SURGERY, LIES, AND OUTLAWS--The hunt for 20,00$ (cont.)

The Clakkers didn't greet the two bounty hunters, but watched them pass by, and walk in to the Bounty store. The clerk stood upright when it heard Stranger's boots jingle on the hardwood floors. It's olive-green eyes were locked on both of them, as they pressed up against the counter, and Stranger slipping the poster to the clerk. Umi was becoming impatient, tapping her foot against the floor, and her arms crossed over her chest. Stranger looked over his arm, seeing Umi having impatient eyes locked on the clerk.
What's up? Stranger asked. Umi looked to Stranger, having a brow raised high.
What'cha mean? Umi said cooly, trying to keep her patients. Why you actin' all...serious-like? Stranger flicked his wrist. Umi shrugged, but kept her pose. The clerk gave Stranger back the stamped poster and his moolah. Then, brought up another poster, that nearly looked similar to Filthy-hands Floyd, but had devious red-yellow eyes locked on to Stranger. He gazed over the information over the bounty: Meagley McGraw.
Does Meagley love them Oppals He took over the Oppal farm down the road. I bet you passed it when you first got here. But anyways, he's locked himself up in that farmhouse, countin' his loot. His gangs all around the farm, so reckon in with caution, the clerk said. Stranger nodded at the extra info, stuffed the poster in his poncho, and tipped his hat respectfully to the clerk as they left. Umi gave an irritated sigh, dropping her arms to her sides heavily. Stranger shook his head. Now I know somethin's up. Why don't you tell me what's wrong? Stranger this time knelt to Umi. She turned away from Stranger, not even saying a thing. Stranger became frustrated. Look, if yeh don't tell me what's goin' on, I can't help you, Stranger lifted his arms out. Umi sighed, then turned to him.
Well, since we've been in a sewer... Umi spoke. Stranger waited for more, but he knew what was going to come up. I just want to take a bath, Umi shrugged sheepishly. Stranger grinned a little jokingly. Umi had a confused grin when she saw him smile. That's it? Yer actin' all inpatient 'cause you want to take's a bath? Stranger laughed a bit. Umi nodded. Stranger continued to laugh, then ruffled her head of hair. If that's all you wanted, why didn't you jus' say so? Stranger still kept his smile. A female Clakker walked over to Umi and Stranger.
Couldn't help but over-hear yer conversation, guys. But human, if yeh, want's to take a bath, I'm sure I can let you to my house and take a quick bath, the Clakker offered. Umi looked back to Stranger. If yeh want to, I'll just wait out 'ere, Stranger leaned against the wooden post with arrows pointing to different directions.
Ok, then. Just wanted to make sure, Umi nodded, and followed the Clakker to her house not too far from Stranger's sight. The Clakkers inside the home greeted her friendly-like, and they directed her to their bathroom. She though she wanted them to trust them more. But just in case, she locked the door. She washed herself down good, with all the dirt and nasty sewage running down from herself and down the drain. Then, she washed her clothes old-fashion like, and then dried them. She dressed herself, and then walked back out to Stranger. His hat was tipped down over his face, and his eyes were closed while his arms were around his belly. Umi pulled on his arm, and he woke back up.
You happy now? Stranger asked. She didn't reply, for she knew it was a slight smart-ass remark he just wanted to say. They followed the path from where they first came from down to Beekly's Oppal farms. When they arrived there, they seemed a little bit too late. The farmhouse outside the town was set fire, and the dead Clakker farmers layed burning to a crisp out front. The sign above the entry way was graffitied over, with a little dead face marked over an oppal. Oppal cores layed around the ground inside the farms. A trail led straight to the farmhouse, where Stranger and Umi practically stole from. Out front of the farmhouse was a roasting chicken, which Umi could figure out that it was actually a roasting Clakker over a hand-made spit and a rotisseri stick inside the cooked Clakker. Minions were all over the farms, watching and waiting for anyone to mosey on in and become trapped. Meagley was walking out from the storage room on the second floor of the farmhouse, looking over his minions from a walkway that led around to another entrance to the storage room. He held what seemed like an old shotgun and wore a tall hat like all the rest of the minions around.
Now, don't none you idiots let anyone on the farm. Ya hear me? Meagley roared out to his minions. Two minions standing next to a caged oppal tree whispered to one another.
“Ain't that a double-leggative?” a Shooter whispered to a Shredder. The Shredder snickered to himself, and Meagley looked over to the minions. I HEARD THAT he yelled, and turned back in to the storage room. The outlaws just kept making rude comments, then walked on away from each other. Stranger and Umi held in reeds, watching Meagley walk back in to the farm house. He knew that there were more outlaws inside the house than there were outside. He could see nearly five outlaws vacating the outside and around the farm. He didn't use Chippunks or Bolamites this time to take down the outlaws. Instead, he used his sniper/snooper scope once again, and used Snuzi darts to snipe the outlaws down. He got in to a prone position, laying on his belly, and peeking through his scope. He saw a Shooter, trotting around the farmhouse. He had a hard time seeing through the thick reeds, but he got a clean shot on the Shooter's chest. The other outlaws didn't notice a thing, but Stranger shot down the other four. Now they made their move closer to the house. They could hear the footsteps and muttering of minions upstairs. They peaked through the window they were about to break when they first came to the house, and saw nothing more but mere Shooters and Shredders. A simple challenge.
But getting inside quietly was going to be the biggest challenge. Breaking a window would alert all the minions, and entering the front door would also draw attention. There was no simple way to get in quietly. So, they just crashed in through the window. The minions on the bottom floor spotted Stranger and Umi immediately, reloading their rifles (how stupid of them) and snatching up knives. The upstairs outlaws trampled on down the ramp to the bottom floor. Stranger's bow was already unfolded, so he locked on Boom-bats, and blew up the hoarde of minions. Shredders tossed knives, flinging passed them and nearly cutting them. Umi had splashed down them with her Plasma Rifle. She headed upstairs to get any straggler minions left up. This is going to get worse. She felt her rifle shake a little, then make a puff sound at the prongs. She kept squeezing the handle, until there were no more bolts firing out of the prongs. The light in front dulled down to a lifeless blue. She shook the rifle, thinking it was over heating in a stranger way. She opened the flaps to inside the rifle. All she saw was a dull blue. Not even a hint of light. She threw down her Plasma Rifle in panic.
My rifle's dead Umi cried, hoping Stranger would've heard. He most likely did. He jumped up the stairs, seeing Umi fending off with a Needler. He shot a stream of Stingbees at the outlaw pestering her, and ran up to her.
What'cha mean yer rifle's dead? Stranger asked. She picked it up, and looked in once more, hoping it was just a little glitch, but the blue was duller than ever. My rifle's out'a batteries And I don't have the god damned equipment to recharge it Umi stamped her foot on the floor in frustration. She looked to a dead Shredder with a knife in it's grip. She knelt to it and plucked the knife out of it's dead hold, and strapped it on her belt, along with her rifle. This's what I'll have to use fer now, Stranger. I can't use anything else, Umi shrugged. He understood, but he really didn't want her using her Needler, especially what it can do to the outlaws. unless you rather me use a dead rifle, Umi shrugged again. Stranger shook his head. Just, don't use them...needles, too much on an outlaw. You know what'll happen, Stranger said, then looked up and around the house. It was akwardly silent, for a house supposedly to be filled with outlaws. He figured the Boom-bat took out most of them. They trotted around the house, searching for Meagley. They didn't notice a blocked doorway behind them, with a nailed sign that said: KEEP OUT
C'mon out, Meagley I know's you in here Stranger beckoned, waiting for something to happen. The blocked doorway then crashed open. Stranger flung aside, grabbing Umi along. He stood in front of Umi, while gazing up at one monstroucity of an outlaw that carried Meagley. It wore a white mask that reminded Umi of a movie character she saw, Jason, but with horns baring out on it's head. It held two handles with four long metal spikes on each. Small white beady eyes locked on and glared at the bounty hunter and his partner. On it's back was a type of chariot that Meagley stood in and holstering his shotgun. Stranger regained his balance, gazing up at only Meagley.
You ready fer us, Stranger? Meagley cowled. Dead 'r alive, yer ass is, comin' with me Stranger bared his teeth down to the monster carrying Meagley. He snapped his neck around, and jeered at Stranger. C'mon, Tiny Let's get this fur bag then locked down to Umi, who held up her Needler to Tiny's face. Hey It's that human Doc's got a big bounty on that thing Meagley mostly said to Tiny. Tiny rumbled an affirmative growl, looking to Umi with devious white eyes in a black shadow from the mask. Stranger put his arms out near Umi, then whispered behind his shoulder.
Run, Umi. I'll get this Outlaw, Stranger whispered, eyes still locked on Tiny and McGraw. Umi nodded quickly, and ran back downstairs. Hey It's gettin' away Go after it, Tiny Meagley pointed forward. Tiny roared under his mask, and began to follow Umi's trail. Stranger put his bow to Tiny's face, literally, and launched several Fuzzles in to his mask. Tiny flailed around, his knuckles nearly scraping to Stranger. Tiny scruffed the Fuzzles off, then growled at Stranger. He knocked him away from his path and in to a wooden beam holind up the house. Stranger grunted as he smacked in to the poll, and slide back down to the floor. Tiny stomped downstairs, seeing Umi making a run for it passed the Oppal smasher. Tiny continued to run towards the human, faster than her. Stranger regained his conscious fast, and broke through a window on the top floor and land behind Tiny. Umi made an attempt to delay them while firing needles at him, but his arms blocked the whole attack like they were mere feathers, knocking them away to the sky. She had no other option but to still run. It gets more worse. She felt her foot get caught under a rock in the dirt, and fell straight over. She lifted her head slowly up, then remembered Tiny, and they were coming for her. She turned on her back, and scrambled from Tiny, but he was too fast.
Hold it right there Taking out it's legs'll slow it down more Meagley ordered, and Tiny halted. He aimed directly to Umi's legs, and clicked back the trigger. Then, pressed his face to the barrel of the gun, and put a finger on the trigger. What seemed of an hallucination, Stranger zoomed by, snatching up Umi. But the unfortunate side of this was that Meagley had already shot, but didn't get Umi's legs. It got Stranger right in to the boot, which left a bloody hole inside his boot. He grunted, releasing Umi straight in to the reeds. Meagley looked around confused, seeing the human nowhere to be found. Hurry, Tiny Find that human Meagley slapped Tiny's arm.
Stranger hissed in pain, but kept it quiet. Umi panted heavily, looking down at Stranger who was in mass pain. She saw the bloody hole in his boot, and scrambled to that side. Stranger looked up weakly to her.
What...are you, doin'? Stranger strained. Lem'e just help you, Umi reached for his boot. Stranger's eyes widened, his green eyes lighting up in urgency. No. Don't', Stranger said with a small growl. Umi looked to him, but then back to his foot. Hang on, let me get this off- No Stranger slapped her hands away from his foot. Umi bundled her hands together, looking at Stranger with total confusion. He tried sitting up, not hurting his wounded foot further more. Umi kept knelt near him, holding her hands together and not saying anything. I'm fine. Don't worry 'bout me, Stranger said calmly, his hardened face relaxing more. I'm's supposed to worry about you, Umi's face drooped down slightly, lowering her hands slowly. Don't let Meagley get you, Stranger said.
But, what am I supposed to do? Umi asked a little whinefully. Here, he reached in to his ammo sack, and pulled out a couple of Fuzzles and a few Boom-bats. He then looked back up to her with eyes of concern. Just be careful, ok? Stranger put his hand on her hand. She didn't say anything, but felt a slight tingle to what he said. She now knew he truthfully cared for her. She nodded, and stood up and out of the reeds. She kept the critters bunched up in her hands. Tiny was searching around the storage house with all the Oppals, when he glanced back to Umi, her holding her hands behind her back. Tiny roared, and ran to her with a fist in the air like a Nailer would do. She didn't show a sign of fear towards the growling Tiny.
Well, now You ain't so tough with that furry bastard around to protect you now, are ya? Meagley roared in laughter. so now here's the question: Are you;s gonna come quietly, or bein' the hunted? Meagley growled with a little chuckle coming out.
Just one second, Umi nodded, and flung the Fuzzles she held on to Tiny. She could hear Tiny say, Not again , and the Fuzzles attached on to his skin and chomped down. She then threw two Boom-bats at his face. Meagley's eyes opened in anger. What ? NO Meagley shouted. The Boom-bats detonated within a second. The dust settled from Tiny, and there was, literally, nothing left of Tiny's face, when the dust disappeared. His body tumbled down on the ground, and Meagley rolled on out of the chariot on his back. Blood trailed under Meagley's feet. He looked back to Tiny, checking if he would move in any way. Then looked back to Umi, his red-yellow eyes sparking in anger and grinding his sharp teeth together.
DAMN YOU, HUMAN You ain't gettin' away with 'dis Meagley roared, snatching his shotgun by the barrel. 'cause I'm gonna kill you That ain't gonna happen, Stranger's voice trailed off from the reeds. He limped out of the reeds, with his bow loaded with a Bolamite and Fuzzle. I'm surprised to see you still alive, Stranger No matter I'll finish you off, then cash in the human Meagley's head turned to him, but kept his rifle leveled to Umi.
No you're not Umi shouted, and threw one last Boom-bat she held secretly. Meagley turned back to Umi, seeing the Boom-bat fly towards his face. Huh? Meagley grunted. The Boom-bat attached to his lower jaw, gibbering in excitement. He knew what was going to come next. The last second he had fearful eyes, looking on to Umi. Then his whole world shattered in to tiny pieces. Umi turned her head away from the gruesome sight, then back when the echo of the explosion died away. All she saw was Meagley's headless body, crashing on the dirt. She felt some sense of sorrow she did that. Stranger limped up to her side, she not even looking up to him. He knew what she was feeling right now, but couldn't help to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Good job, Stranger said. She snapped up to him, she not noticing he came up to her. She didn't make an acknowledging movement nor sound, but looked back to Meagley. Stranger looked at Meagley as well, thinking of something else to say to calm her down. Well...you did what you had to do, to defend yerself, Stranger said softly. Umi nodded slightly, but still felt a bit bad for what she done. But all she could think of Meagley's face, his eyes wide and fearful. But what was done was done, and nothing could change it.
Yeah, Umi finally said. He was happy to finally hear Umi speak. Well, bounty him up, and let's get back to town, Umi looked up to him. He agreed as well, it would be better to just bounty him up so Umi wouldn't have to see the horrible sight again. She slung his arm over her shoulder, and helped him to Meagley, and he bountied him up, and locked up his bow. She helped him out of the farm as well, and followed back to Buzzarton. She kept a distance from Stranger so she wouldn't trip over his foot. He made another playful grin, and pulled Umi closer to him. She grunted, but played along. He tightened his grip around her neck in to a one-armed hug, but she only smiled.
Oh, stop it, Umi said, making him loosen his grip over her neck. He only chuckled, and kept on lugging himself to Buzzarton. Umi kept a smile that Stranger couldn't see. 'Yeah, I know,' Umi thought, looking over to Stranger's face. 'I love you, too,'

I will post out whatever I have on the next chapter, because this is takin' me a while. Here yeh go:

SURGERY, LIES, AND OUTLAWS--The hunt for 20,000$ (cont.)

