Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
 

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath


The one moment she savored the most was seeing the Master Chief's face. It would always be burned on her memory. Then, that final moment, while she dangled out in space, she was caught with the force pull of the explosion. Halo, the final one, had finally been destroyed, but bringing along Umi with it. Then, she felt the suction of the invisible black hole, sucking her in to infinate space. The worst thing she thought was where would it take her, and how far from Earth? Then, she couldn't breathe, and slowly drifted in space, until her skin tingled and burned. That was all in her memory, along with her new-found friends on Earth and in space. She didn't move an inch from what posture she was in when she became conscious. Murmered whispers from all around her could be heard. She opened one eye, to see pairs of olive green eyes looking down at her face.
"Huh?"
She opened the other eye, and shot straight up. The things around her backed away when she popped up. Little chicken-like folk were surrounding her every side. She was scared, really, but she thought if she excited the little things, they may do something horrible. But they looked of no harm.
"What the hell are you supposed to be?"
Umi looked at all of them. None replied to her, until a feminemly-looking chicken stooped up.
"We're the Clakkers here in Gizzard Gulch!" she replied with a westerny accent and a whiny voice.
"Clakkers," Umi repeated.
"What are you?" a male Clakker asked.
"Never seen a human before?" Umi replied to them.
"Hu-man? What's a hu-man?" The others clamored as well.
"Ok, forget that. Can someone tell me where I am?" Umi asked.
"Yer in Gizzard Gulch, hu-man," the female Clakker said back.
"I know that. What am I on right now?" Umi asked again, with some irritability.
"Um...grass?"
"No! What planet! What planet am I on?" Umi slammed her fist on the dirt.
"Oh! You could've been more specific! Why, you're on Oddworld," the other male Clakker replied.
Umi turned to the Clakker, her eyes blinking in disbelief.
"What? Wha-was it somethin' I said?"
"What did you say I was on?" Umi repeated with more intense anger in her voice.
"Um...Oddworld?" the Clakker replied with nervousness in his throat.
Her face drooped down when the Clakker replied.
"Now what did I say?" the Clakker shrugged to the others.
"Now, now. Give the hu-man some time. She's probably been through a lot. Maybe not like us..." the female said.
"What!?" Umi shouted, as she jumped up. The Clakkers jumped away from Umi.
"Whoa, now! Settle down thar, hu-man! We don't want no trouble!" the male cautioned.
"I think it would've been better if we didn't tell her!" the female said with a little regret in her voice.
"I think I messed my boxers, LuAnne,"
"I'm on some different planet, in some different system, billions of miles away from Earth!? This is-this is just crazy!" she cried, clenching tufts of her golden-blonde hair.
"Uh, isn't that what we just said?" the male Clakker spoke.
"Does it look like she cares right now?" the female glanced at the male.
Umi didn't make any comments to the three Clakkers. Instead, she ran. Out of the fields, and in to town, in the middle of a dusty dirt road, leading only left or right. She didn't care what route she took, but just to escape from everything the Clakkers had told her in the fields. But, as rocky as the path can be, her shoe got stuck in one, and tumbled on to the dust road. The Clakkers in town ran over to the fallen human, with more curiousness in their minds than to come to her aid. But they stopped, dead in their tracks, when they were inches away from her feet. A shadowy right in front of Umi's fallen body, approached the townsfolk. The Clakkers clucked in fear.
"My lord. It's Stranger," one quivered in fear.
As the stranger got closer to Umi, she could hear the rattling of it's boots, getting closer and closer. She lifted her head, only to see a set of two rightly shining green eyes, looking down at her. Before she was fully knocked out, she could see the stranger's head cocking to one side, looking at her in confusion, but somewhat interest. Umi's vision impaired, and she fell unconscious.
The stranger's lips curled in to a smile, bent down to pick Umi off the street, walked the way he came from The Clakkers behind whispered feafully in a group.
"Mercy on her. Have mercy on her," a female said, her voice quivering heavily.
The rest of the Clakkers said also in agreement, watching the stranger's shadow walk away with the human.

YAY!
 

Yeah. Sorry. My mom kinda rushed me to go, so I edited the rest of the ending on there. Anyways, yeah. Thanks, diablo! :D

ENCOUNTER, MEMORIES, MEETINGS
Umi meets the stranger.

Pain ran through her body as if someone chucked a large boulder right on her body. Maybe because she just crash-landed on Oddworld, skin with no protection. She was opening her eyes, only to see darkness with a red-orange glow to the roof. She was laying on a flat stone bed, which made her have more uncomfortable pain rush through her. Umi felt as if she was laying in the pit of hell, for the fiery glow and the much uncomfortable heat made it feel like she was. She groaned, as she raised an arm to rub her itching eyes that bothered her the moment she opened them. She heard a heavy sigh from the left side of her face. She froze immediately, the jerked her head to the sound. Her eyes widened, as she sat up and screamed bloody murder. She saw the stranger that had kidnapped her.
The stranger had the kind of hairy face you would see on a monkey or ape. He also had a beard and a hairy head of light brown and tan-colored hair. He had muscularate arms and large forearms with five large fingers and long sharp nails. He wore a jade-green tank-top, and tan tights. On his feet were large cowboy boots that looked from an old spaghetti western film. He was staring at her, with a grin of interest on his lips. His eyes were more luminous bright green than the last time she saw them.
But Umi bundled up her legs in her arms, still looking at the stranger. She could see that he was of no harm, but last time she learned that was when she thought the Decepticons were no enemies.
The stranger, still looking at her distilled fear, leaned back, still with a grin on his face. She couldn't stand the utter silence no more, so she decided to interrogate the stranger.
"W-who are you?" Umi began to ask.
The stranger's grin turned in to more of a slight smile, with stained teeth baring.
"'Bout time you wake," he replied with a voice so low and timbre, it was nearly ominous to Umi, which made her more fearful.
The stranger stood up, and walked over to the fire, and began to feed it wood.
Umi began to relax more, lowering her bundled legs over the edge of the stone bed. She looked at the stranger from the back of his head, wondering if he would do anything to harm her. She got back to her question the stranger didn't answer.
"Who are you?"
"People 'round these parts call me Stranger," he replied, tossing in the last bits of wood in to the growing fire, then turned around, and sat on a flat stone in front of Umi.
"but my question is, who are you?"
Umi's throat tightened, but swallowed so she could speak clearly.
"Tamira-Tamira Maria Wialls," she said with raspness in her voice,
"but call me Umi,"
Stranger nodded to her reply, then searched for other questions he was dying to ask.
"So...yer a human, ey? Where yeh from?" he asked.
'Curious person,' Umi thought.
"Well, I can say I'm from nowhere around here," Umi replied her bit of answer. Stranger still looked at her eyes directly, waiting for more. She searched for the right answer,
"I'm from Earth, but really I'm from this other place in space. It would be kinda hard to explain,"
"Earth? Hmm...never heard such a place," Stranger rubbed his beard in a thinking sort of way.
"I can say, since out of my consciousness, this place is but another copy of Earth," Umi looked out the cave entrance.
The sunset's golden-orange glow shone off the cave walls. Birds flocked in front of the golden sun, and wolf howls echoed off the sun-burnt trees. Umi still looked out the cave, her lips curving down in to a frown. Stranger looked back to Umi, but his lips curled down as well when he saw her.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a concerned way.
A tear was forming in the corner of her eye. She snuffled, wiping away the tear.
"Nothing, nothing. Just feeling a little...homesick," Umi looked away from the cave spout.
But Stranger could sense more that just homesickness, but he dared not to ask more to upset the human more than she was now. He searched his mind again for something else to ask, but he wasn't much on his conversational skills.
"Nice bow you got there," Umi spoke, looking at a folded-up bow in a corner, with a triangular leather-armored poncho and a broad hat with darts ringed around the head and two holes in the back.
Stranger looked back at the bow, the back to Umi with another grin on his face. He went back to his stuff, and brought back the bow.
"This is a...semi-automatic, custom-made, high tension bow, with optional sniper/snooper scope, and twin barrels," Stranger unfolded the bow to show her.
Umi's eyes widened as she looked down at the bow with much interest. Then her eyes relaxed, and looked back up at Stranger with confusion.
"So...what exactly do you use for ammo?" she asked.
He reached down on his leather belt on his tights, and brought up a pouch that seemed to come to life. Umi's head backed away from the pouch, thinking something that would jump out of the pouch. He opened the sack, and little critters jumped out of the opening. The critters scattered around Umi's bed, but looking at her with interest. One little critter, with light brown fur and adorible red eyes, jumped on her lap. It looked up at her, in to her ocean-blue eyes. Umi didn't make any sudden movements. She just looked at the critter.
"Stranger. What is it?" she asked over to him, not moving her eyes away from it. Stranger looked down at the creature.
"That's a Fuzzle. Nasty lil' varmins, but good fer traps. Don't move, just let it sniff yeh out," Stranger said with a bit of caution in his voice.
Umi still didn't move an inch from her pose. The Fuzzle then began to sniff out Umi's clothes, moving over to her arms. Then, leaped up on her chest, and then sniffed on her face. The Fuzzle looked at her nearly in an ominous way, but then rubbed itself friendly-like over her face.
"It likes yeh already,"
Umi let the Fuzzle jump in to the palms of her hands. She saw a couple of things fly over her head. One that looked of a purple armadillo, and a yellow wasp.
"Thud Slugs, good fer knocking out Outlaws. Stingbees, they fire's fast," Stranger caught the bugs in mid-air.
"Boom-bats. They blow up," he also caught the critter that had black fur, spikes on it's bottom, and wings on it's head.
Two little rat-looking critters moved near Umi. One smelled bad, and one kept chattering at other creatures nearby.
"A Stunk," he picked up a black rat, with a white stripe running down from it's nose all the way to it's tail. "make them Outlaws, puke. There's a Chippunk," he snatched up the chattering critter, that had tan-colored fur with also a white stripe running down from it's nose to it's tail.
Then, a spider crawled up Umi's leg. She looked at the giant blue spider, then began to whimper, holding her arms away from it. Stranger looked at Umi's face, then chuckled to himself. "Take's it yer not a spider person, huh?" Stranger plucked off the spider from her leg. Umi shook her head, still looking at the giant spider. "Bolamites. Good fer wrappin' up, Outlaws," he dropped the Bolamite in to the sack again.
"Wait a second. You keep on saying Outlaws. Are you...a bounty hunter or something?" Umi asked, raising her brow up high.
"Yup," he replied deeply, returning his bow and sack to the rest of his stuff, and sitting back down.
"Really? Wow! Never met a bounty hunter before! Is it hard being a bounty hunter?" Umi asked with great interest.
"Sorta. Got's teh, get them down before you can, bounty 'em up. Get 'em alive, and you get more moolah. Get's 'em dead, an' you get less," Stranger explained.
She slightly chuckled to herself. Stranger looked at her in a confusingly way.
"What's so funny?"
"The thought of you, using live ammunation, just to take down Outlaws," Umi smiled, trying to stop from laughing.
"Purdy damn good, if I say so myself," Stranger opinionated.
Umi calmed down slowly, breathing deep from her laughingfest.
"I had weapons of my own. But they got lost when I crash-landed here. I wish I knew where they were," Umi slumped down, her pamls on her cheeks, and her elbows on her knees.
"You mean these things?"
Stranger reached from his left pouch, and brought up her Plasma Rifle and Needler.
"Hey! How'd you find these?" Umi snatched them away from his hands.
"Found them in the Oppal fields near town. Reckon nobody would have 'em, so I took them. Eh...never liked guns anyways," Stranger said.
Umi felt a little better with defensive weapons in her grasp.
"Well'p, reckon it's time fer us to hit the hay. We be needed to be fully rested fer tomorrow," Stranger said, slipping off his seat.
"Tomorrow?" Umi repeated in a questionly way.
"Yep. We're goin' bounty huntin' tomorreh," Stranger layed on the ground. Umi felt a little sorry he had the dust and she had a bed.
"Take my bed if you want,"
"Nah. I'm fine. Too uncomfy fer me," Stranger shook his hand to her.
Umi layed flat on her belly, hoping some comfort of the stone bed would come to her.
"Well, it was nice, talkin' to yeh," Stranger said to her over his shoulder.
Umi mumbled to him, for she was ready to go to sleep. She unwrapped herself from her demin vest, and folded it in to a fashion, like a pillow, and layed her head on it. When her head got comfortable, she rested her eyes, still looking at the stranger who "kidnapped" her.

Yeah, Perfect!
 

Yeah. Unfortunetely, when I told yeh 'bout the two Oddworld stories, well, this is the one I'm restarting. So, it'll be a while before the next part comes up. The story before wasn't too good, so now this one'll be better. Be patient, and stay odd! And keep yer story comin', diablo!

[Edit] Oh, and if you want to see Umi, the attatchment's below. :)

Well, I can give you a little bit that I've finished already, but the rest'll be a while.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A STRANGER ARRIVES IN TOWN...

During the night, she had tumbled off of her stone bed, having one of those "falling" dreams. Very common to her when she went to sleep on a bed.
Umi snapped awake when she slammed on the ground, wide-eyed and shocked. Then, she realized what happened, and groaned. Stranger was sound asleep, not even bothered at her droppin and groaning.
'Maybe it's better if I sleep on the ground...' she thought, crawling towards Stranger's back.
She still felt a tad bit sorry that he still had to sleep on the rocky, dirty, filthy ground.
So, she folded her vest again, in a pillow fashion, then lifted his heavy head, and slipped the vest underneath. Then, lowered his head gently on to the vest, stoking his hair from his face. He sighed heavily, and rubbed his face over her vest, but didn't wake as if something happened. But he seemed to more enjoy the vest under his head. She smiled at his sound-sleep action, then layed on her back, her hands under her head.
Now, she was thinking way back on Earth, when she was just a regular person, with no odd powers, playing with her real, normal friends. But since she thought back, the memories tied with Earth came to view. The battles between the Autobots and Decepticons.
Then, the frightful day of the transmission from the Covenant. The Master Chief, Halo, and it's terrible power. Every single event that happened through her life turned up in her mind.
Then, the Clakkers, and Stranger.
What would happen next in her young, reckless, hapless life? She wondered the same thing, too.
Years has passed on when she kept asking herself, "When will things be normal again?" and everytime she thought of that, some terrible event would come to mind.
Now she was beginning to quit asking herself that question, for nothing would be normal to her again.
She fell asleep again, with that thought in mind

Nice, I like the imagery you use and the character development. Kinda reminds me of Inuyasha. I can't ait till version 2!

Yeah, I'm workin' on the first Outlaw, and I'm nearly done. I worked on my story ever since 2 last night. I was wired last night, wasn't on sugar or caffein. I was WIDE awake. :)

Awwwwww
 

Well, Bailey would have to do it while he was asleep 'r somethin', or he wouldn't strangle her. (Maybe...) Yeah. Umi learns that he could be trusted, so she just wanted to be nice in return. Yeah, I would call that, 'fluffiness' :D

I'm almost done with one part, but I'm running out of paper, so it'd be a while for another part. Sorry.

In this case you could have edited, I meant you can double post when adding new material, and chapters , not when you're just saying how you're getting on with it. But if you add the next chapter to this post then I guess it's OK. So I suggest you don't reply to this but edit your newest post to add in the new chapter.

That was actually an accident...didn't mean to double post...I was being blonde again...

*whines* Hurry Up
 

I'm workin' on it right now, Lobo. It's gonna take a while, 'cause it's a long chapter. I even didn't finish it on paper, but I'm willing to get down the whole part without the help of my paper story. Don't worry, it's comin'.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A STRANGER ARRIVES IN TOWN. (cont.)

