FORTY-EIGHT: past life

"Have a seat, Miss Valentine," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Faye glared at the old man suspiciously, gun raised only slightly, poised to come back down to his face where she could pull the trigger and end his miserable life in a blink. Problem was, he stood over Edward. There was a round object in his hand, a grenade, she knew, and if she killed him he would drop it. She could probably get out before the thing blew, but there'd be no saving Ed. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization.

So she knew she couldn't shoot him.

"Come now, come now. Please sit down." Quinn smirked, arching his brow as he tilted his head. In the dim light of the room, he looked quite devilish.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather be standing," she growled through gritted teeth.

The old man eyed her and leaned against the console. "So be it. Rem?"

A light shimmered in the middle of the room. The holographic image from before appeared there. "Yes Jed?"

"Knives is becoming a more than a simple thorn in my side. I was under the impression he had been dealt with. I'm assuming you had a great deal to do with his impossible evasion of the inevitable."

Rem shrugged. "You might say that. He designed me several years ago, and stabilized me in the Millennium Arc database. He thought that one day, if he and Vash were to mend the bridge between their hearts, I might aid in the mending."

"He is a bright sonuva bitch, isn't he?"

Rem glanced over to Faye, who watched her, wide-eyed.

"More so than you know."

Quinn held his head high as he peered at her. "Why these bounty hunters, Rem? What is the purpose?"

Rem eyed him. "They're purpose is to provide Knives with the most efficient team possible in defending the Millennium Arc from your army of clones."

"Bullshit! There's a psychological jab in everything that bastard does, little lady. Don't you dare start quoting statistics!" He drew a slow breath, fixing Faye with a stare, before turning back to the hologram. "The question is, why?"

"It's Spike," Faye mumbled. "It has to be. Why else? Spike's the only one who can beat Vash, so he picked Spike."

"That's not exactly the psychological jab I was suggesting, princess," Quinn grumbled.

"What happened to Lucy the Liar?"

"You look more like a princess to me," the old man said, a genuine smile on his lips. "Now Rem, answer the question."

Vash held Meryl to his chest as he dropped down several decks, deeper into the Millennium Arc, and felt the jolt race up his spin as his feet connected with the titanium floor. He returned her to her feet. They eyed each other briefly.

"Where next?" she asked, brushing her hair from her face. At least when it was shorter, it hadn't gotten in her face so much. As much as Vash liked it longer, it certainly could be a pain in the ass. "They're still right behind us, aren't they?"

"It won't be long," he replied gently, trying to reassure her as he slipped his gaze to the darkness overhead. As of that moment, he couldn't see his clones. Still, he knew they weren't far behind. He wondered how that oath would hold true: with their victory, or their deaths. "This way," he said, pointing down the hall, making a conscious attempt to clear his mind of those fearful thoughts. "Renaissance room."

She eyed him quizzically. "Renaissance room?"

"You'll see. Let's just keep moving."

In that moment, clones started leaping over the railing toward them. Vash let out a yelp and grabbed her by the waist, making a beeline into the shadows of the corridor.

"Faye Valentine was chosen because of her past life," Rem said slowly. Faye's eyes shot up to her, wide, as her face paled. Past life? Chosen for what? "Before the lunar gate explosion that crippled the Earth, and which eventually resulted indirectly to the establishment of Project SEEDS, Faye was known as Ashley Dawn Snyder. She was eighteen years old when she was placed in a cryogenic chamber."

Faye finally lowered herself into a chair, only dimly aware of the sound her gun made as it clattered to the floor.

"It was then that Project SEEDS was set in motion by Dr. Jebidiah Quinn and his business partner Alexander Snyder. Alex was Ashley's brother."

"Oh?" Quinn arched a brow, peering slowly over to Faye. He leaned over the console, fiddling with something, watching the monitor. "The plot thickens."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

He made sure that whatever he'd been doing was completed before turning back to face her. "Don't you understand? You and I are connected indirectly through Project SEEDS. I was its chief benefactor that set Project SEEDS in motion, and you were onboard the very ship for which Project SEEDS was greenlighted." Quinn leaned forward, smirking. "That is just delicious."

"Faye Valentine, you are the sister of the man Rem Saverem fell in love with. Maybe you've figured it out on your own, but Rem is the woman I was modeled after," Rem said gently, approaching. "Alex was killed before Project SEEDS left Earth, so Rem Saverem went in his stead. She never knew it was Quinn. Knives found out years after her death, because Quinn told him."

"Yeah, well Ashley Snyder is dead," Faye grumbled, staring at the floor. "She died a long time ago, too. My name's Faye Valentine."

"Knives brought you here because of your lineage, Ashley," Rem said gently. "Faye, if you would prefer."

Faye blinked. "And why is that?"

"Because only you can avenge your brother's death."

Vash guided Meryl into a vast room, dark and dreary. Only one light shone in the entire room, way in the back where the gateship's plant connected to was plugged into the computer mainframe. It reminded the plant-spawn of the light at the end of the tunnel, calling to him like an angel seeking his own retribution. He looked quickly about, confirming that they were alone, and touched a button on the wall. He took Meryl's arm as he ripped the Angel Arm magnum from it's holster.

"Get over to the plant," he said gently. "It's gonna get real crowded in here."

She drew a slow breath and took her rifle from her shoulder with a nod. She had already turned to run when he shot an arm out and took hold of her again. He spun her to him and kissed her, a long, slow passionate kiss that ignited his desires. When they parted, she touched his cheek and looked up to him.

