Disclaimer: I still don't own Trigun or Liberi Fatali. Oh and yes I asked
Parallel_Blue13115 for permission to use Chapel's alternative name 'Sven'
from her story Trigun: Commencing World Domination. Read it, it's great.
ESPECIALLY CHAPTER THREE!!!! Don't miss out.
Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love...Not...
Chapter 2
Preparations For World Domination
Meryl was rudely awakened to the ring of her telephone. She gritted her teeth and yanked it off the hook. And today was a Saturday too.
"What!?" She spat into the phone. "How DARE you call me at..." She glanced at the clock. "Three-thirty in the morning! How would you like to die!?"
Silence.
"Well hello to you too, Meryl." Nick. Why did that NOT surprise her?
"NICK!?" Meryl screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING CALLING ME!?"
"Oh, I was gonna ask if you wanted to play Paintball with us."
"THREE-THIRTY IN THE MORNING!?"
"No, later on today."
"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE WAITED TO CALL ME AND TELL ME THIS!?"
"Uh, you know that selective hearing thing the doctors say I have? Well I only hear certain things and uh...yeah."
"Good for you. That had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with WHY you couldn't of waited to call me later on...WHEN I WAS AWAKE AT A REASONABLE HOUR!"
"Yeah I know." Sometimes, Meryl just wished she could reach through the phone. Just...Sometimes.
Meryl growled and slammed the phone down.
"Is that a 'yes'?" Nick asked the other end.
Vash pulled up in front of Meryl's house at noon.
"Hi Meryl!" Vash waved and she looked back at him, irritated. "Hey you don't look so well. You didn't get much sleep, I'm guessing?"
"Nick called me three-thirty this morning. So, no Vash, I did NOT get much sleep.
"Oh," Vash fiddled with his keys and pointed to his car. How UNCANNY that he was able to pass the driver's exam, whereas Meryl wasn't able to. It made Meryl despise Vash even more. "I told him to do that."
Meryl's swollen eye twitched involuntarily.
"What?"
"Yeah, I woke up from a dream about Paintball, called Nick, and told him to call you."
"A...dream...?"
"Yeah."
WHAP!!!
Meryl kneed Vash in the stomach and stormed off as his body crumpled to the ground.
"I'll WALK to the fairgrounds!" She yelled over her shoulder. After all, that was where they were to meet for Paintball.
Eight people showed up in all. Vash, Meryl, Nick, Milly, Knives, Legato, Midvalley, and Chapel-whom liked to be called Sven for some odd reason...
The teams were divided up into fours. Meryl, Vash, Milly, and Nick were on one team while the other four made up the second team.
"Sven!" Knives shouted at Chapel. "Put down the apple! You can't play Paintball with an apple in your hand!"
Chapel looked down at the green apple in his hand.
"But it's a requirement of the church that I carry around this here forsaken green apple."
"But," Knives protested. "That's just so pointless."
"I'll say..." Nick grumbled. Him and Chapel had been rivaling priests-in- training for many, many years now.
"Oh...all right..." Chapel pouted and tossed the apple over his shoulder.
The eight all changed into camouflage uniforms and marked their itinerary route. Knives had taken the uphill base while his twin brother had taken the lower base.
"Okay," Knives explained. "We're going to kill them," He pointed to his auto-cocker. "We're going to dominate them and RULE THE WORLD!"
"Uh, Master?" Legato had been forced to call Knives that ever since Legato had lost to a game of Strip Go-Fish, since Knives didn't know how to play poker. "This is just a game. We're not really out to kill people..."
"Shut up!" Knives shot Legato in the face with his marker, sending him flying backwards with a trail of red paint sailing after. "This war is everything! WE MUST ANNIHILATE THE HUMANS!"
"So what's the plan?" Midvalley asked.
"Plan," Knives cocked an eyebrow. "What plan?"
"The plan," Chapel rolled his eyes. "Ya know, how we're gonna defeat Vash and his team of sissies?"
"Shut up Sven!" Knives backhanded his teammate and then pounded his fist into his hand. "I don't CARE how we take them down! Just...make up your own friggin' formation for crying out loud! Geez, do I ALWAYS have to do everything FOR YOU!?"
"Um...okay..." Legato, Midvalley, and Chapel all said in unison.
"GOOD! NOW MOVE OUT!"
