Chapter 5: Gunshots and Other Surprises
The town of October was greeted in the morning by bright rays of light as the twin suns peeked over the horizon. No clouds marred the blue sky and it promised to be another nice, albeit hot, day. Right then though it was rather pleasant out and Nicholas D. Wolfwood was taking full advantage of it. The wandering priest sat on one of the benches in front of the hotel, relaxing with a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. He slouched down comfortably with his arms over the edge of the backrest. This was one of those mornings where a person could just sit back and forget about their troubles. The priest was smart enough to know that when there was a morning like that; one took full advantage of it.
The quiet didn't last for much longer though. The peacefulness was soon broken by the sound of someone whistling a cheerful tune. Wolfwood looked to his right to find the source of the noise. He slid his sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose and saw a man in a familiar red coat with spiky blonde hair. The man carried a thin, rectangular box in front of him. When the man came closer, Wolfwood slid his glasses back up and grinned.
"Good morning, Needle-noggin. Where the hell have you been?" he asked pleasantly. Vash smiled and sat beside the preacher.
"Hey, Wolfwood! Good morning! It sure is beautiful out, isn't it?" Vash replied jovially. Wolfwood was surprised to see a genuine smile on the outlaw's face. He didn't think he had ever seen Vash smile like that before.
"Yeah, it is a nice day. So where have you been? And what's in the box?" Wolfwood agreed then repeated his question and stamped out his cigarette. Vash's smile grew bigger and a dreamy look came to his face.
"I was out with Anya all day yesterday. We watched the fireworks together too. I don't even know what time I got back to the hotel." Vash answered, "Anyway, Anya's working the morning shift so I brought her donuts."
Wolfwood smirked, slowly shaking his head at his friend.
"Man, you've got it bad. You should see your face. You're acting more lovestruck than when you've been around other girls." he said, lighting another cigarette, "If I didn't know any better I'd say you got another kiss last night."
Vash blushed slightly but his smile remained.
"Actually it was quite a few more kisses." the blonde man said, quickly standing and heading into the building. His stunned friend's mouth dropped open, causing the cigarette to drop to the ground forgotten. Wolfwood stood and hurried to follow Vash inside.
"Wait! What exactly happened?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. His friend smirked, wagging a finger at the nosy priest.
"A gentleman does not kiss and tell, my friend. All I can say is that I am incredibly happy that we came here." Vash answered. Wolfwood let the subject drop, pleased with his friend's well-deserved happiness.
The two men walked into the tavern, which was already bustling with people. A few were people who were guests at the hotel. The others were a group of a dozen men who seemed to be a rowdy bunch. They were eating and drinking, yelling at one another and making lewd comments at any woman that passed by their tables. Wolfwood and Vash nodded to each other, silently agreeing to keep an eye on these rude visitors. Vash's serious look disappeared when he caught sight of Anya at a nearby table. He watched her as she took the guests' breakfast orders. Today she was wearing a long, white linen dress that had short cap sleeves and a low scoop neckline that gave the barest, teasing glimpse of the top of her ample chest. Her long hair was tied back in a braid but strands still escaped to frame her slender face. Memories of the previous day sprang to the forefront of his mind, which didn't help the rate of his fast-beating heart. He had fallen hard for this woman and now he was hoping that last night hadn't been only a wonderful dream. He hoped that she didn't think that it had been a mistake.
The guests soon finished their orders and Anya turned to go to the next table, which happened to be Vash and Wolfwood's. She locked eyes with Vash, causing shy smiles to spread on both their faces. Wolfwood meanwhile watched them both in quiet amusement. Anya slowly approached their table, keeping her eyes on Vash.
"Good morning. What can I get for you?" she asked in a quiet daze.
"Coffee, eggs, and sausage for me." Wolfwood said. Anya wrote it all down though she was still looking straight at his companion.
"I'll have the same." Vash answered, echoing Anya's tone.
"Okay, it'll be up in a few minutes." she replied then looked curiously at the parcel on the table, "What's in the box?"
