Hi-Dilly-Doh guys, and welcome back to a new update, again being RWBY STAMPEDE! I know I have more stories to update, but since we are already at 1/3 of the first act of this story at this point let's push this one and FFXV. Last chapter teased the relationship, and this one will confirm or deny your theories about it. Of course, like I said in the last AN, do NOT expect that certain canon events and characters will be the same giving the fusion. I do want to state that who knows Trigun then rest assure that the most important thing about Vash is still here but adaptated. And now, reviews time!
- Constellation112: Thank you man! It actually took a bit to find a perfect blend without completely ruin something and to be honest I'm proud of the result. I hope you will continue to support the story!
- Shadow Joestar: Of course Ozpin had to pull a reverse uno card to get Vash out from torture sessions. We are talking to the man who could bring a whole continent of Grimm for how much feared he is.
- dariuscrawford482: Honestly you know the answer since we shared a PM, but I will still answer here too...but only after the chapter, hehe!
- Spiral-Voltron-Zero0Q1: Yup, and their relationship is not the only one that Vash has with the main cast of RWBY and with trigun too. Let's say you will be surprised in the future, hehe.
- CriticaofRandomness: About your theory...well, you got it right about July. For the second part, I can't spoil it so far.
- TheJSmooth: No no, I'm not hating on the original. The 98 series was fire, no doubt on that, BUT if we have to talk about adaptation-wise then it is quite a mess. You can't deny that they ruined Knives's character making him a wimp OR the crime of erasing Legato's backstory or even cut out 60% of Maximum and the first 3 volumes as well. On its own, the 98 series is incredible, but as a faithful anime then it is not worth.
- Slimereader11: Thank you bud, I hope you will continue to support this story!
- Angel Arm: Aw thank you pal! If we have to compare canon Ironwood with this version of Ironwood, he already revealed his ruthlessness now because, like he said, he was one of the volunteers who tried to rescue Lost july survivors, but instead of save lives, he buried bodies. And now, he has the reason of all of it before his eyes. Y'know, this time he has a point.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own RWBY nor Trigun.
Sitting behind his desk in his office, Ozpin was observing the progress of the duel from the screen of his Scroll, now adapted as a computer of sorts. His hands on mouth level with the fingers interlocked, the headmaster's glance was devoid of any kind of particular emotion. Even a man like him couldn't predict how this duel will end, yet he acknowledges that both the duelists need to face each other. It sounds quite a heartless action, but Ozpin knew what those two had to go through and what they had to lose and gain.
When the feed video showed Vash finally draw out his revolver for the first time, the doors of his office opened much for Ozpin's nuisance, revealing the biggest nuisance possible so far under the form of a certain Atlesian general.
"OZPIN, WHY HAD YOU APPROVED A DUEL BETWEEN THEM?!" James shouted, but this time it wasn't a voice of a general, but the voice of a man who was clearly worried. His hands slammed on the desk, clearly provoking cracks along the glass-made desk. "Have you gone crazy now?! End this facade now!"
Ozpin shifted his head minutely, his glasses flashed at James who stepped back only once. Backlit by the reflected sunlight from the surface, he was a black shape with only the flash of his lenses to highlight his form. In that moment, he wasn't the wise headmaster that everyone knows and trusts. He was like a perched demon, sitting in judgment for the duel's result. "I have my reasons for not only approve this duel, but even to see its end without any kind of people who tries to interrupt it"
"But this is insane, what if he actually works for the enemy?" James tried to reason with Ozpin, yet the gray haired headmaster had something else in mind.
"Like I said, you do not know Vash much like I know him nor how much Glynda knows him" Ozpin said, breaking the fingers lock when James clearly made a surprised reaction.
"Glynda? What do you mean by that? She never met him before"
"...I see, so you don't know. Figures, giving that woman's past" Ozpin muttered before he gave full attention to an even more confused James. "Tell me, James, have you ever heard of the cult called Eye of Michael?"
When he saw Ozpin's serious glare under his glasses, James began to reassume his usual composure and nodded. "I do. They are a cult spread in all Remnant, saying that they listen to the words of the 'Savior' that will lead all of us towards a better future. But for what I know they are a pacifist cult"
"Precisely, although their savior's appearance is not so angelic. Yet, just like White Fang is for Faunus, the Eye of Michael is not so pure like they want to let people see and is quite problematic" Ozpin commented as he pressed a button of his Scroll, creating the hologram of a monstrous horned beast with its hands prostrated towards the sky. "The pacifist facade is only to find new believers for their cult"
"...And what is the truth about them then?" James asked, already realizing what Ozpin's speech was about. The Beacon's headmaster assumed his previous position and continued.
"Human experiments" He stated, clearly surprising James now as the hologram changed from the beast to a white room with a red cross-shaped operating bed. No, it wasn't really red. That red was just mere blood. Fortunately for the general, he has enough tolerance to see certain scenes without feeling sick. "The real purpose of the Eye of Michael is to create mindless assassins capable of accomplishing every kind of feat and task. That's the true face of the Eye"
"I understand the point, but I don't see how the Eye is connected to Vash the Stampede and Glynda at all" James admitted.
