Chapter 3

The First Round

(Part 1)

-Time Square-

-New York City-

Whoa…Vash couldn't help but feel amazed as he stood in the middle of the intersection of Times Square. Billboards lit up in his eyes. Jubilant sounds of thousands of people and machinery filled his ears. He couldn't help but feel elated and excited by the scene. "This is…This city is much better than all the other cities in my world." He whispered to himself with happiness.

Unbeknownst to the Servant, however, his Master was watching him. John could not help but put a smile on his face as he watched his Servant react to his surroundings. Seeing Vash smile innocently like a ten-year-old seeing the outside world for the first time was very funny to Price, and he understood why.

No Man's Land is a desert planet. It does not have a city this grand, so I guess it's natural for him to react like this. Price cleared his throat. However, he realized that the two of them had been standing in the middle of the sidewalk for a minute. He called his Servant over, cutting Vash's amusement as the focus was shifted back to business. "Vash, let's go now. Stay close to me, so that you don't get lost."

Vash followed suit and the two walked along the crowd. "Mas- I mean, John, this city is truly is a city!" he remarked, earning a soft chuckle from the former Captain.

"Well, it IS a city, New York is one the world's largest city, and it serves as the identity of America." The soldier said and looked at the other side of the street. "This city serves as a beacon to the notion of the true American people, and that is a young nation that welcomes all sorts of people regardless of their race, culture, and religion."

"You're right." Vash said and looked around, smiling happily. The people were alive and well, walking in a peaceful manner. Price glanced at Vash in a curious way. He was curious as to why Vash felt so happy whenever he saw people doing normal things.

"I take it that the people from your Manga are not nice, Vash. You look happy seeing something that is completely normal."

"Ha, No Man's Land is a dangerous place, John. People there need to live and rely on the sharpness of their blade every day." Vash said as he and Price stopped in front of a pedestrian lane. "So, after seeing this city and the people within it, I can't help but feel glad that I was summoned to this world." He paused and turned to Price, casting a gladdened smile. "I guess, I should really say, thank you for summoning me here, John. I love this world."

That smile. John's face reddened as a weird feeling filled his. It made his heart beat in a strange way. He shifted his focus back to reality after he noticed the stop light turn red. "I-I guess you're welcome, Vash. Now stay close to me. You might get lost in the crowd." He reminded his Servant, moving his right hand to hold the left prosthetic hand.

Vash's eyes widened as the man pulled him close before they started crossing the street. He felt his blood rushing to his face. He nodded to the man. "I-I'll be close." He stammered and lowered his head, hiding his blush from the man. It was a good thing that he was walking behind him because if Price saw his face, the old man would certainly make fun of him.

"Say, John, where are we going?" he threw a question just so he could distract himself from his reaction.

"To Chinatown. I have a colleague in there who's keeping some important things for me."

"Oh, a friend?"

"No…just a colleague that I met when I was a soldier." Price said as the two dived into the crowd and walked towards their destination with both of their hands tagging along each other.

-Chinatown-

Vash eyes were filled with admiration as he and Price walked below a red gate archway. He could see shops on the sides, all open and welcoming people from the streets. Various knickknacks were also displayed from the windows and table on the side. The air around him was thick, and yet it was not sickening or bad. In fact, the Servant could detect perfumes with beautiful scents and burnt cooking oil coming from the restaurants nearby.

"We are here." Price said. They stopped in front of a dingy-looking restaurant, looking up to read the hanging sign above them.

'THE ANGRY PANDA'

"Why is it angry? How saddening. He must need friends."

"Dunno, but the Panda is better off without one." Price answered his Servant in puzzling way before he opened the door and they let themselves inside.

Unlike the lively road outside, the insides of the restaurant were dead silent. The restaurant was completely empty. The tables were neat and clean. The lights above them emitted yellow and red, creating a vibrant, yet heavy atmosphere around the room. The place did not seem to be a good restaurant.

Price looked around for a minute before he walked forward to the counter and rang the bell. Vash glanced in front and watched as a large woman, wearing Chinese red clothes and a black and white apron, appeared behind a red curtain. Her face, stuck in a dark frown, was old but plump and heavily riddled with thick white make up to hide the wrinkles underneath. The Servant couldn't help but gulp down tensely at the appearance of the woman. However, he couldn't help but compare her to a panda.

An angry-looking one at that.

"Hello, Michelle. It's me, Price." Price gave her a friendly smile, only for it be returned with a grunt.

"Jonathan Price," she began. Her voice was high pitched, but the tone was heavy, making her more look formidable, "Are you here for your stuff? You should've called me earlier so I could prepare it."

