Chapter 2: The Aftermath and The Sheriff
"And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you send a message!" Shelly shouted to the crowd in front of her. She looked out into the group of a hundred oddballs and miscreants that she called the Gem Bandits. A smile lining her face from another successful job. "Now tell me who is the baddest batch of brash banditos to ever walk the great expanse?" she asked the crowd.
"THE GEM BANDITS!"
"Who?!"
"THE GEM BANDITS!"
"You're god damn right we are. You know the rules, anything you can carry in your arms is yours, the rest leave it in the stockpile to be processed." Shelly said as she walked past her three commanders and behind the platform she gave her speech on.
"Shelly. Shelly. Shelly! SHELLY!" the crowd started chanting as she made her victorious exit.
Shelly smiled as she continued her walk through the Gem Bandits Headquarters. Deep below the desert of Brawltopia was a cave system that the Gem Bandits called home. The how or who made the cave system in the first place never crossed the mind of the Gem Bandits when they made their base inside. The only thing that mattered was the security of its walls. The cave was illuminated by a few hanging light fixtures and the occasional torch or oil lamp, but the real beauty was the natural shine that the gem hanging above head gave off. The purple glow that radiated throughout the cave system they had modernized to their needs. Small tents and little abodes made throughout the underground network of tunnels. Shelly walked to the far back of one opening to a small hut that in comparison to the rest of the homes inside the cave, looked like royalty.
"Home Sweet Home," she said as she walked to the front door.
"Ahem," a voice chimed behind her. She turned around to see the towering figure of Nix behind her with a slightly embarrassed look on his face and a slight blush to match. "Um, while we were out grabbing stuff, I saw this and thought it might be perfect ma'am," he said in the softest voice he could manage with his deep vocals. He reached behind him and handed her a rolled-up brown mat. She opened it smiling as read it aloud.
"Home Sweet Home, you big adorable baby," she said with a giddy smile on her face looking at the giant like an adorable child.
"Come on boss, ya know I'm older than you," Nix commented while looking away embarrassed. The large African man did not often feel intimidated but when it came to Shelly, he often lost is strength. He was not three years older but also a giant standing at a commanding 6' 8'' weighing in at 373 lbs. Shelly, however, stood only at 5' 4'' and weighed about 117 lbs in comparison somehow was able to control the giant.
"Hey, I turn 19 in a few months, so you better get ready to say that I'm two years younger than ya," she said. She looked up with a cocky smile on her face as she thought of her previous memories, "Also didn't I tell ya to stop referring to me in professionals outside of work." She stood up on her toes as she tried to reach up to his face but settled on resting her hands on his chest. Nix stumbled backward from the sudden contact and the aura she was radiating off her.
"Right... sorry Shelly," he said with an apologetic tone but laced with fear and anticipation for what she would do next. What he didn't expect was for her to kick him in his shin eliciting a yelp as he dropped to one knee grasping at his attacked leg. "Why?!" he said as he looked up from his leg to see he was at eye level with Shelly.
The look in her eyes was simply hunger, like a bear that had been sleeping for the winter had just woke up to see a bush full of ripe berries. Then Nix realized that he was the berries that she was about to bite into. "Come on big guy," her voice heavy and husky, "What happened to that cute little pet name you used to call me?" she grabbed ahold of his collar with this final phrase and pulled him close. Nix could feel his nerves on end as shockwaves rocked his mind and senses.
"U-Uh, you're the boss now. I have to show you the respect you deserve ma'am - I mean Shelly," he quickly corrected stumbling over his thoughts. 'What is this, is she coming on to me? Right here, in the open? Do I want this? Well yeah why wouldn't eye, those hazel brown gems she calls eyes. Her sweet scent and brash personality are what make her so beautiful. I dreamed of this for a while, but here and now it doesn't feel right.'
