Konnichiwa, minna-san. I'm very sorry I'm late with this short little chappie, I had serious issues in the middle of the most important scene. But I do have good news to console you with ^_^ my muses are having a field day with this and a couple of my other fics, so I'm working overtime to get as much done as fast as I can. This means one very important thing – I'm gonna be posting faster! I'll be shooting for posts every week now, but if my muses truly go nuts, I could pump them out as fast as every few days. If my writing dies, I'll go back to every other week, but I don't think that's going to happen. Anyway, enough rambling. I don't own it, plagerism won't be tolerated, etc. I hope you like this *very important* climactic thingie (that's why it's short) Enjoy!

**

Legato looked over the console in front of him. The lights were blinking slowly in very rythmic patterns. It was very soothing. Turning his attention to another row of computers, Legato tapped a few keys. Nothing happened. He wrinkled his brow, tapping the same sequence again, still to no avail.

"You have to adjust for the temperature. That'll work, but only out here. It's a lot cooler in that little greenhouse." Legato turned to the man behind him and nodded before retyping the sequence with the adjustment made. The man smiled. "You're not bad at this. Have you worked in a geo plant before? You're so good with the machinery."

Legato shook his head slowly. "No, not really. But I know what I'm doing. I've, uh, had some experience." Legato looked through a small window into the larger room and stood for a moment transfixed. The energy from the room was incredible; he couldn't feel it through the thick glass, but he knew it was wonderful.

"Well, like I said, you're doing well. You can stay the rest of the day, right?" Legato nodded, turning to his superior once again. "I'll keep an eye on you for a while, but if you can do this job, I'll be leaving. Not like there's much to do, just make sure nothing goes haywire."

"Yes, thank you. For everything."

The man waved his hand and moved to yet another bank of computers. "Hey, you were qualified for the job, I needed the help. Oh, and the alarms are rigged throughout this place, so if you feel like wandering, you'll still know if something goes wrong. Just don't break anything."

Legato turned back to the window, blocking out the prattle of the older man. Every once in a while he would turn and check the computers, typing in a few sequences whenever they were needed. Eventually he noticed that the supervisor was gone, though he hadn't noticed when he left. Legato smiled, happy to be alone at last. Carefully he opened the door he'd been staring through and slipped inside.

It was beautiful and so warm. The plant hummed around him and Legato could feel his tension draining out of him. He went to the far wall, picking up a vile and examining it. Suddenly, a loud tapping made him spin towards the door. Zazie's face was visible beyond the glass. Legato paled and hurried across the room, swinging the door open. "What are your doing here?"

Zazie stepped back, staring at the blue haired boy. "I came to see you, see about this job you told me about. What were you doing in there? Aren't you not allowed in there?"

"I've been around plants before. I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, but why were you in there? I know it's dangerous." Zazie eyed the vile his friend was carrying. "What is so important?"

"I was just 'wandering'. I had permission to do that." Legato turned to the computers and tucked the vile away in his pocket. Zazie recognized the hint to leave, but didn't move.

"What is going on?" Legato didn't respond. "Listen, I know you're up to something, what is it? You've got your deeds, you're safe! I wish I had that security. So why the hell do you keep moping around like this? And what are you hiding?!"

Legato spun on the little blonde. "I'm just trying to get by with more than my own life. There are more important things than just surviving, can't you understand that?"

Zazie took several steps back, a glimmer of the old Legato shining through and frightening him. "Legato . . . what's wrong? Is this about Knives?"

Lagato threw his arms into the air. "Of course it's about him! When is it not about him? Look, take my advice and leave it alone. I can handle this myself."

"You're freaking out over a simple question! You are obviously not handling it!"

Legato grabbed Zazie's shoulders and pushed him to the door. "I'll be fine. I'm just trying to help him, all right? Do not get involved."

Zazie sighed as the door was shut in his face. He wasn't going to give up that easily. Hiding away as the day moved on, Zazie waited until an older man entered the building and, a moment later, Legato stepped into the setting suns. Zazie followed the boy until they reached the center of town.

Legato sat down at a small café table and ordered two milks. He sat patiently, sipping at his drink for a moment before he sighed. "You know, I've always been better at stealth then you, Zazie. You're more the type that disappears in a crowd than in the shadows."

After a moment's hesitation, Zazie stepped around the corner and took the other seat, a distinct blush on his cheeks. "Hi. Uh, thanks for the drink."

Legato took another sip and leaned back in his chair. "So?"

"So what?"

"Well, you're obviously not going to let this drop. So, ask what you are going to ask so we can both get on with our lives."

