CHAPTER 2: ARRIVALS AND MISTAKES
Milly walked brightly down the streets toward the market, humming to herself as she went. She kept close to the sides of the buildings, trying to stay in the shade they cast as much as possible. The money in her pockets jingled with each step, and she kept her tune in time with the rhythm of the change.
Meryl had sent her out to pick up some necessaries for the week. They had taken to renting a couple of rooms over the town's main saloon, The Rusty Trigger. It could be a little noisy at times, but it was an excellent place to find out what was going on. Meryl had been trying to find out anything she could about Vash, ever since he left town on his own.
Milly sighed to herself, Poor Meryl, she thought, When Mr. Vash comes back, I hope she'll tell him how she feels right away, so she won't be so sad anymore. My big sister told me, you should always tell people how you feel about them, even if your scared to do it.
She'd tried to tell Meryl what her big sister told her on several different occasions. But, Meryl would just smile weakly and change the subject. But, Milly wouldn't let up. She knew what it was like to have the person you love right in front of you, only to lose them. And she didn't want to see that happen to someone as good hearted as Meryl.
Meryl was still back at the saloon, trying to file her report on their latest assignment. Picking up her pace a bit, Milly smiled widely to herself and began thinking about what to get at the market.
"I wonder if they've got in any pudding in this week?" she said smiling even bigger.
The suns were setting, casting the town of July in an orange glow. It was actually quite lovely, with its tall white buildings radiating like shining gold from the suns in the West. The plants which the town drew it's power from, glittered and hummed in the distance, giving the impression that the town was alive and waiting for it's time to wake. It's beauty would have made anyone pause in wonder.
But for Nicholas D. Wolfwood...it just sucked.
"Damn, is it hot", he breathed, panting for air as he trudged along beside Vash. They had been on the go since the early morning and Wolfwood was practically bathing in his own perspiration.
"Man", he whined, "If anyone is after us, they won't have a hard time tracking us down. All they'd have to do would be to follow the river I've been sweating for the past fifty iles!"
"Huh?" Vash turned to look at Nicholas with a puzzled look. "Oh yeah!" he broke into a goofy grin, "I guess it has been hotter than usual out, hasn't it?" He replyed nonchalontly and hoisted Knives up higher on his shoulder before continuing down the road.
Damn, thought Wolfwood, what is he? He never seems affected by the heat or cold, or anything!
The town roads seemed deserted.
"Everyone is inside, staying out of the heat.." Nicholas panted. "Pretty smart if you ask me."
"Man, you don't look so good", Vash said, glancing at a very woozy Wolfwood, "Hmmm, let's duck in that saloon over there." he said happily, pointing toward a shady little saloon with a large porch and rocking chair in the front.
"Hmmm, The Rusty Trigger,"Vash read the sign, "sounds like it's got a lot of character!"
The two of them made their way to the corner saloon and out of the scorching suns. Vash carefully propped Knives up in the rocking chair, and stretched his muscles like he had just been out for a nice evening walk.
"Mmmmmmahhhh...man, that feels great!" he blurted out, "Huh...?" he turned around to find Wolfwood crawling wearily toward the saloon doors. "That's no way to make an entrance, friend." he said lightly. Vash reached down and heaved Wolfwood up, putting his arm over his shoulders and supporting his weight so he could walk. And together they walked into the saloon.
The bar was practically deserted, just like the town. The only people there was the barkeep, an elderly couple eating lunch, and a small group of men who looked like they just came in out of a dust storm. The men were talking, drinking, and laughing loudly, apparently celebrating something.
Vash and Wolfwood made their way over to the corner bar stools and sat down.
"Can I get you boys anything" the barkeep, a burly brown man with sandy hair asked as he polished a rather dingy looking set of glasses.
"Sure thing, my friend,"Vash smiled, "You'd better get my companion here some water. We've traveled a long way and he's a little parched. Oh and can I have one too?"
Wolfwood, who had his head flat on the bar the entire time gave a groan and weak peace sign. "Cheesthe fer bumblebeeths..."he slurred deliriously.
