Chapter 12: Sango's Slip of the Tongue
Sango woke up to a knocking on the Shrine's door as the three professors entered.
"Sorry to have woken you, Sango," Dr. Ingles frowned, "But it's time to reactivate the viewing screen and system."
"Right," Sango groaned as a strong scent entered her nose, "What is that smell? It smells good."
"That?" Dr. Ericsson asked, "That's the coffee in my Thermos."
"Thermos?" Sango asked, "What's a Thermos?"
"You keep water in canteens and gourds, right?" Dr. Ericsson asked as Sango nodded, "Well, imagine if that canteen were made of a material that could keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for several hours. That's basically a Thermos. A metal travel container that could keep hot drinks and soups hot for hours."
"Really?" Sango gasped, "When were these invented?"
"Well, let's see…" Dr. Ericsson said reaching for what looked like some sort of glowing flat rectangle that had some imagery and lettering on it, "It's currently 2024, and the first one was invented in 1904, so about 120 years ago. Approximately 400 years from where you're from."
"I wonder if Arthur ever owned one…" Sango asked as the screen came on again. Taking whatever food that the doctors offered her, she watched as Arthur stirred awake after lying flat on his back all night and clutching his head. A slight sprinkling was falling on his body as the sounds of rain nearing approached.
"Huh?" Arthur groaned as he realized from his throbbing head what had happened, "Oh, you moron, Morgan…" He struggled to stumble to his feet as he kept self-insulting himself, "You moron…not again…" As soon as he got to his feet, he suddenly hunched over and regurgitated in the tall grass he was just lying on.
"Yikes," Sango winced, "I've seen drunkenness before, but nothing like this…"
Arthur took a few moments to eat some food in his satchel to regain his composure, then whistled for his horse. Unfortunately, he was nowhere within earshot to his horse.
"Every time…" Arthur groaned as he realized that he'd have to walk. It's a good thing he did, though, because it was then that he noticed some edible mushrooms lying near his feet. He crouched down to pick them up, chuckling to himself.
"Hmm. Parasol mushrooms," He observed, "Sango will like these."
"Huh?" Sango blushed, "What does he- Oh right. His horse." She gave Michiru's slumbering form in the tank a small smile and resumed watching as he knelt to pick up another and eat it before whistling again.
"Still no sign of Sango," Arthur sighed, "Well, I'd better have a look around."
He ran to the top of the hill to see a small building with a wood floor, a small water tower, and a windmill. There was even a small pig sty near it.
"Hmm, looks like a small train station," Arthur said, "Better go check it out."
He ran to the station. Alongside that back of it were tall cross-shaped pillars in the ground that seemed to have some ropes slightly stretched along them.
"What are those?" Sango asked pointing to them.
"Electric and telegraph wires," Dr. Garter explained, "People found ways of spreading information easily by converting letters in their alphabets into patterns of clicks and pauses in between clicks. They call it Morse Code. For a time, those poles were exclusively for telegraph messages spread from town to town. Then in the 1800's, more and more experimenting with electricity is done. In 1850, a British scientist known as Joseph Swan invents a device known as a lightbulb that can shine without a source of flame, but it can't stay lit for long. About thirty years later, an American inventor known as Thomas Edison takes Swan's invention and sucks the air out of it with a vacuum and replaces the wire inside with a thread of carbonized bamboo. The light shines for nearly 1200 hours, and thus the first long lasting electrical system is born. But the means to make it are costly, and the only people who can afford it are the insanely rich and large towns or city governments. It takes nearly forty years after Edison invents this long-lasting bulb before it's made affordable enough for the general public to own it in their houses, but eventually it becomes required by law to install electrical systems into houses."
Arthur staggered to the station spotting an old friend in one of the windows.
"Reverend!" Arthur called out, "Swanson, you hear me?" He saw a big set of green doors and opened them.
"Come on, what's the holdup?" A stranger on the left side of the table in a red shirt with a black vest and derby hat asked as Arthur saw the camp's holy man, Reverend Swanson, playing poker with a pair of drunks, "Play you damn hand!"
"Mr. Morgan," Reverend Swanson greeted, "I took your advice, sir. I took your advice."