Vash glanced down at the table then back at Anya, almost forgetting about his surprise.
"Oh this! Well, I didn't think that you had eaten yet so I brought you some donuts." he answered, inwardly hoping that she didn't laugh at him. To his relief, she smiled and gave him a hug.
"Oh Vash, that is so sweet! Thank you! I'm starved!"
"Hey sweetheart, how 'bout you bring some of that over here!" one of the men from the large group called out rudely. The trio frowned and both Wolfwood and Vash looked over at the tables, immediately planning for damage control should a fight break out.
"Anya, you want us to escort them out?" Wolfwood asked seriously. She shook her head as she stepped back from Vash.
"They haven't done anything wrong yet. If they do I'll take care of it." she answered confidently.
Wolfwood seemed skeptical at that but Vash suspected that there was more to Anya than she was letting on. If she needed him, he would help but until then Vash would stay out of her way. Anya grabbed a donut and gave Vash a wink then headed back to the kitchen to put in the orders.
Throughout the breakfast rush that group of men hassled Anya, yelling crude comments or trying to touch her. She handled it well though. She would ignore the comments and gracefully dodge any attempts made by the men to lay a hand on her. What bothered Vash was that they only bothered Anya, no other servers or customers. Also, one man in the group remained quiet while his companions continued with their boorish antics. He calmly watched Anya as she went about her duties. The quiet man had dark, weathered skin and dark brown eyes. His hair was kept short and was now more gray than brown. The clothing he wore was unremarkable except that it looked like he spent more time in the desert than in cities with people. He didn't look at Anya like the other men did, no indecent thoughts in his mind. No, he seemed to study her as if she were an opponent.
Vash looked at Wolfwood, getting the priest's attention, and then tilted his head in the direction of the man. Wolfwood watched him as the strange man continued his study of Anya. The priest looked back to Vash, his grim expression speaking volumes to the blonde gunman. That decided it for Vash, but before he could get up to go to Anya there was a loud crash and a shout. To Vash's horror one of the ruffians had one hand gripped tightly around Anya's left arm and the other clenched on her throat.
"C'mon baby, all I'm asking for is a little of your time. I've been so lonely." the man said as his friends cheered him on. Surprisingly, Anya didn't seem afraid, she only glared at him in contempt.
"I think you're going to be lonely for a little longer." she said coldly and promptly kneed him in the groin. The man's face twisted in pain and he reflexively bent over. As soon as his hands were off of her, Anya grabbed the metal rod at her belt and clubbed him across the face, dropping him into an unconscious heap on the floor. Another man close to her tried to raise his gun but she quickly hit him in the hand, causing him to lose his grip on the weapon and drop it to the floor. Her arm then came back across, hitting him in the face and dropping this one on top of his companion. The fight had only lasted a matter of seconds. The rod then extended in length into a quarterstaff and Anya held it before her, pointing at the stunned group of men.
"I'm done dealing with your crap. Get out of her and never come back." she ordered angrily. The group was mainly rowdy cowards who didn't deal with people who fought back. They slowly left the tavern, glaring sullenly at Anya as they left. Some left money on the table while others were rebellious and didn't pay for their food. Anya didn't care, as long as they left. The last to leave was the gray-haired man. He gave one last look to them then turned to leave.
Once he was gone, Vash and Wolfwood went to Anya. Luckily most of the other customers were gone by now and so they could speak with her freely. Vash put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with a concerned expression.
"Anya, are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" he asked. His honest concern softened Anya's stern expression and she smiled at him.
"Vash, I'm fine. I told you that I deal with rowdy customers all the time." she answered in a slightly annoyed tone. Wolfwood chuckled and lit another cigarette.
"Don't hold it against him, Anya. The man's got protection issues." the priest said light-heartedly. Anya began to smirk but then her eyes widened and she froze in shock. By her appearance it seemed like she didn't see Vash or Wolfwood at all, but rather right through them.