They walked on down a dusty path left of Buzzarton, when they saw Eugene Ius near a gate, muttering angrily to himself. He heard Stranger and Umi’s footsteps crackle in the dirt, and spur around. He put a smile on his beak, straightening his bow tie and dusting his shirt off. Stranger walked up to him, tipping his hat down to him.
“You fix that gate yet?” Stranger asked, keeping in his impatients.
“Oh, wish I could say, but my laptop that held the schematics was stolen during my kidnaping. Yer gonna have to find that Outlaw that took my laptop so I can fix the gate, Stranger,” Eugene said calmly. Stranger sighed slightly, but nodded to him, and left to his way to the Bounty store. The clerk only nodded them its greeting, and Stranger already took out the poster of Meagley McGraw. The clerk brought out the stamper....and you get the idea. Then it brought up one last poster, and slapped it down. Stranger took two fingers to slip it to him, and took it up, looking at the information of the next bounty, while the clerk narrated what it was about.
“The bounty’s Packrat Palooka. He’s hidin’ down at the Junkyard, doin’...somethin’ with our technician’s laptop. We need you to get it back so you can get the hell outta here,” the clerk explained. Umi shook her head to the clerk’s comment, but looked back up to it. “Well, the thing is, you need a top-secret password just to enter Junkyard ditch. There’s an informant ‘round town, goes by the name of Scuzz. He wants to get back at Packrat really bad-like, and he’ll probably be willin’ to help yeh out. G’luck you two Bring back the laptop safely ” the clerk shouted to them, as they pushed their way out. They stood a few inches away from the doors to the Bounty store, and Stranger was rubbing his beard in a thinking kind of way.
“Scuzz, huh?...Sounds like a, dirty fellah. Dunno if I want te, talk to him,” Stranger mumbled loudly. Umi looked up to him with a dumbstruck face.
“Excuse me? We traveled through a DIRTY sewer, to get to an Outlaw, and now all of a sudden, you don’t want to talk to someone that’s dirty to get to another Outlaw ? YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDIN’ ME ” Umi shouted, snapping both her arms above her head. Stranger huffed a laugh out, patting Umi on the head, then looked up to all the Clakkers walking around town with no reasons. He walked up to a female, straightening her apron out on her stained red dress. “‘Scuse me...D’you know the whereabouts of a fellah named Scuzz?” Stranger pinched the brim of his hat, locking his eyes on the Clakkers’ olive-green eyes. Her brows turned down in to a suspicious look when she heard the name Scuzz.
“Why d’you need to know where he is?” she asked, putting her arms on her hips. Stranger didn’t want to answer questions to a question he just asked, just a straight answer. “I need’s to, get to Packrat Palooka, and he’s the only one to help me,” Stranger replied, hoping no more questions would come to the Clakkers mind. She looked hardly on Stranger, then relaxed her arms. “Well, he’d be hidin’ down in somewhere dark and out of civilization. Check down them sewers,” she finally replied, and walked on away from him. He turned his head to the sewer treatment plant, seeing the Clakkers passing by it waving their arms to waft away the stinky aroma of the sewers.“I knew it,” he said to himself, and walked towards the entrance and to the dangling rope that led down in to the sewers. Fortunately, to Umi, they didn’t have to travel down the sewers again, for it was poorly nailed down with wooden planks, and had a spray-painted sign. But the bottom of the sewers down the rope, wasn’t that big. The both of them gazed around, not noticing the door behind them. They both stopped, their backs facing the door behind them. Umi still looked around with caution, hoping that nothing that would surprise her would come out. Even her hand was close to her belt with a Needler on it.
“If anyone’s down here...” Stranger said loud enough so that the Clakkers above and near the sewers heard him. There was a sudden silence, but hearing scraping footsteps on gravel come closer behind them. Then, the doors behind them slid open, revealing a regular Shooter minion, but had a spiked mask over its face, and held the same gun a Shooter would wield.
Put ‘em up where I can see ‘em ” Scuzz shouted, pressing his face against the butt of his weapon. Umi’s nerves kicked in, and she spun around with her Needler in her hand, pointing directly at the minion. Scuzz line of sight then switched over to Umi, pressing down harder on the trigger. “Hold it ” Stranger shouted, stepping in front of the both of them. “I didn’t come down ‘ere fer a gunfight. I’m here to talk to someone,” Stranger lowered his arms. Scuzz remained locked on Umi, but then lowered his rifle when Stranger wouldn’t move. “You’s Scuzz?” Stranger asked. “Yeah. You found me. Now, what d’ya want?” he asked rudely, sounding a little impatient. “I need’s te, get in to Junkyard ditch to bring down Packrat,” Stranger told. Scuzz’s lip curled up in to a malicious smile. “Packrat, huh? Well, to get that two-timin’ jackass, yer gonna need a password...” he began to look around in suspicion, cupping a hand on one side of his mouth. “...the password is...” and I’m sorry to say, that I can’t say the password to you, for the mature content and vulgar language used in one sentence. Poor old Umi couldn’t stand to even listen to the foul language that was put in to one sentence Stranger’s back leaned back, his face turned in to surprise. “Whoa. Did you just say...” and he repeated the password once more to get things straight. Scuzz wheezed a laugh. “Yeah, that’s it. Now go get that double-crossing asshole, and give him a punch fer me ” Scuzz turned back to his lair, and shut the doors. Stranger regained posture, smiling slightly and cracking the bones in his neck. “Wow. That was interestin’...” Stranger said to himself, then turned to Umi. The look on her face nearly made Stranger leap up on the rope, and scurry away from the sewers. Her face was ghost white, her jaw hanging lower to her chest, and her eyelid twitching under dilated pupils. She was shocked. Too shocked for words. The sound she only made was a ghastly exhale. It was obvious she has never heard such language packed in to one bite-sized sentence. She might’ve heard the basic words that only a sailor would use, but never what she just heard.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Stranger nearly gripped the rope, but controlled himself. She was making a sound, like she was trying to say something.
“H-how can you...use, such words...” Umi finally said, trying to sound perfectly clear. Stranger chuckled, rubbing her back so she’d be comforted. “Well, it’s what we outlaws speak of. Like our native language,” Stranger joked. Umi’s jaw clamped shut. “Oh, shut up...” Umi said like her regular self. He laughed this time, climbing back up the rope to Buzzarton. “Now...where’s Junkyard ditch?” he looked around the musty town, seeing two main roads turning up around the bend of a small canyon. He walked up to a Clakker with a cowboy hat on. “Pardon. You know where...Packrat Palooka is hidin’? Say’s he down in...Junkyard ditch,” Stranger spoke gruffly. The Clakker turned to him.
“Well, Junkyard ditch’s over ‘round that oil rig. When you pass that gate, yer in Junkyard ditch. Passed the security gate, and yer on Packrat’s turf,” the Clakker replied, and walked away without a word more to him. He turned right to see a small oil rig, bobbing up and down from the ground. He lobbed passed the oil rig, passing a glance to Eugene who was still near the gate. The Clakker waved to them, managing to shout a howdy as they sped passed him. The gate read a sign above that was unclear to read out. But they knew they were in Junkyard ditch. Up on a half-broken bridge was another gate, with a loud speaker above on a cement pole. There was a non-noticeable marker under their feet when they landed on the bridge, which alerted the outlaws inside that someone had come. The loudspeaker gave off a cringing feedback, and voices flowed out from the background. Then, a recognizable voice spoke loudly through the speaker.
“What’s the password?” a minion asked. Stranger smiled under the shadow of his hat, and stepped up.
“Yeah, I got’s a password fer you. It’s...pack...” and that’s when he repeated the entire sentence that Scuzz gave him, in one breath. Umi didn’t even had time to plug her ears when Stranger repeated the password. He fell silent when he finished the password, and nothing but bare silence came out of the speaker. Then, a wheezy laugh shot out. “Ahh, I love makin’ people say that C’mon in if yeh want. And try not to track dirt everywhere,” the gates opened mystically, summoning them in. Now, Umi wondered when the minion said not to track dirt everywhere, did it mean metaphorically...or literally? Because, all there was on Packrat’s turf was nothing but dirt, dust, and plain ole dirt. There were three rows of dead stalks, looking to be corn. In front of them were steps up to a hole with a metal slide, leading lower in to Packrat’s lair. Stranger looked down the hole, then back up to Umi.
“You ready?” he asked with a mischievous grin. Umi didn’t reply, but looked down lower in to the hole. He didn’t hesitate any longer, and scooped Umi up under the legs, and slid down the slide with only two feet balancing them. There was a slight drop at the end when they came to it. He lowered himself to the ground when he hit the dirt, then stood straight up. Umi’s arms were crossed over her chest, looking up to Stranger with no emotion at all.
“Are you done now?” Umi asked lowly. He chuckled, putting her on the ground and looking at the environment they were in. It was a junkyard, I can say, but not the typical junkyard you’d think of. Metal scraps shot right out of the ground as if they grew there. They were also created in to building-type heaps of scrap, like a bunker of some sort. Reeds grew commonly beside the scraps, and lower down the hill was a built-in gate, with a button below it to open it. Minions were also occupying the area of the junkyard, in one variety pack.
Two Nailer minions, three Shooter minions, and two Snipers, perched above the gate, trotted around with the most bored look on their faces. They hid in to the reeds, Stranger watching them closely as he unlocked his bow. Umi laid prone on the ground, also watching from Stranger’s feet. He grunted when he didn’t load anything on his bow, and lowered his arm to his side. Umi looked up to him, then stood up.
“What’s up?” Umi whispered. “I can’t do it. If I draw them Nailer’s attention to us...” Stranger whispered, not looking at Umi. She sighed irritatingly. “Well, use Stunks. That’ll get ‘em down,” Umi suggested. But she didn’t consider the small vicinity they were in, and that she could be prolonged to the stench of the Stunk, which would make her violently ill to the stomach. So, he only shook his head. “Well, what are we supposed to do!?” Umi said in a high whisper. He didn’t reply, but a frown stretched across his lips, as well as him baring his teeth accidentally. Umi grunted. “I’ll take care of this!” she reached in to his pouch of critters, and held a Stunk in her grip. She stamped out of the reeds, Stranger reaching for her arm. “Umi! Get yer ass back ‘ere!” he growled, but she didn’t comply. His nostrils flared, and his eyes glowed brighter, while his upper lip rolled up above his gums. He was NOT happy with her behavior, and he knew that she knew there was going to be only one thing after this: Tirade.
She continued towards the Nailers, while holding the Stunk behind her back. The critter gibbered fearfully, as she saw the Nailer’s eyes lock on to her. They whispered to each other, then their arms lifted up a little in to a defensive stance. She stopped meters away from the two Nailers, who were now approaching her, with arms behind her back secretly. When the Nailers were inches away from her feet, the corner of her eye sparkled, and she threw down the Stunk. The Nailer’s reaction to what the human did was dramatic. They stopped midway in their steps, and felt their stomachs react to the stench that flowed in to their nostrils. Umi took a step back, as the Nailers vomited on the ground. She smelled part of the Stunk’s smell waft towards her, but she covered her nose before it could really affect her. But the aroma and effects were temporarily. One Nailer regained control of itself, and raged towards Umi, one fist in the air and one tucked further out from its body.Umi only stood like nothing regrettable was going to happen. And she predicted well.
Fuzzles were launched out from the reeds, stamping on to the approaching Nailer and biting lower beneath its armor, and skin. He walked in front of Umi, still firing the Fuzzles outward towards the other outlaws standing still and watching him fire the biting fuzz balls. When he knew all of them were occupied with the Fuzzles, he spun to Umi, eyes flaring brightly.
“What the HELL is going on with yer head today, Umi ? You could’ve gotten killed, and I couldn’t of done anything about it ” Stranger raised his arms above his head, and continued his little rant. But he forgot one Nailer that was still retching from the Stunk. The Nailer raised its head from looking at the ground, and glared at Stranger’s back. He regained balance, and charged towards Stranger, with a fist high in the air. Umi ignored his tirade for one second, looking over his arm to see the Nailer, inching on closer to him. She gasped loudly, and screamed, “Stranger, look out ” But before he could stop and say, “Huh?” the Nailer knocked its spiked fist up in to Stranger’s skull, and knocked him senseless, and out cold. Umi felt very defenseless, and angry for the cheap shot the Nailer had served. But hey, whatever worked for the outlaws, they did it. The Nailer looked up from Stranger’s fallen body, and up to Umi, who had her arms away from her body, and eyes locked fearfully on the Nailer. It chuckled sinisterly, slamming its fist in to its palm. The Shooters behind it watched deviously, as the other Nailer also crept up behind it. She backed away, avoiding Stranger’s spread legs so she wouldn’t trip. But she tripped anyways, over a stuck-out piece of metal, falling directly on her back, and scooting away from the Nailer as well. But that didn’t last for long. The Nailer snatched up her legs, and dragged her away from the direction she was heading through. She dug her nails in to the parting soft dirt, making five long and thin trails from under her fingers. The Shooters and the two Snipers laughed evilly at the bounty hunter, helplessly laying out in the hot evening sun, and even at Umi’s attempt to stop the Nailer from dragging her away. But the only thing she could scream, before she was far enough away for no one to hear her, was: “STRANGER ”
Nerves in the back of his head began to react with the throbbing pain in the back of his head. His eyes opened to a blurry sight of the sun, creeping down below his lower eyelids. He groaned painfully, sitting up and holding his head to where the pain was. The memory of what happened didn’t occur to him, but what did was Umi shouting the warning, then total black. He sat for a while, then got up, searching around calmly. But when he didn’t find what he was looking for, he began to feel panic clenching to his chest. He whipped around, then saw the five trails of finger markings in the dirt, right by his boot. He knelt to the trail, feeling regret now, and sniffed the trail. He then looked down further to the trail, and his upper lip flared up to his gums. He slowly stood up, still looking down at the trail leading down and passed the gate that was open. The Sniper minions above the gate was gone as well. Then, he remembered Umi screaming, but faintly in his conscious.
“Don’t worry, Umi. I’ll come fer yeh. They won’t do anything to yeh. And if they did, I’ll kill them all...” he growled his vow to himself. “Nobody takes away my partner from me...” his lip relaxed down on his lip again. Then he looked around again, but more behind him, then put his hand over his head, only feeling his head of soft tan-brown hair. He sighed irritatingly. “And where the hell’s my hat...” he mumbled.
She was regaining consciousness, while she heard loud talking voices far right of her. She popped open her eyes, and saw one minion right of her arm, tapping in to a laptop connected to some weird generator in front of her. The minion looked over to the waking human, and gave a slight grin she felt most uncomfortable to.
“Hey boss! The human’s awake!” the minion shouted over its shoulder to someone else. And that someone else was the Outlaw in particular: Packrat Palooka. Packrat listened to his minion’s call, and turned over to the human, squinting with glowing red eyes. His pupils were a light orange, examinating all over the human to see if it was truly awake, then walked on over to her. He put his fists on his ribs, still looking at Umi with madly red eyes.
“Get up!” Packrat said in a most rudely tone Umi nearly growled to. She snapped her head up, looking wildly in to Packrat’s eyes, nearly about to stand up and smack the living shit out of him. But she did as she was told, lest not to begin something mad. She supported herself with the cement wall, leaning against it and locking her legs. Packrat was nearly as tall as her, but by a mere few feet. His face practically met up with hers, as he took one step closer. He pulled out a lighted cigar from his jowls, and puffed a ring of smoke around her face, that swept passed through her nostrils and eyes, making her gag and water. She wiped her eyes, and glared at Packrat.
“You won’t get away with this. I won’t let you,” Umi growled between her clenched teeth. Packrat stuffed his cigar back in to his mouth, and let out a laugh. “Oh will you?” he said, a little sarcastically. “Listen here, human. I’ve got you, and yer lil’ Bounty hunter friend can’t do shit ‘bout it, ‘cause he’s bakin’ out in the sun. Yer mine, and all I have to do to get rid of yeh is to send you off to Doc, and he’ll take care of yeh, permanently,” Packrat sneered devilishly. Umi didn’t make a gesture, but continued to glare deep in to his red-orange eyes. “Welcome to my world, missy. You damn lucky I’m in a good mood not to send yeh off to Doc right this time. I still have a few things to work out before I even THINK of lettin’ you go to Doc’s,” Packrat pulled his cigar again from his jaw, and tapped it so little pieces of ash fell below by his feet. Umi swallowed, but kept it invisible to Packrat that she was afraid. He then looked over to his minion. “Patch. Keep an eye on the human fer me, but don’t stop on that generator. That bounty hunter’s bound to show up any minute now,” he whispered it closely to the minion. It nodded, taking a glance at Umi, then went back to typing on the keypad of the laptop. Umi slid back down the wall, keeping in her tears from the outlaws around and biting her lip hardly to leave marks. She slumped down on the ground, looking around for something to mess around with. She felt something soft, but leathery touch her hand, and she recoiled her hand back, and then looked at it. It was Stranger’s hat, oddly that she could remember clenching on to it when she was being dragged away by the outlaw Nailers. She picked it up, examining the hat. Two holes she didn’t notice, were punched in to the back of his hat.
‘Probably for his ears...’ Umi thought, putting her finger through the hole and wiggling it. Then she put it overtop her head, and the hat drowned her head. She muffled something ,”Damn, he has a big head...” and pulled off the hat. Patch, the Shooter minion working on the laptop, looked over to Umi, which she hid her face behind the rim of the hat. He shrugged, and continued his work. Umi pulled down the hat, seeing the minion diverting his gaze back to the laptop’s screen. She set the hat back in to her lap, still looking at the faded brown of the leather that was soaked out from his head. She felt a tinge of regret zoom through her gut, thinking that if she hadn’t done what she done with the Nailers, none of this would’ve happened. But what was done was done. She clenched the hat again, and brought it up to her face, rubbing deeper in to it. A tear stained on to his hat, leaving a little circle of darker brown. Umi brought her face back up, her eyes bloodshot now.
‘I’m sorry...’ her mind wandered off from his hat. Regret now overcame all her thoughts, and she couldn’t even drop it. She got Stranger hurt, AND herself in to some deep trouble, and if she did anything else, results may vary in to something more worse. Umi took in a deep breath, erasing the regret from her mind, and settled down, hoping for the Bounty hunter to come and save her.
“Why does it always have to be like thi’...” Stranger grumbled, hiding in a large stock of reeds near a deep canyon drop down to shallow water. Minions were on the other side of the gorge, continuing to bring back up the bridge that Stranger kept attempting to bring down, which irritated the piss out of him. He saw Fuzzles, jumping around outside of the reeds. He scooped some up, and loaded them on to his bow on each side. He launched the Fuzzles all the way to the other side, and landing between the group of outlaws that looked down at the growling creatures. He could hear one curse loudly at him, and then murderous screams flew up. He took his chance again to lower the bridge with a Zapp fly aimed towards the main outlet that made the bridge operational. None of the outlaws had a chance to get to the button that brought up the bridge, and that is what made his job a little more easier. He brought down the minions while they screwed around with the sinister Fuzzles nipping at their heels. Well, it was easy and not so easy. The easy part was that he could knock them out while fighting the Fuzzles. The not-so-easy part was that they were running around like pansies, flailing their arms and screaming bloody murder, which making direct hits with his fists turned out to be misses. But, he managed them with no harm.Where he went to next was a challenge. He broke down a few rotten fences to get to a wide bend with two Shooter minions cowering back behind the bend. But what also came out were a new type of minion. They were similar to Shredders, but they didn’t wield shredders on their gloved knuckles. Oh hell no. On its hump-shaped back were piles among piles of explosive arsenal, and a little ringer clock on its left shoulder, with a string leading from the ringer to its hand. The clock made a buzzing noise instead of a ring, and as it got closer, the buzz would intensify, like it were a proximity mine.
The Shooters returned with reinforcements, acquiring the Suicide bombers. Three of them came along with the Shooters, their sharp baring teeth gleaming to Stranger. Then yelled something incoherently, and pulled the string to their timers, and ran like the devil was trying to kill them. I’m not kidding. These things were faster than the Speedy Gonzalos mouse that lived up for cheese. Even Stranger could believe these types of minions ran this fast. But he didn’t have time to concentrate on their speed. It was the type of damage he worried most about.
“Thud slugs should do the’r trick...” Stranger locked two Thud slugs on the bow, and aimed carefully at the first Suicide bomber coming for him. Then, the Thud slug launched right towards the minions screaming face, which it had stop jabbering loudly, and stared at the Thud slug that directly hit it between the eyes. The other Thud slug crashed in to the eye of the second minion, which its time bomb detonated when it hit the ground. The last one passed through the cloud of smoke and blood, its time bomb sparking with a red and green color. Stranger quickly reloaded his bow with Stingbees this time, firing right when it latched on to the launcher. The Suicide bomber recoiled with the impacts of the Stingbees, its face nearly covered with little stingers when the Stingbees ran out on his bow.Luckily for him, the minion didn’t have energy enough to run to Stranger, and fell completely dead, blood leaking out of its mouth. The time bomb continued, but didn’t detonate. The Shooters behind cowered in fear of the fallen Suicide bombers, and ran back behind the bend. Stranger bountied the minions up, and followed the minions to their hideaway, knocking them out with his bare fists. He bountied the minions up, then looked up to see a platform with a rope dangling to his level, leap over a tall metal wired fence, and drop down to the other side, where he could see cement poles sticking up with more metal wired fencing around it. He could also see some type of generator top overseeing the fences. He grew suspicious, and climbed up the rope and over the fence, thinking only of two things: Was Packrat over on that side, holding Umi for ransom, and was she still alive?
Umi heard a while ago, screams, further away from her region. She snapped her head up, listening hard to see if Stranger had made it out.
“God damn it. Patch! Have yeh got the generators workin’ yet!?” Packrat shouted turning around to the minion. Patch cringed to Packrat’s shout, but turned to him.
“Not yet, boss. But it’s gettin’ there,” Patch said wearily. Packrat growled. “We don’t have time! That mangy bounty hunter’s gettin’ close, and I need to cash in that damn human!” Packrat flailed his arms up. Patch nodded at Packrat, turning back around to the laptop and tapping hardly on the keypad. Umi slumped back down, hiding half of her face behind Stranger’s hat again but eyeing Packrat’s back as he turned around and watched carefully for Stranger. Umi lifted her head back up above the hat, watching for his arrival as well.
Stranger jumped down from the platform and ran up a slope, leading to the fencing he saw. The fencing was the entrance to his main priority that he just saw on top of a cement stage. Packrat Palooka.
Packrat squinted to the tall object standing out and entering the fence area. His eyes opened wider, and turned back to Patch.
“GOD DAMN IT, BOY! D’YOU HAVE IT UP NOW!?” Packrat nearly screamed. The minion’s body leaned a little more to the laptop, then slammed down on one key. He smiled brightly, and turned to Packrat.
“I got’s good news boss. The computer is now online to the generators, and fully functional,” Patch pointed to the screen of the laptop. Packrat’s lip then curved up happily. “Alright! Now I can activate the power supply to activate my shields from the generators!” Packrat shouted happily. Stranger heard every word Packrat said, as he approached closer to his feet.
“Not so fast, Palooka. I’m a, takin’ yer ass in. Dead ‘r alive,” Stranger’s stained teeth bared largely at the Outlaw. Packrat looked at Stranger for a moment, then ran back to the laptop, shoving Patch away and slamming down on the enter key. Electricity surged through the wires attached through the laptop and to the generators. The generators hummed to life, electricity shocking out of the metal rods, and formed a purple near-holographic dome over Packrat Palooka. He turned back to Stranger, chuckling sinisterly with neon red-orange eyes. “I don’t think so, ya pansy! Just see if you can get to me now!” Packrat gloated, and laughing hardly up in to the air. Stranger growled at what Packrat has done. “There’s no way I can get through that shield...” Stranger said to himself over the hums of two generators. He saw Packrat holstering what looked like a mortar cannon and held a rocket launcher in his hands as well. ‘Oh damn...’ Stranger frowned. “It’s yer day of reckoning, Stranger! You ain’t gonna get outta here alive!” Packrat cackled, then shot all of his artillery at him. Stranger ran back, far away from the range of the rocket’s explosions that impacted the ground before him, leaving meteor-sized craters in front of him. Umi shot up, looking at Stranger helplessly.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll help you...’ Umi began to look around to at least knock out Packrat with. But they stripped her clean of weapons, and there wasn’t anything strong and hard enough to hit the Outlaw with. Then, she darted her gaze to the laptop...
“That’s it!” Umi said to herself, and lunged towards the laptop. She typed in a bunch of letters and numbers, hoping it would override the generators. Well, she did hear the hums lowering and going back up like a power failure. When Packrat saw his shields flicker dim, he looked back, seeing the human messing around with the laptop. He growled angrily, stomping back to the human, his fingers writhing in hatred. Stranger noticed the rockets stop falling, and looked back up the stage to see Packrat attacking Umi.
“No...” he growled, beginning to sprint towards the stage. Umi, wrestling back with Packrat’s strong arms, heard Stranger do a loud roar, and then leap up on the stage, scrambling up from the edge. He stomped towards Packrat, and then grabbed one of his arms that was about to slam Umi in the face. Packrat felt his arm being held back by a stronger force, and looked back to Stranger’s very bright green eyes. He could definitely tell the bounty hunter was pissed off to high heaven.
“Don’t you dare, even lay one hand, on my partner...” Stranger growled in to Packrat’s ear, and slung him away from Umi, and down the stage. He leaped off with Packrat, him scrambling up to his feet. He scraped off the mortar cannon on his back, and dropped his rocket launcher. He was ready to fist-fight. Stranger drew his fist near his face, and made the first move, by throwing his fist by Packrat’s face. But the Outlaw dodged his attack, and went straight for his face as well. Stranger dropped down on to his hands backwards, and forced his boots in to Packrat’s gut, pushing him closer to an electricity field near the generator. Packrat held down his ground by digging his heels in to the dirt to stop him from going any further, and charged back with a fist in the air. He brought it to Stranger’s chin, which made a pop sound, but Stranger looked back to Packrat with a little smile. Packrat leaped away from Stranger, and tried to do another attack, while Stranger began to lope on his four limbs towards Packrat. Both had faces of confidence, but Stranger came out with the bigger advantage. His skull slammed right in to the middle of Packrat’s stomach, the weakest and most softest part of anyone’s body. He could hear the air inside Packrat’s lungs wheeze out through his throat, and he was pushed back further, closer than ever to the electric field of the generator. Packrat regained his control, looking over to see his rocket launcher within reach to him. Umi, who was looking over the edge of the stage, saw Packrat reaching for the rocket launcher. She gasped, and dropped down from the stage, and in front of Stranger and Packrat.
“That ain’t fair!” Umi screamed to Packrat, but he didn’t care. What wasn’t fair was cool with him. “Fine. Then I guess you go with the Bounty hunter as well!” Packrat threatened, holstering the launcher on his shoulder. Umi’s eyes widened, and tackled Packrat down, making him release the launcher. Stranger gasped, watching Umi wrestle Packrat, but that didn’t make him gasp. The fact is that they were too close to the generator, with it’s electric sparking.
“Umi! STOP!” Stranger roared, running over to them. Packrat then held down Umi by the arms, chuckling maliciously in her face, and his body over hers. “This time, you won’t be shipped to Doc. ‘Cause I’m a kill you myself,” Packrat literally pressed his face to hers. Umi’s eyes glared hardly in to Packrat’s, she digging her legs under his gut.
“I don’t think so,” Umi sneered back, and used every strand of energy and muscle in her legs to push off Packrat in to the generator behind them. Stranger pulled off Umi from the ground, watching Packrat in the live wires, zapping him to death. His eyes were still locked on Umi, while being electrocuted to death. Umi clenched hardly to Stranger’s poncho, continuing to watch Packrat slowly dying. The generators gave off a loud whine, then shut down. Packrat was still looking at them, but he really wasn’t alive. His eyes were a faded dark red and his pupils disappeared. His body smoked and smelled of something disgusting, like fried flesh. She could feel tears run under her eyelids, as she settled to the ground. Stranger gave off a loud but comforted sigh. She was happy that he came for her, and he knew it well. Stranger ran his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She didn’t hesitate, but could feel hot tears run down her cheeks. Stranger bent down in front of Umi, he locking on to Umi’s eyes.
“It’s ok now, Umi. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Stranger said comfortingly in a soothing purr. But she only shook her head.
“No. It’s not that,” she took in a deep quivering breath. “It’s all my fault this happened,” Umi cried harder. Stranger felt sympathetic to what she said. “No it’s not,” Stranger picked Umi up like a child, and embraced her. “It’s not yer fault...It ain’t nobody’s fault,” Stranger nuzzled his snout in to Umi’s hair. She hugged around Stranger’s neck, continuing to sob in to his shoulder. She felt that moment was more tighter than expected, but she savored it for a long time. When she felt she was done with her crying, she pushed gently off of Stranger’s chest, and he let her down. She wiped her eyes, looking at Packrat’s glaring dead eyes still locked on to her. She felt a little uncomfortable with the dead eyes still staring at her. But Stranger bountied him up before she could say otherwise. Her eyes were red of tears, and her face was steaming hot from the tears. She just wanted to splash some ice cold water all over her face when she got back to town. They climbed back up to the stage, Umi running away from Stranger’s side, and picking up his hat. She reached on tiptoe to put his hat on his head, and then relaxed. He chuckled, straightening his hat to the more comfortable position on his head, and picked Umi up again under the legs. “Lil’ rascal...” Stranger said in a playful type purr. “Why does it always seem at the end of each bounty, you carry me back to town?” Umi asked, slinging her arm around his neck. He only shrugged, but did a peck on Umi’s forehead, and began to walk down the tunnel in front of them. Nothing made Umi feel better but having a stranger around to take care of...

