Wild West AU: Star the Underestimated

Starring: Sheriff Marco, Deputy Star, Bartender Jackie, Bandit Janna, Mayor Conrad, Outlaw Tom

In the dusty western frontier stood a town by the name of Echo Creek. It was a small, modest town with a population of one hundred people. Its current mayor was Conrad Winchester, who had been the former sheriff before Marco Diaz took the position. Diaz had proven himself to be more than capable of protecting the town from any threats. Bandits, thieves, terrorists, outlaws, fugitives, all of them were no threat to the town with Marco around. His deputy was Star Butterfly. Unlike Marco, Star was seen as unfit to protect the town by most people. They saw her as clumsy as she always tripped in the middle of a gunfight.

"How is she supposed to protect us if she keeps falling down?" they questioned.

Star was almost fired until Marco convinced Conrad to give her a chance.

When asked why, Marco answered, "Because my guts tell me to believe in her. I can't give you an exact reason why, but I've got a good feeling about her. And those feelings haven't been wrong yet."

Conrad agreed and later knew the reason why Marco had that feeling about Star. The young woman had a huge potential and he mentally berated himself for not being able to see it sooner. That potential was hidden in the fact that she tripped so much. Conrad told Marco and the sheriff trained Star into the capable deputy that she is today. However, people still doubted her success.

When the mayor apologized to Star for not having faith in her, she merely replied with, "It's all right, I'm used to it. A lot of people underestimate me."

The answer worried the two men. What had she gone through for a response like that?

In the afternoon, the Sea Clam Saloon was bustling with activity. People there were drinking, eating, gossiping, playing poker, discussing plans to prospect for oil, etc. The owner was Jackie Lynn Thomas, who also served as the bartender of the bar. She decided to name it "Sea Clam" because she wanted it to be like the sea, a cool and friendly place where everyone can relax. And the clam part was because she always wore a necklace with the shell of a clam.

Suddenly, the entrance to the saloon was kicked wide open. Everybody stopped what they were doing and looked towards the front. Anyone who kicked the entrance open like that was either trouble or was looking for trouble. The one who kicked the door open was a woman with dark blue hair, brown eyes, and a cowboy outfit. The smirk on her face was one that the people of the town could recognize. There was no mistake, it was her, Janna Ordonia.

Janna was a bandit that had been friends with Marco. As a result, she never did anything illegal. However, she still took joy in annoying the civilians.

The customers of the bar groaned and grumbled. Janna continued to smirk and walked up to the bar table. Jackie wiped a glass cup with a white cloth.

"What would you like?" she asked Janna.

"Eh, just the regular," Janna replied.

Jackie nodded, dispensed the alcohol from a faucet into the cup, and placed it on the table. Janna took a coin from a bag attached to her waist and flipped it up and down a few times with her thumb before finally flicking it onto the table. The coin bounced a few times and Jackie intercepted it before it fell off.

"So, why are you back?" Jackie asked. "Got something cool to show to Star again?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I've got actual business this time." Janna took a few gulps of the beer and sighed as the cold liquid went down her throat. "So, how's Marco doing?"

"He's been doing a good job. So far, no threat has been too big for him."

"And Star?"

"Star's maintaining her place as the deputy. People have raised concerns about it, but the mayor and Marco have both defended her." She leaned in and whispered to Janna, "There are rumors spreading that she got the job because she slept with the two of them."

"Eh, don't worry about," Janna waved Jackie's concerns away. "Star's a fighter. It'll take a lot more than some stupid people making stuff up to take her down."

"Hmm," Jackie pursed her lips. Janna chugged down the rest of her beer and slammed down the glass onto the table with more force than Jackie would have liked.

"Well, I'm going to visit Marco now," Janna announced. "See ya!" She walked out of the bar with a wide stroll and a mischievous grin on her face.

Jackie shook her head and went to clean the glass cup. The bartender hoped that Janna was right. Star was a nice person that didn't deserve people talking about her behind her back, especially with such big allegations.

Inside of the sheriff's office were Marco and Star at their desks. Star was taking a nap while Marco was finishing the last of the paperwork. Whenever a threat was resolved and evil was arrested, the biggest and toughest enemy to all of mankind made itself known: paperwork. Marco stretched his back and put down the last period of the document with his quill.

