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Epidemic	By : Charli Category: +S to Z > Trigun Views: 1799 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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~*Chapter Three � The Hand of God*~
�My God�what happened here?�

The wind howled softly through the deserted streets of May as the trio of travelers stepped through the dusty gates into the decimated city. Evening had fallen, and shadows loomed in every corner from the eerie lack of lighting. Not a soul walked the streets; not a window was no rno rowdy, raucous voices sounded from the deserted bars that dotted the street. There was a hopeless, dismal air about the entire main street as they entered, almost as though the life was stolen from the very streets; the very buildings that stood on either side of them. It was too silent�even the quietest little town had some sound�It was almost suffocating, how the sound seemed to be stolen from their ears. It was as though something besides the shadows were lurking down these streets�waiting�watching�

Vash shivered slightly at the lack of life as Millie and Meryl tied up the thomases, then they slowly strode down the streets. He remembered his last visit to this city�North of here was the shooting grounds where the annual Quick Draw contest was held� Both girls had their hands on their guns, ready for anything, though it seemed a bit pointless�there was no one here that could possibly attack him. Even so, his hand as at his hip as well, ready to draw in case anything should happen. As they reached the corner of the street that lead into the main throughway through the city, however, a sudden, overpowering stench struck their noses, causing the three of them to reel back in surprise.

�Sempai,� coughed Millie, a hand to her nose and mouth as she turned her head. Her bright blue eyes were watering from the onslaught of the smell, and she could barely keep her eyes open from the heavy smell. Meryl shook her head, putting a hand on her companion�s shoulder. She had pressed a cloth over her nose and mouth to block the scent of rot and decay from her senses, but even that helped little.

�I don�t know, Millie!� she coughed, shaking her head. �I don�t know what it could possibly be!�

��I do�� came the soft, unbelieving voice of Vash from a few feet away. His own hand was pressed over the lower portion of his face as well, but his deep green eyes were haunted and quietly horrified at what he saw down the dusty street before him.

Strewn pitilessly down the dusty street were corpses of people�men, women, children; left to rot where they had fallen. There were countless numbers down to the end of the street; it was obvious that most had been laying here for quite some time. Skin and hair hung off of partially visible bones and skulls, and some bodies seemed to have been decimated�

�Oh my God�� Meryl said as she finally looked up. She exhaled slowly as she watched Vash slowly make his way down the street in a numb, detached fashion, and put a gentle arm around Millie as they started to follow him. �I�I had heard rumors of how horrible it was�but never did I think that��

�The medical caravans,� Vash said quietly ahead of them. He had paused in his walking, a lone, remorseful breeze blowing the ends of his hair and his coat gently, and was looking down towards the end of the street. Sitting there, with the bodies of the doctors and nurses, were the two medical caravans that had been dispatched from December those weeks ago.

�Even they could not combat this�� he said softly, his voice filled with soft sadness at the mortality before him. Kneeling before the body of a young woman, he went to close her glazed, almost black eyes, but stopped as his gloved hand brushed over a gaping bite wound in her throat. The blood had congealed long before, but the wound was fresh�saliva still hung on the decaying flesh. It was not the bite of starving animal�Slowly, Vash moved his trembling, gloved hand moving from her eyes carefully over to the gaping wound.

�Millie�Meryl�what could have-�

A sudden screeching sound echoed from down the street near the front gate, and another quickly followed it. It ripped through the dismal, morbidly silent city sharply, and the three of them gasped and turned. Vash withdrew his hand abruptly and stood hastily, shock and horror playing on his features.

�The thomases!� Millie cried, her stun gun in her hand. Dust flew up violently as the three of them took off running, weapons in hand and ready for a battle. The terrified, carnal shrieking and the sounds of ropes being ripped drowned the sound of crunching gravel beneath their feet out, but as they turned the corner and aimed, they found nothing there but a pair of steaming, bloody carcasses still tied to the posts. The thomases seemed to have been skinned, and large pieces of flesh had been ripped from the bones by large, vicious jaws�Vash slowly lowered his gun in horror, and Meryl and Millie looked away.

