𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘳

Chapter 16. Unimportant Banter

*The spaceships actually went sometime 2030-2050 (I can't remember specifically bc it is in the manga and I don't want to find it lol) so when it comes to lost technology, since the writer used stuff normal to the 1990s, i'll use tech familiar to current era for lost tech.

Sarcastic title lol. Enjoy!

"So tell me, Revy. If you want to start over and I'm trusting you... I'd like to know the whole story," Vash says, while I lean against the sink in his hotel room.

"I think you're going to have to be more specific about that," I say, jumping up on the counter. "Or you'll hear a lot."

"Maybe I want to. I hardly know anything except your real first name. I know this sounds weird but... I can't remember July or Augusta, and only a bit of my childhood. I remember some people and... I can tell you have met me, but I don't know you. I'll tell you everything I know if you promise to tell me. I need to know you."

"It will take a while, Vash. I've lived a long time. I'm supposed to be an old woman trapped in a fourteen year old's body. It's kinda gross when you think about it..."

"You were born... when?"

"Twenty-twenty, on earth. I lived in a place called Japan, where I was born as Rika Rebecca Hoshino-Valentine. Orientals are close to none on this planet, so I stuck with Rebecca Valentine," I say. "That's about two hundred years before the first ship landed. Well, the fall. My parents were scientists leading in the search for a place to humans to restart, because we had used up most of earth's resources. They studied plants and determined they could be used for earth's future, and so those and ships headed out, and they were among the first to board.

"When we arrived here, I was ten. I survived the great fall with my family, and I saw humans tear each other apart to survive because of all that had been destroyed. For two years, before the seven great cities began to build and grow. But so did human's greed.

"We place a deal of pain on the plants. We treat them as if they are not alive and meant to be cared for, and only use it for our own needs as if it has none of it's own. My parents warned them, they told them they were not treating it properly and it would die, but who would listen? In the end, experimentation began on humanoid-plants that had been born. The hellish things those plants had to go through... when I saw that. When I saw Shana--"

I stop, noticing my hands were clenching the counter rim so tight they had turned completely white. I sigh, wishing I had my hat and coat on. "Maybe we should stop there, for today."

When I look up, I notice Vash smiling. The kind he had when he watched Wolfwood give candy to children. He was just sparkling from ear to ear while hurting inside.

"What're you smiling for, you creep?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just glad you opened up to me," he says, but doesn't drop the smile. Then there's a knock on the door, which he responds to, "Yes?"

"My name is Bordeaux Keele, I represent the Bernardelli Insurance Society," a man's voice says. "I'd like to properly introduce myself so..."

"We'd be a bit of an odd couple. I also have a girl here, so..."

"I also have a message from Meryl Stryfe."

Vash opens the door, and its open fire. He grabs the gun from Keele, turning it upwards. "You sure are a strange insurance man. You an ex-militant, or something?"

"He doesn't look very good in a fedora, after all," I remark.

Keele lets go of the gun, another one popping out of a case he holds. Even worse, it's a machine gun. When I peek out of my corner I'm dodging bullets in the next second. When I duck and am level with the ground, I'm face to face with grenades Keele has left behind.

Vash shrieks even louder than me when we are blown out of the building. We land in someone's car, a convertible, in which sits a woman. Even worse.

"Stop! Don't shoot!" Vash yells, but he is ignored and we are fired at. My first instinct... and his too is to shield the woman as heavy fire rains down.

"What's your deal?!" Wolfwood comes back from whatever errand he was running, immediately seeing us and shielding us with his punisher. Then he flips it around and fires at Keele.

"Watch out... that guy's a hitman in disguise..." Vash says, nearly falling out of the car but I stop him, pulling him so he lies on the edge and realize he's got burns and bullets all over. When I go to stand, I immediately fall back and realize my legs have been shot. Great.

"Hey, ma'am, can you get us to the nearest hospital? I'm really sorry about this..." I ask, leaning against a chair so I can pull Vash all the way into the back seat with my upper body. "Jeez, Lina is going to be so angry..."

"You just... saved my life, but I don't know who you people are," she says.

"Yeah, so save his. On the plus side, the sooner you drive the sooner we'll all be out of danger," I say, and she immediately puts the roof up and drives. "We're going to need the emergency room. I guess, if your car needs cleaning I'm happy to pay."

"Bernardelli, huh? I have a feeling we'll be seeing the Insurance girls again soon," Vash says, though is almost completely slumped.

We arrive at the hospital, and immediately are cared for. I mean, bullet wounds and burns, not a whole lot to argue against. Wolfwood joined us not so long later.

Vash first refused to get undressed to an old woman nurse, who I guess he automatically assumed was a cougar(She was not at all, she was doing her job). When they finally got his top half undressed, and bandaged him up, he refused to let them treat his leg burns. In fact, he started screaming, "You'd better not do anything pervert! Don't do anything weird!"

"I hear you... hehe." There is a devilish grin on Wolfwood's face... but I don't think it's for Vash.

"Gosh... just take it off, the sooner you'll be treated," I snap. "It's not like you're taking your underwear off, they see this stuff everyday."

"Yes, please sit still sir!" a nurse whines.

Then I hear a horrendous cry. I bet it's Keele, he would have been shot by someone... guess Wolfwood went to mess with him.

Oh well.