-----Gossamer Wings and Sweet Tasting Things-----
---A Trigun Fanfiction---

 

-----DISCLAIMER-----

I own Trigun in my MIND....
Does that count?
...
;_;
DON'T SUE!!

 

-----AUTHOR'S NOTES-----

Lynda: ;_; A big thank you to the select few who reviewed last chappie! ;_; The support and reassurance was exactly what I needed... ;____; DOOOOMOO!!!! **bows profusely**

Kuroneko: Mya? =^@_@^=

Lynda: >_< GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! **runs outside and kicks thunderstorm** I was half way through this chapter when, CLICHE alert, the power went out and the computer crashed!!! ARG!!! **tries to kick again and gets struck by lightening**

Kuroneko: ... =^O_O^=

Lynda: *geho*... @_o

 

-----*+*-----

 

'A fine idea, this was.' Meryl muttered sarcastically, swaying dangerously on her annoyed perch as she tried to reach the fire escape. The metal mess of steps and guard rails that hugged the rocky side of someone's home gave the impression that the 'escape' was fundementally leading in the general direction of up... Despite the mingling routes of down, sideways and diagonal ladders. 
Meryl knew that it would be extremely easy for her to slip through the bars and rails to ascend to the roof, but she was already getting a headache thinking of lugging the Cross Punisher through the twisting puzzle. And knowing the man to whom it belonged, Wolfwood would rather blow the entire wall of rather than try to define a sensible way of getting the gun through.
Speaking of Wolfwood...

'If you dare look up my skirt, I'll kill you.' she threatened loudly, twisting so she could glare back down at the priest. She was kneeling on his shoulders, his hands clamped firmly on her legs to keep her in place... As if crushing her knee caps into a pulpitating mass of goo would make it any easier maintaining balance. From between the navy blue of her stockings, Wolfwood's dark head was bowed down and away from any embarrassing views. Good.
Then, in a muffled manner, he snapped,

'Why the hell would I want to look?!'

Meryl's eyebrow twitched.

'What's THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!' she shouted, then proceeded to vindictively crush his head between her knees. After the initial bout of swearing, struggling, kicking and near-toppling had subsided, Meryl folded her arms and gathered whatever dignity one could, considering that she was perched upon a man who was scrabbling desperately at her legs in a bid to not have his skull crushed.

'Make up your bloody mind!' managed a very compressed priest in an irate and rather slurred manner. 'D'ya want me to look, or don't ya?!' 
So much for dignity.

'WHAT?!'

'OW, DAMMIT!!'

'-mewhere in the vacinity, sir!' a voice announced, muffled by distance from down the alley. It was enough to stop both Insurance Investigator and Priest from struggling any further, and after shooting each other pointed glances, the pair began scrabbling desperately up to the fire escape as one entity. The Punisher was hauled along behind them, often getting caught in the criss crossing metal of guard rails then tugged free with it's own barrage of swearing and curses.

'How is it that they keep finding us?!' Meryl hissed breathlessly as she began scaling one of the ladders.

'How the hell should I know?!' Wolfwood muttered back from below. Upon glancing down to check his progress with that ridiculously huge gun, the short Insurance Worker found the Cross Punisher had been propped up on one firmly set shoulder, constantly re-adjusted grip on the weapon indicating just how big a burden it had become. In this, Meryl found some pity.

Despite the heavy and often strenuous acrobatics they had preformed to escape the admittedly persistent grasp of the Angel pursuers, Wolfwood seemed to deny any sort of grievance that resembled heft, fatigue or despair. In fact, the harder things got, the less visual discomfort he seemed to allow.
But Meryl knew that the Punisher would only get heavier. Unlike her slowly depleting stock of Derringers that were rendering her mantle lighter and lighter with every obstacle passed...

And by the way things were going, they had a great deal more obstacles to overcome. Speaking of which...

'I thought that Caine demon was sniping us! So why the hell are we making for the roof?' Meryl snapped, rounding the next level of metal landing, then immediately taking the next set of stairs. Once her thoughts settled on the prospect of awaiting demons, the small woman's hand reached into her mantle to retrieve a derringer from her meagre store. But considering the amount of climbing they were doing, the gun was hastily replaced.

