Vash didn't want to be alone for this. He wanted Knives with him so he could explain why he destroyed July but knew that was impossible right now. When Vash left his brother and the girls to meet an old friend, he hoped that Knives wouldn't lose himself to his obsessive tendencies again.
The ex-outlaw stood outside of a lavish three-story house in December City, bopping his head to a beat while listening to his portable music player. He then absently ran a hand through his trimmed hair. He didn't stick it upright in his iconic picket fence style anymore and instead left it shaggy, exposing the darkened strands of hair he didn't have to hide anymore.
"Are you Nick Stryfe?"
Vash continued tapping his foot to the beat until he was shoved. Bewildered, he looked up to greet a colossal man dressed in a brown uniform.
"Y-yes?!" He yanked the earpieces out of his ears and began wrapping them around the music player.
"You Nick Stryfe?"
Vash narrowed his eyes in confusion before widening his eyes. "Yep! That's me alright!"
"I'll take ya to her. First, ya gotta leave yer piece here."
Vash glanced down at the silver gun at his hip.
"We gotta search ya for other weapons, too."
The gunman groaned. "Okay…"
After the guard searched Vash, he escorted him through the lavish house. Vash had seen impressive houses before throughout his long life, but nothing quite like this. Interesting art hung on the walls, silk curtains draped over windows, and the furniture was made of actual wood. The same artist had brushed each painting, and while Knives was more knowledgeable about the arts, Vash knew a thing or two, noticing the patterns.
They stopped in front of an impressive door, and Vash was told to stand away from it as one guard entered the room. He began whistling, and when the doors opened again minutes later, he was allowed inside.
"Vash…"
As soon as he heard that voice, the man knew he was in trouble. "I'm glad you got the letter I asked Doc to send you, and yours arrived safe and sound in New Oregon!" Vash reached into the inner pocket over his chest, one where Wolfwood once kept his cigarettes and presented a piece of paper. "Doc sent me your message. I was worried you wanted nothing to do with me after what happened in New Oregon."
Her face was unreadable, and her eyelids were half-closed as if she was scrutinizing him. "I will not fall for your nice guy persona," the woman responded coldly, and after writing a sentence, she set the pen down, laced her fingers together, and rested her chin over her hands on the desk.
"Uh, so… Elizabeth, what did you wanna say to me in person?" asked Vash while his eyes darted everywhere to avoid her glare.
"Do you know how many people want to kill me now? More than ever before? Do you know why?"
Vash looked away, his shame twisting his features. "Probably has something to do with me," he finally said, chuckling spiritlessly. "It has something to do with terraforming, doesn't it?"
She nodded once and after a few moments, she said, "Members of SEPAL are credited for terraforming certain areas of the world, which makes me a target. Now people want that to happen in their towns, cities, villages, and crummy tiny houses." She leaned back in her chair, but her expression didn't change. "Guess what? I can't! Then, I get a letter from the doctor explaining that you two can't terraform anymore and you'd like for us to talk about it."
"Putting you in danger is the last thing I wanted, but I can't control how people react to things." Vash continued to pull the sleeves of his black suit (one of Wolfwood's extra suits he left behind) as he mustered the courage to face Elizabeth again. "I'm sorry for not telling you everything… Knives made me use my Angel Arm to destroy July like he admitted. He may have activated my abilities, but I pointed at him, pulled the trigger, and destroyed July." He flinched when Elizabeth shot up from her seat.
"No, Vash! When he told me what he did, he clarified he caused it to happen! Why? Why admit to his crimes?"
The ex-outlaw made his way to an empty chair and sat on the opposite side of the desk. "Knives said the reason why he told you is that it was a lapse in sanity, but I think he was just conflicted with himself after I shot him."
"He made you destroy July! He killed my parents! He ruined everything, and you were protecting him!"
Vash flinched with every word, each hitting him as painfully as physical abuse.
"If he was normal, he would've been hanged by now."
"He thought you'd send someone to kill us," Vash whispered, unsure of what else to say to her. "Why didn't you?"
She sharply inhaled and turned to gaze at the wall behind her desk. "I wanted to, but knowing you, you'd get involved and possibly injured. He should be punished…" She turned around to face the gunman. "As much as I hate this, I need you two."
Vash shot his head up, his eyes wide. "To be honest, I kinda expected that but didn't think you'd…"
"Actually cooperate? Me neither. But, business comes first." Her eyes dropped to the floor, and the echoes of the past about their first interactions together unnerved Vash. "I want the truth. I want to know why Knives destroyed July." She sat back in her chair, waiting. "You have to explain it since he's not here."
"Well, I dunno where to begin." Vash leaned forward in his chair, digging his hands into his knees.
"Why did Knives destroy July?" she asked bluntly. "Let's start there."
Vash frowned as he was beset by images of eagerly entering a room only to find blood dripping from a desk, and a wave of hatred and bitterness spread through his body. The terrifying memories of eagerly entering a room only to witness blood dripping from the desk sent a wave of hatred and bitterness throughout his body. Then, pleasant memories about Knives calmed his heart.
"Vash?"
"Yeah… It's… Knives wanted me to understand 'our gift' and to accept what I am. Everything that I said was true, including how Knives used my body to destroy July and..."
"Like what else? What has he done besides destroying July? Are you referring to Augusta? The countless reports of people abandoning their villages? Come on, don't dance around the subject."
