Vash the Stampede Vs. Beyond the Grave

'After rewatching Gungrave and TRIGUN, I found myself writing this. If anyone wants to help, it would be very much appreciated!' Vash the Stampede Vs. Beyond the Grave is a possible Death Battle featuring Vash the Stampede, the protagonist of the TRIGUN series, and Beyond the Grave, protagonist of the Gungrave series.

Description
It'll be raining bullets long before these two are done! Will the Humanoid Typhoon blow him off, or will the undead gunslinger bring the most wanted man on the planet to the grave?!

Interlude
If there is anything in the world - ANYTHING - that has truly brought the world to its knees...it's gotta be guns.

From the moment they were ushered into the world, they have changed the course of history, yet forever remain one of the most deadliest weapons to end lives.

'''And these gunslingers are the best in what they do! Like Vash the Stampede, the 60,000,000,000 Double Dollar Man!'''

And Beyond the Grave, the one-man undead walking army who destroyed Millenion.

He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!

And it’s our job to analyze their armor, weapons and skills to find out who would win…a DEATH BATTLE.

Vash the Stampede
In the far, far future, after a terrible calamity, humanity has left Earth and sought out a new world. One where they could escape and seek out new beginnings.

'''And said new world just so happens to be a literal Wild West-style planet called "Gunsmoke!" Nothing but a ball of dirt and sand, wherever you look!'''

True to its nature, Gunsmoke is a lawless planet. Everywhere, there are outlaws, criminal syndicates, bounty hunters. To survive, they rely on the lost technology of their forebears. It is a very dangerous planet to live on, but the people here on this rock are resilient. They're tough as nails, and they're willing to hunt down even the most terrifying of outlaws for the sake of getting a buck to save their lives.

'''And there is no bigger outlaw with a great bounty than the granddaddy of anime gunslingers. The Humanoid Typhoon...Vash the Stampede!'''

*cues scene, showing Vash in Episode 1, standing up from the bar and facing the Bounty Hunters*

Damn...what an awesome coat!

Despite his young appearance, Vash is older than he appears. In fact, he was one of the original settlers of Gunsmoke, though we'll get into that later. He's one of the best marksman the planet's ever seen, and his gunmanship is only matched by his impressive bad luck. You know that 60 Billion reward on his head? Yeah, most of that comes from the people who are chasing him and destroying the town in the process, not him.

So, wait...wouldn't that make the people of the planet the Typhoon, not Vash?

Well, to be fair, he did earn that bounty for a reason. And while Vash may be the most wanted man alive, that reward is most definitely reserved by his prowess. Vash is perhaps the most skilled gunslinger in Gunsmoke, capable of shooting targets from several feet away, even firing bullets so fast that, to the average onlooker, he fired only one shot. His marksmanship is also quite impressive as well, given that, nearly all the time, he shoots people on non-vital areas.

'''Multiple times! And that's not even taking into account this guy's reaction time, athletic abilities, and skills! He can follow and track the trajectory of bullets and predict where they'll hit! Also, just because the guy acts like an idiot most of the time doesn't mean he ain't. He can analyze the situation and try to tackle it from different angles. Also helps when the guy doesn't have any shame whatsoever. One time he stripped naked, got on his knees and begged like a dog for a bunch of kidnappers to let a girl go.'''

Most of the time, Vash tends to come off as a bumbling idiot who preaches about love and peace, but he's accomplished quite a bit in the time he's been alive. He defeated his brother and stopped him from enacting worldwide genocide, succeeded in preventing a town from blowing into smithereens by a malfunctioning plant, and, on multiple occasions, stopped incidents that would have resulted in several hundreds of deaths.

'''You see, Vash isn't human Oh, no! He's actually a sentient PLANT! That's right! This guy is a walking shrub that looks, talks, and ACTS LIKE A GODDAMN HUMAN BEING!'''

Actually, that's incorrect. Plants, in the Trigun universe, are interdimensional beings. On gunsmoke, there are several Plants who exist within certain facilities, which provide power for the cities. Vash and Knives just so happen to be born with a human body. They have incredibly long life spans and age rapidly to a certain point. Shortly after he and his brother Knives were born, they grew and developed into the mindsets of eight-year-old children within the span of less than a year. Even after a hundred years have gone by, Vash still looks like he's in his twenties, even though he's actually around 180.

