Chapter Six:
"Wayward Angel"
Jet glanced at Spike. "The power that brought you here, Vash ... it wouldn't be capable of leveling an entire city, would it?"
Spike's cigarette hung loosely between his lips as he shifted his own gaze to the blond. The expression on Vash's face was answer enough for him.
Scattered memories of July City made their way to Vash's conscious mind. He remembered how terrified he was when it happened. The blackout ... then, upon waking, he found himself in the midst of immeasurable carnage. Even now, though he could control it, it scared him. No one should be allowed that kind of power - not even him.
"That was him, wasn't it?" Jet stated when Vash remained silent. He noted the confusion on the man's face. "Calcutta ..." Still, no indication Vash knew what he meant. Christ, he doesn't even know? "You haven't heard about that?"
"Heard about what?"
"Underground city, not far from here, it -"
"It's gone," Spike cut in. He flicked the ashes from the end of his cigarette. "Just like that. Thousands. It was a major center on Earth, now it's nothing but a crater in the ground."
"If what you told us about your brother is true," Jet quickly picked up as Spike reclined in his own chair. "Then he's probably the one responsible."
Vash only stared. He didn't have the words, only the emotions, and they overwhelmed him. First, the surge of sadness, which was quickly followed by anger at Knives for murdering thousands of innocent humans. Then, he turned his anger on himself for not being there to stop it.
You've really started this ... he thought as he heaved a sigh. The future has changed because of you. Because of ... us.
His joy in finding his friends turned into fear. They would most certainly be killed, along with the rest of the humans in this time period. Since his brother knew everything about them, Knives wouldn't be merciful in eliminating them. He imagined his brother would take perverse delight in torturing them and using their suffering to ultimately break him. That was how he operated.
"Vash?"
His head lifted when Jet said his name.
"You plan to stop him, right?"
"Yes. I have to. In order to save him."
"Save him?" Spike's brow arched in surprise. "Save him from what?"
"From himself."
Jet sat back in his chair as Spike leaned forward in his. "Just a goddamn minute, Vash." He narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't tell me you're sticking to your policy of 'no killing' in this case, too? Please, tell me that you're not, because if you are -"
Vash glanced at Jet. "My beliefs are no different just because the situation is, Mr. Spiegel."
Spike slammed a fist into the table as he rose to his feet. "You can't be serious!"
"I'm sorry, but -"
Spike pointed a finger in Vash's face. "Don't. Just ... don't. I put up with this on your planet because the enemy wasn't much of a threat. We're talking about a guy wielding the power to annihilate whole cities. You only have one option, Vash."
Vash sighed as he shook his head. He was like Wolfwood - set in the belief that killing solved problems instead of creating them. Blood followed blood. Someone had to break the cycle where Knives was concerned, not allow it to continue. "I thought you would've learned from your previous experiences," he quietly said. "Obviously, you haven't."
"No," Spike shot back as he rounded the table. He jabbed his finger an inch from Vash's nose as he continued. "You are in our world now. Your future depends on what you do here, not mine."
"You have a short-sighted view of things."
"Really?" Spike couldn't help but laugh. "How do you come to that conclusion? Because I want to eliminate a threat? Or is it because the threat is your own brother?"
"Who Knives is to me has nothing to do with it."
"Then what's so wrong with my solution?" Spike rested the palms of his hands on the table as he leaned down towards Vash. "What?"
Jet opened his mouth to call Spike off, but Vash lifted a hand to keep him quiet. With a puzzled expression on his face, Jet did as requested. After looking deep into Spike's eyes, Vash evenly replied, "Imagine how different things would be ... if someone had made that kind of decision about you not so long ago?"
Spike stared at him, unable to respond. He was stunned, really. How in the hell does he know about that? I never told him anything about my past. He glanced at Jet who was equally as surprised. Okay. Neither did Jet.
Faye entered the orphanage then stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the look on Spike's face, along with the complete silence between everyone. She side-glanced when Meryl came to a halt beside her. The other woman tensed, almost immediately. The uncomfortable air in the room was nearly tangible.