"Vash! Get down!" she cried out urgently. Vash looked confused then turned back toward the entrance. All the while he could feel Anya tugging on him to move. Suddenly two shots rang out and Vash could feel his right side go numb with pain. He fell backwards into Anya and she carefully lowered him to the floor.
"Anya, did you see the shooter?" Wolfwood asked frantically.
"No. He's gone. Help me with Vash!" she replied, voice strained. Wolfwood looked down at his friend and saw that he had been shot in the right shoulder and under his collarbone on the right side. The bullets hadn't gone through but he was still bleeding profusely. The priest grabbed some towels from the bar and applied pressure to the wounds, causing Vash to wince and groan.
"Anya, we need to get him to a hospital now!" Wolfwood exclaimed.
"There's no time. He's losing blood too quickly." she replied, fighting back tears. Wolfwood looked back down and saw that the towels were already almost completely soaked through. He pursed his lips and looked grimly to Anya.
"What do we do then? We can't let him die!" he growled in frustration.
Anya thought for a moment and Wolfwood saw conflicted emotions flash across her face. Finally, she looked up at Wolfwood, face set with determination.
"Get Vash up to his room. I have an idea." she said seriously.
Wolfwood nodded and the two of them slowly got Vash to his feet, with Wolfwood keeping pressure on the wounds. It took some time but they slowly got Vash into his room and onto his bed. Luckily it was still early enough to where few people were wandering about the hotel. As Anya went to get more towels and a basin for hot water, Wolfwood stayed with Vash. The priest looked down at the blonde gunman with concern and worry. He was surprised to see Vash looking back at him with unfocused eyes.
"You look terrible, preacher-man." he said in a heavily slurred voice.
"Speak for yourself, you addled needle-noggin." Wolfwood replied harshly. He then softened and sighed.
"Do you trust her to do this, Vash?"
For a moment it seemed like Vash appeared calm and coherent at the mention of Anya.
"Yes. She reminds me of someone from long ago. And Wolfwood…?"
"Yes, Vash?"
"I think I love her."
Wolfwood smiled softly at the honest admission and was ready to say more but Anya came back with the things they needed. She set a wash basin full of hot water on the nightstand then had Wolfwood help her remove Vash's coat. She then had Wolfwood use fresh towels to staunch Vash's wounds while she cut free Vash's shirt, revealing all his scars and mesh grafts. Anya did her best to ignore the past injuries and focus on the newest ones. It still bothered her though that someone so kind and thoughtful could be so badly broken. She gently tapped Vash's face, bringing him back into consciousness.
"Vash, I'm going to get the bullets out and stop the bleeding. But…" she paused as fresh tears slid down her cheeks, "But it's going to hurt a lot. I want you to bite down on my belt so you don't hurt yourself."
The injured man nodded weakly and Anya proceeded to take off the leather belt from her waist, removing the metal rod, and placed it between Vash's teeth. Anya then looked to Wolfwood.
"You need to make sure he stays down. I wasn't kidding when I said that this will hurt."
"Okay. Hey, where are the tools?" he asked as Anya cleaned the injury site the best she could.
"Don't worry about it. Just focus on holding him down." Anya replied grimly. She then took a deep breath as she placed her hands over Vash's wounds.
"Please don't die." she whispered, closing her eyes.
A few seconds passed then a faint glow appeared under Anya's hands. Nothing seemed to be happening but Vash began to stir and moan in protest. Anya concentrated harder, causing the light to glow a bit brighter. Vash's eyes then snapped open and he bit down hard onto the belt as he screamed in pain. If the belt hadn't been there, he probably would have bitten off part of his tongue. The injured man began to thrash about, nearly knocking Anya and Wolfwood off the bed.
"Wolfwood, hold him!" she exclaimed, focus straining to its maximum. The bewildered priest pressed Vash down as he watched Anya work. He had never seen anything like this before in his life. Who was this woman? What was she?
