Trigun #11 Son
-94-
the calm before the storm settles across the farmstead, a gentle night breeze
wafting a few dried leaves along the ground and at least one moon showing its
crescent face. Meryl putzes slowly along the perimeter, lost in thought.
Millie- Double-penny for your thoughts, Sempai.
Meryl- Oh. Millie. I was just wondering about this one picture Grampa has. I
think I might have seen one of the faces in it before.
-95-
Millie- They do say that other people's faces all steam alike…
Meryl- That's seem… but anyway. I know I've seen that face somewhere
before. Sure, it was an old photograph but…
something rustles in the bushes. neither of the insurance girls is so far
gone in talk that they forget they're on patrol. in less than a second derringers
and stun gun are ready to go.
Meryl & Millie- Who's there?!
Voice- Whoa, wait! Don't shoot!
-96-
stumbling out of the greenery comes none other than the Thug in Black, this
time hands well clear of any gun.
Meryl- You! The guy from this afternoon!
Thug In Black- Well here's a surprise. The two girls from earlier. You can see
I ain't armed so put up your pieces already.
Meryl- You're alone? What are you trying to do?
Thug In Black- I was thinking to try and persuade Pa one more time. Morgan's
really for real this time.
Meryl- …"Pa?"
-97-
dots connect in Meryl's mind, the face of the man in front of her overlapping
that of the boy in the photograph that she saw. they're the same, but for age.
Meryl- AHA!
Thug In Black- What? Didn't you hear me? My name's Badwick. I was the eldest
son here, before I was kicked out. Pa's inside, right?
Badwick, former Thug In Black, turns to head for the house but runs smack
into a blonde wall. for once, Millie isn't smiling. she isn't moving either.
Badwick- ……what?
Millie- If that's true, then WHY did you aim a gun at your parents?
-98-
Meryl- //thinking// Millie…
Badwick- Huh? What's that got to do with anything? If anything it's their fault
for not listening to reason. If I didn't do that, it wouldn't be called "threatening."
normally gentle, happy Millie cocks back a fist and lets fly. Badwick dodges.
a lot. Millie keeps swinging.
Badwick- What the hell?!
Meryl steps in quickly and does the best her short self can to hold her ticked
off partner back. fists not connecting, Millie starts hurling insults.
Millie- Jerk!
-99-
Millie- Loser! Slime! Traitor child! Stupid! Keel over and die!
the door to the house rattles…
Grampa- What's going on out here?
uh-oh… busted…
Grampa- Badwick?
-100-
tick…tock…tick…tock… time's running out…
Thug 1- It's been an hour. Damn you Badwick. You acted like such a tough guy
before too.
a whole passel of very sketchy looking yutzes are lined up, keeping careful
watch on what's happening in the homestead. Mama Nebraska rattles one freakin'
huge chain, not looking pleased in the least.
-101-
Thug 2- Oh man, she's getting pissed.
Thug 1- Yo. What's that?
a Rolls Royce is making its stately progress up the dirt lane.
Thug 2- Shit. It's Mr. Morgan.
the Rolls pulls to a gentle halt in front of the cadre of yutzes, all of
whom are waiting with more than a little anxiety. a neat, mustachioed man steps
out of the car.
Morgan- What's this? I expected you long finished here so I came to see the
results, but instead what have I found you doing?
-102-
think quick guys…
Thug 1- //thinking// Geez, I'm no good at dealing with that guy…
something besides that, moron.
Thug 2- Uhm, well, Badwick said it wouldn't take long, so we should just wait
for a bit…um, he was gonna try persuading his folks one last time…
Morgan- Is that so? …………
the thug's face suddenly goes pale, and if he dared, he might have taken
a few steps backwards. very put out, Morgan radiates an almost palpable aura
of petty evil.
Morgan- I granted him a job because he seemed such a diligent worker, but he
has turned out a dud. If he can't even kill his own parents… Well. I don't
need such weak employees.
-103-
Morgan- Go! All of you, now! Our only chance is tonight, while the Sheriff is
not here!
Thugs- …………Yessir!
trouble brewing on the outside, trouble brewing on the inside…
Badwick- Why won't you listen?! Don't you have any intention to at least consider
it?
Grampa- Say it as much as you like, our answer is the same. There is no way
we'll hand over our land. Morgan is just like a child wanting a pretty new toy.
Once he has it, he'll forget it and everything will wither away. This place
is alive.