"And… done!" he rejoiced. When Marco became the sheriff of the town, he knew that there was a possibility of being injured in the line of work. But never in his life did he expect backbreaking paperwork of all things.

The door to the office was opened and the mayor walked in.

"Got all the paperwork done yet?" asked Conrad.

"You're just in time, I just finished it seconds ago," answered Marco.

"I can never understand why we even have to write papers about arresting bad guys. We shot down and put them into a jail cell. What's the point of writing down injuries and what they did. It's not like the people at the top are ever going to read it. Bloody bureaucracies. The outlaws' punishment should be doing paperwork. It'll be more efficient than just locking them up, that's for sure."

"How much paperwork did you have to do when you were sheriff?" Marco questioned.

"None," Conrad replied.

"None?" echoed Marco.

"Echo Creek wasn't an official town when I was doing that. No paperwork, no answering to the government. Only when I was elected mayor did this place become an official town."

"Is that why you quit?"

"No, I quit because I was elected mayor." Conrad grimaced and continued, "And besides, paperwork is easy. At least you don't have to plan the town's construction and expansion and listen to people's inane complaints. I have had people who want me to rename the Sea Clam Saloon because they didn't like how it didn't fit the desert area and how it wasn't a 'manly enough name,' whatever the hell that means."

Conrad looked over at Star and saw that she was asleep. He looked back to Marco.

"Don't worry about it," Marco replied to the nonverbal question. "She stayed up all night and did about two-thirds of the work."

"If you say so. If there are no more problems, I'll just grab the papers and be on my way to send them."

Marco handed over the fat stack of papers over. Conrad grabbed them, patted them down, and turned towards the front of the building. Before he could reach the door, it was kicked wide open by none other than Janna. Marco and Conrad groaned and frowned when they saw it was her.

"Hello, boys!" Janna said cheerfully. "Happy to see me?"

"Not particularly, no," Conrad deadpanned.

"Aw come on, don't be like that." She walked further into the office. "I'm not here to cause trouble, at least not yet. What about you, Diaz?"

"I'd be happier if you didn't cause a ruckus every time," the sheriff responded.

Meanwhile, Star woke from her nap and yawned.

"Oh, hey Janna!" the deputy waved at the infamous bandit.

"See, look at that," Janna said with a smirk. "There's someone that's happy to see me."

"She doesn't count," the mayor replied. "She's happy to see anyone."

"What are you doing here?" Star asked Janna.

"Just to tell all of you that there's a storm approaching this here town," Janna replied. "A gang of five by the name of 'The Lucitors.' The head calls himself 'The Red Baron.'" She took out some papers and handed them to Marco. "His real name is Tom Lucitor. From what people are saying, he's a demon straight from hell. He has the ability to shoot 'Hellfire Bullets' that are capable of melting through any type of armor. He's due to arrive here tomorrow morning."

Marco opened a drawer and brought out a bag containing gold coins. He tossed the bag at Janna, who caught it. "That's your payment for the information," he said.

Janna twirled the bag. "Thank you for your appreciation. I'm going to find a place to stay so I can watch the fight tomorrow, ciao." She exited the office.

Conrad towards the two officers and said, "I've heard about the Red Baron before. He usually targets the towns and areas further to the north. Why would he come to Echo Creek?"

"It doesn't matter why he's coming," Marco replied. "We'll stop him from causing trouble no matter what."

"Good luck." The mayor waved the stack of papers in his hands. "If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I'm off to mail these." He walked out of the office.

Marco turned towards Star. "Looks like we're not done with paperwork for the week just yet." He became concerned by the her look and posture. She was looking at the ground with a sad expression on her face, a far cry from the cheerful demeanor he had grown used to.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm feeling fine. I was just, uh, thinking about something." she replied with forced smile.

"All right. Just remember, I'm always open if you need someone to talk to."

The next day, in the early morning, a cloud of dust approached the small town. The dust was kicked up by five horses galloping in sync with each other. The one riding in the middle was a man with three eyes, two horns, salmon hair, and lilac skin. He wore a bright red outfit, as did the other men. The other four were men who looked like their flesh were decomposing.

Marco and Star stood near the entrance of the town in anticipation. Last night, Star decided to open up to Marco. She revealed that Tom was her ex-boyfriend and was an actual demon from hell.

"Ex-boyfriend?" Marco repeated in surprise.