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Vash and his companions were all working on 'strategic' plans.
"Okay," Nick grinned. "Milly will be in that thicket over there, and I'll climb the tree over here and..." He pointed to Vash. "YOU hide in the log over here and Meryl..."
"Will hide with me!" Vash pounded a fist on his chest. "I shall protect her from ANY harm and..."
"It's okay, Vash," Meryl put a hand on his shoulder and stared blankly at him. "I THINK I can take care of myself. Honestly."
Vash looked heartbroken.
"Oh...Okay..."
"Meryl, you're gonna hide behind that tree over there," Nick pointed to a bare pine tree. Its base was only a few inches around, making it impossible to hide one's self behind.
"What?" Meryl's mouth dropped. "I'll get annihilated within two seconds of the game!"
"Hey, haven't you ever heard of a decoy?" Nick patted her shoulder.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU'VE STATIONED MILLY, VASH, AND YOURSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD! UNLESS YOU HAVE SUPER MARKERS THAT CAN GO FIVE THOUSAND FEET IN RANGE, THEN I THINK THAT YOU'RE A DUMB A-"
"Alright!" Nick gave up. "I'LL hide behind the friggin' tree!"
"WHY behind THAT tree? Why not behind some other tree with more BARK that will cover your butt!?" Meryl argued.
"Shut up! Don't ask questions!" Nick huffed and hid himself behind the tree as much as he could. "It's a perfect hiding spot. In fact, I'll bet you that I WIN this match for us. Now, go to your respective areas okay?"
When they had done so, Nick shouted 'start'.
"Start!" Nick aimed his gun.
Knives shot his auto-cocker and hit Nick square in the face of his goggles two seconds into the game. "Hey that's not fair! You cheated!"
Knives smirked. "Give it up. You're out Wolfwood."
"Told you that tree was a horrible hiding spot." Meryl smacked her masked face with her hands. Nick stomped off the field, furious.
Midvalley edged around the far end of the field, keeping his eyes on Meryl, and felt a bang in the back of his leg. He turned around to see Milly jumping for joy. He grumbled and walked off the field. Sven said a silent prayer before heading out into the middle of the field and ducked behind a tree.
"Ready or not, here I come," He heard Legato say behind him. Vash kept himself hidden in the log he had been stationed at and watched as Meryl and Milly advanced forward into the field. He diverted his attention to the sock acting as his team's flag on the rock. He sighed deeply.
Sven jumped out from behind the rock and shot at Milly, who dove in behind the tree. She paused, waiting for the gunfire to cease. She watched as paint came flying off of the tree bark and she gulped. A small movement caught her attention and she recognized it as Legato and Knives enclosing in on her.
Meryl shot from some feet away and barely missed Legato's ear.
"Legato! Move faster!" Knives commanded as they took separate hiding spots. Milly began to sweat and aimed her gun at where she had seen Knives and Legato take cover.
Meanwhile, Meryl was keeping her eyes peeled on Sven, who had begun to tiptoe towards the tree Milly was hiding behind. She swung around the tree and shot Sven right between the legs.
"OHMYGO---!!!" Sven screamed as he clutched his prized possession.
"Whoops," Meryl muttered as she watched Sven curl up on the ground in a fetal position wailing, screaming bloody murder. Milly turned out of defense and shot him ten more times until Sven finally stopped moving.
"Oh wait," She said, "He was already tagged out wasn't he?" Meryl let out an exasperated sigh. "Oops, oh well let's keep playing."
But Milly wasn't paying attention and it had allowed time for Legato to shoot Milly in the back. She cried out in pain and held her hands up high, surrendering and walked off the field. Meryl gulped. Where the heck was Vash!?
Legato moved around the side of the tree, watching out for Meryl as he maneuvered his way around the trees. Vash had been watching this and aimed his marker at Legato as Legato came into view. Vash pulled the trigger back, waited, waited, waited some more, and then...BANG! Legato had been shot in the butt. He landed face-first and Meryl sighed happily. But Knives was EXCEPTIONALLY good at this game and when he hunted, he hunted.
Meryl looked around for Knives, but it was impossible to find him. She heard soft crunching and prayed that it was Vash. But when she turned, she found Knives right behind her, his marker aimed at her chest.
