Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's. ^_^ Huzzah.
A/N: I will soon have a web site up revolving around Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love…Not and my other fic Engel. If anyone wants to help out…like drawing fanart or whatnot, then please let me know and I'll put it up on the site. grin Won't this be fun? ^_^
Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love…Not
Chapter Ten
So, How Did Nick Escape Again?
"You need to come with me, Meryl. There's something important that you need to see."
"Nick?" Meryl asked, confused.
"It revolves around how I escaped." Nick explained. "Is there any way we can get to the Silver Square?"
Meanwhile…
"Dag-nab-it Jet!" Spike shouted as he paced back and forth in their underground lair. "The Boss is NOT going to be pleased!"
"What are you talking about?" Jet asked, ripping the skin off of the chicken leg in his hand. He patted the KFC box and grinned. "Why don't you settle down a bit, Spike, and have some KFC with me? You're always way too paranoid."
"This is NO time to be settling down, Jet!" Spike snapped as he pounded the end of the table with his fist, sending the KFC box, full of chicken, to the floor. Jet stared at it for a moment and shook his head.
"You should learn not to waste good food, Spike."
"Would you just forget the food for a moment!?" Spike rolled the sides of his temples with his index fingers. "I just received news that that Preacher Kid is back in town."
"Oh?"
"Put down the food, Jet and pay attention!"
Jet unwillingly put his chicken back onto the plate while glaring at Spike.
"Continue," Jet gestured to him with his hand.
"Anyway," Spike said. "He supposedly escaped from that asylum down south."
"He was sent south!? I thought that he was going to the counselor's office!"
"He WAS until they transferred him. It was our job to go up there and question him." Spike explained.
"How come I never knew about that?"
"Actually I was never informed either…which is WHY the Boss is going to have our heads."
"Great. Now what?" Jet leaned back in the chair.
"He's back in town, but he's not alone."
"Who's he with?"
"Guess." Was all Spike said.
"What? Those pesky little brats that we saw at the party?"
"Correct." Spike sat on the table's edge. "NOW we have to track him down before he gets away. He could be the missing link in all of this."
"What honestly makes you think that it's him, Spike?" Jet said skeptically. "There are HOW many people in this world who have black hair?"
"I know, I know," Spike calmed his partner. "However, that's not our place to ask. We get paid for doing work, not asking questions."
"So, where do you intend on looking?" Jet perched his elbows up on the table and rested his chin in the palms of his hands.
"Not quite sure…" Spike smirked. "YET."
"You were sent WHERE, Nick?" Meryl asked as Demonte emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.
"To the asylum down south," Nick explained. "And let me tell you, it was NO picnic."
"Asylum?" Demonte asked.
"Where did you get the clothes, Demonte?" Meryl gestured to his gray turtleneck and jeans.
"Lucky, huh?" Demonte smiled. "I borrowed them from Knives."
"Well…" Nick mused. "I'm sure that Needle-Noggin has a bike we could use to get to the Silver Square."
"Nick it's the middle of winter and you want to ride a BIKE to the Silver Square!?" Meryl shook her head, confused.
"Of course!" Nick exclaimed, gesturing to the window that showed off the outside world. "It's PERFECT bike riding weather!" It was snowing outside, in case you all were wondering.
"Nick, are you SURE that you should be out of that asylum? Cause it seems to me…"
"I am not crazy!" Nick quickly clutched Meryl's shoulders. "Meryl I'm your best friend! How could you even think that!?"
"Actually, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to agree with her, Nick," Demonte said. "I mean, why don't we just get Rem to drive us?"
"Never!" Nick shouted. "This is too important for anyone but you two to find out about!"
"Even for Vash?" Meryl asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid. Even for Vash."
Meryl paused. She had never seen Nick so serious before.
"Well, let me call my mother and Carl, Nick," Meryl said. "They'll give us a ride."
"No!" Nick called after her. "The bike idea is better!"
But Meryl continued into the other room and Nick shook his head.
"Why do women never listen?" Nick sighed.
"Because Nick, her father is currently in jail."
Nick snapped his attention to Demonte. "Come again?"
"It's true," Demonte said, "And trust me, you wouldn't believe if I even began to tell you."
"Oh…" Nick said.
"Nicholas!" Rem descended the stairs, clothes in her arms. "Put these on, darling. You must be cold."
