#13
somewhere.
somewhere with lots of shoes. at least a ton of them.
deep in the back corner sits Our Intrepid Hero, an elderly man in front of him, working on a pair of boots. from the looks of the situation, Vash has been talking for quite some time.
Vash- I looked and looked and looked forever and ever. For a whole week, I kept looking! Then I thought you might only be open every so often. That's because you work at things other than selling shoes, right?
Shoemaker- You like chatting, so perhaps you should buy only shoes, hm?
Vash- Ah! Hang on! There's something I've really gotta know! I'll keep to the rules and won't cause any trouble. I promise! Please, look into it for me!

-148-149-

Trigun  #13    

 BLOOD AND THUNDER

-150-
a peaceful, busy little town, nowhere in particular. the weather is gorgeous and everyone is going about a day's normal business. the insurance girls sit quietly on a bench in the town square, simply enjoying the day.
Meryl- Such a beautiful day.

-151-
Vash sprawls across another bench, on the far side of the town's square, gazing up at the sky.
Vash- //thinking// ::si~~gh:: The sky is so ridiculously blue…..

-152-
Vash- //thinking// …whoops. There I go again. I bet you'd laugh at me, Rem. I know it can't happen any more, I know that. But I can't help wanting to show it to you. I…

-153-
enter surprise, incoming at high velocity. a ball of some sort makes sudden impact with Vash's face, sending him and the bench tumbling backwards. a pair of elementary school age boys come running up, guilty as the next neighbor's kid who just sent a baseball through your window.
Kid 1- Uh-oh!
Kid 2- You okay, mister?
they peer over the toppled bench cautiously. Vash lies flat on his back, limbs akimbo, and the ball-- a basketball-- lies planted directly on his face. so well planted, in fact, that you can't see his face at all.

-154-
then Vash bolts upright, the ball not falling from his face. both kids go about 3 feet straight up, 10 years scared off the end of their lives. naturally, they run the hell away. Vash chases, the ball still somehow not falling off his face.
Vash- Darth Dodgeball-Head!! With incredible suction power, he can keep the ball stuck to his face! Kids, try this at home!
Meryl & Millie-      -_-;;;
::Cameo Nightow- That's impossible, moron!::

-155-
when the two kids finally drop into shivering little curls of fear, Vash lets the ball fall.
Vash- Sorry! Did I scare ya? What were you doing before?
Meryl- Not again…
Vash- But never mind that, let's get some ice cream!
Kid 1- Really?
Kid 2- Cool!
Millie- Ice cream?! Me too!!
::Vash- Well, your mental age is young enough…::
counting out enough coins he passes them on to Meryl.
Vash- Six, okay?
Meryl- Six?

-156-
Meryl- Why? Isn't that one too many?
Vash points to a scruffy looking little girl standing tentatively off to the side. Meryl gets the point. buying six cones, she passes one to the girl. probably the first food she's had in a while, she scarfs down the cone not quite fast enough to get an ice cream headache.
Meryl- Why don't you come play with us?
for a second, the little girl seems to think about it…

-157-
…but she decides not to, silently turning around and trotting off. Vash watches her go sadly. unfortunately, not everyone can be saved.
life goes on. Vash and the insurance girls play with the two boys who are willing to, tossing the basketball around. sunlight shines down pleasantly, birds flutter here and there, people go about their business. it's a normal, nice day. Vash smiles broadly, enjoying himself.
then someone walks by.

-158-159-
his passing brings the heat of the day pressing down with an unrelenting pressure. the wind stops, and the sunlight is suddenly less than benevolent. a rank air of stale death surrounds the man like a cloud, killing any bright or happy thoughts.

-160-
Vash doesn't shiver, but his eyes do pop open, every single nerve in his body going to red alert. a high-collared white trench coat drapes the man from neck to boots, but it is open in the front, revealing a black turtleneck. the right shoulder bears spikes sticking out unevenly, sort of like one would suspect the Addam's Family's house's fence to look like. the left is even more, um, interesting. a human skull, liberally decorated with metal plates and bolts, is strapped on, wires running down to the lower jaw which adorns the man's wrist like a bracelet.

-161-
black hair hangs limply into his face, only one flat, dead eye visible. nothing resembling cheer looks like it has ever been at home on that face. in his left arm, he carries a plain paper bag.
Ladies and Gentlemen, enter Legato.

-162-
saying nothing, doing nothing, Legato just walks by, leaving Vash gaping in the lurch. taking a seat on a bench a little ways away, he pulls a hot dog out of the paper sack.
Legato- //telepathy// I've found you. Vash the Stampede.
the words waft into Vash's mind like the wind from a vulture's wings. Legato chews on his bite of hot dog, speech not moving his mouth.

-163-
remembering he's in front of other people, Vash pastes a smile on his face. inside, he's doing anything but grinning.
Vash- //telepathy// Who are you?
Legato- //telepathy// Legato. I am a servant of the man for whom you search: Knives.

