Let's see… thanks to LordFrieza for the character of Elija L. Lockheart. That's a one time deal, so please don't ask me to put a character in, I have enough already.

Typical disclaimer: I don't own Trigun, It's owned by its creator and the companies that publish his work.

Also, from here on out italics mean thought, inner monologue type stuff. Boldface means telepathic messages of some sort.

A warning. This chapter is pretty dark. Darker than the last one even. Drug usage, for example, is involved. I still think it's within the PG-13 rating, but if you find something that bothers you, by all means stop reading and e-mail me. If you want I'll be more than happy to talk about it.

######################################################### ############

It doesn't rain very often on Gunsmoke. Not too surprising, considering that the entire planet is nothing but a dry, desolate, God-forsaken desert.

When it does rain, however, it rains hard. Very hard. An unceasing, torrential downpour. On the horizon in the region of Neo-Washington, the storm clouds were gathering.

Lelia Harker looked out of the small window by her desk at the clinic and made a small noise of irritation. "Tch, rain. Of all the damn times, rain." She pushed back from the desk and went upstairs to the closet. Roger would want his coat for tonight's beat.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Damn, damn, damn!" Lelia threw the coat on the bed and rushed down to the door, expecting some sort of emergency. She threw it open to find two women standing there, bandages on their foreheads.

"Dr. Harker?" the shorter one asked.

"Yes, do you two need those cuts looked at?"

The shorter one's hand touched the bandage on her forehead. "No, no, we're fine. Are you sure you're Dr. Harker?"

Lelia nodded. "Of course I'm sure, and don't touch the bandage. If it's covering some type of cut, touching it will only make it worse."

The taller of the two woman leaned towards the short woman. "Of course she is Meryl. Can't you see the resemblance?"

Meryl turned to Millie and whispered in her ear. "Millie, there's no resemblance at all. Evans is white, this woman is black!"

Millie shook her head. "Not that kind of resemblance Meryl, I mean in mannerisms. They kind of act alike!"

Lelia raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Do you two know someone related to me? My father maybe?"

Meryl shook her head. "No… not your father."

Meryl and Millie stepped aside. Behind them, a woman in a red jacket and a guitar on her back was helping to support a Cavalry officer with a man dressed in a black coat. Behind them, two other men, also clad in black, were standing as far away from each other as they could while still remaining on the same street. Both were carrying huge crosses on their backs.

"Oh my god, Evans!"

********************************************************* ***********

Sister Mary slowly climbed up the small hill. She didn't know why Knives and the rest hadn't noticed that she was still alive, but she wasn't about to question what was surely a miracle from God.

As Mary pulled herself over the crest of the hill, she saw a figure in black sitting on a rock, eating a sandwich and occasionally taking a swig from a flask in his right hand. A fairly short man, with sandy-brown hair, he had leaned a one and a half foot silver crucifix on the rock next to him. His dress was all too familiar to Mary, who had grown up around priests.

"Are you… one of the Flock?" she managed to ask. The very act pained her, and she pushed against her wounds harder.

The sandy-haired man took another bite from his sandwich and turned towards her. Suddenly Mary realized that the man's face was also all too familiar to her.

"E-e-elija? What are you doing here?"

Elija swallowed his sandwich and took another swig from his flask. "Not much, Sister Mary. Just sitting here, eating my lunch, waiting for my ride to come."

"Ride?"

Elija nodded. "Joseph, Ophelia, and I have something important to look into. Possibly the most important thing we've ever been sent to retrieve."

Mary's face brightened. "They're coming? You… you can save me. You can heal me."

"Now why on earth would I do that? You're hardly worthy of God's grace. You weren't worthy from the day you were born. Besides that, you and your siblings are all condemned to the lowest circle of hell."

Mary pushed herself up against the rock, breathing heavily. She couldn't go any further. If Elija refused to help her, then this would be where she would die.

"Not that Dante crap again," she said.

"Again? Then I hardly need to tell you what type of sinner you are," Elija said, finishing his sandwich. He stood up and held out his right arm. He started a slow chant in Latin, gradually increasing in speed. Bright red light began to circle his hand, coalescing into a ball of bright fire floating above his palm.

"Elija, what are you doing?" Mary screamed.

"Sending you to where you belong. Don't worry, St. Peter will sort out the travel arrangements." Elija straightened his arm out and threw the ball of fire at Mary. "FACE THE FIREY JUDGEMENT OF HEAVEN AND DESPAIR!"

