I can't win. I just can't win. After I posted the last chapter, I decided that I would be a good person and write up the next chapter for quick posting. So, three days later, I had finally finished and was going to type it up that night. Too tired to finish typing and too distracted by the music I had playing on the computer, I decided that I would complete it the next day. In the morning, I come to find out that the music file I had been listening to had given my computer a virus. My dad spent several days trying to fix it, and at one point it seemed okay, but I was still on "computer-probation". Even though it wasn't REALLY my fault, it was still considered my fault and therefore I was prevented from using the computer. And maybe I'm at fault for cancer too. Anyway, the day I could finally use it again, it completely died. Dad had to reboot the whole thing and I lost ALL my files and stuff. Was NOT a happy camper. Well, now it's "fixed" so here I am, ranting to you about my difficulties which I'm surprised you've read this far. Anyway, I got this up as soon as I could, so don't criticize me for being lazy, 'cause this time I actually tried. This ordeal has taught me one thing: The only way to fail is to try, so I think I'll give up on trying. I'm bitter, can't you tell?
Anyhoo, due to FF.net's backup system I was able to recover my SS chapter files, and I even went back and edited Chapter 8's fight scene a bit. It's still not completely up to par, but check it out if you want. Other than that, I'm done blabbing and will get on with my disclaimer.
I do not own Trigun or its characters, nor could I, or anyone else hope to. Bah.
Silent Scream
Legato stood shirtless in front of the bathroom mirror, turning his chin to get a better view at the side of his face. After he had gotten home and placed a sleeping Allegro on her cot, he had decided to assess the damage Aiden and his lackeys had tried to inflict during their minor skirmish. He frowned at the mirror, examining his jaw.
'What was his problem anyway?' He wondered, staring at his reflection blankly and releasing his jaw. 'I haven't done anything specific to him, I treat everyone the same. As humans ought to be treated,' he added, an afterthought. 'The others just joined it, but his grudge was personal…Hmph, oh well, I'm used to being hated. However…if he involves Allegro again…' His gaze intensified, and he found himself glaring at the mirror as if willing it to shatter to a million pieces.
Regaining himself, Legato examined the rest of his body for any other wounds. He prodded a tender spot on his stomach, not reacting to the pain a normal person would have felt as a result of this action. Maybe that's why he didn't initially fight back, he told himself. He was so used to being beat into submission by his father that Aiden's punches had been no more than a minor nuisance to him. After all he had endured, his whole body had become a callous, unfeeling and incapable of the pain Aiden had wished to inflict upon him. It was coming to the point where he could almost withstand his father's beatings, which were infinitely stronger than what the waste of human life known as Aiden tried to dish out.
Finding no pressing injuries, Legato bent over and picked his tattered and dirtied shirt off of the tiled floor, slipping his arms through the narrows sleeves and buttoning up its front about halfway with one swift motion. After he had straightened out his collar and ran a hair through his tousled hair, he stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen. He looked out the window, straining to see if his father's vehicle was parked in the dusty driveway juxtapose to the house. Noting that his father had not come home yet, Legato walked out of the small kitchen and down the hallway leading to Allegro and his rooms.
He stopped at his sister's door first, cracking it open a bit to see her still lying on her bed where he had left her. He called her name once, very softly, before deciding to leave her undisturbed and let her get some rest.
Slowly shutting the door so as not to create a loud sound, Legato backed away to the door of his own room, shutting it behind him.
Legato was in the process of completing his twenty-seventh single-handed push-up when the door to his room creaked open, revealing the still sleepy face of Allegro.
"Legato-niisan?" she whispered almost inaudibly, still clinging to the door.
He did another three push-ups to complete his set of thirty before getting up to acknowledge his sister's presence.
"Yes?" he asked, wiping off the minor beads of sweat that marred his brow with the back of his hand.
"Allegro has a little headache…" she answered in a pouty tone, then added, "And she's hungry too."
