Chapter 2
Legendary Bounty Hunter:
Cowboy Blade
Slade walked out of the Saloon to his motorbike, his helmet in hand.
"Be right back! I'm heading to the city for awhile!" he called into the Saloon.
"Be careful!" Ruby shouted back.
"And tell no one that I'm here!" Ram shouted in the other room.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Slade muttered as he mounted his motorbike.
He was about to put his helmet on, until he realized something about a few kids.
The citizens of Liberty were staring out in the distance. And soon their numbers grew until nearly half of the town was looking right outside the entrance.
Wonder what's got them excited, he thought.
He took a look himself, and knew why.
In the distance, he barely saw a dark figure riding a motorbike much like his own, heading pretty quick to Liberty.
Whoa, Slade thought, That's pretty fast.
"Hey guys! We might have a visitor!" Slade shouted to the Saloon.
Ruby and Ram soon joined him outside, and noticed the oncoming dark figure as well.
The motorbike came to a quick but professional stop right by the town's entrance.
People could see now the tall dark figure wore a black cowboy hat, a black leather raincoat, white V-neck shirt, black pants, black combat boots, black gloves, and a long sword on his back.
Nobody could see his eyes the cowboy hat's brim cast a shadowy mask over his eyes.
He tucked back a lock of his nearly shoulder-length dark hair.
Everyone one was just silent as they continued to stare at him.
But one of them did speak.
"Uh, cool bike." Slade smiled.
The stranger looked to him, and noticed the blond-haired girl who looked to be his age with a whip at her side.
He mounted off his motorbike and walked to the saloon.
He looked to the sign that said Ruby's, then down at Ruby herself.
"Oh! Uh, yes we're open. Please, come on in." With that, Ruby moved to the side, as did Ram and both watched the dark stranger walk into the saloon.
"On second thought, I think I'll stay." Slade quickly mounted off his motorbike and into the saloon with Ruby and Ram.
The people gathered around the saloon as well.
Ruby made her way to the other side of the bar. "What can I get you?" she asked him.
Instead of speaking, he pointed to the soda drink behind her.
"Coming right up." she smiled and filled up a large class of soda.
"You know, I'm really surprised. Most of the people who come in here ask for beer and ale." she said, trying to stir up a conversation.
It seemed to be an effort in vain when he wouldn't speak.
"Then again, everybody's different in their own…" when she turned, she already saw his payment which was a pack of eight unused double A batteries. "…way."
She handed him his drink, and he took his time gulping it down as he took a piece of paper from his raincoat's pocket and started reading.
Slade and Ram tried to look over his shoulder and see what he was reading.
Whatever it was, they couldn't understand it since it was written in Japanese.
From what they could see of his face, he didn't look Japanese.
"So, you're an expert in other languages?" she asked.
"Sort of." he finally spoke.
Finally, she thought.
"So, what brings you to Liberty?" she asked.
He didn't even answer that. And she knew why, because she already knew the answer. At least she thought she did.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Ram spat out.
Slade gave him a look that could have melted ice. But to their surprise, the stranger spoke again.
"Actions are stronger than words. I talk when words are important." he explained without taking his eyes from the paper in hand, and the soda drink in the other.
"Hey Ruby!"
All eyes, except for the stranger, were at the entrance to the saloon.
A large boy marched in with two of his buddies beside him, and the same thug from earlier behind him.
"My little brother tells me you threw him out, just because he was in that Paradise thing." the large boy pointed to the thug who grinned with a smug
"Apparently, your brother didn't read the sign." Ruby pointed to the sign on the bar. "No Paradise users allowed."
The large boy got right into her face. "You don't tell us what to do around here, Ruby. We protect this place with our lives, and we should be allowed to do whatever we want."
Ram wheeled back a few inches, a look of regret on his face.
Ruby stepped out from the bar, the whip at her side.
"No, it's simple. I pay you, you guard the saloon. That's the deal. This is MY place. You don't like my rules, then you can just forget our deal." Ruby told him.
The large boy sudden grabbed her wrist rather tightly. "We'll leave when we want."
With that, he shoved her down on the hardwood floor.
"Now get us some drinks. Now!" the large boy demanded.