There was a shriek, an explosion, then a low sizzling sound. Elija reached down for his flask and took a swig.

"Pity," a voice said behind him.

Elija shrugged. "Not really. She wasn't worthy of God's light."

Joseph stepped next to him. "Oh no, I agree there. I mean it was a pity we had to go to the trouble. You can't even count on Knives to kill our own men correctly."

Elija chuckled.

A voice rang out in the air. "Are you two are finished your male bonding? We have to make it to New Seattle by nightfall!"

The two men looked at each other and shrugged. Elija bent down, picked up his crucifix, and followed Joseph to the long, black car where Ophelia was waiting for them.

"In the back," Joseph said.

Elija grunted as he slid his crucifix into the seat next to him. "Why do I have to sit in the back?" he asked.

"You never had any siblings, did you Elija?" Ophelia projected.

Elija shook his head.

"The youngest kid always sits in the back," Joseph said, starting the car.

********************************************************* ************

Vash sat in the clinic waiting room, playing with a syringe. Meryl snatched it out of his hand. "Honey, quit that!" she whispered.

Vash grinned sheepishly and glanced over at his daughter. "How long has that streak of black been in her hair?" he asked.

"The black? It's gotten better. It was entirely black when she… when she blew up Jenora."

Vash's eyes widened. "Entirely black?"

Meryl nodded. "But it's been steadily growing more and more blonde. I have no idea what it means. Do you? I mean, you're starting to go black yourself." She brushed the large black streak in Vash's hair.

"I could've answered your question before. Now… I don't really know. Hey, Nick! No smoking in here!"

Wolfwood stopped the match right in front of the cigarette. "You're kidding me," he said. He turned to his right for confirmation, realized that Jeremiah was sitting there, then turned to the left.

Millie nodded. "No smoking in clinics like these. That's the rule."

"Damn." Wolfwood shook out the match and returned his cigarette to the pack. "Don't you want to know?" Wolfwood asked suddenly. "Don't you want to know how I'm alive? Why I'm alive?"

"There's a lot of questions that need to be answered," Meryl said. "I think we should wait until we're all present and accounted for before we start answering them."

They all looked up the stairs. Dr. Harker and her husband Roger had taken Evans upstairs to examine him.

"Like, why Evans doesn't look like his family?" Millie asked.

"I should think that was obvious Millie, he's adopted," Meryl responded.

"Oh, I wonder who his real parents were, to have that eye."

"Dominique the Cyclops and Rai-Dei the Blade," Wolfwood said.

"How do you know that?" Nikki asked. She had been sitting quietly in the corner, tuning her guitar.

"That, Miss Stryfe, is a question just like all the others. To be answered at another time."

The sound of footsteps on the stairs halted their conversation. Lelia came down, a frown on her face. "It's nothing serious," she said as she sat down on the couch. "And it's hardly the first time it's happened. He should be awake by tomorrow, if not tonight."

Nikki stood up. "Can I go see him?"

Lelia nodded.

"Coming with me, Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah snapped out of his inner reverie. "Huh, I'm sorry, what?"

"Coming with me, Jeremiah?" Nikki asked, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up the stairs.

Lelia frowned. "What was that all about?"

The rest shrugged. Clarissa, Millie thought.

"Doctor Harker, what made your brother faint? Why did he lose it when he used that ability of his?"

Lelia shrugged. "Like I said, this has happened before. It seems to manifest every time he uses the ability. The first time was when he was trying to defend me from some schoolyard bullies years ago. Suddenly, he starts disappearing, reappearing, seemingly everywhere at once. He could have just let it end pretty quickly, but instead two of the boys ended up in the hospital. Dad had to transfer just for that."

She shook her head. "As a doctor, I'd say his fainting is the result of physical exhaustion due to overuse of the ability. My personal opinion is that it's his abnormal eye that is the source of the ability." Lelia leaned back in her chair and sighed. "As his sister, however, I believe that it isn't so much physical exhaustion as mental exhaustion that makes him collapse. Whenever he uses that ability, something comes out of him, takes control of him, something he doesn't like to talk about, even to our parents or me. And I've always worried that his secrecy, his shame, about whatever it is, may one day kill him."

