TRIGUN: THE PLANTED ANGEL CHAPTER 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun.

Author's note: This is a short chapter. (Only about six pages.) So your eyes shouldn't have to suffer too much.

CHAPTER 3: BETRAYAL & FRIENDSHIP

Izy was broken down because of what she did. What would Wolfwood do to her if he found out what she's done?

"Isabel Marie Rodriguez! Answer me! What did you do?"

She looked into his dark eyes & was momentarily shocked by seeing her own, frightened reflection in his eyes.

"I have betrayed my friends. That man… Knives. He told me I could see you again if I brought him Vash the Stampede…"

"So what are you crying about? This is a good thing! Now we won't have that menace in this world anymore."

She slapped her brother square on the cheek. His eyes went wide in shock as he looked back at his little sister.

"You're wrong! You don't know him like I do! Vash is a good man… And I did something horrible; I know it, but… I'm sorry Dominguez. Please, forgive me…"

Dominguez shook his head. "No. There's no need for you to ask my forgiveness. I'm just happy to see you again."

He hugged her in a warm embrace but Isabel didn't hug back. She just sat there, staring into nothing.

"We have to save him… some how…"

Dominguez looked at his little sister & lifted her face up so she looked at him. "What happened here? Tell me everything."

And so she did. She told him about her first meeting with Knives then how she met Vash & Wolfwood. She told her about what Knives first asked her to do & what he told her to do after he changed his mind.

Dominguez took this all in seriously as he sat back. "Well, it seems you've gotten yourself into a predicament."

"Yes it does. Wolfwood is back at my house. We should go now before he wakes up to find me gone."

(CHANGE SCENES! BACK AT THE CATHEDRAL!) (snicker)

Vash opened his eyes to the high ceilings of the old cathedral, the warm colorful light shining down on him from a tall window.

"I'll have to thank Ms. Izy for her help properly. She did a fine job drugging you & the priest."

Vash sat up straight on the bench & glared at his brother, who was seated on the steps before the altar.

"What are you saying?"

Knives chuckled maniacally. "You mean you don't remember? Isabel. She's the one who gained the trust of Wolfwood & yourself. She's the one who brought you here & she's the one who drugged you. Pretty crafty, isn't she?"

Vash couldn't believe what he was saying. "No! You're wrong! You did this! You & one of the Gun Ho Gun! Where's Isabel?"

Knives sighed. "You are so naïve, Vash. She is probably well on her way back to her house with her brother. I bet Wolfwood is going to wake up to a nasty surprise. I told you. She isn't the innocent little flower you thought she was. She's quite gifted with both the gun & home made poisons." Vash stood up, his fists & teeth clenched. He was trembling with anger.

"You… You made her do it, didn't you? WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Knives smirked & stood up. "All I did was promise her something. Something she wanted badly."

"What? What did you promise her? Did you promise her life to her you sick bastard?"

Knives looked at his brother with cold eyes, hard as stone. "Not her life. Her brother's life. It worked well enough. But, alas, I did not ask her to bring you here so I could kill you. I changed my mind. I brought you here to give you a second chance. Change your naïve ways of living, brother. I'm offering you a position of power. You'll need power when the new world order comes."

"New world order?" (For some reason, I like the way that sounds. NEW WORLD ORDER! It's got a nice ring to it. Like bologna.)

"Yes. Well, it's more like the destruction of this miserable little planet."

"Never! I will NEVER join you! I can't even bring myself to do something so damn evil! It's wrong! It's wrong & you know it!"

"Calm down brother. Calm down or I'll make you calm down."

"Really? What are you going to do? Fight me? Come on, then! Fight me!"

"Don't be foolish, brother. Reaper." He snapped his fingers & Vash vanished in a dark whirlwind.

(CHANGE SCENES! ISABELLA'S HOUSE!) (Gosh, this is redundant.)

Wolfwood's eyes opened after his long rest. They opened to the sight of a warm, sunlit bedroom furnished with two beds & dressers. He looked at the other bed. It was empty. He remembered now. He had taken a nap after breakfast.

"What time is it?" He stood up, but sat back down as a head rush made him dizzy.