�What could possibly have done that so quickly�� Meryl managed as she finally forced herself to look up at the bloody corpses.

�I don�t know�� he replied, his voice quiet against the eerily silent backdrop of the city. Slowly, eareeared the still warm bodies of their animals, shocked and numb by the whole affair�the wounds were not unlike those on the woman he had seen before��I�.I�ve never seen anything like this bef-�

A sharp, unearthly cry from the shadows suddenly cut off Vash�s soft remark, and from the darkness leapt several creatures, their vicious, clawed hands lashing out at the crimson-clad outlaw. They were grotesque caricatures of humans; their skin a dark, mutilated red, and their hands and feet were clawed with talons not unlike an eagle�s, only much sharper. Large, batlike wings, leathery and clawed, spread from their backs as they flew at him, and their faces were horrible, with cri crimson horns sprouting from their skulls.

�Vash!?� cried Meryl as the unexpected horrendous onslaught struck Vash and sent him tumbling backwards. His gun was out in a flash, and the sounds of gunshots accompanied the screeches as he knocked them back from him. He aimed to wound and subdue, but not to kill�

The firing of a pair of Derringers and the loud blast from Millie�s stun gun knocked the creatures back even further, and they ran towards Vash to aid him, but as they neared Vash again, the abominations seemingly shook off the attacks and came at not only Vash, but the girls as well.

�No!� Vash cried, and aimed at one that had been flying for Mille. �Run! Find shelter! I�ll take care of them and come after you! Go!�

�But Vash, you can�t do this alo-�

�Go!�

Meryl watched as Vash fought against the creatures single-handedly, blood flying from several slight wounds on his face and limbs, her Derringers still raised. She refused to let Vash die out herene ane against such immeasurable odds!

�Meryl, come on! If we stay out here, we�ll be killed! Mr. Vash can handle himself!� Millie cried, grabbing her companion�s hand and running. Meryl watched Vash fight, her teeth gritted, as they rounded the corner, and as they passed down the street, more of the things flew out from the darkness, flying after them.

�But where will we go!?� Meryl shouted as Millie dragged her down the street quickly, dod the their attackers. She looked at Millie, who still carried the Cross Punisher, and met her fearful blue eyes.

�I�I don�t know! Anywhere but here!� she cried as they rounded another corner. As they did so, a large building came into view ahead of them. Simple sandstone stairs led up to a pair of tall ad dod doors, and a stained glass window beneath a handsome cross decorated the front and roof of the building. �There! The church!� the taller woman cried, and stumbled up the stairs. As Meryl pulled the heavy doors open, Mille brought the cloth-covered cross around and knocked several of the creatures away as they flew at them, and after the doors were open, they ducked inside and slammed the doors shut. Breathless, Millie sat aside both her stun gun and the Cross Punisher, and she and Meryl began to barricade the doors and fortify the sanctuary of the abandoned church as best they could.

It was dark in there as Millie and Meryl dragged a large pew against the door. The heavy wooden seat made a loud, horrible scraping noise against the stone floors as they moved it, which was accompanied by the clanging and screeching of the creatures outside. As the girls worked, they failed to notice a soft light, like a candle or a lantern, appear out of a doorway at the front of the sanctuary. It moved quietly towards them, the footfalls far too quiet to be heard above the raucous din, but they were determined�

Breathless, Millie dropped the pew against the large doors, making a loud thud as she did so, and began to pile other random artifacts against it; as many as she could find.

�Quick!� she said, afraid that the creatures would break in. �I just hope Vash is able to find us and get-�

A soft set of fingers tapped her on the shoulder, startling her a bit. As she turned to look up at the tapper, she half expected it to be Vash standing there, a bit bloodied, a bit battered, but well. Instead, her eyes widened and a shocked gasp escaped her throat.

