[Dark Elite_H2]

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.