Sunlight filtered in to the cave, and shining off her eyelids. She was awake, but she didn't want to wake up. She was still exhausted from yesterday and last night. But when the light hits her eyes, her brain is telling her to wake up and smell the coffee.
So, other than playing sleeping, she opened her eyes. She was very groagy and weak, but she got up without a sweat. Her vest was over her shoulders, and Stranger was gone, out of the cave.
The fire was still crackling with small embers glowing, like fireflies dancing. She pushed her vest off her shoulders, smacking her lips so her lips would moisten. She saw that Stranger's stuff from the corner was gone.
'Probably left me behind...' Umi thought, reaching in her vest pocket, and grabbed a small comb.
She was brushing all the knots out in her hair, when crunching of leaves and rattling boots came in to the cave.
"Good teh, see yeh up. 'Bout to wake you up, myself," Stranger looked down in to her groagy eyes.
His hat and leather poncho was on him, lookng ready to leave.
Umi stuffed her comb in to her breat pocket, swung on her vest, strapped on her Needler and Plasma Rifle on her belt, and looked around if she had forgotten anything.
"Looks like you din't sleep well, las' night," Stranger spoke, hoping Umi would make some smart-ass comment with a glare.
Umi only groaned, and walked passed him out of the cave. She knelt by a small rivene in front of the cave. She took a cupped handful of water, and splashed it all over her face. The cool tingle of the water got her nerves and senses open. She took a small drink to moisten her throat, and walked back to Stranger, fully restored.
"Better?"
Umi looked up to his face.
"Mhm," she slightly groaned, wiping off the excess water of her cheeks.
"Les' head on down to town, check to see if Doc's in," Stranger began to walk down the rocky path.
"Doc?" Umi raised a brow, walking up to him.
Stranger didn't reply to her repitition question, just kept walking towards Gizzard Gulch. They didn't say anything to each other halfway down the path.
Umi was looking at the fields of tall grass, swaying seldomly in the heated winds. The sun was peaking over the hills, miles away from their point. Gizzard Gulch was looking like a ghost town. There was no one moving outside, not even a tumble weed draging along the dusty path. Maybe because none of the Clakkers were awake yet.
"So, uh...what are we doing today?" Umi asked, hoping somewhat of a conversation would stir up.
"Well...first, I got's to go to the Local jail. Throw Blisterz Booty in to jail," Stranger replied.
"Blisterz...Booty?"
"Yeah. Bad-ass Outlaw, huntin' near the Mongo Wilds," Stranger said,
"then check if the, Doc's in his office," Stranger continued his agenda.
"You have to go to see a doctor? But why-"
"Then check out the Bounty store," Stranger interrupted purposely.
Umi gave an irritated sigh. She knew he had something to hide, since he wouldn't answer her. But it might've been personal, so she didn't ask again for the rest of the way down to town
The sun was over the peaks when Stranger and Umi arrived in Gizzard Gulch. Clakkers began to creep out of their homes, one by one, waddling around the streets.
Their first stop was the Local jail, "Where we recooperate bad eggs!" was their motto.
Stranger deliberately threw Blisterz Booty, a mad hunter with an ugly face, in to his appropriate home: An ironed-bared cage. The jail keeper, General Buzzhead, stamped Blisterz Booty's wanted poster that Stranger kept.
"Eh, nice goin', Stranger. Now go get yer moolah down at the Bounty store, ey? Yeah," Buzzhead told Stranger, slipping back the poster on the counter to Stranger.
As they were leaving, they could hear Booty begging to let him out. He also threatened of his brother that was coming to town to rummage the place so he'd free him.
Umi rolled her eyes to the Outlaw's pity threat.
Next, they walked up to a small shack connected to two smaller houses, with a small sign with a note on it:
WENT TO LUNCH. BE BACK IN 5 MINUTES, YA IMPATIENT PECKER!
Stranger sighed when he diverted his eyes from the sign.
"He ain't in," he said to Umi.
"Let's hit the Bounty store, until he get's back in," he said, walking away from the office.
The Bounty store was right across from the Doc's office. It was pretty noticeable from the orange sign, the words blinking in lights, "Bounty store". Stranger shoved aside the swinging doors, leaving enough space to let Umi squeeze through. The sunlight shone on one lone Clakker, then cut off when the doors shutted.
The clerk looked at Stranger from the corner of it's eyes, then turned to the counter.
"Oh! Welcome to the Bounty store, Stranger!"
"We got some bounties fer you! Come take a look!" the clerk beckoned.
"Yeah, I will. I need's teh, know when Doc get's back in. Need's him to, fix a problem," Stranger said, scratching his leg.
"Well, Doc say's he'll be back soon to check on yeh. But in the meantime, come take a look at my bounty list," the clerk told.
Stranger and Umi walked to the counter. He leaned on the counter, as the clerk brought up one poster. He slapped it on the counter, and slipped it to Stranger's arm.
"Filthy-hands Floyd is up fer takes. He's up near them Wagon trains, harrassing the locals. He say's he hasn't gotten serious yet, to stop those trains from coming to town," the clerk explained the mission.
Stranger picked up the poster, looking over it.
Floyd was one ugly-son-of-a-gun, holding what looked like a grenade launcher. He was going to be a tough one, not like the other bounties he'd already captured.
"I'll take it,"
"Very well! Head out the west gate to Dead Hen's Pass. He'll be up there," the clerk said.
"oh, and it's a pleasure seein' you here, hu-man," the clerk looked over Stranger's arm.
She slightly blushed, diverting the clerk's stare. She and Stranger turned to leave the store.
"G'luck, you two!" the clerk waved good-bye, hoping to see them back in one piece with the Outlaw.
Stranger and Umi wandered away from the Bounty store, heading down from Doc's office, and down the road that led them to west gate to Dead Hen's Pass. A Clakker saw them pass by it with challenging grins. It nodded hopefully to them, then turned up to the Clakker above the West gate.
"Hey, Charlie! Open that thar gate, so Stranger here can bag us more of them scumbag outlaws!"
"Uh, ok," Charlie, the gatekeeper shrugged, and walked back in to his office. The metallic gate opened with a screechy stop. A Clakker behind the gate walked up to them with a smile on it's beak.
"Yee-haw! Clean 'em up thar, Stranger!" the Clakker said gleefully. "As a token of my appreciation, here's some ammo! Yer gonna need's it!" the Clakker gave him a sack that was crawling all around.
Stranger unbuttoned the sack, and gazed inside. He looked back down at the Clakker with a smile on his face.
"Thank yeh kindly," Stanger tipped his hat respectfully to the Clakker.
"Not a problem! Now, go git 'em! And it's nice seein' yeh, hu-man!" the Clakker nodded to Umi.
"Seem's as if you got fans 'round here, Umi," Stranger looked down at Umi. She seemed to notice, as she was looking behind her, and seein a crowd of Clakkers, whispering to one another. But she didn't have the type of look Stranger was hoping. She had more of a scared face on, only looking at the Clakkers with fearful eyes. She was so scared, she was reaching out for Stranger's arm.
'Huh. We's got's a shy one,' Stranger thought, looking at her with concern.
"Close the gate,"
The Clakker didn't say a word, just waddled inside his office, and activated the lock for the gate. The gates shut upon the Clakkers gibbering happily about the human with the Bounty hunter.
"Well, we won't be able to let you back in until you capture all them Outlaws. Sorry," Charlie walked out.
Stranger the gazed back down to Umi, who was slowly relaxing herself.
"Let's be goin'," Stranger said, walking from the west gate.
In front of them was another open gate, leading down a long tunnel that shot out to another route sliding right. Stranger was the impatient type when it came to bounty hunting, so he started to run.
Umi followed behind, but she stopped when she yelled out in pain, kneeling on the path, and holding her leg.
Stranger skidded to a halt, and turned to Umi.
"What's wrong now?" Stranger asked with more impatients.
"My...leg," Umi groaned. "it...it hurts when I run,"
Stranger had a mind to just leave her behind, but he stopped himself from that thought.
"Must be cramps," he said quickly, lending a hand to help up.
"No. It isn't. It was when I tried activating my implant," she took his hand, and pulled herself up.
"Implant?"
"Yeah. But it's a long story," she said,
"but ever since I crash-landed here, my extremities been feeling weak. But I could be wrong..." Umi trailed off.
She letted go of Stranger's hand, and stood out in the middle of the road. She had a face of confidence on, putting a knee on the soft, musty dirt. She began to run, dust kicking up under her heavy footsteps. After a few meters, she tried activating her implant on her neck. But when she did, she felt something worse than regular.
She felt a sharp sting of pain run through her neck, then straight down to her legs. She yelped sharply, and tripped off the pain right in to the dust. She mumbled some curses, then lifted her head up.
Stranger ran to her side with a grin of concern.
"It must be the signal from Earth! The signal must be cut off since I'm so far away!" Umi cried, spitting out dirt from her mouth.
Stranger couldn't stand the stalling no more. His patients was really thin now.
He picked Umi up under her arms, and slung her over his shoulder. He ran down the tunnel, while Umi clung to his shoulder. He jumped out of the end of the tunnel, turning sharply to the right. The path kept forward with cliffs acting as a barrier out to the real world beyond. A small bend led them to a small stock of long reed, and two ugly-looking creatures, standing under a gigantic boulder, held up by a crane.
Both kept quiet, Stranger staring intently at the minions ahead. Umi tugged at his arm gently.
"Stranger, what are they?" Umi pointed at the known creatures.
"Those 'r minions. The slave tools of Outlaws," Stranger replied.
The minions looked of a lizard and ugliness mixed together and produced horrible effects. They had somewhat narrow faced, with a long large mandible reaching to it's eyes. The minions wore a tattered navy-blue shirt over it's humpback, and torn olive-green shorts. Both minions looked alike and sounded alike, as they mumbled bored words.
'Must be a fashion statement,' Umi giggled.
Stranger looked over to the crane, seeing the pilot's seat open. Stranger, who had a cocky grin on his face, snuck out of his hiding reeds, and hid behind a large rock near the crane. The minions didn't notice him nor Umi, so he continued his operation. He ran to the controls of the crane, then began to scratch his head.
"Which one releases the rock?" Stranger whispered, looking at all the buttons and switches.
Umi jumped in with him, looking as well.
"Could be this one,"
Stranger looked at a lever with a red button on it.
"No! It's this one!" Umi clenched another lever, but with a handle on it's side.
"How d'you know?" Stranger asked with curiousness.
"I've seen it on T.V. Usually, the levers with another handle releases things. You just pull back on the lever-" Umi tugged the lever. "-then pull the handle," she squeezed the metal handle.
Then, a click sound from the neck of the crane alerted the minions. But the claw of the crane hissed, and released the 10-ton chunk of hardness and heaviness, right on to the minion's skulls, along with a blood-curdling scream and grostique crunching noises.
"-and voila! Minion pancakes," Umi jumped out of the cockpit of the crane. Stranger's lip curved up, nodding as well.
"Not bad," Stranger said, quite impressed.
"Heh. And adults think kids don't learn anything from television," Umi chuckled.
"It was stupid of them standing under a rock that heavy anyways,"
Stranger nodded in agreement.
"C'mon. Those wagon trains are close-by. This is the route they usually take to get to town," Stranger began to run.
Umi, who was trying her best to stay up with him, ran as well.
Stranger looked over his shoulder, grunted and rolled his eyes. He then sharply turned back around, but this time he was running this time. He jumped down on his hands, and now was sprinting on all his four limbs.
Umi saw him coming right for her, but she couldn't believe what he was doing. But before she could think twice, Stranger practically tackled her, and had her driven over his shoulder, the force of speed keeping her on his shoulder. He clawed in to the ground, skidding and turning around harshly, which made Umi's gut tuck in to his shoulder blade. They turned over a right bend, where an abandoned warehouse was on their left, with little Bolamite spiders crawing on the ground. Right across from the mill was a charred house, still standing from its roots. Ahead of them was another gate mysteriously open. Stranger figured that the minions used them to plan their next attack on the wagon trains. Stranger headed through the open gate. Right when they hit the top, Stranger scooched in to the reed, keeping low, and staring at the minions ahead.
These were different type of minions. This one had a red tattered shirt with green shorts, and on their knuckles were iron shredders. Instead of their skin being pale green, and having large mandibles, they had red-orange skin with a small jaw, and a set of four sharp teeth. Each minion stood around the rocky archway with dynamite boxes in front of one. Dynamite was shoved in each side of the arch, and the fuse fed directly to the fuse box.
"We're all set! I hear the trains coming!"
"Good! 'Cause here they come! Get in to positions!" the head minion shouted to his other comrads.
Two other minions scattered away, hearing the rickety motors getting closer to the arch way.
"Hold it! Hold it...hold it...hold it..." the head minion said to himself loudly.
His eyes flashed devilishly.
"NOW!" he had shouted.
They slammed down on the fuse box's handle. The fuse box released a spark, traveling quickly up to the dynamite wedged between the rocks. When the spark touched the inside of the sticks, they rumbled of a large explosion. Rocks tumbled from each side, thus creating a barrier so the wagon trains couldn't get through.
The other minions unplugged their ears, jeering and cheering at the helpless Wagon trains.
"DAMN!" one cackled loudly.
"Ok! Guard the area! Make sure no one get's to these trains!" the head minion ordered.
The minions began to trot around, while Stranger formulated an easy plan. He unlocked his bow, reached in to his ammo pocket, and brought up one Chippunk and a Bolamite.
"'Ey, stinky. Les' do this, huh?" the Chippunk said like one of the chipmunks off the Alvin and the chipmunks show Umi used to watch, but with a more New Yorkian accent.
He placed both critters on their own barrel.
"Ooo, nice crossbow. Real comfy," the Chippunk spoke again.
The voice of it was already annoying to Umi.
Stranger aimed carefully at how close he wanted the minion to be to them so he could wrap the the outlaw with the Bolamite's webbing.
"Whoo-ee, your breath is killin' me, brotha!" the Chippunk rudely insulted. Stranger grinned deviously at the Chippunk. He couldn't wait to get rid of the rodent. He released it a few inches away from his boots, then began it's normal job: Annoying the hell out of one minion.
The head minion looked at the Chippunk deviously at first, then walked on ignoring it. When the Chippunk didn't seem to stop, the minion growled irritatingly. But when he seemed to continue ignoring the Chippunk, he threw down his shredders, stomping up to the Chippunk.
"Shut yer mouth, ya little rat!" the minion glared at the Chippunk.
When no reaction happened to the lewding Chippunk, he then began to lift his foot up, and trample the poor thing.
When the Chippunk failed to evade the minion, it ran back in to the reeds, and burrowed underground.
"Yer skanky-ass won't get me now, ya midget!" the Chippunk cursed, and dug further underground.
The Shredder snarled, then laughed to himself that it was rid of. He stopped chuckling when the reed tops began to shake. The minion spun back around quickly, and eyed the reeds carefully, taking a step closer. He stuck the tip of its nose inside the reeds, sniffed rapidly, then brought back out his nuzzle.
"Wait. That what don't reeds smell like-"
But as it came from a slingshot, a Bolamite spider was flung to the minion's face. Sticky webbing clung to his forehead, and the Bolamite swung viciously around the minion's head, arms, and legs. Then, he was knocked down when the Bolamite jumped off his head.
The minion then struggled through the thick strong webbing, grunting with total effort to free itself. The reeds shuffled again in front of him the same way he saw it before. The minion lifted his head as high as he could go, watching someone, or something emerge from the reeds.
Stranger saw the frightened outlaw, muffling it's screams and trying it's best to free itself from his trap. Stranger picked up the head minion by the legs, and dragged him in to the reeds. All was left was the despirate cries of the minion.
"Boss?" one of the other Shredder minions called. It heard the faint muffles of its boss cry. When no answer came, both Shredders stopped their patrolling.
"Boss?" they both called his name.
They both looked around, peeking over every rock and every bush. Then, they looked at the reeds in suspicion. It inched closer to it, sniffing the air rapidly.
"C'mon. He might be in there," one minion began to walk in cautious steps.
"No way! It might be a trick boss's playin' on us!"
"Aww, forget you then!" he said, sneering over his shoulder.
He still continued tip-toeing up to the reeds, his shredder knuckle in front of him defensively. When he got to the head of the reeds, he stopped, and peered through them.
"Too thick,"
The Shredder then began to cut down the reeds two by two, until he heard a muffled ouch! and a trickle of blood going down his blade.
The minion looked away from the blade, and growled.
"We've got company, Stud! Get over here!"
Umi tried to cover the wound the Shredder caused. Blood tricked from under her hand.
"Damn! Here they come" Stranger shot a glance through the cut reeds.
"Sorry,"
Stranger looked down at her, with no tension on his face or in his eyes. But what was done, was done.
He locked his bow with Fuzzles, and released them first in front of them for some defense. Then, Thud slugs, so he could knock the living crap out of the two minions.
The Fuzzles growled ominously at Stranger, baring pearl-white teeth and evil red eyes. The malicious Fuzzle the waited for the enemy to stoop right on to it and it's followers, and get a nice chomp out of their flesh.