"No need. I can wait. My friend and I are going to eat here, by the way." Price said as he moved towards the table. Vash remained in his spot as he observed the restaurant more, only to feel a stern gaze looking at him. He looked in front and was shocked to see the woman looking at him. Her gaze, more like a glare, looked straight at him as if she was already dissecting him.

He let out a small chuckle and quickly followed Price, sitting across from him.

"Um…John, who's she?" he quickly asked as he watched the woman retreat to the curtains.

"Ah, she's Michelle Panda. She was once a CIA sleeper agent. She helped me and my comrades when I was a Captain."

"Oh." Vash remarked as he stared at his Master. Before he was a Master, Price said that he was a soldier, a Captain even, of a certain team. His curiosity zeroed in on that and he couldn't help but feel compelled to ask. "Say Joh—"

"Your orders are here." Vash almost jumped as the woman reappeared beside their table. She was carrying two plates in both of her hands. She put down the food and the two looked at it. The food was Spicy Mapo Tofu and rice, its colour a brightly red. The two could tell that it was extremely spicy.

"Thanks, Michelle." Price smiled as he began to eat the food. Vash followed suit, but he gagged after he tasted the Mapo Tofu. "Oh—my god—" he blurted out, but he glanced in front and stopped after he saw his Master smiling at him with both of his cheeks going redder by the second.

"J-John, are you alright-?"

"The food tastes good, Vash. You need not to worry." Price said with assurance, but despite that, a single tear trailed his eye. The Servant made a disagreeing frown, but he understood that Price was just forcing himself to eat the food, because it would be a waste and rude to the woman who must have worked hard creating the dish.

After an hour of enduring the Spicy Mapo Tofu, the two were now relaxing over a cup of green tea. Price watched Vash rub his stomach while drawing a forced smile that hid his discomfort.

That food isn't good- "Oh!" Suddenly, a black thing jumped onto the table. His eyes widened for a moment as he recognized a furry black cat. "Hey there, little kitty." Vash stroked the cat and began to play with it. Price only watched with a startled expression. The scene in front of him, Vash playing with a random black cat, made him gulp in stress. It was too cute for him.

His attention, however, was cut when he felt a tap on his shoulder, making him glance up and see the woman again. She eyed the counter and walked away.

The man followed her and she placed herself behind the counter. "I already prepared it. These are the last of your weapons here, and some equipment." She said and pulled out a huge red box from below. Price took it and swung the strap on his back, carrying it behind him. Just as the man fixed his strap, the woman made an inquisitive side-glance towards the other man at the table.

"Say, who's the greeny twinkie over there? Your boyfriend?"

Price almost dropped the box, startled by the woman's description.

"He is not my boyfriend. He is a friend." he blatantly corrected the woman who only smirked at his reaction.

"That's a shame, you two are perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Michelle. I think I'm done here." Price said to the woman, followed by a defeated sigh. "Vash, let's go now." He called his Servant, who smiled and bid farewell to the cat. Vash walked towards the exit as the former soldier opened the door for him. Price was about to step out, but before he could do so, he looked back at the woman and said to her. "Michelle, thank you. I should warn you, something bad might happened tomorrow in this city, so it would be best for you to get out while you can." There's going to be a war and I don't want you in it. Price was worried after he had learned that the war would take place in New York. He knew that people might get caught in the crossfires of battle between the Servants. So, as much as possible, he would like to warn most of his remaining allies and that included the former CIA sleeper agent.

"Need not to worry," Michelle, however, scoffed the warning off, "I know you, Jonathan, you can stop any threat. You are a good soldier. I'm sure you and your husband can pull this mysterious danger off."

He's not my husband either, Price grunted in disagreement, but he only replied with a weak smile and left.

-Sunny Smiles Motel-

-Outskirts of New York City-

When it came to battle, Jonathan Price knew that a perfect place to have a temporary headquarters would be far from the expected warzone's epicenter and that was why he and his Servant were now standing in front of a desolate looking building, standing right beside a highway.

This place is good as our headquarters. Price thought while his eyes gazed around the building, inspecting its blackened walls. As for Vash, however, he only stared at it for a moment before he shifted his focus to the signboard standing beside him, shining in bright yellow neon colors. He looked further down the road and noticed that most of the buildings and houses along the block were either abandoned or already in ruins.

This must be the city's ghetto? He thought in mild curiosity before he looked back and noticed a brightly lit diner to the left of the building.

"At least there's a diner." Vash commented in an uplift manner.

"This will be our temporary headquarters. We'll move to the next one as we progress in the war, so that we won't be detected."

He's already planning everything. Vash hid his amazement with a startled smile. Just as he expected, his Master had already formed a plan.

