Raily Vincent and Minne Mae Hopkins were ripped off from Gunsmith Cats, and not my invention.
In the wee hours of the morning, when the moon cast shadows danced of their own accord, and the darkness of the night was at it's depth, the faintest glimmer of life stirred with in the second story of an abandoned building in the heart of the sprawling metropolitan.
Molly mentally sighed and quietly rolled over for the upteenth time. She was too wound up to sleep. On the floor at the foot of Molly's bed 'Dancer let out a tiny whimper in her sleep. Molly gratefully shifted her attention to the sleeping Latina. 'Dancer lay in a ball using her cloak as a blanket, her hands under her head and within easy reach of her newly acquired sais. Molly wondered at that. Where on the island could 'Dancer be from that she wouldn't know how to handle a sword, but proved to be very adept with a pair of swordbreakers? Molly considered that problem of geography as 'Dancer twitched. Zelgadis's silhouette turned from his chosen post at the unadorned window and watched 'Dancer.
'Dancer whimpered again, then threw off her cloak, reaching for her sais.
Zelgadis left his lookout and picked up 'Dancer's discarded cloak as he approached her. Staying well out range of her wicked sais he gently nudged her with his foot.
" 'Dancer, wake up." 'Dancer twitched once more then slowly opened her eyes.
"Hmm, qué? Is it time to stand watch?"
Zelgadis held out her cloak. "No, you were dreaming." 'Dancer yawned and accepted her cloak from him.
"T'anks. Don't forget to wake me."
Zelgadis's voice seemed to smile faintly as he replied.
"I won't. Try to get some sleep."
'Dancer let out a soft fluting snore. Hmm... Zelgadis looked up suddenly and made eye contact with Molly.
"You should get some sleep too." He said bluntly. Molly smiled ruefully and sat up.
"Gomen. Insomnia."
Zelgadis just grunted, returning to the window. Molly sighed and laid back down, putting her hands behind her head. After an eternity of silence she glanced over to the window.
"Zelgadis-san," Zelgadis's shadowed form turned a fraction.
"Yes?"
"Is 'Dancer your girlfriend.?"
Zelgadis fell, then caught himself. The wood of the window sill bore grooves from where he'd grabbed it.
"No, definitely not." Then in a slightly more hysterical voice, "We don't look like it, do we?"
"No, no," Molly answered hurriedly. "I was just wondering why you two travel together." Zelgadis relaxed and returned his gaze to out the window.
"She naive and lost. And... it's....my fault that happened, so I'm traveling with her until I can find her a way home."
Thanks a lot. And were you planning to tell me this WHEN?
"The lost or the naive part?" Zelgadis started to answer when he turn and stared at Molly with narrowed eyes.
"There's a story of a boy who had a large rock as a teacher, Molly." And just what did that boy learn from you, Zel? "He quickly learned not to ask questions." Molly swallowed and smiled apologetically at him.
"I can take a hint." She said with a small sigh. She rolled over and faced the wall, letting sleep claim her. On the floor 'Dancer chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip.
So...
The attack came at dawn. Molly was sitting on the bed, tying her sandal laces as 'Dancer was washing her face in an old chipped pot. Zelgadis had been checking his sword when the room filled with a flash and smoke.
"In the name of the Prince and High Council, you are under arrest!" Vincent said with a triumphant toss of her head, stepping into the cloudy room. The smoke cleared and revealed...
...An empty room.
"Che!"
Under the stairwell 'Dancer blinked, still holding her washcloth. Sitting sandwiched between the two girls Zelgadis panted quietly.
"Someone care to tell me what just happened?" 'Dancer asked, tucking the damp cloth into her belt.
"Flash attack. That's Vincent and Hopkins's favorite method of operation when dealing with dangerous bounties." Molly shuddered delicately. "They've never used it before in a hostage situation before." She added in a lower tone.
"They never had your type of competition before." Zelgadis muttered darkly. 'Dancer elbowed him as footsteps raced down the stairs. The trio held perfectly still as the foot steps reached the bottom of the stairs then dwindled away as the bounty hunters ran out into the street. As one they breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was too close." Molly sighed, standing up. " Arigato, Zelgadis-san." 'Dancer glanced around towards the front door, then narrowed her eyes.
"Out the back." She ordered suddenly, roughly pushing the twosome toward the more dilapidated part of the building.
" 'Danc-?"