********************************************************* ************

Nikki dragged Jeremiah up the stairs and into the hallway. She stopped suddenly, glanced around, and when she was sure they were alone, turned to her tall friend.

"I wasn't going to tell you this, but I'm worried that if I don't, something horrible's going to happen, and we've had enough horrible things happen to us lately."

"What are you talking about?" Jeremiah asked.

Nikki held up two fingers. "Two words. Calamity. Nekyuia."

Jeremiah blinked his cybernetic eyes. "Nekyu-what?"

Nikki sighed and reached up to Jeremiah's face. She pulled him down, then kissed him on the forehead. "I love you like a brother Jeremiah, but you can be really thick sometimes." She turned around and strode off for the room Evans was sleeping in, avoiding Roger Harker as she passed.

Lelia's husband Roger was, in all aspects of the word, a solid man. He was solidly built, had a solid job as the town sheriff, and had a good solid grip on reality and how people worked. He was pulling on his coat as he walked up to Jeremiah. He looked at the tall man and smiled. "Evans'll be fine. He's too tough of a bastard to go under that easily. Hell, the whole family's too tough to go under that easily. You can see him if you like."

Jeremiah shook his head. "No, I'm alright."

Roger nodded and was about to go downstairs when Jeremiah stopped him. "Mr. Harker, does the word 'Nekyuia' mean anything to you?"

"Sure does. It's a drug, pretty popular these days. Non-addictive hallucinogen, injected into the blood stream. The hallucinations tend to be out of the person's memory. Most of the time it's happy daydreams, but reportedly it can also go the opposite way. Bring out your worst memories to go along with your best."

Jeremiah started to sweat. "Is it possible to overdose on Nekyuia?"

Roger nodded. He stepped towards Jeremiah. "All too easy. Very nasty when it happens."

Jeremiah's eyes widened. "I've got to go," he said quickly. Roger's hand caught his arm as he was about to leave.

"It's raining," Roger said. "If you're going out to search for someone with me, you should probably grab a coat."

********************************************************* ************

The Poison Rose was a saloon that catered to all types. Even those who found there solace in a place other than the bottom of a beer glass. Those who found their solace in darker places, more dangerous places.

The purveyor of the dark places sat in the corner, counting his money. One of dozens of dealers in the region, they made up the major criminal organization of Neo Washington. A woman in a green trench coat walked up to the dealer, pulled out a fistful of double dollars, and slammed it on the table. "Nekyuia," she said.

"Are you sure Miss? It's strong stuff. Very easy to use to omuch and-"

Calamity reached forward and grabbed the man by the collar. "Shut up and give it to me. I've got head full of bad memories, and I just added a new one to the collection. Leave me alone with what few good memories I have."

The dealer nodded, and handed a small vial of amber liquid. Calamity snatched the vial from the man's hand and dropped him. She walked back to her table, pulling a syringe out of her many pockets. She filled it with the liquid and placed the syringe and the vial on the table. She removed her belt and tied it around her bicep. She then picked up the syringe and injected it into her arm. Injected herself into her own memories.

********************************************************* ************

Fourteen years ago.

"Johnny, are we there yet?"

"No Clarissa."

"Ophelia, are we there yet?"

"Nope, not yet Clarissa."

"Aww, I hate waiting," Clarissa said as she sat down on the cold metal floor of the Sandsteamer.

Johnny chuckled. "We'll be there soon sister. You should be thankful we could afford these tickets at all."

Ophelia walked over and knelt down in front of Clarissa. "You're just a little calamity, aren't you? Wanna go outside? We can watch from the observation deck?"

Clarissa's eyes lit up. She jumped up from the floor and started jumping around Johnny. "Can we Johnny? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

Johnny grabbed and picked her up off the ground. "Alright, alright!" He carried up to the observation deck, Ophelia following behind him.

Once they were up there, Clarissa jumped down to the deck and ran to the railing.

Ophelia and Johnny stood watching her, holding each other's hand.

"That your daughter?" a man sitting on the bench beside them asked.

Johnny shook his head. "No, she's my sister."

"I thought as much," the man said. "You two look like you can't be much older than seventeen. How old is she?"

"Eight," Ophelia said. "We're all orphans. We've been traveling together because, well, because there's safety in numbers."

The man chuckled. "Of course. Times are tough. Times are always tough. You do what you can to survive. But, I would take that child as far away from this region as you can. War's starting, and it's only a matter of time before it gets here."

