Here's chap six! The Doc! *Dramtic music plays* Stranger....quit usin' that CD!!
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The three trudged back to town, injured, but alive. Stranger’s left forearm was bandaged and his poncho was a little bloody, but other than that, he looked all right. On her leg, the bandage that wrapped Alex’s bullet wound was gone and the water from the lake had washed the blood away. Dil, on the other hand, was in perfect condition and was bickering with Stranger about how he should “keep a better eye on the human”. Stranger growled. “I keep a good ‘nough eye on the kid. She jus’ can’t stay outta trouble.”
“Nope!” Alex grinned evily. She laughed as Dil shot her a look, “Wha-? It’s true. I’m a human. I can’t stay out of trouble to save my life. Stranger’s done a good job of savin’ my hide.” She saw the look on her friend’s face and added quickly, “Er, not to say that you haven’t, Dil.”
Dil shook her head and looked at Stranger, “You should be able to protect her, though, Stranger. I mean, if you were protectin’ her good ‘nough, she wouldn’t’ve gotta captured by Duke an’ I wouldn’t’ve had ta rescue her.”
“Not my fault.”
“How is it not yer fault, Stranger?” Dil asked, looking at the bounty hunter as they walked back to town.
Stranger was silent for a moment, then he opened his mouth, “I protect here good ‘nough. She’s a tough kid. She can take care of herself when I can’t.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah, I can.”
“That’s not the point, Stranger!” Dil sighed, “The point is yer s’pposed ta take care of her an’ you haven’t done a very good job of that so far!”
“What?!” Stranger growled, “I’ve-”
Alex pushed the two away from each other and stood in between them, “That’s enough, guys. Let’s jus’ leave it at ‘the kid can take care of herself’,” She saw Stranger’s smile, “but, ‘Stranger also needs to watch her better’. There. Everyone wins.”
Dil laughed a little at the human’s solution. “Fine,” She said after a minute, “But le’ me jus’ say that bounty huntin’ isn’t a good job for a kid. It’s dangerous an’ the outlaws’ll do anythin’ ta get their hands on her.”
“I know that.” Both Stranger and Alex said at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled a little. Stranger wrapped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and chuckled.
Dil rolled her eyes. “Fine, don’t listen ta me. When she gets killed, don’ come runnin’ ta me, cryin’.”
“Stranger doesn’t cry.” Alex grinned, “Anyways, ya know ya’d protect me, Dil, if Stranger leaves me ta die.” She looked at Dil with big, blue eyes and blinked over and over again fast.
Stranger resisted the urge to facepalm as Dil laughed. He sighed and shook his head, “Alrigh’, ‘nough-a this talk. Les’ go an’ turn in Duke.”
“Ya got it, Stranger.” Alex smiled.
Dil gave a mock salute, “Yes sir!”
Stranger sighed and Alex laughed. The three walked through the town’s gate just as they opened and headed over to the bounty store. The Clakker looked up and saw Dil. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Stranger, “Got a new friend, huh? Let me get yer moolah.” He said, walking into the back of the store.
Alex shook her head and then looked at Dil. She shrugged and looked up as the Clakker walked out of the back. He took Stranger’s wanted poster and stamped it, handing the bounty hunter his moolah. “Well, that’s all of ‘em, Stranger.” The Clakker grinned, “Oh, an’ the Doc’s in. He said he wants ta see ya in his office.”
Stranger nodded and tipped his hat. “Thank ya. Les’ go.” He said, turning.
Alex and Dil sighed. Dil turned and followed Stranger while Alex smiled and thanked the Clakker. She turned, “Wait up, guys!” She said, hurrying after her friends. The three walked out of the bounty store, Stranger on the left, Alex in the middle and Dil on the right, and headed over to the Doc’s office that they had seen when they first got there. Stranger opened the door, “After ya.” He smiled.
