Chapter 5: Bounty Hunters, and a Narrow Escape * I used DecoyNeko's name because they are a wonderful author and this is my tribute to them.*
"Mama, Mama!!!" Khelle smiled as she watched her son run toward her in happiness. With equal happiness she bent low and scooped him up into her arms, tussling his red hair as he laughed with joy.
"Did you have fun today Neko?" She asked him as she returned him to the dry earth, and resumed her walk.
"Yeah! Mr. Vash played with us all day, then he took us for Ice Cream!" Neko exclaimed excitedly.
"He did!? Well sounds like you had a busy day." Khelle answered happily.
In truth she was very happy that Mr. Vash was here, to her, he was an answer to prayer. After Neko's father left she had been forced to find work, and leave Neko home all day alone. Something she did not like in the least. He was wonderful with children as well, and he always knew were they where, and he never left any one out of his games. 'He truly is a guardian angel of children,' she thought to herself.
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"What did you say!!!" the shout echoed across the bar, along with the crashing of the occupants chair to the floor, causing all to become momentarily silent by the outburst.
"Sit down you idiot!!! Do you want the whole town knowing about this!!!" Michel hissed as loudly as he dared. Then louder he added, "You'll have to excuse my friend he's having…woman problems." Several of the drunks nodded knowingly and the regular chatter broke out again, and the outburst was all but forgotten.
"You had better tell me that again, and I am not having woman problems Mick!" Carl hissed as he righted his chair and sat down heavily.
"Forget about that, we have bigger fish to fry! Vash the Stampede is in town!!!" Michel replied excitedly.
"I can't believe it! Are you sure you haven't had one to many drinks tonight?" Carl asked skeptically.
"Yes I'm sure! Look it's that blonde that came into town a few days ago, the one that's staying with Vince!" Michel replied sharply.
"The one that's been playing with the kids? No way, are you sure you haven't had a bit to much." Carl answered with a small chuckle.
"Look you numbskull I'm sure. I know it's him. He matches the description perfectly and he carries a silver .45 caliber custom long colt revolver! How many people do you know that have a gun like that!?" Michel demanded.
"Not many I guess…but are you sure it's the Humanoid Typhoon? I don't want my name on a wanted poster for murder Mike." Carl added darkly.
"I'm sure on this one Carl. Trust me, when we're $$60 billion double dollars richer you'll be thanking me." Mike finished with a sinister and evil smile.
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"Don't leave us Mr. Vash!" a tiny girl cried as she clung to Vash's leg.
"Yeah don't you like us anymore?" another girl demanded from Vash's other leg.
"Now wait a minute it's not like that! I have to leave, I promised someone I would see them again, and I can't keep her waiting any longer." Vash answered as he scooped all the children into his arms giving them a big hug, and trying not to cry himself.
"Do you love her!?" a small boy asked.
"Yes I do and I know that she misses me terribly. I promise I'll come back and visit, I'll even bring her with me okay," Vash promised as he tussled the boy's hair.
"Okay, but you better come back!" All the children called as they ran to stand on Vince's porch.
"Thanks for everything Vince. I don't know what I would have done without you," Vash smiled as he shook Vince's hand. Suddenly Vince had Vash pulled into a tight hug.
"Think nothing of it, that's what friends are for Vash. You take care of yourself now," then quieter Vince added, "I don't want to being attending any funerals all right."
"That's good because I don't plan on attending any either my friend," Vash laughed as he bounded down the porch steps. With one last look and a wave at Vince and the children Vash was off.
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"Here he comes! Every one in their places!" Carl shouted in warning as Vash's outline became noticeable on the horizon.
Carl looked quickly at the men that they had hired to help. They were roughly 60 in number and all carried high performance machine guns. 'They say that the Humanoid Typhoon is good at dodging bullets, but not even a God could dodge 60 machine guns' worth,' Carl thought with satisfaction. Carl looked over to his partner and waited for Mike to give the signal.
Minutes past like hours, as Carl sat shaking with apprehension, waiting for Mike to drop his hand in an order of 'fire at will.' Carl could see that Mike was sweating with more than just the harsh dessert heat. Carl cast one last quick glance at the men and saw with pleasure that they were all tight and ready. Carl smiled darkly, Mike was right, they were about to become $$60 billion double dollars richer.
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Vash looked up at the planet's twin suns and pushed his orange glasses a little higher on his nose. It was getting hot already, and it wasn't even quite noon. Vash returned his gaze to the dry, cracked earth and resumed his steady walk. Suddenly Vash stopped and stood as still as possible, his silver gun ready at his side, straining his ears to hear. After a bit Vash relaxed a little, though he could have sworn he'd heard a gun being cocked. Vash returned his gun to it's holster and continued on his way, though a little more cautiously.
