Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Cowboy Bebop Meets Trigun ❯ Circumstances ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: Don't own `em. If I did, I'd be rich. If I was rich, I'd hire a lackey to write this story.

 

A/N: Another chapter! We learn a little about Nightingale. Plus, there is finally a description of her. I know everyone's been waiting for that! By the way, if she seems like a Mary Sue, I appologize profusely. I will rectify it. Anyway, on to Chapter 14!

 

 

Chapter 14: Circumstances

 

“Captain! We've got a situation here!”

“Report.”

Nightingale stood in the command center of her ship. She had been monitoring the other two ships the Eden was tracking, the Omega and the Bebop. Her ship had been circling the area above the battle between the two twins. Now, however, things seemed to be reaching critical mass. She could faintly detect the mental anguish the younger twin was feeling, indicating the upper hand of the elder. What else could go wrong?

“Captain, it looks like there are meteors headed directly for the battleground,” her First Lieutenant reported.

“Estimated time until impact?”

“Five minutes.”

“Go to Code Red! All personnel to your stations! Prepare for evasive maneuvers!”

“Yes, ma'am!” He punched the red button on the console, causing the alarm to blare.

“Oh, and Lieutenant? Bring the ship as close as you possibly can to the point of impact. If necessary, be ready to bring others aboard the ship.”

“What? But, Captain, our orders are to observe only!”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Are you questioning my orders, soldier?”

“N-no, ma'am. It's just that the Commander ordered us to...”

“I am well aware of what our orders are, Lieutenant.” Nightingale bowed her head. “I'll take full responsibility.”

Her First Lieutenant's eyes widened before he turned back to the monitor. “Yes, Captain. It shall be done.”

Nightingale sank into her Captain's chair and sighed. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. At this rate, she would have gray hair in no time. She knew Tatsujin had given her specific orders to follow. However, he had given her a loophole to work with. Weak it may be, but she was not about to let people die. Besides, he had told her that he trusted her judgement in this matter. She would just have to hope that it would be enough to save her skin if something went wrong.

I'm coming. Wait for me...

 

 

Meryl felt the ship jerk as it lifted off. She banged her head againt the window. She muttered a curse under her breath while rubbing her aching forehead. She was probably going to have a bruise there later.

There were more important things to worry about, however. Jet (she thought that was his name) had managed to launch the Bebop, but the meteors were still a problem. Suddenly, she saw a flare of white light, the same light that had taken Augusta, flare below her. Wait, it wasn't just one light. There were two, pointed directly at the meteors.

What the hell?

Meryl had to shield her eyes when the light became to bright for her to bear. She raised her arm over her eyes to shield them. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the Bebop. Meryl jerked forward again, smacking her head into the window for the second time. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to straighten herself.

When the light finally faded, she was greeted by a shocking sight. Despite the fact that the largest of the meteors had been blasted out of the sky, the fragments, still a substantial size, had crashed into the Omega. The damage seemed extensive. However, what really caught her attention was the presence of another ship. At first glance, it looked just like the Omega. However, it was white and more sleek looking, as if it was a newer and more advanced model of the same design. The name painted on its side in black was Eden. It appeared to be landing.

After the dust cleared, Meryl could see some people in uniforms (probably the staff of the new ship) running around, as if searching for something. Then, on of the uniformed fellows made an exited gesture. He was pointing at two figures that Meryl couldn't see distinctly from her location. As the officers of the ship picked up the two figures, Meryl could make out their features better.

It was Vash and Knives.

Meryl caught her breath as the two were carried, unconsciously, aboard the strange ship. She was suddenly shaken out of her reverie when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Meryl, Jet wants everyone in the main room right away,” Millie said.

“Why?”

“He said something about receiving a transmission from the other ship.”

“Oh. Alright, then.”

Meryl, guided by Millie, made her way towards the others' location on the Bebop.

 

 

Wolfwood barely glanced at the two women as the hurried into the room. His attention was focused on the woman's face which was currently taking up the monitor. She seemed to be scrutinizing them all, but other than that, her attitude was somewhat benevolent, yet business-like at the same time.