Vash grimaced. "We ruined a lot of lives, Elizabeth." Tears almost spilled from his glistening eyes. "To put it bluntly, after I almost killed him in July, he sent assassins after me."
Elizabeth stammered, and her eyes widened at the ridiculousness of what he just said. "Assassins?!"
Vash wiped his face with a sleeve. "Knives couldn't do anything for two decades since he was healing in a bulb after I shot his legs off. He had someone else do his dirty work for a while."
"Why would you let someone like that be around you? He's deranged."
Vash stared past her, taking a moment to contemplate what to say. "I trust him. He's done a lot of good things… I dunno. If I would've tried harder or done things differently, maybe none of this would've happened."
"You're not responsible for what he does, Vash."
He wouldn't argue, so he nodded.
"What drove Knives to do it?"
Vash thought of a way to appeal to her, and moments later he softly said, "Fear. Revenge. Knives was—is afraid."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, unconvinced.
"It's true. We were born on the mother ship and I didn't mention this before, but a crew member abused us. He beat me, but with Knives… I dunno what else happened to him. He doesn't talk about it." Vash shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Knives has always valued his independence and deals with whatever threatens that. People have always threatened that."
Elizabeth watched the clock on her desk for a few moments before mumbling, "So, you two were abused…" She said nothing else, but when her eyes softened, Vash smiled ruefully.
"We were one-year-old. Plants grow differently like that. We barely had any life experience and didn't know how to handle anything, really. I coped by loving Rem, our surrogate mother, and learned to fear myself for being a monster. Different. Knives..." Vash sighed and frowned when he began to cry quietly. I shouldn't have acted like you were a monster back then, Knives—for thinking differently from me and Rem. I shouldn't have pushed you away!
"So, this person affected your brother more than you would've imagined," Elizabeth said as she began playing with her pen.
"Then the Great Fall happened," Vash sniffled and cleared his throat, "and it changed our lives forever." He didn't avert his eyes from her glare. "Knives hated people, and I admired them." She didn't have to know everything, and Vash would leave it up to Knives if he wanted to tell her about the Great Fall. "He wanted to kill people so we could be the only ones on the planet—wouldn't have to worry about what he feared ever again. I didn't want that to happen, so I shot him and ran away with the guns that activated our Angel Arms."
Elizabeth's eyes widened, and then she set the pen down. "Being abused and having a tragic past doesn't excuse the things he's done," she said sternly.
"It doesn't, but it's an explanation. Maybe history won't repeat itself if we know how it happened." Vash shrugged, knowing even Knives would've criticized his flawed reasoning.
"There isn't much to repeat, Vash. It's not like we're ever going to fix the crashed ships here and leave this planet."
He straightened his back in the chair and met her eyes again. "Maybe not here, but what about if we had visitors…?"
Vash watched Elizabeth's reaction carefully and only saw her eyes narrow as she contemplated on what he just said.
"Visitors?"
Vash nodded once. "It's not something the Doc and I tell people, but multiple ships a few weeks ago received a message from a group outside of this planet that may have been part of the SEEDs program. Not all of humanity crashed here. Many ships were divided into groups in search of new planets."
Elizabeth shot up in her seat and stared at Vash, bewildered by the news.
"That's one reason I wanted to see you," he continued. "A century ago, the Doc sent an S.O.S. message by having all the Plants power a communication device that relayed messages to other ships."
"So, we're being rescued?" Her monotone voice was slightly pitched.
"We… don't know." Elizabeth's face fell. "The Doc received a message long ago, but it was distorted and he couldn't understand what they said. We don't know how long it's been since they sent the new message."
"Oh…" Elizabeth leaned back in her chair.
"We can't send another one since the ship isn't powerful enough with only three Plants." Vash shrugged. "Whoever these outside people are, their technology might be more advanced than ours, so if they contact again, it'll be a one-sided conversation."
"Well, that's something. Maybe they'll be the ones to punish your brother in the future."
Vash's eyes furrowed and said nothing in response. He absently tapped his foot against the leg of his chair, waiting for her to say something else.
"So, you mentioned in your letter you had a plan," Elizabeth said, changing the topic.
Vash raised his eyes again and smiled. "Since terraforming isn't possible anymore, or at least not until Knives gives me back the cross, which he won't, then we have to find another way to help everyone. The Doc and I have been testing solar power energy, and we think we can complete the project by the end of next year or so."
"Really… That would help the Plants," she mumbled to herself.
"We also have other ways, too! Like geothermal, wind, cogeneration, oil reserves, hydro! Could you believe this planet had water on the surface at one point long ago?"
Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Not surprising, actually. A lot of water is trapped beneath the surface."
Vash flashed a toothy grin while squinting his eyes, unsure of how she'll respond to what he had to say next. "You don't have to like or forgive us, but we could work together." She didn't reply, so he continued. "I'll explain what I think we should do. We'll figure something out."
Elizabeth leaned forward to clasp her hands together on her desk. "Alright," she finally said, "let's begin."
The path within the rock formation widened the further they rode through it. Vash glanced out of the passenger window before fixing his attention to the road. When they reached the end, Elizabeth stopped the car and gasped at an impressive metal door that clashed with the natural brown rock pattern surrounding them.
"Knives built all of this?" Elizabeth asked as she stared at the top of the door through her windshield.
Vash nodded and smiled. "He's been a bit more productive than me for this kinda stuff."
"I'm assuming it's more complicated than simply ringing a doorbell."