What happened? Faye wondered. Her gaze shifted to Vash who stared up at Spike with that stoic expression on his face.
The uneasy scene was interrupted by Ed's voice calling out.
"Aye! Vashy! Spike! Big trouble on Mars!" She turned away from her computer monitor and lifted up her goggles. That's when she finally noticed how still everyone else in the room was. The girl pointed to her monitor. "Um ... News report says there's trouble back home."
"What kind of trouble?" Jet asked as he approached Ed.
"Same kind Earth has," she answered as the others gathered around. She clicked a key to bring up the sound on the monitor.
"Shit ..." Faye breathed as the monitor flashed images of what was left of one of the many major spaceports on Mars. She looked over to Spike then Jet. They were equally grave - or maybe they were scared. She rarely saw either of them afraid. They'd never had to deal with this sort of threat before.
Vash crouched down behind Ed, folding his hands together as he watched the camera pan over the remains of the spaceport. It pulled back and revealed the damage went beyond that, many blocks in perfect circle, away from the port.
It's just like July City. How did you become this way Knives? He bowed his head as he closed his eyes. I tried. Rem tried. Why do you refuse to change?
Meryl looked from the monitor to the back of Vash's bowed head. She didn't know what to say - this was worse than anything they'd faced before. She wondered if he would survive. Not in the physical sense, but mentally and emotionally. He'd nearly vanished after he was forced to kill Legato, in order to save her and Milly from certain death.
"We saw him -" one of the terrified survivors told the reporter. Tears streamed down the young woman's face, her hands shook as she recalled the perpetrator. "His eyes ... his voice ... he called himself ... Vash the Stampede."
Spike took a drag from his cigarette then looked down at the real Vash the Stampede. "You still think 'no killing' is an option?" he asked. For once, there wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his tone. This level of seriousness was rare.
Vash threaded his fingers through his hair then sighed. He didn't know what to say, what to do, or where to start. He noticed Ed gazing over her shoulder at him. He tried to smile. She didn't have to ask - he already knew her question: What will you do? He didn't have an answer.
Jet stepped forward, arms folded across his chest as he gazed on Vash. He waited until the other man looked up at him before he spoke. "I won't sit on the sidelines anymore." He shifted his gaze to Spike, who only continued to smoke his cigarette as though it were his last.
"How do you plan to stop him?"
"By any means necessary."
He sighed inwardly then let his gaze drop to the floor in front of him. "I only have one thing to ask of you ..."
"What's that?" Spike flatly asked.
He lifted his head. "When we find Knives, you give me a chance to reason with him. I was trying to before he brought us here. I need another chance. Please."
Faye bit her lower lip as she looked from Vash to Jet and Spike. She didn't want to go through with this; it was too dangerous. They were bounty hunters, not heroes. Stupid people with no regard for their personal safety did this kind of crap. Still, she kept her mouth shut and waited for the other two to respond.
"All right," Jet finally replied. He ignored the glare that earned him from Spike. "But, if I'm left with no other options ..."
"We kill him," Spike finished. He didn't blink or look away when Vash turned to him. He only took one last drag on his cigarette and exhaled the smoke.
"I won't let it come to that."
"What about you, Faye?"
Faye snapped out of her daze. She looked from Vash to Jet, then asked, "What about me?"
"You seemed adamant about not getting involved earlier," Jet answered. "I want to know if you're going to be a part of it."
"Risk herself for somebody other than herself?" Spike snorted with laughter. He snuffed out his cigarette in one of the empty plates on the table. "You must be kidding, Jet."
Faye's eyes narrowed at him. He talks as though he's some great crusader for the people! How dare he?
"You don't have to do anything, Faye," Vash assured her. "In fact, it might be better if you didn't. Someone should stay here with Ed."
"Hey! I'm going, too!" Ed declared as she jumped to her feet, her hands firmly on her hips. "You aren't leaving me behind again!"
Meryl placed a hand on Ed's shoulder. "This will be extremely dangerous, Ed. You're safer here, with Sister Clara."
"Which is exactly why I want you to stay, too."
Meryl's head snapped up when she heard Vash say that. "What? You aren't leaving me here, either! I've come this far with you, Vash! And I'll be there until the very end!"