'Because we've got more hope finding the Big Girl and Tongari if we're out in the open.' was the prompt reply.

To this, Meryl had no retort. She might've been unenthusiastic about being shot at again, but she was also mildly amazed at how fervently she wished to be back in her Guardian and partner's company. What had initially been a sensible union of the obviously more level headed two of the quartet, Meryl found that being paired up with Nicholas D. Wolfwood was quickly becoming an encumberence.

As incredibly annoying as the 60 Billion Double Dollar Man was, there was something about his demeanor that made for reassuring company. Perhaps it was light-hearted attitude he usually donned... Perhaps it was the safe knowledge that, no matter what the circumstance, the Humanoid Typhoon would be willing to take the situation into his own hands, regardless of how unorthodox his methods of mediating. 
Despite his often goofy antics, despite the oafish and comical way he presented himself... Vash the Stampede always seemed to have a small fraction of control.

It was after this revelation that Meryl found Wolfwood to be slightly unnerving. The priest was certainly not lenient when it came to survival or command. There was indeed intelligence; the knowledge of people, risks and outcomes... So why was his control the most worrying of all?

Because Meryl didn't trust his prioritizing.

And she didn't trust his secrecy.
So, invariably, she tried again.

'How do the Angels keep finding us?'

There was no answer.

'I mean,' she continued persistently, 'no matter where we go, or how we get there, they always seem to follow. Either that or be there when we arrive...'

'Luck.' was the simple answer. Meryl grimaced. She highly doubted it. Luck didn't make intelligent Angels crawl through 5 iles of random house rooms. Luck had nothing to do with it. 

A small relieved exhalation was allowed birth when the never ending metal rungs of the ladder gave way to sky and rooftop and Meryl gratefully pulled herself over the steps and onto the flat surface. Wolfwood followed immediately after and transfered the Cross Punisher onto his other shoulder.
After the expected pause that admitted the catching of breath, one mildly irritated Claims Investigator quirked a persistent eyebrow at her unlikely partner.

'Maybe they know something we don't.' she attempted, tone clipped as patience wore thin.

'Like what?!' Wolfwood demanded, patience level obviously not all that high for him, either.

'Like, what if they're tracking us?' It was amazing how annoying it was when someone tried to counteract Meryl's temper with a temper of their own. She usually recieved patience or some sort of bemused and audacious submittence. But temper? It didn't help appease anything. The priest in mention scoffed aloud, sneer curling his lip slightly to reveal teeth.

Then the expression dropped.

'Track us?' he asked slowly, uncertainly.

'Well how else would they manage to follow us through all this?!' Meryl demanded, then remembered that they were standing in an open space. Half expecting demons to launch at them from all direction, bullets flying and sudden throngs of screaming people getting in the way, she shook herself and decided to avoid her admittedly worst-case-scenario. She turned and began walking away. Then, realizing she wasn't being followed, stopped and turned.
Wolfwood met her gaze distractedly and blinked.

'Damn.' he said simply, eyebrows raised in what could only be described as in a nonplussed manner. Then he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small metal card.

'What's that?' Meryl asked cautiously. The smoking man swore.

'My god-damn Meta-Kard.' he snapped, glaring at it as if all their troubles had been spawned from the small grey object.

'What's that?' the Insurance Worker repeated, temper stoking her tone into a clipped snarl. Stupid, vague priests... As if she would know what a whateveryoucallit is.

'It's a Meta-Kard!' Wolfwood announced waspishly, 'Angel equipment! They've been tracking our location through it!' With that, he began pushing buttons fervently, eyebrows furrowing over the rim of his dark sunglasses. Meryl let her eyes widened in unpleasant surprise, then lips follow suit as she managed,

'You mean all that time we've been carrying around a trac-'

'Yes!' was the harsh interruption. Then, anger slowly ebbing from his face to be replaced with repentance, Nicholas D. Wolfwood sighed heavily. He glanced weakly about as if in search of answers or alternatives, but he obviously found none. So, in a small voice, he said quietly, 'Sorry 'bout this.'. A small light blinked slowly on the rectangle of metal in return.
In one sudden and fluent movement, the priest turned and hurled the object as far away as possible.
They lost sight of it before it began to decend from it's spinning arch.

