[LoboDiabloLoneWolf]

Hunter Becoming Hunted

“Hold on Bailey!” Stranger yelled as the two plunged through the smoke and fire. After a lot of protests on the subject Bailey was now sitting on Stranger’s back, clinging to his middle.

“I don’t like this one bit!” she yelped over the noise of crackling flames. Stranger couldn’t help chuckling. He charged through the warehouse. And skidded to a halt when he realised that the door had fallen in. He swore violently. Bailey tapped him on the shoulder. Stranger looked back at her and for a moment went still. The smoke and fire was affecting the human much more then himself. Her skin was grey and her eyes watered, she was coughing and looked like she was on her last dying breath.

Unable to speak she covered her mouth and nose with her shirtsleeve (the jersey was long gone) and pointed to a broken beam that had punched a hole in the floor. Stranger nodded once and ran over to the hole, he looked down to see where it led. Another huge explosion from the flames igniting another barrel blasted behind them.

Stranger jumped.

Fortunately the hole led them out of the building and into fresh air as the building collapsed behind them. Bailey slumped against Stranger back, coughing violently. Stranger kept running and Bailey held on as best she could.

Suddenly the floor beneath them collapsed and Stranger and Bailey were dropped into an underground room full of Clakkerz. For a split second everyone was quiet and unmoving. The Clakkerz staring at Stranger and Bailey, and Bailey and Stranger staring at the Clakkerz, both parties equally shocked and with equally wide eyes. Then all of a sudden screams broke out among the chicken people;

With cries of ‘Steef, it's a Steef, run for your lives!’, the Clakkerz scattered, and Stranger charged through them, shattering the door and bolting. The two runaways found themselves in a Clakker town. Stranger ran as fast as he could down the street. The whine and bang of bullets and guns going off informed them that the Clakkerz were firing at them.

“They’re shootin’ at us!” Bailey yelped in surprise. Stranger didn’t answer, he was desperately trying to find a way out.

“Where’s the exit ter this dump?” he muttered. But Bailey didn’t hear him. Something was startlingly familiar about this place…

“No way.” Bailey thought in shock, “It couldn’t be…” a tavern flashed by.

The Stoned Crow…

“BIRDINGTON!” Bailey yelled, “We’re back in Birdington!” Stranger heard her yell and skidded around a corner, now knowing exactly where to go.

As they reached the gate, they saw it was closing, sealing them in. Stranger skidded to a halt.

“Damn.” Bailey whispered, “Not good.” A voice called to them from the guard tower.

“Stranger!? Gunslinger!? What happened ter you two!?” They looked up, a familiar face was peering down at them.

“Long story Grissum!” called Bailey recognising the friendly tower guard, she looked back, Clakkerz armed with guns were coming in a seething mob. “And it looks like yer won’t get ter hear it!”

The Clakker – Grissum, remembered when the two bounty hunters had dragged themselves up to the gate when Stranger had been injured. He’d said that the least he could do was help, Stranger had done a lot for them, catching Outlaws giving them trouble. And now that Stranger had been revealed as a Steef, everyone had turned on him and his partner like a pack of hungry Slegs. He had a second to decide. Should he save Stranger and Bailey? Or join the mob.

He knew he could never live with himself if he let them die.

He held the gate open.

Stranger and Bailey couldn’t move from surprise.

“RUN YA PECKERS!” Grissum yelled. His voice jolted Stranger and the Steef charged out of the gate. Bailey looked up at the guard tower as they passed. Grissum grinned and waved.

“Thank you.” She mouthed and returned the wave.

As soon as Stranger and Bailey were clear Grissum the Clakker closed the gate. Keeping blood-thirsty mob inside. He watched Stranger and Bailey disappear with satisfaction.

Then he climbed down to face the mob…

¤§¤

Stranger had fled from Birdington and taken refuge in the jungles above it. Leaves and whipping branches lashed at him and Bailey as he ran, leaving small, blooding scratches that would hurt like the dickens later.

Finally, Stranger slowed and stopped. They were deep in the jungle now. Alone.

No, not alone. They always had each other.