"...Have you heard of the strangely high child kidnapping cases that happened thirty-nine years ago?" Ozpin asked, noticing James narrowing his eyes.
"I do. I read the files when a similar incident happened merely six years ago—" James stopped when his mind connected the pieces. His voice disappeared completely and his throat felt completely dry. A single tear fell over his left cheek. "Don't tell me…All of them became…so…Glynda…?"
Ozpin solemnly nodded before he put a hand under his desk, pulling out an old paper-made file and putting it on the desk. Nodding to James, Ozpin let the Atlesian general take it and give a read. Each sentence written on that file made James lose a heartbeat or two as Ozpin resumed talking. "Glynda Goodwitch. She was merely a newborn when the Eye of Michael kidnapped her from her family and began to break both her mind and soul, making her surname Goodwitch an adopted one. At age eight, she was going to be sent to the Eye's labs to complete the training until a man interrupted where she was locked, saving her from a dark destiny. Said man gave her the name 'Glynda' and a house in the Saverem Orphanage outside Vale"
"She never said that to me…but how could this be connected with the Humanoid Typhoon?"
"Haven't you realized yet?" Ozpin asked. "I know that maybe it hurts, but there's a reason why Glynda and you became a couple back then"
"...No way…" James stepped back a few times, the world around himself was shattering like glass. The years him and Glynda spent as lovers happened only because he reminded her of him?!
"The man who saved her and became her own beacon is the same one who's fighting her…" Ozpin glanced at the feed video. "The Humanoid Typhoon, Vash the Stampede"
"But it's impossible! That man looks barely in the middle of his twenties!" James tried to reason, pointing at the feed video. "If you're telling the truth then this means that Vash the Stampede is older than half a century! I know about you Ozpin, but how could another man live so far without using magic? A Semblance couldn't be the answer! What are you hiding from me, Ozpin?"
"James, I know that you want to know the truth and you have the right…but it's too soon" Ozpin retorted.
"Too soon?!"
"Don't worry. Before the finals of the tournament, everything will become clear to you" The headmaster then gave a glance to the Scroll, allowing a soft smile to appear on his face.
For the girl there was no hope, neither in the sweet blessing of the dreams, when the jailer of this living hell slammed his snake-like tail against the steel bars of the cell. "GL-1H4, get up. It's time for you to meet the 'Angel' today" He said, although his tone of voice was closer to a shout, to the girl who was sleeping on the cold and ruined stone-made floor of the old cell.
Slowly but surely, the little girl slowly got up, letting her back-length light blonde hair fall over. Her slim body covered by a long off-white rag slowly moved towards the door of the cell barefoot, her emerald eyes devoid of any kind of light glanced at…nothing.
She was just like the dead, walking on Remnant without truly living.
Being escorted through the old dark and cold corridors of the mysterious building, the girl did not speak one single word while she silently followed the jailer.
Reaching an old door made of bronze, the jailer Faunus slammed his right fist four times until the door opened, revealing a man wearing a black smoking, black gloves, black shoes and a strange full helmet that seems to be also an integrated antigas mask. The masked man looked first at the jailer and then at the little girl before he nodded, stepping aside and letting the two enter in another corridor similar to the previous.
Their journey seemed to be so long for the girl, yet it was a matter of minutes before they reached a wood door. This time, the jailer didn't knock because the door opened alone, revealing a circle room filled with torches on the walls. In the center of the room a round table was placed while, all around it, various men and women dressed like the man from before were looking at the pair.
"You can go now, Brother" One of the women said to the jailer who bowed his head a little before he walked out, leaving the girl alone at her destiny…and when a gunshot was soon heard after the jailer left the room, the girl already accepted her destiny.
"GL-1H4, today is the day that you were- No, it is better say that it is the day that WE all were waiting for" One of the men spoke this time- one with a very huge and energetic body build- while all of them looked at the girl. Raising his hands to the up, he continued. "Today marks the day were you will leave your mortal remains behind and join our savior up in the heavens"
"Our lord and savior in the heavens" All the masked humans said in unison, raising their hands just like the huge man.
"Now…come to us, GL-1H4" The supposed leader of the group held his right hand towards the little girl. "It is time to fulfill your destiny-" Then the sound of glass being shattered echoed followed by, well, pieces of windows falling over the masked people who raised their arms to protect themselves.
"What is happening?!" A woman shouted before a red stain fell from above with…not a war cry of sorts-
"HUAAAAAYABBADABBADOOOOOOOO!" The red stain shouted before they smashed themselves against the table, shattering it in several pieces which flew all around. The girl seemed to yep as she fell on the ground against the door, unable to do anything but only see the event that will change her life forever.
"An intruder-!" A slim man tried to take out some kind of weapon from inside his smoking when a bullet was shot, piercing him at the hand "GAH!" The man kneeled, holding the pierced hand as all of them looked at where the table were once, now substituted by a tall white man- now kneeled over a piece of the table- with spiky needle-like blond hair wearing a long, crimson and currently open trench coat with a high collar, assorted straps, and black buttons, with slits on both sides from the waist down. While the right sleeve follows the coat's pattern, the left sleeve is quite different, being secured by a series of black straps and buckles. Underneath his coat, the blonde haired man wears form fitting dark pants and knee-high combat boots and circular metal plates at the knees while his top is black and is also tight to his body. Over his face, the man is sporting a pair of small, round, orange sunglasses with W-bends in the temples which are hiding his eyes. In the right hand, the man was holding a huge black revolver with a long, wide and thick barrel.