'C'mon.' Wolfwood muttered in a subdued voice, setting into motion again resignedly. Meryl managed to shut her mouth, but found herself floundering in the sudden swing in moods. So she decided to revert back to something she could always do in any mood or situation.
Worry.

'If it's Angel equipment, that must mean Vash has one too, right? So are Milly and Vash being followed like we were?' she asked immediately, trying not to wince as her pessimistic imagination began throwing up nasty images. Wolfwood laughed somewhat mirthlessly and dirisively.

'What, Tongari? Nah, he lost his ages ago. It became the god of some secret and mystic cat cult, or something. Or so he tells me. It pops up every now and then, but I think those Angels will be looking for him in a dumpster somewhere. Good riddance, I say.' he muttered. Meryl decided to ignore all information except for the "lost his ages ago" part. The rest made us much sense as inflatable dart boards.

'So we don't have to worry about Angels anymore?' the small woman hazarded.

'I'd be more concerned about Demons at the moment.' Wolfwood reminded, none too guilefully. Oh yes. Of course.

'You seem to be skilled at sensing these things,' Meryl noted sharply, glancing out the corner of her eye to monitor a possible reaction. 'so you tell me; are there any near by?'
Of all the answers she had been anticipating, pessimism accounted for, not even she had expected this.

'About five of them have been surrounding us since we got on the roof.' Wolfwood replied stoically. He had reached out before he had even finished speaking, and caught Meryl's elbow when she made to stumble to a halt. Considering she was dragged into motion before she even stopped, there wasn't all that much the Claims Investigator could do but gape at the man opposite.

'Then why-' she attempted in a fluster, only to be cut off.

'We've kept moving because we're better off being surrounded by Demons than Angels. Better With The Devil Y'know, right?' he quoted evenly, his expression suddenly placcid. 'Anyway, Demons are the kind of people who'll corner us then gloat about it. We could use that. It's more convenient for us to have a chance of escape than getting our butts kicked by Angels that wouldn't waste any time making sure we know we'd lost.'

Some how this twisted logic didn't make things better. In fact, one part of the sentence stuck in Meryl's craw somewhat.
Best be out with it...

'Better With The Devil You Know?' she asked clearly, returning to quote to the priest with a suspiscious air. Then, when silence met her, the small woman plunged on with renewed conviction. 'Being an Angel, wouldn't Demons be on your "not know much about" list?'

The silence was deafening.

'You're failure to answer the mortal is an indecision that could cost you more than the truth.' a voice declared simply to their left. Meryl spun, Wolfwood did not.

'Wh-Who are you?' the black haired woman demanded in a fluster, unsure as to where to catogorize the new comer. He seemed extremely proper and even had little crosses as cufflinks, much alike the priest besides her. So, really, this new person didn't seem all that Demonic at all...
But neither did the serial killer until he pulled the gun on you.

And the fact that a giant wrapped cross, much alike Wolfwood's, was by his side didn't help his case any.

'I knew you'd show up eventually.' Wolfwood noted disdainfully, careful to remain facing away from the tall man weilding the apple.

'And you did nothing? For shame, Nicholas. Haven't I taught you anything?'

'Taught?' Meryl echoed weakly. She jumped when something hard pressed against her back. Considering the world they lived in, it didn't take the Insurance Worker much mental work to figure out the 'something hard' was probably a gun barrel. She raised her hands slowly.

'You're quick, lady.' a voice acclaimed from behind her. 'If you'd just like to step back a bit?' 
She did just that. Then, curiosity getting the better of her, Meryl glanced over her shoulder. A child smirked evilly back. There was no misplacing the Demonic slits of pupils that cleaved the child's violet iris' in half.

'Where's the others, Chapel?' Wolfwood asked loudly. Meryl returned her attention to the tall, grey clad man.

'There's quite a few more members since you were in service.' Chapel replied casually, still standing erect and holding an apple as if it were a diamond. 'I doubt you'd know any.'

'I know there's five, and I want to know who.' was the waspish retort. A smile quirked the lips of the new comer.

'Myself, of course,' he offered simply, 'Zazi is minding the mortal, Rai Dei is observing from a nearby water tank and Hoppered and Monev are guarding the circumference of our meeting.' The vague and predatory smile never left his features.

'I took out Rai Dei and Monev.' Wolfwood snapped.