"Yep! There's no way to get in unless someone inside opens it." Vash closed his eyes and leaned against the car door, propping his elbow with his chin in hand. 'Knives, I'm baaaaack! I brought a friend! Could ya open up?' He wasn't expecting to hear Knives' voice, just like last time, but got his answer when the doors started opening.
Elizabeth turned on the headlights and drove through the door; the darkness gradually engulfed them as they entered. Once the truck traveled on smooth cement, the exit began closing behind them with a screeching groan.
'I'm almost to the front door,' Vash said, opening a connection to Meryl.
'It's about time you came back!' she shouted, and Vash winced in response.
Elizabeth cast a sideways glance. "Is something wrong?"
Vash shook his head and forced himself to grin. "It's just kinda painful when people yell at me through a mental link." He tapped his temple.
Meryl spoke again. 'Milly's wasting her time trying to get His Majesty out of his room, again!'
Vash frowned. 'Mind opening the door to the ship? I brought a friend… You won't start an argument, right?'
'... Why?'
'Er… No reason! Talk to you soon!' Vash closed the link and began squirming in his seat. 'How is he?' Vash asked Milly.
'Not so good, Mr. Vash. We haven't seen him since you left weeks ago.'
'So he hasn't been sleeping or eating or anything? Has he been relying on his Plant energy?' Vash's eyebrows knitted together at the thought.
'I dunno, Mr. Vash. He just hasn't left his room whenever we're around.'
'Ugh!' Vash disconnected from the girls. Damn it, Knives.
As the car drove across the bridge, Elizabeth adjusted her position to get a better look at the ship through the windshield.
"How did he…"
"Knives told me he found the ship years after we separated," Vash answered as they stopped in front of the stairs that led to the ship's main entrance. "It's easy to find these kinda things when you can sense other Plants."
The dim light from the ship crept outside. Two shadows blocked the light and lost their shapes when his insurance girls left through the door.
"It's about time you came back," Meryl repeated aloud before crossing her arms. "This place isn't what I'd call home sweet home, Vash."
"Nice to see you, too, hon." Vash smiled as he removed his traveling sack. "Besides, you wanted to stay."
Meryl narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't about to leave Milly here with him."
"I wouldn't have left if I didn't trust him, hon."
"It's good to know that you two made up, Mr. Vash!" Milly beamed, and Vash and Elizabeth flashed a false toothy grin. "I tried telling Meryl that Mr. Knives wouldn't hurt me, but she didn't listen."
"I can hardly blame her," Elizabeth interrupted as she slammed her car door shut.
Meryl groaned in her throat and stepped closer to Vash. "Oh… It's you."
Elizabeth responded with a weak smirk Vash knew wasn't genuine.
"Ms. Elizabeth, it's good to see you again!"
The engineer's smile seemed to soften when she faced Milly. "Nice to meet you again. How's your family? Vash informed me what happened to them."
"They're doing a lot better and partnered with the officials in April City to protect our ranch!" She clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "The nice doctor in New Oregon picked up my family's letters and sent me copies of them through the computers, like what he did with yours to Mr. Vash."
"I'm glad. Family is important…" Elizabeth slightly grimaced before walking past them and to the door.
Vash looked disappointed and shook his head, sighing. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by working with Knives, but if they set aside their pasts and differences, they could help the Plants. What Knives was doing wasn't working, but his brother was just as stubborn as him; to convince him otherwise was going to take a lot of effort.
They gathered inside of the ship, and Vash carried her things, to Meryl's displeasure.
"Mr. Vash, how about we take these to where she'll be staying? I prepared a room, just like you asked." Milly then helped him carry a few bags.
"Oh? You thought I'd agree to this?" the engineer inquired, her voice sounding as if Vash should've expected an argument.
"Y-yeah… I hoped."
She quirked a brow and shrugged. "We'll see what your brother has to say."
It was a bit of a walk, but everyone eventually reached their chambers.
"How about you two take Elizabeth to the Plants?!" Vash suggested as he set the bags inside her room. "They'd like the company."
"That's a great idea, Mr. Vash."
"Why not save that for later?" Elizabeth interrupted. "I'm here to talk with your brother and the sooner we get that over with, the better."
Everyone else nervously glanced at each other before they returned their attention to the engineer.
"He's…" Vash stopped for a moment before changing what he wanted to say. "Before I left, he was studying me to understand the hair-darkening effect. He locked himself in his room after finding out that we're dying now." Vash frowned, his face slightly twisted in agony. "I have to talk to him," he said, breaking the awkward silence. "I'll be honest, he wasn't expecting you."
"Well, I'll be waiting then." Elizabeth undid her hair and let it hang over her shoulders. "For the sake of the Plants and people, I'd be stupid to ignore you."
Vash rubbed the back of his neck, mumbling: "Well, at least she knows what she wants."
"Yes, and I'd want your brother to be punished… There has to be justice for the 1.4 million people that died!"
Vash's hand dropped, and he stiffly stood beside the girls, unsure of what to say. Meryl hooked her arm around Vash's and held him close.
Milly gazed at the floor and seemed to count the creases that divided the metal plating. "Well, Mr. Knives was left imprisoned in a bulb after July for twenty years. Then he was severely wounded by Mr. Vash."
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, her face unreadable, and her eyelids were half-closed. "Is he still alive? People have been killed on this planet for far, far less."
Vash's brows furrowed. He was about to speak, but to his surprise, it was Meryl who did.