“Who is that?” he heard Meryl whisper in his ear.

“The Captain of the other ship,” Wolfwood replied out of the corner of his mouth. “She wants to make a deal.”

“That's the captain?”

“Yes. Now be quiet!”

“I see that everyone had been assembled,” came the woman's low, smooth voice.

“Yeah, we're here. Now, first of all, who are you?” Jet asked gruffly.

“You may call me Nightingale. That will suffice for now.”

“More importantly, then, what do you want?” Spike asked suspiciously.

The woman's face remained emotionless as she laid it down for them. “I have one of your companions, as well as his twin brother. Whether or not you wish to remain with them is your choice. Your options are as follows: (1) You can leave these two in my possession and not follow. You may or may not hear from them again. (2) You may come with us to a secure location, but you will have to abide by certain rules. Either way, it makes no difference to me. However,” she added, the tone in her voice becoming much more serious, “even though you probably do not feel inclined to trust me, I assure you the second option is in your best interest.”

“And why is that?” Faye wanted to know.

“It is not my place to say,” Nightingale replied. “However, I would think that you would be able to figure it out for yourselves, especially after all the research you've done on my organization.” The corners of her lips lifted slightly. “Isn't that right, Jet?”

“So, you work for GENE.” Wolfwood make it a statement of fact instead of a question.

“Indeed. However, we are not the ones you need fear.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You may not believe me, but there are others searching for you. One of you in particular,” she declared meaningfully.

Wolfwood raised his eyebrows. Which one the people present in this room could this woman be talking about?

“In any case,” Nightingale continued, “what is your decision?”

Wolfwood evaluated the expressions on his companions faces. Spike's face was closed, obviously because he was deep in thought. Faye appeared undecided, as did Jet. On the other hand, Meryl, Millie, and Ed (of all people) were the ones who appeared the most decisive.

“Ed votes to follow Bird-Lady, Vash-person, and Utensils!”

“I agree,” Meryl stated firmly.

“Me too!” Millie said happily.

Jet sighed. “Well, since everyone seems to be going that way, I guess I'll go, too. What about you three?”

Spike nodded slowly, his mind clearly elsewhere. Faye grumbled a “yes”. Jet seemed satisfied.

“What about you, Wolfy-wood?”

Wolfwood looked down at Ed's bright, inquisitive eyes. Then, he saw Millie's hopeful expression. How could he possibly say no to those puppy-dog eyes?

“I'm in, too,” Wolfwood said softly.

“Thank you, Mr. Priest!” Millie squealed as she gave him a bear hug, literally lifting him off the ground.

“Millie, can't breathe!”

“Oh, sorry!” she said sheepishly as she released him.

Wolfwood looked up in time to see the approving smile on Nightingale's face.

“I'm pleased you decided to come. And,” the look on her face softened, “thank you,” she said before the monitor went off.

 

 

Nightingale sat back in her chair, feeling somewhat drained. Even though she had succeeded in getting the Bebop to follow her, that did not mean she had gained their trust. Things such as trust were gained with difficulty. How ironic that to lose someone's trust was an easier task than gaining it.

“Captain?”

She shook herself out of her reverie and regained some of her composure. “Yes, Lieutenant. What is it?”

“Ma'am,” he stood at attention, “the elder twin has regained consciousness.”

She blinked. So soon?

“Very well. I shall attend to him at once.”

“Wait. Captain, are you really going to lower yourself to taking care of a prisoner?”

“Normally, I would not. However, he is a special case. That man, Millions Knives, is dangerous. I will not put any of my men at risk for such a being as him.”

“But, ma'am, aren't you endangering yourself?”

She looked at him carefully before replying, “I can handle myself. In any case, this is a situation that I am uniquely suited to deal with.”

He saluted smartly. “Very well, Captain.”

Nightingale reciprocated before leaving the command center of the ship and navigating her way to Millions Knives's room.

This should be interesting.

