Time for the next update. For my random switching of tense, that's a problem I have, because I tend to forget what tense I'm trying to use while writing, and looking back at what I've written so far doesn't help much. If you see it, overlook it unless it's really, REALLY ruining a scene. Oh, and I forgot the name of the tiger Mutate....sorry.

{Divide}

Xanatos Enterprises, April 15th, nightfall.

Sleep for Brooklyn was troubled, though none could tell, since he had, like always, become stone during it. Or was it becoming stone that made him sleep? He never asked. Either way, he was worried about Vash. He has seemed very upset when he left....and who was this "Legato" exactly? He knew that he caused death and destruction, from what Vash told him, but....there had to be more to it. Vash was too upset it seemed... The sun set, releasing the gargoyles from their sleep, and whatever dreams they had, though they had to break free of the stone "skin" that was always left. When Brooklyn awoke, he was still holding the Cross Punisher. He looked at it in thought for a moment, then looked around... Lexington was petting Bronx, Goliath and Angela had gone over to Elisa and Xanatos, discussing something. Hudson was looking over the city, and Broadway was trying to eavesdrop on the discussion.

"....Something's wrong..." He said aloud, but to himself.

"What?" Lexington asked.

"Huh? Oh...I don't know....it's just....I'm going out, okay?"

"Where are you-"Broadway started.

"ALONE....and I don't know anyway..." Brooklyn replied.

The fact he was going alone was enough to perk the interest of the others. Not only was that unusual for him, but he was acting a little differently than usual.

"Brooklyn, wait!" Goliath called out, though too late.

Brooklyn had already leapt off the tower to glide out somewhere, carrying the cross with him. True, it was heavy, at least according to some, but now, it didn't bother Brooklyn at all to carry, not even while gliding.

"Lexington, go after Brooklyn. We need him with us." Goliath commanded.

"Did something happen?" Hudson asked.

"A group of unidentified lunatics attacked the underground where my brother and the others are. They broke Fang out." Elisa replied.
"WHAT!?!" Lexington yelped.

"That's not all there is to it either," Xanatos noted, "Their apparent leader left a threat that they'd attack again after they 'concluded other business' as he put it."

"Then we'd better get over there to make sure they don't!" said Broadway.

Lexington ran over to the edge of the castle to look for Brooklyn.

"Terrific..." he groaned sarcastically, "I'm too late...I can't see him..."

"Where could he be going?" Angela wondered out loud.

{Divide}

Location undisclosed, April 15th, night.

Vash had come to, bound with rope and chain. He blinked, and wiggled a bit.

'I'm alive....what do they want with me?'

He then slipped free of the bonds.

"You know, they never seem to tie me up very well..."

He then checked himself to see if they took anything. His machine gun arm was intact and fully loaded. They either didn't notice it, or thought it was a prosthetic....a NORMAL one....his handgun was still there too. They must've discovered it was empty, or were pretty confident he wasn't escaping. Might've been both. However, he didn't have bullets on hand to put in it. That was one of the troubles of being a wandering drifter. You just can't afford things like that when you need to... His pen/radio was also gone.

"Well now, let's check what else..."

Vash examined his surroundings. Dark, with the smell of gunpowder and grease in the air. Human senses wouldn't have detected the smell, but given Vash isn't actually human, he could. He could also hear footsteps, so he quickly put the rope and chain back on, holding it so it looked tight, but also so he could let go and be free. A door opened, and a light was turned on. Vash saw mass-production machinery for weapons. Internally, he scowled in anger. He also saw the black-haired, ponytail sporting, blue eyed man enter, along with the person he apparently calls boss, a black man with glasses, walk in.

"So you're the one Johnson said took out the entire team sent to kill you...." the black man stated.

"Uh, hey, could you let me out of these? They're kind of tight!" He said, acting like the oblivious oaf he usually does.

"....HE'S the guy that managed that?" the boss asked Johnson, looking at him.

"Hey, don't let him fool you...he moves too damn fast to be human..." he answered, looking at his boss.

"Hey, there's no need to be insulting. It can really hurt a guy, you know?" Vash said, still acting like the oblivious oaf he does.

They both panicked and sweatdropped, because his voice came from BEHIND them. They looked back, and he was waving.

"Hello."