Ruby glared up at him.
"You think I'm joking..!" He suddenly brought his hand up.
"Hey!" Slade grabbed a pool stick and marched up, but was blocked off by the two large boy's friends. "Back up, bud. This ain't any of your business."
"It IS our business. You hit that girl and you're dead." Ram threatened the large boy.
The large boy laughed as he brought his hand down. "Coming from a kid who can't walk, retard?"
"I'm looking at a retard." Ram hissed.
The thug who Ruby had thrown out grabbed Ram by his shirt, lifting him right out of the wheelchair.
"You got something to say, freak?!"
A noise echoed through the saloon, almost loud as thunder. It was the stranger who set down his drink rather hard on the bar without even breaking the glass.
The stranger stood up from the stool and faced them all.
"What is this, Halloween?" the large boy smirked.
"…"
"You got something to say, tough guy?" the large boy challenged.
"I find it hard to believe that this lady hired weaklings to protect this place. Especially worthless thieves such as yourselves." the stranger said.
The large boy walked away from Ruby, getting directly up close as he looked down at the stranger.
"Nice hat. Nice sword too. I think I'll take it from you. First, I'll smash your face in, then break every bone in your body. Then, I'll chop you up into tiny little pieces with your own sword."
The stranger looked up, and for a moment, Ruby could see his eyes. Dark blue eyes.
"Big talkers are always weak." the stranger said.
"You son of a…!"
The large boy brought his fist to the stranger's face.
The large fist never even made it too his face, as it was intercepted by a gloved hand. And followed closely by a loud bone-crushing sound.
The large boy took back his hand, howling in pain and agony as he clutched his arm.
Ruby managed to see his hand, and gasped when she saw the knuckles right out of the skin.
The stranger slammed his palm right into the large boy's chest, and the large boy flew right across the saloon.
"What the..?" one of the two goons turned, only to meet the stranger's fist directly in his face, breaking his nose. With the same hand, he smashed the other goon's shoulder with a chop.
Pushing Ram aside and grabbing a pool stick, the thug charged the stranger.
"Look out!" Ruby cried.
Fast as lightening reflexes, the stranger pulled out a crossbow gun from under his raincoat, aiming it directly at the now stunned thug's head.
The thug dropped the pool stick, and hurried out of the saloon.
Folding back the bow of the crossbow gun, the stranger twirled the crossbow gun around his finger, then slid it in the holster of his belt underneath his raincoat.
He didn't even have to use his sword, Ruby thought.
Slade helped Ruby up, then helped Ram back in his wheelchair as Ruby walked up to the stranger, smiling widely.
"That was…amazing!" she squeaked.
"I second that." Slade raised his hand. "You have to be pretty strong to do stuff like that."
The stranger said nothing. He grabbed his paper, rolling it back up and shoving it back in his raincoats pocket, then headed out the door.
"Wait!" Ruby called to him.
The stranger turned to face her.
"Well, now that my protection is out, we're…in need of new help. If you can do all that kung-fuey stuff, will you please accept the job as protection of this Saloon. We don't have much, but I can promise you three meals a day and a great place to sleep." she offered.
The stranger paused for a moment, then turned and left.
"Guess that means no." she sighed.
But today had just gotten even more weirder for her. She knew it was him.
So he's alive after all. She thanked whoever was listening for that relief.
"I can't believe it." came a voice as the stranger mounted his motorbike.
And the voice was coming from the motorbike.
"A girl you've been searching for is here and alive, and very beautiful if you ask me. But here you are, acting like your cold-shouldered self, turning down probably the best offer you've ever had in your days as a Jack of All Trades after you save her and her friends' lives, especially her bar."
"I'm not turning down the offer." the stranger said to the motorbike.
"Y-you're not?!"
"Like you said. It's the best offer I've had in my days of being a bounty hunter."
With that, the stranger headed back to the saloon.
"Actually, I said Jack of All Trades, but that was close enough." the voice corrected.
Ruby saw him standing again in the entrance just as she finished tossing out the large boy and his friends.
"I'll do it." he said.
"Good. I'm really thankful." Ruby walked up next to him. "Here, let me show you to your room."
