Opening File: Death Card
An American bounty hunter who has a playing card theme with suit symbols being found as his spurs, on his gauntlets, and as a card in his hat. The codename Death Card fits with his work/profession as a bounty hunter. A master combatant as well as being an expert tracker and weapons expert, this bounty hunter is among the best in the world with his ex-wife being a dangerous rival whom he had profitable partnership across the Western Territories, most notably Kansas City. However the two suffered a falling out that ultimately led him to declare a restraining order against her.
Close File
Xxx
"Marriages are considered the happiest moments of one's life but it can also be the most difficult. Some work and others don't." TOM said as the file closed. "And some that fail can warp love into hate. The love of your life becoming your mortal enemy. We are driven to love and even when it does not work out we still try. If you make a mistake don't let it hold you down, go out there and see if you can find your true life partner."
Xxx
"If there's one thing I hate…IT'S WHEN MY PREY MESSES UP MY HAIR!"
She tore off the skirt part of her dress, revealing dark pants and knee high boots underneath along with a belt with gun holsters attached to it.
"A woman's job is never done." She muttered as she took off after the two.
Zeke jumped through the air, firing down at Pearl who spun her spear, using it as a shield again. The two charged each other, Zeke's wrist blades clashing with Pearl's spear that caused sparks to fly. The two combatants seemed equally match despite Pearl being a Gem.
'This is crazy.' Pearl thought as she clashed with Zeke. 'Who would put out a hit on Peridot? No one knows what she is.'
Only the people in Beach City knew about the Gems and even then what they knew was not enough for anyone to learn about Peridot and what she was.
"I got you-" Zeke spoke but stopped when he saw a familiar woman racing through the woods after his prey. "JOSEPHINE!"
He disengaged Pearl and chased after his ex-wife and his targets, leaving a bewildered Pearl behind who stared for a moment…
And remembered she needed to catch Peridot and the human with her.
"Hey, stop!" Pearl shouted, running after the bounty hunter.
In the meantime Peridot and Connie were running as fast as they could to escape the crazed human woman behind them.
"I never liked it when someone turned their back to me." Josephine said, pointing the handle of her parasol at the fleeing Gem and Human.
A chain that was attached to the handle blasted out, shooting straight at Peridot and coiled around her torso, pinning her arms to her side.
"Got ya!" Josephine ginned as she tugged, pulling Peridot off her feet. "Now I hear the one paying me wants you delivered back in shards."
"Peridot!" Connie pulled out her sword.
However Josephine pulled out a revolver and shot the ground in front of Connie, surprising her enough that she stumbled back and fell down.
"Now, now, darling. Don't make things messy." Josephine said, pulling Peridot towards her. "It wouldn't be lady-like of me to shoot a young pretty girl like yourself now, would it?"
"You're no lady, Josephine!"
Narrowing her eyes, Josephine spun and pointed her revolver at her approaching ex-husband. "Late again as usual, Zeke-darling."
"What are you doing here?" Zeke pointed both his index fingers at Josephine, switching them to pistol mode. "This my bounty! And the court says you can't come within a hundred and fifty feet of me."
"You know how it is? Fortunately the money I make here will satisfy them." Josephine said, keeping her revolver trained on Zeke.
As they spoke Peridot's form started to spark and through the chain came a stream of electricity.
"Uh?!" Josephine noticed the electricity and dropped her parasol just in time. "Why you-"
She was cut off as Zeke immediately started shooting, forcing her to duck and run. Peridot grunted as she stood up, the chain slipping off her. "I've had just about enough of this!"
"So have I." Pearl leapt down, landing behind Peridot and slammed the blunt head of her spear into Peridot's head, knocking the green Gem down.
Zeke and Josephine stopped their fighting, noticing Pearl standing over their bounty. "Hey!"
Pearl stopped, watching as the bounty hunters turned to her. "Who are you working for?"
"Client privileges." Ex-husband and wife said as one, aiming their revolvers at the Gems.
"Guess we might be bringing in more than one." Zeke muttered.
"Depends if your aim is any better." Josephine smirked.
"Just watch me woman."
Both bounty hunters shot at the Gems and the girl with them, deciding to take all three of them at once. Pearl spun her spear to deflect the bullets and summoned several clones she directed to attack the hunters who immediately started shooting them down.
Pearl quickly grabbed Peridot and dragged her behind a tree. Once they took cover Pearl then slammed Peridot into the tree. "All right, what did you do to get someone to put a hit out on you?"
"Nothing!" Peridot cried out. "I haven't been near any Earthling settlements in the entire time I've been stuck on this miserable planet. My human charge was assigned to observe the settlements."
"But I never made contact with any of them." Connie replied, taking cover with the Gems. "We don't know why they are here."
Pearl grunted as a bullet shot past her head. "Look, we can't fight each other and them at the same time. You won't be able to escape me or them so…Against my better judgement I suggest a temporary alliance."