He looked at her as she started again slowly opening her mouth drawing his vision to her supple lips. How she could look so perfect even after such a tiring job was inhuman to Nix. His thoughts were halted as she made her request, "Come on Nixxy, just once, say it for me. Please?" she pouted her lips with the requested and all reason in Nix's mind went away as he looked to please his boss.
"S.." he started as he looked away, "...Shell," he mumbled out looking into the distance. He saw the bushes inside the cave rustle as he said that phrase and stopped to observe the sounds. He began to rise but was quickly pulled down by Shelly again her strength perplexing him.
"Oh no, I want you to say it to my face, no running from this." He looked into her eyes and once again was swallowed by her stare and bent to her will.
"Shell," he said surer this time.
"Again."
"Shell."
"Now say 'My Shelly'" she requested and look pleased as his face lit up with ruby red.
"B-Boss?"
"Now!" she sternly said as she put her heel into his foot.
"...My Shelly" he whimpered with puppy dog eyes. He watched in awe as Shelly slowly began to lean in closer. 'Holy shit this is happening, my breath, does it stink? Am I ready? Who gives a damn if I am or ain't it's finally happening.'
He closed his eyes and leaned in to meet her touch. He kept leaning in, and leaning in, and leaning until he fell face-first into the mat that he had just given Shelly. He opened his eyes and looked around to see Shelly giggly slightly to herself. "Awe is my adorable puppy confused? Hahaha told ya, Ronnie, got him wrapped around my finger," she yelled out to the bushes beside her house. Nix looked in horror at the bush where the motion occurred just a second ago. Out of it came Veronica with her face contorted in a slight smile as she reached her hand out to the right of her. Out of the bush popped a hand handing her coins which she quickly pocketed before jumping out of the bush and joining Shelly at her side.
Nix looked back at the bush to see Samson standing there with a disappointed look on his face. "I thought you had more self-control than that man," he said as he walked over to the defeated husk of Nix on the ground. "She does have you on a leash, doesn't she?" he reached down and patted Nix on his back.
Nix, however, couldn't even answer, he was too busy mulling over everything that just happened before him. "Yep," Shelly said beside him as she crouched down to meet his gaze. "And he's my puppy," she kissed him on his cheek, "and nobody else's." The way she said that was less of a teasing statement and more of command directed at Nix himself. She grabbed Veronica and made her way back into the house as they giggled to themselves silently. Sam could only reach down and pat Nix on his back as they watched the girls disappear into the house.
"I'm in love, Sam"
"Yeah, I know big guy."
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haaaaaaaaaaawwww"
The crowd in the local pub of the Greater Sand Dunes was extra lively tonight with the piano orchestrating a lovely melody that the town's locals were jumping and jiving with. Most of the bar staff seemed to be robots and androids of varying shapes and sizes as they moved seamlessly through the seas of drunk locals. The bars second floor housed a more civilized party of gruff men playing poker on an empty billiards table.
"So, tell me, Rich? You ever hear that story about the two kings?" he asked with a salty southern accent as he gazed over to Rich.
Rich with a stone-cold poker face looked back without flinching, "No don't believe I ever heard that one."
"Oh well it's a short one, it's just bout how them and they three queens together made a Full House," he smugly laid his cards down revealing the Kings of Club and Diamonds making a Full House and raking in the pot. Everyone groaned in disdain after seeing his bluff was not a bluff at all. "Hoo-hoo you boys couldn't keep ya money if ya had it stored in a vault and dropped it in the Oceana Minor."
"Now I wouldn't touch those chips if I was you," a voice from the table piped up. He sat there silently in a blue button-up shirt and a blue leather jacket to match the look. He wore a hat that cast a shadow over his face as he showed his first card, 9 of clubs. Rich looked back at the table and laughed.
"Boy you must dumber than a slug mistaking salt for sugar if ya think ya won the hand with that," he howled as the rest of the table joined in the raucous uproar. The man just chuckled to himself as he flipped over his 9 of clubs revealing the card he hid underneath. The Queen of Hearts, all conversation in the room stopped, Rich, looked to the head honcho of the table with fear.
