[Stranger's Girl]

Damn. I've been writin' a lot lately...finished this chap yesterday, but was too damn lazy to put it up. Anyways...here we go! ^^

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A Town, A Bounty, and A Fuzzle

Stranger let go of Alex’s shirt and the human glared at him. He simply smiled back and motioned for her to follow him. “Come on, kid. We’re goin’ bounty huntin’. And yer comin’ wit’ me.”
“With you?” Alex blinked. “Ya mean…”

“Yer gonna be a hunter wit’ me.” Stranger finished. “Firs’ stop’s Gizzard Gulch.”

Alex nodded and hurried to catch up with the furry man. She looked up at his face and then at the road in front of them. The young human sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. “So…what are we goin’ to do in Gizzard Gulch?” She asked, hoping to get a conversation started.

“I gots lots ta do in that town…” Stranger held up his hand and started to count things off on his fingers, “Turn in Blisterz Booty, check up on the Doc, then check the bounty store fer any new bounties.” He said, looking at the sun.

“Two questions, Stranger.” Alex said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Who’s Blisterz Booty and why do ya have ta see a doc?”

“Blisterz is a bad ass outlaw that was poachin’ near the Mongo Wilds.” Stranger answered. He fell silent.

“Uh, Stranger, what about-”

“He wasn’t worth the trouble, but every lil’ cent counts.” Stranger said, interrupting her.

Alex opened her mouth, but fell silent. She figured if he wasn’t going to tell her, why bother? She let out a sigh and suddenly found the bandages on her wrists very interesting.

Stranger noticed the girl looking at her wrists and he saw bandages around them. They were dirty and had patches of dried blood on them, but they were done in a professional matter. “’Ey…what happened?” He asked, looking at the bandages.

“The war happened.” Alex answered, hiding her wrists. She looked at Stranger. “The war that’s been going on since before I was born.”

“The war ‘tween the races.” Stranger growled.

“Exactly.”

“My entire family died because of that war…everyone I ever loved…everyone I ever cared about…dead…” Alex said softly, looking at her hands. She sighed and looked up ahead. “How much longer, Stranger?”

“’S a long walk, kid. Might be a while.”

Alex nodded. She looked up ahead and sighed. “Earth. Now it’s Oddworld. Heh. Everything changes…I guess even the way this planet was changed…” She smiled slightly.

Stranger didn’t answer as he looked up ahead. He just blinked and sighed.

“Stranger?”

“What, kid?”

“Can we stop? I have to get something.”

“Whatcha mean?”

“Wait here.”

Alex ran away from him and into an abandoned building. After a few moments of loud crashing and cursing (the curses coming from Alex) said human walked out of the building, a hand-made pack on her back. She ran over to Stranger and looked up at him. “Alright, we can go now.” Alex smiled softly. “Jus’ needed to get my stuff.”

Stranger nodded and growled a soft growl before leading the human towards Gizzard Gulch.

About an hour later, they were out of the desert and into a town. Stranger’s crossbow was taken and saw was Alex’s knife. Said human looked around and saw they were in Gizzard Gulch. She flinched slightly at the way the Clakkerz looked at her, but no one said anything or tried to touch her. One did, but was soon thrown across the street by Stranger, who just gave Alex a reassuring smile.

“Thanks, Fuzz Face.” Alex smiled at Stranger as she relaxed her hand, which was near the dagger in the sheath on her belt. She looked up as Stranger led them towards the jail. Hanging over the top of the jail’s door was a sign that said “We Recuperate Bad Eggs.” Alex snickered, “Bad pun.”

Stranger chuckled a little. He opened the door and let Alex walk in first before he followed her in. He walked over to a cell and threw Blisterz, who had a rather large size lump on his head, into the jail cell then slammed it shut. Alex laughed as the outlaw muttered, “Aw this sucks!”

The outlaw glared at the human, “What are you laughin’ at, human? Why don’t I come over there and-” But before he could finish, Stranger roared loudly and Blisterz shrank back.

Stranger huffed proudly and then walked over to the Clakker that was working behind the desk. He placed the wanted poster down and the Clakker stamped it. “Eh, nice goin’, Stranger, now go get yer moolah over at the bounty store, eh?”

Stranger took the poster and nodded. He looked at Blisterz, who was complaining, and scoffed, smiling a little. Alex rolled her eyes, “He wouldn’t last a day as a human.” The girl muttered, walking away. Stranger followed and, just as he was about to open the door for her, she walked out of the store.

The bounty hunter walked out and next to her. He looked at the sky. “The Doc’s place is next, kid. Let’s go.”

“After you.”

Stranger snorted a little, but smiled, and walked across the street to a large building. Just above the doors, a sign read “DOC SURGEON’S OFFICE: Where we have all your surgical needs!” and a pictured of a large-headed, purple colored creature with four arms and a pair of glasses was holding a rusty, surgical knife over the words. Alex winced at the creature, but Stranger walked over to the doors. He tried to open them, but realized they were locked. The bounty hunter sighed and shook his head. “He ain’t here righ’ now. Guess we should go grab us a couple bounties.”

“Yeah…” Alex nodded. She looked at Stranger. “Which would be where?”

