Disclaimer: Yeah, and yadda yadda yadda.
Note: OKAY! Morlana, my faithful reviewer, despite the fact that I have written a few one shots with Milly and Meryl . . . I'm not too sure about how I write them . . . In character, out of character . . . Okay, to quit fooling myself, I think I suck at writing stuff with Milly and/or Meryl. It ends up depressive . . . But I'll try ^_^
Onwards!
Chapter 8. Fondreake
The whistle of the sandsteamer blew loudly as it prepared to leave the station. Very few people had gotten off the sandsteamer, so the platform wasn't crowded when the small group left off.
Even though Meryl and Milly didn't know who in hell this little man was that had suddenly started traveling with them, they said nothing and silently agreed to allow him to trek with them through the city, but only because Vash had convinced Meryl.
Still sensitive to the fact that the man who had attacked December was still after her, Meryl wasn't very comfortable with other people traveling with them ("It's really no one's business!" Meryl had snapped at Vash.). Kate saw to it, however, that a very strict eye was kept on the smaller Plant ("No telling what kind of perverted stunts that thing might pull," Kate had explained when was questioned about 'stalking' the little man.).
But then there was, of course, the possibility that his wings could suddenly burst from his shoulders and he could go around Fondreake killing people, just to piss Knives off. "But Vash would probably knock his ass off the planet," was Kate's first thought after she stopped pondering the risks of having Cal with them.
"I'll catch up with you guys later," Kate said immediately after she stepped off the station platform.
"Where are you going?" Meryl asked as she, too, stepped out of the station.
"Just . . . around. I'll be back." No more said, Kate set off to the right of the station and into an alley. The Plant was this way, and she was supposed to meet Joseph and Rath somewhere around that area to discuss their plan, since they had been delayed even longer. She had gone more than two blocks before she noticed Cal was following her.
She turned swiftly, collaring the tiny man and slamming him to the wall.
"What are you doing?" she said calmly.
"I'm a Plant too, you know, even if I was created differently. I have a right to know what you are doing, as a Plant-"
"Cal, this is none of your business. This is between Rath, Joseph, Knives, and me. Butt out."
"Go easy on the guy, he ain't doin' nothin'." Kate looked down to her right and saw two figures standing in the exit of the alley. Joseph and Rath. She dropped Cal and walked to meet with her partners .
"Mister Vash, where d'you suppose Kate went?" Milly questioned as she munched on a sandwich.
"Dunno," Vash answered absently. Meryl watched as he leaned back on the bench and sighed. They were sitting just outside of the empty station. Milly had bought herself a sandwich from a vendor somewhere while Meryl and Vash just sat and waited for Kate's return. They waited . . . and waited. And, well, they waited some more.
Vash got tired of waiting, so he stood and began to walk across the street to the small restaurant. Inside, there weren't any customers, but a small girl was clearing a table in the far corner. A man stood behind the counter, obviously bored, and a woman, who Vash supposed was his wife, was sitting on a stool across from him. When she saw Vash enter, she immediately jumped to greet him.
Kate's POV
"Oh, Kate! Where have you been?" Meryl's look of shock turned to anger. It was near dawn, now, and I had been out since sundown. I knew what had gone on in my absence, but I had to act innocent.
"Meryl . . . what are you doing at the sheriff's place? And . . . wait, where's Vash?"
"VASH, is in JAIL," she said, turning back to the large building. I noticed she emphasized 'Vash' and 'jail', as though she were irritated, like this happened so often she was sick of it. Wait . . . that was probably true.
"What happened?!" I tried my best to sound surprised.
"Long story," Meryl sighed as she walked in the main office area and sat down in the empty lobby. "You see-"
"Mistervashwasaccusedofmurderagain!" Milly shouted in rage beside Meryl. "Itssounfairthataguylikevashshouldgetpinnedlikethis!"
"Milly! CALM DOWN!" Meryl shouted above Milly's extensive ranting and raving.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't disturb anyone," said Milly, as though all she had done was sing a wrong tune. "Vash was accused of killing a man in a restaurant-" I didn't let her finish. I turned away from them and began toward the cell block, against the sheriff's wishes. I stood in front of Vash's cell, looking in on him.