"Thank you Miss Saverem," Nick graciously accepted the clothes. Then he looked down at them and paused. "They're pink."
"No," Rem corrected. "Fuchsia."
Nick paused. "They're pink."
"I knew you'd like them!" Rem smiled as she clasped her hands together. "They used to belong to Knives when he was just a little boy. You can have them if you'd like."
Somewhat disturbed by her words, Nick unfolded the clothes and stared at the oversized button-up shirt and…um…REALLY oversized pants.
"Boy…Knives was a fat child…wasn't he?" Nick commented.
"Rem!" Knives stormed into the room. "How many times MUST I tell you that those were NEVER my clothes! They belonged to my faithful minion, Midvalley."
Nick looked from Knives back to the clothes.
"Boy…Midvalley was a fat child…wasn't he?" Then Nick's face scrunched up. "You mean I have to wear his sweaty pink clothes!?"
"We knew you wouldn't mind," Knives said. "Actually it's pretty interesting seeing how you came back. Care to fill me in on the secret?"
"I'm on parole." Nick lied and then realized what he said. "I mean…WAIT! That's not what I meant!"
With an evil grin, Knives refused to listen any further as he dashed upstairs to change. "WAIT UNTIL I TELL THE GUYS!" Knives shouted from upstairs.
Nick growled as he began to dress himself in the pink pants and shirt. "I know I have my flaws but this is RIDICULOUS!"
"That's funny," Demonte laughed. "It almost reminds me of your Kung-Fu Uniform."
Instantly regretting his choice of words, Demonte watched as Nick's bottom lip began to tremble at the lost memory of his Sensei.
"Um I mean, Nick…" Demonte grinned. "That's not what I meant."
Suddenly, Meryl stormed back into the room and Nick's face became resilient as he watched the enraged Meryl settle herself on the couch.
"Meryl? Is something wrong?" Nick asked.
"My MOTHER is NOW in jail." Meryl buried her head in her hands. "How could my life get any worse? Now BOTH of my parents are in jail for violent assaults and murder."
"Um, what about my Grandpa?" Demonte spoke up. "What happened to him?"
Meryl looked up at him, her face showing much irritation. "He's in jail for trying to attack a vending machine."
"All right!" Nick grinned. "Guess we're taking the bike down to the Silver Square."
"NICK!" Demonte and Meryl screamed.
"Oh…sorry."
"How did you find this out, Meryl?" Demonte asked.
"I called the house and no one answered. So then I called down to the Sheriff's Office. When I told him who my parents were, he began to laugh and told me how sorry he felt for me."
"How cruel," Nick said. "Anyway, the Silver Square, people?"
"All right!" Meryl growled as she jumped up from the couch. "Let me go and find some clothes and we'll be off."
"Um, don't go and ask Miss Saverem for the clothes, Meryl." Demonte warned. "Do what I did and ask Knives."
"I'm surprised Knives even lent out his clothes to you, Demonte, but why shouldn't I ask Rem for clothes?" Meryl watched as Demonte pointed to Nick and Meryl busted up laughing at the sight of him.
"It's not THAT funny…" Nick mumbled.
"You look like a pink tart Nick!" Meryl laughed as she forgot about her troubles.
"I do not look like a cookie." Nick protested.
"Not THAT kind of a tart!"
"And they're Midvalley's clothes." Demonte added.
"Aww, they look so precious on you!" Meryl laughed. "Now all you need is a pink bonnet and a ribbon."
Nick's bottom lip trembled.
All right, so moving along, Meryl was fortunate enough to get some clothes.
Flashback
"Miss Saverem?" Meryl climbed the stairs and looked around for the raven-haired woman. "Are you here? I need an extra change of clothes…if that's okay with you…"
Then she saw someone she didn't expect to see.
"Oh…it's you Vash." She said dully.
"Meryl," Vash said, pushing some clothes into her arms. "Take these clothes. They will protect you from Kalabis' touch."
Meryl unfolded the clothes and frowned. "They're yours."
"EXACTLY!" Vash exclaimed. "If you wear them, Kalabis will think that we are going out and will not touch you. He is no good for you, Meryl. He's a bitter, selfish, cold––"
"But we're NOT going out."
"I know that but––"
"And Demonte's NOT offending me."
"Yeah, but Meryl he's––"
"And he's not cold and uncaring."
Vash broke down and began to cry.