Ophelia nodded. "We will," she said. "Her safety means more than anything to us."

********************************************************* ***********

Calamity smiled at the pleasant memory. It had been so long since she had memories like that. She muttered a bit as she put her head the table in front of her, letting the next memory come.

In the corner, the purveyor of dark places and bad dreams gave a message to local thug. "Make sure this gets to Ryan. We're getting a lot of money for this. Don't screw it up."

********************************************************* ***********

"I want to give something to you," Johnny said.

"Shhh, Clarissa's trying to sleep."

"It's alright," Johnny whispered. "She's already out, an earthquake couldn't wake her." He reached behind him and brought around some scrap metal. "I found it at the junkyard during my lunch break today. I know it's not much now, but…" He held the metal in his hands and watched as the metal flowed into liquid. It swirled around his hands until it formed itself into a small metal cross, with a long chain attached to it.

Ophelia bent her head down and Johnny slowly hung it around her neck. She turned around and pulled out a pack of tarot cards. She shuffled the pack, then spread it out into a fan on the floor. "Pick a card," she said.

Johnny's finger roamed over them, finally settling on the one closest to her right hand. Ophelia picked it up and flipped it over. The Lovers. She and Johnny held it for a second, staring into each others eyes. Suddenly, they split apart, the card separating into two, both glowing red. They leaned forward to kiss, but stopped just short.

"I think we're being watched," Johnny said.

Ophelia grabbed a pillow and threw it a Clarissa's cot. Clarissa laughed loudly as Ophelia rushed over and started tickling her. "What did you see, you little voyeur? What did you see?"

********************************************************* ************

Evans jolted awake, sweating. Had he been dreaming? Was the whole miserable event just a bad dream?

No. I'm not that lucky.

He calmed down a bit to figure out where he was. Didn't take him too long. He knew the place well enough.

Lelia's. They took me to Lelia's.

He glanced around the room. Basic guest bedroom: a bed, a desk, a closet, not much fancy. He had slept in this bedroom dozens of times. However, he wasn't the only occupant. Nikki had moved the desk chair next to his bed and had fallen asleep in it. Her chest moved gently up and down as she slumbered, but all Evans could stare at was her throat. He felt like some kind of vampire, like that blood-sucking freak from the Sand Steamer, but all he could concentrate on was her throat. The throat he had held a knife to only yesterday.

He would have killed her if he hadn't been stopped. He would've killed her.

He needed a drink. A really strong drink.

********************************************************* ************

"Midvalley?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Go and help Dominique and Rai-Dei. I would like the young Cavalryman to have another episode to drive the point home, and it occurs to me that they might need some… spiritual support."

Midvalley's dead, dry chuckle rang through the halls. "Of course sir."

"Is location a problem? Because I would like it to happen tonight if possible."

"Death has opened my eyes, sir. Location is merely an illusion, and for those who know how to dance around it, you can be anywhere in a matter of beats."

********************************************************* ************

Nikki leaped down the stairs and skidded to a halt in the middle of the waiting room. "Evans is gone," she said.

Everyone stood up. "What? When?"

Nikki shrugged. "I dunno. I had fallen asleep next to him, when I woke up he was gone!"

"But how did he get by us?" Wolfwood asked.

Meryl tapped him in the forehead. "Use your brain Wolfwood! His eye, remember? He could slide right by us and we'd never know!"

"That's no important right now, where did he go?" Vash said.

Lelia sat down and stroked her chin. "Well… he'd know where he was when he woke up, he's been to this place enough. And you say he almost killed this girl in his frenzy? Then he'd probably see her and feel guilty. And when my brother feels guilty, he drinks."

"Anywhere in particular?" Meryl asked.

Lelia nodded. "ththdsaf;lkjPoison Rose."

********************************************************* ************

Calamity smiled into the table. A nice dream, a nice memory. As another one came up, she didn't notice the green-haired man in the gray coat slide onto a bar stool. Nor did she notice the dealers surrounding her. The tallest one took out an empty syringe, and as he approached Calamity, her dreams started to spin out into nightmares.

********************************************************* ************

Gunbattles raged through the small town, peppered by small explosions as grenades were lobbed at the other side. War had come to the region.