Slow Motion
Meryl let out a scream as Knives pulled the trigger back. From out of nowhere, a large body collided with Meryl's, pushing her out of harm's way. She looked up and saw that Vash was already back on his feet.
End Slow Motion
"Hey that's not fair! Saving your girlfriend brother?"
"What?" Meryl growled. Girlfriend?
"It's you and me now, brother," Vash gave the 'come-on' sign and held up his marker. "Meryl get back. It COULD get ugly."
"Hey what's that supposed to mean!?" Meryl retorted. But she was ignored.
"So did the humans treat you well, Vash?" Knives asked.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact. Best thing that ever happened to me." Vash grinned.
Okay, Meryl thought, now that was weird. She walked off the field. Vash aimed his marker.
Fithos
Lusec
Wecos
Vinosec
Vash jumped behind a tree and began to shoot his gun at Knives, who also jumped behind a tree and shot at Vash.
2003, Yasuhiro Nightow Presents...
Vash
Knives
Rem
Humans
Eden
Gunsmoke
Plants
Saxophones
Knives jumped out from behind the tree while keeping his finger on the trigger, however, Vash was too fast and singed him in the side.
"Hey, you're out Knives!" Nick called out from the base. But the fighting commenced. "Gee, that's odd. I thought that if you get shot, you're out."
"Maybe Mr. Vash and Mr. Knives are playing to the death." Milly suggested. Nick jerked his head around to look at her, his face in a panic.
"Milly! Paintball is a SPORT! You're not supposed to get KILLED in it! This is a game, not World War Everybody-Gets-Killed."
"Don't you mean World War II?"
"Um, sure, whatever, if that's what it's called anyway."
Milly sighed.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Knives jumped back behind the tree, breathing heavily as he watched Vash jump behind a rock.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Knives grinned and launched a paintball grenade behind the rock where Vash was hiding and laughed as it exploded. His laughter soon faded as he watched Vash emerge, unpainted.
Excitate vow e somno, liberi mei. Cunae non sunt
Vash shot at the grinning Knives, who shot right back as they each ran out into the open field, exposing their open bodies to one another.
Excitate vow e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus non eat
Both guns were shot out of their hands, and they looked at each other, waiting for the first to make a move. Finally, they raced towards the guns, diving as their fingers wrapped around the triggers and jumped up, both ready to fire at one another.
Surgite
Invenite hortum veritatis
"You suck, Vash." Knives smirked.
"No, I blow," Vash grinned.
Vash was ready to shoot his brother, however, Knives pulled a dirty trick and kicked Vash to the ground with his steel-toed boot. Vash's marker went flying from his hand and Knives caught it with ease.
Ardente veritate Urite mala mundi
Vash looked up from the ground and panicked as Knives aimed both guns at Vash, ready to obliterate him.
Ardente veritate Incendite tenebras mundi
"What are you doing Needle-Noggin!? It's right there, use it dangit!" Came Nick's voice. Vash brought his hand down hard against the dirt and, for some unexplained reason, Nick's paint marker rose up and Vash caught it. For a split second, Knives became scared.
Valete, liberi,Diebus, fatalibus
Vash pulled the trigger twice, shooting both guns out of Knives' hands and Knives was sent flying backwards. Thank God for inertia. Vash jumped up and grabbed his paint marker and aimed it at Knives.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Vash laughed maniacally as he began to pull the trigger. Knives shook his head and Vash nodded. It was over.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...!
One, two, three, four, five, six paintballs were poured into Knives and he went sailing backwards.
"Rem, I will continue to believe in you. But this time, I will listen to my heart." Vash dropped his marker and walked off the field.
"HEY! Where are you going!?" Knives shouted as he wiped the paint from his clothes. "I may be out but I'm not dead! Come here and help me up Vash!"
"Oh yeah, huh?" Vash laughed as everyone groaned.
The next day, Nick and Meryl went to church with their parents. As Father Tim was reciting today's sermon, Nick yawned loudly, which drew attention towards him and Meryl, and walked up to the pastor.
"S'cuse me Father Timmy," The pastor gasped from the disrespect. "Lemme take over okay?"
"Nicholas!" Tim gasped at the disrespect of being called 'Timmy'. "I would've expected BETTER from you!" He sobbed into his hands and crumpled to the ground.