"I don't like him either, but he's not like that anymore. He's still selfish, entitled, prejudiced, and everything in between, but as far as we know, he hasn't killed anyone in a long time."
"Oh, and we're supposed to wait until he does?" Elizabeth whirled around to face them. "What will happen when he decides that we're all not worth his time? What makes you think that a man - who had been plotting the end of humanity for over a century - would just stop for us?"
Vash opened his mouth, determined to defend himself and Knives, but as he thought more about it, his eyes furrowed. Vash knew it wouldn't have taken much for someone to return to their old ways; he'd seen it before countless times. Deep down, he knew that his fear would always linger, despite the love and admiration he felt for his brother. The thing was, Knives wanted to change. Regardless of his reasons, what mattered was that he was trying. Vash wouldn't deny Knives his chance to use his ticket to the future.
"It wasn't easy," Vash began, pulling Meryl's closer in an attempt to seek comfort. "It took years for him to just feel comfortable with people."
Elizabeth contemplated something and eventually asked, "What would Knives do if you died?"
Vash stammered and looked away, unsure what to say.
"Hey, don't talk about him like that," Meryl demanded, her eyebrow twitching in irritation. "Is that a threat?"
"Mr. Knives loves Mr. Vash," Milly answered, and Vash was so grateful he would've hugged her. "I dunno what will happen in the future, but I don't think Mr. Knives would kill people if Vash died; it would dishonor Vash's memory."
Vash blinked, then his brows furrowed as he pondered on the idea swirling in his head. He guessed that if something were to happen to him, his brother would honor his memory by leaving people alone. Rem was Vash's light in the darkness, and her memory and beliefs kept him going for so long; the thought that Knives would do the same with him was heartbreaking. Vash didn't want his brother to obsess over the dead but instead move into a better future.
"Besides, it's rude to treat Mr. Vash like this, asking us about what would happen after he dies," Milly finished, crossing her arms and pursing her lips.
Elizabeth threw her hair over her shoulders. "Before we do anything, I'd like to rest for a while. If you don't mind," she said, dismissing them.
"Alright," Vash replied with a dejected smile. "Let us know when you're ready." He turned to leave, and the girls followed him out.
"I can't believe that woman," Meryl hissed through clenched teeth. She then shook herself and held up a trembling fist. "I'll give her a piece of my mind!"
"No, she's right to fear Knives," Vash said as he continued walking toward his brother's room. "She has every right to be a little cautious." He gripped his prosthetic forearm and felt the hard metal underneath his sleeve. "I know most people wouldn't want Knives around, but I wanna rebuild what we lost." He dropped his arm and straightened his spine, determined. "One day we'll create a paradise here for everyone."
"That's right, Mr. Vash, and I'll be learning more about Plants to help you and Mr. Knives!"
Meryl hung her head in defeat before turning to face Vash, nodding alongside Milly.
Even after everything he and Knives had done, Milly and Meryl still supported them. Vash wondered what he could've possibly done to earn their priceless trust and friendship.
Vash paused in front of Knives' door, inhaling deeply to prepare himself. He wondered if he should've knocked or sent Knives a message first.
'Knives, can I come in?'
No answer. Vash inspected the door and its mechanism, eyebrows knitted together. It required a passcode. He raised a hand to his chin and contemplated what kind of password Knives would've used, and then realized he would've memorized a random complex one. Not one to give up, Vash decided to try a few combinations.
A beep indicated his first attempt had failed. "Nope," he mumbled to himself. He tried again.
What was that sound? Vash turned to see where it originated from and saw a section of the wall above him open. He widened his eyes and yelped, darting out of range. The heat of a laser beam singed the hairs on his cheek. The mounted gun followed his movements and was about to fire again.
'Knives!' Vash shouted. 'Turn your security off!'
The light in the barrel of the gun dimmed, leaving a glowing, orange ring where the beam would've fired. The weapon pulled itself back into the wall and the hole closed behind it, but the smell of smoke lingered.
The door clicked unlocked. Vash stared at it for a few moments. "Damn it," he hissed through clenched teeth. "What do you think you're doing?!" he shouted, confronting Knives in his room. "The girls could've gotten hurt! Do you want them to die?!"
The room was dark, lighted only by Knives' dim computer monitors. Vash's eyes adjusted quickly.
"I thought I deactivated it," Knives responded simply, without looking away from his computer screens. "It isn't lethal."
As Vash watched his brother work, his anger cooled, replaced by concern. The stress lines around Knives' eyes were more pronounced; he now looked his age and fatigued. Knives had always been pale because he used his energy to heal tans, but now he looked paler than ever. His skin was so light it almost blended with his hair, making him resemble some obsessive ghost forced to remain in one place for all eternity.
"Knives, your hair…" His shoulders slumped as his rage completely disappeared.
Knives narrowed his eyes. He wrapped his finger around a very thin black lock of hair above his temple, and the realization dawned on him. He settled in his seat, and leaned back, running his hand through his hair.
"I suspected I'd start showing signs of decay," Knives said absently, then continued his work.
Vash waited for an explanation, but as the silence dragged on, he wasn't going to get one. "Why haven't you stopped? You know—"
"I can't waste any more time, Vash." Knives turned to another monitor as he precisely typed without looking at his keyboard. "This isn't some game anymore, like celebrating some ridiculous holiday. I've been wasting time amongst humans for too long."