Stud and his pal approached close to the reeds. They definately knew something was up, and they wanted to kill it. Stud held back with his friend, then held up their Shredders. Both gave each other reassuring nods, then looked back to the reeds.
"Yaaah!" Stud screamed, as he jumped straight in to the reeds, and in to his own death.
The Fuzzles felt him trample right on to them nearly, then leaped on, and attatched themselves to poor Stud.
He, who was flailing around, screaming like he was on fire, ran over to his friend, who kept yelling,
"Get them off, Mush! Get, them, OFF!"
And as the other minion tried to help Stud, he was also affected by the nipping Fuzzles.
Two spreaded to Mush, and three was left on Stud, who was tiring out slowly.
"I can't...I can't go on..." Stud heavily breathed, slammed to the ground, and made one last breath. He was quiet, going limp quickly.
Mush stared in disbelief, ignoring the visciousness for a quick moment. Anger fired up in his soul.
"STUD!" Mush screeched.
He then viciously ripped off the Fuzzles, threw them on the ground, and ran over to fallen Stud. But he didn't make it all the way. Instead, a hard, rounded object smashed right in to his face, which a crack sound came from impact, thus causing sudden death.
Mush was flung back away from Stud, and didn't make one living sound, nor movement. Both of them were done.
Stranger folded back his bow, stashing the extra Thud slugs and Fuzzles in his pouch. Umi and Stranger walked out of the reeds, seeing that both outlaws were dead.
"Could've been more lighter on them," Umi protested.
"They're outlaws! Why be easy on them, an' give them the advantage they's need to, kill yeh?" Stranger told, walking up to Stud's torn body.
He used the same thing he had used on the head minion: His bounty vacuum, which was a speciality on Stranger's bow.
The vacuum was activated, and Stud's body was easily sucked up in to his bow. He walked over to Mush's body, and bountied him up with a 'pop' sound when he entered the sac.
He gazed at the barrier the minion's made, hoping there would be some way over it. He then looked left of him, to see a rope dangling down, and led up to a wooden platform. The outlaws must've made it just in case for emergencies, and they needed to get over the blockage.
He walked over to the rope, tugged on it to see if it was actually climbeable. Then, he wrangled his way up the rope, and jumped off to the platform.
Umi clenched the rope, and tried climbing it. But she really wasn't capable of doing that. She put all muscle on it, and she only got herself halfway up.
"Oh, for cryin' out-" Umi said through her cleanched teeth.
Stranger knelt by the edge, reaching down his arm for hers.
She held the rope by one arm, and reached for his fingers. He stretched his arm a little further, and Umi grasped one of his fingers. He wrapped his fingers around her hand, and yanked her up. He dropped her down on the wooden platform. He didn't bother to assess her, nor wait for her to regain her balance. He walked over to the other end, and leaped down, landing kind of sloppily on his feet.
She followed behind by dangling off the end, making sure she wouldn't land anywhere else but her feet, and dropping off. They made it to the other side of the blockage without problems. Well, not too many problems.
When on the other side of the blockage, everything was total mayhem. The wagon trailers were backed-up in to each other, with Clakkers running crazed back in to their trailers.
The minions had ambushed them, attacking the locals.
"Get out of those wagon!" a Shredder minion growled, and began to slice at the trailer, antagonizing the Clakkers inside.
The Clakkers clucked in fear, shouting from their homes.
"oh...GO AWAY, YOU CRAZY VARMINS!" they clucked fearfully.
But the minions didn't even get phased by their whining.
The only ones left to stop the outlaws was Stranger and Umi.
He did the same thing he did with the head minion behind the blockage, with a Bolamite and Chippunk on his bow. Reeds next to an old farmhouse was their bait area, and so Stranger commenced his action
The Chippunk was released down a few inches outside the reeds. One Shredder looked over it's shoulder, seeing the rodent calling and profaining it. The Shredder quickly became annoyed of the rodent with the Chippunk. It spun around to the reeds, ran over to it, and stamped on it.
The Chippunk held back near the reeds again, and burrowed underground.
"What did a brotha do to deserve 'dis?" the Chippunk scowled at the Shredder.
"Damn rodents..." the Shredder growled, turning back around to the trailers. But he didn't take a few steps before a Bolamite wrapped around him and his yap.
The Shredder used every ounce of energy in him to free itself from the webs, but it couldn't escape Stranger's bounty vacuum. It clawed at the ground to stop it from going inside.
His bounty vacuum went pop when the outlaw gave up trying.
What seemes to amaze Stranger was that no other minion notcied that one of their comrads were missing. It'll be easier to snatch them up, one by one now.
He used another Chippunk to lure another Shredder away to his trap. The minion couldn't ignore the Chippunk's profain language. The minion did the exact same thing the last Shredder did. Lured, trapped, and tagged, as Stranger thought.
No other minions were in range for the Chippunk's voice range, and there were no more good hiding spots to lure more. So it was time to take more drastic steps, and go out and fight.
"Get yourself ready. We're headin' on out,"
She de-strapped her Needler from her belt, then nodded up to Stranger.
He held a Chippunk in his hand, just to lure some outlaws out to them. They both walked out of the reeds, and in to the middle of the path that led down to another set of wagon trains. Stranger threw the Chippunk down to more minions, who were banging on the trailers.
The minions were immediately affected.
"Goddamned rodent!" a Shredder scowled, running to the Chippunk, but stopped dead in it's tracks.
It saw Stranger and Umi, standing out in the dusty road. The Shredder chuckled to itself, and turned back to the other antagonists.
"Oh, boys! We's got's company!"
The other outlaws stopped their harrassing, and looked over to Stranger and Umi. A couple began to chuckle.
"This'll be more fun than attacking those stupid Clakkers!" a Shooter minion jeered.
"Yeah! Let's git 'em!" another Shredder shouted.
Two Shredders had arms over their shoulder, their hands hovering over a backpack full of long sharp knives, and their shredder knuckles out in front of them.
The Shooter stayed behind, aiming right at their heads with a boomerang-shaped head gun.
"This is goin' to be tricky. You go fer the Shooter. I'll get these goons up front," Stranger told Umi.
She directed her sights on the Shooter in the background. The Shredders were getting close.
"Go!" Stranger shouted, splitting from her in one direction.
She side-winded right from the Shooter's aim, letting go two pink crystalline shards from her gun.
The needle shards hommed in on the Shooter. The minion watched the shards float carelessly through the air to it, and thought that they were mearly just weird fireflies. But when the shards stuck in to it's skin, expoded in a pink dust, and left a nice bloody hole when the shards exploded, he was more than convinced they were no fireflies.
The Shooter followed Umi behind the trailer, but she was nowhere in sight.
"Huh?"
The Shooter lowered it's gun. He walked cautiously down the alley, watching his every side for an ambush.
She crept along the top of the trailer roof, watching the minion look for her. She saw the minion stop, and she was right over it's head. She knelt by the edge, then dropped off on the minion's shoulders. She grabbed the gun it held, and brought it up in to it's chin with a loud crack. The minion fell unconscious, and Umi rolled off it's shoulders.
He ducked from one cutter's knives. The knife flung over to another Shredder's eye, it choking in pain. The minion slammed its knees on the ground, finally dead.
He kept the Shredder busy with three Fuzzles all over it. Two Shredders down, one to go.
He quickly reloaded his bow with a Thud slug, especially for the Shredder. He spun around to the last Shredder, and launched the Thud slug right at the Shredder's stomach. The air compressed in it's tiny lungs wheezed out, and the Shredder fell over unconscious. The Shredder that was being attacked by killer Fuzzles seemed to have ran itself in to one of the trailers, knocking it out cold. But they wouldn't stayed knocked out forever.
He quickly bountied up the living outlaws first, then the dead ones. Umi came about the trailers, dragging the Shooter out with her, and tossing it to Stranger.
"Here you go. One K.Oed minion up for takes," Umi said.
Stranger grinned to her, then bountied up the Shooter, the last one around the wagon train's sight. A Clakker inside a trailer next to them opened up it's doors, and peeked out. The Clakker noticed no outlaws around, but Stranger walking to it.
The Clakker relaxed, and trotted out of it's home.
"Whew! Glad you two showed up! I thought we were goners!"
"'Ey, that's true. The outlaws seemed to have, blocked the way, to town," Stranger said.
"Yeah. Those stinky bastards got us good this time! Hmm...well, I think there's a mine shat that'll get us to town," the Clakker waddled to a flat piece of land behind the trailers. A metallic bridge was cranked up over it's head.
"Now, where is it? I could've sworn it was over here. N-no, oh! Maybe over here...Oh! Now what was I lookin' fer again?"
The Clakker stopped over the bridge.
But as if the lord told someone to kill that Clakker, the metallic bridge over it fell, and landed right on it's head.
Disgusting crunching and gushing noises is what only came from the Clakker. Up above, they found their problem.
"Oooops. Ha haha ha!"
A thunderous cackle came from behind the fallen bridge. There stood the Outlaw: Filthy-hands Floyd.
Stranger sneered at Floyd, coming up to the bridge.
"Filthy-hands Floyd. I'm-a, takin' you in. Alive or a corpse. Yer choice," Stranger said, his sneer turning in to a grimmace.
"Looks like we got's company, boys," Floyd pushed back on his black tall hat on to his eyes, and brought down his gun.
Shredders came from Floyd's sides, looking at Stranger and Umi.
"Let's give them a warm welcome,"
He brought back up his gun, and aimed directly at Stranger.
"Split!" Stranger told Umi, and leaped away behind a trailer.
Umi stood where she was, wondering what he meant by, "split" But she definitely got the message when Floyd shot out three grenades from his barrel. Then, Umi ran out of range.
"Damn! You two, draw them out!" Floyd commanded his two Shredders.
The Shredders ran down the bridge, holding knives in their hands. One follwed where Stranger went, and the other followed where Umi went.
Umi, who was beginning to play, "Ring around the trailer with a Shredder outlaw," hid on the sides of the trailer.
The Shredder, who was coaxing Umi to come out, followed slowly behind her. She then did the same thing to the Shooter: Climb up top the trailer, and knock it out.
She scrambled up the side of it, and saw the Shredder jump to where she regualrly was. She crawled above the Shredder, then when it stopped, she jumped down on it's shoulders, but instead on knocking it out, she wrangled with it's head.
The Shredder moved about to the open, where Floyd could get a better shot.
"Git it, boss! I's got's it!"
Floyd aimed right at Umi's back. When she thought the time was right, she leaped off the minion's back. Floyd had shot three grenades when she did this, and the outcome of this was terrible.
"Damn!" Floyd stamped his foot on the ground.
Umi who took her chance at getting Floyd, hid behind a tall chunk of wood that made a barrier to Floyd. She crept up behind him, climbing under wooden fence posts. But that didn't turn out well.
Floyd spun around, seeing the human trying to ambush him from behind.
"Oh no you don't,"
Floyd dropped his gun, and ran up to the human, grasping her sides in a squeeze. Floyd looked distinctively at Umi, looking up and down her with a grin of disgust.
"What the-hell are you supposed to be?" Floyd sneered back up to Umi's face. "Some kind of...alien?" Floyd said.
Umi grunted and writhed from his squeeze.
"Leg'go of me!" Umi scowled.
Floyd just chuckled evilly.
"I know who you are. Yer that...newcomer to town, a human," Floyd said.
"When you figure that out?" Umi growled.
"Help! HELP! GET THIS....THING OFF'A ME!"
Floyd put her to the ground, but used his hand to hold together Umi's arms.
"That's good. Keep yellin'" Floyd said, picking up his gun.
"STRANGER!" Umi screamed.
He was bountying the Shredder that had cut his arm, when he heard Umi's scream for help. He ran out from in front of the trailers, seeing Umi being held hostage. But he didn't expect Floyd to be the hostile.
"Glad you could show yer face, Stranger! Yer little friend decided to come to me and give itself up! And you shall, too!" Floyd cackled.
"Let 'er go!" Stranger pointed his finger at Floyd threatingly.
"Sure thing. When it's long gone and dead!" Floyd then picked Umi up by the collar of her shirt.
Her hands were free, but not long enough to reach for Floyd's face. She saw that her legs were free and long enough. A grin of mischief grew on her face, slowly up to Floyd.
"Now, I suggest you drop yer bow, and come with me, or this'll get unpurdy," Floyd the shoved his gun at Umi's head. "unless you want to see yer friend with no head on it's shoulders, now do yeh?"
"Now! Put yer bow on the ground, and take yer skanky-ass up to here, and bow down and kiss my nasty feet, and nothing will go-" then Floyd made a high squeaky pitched noice.
His legs were tucked together, and his lips were puckered together. He released Umi without noticing, and she dropped to the ground. Umi had taken her leg, and shoved it harshly up in to his crotch, like any other weak spot for a boy. She then lowered herself to the ground, and tripped Floyd down with a leg right under his.
He flew up in the air a few feet, then crashed on the ground, now holding his hands between his legs.
Stranger ran up next to Umi, looking at the pathetic Outlaw. Stranger nodded again in impressment to Umi.
"Good work," he said, perching his hand on her shoulder.
Umi nodded up to him.
"Just, bounty him before he get's up. Not that he won't," Umi smiled.
He walked up to Floyd, him still squeaking. He activated his vacuum, and Floyd didn't even bother on fighting back. The vacuum made a pop sound, which locked the vacuum up. Stranger then had a smile on his face, and turned back to Umi.
The Clakkers in their homes began to emerge out when they heard no more outlaw activities going on, but cautious steps were still taken. Sighs of relief began to run around.
"Whew! Glad that's over!" a male said to the others coming out.
"Yeah, but, I think I messed my drawers,"
A male Clakker stumbled out of his home, holding his nose.
"Billy. Whoo, damn, it stanks in thar!" the male shuddered, waving it's feathered arm over to the trailer.
A mine shaft behind them opened, revealing a Clakker with a cowboy hat on it's head. The Clakker waddled out, looking around at the mess they caused. Then it looked up to the bounty hunter, the cause of this. But it wasn't angry. It was surprised.
"Whoa! Good work, Stranger on gettin' Filthy-hands Floyd! Good thing too, 'cause thin mine shaft leads straight to town," the Clakker said.
"You two best be goin'. We'll take thing from 'ere now that you got Floyd," The Clakkers from the trailers gathered at the head of the bridge, cheering at their savior(s).
"Nice leg you got thar, hu-man!"
She only blushed, and followed Stranger through the mine shaft.
The mine shaft turned in to a slide when they came to the end. They were spat out near the road, where the abandoned mill and burnt home was. They hid in some tall grass near the mill, seeing more outlaws near the mill, looking at what seemed like a bomb.
They spoke loudly to each other, while staring confusidely at the square piece of plywood.
"Ok. Now, which button activates the timer again?" one Shooter asked the other next to him.
"The blue one,"
"You sure? I thought it was the green one,"
Its partner growled in annoyance.
"Look! I'm telling you! It's that blue one!" it elbowed, and pointed.
"Ok! Ok! Sheesh...I'll push the green one,"
The Shooter pressed a green flashing button.
The other Shooter next to it jumped, then glared furiously at it's idiocracy.
"What!? NO! You idiot! You've-"
BOOM.
The Shooters were flung away from the mill that was breaking down.
Stranger jumped down from the small plateaus of land leading to the mill. He could see that he wouldn't be able to get those minions for extra moolah. He looked over to the burnt stabled house across from it. Inside were two other Shooters, staring aimlessly outside the dust-stained broken windows. He could also see an orange barrel with a flame picture on it.
Explosives.
"Good," he purred, loading on one critter Umi never seen before.
It was like a firefly, but bigger, and it made electrical shocks over his bow. The Zapp Fly charged up, it's teal eyes shining, and its behind lighting up. Stranger aimed at the explosives near the Shooters inside. When on-target, Stranger then launched the Zapp Fly to the barrel.
While the Shooters couldn't think of anything better but to waste away life inside a wortheless house, one watched outside to the mill. It blinked at what it saw, then it could see a blue thing flying towards them. At first, it thought it was a bird being shocked by an electrical pole, which made it chuckle.
But as it got closer, they saw it was no bird. It was an electrical bug that was flung to the explosives barrel. The Shooter frowed, and looked over to the other.
"Jim?" the Shooter said.
The other minion looked to him.
"What?" Jim said irritaitngly.
"I just wanted to say...you're ugly,"
The minion blinked at its announcement, then growled.
"WHAT!? WHY THE HELL-"
Then KABOOM!
The Zapp Fly impacted the barrel, opening a hole in the metal, and sparks zooming on in. The barrel not only killed the Shooters, but brought down the house on them as well. And even though Stranger wanted to get the extra moolah, he knew it wasn't worth anything now. All he could think now was to head back to town, and cash in the Outlaw.
Mission accomplished.
Stranger looked through his binoculars, seeing that nothing moved from the rubble of the house. He put back his binoculars in to his ammo sack.
"Let's get to town. Chump-cash in time," Stranger said, walking down the hill from the mill.
Umi didn't follow just yet.
She crept over the edge that dropped down on the slope Stranger was on. She waited until he was right under her, then dropped down on his shoulders. Stranger gazed up at her in surprise, but played along with what she was doing.
He grabbed her legs, and ran down the slope, and followed the path back to Gizzard Gulch.

