Chapter 3
Vash, meanwhile, had wedged himself into a very narrow back alley. He rested, panting, leaning his head back against the cool wall.
"Aw man," He said to no one in particular, as was his habit, "here we go again. All I did was try to be nice and look where it gets me! Maybe if I were meaner to people this wouldn't happen so often." He paused and crouched while a couple walked by the alley. "This is all Wolfwood's fault. What was he tryin' to do to me, he didn't even try to help!"
Vash poked his head into the street, glancing both ways before he stepped out into the sun. He flicked out his sunglasses and ran a hand through his spiky hair. He was actually feeling quite perky after his narrow escape. In fact, he thought as he passed a street vendor, quite hungry as well. He stopped and bought a bag of doughnuts.
"Phew! Man, that was close." Vash continued to say to himself while popping whole doughnuts into his mouth. "That guy was serious! He was different from the other bounty hunters, really scary. Remember to stay away from him. Wuzzisname. Spindle.Spigril. Sper-"
Click!
Vash froze at the unmistakable sound from behind him.
"It's Spiegel you blonde freak." Spike panted, gun pointed at Vash's back.
Vash swallowed his last doughnut.
"Now," Spike growled, "just play nice and come along like a good boy. You owe it to me for that stunt you pulled back at the bar."
Vash turned around, a disarming smile on his face. "C'mon now, I just tried to have a drink." He paused, then his expression turned to indignant as he pointed a finger in Spike's direction. "Besides," he accused, "I do believe that I was the one in the headlock back there. If anything, you owe me!" then his smile returned as he rubbed his hands together. "Alright! Free drinks! Oh, oh, and salmon sandwiches! Man, my stomach's growling just at the thought! Free food always tastes so much better!"
"I'm not buying you anything, you lunatic!" Spike shouted. "What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"Hunh? Nothing. I just thought that you're such a -" Vash looked pointedly to the gun in Spike's hand, "- nice guy. We probably actually have a lot in common, you know, we could have a few drinks, tell stories, compare scars - all that macho guy stuff. He he." he trailed off at Spike's glare. "The only thing we're doing together is hitching a ride to Police Central where I'll get my money."
Vash scratched his head. "Actually, as nice as you are, I really have no intention of going with you. See, I'm kinda on this journey. It's kinda tough to explain, but the jist of it is that I don't have time to spend in a jail cell." He shrugged and smiled, "So, it'd probably be best for both of us if you just let me go without a fight."
"Well that's too bad." Spike said, a cocky grin spreading on his face, "Because you are coming with me. And seeing as you're on the receiving end of this gun here, I'd say that it'd probably be best, at least for you, if you just came along without a fight."
At this, Vash's face became serious, so serious that Spike was taken aback. This wasn't the dorky, idiotic seeker of the 'elusive mayfly of love'. This was someone else. Someone to be wary of. Someone not to be taken lightly. Spike caught a flash of blue from behind those round, orange sunglasses. Tactical sunglasses that effectively blocked out all of Vash's facial expression, giving no clues or hints as to Vash's next move. Spike noticed Vash's right hand relaxing, ready to draw from the holster at his hip.
"Don't even think about it." Spike said calmly, his finger putting slight pressure on the trigger.
"I'm trying not to," Vash said grimly, "but my hand has a will of its own when it comes to self-preservation."
"Hmph. The priest said that the bounty wasn't because people like your jokes." Spike snorted.
Vash smiled, but it was wistful and sad.
"Look, Vash," Spike said reasonably, "I can tell that your more than you first appeared to be. A fight between us would most likely not end well."
"Agreed." Vash said.
"But, I am a bounty hunter." Spike paused. "Look, I guess that you could say that I'm on my own little stupid journey, okay? So, like you, I'm in the game of self-preservation. All I know right now is that 60 billion would go a long way to preserve me so I can't just let you go." Spike let his breath out in a puff. "So, I'm telling you again to give up. For both our sakes."
There was a silence in which nothing stirred in the empty streets but the dust.
"I'm sorry," Vash said with a heavy voice, "but I really can't do that."
"Fine, have it your way." Spike said.
He pulled the trigger.