"Okay folks, here's REALLY what I have to say today," Nick cracked his knuckles loudly, irritating the eardrums of some of the elderly, and pounded his fist on the pedestal. "GOD died on the cross for our sins, right? Well I think we should all be grateful. So, by using some of His great gospel, I, Nicholas D. Wolfwood shall EDUCATE you OLD folk the TRUE meaning of the afterlife! First off, you all are weak humans and you are all being controlled! Open up your weak and nasty eyes and fall on your knees! Salvation will be open to you if only you are sinless and you aren't so NYAH cause I'm going to Heaven cause I'm a priest and you're not and..."
"Nicholas!" Nick's mother, Maryann, cried as she stood up and began to sob into a Kleenex. Nick's father, Joseph, stood up and comforted his wife as he pointed an accusing finger at Nick.
"Nicholas David Wolfwood! You, sir, ARE GROUNDED!"
"Darn..." Nick sighed and reached for a cigarette.
"Don't smoke in here!" Tim tackled Nick to the ground and fought for the cigarette. "Besides! I need it more than YOU do!"
"Father Tim!" Joseph Wolfwood gasped. "You're supposed to be a role model!" Joseph ran over to stop both of the men. Meryl tried to make herself seem smaller as she hid her face in her hands.
"I don't know them, I don't know them, I don't know them..." She repeated over and over.
Later on that night, Meryl called Nick.
"So, are you still grounded?" She asked.
"Yup. On restriction for three weeks. No TV, no phone calls, no friends over, no sleeping, no food...In fact, they just stuck me in the hole."
"Wait, don't guards do that to prisoners after one of their family members die?"
"Yeah, but they just stuck me in here to see what would happen."
"So...how are you able to talk on the phone?"
"Oh that's easy. I have a cell phone."
"Really? And you can get reception in that outhouse of yours?"
"No, but I did anyway."
"Gee that made a lot of sense."
"I know."
"How are your siblings taking it?"
"Who? Heather and Bobby? Oh they're overjoyed. They're both in my room right now destroying all of my stuff."
"They're allowed to?"
"Hey, Heather's only seven and Bobby's nine. Of course my mom and dad don't care. Nothing valuable's in there anyway."
"But what about your 'How To Become A Priest' book?"
Nick paused.
"OH FUDGE! I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Meryl suddenly heard pounding on a door, followed by lots and lots of swearing. "MOM! DAD! MY BOOK!"
"Nick, that outhouse of yours is five blocks from your house. I DON'T think that they can hear you."
The 'hole' that Nick was in was five blocks away from his house, in the middle of a field.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" He wailed. "IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
"Nick, will it make you feel better if I get the book FOR you?"
A sniffle and then, "Really? You'd do that for me?"
Meryl sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nick, you're my best friend. Of COURSE I'll go over to your house and get your book."
Another sniffle. "As in, like, right now?"
Meryl glanced at the clock. "Nick it's 10:30 at night!"
"Well, I would ask you to get it tomorrow and give it to me at school, but I'm not going to be at school for the next three weeks."
Meryl narrowed her eyes. "You're grounded...from SCHOOL?"
"Yup."
"Isn't that illegal?"
"Well, my parents said that they would just tell the school that the doctors just put me under quarantine. If anyone comes around me, they'll die."
"...Nick, that's the worst attempt to get out of school that I've ever heard."
"Yeah I know, and I have tests and projects due all this week. Guess that they'll be a couple weeks late."
Then Meryl had an idea.
"Okay Nick, I'll tell you what. I'll go by and get the book for you right now, bring it to your prison, and break you out."
"Um, Meryl, didn't you hear anything I just told you? I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GO HOME! I'M GROUNDED!"
"Well, you can stay at my house until your three weeks are up and then we lock you back up on the day you're supposed to be off the hook and they'll never know you went to school or anything."
"Really? Your parents will let me stay there?"
"Well...they doesn't have to know..."
"You're going to hide me in your room for three weeks?"
"Well...I guess."
"Okay."
"Do your parents ever check up on you? You know, to give you water or food or anything?"
"No. I'm grounded from that too, remember?"
"Great, so they'll never suspect you to be at my house!"
"All right! We got ourselves a plan!"
"I'll see you in an hour."
"Huh? Why an hour?"
"Uh, because I have to WALK to your house, pick up the book, and then WALK to your desert prison."
