Wolfwood

[Bean Bandit]

He trudged slowly through the desert, his enormous burden slung over his back, pressing him firmly into the desert sand, making each step a titanic struggle.

He sat down on the sand, exhausted.

He had a job to do...but was it really worth it? Was he selling off his soul piece by piece, to no real end? Becoming a mere pawn in a game he didn't fully understand?

His...'Teacher' didn't think so.

It was important enough to have serious consequences if he didn't do it. And, In the end, that was all that mattered, right?

He leaned against his burden, the giant cross-shaped bundle tilting against him, pressing him further into the hot sand.

Was this a smart way to approach him? What if they didn't see him? Was he going to die out here? These thoughts faded from his mind as the desert heat grew more intense.

As he dozed, there was a slight pulling in the back of his mind. A whispered promise of release from a hard and difficult road ahead.

He agreed, willingly...and Nicholas D. Wolfwood was gone.

In his place, a stranger was placed in Wolfwood's body. A stranger to the body...the world...even the very universe.

And yet...he was one of it's last hopes...

[Ginnezumusha]

"Uuurrrgg..."

Ginn shook his head, and opened his eyes.

"Ack!"

Closing them really quickly, he rubbed them with his hands.  Last night had been a total blur.  Who knew that an engineering frat could throw such a party?  Ah well, such is life.  Although, it was awfully hot for northwest United States... what the...

Opening his eyes ever so slowly to let his eyes adjust, he surveyed his surroundings.

North:  Sand.

South:  Sand.

East:  Sand.

West:  Big bundled thing.

"Errr..."

Being a college student, while it opens doors of opportunity, teaches a world of knowledge, and promises a once in a lifetime experiance, doesn't quite prove the intellegence or common sense of a person.  Therefore, Ginn's current muddled mind was still in 'Its warm enough to go back to sleep, deal with people leaving computer messages about the interweb later.'  Unfortunely, it was also extreamly bright.  So his mind sought various ways of turning it off.

1.  It is a natural light source, as there is sand as far as the eye can see.  Almost.

2.  Therefore, shade should be found to resume the action known as sleep.

3.  There is a nice cross-shaped bundle here, providing a little shade.

Moving towards the cross-shaped bundle, his mind finally clicked.  Cross-shaped bundle?  He didn't own one of these... plus, there wasn't a desert anywhere near where he lived... this spelt trouble...

Eyes adjusted to the light, Ginn stared at the bundle for a while.  He considered the possibility, but he needed more proof to be sure.  Only 2 people would tote around such a bundle (Well, 3, but Ginn REALLY didn't want to consider that option).

Ginn looks down at himself.

[Bean Bandit]

A thin, lanky body greeted Ginn's eyes, clothed, if one could call it that, in a rumpled suit, with a white shirt, open several buttons down. One arm lay across his lap, and he could see a bit of grey on his cuff, in what looked to be the shape of a cross. he wore a pair of shoes that may have been stylish once but now were quite scuffed.

As he sat there, a hot wind blew by, picking up a fair bit of sand, and depositing it on his pant legs and pooling around his shoes as the wind continued on, blowing more sand as it went...

In the distance, almost too faint to be heard, was the sound of an engine...

[Ginnezumusha]

Well, at least I got one of the two I picked...

Ginn shuddered at the thought of waking up as Milly.  Standing up, he brushed himself off the best he could, before surveying his surroundings yet again.

Where the hell am I, and how the hell did I get here?  Damn it, Carthrat, because of you, I may see hell.

Not use to the body he was in Ginn stumbled for a minute, as he tried walking around the bundle.  Catching himself, Ginn sighed and leaned (standing) against the bundle.

He knew where he was.  He knew who he was.  The why and how hadn't come in yet, but being quite familiar with anime and fanfiction in general, he didn't freak out, which also surprised him.

This could be just a dream again, but... it feels too real to be a dream.  The heat, the sand, the feel of the fabric... all too real.

Of course, there is one way that one can confirm the difference between the real and the dream, which is to find a book, and read it.  If it has never been read before, the mind has to stick something in there, whether it makes sense or not.  Of course, in this world, Ginn had not read anything yet, and thus wanted to prove reality versus fiction.

This lead Ginn to his second act, which was to dig through all the belongings on him (including the bundle), and to inventory them.

That being said, Ginn acts.

[Bean Bandit]

Ginn's pockets were quite full. After a few moments search, he turned up money, of a rather unusual denomination, a number of crumpled cigarettes, a lighter, presumably for the cigarettes, sunglasses, an oddly detailed model of a church, and three small wrapped items, that were food, by the look of them.

The search of the cross-shaped bundle revealed... a big-ass cross.

[Ginnezumusha]

This fucknut has no water?  What kind of sane man goes into the desert with just food, but no water?  Shit, I'm going to die.

Sighing, inspected the cross closer.  Taking into detail the very center of the cross, where the arms met.

Lets see, it should be around here somewhere... where the hell is the release mechanism for the arms...

[Bean Bandit]

The center of the cross was a small door, that opened easily to the touch. Inside was what looked to be some sort of trigger mechanism. The trigger structure itself was shaped in such a way as to make the circular opening to the trigger resemble a skull, with buttons and triggers in the eyes, nose and mouth.

The arms of the cross, themselves seemed to be metal sleeves of some kind, apparently opened by a set of buttons inside the trigger guard...

[Ginnezumusha]

Ginn, familiar with where he was, checked the ammo sleeve, and the handgun sleeve, before bundling it all back up.  

Let see if I can carry it.

Grasping the bundle by its leather straps, Ginn lifted.

[Bean Bandit]

And found the cross heavy, though not as much as he would have expected. His muscles, well adapted to the weight, hefted the cross with no difficulty. In point of fact, he realized that, while difficult, if needs be, he could support it's weight on one arm.

In the distance, the sound of the engine drew slightly closer, though still quite faint...

[Ginnezumusha]

Hey, this isn't too bad... I wish I had the bike, though...

Setting it back on his shoulder like a japanese school bag, Ginn placed a crumpled cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and started walking towards the sound of the engine.

[Bean Bandit]

Far off in the distance, the shape of a bus driving across the desert, kicking up clouds of sand as it went became visible, distorted slightly by the waves of heat rising from the sand...

[Bean Bandit]

Suddenly, the bus deviated from it's straight line path across the desert. It turned, and began heading quickly in Wolfwood's direction.

[Ginnezumusha]

Ginn, aware that the bus was now headed in his direction, took another puff off the cigarette before taking it out of his mouth, waving his arms around, and shouting, trying to hail the bus down.

[Bean Bandit]

The bus continued to drive toward him, and after a long wait, it closed the distance and pulled up nearby. The driver, a dark, shortish man wearing a green T-shirt, shorts and a cap walked over to the door and hopped out, looking at Wolfwood, his eyes drawn to the huge cross on his back.

"You sure seem well prepared to die out in the desert," he commented, surprised.

[Ginnezumusha]

"Apparently, I am.  I'm not sure how I got here, though.  Thanks for stopping, will I have to pay to get a ride?"