"T-That man…!" One of the women stammered at the sight of the man. "He's him! Vash the Stampede!"
Bullet 4: PEACE MAKER
"And so they agreed to come with us, if you can prepare the guest room will be appreciated—Yeah…huhuh—Oh jeez, come on dad! Yeah I'm not dating a boy neither Ruby is" Yang said through her Scroll to her father Taiyang.
It's actually been almost one hour since Yang called her father to talk only about their return to home, yet Tai began the usual storms of questions about her and Ruby's well-being. Y'know, the usual parent that is currently making Yang one step closer to smash her head against a concrete wall if her father changes the call's topic one more time.
But Oum be blessed, the huntsman finally began to follow his daughter's trails. Yang began to nod as she continued to hear her father. "Yeah. Huh huh….YES! Great dad, love ya! Yeah, Rubes's—"
"YANG!" Speaking of the Devil, Ruby suddenly bursted inside the CCTS where Yang was calling Tai. The blonde powerhouse of Team RWBY looked at her sister with a smile.
"She's here! Huhuh…gonna do it, one sec—" Yang smiled at Ruby. "Hey sis, dad's on the phone. He wants to speak to you"
"Really? Hey dad!" Ruby said as her hands were going to grab the Scroll until she shook her head and grabbed her sister's shoulders. "Wait no, we don't have time!"
"What's wrong?" Yang suddenly narrowed her eyes, noticing that her sister was clearly worried.
"Vash is going to duel with Professor Goodwitch!" The red reaper revealed, surprising Yang.
"Woah woah hold on! Vash was freed by Atlas?!" Now that was quite the punch. Looking at the Scroll, Yang resumed the call. "Dad we have something to do, weloveyou!" Cutting off the call, Yang looked at her sister. They will deal with Tai later, after all. "Let's go, I need to punch him for not having told us he was free"
It took a bit for the girls to reach the school's fighting arena, but when they did they couldn't believe their eyes. From Beacon to Shade, all the stands and terraces were filled with all the students of each academy shouting for excitement, until the two sisters recognized a certain monkey boy and his blue haired partner moving along the students carrying a box in their hands. With a nod to each other, Ruby and Yang approached the duo. "Sun, what's happening?" The older sister asked the Faunus.
"Yang, Ruby! About time!" Sun smirked as he showed them the box he was carrying, a box filled with a lot of Lien. "We are managing the betting cash; do you want to participate?"
"Bet?!" Ruby widowed her eyes and looked at the box. "Guys, that's at least one hundred thousand Lien inside!"
"Aren't the teachers doing something about it?" Yang tilted her head until her answer literally threw a credit card to Sun, said card being catch by Neptune. Looking at who threw it, Yang and Ruby couldn't believe it when they saw Professor Port of all people raising two fingers followed by another pair of two fingers.
"Pal, two thousand to Goodwitch from Port!" Neptune said before he put the card in the box. The monkey boy nodded before he shouted.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CURRENT BETS ARE 14:30 FOR GOODWITCH! KEEP IT UP! COME ON COME ON!"
With a glance between each other, Yang and Ruby slowly walked away and wandered among the crowd of people until they spotted their friends on the upper half. Reaching them, Ruby spoke. "Guys what's going on? Why are they betting?"
"Because this is the duel of the year!" A standing Nora shouted to them before she drank a…oh my gosh, is that a can of energy drink in her hand? — "Burp—WHOOHOOOO!"
"This. Is. A nightmare" Ren muttered, looking at…nothing, the poor boy was dead inside.
"You…you didn't placed any kind of bet, right?" Yang asked, but fortunately her worries disappear when they shake their heads.
"I guess I'm a bit broke for now, ahah…" Jaune scratched the back of his head with a chuckle.
"I hate when people do it during my tournaments, so I can't really bet on anyone" Pyrrha said.
"There's no point betting on Professor Goodwitch nor on Vash" Blake explained. "Although it is tempting bet on the legendary Humanoid Typhoon"
"But that's wrong!" Ruby innocently said. "In this way we're not better than underground criminals, no?"
"Betting, the worst way people could waste their money and lives" Weiss seemed to approve of her leader's wise words…until one of Sun's light clones appeared. The heiress looked at him only once before she put one thousand Lien in his hands. "All for Vash" She said until she felt glares from her Teammates. "What?"
"Really?" Everyone asked, clearly not approving the heiress's action. Before the white haired girl could say something in her defense, the headmaster Ozpin's voice echoed through the speakers.
«Attention to all the presents in the arena: The duel between the huntress Glynda Goodwitch and Vash the Stampede is going to start soon. Remember: The rules for this duel are the same of the ones of the Vytal Tournament»
It took just a few minutes later for the two warriors to actually step on the arena, much for everyone's enthusiasm. With almost a ten meters distance between them, Glynda and Vash glanced at each other, with each glance being different from the other. Glynda's cold glance met Vash's somewhat sad yet hopeful eyes until he spoke.