YAY!
 

That'd be hilarious, hil-ar-ious. Especially with Stranger around to try and stop 'em, he'd have a major headache...:D :fuzgrin:

Then, he'd be more of this: :nonono: :flames: :banghead: :chairhit: :compmad:

And, I'm sorry to say, this would be Umi and Bailey, if they're not lucky that Stranger would get his hands on 'em: :dead:...

*Mega Evil Laugh*
 

Ooooooh yeah...that'd be good-no, great! If that happened!

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A STRANGER ARRIVES IN TOWN...(cont.)

Stranger, running on all fours, approached the West gate.
Charlie saw him come up fast in his blinking beady eyes. The Clakker waddled back in to his office, and switched the lock for the gate.
Stranger slipped through the opening crack of the gate with Umi, clinging on his back. When he was in town, Charlie shut the gate once more, hoping he'd never had to open another gate for Stranger, and not to be disturbed once more.
The Clakkers watched Stranger lope across the town to the Bounty Store.
Umi dropped off of Stranger's back when he stopped at the deck of the store, she wobbling everywhere.
"That's the last time I ride on you," Umi said queasily.
Stranger pushed aside the swinging doors, seeing the Clakker's behind raised in the air.
The clerk heard Stranger's boots stomping on the wooden planks. He popped up, and turned back to the counter with a fickled smile up to the bounty hunter. It turned its head immediately to Umi with a giddy laugh.
"Oh, I heard 'bout you, hu-man, givin' it to Floyd between the canyon,"
Umi didn't make a face or movement.
Stranger slipped Floyd's poster to the clerk, and the clerk stamped it as "completed".
"Give me the nex' one," Stranger demanded.
The clerk raised an intersted brow to Stranger, then a smile curled on its wrinkled beak.
"Well, seem's we's got's a live one 'ere. Well, I got's another bounty," the clerk bent down under the counter.
There, he reached in, and grabbed another poster. He slapped it face-down, and slipped it to Stranger.
He swiped the poster, and looked at the face of the next Outlaw.
"The name's The Looten Duke. He's hidin' down at the old Water Facility, stealin' our water. He's forcin' us to buy it from him, but we ain't buyin'," the clerk said.
His face wasn't any prettier than Floyd's, to Umi's eyes.
He wore somewhat of a sombrero, spikey-black shoulder armor, and a green jumper. He did have a large jaw, but not like Floyd's.
"He's a feisty Outlaw scoundrel," The clerk's eyes lit up persuadingly.
Stranger's eyes gleamed. He loved a challenging Outlaw.
The clerk smiled again to Stranger, letting a wheezy chuckle out as well, pulling the brim of its visor down.
"Alright! I take's it as a yes! Go out the gate to the Water Facility. Head on down there, and he'll be down there,"
When the clerk finished, Stranger followed out the Bounty store, stuffing the poster in his poncho.
He walked down the T-section of the town, opposite of the West gate to Dead Hens Pass, where a sign above a gate read: Head East to Water Facility.
The gate was opened, letting them to their next bounty. They walked through the gate, a house on their right, with a Clakker walking up to them.
It gave a cheeky smile as they passed by.
"Yee-haw! Clean them up thar, Stranger!"
They turned right from a bend, leading to a type of coaster that led up to another plot of land high above. But as they stood on the inanimated platform, nothing seemed to pop to mind.
"How the hell do you start this thing?" Stranger muttered.
The motor was chugging like it was alive, so something had to start it up. Umi thought the same thing. No levers, no buttons, just a motor and a platform on a coaster. She walked around the motor, touching it and looking at it curiously. Then, she had an idea, turning to Stranger.
"Maybe it needs a jumpstart," Umi said.
"Get a Zapp Fly ready, and aim at any electrical appliance on it. Like a plug or outlet,"
Stranger gave a curious look to Umi, but unlocked his bow, and placed a Zapp Fly on a launcher.
The kid might be right.
He waited for the critter to load up, and spew an electrical charge. The Zapp fly's abdomin lit up brightly, and it's mouth opened.
He immediately spotted an ordinary outlet on the motor. He aimed at it, then released the Zapp Fly.
The critter impacted the outlet, electrical charges reaching in to the thin rectangular holes. The Zapp Fly's charge died out to a fain teal. The rickety platform clanged, and began to make it's way up. The coaster was bumpy enough to knock Umi off and down.
But when it reached the top, they jumped off, and the coaster stayed in it's place.
The upper plateau where the platform stopped was slightly junky, with metallic scraps erosed under the hard brown dusty dirt. Dead rotten brush cringed under the hot wind.
But high above, they didn't notice a plot going in to action.
"Oh, happy day..." it said deeply, reloading it's sniper gun, and holding a lighter.
It waited for the unsuspecting nitwits to get out further.
The Sniper growled deviously as it lit it's gun.
The sparks crackled a red color in its face. The minion began to scope on in on the large creature climbing the rope with some other odd-looking creature on it's back.
It chuckled maleviously, its face pressed on the butt of the gun.
"You won't be able to get passed me and my brother, Stranger!" it shouted out, and fired a bullet at a barrel that would catch the creature's attention. The bullet left behind a trail of red from the sparks, right from the barrel of its gun to the creature.
"What the hell-"
Umi turned her head to the mine shaft level to them.
The minion was new to Umi, it wearing a glossy orange vest and three-goggled infrared goggles. It wielded an old-fashioned sniper rifle, one that you had to light it in order to shoot an enemy.
She was more concerned of getting off Stranger's back, for she was a simple target, and a bullet-proof vest over Stranger's back.
Stranger quickly noticed the hostile, snapped to attention, and quickened his pace up the rope. He lifted himself upon the wooden platform, then quickly prepared to fight.
He turned his head back to Umi.
"Head on up. I'll get this goon," Stranger spoke lowly, as he loaded on the black fluttering Boom-bat.
Umi hesitated so she could help, but she noticed the time was not right now to argue with him. She began to wrangled up the rope, clinging on for dear life.
The sniper caught the human's attempt to escape. It sneered devilishly.
"Oh no, you don't!"
It lit its gun.
Stranger saw it had spotted it's target,the red and green sparks from its butt shining off as a beacon.
He immediately shot the Boom-bat to the Sniper outlaw.
The 'bat left a green trail of its smoke from the ticking time bomb in its bowels, gibbering incoherantly whilst darting on its target with such extreme speed.
It saw the Boom-bat rapidly homning on it. The Sniper's time was running out vastly.
It shot the bullet in it's gun to the human. By the time it shot, the Boom-bat attached to it. The outlaw felt the rushing heat from its mouth rise up to its peeling skin. The minion jumped, frantically tearing its claws on its vest to scrape off the critter. But as it screamed, the bomb ticked its last second. The outlaw was flung out of the mine shaft still alive. When it hit the ground, an inhumanly crack came from its chest. The minion let out a loud exhale, then fell completely limp.
"YAAAAH!" Umi screamed, her arm fell limp.
The last bullet had struck in her right arm. Her grip was losing on the rope, and slowly slipped lower. The gaping hole in her arm spurted red blood, trickling down her hand. The blood had seeped under her fingers, making a slick greasey hold. She slid down the rope, until she fell down to the platform.
Stranger caught her in his arms, looking down at her face of pain with a grin of concern. He glanced at the torn gaping red hole near the bone, and still crisping her flesh. He blinked at it, hissing between his clenched stained teeth.
"Damn, it got you good,"
He set her down on the platform, but she still held her arm.
She dug a finger in the bleeding hole, and scraped out the bloody bullet left warmly in her arm.
More blood gushed out out than before. She held between her teeth, a blue stained and torn cloth.
It was her old bandana, that she had when she was five. It had little holes and purple-blue-red colored blotches, big and small, stained it. She replaced her hand with the bandana tightly tied around her wound. When she finished with the bandana, it was already drenched in her own blood. Umi let it to heal, not allowing herself to tamper or aggrivate the wound any longer.
Stranger still held a small face of concern when Umi looked back up to him.
"You'll be fine?" he asked in a concerned pur.
Umi nodded, looking shyfully away from him.
He didn't ask again, but hoisted her on his back, and climbed back up the rope. He grunted in disgust when he discovered a bloody handprint on his shoulder.
Umi whispered a distinctive apology. He knew she didn't mean it.
A stream of red smoke whizzed passed their faces. Another mine shaft above the sheer canyon wall stood another Sniper minion, relighting its gun with a devilish grin.
"You might've gotten passed my brother, Stranger! But now you's got's to deal with me!"
Stranger moved Umi and himself back behind the bend. He reloaded his bow with another Boom-bat.
Umi touched his arm lightly.
"Let me take care of him this time,"
Umi held down her Needler.
Stranger looked at her with total hesitating eyes. But hers were more seldom looking ahead. He could see she ment business.
He lowered his arm, allowing Umi to pass.
She nodded to him and rushed passed him. She slowed her pace as she turned to the minion. A grin crept widely under her waterfalls of bangs. She whipped her head around, galring up at the Sniper.
"Hey! Nimrod! Your brother was a sissy with no aim!"
She knew the minion would become aggrivated quick to a simple insult. She learned from the Chippunk and the distracted minions.
The Sniper growled.
Tormentation succeeded.
"No one talks 'bout my brother that way!"
The Sniper lit its gun once more, and aimed for the humans head.
She took action, and fired away the full clip of pink crystalline shards to the Sniper, while side-winding away from it's range.
The shards danced lightly in the air, glowing a lightly pink aura.
It saw the needle shards heading right for it. The Sniper dropped its weaponry frantically. Was it giving up too easily?
Pink dust exploded out of the shaft. It settled down near the dust in dark pink streamers.
The minion, however, shot out of the shaft. Fragments of bone and flesh splattered among the narrow canyon wall.
Stranger turned out of the bend, walking towards the minion. Its flesh was turning a crisp black color from a pale yellow, and blood coagulated in a thick cake over its bleeding eyes.
Stranger snorted annoyingly, slowly darting to Umi.
"Ok, you need's to stop usin' that thing. It's messin' up them outlaws too much that I can't cash 'em in," Stranger firmly said.
Umi looked down at her Needler. It was one of her best weapons. She strapped back on her Needler. She pulled off her Plasma Rifle, and held it down near her legs. She looked back up to Stranger.
"This'll do?"
Stranger nodded in agreement.
They walked down a twisted canyon system. They stopped at the edge of a small cliff leading below to a long rugged slope. They stared at the monstrousity that they had come looking for: The Water Facility that the Looten Duke took cover in.
It looked of a military base with a small water park behind. An old rotting water tower fed out winding rusted metallic pipes behind a small building in the middle of the walls of the Water Facility. Minions paced around inside on the walls, and inside in small guard towers leading on to the metal planks on to the walls. Behind the main building was a mine shaft that probably led to
town. But they weren't interested in going to town just yet. They had an Outlaw to get first.
They jumped down from the ledge, and ran down to a small field of reeds close by a crumbled rocky arch nearby a wall of sharp carven wooden stakes. Right in front of the defensive barricade of stakes was the gate that would lead passed the walls of the Water Facility.
Beside the outer walls were a smaller pack of the sticks pointing out ominously to two Shooter minions that strayed by them.
Stranger kept hunched low in the reeds, planning his regular approach when situations like this came about: Lure, tag, and bag.
He put a Chippunk and a Bolamite on each launcher, then let the Chippunk go outside the reeds at the foot of the archaic rubble.
The first minion stomped under the arch, and up to the foot of the reeds, finsing the nuisance righ tin its face.
Stranger then wrapped the outlaw in a Bolamite's web, a sticky white material that wrapped around its legs, arms, and mouth, creating a simple trap for Stranger to bounty it up before the ensnare eroded off the outlaw.
Umi patted him on the arm.
"Can I get the next one?"
Stranger didn't hesitate. He made a quiet affirmative to her, releasing a Chippunk to lure the last minion up to them.
The last Shooter cursed out loud, dashing by the rubble.
Umi silently followed behind the Shooter as it passed by the reeds to the Chippunk as if a lion would stalk its prey. She waited for the minion to take the bait quickly as it didn't realized it was being hunted. She crouched walked behind the minion, then raised her rifle in the air. She stood up off her hunched state, her muscles in her arms tensioning for the final blow. Right when the moment was right, she released her energy to the butt of the rifle among the outlaw's boney neck.
Its eyes shot blankly up in to the sky, its pupils turning to two small dots in a shroud of solid pearl-white eyes. It let out a tensioned breath, as it crumbled to the ground.
Stranger emerged out of the reeds by Umi, staring down at the fank minion laying completely motionless.
Stranger bountied the minion up. He turned back around to the Water Facility's gate.
It towered up to the edges of the guard towers. Above was the ugly green tin roof that slanted down from the walls.
He looked over how to break in. Too dangerous to climb over. He could hear the outlaw's growls come over the wall, and their clanging footsteps beating on the rims above loud humming machines.
He grinned back down to the gate.
Stranger stepped back away from the gate, holding out his arm to the gate, and Thud slugs croaking at him in their protective shell.
The balled bugs slammed against the gate, splinters beginning to sprout as both Thud slugs beated on the wood.
Bangs on the gate alerted the minions. Pieces of wood broke away to their feet. The gate broke in to a concave shape.
They growled defensively.
"Someone's tryin' to break in! Get in to positions!"
Two more Thud slugs broke the hole, the critter flying straight in, and smacking upon a minion's skull.
It cried painfully, fainting at the foot of the gate.
"They're almost through! Get ready!"
Stranger ran up to the gate, and pushed his arm through the hole of splinters poking roughly in his skin.
The hole breached bigger, until Stranger could slip his other arm in to the hole. He pulled himself backwards, with all his strength focusing on to breaking the gate down to get Duke.
Stranger pulled his arms back to him, the gate caved in towards him. He grinned successively, lifting a leg horizontally to the gate. He punched his leg at the gate, it groaning weakly.
The gate swirved back to the inside of the walls.
Stranger kicked the gate one last time.
It snapped at its hinges, caving in to the base, and smashing upon the backwards wall of sharp stakes.
The minions barked the order to shoot, bullets flying passed Stranger's face.
He snapped away from Umi, leaving her to the surrounding minions around the fallen gate.
"Uh...Stranger?" Umi called.
The minion's chuckled maliciously, holding their weapons up near her body.
Umi shrugged, holding down her Plasma Rifle, and staring at each of the minions, awaiting their challenge.
The first outlaw stepped back with its finger on the trigger.
Umi caught the minion's plan, jumping back from the ring of outlaws.
Hot blue bolts stung holty among the outlaws, crying loudly as their flesh melted along with the plasma bubbling angrily on their pale skin.
Attackers on the rims above shredding ventalation fans shot accurately below to the sprinting Stranger rushing to the ramp up to the walkways.
Screeches of feedback croaked through the speakers of the main building.
"Alright, Stranger! You got my attention! But if you want me out, you have to fight my boys! I like's it when it's a real challenge!"
Duke's voice called.
He was closeby.
Stranger bountied the ground minions.
Outlaws on the skirts took his attention.
The rims on the wall, as Stranger observed, were attached to hinges below.
He saw above the platform a generator, and wires fed down under the platform. He grinned mischievously, as a loaded Zapp fly charged up to a neon blue.
He aimed it at the generator near the hinged platform.
Three minions stood on the hinged platform. They watched the sparking bug soar through the air, slapping upon the generators, and starting it to life.
The wires zapped down to the electric hinges, and the platform snapped to a steep slide down to the ventalation fans.
The minions clawed at the hooked platform, their weapons turning in to shards of metal and sparks below their feet.
Then they fell from the edge of the platform before it snapped back to place.
Blood-curdling howls of fear fell below the fans. The blades turned the minions in to chopped suey, fragments of bone and flesh flying above the van's smokey mist.
The remaining Shooters were tagged and bagged before they could commit their own suicide.
Inside the main building were grunts and authorative barks of the outlaws running up to the roof.
Stranger and Umi walked up to the building, listening closely, as thunderous footsteps slammed on the metal planks up to the roof.
The Looten Duke and a few new minions showed their faces above the roof.
They gave a threatening scowl to the stranger, as the Looten Duke sneered down to him.
"You enjoy messin' 'round with my boys, Stranger?"
Stranger looked down at the ground, chuckling and smiling under the shadow of his hat.
"Well, s'not quite the party you an', Blisterz Booty be havin'," Stranger replied, "Smackin' it up that..."
He spat on the ground, then looked up to the Duke's grin.
"...cozy jail" he swung his hips around in a sarcastic fasion.
Duke's face drooped to a furious frown. He backed away from the brim of the roof.
"Blisterz Booty? Oh, no! You ain't takin' me back to him! I ain't goin', I got dignity! Hell no, aw no! I got's dignity!" Duke yelled crazily, running back from the roof, holding his hands behind his hide, and stamping down the staircase back in to the facility.
The two minions looked back to Duke, him running down back in to his office.
"Huh?" it shrugged to its partner
The other shook his head.
"You do NOT want to know,"
"Tear 'im up boys!" Duke yelled to his minions.
The minions were way ahead of him, as they lit the back pack behind them, and looked of a mortar cannon in the pack. They wore a metal flat helmet on their flat heads, and a green vest over a dark red shirt.
Their red eyes were locked on Stranger and Umi, as two mortar shells shot out of their cannons, and whizzed to the path to where Stranger and Umi stood.
Stranger snatched Umi away from the mortar's path down, and held her while he ran around the building, passed two fans exhausting smoke from the facility. He set Umi down behind the building, near the mine shaft, and reloaded his bow up with Fuzzles and Thud slugs.
He had to make the Thud slugs count. Their count in his sack were low.
Stranger and Umi ran back out to the outlaw Mortars, and launched the Fuzzles at each of them.
While the nipping fur balls of teeth kept them busy, Stranger knocked them out senseless with the Thud slugs.
A spray of blue-hot plasma bolted up to the outlaw Mortars, melting the cannons to scrap on their backs.
Thud slugs flew around to the other Mortar, as one smacked in to the jaw of the minion, knocking it flat on its ass, and making an audible crack.
The minion Umi kept focused on fell besides its partner's foot, hissing of a crackling heat seering its orange flesh.
Stranger left the minions in their painful coma, walking back up to the building again.
"Alright, Duke! Yer, chumps are through! It's time ter, do some time," Stranger barked to the facility.
Metallic rattling chimed inside.
A loud bang of two metal doors slammed against the crumbling cement.
The Looten Duke trotted out of his office with a sinful sneer.
"Alright, Stranger! You ain't takin' me in! Bring it on!" he howled, hefting his chain gun up to his arms.
Stranger moved Umi away from the door as well as himself.
Duke smashed the wooden barrack in front of the building, shooting like hell through the doorway.
Stranger scooped Umi in his arm, escaping the flying bullets chafing in to the hard dirt.
The Looten Duke followed behind, his heavy gear holding him down from running to his potential.
Stranger moved in to a groove of the wall outside, setting a Fuzzle trap out in front of the groove. His remaining Thud slugs and Zapp flies were his ammunition of choice, holding down his arm until Duke fell in to his trap.
They heard Duke's footsteps and gun rattling their way.
Umi squeezed in further behind the groove and Stranger.
Duke's breathing came around the cement groove, noticing quickly that a biting sensation was chewing at his pale-yellow skin. Duke shrilled loudly, frantically ripping at himself to stop the biting fur balls from knocking his conentration off.
Stranger jumped out to the Duke, whom was rolling in the dirt to rid of the annoyance still cloistering to him. Charged Zapp flies rung through to Duke's body, and Thud slugs ripping at Duke's stamina. It was making Duke tired enough to slow down, but not enough for him to bounty.
Stranger's bow clicked a high squeeky sound, indicating that he was out of Thud slugs. He grunted roughly, blinking at the empty gauge of his launcher.
Duke stood up, cackling deviously, and raising his chain gun to Stranger. He pressed it to his stomach, grinning devilishly.
"No more bounty huntin' fer you," Duke whispered ominously, almost pulling the trigger to his head.
A flurry of pink needles flew passed Stranger's shoulders and on to Duke's arm.
Duke's immediate reaction dropped his gun, and hollering in pain, holding his wrist up to his face.
His arm was nearly torn off his shoulder from the pink shards that had detonated, leaving half his arm in a bloody ripped gash.
Stranger regained his posture, then looked over to Umi.
She held up her Needler, panting heavily from the succession of her plan.
He grinned impressively. She saved his life, through her innate sense of his security. It was almost as if she really cared for him, even though they knew each other one day ago.
He nodded gratefully to her, turning back to Duke, who was still holding his arm, panting heavily, and glaring at Umi.
"You!" he roared, slamming passed Stranger, and stomping to Umi.
Stranger's hand snatched his shoulder, clenching his deep black claws down hard enough to leave four deep cuts down in his skin. Blood soaked through his dark-green jumper.
Duke's teeth gritted together, holding in the screams of pain, while his eyes tearing.
"Not so fast, Duke," Stranger growled, shoving Duke down on the ground and putting his boot on his chest.
"Don't you even think 'bout going near my partner, nor even touch her. Or by my will, I'll tear off every limb on yer body. You's get's me?"
Stranger snatched a handful of Duke's clothing, sneering his stained sharp teeth to his face.
Duke's fear of Stranger overcame him, as he whimpered and nodded. Stranger released his jumper, then lifted his boot off his chest.
He wasn't exactly done yet.
Stranger snapped back around, and slammed his fist right in to Duke's face. The strength of Stranger's punch left a bone-crunching snap in his skull, and left a deep imprint on the shape of his head.
He wasn't going to get up any time soon.
Umi strapped back her Needler on her belt. She felt a little more trustworthy towards Stranger since he defended her.
"Thanks," Umi smiled up to him.
His vacuum locked back up, as he folded his bow back up as well.
He turned to Umi, a smile curved at one end.
"Not a problem,"
Stranger perched his hand on her head of golden-blonde hair, ruffling it gently under his palm.
They walked back through the gateway, behind the main building, and exited through the mine shaft behind.
It led straight to a pool of water below a broken bridge. They had no choice, but to jump. When they recovered from swimming to the other side, the end of it shot out to back where they were, where the mine shaft was right above them. But there was a slight delay on going back to Gizzard Gulch. Three Sniper outlaws this time, held them back, in their own mine shaft Stranger didn't notice.
One was far left of them and the last one was slantly right of them. They had them pinned down damn good.
"How many of these guys are there?" Umi sneered.
"As many minions you can count in this world,"
All three of them lit their rifles, and aimed for their heads.
Stranger led two away from them, as Fuzzles were flung in the air, and pounced upon the Snipers, dropping them out of their mine shafts with a teetering frown of failure.
Umi took care of the last one, remembering how Stranger told her not to use her Needler to take down the outlaws.
So instead, she dual-wielded, which was worse than what he said. She left her minion with burnt holes and a deformed corpse with Stranger, which didn't make him quite happy.
But he had two snipers to cash in which was good enough with Duke and his goons. Plus, he couldn't stand the innocent face she put on when she apologized. It drove him MAD.
Stranger forgived the human, as they walked on back to Gizzard Gulch, without another word.




Sorry, it may not be the best that is...:(

MWAH!
 

You can count on it, Lobo! It'll be done within a day!

Actually, that sort of thing is allowed and encouraged in the Fan Corner.

You can...hmm...i thought you couldn't do that...oh well. I would've gotten in to trouble anyways if I got caught.