-104-
Badwick- The land living or dying ain't what's at stake here! It's your
lives on the line! Morgan has the power to kill you! Quit being stubborn…
Grampa- We will not cede.
Badwick- No? This place is worth your deaths? Is that it? You wanna be martyrs
for a some trees and grass?! You're gonna sacrifice everything for a bunch of
dirt?! Well, you must be satisfied… damn, what kind of parents would…
-105-
Badwick- Maybe Max had the right idea, dying all those years ago!!
whoopsie… I think you said too much, hon. complete silence dropsinstantly,
Badwick slapping a hand over his mouth as soon as those words left it.
-106-107-
enter convenient silence-breaking distraction.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooooooooo…….. KABOOOOOOM!
something explosive hits the ground just outside the circle of green, dirt fountaining
high.
Land guard 1- What the…?
Land guard 2- An attack?
yeah, you could say that…
-108-
whatever it was that landed with such a bang is still in the crater it made.
why the two guards want to go and see it, who knows, but they do. that turned
out to be a good thing, though, considering that the "whatever it was"
uncurls itself and starts crawling out of the hole.
-109-
the "thing" is actually a man, with armor strapped around him in
such a way that he can curl into a little ball at any time. the guards stare
at him. he stares at them. for one long second, then… he starts running
as fast as his short (and they are short) little legs can carry him.
cool. self-returning, reusable ammo.
Land Guard 1- AH!
Land Guard 2- He's running!
…so go try and catch him, dummies.
quite a ways away…
Girl- Hmmmm. Not bad, Mom. Let's try for 5 meters closer on the next shot, 'kay?
Morgan- DON'T hit the trees, if you don't mind.
Girl- We hear ya. Geeeez, what a killjoy. Just who do you think we are, anyway?
I'm sure you're about to tell us, hon, even if we did already know.
-110-111-
Girl- THE NEBRASKA FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
obligingly, the camera pans out to get everyone. taking up most of the picture,
since she's so daggum big, is Mom Patricia. two more of the shot-put guys are
tucked up by her side, ready to fly. one is "Chinpei", and the other
"Tonkichi". Kanta is 300 meters to the right, running ever closer.
and the self-designated spokeswoman for the troupe…
Girl- Over here, Mr. Camera Man!
…is Marilyn.
-112-
Patricia turns her head and sends A Look at Marilyn, on her shoulder.
Marilyn- What? "For someone who doesn't do anything, I sure talk a lot?"
Aw c'mon Mom! Stop saying such mean things!
giggling, she pats her Mom on the forehead. Chinpei whistles a merry little
tune, flipped upside-down in his Mom's grip.
………there's something vaguely disturbing about this family, picture,
don't you think?
::Morgan- Oi oi… aren't you guys just having a ball here…::
Marilyn- Anyway, here we go! Ready… ready… AIM… FIRE!!
-113-
like a shot-putter, just in extra-jumbo size, Patricia winds up and heaves
Chinpei way high. he flies…flies….KABOOM!!! another hit to the other
side of the farmstead.
….anyone else wondering just how much padding that armor has, and what
part of the body those guys are landing on…? at least, which one they've
got to be landing on, to want to keep doing that…
-114-
the other thugs finally hit the scene, caroming in with guns blazing.
Land Guard 1- We're under attack!!
-115-
shocked, Badwick rushes to a window.
Badwick- What the hell? It's too early! I'm still…
Meryl- Looks like this Landowner Morgan is exactly who you said he is; a cold-hearted
man who's not fussy about the way he gets things.
Badwick looks outside, then back in again, figuring out what happened, and
where his best chances lie. that's a decision that shouldn't take you too long,
hon.
-116-
…then he sees his parents. Grampa at least has a proper helmet and ammo
belt. Gramma has to make do with a kettle on her head, but she's got one mean
looking shotgun.
Badwick- Pa! Ma!
Grampa- Go ahead and leave, Badwick. There's no need for you to die.
::Gramma- Guns are our second-to-last resort!::
letting the family sort itself out, Meryl and Millie head outwards to join
the fray.
Meryl- Never mind a sandsteamer bet on the outcome of a duel, this fight's
going to be just a little bit more difficult!
arms at the ready, they storm past a collection of rain barrels, aiming for
the action. after they pass, one barrel shifts, a spiky blonde head of one particular
Sneaky Hero poking out….
Son/ END