Legendary Bounty Hunter:
Cowboy Blade
Slade walked out of the Saloon to his motorbike, his helmet in hand.
"Be right back! I'm heading to the city for awhile!" he called into the Saloon.
"Be careful!" Ruby shouted back.
"And tell no one that I'm here!" Ram shouted in the other room.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Slade muttered as he mounted his motorbike.
He was about to put his helmet on, until he realized something about a few kids.
The citizens of Liberty were staring out in the distance. And soon their numbers grew until nearly half of the town was looking right outside the entrance.
Wonder what's got them excited, he thought.
He took a look himself, and knew why.
In the distance, he barely saw a dark figure riding a motorbike much like his own, heading pretty quick to Liberty.
Whoa, Slade thought, That's pretty fast.
"Hey guys! We might have a visitor!" Slade shouted to the Saloon.
Ruby and Ram soon joined him outside, and noticed the oncoming dark figure as well.
The motorbike came to a quick but professional stop right by the town's entrance.
People could see now the tall dark figure wore a black cowboy hat, a black leather raincoat, white V-neck shirt, black pants, black combat boots, black gloves, and a long sword on his back.
Nobody could see his eyes the cowboy hat's brim cast a shadowy mask over his eyes.
He tucked back a lock of his nearly shoulder-length dark hair.
Everyone one was just silent as they continued to stare at him.
But one of them did speak.
"Uh, cool bike." Slade smiled.
The stranger looked to him, and noticed the blond-haired girl who looked to be his age with a whip at her side.
He mounted off his motorbike and walked to the saloon.
He looked to the sign that said Ruby's, then down at Ruby herself.
"Oh! Uh, yes we're open. Please, come on in." With that, Ruby moved to the side, as did Ram and both watched the dark stranger walk into the saloon.
"On second thought, I think I'll stay." Slade quickly mounted off his motorbike and into the saloon with Ruby and Ram.
The people gathered around the saloon as well.
Ruby made her way to the other side of the bar. "What can I get you?" she asked him.
Instead of speaking, he pointed to the soda drink behind her.
"Coming right up." she smiled and filled up a large class of soda.
"You know, I'm really surprised. Most of the people who come in here ask for beer and ale." she said, trying to stir up a conversation.
It seemed to be an effort in vain when he wouldn't speak.
"Then again, everybody's different in their own…" when she turned, she already saw his payment which was a pack of eight unused double A batteries. "…way."
She handed him his drink, and he took his time gulping it down as he took a piece of paper from his raincoat's pocket and started reading.
Slade and Ram tried to look over his shoulder and see what he was reading.
Whatever it was, they couldn't understand it since it was written in Japanese.
From what they could see of his face, he didn't look Japanese.
"So, you're an expert in other languages?" she asked.
"Sort of." he finally spoke.
Finally, she thought.
"So, what brings you to Liberty?" she asked.
He didn't even answer that. And she knew why, because she already knew the answer. At least she thought she did.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Ram spat out.
Slade gave him a look that could have melted ice. But to their surprise, the stranger spoke again.
"Actions are stronger than words. I talk when words are important." he explained without taking his eyes from the paper in hand, and the soda drink in the other.
"Hey Ruby!"
All eyes, except for the stranger, were at the entrance to the saloon.
A large boy marched in with two of his buddies beside him, and the same thug from earlier behind him.
"My little brother tells me you threw him out, just because he was in that Paradise thing." the large boy pointed to the thug who grinned with a smug
"Apparently, your brother didn't read the sign." Ruby pointed to the sign on the bar. "No Paradise users allowed."
The large boy got right into her face. "You don't tell us what to do around here, Ruby. We protect this place with our lives, and we should be allowed to do whatever we want."
Ram wheeled back a few inches, a look of regret on his face.
Ruby stepped out from the bar, the whip at her side.
"No, it's simple. I pay you, you guard the saloon. That's the deal. This is MY place. You don't like my rules, then you can just forget our deal." Ruby told him.
The large boy sudden grabbed her wrist rather tightly. "We'll leave when we want."
With that, he shoved her down on the hardwood floor.
"Now get us some drinks. Now!" the large boy demanded.