They then looked to where the pile of rope and chain was, and back to Vash, both taking out handguns. The boss, though, found he had cold steel up on his forehead. Vash had his gun to his head, trying to bluff his way out of this.

"So, do you believe your friend now?" Vash asked, still being oblivious.

The boss laughed a bit, making Vash blink.

"Well, he got that right, and I need someone with your skill for a hit."

Vash's anger at them grew too much to bear for his patience. He still kept from going crazy with anger, but he also dropped his act.

"People like you...who murder for their own gain, their own greedy desires...I get sick just thinking about it..."

Vash then heard the clicks of several weapons behind and around him. He was surrounded again.

"I don't think you understand. You have no choice. And you can drop the charade, my men already found your gun's empty..."

Vash grimaced. He needed a miracle....

{Divide}

Meanwhile, outside said location.

Brooklyn was resting on a rooftop of a warehouse, sitting on the edge, in thought.
"....I don't get it...I....I know something's wrong...but I can't figure out wha-....hello."

Brooklyn's gaze fell upon a couple of goons below. One was wearing fancy dark sunglasses, despite it being night, and the other was sporting a fancy dark jacket, which he wore on his back, but without his arms in the sleeves. The one with sunglasses had headphones on. Both were carrying high-tech laser rifles. That usually adds up to trouble.

"Hey, take those off for a second."

"Huh?" The sunglasses one asked his partner, removing them.

Brooklyn then clearly heard lyric-less music. He didn't recognize it. However, it is the song Nerve Rack from Trigun.

Note - for those who want to, yes, you can play that while reading this. Heck, I encourage it. A friend suggested using a Trigun theme for Brooklyn for this fic, so that's what I picked. Just don't ask me for a link...I one I have is really...really....long....okay, fine... ?&idx=628&viewType=title&init ialKey=T&page=1&subPageType=pds&dataMode=snd Can't link to the song though.

"You hear about that crazy blonde guy?"

"Huh? Yeah. Isn't the boss trying to convince him to do a hit for us?"

"Yeah, Johnson says he can't be human from how fast he moves..."

Brooklyn heard enough. He leapt down, Cross Punisher held over his back by one hand.

"Where's the guy?" he demanded.

The goons looked at Brooklyn, weapons ready.

"Heh, looks like those freaks found religion!" The one in the sunglasses said.

Brooklyn actually smirked, glad he was reminded about the cross, which he set down. How it stood straight up without toppling, no one knew.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Brooklyn replied, as he pulled the one strap holding the canvas on it.

The canvas practically flew off as the Cross Punisher unfolded it's arsenal, making both thugs turn pale.

"HOLY F CRAP!!!!!"
Brooklyn then blinked in confusion as they both turn tail and fled like cowards, dropping the sunglasses, jacket, and walkman, which was still playing.

"So much for loyal peons..." Brooklyn muttered, not knowing the current word for thug.

Brooklyn then picked up and put on the sunglasses for fun, and the jacket as well, though he first tore out part of the back for his wings.

"They won't mind losing these I guess....that, and I lost that last outfit...I really liked it too. Guess this will work." He said to himself, remembering the time he tried riding a motorcycle. That didn't go too well. That didn't mean he'd lost his interest in the way people dress.

He then took one of the laser pistols out of the cross, and had it close back up. He carried the cross in one hand, the pistol in the other.

"Unless all those guys in there are like those two, I'm going to need this stuff..."

He then went into the now unguarded door, and ran down a hall, looking for Vash...

{Divide}

Present moment, Vash's Location.

"Going to kill the guy for us now?" one goon asked Vash.

"I'd rather die..."

"Funny you should menti-"

Brooklyn then rammed down the thug blocking the door with a shoulder tackle.

"GET DOWN!" He shouted.

Vash looked back quickly. In his sense of time, he had time to pause, and blink.

'Wha....'

Vash briefly thought he was seeing someone from his past, before he recognized them, and ducked.

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING O-HOLY!!!"

Brooklyn blasted into the room, with one laser pistol and one Magnum in hand.

"YEARGH!!!"
"MY LEG!!!"

Brooklyn winced, realizing the second gun he grabbed wasn't one of the laser pistols Vash had set to stun....luckily for the thugs, he wasn't aiming for vital areas anyway.

"Oops..."