GASP!
 

Will Umi get pounded to a bloody pulp? Will Stranger ever get around to yelling at her? Tune in next time!

Well I will be... :D Amusin' chapter Darky! :D

There's a lil' more, but I think I'll be done today, so I'll quit posting lil' part, 'ight, Lobo? :D Got's to go get ready fer school. Laterz!

Umi

Heeeee!
 

:lol: That made me laugh. Even in that sort of situation he asks where his hat is...where is it by the way? :D Nice liddle bit you added there, I likes it. I wouldn't want to be those bad guys when Stranger gets a hold of 'em. :evil: Anyway, enjoy school. :evil:

:lol: AND YOU PUT A SINISTER LOOK AT THE END OF "Have fun at school"!? THAT MAKES ME SAD! :lol: Eh, I will. School be short, it is. Laterz.

LOL!
 

:lol: Well, I go back to college tomorrow so I can be a little evil can't I? :evil: And it wasn't sinister, it was just an evil grin. :D :D :D And a word from the old (and not so wise) enjoy school, seriously. But I wouldn't say they're the best part of life coz I enjoy college too. Anyway, have fun! :D

All done! There yeh go, Lobo, and enjoy! (Fer a second there, I had gtten meself worried there fer a second 'cause I cut the WHOLE entire part of my chapter, and it disappeared. But I didn't forget the redo keys...That saved me a WHOLE lott'a grief. I even cried when that happened...) O.O

GUSHINESS!
 

C'mon, say it with me peeps, ready? ...Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... that was just too cute. I'd say more but it's like 11:05pm, so well done and look forward ter more! :D

I told yeh in the PM's. It was total fluffiness! :fuzgrin: Well, I'll start another tomorrow, and I'm waitin' fer more from you, Lobo. I did my part of the deal. (kiddin'. You did yer part already)

Here's some of the goodness that's comin' up. Stay tuned fer the rest of this chapter.

SURGERY, LIES, AND OUTLAWS--The hunt for 20,000$ (cont.)

Eugene, back near the Mongo gate, was very excited to see Stranger return with his laptop. He thanked Stranger nearly one hundred times, then got to work on the gate. Stranger then let down Umi at the head of the Bounty store, and entered on in. The clerk adverted its gaze at a buzzing fly overhead, and leaned over the counter to Stranger. He gave the clerk the poster, and the clerk looked happily up to Stranger.
“Well, that squares us up!” the clerk said, giving the poster back to Stranger, then put its feathery arm under the counter. “There’s thins other thang you might want’a take a peep at, yep,” it threw another poster to Stranger, but not a regular bounty Umi saw. It was more of a horse-looking beast, with curling horns spiraling out of its head and long sharp fangs reaching up and down from its gums. Stranger looked at the bounty information on a Steef head. He looked back up to the clerk.
“What’s it pay?” he asked, his arms keeping at his side. Umi looked up at the counter, slipping the poster closer to her. “Well, tell yeh what! Let’s give ‘im a buzz, ‘n find out,” it pulled up this time a two-piece phone, and began to type in a number with pin-like keys, and held up the earpiece to its head. All three of them heard a low voice answer the clerk’s call and greet him. “Hey, uh. Hello, uh Mr. Sekto?” the voice replied in a affirmative tone. “Yeah, this is Buzzarton Bounty store. I got a bounty hunter here, and wants to have a word with yeh,” the voice agreed, and the clerk looked up to Stranger, his teeth baring in a slight threatening way. “Alright! H-here yeh go,” the clerk slid the earpiece and phone to Stranger. He looked at it hesitatingly, but gripped on the earpiece, and slowly put it to his ear.
“Sekto,” the person spoke his name, in a real deep tone. Deeper than Stranger’s and made Stranger pull the earpiece away from his ear a little. “What’s your business?” it asked.
“I hear yeh...payin’ out fer a, Steef head,” Stranger spoke. “You’re telling me you have a Steef head?” Sekto asked with a little hope, but no emotion. Stranger didn’t reply for a moment. “Maybe I know’s where the, find one...” he pulled out his operation bill up to him. “...fer twenty grand,” “Better be fresh for twenty grand,” Sekto said agreeing with Stranger’s proposition. “...So when I bag one...where do I, find you?” Stranger then glared in to the phone’s speaker place. “Easy. I own the Mongo River. You’ll find my office, at Sekto Springs Dam,” he replied. “...I’m always, here,” Stranger kept quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say to Sekto’s comment. “Well that’s...good to know...” Stranger’s voice died away from the speaker, rubbing his fingers together on the earpiece, and hung the earpiece up on the hook. His lip was up in a confused state, picking up the poster Umi was looking at, and gazed over the bounty once more. Then, he gave a fearful growl, his lip quivering down and his lower jaw baring slightly. Umi looked up to Stranger with a confused brow up high.
“Somethin’ wrong, Stranger?” Umi asked, patting his arm. He didn’t answer to her, but continue to look at the poster. She looked at the corner of his eye, seeing something that he was hiding...But what. “Are you...hiding something from me?” Umi asked, with a suspicious eye on him. Stranger diverted his look down to Umi, not saying a word to her. “It’s strange...the Doc’s office, me not treating yer foot...and now this. There’s something wrong, isn’t there?” Umi asked more. Stranger wished she could stop asking, and he also felt horrible to lie to her, but his secret couldn’t be told.
“No. I’m not,” Stranger said calmly, showing no hint of him lying. Umi kept her eye on him for moments. “Are you sure? You’re not lying to me?” Umi asked once more. “No, I’m not lying to you,” Stranger said a little more firmly. Umi stared at him once more, then relaxed her face. “Ok then,” Umi smiled.
‘I can’t believe I just did that...,’ Stranger thought regretfully, but gave a sly smile.
Rubbing his chin deviously and curiously, under his large suit, glowed his very golden eyes, looking up at a mounted head that looked exactly of a Steef. In fact, the whole top of his office was mounted with Steef heads, their jaws wide open, baring sharp teeth and their blood-red eyes open in fury.
Sekto looked back to his phone he had just got off from the Clakker in Buzzarton, and tapped in another number, awaiting the call to be answered. It was answered by a gruff hello, and then a brief silence.
“It’s Sekto,” he replied through the triple speakers on his phone.
“Sekto! Big boss o’ the river. What we do fer yeh?” the Outlaw greeted. “A bounty hunter in Buzzarton, says he can bag me, a Steef head,” he raised a fist up to his face, then lowered. “There ain’t no Steef ‘round here,” the Outlaw replied truthfully. “If there is, he is twenty grand richer,” Sekto spoke. “unless, you can get it, for yourself,” he said persuadingly, then hung up on the Outlaw.
D. Caste Raider, the Outlaw that had answered to Sekto’s call, hung the earpiece up as well, looking down at the dusty floor of his hideout.
“Bounty hunter, in Buzzarton?...” his voice trailed off, thinking hardly. Then, rubbed his chin, and looked over to an open door full of minions of his own. “Lock an’ load, boys! We got some huntin’ to do!” he yelled through the door, then back up front, chuckling to himself and having a grin of pure evil. “Yeah...” he darted his eyes around, then got up, slinging his spiked hammer around his shoulder, and calling his men to follow up.
“Where we goin’ huntin’, boss?” a minion asked. “We ain’t goin’ huntin’ yet. We got one stop to make, ‘fore we go huntin’ fer real,” D. Caste replied, following down the hill from his hideout. ‘Oh yeah...That bounty hunter gonna get it now...’ he chuckled once more.
The clerk ruffled his feathers, then looked back to Stranger and Umi.
“Well, I ain’t got no more bounties. But the Mongo river gate’s open now, so you can head on through, down to the Mongo river,” the clerk announced.
“Mongo valley, huh?...Maybe we’ll get lucky ‘n, find a Steef as we go,” Stranger said, and turned to the door. The clerk waved good-bye, thanking that he didn’t have to be bothered by that bag of fur once more. They ran (well...Stranger once again, carried Umi) to the gate Eugene was at, he having his laptop rested on the dirt. He looked at Stranger approaching, and gave a big smile.
“Welcome back! I’ve managed to fix the gate for you, so head on in! But be careful. Them chasms are easy ambush points,” Eugene said happily. “So...that’s it?” Stranger asked. “I’m afraid that’s all to it, Stranger. It was nice meetin’ you guys, ‘specially you, human. Never seen one in all my life and time of research,” Eugene nodded to Umi. She felt a little heartbroken that such a Clakker with respect they had to leave behind. “Well, as you go, an adventure will come to you two. Don’t let it go just by standin’ here,” Eugene said. Stranger nodded to the Clakker’s phrase, and ran on through the gate. Umi shouted good-bye, as the gate slammed shut, locking down so they would never be able to return. Stranger could sense Umi’s bit of sadness, and patted her leg.
“I bet we’ll see ‘im again,” Stranger said reassuringly. Umi smiled down from his shoulders, then looked back forward. The tunnel didn’t seem like it was made by hand. Rock icicle formations hung down over their heads. Mushrooms with luminescent light lit the tunnel walls up with a bluish-white color. The tunnel led out to practically a cave, which was lit up with a faint color of fire, and the smell of smoke, and the clamor of metal pots and pans. Stranger stopped near a broken down tree trunk laying overtop a tall rock sticking out of the ground. Umi jumped off his shoulders, and followed him to a tall rock, peering over to see what the noise was.
Three outlaws, two Shooters and a Semi-auto, jumbled around with pots over a roaring fire. They laughed and yelled at one another, putting food items in to the pots. Even an open fire with a plucked Clakker was over a spit. Stranger grinned happily, thinking he’d be getting a bonus when he captured these outlaws. But not alive.
He loaded up one Boom-bat on his bow, which gibbered loudly in a goofy tone. He aimed at the main pot, a pressure cooker of some sort, and waited. Then, he shot the Boom-bat over to the cooker, and saw the outlaws jumped in surprise. The Boom-bat’s greenish-red eyes looked at all the outlaws before going ka-boom. The pressure cooker was under a lot of pressure, obviously, and exploded in to shards of sharp metal, sticking in to the already-dead minions. Stranger and Umi kept behind the rock they were at, waiting for the silence to come. When they walked out from behind the rock, the outlaws looked in pretty bad shape. Their limbs bleeding terribly, big chunks of metallic shards stuck out of their skin, even a forelimb was cut off from one of the Shooters.
“Damn, that was a big boom,” Stranger smiled, looking down to Umi. She rolled her eyes, not even looking at him. He chuckled, ruffling up her hair, and walked up to the fallen outlaws, bountying them one by one. He turned back to Umi, but she was ready to follow. She jumped back up to Stranger’s back, clinging her arms around his neck.
“You know...when will my legs be healed enough to run again?” Umi said. Stranger let out a laugh. “Whenever I say’s so,” Stranger replied, but she wasn’t waiting for a reply. The cave led down to a small cutoff in to a smaller cave, with a waterfall crashing down in to a small pool of water. Mist from the waterfall scattered in to the air, sprinkling over their hot faces. It felt good for one thing, but what made Umi change her mind was when they had to cross over a man-made, or in this case, thing-made cross-over rope, to another ledge leading up nearly above the waterfall. She was clinging, for her life, around Stranger’s belly, as he crossed over. The drop was steep, and she didn’t want to afford to take a dip, not this time. But Stranger, with his grin of mischievousness staring down at Umi, attempted to just scare her a little, until she scolded him. He though her scolding him was kinda cute.
“Don’t you dare drop me, Stranger. Or God help you, if I survive...” Umi threatened. “Who is this...God person?” Stranger chuckled while asking. Umi was now hanging at his leg, partially hugging his boot. “Drop me, and I’ll show you,” Umi growled loudly. Stranger let out a laugh, shaking his leg a little, which made Umi slide more down his leg to his tip of his boot, she losing her grip. “Stranger...Stranger! God damn it, if you drop me...” Umi let out a slight whine, looking down at the deep drop to the pool of water. Her fingertips were scratching down his boot, then she just...slipped. She began to scream, but Stranger caught her arm before she could get out of reach. She panted heavily, her hair stooping over her face, and her cheeks a flushed red with all the rest of her face. She snapped her head up to Stranger, him having an iron grip on her wrist, and him smiling at his corners. “You’re damn lucky you didn’t drop me...” Umi spoke evilly. Stranger laughed again, pulling Umi back up on to his shoulders. He swung his legs, and pushed himself off the rope and on the ledge before them. Umi brushed away the hair sticking to her sweaty face, and wiped off the sweat dripping off her temples. They continued up to another tunnel winding around with torches stuck on the walls. Someone had already been here. They heard birds, chirping loudly on perched tree branches, but also yelling and shouting of outlaws. They quickened their pace to the end of the leading tunnel. And the lip of the tunnel opened up to what would be their next part of their journey...

