The Dead List

Q-chan



He stared at the list, the pen in his hand trembling as he slowly brought it to the paper.

"C'mon buddy! We ain't getting any younger!" The burly gentleman behind him began to push and he slumped forward, his corn blonde hair falling across his eyes.

"A-alright, just hold your horses…" He shook the hair from his face with a flick of his head and signed his name in a flourish of blue ink. Placing the pen against the table with a soft click, he stood back up. The man behind him quickly shoved him out of line and he stumbled into the Red Cross table.

"Careful, Tad. You'll hurt someone someday!" the woman behind the table teased as Tad straightened out the table.

"I-I'm really sorry." He avoided her heavy stare by quickly throwing his clear blue eyes to the line of able-bodied men waiting for a chance to sign their names on the list.

"Tad… You didn't!" The gray-haired woman motioned to the line of men.

"Y-yeah… I'm afraid I did…" Tad hung his head as he walked away from the table. With his head hung, he couldn't very well see where he was going and once again found himself face-to-face… more like face-to-chest, with the dark-skinned, burly man that stood behind him in the line.

"You again!" The man reached down and picks Tad up by the collar, bringing him eye-level.

"P-please! I didn't mean any harm!" Tad clung to the hands that held him aloft, squirming, his legs searching blindly for the ground below.

"What's your name, boy!?" The man demanded as he brought his other arm to Tad's face. His hand was missing, and in it's place a Gattling Gun.

Tad paled at the sight of the gun, his already bad stuttering problem got seemingly worse. "T-T-T-T-Tad…"

" 'Tad' what, boy!?" the gun came centimeters closer to his face.

"T-T-Tad H-H-Highwater, s-sir." He hit the ground with a hard thud, the taller man looming above him.

"Just be thankful I like you, kid." Tad scrunched up in a ball as the taller man reached down and brought him to his feet. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, jus' tell 'em you know Barret Wallace and they'll leave ya alone," with a hearty, gravity increasing slap to the back, Barret left.