'Obviously not enough.' was the immediate reply. 'I'm afraid all defeat did to we Demons was send us back down to that place known as Hell. Fortunately, after the Merging... It wasn't difficult to use the resulting chaos to our advantage and release ourselves. Needless to say, we immediately began seeking out the Humanoid Typhoon.'

Wolfwood scowled then finally turned and faced the man. Meryl tried not to panic at the expression on his face. Because, beneath those glasses, there was panic. And not a few moments ago, she had been fretting over his over calculating grasp on situations. By the look of controlled hopelessness in the set of his shoulders, Meryl Stryfe suddenly wished the cold, hard logic back.
And she wished she didn't have a gun barrel at the base of her spine.

'Then why,' Wolfwood muttered, grinning mirthlessly, 'are you annoying us?' Chapel smiled genuinely. It seemed he was waiting for this question.

'Because, my boy, we have a proporsition for an ex-Demon.' he replied evenly. And raised the apple. Something bristled and Wolfwood all but snarled aloud at the gesture. But, within a heartbeat, he readjusted his grip on the Cross Punisher and strode forward determinedly. Chapel awaited him.
Then, when he was an easy arm's length from the apple weilding Demon, the Winger took a swipe at the fruit. It was lifted from the haphazard snatch. Another attempt left Wolfwood with an empty and strained grasp.

And the pair just stood there, one trying to claim the green, shiny apple, the other successfully keeping him from accomplishing it.

'I-I don't understand...' Meryl whispered, eyes darting between the duo in a desperate bid to comprehend what was happening. The platinum blonde child behind her sniggered.

'No, you wouldn't.' he sneered. The pressure at her spine disappeared and "Zazi" stepped up beside her for a better view of what was taking place. His arms were behind his head in casual disinterest.
The general miscalculation of her that people always seemed to make caused Meryl to smile grimly. She seemed to perpetually be the hidden Ace up the metaphorical sleeve. Considering the circumstances, this didn't make her feel any better.

'You've got much to learn.' Chapel noted, smiling after the last bout of grabbing had subsided. Wolfwood scowled back like a foiled child. The grey clad man leaned forward. 'My offer stands, Demon Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Would you care to rejoin us? I'd even pass on this title to you, as you've so strived to do. Wouldn't you like to be Chapel the Evergreen?'

The priest in question remained horribly quiet. Meryl, while trying to digest the "Demon" part of the conversation, realized with a horrid sinking sensation that she, in Wolfwood's peripheral logic, wasn't worth all that much.
So in layman's terms, if he saw it fit to save people by sacrificing one small Insurance Girl, he might just do that.
Oh, great.

'I, of course, could always fight you.' Chapel offered, one hand leaving the small of his back to land on the giant cross besides him with a calculated thump. Again Wolfwood said nothing. Instead, he took the cigarette from his mouth, tossed it away then took a step back and raised his Punisher.

Meryl decided now was the time to perhaps lay her hand down.

It said alot about Zazi's youth that he didn't immediately pull his gun on her when Meryl spread her mantle wide. Instead he simply turned to monitor the sudden movement. His surprised gaze slid into something even more stupified when one derringer was leveled between his eyes while the other derringer was fired point blank at his holster. As the pistol that it contained was sent spinning, Meryl allowed herself a sideways cast glance at Chapel.

'I think you're forgetting someone.' she observed dryly. Silence reigned, and though the suprised look from both Zazi and Chapel were mildly satisfying, the short Insurance Worker found the worst gaze to stand under was that she recieved from Wolfwood. He seemed utterly incensed at her interruption and further angered by her forced role in the mechanics of the showdown. It made her feel that she didn't know what she was getting into.
But her discomfort was short lived.

An odd sound began within inches of her still loaded derringer. It started small, niggling, then grew in volume. It wasn't until Zazi decided to not bother being discreet that Meryl understood what it was. It was a laugh.

'Wh-What are you laughing at?!' Meryl demanded, trying not to be thoroughly spooked, but not succeeding.

'Idiot!' Zazi laughed aloud, purple eyes narrowing. 'It's amazing you've survived among Demons this long! Do you honestly think I'm unarmed?'