"Then your God has finally deserted you," Arthur retorted, "What you talking about?"
"I took your advice sir," Swanson said again as he stumbled to get up. Clearly, he was drunk too. "I have removed myself from Morpheus's embrace." He got in Arthur's face putting his hands on his shoulders to steady himself, "No more shall I sink, sir. I am free, I am free!"
"You don't seem free, friend. You seem drunk." Arthur grumbled.
"Sit down friend, we ain't finished," The stranger in red called out.
"You ain't finished?" Arthur asked incredulously gesturing to Swanson, "Look at him. he's finished."
"None of us forced liquor down his throat, friend," The stranger protested, "I-I just wanted him to play."
Slamming his hands on the table, Arthur got out as the stranger winced, "Now firstly, we ain't friends. Don't make no mistake on that subject." He then gestured back to Swanson, "Now secondly, he can't hardly see, let alone reason." Glaring menacingly, Arthur continued with a slow menacing tone, "Now reasoning ain't never been one of my strong points, neither, but seeing I do just fine. You wanna step outside, or deal with business here?"
"I just want him to finish the game!" The stranger protested.
"Why can't we all just get long?" Swanson protested, "These are good men, Arthur. They're children of God…" He started to sway as he repeated, "They're children of God…" Then he collapsed onto the floor.
"Oh….well," The stranger observed before gesturing to Arthur, "How's about you play in his place, huh? That seems fair."
"Fair?" Arthur asked.
"Sure. You wanna game?"
Arthur looked at the round table, and then nodded.
"Sure, I'll play a few hands." He nodded.
"Well, sit yourself down then," The stranger gestured to Swanson's empty seat as Arthur sat down not noticing Reverend Swanson crawling out of the room outside.
"I'm Luther," The man in red said, "This is Marvin."
"Fortunate for you both we're being gentlemen about this," Marving stated as Luthor started to shuffle a deck of cards.
"Same goes for you," Arthur answered as he was handed two cards and looked at them. It was the queen of spades and the ten of clubs. A decent hand, but the Reverend only had $1.22 left while Marvin had $7.78 and Luther had $2.18. This would surely be an uphill battle.
"So," Marvin began, "How you two know each other anyway? Don't seem like the likeliest of friends, if you don't mind me saying."
"We go a long way back," Arthur answered.
"And now you're his chaperone?"
"I guess it's something like that…" Arthur admitted before annoyingly barking out, "Can we play?" He then raised the pot by fourteen cents, "I know. Ain't too exciting."
"He can't be no real clergyman," Marvin stated with a chuckle as he called that with Luther following suit, "He committed about five cardinal sins just in that chair you're sitting in."
"I think he used to be," Arthur began, "He's…drifted a little in recent years." He watched as Luther laid three more cards on the table. The eight of hearts, the queen of diamonds, and the seven of clubs. So far, he had a pair of queens and a possible straight in total. This was good. "Life's a challenge…for all of us."
"Could you imagine him at the pulpit?" Marvin asked, "If he could stand up." He then changed his voice to imitate a drunked Reverend Swanson, "'On the fourth day, He created whiskey…and I don't remember much after that…'" As he started to chuckle.
"What is he talking about?" Sango asked.
"Christian beliefs," Dr. Ingles replied, "Christians believe that their God created the earth in seven days, and in their holy scripture known as the Bible it verses what all he did during those seven days by starting with 'On the first day…' 'On the second day…' You get the idea."
Arthur laid four cents on the table as they both called.
"He's a decent feller going through a bad time," Arthur said, "Disrespect him again, and you'll find yourself in a bad time too."
"Arthur really does care about his friends despite his demeanor," Sango smiled as Luther laid another card on the table. The ace of diamonds. Now that complicated things. If someone had an ace in their hand, then he no longer had an advantage with this hand and cards on the table. Not to mention his straight attempt was gone now. Was it worth the risk?
"Alright, alright, just trying to have a little fun here," Marvin said, "It is a game after all, mister."
Arthur didn't put anything on the table opting to check as the others did the same. Luther laid the final card on the table. The ten of hearts. Now this was interesting. Arthur now had a two-pair. Even if one of his opponents had an ace, it wouldn't matter unless they made a pair themselves. He set twenty cents on the table.