The barkeep raised an eyebrow at Wolfwood and smirked. "That's not the first or worst case of sun exposure I've seen around these parts. Although, what was he expecting, walking around in a black suit in the middle of the desert?" he said with a chuckle, producing a tall clear glass of water, which he set down in front of the pair.
Vash eagerly chugged his water down. "Ahhhh! I'm alive again!"
"Anything else, mister." the barkeep asked Vash.
"Small glass of rye, if you've got it." he answered. "Actually," Vash stopped the barkeep as he was pouring the drink, "actually, would you please make that two glasses?" he asked, glancing toward the entrance to the saloon.
"Sure thing." said the barkeep. And produced a second glass.
Vash took a drink in each hand and started out to the porch. Wolfwood, who had already chugged half his water and poured the other half over his head, caught Vash by the sleeve.
"Vash, "he said softly, "Knives is out of it. He won't be able to drink anything in his condition. It looks to me that.....he might never snap out of his coma."
Vash's smile never faltered. "My brother is only in the state he's in because he chooses to be so. He doesn't want to wake up, not yet. But I've still got to try." he said, and walked back out onto the porch.
"Same old Vash," Nicholas sighed. "You can lead a horse to water, but...aw hell". He went to take another swig of water, only to find he had poured the last of it over his head. "Man..." he whined, and leaned back in the stool, listening to the water drip from his soaked clothes and onto the floor.
That's when he noticed how quiet the bar had become. The men in the corner were no longer laughing and carrying on like they had been. Nicholas turned his head slightly and watched them out of the corner of his eye. There were seven of them, and they were all huddled together whispering about something. One of the men kept looking over his shoulder in the direction that Vash had just gone.
"Geez..." Wolfwood said thorough clenched teeth, "I don't like the looks of this. I guess I was too hopeful to expect a vacation around that guy. I forgot about the trouble that follows him no matter where he goes." He could hear Vash on the porch, trying to coax his comatose brother into having a shot of rye.
Suddenly the men were on their feet and out the door, voices shouting and pistols out. "Let's get him!" they shouted.
As the last man ran past Wolfwood, he didn't notice a foot stuck casually out in front of his path, and the man did a spectacular fall, spilling out onto the hard dirt floor.
"We've got you, Vash the Stampede! There's nowhere to run, so you'd better just give yourself up, or we'll have to take you out right now!" Six guns were pointed at Vash's back. Vash stood perfectly still, holding a shot glass in each hand.
"Don't you hear us, you freak!" yelled a bulky man with short black hair and a long moustache that was shaking slightly. "I said give yourself up!" Spit flew from the man's mouth and his eyes were wide, "Turn around!"
Vash turned slowly, a friendly smile on his handsome face, "Now, gentlemen, that's no way to treat a visitor to your fair city. Violence is never a solution to anything. If you've got a problem, why don't we go inside and talk it over, maybe I can help out with..."
Two gunshots rang out and Vash was left holding the tops of two broken shot glasses in his hands.
"Shut up, you!" screamed the moustache man again. "I don't care what you got to say! You're the humanoid typhoon! I know you are! I heard that guy back there call you Vash at the bar, so don't think you can fool me! We're gonna take you out, then collect the 60 billion double dollars on your head, and believe me", he paused menacingly, cocking his pistol as he breathed, "we'd prefer taking you in more dead than alive!"
Another click sounded and the moustache man froze in terror, a pistol was pressed to the back of his head.
"You were saying." Wolfwood drawled with a smirk.
"What the...Sergio!" he moustache man called out.
"Oh, your friend is taking a little break", Nicholas said, pointing back to the man he had tripped up back in the bar, and who still lay sprawled out under one of the bar stools. "Now, I'll give you and your friends ten seconds to get the hell out of here! One...two..."
"Let's get out of here, Louis", one of the man's friends said nervously.
Louis's eye's bulged out of his head and he shook with rage. Vash was looking at Wolfwood with a warning look, but suddenly he raised his head and turned to face the street. There was a rumbling sound coming from around the back of the Saloon. Wolfwood seemed not to notice.
"Six...seven...eight..."
In a roar of dust and dirt, a large armored truck barreled around the corner. Several men hung off the sides of the vehicle, which had a large mechanical grappler arm sticking out of the top of it. The arm twisted around until its hand was level with the street curb outside the Saloon.
