𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘳

Chapter 17. Gettup

I open Vash's hotel room, "Uh, Vash, I bought eggs and... wine glasses like you asked and also coffee... but I don't know if you're into that, it's more for me---"

"Rem!" he suddenly cries, making me jump.

"I have eggs, for christ's sake!" I yell, setting down the groceries on the counter and holding the coffee for myself. "I could have dropped them... It's a mess in here, honey, you really should be cleaning up after yourself, it's a hazard. Didn't your mo-- Oh, sorry."

"I don't know what having a blood mother is like but... you sure are like one, with the nagging and precautions." Vash sits up, in his tank and sweatpants.

"What? No, no I'm not at all like Meryl! I'm fun! I have a sense of adventure, and I'm not all work! My work is an adventure... cause I've become the hunted while I still take down bounties..." I study Vash's exposed arms, something I never paid attention to, and take a sharp breath. He is covered down to every last inch with scars, stitches, past burns, scrapes, and bullets all the way to his feet, from what I can see. It makes me pull my own sweater tighter against my skin to hide my own scars.

"Sorry, I usually don't let girls see me without my whole gettup. This isn't even the worst of it."

"It's not bad," I snap. "You don't have to be ashamed or insecure of them. I know it's because you're a reckless hero, always charging in to save the day and save the people. It's good that you hold onto your scars. They have good meaning behind them."

"Didn't know you were so passionate about scars, Revy." Vash smiles again at me.

"I-I'm not! It's just--- oh, nevermind. Storytime can wait." I walk out of his room with my coffee, going into my own and brewing myself a cup.

I sip that while listening to the radio, pulling off my sweater, slip, and boots, putting my skirt over the tights. In the middle of putting on a bra, my door opens. luckily for me, my back is turned. Doesn't make me any less angry.

"What the hell?!" I shriek, throwing a butter knife straight into the door frame while frantically covering my breasts. It lands next to Wolfwood's head with a loud thock.

"Sorry, Tongari's room smelled a bit so I thought we might talk in--"

"Get out!" I yell at him and before I can throw the chair, he shuts the door. When I'm fully dressed, I open the window then door, "Now you can come in. What's up?"

Wolfwood and Vash both walk in, taking seats at the table where my coffee is. Wolfwood jumps at the chance, "Someone is normal and routined around here! Can I have a cup of coffee too? Make that three, actually, it will make Tongari smell less."

"So it was you..." I give Vash the stink eye before going to boil more water and take out two more mugs. When I'm finished, I give them the mugs and sit down, putting my feet on the table. Good thing I showered recently. "What's the deal with talking?"

"Well, this town's split into two factions. We've got the Polos and the Fris. They've got a bloody quarrel on a plant that was excavated here years ago," Wolfwood says. "It's still alive."

"Really?" Vash gasps.

"They found it in an original colony ship. It's over one hundred fifty years old, but it's miraculously still works," Wolfwood says. "Also, depending on how you program, it can create anything you like. So in essence, it's a genuine living magic machine. Families will run themselves to ruin to get one of these... So of course, there has been a lethal showdown over it. At first it was just the two families but then the locals started getting involved and it's all downhill. Each time the victims go up, the other side raises the stakes. Now there are rapes and murders going on, raising the tension one hundred levels. That's why the whole town is on edge. Just a little while ago, I went by the coffin maker and... dammit, stop crying!"

Vash was bawling, "But it's because stuff like this is so sad... why do they do this?"

"Even guys who aren't looking for a fight will grab a gun if their relative gets killed. You've experienced it first hand," Wolfwood says, eyeing me.

I look away begrudgingly. The painful reminder I was supposed to apologize, even though I was thinking about disappearing these days.

"Anyways, let's scram before we get caught up in it."

"No way." Vash stands, loading his gun. "I've got a secret appointment~!"

"What! No way, tell me!" Wolfwood demands.

"Nuh-uh, you keep things from me. Fair is fair." And Vash is out. I kick Wolfwood out as well, since we have nothing more to talk about.

I finish my coffee, the caffeine having no effect on me whatsoever. Then I head down into town to get materials for a new jacket; this over sized sweat-shirt look is not badass or attractive at all. But there's not much... practical clothing for a good jacket. I'd have to go to one of the main seven cities to get materials to put together something at least bullet proof... lost technology. Stuff I still know how to engineer. But there's no way I'll get my hands on materials for it in this bloody town.

"So, like, why can't this town use the plant like the rest of 'em?" I ask the lady as I check out patches that look cool. "When it comes to want and need, and everyone's needing something, do you have to think twice?"

"Well, when someone tried to take the rights to it and killed someone, no one was thinking anymore. It's hardly about the plant at this point; everyone's hurting and everyone wants revenge. You should watch yourself too, missy. You could get hurt for saying stuff like that when the Polo and Fris got people everywhere." She hands over my bag. "I shouldn't even be talking to you."

"Well, if you're really in trouble, give me a call. I think I might be stuck here for a while." I sigh.

"You shouldn't get involved, missy."

I smirk for a moment when we hear a loud crash outside. Oh great, I'll count it as a blessing if Vash has no connection to this.

I run outside with my bag, pushing through a crowd, "'Scuse me, got things to see!" I call until they make way, and I see a sand steamer and a wagon crashed into it's passenger deck. Some guy named 'Shidan' of the polo family was in there, and now all the federal troops are showing up. Influenced by the Polos. Great points for the tension. Bet the wagon was from the Fris. A siege that was about to get bad real fast.

"Tongari!

"Wolfwood!"

"Revy!"

Wow, the gang is all here.

"This is really bad, right? It be nice if we could stop this somehow..." Vash says, walking forward but immediately is held back by myself and Wolfwood.

"Are you crazy? Out of your mind?! You can't go charging in there, you'll never make it back!" Wolfwood says, "Just look at the tension! Listen, tongari, these days people live nothing but a bunch of problems. There are cruel and complicated choices, with limited time to make them. The worst thing someone can do is wait for an opportunity and do nothing, twiddling their thumbs while it goes to hell. No one gets saved at all... so you don't get to choose! A guy who never kills can't save anybody! We're not omnipotent gods, we can only become demons!"

"Wolfwood... in the end, those are just words," Vash says. I notice now he's got his red coat back and his whole getup. Where the hell do you get leather like that anyways? "There are people dying over there, though. That means a hell of a lot to me."

"Okay, but, haven't we established you bring a lot of trouble? The tensions are pretty high already, you'd climax it by having everyone out for Vash the Stampede," I say, getting some backup from a random woman's nod of agreement.

"Okay."

"You're not hearing a thing I say..."

Vash fires his gun into the air, "Listen, Folks! I am Vash the Stampede! For no absolute reason at all, I'm going to begin my daily massacre here!"

"Why does this sell?"