Naughty, Naughty
 

Oooooh, here we go... I predict that Umi will do her nut when she finds out about Stranger, good grief, she scream herself hoarse won't she... Gee, I pity Stranger...the girl is gonna kill him... Hurry up with the next bit!!! It's drivin' me crazy! :D

And there's the ending part to the chapter. The next one will be a while, but enjoy it as long as you can.

THICKETS, MASKS, AND TREACHERY–The shadow of the Steef

The exit of the tunnel led out to a dense forest, covered in thick grasses and towering covering overhead trees. A dirt trail was made by something that cut down the bushes along the path. That’s where suspicion arose, even when they heard distant yelling above the canopy of the trees. Stranger unlocked his bow, but didn’t load anything on it, and walked slowly down the path, watching above where the voices came from. Umi also held down her Needler, just in case for emergencies. That’s why she planned on sticking a sticker like it on the side of her gun, so she would be able to use it more. But anyways, as they left off the slope heading down towards the main path, the voices were getting louder. What caught Umi’s attention off-guard was the series of gigantic boulders stuck out of the dirt, and had strange paintings on them. One of them shaped as little fish-head type things, scattering away from a creature with many legs, stretching out to waves that appeared to be water. Umi visualized the Grubbs, and the dried-out Mongo river, but then looked ahead when Stranger snapped her out of her daydream.
“There’s Snipers, above in the trees,” Stranger said in a low purr. Umi nodded, looking high at the branches of the trees. Then they heard an outlaw scream to others further out in the forest:
“Turn on yer infrared’s, boys! They’re hidin’ in the bushes!” Stranger sighed a deep growl, pressing himself and Umi against a wide tree, and hoping that none of the outlaws saw them. But, unfortunately, they did. A stream of red smoke zipped passed the tree trunk they hid behind. Stranger murmured a curse to himself. “They can see us through the grass...” Stranger said, which was more than obvious to Umi. He peeked his head over the trunk’s thick bark, seeing a faint glimmer of the Sniper’s red goggles, and the sparks of green-red from his lit sniper rifle. Stranger pulled his arm around the tree, zooming in on his snooper, and clenched the trigger with one finger. His crosseirs (or whatever those aiming things are called) crossed over directly on the minions head, and pulled the trigger. A speeding Snuzi dart shot out from under his main bow, and stuck through the minion’s head. The Sniper outlaw didn’t make a sound when that dart struck straight through its head. But the others heard the crashing of the outlaws’ corpse falling down below the canopy.
“He’s close-by, men! Get ready!” they could hear a distant minion shout across the forest. Stranger and Umi passed by the dead outlaws’ corpse, and saw another stream of red smoke whiz by their eyes. Stranger pulled Umi and himself behind a thinner tree by the outlaws’ post. He could see barely the shine off the minions’ shiny orange vest, on top of a near-broken down water tower. Umi saw another of the painted rocks, but this time, seeing a creature with stubby horns, shining over a hilltop, and the Grubbs praising the creature. She wondered what all these engravement paintings meant. The dreams of the Grubbs, or the legends they spoke of were coming true? Another outlaw scream fell down, and made a cool splash in to a pond of water. They could hear one more Sniper, muttering loudly to itself, and screaming out for the bounty hunter to make his move. Stranger did, running down the splitting path right to where the yelling outlaw was. Stranger held Umi down behind a thick tree, and climbed up it, like a cat would. He jumped up on one of the thick branches able enough to support his heavy weight. Then, gracefully leaped on to branches, closer to the minion watching around on the forest floor. But it didn’t notice that Stranger was now exactly above its head. He moved his arm down slowly to the minions’ collar of its vest. But this was unexpected.
The branch Stranger was holding made a tiny snap. The minion became alert, and spun around, holding its rifle up to the spot where Stranger was. Where Stranger was. What I’m getting to, was that Stranger was nowhere to be found when the minion spun around. He was still above the minion, but a little more camouflaged behind the thick leaves of the canopy roof. The minion relaxed its arm, lowering its rifle, but still looking up. Umi could see that he was in a bit of a pickle, a dilemma, some trouble, in other words. She scooted back far enough for the Sniper not to see her, and that the needles she planned on using, would home in on it. She knelt down so she could get a clearer view of the minion, and muffled the Needler’s fire, as the pink crystalline needles flurried out of the ammo chamber, and out in to the mildly cool forest. The needles didn’t make a sound as they danced nearer to the minion still gazing up to where Stranger was. But it did feel the little pricks of the needles sticking in to its skin, and popping like pop rocks. But they didn’t pop like pop rocks when ten to a thousand of them stuck in to its back, and exploded like a time bomb, in to a spray of pink dust and red blood. Stranger saw the minion, up and close, explode in to nothing but meat chunks and blood, on its post in the tree. Stranger sighed, and crawled down from the tree, looking at Umi reloading her Needler cartridges. Stranger gave her a slight frown, as she strapped her weapon back on her belt. She looked up to him, a small splatter of blood sprayed across his nose. She swallowed heavily, but began to look innocent.
“What? What did I do?” Umi leaned back from Stranger. He only shook his head, and wiped off the blood with his arm. Umi rolled her eyes, and ran up by Stranger. “Seriously, what did I do?” Umi continued to ask, but Stranger didn’t reply. Umi sighed heavily, giving up all hope to get an answer out of him. She looked left of her shoulder, to see what looked like a run-down facility docked by the pond of water. A metallic dock lifted up over the water with rusted arms supporting the dock. She then looked back forward, to see yet, another painted rock ahead of them. She was fascinated with this one. The creature with many legs and the creature with the horns, and what looked like four legs, circled around each other, looking to be a combat scene, with the Grubbs far below, cheering towards the creature with four legs. She nodded to this one this time, as they passed by it. The path now narrowed down in to a small but narrow canyon, darkened by the rocky roof overshadowing it. Stranger grinned, and stopped themselves.
“You ready?” Stranger hunched down, and Umi followed his procedure. She climbed up on to his back, and then he began to run, loping on his four limbs, down the sloping tunnel, and in to the darkness. The tunnel was lit up with the glowing luminescent mushrooms, shining a white more than a blue. The wind pushing against her face seemed to increase with every lope Stranger did. He could run pretty fast.
Light increased at the end of the canyon, ahead of them turned in to boarded planks. Outside of the elevator shaft was a large town with a towering egg-shaped water tower overshadowing the entire town. There was a greeting sign with a mechanical Clakker waving a rickety arm: Welcome. You are in New Yolk City. But that didn’t catch Stranger’s fancy, but the purple sign literally in front of the elevator shaft. Doc’s big head and tall ripped top hat was on the sign, along with the golden words written on it: Doc’s Mongo retreat office. Located on the Mongo river.
Stranger sighed in disappointment towards the sign. “I’m gonna need a lot more moolah fer that, surgery. Best grab some, fresh bounties while we down here,” Stranger stepped at the edge of the elevator shaft, and Umi stopping beside him. She gazed at the town ahead of them, then nodding up to Stranger.
“Well’p, let’s get goin’! I’m dyin’ fer s’more action, rather than those pathetic outlaw in the forest,” Umi said with some pride in her voice, and took a step forward. Now, what the funny part is that Umi didn’t notice the steep drop down to the grass. What the more funny part is that Stranger just let her go without warning her. He knelt by the edge , and chuckled.
“Watch yer step,” Stranger giggled lowly, and jumped down beside Umi. She was face down, eagle-spread, and mumbling deliberate curses that Stranger could slightly hear. She lifted her head off the dirt, spitting grass and dirt out of her mouth, and kept knelt, wiping off the fresh dirt on her vest. She glared up at Stranger.
“That wasn’t very nice,” Umi growled. Stranger chuckled, lifting her off the ground and wiped off a speck of dirt on her face. “Well, I thought it was funny. Didn’t you?” he knew the answer that was going to come. But she only scoffed, and walked on the bricked path that led deeper in to New Yolk city. The Clakkers around saw the new arrivals coming in to town, and gave them a stare for a greeting. Stranger led themselves to the Bounty store, which was right in the middle of town, on the far right. He parted the swinging doors for both of them, and walked up to the clerk. It watched the bounty hunters come closer to the counter, Stranger leaning against the counter, and waiting for the clerk to pull up some bounties.
“Welcome to New Yolk city, guys! I bet yer waitin’ fer some bounties huh? Well, I got some, but you can go only fer one this round,” the clerk brought up a poster with the bounty info typed poorly on it. Stranger gazed over the information, then looked back to the clerk.
“Flint X’plosives McGee?” Stranger raised a brow. The clerk nodded. “Yup. He’s held up at the old cart tracks. Ask ‘round town fer more help on findin’ ‘im, ‘cause I ain’t got shit on the path to this bounty,” the clerk shrugged to them. Stranger nodded, and stuffed the poster in to his poncho, leaving the Bounty store with Umi following behind. Their first bounty, in their last destination...

YAY!
 

That also was excellent but the suspense is killin' me, an I'm going out later so I won't be about, hopefully the last couple of chapters'll tide you over until tomorrow. :D

Shinot...I fergot's some parts in the last chapter of SURGERY, LIES, AND OUTLAWS--The hunt for 20,000$. Well, I'll scoop up on that part, and gives it to yeh...Sorry fer the misplace...It's gonna be a lil' confusin'...


The clerk waved good-bye, thanking that he didn’t have to be bothered by that bag of fur once more. And as they walked out, Umi saw on a trading cart, the most beautifullest thing she's ever seen. A light-blue scarf with little black patterns of different shaded dragons. She gasped in deeply, and ran up to the cart, picking off the scarf. The female Clakker running the cart looked to the human with an eye squinted in interest.
"You like, huh, huamn?" the Clakker said sweetly. Umi looked to the Clakker, with a great smile upon her face.
"Yes, I do," Umi pulled her cupped hand under the scarf. Stranger walked up behind Umi, seeing her enjoy the scarf much. She turned to Stranger, showing him the scarf. "I...used to have something like this, but it was a bandana. I still have it..." Umi reached in to her breast pocket on her vest, and tugged out a blue bandana. Stranger frowned at the cloth, with all its torn holes, blue-purple blood stains, even some red blood stains, and it was so tattered, the wind blowing on it, it didn't even sway. Stranger nodded to Umi slightly, and walked up to the Clakker.
"How much fer it?" Stranger asked. The Clakker looked up to Stranger, smiling with its beaky lips. "Well...fer you guys takin' out all them outlaws...I'll make it..." she dazed off, thinking of a reasonable bargain price. "...10 moolah," she snapped her feathery fingers. Stranger smiled, and slapped down the money amount on the cart. "Deal! It's all yers, lil' fellah," the Clakker smiled back to Umi. She had her mouth open, shocked to say words. Stranger only grinned.
"T-thank you, Stranger. But...why?" He shrugged.
"Fer bein' a good partner. You've deserved it," he put his heavy hand on her shoulder heavily. Umi looked back down at the scarf, then jumped and embraced Stranger around the waist. He stood in surprise, but put his arms around her. She pushed off of him, and took the scarf under her hair, and pulled it up in to a bond with the scarf. She then tied it up and made a ponytail with her new scarf, with little strands of hair stringing down her face. Two long strands of th scarf hung down near mid-back. He was happy to see her hair out of her face for once.
"Thanks, buddy," Umi smiled up to him. He olny nodded, softly pulling the ponytail from head to tip. "You look nice, with no hair in yer face," Stranger commented, which she put the strands of hair hanging in front of her face behind her ears. "Well, lets get goin'. Them outlaws down in Mongo valley ain't gonna wait fer us all day," Umi nodded.




And there you have's it.

Hiya!
 

Nice piece, although you might as well edit the orginal post and add this bit...might make it less confusin'. But yeh, I like it. :D

Ain't lettin' me put the part in exactly where it belongs...Damn..