"That's all I got," He said.
"Fine," Marvin answered putting twenty cents on the table with Luther doing the same. They then revealed their respective hands.
"Have a look at these," Arthur stated confidently putting his hand out.
"Pile of crap…" Marvin grumbled revealing the eight of clubs and the six of diamonds. All he had was as a pair of eights.
"Big pile of nothing…" Luthor sighed revealing his hand. The queen of hearts and the jack of diamonds. He had a pair of queens like Arthur did, but nothing else. Arthur won.
"Come on!" Arthur smirked.
"For Christ's sakes!" Marvin swore out loud.
"Mm-hmm! Yes! Come on!" Arthur celebrated before scooping the pot into his arms and neatly arranging it with his other money as Luther handed Arthur the deck.
"So…Arthur won the game?" Sango asked.
"No, just that round," Dr. Ericsson explained, "The game doesn't stop until Arthur runs out of money, his opponents run out of money, or he or the others decide to quit. Now it's his turn to shuffle the deck and deal."
"Gentlemen," Arthur began starting to rise from his seat, "This is getting too rich for me." He turned to leave.
"Sit down," Luther offered.
"Oh, I'm done, friend," Arthur waved off, "It's been a real education. Come on, Rev-" But he got cut off noticing Reverend Swanson wasn't there anymore. "Where is he? Where'd he go?"
"Who?" Luther asked.
"The Reverend, where is…" Then he noticed the open doo behind him before scowling and stomping out, "Excuse me, gentlemen." Going outside he annoyedly called out, "Reverend! Reverend Swanson! Where'd you go…?"
He spotted to men to his right, and went to them.
"'Scuse me, I'm sorry," He began getting their attention, "Y-You seen a drunken idiot, a priest, wandering about?"
"Sure," A man in blue answered, "We saw him…smelt him…and avoided him." Letting out a chuckle, he pointed out, "He went that way, I think."
"Thanks…"
"Guy looked kinda crazy, mister."
"Oh, you have no idea…" Arthur grumbled as he went in the direction pointed at calling out, "Have you lost your mind?! What are you doing?! Reverend!"
"Mr. Morgan!" The faint voice of Swanson called out, "A hand here, please!"
Running to where Swanson called out, he encountered a man in blue with his hands around poor Reverend Swanson's neck.
"Hey! Get your hands off him!" Arthur warned out.
"You stay out of it!" The stranger called back as he tossed Swanson back.
"Get your hands off him now, you son-of-a-bitch!" Arthur snarled.
"What the hell's your problem?"
"He's with me."
They scuffled hand to hand as Arthur blocked many blows, delivered several, kicked him when he was down, and laid him out with a haymaker after he got back up.
"Oh my god!" A shepherd nearby called out, "You killed him! I'm gonna get the law on you!"
He took off running as Arthur knew he couldn't let him alert the authorities. After looting the man he killed, he took a gold pocket watch and a health cure bottle.
"Hey you!' Arthur called out to the witness, "Get back here!" He chased him down a hill and along a trail leading to under a massive bridge, "I said stop, damn it!" Noting the tone in his voice, the shepherd stopped as Arthur went to him.
"Okay, okay," The shepherd conceded realizing he wasn't going to outrun Arthur, "Please don't hurt me?"
"You tell anyone what you saw back there, you're a dead man!" Arthur warned, "Ya understand me?"
"Yep! I…" The shepherd began, "…I won't tell a soul, I promise."
"Good," Arthur nodded, "Now get the hell out of here." Looking around, he then spotted something really bad. That drunken Reverend had wandered onto the bridge, and this bridge was not for horses, carriages, and especially not for pedestrian drunkards.
"Reverend!" Arthur called out, "Get off the damn tracks!" Rushing uphill as fast as he could, he called back out, "Are you crazy?!" It was a very steep climb up on foot, and was rocky. Arthur even stumbled once before regaining his footing before making it up and turning left to intercept the Reverend who was already nearly halfway across. Arthur ran to him as fast as he could while taking a dose of Bitters to regain his exhausting stamina.