�Hey there, honey,� he said, a chuckle evident in his voice. He gesturo tho the large Cross Punisher with a smile. �Mind if I borrow that for a while?�
~*~
�Engh!�

Blood trickled down Vash�s handsome face from various scratches as one of the vile monsters flew at him and shoved him forcefully against one of the buildings. His glasses were cracked and askew, and claw marks tore violently along the fabric of his red coat. In many places, the crimson cloth was stained a darker red by the blood that was seeping from his wounds. These�things seemed to have multiplied quickly in the few moments he had been fighting them, and he was lg�heg�he knew he was losing. Every shot he made didn�t seem to faze them�they just kept on coming�wasn�t there any end?

Gritting his teeth, he raised his revolver, newly reloaded, and aimed into the oncoming horde, firing randomly. Several squeals of pain echoed in his ears, but their shock seemed to be momentary. It was almost as though they could sustain all wounds�heal themselves�

The sound of swiftly running footfalls against gravel met Vash�s ears as he fired into the mass, and he groaned, gritting his teeth.

�Not more�please, God�not more��

The frantic footfalls were coming closer with each sound; they were coming up the street that Millie and Meryl had ran down to escape, and there was a strange urgency to them, a very real purpose�

The running sound stopped suddenly, and amidst the mass of demons, Vash could see a figure standing down the street on the corner, moving very quickly. In the chaos, however, he cout tet tell who or what it was, and he stumbled to the side as one of the strange monsters flung itself at him and raked a vicious set of claws across his face. He cried out slightly, gritting his teeth, and brought a gloved hand to his face. Through the shrieking, he heard the rustle of heavy fabric and the unmistakably metallic sound of a gun being readied.

�What�?�

All sounds were suddenly dwarfed as the air around him exploded and blew angrily against him, accompanied by a burst of light and the heat of a bomb being detonated. The force of the blast shoved him against the wall, and knocked him senseless for a few moments. The heat burned at him for but a moment as he raised his hand sharply in instinct to protect himself, not knowing what the Hell that was�Was this another of their powers?

Slowly, Vash lowered his arm and opened his eyes, fearing what he might see. His viridian eyes widened, however, as he saw nothing but a few bits of the creatures laying on the ground, obscured by the smoke that smelled suspiciously like gunpowder.

�What�the Hell-�

�What the Hell do you think you�re doing, you idiot?!� shouted a voice from down the street, and Vash looked up sharply, surprised. �They�re demons; you�re not going to get rid of them by trying to wound them!?�

�What��

Through the smoke, a figure stepped up, toting a rather familiar cross-shaped weapon over one shoulder. He peered down at Vash with worried, slightly annoyed cobalt eyes and frowned at him, his ruggedly handsome face slightly dusty. As he reached down and hauled Vash up by the collar of his coat, Vash�s eyes widened and he gasped. He knew those eyes�

�They�re already dead, Vash,� Nicholas D. Wolfwood said abruptly, png hng his hand on the outlaw�s shoulder firmly. �You�re not going to be able to kill them conventionally�you�re going to need help,� he added, and grinned rakishly, winking. �That�s why I�m here.�

Vash simply stared, all coherent thought forgotten in the sight of the strangely radiant face of Nicholas D. Wolfwood. That grin�no one could pull off that grin quite like the wily priest, and no one could carry that huge cross with such uncanny ease�but he was dead�

�I saw you dead,� Vash said distantly, yet emphatically, his peril forgotten for the moment. Nicholas grinned even wider and chuckled.

�Yeah, and?� he asked, his eyes alight with mischief. �And when did I ever say that I wasn�t dead? Listen, Tongari�if those are demons�and I�m here to help you�� He trailed off, hoping that Vash could get the general concept.