Wasting time? Vash knit his eyebrows together. "Why are you using your energy? You know what happens!" He then realized his own fear was getting the better of him and tried to calm himself.
"I conducted a few tests and this," Knives pointed to his own black strands, "was the result. There has to be another way to use our powers without draining ourselves. I just haven't found it yet."
"Why? You're—"
"Don't you understand, Vash?!" Knives snapped. "These humans that might land here, whoever they are, will be more advanced than us! They'll have their own agendas! For all we know, they'll take over this planet and harm our brethren! They may even have independents of their own to lure us out! I need to help our family, now!"
Vash stood still, observing his brother, then he turned to the monitors lining the wall. He knew Knives was afraid, but he didn't think Knives would become this paranoid about the slight possibility that anyone outside of this planet would find them.
Okay, Knives would. The chance of that happening was still slim.
Knives was decreasing his own lifespan. He had been so afraid of the hair darkening effect, but was willing to hurt himself? Why would Knives…?
Suddenly, Vash pieced together the enigmatic puzzle that was his brother.
The younger twin quietly approached the other sibling, resting his right hand on Knives' shoulder before giving it a reassuring squeeze. Knives cast a sideways glance and looked for an answer to why Vash was touching him.
"I understand. Knives, I won't sugarcoat this: we're the reason we're stuck on this planet."
Knives' face was unreadable, but the stiffening of the shoulder under Vash's hand gave him away.
"I wish I could've done more for you back then, but I was a kid. I didn't know what to do, really."
Knives stopped typing but left his fingers on the keys.
"You always wanted to be independent, even before the fall." Vash rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that I don't want you to do this on your own."
Knives clenched his fists and set them on the counter. "I won't let you use any more of your power, Vash," he insisted firmly.
Vash frowned. "When we rescued Mikey, you didn't tell me your plan, and we didn't work together enough, but when we dealt with that bus driver, we were a team. I want to help. I want us to work together with people."
"With humans..." Knives scowled at his keyboard.
"We're not alone anymore. We have people who want to help—that know who we are and what we are. Doesn't that mean something to you? Were they a waste of your time? Was being with Milly a waste?"
Vash could tell Knives was itching to return to his work, but he continued to listen.
"Everyone deserves mercy, I think. I showed you it when we fought, even after what happened to Wolfwood and Legato. I gave you that mercy, even if you might not have deserved it because I wanted to give you that chance. Right now—" Vash chuckled, but without his usual warmth. "It's funny, because I know what it's like to sacrifice yourself. It's not what I want for anyone else. You made me use my energy, but seeing you waste away is one of the last things I'd want for you or anyone."
Knives turned to Vash, his face unreadable.
"I won't use my powers," Vash agreed. "Look, I have another plan. It's gonna take time, but it'll eventually make a difference. Hear me out, okay?"
Knives stared intently at Vash before glancing at his computer monitors, his eyes darting everywhere, and for a moment, Vash thought his brother was overwhelmed by the whole situation again.
Knives opened a blank document and watched the cursor blink on the page. "What do you have in mind?"
"Aren't they great, Ms. Elizabeth?!" Milly asked, palming the warm bulb closest to the railing.
Elizabeth looked indifferent, but then she noticed Milly's expression and smiled slightly. "Yes, they are."
"Milly, we've seen bulbs a million times," said Meryl, but then she thought about it, frowning. "We don't really see what they look like inside often, though."
Vash's smile turned into a straight line. He remembered when Meryl was frightened after seeing one of the Plants in New Oregon for the first time, and her confronting a bulb again meant the world to him.
It was okay for her to be afraid; she still chose to understand and accept him and the Plants.
Maybe someday other people would accept them, too.
Vash's smile broadened into a toothy grin as he gazed up at the dozen bulbs lining the curved walls of the room.
"Do you three wanna see Rem?" he asked as his hand greeted Milly's on the bulb. "The Plant named herself Rem because Knives always ranted about the past with her, and she liked the name."
"I wanted to ask you about the cold-sleep room," Elizabeth interrupted. "While we wait for your brother, that is."
"Why? The only ones I know of were the crew members' pods," said Vash, not liking where this conversation was going.
Elizabeth grimaced. "He killed them."
Milly faltered, looking distressed at the reminder that Knives had been a murderer. Even Vash sometimes forgot about that when he and Knives were living together and getting along.
"No—they died years before Knives found this ship," Vash murmured. He wouldn't lie to me.
Elizabeth looked unconvinced, but she said nothing else.
"A-anyway," Vash said, his smile returning as he gazed up at the bulb. "She's a bit tired but would like to see us before she sleeps."
"Do these Plants think humans should die too?" Elizabeth asked coarsely, and everyone turned back to her. "They've been around your brother long enough to be influenced by him."
Vash's brows furrowed before he turned back to the bulb. "Uh… What they've told me is that he often ranted about—well, me and people. But they're also Plants from Earth and know what humans are like. A lot of them are wary but open-minded."
As Vash started opening a link with his sister, the voices behind him faded, and the link felt as if he was being shined on by the twins sons, like he was mining through a wall that crumbled, allowing a sliver of wondrous sunlight through an expanding crack. He reached for his sister through the slender hole and when he felt her connect to him, everything felt natural and safe.
Vash chuckled to himself as he palmed the glass and rested his forehead against the curve of the bulb. He reminisced about an interesting conversation he and Knives had a while ago about their talents when Knives had admitted that his little brother hadn't entirely disregarded what he was. Vash, like Plants, was kind, nurturing, curious, forgiving, and endured the cruelties humanity forced upon him.