"Okay, let's see if I can get us some food without getting my head cut off." He responded only half-jokingly as he grabbed his sister's hand and led her down the hall into the kitchen.
Expecting the imminent confrontation, Legato was mildly surprised when he didn't see his father's hulking figure in the kitchen or in the living room. He looked out the window at the driveway, discovering that the car had still not returned. Letting go of Allegro, he moved closer to the window to discern the location of the twin suns. They were both low on the horizon; the last one at an angle that signified it was nearly 6 o'clock. His father should have been home a long time ago…
'Shit…' Legato cursed mentally. If he wasn't home by now, it only meant one thing; he had gone out, most likely to drink, which meant that he was in for some form of pain later on. His father hit him on most days, but it was the nights when he came home in a drunken rage that were particularly awful. It was then that he was dealt a full scale beating and often found it very difficult to move afterwards.
"Just wonderful…" he muttered and turned his attention back to Allegro, who was still standing in the center of the kitchen patiently. He walked over to her, bending his head as she inclined hers so that her warm brown eyes could stare into his cold yellow ones.
"It's late, so I'm just going to make dinner. What do you want?" he asked, his gaze not leaving hers.
Allegro, however, looked down, her childish face contorted in an expression of deep thought. After a moment, her face lit up and she looked into her brother's eyes once more.
"Beef stew!" she suggested happily.
He pondered this option for a few seconds, and then his head faintly in consent.
"Beef stew it is then."
Her grin grew wider and she happily began to dance around the kitchen, before she was interrupted by her brother's vaguely amused speech.
"Stop prancing around and help me peel the potatoes." He commanded gently.
Allegro skipped over to her brother and began helping him prepare for their meal.
A half hour later found Allegro watching her brother stand over the stove stirring their meal while she rested her chin on the table.
"Legato-niisan?" she asked timidly.
"Mhmm?" he murmured in response, clearly distracted by the pot of bubbling stew before him.
"Allegro is sorry for getting you n trouble all the time…" She slid her head of the table, bowing it in shame... "Allegro doesn't try to…" she added.
"Don't worry. It's not your fault." She felt her chin being lift up and found herself looking into her brother's oddly compassionate face. "Look," he continued, "do I seem hurt? See, I'm perfectly fine. Now," he released her face and resumed an air of authority, "get some spoons. I believe its time to eat."
Allegro, now dispelled of her doubts, gave a curt nod and leapt off the stool, bounding to the drawer that held the utensils.
By the time she had located two over-sized spoons, Legato had poured them each a portion into two porcelain bowls, setting them on the table quickly so as not to burn his hands. He pulled up a stool and sat down, stirring the beef stew lazily with the spoon Allegro had provided. Looking p to warn her of its heat, he caught her just before she was about to shove a large spoonful into her mouth.
"I would strongly advise against doing that." He warned.
Allegro froze, the spoon hanging in front of her gaping mouth and stared at her brother quizzically.
"It's hot." He provided simply.
Closing her mouth, she frowned at the brown substance before placing the spoon back in the bowl.
The corners of Legato's lips twitched in a discrete grin as he watched how his sister still eyed her bowl impatiently.
"Just wait a while. Or take small spoonfuls from the edge until the rest of it cools off."
She broke her gaze from the porcelain bowl to look up at him briefly, deciding to pick the spoon up again. She dipped it in slowly, scooping up a small chunk of potato along with the broth and brought it up to her face. After staring at it warily, Allegro plunged the rounded utensil into her mouth, savoring the taste of his cargo.
"Yum!" She praised before diving in for another spoonful.
Legato's grin arched a little higher and he shook his head in amusement. Remembering he had forgotten to get beverages, he stepped off his stool and stood up, retrieving two classes from the nearby cabinet. He placed the glasses down on the counter and opened the refrigerator door. Peering into it, his eyes feel upon an untouched six-pack. He snarled in disgust as the looked at the hated beverage. Reaching for it with the intent of pouring each can down the sink, Legato changed his mind at the last second, redirecting his hand to the carton of milk on the left side of the refrigerator.