THICKETS, MASKS, AND TREACHERY--The shadow of the Steef


Remembering what the Clakker said back in the Bounty store, Stranger and Umi wandered around the town of New Yolk City, finding Clakkers to see if they could help them find their Outlaw. Most of them denied Stranger of his plea, saying rude comments behind his back as they waltzed away from him. He just kept a minimum grudge on them until he got back from his mission, that is, IF they’re going to get to their mission.
“This, is, ridiculous! None of these guys’ll help a Bounty hunter and a human!” Umi frowned. Stranger couldn’t agree more, but one of the townsfolk should know where McGee should be. He thought of one more option to ask the Clakkers, then he’d be going on his own to find McGee by himself. He spotted one lonely, but elderly female Clakker, rocking back in a rocking chair on a front porch of a small house by the General store. He had some doubt in his mind that the Clakker wouldn’t of know where the Outlaw was, but he gave it a shot. He walked up to the Clakker, it having its head down with its spectacles slipping down its wrinkly beak. It pushed back its glasses up to its nose and its head, seeing the stranger come closer to it. It didn’t show any surprise in its old, but sparkling olive-green eyes, but gave a wrinkled toothless smile to the strangers.
“‘Scuse me. I, don’t mean to be botherin’ yeh toady, but...”
“Well, hello thar, sonny. What may you want from me?” the elderly Clakker said with a witchy voice, but having somewhat of life in it. Stranger’s lip drooped slightly, but shook his mane of hair under his hat, and repeated again. “I’m lookin’ fer a bounty, goes by the name of X’plosives McGee. You, know where he could be found?” Stranger asked in his most calmest voice Umi has ever heard. She even gave a slight smile when he continued to talk in his manner. The Clakker looked at him awkwardly, her beak frowning lower with every second they breathed. Stranger’s impatients grew, as the Clakker wasted more and more of their precious time with no answer. Umi could see his eyes actually growing brighter. The Clakker looked over to Umi, its eyes now grown wider with surprise. “Well, now! If it ain’t the human! I heard that news all the way from Gizzard Gulch! Why you with this...Bounty hunter?” it asked, looking back to Stranger, and now he had a teeth-baring grin, and his lower eyelid twitching madly. Umi touched his arm, him flinching a little, but looked down to Umi, her eyes telling him to calm down. His nostrils flared with his deep sigh, but nodded. She looked back to the elderly Clakker.
“Uh, ma’am. Could you please help us with our bounty,” Umi took a step forward to the Clakker. It smiled up to Umi, nodding its head. “Anything fer yeh, lil’ missy,” it said sweetly. “Well, we’re looking for the bounty, named Flint X’plosives McGee. We were wandering around town all day, asking ‘round town to see if anyone’s seen where this bounty goes to. So...d’you know where the Outlaw is?” Umi asked. It gave another, but weak smile. “Well, yeah! I’ve seen that dirty varmin ‘round town, pesterin’ the people out front. Eh, I’ve seen ‘im and ‘is boys use that thar elevator near the end of town, just right passed the gun tower. It’s probably still useful,” it replied, coughing out at its last words. Stranger looked down at Umi with blunt surprise. She actually got something out of the Clakker, rather than him talking politely to the elderly. She grinned proudly up to Stranger, then bowed her head to the Clakker respectfully. “Thank-yee kindly, ma’am. Have a nice day,” Umi smiled, and turning around from it, and walking away. Stranger’s jaw dropped down, following Umi up behind her.
“How the hell’d you do that?” Stranger asked curiously. Umi grinned with her white teeth showing. “I’ve been ‘round elderly people all my life, and I know how to talk their language. Believe me. Thirteen years of experience, and I’m already gettin’ precious information out of the elderly,” Umi looked back down. Stranger let out a loud laugh. “You damn varmin! Why didn’t you just say in the beginning that you’d take car o’ it?” Stranger ruffled her hair playfully. “‘Cause, yer the independent one when it comes to conversational skills. I just stepped in ‘cause you were gettin’ all pissy,” Umi grinned. He put an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her closer to his side, and walking down the cobble-brick road, passed the General store.They could see a tall tower leading straight up to an opening and leading further down. There was a metal basing around a wooden platform with thick belts looping below and above on wheels that would support a limited weight on the elevator. They stepped on the elevator platform, hearing the wood under their feet creak and whine in a threateningly way, but they took the risk. The elevator rose on its own, climbing higher up to the tunnel. The belts wobbled with the platform, the metal chains clanking as the platform rose higher above the town. The platform made a loud thump, as it stopped roughly at the top of its heights. Stranger and Umi led through the tunnel, hearing the elevator sliding back down loudly.The tunnel stretched far out, and dropped down on a flat piece of land, but mountainous boulders built widely around the flat land, trees reaching out from between the rocks. Out far in front of the exit was a crane, with its giant claw gripped on a gigantic boulder over a squared off patch of grass. Far away on their left was a mine cart with an open track, leading over the deep forested drop over the tracks. A mixture of Shooter and Shredder minions occupied around the area, baring out their armaments. Stranger stopped themselves from moving out further in to the minions’ sights, behind a stack of metal crates towering over Stranger’s height. While loading his bow up with his ammunition, he watched the pattern of the outlaws’ patrolling stations. At least two were walking behind a boulder that stuck out of the ground, and the rest stayed out front. Any concoction of his ammo would work.
This time, he used Stingbees and Bolamites. Stingbees, to keep closer outlaws busy, and Bolamites for farther outlaws, so he could have some time to get rid of the closer ones. He told Umi to stay where she was, and he kept himself bent low behind one small wooden crate. The closest outlaw was two Shooters. He watched them come back from trotting left, and coming back in front of the exit through the tunnel. He shot straight up when he counted to three in his mind, and fired the Stingbees steadily. He moved his arm all over the two minions, making sure they both would get hit by the fast-firing Stingbees. When another outlaw further behind moved up to the attacked minions, they were immediately wrapped in to a Bolamites’ web, growling and muffling curses to the Bounty hunter, as they struggled from their trap. He quickly reloaded his Stingbees launcher, but kept the Bolamites flowing to the farther outlaws escaping early from the webs. Ten to twenty more Stingbees at the surviving Shooters, and the Shooters gave out one last scream before they fell dead, their blood spilling out of their faces. He jumped down from the tunnel, and bountied the trapped outlaws first before he went to the dead ones. Umi jumped down as well, looking immediately over to the mine cart in front of a open gate, hilling down and over the forested ground. She ran up to the cart, then looked out at the open track. She grunted in uneasiness, looking back to Stranger.
“Dunno if we should take this...” Umi frowned. Stranger looked around the vicinity, then shrugged back to Umi.
“It’s the only way we got’s to take,” Stranger said. True to his word, Umi also looked around, seeing no special passages that would make her nervousness diminish. She then looked back to the train tracks, and then sighed, jumping in to the cart and standing out front of the cart. Stranger also jumped in, pulling a lever close to the cart. The cart thumped hardly, making Umi fall back in to Stranger’s arms, and then the cart began to move forward slowly.
Polishing its rifle and reattaching its high-powered scope, a Sniper minion heard the carts’ metallic start, and snapped its view to the cart, slowing moving down the tracks. It growled, activating its scope and lighting the fuse to its rifle.
“You ain’t gettin’ too far down the track, Bounty hunter ” it shouted loud, and held down the trigger, firing a red smokey stream of red out of the rifles’ long barrel.
The bullet zoomed passed Stranger’s tip of his ear, and he pushed Umi’s head down in to the cart, holding his bow up with a Zapp Fly and a Boom-bat.
“Stay down until I say it’s safe,” Stranger growled loud enough so Umi could hear. She nodded, squatting down low so the Snipers’ bullets would avoid her. Even though she desperately wanted to help Stranger, she didn’t want to bother him in such dangerous conditions. Orange barrels with the same insignia of the fire symbol stood behind the minions’ spot. His Zapp fly was already charged up with electrical blue sparks, and he aimed for the barrels. The Zapp fly was launched, its sparks zapping the air, and heading straight for the explosives barrels behind the minion. The Sniper lowered its rifle, watching the bug soar through the air, and passing its arm to the barrels.
“Oh, bloody hel-“ then its life ended before it could say the last of its words. The tracks began to hug close to a mountain side, curling with it, and over to a large plateau, the tracks beginning to flatly lay out on the plateau.Shooter minions and a Nailer began to rush out near the tracks. Stranger locked down his bow with Boom-bats and Zapp flies, first firing the Boom-bat at the Nailer. There were more orange barrels of explosives as they followed through deeper in to a wide-open tunnel, with minions pouring out from each side. Umi felt the rumbles of explosions close to the cart, and held her hands over her ears. Nothing could be more scarier than to hear outlaws scream while they are blown up to mighty heaven. Stranger had blown the last barrels, with the minions coming out and blowing up with the explosives, when he saw the track fly over another set of tracks. And you think everything’s going to be Ok? Well, you’re wrong.
Umi peeked her head up over the edge of the cart, seeing the tracks over the other tracks, explode, and shatter down to the bottom tracks below it. She felt her heart stop for a second, then clenched on to Stranger’s arm, screaming, then feeling the cart fly down on to the second set of tracks below. Stranger gripped on the edge to the cart, holding on as the cart thumped down on the tracks, and continued to slide further in to a large mine shaft. The track ended at a bump, sending the cart a few meters back, then stopping at a complete halt. Umi was still clinging on Stranger’s arm, her eyes tightly shut and her entire self shivering within fear.
“C’mon, kid. It’s all over,” he ruffled her hair gently. Umi didn’t respond for moments, then opened one eye, only to see a lit mine shaft and the cart at a stop. Her grip loosened on his arm and her constant shivering dimmed.
“What...the hell...happened?” Umi held her poise, hunched down and squatting. Stranger chuckled, bringing her up. “It’s all over, Umi. We’re safe...fer now,” he growled over to a dangling rope that led above the musty mine shaft. Tall beams held up the shaft and groups of metal crates were gathered around a thick beam. They hunched down behind the stack of the lot, hiding from minions, whom climbed down the rope from above, and scouting out the shaft. Stranger kept his bow arm up from the edges of the crates, so that the minions wouldn’t see it. Fuzzles were in his grasp, them growling in his muffling hand. They heard the minions’ footsteps growing louder as they came closer. He laid the Fuzzles around them, then had Stingbees on his bow. Muttering of the first outlaw came around the crates, and then the Fuzzles growled louder like proximity mines. The minions’ footsteps stopped right near the Fuzzles, listening intently to the growls. The Fuzzles stopped their growls, looking up at the minion, their teeth baring out, far out. Stranger, grinned at the minion, and then the Fuzzles struck back. The others nearby ran to the attacked minions’ side, helping whatsoever to get off the Fuzzles. But Stranger stood up and out from the metal crates, and attacked the others with fast-firing Stingbees. Umi popped up as well, holding out her Needler defensively at the minions. She managed to beat one down while crawling away from the Stingbee’s path of flow, with the front of her gun. You know, where the needles stuck out? Stranger quickly bountied the fallen outlaws, and walked up to the rope hanging down the rooftop shaft, leading up to sunlight and sounds of low growling. He slowly climbed up the rope, popping his head over the edge of the wooden base over the shaft. He lifted Umi out of the shaft first, she falling in to a bush of reeds, and then he jumped off the wooden base, without the minions seeing them. He planned out his action, loading on a Chippunk and a Bolamite. The Chippunk was fired out, but this was unexpected.
The Nailer was the first to react, rushing over to the Chippunk’s gibbering mouth. Stranger mumbled to himself quietly, the Nailer coming closer. Umi also watched the Nailer coming closer, and knelt down. She could see Stranger having some difficulties with his plan, and crouch walked by him. The Nailer was now beating on the Chippunk, when Umi crept by its ankles, and went behind it. She stood up a little hunched, and readied her attack. Stranger saw Umi up behind the Nailer, and was about to shout at her, when she leaped up on the Nailer, gripping on its spikes on its back. The Nailer wobbled, roaring in fury, as it wrangled around Umi, she clenching down on its spikes. She pulled out her pocket knife from her pocket, and whipped it out to the blade side. The Nailer heard the knife swipe, and panicked more, reaching its arms over to its back to pluck off the nuisance that was going to end its life. Stranger ran out of the reeds, watching his partner being swung around violently with a knife in her hand.
“No, Umi...Why’d you do that...” Stranger muttered disappointingly to himself. Umi held a steady arm above the Nailer’s neck, and brought down the knife through its pale yellow skin. The Nailer squealed in pain, as she slipped the knife back to her hand. The gashing wound was now gushing red blood, and the Nailer becoming weary. She felt it thump down on its knees, but not the way she expected to fall. It was tipping itself backwards, and Umi had no way to escape. Stranger growled, and jumped in the way of the dead Nailer, snatching Umi by her collar, and throwing her on the ground. He skidded to a stop, watching the Nailer fall on the ground with a loud thump. He spun to Umi, who was sitting up slowly, holding her side.
“I know what yer thinkin’, buddy. And I don’t wanna hear it,” Umi stood up. Stranger frowned in a rock-hard expression. “You know better than tha’, now do you?” Stranger shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. There were more outlaw scowls from above their heads. A wooden ramp leading on a high walkway rumbled with heavy footsteps and outlaw growls. The Semi-auto saw the bounty hunters, and reloaded its bullet chamber. Umi held down her Needler, while Stranger reloaded his bow with critters. Four outlaws in a variety came down the ramp above them, and roared intimidation. Two Suicide bombers, one Shooter, and a Shredder surrounded the intruders. “We’re outnumbered,” Umi said through her gritted teeth. Stranger nodded, watching the outlaws close in on them. Umi waited for anything that Stranger would command, but he only held down his bow. “Do something...” Umi desperately said. At that time, his head snapped up, with a twinkle in his eye, and shot down a load of Fuzzles in front of the outlaws. The Fuzzles impacted the minions immediately, knocking them down with a Fuzzle on each of them. The Semi-auto, far behind the surrounding outlaws, shot its rounds of fast-firing bullets. Umi rolled on the ground, behind the ramp, and hid from the outlaw. Stranger, on the other hand, kicked away the screaming outlaws in his way to the Semi-auto, and released Fuzzles out to it. The Semi only jumped sideways out of Stranger’s range, near the lip of the ramp, and ran to the side of it. Stranger heard more outlaws up the ramp come down, and ran to the head of the ramp, seeing only three Suicide bombers.
“Ah, hell...” he grumbled, reloading his bow with more Fuzzles. The outlaws spotted the stranger, and screamed out incoherently a jumble of curses, and pulled their strings to their time bombs, and then ran like the devil towards him. Umi, still hiding under the ramp, heard Stranger ran a different direction from her and the ramp. But she didn’t notice the Semi-auto, sneaking up behind her with its rifle above its head. The minion chuckled sinisterly to itself, and brought the butt of the rifle down on Umi’s back of the head. Her eyes fell blank, and she tumbled to the grass. Stranger, on the other hand, was now backing up the ramp, leading the Suicide bombers up closer to him. When one got close, he balled his fists together, and slammed it away from himself, and down on the other minions, falling in to the grass. He shot down at the minions with Bolamites, wrapping them in their present state. But behind him was far most the worst part ahead of him. A pack of Shooters ran up from the far end of the walkway, shooting their boomerang-headed guns. “Where the hell is Umi when yeh need’s her?” Stranger growled to himself, loading a Boom-bat on one launcher on his bow. There was a sharp metallic slam below him, but he ignored it, concentrating hardly on the Shooters beyond him. The Boom-bat fluttered out of Stranger’s bow, and attached on the closest outlaw to the pack it could find, gave a few gibbers to the outlaws, then detonated with the other minions close behind, stunning one, but killing the rest. The Shooters were done for now, but now he focused on the slam of the gate below him. He also heard a faint screeching sound far off in the distance, but he reckoned it was a mill or something going off in one of the Clakker’s towns. He bent down to an edge of the walkway, looking at the closed gate that slammed below him. He growled a sigh, wondering what was going on around here. Then it struck him. Umi.
He shot up, and walked down the ramp and around the grassy bottom.