Apart form the fact they dropped nearly 11 feet in the air to the ground, they made it back to Gizzard Gulch in one piece. The gate's invited them in to town, then closed again. The Clakkers watched Stranger run back to the Bounty store again with Umi in his arms. He set Umi down, then walked in the Bounty store. The clerk was leaning over the counter, seeing Stranger and Umi walk in.
"Whoa! That was fast! Yer workin' up a bad-ass reputation 'ere, Stranger! Here, lem'me get that bounty fer you," the clerk brought up it's stamper. Stranger gave it the poster of Duke, and he stamped it. "Well, that squares us up, Stranger! Oh, and Doc called in. He wants you down at his office right now," the clerk said. Stranger grinned in excitement, then left the clerk and the Bounty store. They traveled back to the small shack in the middle of town. The sign that was up was gone, and the doors were unlocked. Stranger didn't shove the doors, just opened them calmly. He walked in casually, Umi striding next to him. She saw behind a counter a big-headed creature with a large top-hat on it's head. It wore a ragged poncho over it's smaller body, and raised up a set of four arms with three large sharp nails on it's hands. It turned to Stranger, but eyed Umi immediately when it saw her with green eyes through it's specticals. She became unnerved, then diverted from it's gaze. The thing also did as well, up to Stranger.
"Welcome back. You'll be happy to see that I've worked up an ingenious approach to your..." it searched around secretly. "...little problem," it then said. Stranger inhaled then growled lowly, giving the Doc a ominous look. "Right, well..." Doc's eyes looked down from Stranger. "Uh, well...due to the "unique nature" of this case, the operation may seem a little..." Doc brought up a stack of papers, searching for his words. "...complicated?" Doc said, hoping Stranger would accept his word. Stranger cocked his head to one side, then pulled a confident smile on his lips. He reached in to his poncho, and slapped down a stack of moolah on the counter, slipping his fingers away and revealing it to Doc. He saw the moolah, then sneered slightly back up to Stranger. "Eh-heh, well..." Doc said suavely, then slapped down a few more papers. He leaned closer to Stranger. "Give or take a few grand," Doc rubbed his fingers together money-like. Stranger's grin turned to a slight frown. The paper on top read of twenty-thousand grand.
"What?" Stranger growled in surprise, searching around the paper. His anger sparked in his brain. "I ain't payin' that," Stranger growled, slamming his hand on the counter. "Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ght. Well, uh, sorry to hear that. But uh, I got a buisness to run," Doc slipped off the operation bill to Stranger, and stacked back up his papers, then stared at Umi again. "...but, I could take that thing over there, for closer examination, if you know what I mean," Doc brought up a rusty lab knife and rubbed it in his fingers. Stranger looked down at Umi, then back up to Doc, putting an arm in front of Umi. "Leave Umi outta this. It only concerns you, an' me," Stranger growled defensively. "Isn't it bothering you? I could take it off yer hands," Doc persuaded more. Stranger couldn't stand it no more, then put his fingers on the counter, and scratched forward, leaving five wood shavings with nail markings in the wood, sneering evilly to Doc. Doc's self was shivering in fear, lowering his specticals to his eye. Doc dropped his papers. "Ok! Fine, then! You can keep it, but yer stilll not getting the operation," Doc said, crossing his arms together over his chest. Stranger's sneer turned down to a frown. "I need this...to survive," Stranger said finally, inching closer to Doc. "Right...well, that could be a problem, couldn't it?" Doc said, pointing in agreement to Stranger. "...for you..." he muttered under his breath. "How the hell am I...payin' fer this?" Stranger shook his head doubtfully. "Yer supposed to be the big bad-ass bounty hunter! Figure it out!" Doc gestured, then walked back in to his office with his papers in his hands. Umi walked to the counter and lifted herself up to the counter.
"Hey! Hey, fat-head! Come and examine my fist in yer face!" Umi shook her fist threatingly. Stranger chuckled at her threat. "Leave 'im be, Umi. Doc's a clown and a rip off," Stranger lifted her off the counter. "You're not going to let that fat-ass talk to you like that, will you?" Umi looked up to him. Stranger shook his head. "Can't do nothin' 'bout it. Just gotta, hope fer the best, an' get more moolah fer the operation," Stranger shrugged, and led her out of the Doc's office.
Behind the counter, and in his office, Doc waited for Stranger and the human to leave. Then, he snatched a phone, and dialed quickly in to the keys. The phone rang in his ear, then a deep voice came in to the earpiece.
"Hello?" a deep voice rang in his ear sounded. "Hey, D. Caste. It's me, Doc," he whispered in the phone. "Oh, hey'a, Doc. What can I do you fer?" D. Caste replied. "Listen. There's a human that's going to Buzzarton, and I need you to get the other outlaws ready for it. I'm going to set a bounty for the human alive, and I mean alive," Doc said seriously to the Outlaw. "What's in it fer us?" D. Caste said gruffly. "Ten-thousand grand," Doc replied. D. Caste grunted graciously. "I'll be sure to get them," D. Caste then said assuringly. "Good. Tell them alive. Not dead, not even a scratch on it's body," Doc reassured. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alive, got it," D. Caste growled irritatingly. "Good," Doc said, then slammed the phone on it's cradle. He rubbed his chin in a thinking sort of way, then snickered devilishly, and picked up the phone again, and dialed in.

GAH! KILL IT!
 

Heh, yeah. Them damn Vykkers'll do anything to get a test subjet, 'r operate on a new species of something. Yeah. I'd kill a Vykker if it did that. Anyways, you gonna do another chapter in yer's today? Mine'll take a while, AGAIN. :o

Ya know? I'ma take a step, and say, "SCREW THE BLOODY PAPER! I CAN PRINT!" I'ma ferget the paper writing, and put the rest of my story here! Huzzah! DO I HEAR A HUZZAH? Anyone?

HUZZAH!
 

You have a HUZZAH! And a WOOT WOOT as well! *does victory dance* Oh yeh, oh yeh, oh yeh, type it up now!

Sorry...that was very cheesy...but truthful, I eagarly anticipate the next chapter...mine are steadily becoming fluffier...sigh...

Ok! Just as...soon as I wake up, 'cause I'm still drowsy! :D And just because I'm stupid, this is me.

"So...what does that thing mean by "little problem"?" Umi asked. Stranger grumbled incoherantly, ignoring Umi's question on purpose. They walked out of the office, and seeing the Clakkers in town going crazy. Every single one of them were flapping around, muttering to themselves. Stranger stopped one of them by snatching it's shoulder.
"So what are you featherheads flappin' all around, huh?" Stranger asked lowly.
"Oh! Didn't yeh hear? Boilz Booty is comin' to town! He's gonna break out his brother and the others outta jail!" the Clakker whined loudly, then ran off. Stranger looked away and to the Bounty store. "Let's hit the Bounty store, see what they got," Stranger told to Umi, not looking at her. She followed behind him to the Bounty store, he shoving the doors aside, and glaring at the clerk.
"Oh! Stranger! Good thing yer here! Boilz Booty's comin'! I already got's a bounty on 'im!" the clerk said frantically. It slipped the poster to Stranger, then an explosion behind them shook them up. "Oh! That must be them right now! G'luck, Stranger and human!" the clerk waved, then ducked under it's desk and quivered in fear. When they got out, they could hear Booty's voice boom left of them. The town was screwed up when they got out. Buildings caved in, houses burning, and even some Clakkers dead on the ground.
"Good work, guys. You two, come with me and cover my escape!" Booty pointed to two Shooter minions. "Got it boss!" the Shooters nodded. "You two, stay here," he pointed to the last two, then ran off with his minions towards the jail. Stranger walked casually up to the two Shooters left behind, then the minions looked at Stranger.
"BOSS!" one Shooter yelled, but gagged immediately. The other Shooter was knocked out before it could yell again. Booty spun around, seeing his other minions being bountied. "So! It's the infamous bounty hunter that captured my brother! Well, no need to worry! I'll kill yeh before my brother can get yer hands on you!" Boilz held his shotgun up to Stranger. "Well, like I told yer brother, yer ass is comin' with me. Dead 'er alive," Stranger said smartly. "Go get 'im, boys!" Booty shouted, then swarms of minions crawled out of every inch of the town. Stranger jumped uneasily first, then stepped back behind a trailer that hasn't been used for years, what looked like. "Follow him, boys! Don't let that furry freak outta yer sights!" Booty yelled. Stranger quickened his movements, as he unlocked his bow, and began to pick out his ammo to use. Umi saw that he was in a rush, and decided to give him some time. Very stupid move.
Umi ran out from behind the trailer, and to a crowd of minion Shooters and Shredders. She shuddered slightly, but dualed her weapons together. The minions looked at her in confusion, whispering to one another, but she didn't care, just began to attack. Needles and plasma bolts flew around, as the minions ran around crazily, needles exploding and the plasma sizzling on their pale yellow skin. But she only killed two, when Booty shot in the air, and stopping the mob rush. All the minions parted from Booty's line of sight. His beady green-yellow eyes locked on Umi, approaching her and gazing up and down at her. Umi still held up her weapons while the Outlaw came closer. Stranger peeked over the trailer when he heard that nothing was going on. Booty lowered his gun to his legs. Umi backed away when he was merely inches away from her feet. Stranger growled fiercely, locking in his bow with Boom-bats and Zapp flies.
"Don't you dare touch 'er, Booty," Stranger stepped out from the trailer. The minions sneered at Stranger stepping in front of Boilz and Umi, holding their guns up to him. Stranger grinned, lowering his arm with is bow. "I ain't scared of yeh," Stranger said truthfully. Booty laughed loudly, then grappled on Umi's shoulder harshly. She groaned painfully, as he lifted her up to his head. "You ain't scared of me? Well, maybe you'll be scared when yer lil' pardner here's dead," Booty threatened, holstering his shotgun to Umi's head. Stranger growled fearfully to himself, but kept a poker face on. "but I can't do that. Unfortunetely, there's a bounty on this here's human head, and I can't do jack squat on it," Booty said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Say what?" Umi said through her gritted teeth. "That's right, human. There's a fat juicy bounty on you alive. Doc sent it out to all us Outlaws, and I'm the one's who gonna get that paycheck," Booty said, his breath flowing to her nose. She cringed in disgust, and moved her head away from his mouth. "Doc..." Umi growled. "I knew's that fat-head couldn't been trusted," Stranger flared his nostrils. "Now, if yeh excuse me, I'ma be goin' to check in," Booty turned around. But a Zapp fly flew over his shoulder, and he stopped immediately. "Oh. I fergot's 'bout you!" he yelled. "Get him, guys. Don't even think 'bout leaving him alive," Booty ordered, then walked off again. The minions glared back to Stranger, holding up their guns or shredder knuckles. Stranger smiled mischieviously, holding down his hat, not even looking at the mob of minions. Then, raised his head, one eye gleaming sinisterly, and launched the Boom-bat on his bow to the whole mob. The Boom-bat stuck to the middlest one, and blew the bunch away from each other. Some left dead, others got back up and fought back. Booty walking away with Umi slung over his shoulder. She was punching his back furiously, and tearing at his head viciously, but he didn't even flinch. In fact, he was becoming annoyed with the human. He growled irritatingly when she continued to puch his back and wouldn't stop. Stranger had bountied the dead ones quickly before moving on to the live ones which he had knocked out with Zapp flies charged one by one. He saw Umi tearing at Booty's back, when he spun her back to his face, and growled something to her face. He bared his teeth threatingly, then stomped up to Booty's back. He snatched Booty's shoulder, spun him around, then slammed his fist in to Booty's jaw. Boliz dropped Umi to the ground, while griping at Stranger on the ground, spitting out blood on the dirt. Umi scrambled up and away from Booty, near the end of the Water Facility gate. Her weapons were lying near Booty, but she dared not to run over and snatch them. Stranger circled around Booty like a vulture, watching his pitiful self raise off the ground. Booty glared up to Stranger, wiping a spot of blood off his large lip. He was reaching for his shotgun, but Stranger walked over and kicked away the gun. Booty slammed his fist on the dirt, then stood up. He over towered Stranger by nearly three feet, glaring down at his eyes.
"You won't get away with this, Stranger!" Booty clenched his fist. As he did that, more minions came out from behind burnt houses, with a devilish smile on all their faces. Some of the minions parted from their team, and surrounded Umi. Booty raised his arm up to the minions around Umi as a signal. One of the minions next to her arm brought up a piece of long twine, and snapped it threatingly.
"Dog pile!" one minons shouted, and all the rest closed in on her. They jumped up, and brought her down with them to the ground. The minion with the twine wound it around her wrists in a lock. Umi managed to mumble out loud, "Goddamn you guys are heavy," They brought her up by the arms, and held her in place. Stranger growled deeply.
"You dirty bastard," Stranger roared. Booty chuckled, writhing his finger to the minions behind. They shoved Umi forward to Booty, and he grasped her shoulder again. "Now we got yer attention," Booty grimmaced. "Both of you'll come with us. And if you refuse, Stranger. I'll blow off yer friend's head, and screw the bounty," Boilz threatened again. Stranger kept his sneer on, but secretly loaded on his bow a Stunkz and a Boom-bat.
"Let 'er go!" Stranger shouted. Booty just smiled. "Let it go? Why?" Booty asked, leaning closer to him with great enthusiasm. Stranger didn't answer, but locked in his bow quietly. Booty smiled, his eyes squinting, and leaned back. "Just what I thought. Take it, guys," Booty whipped his arm. The minions pushed Umi in their way, down the road from Doc's office, which was closed. They led her down to another gate with a sign that read, "Head west to Buzzarton". Stranger stopped his hesitation, and shot the Boom-bat at Booty, then the Stunkz to the outlaws. Boilz felt a stitch attach to his shirt, then a mighty BOOM that flung him down. The Stunkz released a noxious gas that made the minions eyes tear, and made their stomachs weak. They released Umi's arms, holding their bellies, and vommiting on the ground. Umi grunted in disgust, and leaped away from the gagging outlaws towards Stranger. Booty snorted in pain, but still held strong, and stood back up.
"You just don't seem to stop, do ya, bounty hunter!?" Booty roared. Stranger walked in front of Umi this time, holding his bow slantly up to Booty's stomach. "I ain't interested in that human no more! It's you now! I'ma wring yer neck like a damned pigeon! Then feed yeh to the Slegs!" Booty slammed his fist in to his palm, stamping towards Stranger. He released another Stunkz in front of Booty, and the Outlaw stopped in his tracks. The gas spreaded around Booty and Stranger. He inhaled the fumes, and his eyes watered heavily. Stranger didn't even cringed nor gag. Booty's throat clogged up, which made him gag and hold his throat. Umi backed away from the visible fumes, waving her hand in front of her nose, and looking away from the smell. Booty dropped to his knees, spitting on the ground and gasping heavily for fresh air. Stranger walked up to his head that was down near the ground. Booty saw Stranger's boots at his flat nose, then looked up. All he saw was Stranger's glowing eyes when he fell dark.
Umi saw Booty falling eagle-spread to the ground. She cheered in her mind, then walked up to Stranger, who was activating his bounty vacuum and bagging Booty up. She rounded up her weapons before she forgot them. Stranger locked up his vacuum, then looked down at Umi. She could tell he was happy to see her not harmed. Then looked over to the Bounty store. Unfortunately, it was knocked down, and no sign of the clerk. But the Clakkers inside their standing homes emerged out fo the darkness, and surrounded Stranger with great smiled on their beaks. They cheered on Stranger, as he pushed through the crowd, and up to the Buzzarton gate. Charlie above opened the gate, then slammed it shut before things got out of hand. Charlie waved to them good-bye, and thanked them, which he has never done before...
Stranger sighed, pulling out his operation bill, and looking at it angrily. "I'm gonna need a lot more moolah to get this surgery. Got's to, bag some fresh bounties down in the next town," Stranger stuffed the bill back in to his poncho.
"Yeah. And I got to pay a lil' visit to Doc as well. He is NEVER going to get away with this," Umi growled, punching her fist in her palm. Stranger snickered, rubbing her head with his hand. They began to walk down the straight road, which turned right at a dead tree. A small town was being rebuilt around the turn. Houses were nearly complete, and a small crop was being fed by two female Clakkers. Stranger was curious, so he walked up to one Clakker near the road.
"Aren't you guys a little too far from town?" Stranger asked. "Oh, no, Stranger! Since you cleaned up this here place, we're able to build up a small place to live safely, so to speak," the Clakker replied, then walked away from them. Stranger just shrugged, and walked away to let the Clakkers get on with their misreable lives.
Further away from the rebuilt town, a bridge led across a deep gorge with some type of a camp below that they didn't notice. They stepped on the roofed bridge, not noticing what was going on down below them.
"Hey. You see those pinheads? Waltzing on the bridge?" a Mortar outlaw elbowed the other next to him. "Yeah. He hee. Looks like it's time fer a little target practice," the other Mortar minion nodded, holding up it's lighter. The minions laughed to themselves, lighting their mortar cannons. "It's like shooting grubbs in a barrel," the Mortar chuckled. Then it's mortar cannon shot a shell out in to the window of the bridge.
"Stranger!" Umi screamed, seeing the mortar shell zooming towards their window. Stranger's eyes widened, and snatched Umi's wrist, dragging her along. She grappled on to his shoulders when she had the chance, and held tightly while he pranced around the breaking wood. He leaped over a wooden pole, then another explosion forced him and Umi out the bridge. The blast was just enough to knock thme out, as they were flung to the ground.
:Sorry. It ain't very good. I can tell when it's horrible and good. Sorry, again :( :

No No, It's Fine
 

Don't worry Dark, I quite liked this chapter :D and I'm looking forward to more kiddo!

*grumble, grumble* I'm only three years younger than you! *slumps down, makes a frown like a little kid* I'm not little....Anyways, ON WITH THE STORY!