"Come on, my friend!" Arthur called out seeing Swanson standing in the very center of the bridge in between the tracks and assuming the worst as he rushed across the bridge to get to him, "It's just a simple mistake! You can…still be…s-saved!"
"Oh no!" Sango spoke, "Is he…trying to-"
But as Arthur got near, it was clear that Swanson had his foot caught between two planks in the bridge.
"What have you done with your foot?" Arthur called out stopping behind the Reverend.
"It appears to like this place and wants to stay," Swanson answered still struggling to get loose as Arthur knelt to help pull it out, but no sooner had he knelt when a train was seen coming towards them both.
"Get your foot outta there, twist your leg, you drunken bastard!" Arthur hissed as he tried to pry it out as Sango's eyes went wide. She didn't know much about trains, but that thing clearly was not something one wanted to collide with head on!
"Oh no!" Sango cried, "This is it! The bet's over, and-"
But suddenly, Arthur and Swanson did manage to loosen his foot.
"Got it! Come on!" Arthur called as they both dove to the ledge of the bridge and hung narrowly missing it as it whizzed on by. As soon as it was gone, Swanson's drunk and limp body held onto Arthur's shoulder for support as they hobbled off the bridge.
"Th-Thank you, sir…' Swanson thanked before trying to get away as soon as they were off it.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah…oh no you…don't!" Arthur hissed back tossing him into the grass below Sango the horse who had managed to find Arthur from out of nowhere, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Really!" Sango got out still watching, "You almost got the both of you killed!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Swanson countered, "Throwing me off a bridge like that!"
"There was a goddamn train, you crazy bastard!" Arthur roared out as Swanson started whimpering.
"Have I bad again, Mr. Morgan?" Swanson asked, "I'm sorry…" Then he started blubbering in realization, "I wish I was different…"
Shaking his head, Arthur sighed and patted Reverend Swanson on the back.
"Let's get you home," He offered.
"Home?" Swanson asked, "Yeah, that's a wonderful idea. I could have tea with Margaret."
"Margaret? Who's Margaret?" Arthur asked.
"I…" Swanson began before falling back down on the grass dead drunk and fast asleep.
Arthur shook his head, picked up his carcass from the ground, and stowed him lying on his stomach on Sango's hind-quarters. Then he got onto her saddle and rode back to Horseshoe Overlook.
"I told him…" Swanson mumbled in his sleep.
"What are you mumbling about now?"
Arthur rode faster and faster as the combination of the movements and drunkenness was causing Reverend Swanson to get seasick as he grumbled and moaned in protest.
"Will you shut up?"
Thankfully, this station and bridge was only a stone's throw away from Horseshoe Overlook. Arthur found their camp on the cliff ledge in the forest and hitched Sango to the rack. He then lifted Swanson's dead drunk carcass off his horse's ass and then hauled him on his shoulder to his bed under some tents. Everyone watched and grumbled like this wasn't the first time this had happened.
"I was wondering when he'd show up," Molly O'Shea grumbled as Arthur passed her.
Arthur dropped the Reverend on his bedroll which bolted him awake.
"You better sleep your way to salvation, my friend," Arthur said as Miss Grimshaw walked up.
"Oh, what happened?" She demanded.
"Just…the usual," Arthur answered gesturing to Swanson struggling to crawl into his bedroll.
"Poor bastard…" Miss Grimshaw frowned.
"Exactly."
"Well, thank you, Mr. Morgan," Grimshaw grumbled, "I'll…keep an eye on him."
"He was lucky this time," Arthur nodded, "Real lucky."
He rode out of camp after seeing there was nothing worth doing there and made his way a bit out. Eventually he spotted a carriage by a set of rocks and next to it was a woman digging in a massive pit. Maybe that was something worth doing.
"Did the university send you?" She asked not looking up, "Because if they did, they can get lost. I have never been so insulted in my life, really, laughed at. Balderdash." Turning to Arthur she asked, "Are you quite certain you're not a spy? Those wretched will do anything to destroy me…my theories are correct, and I can prove it!"
"What're you doing?" Arthur asked.
"I am the leading amateur paleontologist in the nation," She began, "And not one university will hire me because unlike them, I actually have ideas."
"You're a what?" Arthur asked.