Vash frowned for a moment, trying to slow his pulse back down to a healthy rate. What did he mean? Surely he couldn�t be an angel�it just didn�t seem to suit Wolfwood at all. His thoughts, however, were cut off as the priest took Vash�s revolver and looked at it pointedly for a moment, resting his hands firmly on the gun for a moment.

�There,� he said, and put it back into Vash�s hand with a knowing grin, then reached for the cybernetic arm. He took Vash�s hand into his own and held it much as he did the revolver, focusing on it, almost. Vash felt his cheeks warm slightly at Nicholas� touch, and yet part of his mind was reeling.

Nicholas was standing here before him�talking, grinning, helping�holding his hand, for the love of Christ! But if he truly was sent from above�that might explain the curious radiance that glowed behind Wolfwood�s eyes�Speaking of which, he knew that he should probably stop looking into Nicholas� eyes before the priest noticed�

A sharp screeching d ecd echoed down the street, and Nicholas cursed loudly as he let go of Vash�s hand.

�Here they come!� he said, and hefted the cross back onto his shoulder. He grinned over at Vash deviously and took aim. �Just like old times, eh?�

Vash looked at his gun for a moment before raising it and taking aim. He returned the grin that Wolfwood offered him, and turned his gaze to the new wave of demons that were creeping out of the shadows like grotesque spiders.

�Like old times��

The formerly still air erupted again into ethereal screams and the sound of heavy gunfire as the two reunited gunslingers let loose a barrage of ammunition on the newly identified demons. Smoke and dust flew into the air as bits of disposed devil scattered about the sandy streets. Nicholas watched Vash out of the corner of his eye, noting the blood that seeped freely from his wounds, and cursed inwardly. The demons wouldn�t stop coming, even if just to spite the fact that the heavens had sent one angel to fight an entire army with only a set of three blessed guns. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and grabbed the back of Vash�s coat. He could smell the acrid scent of blood on the outlaw as he pulled him closer.

�We need to get you out of combat! You�re in no condition to fight these bastards when you�re bleeding all over the place!� he shouted near Vash�s ear over the shrieks and shouts. Vash gasped slightly at the sudden tugging and turned his face to look at the priest, ignoring the trickle of blood that dangled on his lips. Wolfwood�s face was laced with concern and worry, and as he saw the demons come for them. He growled and began to tug Vash down the street.

�Wolfwood!� Vash cried, turning around as he ran to fire his remaining rounds into the horde. Breathless, he managed to wrench himself free of the priest�s grip, but he ran after him, gritting his teeth. �Where�where are we going?!�

Nicholas turned his head and grinned back at the outlaw, though worry still lingered in his cobalt eyes. �A place where they can�t go! Come on! Millie and Meryl are waiting for us!�

They rounded the corner that Wolfwood had appeared from and began a frantic dash for a large building at the end of the street. In the dark night, Vash could barely make out the shape of a large crucifix set upon a tall steeple, silhouetted against the light of the many moons. A church? Vash wasn�t too knowledgeable in Christian dogma, but if Wolfwood could simply touch a weapon and give it the power to destroy wicked, then perhaps a holy structure like a church could protect those inside from the wicked.

Grunting as he rushed up the sandstone stairs and tugthe the tall doors open for Vash to enter, he turned and hefted the large cross up on his shoulder, aiming the top of it at the oncoming horde. �Get inside!� he cried to Vash, who had paused on the steps. �I�ll follow!�

�But-�

�Don�t try to be valiant, you idiot! Get in there!� Nicholas cried, and pushed him inside. That done, he ran in front of the open doors, aiming the cross carefully, and fired. As a great explosion rang into the night, he grinned deviously and turned, rushing into the church and pulling the doors closed.

�Well, that should keep them busy for a while,� he said, pulling his cross from his shoulder and leaning it emphatically against the wall. He looked down the aisle at Vash, who was resting on a pew, being nursed and tended to by Millie and Meryl. He was still bleeding a bit, but he looked up from Meryl as Nicholas strode up towards them and pulled out a cigarette from the folds of his jacket.