Ed nodded firmly as she stepped in front of Meryl and looked up at Vash. "Yeah!"
Before he could object, though, Faye spoke up.
"She's right." She saw the amusement on Spike's face and the mild surprise on Jet's. She shifted her attention to Vash. "If I'm going to die, then it'll be on my terms. It's not like I care about any of this." She tried sound nonchalant about it as she waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Besides ... we stop him and there's a major bounty we can collect on."
"You would bring that up, wouldn't you?" Spike snorted.
She pretended as though he hadn't said anything. "We'd better get going if we plan to catch him." With that, she left the orphanage.
Ed grabbed her computer, called a few quick goodbyes to her friends and followed.
"I'll ... get the rest of our things," Meryl quietly said to Vash then she disappeared down the hallway.
When Meryl was gone, Vash turned to Jet and Spike. "I appreciate your help."
"For now," Spike murmured.
"One day, you'll realize there's always another option." Vash left them to speak with Sister Clara once more.
Jet sighed. "You have any idea how difficult this is gonna be with him around?" he asked, keeping his voice low so the blond couldn't hear.
Spike shrugged. He watched Vash, along with Meryl now, talk to Clara. "It won't be as difficult as you think." He side-glanced at Jet. "It's about time Vash had a lesson in the cold, hard realities of life."
An eyebrow arched. "And you're the one to give him that lesson?"
"I may have to soon."
"What makes you say that?"
Spike met Jet's gaze. "The spaceport his brother erased? It's not too far from the building Vicious uses as his headquarters. And, considering how much business the Syndicate did from it, his guys'll be out in full force ... hunting this Knives down. I'm certain to run into ... old friends."
Mars Phoenix Corp. Building-Top Floor
Shin entered the vast room with more caution than he ever had before. He narrowed his eyes, squinting through the dim light at the man sitting alone near the far wall. As he neared, he noticed the fatigue in Lord Vicious' features. His posture wasn't as rigid as usual and he appeared to not notice Shin, now in front of him. It wasn't like the boss of the Red Dragon Syndicate to be like this - but ever since Spike returned from oblivion ...
Vicious raised his head, his emotionless gaze settling on the man who'd become his right hand in the last ten years. He didn't have to ask his question. The answer was all over Shin's face.
"He didn't come," was the low comment.
Shin shook his head. "No, sir." He swallowed and shifted uneasily in place. His uneasiness wasn't entirely because Spike failed to show himself, it was mostly for another reason. Before he could mention it, Vicious continued.
"He's changed." He sat back in the chair, his hands grasping the arms tightly. "The old Spike, he wouldn't have been able to resist the bait I left for him."
"Perhaps he didn't understand - "
"He understood," Vicious cut in. He watched Shin outwardly flinch. As loyal as the man was, he was almost useless as anything but an errand boy. If Spike had stayed where he should've ... they would be ruling the Red Dragons. He wouldn't be in his current position, alone, without another person he could wholly trust.
"I apologize," Shin quietly said, bowing his head briefly. Still, he couldn't help but believe that Spike didn't understand the message rather than that he chose to not come. The latter was Spike's goal upon reappearing out of nowhere two years ago. He'd hunted down the men who'd killed Julia, then spent the rest of his time desperately attempting to get close enough to Vicious to kill him, too.
"I opened my door," Vicious said as if he'd read Shin's thoughts. "He chose to not walk through it."
"Maybe that's for the best, sir. For everyone."
Vicious leaned forward. "No. It's not. As long as he's a loose end, it's not for the best." A moment later, he reclined in his chair. "Did you send Lao to search for him?"
"Yes. And ... that's part of the reason I'm here." Shin shifted in place again. "Lao, his men ... well. Most of them are ... dead." He glanced at Vicious who only folded his hands together. "Something happened. At the spaceport." He could feel his boss staring right through him. "It was ... destroyed." Another glance at Vicious. The man registered absolutely no emotion on his face. "No one's quite sure about the entire story, but they believe that this Vash the Stampede was responsible."