"Hurry Clarissa! We have to get out of here!" Johnny scooped up Clarissa in his arms and ran down the street, Ophelia rushing after him. "

"The Cavalry are taking evacuees in the north section of town," she said. "We can make it. Be a good girl Clarissa, don't say anything. We can make it."

A grenade bounced through the street, landing at Johnny's feet. Ophelia dashed forward and pushed Johnny and Clarissa away.

BOOM

When the dust cleared and the rubble stopped falling, Johnny got off of Clarissa and looked around. Ophelia was lying on the ground, pushing herself up. "Something hit me… I can't… I can't move, can't feel my legs."

Johnny ran over to her. "C'mon, I'll carry you."

Ophelia pushed him away and looked towards Clarissa.

"But-"

Ophelia put her finger on his lips. "Think of her. Not of me. Think of her."

Johnny stood up and grabbed Clarissa. "I'm coming back for you with help, I promise."

"Promise all you want. Just get her out of here!"

Johnny nodded, then ran off with Clarissa.

As they were passing the main street, a shot rang out. Fire filled Johnny's leg, and he fell to the ground, dropping Clarissa.

"Damn it," he muttered. "Run Clarissa, RUN!"

Clarissa ran down the street, then stopped when she saw a group of soldiers in tan uniforms approaching her. She quickly ducked into a saloon and watched as the approached her big brother.

"So, you're that other punk. Where's the little girl?"

Johnny spat at the man's feet.

The man laughed, then shot Johnny in the other knee. "Just so you'll understand. We'll kill her. And just so you understand, your girlfriend ain't walking no more. Hell, she ain't speaking no more."

Johnny writhed on the ground in anger. A few yards away, metal lamp posts bent in half. Steel locks broke open, and all over the city, some guns suddenly ceased firing.

The leader laughed again, then pulled out a long knife. He knelt down and cut from the corner of Johnny's eye down to his lip. "There, something to remember us by."

The men started to walk away. "Oh, the little girl's almost definitely already dead. We've got a perimeter set up between here and the Cavalry post. That little girl? She doesn't stand a Thomas' chance in a typhoon."

The men laughed as they walked away.

"Damn them, damn them all to hell!"

Clarissa was about to get out when she heard more men coming. She quietly hid, because Johnny had always told her to hide from strangers, even when he and Ophelia were out. It was part of their game. Only come out when Johnny gave the signal.

"Well, that wasn't very nice of them, was it?"

Johnny turned towards the voice. "Who's there?"

"A friend. A potential friend. Several potential friends, to be exact. Want our help?"

Johnny grunted, and then slowly began to laugh "They're dead. They're all dead. Not a single one of them realizes it, but they're all going to die. ALL OF THEM!"

"Son of a bitch! There goes my gun! Alex wasn't kidding when he said those nano-machines were powerful!"

The liquid metal streamed down from the stranger to Johnny's hands where it formed itself into two knives. Johnny cradled them, laughing.

A second voice came from the darkness, "Well, you certainly seem to have potential. You have the right mindset to be sure. Shall we Master?"

A third voice "He's perfect. Can you train him Martinez?"

The first voice spoke up again. "With a little help, he could be a fine Gung-Ho Gun."

Johnny stopped laughing. "Gung-Ho Gun?" Johnny asked.

"You'll learn soon enough," the second voice said. "However, consider this your first lesson. Humans are not worthy of trust, compassion, or life."

"Are you with us?" the first voice asked. A hand reached out from the darkness in front of Johnny.

Johnny reached up and grabbed the hand. With surprising strength, the hand lifted Johnny off the ground. "We'll carry you for now," the third voice said. "But you'd best learn to walk on your own with us."

********************************************************* ************

Calamity twitched slightly as the syringe drew blood from her arm. The bad dreams kept her locked far away from the real world. Oblivious to what was happening to her, she whimpered slightly as the nightmares raged in her head.

The man in the gray coat sat at the bar, drink in his hand. He turned around slightly and caught what was going on behind him. He turned back to his drink quickly and began to sketch out a quick plan.

You could always use the eye, my son. The voice rang clearly through his head. Harsh and authoritative.

Evans shook his head. No, I can't. I'll lose it again! I might kill her!

Ohh, Evans honey. That was us that tried to make you kill her. She deserved it as well. She's garbage, a mutt. Think of it as basic spring cleaning, Evans. A second voice in Evans head, this one female. Both had been there for longer than Evans cared to remember.