"Nine...Te...ahhhhhhhh!" Wolfwood yelped as the arm of the truck knocked him over. Vash moved to help his friend, but the buttonhole of Nicholas's right sleeve hooked over a rod of metal protruding from the mechanical arm, and Nicholas was jerked off of his feet and yanked down the street, still attached to the monstrous truck's arm.
Louis gave a shout of laughter and jumped onto the back of the truck as it passed.
"We'll be back for you, Mr. Humanoid Typhoon!" he spat.
"Shit! Vash, this is all your faaaaauuuullt...!" Wolfwood screamed out as the truck thundered down the street and out of sight.
Vash smiled and rolled his eyes, Boy, some things never change... he thought.
He glanced at Knives who still lay peacefully in the rocking chair as if nothing had happened. Vash placed his hand over his brothers limp one, "I'll be back soon brother, don't worry." he said.
"Hey bartender!" Vash shouted in through the saloon doors.
"Yeah?" a voice shouted back.
"Could you please keep an eye on my friend? I have to go take care of something, but I'll be right back! Thank you!" and he was off like a shot in the direction of the runaway truck.
What's more important? Your job or your life?
Meryl sat up suddenly in her bed. She had been taking a short siesta from the heat of the afternoon, and had sworn she heard some kind of commotion. She looked out her window towards the same horizon she had been staring at earlier. Nothing. Curious, she slipped into her day clothes again and made her way downstairs.
The Saloon was deserted, except for the barkeep.
"I guess that big loud party of drunken slobs has finally left", she said to herself. She noticed, Rickman, the barkeep, leaning against the doorway looking at something. When he noticed her presence he turned around and smiled warmly at her. He liked having the girls living above the saloon. It brought a bit of homeliness to the place.
"Hey there Meryl, have a nice rest?" he asked politely.
"Uh, yeah fine Rickman, thank you," she said walking over to him. "Whatcha looking at out there? Any new faces in town?" she never told him whom she was keeping a lookout for everyday.
"Actually, yes, now that you mention it." Rickman answered pointing a finger out to the porch. "Three men just stopped by, but two of them are off having some fun, and the other one is out on the rockin' chair out there. Looks kinda out of commission if you ask me."
Meryl humped and pushed her sleeves up. "Great, sounds like some more drunks," she complained as she walked to the doorway and peered around the corner to the porch. "I swear, if this town could somehow claim it's drunken men as a valuable commodity, this would be the richest town on the..."
She slammed to a halt so suddenly Rickman nearly thought she had run into a brick wall. Meryl stood stock-still, her eyes fixed on the man asleep in the rocking chair as if in a trance. Spiky blonde hair, long limbs, lean build, handsome chiseled features, peaceful expression...it fit...it was him...Vash!
Meryl leapt foreword out of her trance and ran to the rocking chair, collapsing in front of the blonde man and grabbing him by his lean arms. Her mouthed worked wordlessly for a few seconds, tears gleaming in her eyes, and then finally the words spilled out.
"Vash! Vash I can't believe it, it's really you! You're back! I can't believe it! This is wonderful! Oh, you big moron! You made us all worry over you, when you were perfectly fine the whole time! I missed you so much, well, we all missed you! But now you're here, and you're all right! I...we were so worried about you! I...uh, we've been waiting here for you to come back, everyday, we've been waiting, and Milly, she was right! You did keep your word, you did come back! I'm so happy you're back ! I...I...uh...Vash?" As Meryl stopped to draw breath for the first time, she noticed Vash was still lying there, asleep. "Huh? Hey, you big lunkhead, wake up! I'm trying to welcome you home!" she punched him lightly on the arm. And still, he slept.
"Vash!" she said louder, punching again.
Nothing.
"Vash!" she yelled, with a stronger punch.
He snoozed on.
"VASH!" shouted Meryl into his ear at the top of her lungs, punching his arm with all her might.
He drooled a little on his shirt, but other than that, nothing.
"Owww", Meryl winced, holding her sore fist. Her face darkened as she took a closer look at the man in front of her.