While thinking about it, Vash could practically hear Knives' voice.
'Vash.'
The man's eyes snapped open and his body tried to jolt away from the bulb, but a firm hand on his shoulder kept him in place. Intense light from within the bulb blinded him. He turned and squinted. When his vision cleared, he was overcome with happiness to see his brother's gentle smile and soft eyes.
'You really lost yourself in the conversation with her this time,' Knives finally said with a chuckle.
Vash quickly recovered and grinned sheepishly. 'Heh, sorry about that. I just wanted them to see Rem, but I got carried away.'
Knives looked puzzled when Rem was mentioned before his eyes widened slightly in recognition. 'It's fine.'
Vash's heart ached as the callousness he had always been accustomed to seeing began hardening Knives' eyes once again.
"Wow, Mr. Vash, she's so pretty," Milly commented.
Vash knew it was stupid, but he wanted to ask the others to leave if only so he could have some privacy to feel sentimental for days long gone. For just a moment, it was like they were children again, admiring the Plants before going to the recreation room to play with Rem.
He felt someone mentally shoving him and he looked up at his sister, who was emerging from the bulb. She peeled away the core of the bulb and her curled, feathery appendages fluttered out. Then, as more of her body settled outside of the core, her movements became more graceful and fluid. He watched the pads of her feminine hands press against the glass to mirror his own, and her long nails tapped the surface in an irregular rhythm. Feathers danced around her head and her piercing yellow eyes revealed themselves through a thin gap.
He doesn't complain to us as much as he did before, she told him but not with words. He could feel and understand what she said without her actually having to voice it.
Vash's smile dropped a little when he registered the tension between Elizabeth and Knives. Obviously, his brother didn't want her around.
Vash stepped away from the bulb and noticed that his brother's clothes differed from what he usually wore. Unlike Knives' usual space suits, the outfit looked somewhat casual, being mostly white and black. The bottom of the white jacket sat just under his ribs. It reminded Vash of his old red jacket, with buttons that connected the wide collar at the front. Underneath was a black turtleneck shirt, tucked into his black jeans. His jeans had the white denim material made from his jacket, fashioned into a pair of johpur styled chaps over pants. The chaps had a more rectangular cut at the side and were fastened together with a series of heavy-duty snaps. They looked like wings coming from his thighs, symbolizing the strange wings and limbs of his sisters in the bulbs.
Vash looked down at his own outfit and was glad he changed out of Wolfwood's suit for a casual outfit; Knives wouldn't have liked it if he was reminded of the church-man.
"Heh, nice clothes," Vash commented. "Gonna make me a coat?"
Knives glanced at him and quirked a brow. "We'll see." He then returned to glaring at Elizabeth.
"Hey, why the long face?" asked Vash. "Now we're all reunited!" he said, jumping toward his brother and hooking an arm around his neck.
"Get off," Knives hissed through his teeth as he pulled away from his brother.
The gunman sighed and stepped away. "Business first, huh?"
Meryl shook her head. "You should know that by now, Vash."
"I know, but I think you two," he pointed a finger at Knives then Elizabeth, "should get to know each other again."
"That's a good idea, Mr. Vash!" Milly said. "I made some pudding and carrot cake the other day. They could have some of that."
"Thanks but no thanks," said Elizabeth, scrutinizing Knives, through narrowed eyes. "I'll talk with your brother, alone."
Vash wasn't so sure it was a good idea to leave them unsupervised. He was about to say so when Knives interrupted him.
"Leave us."
Vash shook his head and said firmly, "I think I should stay."
"I think you should let the adults talk," Knives teased. "Besides, your pet missed you."
Meryl scowled. "Why you—"
"Vash," Elizabeth began, with her hands folded together in front of herself, "after this, you and I can talk more about the plan together."
Vash knew he was fighting a losing battle, and while he wasn't one to give up easily, this time he'd let them do what they wanted. "Okay," he said warily. He then glanced at his sister and smiled. 'Let me know if he does something stupid.'
Knives watched the others leave. When the door closed behind them, he glanced at Elizabeth before disregarding her entirely.
He had peered into her mind when he first entered the room, and what he found didn't shock him; hatred bubbled near the surface. Knives wondered if she'd try to avenge her parents and the rest of those that perished in July by shooting him. She could try.
Humans always repeated their mistakes.
Knives smiled wearily at his sister, and she returned the gesture, but concern twisted her usually soft features. He never let his guard down, and by the determined look on Elizabeth's reflection on the glass, she wouldn't leave either.
"I demand to know why you destroyed July," she said, with a slight edge to her gentle voice. "I want to hear it from you."
Knives couldn't help but notice that his sister's feathers and limbs dropped at the mention of July. He stepped away from the bulb and told the Plant that she should rest. She frowned at him, sending waves of uncertainty that Knives tried combating with warmth and reassurance. She didn't retreat into the core of the bulb, and he found it more difficult to speak with her watching him.
He hated it when his siblings didn't listen.
"I sought to remind Vash that he wasn't human," Knives began, his voice lacking emotion. "Revenge for abandoning me and not learning that your kind is a worthless, pathetic species bent on raping and destroying this planet and draining my family. That—"
"And you thought blowing up a city with people and Plants made you any better?"
Knives suppressed the urge to sneer. 'Do not interrupt me again,' he warned.
