Disclaimer: Expect a few whoppers this go around.
Chapter 26: To Pluck an Angel's Wings
The rising suns began to peek into the saloon where so many festivities took place, and nearly ended up reversing course to try rising upon a less abhorrent sight later. Bodies littered the interior- some moaning in pain, most completely motionless, and a few others crawling for the coffee and wondering where the hell all their cash went. There were three people left coherent, which was soon down to two as the largest staggered out with a smug comment about the lightweights that were draped about the room.
Of course, the two people left in one corner had a few unfair advantages over the rest. Not that they had cut back on the drinks, or had snuck in some alcohol neutralizers. They were simply far less susceptible to the effects than the others. Just another advantage of not being human.
"Now that... was a party!"
"Mmm."
"Aw, c'mon! I know you had fun, so show me a smile!"
So saying, Vash reached over and tugged the corners of Knives' mouth upwards. The now-smiling plant was nonplused.
"Remove those fingers before I remove them for you."
"Sheesh, what's with that? You let those woman hang onto you for half the night. Oh, wait, I get it! And I thought I was the infamous womanizer, eh? Eh?"
His elbow nudges received an icy glare. "That was a special case."
"Suuure it was. Told you that you'd have fun."
This time Knives smiled without aid. However, he didn't look happy despite it. More... bitter?
"'Fun', you say... But how can I enjoy the food or drink when the blood of our sisters sours it? How can I enjoy the company when they are the same ones who drain the life from our family? How can either of us, Vash?"
So much for the lighthearted mood. "That's a rather brutal way of putting it."
"Truth often is, no matter what we may wish."
"They don't know what it is they're doing, Knives. The first time most have even heard of our kind was when my book hit the shelves, and-"
"And they're already dismissing it simply because it doesn't fit in with their little delusion of being the most advanced species."
"You didn't let me finish. Some are asking questions, wondering if they've done this horrible thing without knowing, and they want to change, to find another way."
"While the rest become fearful and suspicious."
He sighed deeply. Granite cliffs were less stubborn than this. "The unknown is kinda scary. However, not everyone is so shortsighted. Rem wouldn't-"
Knives slammed his foot down, cracking the board underneath. "Rem! Rem this! Rem that! You speak like you knew her, but you know nothing! I know the truth about her! It's one truth I didn't want to know, so I've tried to spare you the knowledge, but if that conniving wench's illusion is preventing you from seeing what we have to do, then I don't have a choice. /Time to see, brother.../"
They were pulled into the mental realms, and they ended up inside Knives' mind. A hall of white marble stretched off into the distance, with no end in sight. It simply went on and on until all detail was lost to perception. It followed a repeating pattern of doors, lights, and pillars. Everything was angular, rigid, and lifeless. However, the two doors they were in front of were different from all the others. They were obsidian, darker than midnight, and felt completely out of place. This was a hall of memory, and these memories didn't belong with the rest. There was only one possible way that could have happened, and that was if these memories weren't part of Knives' memories at all.
"Straight ahead, brother. The door's open, but you have to go in."
"What's in there?"
"A memory, of course. One of Rem's that I've carefully preserved. Another lies across the hall, but that one comes later. Step in and learn."
Man, he could really use one of Wolfwood's little quips right about now. What would he say? Something about not fearing truth, or maybe to not lose sight of yourself. Or maybe he'd just nag at his spiky head about thinking too much and kick him right through the doorway. Well, Wolfwood wasn't here to do so, therefore he had to do it himself. He walked through.
Her eyes snapped open to take in the darkness. A rush of wind drove the pounding rain against the window, turning the constant patter into a short burst of drum beats. She sat up, a draft bringing the musty, wet smell of the downpour to her. Something had woken her but the first wave of alarm died down after a glance at the Gieger counter showed nothing above normal. As she shoved aside the heavy yet comfy and warm bedcovers, she automatically strapped the small boxy unit to her wrist. It was an old force of habit, and the rain didn't help any- even though it was no longer 'hot' in the atmosphere, and the rain no longer posed a threat, there were plenty of areas on the ground to avoid. Still, something had woken her, and the pounding of rain in the darkness did nothing to assuage her fears.
A quick wave to the wall panel did nothing. She tried it again, with no success. That could only mean a power failure... and no power meant the security web would be down as well. Her fingers probed the dresser drawer, and closed around the M103. The weight of it felt both sickly and cold- but if the Lost managed to get through while the power was off, there wouldn't be any alternative. The vids were full of what happened to people who got caught by the Lost, and gruesome hardly began to describe it. A rumble of thunder came from outside, shaking the walls and floor with its deep rolling intensity- but the last thud at the end wasn't just from the storm. It came from below.