Shut up both of you! Since when can you talk to me when I'm not using the Demon's Eye?

A third voice rang through Evans thoughts. While Evans had never heard it in his head before, it was still familiar. Since I came along. Master Knives thought you needed some more encouragement.

Oh God, not another ghost. You're that musician guy, aren't you? Midvalley?

Midvalley's laugh rolled through Evans head.

What a useless son. Won't even use all his advantage in battle! What kind of warrior does that!

No father, I won't do it!

Martinez gave our family this gift for a reason, Dominique said, It would be rude of us to refuse.

Use it! Midvalley said.

In the corner of his eye, Evans could see the dealers kicking everyone out of the bar.

Use it! Dominique said.

One of the more sadistic dealers slapped Calamity in the face, laughing when she didn't respond except for a low groan.

Use it! Rai-Dei said.

Evans could hear one of the other dealers talking about "Getting some fun out of it."

USE IT! they commanded.

********************************************************* ************

Clarissa staggered through the rubble. Why had Johnny left her? Johnny would never leave her. She knew she had to find Ophelia. Ophelia wouldn't leave her alone. Ophelia would never leave her alone.

As she approached where Ophelia had been, she saw that she was still laying on the ground, but for some reason was clutching at her neck and make strange rasping noises. As if she couldn't talk.

Clarissa stopped. What's wrong with her? She wondered. She heard a noise behind her and hid again, fearful of the soldiers.

The man that approached was not dressed in tan, but black. All Clarissa saw of him was his back. Black clothing and salt and pepper hair. When he spoke, Clarissa was reminded of the voice the others had called "Master".

"Hmmm, well you have some potential. I came here looking for your boyfriend and his sister, but I'll take what I can get."

Ophelia gurgled. From out of nowhere, her voice rang, "Help… me… please."

The man tilted his head slightly. "Help you? I supposed I could. But it's not me you should be asking help for. Ask God for help. Ask for salvation. Ask for forgiveness. If he assents, then maybe I'll help you."

Ophelia took one hand of her throat and reached inside her shirt. She brought out the small cross that Johnny had made for her. Her voice again rang from nowhere, weak and airy. "Please Father, help me. They've taken everything I loved from me. God is all I have left now."

"A good answer. A good answer indeed. Joseph!"

A young man a little older than Ophelia ran out of the darkness. "Yes Father?"

"Help the young lady up. She'll be coming with us."

Joseph nodded. "Whatever you say, Father Danil." Joseph lifted her up in his arms, and they all walked off, back into the darkness from where they had arrived.

Clarissa crawled out of her hiding place. Ophelia had done it too. Ophelia had left without giving her the signal to come out. Both of them had left with very bad men. Clarissa didn't need to know who they were, their voices told it all. She sat in front of a broken building, alone. Across the street, a soldier took aim at the child with his rifle. A pistol pressed to the back of head as heard a voice said. "Now partner, that just ain't any way to shine."

BLAM

The soldier fell to the ground, a gaping hole in his head. A large man stepped over him, dressed in white. Two huge dynamos adorned each of his shoulders. "Boys, take what you can, then go on ahead and meet me at the cars. I'm gonna take this kid to the Cavalry."

A man in a black suit and a face plate mask ran up to him. "Boss, that's not a good idea! They'll take you in! You're wanted!"

Brilliant Dynamites Neon grabbed the Bad Lad by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "Who's the boss here, me, or you?" He dropped the man on the ground and gestured away. "This war is starting to lose its sparkle. It's just not shining anymore."

He walked up to Clarissa and tapped her on the shoulder. "You want me to take you to Cavalry?" he said.

Clarissa sniffled a bit, then dried her eyes. "Will you stay with me?"

"No kid, I'm not staying with you."

Clarissa started to cry again. "But… but I'm all alone! I don't want to be alone!"

"You won't be alone, the Cavalry'll take care of you."

"I just… I just wish the killing would stop. That way I wouldn't have to be alone."

The outlaw known as Brilliant Dynamites Neon scooped up the little child. "Maybe I can do that, little one. Maybe I can do that."

Thus began what would be later known as the Neon War.

********************************************************* ************

Nikki dashed through the rain, everyone else following close behind her. "Damn it! Why couldn't he just have talked to us about it?" she shouted.

"That's my brother for you! Likes to keep to himself sometimes!"

"Yeah!" Vash shouted, "someday, it might kill him!"