“Umi, c’mon out, kid,” Stranger beckoned, but no reply. “C’mon, kid. I ain’t playin’. Let’s get movin’,” he said more firmly. But no reply came out from nowhere. He knew Umi wouldn’t do something like this if he wanted her to come. Panic-stricken, he wandered around more faster, searching for anything that would help him out to find his lost partner. He felt something soft touch the bottom of his boot, and looked down. Umi’s scarf was fluttering softly in the wind, the woven dragons seeming to come to life. He picked off the scarf from the stub it was caught on, and stared at it for seconds. His lip twitched, his fingers rolling on in the scarf. Anger singed through his nerves. He knew what happened to his partner again, and this time, he wasn’t happy about it. His teeth clenched together, baring out far, and looking up from the scarf to the gate. He tied the scarf to his upper arm tightly, and ran up the ramp, down to the other end, but saw the tracks empty. The cart was already taken. He heard then squeaky hinges open up from another gate the Semi-auto was standing in front of the first time he saw it.“That damn bounty hunter’s here somewhere, guys! Keep an eye out!” another Semi-auto minion shouted to two other Nailers coming out from behind it. Stranger reloaded his bow now with two Boom-bats, on each launchers, and walked out in front of the minions’ sights. The Nailers roared out to the Semi-auto, pointing to Stranger. But before they even thought of making a move, Stranger shot both the Boom-bats on to the Nailers, and only left the Semi-auto wide open. He dropped his arm to his side, and ran up to the minion with fists baring out in front of him. The Semi watched the barraging bounty hunter brawl his fists towards itself. The remainder of its time is that it dropped its weapon in front of its feet. The worst was to come yet. Then, a brief moment of pain, then a total blackout. Stranger left the outlaw laying on its back, and moaning painfully, passing through an arch in to the next mine shaft, with the main Outlaw near his cart, and watching one of his minions rush back to him.
A Flamer outlaw was this new kind Stranger saw. It wore a type of hockey mask, with red eyes glaring out of the eye holes. Its arms and legs were mechanical, with two cylinder-like gas tanks on its back, and a nozzle attached to a thin metal pipe leading in to a black tube, and attached right in to each of the gas tanks, was what it held in its hands. The red eyes in its mask locked straight on Stranger when it saw him come through and around the corner.
“Boss! Boss! That bounty hunter’s here right now!” the Flamer exclaimed to Flint.
“What the...” Flint whirred around, seeing in to the Flamer’s eyes. “Aww, shit! I got’s to get down and guard my loot!” he turned his head to the cart, then back to the outlaw. The Flamer nodded to his boss. “Got-cha, boss!” it acknowledged. “Don’t let that son of a Clakker down this mountain, ya hear me!?” Flint yelled, jumping in to his cart, and slowly moving down the tracks, lower and lower to his lair. The Flamer turned around. Muttering to itself, “Yeah, don’t worry. That sissy bounty hunter’s going to be a pile of ashes before it can even get passed me...” Then it charged straight to Stranger, releasing gas through the black tube, and sending out scorching blue and red flames out of the wide nozzle of the flamethrower. The flames reached out near Stranger, he actually feeling the heat singe his hair on his arm.
“Oww...” Stranger grumbled, jumping away from the flames’ path. The Flamer followed every direction Stranger sprinted, jumped, even rolled to. It was as if he was playing jump rope, only the dangerous version. There had to be some way to take down the Flamer...
“Thud slugs. They’ll survive through the flames...’till it hits the outlaw,” Stranger chuckled to himself, loading on a Thud slug on his bow, and aiming for the Flamers’ stomach: The weakest spot for any living thing, then shot the armored hide of the Thud slug, right through the flames the Flamer produced, and in to the gut of the outlaw. It let out a harsh choke, then fell over on its behind. Stranger locked down his bow, walking by the outlaw, giving a shallow breath, as he walked by it. There was an extra cart beside the one Flint took down. He jumped in to it, and pulled the lever to start his journey down the steep coaster. When I go by steep, I mean a near sheer drop at the beginning. The cart passed under a series of boarded platforms, and under more tracks that led the Outlaw to some different location. He heard separate rail carts screeching on his every side. One above, one left, and one behind him. The one on his left was empty, but the others held a Shooter in each, firing at the stranger. He ducked down from an angle from both on the minions, reloading his bow with Stingbees and Boom-bats. He shot the Boom-bat above him, which broke the tracks in front of the Shooter, and plunged to its death, and the Stingbees, for the one behind him, to get it out and tumbling down to the deep trenches of the forest below. Now, the one on the left was still empty, but beginning to slow at his level. Then, a Semi-auto popped up, cackling heinously, and bringing up something else, rather than its rifle. And that something...more than someone, is who Stranger recognized well.
Umi was tied up, and a bandana with something behind it, gagging her to scream for help. Stranger’s lip dropped in horror. This was such an unlikely situation she has been put through.
“DON’T YOU DARE PUT A HAND ON HER!” Stranger roared over to the Semi-auto. The minion only laughed.
“Don’t’cha worry, bounty hunter! The human’ll be handled with care, compliments by the boss! And when I mean handled with care, I don’t mean kindly!” it cackled once more, and fired its rifle to Stranger. The cart was pulling away from Stranger, and entering a roofed tunnel through another set of tracks, leading above Stranger, and then led off and away, curving right. He growled loudly over the wind brushing against his fur and the sound of the screechy rail tracks, banging his fist on the pane of the cart. The cart was now leading down from the tracks the outlaw had gotten away on, and coming to a slow stop. The land was becoming less forestry, but more flat and patchy with small shrubs on the sidelines and thick patches of grass scattered out from the tracks. The cart, still slowing, was now slow enough for Stranger to hop out, which, indeed, he did. The only way to save Umi was to move as quickly as possible throughout the track lines. High above him, as he traveled forward through the train yard, was the series of tracks, winding up or below each other. Some broken, some on their last hinges, and some still actually lucky to be alive. But there was a slight problem...outlaws occupied the vicinity...everywhere.
Above him, at his level, even right below him! Snipers up high mostly, but Shooters and/or Shredders at or below his level. It was tough getting through the haul, even trying to bounty up some of the fallen outlaws. Bust since his partner was taken away from him again, he didn’t have much choice but to take them down one by one. First, the biggest threat: The Snipers. Perched on some of the tracks, which was stupid of them, and some holding out on wooden platforms. A Snuzi dart or a Zapp Fly would simply bring them down. Next, his level of enemies. Fuzzles and Boom-bats were what he only used on them. When he burst through one last wooden gate barrier, he was brought out to a flat, but slanting, stretch of land, curving over a sharp right bend. What possibilities were to come out? Well, we all know there would be outlaws, and of course, we all thought right. But what he didn’t expect, was that most of the outlaws, were Suicide bombers, and only one Nailer, and one Semi-auto.
“Damn...Why does it always have to be them, damn suiciders?” Stranger growled out a sigh, hiding behind a splitting boulder that made a pathway split in to two. He saw nearly 5 of the Suicide bombers, huddled up with each other, awaiting the bounty hunters’ face to appear any moment. Luckily, they were huddled, which made them an easy target. Loading on a Boom-bat, he aimed for the closest one in the middle. When on-target, the Boom-bat was released, and flew right on the first minion in the huddle. The outlaw felt the Boom-bat attach one of its spikes to the minions’ clothing, and screeched around, long enough for the Boom-bat to explode, leaving the minions’ flaming and burning, scattered all around in front of the next mine shaft. The Nailer and Semi-auto ran over to each of the dead minions’ corpses, putting out the flames spreading throughout their clothing. Fuzzles were up next, as they were set down right near the remaining outlaws’ toes. They didn’t notice anything. That is, until the Fuzzles leaped on the outlaws, and chomped at their flesh. While busy with their nuisances, Stranger sprinted passed the outlaws, and straight in to the mine shaft they stood in front of the first time he saw them. The tunnels turned sharply through on-going piles of wooden crates, wobbling on the sidelines. He noticed a switch beside a tightly shut metal gate, the wires lining up to the hinges of the gate. He pulled hard on the switch, and an electric pulse traveled through the wires, and in to the hinges, snapping open the gate. He passed through the gateway, and out to another flat piece of land, with a high stone wall behind him reaching beyond his limits to climb it, but he wasn’t interested in that. The fact of a high metal gate blocking a steep drop down to a circular train yard managed to catch his fancy: Train tracks circled around a large base in the middle, built-in quarters were leaning up on the mountains above the train tracks, and series of closed guard posts. He felt something sudden surge through his mind, his lip revealing his teeth.
“Eh, it’s quiet down ‘ere...,” he looked around more to see anything living down there. “...too quiet...” he said to himself once more. He looked left of his arm, seeing another rope dangling down below a wooden base, to another mine shaft similar to the one Umi and he traveled through at first. He slid down the rope, shaking off the painful rope burn he got, and opened another metal gate, leading out to the train yard. This is where things were going to get ugly.
Up on the highest level of track, was a fenced off area, covering partial of the Outlaws’ face. Behind Flint, was Umi, struggling out from her ropes, and trying to spit out the gag in her mouth. They both stood in a cart, of course, painted with red and orange flames on each side. Stranger growled nearly silently to the Outlaw, but frowned at the fact Umi was still captured.
“Glad you could make it, Stranger!” Flint shouted below. Stranger’s hat was tipped low over his face, the shadow covering his expression of hatred towards the Outlaw. Then, he looked up at Flint, his face revealing a confident type of grin.
“Well that's, good ter know. Now, why don't yeh, c’mon down here. ‘N, make it easy on yerself,” Stranger offered, wiping his arms off casually. “Oh! Sure thing! I’ll come down! You want me to, tie up myself as well!?” he cackled, then looked back to Umi, then chuckled back to Stranger. “And I bet you want yer lil’ friend as well,” he slapped her where she really didn’t like it: her backside. Her face was all of a sudden, painted red with anger, growling loathingly deep within her throat, but Flint didn’t hear. Stranger saw Umi’s flushed face, and knew he would stay out of her way when she was free, but focused back on the Outlaw, grinning with his jaw of crooked teeth, and his long cone-headed head, covered in a spike-roofed mask. “Figured as much!” he laughed, picking up his weapon of choice next to his leg. Outlaw Snipers gathered above the tracks, and Stranger, lighting their rifles and awaiting an order. “Make ‘im dance, boys!” he shouted. The Snipers hooted loudly, and shot down at Stranger’s legs, he jumping back, and under the base.
“Damn, I can’t bag ‘im in that cart,” he growled lowly, then looked over out from under the base, seeing generators attached to switches on the tracks. His eyes gleamed with a plan, and loaded on a Zapp fly with a Boom-bat. He then walked out from under the base, looking up to the Outlaw.
“Alright, McGee! You lookin' fer a beatin'? You’ve got one comin’!” he shouted. McGee grinned, and pulled a lever next to the cart, the cart slamming forward, then moving about the track.
“You gotta get me down first, bounty hunter!” Flint yelled over the cart’s wheels screeching against the metal. Umi shouted through her gag, trying to yell, “Shoot the generators! That’ll bring ‘im closer!” He nodded to Umi, but fired Boom-bats up to the Snipers first, until he had no more Boom-bats to kill them with. Then, he heard a train bell, dinging loudly as McGee’s cart came towards the track switch. He turned his arm over to the generator, and fired the Zapp fly without aim. Luckily, the Zapp fly charged the generator, switching the switch, so McGee would come lower. The Outlaw looked down at the track, seeing he came down one level. He scoffed, and punched down on a button, buzzing and opening the guard posts near a slide. Umi, on the other hand, used her tongue to push out the gag bit by bit.
Semi-auto stood at the posts, charging up their infrared goggles, and shooting at Stranger while he was out in the open. Supplanting the Zapp fly with Fuzzles, he shot the growling balls of fur towards the outlaws, then screaming all around, and falling out of their posts. He heard the track bells ring again, and he barrel-rolled towards the ringing bell switch, firing a quick reloaded Zapp fly towards the track switch. The generators hummed, and switched over another switch, bringing McGee one more level down near him. Umi spat out the gag on the cart floor, looking up to McGee with one heinous of a face on her. Far on Stranger’s left was a large gate, opening up to a large variety pack of outlaws, rushing out of their holding area, and jeering towards Stranger. All he used was Fuzzles and Boom-bats, which took care of the ordeal quickly, and yes, painfully, which he loved to hear from the outlaws’ screaming voices. It took some time for the track switch to ring again, for he missed it once. McGee, who was now fending for himself, shot out rockets by the threes, homing on in at Stranger. He ducked under the base again, and hugging the wall, until he heard the switch ring once more. The base was becoming tarnished and bent from all the rockets impacting and exploding on it. It wouldn’t take long before his cover was destroyed.
‘C’mon, damn it...c’mon...” Stranger thought hard, listening intently for the bell. Then his ears filtered in the sweet sound that he awaited for. The bell tolled again, and he jumped out, flying sideways and out towards the generator, blaring out their lights. The Zapp fly was launched at the generator, seeming that time went in to slow motion while the Zapp fly traveled through the air. Then the critter struck the generator, and the snap of the track switch came. The cart thumped down on the last set of tracks, and headed down a steep fall, barreling in to a fenced gate. The cart abruptly stopped, and McGee and Umi came flying through the gate. He was laying flat on his stomach, while Umi layed struggling on her side. McGee jumped back up, glaring at Stranger hatefully, but then grinned a sly one.
“I ain’t dead yet! Bring it on, sucka!” McGee scowled loudly, and raised his weapon up to his elbows. Stranger’s eyes shined back in to his head, and jumped away from McGee’s firing rockets. He sprinted around the train yard on all four limbs, passing Umi and him once. McGee became annoyed with Stranger’s stalling
“I’m gettin’ tired of yer dancin’ and prancin’ around! Fight like a man!” McGee manipulated. Stranger gave a mischievous grin, as he halfway passed McGee. He then jumped back up on his legs, with his bow wide open, and a Thud slug, along with a Boom-bat, was locked on his bow. When he skidded passed his face, he jumped back, and launched the critters at McGee. The Boom-bat missed, but that was supposed to happen. The Thud slug, however, knocked him flying back in to the gated area of the tracks, and the Boom-bat exploded behind him, sending him back forward to Stranger. He groaned painfully, his gun far off from his reach, and his arms and body feeling like he has been shattered in to pieces. Stranger lowered his arm, walking up to the Outlaw, holding a surprise behind his back. McGee, having little strength he had, used it to lift his head up to the grinning bounty hunter, with one arm behind his back. He laughed tiredly, his eyes drooping low.
“You ain’t....you ain’t got me yet...yeh, pansy!” he shouted his last words. That’s what Stranger waited for. Then, slammed the surprise on his bow, which was a Bolamite, and shot it right at McGee’s mouth. The Bolamite spread its web, by crawling around his body, He wouldn’t be going anywhere soon. He looked over to the other side of the train yard, smiling greatly, and began a sprint on all his limbs.
Umi, way on the other side of the train yard, finally struggled out of her ropes, shoving them off her arms and legs. She tore off the bandana from her mouth, then stood up, wiping herself off of dirt and dust. There was one last thing to do before leaving: Exacting revenge. But she heard faint footsteps, coming around the train yard, now sounding off from her right. She suddenly saw Stranger, appear out of nowhere, stampeding towards her. She backed away, waving her hands to make him stop, but he didn’t comply. When he figured he was close enough, he leaped out to her, and out from his sprint, and snatched her up in a great embrace. He couldn’t be any more happier to see she was safe. She stared blankly out over Stranger’s shoulder, but relaxed, and played along, so to speak, hugging tightly around his neck. She felt his throat rumble a soothing sigh, his arms becoming tighter around her. She knew well he didn’t want to let go. But time was flying by, as their little moment seemed not to end.
“I know...I know...You worried about me,” Umi nuzzled her face in to his shoulder.
“Damn right, I was,” Stranger said in a near purr, rubbing her back up and down. She lifted her head off of his shoulder, looking around the train yard. Then she saw him: McGee. She growled a growl only a dragon could make, and lifted over Stranger’s shoulder. He let her down, and she stomped towards the fallen Outlaw, putting her fists on her waist, glaring down with eyes of fury. “How you likin’ it so far, fat ass?” Umi scowled loud enough that McGee would look up a little from his daze. She dropped her arms down her legs, and lifted a leg up behind her, and brought it in to his ribs hardly. “Don’t...you...ever...EVER...touch...me...there...ever...AGAIN!” she kicked with every word she said, and ended with one last kick in the ribs hard enough to let McGee spit out blood from his mouth. She panted hardly, still glaring at McGee, wiping a thin strand of hair out of her eyes. Stranger chuckled to himself, putting a heavy hand on her shoulder.
“I think yeh made yer point, kid,” Stranger said down to her. She didn’t make any reply to him, but her face cooling down from the anger sparking through her veins. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I made it quite clear, didn’t I?” Umi looked up to him, then back down. Stranger smiled at her comment, and bountied him up, so she wouldn’t actually kill him, if she had the chance. He turned back around to Umi, smiling down proudly at her. “Well’p, let’s get back ter town, ‘n get s’more bounties, before it turns te night,” Stranger nodded. She agreed with a deep nod down, then walked by his side. She secretly looked up to Stranger, without him knowing, and put both hands on it, moving closer to him, and leaning her head on his arm. He looked down to her attempted cuddle, and wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her closer to him. And that’s how they walked to town: They safely, and their bond, growing tighter with every step.