She slid the door open and crept down the stairs, trying to move without making a noise. The sound of rain was somewhat muted, but it paled in comparison to the racket her heart was making. One hand clutching the M103 and the other pressed against the wall, she felt her way down. Even though there was nothing to see in the pitch black on the interior, her eyes strained to try and make out even the faintest of shapes. Finally reaching the bottom, she was able to see her first image- a door that was just slightly ajar, letting the faint light of the outside indicate its breach of security. Something had made it in... She moved even more cautiously toward it.
A single drop of water struck the floor behind her. While it would have normally been swallowed up in the greater sounds of the downpour outside, her senses were all running in overdrive. She spun, and suddenly sensed that it was reaching for her. The M103 let loose a thunderclap and spat lightning, and the strike shattered her world. For in the instant of firing, for that brief moment when the muzzle flash lit up everything, she saw. Green eyes. Technician clothes. ID badge. That silly hair she wanted to trim to a reasonable length, or at least comb downwards. Alex.
And she had just shot him.
The darkness enveloped the room once again, and the sounds of rain continued as if the world hadn't just changed. One more noise of something heavy hitting the ground followed, and then another thud as the weight she carried slipped through her fingers. Her arm slowly lowered and she sank to her knees. Her hands began to trace arcs before her, trying to find what had just been lost in the pitch black shadows. They did finally find something wet. Cold and wet, hot and wet, the slightest smell of copper beginning to spread through the air. She drew it up to her, the weight suddenly nothing. No response, no willful movement, just a gentle swaying as she pressed him to her chest, trying to will that precious spark back into place. Of course, nothing happened, and everything slowly began to turn cold and wet.
The cracked open door rumbled aside sometime later- minutes, maybe? Or hours? Didn't matter, really. Her head turned automatically, and the silhouette in the frame looked of divine mercy- she'd see Alex soon enough, just a little pain first... The raspy breathing of the Lost was accented by a few loud sniffs, and it lumbered over. The device upon her wrist began to sputter out noise as it neared, making finding her no trouble at all. The lights choose that time to finally turn on, the sudden brightness blinding. To die, seeing nothing but light? That wouldn't be too bad, would it? However, it was not to be. The course roughness of an appendage touched her shoulder and remained stubbornly still instead of sinking in and tearing out chunks of flesh. A gravelly voice touched her ears.
"You... did not mean to..."
"No."
"Sad... So you want to end, too?"
A simple nod.
"More sad... You, still clean... Could live... Why not?"
A jumbled mess passed through her head, and nothing could be said.
"Ha, ha... You still alive, stay alive. Life precious... I know this. Mess up, learn, go on. Hu-mans mess up, and go on, so why not you?"
Her vision finally cleared, and she could see the results of her actions. Alex's eyes stared off past her, unseeing, but other than that he looked fine. Even his hair looked just fine, and the hand not holding him up began to smooth a few stray strands back into place. He always loved it when she did that...
"I know this. Dead never want com-pany. Now you know too. Stay alive. No-body know but us..."
"But they will know... it's my fault, my gun, I did it..."
"No... They won't look. Sor-ry."
"What do you-" The rest of her statement or question was cut off as she was sent sprawling across the room by the hammerblow. As her vision began to fade into darkness again, she saw the Lost smile at her, a slight twinkle of happiness in the one eye it had open. Her last sight as it turned to Alex's body was of its tumor-riddled arm slashing across his chest with a sickening tearing sound. The noises continued a bit longer after the darkness once again claimed her, but sounded farther and farther off until it all stopped.
The bar reappeared around them as they emerged from the /inside/. Brother had fled after reliving that memory, not wanting to see what else lay within the other remembrance he had so carefully lifted from another of the crew. Perhaps it was just as well. Having seen what Rem really was, he wouldn't need to relive that other wretched memory. He could simply tell it, since Steve had never been so duplicitous in concealing what he truly was. He could tell him nearly anything and he'd believe it at this point, but truth was always best. All lies would invariably be exposed if given enough time, and with the sort of time they had all would be exposed.
"So, dear brother, what do you think? Your perfect human, in reality a murder and deceiver. Everything they touch, they destroy, no matter how much they pretend to care for it. What do you say now?"
Brother just pulled out his tinted glasses he used to hide his eyes when his output boosted. He still had so little control... And to think he hid this sign of his superiority because he wanted to fit in with those creatures. He always got so emotional when calm was called for. He prepared himself for a possible flurry of blows- his brother did tend to get violent when that infantile philosophy was challenged. However, brother acted unexpectedly. He started to laugh, of all things.
"This isn't a humorous subject, brother."