Zazie stewed quietly, his cheeks slowly returning to their normal tan. "Well, what do you want me to say? I have a bad feeling about this, about what you're up to. Tell me what you're doing, please?"

Legato sighed, finishing his milk and setting it on the table with a clink. "I want to help someone other than myself before I leave this world again."

Zazie looked at the boy in front of him who was carefully avoiding his eyes. "Knives?" Legato nodded, staring out at the sands of the desert. "But, you can't help someone that doesn't want help. What do you plan on doing?"

Legato reached into his pocket distractedly, pulling out a few bills and laying them on the table. He looked at Zazie again and his eyes were hollow. "I'm going to make him see." Standing, Legato walked slowly from the table, calling back over his shoulder at the blonde. "I answered, now go home. Don't throw away what you have."

Zazie watched him walk away, more confused than he started. He only knew one thing for sure; Legato was doing something very dangerous. Something he expected to cause his soon death. Zazie lept up from the table and hurried to Vash's house, taking a different route than the other boy. It was time to get outside help.

He found Vash behind his house, tending a tiny flower box with a few scragly plants fighting for life. The gunman looked up as Zazie came bounding around the corner, out of breath. "Zazie! Is something wrong?"

"Vash, I'm really worried about Legato. I think he's going to try something with Knives."

Vash crinkled his brow, setting the watering can aside half way through his work. "Try something? Like what?"

"I don't know! But he's been acting funny lately, referencing death . . ."

In the front of the house, Legato stepped onto the small porch. He could hear the two blondes talking around the corner, but ignored them. Stepping inside, he took a moment to breath in the stuffy air. Knives was just coming out of the kitchen, a small sandwhich in his hands. He caught sight of Legato and smiled cruely. "Well, look what we have here. What brings you here, spider?"

"I'm not going to let you hurt any of the others, Knives." The plant snorted and stepped forward, trying to intimidate the lanky boy. "It won't work, Knives. I've already decided that I'm doing this. No matter the consequences."

Knives's mouth turned down as he processed the determined look on Legato's face. A chill ran through him as he realised that he knew nothing of how Legato would truly act; he had no idea of what the boy was even capable of. A memory of the blue haired one pointing a gun at him flashed through the blonde's mind, his blood ran cold and he knew he'd gone too far with his fun.

Vash and Zazie started around the house, hoping to intercept Legato and dissuade him from whatever he was planning to do. A sudden cry made them both jump, now running around to the front door. Vash burst through the door first to see his brother on his knees, clawing at his face. Vash surged forward, knocking a stunned Legato out of the way in his haste. He grabbed Knives's wrists, pulling his hands away from his face.

"Holy shit!" Zazie saw the tall man's eyes and felt queasy. The skin was discolored, already forming small sores. Zazie flew to the kitchen, grabbing a water jug from the fridge and running back to the twin plants.

Knives was muttering a string of constant curses that made even Zazie's ears burn - quite an accomplishment - not the least of which were directed at Legato. Vash held his brother firmly as Zazie cleaned out his eyes quickly. "Just hang on. You'll be all right. Oh my god, what the hell happened?"

"That fucking bastard attacked me again! Shit! When I get my hands on him-"

Zazie caughed, "It's not like you don't deserve it."

Knives roared with mixed pain and anger. He wrenched one hand free of Vash's grasp and swung blindly at the younger boy. Zazie was caught on his jaw and landed hard on the ground before Vash reigned in the volatile blonde's fists again. Zazie was not to be deterred, springing back up and going right back to cleaning his former master's eyes.

Eventually Knives quieted, his rather clever list of obsenities dying into pained moans as his energy started to give out. Vash had no intentions of moving, providing what little comfort he could. His gaze, however, was fixed on Legato. The boy was curled against the wall staring in front of him, eyes unfocused and not truly seeing anything. Following the gunman's gaze, Zazie crossed the room and crouched beside the other boy. "Legato? Now will you tell me what this was supposed to accomplish? What did you think you were doing?!"

The blue haired one shook his head slightly and his eyes dropped to his lap where his hands lay. "I know this will work. It has to."

Zazie was still confused. "What will work? Legato, do you even understand what you've done?"

Legato didn't move, staring at his hands. "I know exactly what I've done." He focused on the thin band of material on his wrist. It was black again. "I gave him the only thing I had to give. I gave him everything."

**

Now it gets interesting, ne? I'm having so much fun with this! But, readers, I still need good deeds. Specifically, I haven't been able to think of one deed each for Legato Wolfwood and Zazie. I want to post every week, but if I don't have the material, it'll be harder. They aren't all that important, but they kind of have to happen. So, just if you have any ideas, shout 'em my way. And any other comments are greatly loved ^_^ Ja!