"An alliance?! With you?! A Pearl?!" Peridot laughed. "Sure, a Peridot working with a Pearl. They'd never believe such a thing happening at home."
"Well you're not home now so you better smarten up." Pearl snapped.
"And why should I listen to you?!" Peridot pushed Pearl's arm off her. "I don't work with rebels and I sure won't listen to a Pearl who won't stop chasing me. How about you do what you're supposed to do and go out there and look pretty while the superior Gem runs off to live?"
"You have a funny idea what 'superior' is supposed to be." Pearl growled. "I fought a thousand year war for this planet's independence. I'm way past ever following the orders of any so-called superior Gem, including you."
"I'm smarter than the average Peridot and I answer directly to Yellow Diamond herself! You're just some lost defect from the stone age of Gemkind. I am not even supposed to be here but you keep forcing me back!" Peridot shouted.
None of them seemed to notice Zeke and Josephine walking around the tree.
"We didn't want you here in the first place!"
"I don't care what you want!"
"Well, I don't care why you're here!"
"Good! I wasn't going to tell you!"
"Good!"
"Yes, good!"
"Fine, I don't care if they catch and shatter you!"
"Well I don't care either!"
"FINE!"
"FINE!"
"We got you now!" Josephine said as she and Zeke levelled their guns on the Gems.
"SHUT UP!" Peridot aimed her blaster at Zeke while Pearl pulled her spear out at Josephine.
Connie could only watch in shock as both Peridot and Pearl started fighting the hunters. Peridot fired rapid energy blasts at Zeke who was forced to duck while Pearl clashed her spear with Josephine's parasol.
Leaving poor Connie to wonder what had just happened before deciding to join in the fight.
Pearl jumped over Josephine and landed behind, lifting one leg up and spinning on the other she launched a graceful kick at Josephine who ducked and launched a handstand kick in retaliation, hitting Pearl in the chin. Pearl stepped back, grunting from the kick and blocked the blade at the end of Josephine's parasol. Josephine followed up with a series of kicks and umbrella strikes which Pearl would block or dodge and would counterattack with a series of sweeps, kicks and swipes. Finally seeing an opening Pearl grabbed Josephine's leg in the middle of a kick and threw her away.
Josephine opened her umbrella and floated back down to the ground safely. Pearl rushed forward, jumping up and launching an aerial kick at Josephine who dodged. Spinning her spear in her hand Pearl launched a series of slashes and thrusts that were all quickly blocked by Josephine's parasol. Josephine pulled out a revolver and shot at Pearl who hastily dodged, jumping off her and somersaulting backwards.
While in mid-air Pearl aimed and fired an energy blast from her spear, hitting and destroying Josephine's revolver.
"Ugh!" Josephine grunted as she dropped the remains of her gun. "You know how much those cost?"
Landing on the ground Pearl threw her spear and Josephine opened her parasol, channeling her Aura to turn it into a shield. The spear bounced off the parasol and Josephine closed it, watching as Pearl charged at her, leaving herself open. Smirking Josephine extended the blade hidden in the end of her umbrella and stabbed forward at Pearl…
Only for Pearl to jump over the blade, leaving a clone in her place to be stabbed.
Pearl twisted her body and kicked Josephine in the face, knocking the bounty hunter back. Pearl stood up and caught her spear before spinning and swinging it with enough force she knocked Josephine's parasol out of her hands. Josephine quickly tried to grab her last revolver but Pearl slammed the blunt end of her spear into Josephine's head, leaving the bounty hunter in a daze. Pearl then followed up with a series of blows until finally Josephine fell to the ground, completely knocked out and likely to have a headache when she woke up.
Meanwhile Peridot was savagely blasting at Zeke who was firing back at her with his gatling fingers. Much to his surprise however Peridot was seemingly immune as the bullets bounced off her body.
"You can't hurt me!" Peridot shouted, continuing to shoot green energy bolts at the hunter.
Her shots didn't come close to hitting Zeke, due to the fact she was wildly firing and not taking the time to properly aim.
"Girl, you have a lot of issues." Zeke commented, shifting his bionic hands back to normal. "I'll make this quick."
He shifted his bionic hands to heart mode, electrifying his gauntlets as he reached out to grab Peridot's arm. He grabbed her and sent a shock through her, making her cry out for a second but unknown to Zeke he had actually given her the chance to win. She connected her fingers, forming them into a rod that touched Zeke's chest, proceeding to absorb the electricity and channel it into the hunter. Zeke cried out from being electrocuted again and even when he stopped Peridot just channeled her own electricity, overloading Zeke's bionic hands and frying them while the hunter himself collapsed, his form now slightly smoking.
"Ha!" Peridot laughed triumphantly. "You thought you could capture me?! Too bad you were no match for my superior intellect and skills."
Zeke let out a small groan before finally losing consciousness.
"Finally, something goes right for a change." Peridot turned around…
Only come face to face with Pearl's spear. "You were saying?"
