Chapter 2
There was a moment of heavy silence, in which both the priest and the man in red stared at Spike, as if expecting a reaction from him.
"Um, Vash who?" Spike asked, confused.
"The Stampede." The priest reiterated, with the other man nodding. "The Humanoid Typhoon? The man with beyond-human-like marksmanship and the devil's own luck? Vash the Stampede??" The priest said, all the while the both of them leaned towards Spike with every word until their faces were just inches away.
There was more silence. Spike just shrugged and shook his head.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said.
"Whaddya mean, everyone's heard of Vash the Stampede. He's a legend." The priest said, still unbelieving.
"Yeah, everyone." Vash whined. "It gets me into trouble all the time and I don't even try. One minute I'm just minding my own business then the next thing I know everyone in sight is shooting at me. It's terrible the things I have to put up with."
"And why do they all start shooting at you?" Spike asked.
"That's what I'm saying!" Vash said, pounding the table to emphasize his point, "I don't know! They just do! I don't do anything! Really! It's not like I provoke them or anything."
"Oh, shut up, Vash." Nicholas said. "You know perfectly well why they come after you."
"Well, yeah." Vash muttered, "but that's just horrible to try to kill someone just for a little bit of money."
Spike's head jerked up. "Money?" but neither heard him.
"C'mon, Vash. It's more than just a little bit." Nicholas laughed.
Spike's head whirled towards him. "A lot of money?"
"I'll say. I guess since you haven't heard of him you wouldn't know." Nicholas leaned in "But this man sitting here is worth 60 BILLION double dollars."
"Sixty bi-" Spike gasped. His eyes narrowed as his gaze slid to the man sitting next to him. "Is that so?"
Vash saw the look in his eyes and laughed nervously. "Um, yeah. Ha ha."
"Sixty billion, huh?" Spike said, as he edged closer.
"Yeah, ha ha. That's right." Vash said, as he edged away. "There are posters all over the place. Can't say I like the picture on 'em, though. It doesn't quite capture my romantic personality, y'know?"
Just as Vash was about to bolt, Spike threw an arm around his neck and drew him close. "Yeah. I know all about it." His voice had taken on a silky, dangerous edge. "Hey, Buddy, do you think you guys could help me out with my ride? It's just a few miles away from here."
"Well, um, I dunno." Vash muttered, "Um, hey, where did you say you were from again?"
Spike's arm tightened. "I didn't."
"Oh." Vash choked.
"Hey, now," Nicholas said, rising. "What's this all about?"
"What this is about," Spike said, keeping Vash in a semi-headlock, "is that I'm a bounty hunter by chosen profession and your friend here is coming on a little ride with me."
Spike had his other hand on the hilt of his gun in case the priest made a move, but was shocked when Nicholas just laughed.
"Hey, Wolfwood, I don't think this is too funny." Vash said, trying to loosen Spike's grip.
"Well, Mr. Spiegel, if that's what you really want to do, you can try all you want. But I have to warn you there's a reason why there's such a big bounty on Vash's head and it's not because they like his jokes." Nicholas said, sitting back down.
"Yeah well I'd have to warn you that I don't give up that easily." Spike said with a cocky grin. As he again tightened his hold on the squirming man who was now unable to talk.
"Well in that case," Nicholas paused to light another cigarette, "I would suggest that you start running."
"Hunh? Why?"
Nicholas laughed. "Because you're big bounty just made it out the door and took a left."
Spike looked down to see that the squirming man he was holding in a headlock was not Vash, but the man who had been sitting at the next table.
"WHAT THE HELL! But how-! When did-!" Spike sputtered. He released the man and jumped up from the table. He blasted through the door and paused in the street, looking both ways. He heard a faint call from inside the bar.
"Left!" and then lots of laughter.
"What the hell kind of place is this!!" Spike shouted as he took off down the street.
There was a moment of heavy silence, in which both the priest and the man in red stared at Spike, as if expecting a reaction from him.
"Um, Vash who?" Spike asked, confused.
"The Stampede." The priest reiterated, with the other man nodding. "The Humanoid Typhoon? The man with beyond-human-like marksmanship and the devil's own luck? Vash the Stampede??" The priest said, all the while the both of them leaned towards Spike with every word until their faces were just inches away.
There was more silence. Spike just shrugged and shook his head.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said.
"Whaddya mean, everyone's heard of Vash the Stampede. He's a legend." The priest said, still unbelieving.
"Yeah, everyone." Vash whined. "It gets me into trouble all the time and I don't even try. One minute I'm just minding my own business then the next thing I know everyone in sight is shooting at me. It's terrible the things I have to put up with."
"And why do they all start shooting at you?" Spike asked.
"That's what I'm saying!" Vash said, pounding the table to emphasize his point, "I don't know! They just do! I don't do anything! Really! It's not like I provoke them or anything."
"Oh, shut up, Vash." Nicholas said. "You know perfectly well why they come after you."
"Well, yeah." Vash muttered, "but that's just horrible to try to kill someone just for a little bit of money."
Spike's head jerked up. "Money?" but neither heard him.
"C'mon, Vash. It's more than just a little bit." Nicholas laughed.
Spike's head whirled towards him. "A lot of money?"
"I'll say. I guess since you haven't heard of him you wouldn't know." Nicholas leaned in "But this man sitting here is worth 60 BILLION double dollars."
"Sixty bi-" Spike gasped. His eyes narrowed as his gaze slid to the man sitting next to him. "Is that so?"
Vash saw the look in his eyes and laughed nervously. "Um, yeah. Ha ha."
"Sixty billion, huh?" Spike said, as he edged closer.
"Yeah, ha ha. That's right." Vash said, as he edged away. "There are posters all over the place. Can't say I like the picture on 'em, though. It doesn't quite capture my romantic personality, y'know?"
Just as Vash was about to bolt, Spike threw an arm around his neck and drew him close. "Yeah. I know all about it." His voice had taken on a silky, dangerous edge. "Hey, Buddy, do you think you guys could help me out with my ride? It's just a few miles away from here."
"Well, um, I dunno." Vash muttered, "Um, hey, where did you say you were from again?"
Spike's arm tightened. "I didn't."
"Oh." Vash choked.
"Hey, now," Nicholas said, rising. "What's this all about?"
"What this is about," Spike said, keeping Vash in a semi-headlock, "is that I'm a bounty hunter by chosen profession and your friend here is coming on a little ride with me."
Spike had his other hand on the hilt of his gun in case the priest made a move, but was shocked when Nicholas just laughed.
"Hey, Wolfwood, I don't think this is too funny." Vash said, trying to loosen Spike's grip.
"Well, Mr. Spiegel, if that's what you really want to do, you can try all you want. But I have to warn you there's a reason why there's such a big bounty on Vash's head and it's not because they like his jokes." Nicholas said, sitting back down.
"Yeah well I'd have to warn you that I don't give up that easily." Spike said with a cocky grin. As he again tightened his hold on the squirming man who was now unable to talk.
"Well in that case," Nicholas paused to light another cigarette, "I would suggest that you start running."
"Hunh? Why?"
Nicholas laughed. "Because you're big bounty just made it out the door and took a left."
Spike looked down to see that the squirming man he was holding in a headlock was not Vash, but the man who had been sitting at the next table.
"WHAT THE HELL! But how-! When did-!" Spike sputtered. He released the man and jumped up from the table. He blasted through the door and paused in the street, looking both ways. He heard a faint call from inside the bar.
"Left!" and then lots of laughter.
"What the hell kind of place is this!!" Spike shouted as he took off down the street.