-Room 805-

Price looked around the room after he opened the door. The room that he got contained two beds and a single television. The walls were painted in a dull light green color. A door stood opened at the other end of the room that led to a bathroom. The place looked gloomy like the outside of the building. Regardless, this place was perfect for him and Vash to hide for a while during the war.

"Not much, but this will do."

"Yup, I agree." Vash said as he closed the door to the room and calmly breathed in the air, only for him to sneeze after his nose caught some dust. "Very good, indeed." He forced a smile to the Captain who returned it with a small smirk.

Price walked to farthest bed and put down the huge box from his back. Vash noticed the box and his curiosity kicked in. "What's in that box, John?"

"Weapons. My last remaining, that is." Price opened the box, revealing the guns, grenades, automatic and sniper rifles. Vash eyes flashed a concerned look as the captain took out a bulletproof vest.

Vash only sat on the bed and observed his Master, unpacking his weapons. Now I've a time to ask him questions. The Servant thought with serious eyes. Ever since he met John, Vash could not help but think about the soldier's life. Their contract allowed Vash to see the memories of the man and through that, he couldn't help but feel awe, and at the same time, sadness.

Price had been through a lot, which was why he understood his wish.

"Um…John?"

"Yes?" Price answered without turning his back at him. The soldier was busy loading his handgun, which he put on the bed.

Vash hesitated for a moment, inhaling air and building up courage, before he spoke to him. "There's another thing that I need to tell you regarding the Command Seal in your hand."

Price paused what he was doing and glanced at his right hand. His flower Command Seal tattoo was still there and was faintly glowing red. "What about it?"

"John, if you cast one of it to me, I will do whatever you command me to do, regardless of my free will. However, you can only cast it three times. If you run out of Command Seals, then my contract will end with you. I will disappear."

Eh? If that happens, then I will lose this war! Price thought in alertness as he sat on the bed and looked at the Command Seal. The tattoo was indeed magical and one that he must take care of during the war. "Then that means I should be careful when I command or order you, huh." Price said out loud and looked at his Servant. Vash stared at him with a sad frown on his face, startling the soldier.

"What's wrong?"

"John…remember when you said that you saw my life in your dreams. Well, that's the side effect of the Command Seal. It lets you view your Servant's memories," Vash paused and made a downcast side-glance, "while also letting me view my Master's."

Oh. So he saw my memories. Price lowered his shoulders as he finally understood why Vash suddenly looked sad. The Servant had seen his Master's memories, which meant he had seen his struggles as a Captain of Task Force 141, his friends and their bonds with him…and their deaths and his guilt.

"I have no secrets, Vash. It's my memories." Price began and made a low snort. A reminiscing smirk spread on his lips as he lay his back on his bed, taking out one of his cigars and lighting it up. "Sorry for ruining your happiness with my sad sob stories."

"Oh, no. It didn't bother me at all. It's just that…I finally understand why you want such a wish." Vash said before he stood up and walked towards the window, lightly parting the curtains. The sky outside was dark and the night was already deep. The bright full moon above reflected some of its light on his orange shades. He admired the moon and its tranquil light.

"John," he called his Master again, and turned his head to him. "You want to achieve world peace, am I right? If that is so, how do you want to make it happen?"

"Hmm…" Price didn't answer at first and watched the glowing embers burning away his cigar. Vash's question was a good one. He never thought about how his wish would work, how achieving world peace would come to be. However, he came up with something.

"Vash, when I was a kid, I always dreamed of protecting the fragile peace. It's the only thing that normal folks have, you see. Everyone wants to live in a world where they can wake up normally and do their lives in a normal way. That's the reason why I became a soldier – to protect the normal lives of innocent people." He took a breath of his cigar and blew it to the air before he continued. "We soldiers exist, not for the world to remember us, but to have a world to remembered. We are meant to sacrifice our lives to preserve the status quo of the majority and to continuously draw the line between good and evil. Do you understand, Vash?"

Vash nodded as Price snorted lightly in amusement. He looked to the white, dusty ceiling above, shifting his look to a determined one. "Now that I've had the opportunity to give this world a legit world peace, I want to achieve it in a very peaceful way." He glanced at Vash and smiled at him. "There would be no more wars, no more soldiers who'll lay down their lives just because some group of self-entitled individuals ordered to them do so. People will no longer squander their resources. Everyone will have the same chance to better their lives. They will live harmoniously with each other regardless of their differences in many aspects. And that's my ideal world peace." Price looked up to Vash once again and asked. "Do you understand that, Vash?"