'''Seriously?! Damn...hope I look that good when I hit the 80's. Anywho, like any self-respecting gunslinger on this desert wasteland, Vash carries with him a few weapons on hand in order to survive. His primary weapon is the large silver hand-cannon, which can shoot up to six bullets, though when things get serious, he uses his prosthetic left arm's hidden gun to even the odds. He even has a few knives on hand, one of which is hidden in his boots!'''

However, Vash's handgun is far from ordinary. In fact, this gun is the very same one that earned him his reputation as the 60,000,000,000 $$ man. The AGL Arms .45 Long Colt is the catalyst to activate Vash's third weapon: the Angel Arm. Though it's more of an ability than an actual weapon, it is innate to all Plants, and Vash is no exception. When the catalyst is triggered, it turns Vash's arm into a weapon of mass destruction, one capable of decimating entire cities!

'''And it even created a giant crater on one of Gunsmoke's moons! The Angel Arm also responds to the user's will, so how much heat it packs is up to the individual. Vash has this 'no kill' policy, so while it can destroy an entire city, it doesn't kill anybody...actually, h-how's that possible? I mean, look at that!'''

*cues the destruction of July, then the giant remains of rubble Elizabeth wanders through*

'''How the hell do you survive an explosion like that?! That's some Deus Ex Machina shit!'''

Well, one possible theory is that, with Vash, the Angel Arms doesn't target living organisms, but rather destroys anything and everything inorganic. The destructive capability is there, but it isn't harmful to humans. That doesn't stop them from trying to kill each other after becoming homeless, though.

'''Yeah, sadly Vash has this huge problem. He won't kill anyone, but some of his actions tend to make people ax-crazy. Not to mention the fact that he really is too optimistic. '''

*shows Legato with the small child, about to crush her skull, much to Vash's horror*

'''This emo-looking dude practically made it his mission to bring Vash despair by any means necessary. Guy even mind-controlled an entire village, had Vash's girlfriend and her partner at gunpoint, and forced the poor guy to kill him and break his code! Vash even went into a coma for ten days, too. And just because he's some god-like being doesn't make him invincible Guy can still get shot and killed.'''

And the Angel Arm also reduces his life-span with each use. As a side-effect, a Plant's hair will begin to turn black. The darker it is, the closer one is to death. Above all else, Vash holds human life as his top priority. It's why he still tries to help people, wherever he goes. Even the worst criminals aren't exempt from his philosophy. One might even say that Vash's ultimate goal in life is to bring happiness and peace to the world.

...if the locals stop shooting him anyway.

Yeah, good point. Wait. Boomstick, why do you have a shotgun with you?

Ah, no reason!

Vash: This land is made...of LOVE AND PEACE!

Beyond the Grave
In a certain city, there is a powerful crime syndicate that was once known for it's familial ties and benevolent nature, despite being one of the most powerful mafia groups in the world. Headed by Big Daddy, Millennion prospered, and those within his elite inner circle, known as The Family, were his most trusted lieutenants.

'''And then Harry MacDowell came, and took the seat of power right under him. Under his leadership, Millennion grew even more powerful, though instead of the benevolent and scary-but-cool big brother group, it became stained with blood. Before long, the new kid in town got the nickname, "Bloody Harry."'''

Among Harry's successes was the drug known as "seed." In actuality, "seed" is an extraterrestrial parasite that implants itself into a living organism and overrides the host's consciousness, melding into a hive mind of sorts. Those under the effects of this drug became known as "Orgmen." They're also zombies, too.

'''Tough bastards, but there was one guy who was willing to do whatever it took to bring Harry down. And that was his former best bud, Brandon Heat, though he later got an even more better name. '''

A name fitting for a man who was brought back from the dead: "Beyond the Grave."

*cue Brandon/Grave's resurrection when Mika cries out in fear as Orgmen surround the truck*

When he was alive, Brandon Heat, along with his best friend Harry, survived in the slums of a city. Known for his incredible strength, but quiet and peaceful nature, he had his heart set on a girl who was the complete opposite: Maria Asagi. Even though he was nothing but a punk, Maria was one of the few people who actually gave a damn about him. Or anyone in Harry's gang for that matter.

'''But then one day, some raging lunatic, the brother of the guy Harry humiliated time and time again, decided to ruin Brandon and Harry's happy life by killing their friends. He would have killed them too, if Morgan Freeman hadn't come along!'''