"Oh. Okay. See you in an hour."
Love it? Hate it? Please let me know! R&R people! I know reviews make us feel wonderful.
Blood_Lotus_Demonwalker
Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love...Not...
Chapter 2
Preparations For World Domination
Meryl was rudely awakened to the ring of her telephone. She gritted her teeth and yanked it off the hook. And today was a Saturday too.
"What!?" She spat into the phone. "How DARE you call me at..." She glanced at the clock. "Three-thirty in the morning! How would you like to die!?"
Silence.
"Well hello to you too, Meryl." Nick. Why did that NOT surprise her?
"NICK!?" Meryl screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING CALLING ME!?"
"Oh, I was gonna ask if you wanted to play Paintball with us."
"THREE-THIRTY IN THE MORNING!?"
"No, later on today."
"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE WAITED TO CALL ME AND TELL ME THIS!?"
"Uh, you know that selective hearing thing the doctors say I have? Well I only hear certain things and uh...yeah."
"Good for you. That had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with WHY you couldn't of waited to call me later on...WHEN I WAS AWAKE AT A REASONABLE HOUR!"
"Yeah I know." Sometimes, Meryl just wished she could reach through the phone. Just...Sometimes.
Meryl growled and slammed the phone down.
"Is that a 'yes'?" Nick asked the other end.
Vash pulled up in front of Meryl's house at noon.
"Hi Meryl!" Vash waved and she looked back at him, irritated. "Hey you don't look so well. You didn't get much sleep, I'm guessing?"
"Nick called me three-thirty this morning. So, no Vash, I did NOT get much sleep.
"Oh," Vash fiddled with his keys and pointed to his car. How UNCANNY that he was able to pass the driver's exam, whereas Meryl wasn't able to. It made Meryl despise Vash even more. "I told him to do that."
Meryl's swollen eye twitched involuntarily.
"What?"
"Yeah, I woke up from a dream about Paintball, called Nick, and told him to call you."
"A...dream...?"
"Yeah."
WHAP!!!
Meryl kneed Vash in the stomach and stormed off as his body crumpled to the ground.
"I'll WALK to the fairgrounds!" She yelled over her shoulder. After all, that was where they were to meet for Paintball.
Eight people showed up in all. Vash, Meryl, Nick, Milly, Knives, Legato, Midvalley, and Chapel-whom liked to be called Sven for some odd reason...
The teams were divided up into fours. Meryl, Vash, Milly, and Nick were on one team while the other four made up the second team.
"Sven!" Knives shouted at Chapel. "Put down the apple! You can't play Paintball with an apple in your hand!"
Chapel looked down at the green apple in his hand.
"But it's a requirement of the church that I carry around this here forsaken green apple."
"But," Knives protested. "That's just so pointless."
"I'll say..." Nick grumbled. Him and Chapel had been rivaling priests-in- training for many, many years now.
"Oh...all right..." Chapel pouted and tossed the apple over his shoulder.
The eight all changed into camouflage uniforms and marked their itinerary route. Knives had taken the uphill base while his twin brother had taken the lower base.
"Okay," Knives explained. "We're going to kill them," He pointed to his auto-cocker. "We're going to dominate them and RULE THE WORLD!"
"Uh, Master?" Legato had been forced to call Knives that ever since Legato had lost to a game of Strip Go-Fish, since Knives didn't know how to play poker. "This is just a game. We're not really out to kill people..."
"Shut up!" Knives shot Legato in the face with his marker, sending him flying backwards with a trail of red paint sailing after. "This war is everything! WE MUST ANNIHILATE THE HUMANS!"
"So what's the plan?" Midvalley asked.
"Plan," Knives cocked an eyebrow. "What plan?"
"The plan," Chapel rolled his eyes. "Ya know, how we're gonna defeat Vash and his team of sissies?"
"Shut up Sven!" Knives backhanded his teammate and then pounded his fist into his hand. "I don't CARE how we take them down! Just...make up your own friggin' formation for crying out loud! Geez, do I ALWAYS have to do everything FOR YOU!?"
"Um...okay..." Legato, Midvalley, and Chapel all said in unison.
"GOOD! NOW MOVE OUT!"
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Vash and his companions were all working on 'strategic' plans.