Bailey slid down from Stranger’s back and Stranger dropped down like an exhausted horse, his legs bending comfortably beneath him. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths and leant against the tree he’d stopped next to, completely worn out.

Bailey flopped down and lay on her back. After a moment she put her hands over her eyes, groaning.

“And on Bailey’s list of ‘Top Ten Worst Things To Happen To Her Ever’ this comes at about number four.” She muttered to herself. She took her hands from her eyes and looked over at Stranger. He still had his eyes closed and looked exhausted.

Bailey clambered to her feet and went over to him, dropping to her knees.

“Stranger?” Stranger opened his neon green eyes fractionally and looked at her. But he didn’t have anything left in him to answer with. His head drooped. Bailey put her arms around his neck and gently guided his head to rest on her shoulder, stroking his hair, trying to be comforting and sooth Stranger’s raw nerves.

After some hesitation Stranger leaned heavily on the human. He gripped her arms and Bailey felt him shaking with dry, wracking sobs. She stroked the fur on his cheek and neck, trying to calm Stranger down.

“It’s alright.” She said soothingly, “It’s gonna be alright. We’re safe now.” Stranger pressed his head to Bailey’s shoulder. He took a great sniff, taking in her scent and was comforted. Bailey rested her cheek on the top of his head.

After a time her fingers running through Stranger’s hair touched something she hadn’t noticed before. Bailey frowned and examined the things on Stranger’s head. Hidden amongst the wild tangle of mane that was barely contained in his ponytail, were two cylinders. Just smaller then Bailey’s palms and rock hard, about an inch thick. It didn’t take long for Bailey to work out what they were.

It was all that was left of Stranger’s Steef horns.

Bailey touched them.

“Who did this to you?” she asked quietly. And Stranger finally spoke and answered,

“I did it ter meself…” Bailey felt the beginnings of despair well up in her chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, “Did you really think I’d run from you if I found out?” Stranger’s grip on her tightened in answer. “Stranger, I’m your friend, why would you think that?”

“I’ve always been alone-” he gulped “…Everyone else…they ran away when they knew what I was…” Stranger became quiet. Bailey swallowed a lump in her throat.

She remembered what Abe had told her when they had first escaped from Rupture Farms. It had been nightfall and Bailey had been scared, to be in an unfamiliar place in such alien dark. She began softly whispering it to Stranger.

“It’s gonna be alright,” she said in a soothing voice, “We’ll be okay. Whatever happens…we’ll find our way…” Stranger seemed calmer now, relaxing in Bailey’s arms. “We go together.” Bailey whispered and Stranger muttered sleepily in reply, the exhaustion finally catching him up.

“Always together.”

“I will always be your friend…” Bailey continued to stroke Stranger’s fur until he fell asleep, resting his head on her shoulder. His breathing deepened and evened out as he went into a deep sleep and Bailey let out a sigh. She kissed his temple and laid her cheek on his head. “Always together.” She murmured. “Steef or not,” she continued, “I will never stop loving you Stranger. You’re my friend, my family. And I will always love you. Whoever, or whatever, you are.”

Soon Bailey too drifted off to sleep, cuddled up to Stranger.

¤§¤

Bailey was woken up by Stranger twitching and making sounds of distress in his sleep some time later. She blinked a few times to clear her groggy mind and groped to form a coherent thought. Unluckily that first coherent thought was not a great help.

“What’s happenin’!?” Bailey mentally gave her brain a slap and told it to get with the program.

Something was wrong with Stranger, he was making soft, very out-of-character, mewling whimpers in his sleep.

“Stranger.” Bailey kept her voice calm and even but soothing. “Stranger, wake up. It’s a nightmare, only a bad dream.” She fingered the longer fur on Stranger’s jaw, it had always calmed him before, and so it did now. Bailey sensed him coming out of his dreams and waking up. He stirred and cracked open his eyes.

“Bailey?” he asked, voice still heavy with sleep.

“’Ello sunshine.” Bailey said cheerfully, Stranger made a sleepy sound, as if mentally stretching. “You were dreaming.” Bailey said after a moment. Stranger stirred a bit more and frowned.

“I was?” he asked in a low voice.