It was at that time that the second strange noise of the evening came into effect. Like the first, it started out as a small and muffled rumbling. Then, with time, it got louder. Only this exceeded sound, as the entire roof they were standing on began to quiver. The quivers turned into trembles and they became a shaking. Then the shaking evolved into a quaking that kicked up dust and near shook Meryl to her knees.
She was just about to sink down when the rock beneath her feet exploded upwards.

It was a brief flurry of misplacement, activity and surreal time flows that allowed Meryl be aware of the giant hunks of rock and cement that were flying around and that yes, those were teeth... But it seemed over within microseconds. And it was from her shocked and bruised sprawl from between hunks of masonry that she looked up and registered the Sand Worm, wavering from the gaping hole it had bitten through the building that she'd been standing on and screeching, jaws wide. Zazi was perched crosslegged on it's head and smiling down at her.
The smile didn't register. Meryl was still trying to comprehend the presence of a giant and extremely dangerous creature that, in fact, shouldn't be where it was.

There was another "idiot" flung in her direction, and by the sound of the voice, it was either an extremely vexed or moderately worried Wolfwood. Either way, that Sand Worm still existed where it shouldn't, and Meryl Stryfe of the Bernadelli Insurance Society was having some problems getting over this fact.

Zazi laughed and the Sand Worm ducked down and advanced towards her, sensor tendrils swaying. Without even a whisper, the small Claims Investigator began scrambling backwards away from the beast and it's evilly laughing mount.
And back right into a pair of grey clad legs.

A hand clamped itself somewhat painfully on her shoulder and Meryl was dragged to her feet by Chapel the Evergreen.

'It seems there are too many spectators for a good duel.' he announced to Wolfwood, the apple by Meryl's head. 'Maybe we should return to reason again.'

'What reason could get me to go back to that life?' Wolfwood asked calmly. 

'Say, the life of this human?' Chapel offered simply. The hand on her shoulder tightened painfully, but Meryl refused to make a noise. She wouldn't make that stupid little outcry the Demon was obviously hoping for. She refused to add severity to this situation. Instead, she watched Wolfwood carefully.
And immediately wished she didn't.

Meryl recognized the face he wore. It was that of a poker player who knew the cards were against him, and was coldly and methodically counting his chips.
Meryl found fear for her life again.

The stalemate went on for far too long, the wind cooling sweat and the Sand Worm adding it's own strange cacophony to the scene.

Then, with a grin, Wolfwood shrugged.

'So what are my options?' he asked.

'Join us.' Chapel ordered, something eager in his tone. Meryl wondered what it meant, whether it was a weakness and, if so, if it could be used to her advantage.

'Or?' the smoking Winger queried needlessly.

'The girl dies.' Another painful squeeze. Another clenching of teeth in stubborn determination. Then Meryl saw something change. Something caused the smoking priest's eyes to widen. Something caused his shoulders to relax. Admittedly on a miniscule level, but it was still reminiscent of the look one gets when they've been saved, or a decision had been reached.
Meryl swallowed thickly.
Wolfwood scratched at his hairline.

''Fraid I can't do that. I've already killed her once. I don't think I could stand the snivelling if it happened again.' he observed lightly.

'Then you'll come to us, Nicholas.' Chapel announced, something akin to muted delight laden in his voice. Wolfwood smiled, snapped the buckles on his Punisher and released the weapon.
Then aimed it at the Sand Worm.

'No.' he replied levelly.

Then fired.

 

-----*+*-----

 

-----AUTHOR'S NOTES-----

Lynda: WAAAAAAAA!!!! **pulls pose**

Kuroneko: =^O_O^=

Lynda: Huzzah for the stoked fires of Lynda's muse! **kicks BJ** You've let me down muse!

BJ: **glares** What?!

Lynda: ^_^ I feel great! I feel like continuing writing! I feel like writing some more! All thanks for this goes to Nick! Because for my birthday, he bought me a TRUCKLOAD of Trigun stuff that got me re-obsessed with it! And considering that I don't have too long before this fic finally finishes, that's just as well!

Kuroneko: Mya!

Lynda: That's right! **rubs nose** Lotsa Demons EVERYWHAH!! Yay! **jumps about, realizes she's hyper, and it's much too late to be hyper, calms down a little** Let's see how quickly the next chappie comes, eh?