�You really do lead an extraordinary life, Vash the Stampede,� he said with a warm smile as he brought the cigarette to his lips, but there was an underlying wariness about his eyes as he spoke. �Though�I don�t like the enemies you�ve attracted this time�� he said as the sound of demons shrieking outside floated up into the sanctuary. He struck a match against the rough stone of the pew and lit up, inhaling thoughtfully for a moment. He stared distantly up at the altar pensively for a moment before he felt eyes on him. Glancing back to where the girls were tending to Vash, he caught those viridian eyes on him, fixed on him almost, like a man obsessed. They were awestricken and filled with disbelief, and he could see that Millie and Meryl were casting glances at him as they worked, fear and confusion flickering in their eyes.

�You three look as though you�ve seen a ghost,� he said with a cheery grin, the cigarette dangling precariously from his lips as he spoke.

Vash swallowed as he heard the familiar, teasingly cocky tone in Wolfwood�s voice, and raised a hand slightly to stop the girls from their work for a moment.

�I�have�� he said, finally letting his adrenaline subside to let cold shock and disbelief enter his system properly. His hands were trembling now at the sight of the supposedly dead priest standing a few feet away, leaning against a pew and smoking a cigarette in his usual fashion. He looked exactly the same as Vash had remembered in his dreams, and yet there seemed to be something different. Something in how his eyes seemed to radiate light behind those cobalt depths�

A warm laugh escaped Nicholas� lips as he pulled the cigarette from his lips, holding it ably in his fingers. He looked at the dubious, stunned face on Vash�s countenance for a moment, tilting his head slightly to the side, and brushed a few raven strands of hair from his face.

�A ghost, huh?� he asked, crossing his arms. �I see�so�a ghost who can carry that thing,� he said, pointing to the Cross Punisher, �Destroy demons, bless guns, and drag you halfway down the street�I already told you, Vash. I�m an angel.�

The simple statement, so profound and yet so straightforward, seemed to echo in the sanctuary as he stood there, smiling. He brought the cigarette back to his lips, a faint, knowing smile in his eyes, as he watched their various reactions. Vash remained very silent, probably pouring over the various events of what had just happened against the demons, while Meryl looked somewhat skeptical. Millie, however, looked positively enraptured.

�Wow�a real angel?�

Wolfwood grinned at her. �That�s right. A guardian spirit, a heavenly messenger, an attendant of the Lord God Almighty�an angel.� He smiled a bit, but as another piercing shriek filled the air outside, his smile faded. �But I�m not here to see how things are doing here and chit-chat about the afterlife,� he remarked wryly. �The Big Guy, see�he knows everything that goes on when it comes to what Satan�s up to, and He sent me here because someone�I don�t know who, but someone has made a pact with Satan�that�s why the demons have come�whoever did this has been given the power to control these demons, and I�ve been sent to try and find out who it is�and stop it�It�s weird, really. For some reason, whoever it was that made the pact had some way of shielding God�s omnipotent gaze from him�� Frowning thoughtfully for a moment, he exhaled slightly, ignoring the wail of demons outside, then looked back to his companions, letting his eyes linger a bit on each of them before finally looking down at Vash. �Funny how Fate keeps throwing us together, even after death,� he said with a worried smile. He let his eyes linger on Vash for a moment before he sighed and stepped up to Millie and Meryl. �We can�t stay here for long�you both are in grave danger because of this disease that�s been spreading, and I don�t want to linger here longer than we have to. I�m an angel, but I haven�t yet gained the ability to heal,� he said, and reached for the girls� guns. �You won�t be able to kill these things with conventional weapons, just like Vash found out the hard way,� he said, casting a look over at the outlaw with a fond twinkle in his eye. �I�m going to bless them�� he said as Millie handed over her obtrusive stun gun and Meryl took off her overcoat that held her Derringers. He put his hands against each of the weapons, and smiled faintly as he handed them back. �It�ll give you the ability to smite the wicked without me having to lay on hands on each of the damn things-�

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the large room, cutting off Nicholas� comment abruptly. All four turned sharply as a sizable stone sailed through one of the fine stained glass windows, sending shards of colored glass across the sandstone floor.