"Okay," Nick grinned. "Milly will be in that thicket over there, and I'll climb the tree over here and..." He pointed to Vash. "YOU hide in the log over here and Meryl..."
"Will hide with me!" Vash pounded a fist on his chest. "I shall protect her from ANY harm and..."
"It's okay, Vash," Meryl put a hand on his shoulder and stared blankly at him. "I THINK I can take care of myself. Honestly."
Vash looked heartbroken.
"Oh...Okay..."
"Meryl, you're gonna hide behind that tree over there," Nick pointed to a bare pine tree. Its base was only a few inches around, making it impossible to hide one's self behind.
"What?" Meryl's mouth dropped. "I'll get annihilated within two seconds of the game!"
"Hey, haven't you ever heard of a decoy?" Nick patted her shoulder.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU'VE STATIONED MILLY, VASH, AND YOURSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD! UNLESS YOU HAVE SUPER MARKERS THAT CAN GO FIVE THOUSAND FEET IN RANGE, THEN I THINK THAT YOU'RE A DUMB A-"
"Alright!" Nick gave up. "I'LL hide behind the friggin' tree!"
"WHY behind THAT tree? Why not behind some other tree with more BARK that will cover your butt!?" Meryl argued.
"Shut up! Don't ask questions!" Nick huffed and hid himself behind the tree as much as he could. "It's a perfect hiding spot. In fact, I'll bet you that I WIN this match for us. Now, go to your respective areas okay?"
When they had done so, Nick shouted 'start'.
"Start!" Nick aimed his gun.
Knives shot his auto-cocker and hit Nick square in the face of his goggles two seconds into the game. "Hey that's not fair! You cheated!"
Knives smirked. "Give it up. You're out Wolfwood."
"Told you that tree was a horrible hiding spot." Meryl smacked her masked face with her hands. Nick stomped off the field, furious.
Midvalley edged around the far end of the field, keeping his eyes on Meryl, and felt a bang in the back of his leg. He turned around to see Milly jumping for joy. He grumbled and walked off the field. Sven said a silent prayer before heading out into the middle of the field and ducked behind a tree.
"Ready or not, here I come," He heard Legato say behind him. Vash kept himself hidden in the log he had been stationed at and watched as Meryl and Milly advanced forward into the field. He diverted his attention to the sock acting as his team's flag on the rock. He sighed deeply.
Sven jumped out from behind the rock and shot at Milly, who dove in behind the tree. She paused, waiting for the gunfire to cease. She watched as paint came flying off of the tree bark and she gulped. A small movement caught her attention and she recognized it as Legato and Knives enclosing in on her.
Meryl shot from some feet away and barely missed Legato's ear.
"Legato! Move faster!" Knives commanded as they took separate hiding spots. Milly began to sweat and aimed her gun at where she had seen Knives and Legato take cover.
Meanwhile, Meryl was keeping her eyes peeled on Sven, who had begun to tiptoe towards the tree Milly was hiding behind. She swung around the tree and shot Sven right between the legs.
"OHMYGO---!!!" Sven screamed as he clutched his prized possession.
"Whoops," Meryl muttered as she watched Sven curl up on the ground in a fetal position wailing, screaming bloody murder. Milly turned out of defense and shot him ten more times until Sven finally stopped moving.
"Oh wait," She said, "He was already tagged out wasn't he?" Meryl let out an exasperated sigh. "Oops, oh well let's keep playing."
But Milly wasn't paying attention and it had allowed time for Legato to shoot Milly in the back. She cried out in pain and held her hands up high, surrendering and walked off the field. Meryl gulped. Where the heck was Vash!?
Legato moved around the side of the tree, watching out for Meryl as he maneuvered his way around the trees. Vash had been watching this and aimed his marker at Legato as Legato came into view. Vash pulled the trigger back, waited, waited, waited some more, and then...BANG! Legato had been shot in the butt. He landed face-first and Meryl sighed happily. But Knives was EXCEPTIONALLY good at this game and when he hunted, he hunted.
Meryl looked around for Knives, but it was impossible to find him. She heard soft crunching and prayed that it was Vash. But when she turned, she found Knives right behind her, his marker aimed at her chest.
Slow Motion
Meryl let out a scream as Knives pulled the trigger back. From out of nowhere, a large body collided with Meryl's, pushing her out of harm's way. She looked up and saw that Vash was already back on his feet.