"Glynda, can we stop this now? I'm not in the mood for a fight…" Vash said as he looked at his left, noticing Team RWBY and waved at them with his left arm.
Crossing her arms, Glynda kept her cold glance to Vash as his attention returned to her. "The only way to stop this is only one: Win. I do not accept your forfeit, Vash" The Humanoid Typhoon gulped when she said those words. Noticing the man's reaction, Glynda narrowed her eyes as, over the upper screens, the bars that displayed their respective Aura lit up. "Do you really think I don't know you enough to know that your plan is to admit defeat right at the beginning?"
Vash scratched the back of his head with his right hand, the lights of the arena shone through his sunglasses to hide his blue-green eyes. "But this is pointless. Look, I know I made mistakes among the way but-"
"Enough words. If you are truly willing to live as the Humanoid Typhoon, the same of that day, then you must prove yourself to me" Glynda flapped her crop so hard that it almost snapped, echoing all around the arena.
On their stands, Team RWBY and JNPR were looking at the arena. Instead of every student and professor in this room, there was only a single doubt in their minds. "Did…huuh, did he brought bullets with him this time?" Yang asked, looking at her friend.
"What do you mean 'this time'?" Jaune gave a confused look, but all RWBY just awkwardly chuckled.
"He…well…" Weiss scratched her cheek. "Vash was going to do something really cool on the train until he found out he was out of ammo"
"And he begged everyone to lend a few .22 calibers with tears in his eyes" Blake added.
"You're joking right?" Pyrrha sincerely asked, but the looks her friends were giving to her was a clear answer.
"So he's going to fight Professor Goodwitch of all people…without bullets?" Finally snapped out on reality, Ren asked.
"This time I saw him grab the bullets, there's no need to worry" Ruby said with a smile.
"Oh you saw him, okay then—" Weiss was going to call it off until she realized. "Wait, did you met him earlier?!"
"Yup" The red reaper put emphasis on the 'p'. "I even helped him to repair his gun!"
"You helped a wanted criminal to repair his weapon?" Ren pointed out to Ruby. "That guy is a menace!"
"Vash is not the criminal you believe he is" Weiss stated, crossing her arms as she glanced at Ren. "If he wasn't there with us, then the outcome would have been worse"
"With just one action you cannot wipe out his criminal record, Weiss" The ninja retorted.
"Shhhh, they're beginning!" Nora raised her left hand to her friend and flapped, helping them to focus on the arena where a clash between past began…or rather, will meet its end.
"Vash the Stampede!"
"Yes, that's my name—ouch ouch, my back…" At first looking serious, Vash comically said the last part of the sentence before he coughed, assuming the serious look again as he aimed at the leader of the cultists. "It's over for you, I will never let him get his hands on more children. Surrender!"
"My brothers! My sisters! We must stop him for our savior's will!" The leader of the cultists seemed to have pulled out a huge great sword from his back. Following his example, all the other cultists drew their weapons as the leader shouted an absolute order. "Capture Vash the Stampede!"
In silence, the red coated man slowly stood up in all his almost 2 meters of height, giving his back to the girl. Then, when the cultists ran towards him, Vash engaged them in a beautiful dance of bullets and gunpowder. His black revolver met the sharp blade of a dust infused katana as Vash was slowly pushed back by a masked slim woman. "You traitor of our savior! You must die for the sins you've committed against him!"
"Now he's calling himself a god after all this time?! You people have to open your eyes!" Vash retorted before he seemed to stomp with his left boot where a retractable knife popped out as he slammed it against the woman's right calf. The woman yelled in pain and kneeled for the sudden stab, interrupting the clash between her katana and the revolver as Vash retracted back the knife and then slammed his gun against her mask. "He's not a god, he's just like everyone else!"
"There's no way he can be saved, end him!" One of the men said, dashing at Vash in a typical boxing stance, wielding a pair of brass knuckles which have several dust crystals over them, before he hit Vash at the face with a left hook. At the contact with the man's face, one of the crystals on the knuckles exploded, releasing a fiery burst of flames against Vash who painfully flew against a wall.
The explosion made the girl put her hands over her ears, letting out a scared 'eep' that was noticed from the leader. "I leave you with him" The leader ordered as he grabbed the girl's hand before running away through the door, leaving the cultists to deal with the living stampede.
"I can't let him ruin our savior's plans. That's why you can't leave this place alive. I must push forward the plan, otherwise the next head that will fall will be mine" The leader was talking to himself, yet he was referring to the blonde little girl that he was holding by her small hands as the two were running through a corridor that was clearly uphill before smashing a door and enter in what is actually the hall of an old castle, one of the last 'relics' of the old times.
Yet, before the leader of the cultists could've moved towards the exit, a bullet flew close to him before it hit a stone a few inches away from his right foot. "What?!" He yelled, turning his head to the door he used only to notice Vash. "Impossible, they were the best Revenant Conrad gave me!"