Vash, meanwhile, had wedged himself into a very narrow back alley. He rested, panting, leaning his head back against the cool wall.
"Aw man," He said to no one in particular, as was his habit, "here we go again. All I did was try to be nice and look where it gets me! Maybe if I were meaner to people this wouldn't happen so often." He paused and crouched while a couple walked by the alley. "This is all Wolfwood's fault. What was he tryin' to do to me, he didn't even try to help!"
Vash poked his head into the street, glancing both ways before he stepped out into the sun. He flicked out his sunglasses and ran a hand through his spiky hair. He was actually feeling quite perky after his narrow escape. In fact, he thought as he passed a street vendor, quite hungry as well. He stopped and bought a bag of doughnuts.
"Phew! Man, that was close." Vash continued to say to himself while popping whole doughnuts into his mouth. "That guy was serious! He was different from the other bounty hunters, really scary. Remember to stay away from him. Wuzzisname. Spindle.Spigril. Sper-"
Click!
Vash froze at the unmistakable sound from behind him.
"It's Spiegel you blonde freak." Spike panted, gun pointed at Vash's back.
Vash swallowed his last doughnut.
"Now," Spike growled, "just play nice and come along like a good boy. You owe it to me for that stunt you pulled back at the bar."
Vash turned around, a disarming smile on his face. "C'mon now, I just tried to have a drink." He paused, then his expression turned to indignant as he pointed a finger in Spike's direction. "Besides," he accused, "I do believe that I was the one in the headlock back there. If anything, you owe me!" then his smile returned as he rubbed his hands together. "Alright! Free drinks! Oh, oh, and salmon sandwiches! Man, my stomach's growling just at the thought! Free food always tastes so much better!"
"I'm not buying you anything, you lunatic!" Spike shouted. "What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"Hunh? Nothing. I just thought that you're such a -" Vash looked pointedly to the gun in Spike's hand, "- nice guy. We probably actually have a lot in common, you know, we could have a few drinks, tell stories, compare scars - all that macho guy stuff. He he." he trailed off at Spike's glare. "The only thing we're doing together is hitching a ride to Police Central where I'll get my money."
Vash scratched his head. "Actually, as nice as you are, I really have no intention of going with you. See, I'm kinda on this journey. It's kinda tough to explain, but the jist of it is that I don't have time to spend in a jail cell." He shrugged and smiled, "So, it'd probably be best for both of us if you just let me go without a fight."
"Well that's too bad." Spike said, a cocky grin spreading on his face, "Because you are coming with me. And seeing as you're on the receiving end of this gun here, I'd say that it'd probably be best, at least for you, if you just came along without a fight."
At this, Vash's face became serious, so serious that Spike was taken aback. This wasn't the dorky, idiotic seeker of the 'elusive mayfly of love'. This was someone else. Someone to be wary of. Someone not to be taken lightly. Spike caught a flash of blue from behind those round, orange sunglasses. Tactical sunglasses that effectively blocked out all of Vash's facial expression, giving no clues or hints as to Vash's next move. Spike noticed Vash's right hand relaxing, ready to draw from the holster at his hip.
"Don't even think about it." Spike said calmly, his finger putting slight pressure on the trigger.
"I'm trying not to," Vash said grimly, "but my hand has a will of its own when it comes to self-preservation."
"Hmph. The priest said that the bounty wasn't because people like your jokes." Spike snorted.
Vash smiled, but it was wistful and sad.
"Look, Vash," Spike said reasonably, "I can tell that your more than you first appeared to be. A fight between us would most likely not end well."
"Agreed." Vash said.
"But, I am a bounty hunter." Spike paused. "Look, I guess that you could say that I'm on my own little stupid journey, okay? So, like you, I'm in the game of self-preservation. All I know right now is that 60 billion would go a long way to preserve me so I can't just let you go." Spike let his breath out in a puff. "So, I'm telling you again to give up. For both our sakes."
There was a silence in which nothing stirred in the empty streets but the dust.
"I'm sorry," Vash said with a heavy voice, "but I really can't do that."
"Fine, have it your way." Spike said.
He pulled the trigger.