I do not own Trigun / Vash or Kaite. They belong to the amazing Mr. Yasuhiro Nightow.

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Stampede Coming

Year 0148 month 8 day 9

"Hello again, Kaite," said a quiet voice from the shadows. "It's been a long time."

Kaite startled, and turned toward the vaguely familiar voice. The speaker stepped out of the shadows, and removed his sunglasses.

"Vash!" Kaite said, and then ducked into the shadows himself, grabbing the other man's arm to pull him back out of sight. Vash's hair was long and black now, instead of short and blonde. Otherwise, he looked exactly the same as Kaite remembered him from 35 years ago.

"Are you crazy? They're hunting you!"

"I know," he said. Kaite saw one corner of his mouth quirk upward into a lopsided grin. "As it so happens, that's nothing new."

Kaite chuckled, oddly relieved. "No, I suppose it isn't. What brings you here, of all places?" Yet even as he asked the question, he suspected that he might already know the answer.

"I won't allow my name to be used as a weapon in the hands of those who wish to harm others," Vash said, frowning. "I hope to disarm everyone who misuses it like that."

Kaite could understand. He remembered Vash from his childhood, when BDN had recruited him to aid with the robbery of a sand steamer. Vash had shown him a way out of that life of crime.

"Yeah, if someone was using my name that way, I'd want to stop it, too," Kaite said.

"Would it be too much to ask," Vash said, "for you to help me get onto the steamer? I can't exactly buy a ticket like everyone else."

Kaite said, "What did you have in mind?" Kaite had been working on the sand steamer for many years. His knowledge gained from his copy of his father's blueprints had proven valuable several times.

Vash briefly outlined his plan, and Kaite smiled. "You got it," he said.

Vash smiled in return.

...

The false Stampede had stopped the steamer on several prior trips. Kaite had been forced to watch in helpless horror while the man and his gang had robbed and killed.

There was no reason to expect the bandit would allow the steamer to pass unmolested on this trip, any more than he had on prior passes. Unfortunately, the canyon was by far the best route to May city.

Vash had promised to stay hidden unless the steamer was attacked. He asked that Kaite collect the weapons of the bandits, and bandage their injuries, so that he could disappear more quickly. His old friend didn't wish anyone to be harmed in pursuing the bounty on his head. Kaite could respect that.

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Year 0148 month 8 day 10

He smuggled Vash onto the steamer well in advance of the passengers. He knew a hiding place where the wanted man could be comfortable and unnoticed, unless his special expertise was needed.

Kaite sneaked in almost every evening, to bring Vash food and to hang out. The outlaw could be highly entertaining when he chose, and Kaite thoroughly enjoyed evenings spent with him. He almost hoped the false Stampede would let the steamer pass unchallenged, so that the real one would stay on the steamer longer.

They also spent time consulting the blueprint copy. Kaite pointed out routes from this hidden location to key areas of the ship. Vash nodded thoughtfully, and thanked him. For the second time, he trusted Kaite with the small radio that allowed them to communicate.

Everything was as ready as it could be. All that remained was to wait and see what would happen when they reached the bandits' territory.

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Year 0148 month 8 day 17

On the morning of the day when the steamer was scheduled to enter the disreputable canyon, Kaite was restlessly pacing around the steamer. He was so distracted that he failed to notice a tiny grey-haired passenger until he bumped into her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," they both said.

She chuckled. "I wasn't watching where I was going," she said.

"No problem," he said, smiling. "Have a good trip."

"Thank you," she replied.

She was nice about it, but Kaite felt badly for having been so careless. He tried to do better as he roamed about restlessly waiting to learn if the bandits would attack.

Shortly before lunchtime, the anticipated attack occurred. As far as Kaite could tell, the whole gang went directly to rounding up passengers and corralling them in the dining area. He radioed Vash, to inform him of this.

Without intending that result, the bandits had cornered themselves. Kaite smiled grimly at that realization and started edging toward the bandits as unobtrusively as he could. He'd grown to be a fair-sized man, so it took some effort to avoid attracting their attention as he moved.

Bang! The first bandit dropped his gun to scream and clutch at his shoulder. Kaite had missed seeing the moment when Vash entered the room, but so had the bandits.

The leader of the gang had not yet drawn his weapon, but all of his men had. Each of them was quickly disabled. Kaite did not envy them their injuries, but he knew there was little danger that any of them would die. The real Vash was too skilled, and too careful.

"Stop this," Vash said in a soft, intense voice.

"Right - and you think you're going to make me?" the bandit jeered. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with? I'm Vash the Stampede! I take what I will, and I kill where I will. And nobody can do anything about it!"

"I can," Vash said. "Please, don't make me hurt you."

The counterfeit arrogantly dared to point his weapon toward the real Vash. There was a muzzle blast from the taller man's gun, and the man in the red coat fell to the ground. He grabbed at his leg and started screaming.

Vash tossed Kaite a roll of bandages. "Please bandage them," he said, "then take them to the nearest sheriff's office."

Kaite nodded, and smiled. Vash smiled back, twirled then holstered his gun, and stepped through a side doorway into the ship's corridor.

"Vash!" Kaite recognized the petite passenger he'd bumped into earlier that morning. The woman dashed through the door after Vash, her tiny face somehow looking both pleased and worried at the same time.

Kaite had work to do, and he knew that Vash could reach his vanishing point and escape from the passenger if he wished. He set about his assigned tasks of collecting weapons and bandaging bandits. Other men, both crew and passengers, came forward to help prevent the injured bandits from misbehaving.

That evening, Vash praised Kaite's work when he reclaimed his small radio. They shared another pleasant evening, goofing off and telling jokes.

...

When the steamer reached May City's port, Kaite went back to the hidden room to bid Vash farewell. But all he found was a note of gratitude from the wanted man.

Vash himself had vanished.