She smiled smugly. "Or what? You'll kill me? Mess with my mind? Hurt me in front of the Plants? Vash would really approve of that."
"Vash doesn't dictate everything that I do."
"You think senseless violence will win you any good brother points? He wants us to cooperate."
Knives' gloved hands prevented his fingernails from marking his palms. "Yes, he told me his ridiculous plan. While members of SEPAL travel across the planet to aid the Plants, advocate for change within each settlement's established institutes, the doctor and I will develop alternative methods to produce energy and harness resources from this planet. Vash will travel with the organization to help the Plants, leaving New Oregon and the peaceful life he cherishes…"
"Yes, that's the summary. Now that terraforming isn't an option," she said, glancing at the lock of black hair near Knives' temple, "we need to figure out something else."
"Hmph, why should I? Here, I have the answers that might free them. I don't need a human pet to follow me around."
"Don't insult me," she demanded confidently. "You should do something else. That's what your brother proposed!"
Knives rolled his eyes and then stepped closer to loom over her. "Time is the issue now. Time and the fact that Vash's solution wouldn't work. You humans," he spat the word, "never learn. Right now, you want to shoot me." Elizabeth's eyes widened a fraction and Knives smirked. "Are you going to stage a malfunction in my ship?"
Elizabeth stood her ground, straightening her spine to match his stance, and glared. "I want you to be punished, I'll admit, but that doesn't mean I'll do anything!"
"That's reassuring," Knives said. He frowned and furrowed his brows. "What has Vash told you about us?"
Elizabeth cocked her head and glared. "Why don't you read my mind and find out?"
Knives reached for her chin, startling her as he turned her jaw to face him. "I want to hear it from you."
She jerked her head out of his hand. "One of the crew members abused both of you and your hatred for humanity stemmed from his abuse. You two grew apart after the Great Fall."
So, Vash didn't reveal what his older brother had done. Knives snorted. "He left something out."
Elizabeth knitted her eyebrows together.
Knives appeared deceptively innocent, looking away before he began distancing himself from Elizabeth.
He had always relished having control of the situation. He alone changed the course of human history on this planet, clinging to the notion that he'd done it all so he and Vash could live a prosperous life in Eden.
Knives' previously coy steps now slightly dragged behind him. He gripped onto the railing as he trudged toward the door.
So many had died because of him. He had tried to save those on the Plant ship, and his mind informed him that sacrifices had to be made for the benefit of the majority. The Plants in July were a sacrifice. Killing the crew was a necessary outcome. Rem...
What if he was wrong? His heart lurched, and his mind shoved the adverse thought away.
"What…?" Elizabeth neared the bulb, keeping her distance from Knives.
Knives stopped, inhaled a long breath, and released it, feeling the carbon leave him. "As you know," he began after a few moments, "your ancestors sent ships to establish colonies: Project Seeds. In doing so, they enslaved my kind so they could travel and leech off other planets." He gazed at the bulbs overhead. "I'm going to liberate them. Doing what my brother proposed means they'll remain trapped. When the planet's invaded, they will be at the outsiders' mercy."
Some of the Plants above them left the cores of their bulbs to watch their brother and the human converse, their palms flattened against the glass. Each expressed different emotions, including sympathy, disgust, shame, and anger.
An intense silence stretched between them.
"You're right," Elizabeth said, finally. "They'll still be trapped… What do they want?"
Knives stood still for a few moments before glancing over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do they want to leave—leave the bulbs—or is that what you want?"
"Of course they do! What kind of question is that?!"
"Do they understand the consequences of leaving a bulb? What about the ones outside of this ship? Would they want to risk being apart from humans?"
The Plants were naïve. When Knives had wandered the planet to visit his sisters, they made their opinions loud and clear: they didn't want to leave the humans without a means to help them. It sickened Knives that his family was conditioned to submit to the vermin, to neglect their own lives for the sake of those that enslaved them. Vash being the worst example and the one that disturbed Knives the most. His brother experienced human behavior firsthand for decades, yet the fool only became more devoted to them.
"Did they want you to kill people? Did they want you to blow up July and Augusta?! There weren't just humans in those cities!"
Knives winced but recovered instantly. He then scowled at the closest Plant, who agreed with the human.
Elizabeth wrapped a few strands of loose hair behind her ear and then folded her arms together in front of herself. "Vash mentioned the Plants are afraid but open-minded about people."
"Once they're freed, they'll understand why they should stay away from your kind." Knives felt a few of the Plants send him waves of confusion and doubt, and his frown deepened. They reminded him about how that didn't happen with Vash.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Did you tell them you wouldn't be able to defend them? You can't use your energy to save them all."
"Telepathy doesn't affect our health. Once I find a way, I'll free them one by one while altering the humans' memories."
"Where would you keep them, Knives? There would be too many for you to handle once people demand their Plants back."
"Oh , so you're telling me it's better to keep them trapped than freed because of a few risks and pathetic vermin?" He laughed, obviously unconvinced. "I thought you valued my kind. Clearly, I was mistaken."
Elizabeth strode to Knives, her steps purposeful. "You're looking for an answer that might not be there, and I'm risking my life by challenging how people treat the Plants," she hissed.
Everything that the woman said Knives had already considered and obsessed over. Following what Vash wanted might work, but too much depended on the humans changing their ways. He couldn't use the Angel Arms. He couldn't even decrypt the files he'd been working on for decades! What could he do?