"You need more than a bunch of guys with dust to take me down, honestly" Vash stated, although his coat was actually hiding bleeding wounds thanks to its crimson color. Pointing his weapon with a loud 'clack', Vash resumed speaking. "Hand me her and surrender. No one needs to die, even you"
The man clenched his grasp around his great sword before he brought the girl close to him and pointed the tip of his blade over her neck, shocking Vash. "I will not let you do it!"
"Hold on, hold on!" The spiky haired man lost his composure, breaking the aim stance as he tried to resonate with the cultist. "You can't do it!"
"I can't? Ah! Of course I can!" The man put emphasis on the last part of the sentence. "You don't understand the situation, do you?"
"Understand what?"
"This girl never had the will to live! She has been trained to serve our savior since birth!" The cultist revealed, and only then Vash widened his eyes for shock when he looked at the girl. For the entire time, the girl never actually flinched, especially when the blade was so close to rob her of her life. Empty eyes like the dead, that truly shocked Vash.
"How could you do this to a child…?!" Vash clenched his left hand into a fist, under his sunglasses the man was hiding glares of rage at the cultist.
"When our savior speaks, we act as his hands and mouth in this world" The cultist retorted. "We even left behind our own old lives for his sake!"
"And do you call this living?!" Vash busted out. "Your savior too is a living being like you all!"
"It is different, Vash the Stampede! Our savior is above mankind and Faunus! He is above Grimm too!" The cultist then seemed to chuckle before he revealed. "Besides, even if you manage to put me out, the girl cannot do anything alone. This is how we treat possible traitors in the future!"
"..." Vash went silent, slowly lowering his gun until it was at his waist side. His sunglasses shaded, hiding his eyes to the cultist and the girl…until a soft smile appeared on his face. "...Donuts"
"Huh?" The cultist tilted his head confused when he heard Vash spoke that single word. "What the hell do you mean? Are those your last words?"
Strangely enough, a smiling Vash looked at the girl held hostage by the cultist. "Do you like donuts, little lady?" As he spoke, Vash made one step forward. "Because I really love them! There's a lot of different flavors too!" With his left hand, the Humanoid Typhoon began to count as he looked at his fingers. "There's the one filled with chocolate, the one with jam- Oh! How could I ever forget the one with the sweet pralines on it?"
"..." The girl was looking at Vash, yet it seemed like there was no reaction at all.
"Cut it, your words cannot reach a dead" The cultist stated, yet Vash continued to speak.
"I also like playing the piano, have you ever heard it before? I know a melody that me and my brother created when we were children" Vash ignored the cultist, continuing to speak to the girl, his eyes filled with life looking at eyes filled with emptiness. "I'm sure you will love hearing it"
"Ah, are you an idiot or what? I'm telling you that this is all useless-" The cultist was trying to push back Vash with his words until the girl let out a confused sound, shocking her kidnapper who promptly raised his weapon towards Vash. "STOP RIGHT THERE, VASH THE STAMPEDE!"
The countdown over the monitors slowly began. Its loud ticking sounded like a memory for the Humanoid Typhoon as his stance slowly lowered with the back. The fingers of the right hand twitched as his sunglasses hid his eyes.
Glynda assumed her typical battle stance, a seemingly relaxed posture while she holds the Disciplinarian in her left hand, with the riding crop's end pointed at the ground. For the ones who do not know her like the freshmen of the other Academies, they can believe that Glynda is being presumptuous. Yet the truth is clearly different.
Every single inch of the woman's body was trembling without letting anyone see it, her heartbeat was so fast that it sounds like she's running a marathon. Not even one single moment in her life Glynda had forgotten that night when the man with the red trench coat began his bullet dance.
5
The woman whose past is tied with the man before her looked at him with a mix of admiration and sadness. The man whose actions tied the woman's destiny to his looked at her with sadness and plead.
4
The countdown reached its last seconds, and the two duelists' hearts beat as one.
3
Vash looked at Glynda.
2
Glynda looked at Vash.
1
The witch and the stampede.
FIGHT!
Glynda revealed she prepared for this showdown when she pulled out vials of dust from a pocket. Activating her Semblance, Telekinesis, several glyphs appeared over the vials as Glynda made the dust coming out from their containers before shaping them into small sharp blades which flew around her. Yet, she knew that her foe didn't draw his signature revolver. "Draw, Vash"
"...No" Vash stated. "I'm not going to fight you nor draw my weapon, Glynda"
"Then I will not hold back" Glynda coldly said before she made one of the dust blades fly towards Vash who made a comical face when the blade was traveling.
"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" Vash widened his eyes before he jumped up to dodge the blade that exploded behind when it touched the arena. Landing, he looked at Glynda. "Is there any kind of way to deal with it?!"
"If you don't want to fight back then at least shut up!" Glynda flapped her crop which released a purple circle around, ordering the dust blades to fly towards Vash.
"Seriously?!" Vash began a comical run as the blades were following him via telekinesis. Each time a blade was close to hit him, Vash speeded up letting the blade touch the ground and raise rumble and such. The entire scene was…well, quite funny to see for a few students among the crowd. Another little group of them, instead, seemed to have something else in mind.
"...For a reason I don't fear him anymore" Among Haven's students, Emerald commented as she looked at her allies.
"She kinda got a point now to be fair, fine" Mercury crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "That is truly the guy who ruined our plans?"