One thug opened fire at Brooklyn, who leapt to the side to avoid this, and blasted him with the laser pistol, knocking him out. That left Johnson and his boss, both firing at Brooklyn. Vash, however, kicked Johnson in the face, sending him to dreamland. That left the boss, who tried to charge Brooklyn with a knife, having run out of ammo, only to get smacked in the face by Brooklyn's tail. Brooklyn stood straight, still holding the guns.

"What kind of protector of the city are you!?!" Vash shouted.

Brooklyn winced internally. He knew what Vash meant. However, he thought for a second. True, they were injured from the Magnum, but he glanced over them. Worse than the usual thrashing they get from going hand- to-hand against a gargoyle, but still...

"Well, they're only injured, right? It's not like they're going to keel over and die."

Vash then smirked, which did confuse Brooklyn.

"You know what? You remind me of someone I knew."

Brooklyn blinked.

"Who?" he asked.

"The person that used to have that, before I did." Vash replied, as he headed over to the boss.

The boss was conscious, and getting up, but Vash picked him up with one hand, looking face-to-face.

"Now then," He said, once again acting oblivious, "could I have my pen back?"

The boss held the pen up from a pocket, which Vash took back.

"Now that I have that back..." Vash said, then stopped his act again, eyes narrowed at the boss, "you're going to jail. I never want to see someone like you ever again, murderer..."

Vash then dropped the boss, and hit him on the side of the neck with the bottom of his handgun, knocking him out. Brooklyn was taken off-guard by Vash's change in attitude, but said nothing, as Vash twisted part of the pen, turning the radio in it back on.
"Glad I shut this off while those goons in the van were fighting me...huh?"

They both heard Elisa's voice from it.

"Vash! Do you hear me?....why is there no answer?"

"Hey, what's up?" Vash said into the pen.

"WHERE WERE YOU!?!" Elisa shouted.

"He got into trouble again." Brooklyn said loudly, to be heard from where he was, which was making sure the injuries wouldn't be fatal in the thugs.

"Brooklyn's with you? Good, because we need both of you! A group consisting of old enemies of ours are attacking the underground shelter, and the fight's getting wild! There's already a hole blown up to street level!"

"WHAT!?!?!" Brooklyn yelped, and bumped into Vash, to get to the pen.

"We need help here!" Elisa shouted.

"Coming!" Brooklyn responded, practically dragging Vash with him.

"You don't have to drag me, I'm coming anyway." Vash replied, in his oblivious act.

{Divide}

Underground "Kingdom", April 15th, before and during the events at the gang hide-out.

Goliath was becoming a bit impatient. He knew, and accepted the fact that it is his duty to protect the good beings, human or otherwise, in this city. However, they had been waiting for almost two hours. They did pass time with idle talk earlier, but as time passed, tensions rose, and silenced them in wait. Then they heard it. Footsteps, approaching the largest chamber of the underground. All were nervous. Maggie was also concerned, and wondering why Brooklyn didn't come with the others. Then he stepped into the light. The man, wearing white, with a metal skull band on his arm, with the yellow eyes, devoid of pupils, and the blue hair, and that knowing, evil smirk. Legato. He glanced around at those waiting, seeing the weapons held by some, the natural electricity, and the glowing eyes, all waiting for him. He responded with laughter.

"Well now, perhaps I should have been expecting this."

"You again..." Talon snarled.

"I see that you are allies with them, just as Fang told me you were."
"What do you want here?" Elisa demanded, her gun aimed at him.

"It's nothing personal my dear, merely a matter of business..." Was his reply, before all of them were suddenly without control of their bodies.

"What sorcery is this!?!" Goliath yelled, furious.

The gargoyles and Mutates were affected as well, but not as strongly as the humans, and Legato knew this the moment he applied this power to them. He narrowed his eyes a bit, and watched them, making jerky motions, trying to break loose of his hold.

"Well, it would seem I need to learn to adjust this power to you as well...no matter..."

Then an explosion blasted a hole in the "ceiling", raining down debris, which pummeled the people, gargoyles, and mutates, though no serious injuries. The Gung-Ho Guns then jumped down into the chamber.

"You!?!" several of them yelped.

"Ooohhh, I've been waiting for this..." Fang said, smirking.

"My feelings exactly..." Dracon replied, bringing a giant sword he held, leaning on his shoulder, in front of him to hold with two hands.

