ONE NIGHT LATER

"I can't believe he thought he could ditch us like that."

Milly shifted. "I hate these bunks. It's like being in a coffin."

"Well, you can't really afford first class on a snack stand salary..."

The whole room shook, throwing the girls to the floor.

Milly stood up, steadying herself. "People are screaming in the hall."

Both girls ran to the door and opened it.

Men with guns ran by, yelling something about sand steamer hijackers.

Meryl shut the door and hung her head. "It never ends does it..."

"Nope." Milly was already on the other side of the room, digging out their weapons.

A few seconds later, a different male voice sounded from the hall. "Check all the rooms."

Milly shot a look to Meryl. Meryl turned off the light and ran to the back of the room.

Just as she made it, the door slid open. "I thought I heard something in here."

"No one's here."

"It smells like woman."

Milly shook the butt of her gun at Meryl and silently crept out from behind the suitcases. Meryl followed her lead.

Pistol-whipped from behind, the two men made slight noises as they hit the floor in a heap.

Milly crouched down to exam their victims. "Weird outfits. Not exactly intimidating."

Meryl lowered her Derringer. "They must be part of the Bad Lad Gang. This is their territory."

"So what do you wanna do? I'm sure they've already taken most the passengers hosta-" The steamer shook again and she fell backwards onto the hard metal floor with a "Ugh!"

Meryl grabbed the wall to keep from falling. "And they're obviously doing the driving...we've got to find Vash!"

"..."

"Huh...Milly why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing!" She quickly changed the subject, stammering a bit. "But...um...we can't just go running out, shooting up the place. Our odds are way better if we use some stealth. Come help me gets these outfits off these guys."

"Right." Meryl had a slight redness in her face. What did it matter where he was? He could take care of himself!...she paused. Couldn't he?

The girls walked cautiously down the bullet-ridden hall. Meryl growled from within the suit. "These things are so uncomfortable."

"And they smell like sweat..." Milly stopped to examine the wall. "These holes are from a .45..."

She froze. "That's what Vash carries...Come on Milly!"

She watched Meryl break into a run and go around the corner. So, she was worried about him..."Wait up Sempai!"

Milly faked her best man voice. "Yes sir!" Her and Meryl had gotten mixed in with a bunch of other Bad Lad goons and were now following the leader, Brilliant Dynamites Neon, into the bowels of the ship to lay a trap for Mr.Vash. They all packed themselves in one large room to await him. They didn't have to wait long.

The bandits unloaded every bullet they had...without hitting him once. After a bit of banter, B.D.N. raised his gaudy, almost comically lit up, gun to have the final say. A Derringer to his throat made even him think twice.

Meryl took off her mask and introduced herself. It was really all pretty ridiculous, but Milly followed suit.

Vash and B.D.N. decided that the fate of the steamer would be determined with a duel between them, regardless of Vash's already bad condition. As Vash passed the short insurance girl, he could see the fear for him clearly in her eyes, but he said nothing.

From the giant windows of the fifth level ballroom, the hostages looked anxiously down at the deck below...where a nighttime duel for their very lives was about to commence.

Meryl placed her palm against the glass. "Milly...why does he do these things?"

"It's just his nature..." She crossed her arms. "He can't betray who he is."

Meryl's eyebrows lowered. It made her so sad to look at him like this. He was always risking his life to save complete strangers...people who on any other day would've shot him on sight. "If we do get out of this...please remind me to punch him in his stupid head."