"Are you sure about this needle-noggin? Caring about this kid? He did try to kill your daughter!"

"That wasn't him Nicholas," Millie said. "That wasn't Lieutenant Braxler."

The rain was so thick, they saw Roger and Jeremiah running towards them just before they crashed into them.

"What are y'all out here for?" Roger yelled over the rain.

"Evans is gone!"

"Damn, the Poison Rose?"

Lelia nodded.

Roger looked thoughtful. "Your friend's probably there as well. It's among the shadier of bars of this town. Let's go!"

He ran ahead down the streets, turned a few corners, then stopped in his tracks. Behind him, everyone gasped.

It wasn't a pretty scene. Men lay all over the street in front of the Poison Rose. The window was smashed into pieces. Evans stood in front of the bar, holding a man against the wall with his right hand. In his left, he held a knife stolen from one of the dealers. He laughed as he brought towards the man's face.

BLAM

The knife went flying out of Evans' hand. He fell backwards, clutching his hand and whimpering softly. Smoke rose from Vash's gun. He raised it into the air and fired it again.

"Listen to me! My name is Vash the Stampede, and you caught me in my most murderous mood! Unless you clear out of this town now, what I'll do to you will make July and Augusta look like a walk through the garden!"

The one standing dealer hesitated slightly.

Click

Click

Click

Click click

Click

Click click

Ka-chunk

The last standing dealer found himself facing down two Grader Automatics, three derringers, a shotgun, a stungun, and three Long Colts, silver, red, and green.

"Still don't believe him?" Wolfwood said. "Why don't you try and find out?"

The man shook his head and bolted, heading for the outskirts of town.

"What the hell was that for, you idiot?" Evans yelled. He started to rise from the ground. "He deserved what I was about to do!"

Vash pulled the hammer back on his gun. "Do you realize what you almost did to my daughter? Do you realize how much self-control it took me not to do worse to you? Do you know why I didn't kill you? Do you want to know why?"

"Why!"

"Because," Vash said as he pushed the hammer of his gun forward. He took a slow step towards Evans, who took a slow step backwards. "No one has the right to take the life of another. For any reason. Nikki said it best. Evans Braxler, this isn't you."

"This isn't…" Evans suddenly clutched at his head and sank to the ground. "Goddamn it, get out of my head. Just shut up and get out of my head."

"Where's Calamity, Evans?" Jeremiah shouted.

Evans pointed towards the inside of the bar.

Jeremiah put his automatic back in his pocket and ran inside the bar. Calamity sat in the corner, holding her knees to her chest, shivering. Jeremiah could only guess that Evans had retained enough control in his frenzy to throw her to safety.

"Oh Jesus Calamity. Damn it Calamity, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. She continued to shake, quivering in fear.

"J-jeremiah?"

"Yeah Calamity, it's me."

She melted into him, clinging to Jeremiah with a death grip that Jeremiah, with all his strength, could never hope to match. As she slowly nuzzled his shoulder, she sobbed, "I don't want to be alone any more. I can't stand it, I can't stand the loneliness. You won't leave me, will you? Will you?"

"I won't leave you Calamity, I'll never leave you."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

********************************************************* ************

Outside, Nikki gingerly approached Evans. He scrambled back, one hand held over his reptilian left eye. "Stay back!" he shouted.

Nikki took another step forward.

"Listen to me Nikki, I'm dangerous. Stay away from me, it's for your own good!"

Nikki took two more steps forward.

"Christ in Heaven Nikki, I almost killed you!"

"I know." Nikki ran forward and grabbed Evans before he could scramble back any further. She put his arm around her neck and lifted him up, helping him walk towards her family.

As she passed the bar, Jeremiah stepped out, holding Calamity on his back, her arms around his neck. They looked at each other, saying nothing.

"Vash, Nick?"

"Yeah Meryl?"

"Tell them. Tell them everything."

"Why honey, why right now?"

"Because dear. They have a right to know."

********************************************************* ************

The dealer staggered outside of town and spat in the sand. "Damn it, that place is ruined."

"What happened?" another dealer walked up, then another, then another. Soon the entire drug network for Neo Seattle had joined the lone dealer on the outskirts of town.

"Vash the Stampede showed up! No, don't laugh, it's true!"

"It doesn't matter, did you get the blood sample?"