Vash cast a glance over his shoulder, he could still see the faint outline of Augusta against the horizon. Deciding that he was just being jumpy Vash took out his walkman and began listening to his favorite tape. Jamming a little to the music he soon forgot about the earlier incident. A big mistake he would later find out. Suddenly a hail of bullets exploded all around Vash. He quickly leapt behind a small outcropping of rocks. Vash already had his gun in hand and as he turned to fire back at his assaulters, he doubled over in pain gritting his teeth. He pulled his hand away from the offending spot and found it covered in warm blood.
"Damn it!" he cursed through the pain. He quickly realized that he'd been shot just above his right kidney and thankfully all of his organs seemed intact, but the bullet was still inside the wound.
Vash turned his neck as best he could without upsetting his wound anymore than he had too, and found 58 heavily armed gunmen bearing down on him. Vash knew he had to do something fast or he was going to be a dead man, and he wasn't going to let that happen, Meryle was waiting for him. Vash bit his tongue in pain as he stood and faced the men that were still fast approaching, and raising his gun began dropping their numbers steadily.
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Carl ran beside Mike as they raised their guns in unison to fire on their blonde target.
"We must have gotten him! See how he's favoring his right side?" Carl heard Mike call with laughter above the sounds of gunfire and shouts. Suddenly Mike's laughter was turned into a blood curdling scream. Carl jerked around and went white as he saw his partner curled up on the ground clutching a bloody stump where his arm used to be. Then Carl saw laying a foot away Mike's missing appendage, twitching and jerking, and still holding Mike's gun.
Carl looked up and saw that over half of his men were in the same of far worse shape as Mike. In front of them stood a tall blonde man holding a smoking silver gun.
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Vash fought to stay conscious as he continued his onslaught. He watched as the men fell, always wounded, never dead. Most of the men had turned tail and run when their leader had fallen, but some of the braver had stayed to fight. Vash groaned and sank to one knee, his vision was going fuzzy, and getting blacker by the second. His gray poncho had been turned completely red with his blood. He was bleeding to death and he knew it.
Vash looked up at the blue sky and a single tear rolled down his smooth face, 'I'm so sorry Meryle, I'm sorry that I couldn't get back to you.' and with that last thought Vash fell into darkness and knew no more.
*Well I hope you like it so far! Please review for me, I want to know what you all think okay. Whether or not I update anymore will depend on your reviews.*
"Mama, Mama!!!" Khelle smiled as she watched her son run toward her in happiness. With equal happiness she bent low and scooped him up into her arms, tussling his red hair as he laughed with joy.
"Did you have fun today Neko?" She asked him as she returned him to the dry earth, and resumed her walk.
"Yeah! Mr. Vash played with us all day, then he took us for Ice Cream!" Neko exclaimed excitedly.
"He did!? Well sounds like you had a busy day." Khelle answered happily.
In truth she was very happy that Mr. Vash was here, to her, he was an answer to prayer. After Neko's father left she had been forced to find work, and leave Neko home all day alone. Something she did not like in the least. He was wonderful with children as well, and he always knew were they where, and he never left any one out of his games. 'He truly is a guardian angel of children,' she thought to herself.
***********************************************************************************
"What did you say!!!" the shout echoed across the bar, along with the crashing of the occupants chair to the floor, causing all to become momentarily silent by the outburst.
"Sit down you idiot!!! Do you want the whole town knowing about this!!!" Michel hissed as loudly as he dared. Then louder he added, "You'll have to excuse my friend he's having…woman problems." Several of the drunks nodded knowingly and the regular chatter broke out again, and the outburst was all but forgotten.
"You had better tell me that again, and I am not having woman problems Mick!" Carl hissed as he righted his chair and sat down heavily.
"Forget about that, we have bigger fish to fry! Vash the Stampede is in town!!!" Michel replied excitedly.
"I can't believe it! Are you sure you haven't had one to many drinks tonight?" Carl asked skeptically.
"Yes I'm sure! Look it's that blonde that came into town a few days ago, the one that's staying with Vince!" Michel replied sharply.
"The one that's been playing with the kids? No way, are you sure you haven't had a bit to much." Carl answered with a small chuckle.
"Look you numbskull I'm sure. I know it's him. He matches the description perfectly and he carries a silver .45 caliber custom long colt revolver! How many people do you know that have a gun like that!?" Michel demanded.
"Not many I guess…but are you sure it's the Humanoid Typhoon? I don't want my name on a wanted poster for murder Mike." Carl added darkly.
"I'm sure on this one Carl. Trust me, when we're $$60 billion double dollars richer you'll be thanking me." Mike finished with a sinister and evil smile.
***********************************************************************************
"Don't leave us Mr. Vash!" a tiny girl cried as she clung to Vash's leg.
