A/N: I have to tell you, I honestly couldn't believe the email when I read it the first time. Only after the fifth did I figure out that this was no joke; someone had actually announced a Knives Day. A great idea, wish I'd thought of it. Anyway, here's my little contribution. As for my other stories...Well, let me say that they'll be done eventually.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Trigun. Only Nightow and Geneon have that distinction.
The End
It had ended just as he'd planned.
Expectantly, his brother had been most uncooperative.
If he'd only given up earlier in the battle, than he would never had to have sustained such grievous injuries. As it was, Vash would live and he himself had won the battle.
The perfect ending.
Now all he needed do was take care of the disgusting human race.
But how...?
His original plan had indeed been to simply wipe the entire filthy species off the face of the planet. Though, in recent years he'd begun to have his doubts about the consequences of such an action.
Who would be around, in the end, to look after his sisters in their bulbs? He knew that technology was limited now and it would still be years before he could free them from their glass prison. So another option had to be thought of.
This change in thinking had been gradual. If there was one thing Knives did well, that was to thoroughly look at an idea from every angle over a long period of time. And there was the matter of his stubborn nature.
Oh, yes. He knew that if there was one thing he had in common with humans it would be his nature to stick to a certain frame of mind, no matter if he was in the wrong or not. Certainly he hated to admit such a thing, but Knives was a realist and knew that denial would avail him nothing.
It was always best to know oneself, both the strengths and weaknesses.
But back to his change in plans. He'd never deigned to share his thoughts with the Gung-Ho-Guns, Legato included. After all, did the chess player ever tell the pawns what he was contemplating as his next move? Of course not.
So he had let the vermin think what they would, all the while silently forming a new outcome once he'd gained victory over his brother.
Now the time had come...and he would relish every second of it.
His first order of business had been to properly control his brother. If given an ounce of a chance to escape, Knives knew that Vash would be able to use it and make good his getaway. That was quite unacceptable in his mind. His brother had too much of a tendency to destroy even the best laid plans.
So now he was properly stored away in his private SEEDS ship, kept in a small geoplant that was watched 24/7.
The plant had been built specifically for his containment. The glass walls that allowed sunlight to enter the area had been reinforced so that it could even withstand the power of an angelarm. And with Vash completely unarmed, including his gunarm, there was nothing with which he could use to shatter the glass. Several feet down, through the soil, there was over five feet of concrete.
All in all, Knives felt confident that the geoplant was Vash-proof.
With that large problem out of the way he had turned to the main portion of his plans...
The subjugation of the human race.
Oh, yes. He had decided that the best way to deal with the pest problem was to treat them like the cattle that they were.
He'd started with a notification left with the human officials that, as of now, they would answer to himself. Their initial reaction had been to laugh.
They'd stopped laughing after he'd destroyed a small town with his angelarm.
From there on out he'd had no problems with their leaders. There were still the expected rebellions, but within a matter of weeks they had been quelled. The police force that Knives had already set up to oversee any difficulties had made sure that any rules he put down were obeyed.
As his first action as ruler of the humans, he'd had each and every one of them tagged, as it were.
They now had identification numbers that told a person who they were and where they were from. This way any suspicious behavior, such as people from different areas migrating to one place, could be monitored.
As soon as that had been set up he'd moved on to other phases of his plan. He'd had large numbers of humans sent to his SEEDS ship. There they received the proper training and were assigned jobs that were needed to maintain the over-a-century space ship.
Then he'd also begun the unearthing and repair of other such ships.
After all, what was the point of having slaves if you didn't use them?
But the most important part of his plan, as he'd seen it, had been done long before any of these implements had even begun.
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The noise of footsteps in the hallway outside his private quarters was deafening in the silence.
He ignored it and continued with the paperwork and blueprints that littered his desk.
The doors behind him opened with a mechanical swoosh, the sound of feet on metal suddenly muted by carpet. The large room had been heavily carpeted at his orders. He preferred the soft feel of it over the harsh, coldness of steel.
He did not glance from the pile before him; even when a great amount of hostility curved around his form, emanating from one of the other people in the room.
He dotted his last 'i' and calmly sat his pen down. He turned his chair around, the movement casual and unhurried.
Standing before him were three people. One of them, by far the shortest, appeared to be flanked by the other two.
She also happened to be one Meryl Stryfe, Bernardelli agent and companion to Vash the Stampede.
Knives' cool eyes assessed her for a moment, traveling the length of her slight and curved form. Meryl stood, unflinching before his gaze. It was easy for one to see the unrivaled anger and hatred she felt for the being in front of her. Her shoulders were square and tense, her violet eyes blazing, hands clenched into fists, and a clenched jaw were proof of that.
"Leave us."
The two guards bowed low to Knives and quickly hurried out of the room, the doors closing ominously behind them.
Left alone, they continued their silence until the point where he could tell she'd lost control of her temper. From the reports he'd had made on her, Knives had learned that hers was exceedingly volatile.
With jerky strides she stalked over to him, her small body emanating rage. As soon as she got within striking distance, she lashed out, her hand coming forward to deliver him a blow to the head.
His quicker reflexes were his only salvation. And as he caught and held her wrist he noticed the warm, velvety smooth skin beneath his own. Already this was promising to be much more than what he'd anticipated.
"That was not a wise move."
The small hand trapped in his own struggled to break loose and he knew that he'd angered her further.
When she realized that breaking his grip was impossible her small hand stilled. Her already narrowed eyes reminded him of a cats; exotic and beautiful.
"I hate you." The words were spoken with no inflection and he could tell that she meant every word. But time could most definitely change that. And he'd always liked a challenge.
The small smile he gave her was patronizing; like a parent to an overreacting child.
He could have sworn fire erupted in her eyes as she saw his upturned lips.
Almost before he knew it, she'd struck out with her other hand. He caught that one as well and in a move so quick she had no time to react, he'd hauled her into his lap; her back against his chest and both arms captured behind her in one of his.
His other hand reached up and gently tucked a stray lock of hair back behind her ear that had fallen in front of her face. She flinched, twisting in his grasp in a futile attempt to free herself from his grip and touch.
At the feel of his lips at her ear she still in shock and more than a little fear.
"Soon you'll welcome any attentions I bestow upon you." His voice had deepened with anticipation and she suddenly figured out why he'd taken the time to have her capture and brought here.
A touch of desperation made her voice tremble. "I-I won't ever give in to you."
He only laughed, anticipating the hours he would spend with his prize; training her and teaching her that he was to always be obeyed and without question.
Winning definitely had its rewards.