Long minutes passed until finally Vash began to relax and settle back into the bed. The light was gone from Anya's hands and they were now closed in her lap. Wolfwood looked in amazement at Vash's shoulder. The wound was completely healed and there weren't even any scars to prove that it had happened. Anya then opened one of her hands, showing him the two bullets.
"Incredible." he breathed in awe. Anya smiled and set them on the nightstand. She then looked back to Vash, who was now resting comfortably, and removed the leather strap from his mouth.
"He'll be fine now." she replied, mostly as reassurance to herself that she did the right thing. Wolfwood grinned and patted her on the shoulder.
"I don't know how you did it but it was a damn good job." he said appreciatively. The young woman grinned in thanks then grimaced as she inspected her blood-stained dress.
"Good grief. I need to get cleaned up. There's probably a mess downstairs as well." she said. Anya went to stand but then she lost her balance and quickly collapsed, grabbing the nightstand for support. Wolfwood rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. She held her forehead in distress and seemed too unsteady to walk.
"Wow that drained me more than I thought." she replied wearily.
"I think you should rest. I'll take you to the girls' room. They'll help you." Wolfwood said.
"But I need to clean up downstairs and explain to my boss what happened." Anya protested but Wolfwood silenced her with an upraised hand.
"You need to rest. Vash is just going to worry and blame himself if you're not well when he wakes up." the priest replied sternly. Anya frowned and leaned against the priest for support, giving in to her weariness.
"Very well."
"Atta girl. Don't worry, I'll take care of things downstairs." he said, scooping her up into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, already starting to fall asleep.
"Just keep an eye on Vash." she mumbled. Wolfwood smiled gently at the kind-hearted woman who was so similar to his wounded friend.
"Of course I will." he whispered then quietly left Vash's room so he could take her to Millie and Meryl.
-)*(-
The spy paced his room as he waited for his boss' arrival. Things had not gone as planned and now he would have to face the repercussions. The thought of fleeing had occurred to him but he quickly abandoned it. Legato would find him, either personally or by use of the Gung-ho Guns, and he would die more terribly than if he had faced Legato directly. The old spy swallowed a shot of whiskey and continued his nervous pacing.
"You failed me."
The chilling voice startled the weathered man and he spun quickly, gasping for breath, to come face to face with the speaker. There before him stood Legato Bluesummers in his trademark white coat. Besides warding off the elements, it was used for fear effect. The long white coat had an array of spikes on the right shoulder and a dried human skull on the left arm. That alone would scare anyone senseless, but what truly terrified people was Legato's face. He could have been considered handsome with his unblemished face and unique blue hair; except that his face was an emotionless mask and his blue eyes were cold and empty. Some said that those eyes could look into a man's soul and kill him from the inside out.
The spy stood before that very man now and immediately fell to his knees from crippling fear. Legato only continued to look at him with those emotionless eyes.
"You failed me." he repeated coldly. The spy swallowed nervously, gathering his courage to speak.
"She knew! Somehow she knew!" he exclaimed.
"She saw you?"
"No! Never! But somehow she knew and Vash got in the way." he replied, trying not to sound panicked.
"So instead of killing the girl and causing Vash distress, you shoot Vash instead? Very sloppy."
The spy knew what was coming next and he paled considerably. He clasped his weathered hands together and remained kneeling before the menacing man.
"Please, Mr. Legato! Give me another chance! The girl isn't human! Somehow she knew! I'll be better next time!" he cried out.
Legato didn't speak, merely looking at the desperate man. Suddenly the man stiffened and he jolted to his feet. His eyes grew wide with terror and he continued to beg for his life. Legato continued to stare emotionlessly at him, even as the man's neck broke and his body fell limply to the floor.
"You are relieved of service. Now I shall go and see for myself this 'inhuman girl'." he said in that same cold manner. Legato Bluesummers then left the dead man's room, not giving him a second thought.
-)*(-
Once again sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I've been crazy busy. Hope you enjoy the two chapters I post today. Please, please, please comment! It helps me out a ton. Thank you to the people who have already commented on my work and I hope to hear more from you in the future!