"It seems so. And yet Legato keeps telling us to never underestimate him" Cinder's left eye twitched for the sudden feeling of rage that burst inside her. "Why are they treating such a clown as a menace for all of us?"
Back to the fight, Glynda was losing her patience for Vash's continuous running with her eye's twitching as the main clue. "Stop running and fight Vash! What happened to the man I admired?!" She shouted to Vash, flapping her crop to the side and throwing a piece of cement from the ground towards the Humanoid Typhoon. Yet, Vash wasn't going to let her win easily nor was he going to draw his weapon out.
"I'll not fight you, no matter what you will do to me!" Jumping, Vash used the piece as a trampoline of sorts to jump higher as he suddenly pointed the left arm to Glynda. "There's another way…to settle this!" With an almost silent sound, Vash fired the wire from the mechanical wrist which wrapped around the crop. The intentions of the man to disarm the huntress were clear.
Yet the Humanoid Typhoon made a shocking comical face when the glyphs of Glynda's Semblance appeared over the wire, with said huntress sporting a sad look this time. "Did you forgot about my Semblance?"
"Uh oh—" Was the only thing Vash said before Glynda painfully threw him against a wall thanks to her Semblance, much to the students' surprise for how cold she threw the man. Falling on the ground, Vash slowly got up and looked at his foe who was walking towards him. "Glynda…"
"Draw your weapon and fight back!" Glynda ordered Vash again, flapping her crop to the ground and manipulating pieces of concrete to fly towards Vash, who promptly moved aside as the pieces smashed against the wall.
"I won't do it, Glynda. Especially to you!" Once again, Vash retorted, upsetting Glynda who threw more objects against the Humanoid Typhoon who dodged all of them. Each time Glynda sent a new wave of debris, the wanted criminal always managed to find a way to dodge them in all the possible ways that accidentally made Glynda more upset than before until she just tightened her grip over the Disciplinarian.
"Then you're leaving me with no choice…" With her free hand over the glasses, Glynda spoke with a creepy tone of voice for the ones who know her usual self, to the point that Vash himself moved his right hand to the handle of his revolver only by instinct. Taking the glasses off, Glynda formed sharp pillars of debris with her Semblance all around them.
"In all my years here I never saw Professor Goodwitch so cold before…" Among the students, the professors Oobleck heard his co-worker Port commenting.
"Neither do I" The coffee-lover man looked at Port. "You were her senior back to your student years too, right?"
"Indeed" Port nodded as he played with one of his mustaches. "Now that I think about it, she always spoke high about her brother"
"A brother?" Oobleck asked.
"Her older adoptive brother, to be precise" The older professor explained. "During her freshman year, Glynda always spoke about him all the time for how much admiration she had for him. We never met this brother of sorts, so we labelled it as a childish entity she created back then"
"An imaginary friend then?"
"Yes, or at least it was what we all thought. But seeing how strangely she is acting in this duel…" Port revealed his eyes looking at Vash. "Probably that brother always existed"
Back to the duel, Glynda looked at Vash in silence before she closed her eyes. One of the sharp pillars flew towards Vash before scratching him at his cheek, yet the Humanoid Typhoon didn't move one inch.
Another one was fired, and this time it became dull at the last second and smashed against Vash's guts, yet he never moved.
Another one met his chest.
Another one smashed his face.
And another one went against his leg.
And yet, Vash the Stampede stood where he was for the whole time. Battered, bruised and bloody, the criminal did not react a single time.
"...Why didn't you move?" Glynda asked Vash. "There is no future for those who don't fight"
"Then I prefer to not have a future. I don't want to fight anyone if there is a way to save them" With his left hand, Vash cleaned his cheek from the blood. "Especially people like you"
"Do you understand that no matter what, all the people of this planet are after your head, right?" Glynda seemed to make fun of Vash's words.
"I know, but that's not a reason to not help them, even if they trick or betray me" Vash suddenly smiled, but it seemed that such a statement enraged Glynda who glared at him.
"Is this what you became then?! A man with no sense of pride at all?!" This time, tears fell over Glynda's cheeks. "Has the Humanoid Typhoon become that pitiful?!"
"...They were kind to me" Vash suddenly said, sending in silence to the entire arena. "In all this time, all the people I met were kind to me. They give me shelter, water, food and the warmth of a friendship by saving them—" With a quick glance, Vash gave a soft smile to a certain Team before he returned to Glynda. "—That's why I won't fight. I just want to help. That's all"
"..." In silence, Glynda listened to the blonde man's words. The woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. If compared with that time, the Humanoid Typhoon before her was just a mere empty husk. With renewed determination, Glynda formed a last pillar so big that, even if dull, could've left serious damage to anyone. "Then help yourself and fight!" She shouted before throwing the last pillar towards Vash.
In that moment time seemed to slow down for Vash, with the pillar being closer inch after inch. His hand brought to the revolver, Vash drew the gun before aiming at the pillar. Pulling back the hammer, Vash pulled the trigger. The blast echoed around the room as the bullet travelled towards its target. For Vash, the world was slowed down. For the world, everything happened in a mere second. Three objects flew, with a pillar splitted in two crushed against the wall behind Vash while a bullet scratched Glynda's left cheek. The woman slowly touched the cheek, her eyes widened for the precision shown in that instance by Vash who spinned his gun before placing it back in the holster. "Then I have to include you too, just say the words" Vash spoke those words calmly, making Glynda gasp.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, VASH THE STAMPEDE!"
