[Dark Elite_H2]

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



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