'Gee, Vash,' I said telepathically. 'Now that you're in jail the city's kinda vulnerable. I hope nothing -bad- happens.' I put an emphasis on 'bad', hoping he'd get the hint.
'You wouldn't-'
'Oh, but I would.' My sing-song thoughts got suddenly firm. 'You know I would. This world is so imperfect. If only I had realized it before I lost my third pair of humans, this wouldn't even be happening. Humans wouldn't be here. I would have sought Knives out and we would have killed the humans together, while I still had my wings. If only Knives hadn't been so kind to you . . . he should have killed that damn woman, that Rem . . .'
'Rem?'
'Yes. Knives told me all about your pathetic attachment to her . . . He told me you even cried over her . . . And how he hated her, how he cursed her for saving those humans. It's all that little wretch's fault, you know . . . she rectified Knives "mistake", she turned it around . . . Such an imperfect human-'
'But in all . . . Rem was right, Kate . . . She was human, humans are supposed to make mistakes, they're supposed to be imperfect-'
'But Vash, we are Plants, and we -are- perfect! We are superior to them, and they do not deserve to live for what they've done, for how they've treated us . . . and that is why we are starting with Fondreake . . . the Sandsteamer City . . . Start big, as a warning . . . and you're too spineless to break out of jail and stop us . . .' I turned, leaving Vash to his own thoughts; hopefully, ones of realization.
I walked from the near- empty building and started a trek across the rather large city. The Plant was completely on the opposite side of the city that I had just started from, but hopefully it wouldn't take too long.
"Wow, Rem . . . How do you know so much about everything?" Rem giggled.
"Well, I don't know very much about everything, just a little bit of some things, little things, simple things." She smiled as the younger boy beside her. "But I'm flattered you think that way of me."
"How do you know what you do, then?"
"I was taught many things back on earth, and that's how come I know the things here, like right now in the recreation room. I could plant a flower seed and it will start to grow."
"Then . . . How come you accept us?"
"What do you mean like that?"
"I mean . . . Knives and me. No one else seems to understand us, or like us, but you do, don't you Rem?"
"Of course I do, silly! You're too cute not to like." She giggled again, but stopped as she saw the boy's sad face. "I believe in giving people chances, even if they are . . . a little different than us. But, you know, everyone's different, Vash. Even though you and Knives are twins, you're still very different from each other."
"I know that, Rem, but-"
"Don't be so sad about things like that. Soon, people will realize what a help you and Knives are, and they'll begin to appreciate your skills. We have really benifitted from having you on board our ship."
"You really think so, Rem?"
"I know so. You just . . . need to be able to rely on people and have some faith. I know the others will come around soon."
Vash looked up through the bars. Meryl had been standing there for a few minutes, but he hadn't taken the time to acknowledge her presence.
"Can I . . . ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you . . . care that I am a Plant?" Meryl looked shocked and taken aback as she heard his question. He had never spoken to her about being what he was, a Plant, and had never really had to think about this.
"I- uh . . . um . . . I suppose I don't mind, although . . . I do have to admit it is a little awkward, strange, at times, but . . . I don't really know, I haven't thought about this . . ." Vash gave a faint smile.
"Then . . . do you suppose you would care if there were others just like me roaming around the planet?"
"Are you talking about Knives?"
"No . . . I'm talking about others . . . seemingly ordinary people. I guess you wouldn't have thought about it . . ."
"What is this about?"
"Oh . . . nothing . . . just a random thought."
It had been more than two days proceeding Kate's telepathic outbursts with Vash. It was then that they decided to take action.
It was after midnight, and luckily there was no moon showing. The night sky was cloudy, small forks of lightning lighting up like light bulbs in the distance and the roar of thunder, like a thousand bulls running over the sand dunes. Kate thought this was a perfect night to begin- no moon, stormy . . .