At first, it seemed that Vash listened to his request. Standing still, he continued to sport that soft smile until he held his left hand to the girl, still a few meters away from him. In silence, he showed his eyes filled with light…and this time that same light was slowly appearing in the girl's eyes as well. "If you want to try all of this, little lady, then don't be shy-"
"I SAID ENOUGH!"
"-And just say the words"
"...!" Then, something inside the girl cracked. Inside her own heart, a wall was casted by the jailers that kept her in this place since she had memory. Yet, it just needed the words of a man to break that wall, filling her own soul with life and light again. Her eyes filled with new will, several tears fell over her face as she slowly said just two words. "...Help…me"
Vash smiled before he aimed at the cultist with his huge black revolver. What followed next was a gunshot echoing in the girl's ears.
At first, Glynda looked at Vash in silence as her hand left the crop to fall on the ground. At this point she couldn't keep her emotions under a plain face like she always did. With a clear redness all over her face, Glynda fell on the ground too, making Vash worry to the point he made a few steps to her, his left hand raised a bit. "H-Hoi Glynda, are you okay—"
"You…you…Wuaaaaah!" And then, against all expectations of those who know Glynda- including Vash- the woman cried like a child. With countless tears falling in quite a funny way to be honest, Glynda let out everything she kept inside.
In the middle of the crowd, every single student and Professor are creepily surprised by such an event and such a surprise was present even within our two favorite Teams. "P-Professor Glynda…" Jaune began to speak for everyone.
"Is crying…?" Pyrrha concluded her partner's sentence.
"I can't believe it with my eyes…" For the first time, Nora was clearly scared of how easily the man in the arena managed to let Glynda cry.
"Is it even possible?" The quiet ninja asked to himself.
Indeed, everyone was surprised by the outcome of the duel, and Vash too was one of the surprised ones. "G-Glynda? Are you okay?" The Humanoid Typhoon asked as he tried to approach the woman who, on the other hand, glared at him while still crying.
"...You're…you're so mean!" Glynda said as she suddenly threw small rocks with her Semblance against Vash who comically kneeled down as he held his head with both hands, dodging the wave of rocks.
"Hold up!" Vash suddenly said as he got up again, confused. "D-Did I said something wrong?"
"Of course you did it, stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" As each stupid was said, Glynda threw waves of rocks at Vash.
"One stupid was enough—GYAAAAAH!" Vash said in the middle of the dodging until the last wave sent him on the ground in a comical way when they quite painfully hit him.
"No it is not! Have you truly forgotten those words?!" Glynda sniffed a few times before she cried once more. "You…you….-wuaaah- you stupid brother!"
". . ."
Brother. This single word sent in silence the entire arena and its crowd, who just looked at the two duelists in silence as each mind was trying to understand what Glynda said. Then, they all glanced at the images of the two on the monitor where their Aura was showcased. First they glanced at Glynda, then they glanced at Vash. Glynda to Vash and back to Glynda. And all of them reached the same conclusion.
"VASH THE STAMPEDE IS PROFESSOR GLYNDA'S SECRET BROTHER?!"
The footsteps of barefoot were the only sound the man heard as he walked through a seemingly endless hallway lined with violet crystals that shone like candles on the walls. The walls seemed to be made of stone, and the one where the man is traveling down has several windows to see the outside, which made the man glance outside them to see a red sky.
Indeed, the sky outside was a horrid dark red, and the land was covered in jagged cliffs and mountains of dark crystals, made all the more eerie by the bloodcurdling howls and screeches. With a glance downward, from the top of the castle he was inside, he looked at the lands below covered in pools of pitch that spat out Creatures of Grimm; Beowolves, Nevermores, Death Stalkers, Beringels and even small Goliaths. Any Grimm humanity ever seen and even a few they hadn't all surrounded the structure, but none moved to attack. Instead, they just stood around in wait, as if on someone's orders.
With a last glance to the window, the man used it as a mirror to see his pale body covered by a cloak with a hood that seemed wool, but with a closer glance, it was actually a unique blade-like material made by countless blades, before he resumed the trek through the castle which lately came to an end as he stopped in front of a pair of massive doors made of metal and wood. Without pushing the doors with his hands, they moved alone letting the man walk inside a large conference room, the walls lined with actual candles this time as well as windows akin to a church's. At the center was a large table of dark purple stone with glowing edges; it was lined with multiple seats made of what looked like bone, with the one at the end being made of the same dark crystal as the table. Behind this precise seat, at the end of the room, there is a piano made of the bone-like material and the dark crystals alike the seats while, atop of everything, the same monster that is acknowledged as the "Savior" from the Eye of Michael looks down to the entire room.
However, aside from that, the man also noticed that two of the seats were already taken, with both their occupants looking at him as he walked in. The first of which was a very young woman in the first years of her 20s with blonde hair and heterochromia eyes (left blue and right green) garbed in a crimson dress, who looked at him with indifference as she sat with a casual posture, legs rested on the table and arms behind her head.