"FOR THE LOVE OF DONUTS MERYL PLEASE PUT THE CLOTHES ON!"
End Flashback
"Gee, this was great that Needle-Noggin' let us borrow his bike like that." Nick said as he wore a red scarf, underwater goggles around his eyes, and a LONG ski cap. He pedaled through the six feet of snow on the bicycle as Demonte sat behind Nick, hardly on the seat and Meryl sat on the handlebars.
"I think that it was more of BORROWING without permission, Nick." Demonte told him.
"Why are we on a BIKE Nick?" Meryl groaned.
"Nonsense! It will work!" Nick grinned.
"This isn't comfortable, Nick." Demonte sighed. "Let me on the handlebars."
"No way!" Meryl protested. "I am NOT sitting behind Nick!"
"Hey I'm not that bad." Nick whined.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Demonte asked.
"You could always sit on the handlebars together." Nick proposed.
"What? Me on his lap?" Meryl asked. "Then how will you see, Nick?"
"Actually it WOULD be a lot better if Demonte wasn't right on my butt…"
"HEY!" Demonte glared.
"Besides I have my wonderful water goggles on. NOTHING can stop me!" Nick stopped in the middle of the snow and Demonte hopped off the back.
Demonte laughed. "Gee Meryl, you look great in Vash's clothes there."
Meryl scowled. She wore Vash's white button-up shirt and his tan pants.
"It's better than MY clothes." Nick said as Demonte climbed onto the handlebars and Meryl jumped onto his lap.
"You're not very comfortable." She told Demonte.
"I'm sorry, would you like to walk?" Demonte asked. "Or ride in the back with Nick?"
"No, no," Meryl said. "Boy I hope Vash isn't around…"
Meanwhile Vash was driving down the street in the OTHER car that hadn't sunk to the bottom of the ocean (flashback––when Knives was driving it to Milly's party), tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he listened to Offspring's 'Staring At The Sun'. From the corner of his eye he caught a moving object and turned his head. His face darkened as he watched Nick pedaling down the street on HIS bike in six feet of snow…with Demonte on the handlebars…AND MERYL ON HIS LAP.
"KALABIS!" Vash shouted, enraged, as he pounded a fist against the window. "YOU SON OF A––"
"Hmm? Do you hear something?" Meryl asked, looking around.
"I don't hear anything," Nick said as he pedaled harder.
"Wait," Demonte's ears perked up and he turned his head. "OH NUTS!"
"What!? What!?" Meryl asked, glancing around.
"Don't look now, but Vash is after us!" Demonte screeched. "Nick! Pedal faster or he's gonna hit us with his car!"
Vash's car flipped a U-turn and spun on the ice. Once it had regained control, the car turned and fled down the street. Nick turned around and panicked. Leaning forward on the bike he began to pick up speed. Unfortunately, in six feet of snow that's not very fast.
"Abandon bike!" Demonte shouted as he jumped off the handlebars, Meryl in his arms. He set her down and instantly began to sprint down the road. Nick threw the bike down and followed Meryl and Demonte down the street.
Meanwhile, Vash pressed his foot against the pedal, swerving into the biker's lane.
"I'll kill you this time, Kalabis," Vash growled. "That'll teach you to take the love of my life away from me and delude her into thinking how GREAT you are."
Nick plowed through the snow, running as fast as he could. He nearly passed Meryl and then looked up.
"Hey! There's the Silver Square! Praise the Lord!"
Demonte turned his head and watched as the black Sudan followed ever so closely.
"Geez, he really intends on running me over!" Demonte said to himself.
"AHA!" Vash laughed maniacally as the car grew only a few feet away from Demonte. "Now if Meryl and Nick just stay out of my way, I can vanquish this evil ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Vash leaned forward, his chin touching the steering wheel. "Just a little bit closer and I'll be able to give you that new paint job, my lovely car…"
"You guys get inside of the Silver Square!" Demonte ordered to Meryl and Nick. "I'm afraid that if I even TRY to go in he'll run the car right through the building!"
"But Demonte!" Meryl protested.
"Just go!" Demonte continued past the Silver Square. "I'll be okay…I hope."
"JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!" Vash shouted as he rolled down the window and stuck his head outside of it. "I'M GOING TO SMASH YOUR BONES INTO A BILLION PIECES!"