He sat back in his chair, gathering together his thoughts. Yes, he'd heard what this Vash had done on Earth. Frankly, it hadn't concerned him. Now, however, the man was on Mars, and operating less than 20 blocks from his building.
"Are you aware how much business we conduct through that spaceport, Shin?"
He nodded. "Yes, sir."
Vicious looked away. This outsider could prove more troublesome than Spike if he wasn't eliminated. After a moment, he returned his cold gaze to Shin. "Lao Chan ... he's still alive?" he quietly inquired.
"Y-yes, sir."
"Have him track down this Vash the Stampede ... and kill him."
He stared at Vicious, stunned. Had the man not realized that Vash the Stampede could annihilate thousands with some mysterious power? He only wanted to send Lao? Of course, Lao was second only to Vicious in the realm of sadism and the use of terror, but against a man like that? He couldn't be serious, could he? He didn't dare question the order. Still, he doubted that Lao would shy away from the assignment - he'd lost some of his best men at that spaceport.
Bowing at the waist, Shin backed away from Vicious. "I'll inform him immediately, Lord Vicious." With that, he turned smartly on his heel and exited the room.
Vicious watched the doors close behind Shin. He looked to the floor, his thoughts wandering back to Spike. Had his old friend, his brother, changed so much in 12 years? If so, what had made him change? What kept him from walking right into what was certain death? He pressed the heel of one hand to his forehead, the stress of the situation beginning to wear on him.
"Maybe you should leave it alone," a woman's voice said from behind him. "Spike, I mean."
His head lifted when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "He's a problem," was his reply to the person lingering in the shadows.
"Because you allow him to be."
He clasped his hands together and rested his elbows on the arms of his chair. His eyes narrowed slightly as he placed his chin on the tops of his fingers. "No. He allows himself to be," he coolly replied.
MacGruder whistled lowly as he stepped through the remains of a residential apartment complex about ten blocks away from the spaceport. He'd seen a lot of things during his time as a soldier, and he'd done twice as much, but this ... this was a level of destruction and carnage no one had known. Not for at least sixty years. Buildings beyond the ten block mark were marred and somehow managed to remain standing. This was the limit of the weapon, whatever the hell that was, Vash the Stampede had used to eradicate the spaceport and thousands of innocent lives.
He squatted down and picked up a charred doll from the rubble. So many died instantly and, easily, double that number were wounded. His fingers brushed over the doll's tattered dress. He wondered if the child it belonged to had been home when the building came down. He scanned the area, then looked back to the toy. It reminded him of another time ... another place ...
Linares carefully stepped over a large support beam and gingerly made her way towards her partner. She stopped just behind him but didn't say anything. She knew what was on his mind - the Dubois Colony Uprising five years ago. Dubois had been the source of much needed material for a vital government project, and when the residents revolted, the military was sent to quell them. They'd done a more than satisfactory job. Linares and MacGruder would've received promotions, if they hadn't resigned afterward.
"What did you find out?" MacGruder quietly asked. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She had to remember it, too. Dubois Colony. The massacre. The murder of hundreds of innocent people who were only fed up with the way they were treated. They were used, abused and practically slave labor. The government couldn't lose the valuable material mined on that hunk of rock. Not if they wanted their plan to save the future of humanity to succeed.
"Witnesses are giving the same general description - tall, blond, cold eyes and a long red coat." She placed her hands on her hips as she gave the area a once over. "Not a whole lot to go on, Nate."
"The chase has only begun." He rose to his feet and turned to her. "Anybody we know followin' this thing?"
She shrugged. "Saw Simon Baker's crew. A few others, but I doubt they'll stick with it. They were mostly poking around, trying to see who was out. The universe is terrified of this guy. We're just too stupid to know better."
"I doubt we're the only ones, Linares."
"You are hoping to run into Spike Spiegel, aren't you?"
"If we run across him, so be it." He looked away from the doll still in his hands as screams from a time he wanted to forget echoed through his head. "How many people survived this ... massacre?"
"Don't know." She studied him for a moment. She'd not seen him this way in ages. She worried the distraction would get him hurt - or killed. "They're still finding bodies in the rubble."
"But no survivors?"