SURGERY, LIES, AND OUTLAWS--The hunt for 20,000$

The Mortars approached Stranger limp body, with grins of the devil across their face.
"Ha heh. Looks like you got 'im good," one Mortar chuckled.
"Yeah! So uh, why don't you check on him, see if he has any loot on him?" the other Mortar turned to his friend. Stranmger's green eyes peeked open, hearing the minions gibbering to each other. "What!? Me?!" the Mortar whined. "What? You scared?" the other took near advantage. "Naw! Naw, I ain't scared of that skanky lil'-" they both turned to Stranger, who wasn't laying on the ground any more, and he gazing down at the minions sinisterly. The Mortars screamed, scattering away from Stranger. "Ahh, I thought you got him!" the Mortar shouted. "I thought YOU got him!" the other said. Stranger shook his head, running down the slope that led to the Mortar's running. He loped down on his limbs at high speeds, aiming for one of the Mortars. The targeting Mortar turned to Stranger, who's head was down, and coming right for him. 'Oh shi-' the Mortar thought, then was tackled by Stranger's shoulder, and flung from Stranger to the canyon wall. The other Mortar frantically loaded his mortar cannon, and lit the fuse. Stranger's eyes widened, then pranced over to the last Mortar. But inches before he tackled the Mortar, the bomb was shot out, and coming down fast. Then, it was hit by Stranger's forearm, and knocked flat on it's back. It groaned at first, then fell down cold. The mortar was now on Stranger's priority list, as he ran on two legs away from the shell's path. The mortar impacted the ground, and then exploded, flinging fragments of dirt and metal out everywhere. He covered his head with his arms, little fragments of metal sticking in to his skin. He put his arms down, then bountied the minions before they would come out of their stage. Then, he searched around for Umi, which was going to be quite hard because the land was covered in junk. She could be under a pile of clothing, since the gorge was junky! He lifted chunks of wood that was from the explosion of the bridge, inside a large tractor wheel halfway sticking oout of the dirt. Then he saw an arm, sticking out of another small pile of wood behind a matress leaned against an old piece of wood stuck in the dirt. He rushed over to the limp extremity, lifting off the wood to reveal Umi's knocked-out self. He lifted her off the ground, slightly shaking her so she'd wake up.
"Umi..." Stranger purred practically. She only grumbled. "Umi. C'mon, kid. Wake up," Stranger said again softly. Umi shook her head in a strange way. She heard his voice echo through her empty head, then opened her eyes. She was looking up to the sky, then Stranger's eyes. She groaned, rubbing her eyes, then shouted out in pain when she tried to lift herself up. She slammed back down on Stranger's arms, hissing.
"What is it?" Stranger asked concerned. He couldn't make out what Umi was saying, so he had a hard time wondering what the hell was going on with her. Then, she screamed out, "MY BACK!" He turned her over without bending her, and then shivered in disgust. Her back was spotted with blood, and a piece of her vest was caved in to her skin. He saw a good sized chunk of sharp wood buried in to her skin. He layed her on the ground belly-sized, and knelt on both legs down to her back. "Hold still, hold still," Stranger calmly said, hoping his oothing pur would stop her writhing around and causing her more pain. She held still as long as she could, while Stranger tried at the splinter. He held it between his thumb and forefinger nails, and slipped it out of her skin. That chunk of wood was a pretty good size son-of-a-thing, covered in her blood. He flicked it away, then back down to Umi, who was panting from her screams of pain. She turned on her back, then sat up. She still had some pain in her back, but most of it was gone. She nodded up to Stranger, wiping her tears from her eyes.
"Thanks," Umi panted, attempting to stand up. Stranger picked her off the ground, carrying her left of a two-way split to a small town called, "Beakly's Oppal farms". Hopefully he'd find some help to Buzzarton.
Two Clakkers stood in front of a small farm house, and in front of the entrance to the Oppal farms. One wore a cowboy hat, and the other was bald.
"Oh, when's that security guard gonna get here?" the Clakker that was bald asked the other. The Clakker with the cowboy hat saw Stranger coming up the road.
"Maybe that's him," it said, and the other turning to his as well. Umi jumped out of Stranger's arms, arguing with him that she didn't wanted to be carried. He gave up, and walked up to the Clakkers.
"You Clakkers know of-" "Well! It's about time you got here! Yet the security guard that came here to carry out the farmer's moolah?" the main Clakker asked. "Huh?" Stranger said in more of a growl. "Now look. The Farmer keeps his moolah up in the house," the main Clakker said again. "Yeah, speaking of Farmers. You heard of his daughter, Susie Ray? Now, there's some feathers I'd like to pluck," it's friend said, making weird gestures. Before that conversation picked up, Stranger and Umi walked in to the Oppal farm, down passed an Oppal smasher, and in front of an enormous house! Stranger took it as the Farmer's house. He walked to the far left of the house to a window that entered inside. He made a fist, looking at the window, and was about to smash through, when-
"You aren't thinkin' of breakin' in to that house, to get that moolah, are you?" Umi asked in suspicion. Stranger sighed, turning to her. "Yes, I am," he nodded. "That ain't right, you know!" Umi raised her arms. "Well, you don' think them Clakkers inside will just let us in, do yeh?" Stranger asked back. Umi was about to say something, when she thought about what he said. Sure, the Clakkers inside wouldn't let two strangers inside their house, but it'd be sure-hell-of a lot better than brekaing and entering. Then the Clakkers out front, saying Stranger was a security guard. She gasped, then stopped Stranger again from attempting to break the window.
"What about impersonating the security guard those Clakkers said?" Umi asked. Stranger lowered his arm again, looking down at Umi, who's eyes looked so innocent, that he couldn't do any such the thing to break in.
"Fine...we'll go yer way," Stranger sighed in frustration. Umi smiled happily, and walked up to the front door. Stranger banged on the door, while scratching inside of the wooden floors cam closer. The door clicked unlocked, then the door opened squeakily. A Clakker wearing green overalls and a white shirt, wearing a green hat and had a piece of grass in it's mouth, appeared before the door. It walked up to the door way, looking at Stranger in confusion.
"Who the hell are you?" the Farmer asked vulgarly. Stranger sneered slightly at the farmer's reply to them. "Uh, we're the security guards here to pick up the moolah," Umi stopped Stranger before he could do anything. The Farmer stepped out, looking up and down at the human. "Well, the security guards here now must be higher than expected. Well, c'mon in! I still need's to find that damn moolah case. It's 'round here somewhere," the Farmer invited them in. They stepped in, looking around the house. It was enormous! Bigger than what Stranger or Umi has seen! It was a 2-story house, with a large front room, a kitchen around another part of the house, and upstairs was a large room with a built-in fireplace. Umi searched one part, while Stranger splitted away from her, and in to the kitchen. The ladies inside the kitchen squaked at the stranger intruding in their domain. The Farmer calmed the girls down, telling them that he was the security guard to pick up the moolah. But Stranger couldn't help but harrass the little Clakkers once more.
"How's about some...cornbread?" Stranger said cooly up to an elderly woman. The woman clucked stutteringly. "Now, shoot! You don't get any of this here food! Scram!" she shouted, waving her wings at Stranger. He chuckled, then walked away, and out of the kitchen. Now what bothered him the most was that the Farmer wouldn't stop following them around, talking nonsense to Umi and Stranger. He was nearly about to spin around and knock the crap outta the Clakker, but he held in his irritatingness, and kept searching for the moolah. Umi approached Stranger, then shrugged. "Nothing," Umi said undoubtfully. Stranger nodded the same way. Then Umi had another suspicion. She looked up, seeing a long wooden beam across the roof. Umi looked back to Stranger, her eyebrow up in suspicion. Stranger nodded again, then pinched up a Bolamite. He sqeezed the spider, forcing out a long web from it's abdomen. He wrapped it up in to a lasso, then tossed it up and over the beam. The other end dangled over the beam, and Stranger tugged it down. Umi volunteered to go up, since she was the lightest. She tied the rope around her belly tightly, then gave Stranger the thumbs-up to pull her up. He pulled on the rope, and Umi's stomach caved in while she raised up off the floor. She grabbed on the rope, remembering she had a slight fear of heights. The beam came closer so she could grab on it, and pull herself up. She pulled up her lg on it, then herself up. She untied the web around her belly, and dropped it to Stranger. There, she looked right of her. At one end was nothing, but the other just made her shout out, "Holy hell!" She found the moolah case. It was stuffed up with moolah bills. When she meant filled, she meant bills hanging out of the cracks of the case. She bent over to the case, but it was locked.
"What is it, Umi? Did yeh find's it?" Stranger called up. Umi didn't reply, but tried to open the lock. She grunted, then pushed the case to the edge. "Hey, Stranger! Watch out below!" Umi shouted, then shoved off the case to the floor. Stranger jumped aside from the case, then gazed down in amazement. Umi saw that Stranger looked back up to her, holding out his arms. She dropped off from the beam, and in to Stranger's arm, holding in her hisses of pain from her wound in her back. He let her down, then knelt at the case. He tugged at the lock, and practically snatched it off the case with ease. He opened the case, and bills came spewing out of the top. He nearly chuckled in happiness, but held it in, and stuffed bills in to his moolah pouch. Umi helped off by stuffing some in to her pockets. The case became empty, and Stranger's and Umi's pockets were filled up to the point where the stitches would burst. He shoved aside the empty case, and walked up to the Farmer.
"Well, that's all of it. But are you sure that's all of it?" Stranger asked. "Yep. That's all of it. Take good care of it," the Farmer nodded, and showed them out. Stranger grinned happily secretly under the shadow of his hat. When the door slammed shut, Stranger tipped his hat back up. He walked over to one of the Clakkers near a stock of Oppal trees under a wire house.
"'Scuse meh. But where's the nearest town?" Stranger asked. The Clakker wanted to smack up some trouble, and replied, "What? Is it hard to find yer way with her head up yer ass?" Umi's anger sparked when the Clakker replied rudely, and snatched it's overalls.
"Listen here, you lil' chicken-fry-" "Umi, let it down," Stranger shook his head. Umi didn't comply, but stare ominously in to the Clakker's eyes, which had no emotion at all. Stranger told her one more time, then she shoved the Clakker down on the dirt. "You got lucky, you...piece of shit," Umi sneered at the Clakker. It stood up, dusting off it's clothes, then laughed at Umi. "You have to listen to that hairy bastard?" the Clakker laughed. Umi's anger raged through, then spun around and smashed her fist right in to it's forehead. The Clakker clucked at first, then was knocked down flat and out cold. Umi sighed, lowering her arm. Stranger groaned in a no-no manner, then held his hand on her shoulder. "Ok, Umi. That's enough," Stranger said in a fatherly kind of way. Umi's anger slowed down, as she became calm. Clakkers around looked at the human who knocked out one of the farmers. They whispered around about her, and looking at her in disgust. "C'mon. Let's get outta here before thing really get outta hand," Stranger whispered in her ear. She shrugged from him, his voice tickling her head and shoulder. She followed Stranger out casually of the Oppal farm, like nothing ever happened. He asked once more the Clakker who was selling road-side Oppals to where the nearest town was.
"Head right from here, and Buzzarton should be there," the farmer said. Stranger nodded, bidding them good-bye, and shot right of the split roads.

This'll be fer right now. I'll continue sometime later. A'ight? :) ;)

Mwahahahaha!
 

You go Umi, punch that overgrown chicken McNugget! :evil: Hey, maybe Umi and Bailey could start a McDonalds chain, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Love the chapter, keep it up!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Seriously, I cracked...that was funny thar Lobo! You should be a comedian story writer!