What's wrong with him, she thought, he is Vash, no doubt, maybe a little paler and thinner. And I don't remember his hair being quite that light, but that's probably traveling dust. He seems a bit wasted, but that could be from lack of food or water. What's wrong with him?
Gingerly, she placed her fingers at the base of his neck and felt for a pulse. His skin was warm and soft, with just a hint of stubble along the jaw line. "There". A pulse. "Oh, Vash..." she sighed, placing her hand so that it covered one of his limp ones, "what happened to you..."
Rickman came up slowly behind her, concern in his eyes. "Do you know this man, Meryl?" he asked.
"Quickly Rickman", she said, standing up, "we have to get this man inside. I think he needs medical attention".
"Uh...sure thing." Rickman shrugged, grabbing hold of "Vash" under the arms, while Meryl hefted the feet.
Don't worry, Vash, thought Meryl, I'll take care of you.
Milly was walking back from the market with two bulging bags of food tucked under each arm. The evening was coming on and it was starting to cool down a little. She was whistling the same tune from earlier and was about three blocks from home when she heard an odd rumble in the distance.
"Hmmm. I wonder what that is?" She said, as she stopped and listened for the sound. It was coming closer, fast!
Suddenly the truck that snagged Wolfwood burst around the corner and onto the street. Several men hung off the sides, whooping and shooting off their pistols, and the truck's large mechanical arm was swinging out from side to side behind the crazy vehicle.
Milly jumped out of the way and pressed herself to the side of a building to make room for the truck. "Oh, dear, not again," she said, "those awful drunks are at it again. I don't mind them getting drunk, that's sort of fun, but do they have to cause so much trouble when they do?" Milly sighed and shook her head. Just then the mechanical arm slide over the top of the truck and made a wild sweep in Milly's direction. She shielded herself with her arms and just avoided being whacked by something big, dark, and wiggly. "That was weird," she muttered.
"Heeeeyyy! Let me off of this damnnn thiiiing!"
Milly whipped around, That voice!
For a spilt second Wolfwood and Milly's eyes locked. Mouths opened. Breathing stopped.
Milly dropped all her bags.
Then the rumbling truck carried off Nicholas and he was gone.
It took Milly five seconds to realize the truth and accept it.
"He's alive..."she breathed, "Mr. Prie...Nicholas..."
"Heeeeey! Somebody stop that truck!" Vash yelled as he came huffing and puffing around the bend in pursuit of Wolfwood and the gang. "Oh, hi Milly!" He waved happily at her as he ran past. Then Vash rounded the corner and was out of sight as well.
Milly felt like someone had hit her on the head with a frying pan. "Mr. Vash too?" She said dazedly, "Well, this is a surprise. Hmmm, I guess now that I know what's going on I have to help out too." Milly smiled and threw back her long coat. Underneath was her stun gun, strapped to her back. She swung it over and switched the control panel on. The gun hummed happily, and Milly took off after the action, humming to herself as well.
"What a wonderful day it turned out to be." She thought.
Back at the Rusty Trigger Meryl laid out "Vash" on one of the beds in one of the empty rooms upstairs. She was now sitting in a chair pulled up close to his bedside and staring avidly at his face.
Odd. She thought, He's not wearing his old red jacket. His clothes are, strange, almost like a suit for space.
The fine features of his face jutted out against the cool light entering the room from its high window. Meryl became mesmerized as she watched the shadows move and sway across his forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of his nose.
She remembered the first time she ever saw Vash.
He was tied up at the time, thanks to some huge thug she actually thought was the legendary outlaw. It took her so long to be convinced that he really was Vash the Stampede. Milly was right, she had been peeved by the fact that Milly was right, while she, Meryl, the leader, the smart one, top of her class, with honors, Meryl, had been wrong about him. She remembered the time when she sat next to him on the bus when they met the traveling priest, the time when he saved the lives of the townsfolk that actually tried to kill him, seeing him half naked and covered in scars, his depression over killing Legato, him hugging her tightly that day on the hill, how annoyingly stupid he could be around a pretty girl, his face when he played with the children, drinking with him, while trying to keep Milly from taking off all her clothes, and mostly, she remembered when she first feared for him. The time when she was so panicked by the thought of him lying dead in the street, that she had tried to run back into the burning inferno in order to try and save him.