"That doesn't sound very 'love and peace' like, Vash!" Demonte shouted over his shoulder.
Demonte turned into a parking lot and began to swerve in between cars. Frustrated with this new turn of events, Vash just plowed through the parked cars, smashing them underneath his tires.
"MY CAR CAN DEMOLISH ANYTHING KALABIS!" Vash shouted to him. "AND YOU'RE NEXT!" Vash's car skidded, but he quickly regained control and sped down the parking lot.
Demonte fled down the parking lot and into 'Happy Porkchop's Grocery Store'. Vash, refusing to give up, sailed right through the wall of the grocery car in his Sudan and annihilated everything. People screamed and bolted down the aisles as Demonte dove over a counter and resumed his sprinting down another aisle.
"YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!" Vash shouted as he turned on his window wipers, cleaning off all the destroyed food, books, and other products that were flung at the window. Demonte took shelter down the cereal aisle and Vash, not wasting any time, drove the car down the aisle, wiping out that aisle and the one next to it.
"Geez, he doesn't know when to give up, does he!?" Demonte shook his head and turned sharply, his eyes peeled on the exit.
Vash also noticed this and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Demonte, hearing the screeching of the tires, dove off to the side as Vash's car sailed by him.
"HA! I GOT YOU!" Vash shouted and then looked ahead to the oncoming brick wall and exit door. "Oh…fudge…"
Legato was busy playing outside with children of his neighborhood, engaging himself in a game of snowball fights. He dressed himself warmly in a white snow hat, a white scarf, a white coat, white gloves, and little spikes sticking out of his coat on the right side. "Hmm…interesting. Now if I can make the correct calculations…"
Legato peered over the snow-made fortress he had easily built using his mind-melding powers. Ten other children were tossing snowballs back and forth at each other as Legato kept himself well hidden.
"Master, what is your plan?" Legato looked down at The Great One, who was also dressed in a little white snow hat and a little white scarf was tied around it. Legato gingerly picked up the ball and shook it up and down.
Kill them all…
"And so it shall be done!" Legato said as he set The Great One back down and stood up. Raising his arms high above his head he used his psychic powers. All the snow from the ground began to pile up and towered over all the children like a great tsunami.
"OH MY GO–" The children screamed in horror as the snow fell upon them, consuming them in one giant gulp.
"Huzzah." Legato said as he began to dance happily. "I am ONCE again the winner. I am so cool." Legato looked around. "Now to spend my time playing DDR at the Silver Square. Come, Master, allow me to carry you."
Thank you Slave.
Legato skipped away, merrily.
"Milly!?" Meryl exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Nick told me to come here," Milly said, wiping her eyes. "Yesterday."
Meryl went to console her friend. "Milly what's wrong? You look ill."
"Joe, Meryl, I can't believe that he'd do such a horrible thing…He kissed you and…" Milly continued to cry.
Nick removed his water goggles, gloves, hat, and scarf and put a comforting arm around Milly.
"Milly, it's all right now. I'm here…" Milly looked up.
"Nick…Why are you wearing pink?"
"Oh, um," Nick stepped backwards, startled. "About that. I––"
"All right Wolfwood…" Demonte stomped into the Silver Square and set himself down at a table with Milly, Meryl, and Nick. "I nearly got myself killed because of that stupid plan of yours. Now I want an explanation. Just WHY did you drag us down here in the first place!?"
"Gee, Demonte," Milly said. "You don't look so good."
"I have my reasons, Milly." Demonte said, glaring at Nick. "Well?"
"Okay," Nick said, sighing. "You're the only three I can trust with this." Nick paused and looked at all of them closely before continuing. "That day at the party I was sent to an asylum down south. I WAS supposed to be sent to a counselor a little ways away from Gunsmoke ACCORDING to my parents. They thought I was doing drugs. HOW they came to think that, I don't know."
Of course, they didn't tell Nick that it was all Vash's fault.
"Anyhow," Nick continued. "When I came to, I woke up in a room full of padding. I didn't know what to do, or even what happened. Then two men came to see me dressed in black suits."
"Was one bald and the other short with green hair?" Demonte asked.
"No…" Nick said. "One was very familiar. TOO familiar. I didn't know who the other one was."
"Who was the familiar one?" Meryl asked this time.
"I couldn't place it," Nick lowered his head. "But I spent a long while there. The same two men kept coming back…questioning me…asking me about some sort of secret things. Oh and cheesecake."