Taking it out, he poured some into each of the glasses, filling it to just below the rim. After replacing the milk in its original spot, and took the glasses and carried them to the table, placing the smaller one in front of Allegro and the other in front of himself. She picked up her glass immediately and greedily swallowed it, then returning to her meal.
He watched her intently while he quietly slurped his own portion. He was inwardly pleased that she had enjoyed his concoction, although regretted that it still wasn't as good as what their mother used to make.
After they had finished, Legato stayed in the kitchen to clean up while Allegro scampered off to her room to play with some of her toys. Upon completely washing and drying the dinnerware that they had used, he draped a cloth over the pot on the stove that still contained some beef stew. He was falsely hoping that his father would come home slightly sober and could use the meal as a peace offering and avoid any injury to is personal being.
He held on to that stretching hope until 9 o'clock had rolled around and his father had still not returned. Realism sunk in, telling him that there was no possible way his father would come home without being utterly smashed.
'Just great,' he thought sarcastically as he disposed of the now cold beef stew.
Presently, he heard the engine of a foreign car pull into their side yard. Hearing multiple voices, he put the pot in the sink and walked over to the window, where he saw his father and two other men exchanging handshakes.
'So he had someone drive him home…dammit! Why can't he be like every other stupid drunk, try to drive himself, get into a car accident and die?!'
But, as he had learned, life never worked in his favor.
He could flee to his room, but the last time that had happened, his father managed to rip the door off of its hinges. Letting out a defeated sigh, Legato put away the remaining dishes, awaiting the inevitable.
Soon enough, he heard the car pull away, the creaky door open and his father's staggering footsteps.
"Legato!" A slightly slurred voice bellowed.
'Here we go…' he thought grimly.
Y.A.Y.! This chapter was relatively longer, so that's good. Anyway, I have two things I wanted to ask before I got on to my reviews. This was just an idea, and I need feedback. Should I make Legato a heroin addict? It seems to fit with his incapability of feeling pain, but the long-term effects of the drug are a little too severe. I could alter it, but I want to stay in perspective. Let me know what you think in your reviews. I know there was something else I wanted to ask, but its topic eludes me right now…I'm so tired… Well, I guess that means we're on to reviews.
Touchi-chan- Blahhhhhhhhh… I'm still scarred from that dress code presentation today
--. Anyway, glad you like, sorry I never sent you this chapter for proofreading, I just wanted to get it out. Enjoy .
Kinkosami- Hope this chapter sort of vaguely revealed why he didn't fight back. Besides the fact that it didn't hurt, it's also because of Allegro, but I'll delve more into that next chapter. Hope you liked this one.
Sephiroth2021- Wow, really?! I'm so honored! Thanks so much! Well, if you missed it in my author's rant, I mentioned that I re-did the fight scene so that there is a little more action than there was previously. And this chapter also clarified why he didn't initially fight back, so I hope that makes things easier for you. Thanks for your review and enjoy this chapter as well.
CaptainMurphysMistress- Again, I must thank you for your avid reviews. Also mentioned, fight scene was edited, so check back on that if you are so inclined. I'm eventually planning to go back and edit all my chapter, but I'm not up for it now at 11 at night, so they will have to stay short for the time being, lol.
Sephiroth1Ripley8- Lol, yeah he does. And he will get it kicked. Soon. If you hate him, you'll love what I have in store mischievous grin
Raditz- No, I have no desire to meet the Hornfreak. I have no desire to meet ANYONE who calls himself the Hornfreak. Anyway, I'm grateful for your generosity and apologize for not posting sooner, but I actually had a good excuse this time. Err…Monev? Please no! Ha, thanks for reviewing and I hope this was to your satisfaction.
Thank you to all my reviewers and readers who don't leave reviews even though I wish they would. I would continue, but I'm tired. I'm leaving. My pillow is calling me. Oyasumi nasai.