Disclaimer: I don't own Trigun, but I can dream can't I? Also, the title comes from a song by the same name, it belongs to The Verve.
The sky was just beginning to darken as Miles began his walk home from work. Watching for cars, he darted across a busy two-lane road and came to a stop on the grassy median. When the stream of traffic disappeared, he crossed the other two lanes and jumped onto the sidewalk.
A slight breeze tugged at his hair, and cooled the small area of his chest left exposed by his open three-button shirt. He hummed a tune that had become stuck in his head, and turned the corner. His joyful gait slowed a little as he passed the picture of a grinning teen taped to a wall. Several candles and flowers rested in a makeshift shrine under the photograph.
Miles' reverie was broken by a shrill cry from a nearby alley. Taking several steps, he peered down the dark space between buildings. Near the fence in the middle three forms struggled, two boys and a girl. She cried out again, and Miles recognized the voice with a sinking in the pit of his stomach.
"Hey!" he yelled, stepping into the alley. "What the fuck is going on here?"
"Aw, shit!" one of the boys called out.
Miles saw a slight glimmer of metal before two bullets slammed into his body. Falling backward, he heard his friend scream as the two assailants ran past him. Lying on his back, Miles knew he was badly hurt even though he could only feel a dull pain. It was difficult for him to breathe, and his vision was beginning to dim.
'Please be hardball.' He thought before blacking out.