"Now boss let's just stay calm-"
"I WILL BE DAMNED IF I AM MADE A FOOL OF IN MY OWN DAMN PARLOR!" he looked to the man in front of him who had once again taken a huge pot from the table. He drew his gun from his holster, "I am the most feared bandit in all of the Greater Sand Dunes and when I am done, I will take over the Great Expanse itself. I am Baux the Black!" He pointed his gun directly at the smug smile underneath the large brimmed hat that covered the head of this mysterious stranger, "Who the hell are you?"
"...okay," he slowly got up from his seat and picked up his chips in his arms. He looked around the room and saw that one of the guards had closed the door behind him, "I can see that I'm not wanted here so I'll just take my leave."
Baux racked the head of his pistol, "You ain't going nowhere." The mysterious man stood still with an expressionless look on his face. The shadow from his hat brim shielding his upper face and hair. "Now I'm gonna ask ya one more time," he looked to Rich and gestured towards the man. Rich slowly got up from his seat and began to make his way to the man. "Who... Are... You?"
"Well boys I had a lot of fun with this entire, underground upstairs poker game deal but honestly, I don't need the cash." He threw the chips in the air and threw a large portion directly at Baux's face. He quickly pulled out two modified six-shot revolvers and let a big goofy grin grace his face. "Time for Trouble!" He aimed directly at Rich to his right and Baux to his left and unloaded all six shots in both revolvers in rapid succession. Baux instinctually ducked under the table, but Rich wasn't as lucky and ate all six shots to the chest. He was dead before he hit the floor. The man looked over to the door to see the guard drawing a shotgun. "Uh-oh"
The man turned to face the guard and threw the table up as a barrier between them. The rest of the men at the table ran out past the guard into the bar below. Underneath was Baux with an astounded look on his face. The man looked into Baux's eyes and smugly smiled, "Come here often cutie?" Baux grabbed for the man's shirt but was knocked back by the butt of his guns as he smashed them against his head. The man reached into a pocket on his jacket and went for ammo. A look into his cylinder showed a large amount of space for what seemed to be multiple bullets in each chamber. He pulled out 36 bullets from his pockets and dumped them all into the cylinders of the revolvers. The guard on the other side of the table fired his first shot with a giant explosion of woodchips showering the man from above.
"Where am I? What happened?" Baux stirred awake from the sound of the gunshot. He looked again towards the man and looked to the ground for his gun. He found it by the feet of the strange man and slowly moved reached underneath him. His hands were mere inches away when the man's foot dropped hard directly on his fingers.
"Now didn't ya mother ever tell ya not to put ya hands where they don't belong?" he smiled down and watched as Baux writhed in pain. Another large shot rocked the table and for a moment Baux forgot the pain of his hand.
"You big fucking idiot I'm still back here!" he yelled to his guard. The man put more weight on the foot crushing Baux's fingers.
"Ya know I never did answer your question," the man finally allowed his hat to show his eyes and the look on his face caused Baux to writhe violently underneath him. This time not in pain, but disgust at the person looking at him. The man jumped off his fingers and unloaded another six shots from each gun directly into the frame of the guard. The guard flew back through the door and fell over the balcony to the party below. The man landed directly on the back of Baux and decided to sit there and pull out some handcuffs. His hat finally falling off his head and floating beside him to reveal his short blood red hair, his chiseled jawline, smooth white skin, and most importantly the smug grin that was always plastered to his face. Baux looked up and attempted to spit in his face but the man smacked him one last time over the head. "The name's-"
"Sheriff Colton Domire Jr. of the Greater Dunes, yeah you can go right ahead and fuck yourself douche," Baux grumbled as Colton began to cuff his hands behind his back.
"Baux, buddy, please. Colton was my father's name. You can just call me Colt."