"I study dinosaurs," She explained, "You know…big lizards."
"Are they real?" Arthur asked. He had heard of these things, but never put much into the idea of them as ever being real.
"Of course they're real, you nincompoop," The paleontologist scolded, "And everywhere."
Looking around, Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked, "Everywhere?"
"This state was once a vast shallow sea," The paleontologist explained, "That had the most incredible animal that would walk, swim, and fly. Quite unique. I call it 'Totalisaurus' just for now. I'm trying to gather all the evidence." She held out her hand, "Miss Deborah MacGuiness."
Taking it and shaking it Arthur nodded and said, "Arthur."
"Good to meet ya," Miss MacGuiness greeted, "Uh, could ya give me a hand here, please?"
She gestured to a giant piece of bone sticking out of the ground that had been recently dug up.
"Course," Arthur nodded getting to one side of the bone as they lifted it up together.
"Listen," She began, "If you find any of these bones around the country, send them to my homestead at Firwood Rise in Cumberland Forest. Or mail me the locations." Getting the bone into the cart, she said, "I'll reward you handsomely for your efforts."
"Sure, why not?" Arthur agreed.
"And we'll be proving a lot of stuck-up buffoons very, very wrong," She smirked, "Which, trust me, is the very best thing about science." Getting in her cart, she lifted her arm and called out, "Good day to you, sir!" Then rode off.
Once she was gone, Arthur looked around the field he was on and spotted some wild carrots growing in the dirt. He happily uprooted them and ate one stowing the rest. As day began to become night, he pulled out his bow and went hunting. As soon as he was done, he stowed the pronghorn carcass he had killed, stowed it to Sango's backside, mounted Sango's back, and rode back to camp.
Once there, he unhooked the carcass off his horse and carried it to Pearson's tent.
"Mr. Pearson," He greeted.
"Do you realize you look like a backstreet butcher, Mr. Morgan?" Pearson asked gesturing to all the deer blood on his clothes. Arthur ignored him and donated the meat and carcass to Pearson for the camp's rations. As he donated, Pearson droned on about some trapper who collected pelts from hunters to turn them into unique outfits, and put some locations of his camps and setups on Arthur's map.
Arthur then took a glance at Strauss and remembered Thomas Downes. He owed them money, and it was time to pay up. For now, though, it was time to get some sleep as he eyed his tent, wagon, and cot before turning in for the night.
"Where's Kagome?" Sango asked frowning, "She should be here by now."
"She said she was going to watch over Inuyasha all day today," Dr. Ericsson explained, "Maybe you should go check on them for now. You're permitted to go inside exclusively for his sake."
"I'll do just that," Sango agreed heading out of the Shrine and indoors. She went up to Michiru's room where Inuyasha was starting to recover as he and Kagome were both watching that gruesome scene from the future that Kagome had had the doctors save and move to a file that was playing. Inuyasha shook his head at the sight of thousands of clones of himself getting mowed down like dandelions in a tornado.
"That's what Michiru's been doing since he left?" Inuyasha called out, "As much as I'd like to rise out of this bed and retaliate, I….don't think I'd stand a chance. Especially if these….clones are even stronger, faster, and tougher than I am."
"Yeah," Kagome frowned, "At first, I thought that was a lucky shot, but….I guess not…"
"Well, this is a good sign nonetheless," Inuyasha smirked, "If Michiru can knock me out and butcher armies of me, then he's just what we need against Fushizenna."
"Perhaps," Kagome admitted, "But the terms in which he helps us, despite being my idea in the first place, gives me the shudders."
"Imagine how I feel," Sango muttered, "If no one betrays Arthur or anyone close to him on that team, I have to serve Michiru forever and never see my children or any potential grandchildren I might ever have."
"Mew," Kirara cried sadly nuzzling Sango's ankle as Sango smiled and scratched between her ears.
"Thanks, Kirara," Sango smiled, "Michiru's angry with you too, huh? I'm sorry, Kirara. This is all my fault…"
"We need to make sure Shippo finds something, anything, Michiru would fight for that wasn't involved and he bears no ill-will against," Kagome said, "I honestly think that's our best bet, but what could something like that possibly be?"
