This was co-written with Elleree writing as Kid and I as Heyes.

The downpour had lasted all day long under the dark grey skies. It was only late afternoon, but it looked more like late evening. Two lone riders huddled under their pulled down hats, rain running over the rims in a steady stream. Collars were also pulled up, but cold rain still made its way down their spines. Hooves splashed with every step as Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry made their way toward a town they hoped was near.

"This weather is bad enough to drown a duck!" observed the soaking wet blond of the pair. His equally soaked cousin agreed.

"I know. Could even drown a fish!" Only two seconds passed. "Did you know you can actually drown a fish?"

"In the air, you mean?"

"No. You can drown a fish in water."

Kid looked both confused and a little disturbed. "Closin' their gills? And why would you want to? Seems mean."

Heyes was offended. "I don't want to do it! It's cruel! Anyway, you just pull the fish backward in the water for a bit 'cause they swim forward to push water over their gills to breathe. Pull them backward and it, I don't know, chokes them I guess."

"Why do you know that? It's terrible."

"I just heard or read it somewhere. Not like I'm going to do it! We don't murder fish either."

"What were you readin'? How to be cruel to fish? Got to be really bored to read that."

Heyes rolled his eyes. "Yes, Kid. I wanted to learn how to murder fish."

"I was bein' sarcastic and ridiculin' your choice of book. Not sayin' you actually wanted to read one like that. But anythin' that had that in it was questionable."

A sigh escaped from the dark haired partner. "I was being sarcastic too. And it was some science magazine left in a hotel room. I couldn't sleep." Then more sarcasm made itself known. "So I figured, 'hm. I need to know how to murder fish. You know. In case we didn't have a fishing pole and were starving."

"Wish I had gills right about now with all this rain. And you had less of a mouth."

A 'look' was thrown in the fast draw's direction as more sarcasm dripped out. "Maybe I'll just murder 'you' before I go jump in the river and become a serial killer."

Kid's brow furrowed. "Huh? That don't even make sense. And why would you threaten to murder me? That's just uncalled for."

"You were wishing I couldn't talk!"

"That's a lot less bad! And I said LESS of one, like a smaller mouth! I never said I wish you were dead, let alone threatened to kill you!"

If anyone had been nearby, they could've no doubt correctly guessed a disagreement was forthcoming.

"It was SARCASM, Kid! Dang! I didn't wish you were dead! I said I 'might' murder you!"

Kid raised an eyebrow with a frown starting to appear. "I didn't threaten to kill you with sarcasm. And if you'd murder me, obviously you wish I was dead. You don't murder people you want ALIVE."

Heyes sighed, closed his eyes, and held the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. "This has to be one of the stupidest conversations we've ever had."

"Maybe you should just kill me so it quits."

Brown eyes opened in aggravation. "DANG IT, KID! YOU KNOW GOOD AND WELL I DIDN'T MEAN THAT!"

"You said it."

Heyes glared over at his cousin straight in his azure eyes. "You. Know. I. Did. Not. Mean. It!"

"Shouldn't have said it, then," Kid replied in that calm tone he sometimes had when getting irritated with his partner.

Heyes threw his hand up in the air. "God have mercy...I'm sorry! Okay! How in the heck did we get from ducks to murder?!"

"YOU'RE the one who brought murder into it. My murder, specifically."

"I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO MURDER FISH! NOT YOU!"

"YOU SAID YOU'D MURDER ME!"

"I AM SORRY! YOU KNOW I NEVER WOULD AND THAT I DON'T WANT YOU DEAD! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...!"

Kid's voice returned to the calm, hurt one, trying to guilt Heyes. "Was just mean, s'all. But if you're sorry, I forgive you."

The ex-outlaw leader rolled his eyes once more. "Mean... …Yes! I am sorry! I have never been more sorry in my life!"

"Alright then. Looks like we're coming to a town finely."

Heyes muttered to himself. "Thank God..."

Kid decided to prod at his cousin a bit just for fun. "Why would you jump into the river to become a serial killer? To kill all the fish? Seems like de-escalation."

Heyes frowned. "Because I was stupid enough to talk about how to drown fish." Then the last part of the comment hit him. "De-escalation? What the heck... …Let. It. Go! I don't want to ride through a town talking about fish murder!"

"Or cousin murder."

"I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST THAT!" Heyes started turning his horse. "I'm going back the way we came. Maybe I'LL drown in the rain!"

Curry grabbed his reins momentarily to stop him turning. "Town seems deserted. Come on, livery's right there."

"You done prodding me?"

"Yeah. Don't want to push you too far."

Heyes just stared a minute, brow furrowed with a definite frown. "Goodbye." His horse started to turn again.*

"C'mon, Joshua. Hostler came out in the rain to meet us." Curry dismounted, letting the livery man take his reins.

Heyes did the same, trying to shake some of the rain from his coat but failing. He was far too drenched to manage getting dry any little bit at the current time.

The livery man had taken Heyes' reins as well. "I'll send the bags on to the hotel if you want. Not even a duck should be out in this weather!"

Heyes turned his head quickly to look at the livery man with a glare and a half, pointing his finger and snarling. "Do NOT mention ducks! I don't want another duck mentioned to me for the rest of my life. Or fish for that matter." Then he turned abruptly to hurry through the still ongoing downpour to the hotel, muttering about ducks, fish, killing, and proddy partners.

Kid smiled and paid the confused, shocked man then ran to catch up to his irate partner, laughing as he went.