Ruby glared up at him.
"You think I'm joking..!" He suddenly brought his hand up.
"Hey!" Slade grabbed a pool stick and marched up, but was blocked off by the two large boy's friends. "Back up, bud. This ain't any of your business."
"It IS our business. You hit that girl and you're dead." Ram threatened the large boy.
The large boy laughed as he brought his hand down. "Coming from a kid who can't walk, retard?"
"I'm looking at a retard." Ram hissed.
The thug who Ruby had thrown out grabbed Ram by his shirt, lifting him right out of the wheelchair.
"You got something to say, freak?!"
A noise echoed through the saloon, almost loud as thunder. It was the stranger who set down his drink rather hard on the bar without even breaking the glass.
The stranger stood up from the stool and faced them all.
"What is this, Halloween?" the large boy smirked.
"…"
"You got something to say, tough guy?" the large boy challenged.
"I find it hard to believe that this lady hired weaklings to protect this place. Especially worthless thieves such as yourselves." the stranger said.
The large boy walked away from Ruby, getting directly up close as he looked down at the stranger.
"Nice hat. Nice sword too. I think I'll take it from you. First, I'll smash your face in, then break every bone in your body. Then, I'll chop you up into tiny little pieces with your own sword."
The stranger looked up, and for a moment, Ruby could see his eyes. Dark blue eyes.
"Big talkers are always weak." the stranger said.
"You son of a…!"
The large boy brought his fist to the stranger's face.
The large fist never even made it too his face, as it was intercepted by a gloved hand. And followed closely by a loud bone-crushing sound.
The large boy took back his hand, howling in pain and agony as he clutched his arm.
Ruby managed to see his hand, and gasped when she saw the knuckles right out of the skin.
The stranger slammed his palm right into the large boy's chest, and the large boy flew right across the saloon.
"What the..?" one of the two goons turned, only to meet the stranger's fist directly in his face, breaking his nose. With the same hand, he smashed the other goon's shoulder with a chop.
Pushing Ram aside and grabbing a pool stick, the thug charged the stranger.
"Look out!" Ruby cried.
Fast as lightening reflexes, the stranger pulled out a crossbow gun from under his raincoat, aiming it directly at the now stunned thug's head.
The thug dropped the pool stick, and hurried out of the saloon.
Folding back the bow of the crossbow gun, the stranger twirled the crossbow gun around his finger, then slid it in the holster of his belt underneath his raincoat.
He didn't even have to use his sword, Ruby thought.
Slade helped Ruby up, then helped Ram back in his wheelchair as Ruby walked up to the stranger, smiling widely.
"That was…amazing!" she squeaked.
"I second that." Slade raised his hand. "You have to be pretty strong to do stuff like that."
The stranger said nothing. He grabbed his paper, rolling it back up and shoving it back in his raincoats pocket, then headed out the door.
"Wait!" Ruby called to him.
The stranger turned to face her.
"Well, now that my protection is out, we're…in need of new help. If you can do all that kung-fuey stuff, will you please accept the job as protection of this Saloon. We don't have much, but I can promise you three meals a day and a great place to sleep." she offered.
The stranger paused for a moment, then turned and left.
"Guess that means no." she sighed.
But today had just gotten even more weirder for her. She knew it was him.
So he's alive after all. She thanked whoever was listening for that relief.
"I can't believe it." came a voice as the stranger mounted his motorbike.
And the voice was coming from the motorbike.
"A girl you've been searching for is here and alive, and very beautiful if you ask me. But here you are, acting like your cold-shouldered self, turning down probably the best offer you've ever had in your days as a Jack of All Trades after you save her and her friends' lives, especially her bar."
"I'm not turning down the offer." the stranger said to the motorbike.
"Y-you're not?!"
"Like you said. It's the best offer I've had in my days of being a bounty hunter."
With that, the stranger headed back to the saloon.
"Actually, I said Jack of All Trades, but that was close enough." the voice corrected.
Ruby saw him standing again in the entrance just as she finished tossing out the large boy and his friends.
"I'll do it." he said.
"Good. I'm really thankful." Ruby walked up next to him. "Here, let me show you to your room."