The dealers turned around. Joseph and Elija stood not far away, Ophelia floating behind them.

"Yes, Clarissa's blood sample is all that really matters."

The dealer tossed a small vial towards the trio. Joseph's hand shot out reflexively and snatched it from the air.

The dealer pointed to Elija. "Who's this guy? I don't remember seeing him before?"

Joseph looked up at Elija. "Oh, him? This is Elija L. Lockheart. We're training him to be the next Chapel."

"Chapel?"

Elija nodded. "That's right, Chapel. Chapel of the Resurrection, to be exact."

Ophelia floated forward between the two men. "Don't you think you were a little hard on the girl?"

The dealer spat again. "Hard on her? You didn't tell me she had a freak of a guardian angel! Our cost has tripled!"

Ophelia shook her head. "The price was non-negotiable. You'll get what we promised."

The dealers began to pull their guns. "Well, it appears we have it a disagreement in opinion."

Ophelia began to shuffle through her deck.

"Isn't that unfortunate?" Elija said as he lifted his crucifix upright. The silvery barrel on the bottom gleamed in the light of the head lights of the black car behind him.

"Very unfortunate," Joseph said. "There's what, a hundred of you guys? Really, it hardly seems fair."

Ophelia and Elija covered their eyes, and then all was lost in the blinding light.

********************************************************* ************

"Okay, I'm confused. Explain the procedure to me again."

Martinez sighed. "Johnny, how many times do I have to explain this to you? Alright, where do your powers come from?"

"The nano-machines you planted in my great-great-great-whatever grandfather. They evolved and were passed down to me and Clarissa."

Martinez nodded as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "Good, and how did, say, Legato, Blayne, and the Gemini get their powers?"

"You tampered with their ancestors genes. Kind of like what you did to me."

"Exactly. Now listen up, because this part's important. As time has gone on, the modifications have continued to evolve. Take our Cavalry friend for example. His Demon's Eye looks drastically different than his mother's."

"Alright, I'm with you so far."

"Good. Now, Legato and Blayne's powers haven't reached their full strength alone. When I first found him, Legato could barely talk to people with his mind, let alone kill them. Now, what do you suppose brought about his current frightening level of power?"

"Er… lots of training?"

"Hardly Johnny," Legato interjected. "It was through the Master's generosity that I now have this ability."

"Ohhh, you mean Vash's arm?"

"Exactly," Martinez said. "The radiation emitted from Plants cause the modifications to evolve much faster. The speed is increased a staggering amount if that radiation is permanently attached to the body."

"Say, through an arm?"

"Yes."

"So, we're going to attach the Master's arm to Blayne's body?"

Legato nodded. "Yes, the Master's generosity knows no bounds, it seems. He sacrificed his own arm and chose to give to Blayne."

"Well, the gun arm doesn't hurt either I suppose, but there's one small problem. Master Knives is a bit larger than Blayne. Plus, he's a guy, she's a girl. The arm isn't exactly going to fit like it did to Legato."

Martinez laughed. "That's where I come in. I'm an expert bone craftsman. This is child's play."

Johnny nodded, and smiled.

"Shall we start?" Martinez asked.

"Hold on one moment," Legato said. "I wish to tell Lorand to go on ahead.

Lorand, are you there?

Of course sir.

Legato smiled. Good, take the Guardians and head for Neo Seattle. Burn the place to the ground. Destroy everything. Johnny and Blayne will follow you shortly.

I thought Johnny and Blayne killed each other out of penance?

Not quite. Just a few new scars. A lost limb or two.

Of course sir. I won't disappoint you.

I should hope not.

Legato nodded.

"Now, I'm going to warn you right now Blayne," Martinez said. "This is going to hurt like hell."

The screams echoed through the night. The wolves took up the howl, feeling their mistress' pain as she was changed into something else.

********************************************************* ************

Calamity: Two man are walking down the same path, one behind the other. The man behind is taller, yet still walks in the other's shadow. Disgusted, the taller man finds a new path, and walks down it for a while. This path proves to be treacherous, a dangerous path to tread. One of gun smoke, blood, and blinding light. Again, the taller man leaves disgustedly, and returns to his original path, still in the shadow of the first man. Can the taller man ever leave the shadow of the one who walks before him? Is the shadow truly cast by him, or is it just part of the taller man's mind? Will he ever find a path to call his own? Next Chapter: Son of a Preacher.