LOL!
 

MWAHAHAHAHA! Umi an' the elderly :D for some reason I find that ridiculously funny... :lol:

[Edit:] GASP! Umi's been taken!...again...can the girl not stay out of trouble?....no....*sigh* So like Bailey, they're just a couple of troublemakers ain't they? :D Nice bit though. :D

Whoo-ee! That had to be...the longest piece of fic I've written so far! Well'p, I'm finished, buddy! Come check it out!

Awwwww, fluffiness. :D Yep, still good, but I can't wait fer the 'de-pants-ing'...yer know, that could be taken in a very bad way actually...wow, never thought of that before... :eeek:

De-pantsing is after the ;ast three bounties, Lobo. Keep yer skin on, 'cause it's gettin' close! :D

THICKETS, MASKS, AND TREACHERY--The shadow of the Steef



The Clakkers in New Yolk watched the bounty hunters stride in to town, with a slight smile spreading over their faces. They didn’t look at any of the Clakkers staring at them, but just waltzed on in to the Bounty store. The clerk, in its office, heard the clanking boots on the wooden planks rumble towards it, and the clerk stumbled out of its office behind the counter. It gave a cool smile up to the bounty hunter.
“Welcome back! Nice goin’ at catchin’ McGee! He ain’t goin’ nowhere fer a while. But it’s a shame we have to put that pecker head behind bars,” the clerk shook its head down. Stranger slapped the paper parchment of Flint X’Plosives McGee’s poster on the counter, and the clerk slipped it to itself. It stamped the poster, and gave it back to Stranger, but didn’t pull up more posters for him. “Well, I got’s s’more bounties, but yeh have to purchase a Mongo River pass down at the General store. Then I can give’s yeh more bounties to chew on up,” the clerk winked at them. Stranger sighed, but nodded, turning down to Umi.
“You wait here, kid. I’ll be right back,” Stranger ruffled her hair gently, then walked out of the Bounty store, glancing once more back to the clerk. Umi turned back to the counter, tapping her finger on it and propping her elbow up to her chin. She watched the clerk walk back in to its office, turning on a tap and hearing a glass fill up with water. It came back out, glugging down the water, and throwing the glass over its shoulder. She lifted her head off her palm up to the clerk, her eye squinted in persuasion.
“So...what bounties do you have up next fer us?” Umi put down her propped arm, leaning over the counter to the clerk. It nodded, bringing up three more posters, with three weird-looking bounties. One was wearing camouflaged clothing with a green hunting hat on its head, another looking like a mechanical experiment gone wrong, and the last had an eye patch over its eye, grinning out from the poster. Plus, including with their weird looks, included with some funny names: Lefty Lugnutz, Elboze Freely, and Fatty McBoomBoom. She grinned more at the first bounty at the top of the list: Lefty Lugnutz, the poacher. She asked about the bounty to the clerk.
“Well, Lefty’s known to poach in trespassing area, which made the locals furious. He mainly hunted Slegs, but then turned on the Clakkers, just fer fun. It’s kinda sick, if yeh ask me,” the clerk shuddered with its last words. She slipped the poster under her fingers up to her face, reading over once more the bounty information posted at the bottom. She heard the squeaky hinges of the double doors open, but she didn’t turn up to the person entering. She grinned befuddling at the bounty, then passed it up to Stranger, who stopped at her side. He took the offer, and looked over the poster as well, while Umi leaned back over the counter. “We’ll take Lefty,” Umi accepted. The clerk smiled widely, nodding to Umi’s acception. “Now, I know where this one is. Head down passed the Mongo River gate, show the officer yer pass first, then head straight down the water’s edge, ‘till yeh come to a small passage. Follow that, and you’ll be at the Old Grubb graveyard. That’s where ole Lefty should be hidin’,” it directed, but opened its beak again. “But, you can’t just get him out ole willy-nilly. You need’s to lure him out. I bet a Sleg call’ll do the trick. But to learn a Sleg call, you’ll need to find the town’s Sleg hunter, Rusty Cornjaws. He’ll help yeh,” the clerk explained further on. Stranger nodded at the clerk, stuffing the poster in to his poncho. They exited the doors behind them, then looked around, then back to each other’s eyes.
“Where could this...Sleg hunter be?” Stranger asked confusedly. Umi shrugged, “Ask around! They’ll know!” Umi suggested loudly. He looked up to all the waddling chicken fingers around town, but walked up to the closest one he saw. “Hey! ‘Scuse me! You know where this...Sleg hunter could be?” Stranger asked a male Clakker, wearing...some type of bonnet. It turned to Stranger, with curious green eyes up to him.
“Ol’ Rusty Cornjaws? Eh, you’ll find ‘im loungin’ behind the general store,” it replied, then immediately turned away from Stranger, and walked away. He looked back over to the General store, then both walked over casually over. They looked over the left side of the General store, seeing an old-looking Clakker, wearing a tan camouflage suit, and wore an eye patch over its right eye, baring out a long pipe from his crusty beak. It watched cautiously, as the two strangers walked up to it.
“Hey. You the, town Sleg hunter?” Stranger asked gruffly. Cornjaws nodded solemnly up to him. “I need’s yeh to, teach me a Sleg call, so’s I can, lure out ole Lefty,” Stranger grinned. But Rusty only shook his head.
“No, no. Hell...no. I ain’t doin’ crap-related things to Slegs. Ever since that giant purple-ass Sleg cut me down in my prime, I’ve shut down the whole operation,” then he looked up to Stranger with a glint of persuasion. “...but...if yeh get that Sleg, w’ll, I might take yeh under my wing,” Cornjaws offered. Umi felt her heart stop for a sudden moment, looking up to Stranger, he grinning in a more acceptive way.
“Wait a second, Stranger. You remember what happened with our last encounter with Slegs,” Umi patted his arm. He looked down to her, his lips curling down.
“We got’s to, Umi. To get Lefty out from his perch,” Stranger shrugged slightly. “Yeah, unless yeh wanna stay with ol’ Cornjaws ‘ere. I don’t mind,” Rusty offered. Umi looked away from the Clakker, shaking her head uncomfortably to Stranger. She gave a loud, irritable sigh, trying her innocent look on Stranger once more, but he only smiled, and shook his head.
“Fine. I’ll go...” Umi mumbled, following Stranger away from Cornjaws, and to the Mongo River passport gate. He showed the passport manager his pass, and opened the gates for them. Then they ran down a steep slope, running off in two directions, parting from the river. Docks and a Sky cart facility were linked together in to one large building out on the side of the Mongo River. Clakkers walked up and down of the docks, even one checking up on a barge that was roped to the side of the dock. A sign was far out left from the Sky cart facility, reading:
Mongo Wilds. Take caution to where you step!
Stranger, loping on his limbs, ran under the sign, with Umi clinging to his self. The waters churned calmly under the roar of a waterfall, feeding the river more. They knew they would be going in to it sometime later on during the day. Sprinting deeper in to the Mongo Wilds, they heard an unusual growl, rumbling through the trees. Stranger slowed to a halt, letting Umi off his back, and listening hardly to where the growls were coming from. Umi, keeping as still as she could, couldn’t resist but walk up to Stranger, and listen as well. She heard the growls good too, but not as good as Stranger could.
“Yeh hear that?” Stranger asked in a low whisper. Umi nodded. He put down his ear, looking over to a widely opened cave, covered nearly in trees. Bones of what used to be Clakkers and Grubbs trailed out of the cave. They could also hear a series of smaller growls, which meant that the Sleg wasn’t alone. Stranger, loading his bow up with his newly purchased Rabid Fuzzles, walked towards the cave from the other side of the river. The Fuzzle looked more devilish that the regular Fuzzles Umi was used to see. Fangs from its lower jaw reached out to the height of its eyes. The fur all over its body was longer and more scraggly-looking. Its eyes seemed as if they were on fire, with a yellow core. It seemed the spawn of Satan took form of a meaner-looking Fuzzle. Stranger stepped his soles of his boots in to the river, watching intently on the cave opening, waiting for anything to come out. He shot a couple of Fuzzles out and in to the cave. He listened for a reaction, but only hearing the Fuzzles impacting growl land inside the cave. He nearly gave up and crossed the river, when he heard a loud whine of a Sleg, and saw the Sleg under attack, rush out with the Fuzzle on its snout. The Fuzzle was doing more damage to the Sleg as Stranger and Umi expected. Even the whine of the Sleg was louder as the Fuzzle chomped in to its fur. When the Sleg fell down, and the Fuzzle flying off the Sleg, he heard the most biggest growl that came from the cave, and heard heavy footsteps land on the grass, exiting through the cave. His eyes widened in amazement, as he saw the giant purple-ass Sleg, approach out of its domain, and glare deeply at Stranger. He couldn’t even speak his words until Umi touched his arm.
“Damn, that’s a huge Sleg!” he said in a near shout. Umi nodded slowly in agreement, staring at the demented Sleg crawling out of the cave. It roared loudly, as more Slegs trotted out from behind it. The other little Slegs just barked at the intruders, but the giant Sleg rushed to the water’s edge, holding up its snout. He felt relatively more safe across the river, but there was only one problem he didn’t see coming: The sleg could spit acid.
He, slinging Umi over his shoulder, ran to the farthest and thickest tree they could take shelter behind from the balls of acid flying around the river side. He loaded on more Rabid Fuzzles, and locking them down on both of the launchers.
“Stay here. Don’t even get an idea to come out,” Stranger held up his arm, then squatted back up over the tree, and shot the Fuzzles out to the Sleg. The Fuzzles seemed to have little affect, for the Sleg moved around while the Fuzzles nipped at its toes. The other Slegs surrounding, however, had the pleasure of taking some of the Fuzzles on the giant Sleg, and then running itself in to the river to drown themselves. His bow squeaked loud, telling him that he was flat out of Fuzzles. He grunted in anger, rushing back behind the tree and down to Umi.
“Out of Fuzzles?” Umi asked, raising a brow of mischief. “Yeah...Damn things run out like moolah...” Stranger grumbled, searching his ammo sack. Umi nodded, bringing up her Needler to her face, and ran out from behind the tree. Stranger growled loudly as she ran from him, trying to stop her from looking in to the face of what could be serious pain. Firing pink flurries of needles out to the Sleg, the Sleg continued to bare out acid towards the attacking foe. Umi side-stepping from the acid, knelt down and fired the rest of her clip at the Sleg. But stupid as it may seem, kneeling down at a Sleg spitting acid was the worst thing she could’ve ever done. The needles stuck in to the Sleg, and let out an enormous explosion of pink dust and red blood, with fragments of meat and bone. But while the needles sticking in to the Sleg, it once more spat one last ball of acid, which fortunately passed over Umi. But the bat part was, a splash of acid stung right on to Umi’s arm, sizzling a grotesque smell of burning flesh. Umi wailed loudly, rushing to the river with her arm in the air. She sunk her arm in to the cool crystal water, feeling the acid remaining on her skin flush right off. Her jaw quivered hardly, as she brought up her arm, gazing at the burnt gash left from the acid spots. Burnt parts from the outter skin was a greyish color, but luckily, she got to the water right before it could strike her bone. But the wounds were serious. Stranger ran up by Umi, hissing deeply at the wounds the acid caused. He lifted her once again like a child, and carried her back in to town. But Umi, trying her persuasive ways, tried to stop Stranger from doing this.
“But...the mission-“ ”I ain’t carrying on the mission. Not until yer treated fer that wound,” Stranger said sternly. “But I’m fine, really! I can survive-“ ”Nothin’ ain’t important to me than my partner’s life. You’ve got to understand that, Umi! I ain’t lettin’ you die of whatever that would happen to you!” Stranger snapped his gaze down to her. She fell silent, she looking amazed at Stranger for moments. She couldn’t believe what he just said, and made her feel very awkward to Stranger all of a sudden. Like, she cared for him too. But he cared more for her...She just couldn’t explain it...
They passed through the archway, leading out of the Mongo River passport, and out in to town. The Clakker’s attention caught on quickly, as Stranger carried his partner across town, and quickly in to the General store. The clerk looked intensely at the stranger and the human.
“What happened all of a sudden, Stranger? You weren’t gone fer nearly 15 minutes when all of a sudden you come back in ‘ere-Who the hell is that?” the clerk pointed directly at Umi. She sneered slightly at the clerk. “You have any medical items in here?” Stranger asked frantically. The clerk grinned at Stranger. “Uh, this is a General store, buddy. It ain’t no Medical office. So what d’ya think the answer’s gonna be?” the clerk unwisely said. The smart-ass comment the Clakker had to make just didn’t fly through Stranger well, not at all. His heinous green eyes squinted on the clerk, growling deeply in his throat, and leaning closer to the Clakker’s face. The clerk’s grimace faded away quickly, its arms shaking violently, but had the nerves to say something more. “Y-you don’t scare me with yer...growlin’, and...sneerin’, an’...” it quivered now.
“If I don’t scare yeh so, then how’s ‘bout this...” Stranger growled lowly, “I’ll pluck you of every feather, ‘till yer bleedin’...then, I’ll skin yeh while yer still alive...Then, while yer cluckin’ around like a lil’ pecker head, I’ll take yer throat, and snap it...like a toothpick...” Stranger said deeply in to the Clakker’s face. The clerk, now shivering in fear, backed away from the ominous bounty hunter. “...now. If yeh don’t want any of this lil’ conversation to happen, I suggest you help me out with my partner...” Stranger growled loudly. The clerk took some time to think over what threat Stranger had said to it, then nodded frantically.
“Alright! I’ll help yeh! Just, don’t kill me! I have a wife to take care of!” it pleaded loudly. Stranger sighed in relief, finally thinking that he’ll get somewhere in this god-for-sakened town. Umi groaned painfully down to her arm.
“It’s getting worse...Damn, is it hot in here or what?” Umi put an arm to her forehead. Stranger’s eyes dropped down, his panicky feeling getting worse. ‘The infection’s beginning...’ Stranger’s stomach turned in to a rock. The clerk returned from its back office, with a slight frown on its face. “W-well, I’m sorry to say, but all I have are bandages...Nothin’ more...” the clerk shrugged. Stranger let out another panicked growl, looking back down at Umi. “Is there anywhere close to a doc’s office?” Stranger quickly said. “Well, there’s Doc’s Mongo retreat office, down the Mongo River...but the Outlaw activity is large, so the barge keeper won’t be able to take you down...” the clerk rubbed its chin thoughtfully, “...but I bet there’s a Clakker surgeon ‘round this town. Many bad things happen in this here town, so there must be a doctor Clakker ‘round here, besides of Doc. People don’t like him here either...” the clerk said. “Where can I find this Clakker surgeon?” Stranger asked. The clerk shrugged. “Go knock on some doors, hell I dunno!” the clerk replied smartly. Stranger growled again at the clerk. “Uh...ask ‘round town! I ain’t positive!” the clerk cringed. Stranger nodded, and ran out of the store. The bounty mission was going to have to wait.
“‘Scuse me! Where’s this...Clakker doc ‘round here?” Stranger asked every Clakker in town the same question, but no one decided to reply nicely to him. Plus, Umi’s condition was worsening with every little minute wasted. She kept saying weakly, “Stranger, just go on without me...Yer bounty is more important than me...” but he didn’t even want to answer that. In fact, he was nearly about to scold her in the middle of town for just saying a thing like that. He ran up to the doors of some Clakker’s homes, and knocked hardly on them to see if anyone that was a doctor could appear at the doorstep, but all failed. He was just about to give up, and swim to the Doc’s Mongo retreat, when he knocked on one last door in town, near the elevator they had taken when going to McGee. There was a Clakker with a white lab coat on, and had a stethoscope hanging from its neck. The doctor looked impatiently at the stranger, but Stranger’s throat clogged with relief and joy.
“You’s the...doctor in this here town?” Stranger kept calm, trying not to shout in joy. The doctor looked around outside the door, then back to Stranger.
“Yeah, I am. What d’ya need? I have patients in line, fer a checkup,” the doctor replied impatiently. Stranger lowered Umi down to the doctor, and it ruffled its feathers widely. “Wow! We got’s a condition here! Quickly, bring it inside!” the doctor rushed back in to its office. Nurse Clakkers rushed out with a Gurney in front of Stranger. “Put it on, and we’ll take it to the ER,” the doctor said, grabbing its equipment. Stranger laid Umi gently on the metal bed, pushing away a strand of her hair from her paled face. She had sweat all over her face, but she looked up to Stranger.
“Where am I going?” Umi asked hoarsely. “Don’t worry, Umi. You’ll be fine...” Stranger said, with a giant lump in his throat. She sighed, slamming her head on the Gurney, and the nurses pushed passed Stranger, and ran with the metal bed behind the office. The doctor walked up to Stranger, holding out a card for him.
“The name’s Judley Hectors. If yeh need me fer anything, give me a buzz,” the doctor gave Stranger his card, and patted him on the arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry, bud. Yer kid’ll be fine,” Judley nodded, and then ran in the back of the office with the nurses. He looked down at the card between his fingers, then looked at the office where the Clakkers ran back to. A tear ran down his furry chin, but held back up.
‘Don’t worry, kid,’ Stranger thought, emotions of sadness running through his stomach. ‘Just hold strong, an’ everything’ll be alright...’
Hours flew by, as Stranger impatiently tapped his foot worryingly on the cobble-stoned pat outside Doc. Hectors office. His mind flew with horrible images of something bad happening to his partner. And now, he longed to tell her how he really feels, but was too shy to spit it out. The Clakkers far out near the Doc’s office saw Stranger, with his hat over his face, his arms across his chest, and his boot tapping up and down. They knew something was up, but too scared to ask, after what they heard in the general store. The doors slid open, and Stranger turned to the sound, but saw a couple walk out, with the male in a cast and the female pushing him out on a wheelchair. Then Judley walked out, waiving good-bye to his departing patients. He looked over to Stranger, with a slight smile on his face.
“So...how’s Umi?” the only question came to his mind. The doc’s smile diminished in to a rock-hard poker face. No happiness or sadness crawled along the doctor’s face. He motioned him to come in to his office, and behind the counter in to the ER room. Many rooms were empty of patients, but one remained open, with near-silent beeping and a lump with a head under a ghost-white sheet. Nurses worked over-time on the patient, checking on the machines and equipment attached to the young human. Stranger felt his heart sink below him, as he walked in to the ER room, staring at his partner.
“Well, I can say, you got her here in the nick of time, Stranger. Any longer, and the infection would’ve spread through her system, and shut her down,” Hectors explained. Stranger felt a little more worse for what the doctor said, any longer, and your partner would be flying high above you...
“You can talk to her, but I ain’t sure she’s awake right now,” Hectors cautioned. Stranger nodded, as he took full grip on the metal bars outside the Gurney table. He stared overhead of Umi’s flushed face. An IV trickled down in to her arm, and a pulsar machine laid right behind Stranger. Umi felt the shadow overrun her face, and her eyes popped open, she gasping deeply. Stranger hushed her fright, running his hand over her face. She let out a sigh of relief.
“Damn, you scared me...” Umi said in a near-regular tone. She was going back to life little by little.
“How yeh doin’, kid?” Stranger asked in a soothing voice. She groaned a little. “Quite painfully, if I say so meself...” Umi shuffled around a little. He let out a little chuckle, wiping away another strand of her unruly hair out of her face. She looked at him awkwardly. “What’s up?” Umi asked curiously. He looked back down at her, then a smile appeared on his lips. “Nothin’...just, worried sick of yeh...” Stranger admitted quietly. Umi let out a little huff. “Well, don’t worry about me no more...Go do yer bounty mission. That’ll get me off yer head for a while,” Umi suggested, but he shook his head. “Nah...wouldn’t want you to miss out on all the fun...” he replied, “...plus, I need you, Umi,” Stranger frowned a little. “Oh, no you don’t...” Umi moved her head away from his stare. “Yes...I do,” he argued back, but Umi didn’t reply, but close her eyes a little. She snapped awake when she realized she was falling asleep. “Damn...My energy was, totally wasted after all that commotion,” Umi pulled an arm to her forehead. Stranger smiled a little again, pulling the sheet over her body a little more. “Yeh need’s yer rest, Umi. We ain’t goin’ bounty huntin’, ‘till yer better...” he said in a purr at the end. Umi moaned an acknowledgment, turning her head away from Stranger slightly, letting out one last sigh before she fell off to sleep. His lip quivered low, leaning down to Umi’s face. He kissed her on the forehead, then back up, playing with her hair gently. His words clogged his throat, but managed to say it: “I...I love yeh, kid,” Hectors walked behind Stranger, touching his arm, and leading him the way out from behind the desk.
“Don’t worry, Stranger. She’ll be fine by tomorrow. I suggest you go get yerself a hotel room and something nice an’ hot ter eat. That’ll calm yeh down,” Hectors rubbed his arm reassuringly. Stranger nodded down, a swirling emotion boiling in his mind. Then he looked down to the doctor.
“D’yeh...mind if I stay here tonight?” he asked, and Hectors looked up to him.
‘Wow...what a dedicated stranger...’ Hectors thought, but smiled. “Sure, yeh can, Stranger. If yeh don’t mind the smell of the operatin’ room,” Hectors joked. Stranger let out a small laugh, and exited through the office doors. “Just go cool off fer a while, Stranger. Go get a drink at the Winged tavern. It’ll cheer yeh up,” Hectors nodded. Stranger thanked the doctor in any way possible, and departed from the doctors office, with only one thought on his mind: His partner.
“Gimme a tall one, ‘tender,” Stranger slapped his palm on the counter. The bartender, dressed in a blue shirt with a red bow tie, nodded to Stranger’s request, and slid a keg to Stranger. It stopped right at his hand, and he took it up, and gulped it down. Clamoring of dishes and Clakker’s conversations filled the tavern with joy and excitement, while Stranger held his head low hear the counter. Today wasn’t such a joyous night for him.
A near-drunken male Clakker stumbled on to the barstool next to Stranger, ordering another round for himself. The Clakker looked at the stranger, with his hat over his saddened face.
“Aww, what’s the matter, pardner? Why you lookin’ so...droopy?” the Clakker slapped Stranger’s back. He grimaced at the wasted Clakker, then went back down to the counter, but the Clakker didn’t give up. “Oh, you can tell ole Dusty ‘bout yer problems, boy!” the Clakker smiled widely, but drunkenly. Stranger, becoming annoyed with the nuisance Clakker, spun on the barstool to the Clakker, but didn’t have an angry face on, but a frown. He averted from the Clakker’s gaze, then back up, and spun back to the counter.
“My...partner’s, in a bad condition...And it’s all my fault...” Stranger mumbled loud enough for Dusty to hear him. “Oh...oh, really? Well, that’s...that’s horrible. Well, I hope yer partner’s ok, Stranger. I’ve seen you ‘round town, with yer partner, and I can see yer bond between each other. But it ain’t nothin’ too serious to worry ‘bout...” Stranger was about to object, but the Clakker continued its ramble. “...but you listen to ole Dusty, here, Stranger. I know you feel’s bad ‘bout her, and I could feel the same thing if she was my partner, my kid...my friend...But if you both have each other, anything can be made out. Sure, you save yer kid many times before, haven’t you?” Stranger nodded to his words, “well, and she saved yer ass, too. See? That’s how partners help out partners! As long as you have each other, nothing bad will happen!” Dusty patted him on the back, and Stranger felt a little more comforted. “...but don’t listen to my ramble. I know you know that! Don’t yeh?” Stranger didn’t reply, but nod. “Well, don’t worry, Stranger. Everything’s gonna be alright. I promise,” he let out his sympathy. Stranger sighed greatly, looking down to the old Clakker with a smile of relief.
“Thank yeh, kindly, ol’ timer. I know, too...” Stranger nodded. The Clakker smiled an old wrinkly one up to the bounty hunter. “Well’p, I’ll jus’ leave yeh alone now, Stranger. Stay calm, and have at least a lil’ fun ‘round here. It’ll cheer yeh up,” Dusty smiled once more, and jumped off the barstool, and left Stranger to his self, for the rest of the night.
Stranger walked out of Winged tavern, still sober. The town was as quiet as a ghost town, but the stars lighting up the pitch-black night of Oddworld. The moon shone on the quiet town like a silvery aurora, as Stranger walked up to the doctor’s doors. He knocked gently and loud enough for the doctor to stumble out of his comfy chair, and walk to the door. He smiled up to Stranger with a gleam of hope, and led him to Umi’s room. A chair with a recliner was already set up for him to get comfy. Hectors bid him good-night, and shut the doors. Stranger leaned over to Umi, she sound asleep in her dreams. He smiled at the sight, and kissed her again on the forehead. He pulled over the white sheet over her arms to make her more warm, then reclined the sofa out. He lifted his legs on the recliner, putting his hands over his stomach, but looking at the Gurney one last time. He smiled hopefully, then tipped his hat over his head, and fell right to sleep. He definitely knew everything was going to be Ok.

Awwwww
 

Awwww, well ain't that just too cute, keep it up DE! :D Right, I'm off to post another chapter. :happy:

Oh, damn...This is gonna be intense...Here yeh go!

AYE CARUMBA!
 

GAH! I can't believe you left it there! How could you!? :eek: (in case you're in any doubt, that means I'm hooked an' on the edge of me seat ;))

Loved the insults by the way. You go Stranger! :cheer: :D

YOU GOTTA UPDATE!

I want more like five minutes ago...

Yes, I am offically hooked. :D

Ooo....that part made me sweat a lil'...don't like expressin' my...emotions so much out in public rather than in a story...:(
But, hey. People like that kinda crap. Go on ahead buddy!