Everyone facefaulted.
"AND?" Meryl pressed. "Go on."
"Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. They told me that if I didn't answer their questions, they would do terrible things to you guys…especially to Milly."
Milly looked at Nick, petrified.
"I couldn't let that happen…" Nick put his hand on Milly's shoulder. "Especially to you, Milly. So I made a bet with one of the guards. I told him that I would play him DDR and if I scored the highest after three songs, he would have to set me free."
Another facefault.
"THAT'S WHY YOU DRAGGED US DOWN HERE!?" Demonte roared. "I NEARLY GOT MY BUTT WHOMPED ON AND YOU COULDN'T TELL US THAT AT THE HOUSE!?"
"There's a reason I brought you down here." Nick remained serious. "I want you all to know…that in case I should be sent away again to that terrible place, I want you to––"
"THERE YOU ARE, KALABIS!" Vash threw the doors open, haunting the doorway. He threw off his gloves, jacket, and scarf, leaving him in a navy blue tank top and dark jeans. "JUST the man I wanted to see."
"Um, Vash," Nick started. "You know that wasn't really nice, earlier trying to run us over with the car…"
"ME." Demonte corrected. "He was trying to hit ME with the car Nick."
"Listen to me you pimping half-hearted gnome," Vash pointed a dictating finger at him. "I am going to demolish you for this!"
"What did I do!?" Demonte cried. "Why can't you just leave me alone!? Besides, it was YOUR fault you destroyed your car!"
Vash looked around and grinned. "DDR. NOW. YOU. ME."
"…Okay Vash I can't understand fragments. Now would you please put that into layman's terms?" Demonte asked.
"I will play you for a battle of points. If I win, you pack your bags and leave Gunsmoke FOREVER." Vash stated.
Demonte shifted uncomfortably. "But I can't play DDR."
"EXACTLY!" Vash grinned. "Leaving you with no choice but to leave! You can't back out of a challenge, Kalabis."
"Vash you have it all wrong!" Meryl stepped in between the two. "Nick was riding the bike and…"
"And MAKING him a CHAUFFEUR!" Vash clutched his heart. "Demonte you heartless cur!"
"But I…" Demonte sighed and looked at Nick. "I'm going to lose! What am I going to do!?"
"That's why I brought you down here!" Nick said. "The ultimate challenge by any man in Gunsmoke is to combat at DDR! How do you think I won and escaped from the asylum?"
"Well that explains that," Demonte hissed. "But how is that going to help me?"
"You're looking at a pro," Nick said smugly. "All you need do is stomp on all the buttons and you'll win."
"Well that's OBVIOUSLY the point of the game, Einstein, but how is that going to help me NOW!?" Demonte groaned.
"Um…Hmmm…" Then Nick grinned. He grabbed Demonte's shoulders and then held his left hand above his chest. "May you go with the protection of Almighty God."
Demonte blinked.
"Believers will be redeemed in the end." Nick said. "Now that you have the blessing of Almighty God and the blessing of a Priest in Training, there's no WAY you can lose!"
Demonte growled and stomped off to the arcade.
"Are you ready to lose, Kalabis?" Vash asked as he stepped onto the metal pad.
"I was hoping to put it off until a later date."
Vash grinned as he selected the first song. "The objective is to match me in skill and points. Meaning if I play a song on Maniac, you have to do the same."
"AND still beat you in points?" Demonte asked.
"Yup."
Demonte sighed and Nicked leaned over the railing and whispered, "Remember! You have to BELIEVE! Or else it won't work!"
"All right, all right," Demonte said. "I believe, I believe."
Meryl sighed as Milly and her stood behind Nick, watching.
"He's about to go down in flames," Nick told the girls.
"Exotic Ethnic!" Vash said as he set the difficulty on Maniac. "Now it's your turn, Kalabis."
Demonte groaned as he set the difficulty to Maniac and prepared himself for annihilation. Vash laughed and cracked his knuckles as the song started. Demonte watched as the first set of steps came up and he gulped.
'I'm no dancer! I'm going to lose!' But strangely enough, his feet began to move for him and his eyes widened as he set a starting record of 34 perfect combos.
Vash glanced over at Demonte's side and growled. He leaned forward and pushed himself harder.
