As stated in the description, I plan on writing multiple chapters for this fic. If you like what you're reading, you can save and favorite it to get updates when new chapters come. There are no warnings for this chapter.

"…Now, for this weekend's weather," the muffled voice on the radio announced. "High winds of up to 70 iles-per-hour will be blowing into the north on Friday, with temperatures reaching up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Whirlwinds and sandstorms are expected to start blowing through the flatlands around three-thirty in the afternoon, and residents who have not already evacuated are encouraged to take shelter at the first signs of severe weather. In the East, we can expect-"

A buzz on the portable radio interrupted the static voice of the weatherman. "This is Bernardelli headquarters, paging for Agent Stryfe," announced the familiar voice of the front-desk assistant. "Do you copy?"

Meryl moved from where she was packing her suitcase on the motel bed and put the radio to her ear. "Yes, I copy," she replied. "What's going on?"

"Mr. Bernardelli wishes to speak with you and your trainee," she told her. "He says that he has some time-sensitive news."

"Patch him through," Meryl said. It was seldom that Bernardelli spoke to his agents individually, and it was never on short notice. She didn't think he gave enough of a damn about his employees to actually reach out to them, but perhaps she was mistaken.

The radio buzzed again. "This is Bernardelli, paging for Agent Stryfe," the gruff voice on the other side of the radio said. "Meryl, there's been a slight change of plans reguarding your current case."

"What is it, sir?" She asked, thoughts already racing. Did this have something to do with Vash?

"I'm sure you've heard about the severe weather that's supposed to be blowing in up north," he explained. "There's a town not too far from where you're staying currently called Big Dune. Ever heard of it?"

Meryl shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I thought most people moved out of the flatlands after the July incident."

"They did, but there's still a handful of folks who stayed up that way. Thirty or so odd years ago, Bernardelli had a branch located between Big Dune and July City. Most of the people that live there have properties that are covered by us."

Meryl wasn't sure exactly what he was getting at. "That's interesting, but what does it have to do with me and Milly?"

"I want the two of you to go to Big Dune for the weekend and hang around town until the sandstorms blows over," he instructed. "If there's no damages, you can get back to work as usual. But, if the wind stirs things up, stick around and take care of any claims that our clients may have."

"Sir, you can't be serious," Meryl said in shock. "Haven't you heard the weather reports? Those storms are predicted to be some of the worst in years," she told him. "The people that live there are going to be lucky to make it out alive, let alone any buildings that are left out in the elements."

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Bernardelli insisted. "You know those weather channels blow things out of proportion so they can get more viewers. Besides, don't you want a break from that Vash The Stampede character? You've been chasing after him for long enough."

Meryl paused to consider what she'd just heard. A break from Vash's antics almost made the threat of being buried alive under the blazing sand sound palatable, but she still edged on the side of caution. "As much as I would enjoy that, I don't think-"

"Good, then it sounds like you'll be spending the weekend in Big Dune," Mr. Bernardelli replied, cutting her off. "I expect a full disaster report from you soon, Agent Stryfe."

"Can we please discuss this further-" Before she could finish her question, the signal went fuzzy. Dammit, Bernardelli, she cursed to herself, slamming her suitcase shut. One of these days, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind.

A knock on the door distracted her. "Meryl!" the familiar voice called out. "The toma are all saddled up! Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Meryl sigh, opening the door. Milly greeted her with a smile, which soon turned into a look of concern when she saw her superior's distraught expression. "Hey, you don't look so good, Meryl," she said. "Are you alright?"

"Hardly," she replied. "Bernardelli just told us that we're going to some town in the middle of nowhere called Big Dune for the weekend. Even worse, he says that we have to stay and see if the storms cause any damage," Meryl huffed, kicking up sand as she walked. "It's like he hardly cares if we live or die, judging by these cases he assigns us to."

"So, we're going on a road trip?" Milly exclaimed. "That sounds fun! I haven't been to Big Dune since I was little."

"I can't believe that you're acting like this is normal," Meryl said, crossing her arms. "You've listened to the weather reports, right? What's going to happen if there's a sandstorm and we don't have any place to take shelter?"

"I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it," Milly said. "You shouldn't worry so much, Meryl. When's the last time you had a weekend off, anyway?"

Hiding from the elements in an underground storm shelter wasn't exactly Meryl's idea of a weekend getaway, but the idea of not having to chase Vash around from dawn to dusk did add some incentive. "Maybe Bernardelli was right about those weather reports," she said, trying to sound hopeful. "I'm probably just overreacting."

"That's the spirit!" Milly said with a smile. "Who knows? Mr. Vash might even show up in Big Dune somewhere. That would certainly be unexpected, wouldn't it?"

"Don't even joke about that," Meryl said, fastening her luggage onto her saddle. "The last thing a little town like Big Dune needs is another natural disaster turning everything into rubble."

"Well, you know, Mr. Vash is a bit like the weather. He's always changing, and a little unpredictable," Milly observed, mounting her tomas. "Maybe that's why they call him the humanoid typhoon."

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