"Yeah don't you like us anymore?" another girl demanded from Vash's other leg.
"Now wait a minute it's not like that! I have to leave, I promised someone I would see them again, and I can't keep her waiting any longer." Vash answered as he scooped all the children into his arms giving them a big hug, and trying not to cry himself.
"Do you love her!?" a small boy asked.
"Yes I do and I know that she misses me terribly. I promise I'll come back and visit, I'll even bring her with me okay," Vash promised as he tussled the boy's hair.
"Okay, but you better come back!" All the children called as they ran to stand on Vince's porch.
"Thanks for everything Vince. I don't know what I would have done without you," Vash smiled as he shook Vince's hand. Suddenly Vince had Vash pulled into a tight hug.
"Think nothing of it, that's what friends are for Vash. You take care of yourself now," then quieter Vince added, "I don't want to being attending any funerals all right."
"That's good because I don't plan on attending any either my friend," Vash laughed as he bounded down the porch steps. With one last look and a wave at Vince and the children Vash was off.
***************************************************************************************
"Here he comes! Every one in their places!" Carl shouted in warning as Vash's outline became noticeable on the horizon.
Carl looked quickly at the men that they had hired to help. They were roughly 60 in number and all carried high performance machine guns. 'They say that the Humanoid Typhoon is good at dodging bullets, but not even a God could dodge 60 machine guns' worth,' Carl thought with satisfaction. Carl looked over to his partner and waited for Mike to give the signal.
Minutes past like hours, as Carl sat shaking with apprehension, waiting for Mike to drop his hand in an order of 'fire at will.' Carl could see that Mike was sweating with more than just the harsh dessert heat. Carl cast one last quick glance at the men and saw with pleasure that they were all tight and ready. Carl smiled darkly, Mike was right, they were about to become $$60 billion double dollars richer.
********************************************************************************************
Vash looked up at the planet's twin suns and pushed his orange glasses a little higher on his nose. It was getting hot already, and it wasn't even quite noon. Vash returned his gaze to the dry, cracked earth and resumed his steady walk. Suddenly Vash stopped and stood as still as possible, his silver gun ready at his side, straining his ears to hear. After a bit Vash relaxed a little, though he could have sworn he'd heard a gun being cocked. Vash returned his gun to it's holster and continued on his way, though a little more cautiously.
Vash cast a glance over his shoulder, he could still see the faint outline of Augusta against the horizon. Deciding that he was just being jumpy Vash took out his walkman and began listening to his favorite tape. Jamming a little to the music he soon forgot about the earlier incident. A big mistake he would later find out. Suddenly a hail of bullets exploded all around Vash. He quickly leapt behind a small outcropping of rocks. Vash already had his gun in hand and as he turned to fire back at his assaulters, he doubled over in pain gritting his teeth. He pulled his hand away from the offending spot and found it covered in warm blood.
"Damn it!" he cursed through the pain. He quickly realized that he'd been shot just above his right kidney and thankfully all of his organs seemed intact, but the bullet was still inside the wound.
Vash turned his neck as best he could without upsetting his wound anymore than he had too, and found 58 heavily armed gunmen bearing down on him. Vash knew he had to do something fast or he was going to be a dead man, and he wasn't going to let that happen, Meryle was waiting for him. Vash bit his tongue in pain as he stood and faced the men that were still fast approaching, and raising his gun began dropping their numbers steadily.
********************************************************************************************
Carl ran beside Mike as they raised their guns in unison to fire on their blonde target.
"We must have gotten him! See how he's favoring his right side?" Carl heard Mike call with laughter above the sounds of gunfire and shouts. Suddenly Mike's laughter was turned into a blood curdling scream. Carl jerked around and went white as he saw his partner curled up on the ground clutching a bloody stump where his arm used to be. Then Carl saw laying a foot away Mike's missing appendage, twitching and jerking, and still holding Mike's gun.
Carl looked up and saw that over half of his men were in the same of far worse shape as Mike. In front of them stood a tall blonde man holding a smoking silver gun.
***********************************************************************************
Vash fought to stay conscious as he continued his onslaught. He watched as the men fell, always wounded, never dead. Most of the men had turned tail and run when their leader had fallen, but some of the braver had stayed to fight. Vash groaned and sank to one knee, his vision was going fuzzy, and getting blacker by the second. His gray poncho had been turned completely red with his blood. He was bleeding to death and he knew it.
Vash looked up at the blue sky and a single tear rolled down his smooth face, 'I'm so sorry Meryle, I'm sorry that I couldn't get back to you.' and with that last thought Vash fell into darkness and knew no more.
*Well I hope you like it so far! Please review for me, I want to know what you all think okay. Whether or not I update anymore will depend on your reviews.*