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

Down the steep road, Stranger loped along with Umi clinging to his back. The air became dusty with dirt. Umi sneezed and coughed as the dust brushed upon her face. He kept running down the dirt road, until a windmill at their left appeared through the dusty atmosphere and a wooden fence running along in front of a house. They have arrived in Buzzarton. In the middle of town, there was a wooden post with arrows pointing in different directions. Straight in front of the post was the Bounty store, and behind it was the General store. They headed straight for the Bounty store, like always, and opened the swinging doors. The clerk waved his feathery arm to shut the door and hurry on in. Stranger walked to the counter, and gave the clerk Boilz Booty's poster.
"Oh! You caught that dirty varmin Boilz huh? Well, I do have some more bounties fer yeh, so take yer pick while I get Booty's poster," it snatched the poster from Stranger, and put up two more posters to Stranger's arm. One read a hostage bounty of the town's engineer, Eugene Ius. The Clakker looked of a nerd with black bottle-cap glasses, a red bow-tie, a buttoned white shirt, and high-tailed black pants. The other read of Jo Mamma, a devilish, ugly, old-looking bounty that held a frying pan in her hand. Stranger decided to take the bounty he had first: Eugene Ius.
"Oh, this is more of a rescue mission. We need our engineer back so he could start up that gate to the Mongo Valley. He's a nerdy-lookin' fellah, goes by the name of Eugene Ius. He's been held up at that old Grubb temple by the Dandy-digger gang," the clerk explained. Stranger took the poster, stuffed it in to his poncho, then exited the Bounty store. He wished that the clerk would've given him more info on where the Grubb temple was.
"Pardon. You know where this...Eugene kid is?" he walked up to a male Clakker with a baseball cap on.
"Well, he's up in that ole Grubb temple by the Dandy-digger gang. Go ask the professor in the General store. He'll help yeh," the Clakker replied. Umi smiled slightly. The Clakkers here were more friendly here than the Oppal farm. Stranger nodded ot the Clakker, and followed to the General store. The Clakker behind the counter greeted them a howdy. Stranger looked around, then gave Umi some moolah.
"Here, Umi. Do me a favor, an' get me some more ammo," Stranger handed her a wad of cash. Umi took the moolah, and nodded without arguing. She ran up to the counter, while Stranger followed behind slowly. He saw a Clakker with a black graduation hat left of the corner of the counter. He smiled then walked to the Clakker.
"Pardon. You's the...professor?" Stranger asked, knowing what the answer would be.
"Why yes! I'm professor Dimble. What can I do you fer?" it replied with any other Clakkers voice. "I'm lookin' fer Eugene Ius. You knows where I can find him?" Stranger asked once more. "Yes! He's been held up at that Grubb temple. I'll help yeh with that gate," Dimble turned to a microphone that led somewhere. "Hey, Bobby! Yeah, it's me! Hey, can you open that gate?" Dimble yelled in to it. No reply came, but he thought that Bobby got the message. Dimble turned back to Stranger. "Oh, bring him back safely, would yeh? We need's him to fix up town a lil'," Dimble bidded good-bye. Stranger tipped his hat respectfully, then turned back to Umi, who held two bags of live moving ammo.
"Here you go, Stranger. Enough for three bounty missions," Umi said happily, handing him the bags. He dumped the critters in to his ammo sack. Umi also handed him change, but he didn't mind. "Oh! The gate's above the General store! G'luck you two!" Dimble said over to them. Stranger nodded for the info, and walked on out. There was a slope that led behind many other houses, next to the Sewer treatment center, and up to the gate to the Grubb temple. He followed the signs up to the gate, and ran on down through the gate's entrance. At the end of the tunnel, a wooden gate blocked a way down to a bunch of outlaws gibbering about 'The loot'. Stranger took his bought ammo, and clipped on a Boom-bat and Stingbees. He bashed through the wooden barrier with ease, and launched a Boom-bat at the first outlaw in front of him. There were two screams of pain, as two Shooter minions were thrown away from the drop-off. A deeply voiced outlaw roared at Stranger and Umi. When she saw this monstroucity, she gasped and backed away behind Stranger. This minion was nearly 8-feet tall, wearing black spikey armor around it's head, arms, hands, and mid-section area. An outlaw Nailer. It came stomping, with one fist in the air and the other baring out in front of it. Stranger immediately shot a steady stream of Stingbees at the Nailer's face. It went with the impact of the bug's sharp stingers, grunting and cooing. Then, a Boom-bat clung on it's arm, and blew it clear off. The Nailer shouted out in anger and pain, facing to Stranger. Umi stepped out, and clenched the handle of her Plasma Rifle. Hot bolts splashed on it's armor, and melted the armor on it's skin. The Nailer growled louder, and slammed to the ground. It frantically tore off it's melting armor. Umi didn't let it go, and ran up to it with her rifle lowered to her legs. She leaped up above the Nailers head with her rifle above her head, then brought it down on it's head with an enormous crack. The Nailer's eyes blacked out, then fell limp on the ground. Umi dropped behind it, and kept her Plasma Rifle at her knees. Stranger regained his balance, and walked up to the Nailer. He bountied the outlaw up quickly, then locked it up. He ran up a steep hill that led to a thin wooden pole with a tight rope leading over a cement platform and to a cement dam, blocking ot the other side. Umi held on to his shoulders, as he side climbing over to the cement dam. He jumped on the dam, and looked over to see where the Grubb temple was. It looked miles and miles away with a construction site leading up to the plateau the temple was on. Below the site was a small camp built around in a circle. He jumped down from the dam, and ran near the campsite. A minion Shooter walked near a wooden fence that was the entry way to the camp. There was also a slope that led above the Shooter's head, a perfect spot for an ambush. Umi left Stranger behind, for she asked to do this. He allowed it, and she climbed up the slope. She crawled low on her knees, watching the Shooter's movements. It turned around to walk near Stranger, and she followed as well. It spotted Stranger, and before it could yell to the others over the fence, Umi once again dropped off the high drop-off, and landed on it's shoulders, which brought it down for the count. She figured her weight was too much for the outlaw's puny strength. Stranger chuckled as he made his way to the minions, and bountied it. Umi jumped the fence, but Stranger took his way, which was to rip down the fence. Outlaw Shooters surrounded a large bonfire in the middle of the camp. They didn't notice anything unusual, but continued about the talk of 'The loot'.
"Must be around here, somewhere," Umi whispered. Stranger agreed, for he heard an outlaw say, "It's safely inside that warehouse. No one will get's it," Stranger unlocked his bow, and loaded it up with Fuzzles and Stingbees. He letted the Fuzzles go first, to keep some Shooters out of his way, then jumped out with a stream of Stingbees zooming to one Shooter's face, and another. Mortars stood above some of the houses the minions poorly made. The three Mortars spotted their intruders, and launched randomly in to the air. Umi dodged away from the mortars path, and began to climb up to the roofs to take care of the Mortars. Stranger, on the other hand, kep busy with the Shooters that flooded out of the waehouse where the moolah was supposedly to be. He could also tell because they were fighting harder than ever to defend something. Umi had climbed up ot the first Mortar, which she fought nearly to the death, and kicked off the Mortar from the roof. She crawled carefully to the other Mortar on the roof, and jumped it, smashing it's head like a mindless monkey. Stranger had thrown out a pile of knocked out minions, and found his bountiful pay. There were nearly 10 chests of moolah, which nearly added up to four-hundred moolah, which really satisfied Stranger. Umi, above Stranger, was fighting the last Mortar, which she deliberately thrown it in to the bonfire, and let it burn in to the fiery depths of hell. She laughed sinisterly, her fingers writhing devilishly. Stranger looked at her with utmost confusion but dumbstruck. He found it a little amusing she was doing this, but just down-right weird. Umi caught back to her regularity, wondering what the hell she was doing, and jumped off the roof. Stranger still stared at her weirdly. She gave a shy smile, looking down from his gaze. He stiffled out a laugh, gently rubbing her head, and led away from the camp. They arrived to the construction site, which led high up to the Grubb temple. Umi gasped at how high the temple plateau is. She nearly felt faint, but she held strong. Stranger gave her a face of confidence, then led their way up to the site. Minions, like always, patrolled up on the planks of the site. Stranger wanted to do the silent way to the minions on the ground. He lured them away from their posts, and captured both of them. The cement hill that started it's way up to the temple came down with one more minion, wondering where the other two went. Stranger didn't use a Chippunk, but the minion came closer to a cement block where Stranger and Umi hid. It sniffed out around the block, then turned to where Stranger and Umi was. Then, all it saw was a giant hand in it's face, then a black-out.
Stranger and Umi traveled up the first set of planks leading up to the temple. On their path was a few roadblocks, if you catch my drift. Minions held them back, but easily taken care of. They were on the second floor. Umi had accidentally knocked off a Shooter to it's painful death to the canyon floor. She did mean it, but not in that way. Third floor, and Stranger had to put up with a Sniper minion on an eye of the temple. He couldn't get a clear shot to it for two reasons: The fourth floor planks blocked his vision and minion Shooters kept on bugging him. Fourth floor and one more to go. Metal boxes held down and trapped minions for Stranger's wrath back to them. The last floor, fifth was the toughest. Two Nailers held down the last floor, and the Sniper had a clearer shot on it's targets. Stranger wanted to aim for the Sniper, but the Nailers kept bashing his head away from the Sniper. Umi, who wanted to prove she was better than what Stranger expected, climbed up on a Nailer's shoulder and wrangled it away from Stranger. The other Nailer attempted to help his friend, but Stranger held it back with Fuzzles inside it's armor. Umi led the Nailer further away from the Nailer, but it had the most cruelest idea it had. It kept it's path for the edge of the cliff, dropping off nearly 100-feet in the air (exaduratingly saying to Umi's sight). Umi gazed over it's shoulder, seeing what it was going to do.
"Stranger!" Umi screamed, pulling the Nailer's helmet's spikes back. Stranger spun to the Nailer, it putting a foot out to drop down the canyon. The Nailer held on Umi's pant leg so she couldn't jump off. Stranger's eyes widened in fear, and ran to the Nailer's suicide attempt. He snatched Umi's arm, and the Nailer dropped off the canyon edge. But he couldn't pull up Umi. The Nailer still held her pant leg. She grunted, kicking the Nailer's face with her shoe hardly. The Nailer's grip was loosening. Umi gave one last kick in the face, and the Nailer slipped off her leg, with a scream so horrible, Umi had to shudder and have a little symapthy towards the falling Nailer. Stranger thrusted her up to his arms, she gasping for air from the total fright. She grasped Stranger's poncho, showing signs she wouldn't let go until they got in to the temple. Stranger could understand that especially for such a young thing he held. They crossed the bridge leading inside the temple. The inside was lit with already-burning torches, telling him that someone was already inside. He heard a Clakker's whining voice inside, echo down through the twisting halls.
"Oh, that Clakker ain't talkin'. Keep searching for the loot," a minion shouted. Eugene walked up to the bars of his imprisonment.
"Hey! This isn't right! You can't keep me locked up in here! That's just uncivilized!" Eugene protested, shaking the bars of the jail cell. "Aww, stick a sock on it!" the minion ignored the Clakkers plea. Stranger letted go of Umi, who slowly released his arm, still stunned by fright. He didn't mind if Umi still held on to him, but while he was concentrating on the outlaws, he just wanted her to let go. Mostly Shooters, one Mortar above the main statue above, and a Nailer near them. He lured the Nailer away from the group first, for it was nearly the biggest threat. Umi wanted to take on the Mortar, but Stranger refused. He didn't want that stunt to happen again with the Nailer, even though the drop was ten feet. She grunted in frustration, but held with Stranger. Now all was left was a Mortar and a Shooter.
"Stay here. It's safer here," Stranger motioned his hand. "What? Why can't I go?" Umi crossed her arms across her chest. He didn't reply, but left her behind, and behind some large brick steps. She didn't want to stay and do nothing, so she disobeyed Stranger, and aimed for the Mortar above. She crept up the slant slopes to the behind of the Mortar. She held down her Needler this time, but planned on not shooting. Instead, she held it up needle-side, and stuck the rows of sharp crystalline needles in to it's soft side of it's skull. The Mortar made a brief hacking grunt, then fell silent and limp. There were nearly a hundred holes spewing blood out of it's head. She dragged down the Mortar to their original hiding spot, and left it there. She then snuck off to Stranger, seeing him snatching up a Shooter and knocking it out. Umi walked next to him, and touched his arm. He gasped loudly, turning down to Umi in surprise.
"Got the Mortar," Umi announced in a whisper. Stranger patted his chest, breathing out slowly. "What? I told you not to," Stranger whispered in a low pur. Umi nodded, not looking at him. Stranger sighed, then looking back to the Shooters up near Eugene. The Clakker saw the stranger, and kept his beak silent. Stranger snuck up the ramp to the cage. Two Shooters kept watch of both sides of the cage, but saw Stranger coming up the ramp.
"Joel! We's got company!" the Shooter shouted to the other near the main statue. The Shooter Joel ran around to see the Stranger and Umi coming up the ramp to them. The Shooter who's name wasn't mentioned had already a bullet in it's gun, and shot it. Now, you would think Stranger and Umi had dodged it, but since they were on a small area, the bullet struck in to Stranger's uppper arm. He grunted in pain, kneeling to the ground and holding his arm. Umi looked down to Stranger, then back up to the Shooter with eyes of rage. She held up her Needler, and whatever Stranger said about NOT using it she forgot, and fired a flurry of pink needle shards, that homned in on the Shooter. The Shooter howled out in pain, as the needles stuck in to it's pale-yellow skin, and exploded in to a pink dust and red liquid. Joel came shouting out in anger, shooting like the devil at Umi. One of the bullets struck her right upper leg, but that didn't hold her back to fire her whole clip on needles to Joel. The minion also exploded in to a pink dust and a nasty red liquid. The Shooters were not even a morsel of themselves no more. Stranger walked up to her, still holding his arm. He stuck one of his large fingernails in to the bullet hole, and scraped out the bullet on to the ground. He perched his hand on her back, patting and rubbing it comfortingly. She put her Needler on the ground, staring at the bullet hole in her leg. Her muscles were more tense with the pain setting in slowly.
"Go get Eugene. I'll be fine here," Umi said, not looking up. Stranger gave her one last pat, then stood up and walked up to the lock of the cage door. He pushed up the handle, and the lock cooperated. The cage door swung open, and Eugene walked out.
"Wow! You saved me from them outlaws!" Eugene said happily. "Yeah. But uh, how do we get outta here?" Stranger turned to the Clakker. "Oh, funny you should ask. You see under that guardian statue is the catacombs of this temple. You can see the paintings on the walls too. Huh! Interesting, really, the morons thought that they had an ancient steef guradian. But one day, their Steef guardian disappeared, and this octi guy moved on in and stole their water. Although, their Steef guardian probably got shot, and that damn built near them took their water. Hmp, bunch of superstitious, silly lil' shits," Eugene told him, then turned to a dynamite box. Umi gazed up at the guardian statue, also looking back to Stranger then up. "Yeah, it's time fer some, radical excavation," Eugene said, then pressed down on the dynamite box. The dyamite around the base of the statue exploded on contact, and the statue came crumbling down. When the statue came down, it's whole entire body crumbled. Umi frowned.
"Aww, he killed you," Umi said sadly. Stranger looked at her confusidely, then jumped to where the base of the statue was, and looked down. Spider webs blocked the view of a very deep chasm down to another part of the temple.
"Eh, maybe yer right. Maybe this is the way out," Stranger said to himself mostly. "Yeah, yeah! You may wanna be careful there-" Eugene, as clumsy as he can get, tripped over a chunk of brick from the statue, and bumped in to Stranger, knocking him down the chasm. He made a audible grunt, them slammed down on the floor below. "Oh, whoops. Well, I'ma continue my wokr up here. I'll see yeh in town later on," Eugene yelled down the chasm. Stranger below finished dusting off his poncho and straightning his hat, when he nodded to Eugene's yell. Then he heard Umi's yell down.
"Stranger! Are you ok!?" Umi shouted. He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Yeah, I'm good," he yelled up. "What should I do!?" Umi asked. "Well, you could stay with me, and help me out here with my research, human," Eugene moved in behind her. She grunted uneasily at Eugene. She then leaned over to the edge. "I'M COMMIN' DOWN!" Umi screamed, and dropped down through the spider webs. Stranger held out his arms, seeing Umi coming down roughly through the webs. She landed hardly in to his arms, but he didn't let go when she expected.
"Ok, Stranger. You can let me down now," Umi said, smiling. Butball he did was grin playfully down to her. He began to run with her so low to the ground. She clung to Stranger's arm, hoping he wouldn't let go. "Stranger!" Umi scolded. But he didn't listen. He ran faster down the straight hallway, still holding her down near the floor, hoping it'd give her a good scare. But he stopped when he came to a dead end to a circular roofed end. Umi punched his arm, and he released when she punched hard enough.
"Damn you. Why'd you do that?" Stranger chuckled, rubbing his arm. Umi shrugged, but as she was going to say smoething, the bricks underneath them gave away as a trap. They screamed down through the large dark slide down to dirt. They were spat out to land and sunlight. Stranger landed on his stomach, compressing all the oxygen fromhis lungs out. Umi, on the otherhand, rolled along until something stopped her on her back straight-up. And that certain thing was a cactus with all it's spines sticking out. Umi's nerves in her back exploded in pain, as the pain rushed through her spine, them arms, and then to her brain. Stranger gasped for air, pushing himself off the ground. He could see that Umi was in intense pain right now, and ran over to her before she could scream. Well, she did scream helluva loud. She wailed, as she unstuck herself from the cactus spines, and dropping to the ground. Stranger held her down, as he plucked off some of the spines, and calming her down. She held still for as long as she could, then wailed off in Stranger's arms.
"That had to be the most painful thing in the damn world," Umi cried, tears flowing down her cheeks. Stranger shushed her soothingly, then looked up in caution. Straight ahead of them was some type of village, with weird amphibious creatures staring at them with wide red eyes. Stranger stood up with Umi still in his arms. He approached the creatures with caution, but every step he took the creatures screamed and wailed their arms around, running in to objects and each other. Stranger didn't understand the creatures, but they sure than hell were scared of him. He didn't care all that much of them, and walked on through the village without a care. The creatures then ran in to their own homes, peeking out occasionally to see if they had gone. He walked throught village to the end, and with all the creatures emerging out of their homes, staring at the strangers who'd invaded them. They watched him disappear through the dust with wide fearful eyes and holding their hands.

Grubbs!
 

Oo oo, were they Grubbs!? *bounces up and down* You gotta update Real Fast!!! I'm lookin' forward to more! :D

Well, they were Grubbs, but we won't be seein' more fer QUITE a long time. Sorry...

