Tuesday Afternoon

Chapter 17

Hoohoohoo Hello!! Good to be back again! Sorry it took so long and might read a bit choppy hehe
Are you ready?

You Cryin'?

It had been about six days since Wolfwood told you to get on his motorcycle and you left Promontory together. In that time, you managed to get through four small towns without much of a struggle. Wolfwood wasn't exactly recognizable as anyone of importance, and you had taken to disguising yourself by stuffing your jacket into your bag and picking up a new pair of sunglasses. You only did that while you were in town, but it helped considerably given that no one had tried to kill you since you started. It felt like Superman becoming Clark Kent, honestly!

The two of you checked into a room at an inn in the fourth town. You made a beeline for the shower since you two had spent the night in the desert last night; meanwhile, Wolfwood assured you that he'd wander around town and scope out some dinner for you both.

You had been standing just outside the inn smoking a cigarette and watching the sunset fade away when he finally came back.

"Yo-" Wolfwood didn't waste any time, snatching up your wrist and dragging you back to your room. "Ow!"

Something was off with him. You just weren't sure what.

As soon as the door closed behind you, you gave him a glare and started taking your jacket off, "Who pissed in your cereal?"

Wolfwood ignored you in favor of leaning against the far wall; he crossed his arms over his chest, too, seemingly trying to glare holes into the floorboards. He seemed... worried; it was so unlike him that it was starting to put you on edge.

"Nicolas. Talk to me."

"Listen," he finally started, sparing you a short glance before turning his attention back to the floor. "Zazie stopped by. Told me something I think you might wanna hear."

You stiffened, baffled by his sudden announcement, "What?"

"Hornfreak and Legato are heading toward Jenora Rock," Wolfwood sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Your eyes narrowed, "And this is according to Zazie?"

"Yeah," he said, sighing again. "The little fucker caught me in an alley on my way back here and told me."

Jenora was a town over if you continued east from here, but to get there you'd need a ride through a sand ocean. If you raw-dogged it into the desert on Wolfwood's motorcycle you'd very likely die. And the closeness of the towns meant that those two, or just Legato at the very least, were right behind you.

For a moment, you only stared at him, unsure if you should really be trusting a warning from Zazie. Then again... they were probably the only reason you managed to escape Knives' hideout in the first place.

Wolfwood peered at you over his sunglasses, trying to gauge your reaction. You had pursed your lips at the mention of the worm amalgamation, probably biting back a few choice words.

"What else did Zazie say?" You clutched the collar of your jacket tightly, letting it dangle a few inches above the floor; you had a feeling as to what it was, and you didn't like it one bit.

Wolfwood sighed again, his expression serious as ever, "Vash and the girls are heading that way, too. From the opposite direction."

You frowned. Of course you were right. The universe hated you and only ever wanted to throw shit in your face.

"On the plus side, we're nearby. We can finally reunite you and Needle-noggin'," Wolfwood attempted a smile to lighten the mood.

"It's not going to be a happy one," you muttered, looking down at the floor as you leaned back against the door frame. "If we're all that close to a prominent town, then we're probably about to enter a plot point in the story."