standing around cheering, Liana had gotten herself out and found the cloaked man. She tried to get him to come out, but she said he was shy or embarrassed or something, cause he didn't want to come out-' The first man interrupted.
'While this was going on, one of the men was still alive and I guess pissed at the man who had stopped them so he managed to move the big gun with exploding bullets enough and shot the building Liana and the man were next tp. Well, that man must have heard the bullets because he pushed Liana out of the way to save her. Everything fell on top of him.'
'Was he...dead?'
'No, sir!' said the second man, shaking his head. 'We all rushed to get him out and cleared away the wood. When we found him and got him out, you won't believe what we found out-he's a woman!' Vash froze. He had found her!
'Tell me, where is she? Did she leave?'
'Leave? Friend, she's asleep in Sunny Tavern. Hasn't really woken up, but the doc says she'll be fine. She was all bruised up, cut, fractured her ribs, broke her right arm and leg. She had a bullet wound right here-' he pointed to his right shoulder. 'that had been beginning to heal, but the doc had to stitch it up after that.'
'Do you think the doctor would allow me see her?' asked Vash tentatively. The men all shrugged.
'Dun see why not, stranger. Say, what's your name?'
'Vash,' he said with a smile and got off his Thomas. 'Any idea where I put my ride?' He patted the sides of his Thomas affectionately.
'Sure, Sunny Tavern has their own stable. The girl's horse is staying there, too. Smart creature, won't let anybody ride it or get near the bags. I wonder how she managed to train it, or afford one for that matter. We barely ever see horses, though they are becoming slightly more common these days.'
Vash shrugged. 'I know I could never afford one! But thank you for your help. My most heart felt sympathy for this town and that poor little girl. Does she have anyone to take care of her?' The men all vigorously nodded.
'We look after each other in this town. She'll probably live with Liana and we'll all take care of her. We take care of our own, and any others who wander into town. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Mr. Vash.' Vash waved his hands.
'Just Vash. I think I'll stay for a while-thank you for the invitation.' Tipping his head, Vash led his Thomas towards the Sunny Tavern. As he passed the three demolished buildings, he sighed sadly. The pretty Liana was working as hard as the men, lifting beams of wood and splintered tables into piles. Vash decided he would come back, not only to lend a hand, but to get to know Liana.
*~*