 

 

Knives waited until he was fully awake before opening his eyes. He sat up on the bed and scrutinized his surroundings carefully. He was in a room, much like the living quarters aboard the Project SEEDS ship from 130 years ago. However, it appeared to be much more lavish in design. The room itself was still simple, but everything seemed of much better quality.

Knives considered what had just occurred. He remembered the fight with Vash. Knives, of course, had had the upper hand. Then, his attempt to eliminate the pitiful humans aboard the even more pitiful ship his brother had arrived on had been interrupted by a sudden meteor shower. Vash had insisted upon the two of them teaming up to destroy the meteors with the Angel Arms. Although the thought of saving humans was repugnant to Knives, he had eventually given in in order to save his own life, as well as Vash's life.

Now, however, he had no idea where he was. He attempted to search for Vash, who was not present in the room, but found that his thoughts were somehow blocked from leaving the room. He attempted to make contact with his brother through telepathy, but each time, he failed.

Finally, the door to his room, previously locked, opened. Knives narrowed his eyes at the woman who walked in the door.

She was tall, almost as tall as himself, with a broad frame. However, her limbs seemed rather gangly, much like Vash's, although she did have some curviture. Her black hair was tied into a strict bun at the back of her neck, yet a few strands of hair wafted down around her face, giving it a more full look. She had high cheek bones, and her chin jutted outward, as if in defiance. Her long nose and thin mouth gave her pale face a severe appearance. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the woman was her mismatched eyes. Her right eye was ice blue like his, but her left eye was aqua-colored like Vash's. Also, she had a long, thin scar that traced from her mid-forehead, over her aqua eye, all the way down to her mid-jaw. Her clothes weren't skin-tight, but they fit her frame perfectly. Her outfit was all black, with a high cuff on her shirt. However, her cloak, which was also black and reached down to her ankles, hid most of her from view. As she walked in, it swished slightly.

Knives looked at the woman coolly, not quite knowing what to think of her unexpected appearance. She did not seem at all afraid of him. Despite the concealing affect of her cloak, Knives had seen a katana in a black sheeth hanging from a belt by her left side, as well as a whip neatly curled and hanging from her right side, also black. Even more interesting, Knives felt something was strange about this woman. He could not put his finger on it, but there was definitely something out of the ordinary about her.

She closed the door behind her and strode into the room, without showing the slightest sign of fear. His lip curled with disdain as she walked towards him. Knives realized that since she was inside the room, she was vulnerable to his mental powers. Much to his surprise, his attempted invasion of the woman's mind was met by a block of some sort.

He gritted his teeth. He could not invade her mind! Not even Vash could keep Knives out when he truly wanted to get in, as earlier events had proven. He was beginning to feel a grudging respect for this woman, who seemed to be able to block him mentally. Knives had never encountered someone who was his equal, especially not a woman. He glared at the woman coldly.

At the look on his face, the woman smiled slightly before speaking. “As you have undoubtably just learned, you are unable to read my mind. You should also note, that this works in reverse. I am unable to read your thoughts. However, it is bad manners to read one's private thoughts without permission, no matter what the situation. Don't you agree?”

Knives replied with cold silence. For some reason, that caused the woman's smile to lift higher.

“You may call me Nightingale. You might want to remember that since I will be the one looking after you from now on.”

“Woman, I need no one to care for me! I can take care of myself!” Knives replied high-handedly.

The woman's lips twitched. “Even when you're a prisoner?”

Knives snorted at the very idea of it. Him? Millions Knives, a prisoner? Ha!

“Foolish woman! You cannot keep me prisoner here!”

“Ah, but I can. You are virtually powerless in this room. Your mental powers only work in this room. Because I am the only one who will be tending to your needs, they are also useless to you because they do not affect me. Also, you have been deprived of your most powerful weapon: your Angel Arm.”

Knives stared at the woman in shock. Her evaluation of his situation was simple yet undeniably true. He glared at her dispassionate face as he came to terms with his situation.”

“That does not mean that I cannot escape! I will go through you if necessary,” he snarled.

