Chapter 3:

The moment Eliana stepped outside of the orphanage she regretted it. She was treated to a scene of violence the likes of which she had never seen. Eliana had seen some rough things before when she traveled with her mother. But this was bad. Motorcycles with sidecars raced around the streets the passenger in the each sidecar fired wildly at the building and anyone who was foolish enough to get in their line of fire. Little behind the motorcycles now entering the now were two jeeps both with tarps covering the backs. Eliana froze in stark horror as the roof of one of the jeeps opened and man appeared. He was passed up a rocket launcher, which he proceeded to lift onto his shoulder. He took aim at a nearby by building and fired, a rocket shot out of the end of the launcher, while smoke jetted out of the back and it streaked toward the house at the end of the street, the house erupted in a ball of red hot fire taking part of the houses either side with it. Burning debris was sent flying across the street. It landed everywhere, some of it crashing into other people's houses and the catching them a blaze. Eliana could not move. She was shaking with fear, she had known the people that had lived in the now burning wreck of the house.

As Eliana stood there one of the bikers spotted her. She swung his bike around in a one hundred and eighty degree turn. He turned his head and looked back at his fellow bandits.

"Hey boys we got live one here, an' she pretty, the boss' 'ad be mighty pleased if we nabbed her." He shouted pointing towards Eliana while accelerating at the same time. She saw him coming and knew she should move but fear prevented her.

"Eliana Move." She heard Vash shout, looking to her left she saw Vash running towards her. His gun drawn but she also saw he wouldn't make it in time. Suddenly Eliana felt someone grab her and she was pulled around the corner of the Orphanage. Leaving the biker grasping at thin air. A second later a shot rang out and the biker's rear tire exploded sending both bike and rider flying. Both skidded a few feet after landing then came to a stop. Eliana took a deep breath and looked at her savoir. Half expecting to see her mother or Millie. She was slightly surprised to see who it actually was.

Her rescuer was a woman of medium height with fire brand red hair. That reached to just below her shoulder blades. It was rather curly and was tied into a rough ponytail. She wore a huge leather duster jacket, wore in places so the leather was faded. It was heavy set, wide and brushed her ankles. The coat was undone but had several thick buckles from when it was held shut. Under the coat was a plain black shirt. Around her waist were three belts, these belts palm width and held two rows of shotgun shells. She was also wearing a pair of fingerless gloves and a pair of black Calvary trousers. In her left hand was an automatic shotgun, another of the same type was strung across her back. The woman's steely green eyes which were currently on Eliana.

"Stay here, don't move, and don't get shot." She instructed. The woman then broke the cover the of the wall. She snapped her shotgun up, taking aim at something Eliana could not see fired. What amazed her was that the woman was using only one arm to fire the gun.

'Geez she must be at least as strong as Millie' Eliana thought. Seconds later an explosion followed, followed again by machine gun fire. The redhead then sprung into action. She dived up the front porch of the orphanage and into the doorway, ducking behind the thick doors. As two motorbikes whizzed past firing at the door. Their bullets splintering the wood, but not piecing it. Two loud shots rang out from the doorway and the men were flung from their bikes and landed midway across the street. Eliana watched with a morbid fascination as the gun fight continued. She could now see Vash again. He was darting between porches firing upon the bikes not the bikers when ever possible. Every minute or so he would change position. She found herself becoming even more fascinated with him. His movements were so fluidic, so precise. She was mesmerized by the way he would move from place to place. Fire off a few shots, six at the most then move again. To Eliana watching him was absolutely fascinating.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion. The building opposite Eliana exploded from the inside in a huge ball of flame and the jeep that had fired the rocket before skidded around the corner and drove towards her. A man leaned out of the window and fired at her. Eliana screamed as the bullets narrowly missed her head. She sank to the floor still screaming as the jeep came around for another pass. She closed her eyes and heard the gunman scream something over the roar of the jeeps engine. Then she was moving. Eliana opened her eyes to see she was being pulled along by Vash. He had a hold on her shirt tightly onto her shirt. Vash ran close to the orphanage. He had a good head start on the jeep and it had to turn around. The jeep turned full circle just in time to see Vash skid around the corner. Once around it he put her down.

"Can you run?" He asked quickly. She didn't answer but got to her feet and nodded.

"Head for that building." Vash pointed to a saloon across the street. Both broke into a run. Vash stayed just behind her, even thought both of them knew he could move faster than that. They reached the Saloon just as the jeep came into view. The gunner gave a shout and opened fire. The bullets trailed their heels and ripped thought the wooden decking as the two ran into the saloon. Eliana who was in the lead pushed the swing doors aside and dived to the floor. Vash who was following tripped over her leg and landed on top of her. Her breath rushed from her lungs with a painful gasp as he landed on top of her, quickly followed by a hail bullets which flew through the air where Vash was a few seconds before. They ripped through the bar at the back of the room. Sending splinters, small chunks of wood and large slivers of shot glasses everywhere. Eliana cried out as one of the pieces embedded itself in her left forearm.

"I'm getting far too old for this." Vash groaned as her rolled off Eliana. Outside they heard the squeal of breaks and the sound of earth being dislodged. This was closely followed by a whirring sound. One which Vash recognized to his horror. His hand shot out and grasped Eliana by the arm. He dragged her to her feet and pushed her across the room. She sailed through the air and landed roughly on the ground. Vash dived to the other side just an intense rain of bullets entered through the open doorway and destroyed what was left of the bar and began ripping into the building, large pieces of splintered wood, metal and glass, As well as large chunks of mortar and concrete were sent into the air. After around a minute the firing stopped. Vash slowly got to his feet and brushed of the dust and pieces of wood, glass and other materials that had collected on him. Vash looked at the devastation caused by the bandits. The saloon they had been in was now two buildings. Everything that had been in the bullets path had been destroyed. Including floors, ceilings, walls and furniture as well. He quickly cast a glance toward Eliana. She lay there still. Vash's heart skipped a beat but quickly resumed normalcy when she coughed and slowly sat up bushing plaster dust off herself.