"I don't know," Inuyasha admitted, "But I do know two things: Firstly, Fushizenna might recover at any moment, and if he does another well-timed shot to his eye is the only thing that will keep him out of the game. That means Kagome should go back to protect Kaede's Village for now."
"And secondly?" Kagome asked.
"Secondly, Shippo probably has Kohaku's help in this along with our children, but an extra pair of eyes is also a good idea," Inuyasha said, "As soon as I recover, I'm going back to helm the search party find what we're looking for, and Kirara? You should come too."
"Mew," Kirara nodded.
"What about me?" Sango asked.
"You are needed here, Sango," Inuyasha said, "You need to be here to witness if any betrayal happens in that…Animus program. Now, I should be back to traveling state after a day or two. Kagome, you and Kirara go back right now. I'll join you shortly."
"Alright," Kagome nodded, "Come on, Kirara. We're going home."
The two-tail hopped on Kagome's shoulder as they headed out. Sango assumed that Arthur might be waking soon, so she exited Michiru's bedroom and went back downstairs to look into the Animus. Everyone had their own assignment now, and Inuyasha sat in his bed irked that he was the last one to attend to his at the moment.
I can't believe what I just saw and was told! The half-demon spoke to himself incredulously. I…I know vengeance drives people to drown their grief in aggressive behavior, but…who would've thought Michiru would grow so full of hate to become powerful enough to single-handedly slaughter armies!
Lying on his back, Inuyasha's thoughts went back to something someone told him long ago. Something he never quite understood before, but now was starting to see.
Everything happens for a good reason. He thought. Although I should never point this out, the truth is that even if Michiru were still with us, he probably wouldn't be strong enough to face Fushizenna, but now due to all his hatred and anger pushing him so far, he is. I guess…that's the good reason we betrayed him. So that he'd go away and become powerful enough to kill Fushizenna once and for all…if not for other reasons as well.
This thought made Inuyasha gasp in realization in regard to something that happened long ago when he too was betrayed and harbored vengeful feelings towards someone he loved due to someone else's trickery as again realization dawned on him.
Just like…I probably wouldn't be as powerful as I am now if that betrayal never happened and I never harbored a desire for revenge against…Kikyo… He thought solemnly. He never assumed anything good came from that terrible tragedy, but now he realized good did come from it, and something good had become of them betraying Michiru.
Fushizenna… He snarled inwardly. You'd better hope you don't do anything to betray Michiru! Heh! I think you have your claws full as it is already!
Sango made her way back to the lab, and was happy to see it was daylight in the Old West, and Arthur Morgan was breakfasting on another bowl of Pearson's stew made from the meat Arthur brought in last night. He walked around came before downing it, then got on Sango's back heading northwest a bit.
"Let's go, Sango," Arthur soothed as they rode along the riverbed. Eventually, his ride was stopped by a voice.
"Help! Please! Anyone!" The voice called out as Arthur turned to see a bearded man with a bowl cut all dressed in white stumbling to the trail as he fell on the grass, "Oh, Christ, please help me! Arthur got off Sango's back and looked at a wound in the man's leg.
"I got bit, oh God!" The man said shaking in fear, "I need medicine…or a siphon…" He then arched backwards groaning and yelling in pain and fear. Arthur shook his head.
"Alright…alright" He grumbled, "…quit moaning." He knelt down beside the stranger's leg, put his lips to it, and sucked the wound to suck out the venom before spitting it out.
"Oh God…" The man said, "Thank you."
Arthur clasped the man on his shoulder and said, "Let's…keep this between us."
"You saved my life," The man said, "I owe you…"
"You got that right…" Arthur grumbled before going back to Sango.
"I do…" The man confirmed, "Now I…I gotta get outta here. Don't much like it around here, no more."
Watching this all, Sango smiled. Arthur got past his insecurities over awkwardness to save a life, and it made her happy to see. She watched with a smile as Arthur rode and rode to a small farm near the river and hoped that she would see more happy memories of Arthur's past here.
Arthur got off Sango's back and called out.
"Downes! Where are you?" He shouted approaching the farmhouse, "Thomas Downes!" He then went to the barn, "Downes?!" He burst into the double doors, but still saw no one. He looked out to a pigsty, but still no weaselly do-gooder with a bad cough.