Star nodded. "I dated him during my rebellious streak. He seemed like a nice guy back then. Back then he would talk about how he would become the greatest bandit in the west, of how people would cower in fear just by the sound of his name."

"What happened between you two?"

"He kept on trying to get me to sleep with him over and over again. I refused each time and he would try to guilt me by saying how much he gave me and how much he loved me when nobody else would. I eventually got tired of him and broke up. But he refuses to give up and swore that I would go back into his arms eventually. He's probably coming because he heard that I was here."

Marco hugged and reassured her, "Don't worry about it. We'll take him and his gang down." A moment of silence passed.

"Hey, Marco?" Star asked.

"Yeah?"

She looked dead straight into his eyes and said, "I want to be the one that takes him down." Her eyes seemed to have a spark in them. Marco knew that he couldn't say no to her request.

The horses stopped by the entrance and the men dismounted.

Tom looked at Marco and scoffed. "So you're the sheriff, huh? You don't look like much." He turned to look at Star. "And Starship, how nice of you to greet me like this. It's been too long since we've seen each other. Are you here to show me around town?"

"Save it for someone who cares," Star replied coldly. "The five of you are under arrest for the trouble that you've caused in other towns."

"What trouble?" Tom mocked. "The only thing we've done is borrow some money."

"You've stolen tons of gold from banks, destroyed homes and bars, kidnapped mayors, and terrorised the sheriffs," Marco said.

"Oh, that," Tom waved him off. "Well, if you want to arrest me so much, you'll have to beat me in a duel, mister sheriff. Just don't cry once you've lost."

"There'll be a duel, but I won't be the you opponent, Deputy Star Butterfly will."

"Deputy Star?" Tom barked out a laugh and the others laughed along. "Oh, that is a good joke! You really think that she can win against me? I've heard about you in the other towns, Star. About how you fall right on your butt during the mock gunfights." The demon continued to laugh. "Well, if the both of you are so sure about it, I won't argue. I'll see you at noon, Starship."

Tom and the outlaws mounted on their horses and rode off. Marco looked at Star, whose face was filled with fury and eyes were brimmed with tears.

The sheriff hugged her and said, "Don't worry about what he said, that's all in the past. What matters now is that you beat him today."

Star wiped off the tears in her eyes. "I'll beat him. And I'll make him pay for what he did."

Marco looked at her and saw that her eyes no longer had the spark from last night. It was replaced a fire burning deep into her soul that was ready to be unleashed.

At noon, the crowds gathered around the center of town. Two gunslingers stood face to face with one another at their ready positions. Slightly crouched down and their hand next to their guns, they were ready to draw within a moment's notice.

"Come on, Starship, we don't have to do this," Tom said with a smile. "Don't you remember all of the good memories that we have?"

"Shut up, Tom," Star replied while glaring at the demon. "The only thing I remember is you being a jerk. And from the reports, you've only grown worse."

Tom smirked at her words. "After this little match, you'll be begging for me to take you back."

Conrad walked in the middle of the two. "This is a duel between the infamous Red Baron, Tom Lucitor, and the deputy of this town, Star Butterfly. The first draw will begin on my mark when I say, 'Draw!' If any one of you unholster your gun before that, you will be automatically disqualified. First bullet to hit the other's main body wins, legs and arms don't count. Each contestant can wear body armor if they wish to do so. If you aim for your opponent's head, Sheriff Marco will shoot your gun out of your hand and the draw will be restarted. Do the both of you understand?"

Tom and Star nodded in response.

"Good. Now, each participant must state their ability."

"My ability is 'Hellfire Bullets.' I can shoot projectiles that can melt through any type of armor," Tom stated.

"My ability is 'Stumble Dodge.' I can dodge any bullet that comes at me by falling down," Star said. The crowd murmured and whispered words of doubt that she could hear clearly.

The demon laughed at her words. "That's your excuse? Falling down being your ability?"

Conrad walked to where the audience was. "Are the two of you ready?"

Star and Tom nodded.

"First draw begins in 10… 9…"

"You should grab that armor while you can, Starship," Tom taunted. "I'm going to be generous to you. You don't have to worry about me using my ability against you."

"I don't need it. You're going to be the one that needs the armor."

"Ooh, feisty. You're just as I remember you, Star."

'I'll just give her a love tap to end this quickly,' Tom thought.