"Silencio!" 'Dancer's low voice brooked no room for argument. Noiselessly they made for the backdoor, which leaned at a crazy angle against the doorjamb. Molly reached to push it away when 'Dancer hissed at her to stop. Molly looked hurt as Zelgadis regarded 'Dancer strangely. 'Dancer scooped up a handful of fine dust from the ground and gently blew it into the doorway. The white dust gradually settled on the floor of the door way, and the thin, dark colored trip-wire that was attached to the door and the opposite wall. Ignoring Zelgadis's and Molly's stricken expressions, 'Dancer carefully peered around the door and examined the boody trap. Twisting around she could see that both ends of the trip wire were tied to homemade grenades.
"Watch your step." She warned. First Zelgadis, then Molly slipped out back. 'Dancer followed, then paused once she was on the other side of the door. Zelgadis and Molly stood ready to make a dash for it when there was an explosion.
" 'Dancer-san!" Molly, cried as the building began to collapse. A second later 'Dancer appeared running at top speed.
"Move it!" She hollered, racing towards them. Her fear became evident as the buildings on either side of the one that they had stayed at began to wilt and crumble.
"Hopkins, I thought you only put explosives in one building." Vincent said in a curiously flat voice, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.
"I did." Hopkins replied in an equally flat voice. "Think we can blame this on Lina?" She finally asked after a moment's silence.
"I hope so."
On the other side of the building and several streets over Zelgadis was cursing between gasps for air. Finally catching his breath he rounded on 'Dancer, grabbing her by the front of her tunic.
"Are you completely brainless?! You're causing more property damage than Lina ever did!" 'Dancer slapped his hand forcefully away.
"It was an accident! I didn't know all three buildings were going to fall." Zelgadis took a surprised step back at her vehemeness. He opened his mouth to say something else as 'Dancer walked away.
"Get over it. You're begining to act like me." 'Dancer growled, leaning against a brick wall. Zelgadis snapped his mouth shut and turned to watch the dust cloud instead.
Molly looked at the two of them, confused. Gee, you'd think they'd have gone their separate ways the way their acting. Wondering is she'd simply imagined the friendliness she'd witnessed the day before, she walked over to 'Dancer and touched her on the shoulder. 'Dancer looked up, and Molly noticed for the first time a thin trail of blood running down her left arm.
"You're hu-" 'Dancer's right hand quickly covered Molly's mouth.
"Not a word." She hissed. " He's not to know." Molly nodded mutely, and 'Dancer released her.
"At least let me tend to it." Molly entreated in a hushed voice. 'Dancer shook her head and instead stanched the wound with the rag she'd tucked into her belt. "Later. If there's time."
"There they are!"
"Shimatte!" Zelgadis and Molly took off running, not even bothering to glance back at the bountyhunter. 'Dancer paused only long enough to knot her make shift bandage before fleeing after the others. Her long hair, still unbound from the night before streamed out behind her, and Vincent, turning the corner directly behind her grabbed a handful of that silky stuff, causing 'Dancer to fall flat on her back.
"Aghk." She gagged as the world spun around her. Something round and metal was pointed at her and she focused on the object.
"Hold it right there if you don't want Lina to get her head filled with lead." Vincent shouted at Molly and Zelgadis.
"Aya." 'Dancer moaned, recognizing the object in question as a very primitive gun. "Get up!" Vincent harshly pulled 'Dancer up. 'Dancer bit her lip to keep from crying aloud as she got to her knees.
Zelgadis stopped at Vincent's shout. Kneeling in the middle of the street with the barrel of an arquebus pressed against her head, 'Dancer looked calmly into his eyes, and mouthed the word "huye".
"Stay down, Molly." He warned the hidden girl.
"I'd come back here if I was you, rock boy." Vincent called. Hopkins joined her. Zelgadis walked causally toward the pair.
"Much better." Vincent smiled preditorally as he approached. "Now stop." Zelgadis stopped 5 meters away. "Your weapon, toss it over there." Zelgadis crossed his arms. Vincent snarled and pulled 'Dancer to her feet. "Your weapon, throw it away now! And you, hands over your head." She instructed. 'Dancer put her hands over her head, just as something hit the ground between Vincent's feet. Vincent stared expressionessly at the grenade that had rolled up against her boot, then looked back up at 'Dancer. The ring attached to the grenade pin dangled from 'Dancer's right thumb as 'Dancer smiled innocently at the bountyhunter.
KA-BOOM!
'Dancer lept over Hopkins's sprawled out form and hauled Zelgadis to his feet. Laying in the dirt where she had thrown herself out of harm's way, Vincent rolled over and tried to fire a shot off at the fleeing pair. The barrel of the gun, warped by the blast caused the shot to slammed into a building instead. Vincent flopped back down and swore.