That's...not Morgan Freeman. Hell, the guy who did the English Dub doesn't even sound like Freeman. Anyway, Brandon and Harry were saved by Bear Walken, and while neither of them realized it yet, it set them down the path of joining Millennion. And it would also be when Brandon became one of the best hitmen the underworld would ever see.

'''Starting out as some debt collector, Brandon went up to places when he saved Big Daddy from assassination and made a name for himself. He's cleared rooms of some of the most notorious gangsters in the country with just two handguns alone, and his determination to end his target is almost legendary! Man, I'm glad I wasn't around when Big Daddy was in charge. I'd hate to have that guy on my ass!'''

Brandon was definitely known for his skills, but his post-death career as Beyond the Grave only adds to that. After his death, Grave became a "Necrolyzer" - a human who was brought back from the dead via artificial means. Being shot at several times is more or less an inconvenience, and nothing short of heavy artillery will bring him down.

'''But before we get into Grave, let's talk more about Brandon first. When the guy was in his twenties, he managed to become apart of The Family, and formed an elite hitman squad called "True Grave." Wonder if that's foreshadowing?'''

At the time, Brandon was incredibly loyal to Big Daddy, though this loyalty is also what drove a wedge between his and Harry's eventual betrayal. In their time together, they were a legendary duo. With Brandon as the brawn and Harry as the brains, there was almost no one who could match them. Plus, Brandon had even allowed his own boss to marry the woman he loved, simply because he felt she was too pure for him.

'''Then Harry made the mistake of betraying Big Daddy, plotting behind his back, and suggesting to Brandon that he should kill the boss and take back his girlfriend. Yeah, he wasn't too happy, but Brandon just couldn't pull the trigger. Harry killed Brandon, and then killed BIg Daddy, taking over Millennion!'''

Unknown to Harry, Maria was pregnant and Brandon had actually foresaw this happening, thus asking the head of the necrolyzer project to bring him back and put him into statis, so that he could one day bring Harry down.

'''And so Brandon Heat went to sleep, and Beyond the Grave woke up when Harry killed Maria and ordered her kid's death. Grave wasn't too happy, but thankfully, he's got just the right tools for the job!'''

The Left Head and Right Head - powerful twin handguns capable of blasting a hole through the solid armor of tanks, and his trusty Death Hauler. Even in death, Grave's skills with a gun are unmatched and has killed many Millennion goons, even Harry's subordinates and lieutenants, each were more powerful and more dangerous than Grave himself.

'''The twin pistols can fire several hundred rounds before needing to change clips, and the size of the bullets are enough to make even the best handguns jealous! Well, if they could. Though his best tool is arguably the coffin he keeps slugged to his arms. The Death Hauler is a freaking missile launcher and Gatling Gun all in one, on top of being one hell of a sucker punch! It can knock enemies several times bigger than Grave off their feet, and even knock back missiles!'''

The Death Hauler also received a major upgrade in the form of the Cerberus Overdose system, which creates two giant barrels that connect to the Left and Right Heads. These guns are so powerful, they are capable of killing off even an amalgamation of Harry's lieutenants in one shot. Add all of this to his incredible determination to see things through, and Grave is practically a walking nightmare.

'''Buuut he ain't invincible. Just cause he's already dead doesn't mean he can't be killed again. Sure, it's hard to take him down with regular bullets, but given enough firepower and he'll go crumbling down.'''

Additionally, Necrolyzers need to undergo maintenance to heal from serious injuries. Plus, they need to have their blood replaced regularly. At best, they can go ten days before they start to decompose and die all over again.

'''Even so, he's done some pretty incredible stuff. He single-handedly destroyed Millennion all by himself, defeated Harry's inner circle, and even did it all over again a few years later when "Seed" started to pop back up. Hell, he and some sword-gun-wielding blind Frankenstein knockoff and a FREAKING GHOST killed a guy who was dosed up to god levels!'''

His defining trait is the vow that all members of Big Daddy's Family hold dear to their hearts. A vow that Grave keeps, even in death: "Never Betray."

''Dr. T: That name no longer belongs to him. He's called Grave. Call him "Beyond the Grave."''

Intermission
Alright! The combatants are set! It's time to end this debate, once and for all!

'''It's time for a DEATH BATTLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! FUCK YEAH!'''

Trivia

 * This is the first Death Battle on this site to feature "Beyond the Grave."
 * This Death Battle was created in celebration for the announcement of "Gungrave G.O.R.E," the third entry in the series.