"Get going."

She nodded, and then clutched his hand in one of hers. "Vash?"

"Yeah?"

"You'd better not go and die on me, you got that? You'd better not die."

He grinned and squeezed her hand. "Yes ma'am."

"They have him," Stryker said softly, peering to the viewscreen. Knives stood there, clearly in their vision, a golden light surrounding him. A beam from the ship, tractor beam most likely. The plant-spawn couldn't move. He'd dropped his Angel Arm magnum and stood stiffly, just waiting. "It was activated from main engineering."

Morgante growled. "Quinn."

"Yeah." Stryker's heart pounded in his ears as he glanced quickly up to the massive bulk of a man, the Gung-Ho Gun, that stood over him. "I've got to do something," the plant-spawn said. He rose to his full height. "Any ideas?"

"We have to trigger a trilithium burst," Morgante said quietly.

Stryker swallowed. "You mean the Angel Arms."

"It's the only way."

Stryker was a clone. He recalled Knives telling them of the "safety" trigger he'd planted in the cloned DNA. An auto-destruct sequence. By the look on Morgante's face, he knew what the plant was thinking. Stryker eyed the vast bridge. "Escape pods," he said under his breath. He started to turn, only to freeze as he came face to face with Milly Thompson, with Jet Black at her side.

She had an angry glint in her eyes as she watched back. "Excuse me?"

Stryker drew a slow breath. "I'm taking a little trip outside."

"To do what?"

"I have to finish this," he said, touching her shoulder. "Someone has to finish it."

Milly's lip quivered as she stared at him, fists clenched. His shoulders rose and fell as he sighed heavily, and touched her shoulder. "I have to go," he said gently, starting away from him. She stopped him, grabbing his wrist and spinning him toward her. "Milly!"

"I won't loose you!" she blubbered, looking up at him. "I lost Nick and I'm sure as hell not gonna loose you, too, Sean! I can't loose you!"

Stryker drew a slow breath and touched her shoulder, steadying her. She shoulders heaved with heavy sobs, and he gazed sympathetically into her eyes. "If I don't do this, we loose all of it."

The Renaissance room had already started to fill with clones. Vash stood in the center, standing at the ready, arms laying limp at his sides as he clutched his Angel Arm magnum in his right hand. He narrowed his eyes breathing deeply, slowly, waiting. He realized very quickly that there were only a handful of them. Just as well. What Vash intended for these men would take concentration.

They surged forward. A gunshot echoed through the room. The blast knocked one of the clones from his feet as his chest exploded on impact. The sound of the sound of the bolt of Meryl's rifle followed the near dead silence as the clones stared in shock at their fallen comrade. Then, they started after Vash again.

Another gunshot, another death. Meryl pulled the bolt back once more. The clones froze again. By the way the sound echoed in the massive chamber, Vash knew they were having difficulty figuring out where the gun was being fired from. But that was not the reason he'd chosen the Renaissance room to make their stand. Shrugging the tension easily from his shoulders, Vash closed his eyes.

You out there? he thought, a sly smile touching his lips.

The plant's thoughts echoed in his head, as clear as if it had spoken to him directly: As always, old friend. I didn't think you'd be coming home.

Vash smiled at the voice in his head. I know you didn't. There was a long time I would've agreed with you. But now I'm home, aren't I? And, I brought that woman we used to talk about. Remember Meryl?

There was a warmth, an affectionate feeling that he took as a telepathic embrace. How could I forget? She was on your mind all the time, especially after you brought Knives back.

Did Knives tell you how to trigger the auto-destruct in the clones?

There was no hesitation in the answer. Yes.

Vash smiled grimly. "I need your help," he said aloud as the clones began to surround him. A hand clutched his arm. He spun about and buried the muzzle into the soft flesh beneath the jaw of a nearby likeness. The hot spray of blood and bone and brains splattered his face as a bullet torched through his adversary's skull. Vash grit his teeth and gave a kick to rid himself of the corpse. The heat of the battle was on him.

A dozen more clones spilled mercilessly into the room, this time racing for him.

"The trilithium!" Vash bellowed up the plant, dormant to him in all but the voice in his head. Vash wondered what was taking so long.

I…can't.

What do you mean you can't? Vash turned this way and that, blasting away at the advancing clones. He was moving quickly. As he emptied his weapon, he unleash his machine gun and reloaded the magnum, holding the fresh spool of bullets in his teeth as he filled the air about him with hot lead. Occasionally he heard the blast of Meryl's rifle. The shots were coming quicker now, with determination. He hoped she wouldn't be found out.

And then it struck him. Meryl. She was why the plant hadn't unleashed the trilithium wave. If she struck now, Meryl would be caught in the wave of radiation. Vash was immune. He had been born of trilithium crystals as they merged human flesh and blood to the energy beings that powered Project SEEDS. He was immune to the radiation that a plant could emit. Meryl was not.

I'm running out of ammo! Can you get her out of here?

A sharp pain shot up his right arm. Vash let out a yelp; he had to strain to keep hold of the his magnum. Blood dribbled down his forearm and made his fingers slippery. Turning his anger on the culprit, Vash loosed another volley from his machine gun.

Another bullet struck him just below the right knee. He crumpled.

"Vash!" Meryl's voice was a sharp shriek that drew the attention of the clones. They identified the threat—the rifle set against her shoulder—and started toward her.