The laugh died down. "No, no, it's not... It's just the irony, you know? That would have convinced me. I really think it would have changed my mind, damn me and damn you... Just a few months ago, that might have worked, and I'd be on your side..."
"What could possibly have made a difference in that last few months that the last one hundred and thirty years couldn't?!"
Brother tilted his head down to peer over the rims of his glasses. "Legato happened. Because of him, I fell off that pedestal I tried to stay on with Rem. If she hadn't been there as the perfect example for me to live by, then humanity really would have been beneath me. But thanks to Legato, I got shoved off, into the dirt with everyone else. All this does now is bring her back within reach. It's also kinda funny how we both reached understanding that way... I actually feel closer to her than ever before, thanks to you."
This was completely unexpected. That was supposed to finally show him exactly what had to be done, but now he was prattling on about how he was even more like that disgusting wrench? Just how deeply ingrained was her deception, anyway? "But we're better, Legato was one of them. His death was necessary and just. You're still above these beasts, brother! Don't lower yourself to their level!"
"Doesn't matter now, anyway. I found someone else who stands atop that pedestal."
"Don't belittle yourself. We stand up there together, and always will. You just think you're not there, but I know you are."
Brother picked up a bottle from the bar and used it to scratch at his back. "Funny, when did I say you were the one up there? If you insist in placing everyone at levels of morality and perfection, then I know someone who totally has you beat. You'd never guess just by looking at the surface, which tends to have a stick up the ass and a severe case of the bitchy. However, she belongs up there if anyone does.. And guess what, bro? She asked me to marry her, so I'm going to do just that, and you can just sit here and stew, for all I care. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a tux."
Brother walked out, carefully stepping over the disgusting lumps of flesh as he did so. He had never thought that things might turn out so badly. At the very worst, he projected that Vash might have been driven /inside/ his mind and become dead to the world, but this... this was far worse. He had clearly gone completely insane to protect the illusion he so dearly clung to. He had no plan for this possibility, so he was left in the undesirable position of having to 'play it by ear', as the phrase went.
Right then and there, he severely regretted that alcohol couldn't make them drunk as it did the humans. Few things seemed more appealing at that moment than to forget that the past few minutes had ever happened... That, and the horrible feeling that the gap between the two of them was wider than ever before.
I bet you all had your jaw drop sometime during that chapter. One of you mentioned in an E-mail that they had a horrible sense that someone would die just before or during the wedding, and, well, looks like you were right! Technically. I mean, Alex did get offed a loooong time back, but this is where it appears in The Plan. Maybe the character assassination counts too? Though that is a rather nasty way of putting it... Now don't get me wrong, I actually like Rem, I just felt that this rounds out her character and provides a whole bunch of neat insights into her, Vash, and also why Project SEEDS was launched.
Legato: Are you also so blind? All humans are guilty, and this simply proves that. Oh, Master, why do you hold back so? Send the rest of humanity to join us!
Wolfwood: HEY! Don't encourage the genocidal maniac, you genocidal maniac! I don't want to see my big girl around here for a long, long time!
Oh, don't worry about that. She won't end up here, or hadn't you noticed the sort of person who populates this place?
Wolfwood: ...I knew it, I'm in hell. This is all part of my eternal punishment, right?
Bingo! Now smile for the Reviewer Responses!
hope-is-4-ever: I'd say everyone is either wasted or angry right now, at least on the men's side.
Blu: Well, if you don't defend his honor, who will? Certainly not me! ¤runs off Zoidburg style¤
cjflutterbye: Funny thing was, he wasn't drunk at all. Of course, that means he fully remembers the hoochie girls- and they remember him. I think I'm going to have them follow him around for a bit, seeing as he does seem to be irresistible ;) ...or might there be something else to it? Cue ominous rumble of thunder!
betsytheripper: Have you checked the ceiling fan? Clothing tends to gravitate in that direction when something goes missing and you know it's not the dryer monsters. Oh, and go nuts with E.G., he can't get away...
Hopeful Wings: Yeah, well, all things balance out in the end, and this chapter tipped the scales quite some ways in the opposite direction. And the whole point of a bachelor party is to show the groom-to-be what he'll be giving up on (or had better be giving up on...). Of course, you never got to see the firemen over on the lady's side. They had baby oil.
Yma: Don't sweat missing a few here and there. My fault really for taking so blasted long to update. Hopefully that won't happen again.
Aine of Knockaine: Actually, regarding the two that were on Knives... Well... Okay, 'topless' was the average, but not the mode. Fairly big standard deviation there too...
Sunsilver: There's no such thing as 'a big following'. I see it as a whole bunch of really wonderful people who liked my story so much they took a bit of their precious time to write me a reply, and that makes every single one unique and important. Expect nothing save the unexpected!