�Damn!� Wolfwood cried, gritting his teeth as the thrown rock clattered angrily against the floor. Turning his head back quickly to face Vash and the girls, he motioned quickly for the door. �Come on; we�re hitting the road. You girls are in danger and Vash isn�t in any condition to fight, at least not for a day or two.� As he said this, he put out the cigarette and strode over to pick up his cross. He turned as Millie and Meryl quickly gathered their own things, while Vash stood and reloaded his revolver and looked up at Nicholas for a fleeting moment before turning his gaze aside and stepping out into the aisle.

�But how will we get out?� Meryl asked as she hurried up to where the priest stood. He looked down at her, then up at the other two as they joined them, and shook his head.

�I�m not sure. But we�ll find a way, by God, even if I have to tear this whole damn city apart. Come on!�

With a large creaking sound, he shoved the doors open, cross hefted onto his shoulder, and charged down the stairs, Vash to his left, and the girls trailing close behind. The discharge of weapons muffled the shrieks as the demons viciously attacked, but the hellish attack was slowed by the divine power that Wolfwood had endowed each of them with.

Gravel and sand crunched under their feet as they ran through the streets, shooting at their attackers aggressively. Small flashes of light lit up the dismal night when a bullet hit its target, but another vile shadow of darkness quickly smothered it, taking its fallen brother�s place.

�Damn!� Vash cursed as he fired his last round at the demons, and began to run, following Wolfwood�s retreating figure. The sound of a machine gun emptying itself into the onslaught rang out from the Cross Punisher as he followed, reloading six rounds into the chamber of his own revolver. He saw the girls only a foot or two behind him, doing the same, but noticing that these horrendous things were quickly overtaking all four of them.

�They�re everywhere!� Millie cried as she fired into the horde. She shrieked slightly in pain as a razor sharp talon slashed across her face, causing her to stumble back against Meryl, who had been firing her Derringers into the fray. �Mr. Wolfwood, there�s just too many!�

�Oh�shit!� Nicholas cursed. He wished he�d planned this better, but he really hadn�t had much of a choice! No way to escape, no clue how they were going to even find a way to escape�

Nicholas suddenly paused as they rounded a corner, and slowly grinned. Now that�That was more like it! A few feet ahead, almost plowed into the side of a building, was an old jeep of sorts, looking relatively unharmed, though quite dirty.

�Guys! Found our escape route!� he shouted back to them, and began to run towards the vehicle.

Vash turned his head as he saw Nicholas rush up to an old, beat-up looking jeep and fling open the door. He appeared to fiddle with the steering wheel for a moment before hitting it, and bending over to lean under the dashboard. Waiting until the girls had ran past him, he fired at a demon that had swooped down on him, then turned and ran for where Wolfwood was still leaning under the wheel, his feet leaning out of the side of the car in a rather amusing position.

�What are you doing!?� he heard Meryl cry as he ran up and piled into the front passenger seat. �Don�t you have the keys?!�

There was a pause, and Nicholas looked up at her amidst several sets of cut wires that were hanging out in a manner that suggested something rather illegal.

�No�do you?�

�Augh!�

�No time to argue, Sempai!� Millie cried as she dragged Meryl into the back seat and buckled her seatbelt. �Get in!�

�Millie, we�re not going anywhere?! We�re like sitting ducks in this thing!�

�Nicho�� Vash paused as he watched the priest fiddle and mess with the wires frantically underneath the dashboard. His face was entirely concealed, and he was mumbling something irritable to himself. �Nicholas D. Wolfwood, are you hotwiring this damn thing?!� Vash shouted over the din.