Soon the dance cleared and Demonte was left with all perfects as Vash had only missed a few. Demonte, in awe of his own unknown ability, had the courage to look Vash in the eye and laugh.
"This isn't so hard after all!" Demonte grinned.
"Son of a…" Vash growled as he smashed his fist against the buttons and stopped on Healing Vision. "Maniac." He told Demonte. "You won't be so lucky this time."
Demonte shrugged and turned to look at Nick. "Guess your preacher stuff is working, Preacher Man. Let's hope my good luck won't run out."
"Like I said before," Nick told him. "Believers will be redeemed in the end."
"I thought you said that he was going down in flames!" Meryl hissed and Nick shrugged.
Demonte turned around as Healing Vision started and Vash immediately began to dance to the beat. Yawning, Demonte allowed his feet to move for him, scoring perfects on every step.
"Why won't you lose!?" Vash roared as he concentrated harder.
Demonte grinned as he continued to move his feet. "This is actually pretty easy, ya know?"
"Hmph, a jack of all trades, huh?" Vash's eyes narrowed. "Well, we'll SEE about that…"
The song ended and Vash turned to face Demonte.
"Okay Kalabis, this last song will determine who REALLY is the champion." Vash turned back to the screen and chose Afronova. "Maniac, Kalabis. NOW."
Demonte laughed. "I haven't even broken a sweat yet, Saverem. I think that we REALLY know who the champion is."
"Shut up!" Vash scowled as the song began. "This means war…"
From the back of the room a blue-haired figure was spotted and immediately recognized…by the readers of course.
"I understand, Master. Vash the Stampede shall experience eternal pain and suffering." Legato used his mind-melding powers to make Demonte win at DDR.
Well, at least now we know how Demonte is winning.
The song finally ended and Vash looked over at Demonte's scoreboard. He bit his lip. He knew that he had been beaten.
"Well now," Demonte said. "I see a perfect score of about seven or eight nines and you…" Demonte glanced at Vash's scoreboard. "…have about 50,000 points less than me."
Vash stood there, unmoving, as he absorbed this. Then, as though he hadn't been affected at all, he smiled and extended his hand out to Demonte. "Nice game Demonte. Guess that you're the winner."
Bewildered by this new turn of events, Demonte hesitantly took Vash's hand and returned the handshake.
"Vash…? Are you feeling okay?" Demonte asked. Not giving Vash a chance to answer, he hastily continued. "Look Vash, I don't hate you or anything. Actually all I ever wanted was to be your friend. What ever it is that has you so mad at me, I mean, can't we just clean the slate and call it a truce?" Demonte looked hopeful. "…Please?"
Vash just continued to smile and then walked away. Demonte stood there, dumbfounded, as he blinked. "Is that a 'no'?" Demonte asked.
"Well I guess that it isn't much of a 'yes' either…" Nick said as he ran after Vash. "Hey Vash! Wait up!" Suddenly two pairs of strong arms grabbed Nick's shoulders, preventing him from advancing any further.
"Where do you think that YOU'RE going?" Nick looked up and saw Spike.
"Now that we've caught you, Preacher Kid," Jet laughed. "You're coming with us for questioning…"
Meryl and Milly rushed after Nick, but stopped dead in their tracks.
"Nick!" Milly screamed. Demonte soon joined them. Vash turned around at the sound of the commotion and gasped as he saw Nick in the clutches of the two men.
"Nick!" Vash growled. "Hey! Let him go you guys! Nick didn't do anything!"
"That's where you're wrong," Jet laughed. "We have reason to believe that he's planning a conspiracy against the Governmental Force and Alliance Society."
"The what?" Meryl asked.
"I am?" Nick said immediately afterwards.
"Shut up," Spike said. "Don't ask questions!"
"He's not the man you want," Demonte told them, stepping to the front.
"Then who is?" Spike asked, leaning closer. "You?"
"I––" Demonte began but was cut off.
"He's not your man either," Vash said as he sided himself next to Demonte. "And I won't let you take either of them." He grinned as he looked at Demonte. "I'll join forces with you…just this once, Demonte."
Demonte mirrored the smiled as he turned to face front.
"Good," He laughed. "En Garde`."
Ohhh, an unexpected alliance. ^_^ The plot is unraveling slowly but surely, isn't it? Well. Let me know how you like it thus far and R&R please (Nicely)
Until next time my good friends…
BLD