Vash's blue eyes widened. Price's answer made his heart feel warm and mellow. The soldier's way of achieving world peace, despite all of the hardships that he had endured, was very kind and truly eye opening. The man before him was ideal and selfless just like him. Vash felt lucky that Price was his Master. "I-I believe your dreams, John. You're a kind man. I'm glad that you are my Master." The Servant cast a happy smile at Price before he continued. "I know that humanity isn't all good, but as long as they are capable of being good, then your dream is very possible." He paused as he raised his left metallic fist. "John, do not worry! We will win this war. Although, I would like to do so by not shedding much blood."

Price chuckled at his Servant's answer. A gunman who didn't kill was contradicting, a paradox if he analyzed it more.

"You do you, Vash, I'll fight with you along the way."

Thank you, Price you are truly a kind person- Vash's thoughts were cut after he felt something. A sudden dread befell him. This feeling was familiar to him. He quickly partially pulled the curtains to see the outside.

"Hm? Vash, what-?"

"GET DOWN!" Price quickly reacted, but Vash was faster than him as he quickly leapt, pulled the man by his bulletproof vest, and rolled him out of the bed and onto to the floor.

And then, just in time, the walls of the room exploded into a fiery inferno.

"Augh…" Price groaned in pain as he threw a piece of heavy concrete off his chest. His vision swayed for a moment, but as it stabilized, he saw Vash looking at him with a panic-stricken face.

"John, don't move." He said in a terrified manner and it puzzled Price.

Did a bomb hit us? If that's so…then that means… Price, wide eyed and alert, slowly stood up. Vash helped him, but as soon he faced in front, he froze. The soldier was puzzled by his sudden stillness and looked in front of him.

"What the-?" The man's eyes widened as he saw a figure floating in the night sky. It was a hovering blonde man blocking the moon, but what was stranger was his clothes. He was wearing an all-blue spandex suit and red boots. A pair of eagle heads acted as the shoulder pads and a cape, styled in American Flag, rustled softly behind him.

Price stared at him and couldn't help but feel familiar with the man. His bizarre outfit, his blonde hair and stoic face – he swore that he had seen this man somewhere before.

"V-Vash."

"John…it's a Servant." Vash said in a terrified voice as he moved his right hand on his gun, and as soon as he did that, the man let out a dark chuckle.

"Hello, little Servant." He began. His voice was deep and menacing, almost as if he was a deranged person wearing a superhero-like costume.

"I am HOMELANDER, A PRETENDER-CLASS Servant…and you're going to die tonight."

"Homelander…Wait…Is that from 'the Boys'?" Shit, if that is him…then we are fucking screwed! Price remembered the name very well. The Boys was one of Soap's favorite comics. Soap usually read during his past time back when he was still alive and talked about at times. No wonder Price felt that he had seen the man before. Soap always complained about how stupid the character was, but somehow, he liked him for his craziness and wittiness.

He was the main antagonist in that story…and he was a terrifying villain.

"Well, it looks like someone knows me." The man, named Homelander, let out a soft gladdened chuckle before he added. "I'll kill you last, you insignificant Master." His eyes suddenly began to glow red, and during that time, Vash pointed his gun and shouted two words at Price.

"John, run!"

A pair of red laser beams shoot out of the man's eyes and the room was rocked by another explosion that echoed throughout the ghetto.

The war for the Holy Grail had finally started and the first round had just begun.

First Round:

Pretender-Class: Homelander vs. Foreigner-Class: Vash the Stampede

Name: Homelander (True Name: John)

Class: Pretender

Parameters:

Strength - A+++

Endurance – A++

Agility – A

Magical Power – C+

Good Luck – E++

Noble Phantasm – (Unknown – EX)

Name: Vash the Stampede (True Name: Vash Saverem)

Class: Foreigner

Parameters:

Strength – B+++

Endurance – A++

Agility – A+++

Magical Power – (Unknown)

Good Luck – EX

Noble Phantasm – (Unknown – EX)

Status:

Ongoing

Disclaimer : I do not own the characters of Trigun, COD, Invincible, and the Boys. Names, Places and Events are merely fictional. If one exist in real life then its purely coincidental.

Special thanks to Pure Red Crance for beta-reading.

Woo-hoo! Now we've come to the first round! To be honest I'm so excited on writing this part because I couldn't anticipate what would the battle will turn out!

So, who's the new servant! HOMELANDER and he's a Pretender-class? Does anyone knows what pretender class servants are? They are basically heroes who saves the world...with a hidden agenda! Oh my, now that sounds like Homelander form the Boys isn't? Now how will this battle turns out? How will Vash defeat the no good Homelander? Well find out more on the next chapter! See you there!

Thinker-out!