End Slow Motion
"Hey that's not fair! Saving your girlfriend brother?"
"What?" Meryl growled. Girlfriend?
"It's you and me now, brother," Vash gave the 'come-on' sign and held up his marker. "Meryl get back. It COULD get ugly."
"Hey what's that supposed to mean!?" Meryl retorted. But she was ignored.
"So did the humans treat you well, Vash?" Knives asked.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact. Best thing that ever happened to me." Vash grinned.
Okay, Meryl thought, now that was weird. She walked off the field. Vash aimed his marker.
Fithos
Lusec
Wecos
Vinosec
Vash jumped behind a tree and began to shoot his gun at Knives, who also jumped behind a tree and shot at Vash.
2003, Yasuhiro Nightow Presents...
Vash
Knives
Rem
Humans
Eden
Gunsmoke
Plants
Saxophones
Knives jumped out from behind the tree while keeping his finger on the trigger, however, Vash was too fast and singed him in the side.
"Hey, you're out Knives!" Nick called out from the base. But the fighting commenced. "Gee, that's odd. I thought that if you get shot, you're out."
"Maybe Mr. Vash and Mr. Knives are playing to the death." Milly suggested. Nick jerked his head around to look at her, his face in a panic.
"Milly! Paintball is a SPORT! You're not supposed to get KILLED in it! This is a game, not World War Everybody-Gets-Killed."
"Don't you mean World War II?"
"Um, sure, whatever, if that's what it's called anyway."
Milly sighed.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Knives jumped back behind the tree, breathing heavily as he watched Vash jump behind a rock.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Knives grinned and launched a paintball grenade behind the rock where Vash was hiding and laughed as it exploded. His laughter soon faded as he watched Vash emerge, unpainted.
Excitate vow e somno, liberi mei. Cunae non sunt
Vash shot at the grinning Knives, who shot right back as they each ran out into the open field, exposing their open bodies to one another.
Excitate vow e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus non eat
Both guns were shot out of their hands, and they looked at each other, waiting for the first to make a move. Finally, they raced towards the guns, diving as their fingers wrapped around the triggers and jumped up, both ready to fire at one another.
Surgite
Invenite hortum veritatis
"You suck, Vash." Knives smirked.
"No, I blow," Vash grinned.
Vash was ready to shoot his brother, however, Knives pulled a dirty trick and kicked Vash to the ground with his steel-toed boot. Vash's marker went flying from his hand and Knives caught it with ease.
Ardente veritate Urite mala mundi
Vash looked up from the ground and panicked as Knives aimed both guns at Vash, ready to obliterate him.
Ardente veritate Incendite tenebras mundi
"What are you doing Needle-Noggin!? It's right there, use it dangit!" Came Nick's voice. Vash brought his hand down hard against the dirt and, for some unexplained reason, Nick's paint marker rose up and Vash caught it. For a split second, Knives became scared.
Valete, liberi,Diebus, fatalibus
Vash pulled the trigger twice, shooting both guns out of Knives' hands and Knives was sent flying backwards. Thank God for inertia. Vash jumped up and grabbed his paint marker and aimed it at Knives.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Vash laughed maniacally as he began to pull the trigger. Knives shook his head and Vash nodded. It was over.
Fithos, Lusec, Wecos, Vinosec
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...!
One, two, three, four, five, six paintballs were poured into Knives and he went sailing backwards.
"Rem, I will continue to believe in you. But this time, I will listen to my heart." Vash dropped his marker and walked off the field.
"HEY! Where are you going!?" Knives shouted as he wiped the paint from his clothes. "I may be out but I'm not dead! Come here and help me up Vash!"
"Oh yeah, huh?" Vash laughed as everyone groaned.
The next day, Nick and Meryl went to church with their parents. As Father Tim was reciting today's sermon, Nick yawned loudly, which drew attention towards him and Meryl, and walked up to the pastor.
"S'cuse me Father Timmy," The pastor gasped from the disrespect. "Lemme take over okay?"
"Nicholas!" Tim gasped at the disrespect of being called 'Timmy'. "I would've expected BETTER from you!" He sobbed into his hands and crumpled to the ground.