Vash allowed himself a small smile of relief then checked his gun. Three shots left. Snapping the breach shut. He pushed his glasses up his nose, they had slid down a little when he dived for cover. Readying himself Vash leapt sideways. His eyes locking onto their target instantly, the mounting of the large gattling gun on the back of the jeep which had caused the devastation moments ago. He fired twice in succession, without looking to see if his bullets hit home Vash quickly ducked behind the what was left of the Saloon wall to avoid being shot by the jeeps occupants. The loud thud a few seconds later confirmed they had. Vash now turned to Eliana and whispered.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." He then spotted a small trail of blood running from her arm and dripping onto the floor.

"You're bleeding." Vash exclaimed pointing at the trail of blood.

"It's a little scratch, don't worry I've had worse."

"You sure?"

"Yeah" She repined absentmindedly rubbed her right shoulder. "Thank you for...Y'know saving my life."

He smiled back at her thanks. Even though it was in dispute a part deep down inside Vash kind of hoped this girl was his daughter.

"So what's the plan?" She asked him.

"Erm, I dunno. I didn't really have one."

"Oh great, your the legendary Vash the freakin' Stampede you've fought your way of worse than this surely."

"I guess so. But were a little low on ammo. And you won't be able to take out anything with that pea shooter." Vash remarked referring to her derringer.

"Oh yeah, wanna bet, you were worried when I had it pointed at you." Eliana growled at him.

She got her mothers temper then. Vash thought to himself. He lowered his gun, placing it in its holster. Eliana then heard a series of very quick clicks and was shocked to see an automatic weapon emerge from Vash's left forearm. She had seen some odd things in her time, most of which usually involved Millie's cooking. But this topped them, a gun coming out of someone's arm. Vash crawled on his hands and knee's towards the window and peered slightly over the rim of the sill. The jeep, minus the gattling gun Vash had just shot off, sat sideways on to the wrecked building. Two men learned out of windows, one leaned out of the back and was standing through the sun roof. Vash took a deep breath and got ready to move. He had decided to try and take the one at the back first it was a long shot and would most likely end up in him taking a bullet from the other three.

"Wait." Eliana whispered. "I think can hit the one on the roof." Vash eyed her carefully, he had no choice but trust her and allow her to help him if they both wanted to get out of here alive.

"Don't kill him." He said sternly.

"What." She exclaimed. This loud outburst brought several rounds flying thought the window, narrowly missing Vash.

"You mustn't kill him, no matter what." Vash told her sternly.

"Your kidding me?"

"No." He replied.

"Alright though I wish they felt the same way. But I'll try, what should I aim for?"

"The shoulder."

"Okay." She said gruffly the tough facade she had been building up just disappeared.

"Vash I'm scared"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be human." He replied smiling at little.

"What about you?"

"Not a bit." He replied. "On three" he added.

"Okay." She slid her hand to her belt and pulled out her gun. She ran her hand over the pattern.

Dear god I've never been much of a prayer, but this seems like a good time to start. Eliana began in her head.

"Three"

Well anyway as I'm possibly gonna die in the next few seconds could you take care of mom, aunt Millie, Sophie, all the kids at the orphanage.

"Two"

Well anyway, please lord forgive me of my sins and watch over me, and I promise I'll go to church more often and pray more as well.

"One"

"Amen" Eliana added quickly to finished the prayer.

"Go." Vash yelled. Eliana took a deep breath and sidestepped out from behind the wall and took aim. She aimed up and place her finger over the trigger. She squinted her eyes and snapped her finger down on the trigger twice in rapid succession. Her gun was louder than she had thought, a cry of pain sounded from the jeep and then Vash grabbed her belt and pulled her to the floor out of harms way.

"Did... I...did I hit him?" She asked.

"Yeah straight through the right shoulder both times."

"Oh, I was erm aiming for the left." Eliana admitted blushing. Vash shrugged and got ready to fire himself. When there were two loud mechanical thuds that sounded like a muffled shots, followed by a loud crash. Eliana and Vash peered over the edge of the sill and saw two large cross shaped objects embedded into the side of the jeep. All three of the occupants who weren't injured were now trapped under the jeep.

"Mr. Vash." A shout came Vash looked across the street and saw Millie at the back door of the orphanage Stun Gun in her hands. Millie beckoned them across with a wave of her arm. Vash quickly stepped through the window followed by a little slowly by Eliana who carefully stepped around the glass. Both then ran across the street towards Millie. Eliana trailing slightly just as she got to the door there was a gunshot. Her eyes widened with fear as a bullet whizzed past her check and embedded itself in the orphanage wall.

"Freeze." Someone behind her shouted even thought Eliana had frozen when the gunshot had sounded.

Vash came to a stop and turned around slowly. He could see just behind Eliana one of the occupants of the jeep. He was holding an assault rifle which was aimed at the back of Eliana's head.

"Little bitch. You shot my brother. You practically blew his arm off, so now its payback time." He steadied his gun. His finger tightening on the trigger. Then there was a sharp cry from Millie as Meryl pushed past her knocking the big woman sideways with a strength that that was not evident from looking at her. She burst past Vash who tried to grab her with his right arm as she ran past but this came to no avail. Meryl ran straight into Eliana just as the gun fired. A for a few moments after the world seemed still and silent. Then Meryl slumped forward just as Eliana screamed.

"MOM."