Knives leapt off the bed and lunged for the woman. She nimbly sidestepped his attack. Before Knives could try anything else, he felt cold steel pressing up against his throat. He could see the woman, out of the corner of his eye, holding her katana to him. Her body was so close to his that he almost felt like voicing his indignation at the closeness of this lowly human.

“I would not make any rash decisions now, if I were you, Millions Knives,” she hissed into his ear.

Knives arrogance had not deserted him as he replied, “One day, I will be free of this place. I will recover my gun. And when I do,” he growled, “I will take great pleasure in torturing you before I blast you into oblivion, you filthy human!”

He felt the pressure on the blade increase. It nicked his skin, drawing a small line of blood across his neck. His only response was to glare all the more icily at the woman.

“First of all, that is no way to talk to a lady. Secondly, you should wash your mouth out with soap. Cousin.”

Without another word, the woman removed her blade from Knives's throat and sheethed it with one swift motion. Without looking back, she swept out of the room, leaving Knives alone to ponder the last thing she had said to him.

Cousin?

 

 

Vash sat up slowly, his head throbbing. He felt like he had been run over by a sand steamer. Repeatedly. Finally, he managed to sit up. His mind still sluggish, he wondered what had happened.

His eyes snapped open as he remembered. He had been fighting Knives. Knives used some strange power to assault him mentally. Then, the meteors had come crashing down. The two brothers did something in unison for the first time in over a hundred years by firing both their Angel Arms at the same time to save all of their lives. Then, there was an explosion. Then...nothing.

Vash kneaded his forehead with frustration. Why did he always have to get knocked out whenever something major happened. It was starting to annoy him.

Suddenly, the door to his room opened, revealing a tall woman with black hair. Actually, most of her was black. Her mismatched eyes stared back at him, the ice blue one coldly, the aqua one warmly. Her eyes were a paradox, especially with that scar over her eye, a sign of some past pain. How ironic that it was over her aqua eye, the one that showed the most warmth. And why did he feel a certain kinship with her?

“I see you're awake,” she said, as she walked into the room.

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Nightingale.”

“You say it as though it wasn't your real name,” Vash mused.

She chuckled. “I cannot deny it. However, that is the name I go by. It will have to suffice.”

“That's fine with me.”

“Now, let's get down to business. I'm going to help you.”

Vash raised his eyebrows. “Don't tell me `kidnapping' is your definition of `helping'.”

Nightingale chuckled again. “No. I am merely going to teach you how to block your brother from your mind. He had the advantage over you in your recent battle.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I've been observing you for some time.”

“Oh, yeah? How long?”

“For several years. Vash the Stampede.” She continued after his exclamation of surprise, “I also know of your elder twin brother, Millions Knives.”

“You know him?”

“I met him. I came directly from his room to yours.”

Vash chuckled. “I bet he was upset.”

“Yes. He lacks a cheerly disposition.”

Vash sighed. “I won't argue with that. So,” he continued, “you're going to help me block Knives from my mind. What's in it for you?”

“Nothing.”

Vash raised his eyebrows. “Nothing? At all?”

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “I have my reasons.”

Vash narrowed his eyes at her. “You're not giving me much of a reason to trust you.”

“You really don't have a choice in the matter, do you,” she said with an undertone of amusement. The way she said made it sound like a statement of fact, not a question.

Vash rubbed his temples again. “You've got me there. When do we start?”

“You will informed accordingly.” Without another word, she swept from the room.

Hmmm, a woman of few words...

 

 

Yes! Vash and Knives have a cousin! Isn't that great? Also, I really like how Nightingale put Knives in his place. Not trying to toot my own horn here, but I really liked that scene. (By the way, it's not that she's better than Knives. They are actually equals, but he underestimated her this time.) If anyone has complaints about this character, tell me. Like, if she's a Mary Sue. I do not want this story to become a Mary Sue. Vash and Knives will be the main focus, as well as the villain, although I will have to take some time to develop Nightingale as a character. And, if anyone thinks everything has been explained, you are mistaken. More to come, my friends! More to come!

Anyway, people, I hope you liked this chapter. A new character, some implications as to what will happen next... Don't you love it? In any case, I'm through for now. Bye!

Love and Peace!