This is getting redundant, but... Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! :D How very, very sweet. Stranger's just a bit softy. :lol: Nice, very nice, I likes it. :D I could go on about how great it is but I'd jist be repeatin' meself. :rolleyes:

And that...would be the end of this chapter... fer now...:evil:
You'll have to wait fer a while Lobo. I have to go somewhere within 30 minutes. I'll type s'more when I get home. Otherwise, enjoy s'more fulffiness! :happy:

THICKETS, MASKS, AND TREACHERY--The shadow of the Steef


Soft humming pinched at Stranger’s ears. His ears propped up over his hat, and his eyes opening groggily to sheer sunlight burning through his pupils. The humming became clearer to a quiet melody, sung by a girl, hanging by the windowsill. He rubbed his eyes, more covering it from the intense sunlight, and yawned loudly, stretching his arms far out. The melody didn’t stop when he made al these noises, as he put back the recliner, and stood up, scratching his head.
“...Will they open their eyes, and realize we are one...On and on, we stand alone, until our day has come...” Umi sung quietly, sitting on the windowsill, gazing out below to the unsuspecting townsfolk emerging from their dark homes, and walking around town without a clue. She seemed to have more life than last night, her skin wasn’t pale, but glowing a healthy color. Her arm was covered in a blanket of white gauss bandages, covering her wound tightly. “...Will they open their eyes, and realize we are one...Till the day, we carry on, and know our day will come...” she didn’t hear Stranger coming up from behind her, with a smile spread over his face.
“Mornin’, Umi,” Stranger greeted in a near-low growl. Umi spun her head over to Stranger, and she smiled shyly.
“Hey...” her voice faded. “What ‘che singin’ there?” he asked. Umi moved her head away from his face, she felt a blush fall upon her cheeks. “Nothin’ much,” Umi lied, then hummed again. “So...uh, you feelin’ better?” Stranger asked with a pinch of concern in his throat. “Fine...have a soar throat, but I’m fine...” Umi nodded. Stranger kept silent after that, looking around him and scratching his head. “So...uh, you, think yer fine ‘nuff to go bounty huntin’ today?” Stranger asked, knowing what the answer was going to be. Umi’s head snapped back to Stranger, with a smile spreading across her face. “Damn-straight! I’m full of energy. I just want to go beat the crap outta Outlaws,” Umi swung her arms around. Stranger let out a laugh, seeing her in her full life. Doc. Hectors peeked through the door, then came in, bowing his head to Umi.
“Well, seems as if my patient’s all worked up! That’s a very good sign! Lemme just checkup on yeh, Umi, and you can probably leave today...” Hectors sat Umi on the Gurney again, and pulled out his clipboard and stethoscope. The doctor grunted positively, writing on his clipboard. He nodded at Umi, giving a bright smile. “Well, Umi! This has to be the biggest surprise outta all my patients! You have to be the fastest healer ‘round here, and that’s astonishing ter me!” Hectors patted her on the arm, then looked at the bandage. “...But I suggest you keep that bandage on fer a lil’ longer. I ain’t positive that yer wound has healed yet,” Hectors nodded. Umi agreed with the Clakker, standing up and walking to Stranger. “Well, it’s safe fer yeh to go, Umi! Be careful out thar, and Stranger,” he looked up to him. “...take care of Umi, ok? She seems to be an OK-kid ter me,” Hectors nodded.
“T’ain’t a problem, doc,” Stranger smiled down at him. “Well, ok then! You may leave! G’luck on that bounty mission, you two! Wish yeh the best ‘o luck!” Hectors waved at the bounty hunters, as they exited the office, and out to the morning sun of New Yolk. Umi stretched her arms out, groaning sleepily.
“Damn, it’s been a long night...” Umi relaxed her arms. “Well, you ready fer Lefty? ‘Cause I am,” Umi looked up to Stranger. He laughed a little.
“You don’t seem ter give up easily, don’t yeh?” he ruffled up her hair. They walked out on the cobbled streets of New Yolk, the Clakkers surrounding watching them as they passed them. Cornjaws walked up to them from nowhere, watching suspensefully as they walked closer.
“Well! I’ll be damned! You actually survived the purple-ass Sleg?” Cornjaws asked surprisingly, then turned to Umi. “I’ve heard all about you, human. I’m most surprised to see you still alive! Din’t know it’d be so life-threatening to go after a large Sleg like that! But hey, glad you didn’t die,” Rusty said, then back to Stranger. “Well, you want to learn that Sleg call now, huh?” Stranger nodded. “Well, follow me. Don’t want to start a commotion ‘round town fer doin’ a Sleg call. C’mon,” Cornjaws led them out of town, through the Mongo River passport, and at the head of the slope. Rusty cleared his throat to sound clear, then howled a weak howl of a Sleg. He coughed hoarsely, plucking out his cigar. Stranger rubbed his chin th oughtfully.
“Like this?” Stranger asked, then brayed a perfect howl from Cornjaws demonstration, almost like a wolf howl to Umi’s comparison. Cornjaws looked up in surprise. “Wow, that’s-that’s purdy convincin’ thar, Stranger. Much better than what I did in the old days...” his voice trailed off. “Well, now all yeh have ter do is use that Sleg call to lure out Lefty, and his ass is all yers,” Rusty nodded. Stranger nodded in thanks, and Rusty left them to their own, bidding good luck as he walked through the closing gates. “Well, climb on,” Stranger stood on his four limbs, leaning down close enough to Umi’s height. Umi hesitated.
“What about my arm?” she said in a reminder tone. Stranger stood back up, grinning a little. She knew that kind of grin, and she frowned a little. “Oh...not again...” Umi’s head dropped down. Stranger gathered her up in his arms, and sprinted down the slope, she near to the ground as his arms hung down. Traveling right near the water’s edge, and dodging trees and bushes, while Umi squeaked out cries for him to watch where he was going. Through a small passage, across a roofed bridge over the sparkling Mongo River, and now on a left plateau of land, leading down a small gorge to the Mongo River. Stranger continued sprinting through the thick brush of trees and leaves, doing what he did best at times: Scaring the crap out of his partner. Barrels and wooden crates were stocked on the sides in the brush, seeming to grow more numerous as they continued down the path. Someone was here, and they were ready for anything.
He stopped at a slight drop down to the Grubb graveyard the clerk told them about. A small pond of water streamed out through the metal gates blocking most of the water flowing out. He dropped down heavily on the grass, letting Umi down from his arms. The graveyard went by its name: Lots and lots of gravestones. But on the tops of each gravestone was the shape of a Grubb’s head, and words engraved on the stones. But they weren’t interested on the stones, but what was above the graveyard, perched near the trees. A camouflaged-colored tent, with a wooden perch was built on the rocky hills overshadowing the graveyard. Stranger walked to the middle-most row through the gravestones, tensioning his throat.
“We’re on Lefty’s turf now, Umi. Get ready,” Stranger cautioned, rubbing his throat. She kept a hand near her Needler. He cleared his throat, and inhaled deeply. Then, he let out the howl, the perfect-cut howl Cornjaws tried to demonstrate, clearly and loudly so that every bird perched in the trees fluttered away from Stranger. He relaxed his voice, listening to the surroundings. He heard mumbling and scrambling from the tent above, and hid them both behind one of the tall gravestones from Lefty’s sights.
“Hey I heard a Sleg...” he mumbled to himself. “Where are ya, you mangy beast!?” he shouted, glancing all around the bottom of the graveyard. Stranger and Umi stepped out from behind the gravestone, keeping their head down from Lefty.
“Ain’t no one here, Lefty...” Stranger kept a fist on his hip, then perked his head up. “...just, you an’ me,” Lefty’s eyes burned up in anger, “What!? You bastard! You’ve gone ‘n done tricked me out!” then he knelt down by the balcony from his tent. “Well, if that’s how you want it? Yer gonna have to fight my boys before you can even think of gettin’ me!” Lefty stood back up, then glared back down to Umi. He grinned at the human. “Well! What do we have here? If it ain’t the human that’s up fer a bounty! Yer just dumb enough to stoop in to my turf, human! Now I got’s to hunt you down, so don’t move an inch!” he ran back in to his tent, shouting out from his tent to his minions. “Get’m, boys! Make sure that human doesn’t escape! Like they even can!” he cackled, then fell silent. Minions from every side of the graveyard crawled out of open mine shafts, and growling down the hill to the gravestones. Most of them were Shredder minions, but mixed up with some Shooters and Semi-auto’s.
“Wow, there’s a lot’a them...” Umi snapped her head to each minion closing in on them. “They’re going to try and get you, Umi. Listen closely, and they won’t get you,” Stranger whispered over his shoulder. Umi nodded, still watching at each minion, growling and snarling intimidatingly at them. He kept his armed arm behind his back, loading on Boom-bats on each launcher. Umi still hovered her hand over her weapon on her belt. Then, Stranger snapped his arm up to the surrounding outlaws, and fired both launchers with Boom-bats. The Boom-bats attached to the outlaws, and an immediate chain-reaction began. All the outlaws stumbled down from the explosion, some dead, but most alive, but gave Stranger a chance to escape from them. He grabbed Umi by the arm, and dragged her away from the circle of fallen minions behind a thick couple of trees. He reloaded his bow with Rabid Fuzzles, compliments from Hectors, and Stingbees.
“Stay here, Umi. I think Lefty’s gonna show his ugly face real soon-like,” Stranger told, and jumped out to the ring of outlaws stumbling up. The Fuzzles were first to go, them gnashing and biting with their unnatural strength in their jaws. The outlaws even screamed louder compared to the first version of Fuzzles. Then came the streams of Stingbees, nipping at their faces with super-sharp stingers. The outlaws fell faster than Stranger expected. Then came Lefty, and his cackling voice from his tent. But he didn’t come alone. He came with his trusty boomstick: a high-powered sniper rifle, without a scope, and had a very powerful and painful shot. How they knew? He shot at the trees they were behind, and wiped out nearly half of the tree.
“Holy...sh-“ Stranger grabbed Umi in his arms, and sprinted away from the trees, and behind the gravestones. But that didn’t even hold up for long. It took only three shots to lower the gravestones down to the sights of their heads.
“You can’t escape, Stranger! I got’s you right on my sights!” Lefty cackled, purposely missing his next shot so they could scramble out in the open. Stranger kept Umi low still in the rows of gravestones, and ran lone, frantically loading his bow up with Thud-slugs. The bullets came closer and closer to Stranger. He leaped behind another tree farther on Lefty’s left, peeking out as far as he could without getting shot, and fired both Thud slugs on his bow to Lefty. The Outlaw cried in pain, falling back on his balcony. He caught his breath, glaring at the tree Stranger hid behind.
“Damn! This rifle’s over-heatin’! Be back in a jiffy, Stranger!” Lefty lied, running in to his tent again, and ordering more outlaws of his own to go out and stall. Same amounts of outlaws came from the same places near the tent of Lefty. Shredders and Semi-autos were only to come out this time, which made it more challenging. Umi came out when she heard Lefty yell and go back in to his tent, but Stranger motioned her to stay down. He shot out Snuzi darts, killing five outlaws, then squeaked when he ran out. Then Rabid Fuzzles came in to play, Stranger shooting them far out to the Semi-autos and the rest of the Shredders. Higher above the graveyard was Lefty’s grunts and hoots. He was now far right near his tent, higher than his regular post. The bad part was he had a clear shot on Umi’s hiding hide, and the really bad part was Stranger was too far to get her out of the way.
“UMI! MOVE, NOW!” Stranger roared at her. She perked her head up immediately, looking behind her back and up.
“I got you now, human!” Lefty wildly said, and pulled the trigger. She jumped up and ran faster than a jackrabbit, through the rows of gravestones. Stranger began to lope towards Umi, as his bullets got closer and closer to Umi’s legs. He knew what Lefty was up to, and it was nearly the same plan to Meagley’s. Lefty reloaded his rifle quickly with his sharp-tipped bullets, and fired again. Two out of three bullets missed. What happened to the other bullet was dramatic. Luckily, it didn’t hit any of the vital areas. What made matters worse was that the bullet shot and struck in to her wounded arm, passing through entirely her bandages and her arm. When it stuck, the pain immediately struck through her nerves, but the pain rating was much higher than last time. She screamed louder than ever, tripping down from the pain, and tears spewing down her cheeks. Lefty above, jeered and cheered at his efficient strike at the human, and ran back in to the cave behind him. Stranger stopped at her screeching self, writhing around and holding in her screams of pure pain. He lifted her arm carefully, seeing through that the bullet had cut right through her arms.
“God damn. Can’t nothing come wrong with you, kid?” he joked slightly, and lifted her up in his arms.
“Stranger...” she clenched her teeth tightly. “This hurts more than hell...” “I know, I know...Calm down...” he said in a soothing voice, but she continued to writhe in his arms. He heard Lefty coming again, through his tent again. He ran aside behind the trees they hid behind at first, but kept low in a stock of reeds. He laid Umi inside the reeds, thickening the reeds more so Lefty or his goons would find her. She was cooling down her movements, but they continued still. “You need ter, stop movin’, Umi. Or Lefty will catch yeh...” Stranger said in a deep purr quiet enough that Lefty wouldn’t hear. “Where...are you going?” Umi looked to his neon-green eyes. “I got’s a bounty to get...” he unlocked his bow, and exited behind the reeds. Lefty, beckoning the human to come out, didn’t realize that the bounty hunter was now on his tracks. Loading on a Thud slug and a Boom-bat, he aimed for Lefty behind a tree near the reeds, planning to use the Boom-bat first.
“Oh, STRA-A-A-A-ANGER! C’mon out with that purdy human, so’s I can finish BOTH of yeh!” Lefty chuckled.
‘I don’t think so...’ Stranger growled, and shot the Boom-bat first. Lefty caught the Boom-bat flying towards him, and shot it down. The Boom-bat exploded in mid-air, making one final squeak in pain. “I ain’t stupid with yer lil’ plan, Stranger! C’mon out, and fight like a....whatever you are!” Lefty jeered loudly. No reply, but Stranger launched the last critter on his bow. Now, Lefty didn’t realize the Thud slug coming at him, which knocked him down flat on his porch. He grumbled in anger, glimpsing around to see the bounty hunter. “So! Is that how you wanna play!? Fine then! Time to get up close and personal!” Lefty jumped from his balcony, and landed heavily on the ground.
“Good...” Stranger whispered a growl, loading on now the last of his Fuzzles and Thud slugs. Lefty wandered around the graveyard, not even noticing the trees the bounty hunter is behind. Fuzzles flew out from behind the trees, and on to Lefty. When the Fuzzles worked their part, the Thud slugs then came out, knocking in to Lefty’s gut like rocks from a slingshot. He regained his breath from the Thud slugs quickly, showing a slight sign of fatigue. He looked over to the trees, growling angrily, and stomping towards the trees, holding his rifle up. He jumped over behind the trees, roaring at the sight of...nothing. He grumbled confusedly, having his rifle above his arms and looking around wildly. Then, he looked to the reeds, silently ruffling in the wind. His eye squinted at it, slowly approaching it with his rifle now at his gut. Stranger, perched up in the tree above Lefty, growled protectively, and swung down, kicking Lefty back from the reeds, and holding down his bow. Lefty glared at Stranger, then chuckling maliciously.
“There you are, ya pussy outlaw! You finally show yer face!” Lefty struggled up with his heavy gear on his back. “Now, I can truly show the many signs of pissed off, I’M in!” Lefty roared, swinging his rifle unexpectingly at Stranger’s jaw. He flung to the pond of water, stumbling on his stomach, and weakly lifting his face out of the water. Lefty came up to Stranger’s back, striking the butt of his rifle in to the back of his neck, sending him back down in the water. He stepped a heavy foot on Stranger’s back, and put the rifle at his head, chuckling more evilly. “You ain’t the bounty hunter...no more...” he nearly pulled the trigger. Lefty groaned in pain, as prickles of something sharp stuck in his skin, and more and more of the prickles came in a gathering on his back. Pink needles flurried from the reeds, sticking straight in to his back, as they gathered more and more. Umi slid herself out of the reeds, using her full clip of crystalline needles through her weapon. She lowered her arms, grinning at the corner. “Why you lil’-“ then a massive explosion came before he could even finish his sentence. Pink dust shrouded his corpse, as it fell down in to the water and bubbled painfully. The dust settled down and showed Lefty’s entire back blown off. His mumbles of pain quickly stopped, blood trickled heavily with the calm current of the water, trailing small rivers of red along with the river. Stranger coughed hardly, holding his throat and gagging all the water that was caught in his lungs. He exhaled heavily, shaking the water out from his hair, and looking over to Lefty. He blinked widely, gazing back over to Umi, her head down in the grass.
“Umi!” he growled, scrambling over to her. She mumbled in acknowledgment, keeping her head down in the grass. He lifted her off the grass, her face having a streak of dirt across her cheek.
“Saved yer ass, didn’t I?” Umi smiled tiredly. He chuckled, “Yeah...you did,” Her face was returning slowly from her pale state, but her eyes red of tears. Her arm was slowly coming to a stop of bleeding, but the bloody gash still was wide open. “You feelin’ ok?” Stranger asked, surprised at her critical state. She shrugged. “I’m used to pain. Always have been. It’s nothin’ new to me,” Umi replied. “I can see...” Stranger stood up with her in his arms. “Thanks...” he nuzzled down to her face, giving her a small cuddle. She swung her arm around his neck, kissing him on the nose. “Ain’t a problem. That’s was partners do,” Umi smiled, then looked over to Lefty. “Ooo...Did a slight number on him...Sorry fer messin’ him up,” Umi looked innocently in to his eyes. He shook his head. “Eh...I bet the clerk’ll give us something...” Stranger shrugged. “Yeah...I bet,” Umi said hopefully. They walked back to town through the mine shaft that was wide open from one of the outlaws’ exiting gates, and back on the trail they went on to get to Lefty in the first place, and back across the bridge. The ripples of the waters shone off from the light of the mid-evening sun. The sky was turning an unusual red, near the color of blood. They knew something bad was about to come...Especially to Stranger...

*in a 'mystical' voice* Oooo, I sense a disterbance in the Force...*gets hit on the back of the head* OW! *rubs head* that wasn't what I had in mind...

Anyway, yeh, am'a right in thinkin' that somat rather nasty is about to happen?

There's a lil' more...can say that the chapter's nearly done. It ain't that long now is it? :fuzconf:
Well, I had to stop the chapter so it didn't get too long...so it ain't gonna be too long...
But, hey! Enjoy it while you can!

*Jaws Music*
 

Dun, dun DUH! Urg, will those two ever get a break....

......not likely.... :D

Still lovin' it Darky dude! :D

there yeh go, Lobo. Enjoy!

GASP!
 

The horror! :D Wonder what happens next? Yer won't keep me in suspense will ya? :D

Hey, that's what I do. Leave cliffys, AND suspense. So, yer answer is most likely...YES! :D ;)

.....
 

You down right meanie. :| Leavin' your loyal readers in the dark, for shame Darky E :nonono: tut tut tut...

:D

All done with that chapter. Enjoy it, Lobo! And don't be too gone fer long! :D

o.O
 

Wow, just...wow.

At the risk of being repetitive...wow... ^.^ Yeh, as you can tell, I still love this story to bits. :D And I'm lookin' forward to loads of new stuff when I get back. :D

Wow.