Stranger gave Alex a look and then pointed up. The girl turned and saw an orange sign that read “Bounty Store”. She laughed a little and Stranger shook his head. “C’mon, kiddo.”

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” Alex muttered as they walked across the street to the bounty store.

Stranger opened the swinging doors and waited until Alex had walked in like he did last time before walking in himself.

As they entered, the bounty store clerked whistled, “Dang, Stranger, you got yerself a ‘uman. I take itcha want yer bounty now?”

Alex looked at Stranger, nervous.

Stranger looked at the clerk and then shook his head, surprising the clerk and relaxing Alex’s nerves a little. Stranger just slapped a wanted poster on the desk and then spat in another direction. His neon eyes burned into the Clakker’s soul. “I only want his bounty. The ‘uman’s mine, got it?”

The clerk nodded slowly and got out the Stranger’s moolah. He laid it on the counter and then stole a glance at Alex. “We got some bounties here, come take a look!”

“Yeah, I will. When does Doc get back in? I need him to fix a little problem.” Stranger muttered, scratching his leg.

“Said he’d be back soon teh check on ya. But in the meantime, come look at my bounty list.”

Stranger and Alex walked to the counter. Stranger leaned forward as the clerk pulled out a poster. The clerk smiled, “Filthy-Hands Floyd is up for takes. He’s up near them wagon trains, harassing the locals.” He said as he gave Stranger the poster.

“I see…” Stranger muttered, stroking his beard. He showed Alex the poster and she stuck out her tongue, grimacing.

“Well,” Alex muttered, “I know one thing fer sure. He sure as hell wasn’t no beauty queen.”

It was true; Floyd was one ugly son of a gun. Slung over his shoulder, was what looked like a grenade launcher. He looked a little tough, but Alex just shrugged. “You want ‘im?”

Stranger looked at the clerk, “I’ll take ‘im.”

The clerk nodded and looked at them. “He’ll be up in Dead Hen’s Past. G’luck.”

Stranger snorted, but Alex bowed her head slightly. “Thank you.” She said softly before hurrying after her guardian.

The clerk Clakker blinked. He watched the two leave and then bit his lip. “Maybe all ‘umans ain’t so bad after all…” He muttered, watching Alex stick close to Stranger’s side.

The two bounty hunters headed past the Doc’s office again and down a long, strait road until they reached a gate with a sign that said “Head West to DEAD HEN’S PAST.” A Clakker saw the two and smiled a little before turning to the Clakker over the gate, “Hey! Let these two out so that Stranger ‘ere can go bag us some more of those scumbag outlaws!”

“Uh…okay?” The second Clakker, Charlie, said before retreating into his office. A moment later, the gate swung open and Stranger and Alex walked out. The first Clakker ran over to Stranger.

“Wait! Ya forgot yer weapons!” It said, holding out Stranger’s crossbow and Alex’s knife.

Alex’s eyes flashed greedily and she snatched her knife away, sheathing it quickly. The human got stares from both the Clakker and Stranger, but snarled. Stranger shrugged and took his crossbow. He snapped it on and then smiled. “Thank ya.”

“Here’s some ammo, too. Jus’ in case ya need it out there.” The Clakker smiled.

Stranger nodded. He tipped his hat and put the ammo away. “Thank ya again. Let’s go, Kid.”

“Comin’.” Alex said, hurrying over to Stranger’s side. She looked at his bag as two bright red eyes looked at her. She blinked. “Uh…”

The eyes narrowed and jumped out of the bag. Alex oofed as she was tackled to the ground by a furball. The human froze when she saw what had her and was now sniffing her. “Fuzzle…Stranger…”

Stranger turned. He saw one of his fuzzles sniffing the human girl and swallowed. “Jus’ don’t move. He’ll leave ya ‘lone once he realizes thatcha ain’t gonna hurt him…”

The Fuzzle sniffed Alex and then rested on her chest. He purred slightly and nudged her face gently. Alex’s eyes widened. She stood up and held the Fuzzle in her arms. “Uh…Stranger?”

Stranger blinked. He laughed. “He likes ya!”

Alex smiled softly, “Can I keep him? Please.” She asked, looking at the bounty hunter.

Stranger blinked again, surprised. “Now ‘old on, I migh’ need ‘im.”

“Please.”

The bounty hunter looked at the skinny human in front of him and growled. Damn him for being so nice all the time. “He seems ta like ya lot. You a cat person?”

“Heh. I had one…how’d ya know?”

“I don’t. He does. Fuzzles are a lot like cats. Eat like ‘em too. That’s why I get rid of ‘em quick.”

Alex looked at the Fuzzle in her hands and Stranger sighed. “Alright, I always run out, one Fuzzle ain’t gonna make a difference.”

“Thanks, Stranger.” Alex smiled. She put the Fuzzle on her shoulder. “Chomp.”

The Fuzzle purred.

“Seems he likes his name, kid.” Stranger chuckled.

“Seems so.” Alex smiled as they walked towards Dead Hen’s Past.
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well? What d'ya guys think? Alex has a pet...and it's not Stranger! XD Jus' kiddin' 'bout that las' part...anyways...