"I remember I gave you the order to find the female Branwen, did I Elendira?" The man asked, glaring at the woman under his hood. The woman responded with a glare of her own.
"I'm sure you can work it out for yourself" The woman called Elendira grunted, now crossing her arms.
"That's enough, Elendira. That's not the tone you should speak to him" The professional and serious tone from the table's other occupant drew the man's attention away from the woman and toward it. The man in question was quite an elderly bald with a metallic plate on the left side of his head and was dressed in a brown dress suit with a pair of glasses on his face. Under his nose, the man has a pair of thick gray mustaches. Unlike the woman's indifference, the bald was clearly respecting the man before them.
"There is no problem, Doctor. I can forgive Elendira's words if she can carry out the mission" The cloaked man spoke as he stepped towards the crystal-made seat, looking at it. "They are still out?"
"They will be here soon, or at least is what Tyrian said" The bald man called 'Doctor' replied to the cloaked man who still walked forward the crystal seat, reaching for the piano. "Are we going to wait for them to begin?"
"..." In silence, the man pressed a few notes, like he was trying how the piano was in tune. When each note played smoothly, the man smiled under his hood before he slowly began to play a tune worthy of the famous Faunus pianist, Mozart. Without glancing at Elendira and the Doctor, the man replied to the latter. "No, we can start now"
[I actually recommend here to play "KNIVES's Piano" from Trigun Stampede]
"Very well, then let's start the meeting" Doctor pulled out a Scroll from his suit, tapping on it twice before revealing the hologram of a hulking juggernaut with several plates of steel over his topless chest and with a helmet of sorts on his head locked up inside a bloodstained cell, with his arms chained to the ceiling. "It took almost 20 years, but the experiments over Monev are finally complete. His healing capacity is even ten times stronger than the one shown by the Punisher back at the day"
"Can he fight him?" The cloaked man asked, still playing the piano.
Doctor looked in silence at the man, then at Elendira who merely shrugged. Sighing, the Doctor finally replied. "We do not expect any kind of victory against him of all"
"And tell me, what about the other one? The one Elendira trained"
"What, him? That cheap bomber?" The woman looked at the man with a confused glance. "Why about him?"
"Doctor, may you tell me Legato's report?" The cloaked man seemed to have ignored Elendira.
"..." In silence, the Doctor closed his eyes. "She's there"
"So they've found her…" The cloaked man smiled under his hood as he continued to play the piano. "Send E.G. Mine to support Legato during the assault…and prepare Grey the Ninelives"
These last words seemed to have surprised the Doctor and amused Elendira, with the former who spoke. "Are you going?"
"Precisely. Take me there to retrieve her…" The man, as he played the song, glanced above at the statue of the monster, not hiding the smirk of happiness. "They're filthy parasites…and this time, I'll completely eliminate them"
"And what about the Humanoid Typhoon?" Elendira asked, but the man chuckled.
"I will deal with him too. After all, it's been twelve years since we last met…in the City of July" With the last notes, the man concluded his melody as he continued to look at the statue. "Where does the time go, right…Vash?"
Turn to the next bullet: Round One
Ok, for the ones who feared that Knives was absent from the story then this is for you: HELL NO! It's like saying that Dante vs Vergil is not needed in DMC. Knives exist to act as Vash's rival and fearsome nemesis (in a sorts) and it's the same for this story. Of course Knives, the Eye of Michael and the Gung-Ho-Guns are in the story with a mix of their OG and the STAMPEDE appearance. In fact Vash already said to Oobleck that he has a brother in chapter 1 and even saying that his name was Million Knives. In chapter 2 Cinder's group is actually revealed to be a branch of the Eye of Michael led by Legato who appeared at the end of the chapter too. In chapter 3, once again, Vash said that he has a brother who taught him how to shoot with the gun and now BOOM, you got not only Knives, but even the 13th Gung and a character that STAMPEDE fans should know very well. And yes, since I made the Doctor says his nickname...HE will appear soon, because there's no Trigun without the most human character of all.
About the fight of this chapter...I don't know, I truly believe that STAMPEDE Vash would actually do what I made this Vash do if he was in the same situation. I know it's kinda anticlimatic, but for the reveal of Glynda and Vash's relationship, then I guess it makes sense?
About Vash and Glynda's relationship: They are not lovers nor blood-related siblings. In the past, Vash not only donend his iconic outfit and appearance, but even saved Glynda when she was a child. Basically he kinda adopted her, that's the reason of her calling him brother.
And if anyone is hoping for harems of sorts: There is a ship for Vash and it already sailed. And no, it is not with Winter nor with any Huntsmen-in-training (Gosh, there's a gap of too many years between them), let's see if you will find the anwers with your theories!
Returning to Vash's appearance: There's a reason why 40 years ago he was the Vash that all the fans knows but in the present time he sports the appearance and personality of the STAMPEDE counterpart, and every answer lies in the future acts. Next chapter will finally start the Tournament, and I can confirm you that what lies ahead will surprise you for a lot of things. See you to the next chapter!