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

Umi was wondering what those creatures behind were. They looking at them with fear and confusion. She felt slightly sorry for them, she and Stranger scaring them nearly out of life. She wanted to go back and interact with the creatures, but Stranger refused her to go, especially in her condition. She argued with him for a while, but even though how many times she tried, Stranger would always win. Not even her innocent looks would give him up. He carried her back to Buzzarton, then she jumped out of his grip, and in to the Bounty store. The clerk was happy to see that they got Eugene back safely to fix up town, and gave him a good paycheck. Stranger then demanded another bounty. The clerk was surprised that his bounty hunter was going to continue through the bounties. The other bounty hunters usually took one bounty, then came back and didn't take another, but just left him behind in the cold lonely office. It was good to have some company at times. He brushed out one poster this time, the poster of Jo Mamma, Stranger already had reviewed.
"She's down at the old shipwreck, digging on up loot. Well, she's down thar illegally, and need's to be stopped. You guys need to go down through the Sewer Treatment plant, and that'll lead you stright to her. But you need's to find that sewer boy. And whoo-damn does he stank!" the clerk shuddered at the time he met the sewer boy at first. Stranger didn't cringe at the clerks remarks, for he was used to bad-smelling things. But Umi, on the other hand, did. She might've gotten down and dirty with enemies, but the one thing she despised was sewers. Anything related to the sewers she denied to. BUt Stranger wasn't going to give up the bounty just because she hated sewers, point blank.
'So, lem'e get this straight. I have to go, down to a stinky-ass sewer, just to get through and find an Outlaw?" Umi leaned up to the counter, staring in to the clerk's olive-green eyes. "Precisely," the clerk nodded. Umi's eyes drooped down, diverting the clerk's gaze now.
"No worries. You'll be fine with me," Stranger said, putting his hand on her back comfortingly. She didn't care if she was with Stranger, she just hated sewers, period. They followed out the Bounty store, searching for the sewer boy. They asked around town, but the Clakkers only rudely complied. They walked up to the sewer boy near the Sewer Treatment plant gate. And when the clerk meant he stunk, damn did he mean it! Umi cringged at the Clakker, but tried to keep a poker face on so she wouldn't hurt the Clakker.
"Hey, sewer boy. Can yeh, open the sewer gates here? I need's teh, get through," Stranger tipped the brim of his hat respectfully.
"Oky-dokey. Go on through," the sewer boy pulled back a lever to the sewer gates, which opened screechily. Inside was only a rope tied to the roof, but leading down lower in to the sewers. Umi climbed on Stranger's back, while he slided down the rope and landed on the bottom. There was an opening pipe right in front of them, leading out to a dock with the sewer waters churning with rudders pushing the water up to the ramp.
"Those currents are too stong to swim through," Stranger said to himself. He saw another sewer worker behind a glass room, stting inside and reading "The 10 things Clakkers do mindlessly" Stranger banged on the glass, which made the Clakker jump out of it's seat, and crash on the ground, clucking to itself and Stranger angrily. "Hey! Can yeh, shut off them damn rudders?" Stranger said impatiently. The Clakker had a mind or two to ignore the stranger's request, but it knew that the stranger was a tough bounty hunter with a short temper.
"Oh, alright! Don't get yer boxers in to a bunch!" the Clakker whined angrily, switching off the rudders spinning. The spinners slowed down to a stop then sank down in to the water. Umi had a question that was totally unacceptible to ask, but did it anyways.
"How d'you know he's wearin' boxers?" Umi raised a brow in suspicion. Stranger dared to ask as well.
"How D'YOU know I'm wearin' boxers?" Stranger challenged with a smile on his face. Umi choked on her words, then looked down when she couldn't answer. He just chuckled, then walked dow the ramp to the waters. It was murky and sludgy with little green things floating above water. She didn't even want to know what it was. Stranger looked down on the water's surface, then jumped on it. He resurfaced, looking at Umi and beckoning her to come in. Umi's nose crinckled and grunted in disgust.
"C'mon, Umi. The water's fine," Stranger joked, doing a back-stroke persuadingly. Umi sighed heavily, then bent down to the edge of the ramp. She wanted to reconsider, but Stranger wouldn't give up on the bounty if she didn't want to go with him. So, she just dove on in, swimming closer to Stranger swiftly. She broke the surface, gasping in a deep breath, and wiping her face off of the nasty water. Stranger smiled playfully, but Umi didn't get it. He dove back under, she having a hard time seeing him going deeper under the dark waters. She didn't notice anything, until she felt a force pull her under. She took a breath, and then was pulled under. Stranger was still smiling under the water, and Umi's brow furrowed angrily, shoving Stranger aside from her. They pushed off the bottom, nearly jumping out of the water. Umi glared at Stranger.
"That wasn't funny," Umi coughed. Stranger laughed. "Really? I thought it was," Stranger said, rubbing her head, and then pushed off the wall of the ramp, under the entry way to the sewer. Umi followed behind, paddling her legs slowly, and gazing around. When they passed through the entry way, she was amazed at what the sewers looked of. It wasn't the type of sewer pipe sewers Umi usually saw. It was like an enormous mansion, but above were rusted pipes winding above their heads, and there was a slight light far above the pipes as well. The sewers were dark, but lit torches helped the sewers seem lighter, but made it a dark ghostly-purplish color, and eerie sounds echoed down like chain rattling and barking...Barking? Stranger recognized the barks. He has heard it out near the Mongo River when he was setting up a trap for Blisterz Booty. He grunted ominously.
"Slegs," Stranger growled. Umi looked up to him, stopping with him.
"Huh? What's a Sleg?" Umi asked. "Nasty lil' varmins. But they couldnt of gotten down 'ere alone," Stranger said, looking up and listening closely to where the barking was coming from. He also heard something different than Slegs, but he couldn't make it out. There was a ramp leading out of the water and up to another rope, leading up to a higher platform. Umi and Stranger got out of the water, she wringing out the water in her shirt of nasty water. When she was done, she climbed up again on Stranger's, back and they climbed up the rope to the platform. They found their barking.
A hoarde of two-legged tusk-barring Slegs, running around mindlessly. They weren't wild Slegs, for they had grey fur with darker grey stripes and a large snout. Umi gazed at the Slegs in disgust. She's never seen a weirder creature, other than Clakkers and Stranger. Stranger unlocked his bow, loading up with Fuzzles, and aimed at the closest Sleg he could find. The Fuzzle glared and growled ominously at Stranger, barring it's pearly-white teeth. Stranger ignored the Fuzzle, then launched it right at the Slegs. The Fuzzle impacted the floor, then grappled on the closest Sleg that stepped on it. Then, it chomped down on the Sleg's fur and flesh. The Sleg let out a heart-breaking whine, and ran around, violently shaking it's head to rip off the Fuzzle. The Slegs saw where the Fuzzle came from, and began to bark up at Stranger. He letted more Fuzzles go on the other Slegs one by one. Then, all the Slegs were running around, and some even fell off the platform in to the water. The poor things couldn't swim, even though they were flailing their legs to keep up, but their upper bodies were too heavy. So to make things short, even though you probably understand, they sank like a rock. A slight drop was to get to the other platform, and lead them higher up to another platform by a rope. Stranger slid across, and loped to the rope. They climbed up higher, then yet another rope led up to a tunnel. Stranger slid down the half-cut cement slide, and jumped to the rope, grappling it and snatching Umi's arm along. They climbed on up, and entered through the tunnel. Stunkz at a turn roamed around the tunnel. She thought that the dark sewers of Buzzarton was dark and stinky enough to let Stunkz roma around without a care. The tunnel led out to a metal platform, dropping down to a fence-off Sleg pen with two poorly-barricaded shredder fans, easily to be broken through. Stranger's bow was still unlocked and still up with Fuzzles. He first broke the fencing around the shredder fans with uncharged Zapp flies, so the Slegs would fall in. Then, he letted go the Fuzzles on to the Slegs. While the Slegs were busy with the Fuzzles, Stranger and Umi jumped down in to the pen, and passed the pained Slegs. They broke through the fencing to another metal pathway, but Slegs kept on that side, and they ran down towards Stranger. He couldn't keep off the Slegs with Fuzzles. He was running low on them. Stranger was thinking of another way to get rid of these parasites, then turned down to Umi.
"Blow 'em up," Stranger said. Umi looked up to him in confusion. "What'cha mean?" Umi raised her brow. Stranger was pointing at her Needler. "With that pink, needle...thingy. Use that on the Slegs," Stranger said with hesitation. Umi de-strapped her Needler, then looked up to Stranger again in assurance. "But, you said not to use my Needler any more," Umi shrugged. "Well, I give's yeh permission. Now hurry," Stranger said more impatiently, as he looked at the Slegs coming closer. Umi nodded, looking at the Slegs. She aimed for the head Sleg, and fired a few needles to blow it's small body up. She moved up while blowing the Slegs up. They ran through the blood-slick stone walkway up to a long ramp that led to another rope dangling up to another stone walkway, but with Slegs awaiting their arrival. Umi decided to go up first, even though she wasn't exactly good enough to climb up a rope. Seh remembered failing the rope climb in gym class. But Stranger below held her up as she climbed up, and held her Needler out to the Slegs. When she finished with that, she jumped off of Stranger's hand and up to the stone walkway. There were wooden crates at the turn up to a entry way to another part of the sewers. Nothing suspicious, as Umi crept closer passed the crates. But what she didn't expect was that there were Slegs concealed in those crates. When they heard even the slightest of footsteps, they cracked through the crates. Umi jumped at the Sleg's ambush, as they bit on to Umi's clothes and tugged down hard to bring her down. Stranger frantically but calmly loaded on Thund slugs, and knocked away the Slegs ripping at her clothes. No serious damage was happened to her, but her clothes were all slobbery. She groaned in disgust.
"I now want to dive in to that water down there again, than having nasty dog drool on my clothes," Umi frowned. Stranger only chuckled, patting her shoulder. They followed through the entry way, where Bolamites crawled around and spun webs in the corners. Stranger stopped Umi immediately, listening around the bend. He knew it. He knew something suspicious about the Slegs running around here. He could hear the low rumble of voices talking to each other. Minions.
He loaded up only two Bolamites, then crept along the wall of the bend. He peeked over the edge, seeing two Shooter minions at the end of the ramp down. He turned his bow around the bend, and then shot at the Shooters with the Bolamites. They were wrapped down in ghost-white webbing, they struggling and grumbling in their intrapment. Stranger quickly bountied up the minions, then heard more of the outlaws inside a the sewer, standing upon weak wooden walkways that were attached to metal planks. Below one of the metal planks were very noticeable barrels Stranger smiled to: Explosives. And he had just the thing to put them out in to the water. He loaded on a Boom-bat on one launcher, which gibbered incoherantly at Stranger. He aimed for the orange barrel, and then launched the Boom-bat, which homned in on it. The Boom-bat left with one second's fuse, then exploded throughout excitement, and along with it, the barrels exploded along with as well. The minions felt a quick rumble under it's feet, then a burn then a slight drop. Most of them fell in to the water, but some died from explosion. Stranger jumped out in to the water again, then climbed up to the metal planks to get the other living minions. Umi followed behind again, leading up on the planks, and following Stranger. She caught a minion behind her, which Stranger had forgotten, reloading it's rifle. Umi's eyes widened, and she took off her Plasma Rifle. But she was a second too late. The Shooter shot off first, and shot right on to her arm with her rifle. She hissed in pain, dropping her rifle and herself on to the metal planks. The minion jeered loudy, aiming at Umi's head. Stranger heard her hissing,and spun around. The minion was pulling the trigger. Stranger dropped the minion he held up in to the water, then fired his last Thud slug to the Shooter. The Thud slug smashed in to the Shooter's gut, knocking it flat out in to the water. Umi dug in to her skin and flicked the bullet out of her wound. The muscle around the wound tightened, but her skin became tender. She didn't bother with it any more, and turned to Stranger with a smile of gratitude.
"Don't need's to say it," Stranger silenced her, putting a finger on her lips. She just nodded, rubbing his finger affectionately. He walked along the metal planks, and carefully across the weak wooden walkways, bountying the outlaws while they went.The walkway turned in to a giant broken puzzle, with all the wooden planks blown clear off the metal walkway. The end led through a pipe to three larger pipes. Two were blocked off with metal building sticks, but the other was wide open, leading out to sunlight and fresh air. Umi immediately ran out, gasping in deep the air.
Damn, am I happy to see this Umi opened her eyes. Stranger just walked out of the sewers and in to a small stream of clean water spilling out of the pipe. Reeds grew on the sides of where the stream of water came out. Chippunks and Stunkz roamed around the reeds. A crane was near the stream as well, but there was also an open shaft further away from the crane, through a narrow passage. And what was in that shaft? A Sniper outlaw, like always. A couple Shooter minions also stood in front of the reeds, chatting about Jo Mamma. Stranger and Umi slipped in to the reeds, listening to their mindless gibber of who's the best to the Outlaw.
Mamma like me the best one Shooter said. Nu-uh She likes me more the other shouted back. Stranger loaded on his bow two Bolamites, but didn't use a Chippunk. They were close enough to capture with Bolamites. He shot the Bolamite at the first one to speak, just to surprise the other Shooter. The Shooter next to him did get surprised, as he looked back to the reeds. The other Bolamite stuck to it's mouth, then wrapped around it's body. He jumped out of the reeds, and sucked up the outlaws. The Sniper caught Stranger bountying the minions, and lit it's rifle. It chuckled maliciously, then the light hit the fuse's end, and he pulled the trigger. A red stream of smoke whizzed passed Stranger's arm. Very close-call. He side-stepped behind the crane, zooming in on his snooper/sniper scope and loading up his five Snuzi darts in his scope. The Snuzi dart shot in to the Sniper's chest, a one-hit KO. He heard a booming voice come around the passage. Black spikey armor shone off from the sun's light. A Nailer came around the passage, seeing Stranger's head poked out from shooting the Snuzi. It roared, raising it's arm to bare out it's spiked knuckles. Stranger held down in his hand a Stuknz, secretly. When the Nailer got close enough, he threw down the Stunkz in front of the Nailer. It first kept running, then snorted and slowed down. It's eyes teared slightly, then the Nailer gagged. It covered it's mouth with both hands, then turned away from Stranger and barfed on the ground. Stranger smiled, then gave the Nailer a boot in the ass. The Nailer grunted as it thudded to the ground, but kept vomiting. He bountied the Nailer, and Umi walked up behind him, looking down in disgust.
That smell is nastier than the sewers, Umi covered her nose. Sorry, Stranger said, rubbing her neck affectionately. She still had her nose crinkled, but nodded as he massaged her neck. They walked through the passage, and found a tunnel leading down. At the end was the shipwreck, what the clerk was talking about. There was a sslope leading above a smasher being controlled by the Outlaw: Jo Mamma. The ship was two broken halves, and both sides were below the dirt. There was also a half-cut pipe in front of the exit they jumped down from. They could hear Jo Mamma's voice speak through an intercom. It sounded of an old lady with a crackily voice.
Ok. Can everyone hear me? Jo Mamma yelled through the microphone. No answers. Good Now, get yer ass's on work excavatin' that ship. And if anyone gets in yer way, we'll make 'em regret it Jo Mamma threatened. She knew someone was going to come for her. They first stocked on Fuzzles, because Stranger was flat out. Then, they hid inside the half-cut pipe in front of them. He layed down some Fuzzles as a trap, and baited a Shooter or two to the Fuzzles. They ran on the outside of the pipe, and waited until the minions were in to the trap. Then, he flashed by them and hid under the ship, seeing two Nailers far right near a lift that didn't move. Shooters were on a balcony guarding a door that led under where Jo Mamma was. The lift headed up level-wise to Jo Mamma and the crane station. There was also a new kind of minion they haven't seen before, to Umi at least. It wore a blue vest, and had mechanical arms and legs. It wore also red-yellow goggles over it's eyes, and held what seemed a semi-automatic machine gun. It was near the Nailers, above them in an open shaft. This was going to be a slight challenge. And Stranger loved that. He locked in a Stunkz and a few Fuzzles, and let the Fuzzles out to the Nailers. The minions saw the fuzzles fly overhead of them, and land on to the Nailers, knocking them down backwards. The Fuzzles dug down in to their armor, biting them on the inside, which they frantically tore off their armor to scrape off the Fuzzles. But they had some difficulty. The minions looked to the source where the Fuzzles flew from, under the shipwreck. Stranger saw two Shooters and the Semi-auto run towards him.
Good, Stranger purred low. He pushed back Umi so she wouldn't get caught by the smell of the Stunkz. The minions were at the entrance to under the ship. His eye sparkled, then he launched the Stunk right in front of him. The minions stopped immediately, and they hunched down, gagging and muffling curses towards Stranger. He knocked down the minions one by one, throwing them in to the ship. Umi made sure they stayed down as he threw them in. He bountied them up quickly, before he heard Jo Mamma's voice yell at her minoins: He's under the ship Get 'im out now He pulled Umi from under the ship, and above ground. He climbed up the slant side of the ship, seeing the minions on the balcony jumping down and running to under the ship. One of the Nailers survived the Fuzzles, attaching it's armor back to himself. Jo Mamma was still above the balcony, watching below for him and his partner.
We got's to, get them outlaws first Stranger said.
How about I get the outlaws, and you get Jo Mamma? Umi suggested, but Stranger shook his head. No, I'll need yer help, Stranger objected. She searched through him, wondering what he was thinking. Well, how 'bout we plow through those outlaws, then head up to Jo Mamma on that lift? Umi suggested again. Stranger looked down at her with a grin. That's what I was thinkin'. How'd you know? Stranger said. Umi only shrugged. But what made harder options was the mass of on going outlaws came to the ship. It was mass suicide if they wanted to continue with their plan. But while thinking of another plan of action, Jo Mamma looked over to the slant part of ship. She caught a glimps of Umi's blue vest. Her mouth opened, then growled.
They're above where you are, morons Get them Jo Mamma roared. The minions below growled, flowing out from under the ship. Umi moved uneasily, watching every side of the shipwreck with her Plasma Rifle up. Stranger had loaded up on Boom-bats and Stunkz. A Shooter minion crawled up on Umi's side, and she squealed. She slammed her Plasma Rifle in to the minion's skull, which made it release it's grip on the ship, and tumble in to more of the minions below. Stranger leaped on his side of the ship, and launched the Boom-bat on to a Shredder's head. His minions fell over, some dead and more unconscious. They advanced slowly through the minions falling back, towards the lift to the roof. It moved slowly down to their position, and they jumped on. Stranger continued to shoot down more outlaws, as they moved slowly up. The only thing that led over to Jo Mamma was a tight metal rope, leading over a steep roof back down to the ground. The only problem was an electrical current ran through the rope. Purple sparks could be oblivious, and that's how they knew. Stranger saw an outlet that the current ran through to the rope. He loaded on a Zapp Fly, and aimed to the outlet.
You get the outlet, and I'll cross over to get Jo Mamma, Umi got in to a pose that was about to jump to the rope. But before Stranger could stop himself and reply to Umi's plan, the Zapp Fly was shot, and the current was cut off. Umi jumped high up on the rope, and crossed over swiftly. So fast, that Stranger couldn't stop her.
Umi Get yer ass back 'ere Stranger growled. Umi ignored him, still crossing over. Jo Mamma rushed out of her station, and over to a button that ran up to the outlet. She knew it would activate the current again. Umi gasped, and swung her legs and released the rope, and landed on the other side. Fortunately, she got over before the current got on again. Jo Mamma turned to Umi in surprise, then her face scrunched down in to a devilish grin.
Well If it ain't the human Doc's got a pretty penny on you Jo Mamma cackled in a raspy voice, reaching in to her blouse. Now, we can go the easy way, Jo Mamma said pursuadingly, or I'm a have to take you, the hard way she had a knife in her hand from her blouse. Umi's eyes opened a little more, she leaning back from Jo Mamma. Minions surrounded her sides, especially a Nailer behind her. The Nailer wrapped it's arms around Umi in to a bundle, it tightening it's grip around Umi as she struggled from it's arms. Jo Mamma only laughed. Take's her inside I'm a call in Doc, fer a lil' talk Jo Mamma dismissed her minions. Umi secretly had a malicious grin on her face, under her waterfalls of hair, as the minions took her below the crane box, and inside the facility. Stranger was hidden behind a cement barrier, out of range from Jo Mamma's sight. He growled furiously, as he watched Umi being pulled under and in to the facility. Jo Mamma was back in to her control box, dialing up on a two-piece phone. He had to kill the charge of the rope once again. He loaded on another Zapp Fly, and shot it to the outlet. The purple sparks stopped, and he was free to cross over. He landed muffling his boots jangle, and crept quietly behind Jo Mamma. She was jabbering away in to her phone, not even noticing Stranger's presence.
Yeah I got's the human, and you's better have my moolah ready Mhm...yup...I'll send's it to yeh if you's wants me to Jo Mamma continued her conversation. She chuckled, her eye at her corner. She spun around, her mouth wide open. Ya didn't think I fergot's 'bout you, now did I ? she yelled, pointing one fat finger up to Stranger. He knew alright, and shot a Bolamite at her ankles. He tripped her down, but she scrambled to the webbing at her legs to rip it off. He then shot another Bolamite at her wrists, stopping her from getting the webs at her legs. He pressed her down with a boot, leaning to her face with a slight smile on.
Nah. Actually, I didn't, he said gruffly. Damn you, Stranger My boys are gonna send yer human pet, all the way to Doc's office Jo Mamma told quite loudly. He leaned closer to her face, baring his stained fangs angrily. Don't you even CALL Umi, my pet, he growled ominously. Jo Mamma tried to keep a poker face on. The last thing he did was launch a Thud slug right in to her face, and a chilling snap came from her mouth. Her jaw was shattered from the Thud slug, knocking her out cold. But he didn't bounty her...yet. Instead, he traveled down in to the facility he stood above.

You dirty bastards Lem'e out Umi violently shook the metal cage bars of her cell. But all the minions chuckled at her demise.
Careful, cutie. Don't wanna wreck that purdy face o' yers, a Shooter said suavely but sarcastically, rubbing her chin in a funny way which made the others laughed harder. Her anger flared deeper inside herself, restraining herself from biting off the minion's finger. Ahh, that human ain't goin' nowhere. It's all ours 'till Mamma says to ship 'er off, the Nailer said. She bared her teeth, while looking at every minion furiously.
Stranger looked over the doorway, him frowning angrily at the minion's actions to Umi. He loaded up on a Chippunk, which chattered quietly, and a few Fuzzles. He started on the Chippunk, who jabbered rudely at the minions. One Shooter looked over to the Chippunk, and the others muttering loudly.
How the hell did one of those things get in 'ere? the minion said, walking over curiously. Stranger they layed Fuzzles down behind the Chippunk, as it backed away, and scampered away from Stranger. He hid in to the shadows, awaiting the Fuzzles to attack. Eh, that damn thing got away, the Shooter turned the corner. But what it didn't see was the Fuzzles at it's feet. It heard the growling, but didn't have time to look down at the Fuzzles before they attacked it. The other minions inside chattered in alert, running over to the Shooter as it wailed around. Some of the minions were left behind, as she snatched a Shredder with the keys to her cell, and knocked it out, swiping the keys with it. She frantically unlocked the cell, and the door swung open slowly. The minions turned to the cell door, but stood in shock. Umi's eyes were shadowed, as she brushed away her hair from her eyes, walking out towards the minions. The minions backed away, holding their weapons to their faces. They knew she was pissed, VERY pissed. Her face scrunched in to the most devilish face, even the devil himself would be firghtened of. Her eyes flamed with anger, she still baring her teeth. Stranger knew this was going to get ugly, so he continued to watch.
LOCK ME IN A CELL, WOULD YA ? Umi screamed, reaching at a minion by the neck, and tossing it against the wall. The other minions cringed in fear. Umi only roared, when she dove in to the minions, and took them out one, by one, by one, and the last one. She held it up by the collar of it's shirt, only looking fiercely in to it's fearful eyes. She cooled down slightly, having a smile in her corner.
Careful. Don't wanna wreck that purdy face of yer's, Umi said what it said before, but more...meaner. She curled her hand in to a fist, and SLAMMED the poor minion in to the face, knocking it and making it fly straight in to the walls. Stranger was very surprised to see such a young human, take care of nearly a dozen minions, all by herself. He was more than impressed. He trotted out, looking around at all the moaning minions around the darkened room. Umi was brushing her hair back, when she spotted Stranger with a great smile on his face.
You cool now? Stranger put his hands on his hips. Umi merely shrugged. Maybe a few more outlaws, then I may be stable, Umi joked. Stranger chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately. So...how's about you bounty these bad boys before they get up. Or, would you rather me doing round two with these guys? Umi raised a brow. Stranger laughed, walking around and boutying the outlaws. They headed top-side, where Umi saw Jo Mamma, laying with her jaw askewed to one side akwardly.
What'cha do to 'er? Umi looked up to Stranger. Made her shut up, Stranger smiled, his stained sharp teeth showing with. Umi looked back down to Jo Mamma with a confused grin, then only shrugged. He bountied her up, feeling more satisfied. Can say, you did a purdy good job down 'ere, with them outlaws, Stranger perched his hand on her back. Yeah. Now...the question is...how the hell do we get down from here? Umi leaned over a metal fence, looking down at the ground below. Stranger didn't comment, but scooped her up in his arms, and slid down the steep roof below the metal rope. He landed with knees bent, and the looked down at Umi's face.
That's how we get down, Stranger nodded. Umi sighed irritatingly. Smart-ass, Umi swatted Stranger soflty on his head. He laughed, still holding Umi in his arms, and walking through an open way under the roof. She knew that they were becoming more closer to each other, more than friends. Their bond just growing a little more tighter.

Awwww
 

Awww, Stranger/Umi fluff is so cute. Yep, I like this chapter as well, now, I gotta get back to mine, it's starting to pick...prepare for some serious plot movement. :D