"Look, will there actually be an answer in those files?" Elizabeth asked.
"My sisters won't be denied an opportunity to experience freedom."
"That didn't answer my question." Elizabeth covered her eyes and sighed, exasperated. She threw her arm down. "I think I understand."
Knives waited for her to announce a new revelation and when she didn't, aggravated, he entered her mind and listened.
You know what it's like being trapped, don't you? Elizabeth asked herself, oblivious to Knives' intrusion. You don't want Plants to suffer the same fate, because you experienced what it's like being at the mercy of a human.
Knives backhanded the woman, sending her rolling to his feet. He loomed over her, his glowing blue glare penetrating through her very being as he imagined watching the life being taken from her.
"You understand nothing, vermin."
It was satisfying to act on impulse after so long.
The Plants were appalled by the sudden assault. Knives felt it, and his heart began to race.
Elizabeth was dazed as she tried recovering from the strike. She stared at Knives as his blue glowing eyes dimmed. She was bewildered until recognition brushed over her face. "Frankly, what happened to you is your business," Elizabeth said, rubbing her lip, split from the assault. "Your brother and I can do this without you." She then snarled and fearlessly glared at him. "I hope you rot. I hope you go to Hell."
Knives raised his gloved fist, noticing the smudge of lipstick across the leather. Elizabeth held onto the railing as she reached for the door, and when she left, Knives closed his eyes and listened to his distressed sisters.
The Plants shouted and outright scolded Knives. They had never seen him act so callously before because he'd kept the Gung-Ho Guns away from them and never let his sisters witness how he kept the vermin in line. ...or when he killed them.
Knives knew he should exterminate humanity. It was a simple and effective goal, eradicating an obstacle that prevented him from reaching his Eden. Knives would build another militia by hiring assassins the Eye of Michael used to obtain power or protect the Plants they worshipped. He'd gather the Plants and terraform this planet, or another, even if Vash would hate him for it. He'd have to fight his brother again because no matter how close they became, he would always pick the humans.
Now, everything was complicated.
Why was Knives born? Even as a child, he'd always questioned his existence. Then he thought of exterminating humans, preventing their influence from spreading like the plague and ruining another planet. He realized it didn't matter why he was born, only that he had the will to give himself purpose.
Now, liberating the Plants was his purpose, and if necessary, he was willing to resort to genocide again.
You can't, his sisters cautioned him.
'Knives! What did you do?' Vash's enraged voice made Knives wince. 'The Plants are distressed! What are you planning to do?!'
Knives severed the connection with his brother and felt that Vash was headed to his location. He couldn't deal with his brother now, so Knives locked the door and returned to the closest bulb.
The Plants knew one thing that disgusted him: he had developed humanity. Vash, Thompson, and Stryfe had influenced him enough for that to develop inside of Knives, and he had realized this years ago. He couldn't revert to his old methods unless he suffocated that benevolence inside of him. That would mean Vash had to die—him and the insurance women.
Knives' sisters cried, and he snarled, knowing he couldn't. Vash's death would… Knives didn't want to think about that.
What could he do for his sisters now?
Knives squinted his eyes shut as voices flooded his mind, crashing into it and suffocating the thoughts that had surfaced after harming Elizabeth. The Plants asked him again, the Great Fall, killing so many, our brother's pain—had their family suffered enough?
'Be quiet!' Knives shouted, glaring up at the Plants above him.
He stood still. Minutes passed. He walked toward Rem, the closest Plant, and snarled.
'I was the only one who tried! I did what had to be done!'
Rem looked down and curled her wings around herself. She wouldn't meet his eyes again. The others began severing their links, leaving Knives feeling alone and abandoned.
'Stop it!" Knives demanded, but they weren't listening. 'Don't leave me.'
Many of the Plants began retreating into the cores of the bulbs, their faces twisted in grief and anguish.
Knives closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and fell on one knee. He bent forward and lowered his head. 'I confess my sins.'
Silence. The Plants stopped and created a frail union again with their brother, and his hushed voice echoed within their minds.
'I was too impetuous then.'
You hurt our brother and killed humans.
'I thought reminding him of what he was would make him understand.'
Was it the humans that killed so many of us?
'I sacrificed many of our kindred.'
You're afraid. You don't know what the humans will do once they settle on this planet.
'This is not fear. This is anger.'
Angry at them or yourself?
Knives took a deep breath and stood in one smooth motion. He narrowed his eyes at Rem again and gritted his teeth.
'Humans… they act on their base desires… without self-control.'
So did you. You wanted Vash to join us. You killed so many.
'Do not compare me to your enslavers! They ruined everything even before I was born!… In the end, they even devoured their host Earth like parasites. Even now, they are trying to consume us… Unable to think of anything but themselves.'
You devoured our brother's energy, consuming him for your own reasons.
'I am not human. I will not act only for myself any longer.' Knives sauntered to the bulb and pressed his hand against it, parting his fingers so his sister could mirror his gesture. 'Give me strength. It seems I can't do this alone.'
Will you cooperate with the humans and our brother?
Knives smiled ruefully, and his eyes softened as they met the yellow ones of his sister. 'Yes. If that's what you desire.'
It is, they said in unison.
Knives raised his other hand and pressed it onto the glass, reflecting her pose. He then looked over his shoulder when Vash began pounding on the door, demanding him to unlock it. 'Then I'd better apologize before it's too late.'
