A Memory of Childhood
Chapter Three
~Selene Serenity~
Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun. Please don't copy or steal this fanfic!
Author's Notes: *cries* My little babies are growing up!!!! Wah!!!! Anyways…*shifty eyes* please enjoy this new chapter!!!
~Chapter Three~
A few weeks later the five children were happily playing a game of tag when two older men came up to Rem's door. Rem came outside and began to talk with them. "Who's that?" Millie said as she stopped playing. Vash was about to tag her, when he saw the two men. The other three stopped playing and watched Rem and the men. Rem then called Nicolas over to talk with them.
As the four others watched they saw Nicolas begin to look very worried as Rem bent down and gave him a hug with a sad face. "NO!" Nicolas shouted and the two men both took him by the arms, and began to lightly drag him to an awaiting bus.
"Nicolas!" The others cried.
"Rem! What are they doing!?" Vash said as he ran to her. "Why are they taking him away?"
"Vash…I'm sorry, but taking care of all three of you…I thought I could do it, but it was harder than I thought. Those men are going to bring Nicolas to another home." She explained.
"No!" The other gasped and began to run after Nicolas and the men.
"Vash, Knives, girls! Stop please. Let them go." Rem chased after them.
Nicolas was then forced to board the bus before the others could reach him. He immediately ran to the back of the bus and pressed the palms of his hands against the window, and said his sad goodbye.
***
A thirteen-year-old Meryl sat outside the bakery, eating a donut and waiting for Millie to join her. She soon did and the two sat down on a bench, eating their donuts. "So, three years today…" She sighed.
"Yeah." Millie nodded. "Rem, Vash and Knives moved on this day. I miss them a lot."
"We promised to meet again remember?" Meryl added. "And to find Nicolas too."
"Yeah. We'll do it. I know we can!"
***
"Meryl, I'm just going to that shop over there to get some supplies okay?" Present day Millie said as she began to walk away from her partner and best friend.
"All right, I'm just going to check things out over on this side of the town. I'll meet you in about an hour okay?" Meryl agreed.
"Right."
Meryl surveyed the area around her and she walked to the east side of the town. 'So here we are, it's been three months looking for this 'humanoid typhoon' and we haven't found him anywhere…' She thought angrily. 'Some job this is.' She then realized she was getting awfully thirsty. She looked around and spotted a bar. 'I'll just get a soda or something.' She decided and entered. The bar was empty except for the bartender and a man who had his head buried in a menu. She walked to the counter and was about to order a drink when the sound of heavy footsteps neared the bar door, accompanied by the clinking of metal.
The door swung open and a gang of gunmen barged inside, fully armed. Meryl gasped and reached under her cape for her derringers. But it was too late, the men let loose a barrage of bullets, mainly aimed the man with the menu, who happened to be behind Meryl. "Look out!" The man shouted and jumped at Meryl, grabbing her around the waist and quickly pulling her behind the bar counter where the bartender hid.
Meryl gasped for breath, completely shocked. "Thank-you." She managed to say.
"Don't thank me yet." He grinned. "They're shooting at me."
"Humanoid Typhoon! Get out now! If you don't we'll blow up this whole building!" One of the men shouted.
"Humanoid Typhoon!?" Meryl's eyes grew wide. "You're him!?"
The man laughed nervously. "Yeah…that's me." He said and slowly crept back around the counter and stood up. "All right." He said. "What can I do for you fine fellows?"
"You know what we want!" One of the gunmen cried. "That bounty on your head."
"Oh that little thing…I hardly think its worth it." The man laughed. "I mean what could possibly do with all that money?"
"Plenty!" Another man shouted and let out another barrage of shots.
Amazingly, in a rather goofy way, the man was able to dodge every shot. Meryl peered over the bar in amazement. 'Could this really be the man we've been looking for?' She thought. Then she noticed that as he dodged the bullets he was getting closer and closer to the group of gunmen.
"Hey…hey get away!" The one shooting cried in a panic.
The man instead dodged to the left for one last bullet and grabbed the gun. He pulled it out of the gunman's grasp and spun him around, pointing the gun at his head. "Now…I think you'd probably like to drop your weapons now and leave." He said. "Please?" He added quickly.
The men all starred in shock for a moment, but decided it was best to go. Their guns all one the floor, they ran off. The bar owner stood up, his hand on his chest gasping for air. "I'm quite sorry about that sir." The man apologized as he pushed the last gunman out the door. "I'll just be leaving now." He said and walked out of the bar.
"Ah!" Meryl gasped and jumped up. 'I have to catch him before her leaves!' She thought and hurried out.
"Hey wait!" She shouted as she exited. "Please sir!"
The man stopped and turned around to face Meryl. "I'm sorry about what happened in there." He said, a slight smile on his face. "You weren't hurt were you?" He asked.
"Um…oh no." She shook her head. "It's just that I've been looking for you."
"Don't tell me a girl like you is after the bounty on me." He starred at her.
"Oh no! Not at all!" Meryl replied. "I'm from the Bernardalie Insurance Company. I've been assigned, with my partner to keep a 24-hour surveillance on you. You're a very big insurance liability you know." She said and pulled a notebook out of one of her pockets and quickly jotted something down.
"What's that supposed to be?" The man asked.
"Its just some notes, so I can send an update to my boss." Meryl informed him.
"I see." He nodded and began to walk away again. "I'm sorry, but having a stalker 24 hours a day, just isn't my thing. Bye."
"Hey! You can't just leave. It is my duty to follow you so as to report any incidents." Meryl shouted and trailed after him.
The man sighed but continued walking. "Great…"
"Um, Mr. Typhoon?" Meryl asked.
"Vash."
"Huh?" Meryl blinked.
"My name is Vash." He replied.
Meryl stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" She said, eyes wide.
Vash stopped as well and faced her again. "Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Vash…Vash the Stampede?" She said softly.
"How…how did you know that name?" He asked in alarm.
"Vash? Doughnut loving, weirdo, goof off Vash!?"
"Who…who are you?"
"Meryl!!!" Millie called as she came running towards to two.
"MERYL!?" Vash shouted quite loudly.
"Oh." Mille stopped and looked at Meryl. "Who's your friend?" She asked.
"Millie…this is the Humanoid Typhoon…" Meryl replied.
"Really!?" Millie smiled. "Well that's a relief we finally found him.
"Oh, and better yet…he's Vash."
"Vash?" Millie gasped and took a good look at him. "It is…isn't it?"
"So let me get this straight…Meryl…" Vash pointed at Meryl and slowly moved it to Millie. "And Millie?"
"Yeah! Do you remember?" Millie asked enthusiastically.
"Oh yeah, of course I do!" Vash nodded nervously. "It's just been a while is all."
"Yes, and it looks like you've been up to no good. What happened Vash?" Meryl asked.
"Lots of things." Vash replied, looking sad for a moment but perking right up. "So, we're going to be traveling buddies huh?" He said.
"Um…I guess." Meryl shrugged, not pushing the topic.
"Yeah! It'll be just like old times." Millie nodded.
"So…who's up for some doughnuts!?" Vash asked with a huge grin.
"Well I'm glad to see some things haven't changed…" Meryl rolled her eyes.
Author's Notes: Whee! Next chapter done! I hope you liked it!