"…Oh." Peridot grumbled.
Connie held out her sword but Pearl summoned her own sword, a cutlass and pointed it at her. "Don't even think about it."
"What are you planning?" Peridot asked.
"You're going to answer my questions right here and now. If you weren't here to reactivate the Kindergarten what were you here for?" Pearl questioned.
"I'm not telling you anything." Peridot barked.
Pearl narrowed her eyes, glancing down at the downed bounty hunter. "We'll get back to this. First I want to know who put out a hit on you. If either of you try to run I won't be as nice as I have been up to now."
She lowered her spear and knelt down next to Zeke, searching through his clothes until she found something and pulled it out. "Ah-ha!"
"What is it?" Connie asked as Pearl stood up.
"It's called a Tablet. A communication and data storage device made by the species on this planet." Pearl said, opening the tablet and showing the screen. "This one's been heavily modified to be durable against hazards, even electrical ones."
"I wouldn't have thought such a device existed." Peridot commented, lowering her blaster and leaned forward to get a better look.
"I need a pass code." Pearl frowned, seeing lines of numbers appear on the screen. "But I might be able to hack my way through it."
She held the tablet up to her gemstone and from it came a beam of light into the tablet and a few seconds later the screen changed, accepting the code.
"What did you do?" Connie asked.
"I sent the table through my gemstone and tried every possible combination until I stumbled on the right one." Pearl answered, lowering the tablet.
Connie looked surprised. "A Pearl can do that?"
"And a lot more." Pearl scrolled through the contact information. "Here's the most recent one."
She pressed her hand on the recent contact and watched as call was made.
And a second later it was answered.
"Ah, you successfully terminated the Gems?" A cultured voice asked as a rather large man appeared on the screen. "Don't be afraid to tell me all the breaking details."
"I'm sure a friend of mine would rather do the breaking in person." Pearl retorted, showing her face to the man who looked shocked now.
"WHAT?! Another one?!" The man exclaimed, standing up. "A Pearl?! How many of you walking rocks are on this planet?!"
"Enough." Pearl answered. "Who are you and why did you send those bounty hunters after us?"
"The one who will be taking everything from this planet." The man smirked and reached up to his face, peeling it off to reveal what he truly was.
"A PLUTARKIAN?!" Peridot and Pearl exclaimed.
"Yes, I am Plutarkian." The fish like creature said with a grin. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lawrence Limburger of the Plutarkian Confederation."
"What are you doing sticking your fat noses in Gem business?" Peridot snapped. "You can't have this planet."
"For once I agree with her. The Plutarkian Confederation will not have this planet." Pearl agreed.
"You think I care what a bunch of parasite space rocks say?" Lawrence retorted. "We Plutarkians take what we when we want it and there is nothing you or the Diamonds or even Rose Quartz can say that will stop us."
"We'll see about that." Pearl argued. "So you sent out a hit on Peridot when you found out there were Gems coming here from Homeworld."
"Yes and I do know about a band of Gem rebels on this planet as well. The only reason I haven't wiped you out yet is because it amuses me to see you rocks shatter each other. Perhaps when you are all destroyed I'll take your shards and see if they can be useful to us." Lawrence chuckled.
"Good luck with that. The Crystal Gems are still the guardians of this planet." Pearl remarked. "We'll fight you, Homeworld and anyone else that comes here."
"Ha! Typical Gem arrogance. Acting so high and mighty." Lawrence growled, looking very angry now. "How it will please me to wipe your stain off this planet and perhaps the rest of the universe when we turn your own weapon against you."
"Weapon?" Pearl asked as Peridot's eyes widened.
"The Cluster!" Peridot grabbed the tablet. "What have you done with the Cluster?!"
"It's not what we've done. It's what we will make from it and I suppose you should know we are not the only ones here." Lawrence smiled evilly. "So many of them old friends, like Vilgax for one."
"Vilgax?!" Peridot screamed with widened eyes.
"Oh you didn't know, little Peridot." Lawrence laughed. "Yes, he's here and he's not the only friend of the Gem Empire who happens to be on this planet. You'll see…You'll see." With that Lawrence ended the call.
"Vilgax the Destroyer is on this planet?!" Peridot turned away in hysteria. "This is a nightmare! It was bad enough when I was just trapped here but to be trapped here with him and Plutarkians?! Is there ever going to be some good news?!"
"Peridot!" Pearl grabbed Peridot by the shoulder and spun her around. "You heard him. What has Homeworld done?"
Peridot gulped, looking very terrified now. "…We have to get off this planet now. We have to warn the Diamonds that Vilgax and the Plutarkians were here and-"
"PERIDOT!" Pearl shook the green Gem. "What did they do?!"
"It's a Gem Geo-Weapon!"
Both Pearl and Peridot stopped and looked at Connie who looked very afraid. "We have to tell her."
Peridot looked back and forth between them, before holding up her fingers. "Let me show you….The Cluster."