"Whoa! Head rush." He cleared his head of the foggy haze that is sleep & stood up again.

He opened the door & the sound of low talking reached his ears. It was Isabel & someone Wolfwood couldn't recognize by voice. It was a man's voice, though, so he knew we had company.

He walked down the hall as he made for the stairs. He strained to hear another voice. The voice of his friend, Vash. But it never came. He walked down the stairs & into the kitchen.

What he saw & didn't see worried him. Isabel sat at the table with a mug in her hands. And next to her sat a man with the same dark skin & hair as Isabel's & eyes as dark as night.

"Well, who do we have here?"

Dominguez stood up, nearly knocking his chair down. But Izy placed a hand on his arm.

"It's ok, Dominguez. This is the priest I told you about."

Wolfwood looked at Izy then at Dominguez.

"So this is your brother? But I thought you said he was lost to you?"

"I was," Dominguez said. "But now I'm back."

He extended a hand to Wolfwood. "Padre, mucho gusto. Very pleased to meet you." (It's a little Spanish class as well as a story! Yay! -)

Wolfwood shook the extended hand with a smile. "Same here. No need for the padre bit. Just call me Wolfwood. Say, Izy. Where's that broom head Vash?"

At that, they both diverted their eyes from Wolfwood. Izy looked down into the coffee in her mug & Dominguez turned away.

He leaned against the wall & looked at his feet.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like the answer?"

"Because you won't," Isabel said, standing up. She walked over to Wolfwood & showed him the vile with the clear sleeping drought.

"I have to ask for your forgiveness my friend. I have done a great sin."

Wolfwood looked at the vile. "What's that?"

"It's what I used to drug your breakfast. That's why you were asleep for so long."

Wolfwood stepped back, his brows furrowing. "Why did you drug me, Isabel? Tell me."

Isabel sighed & seated herself in a chair.

"Please forgive me, Wolfwood. I drugged you so that I could take Vash to Knives."

At this, Wolfwood pulled a hand gun out & pointed it at her head. In response, Dominguez pulled out both Peace Makers from Izy's holster that were on the counter next to him.

"Enough," Izy said, calm & collected like she always liked to be. Wolfwood looked down at Isabella but didn't lower his gun.

"You are working for Knives?"

She shook her head. "Not anymore. I only did this one thing to get my brother back. I had to. He was the only family I had & I needed to see him again. I needed to see him alive. Wolfwood, please! I had no choice."

"Knives held your brother hostage?"

She nodded. Dominguez, who didn't lower his guns either, said, "He took my weapons & used this demon of a man to knock me out. Next thing I knew, I was being held prisoner in some cell."

Wolfwood lowered his gun & undid the hammer. He put it away & walked to the door. He stopped & said to them with his back facing them, "I'm sorry. I hope you can live a happy life with your brother, Isabel. May you be with God."

She smiled. "Vaya con Díos, Seńor Wolfwood." (That means Go with God, Mr. Wolfwood.)

Dominguez put the guns down & walked after Wolfwood. He grabbed his shoulder & turned him around. "You're not just leaving, are you?"

"Why not?"

Dominguez's eyes grew angry. He grabbed the front of Wolfwood's shirt. He was just a little shorter than Wolfwood but he was strong. "You aren't even going to help your friend? Vash needs your help!"

Wolfwood didn't even flinch. He simply looked Dominguez straight in the eyes & said, "Isabel just did my job for me. I've got no reason to help Vash."

Isabel stood up, eyes wide. "You mean you've been working for Knives all this time?"

Wolfwood nodded. "He hired me to protect Vash for him. But there's really no need for it now."

Dominguez, who was still holding Wolfwood by the shirt, punched him straight in the face. Wolfwood toppled to the ground as Dominguez stood before him.

"You are no priest. You shame the Lord! If you want to do your job, then you should protect Vash. He needs your protecting right now, you bato!"

Wolfwood rubbed his cheek & wiped some blood off his chin. He stood up, surprisingly, with a smile.

"You're right. I guess it took your brother here to sucker punch me to realize it. So what do you propose we do?"