"Oh, Mr. Downes…?!" Arthur called out losing patience, but then he spotted the hat of the man that broke up the fight between Arthur and Tommy in a vegetable garden raking.
"You," Mr. Downes spoke recognizing Arthur, "Uh. Whatever do you want?" He then started coughing a bit as Arthur leapt over the wooden fence to the garden.
"Mr. Thomas Downes…" Arthur said as he started walking up to him, "…you owe me money."
"Oh, no, no, no, I'm…I'm…." Mr. Downes struggled.
"We ain't a charity, Mr. Downes," Arthur said with a shrug as he eyed Mr. Downes tightening his grip on his rake, "Really?"
Mr. Downes tried to swing the rake at Arthur, but he caught it in his hand and gave him a good sock in the face as he fell to the floor taking a pleading stance.
"Please," He pleaded, "I have a family sir, please."
Bending down to look him in the eyes, Arthur growled out, "I don't care…about your family." He punctuated this by giving him a kick across the dirt.
"You have to be more reasonab-" Mr. Downes pleaded only to be answered with another punch to his face. Sango watched as was starting to frown and tear up a bit.
Stalking Mr. Downes as he crawled through some corn, he grumbled, "Why'd it have to come to this, huh?"
"Believe me, sir. I didn't want this either," Downes pleaded.
Annoyed, Arthur grabbed Downes by the throat, lifted him up a big, and balled his fist threateningly.
"You ain't such a do-gooder, are you?" Arthur snarled, "If you're running out on debts."
"I-I'm not running anywhere," Downes protested, "I…I…I'm doing my best for you."
Arthur considered this for a second before lifting Downes back to his feet only to shove him back down.
"You are a slippery little bastard…" Arthur smirked with a menacing smile, "But I got you now!"
"Please. Please," Downes begged backing away, "Show some compassion. Please." Trying again, he begged, "Be reasonable!"
This angered Arthur who ignored Thomas Downes's sudden coughing fit as he struggled along the fence to get to his feet. He turned him around to look him in the eyes.
"You borrowed money from my business partner, Herr Strauss," He reminded him with an angry snarl, "You owe him. You took the money. He wants it back. What's not to understan-?" But he got cut off as Thomas Downes had another coughing fit that drew blood that got spat into Arthur's mouth. He hurriedly spit it out and turned back to him.
"Where's our money?!" Arthur demanded.
"I don't have it…" Downes sobbed.
Arthur turned to the farmhouse and shrugged.
"Sell your place," He said.
"We already owe more than it's worth," Downes sobbed.
"Then sell your wife, or your family, or something!" Arthur demanded ignoring two people that had just came from the farmhouse and were rushing to where the two of them were, "We ain't your idea of charity! Is that clear?!"
"Sell his wife or family?" Sango gasped, "How…how could anyone suggest such a thing?"
Sighing, Arthur shoved Thomas to the ground and started walking away.
"Thomas!" A woman's voice cried out. A voice that could only be Thomas's wife.
"What are you looking at?!" Arthur growled out at her giving Arthur a nasty look.
"Thomas…" The woman said.
"I said what you looking at, woman?!" Arthur demanded.
"My husband isn't well," She explained, "If we could just have more…"
"Like I said, we ain't nobody's idea of charity," Arthur said again as the woman and her teenage son went to check on Thomas who was still writhing on the ground, "GET US THE MONEY!"
He rode and rode Sango all the way back to camp. Sango, watching the screen, just slumped onto the couch. She had hoped after that snakebite that she would see more goodwill from Arthur. Instead, all she saw was an angry man threatening a sickly man and his family for money.
"Hmph," Sango snorted, "I'm no stranger to someone demanding financial compensation forcefully, but my husband never would have gone so far as to beat someone up if they didn't give him what he wanted! Especially if they were sick or weakened!"
Suddenly, as soon as she said this, there was a bubbling in the tank as Sango gasped. Michiru's sleeping form inside was thrashing about and jerking around. His eyebrows were twitching violently as some monitors were beeping.