"Ten blocks were nearly incinerated, Nate. What do you expect?"
His fingers tightened around the doll. "Something other than pointless death."
The sound of glass crunching made both of them look up. To Linares' left, a group of men dressed in sharp suits and long, black coats made their way across what was left of the apartment building.
"We have unwelcome guests," Linares murmured. As one of the men lifted his arm, the sleeve of his coat pulled back enough to reveal a telling tattoo on his forearm. "Syndicate thugs. Red Dragons."
MacGruder's jaw clenched as the men neared. He recognized the bastard with the long, dark hair leading them. He and Linares had crossed paths with the guy before - the man was searching for Spike Spiegel at the time. MacGruder often wondered what kind of shit Spiegel had gotten himself into to have the Red Dragons chasing him.
Lao Chan smirked slightly when he, too, recognized the people before him. "Mr. MacGruder." He looked to Linares, smiling a little. "And your lovely partner, Ms. Linares." He clasped his gloved hands together in front of him. "I don't suppose I need to ask you why you're here."
MacGruder snorted. "Don't tell me that you've gone into the bounty hunting business, too?"
"The hunting we do isn't for profit," Lao replied. He glanced around at the detritus they stood in. "Seems dangerous, don't you think? Is this really worth 150 million woolongs?"
"300 million, actually," MacGruder corrected. "Mars government matched the Earth offer not but an hour ago. See, us real bounty hunters are privy to that kind of knowledge." He shrugged. "As for being worth it ... who knows? We've only just begun." He looked to the half dozen Syndicate goons accompanying Lao. "You still tryin' to find Spiegel?"
"You know where we can find him?"
MacGruder smiled. "Like I told you last time, ain't seen him in weeks. Right, Linares?"
Linares rested her hands on the grips of both her guns, which were holstered to her waist with a belt. She noticed Lao's men tense as she did so, but they didn't make any further movements. "No, sir," she replied, shaking her head. "Not for a while."
Lao scoffed tightly as he flicked his gaze between Linares and MacGruder. "Care to tell me where you last saw him, then?"
The male bounty hunter shrugged. "I forget." He smiled a little wider when Lao narrowed his eyes at him. "You recall where we saw'im last, Sarge?"
"No. Can't say that I do. Been a lotta places in the last few weeks."
"They tend to mix together in your memory," MacGruder explained. He sighed. "Sorry we couldn't be of any help to you again, pal. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse us, my associate and I have a very important bounty to nab."
"Of course." Lao never took his eyes off of the two as they headed in the opposite direction from which he and his men came. "You'll be sure to contact us if you run across Spiegel, won't you?"
MacGruder only waved a hand in response.
"Lord Vicious could make it well worth your trouble," he added. He frowned as the two continued on their way, without even acknowledging his comment. "No good bounty hunters. I loathe their kind. What honor is there in what they do?"
"Do you believe he'll ever give Spiegel up, sir?" one of the men asked as he joined Lao.
"MacGruder may not like Spiegel any more than we do ... but he has a certain amount of respect for him." The two finally vanished from Lao's sight. "I rather admire it."
The man stared at Lao's profile for a moment then looked in the direction MacGruder had gone. If Vicious knew about this, he would've ordered Lao to torture the man and his partner to gain the information they desired. Still, he'd never tell their boss. He feared Lao almost as much as Vicious.
"Let's find the man we were sent out here for ... this Vash the Stampede." Lao motioned for the others to follow him and they left the area.
Once they were gone, Knives stepped out of the darkness of two nearby buildings that had managed to remain standing. A grin spread across his face as he gazed in the direction the Syndicate members had left. Someone was looking for him? How interesting. His eyes shifted to the other direction, where the bounty hunters went. They, too, searched for him, but that wasn't what interested him about them. It was a name - one he knew.
Spike Spiegel. Yes, brother, I remember the story of April City well. The priest wasn't forthcoming with the details, but I have other sources.
He chuckled. If those looking for Spiegel were also searching for him, well, he'd gladly allow himself to be found.
End Chapter Six
Song Title Used: "Wayward Angel" - Kasey Chambers
