Note: Id like to give credit to my friend, Hannah, for helping me out with this chapter. So thanks, Hannah.
Vash and Chloe stood outside waiting for Milly and Meryl to finish up. Vash leaned against a pole, his glasses hanging over his eyes, and Chloe sat beside him, her head resting in her hands. "Hey! What are you two doing here?" They turned their heads to see Wolfwood heading their way.
"Wolfwood. Your back." Vash said, sounding surprised.
"Yup! Are we ready to go?"
"Not yet. Milly and Meryl are inside mailing reports." Chloe said with a bored expression.
Wolfwood was about to respond when Milly and Meryl walked up to them, greeting him briefly. Meryl looked annoyed and Milly had tears in her eyes when everyone noticed a girl following from behind them. "Who is she?"
The girl pushed through Milly and Meryl and walked up to Vash and Chloe. "My name is Hanako and I was sent by the Bernardelli Insurance Society to keep temporary surveillance on the legendary gunman, Vash the Stampede!" she stood up tall, her fist over her chest.
"Uh, what do you mean 'temporary surveillance'?" Chloe leaned back.
"She means she is taking over our job for a while!" Meryl shouted, disappointed.
"...And we have to go back to the office!" Milly began to cry even more.
"So are you Vash the Stampede?" Hanako looked over to Vash.
Vash stood there, admiring the beautiful young women, he stepped forward and began to introduce himself, "I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton- Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser the Third. Don't hesitate to call."
"That's a yes." Chloe interrupted.
Hanako looked up at Vash, blinked, and grew a sneaky grin, "Oh, you're a cutie!" she placed her hand on his shoulder and slowly moved closer. "Really?" Vash's face turned red and he also began to lean in closer.
Suddenly Chloe moved in, slapping Vash and knocking him to the ground, "Ok! That's enough of that!"
Vash looks up, gasping, a hand print on his face. "What did you do that for!" Hanako screamed.
"What do you think you were doing?"
"I was just getting to know this so-called 'legendary gunman'!"
Vash was watching the two argue when he noticed Hanako's extremely short skirt and began to creep over to catch a peek. Chloe, noticing this event quickly slammed her foot, making contact with the Humanoid Typhoon. "Uggh!"
He fell back to the ground, Chloe's foot resting on his back as she continued to yell, "You shouldn't be getting involved with your work!"
"Humph!" Hanako leaned down slowly over to Vash and murmured, "Sorry hun, I wasn't that interested anyways."
Vash sighed and felt let down when Meryl stepped in. "We need to go back to the house and get our things so Milly and I can get going. We'll see you guys later." Meryl walked past Wolfwood looking uncheerful. "Come on, Milly!"
Milly followed along, tears still running down her face, "Meryl wait!"
Vash, Wolfwood, Chloe, and Hanako watched them walk down the road until they could no longer be seen. Hanako brushed the dirt of her skirt and noticed Wolfwood, "I noticed you had a cross. Are you a priest?"
"Yes, Im Wolfwood, the traveling priest. Im a friend of Vash's." Wolfwood held onto his cross and smiled.
Chloe smiled as she reached down to help the poor Vash up. "Nice to meet you." Hanako paused, "Now that Im here I should inform my bo-!"
A scream rang out from a nearby bank and people began to panic, running away from the area and gathering into crowds. A man past the four, his face full of dread, "Someone's firing at the bank! He's taking people hostage!"
"Hmm?" Chloe and Hanako both turned their heads towards the commotion.
Vash became concerned and pulled out his gun. He held it up, looking over at the bank. "You aren't really going over there are you?" Wolfwood questioned.
"I have to." Vash turned his head back, showing a smile.
He began to run towards the bank, pushing through the crowds. Chloe, seeing this, followed after, shouting, "Hey Vash, wait!" Wolfwood and Hanako joined in the chase.
Vash reached the double door building and continued inside until he saw, standing in the middle of the room, a man pointing a gun at several hostages. Chloe, Wolfwood, and Hanako caught up and gasped when they saw what was happening. Vash stepped forward when the man saw them standing in the doorway. "Hey what are you doing-?" Hanako lifted a hand trying to stop Vash, but froze when Wolfwood shook his head.
"Stay back!" the man seemed very nervous and uneasy.
" I don't want to hurt you mister. Just put your gun down slowly and let the people go. Lets discuss this peacefully." Vash pointed his gun at the man, "Don't move or I'll shoot!"
The man suddenly stopped moving and began to laugh uncontrollably. "Look!" Hanako pointed to the hostages who were also laughing, their faces covered in the shadows.
"Huh?" Vash murmured and slowly lowered his gun.
"Uh, is it me or is something wrong with this picture?" Chloe looked about the people who had once looked like helpless hostages.
"Is it a trap?" Wolfwood questioned cautiously.
All of a sudden the man and the hostages faces went blank and they fell to the ground in pieces. "Puppets?"
What is going on? Vash thought.
"Did they just break into pieces? I am so confused!" Hanako cried, moving back slowly.
Vash gasped and ran back outside looking around rapidly. Where is he? Could it be, Legato?
Suddenly Vash and the others froze when the sound of gun shots phoned through the area. They all began running back to Chloe's house. "That sounded like it came from your house, Chloe!" Chloe became troubled.
"Who is this Legato person?" Hanako asked, running along side Chloe.
"Don't ask me! Im just as lost as you are!" Chloe answered back.
Vash began to speed up when he heard a cry that sounded like Meryl! He busted into the house and ran to the insurance girls room. He opened the door violently. Legato stood by the window, the usual evil grin curved across his face. Wolfwood, Chloe, and Hanako caught up and peered in from behind Vash. "What did you do! Where are they!" Vash shouted furiously.
"You've come, Vash the Stampede. Don't worry, your friends are fine, for now. If you want them back safely I suggest you find him. Im sure you know who I mean." Legato began to laugh, "I left you a little present so you won't forget."
"I'll be seeing you, Vash the Stampede." Legato disappeared with those final words.
Vash grew furious and clenched his fists. "I understand now! The puppets were a distraction!" Wolfwood realized.
Vash turned to Chloe and Hanako. "What's wrong, Chloe?"
Chloe's face began to fill with fright. She froze and tears gathered in her eyes and began to pour. Vash turned to see a sack in a puddle of blood, an arm laying out of the end. Chloe slowly stepped toward it and fell to her knees, her face hidden. She shook uncontrollably and tears appeared on the floor. "I don't get it! What is going on? Who's Legato and who does he want you to find?" Hanako knelt down next to Chloe and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Im going!" Vash murmured.
"Hey wait! Are you sure you wanna do this?" Wolfwood stopped Vash.
Vash pushed through, responding, "I have too!"
"Well then Im coming." Wolfwood smiled, "Can't let you have all the fun."
"Im going too..." Chloe faintly said and she stood up slowly, tears still in her eyes.
Hanako joined her and stood up adding, "Me too. Its my job!"
"No! You two stay! Its too dangerous!" Vash explained.
Chloe stomped up to Vash, "No way! After what he did!" her face became hidden again, "He was like a brother to me..."
Vash sighed, his expression more serious. "Fine, lets go!"