"Oh my God!" Dr. Garter spoke, "Blood pressure and heartrate are going up drastically! Body heat up to ninety degrees F. Borderline feverish! What's going on?"
Suddenly, the screen began to flicker and flash as bolts of lightning amongst the rain made the Animus start to surge with energy as the doctors looked at the screen.
"Brain activity shows hostile focuses emotions," Dr. Garter pointed out, "He's not dreaming anymore, he's awake! And he's…trying to hack into the system!"
"What…what does that mean?" Sango asked as suddenly Michiru's body calmed down as his vitals returned to normal. The screen stopped flickering as they turned to the screen. The familiar image of Arthur's back was seen as he rode upon Sango, but…something was off.
"Wait…" Dr. Garter said, "…this isn't the foresty area Arthur was riding on. It's a forest, yes, but those…are bamboo shoots amongst the trees…"
Arthur tugged on Sango's reins as he turned around. His face was down, and his hat exposed to them all.
"Oh really?" The image on the screen spoke, but…it wasn't Arthur's voice at all. The hat rose as everyone's eyes went wide at the face underneath it.
"What…?" Dr. Garter gasped, "M-M-M-Michiru…?"
"Yep, that's my name, doc," The image replied, "Don't wear it out."
"What…what's going on here?" Dr. Ingles gasped, "This is incredible! Michiru has full control over the Animus now, and…he's responding to us. But…how?"
"Lightning Shikigami, Dr. Ingles," Michiru explained, "My microelectrodes in my brain guided by my power infused with your computer systems to give me control over the Animus through my own brain. When I realized the Animus could gain access to my own memories of the future, I figured my powers were trying to get out. As Arthur slept, I learned that I had the power to hack into your computer and communicate with you all through it. I also learned how to stay in the program whilst only being…half-asleep."
"Huh?" Sango gasped, "Wait….you…you heard me?"
"Yeah," Michiru's image on screen nodded, "So…Miroku would never threaten or beat anyone if they didn't give him what he wanted when he wanted it, you say? Especially if they were weakened or sick, eh?"
"Excuse me, Hachi, but…are you refusing an order from your master?!" A familiar voice called out from the background.
"Huh?" Sango gasped recognizing it.
"Heh," Michiru smirked, "Right on cue. Come on, Sango. That's my girl…"
He rode Sango's back to a clearing where a memory of Michiru's past played out. In it, a younger version of himself watched in horror as a younger image of Miroku was harshly disciplining an exhausted Hachi with severe corporal punishment.
"I told you…" Miroku gritted out, "…this is no time for conversation!"
"Please master!" Hachi begged out, "Be reasonabl-"
But his protests and pleas for mercy and reason were met with a violent whack on his noggin as all three doctors gasped in shock.
"I'm not your idea of charity and mercy right now, Hachi!" Miroku's voice flared as he lifted the raccoon-dog up and looked him in the eye, "I told you to morph and carry us to town, and that's exactly what I'm going to do! Or so help me…"
The doctors all looked in horror as the monk then undid some beads around his wrist and opened a tunnel of wind from his hand that sucked up a huge boulder into his arm as he positioned it near Hachi.
"Stop! Stop! STOP!" Sango pleaded as she got on her knees, "Stop, Michiru! You made your point! I'm sorry! I'll keep any comparisons to Miroku and Arthur's behaviors to myself, just please!"
Michiru's body in the pod then relaxed as the scenery changed back to the Old West as Arthur rode Sango back to the camp at Horseshoe Overlook. Sango had tears in her eyes, and she wasn't the only one. Dr. Garter and Dr. Ingles turned towards the Demon Slayer and gave her disapproving shakes of their heads.
"That's the kind of man you chose as a husband?" Dr. Garter spat, "I…I…I can't believe it! Who would marry and give comfort to someone like that who abuses small animals?"
"Really!" Dr. Ingles answered, "That monk may have buried your family, but I am shocked! Arthur may have his faults, but torturing animals is something he would never do!"
"Agreed," Dr. Ericsson answered with a shake of his head as well, "I could see Micah Bell doing something like that, but not Arthur Morgan."
Realizing that she was outnumbered three to one, Sango looked from her friends repeatedly and then rushed out of the room crying her eyes out all the way.