I slowly got up; waving a hand at the intrusive voice that filled the air of my rented apartment. It was time to work again…

_Begin Transmission. New data reel, acquired._

The cold, eerie silence that filled the air after my words frightened even me, and I wondered subconsciously, if I had said too much and if I was going to pay dearly.

"… Well! What did I say! Get moving!" I barked, my voice taking on a harsh, merciless tone as I stared down the man, who I assumed to be the… general.

My cold glare apparently got him moving again, and he jumped, his ragged blue-brown hair bouncing with some unseen luster that still lay, obviously trapped for all eternity.

"Y-Yes, Commander!" he peeped, turning on his toe and moving quickly toward the small building that lay not 10 feet from their current position.

I must be careful… always.

At the current moment, 5 guns of around 0.4 calibers were aimed at me, and the man who still stood by me, and all the while I was wondering… what in the world possessed this idiot to stay this close to me.

After all, I am the legendary Operative Angel'skie! I am not weak enough to need a baby sitter… Especially one like him.

He looked at me with cold, silvery blue eyes, the color of the ocean back home… and his hate was so obvious.

"You! You're from Earth…"
I heard the words leave him in a rush; he seemed jealous.

"… Yes. I am Operative 01, Angel'skie; Commander of the Russian Militia Sect; Angel Wings Project."
I remember how cold my voice sounded as I gave the familiar introduction to this man, whose eyes turned frightened the second the 'Angel Wings' part came from my lips. I was beginning to wonder.
"Give me your name…" I commanded with little expectation for answer.

"… My name is Vash; I am a soldier, looking to provide the world with Love and Peace."
He nodded harshly, acting as if that was the most normal thing possible in this war torn, dead planet.

I nearly laughed, though I kept up my appearance as a hateful monstrosity quite well, if I must say.
"Really? You expect to survive on the principle of… Love and Peace?"

The male shot out an arm, nearly causing me to believe he planned to kill me… but instead, he crossed his middle finger over his index finger, and smiled broadly, which I must say frightened me a bit more than being shot by this man, "LOVE AND PEACE!" He screamed, smiling impishly, like he didn't have a care in the world, when really, I imagine he was quite… dragged down by his past.

His eyes were evidence of just that. With their quite, sad hues and the faked smile, it saddened me just to see anyone like this. It really did.

I blinked, making myself appear quite confused and a bit frightened by the sudden outburst.

"I-I…"
I really couldn't finish my sentence, mostly because of how simply stupid this man sounded, screaming like an idiot in the middle of a stand-off he had forced me into.

I turned, leaving him without a response as I awaited the return of the putrid man and his leader. My senses had been directed at the man I had been talking to, and that was quite negligent.

But, I do remember the smell of gun powder, the sound of multiple shots ringing out from the guns that had surrounded me and my forced compatriot, the taste of blood, and the feeling as several bullets either bounced off my armor I wore under my coat, or pierced my skin. I was truly at a loss for words.

My thoughts were of one thing, 'Why…. Why did he have to get dragged in to this…?"
I might not have understood that man's beliefs… but I knew one thing; if someone like him existed in this world, we might just have a chance.

I fell to my knees, blood coating my legs, arms and back. I had several holes in my left leg, my right arm was numb, and I could feel where a bullet had flown through me, and punctured my stomach, from my back.

I was sure that the man in the crimson coat was dead, and my fate would be the same. I had lowered my guard, and this was my punishment for being careless.

My vision was already blurring and the sounds of happy bandits flowed, lapped and broken, to my ears. A slow pool of blood had formed in my mouth and I spit it out, trying to maintain consciousness.

Out of my range of vision, I was vaguely aware of multiple bandits falling to the ground. Yet the scent of death didn't reach the air.

The sound of bullets flying past my ears and landing in the legs of bandits in front of me brought me back to reality.

Bullets were flying around me, barely an inch away… and yet I decided to move.

I spun on my toe, keeping low to the ground and following the bullets that rushed past me carefully. I was genuinely scared that I would be hit by one of those silver rockets.

I stopped as I faced the opposite direction I had been, and my eyes widened to see who had been firing so precisely, not even one of his bullets had scathed me.

Only a few feet away from where he had been a second ago, the man in the crimson coat lowered his gun and smiled meekly, placing a hand in his coal black hair, the lone stripe of blond was, for the moment, covered in dirt.

I blinked slowly, forcing myself to return his smile. I had to stand up… I had to keep moving.

My knees wobbled haphazardly as I stood, my lips colored the fiery crimson of blood, and my black clothes seemed a bit darker in places; the silver fur that lined my coats hem was now a Dalmatian of red and white.

I felt cold.

"Vash… You said your name was Vash…" I smiled weakly as I said that, my crimson stained lips barely tugging up at the corners, "I-I… guess I found you."
I felt myself falling forward then, and I felt utterly helpless to stop my descent into the abyss of darkness that seemed to flow along my feet. I was so… scared.

But then, as if by some divine intervention, I felt myself stop, and red fell to rest around the black. My descent was halted for the time being.

I practically whimpered out, falling into the arms of the crimson-clad outlaw; I wasn't sure who, where or why for the moment. And the only sign that made me feel a bit better was that his coat was also dyed a deeper crimson along his sides, and yet he was still moving.

"Uh… Miss Angel'skie…"
His chest rumbled as he tried to speak to me in that overly innocent tone I am now much to use to.

"… Call me Angel, will you? Or 01 will do fine."
I spoke briefly, my words coming from between blood coated lips.

"Are you alright? You're bleeding a lot…"
I felt the man lower to his knees as he said that, and gently, he placed me on my back, my face to the sky.

"… I don't know why you are asking me this. You have… three? Injuries on your sides."
I glanced over, my eyes resting on the stains, which were slowly spreading down the tails of the coat.

He smiled weakly and nodded his head as if happy about the fact.
"I'm used to it. And you have four shots to your right legs, seven to your left… and if I am right, your shoulder blade on the right side is severely dislocated."

My eyes widened and I let out a timid giggle, placing my left arm over my eyes as a ward against the planet's two suns.
"I guess the rumors are true… Vash the Stampede, the Human Typhoon, classified the world's first Human Disaster and also known for saving the world… It's a pleasure to meet you."

I tilted my head, curious, as I felt an audible thump to my side.

I barely lifted my arm, the glimpse of red sand enough to send a shiver through my entire form.

Beside me, Vash was laying, his eyes closed and his hands in front of him; the sand had turned an abnormal red around where he had fallen.

"A-Ah… I guess his wounds were too much for him…" I muttered to myself, lowering my hand to the transmitter below my gun.

I flicked the button and my microphone kicked into action.

"… Excuse me, People of the City of December… I will offer hefty compensation to all those involved if the man beside me and I could be taken to a qualified doctor?"
My voice rang out through the streets on the small speakers I had rigged, and I knew all we would have to do is hold out a bit longer.

I couldn't help but feel this was my fault… I mean, we had both been taken by surprise, but he had been hurt, and I had been hurt… And all the men that lay, writhing in pain around us, I could only laugh at their pain. Because it wasn't them with a risk of dying.

They all had one bullet hole in each leg… all in the same basic spot, without fail.

I had met the legend.

_End Transmission, Data input has reached the limit._

I couldn't help but let out an audible sigh. I had at least gotten the story of our first meeting out… that much was good.

I dropped the miniature laptop I had brought from Earth so long ago to my side, pulling the bowl that had been resting next to me for the time into my lap and beginning to eat the stew that it held, a smile on my lips.

I have such a terrific cook.