"3… 2… 1… Draw!"

In a speed that can only be described as lightning fast, the two grabbed their guns and aimed. Tom fired the gun first and the bullet went straight towards Star. Star didn't shoot but instead took a step forwards. As soon as Tom's gun fired, she tripped and fell towards her left side. The bullet from Tom's revolver went flying past her. While she was falling, Star aimed her gun and fired. Her bullet hit Tom square in the chest and he fell onto the ground from the force of the projectile. Finally, Star also fell onto the ground. All of those actions happened within one to two seconds. If you blinked, you would've missed it.

Conrad raised his left arm and yelled, "Star Butterfly wins!" He looked around at the crowds of people and saw that they could only stare in surprise.

A single applauding hand came from within the audience. Everyone turned to see who it was and saw that it was Jackie. Janna joined in, then Marco, then Conrad, then the rest of the crowd applauded and cheered for Star.

Star and Tom got up at the same time.

"I demand a rematch!" the demon shouted. "And this time with the sheriff!"

"There are no rematches for duels, Lucitor," the mayor responded. "Once you've lost, you've lost."

"She obviously cheated!"

"What proof do you have of that?"

"Look at her! There's no way someone like her can win against me!"

Marco growled at Tom's words. Conrad looked at the sheriff and shook his head. Marco crossed his arms and mumbled to himself.

The mayor turned his attention back to Tom. "Looks and skill do not have anything to do with one another. Unless you can gather substantial proof, you do not have a valid claim."

Tom growled and signaled his men, who reached for their guns. Marco, Star, Janna, and Conrad shot the outlaw's guns right out of their hands at the same time.

"Don't even think about it," Marco warned. "This town's gunslingers are more than your little gang can handle."

The four men raised their arms up in surrender. The sheriff and deputy turned their attention towards the demon.

"Give it up, Tom," Marco said. "You've already lost."

"This isn't over yet!" Tom snarled. He snapped his fingers and erupted into flames. Everyone covered their eyes to shield from the brightness. Afterwards, he was gone.

"What a coward," Star muttered.

The crowd went towards Star and lifted her up. While the townsfolk were cheering for her, Marco and Conrad went to arrest the four remaining outlaws.

During the evening, a feast was held to celebrate Star's victory.

The mayor made a speech in commemoration. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, we dedicate this feast to our beloved deputy, Star Butterfly."

"Here, here!" the crowd cheered.

Conrad continued, "She has taken down the infamous Red Baron by her own skills alone. And in doing so, she has rid the world of an outlaw who terrorised countless towns for his own sickened pleasure. This town will be forever known as the place that the Lucitor Gang was disbanded!"

He raised a glass to toast, "To Star Butterfly!"

The rest of the people followed. "To Star Butterfly!" they roared.

"And may she serve our town for countless years to come!" the mayor cheered. The crowds cheered along with him.

Star's face blushed from the attention that she was receiving. This day and evening would mark the biggest change of her life. From this moment, she would never be known as the girl who fell down too much. Now, she was the respected deputy of Echo Creek who took down the Red Baron.

Marco brought her into a side hug and smiled. She hugged and smiled back at him.

Any wrongdoers that dare to enter the town of Echo Creek should do well to behave themselves. Otherwise, they'll come face to face with Sheriff Marco Diaz and Deputy Star Butterfly.

Fin.

Star's ability: Stumble Dodge
She falls down in order to evade any bullet that might hit her. She never falls the same way twice in a row. Conrad and Marco trained her to be able to shoot while falling from any direction to take advantage of it.

Marco has no ability and became a sheriff due to quick thinking and skill alone.

Tom's ability: Hellfire Bullets

He superheats a bullet and fires it out. The bullet burns at two thousand degrees celsius. The chamber around the bullet will melt, causing him to be unable to reload for that chamber.

Conrad's ability: Twitch Shot

Conrad shoots all six bullets of his gun in rapid succession with an accuracy near one hundred percent. The arm holding the gun will convulse in pain afterwards, leaving him vulnerable. Even though he has retired from being a gunslinger, he still has to receive massage therapy once every two weeks for his left arm.

Janna's ability: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

If a person is not looking at Janna directly, they will not notice if she steals their possessions.

AN: I hoped you all enjoyed this. I've always had the idea of a wild west story where the gunslingers have unique abilities that gave them a slight edge.