A swift figure, cloaked in shadows, she made her way to the Plant again. Only two days ago she had come to check out the design, as it had been recently repaired, and mapped out the plan to stop it. She neared the entrance door and saw two others there waiting for her: Rath and Cal.
"Where's Joseph?"
"Dunno."
"Oh well. We can do this without him." She entered the narrow door and immediately sat down to work.
"Hey," Cal said after only a few moments of re-wiring some contraption he had brought with him. "Is it . . . raining?"
Kate was silent before answering, "Yeah, so it is."
"I thought it didn't rain on Gunsmoke?"
"Well, really only here in Fondreake. Fondreake was built on a huge geo-plant, which is basically artificially grown grass. I think they would have called in an oasis or something on earth."
"Oh . . . well, that explains the trees, but will that effect the Plant? I mean, it's brand new!"
"Why would we care? We're just going to disable it anyway."
"Oh . . . yeah, right, forgot." Cal was silent for another few minutes, until Rath announced he was finished on his section. Kate and Cal stood to watch him begin to pull the "plug" (he had set up a case of explosives) when Call interrupted, "Hey, you hear that?"
"Cal! It's probably just the rain."
"No . . . it's something else." He turned and edged his way out of the door until he could see the very top base holding up the Plant. "Something was up there," he said as Kate and Rath came to stand beside him. They stared up at it, all three of them soaking wet. "I'm gonna go check it out."
"Cal, don't go up there!" Cal ignored Kate and began to climb the back support keeping the Plant on the ground. Kate watched as her smaller partner climbed, but as he finally stood with his feet on the top of the Plant, the rounded surface reflecting his image down, something flew at him. Kate cried out as Cal went tumbling down and he and the assailant went rolling to the other side of the Plant.
Kate began to climb as well, Rath behind her. Kate ran to the two men and cried out loudly again as Cal was given a fist to the left temple, and was then hit over the side of the Plant. "Cal!" she screamed, diving for the edge and watching in horror as her partner hit the ground one hundred feet below her.
"Kate, why do you have to be so mean all the time?"
"I'm not mean."
"Yes, you are. Cal isn't near as old as you are and you're treating him like he's your speck of dirt! Your slave!"
"Well . . . I sold my land, so you can have him now." Rath sighed, exasperated, at Kate's sarcastic words. "You don't get it, do you? Don't you give a damn about him? He's your brother!"
"He's not my brother. He's a freak, in which case he may be kin to -you- but not me."
"Just because you were created differently?"
"Exactly."
She turned, tears stinging her eyes, searching for the bastard who had attacked, but he had gone. Rath was staring in shock as Kate slammed her fist down on the smooth surface several times, cracking the glass.
"Damn it," she said weakly, a sob escaping her lips. "I told him not to . . . I . . . I told him . . ."
"Kate it wasn't your fault." The rain was pounding down on top of them like bullets, heavy metal bullets loaded with lead. When she saw Cal go over the edge, his screams and cries of help not even heard over the fierce torrent of rain, one of those bullets had torn through Kate's very soul. Even though she had been mean to him for most of the time she knew him, she still cared for him, even though . . . even though he was different, his was still a Plant, and he was still her brother . . .
An explosion sounded on the other side of the city, and looking up, they saw nothing but black smoke and flames rising into the air. Rath grabbed Kate around the waist and jumped, his large, black wings bursting from his shoulder blades.
"No," Kate whined, looking back at the ground. "No, Rath, stop it, take me back . . . Please, take me back . . ."
"No, Kate, don't you realize where that blast came from?"
"Take me back," Kate continued. "What about him? What about Cal-?"
"Kate! He's dead! There's nothing we can do about that now! Going back there now would only make things worse for yourself and me!" Kate began to cry openly now, tears flowing rapidly down her red cheeks. Unknown to them both . . . what was to come in the near future was nothing compared to Death . . .
Author's Notes: I planned on this chapter being a lot longer, but I had a change in plans . . . and some things here are very different from the series, but bear with me ^_^ I think you're gonna be surprised with the next chapter . . . and I can -promise- that it'll be a lot longer than this one . . . okay, r/r!