What's more important? Your job or your life?
That was when she realized. She knew the answer to his question.
It was neither. What most important to her, was him...she loved him.
She loved Vash.
She reached out tentatively and touched the collar of his suit. It felt old and fragile. Her fingers slid to the front zipper and traced its length to the collar. Meryl quickly took her hand away, visions forming in her head of zipping open that dingy suit and peeling it away. She found herself longing for him.
Shaking herself out of her trance, Meryl sat back down on the chair and humped to herself, Yeah, way to go Meryl, she thought, What a great welcome back that would be. Hi Vash, I know you're lying naked on a strange bed in a strange room and I'm the only one here with you. Oh and by the way, I love you, welcome home. Boy. She sighed, I couldn't put that on him. It would just be too much after all he's been through. Nope, better to bide my time for a while. Just enjoy the fact that he's back now.
Laying her head on top of her folded hands, Meryl relaxed and gazed at "Vash's" face once more. Maybe, I could just... she thought, Hmmmm, it couldn't hurt anything...and besides...he won't know..."
She lifted her hands to his face and gently stroked a finger slowly across the smooth skin of his cheek, applying as little pressure as possible. Meryl raised her other hand to the other side of his face and stood up so she was directly over "Vash" looking down on him from above. Her two hands caressed the sides of his face from his temple to his chin.
"Vash," she whispered, drawing the pads of her thumbs across the silky texture of his lips.
Her face came down within inches of his. She pressed her cheek against his cheek, still keeping her hands clasped gently around his face.
She inhaled his scent. Bringing her head up over his she gazed longingly at him.
I shouldn't. she thought, but the feeling was too strong and, like a magnet, she felt herself being drawn into him.
Breathing deeply, Meryl brought her own mouth down and gingerly make contact with his lips.
They were soft. Dry. Slightly open. Meryl closed her eyes as she gently brushed her lips slowly across his mouth.
Finally.
She had wanted to do this for so long. Imagining how it would be. In her dreams, she saw herself lying next to Vash, playing with his hair and face, just like this. It would be her way of waking him up, she decided. She deepened the kiss. This was perfect.
Then, without warning, Meryl felt him tense. She froze, and then slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was blue. Steely ice blue eyes. Hold the phone, she thought, her lips still pressed to his partially opened ones, Those eyes. But...but I remember Vash having deep blue...aqua eyes. Those don't seem like his eyes. What's going on?" She pulled back slightly.
Knives stared right into her eyes. What's....going on? He thought I...where... who... is it...another dream...?
He inhaled harshly, never breaking his gaze. His eyes locked onto Meryl's.
At first all he felt was confusion. But, the more he stared into the eyes above him, the more he became transfixed on the sight. Soft blue with hints of lavender within. How unusual. Beautiful. They reminded him of...butterflies.
Knives felt like he was falling, like his body was suddenly dropped. He plummeted into the color. A comfortable, warm fall.
Why....do I...feel..., he thought, I...feel... Knives' body relaxed, and his head sank into the pillow, and his eyes slowly closed. He was asleep again.
Meryl jumped up in shock, knocking over her chair.
"What the..." she choked out, putting her hand over her mouth.
Just then the door sprang open and Vash, Milly, and a very bedraggled Wolfwood all stumbled into the room. Wolfwood was a little cut up and his suit was torn and dusty, but other than that he looked just fine. Milly was supporting him on her shoulder, which he really didn't need, but both of them looked very happy about it nonetheless. Vash was strutting out in front a jug of some kind of booze in one hand, a box of donuts in the other and a big goofy grin on his face.
They all noticed each other at the same moment and froze in classic surprise.
Meryl took one look at Vash, then Wolfwood, then back to Vash, then back to Wolfwood again, pointing weakly at each in turn. Her mouth was wide open, but no sound would come out.
Vash titled his head and smiled brightly, "Hey Meryl, long time no see!"
Meryl gave a weak little laugh.
Then fainted dead away.
Next Time on Edge: Chpater 3: Together and Plans