01x03 - Memento Mori

[bunniefuu]

Come on, get moving!

Are you refusing a direct order?

B-But...

Just shut up and do as I say! Go!

Ugh, how useless.

Garbage doesn't need to think.
It only needs to do as I say.

I'm going to become king.

Stop this, Nai!

No matter how comfortable,
chains are still chains.

But we're different. You and I have
our own will, and we walk freely.

Just wait for a short while.
A mere century or so.

I promise I'll build a world of plants.

It was him! I'm sure of it!

So come on, give me the bounty!
All $$6 billion!

Why would anyone pay you?
It's not like you caught the guy.

Okay, just half is fine!
Or even a third!

I called it in, right?

Don't waste your breath on us.
Go talk to HQ.

Not that anybody cares
about bounties anymore anyway.

- Come on, that's cruel!

- Hey, reporter lady. Is this another
one of those "lost technology" things?

My coworker said she's sure it is.

In six months or so, this...
No, something even more impressive

is going to arrive in droves
on our planet, right?

I'll probably lose my job
at that point, but...

I still can't wait.

Indeed, I can't wait!

Meryl!

It sounds like it's gotta be Vash!

They say he left town with a girl!

Still no response?

No.

Okay, so something happened
in this "Home" place,

and this girl came flying over
to warn Vash about it...

And then they both left for "Home."

Sounds reasonable, right?

Then we should also—

But of course! Journalists
must be quick and brave.

I'm starting to run low.

Hey, what?! Wait, ladies!

You forgot to load me!

I said wait, damn it!

The shields are down.

I hope everyone's okay.

They're okay, right?

Vash?

Let's go.

Hey, is anyone here?

Could it be...

Brad said he'd hold out, right?

He's a man of his word.

They must all be sheltering somewhere—

Vash?

If he's here...

Nai?

Who's there?!

Vash?

Let's go.

Jessica, stay close.

Jessica?

Jessica?! Where are you?!

Answer me!

Vash.

Nai!

First, let me thank you.

With your help, I was able to take out
the trash from JuLai...

Hundreds of thousands of them.

Nai...

Rejoice, brother.

We meet again. Thank you for coming.

So you lured me back to Home?

Where is everyone else?!

They're safe. For now.

However...

Jessica!

Vash!

Whether they stay that way
is up to you, Vash.

Vash, come with me.
Swear your cooperation to me.

You never change.

I just have to motivate you, then.

I'm going to k*ll the trash here
on Ship Three, one by one.

Until you change your mind.

All while you watch.

Nai!

Nai is dead! I am Millions Knives!

This brat goes first!

Stop!

Jessica!

Are you—

As long as you refuse to pledge
cooperation with Lord Knives,

you will continue to bear witness
to the death of trash.

How much of it can you take?

Ten of them? Twenty, perhaps?

Now...

What say you?

Jessica, hold your breath!

Fire extinguisher activating.

I'm glad that worked.

Yeah.

Hey, Vash! That puppet said that
everyone's safe, right?!

Yeah. Which means we've got to do
something about the puppeteer.

But where could he be?

I know.

Huh?

The puppeteer is controlling his puppets
from somewhere else.

Which could only be through...

Oh! The surveillance cameras!

Yes, the security room.

Vash the Stampede!

I see. I see now.

You're no ordinary trash!

You are Lord Knives's brother, after all!

Nevertheless, you are wandering
into your own demise.

Capture him!

Hesitation can prove fatal!

My treasure, given to me by Lord Knives...

This royal treasure
has made me a king.

It cannot be destroyed so easily!

Vash!

Is that...

The research dome.

Jessica, I need your help.

Listen carefully.

Oh, did you lock me in?

Am I a cornered rat? No, no.

You are the rat.

I, Leonof the Puppetmaster,
king of puppets,

shall capture you and
take you to Lord Knives.

I won't let you.

But I will regardless.

Let's begin the puppet show!

Show yourself, Puppetmaster!

I refuse! What do you think
these puppets are for?!

Jessica!

There!

I'm telling you, this is futile!

Did you think I'd lose control
of my puppets in zero gravity?

Wrong! So wrong!

Lord Knives would be disappointed!

Capture complete. How easy that was.

Were the others who lost
to you even trying?

Lord Knives, wait for me!

I will bring him to you soon!

You won't be taking me anywhere.

Oh?

Are you saying you have another
trick up your sleeve? In this state?

That's right. Jessica!

My puppets, your king orders you...

Vash...

This puppet show is over!

Vash!

Nobody...

Nobody ever paid attention to me.

The only ones who saw me were
Lord Knives and the Eye of Michael.

This isn't over yet, Vash the Stampede.

I'm taking you with me!

You're as soft as ever.

Keep your guard up till the end.

What are you doing?

Oh, just checking to see
if you're a puppet.

What does that even mean?

Yeah... It's really you,
isn't it, Wolfwood?

This isn't over!

Lord Knives made me a king.

To serve him, I...

Sorry about this,

Leonof.

Wolfwood!

Meryl Stryfe here from
the Bernardelli News Agency.

Likewise, Milly Thompson!

Oh, it's nice to meet you.

And, uh, long time no see, M-Meryl...

It's Meryl Stryfe!

And I'm Milly Thompson!

I'm glad to see you're well.

I'm Meryl!

And I'm Milly!

You said nobody ever paid
attention to you, right?

That's not true.

When you recover, let's sit down and talk,

Leonof the Puppetmaster, or rather...

Emilio.

Thank you.

Where in the world were you?

Sorry. With those puppets everywhere,
we couldn't get out of the shelter.

I'm glad you're all safe.

Yeah. We owe it all to Jessica
for going to fetch him.

Does it hurt? Are you all right?

Don't worry. Thanks for your help earlier.

It's thanks to you that I was able
to protect the folks here at Home.

Yeah.

Vash.

Luida...

I've done something unforgivable.

I wasn't able to stop Nai.

On top of that, I... JuLai...

I visited many times
over the last 150 years.

There were so many people there.

They smiled at me, gave me water,
shared bread with me.

Mary, Ken, Takeshi, Ange, Jiro...

And also Roberto.

Vash...

Maybe I should have died, too. But...

You... live to suffer.

I...

There's no need to apologize.

You tried to walk the right path.

The result was unfortunate, but the
responsibility lies with every one of us

living on this planet.

Tell me more of the people
who passed away in JuLai.

Luida...

Tell me, too!

The weight you bear,
this tremendously heavy burden...

We want to help you carry it,
even if only a little.

You're not in this fight alone.

So... So...

That's right, Vash!

Sure is.

Yeah!

Welcome back, Vash.

I'm home.

What's this? From the Puppetmaster?

Great news! We found your brother.

The time to awake is nigh.

Right, Lord Knives?

We're all birds of a feather, after all.