"Hmph, there's no sport in killing them like this though..." Wolf muttered.

Legato glanced to Wolf.

"Hmmm...you'll have your sport Wolf the Fierce. If our goal is to utterly destroy them, then we would need to include in mind and spirit, am I right?"

Hyena had her own smirk as she walked over to Lexington, and had one of her claws go slowly across, but not damaging his face.

"Right, especially this gullible one..."

Lexington squirmed furiously of Legato's control, and actually knocked her down in the process.

"Ergh....besides, they seem to be unusually strong in mind and will...I can't hold them long anyway, with so many to hold like that...have your fun with them..." Legato said, releasing them.

The fight started fast and fierce. Dracon leapt at Hudson, covering a super-human distance to do so. Elisa took the chance to attempt to contact Vash on her lapel radio, with no answer. She then barely avoided getting hit by Jackal's arm, which extended at her. Lexington tackled Jackal, ending his threat to Elisa.

"Okay, you and me old one! I want to see just how much I live up to the name Dracon the Blade!" He said, as he brought the sword down at Hudson.

Hudson held his sword up to block the strike, which it did, but there was too much power behind it to stay in place. Hudson was knocked back.

"You're awfully strong for someone like yerself!" He said to Dracon.

"Genetic enhancement! Steady hands, incredible strength, reflexes and speed to kill for, and sharp sight! You look like you need it yourself!" Dracon replied, while throwing the giant sword up to try to strike with a katana from a hilt on his side.

Hudson blocked this too, but also noticed his sword cracked.

"This doesn't look too good..." he muttered to himself.

Dracon then put the katana back, leapt up, caught the giant blade in mid-fall, and held it to try to cleave Hudson in two.

"Too bad you won't live to get it! Die!" he shouted, coming down hard.

Hudson leapt back to avoid the strike. Meanwhile, Jackal and Hyena were double-teaming Broadway and Lexington.

"Got you!" Hyena shouted, as she flung razor disks from her shoulder joints.

The two gargoyles leapt over the disks to avoid them.

"Saw it coming." Broadway replied.

Jackal tackled Lexington, who then monkey-flipped him onto the rail- road tracks near-by. Cold Steel targeted Goliath, who was trying to keep the tendrils from lassoing him.

"Well brother? I expected more fight from you!" Cold Steel taunted.

"I haven't begun to fight yet..." Goliath replied, getting angry.

Dead Eye was currently against the tiger Mutate. Both remained silent, as Dead Eye fired machine guns, rockets, lasers, grenades, and other nasty surprises from the coffin he carried, which his foe struggled to evade. Elisa called for Vash again, this time getting to him, as mentioned earlier. Legato himself was watching, while also keeping the numerous stray people from interfering in his own way. He was actually enjoying something for once. He found the fight quite entertaining...
"Hold still!" Talon shouted, trying to blast the Gung-Ho Gun that was targeting him. Jack the Loner.

"Oh, yeah, sure, right, I want to be barbeque for a Hello Kitty reject!" He taunted, while dodging the blasts with super-human skill even Dracon, who had genetic enhancement, couldn't match.

Jack then dodged one blast by bending back Matrix-style. Except he added a twist, putting his hands back on the ground, coiling his legs up, and springing at Talon, where he kicked his feet out for extra impact. Talon had the wind knocked out of him, and was pretty sure he heard ribs cracking.

"Derek!" Elisa shouted, before dodging an axe swing from Wolf.

Legato arched an eyebrow, and thought. Jack stood up, taking a martial arts stance, and motioned for Talon to bring it on. Talon, angry, did so, and the two were fighting tooth and nail, Talon literally doing so, in hand-to-hand combat. Maggie and Angela got over to Legato.

"We still have to settle matters with you!" Maggie told him.

Legato looked at the two.

"Why is it you all act in the way humans do?" Legato asked them, "No matter, Dead Eye, we have now need of those humans."

"Yes...." Dead Eye responded, and aimed his coffin at the stray people, who Legato forced into a tight group.

"NO!!!" Several, including Talon, Maggie, Elisa, the gargoyles, and some of the people shouted.

Dead Eye then fired, sending a rocket flying at the group...

{Divide}

Cliff-hanger again. Don't I suck for that?