-164-
no mask Vash has ever put on could have kept expression from his face at hearing that name. looking at just the right, or make that 'wrong', time, Millie jumps in startlement. recovering fast, Vash repaints his bland face, looking in question at Millie.
Millie- //thinking// What was that…? For a moment Mr. Vash looked so terribly, horribly grim…
while skilled at acting, even Vash has limits. putting on his lenin-glasses, he leans back and looks at the sky.

-165-
Vash- //telepathy// Where is he?
Legato- //telepathy// And if I told you, what would you do?
one of the boys looks questioningly at Vash. what could be so interesting about the sky?
Vash- //telepathy// I'm the one asking questions. Where is he?

-166-
Vash- //telepathy// The only thing that's kept me alive for so long on this godforsaken planet is the thought of sending him to hell. He. Killed. Rem. I will make him pay for that sin. With out fail.

-167-
for a moment, there is nothing but silence on the other end. eventually, Legato answers.
Legato- //telepathy// He… sleeps yet. The wounds you inflicted upon him has required he do so even until now. Don't worry. I will take you to meet him. Of course, you will be a corpse at the time.
the mental glare Vash levels at him would melt granite.
Legato- //telepathy// hnhn. You don't think I can?

-168-
the little girl from before stands nearby. Legato looks up, almost as if he were calling to her. perhaps he does, in a voice nobody but she can hear. she comes trotting up innocently, and Legato retrieves another hot dog out of the paper sack for her. munching on it happily, she stands still long enough for Legato to reach out and pat her on the head
Legato- //telepathy// Oh yes. I have yet to give you your 'present.'

-169-
Legato's hand sits heavily on the girl's head, her guileless eyes peering up at his face from between his splayed fingers. fearing the worst, Vash finally spins around to face the other man---

-170-
---only to find both Legato's hands harmlessly in the air, nowhere near the girl. stomach full, she takes off, safely. Meryl blinks at Vash, wondering why he's acting so strangely.
Legato- //telepathy// Heh heh heh heh. A far greater reaction than I had expected. Amusing! If I chose to, I could kill every man, woman and child within 50 meters of here in under 2 seconds.
looks like Legato knows a goodly number of Vash's buttons, and he's starting to push them. predictably, Vash starts getting a little angry.
Vash- //telepathy// Why…. you…

-171-
Legato- //telepathy// The common man of this world. She gave her life to protect them, and you go to incredible lengths to do the same. You have no idea how much that fetters you. This fight is over. You have lost it, and it's hardly even begun.

-172-
Legato's head lolls over his shoulder, and the two men lock gazes for the first time. Vash is beyond mad by this point, all Legato's button pushing having worked marvelously.
Legato- //telepathy//- I won't involve bystanders this time. Care to… try your luck?
for a long, long moment, Vash debates the odds. he doesn't draw.
Legato- //telepathy// Wise move.

-173-
Legato- //telepathy// Anyway, my duties today are simply those of a messenger.
from a inner pocket in his trench coat, he pulls out a slim, flat case.
Legato- //telepathy// Within this case there are 12 coin halves. I have arranged for the other pieces to be given to 12 assassins. They are the worst scum this world has to offer, and all of them are now after you. I will be satisfied if they feed you but a tenth of the hell you have put Him through. If you do manage to collect all 12 coins, something interesting could happen.
he puts the case into the paper bag.

-174-
Legato- //telepathy// Consider the rest a gift from me. A quick lesson, if you will. I'll set it right here.
he sets it down on the bench. One bottom corner has a small, dark stain. a stain that grows, and grows, and grows…
a scream rips through the air, shattering the peace.

-175-
a woman stumbles into the square, tears making rivers down her cheeks.
Confused Bystander 1- What?
Confused Bystander 2- Hey, isn't that the shoemaker's wife?
Shoemaker's wife- M- M- M- M- MURDER!! My husband---! His head---!
Confused Bystander 1- Whoa, slow down here. You aren't making sense.
a nasty possibility pops into Vash's head and he spins around to stare at the "gift" bag Legato so thoughtfully left behind. spotting it, his face goes pale.
Shoemaker's wife- My husband's head is GONE!!

-176-
the little stain has grown huge, a dark, sticky looking fluid puddleing around it's base.
Shoemaker's Wife- Where'd it go?! Where did my husband's head go?!

-177-
somewhere else entirely.
a run down old house sits forlornly by itself. overhead, thunder rumbles and a dark rain pelts down. only one light is lit within, down in the basement.
Man- Damn. I didn't think you'd actually show up.
Legato- Did you believe it merely the drunken babbling of an old man?
Man- Mostly, yeah.

-178-
Man- But, y'know… after spending over 20 years down here, day after day after day smelling nothing but gun smoke… I don't really care if it's true or not any more.
Legato- Go as far as you like. Show me what you can do to repay two decades of His benevolence.
he holds out a single hand, a jagged half of an American quarter pinched between his fingers.

BLOOD AND THUNDER/ end

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