Alex and Dil rolled their eyes and walked in calmly. Stranger walked in after them and over to the counter while Dil and Alex stood in the back, waiting and watching as a large, purple head with two pairs of arms that had three sharp claws that were its hands. It wore a poncho-like shirt and had a big top hat on. It looked at Alex and Dil with beady, green eyes that made Alex shiver, but Dil put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly and smiled warmly. The creature looked at Stranger, “Welcome back! You’ll be happy to know that I’ve worked up an ingenious solution to your,” He looked around with sifty eyes and put his hand to the side of his mouth, “Little problem.”
Stranger took in a deep breath then growled loudly, baring his teeth and giving him an ominous look, telling the Doc to get on with it.
“Right well…” The Doc looked away from Stranger, “Well, due to the ‘unique nature’ of this case, the operation is turning out to be rather…” He pulled out a very large stack of papers and dropped them on the counter with a loud ‘clunk’ as he thought about the right word to use, “complicated?”
Stranger cocked to his head to one side, but then straitened up as he smiled a smug smiled and pulled out a small stack of moolah. He placed it on the table on then slid his hand away, letting it slide off the counter to relax next to him.
Doc looked at the money and sneered, looking up at Stranger. “Heh. Well, uh,” He slapped down more papers down and then leaned over towards the bounty hunter, “Give or take a few grand.” He rubbed his “fingers” together money-like and moved away, showing the three bounty hunters that the papers said 20,000 moolah. Alex and Dil’s jaws dropped.
“What?” Stranger growled in surprise, his head moving back a little, “I ain’t payin’ that!” He snarled, slamming his hand down the counter. Alex growled in agreement, but shut up when Dil put a hand on her other shoulder, shaking her head.
“Riiiiiiiiiiiight…well, that could be a problem, couldn’t it?” Doc asked, moving the smaller stack of papers off the bigger stack and putting the bigger stack away. “For you…” He sang under his breath.
Alex snarled and ran over to the counter, “Why don’t I shove my foot up your ass and then we can talk about how much you’re chargin’ Stranger fer this!” She growled.
Stranger pulled Alex away gently and shook his head. The human folded her arms and huffed, snarling at Doc, who was looking at Alex with great interest. His eyes lit up, “’Course, I could reduce the price by thirteen thousand moolah if ya hand over the human. After all, she’s annoying, a human and a female to boot.”
“Why you…!” Dil and Alex growled at the same time. Both Dil and Stranger leaned over the counter and glared at the Doc, “Stay. Away. From. The. Human.” The two snarled, leaning close to Doc. Stranger and Dil put their claws on the counter and scraped them forwards, leaving five, curled up pencils shavings. The two huffed proudly to prove their point. “Got it?”
Doc swallowed and nodded, backing away. He saw Alex’s smug smile and growled, I’ll get you, human. You so I can test on you and also because of that bounty on your head.
Stranger and Dil leaned back and Dil walked over to Alex as Stranger picked the small stack of papers up. “How the hell am I…payin’ fer this?” He asked, sighing.
“You’re the big, bad-ass bounty hunter. Figure it out!” The Doc snarled as he walked into the back.
Stranger put the papers under his poncho and looked at the two. He shook his head. “Les’ get outta here.”
“That ass.” Alex snarled.
Stranger smirked, “That was mighty brave of ya, kiddo. Ya know what he’s capable of?”
“Ah, screw him!” Alex spat, “No one charges that much without getting my foot up their ass. I only wish I could have kicked his ass and then ya could have pulled me away.”
Dil smirked a little and then shook her head. “Ya need ta watch it, though, Al. Ya never know when yer gonna piss off the wrong people and not ‘ave us ‘round to protect you.”
“Aw, you guys’ll always be there fer me.” Alex grinned a little girl grin that made the two chuckle and Stranger ruffle Alex’s hair. “Les’ go see if they got anymore bounties! I’m in the mood to kill something.”
Stranger and Dil looked at each other and chuckled, shaking their heads. It was Dil’s turn to ruffle Alex’s head, “Yer a strange one, Al.”
“I know.”
Stranger sighed and motioned for the others to follow him out of the Doc’s office. The two gave a mock salute and walked behind Stranger out of the office.
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