"Vincent, Vincent, are you all right?" Hopkins suddenly popped into view. Vincent looked up at her and growled.
"This just got personal."
'Dancer flinched as Molly cleaned the cut on her shoulder. Patting the area around the wound dry, she smeared a little antiseptic on the gouge, and bound it up.
"Why didn't you tell me you had hurt yourself?" Zelgadis asked darkly from his perch on a large wooden crate. 'Dancer reached over and gingerly pulled her overtunic back on. The trio sat in the cellar of a shoemaker's building. All around on the shelves were the various odds and ends of leather and wood.
"Because it's none of your business. Besides, it's not like your magic works on me anymore."
"You two aren't going to fight again are you?" Molly asked testily. Both of them looked away. Molly sighed. "Look we're safe for now, so why don't we try to get some rest?"
"Not a bad idea." Zelgadis concurred, pulling his cloak tightly around him and closing his eyes.
"I'll keep watch then." 'Dancer announced, leaning back against the wall, her hand gingerly covering the bandage. Molly tapped her on her uninjured shoulder.
"Hmm?" Molly leaned forward a little.
"What bugging the two of you?" She asked softly.
"A lack of sleep, inability to get out of this crazy city, hunger, a bounty on our heads, a case of mistaken identity and equally crabby company." 'Dancer ticked off the reasons. "Seems like that's six good reasons to me." Molly rolled her eyes. "Beyond the obvious. There's some sort of bone of contention between you two." 'Dancer sighed quietly. "He's angry at me. I act in kind." She shrugged.
"That's not an answer." Molly said flatly. 'Dancer glanced at her in surprise, remembering the last time someone had used that line. No, this couldn't...
"Why's he mad at you then?" Molly persisted. 'Dancer an exasperated face.
"If you're so curious, why don't you ask him?" Molly gave her a level look.
"Because he's sleeping. You're not. Why do you think he's mad at you?"
'Dancer gave up. "Because I've started to warp his magic. I'm a handicap, and he resents my presence."
Molly looked thoughtful for a second.
"Did his magic working normally before now?" 'Dancer considered the question.
"Actually, yes." Molly's brow furrowed.
"How long ago did magic begin to turn feral around you?"
'Dancer carefully thought over the events of the past week.
"The day before yesterday, maybe." Molly's expression turned to one of enlightenment.
"Isn't that the same time you started to, ah, you know, willow tea?"
'Dancer regarded Molly in amazement for a fully thirty seconds before groaning and burying her face in her hands. When she finally looked up Molly could see tears coursing down her face.
"Oi! 'Dancer-san, are you okay?" Molly asked concerned. 'Dancer wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, I'm fine, it's just that I suddenly realized that the only person with any brains in this outfit is the hostage." 'Dancer hiccuped softly, causing Molly to giggle quietly. 'Dancer chuckled. Both girls then burst into a laughing fit that they tried valiantly stifle, only causing the other to laugh all the more.
Zelgadis opened one eye and frowned at the two girls losing their battle with air. With something of a hurrump he closed his eye and started to drift off again. Suddenly he coughed. Both girls stopped laughing and regarded him with surprise. He coughed again.
"You allergic to something, Zel?" 'Dancer asked before she too coughed.
"N-na- >cough "It's a-a- >hack, hack< - An attack!" Zelgadis coughed, jumping to his feet.
"Ho-ha->hack< - How'd they find us?" Molly wailed, working her way to the cellar entrance out onto the street.
"No sé, y no deseo." 'Dancer forced the cellar door open and stumbled out onto the street. Molly followed, and grabbed a hold of 'Dancer.
"Zeladis-san >cough< is still >hack< down there >cough<."
"W-what? Damn!" 'Dancer turned back to the cellar and dashed back down into the cellar. In the gloom of the cellar she almost tripped over Zelgadis's passed out form.
"Wake up!" 'Dancer groaned, staggering under his weight. "Com'on Zel, you've gained weight!" There was a slamming sound and 'Dancer slipped to her knees. The cellar door was shut.
"Molly! >hack< Help! >cough< Molly!" 'Dancer collapsed, overwhelmed by Zelgadis's dead weight and the thick gas.
Outside Amanda helped Molly get over her bout of being gassed as Alex sat on the cellar doors.
"Great job Molly." Alex said, listening to the commotion below. "Not only didja bring them somewhere where we could capture them, you got them thinking that you're on their side." She cocked her head. "Hah, sounds like they've both passed out. Let's get them to the jail."