“Umhm.” Bailey moved her hand and began winding strands of Stranger’s hair around her finger. She noticed that there were amber coloured bead-like things woven into the fur that came next to Stranger’s cheek, making it look like he had the beginnings of dreadlocks. “But at least you weren’t snoring.” She added lightly, “Otherwise I don’t think I could have coped.” She felt a rumbling chuckle vibrate through her stomach.

“Yer makin’ fun of me.” he said. Bailey shrugged lightly,

“Probably. Good job I can sleep through pretty much anything,” she grinned, “Even when I’m being crushed by a full grown Steef who seems to weigh a ton.” Stranger went dark under his fur and made to pull away.

“Oh…er…sorry…” he muttered embarrassed, but Bailey took hold of his ponytail and gave it a tug so Stranger’s head was once again on her shoulder.

“Where d’you think you’re goin’?” she asked, voice a low purr, stroking his cheek. Stranger let out a breath and closed his eyes again, putting one arm around Bailey’s middle.

“Looks like I’m goin’ nowhere.” He muttered.

“Damn right.” There was a comfortable silence. Bailey letting her mind wander and Stranger just enjoying being close to Bailey, having someone to be cuddled by.

His dreams started slowly coming back and he remembered what had troubled him.

“Bailey?” Bailey had her head leaning back against the tree was sitting up against and her eyes closed.

“Yes?” she murmured, not wanting to disturb the peace.

“Yer wouldn’t leave me would yer?” Bailey made an amused sound.

“No. I’m not goin’ to leave you. Sorry Stranger, but yer gonna be stuck with me for a long time yet.” Stranger relaxed against her shoulder.

“Good. And, rub here.” He lightly took hold of her hand and put it on his neck. Bailey snickered.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty…” she whispered and obligingly stroked his neck. Stranger purred. “Overgrown cat.” Bailey muttered, smiling.

¤§¤

“C’mon Bailey, wake up, up yer git, we gotta go!” Bailey jerked awake with a snort.

“Huh!? What!?” Stranger chuckled. A day had passed since Stranger had been revealed and he and Bailey had made a break for it after being captured by the Outlaw Caste Raider.

“C’mon kid, we’re leavin’!” Stranger repeated exuberantly. Bailey pushed herself up into sitting position. And rubbed her head, squinting one eye at Stranger.

“Why are you so cheerful?” she asked. Stranger offered her a hand up. Bailey took it and Stranger hauled the human to her feet.

“I dunno,” he shrugged happily, “I jist feel GREAT!” he suddenly grabbed Bailey and whirled her around and around, laughing.

Bailey just felt bemused.

When Stranger put her down she felt rather dizzy and was abit unsteady on her feet. She put her hands to her temples to stop the world spinning and swayed.

“Whoa there, careful.” Stranger said holding her arm. Bailey fixed him with a bemused look, which seemed to amuse Stranger as he smiled. But it wasn’t the smirk Bailey was used to; it was a proper, completely happy smile, as if a heavy burden had lifted from his heart. Bailey blinked in surprise. “What?” Stranger asked, still grinning.

“Wow, you should do that more often,” Bailey said pointing at him, “Not half as scary.” Stranger made a mock growl.

“Maybe I like bein’ scary.” He suggested. Bailey narrowed her eyes at him but matched his humour.

“How did I know you were goin’ to say that?” she asked. Stranger chucked her chin gently,

“Coz yer know me.” He answered. Bailey suddenly threw her arms around his middle and rested her forehead on his chest, feeling the material of Stranger’s shirt brushing her face. Stranger stroked her hair. “What’s this for?” he asked in a low voice.

“I wish you’d be happier more often.” Bailey muttered, voice muffled. “It’s nice.”

“I have tha feelin’ I’ll be a lot happier from now on… Bailey, I’ve bin happier eva since I met you…” a comfortable silence pervaded the air around them. “We should git goin’.” Stranger finally said softly. Bailey nodded into his shirt and let him go.

Walking side by side the Steef and human began their second day of walking.

Though neither of them mentioned it nor felt any apprehension at that moment, neither of them knew where they were going…

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Well, that’s all of ‘em fer now. So here we are, at the place we were before those flippin’ hackers made a mess of the Forums…

Comments would be nice…