"Okay folks, here's REALLY what I have to say today," Nick cracked his knuckles loudly, irritating the eardrums of some of the elderly, and pounded his fist on the pedestal. "GOD died on the cross for our sins, right? Well I think we should all be grateful. So, by using some of His great gospel, I, Nicholas D. Wolfwood shall EDUCATE you OLD folk the TRUE meaning of the afterlife! First off, you all are weak humans and you are all being controlled! Open up your weak and nasty eyes and fall on your knees! Salvation will be open to you if only you are sinless and you aren't so NYAH cause I'm going to Heaven cause I'm a priest and you're not and..."
"Nicholas!" Nick's mother, Maryann, cried as she stood up and began to sob into a Kleenex. Nick's father, Joseph, stood up and comforted his wife as he pointed an accusing finger at Nick.
"Nicholas David Wolfwood! You, sir, ARE GROUNDED!"
"Darn..." Nick sighed and reached for a cigarette.
"Don't smoke in here!" Tim tackled Nick to the ground and fought for the cigarette. "Besides! I need it more than YOU do!"
"Father Tim!" Joseph Wolfwood gasped. "You're supposed to be a role model!" Joseph ran over to stop both of the men. Meryl tried to make herself seem smaller as she hid her face in her hands.
"I don't know them, I don't know them, I don't know them..." She repeated over and over.
Later on that night, Meryl called Nick.
"So, are you still grounded?" She asked.
"Yup. On restriction for three weeks. No TV, no phone calls, no friends over, no sleeping, no food...In fact, they just stuck me in the hole."
"Wait, don't guards do that to prisoners after one of their family members die?"
"Yeah, but they just stuck me in here to see what would happen."
"So...how are you able to talk on the phone?"
"Oh that's easy. I have a cell phone."
"Really? And you can get reception in that outhouse of yours?"
"No, but I did anyway."
"Gee that made a lot of sense."
"I know."
"How are your siblings taking it?"
"Who? Heather and Bobby? Oh they're overjoyed. They're both in my room right now destroying all of my stuff."
"They're allowed to?"
"Hey, Heather's only seven and Bobby's nine. Of course my mom and dad don't care. Nothing valuable's in there anyway."
"But what about your 'How To Become A Priest' book?"
Nick paused.
"OH FUDGE! I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Meryl suddenly heard pounding on a door, followed by lots and lots of swearing. "MOM! DAD! MY BOOK!"
"Nick, that outhouse of yours is five blocks from your house. I DON'T think that they can hear you."
The 'hole' that Nick was in was five blocks away from his house, in the middle of a field.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" He wailed. "IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
"Nick, will it make you feel better if I get the book FOR you?"
A sniffle and then, "Really? You'd do that for me?"
Meryl sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nick, you're my best friend. Of COURSE I'll go over to your house and get your book."
Another sniffle. "As in, like, right now?"
Meryl glanced at the clock. "Nick it's 10:30 at night!"
"Well, I would ask you to get it tomorrow and give it to me at school, but I'm not going to be at school for the next three weeks."
Meryl narrowed her eyes. "You're grounded...from SCHOOL?"
"Yup."
"Isn't that illegal?"
"Well, my parents said that they would just tell the school that the doctors just put me under quarantine. If anyone comes around me, they'll die."
"...Nick, that's the worst attempt to get out of school that I've ever heard."
"Yeah I know, and I have tests and projects due all this week. Guess that they'll be a couple weeks late."
Then Meryl had an idea.
"Okay Nick, I'll tell you what. I'll go by and get the book for you right now, bring it to your prison, and break you out."
"Um, Meryl, didn't you hear anything I just told you? I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GO HOME! I'M GROUNDED!"
"Well, you can stay at my house until your three weeks are up and then we lock you back up on the day you're supposed to be off the hook and they'll never know you went to school or anything."
"Really? Your parents will let me stay there?"
"Well...they doesn't have to know..."
"You're going to hide me in your room for three weeks?"
"Well...I guess."
"Okay."
"Do your parents ever check up on you? You know, to give you water or food or anything?"
"No. I'm grounded from that too, remember?"
"Great, so they'll never suspect you to be at my house!"
"All right! We got ourselves a plan!"
"I'll see you in an hour."
"Huh? Why an hour?"
"Uh, because I have to WALK to your house, pick up the book, and then WALK to your desert prison."
"Oh. Okay. See you in an hour."
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Blood_Lotus_Demonwalker