�Do you have any better ideas, Tongari?!� came the annoyed, muffled reply. Several gunshots from a pair of Derringers accompanied his outburst, alongside the pained, spiteful shrieks of the wounded demons.

�But it�ll never work!?� Vash shouted, ducking sharply to avoid a talon raking against his face. �And I told you never to call m-�

There was a sparking sound and a sudden rumbling sound as the jeep roared to life, promptly silencing Vash�s incredulous outburst. Jubilantly triumphant, Wolfwood clambered back into the driver�s seat, grinning.

�Ha! Never work, will it?� he asked, grinning over at Vash, who looked slightly deflated. �Buckle up, we�re getting the hell out of here!�

Vash knew that glint in Wolfwood�s eyes�he�d seen it right before he�d blown the engine out on his Angelina II trying to race across the desert trying to make �record time� to Oregon. Gulping, Vash went frantically for the seatbelt as he heard the priest-angel put the jeep into gear, but as he brought it over to the latch and tried to fasten himself in�nothing happened. His eyes widened as he heard the engine rev up with the urging of Wolfwood�s foot, and he frantically tried to buckle himself, and failed miserably.

�Wolfwood! Wolfwood!� He shouted over the din as he tried to tie the belt around him. �My seatbelt is-WAAGH?!�

All other complaints were forgotten as the jeep sprang to life and sped down the dirty road, kicking up dust and splattering demons against the windshield. Grinning deviously as he sped recklessly through the deserted streets, hitting everything but the buildings, Nicholas seemed rather unaware of Vash�s desperately terrified screams one seat over. The jeep vaulted over bumps in the road and other obstacles, turned sharp corners with wild abandon, and yet the priest seemed rather unworried about the state of his passengers.

�Mr. Wolfwood?!� shrieked Meryl from the seat directly behind him, �Are you insane!? You�re going to get us all killed?!�

He laughed over the noise of the jeep tearing through the hell-laden city towards the desert, the grin evident in his tone.

�Have faith, Meryl!� he replied in response. �Have faith!�

There was a gritty sound as the jeep broke out of the city limits and into the inky desert, kicking up all sorts of debris behind them. Sand dunes raced by, but the trip had grown at least slightly calmer. They only had vaulted over a few sand dunes since their departure from May.

After a few moments had passed and the shrieking of the demons had been left far behind, Nicholas decided that they could stop, and abruptly hit the brakes. They squealed in protest as the jeep skidded precariously across the dunes to a stop, dust and sand filling the air around them.

�Well, that was fun!� Wolfwood said as the cloud began to clear, and turned to look at his passengers. All of them looked rather harrowed save for Millie, who besides looking a bit windblown and slightly scratched seemed just fine. Meryl was still gripping the car door like a lifeline, and was looking at Wolfwood with utmost hatred.

�Fun?! Fun?!� she cried at him, his face covered in dust and her hair terribly mussed. �If that was your idea of fun, I�Augh!�

Blinking slightly, but completely unabashed, he turned his gaze to Vash, who was clutching both ends of his seatbelt and looking rather traumatized. He was laid sideways in his seat, peering up into Nicholas� radiant eyes with a look and lingering terror and spite.

�Oh�I hate you�� he muttered, blond hair falling hopelessly into his face as he tried to sit up.

�Ah, come on Vash!� Wolfwood said, slapping him heartily on the back as the outlaw sat up, �You�ve got hardly any qualms about flying through typhoons, but you can�t stand a little car ride?�

Vash stared at him incredulously as though the priest had gained an extra eye. �You�re insane!?� he shouted, his voice echoing across the desert. �What the Hell kind of angel ARE you!?�

Nicholas grinned as he leaned back in his seat, chuckling slightly. It was nice to know that some things hadn�t changed.

�I told you, Vash. I�m an angel. Not a saint.�
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Epidemic