Chapter Text
—
Damien wanders around, his guard built up despite the internal dread of dealing with the Cowbaes.
He knew that they just wanted Anthony back…but by the sacred last orders of Ian, he couldn't just say no and turn his back on the Bandits.
They are his family now…his only family aside from the orphans he raises.
He walks along near the wax museum: A big building that Navada Nick runs for outsiders to come and look at Low Town's history over the years.
It still looks intact and untouched, luckily.
He smiles, remembering when he first went there with some of the Bandits.
As he tries to walk towards it to get a better view, he jumps back slightly, seeing a civilian on the floor with a bullet hole drilled into their head.
He crouches down and shakes them slightly, before trying to feel for a pulse.
He sighs.
“Nothing…who did this to you…?” He mumbles,
“I…I think I know.”
“If it ain't one of the Randy bitches” Sohinki grins with a chuckle.
Damien gets up from the body and turns to face him.
“Sohinki…”
“Want me to let you off on a little secret?” He raises a brow.
Damien utters before shrugging.
“S.Sure.”
“I had sex with Flitz and Wes’ wives” he folds his arms.
Damien blinks.
“Al…Alright??”
“N.Not to say that I haven't had sex with your wife yet but I'm known to have sex with wives…without the husband knowin’ “He smiles.
Damien Scoffs with amusement.
“My wife is dead. Damien Jr. is also dead. And today is your unlucky day because you just crossed the path of a black hat, and I'm gonna kick your lasso and give you the coaler shoulder! Hope you're not too chapped with that string of insults!” He lifts his head with pride.
Sohinki tilts his head slightly, puzzled.
He shakes his head, playing it off.
Damien sighs.
“Look…I don't like you and you don't like me. So let's shoot each other in the face.”
Sohinki nods.
“That's more bearable. For you have my boss, and I wanna get paid for being in this gang and doin’ my share.”
Damien nods slightly.
“I understand. Just so you know, I appreciate your work for all of us and I hope you do get paid what you deserve. I know what it's like to slave away and get no credit.”
Sohinki eyes him before shrugging to himself, not knowing exactly what Damien meant by it; either way, his heart slightly ached with empathy.
He is neutral with Damien, possibly one of the only Randy bandits he's interacted with that didn't want to take his head for any reason.
They both stand there for a moment, slowly edging their hands towards their holsters.
Swiftly Damien grabs his gun and shoots, Sohinki moving out of the way just in time for it to not hurt him, and he fires back.
Damien rolls out of the way and throws a hay bale at him, blinding him slightly from the straw getting in his eyes.
He tries to shoot again but realises he has no bullets.
Sohinki shoves the straw away and takes another shot, the bullet driving deep into his chest, more so near his neck.
He coughs slightly and slowly reaches for the wound, the blood dripping down and over his hand.
With his body growing heavier…he falls to one knee, looking helplessly at Sohinki.
His other knee falls to the dirt as well, the heaviness hitting harder.
He struggles to inhale, hunched over as the bleeding keeps going.
He slightly coughs into his hand, and sees red that has spat on his palm.
“T…Tell the orphanage…I…I can't keep running it myself…” he utters, blurting out more blood onto the dirt,
“A…And I can't…t.take them to see the …a.animal sh..elter..!”
Sohinki blinks, loosening the grip on his gun.
His smile slightly fades.
“T.Tell the puppy rescue…I.. I can't volunteer and let the kids see them…!! D.Don't let them see me like this…” he closes his eyes, trying not to shed a tear.
Sohinki drops his gun and rushes to Damien, lifting up his head, his breath shaking.
He frantically looks around him.
“I…I'm so sorry- h.help him. SOMEBODY HELP HIM!!!” He yells, looking around them.
He lowers his head, seeing Damien reach more for his wound, before his grip loosens slightly and his eyelids slowly start closing.
Sohinki shakes him, his chest feeling a tightening sensation.
“Nononono- Damien. DAMIEN, STAY WITH ME.”
“..Damien?” A small voice speaks.
Sohinki turns to see a small child, eyes wide and slightly teary.
“What happened??” “DAMIEN!!”
As more kids start seeing what's going on, Sohinki sighs and shakes his head, a tear dripping down his cheek as he closes his eyes for a moment.
“I- I didn't mean to!! We were in the heat of the moment I- I'm sorry I took him away!” He frantically starts apologising.
All of the kids start sobbing and shouting and crying on each other's shoulders, holding each other close like a band of penguins.
Sohinki looks at his gun and stares for a moment. He gently lets go of Damien's head, and scrambles to his gun.
He looks at the kids for a second, before looking away, wiping his tears.
“I'm sorry…” he utters, before slowly lifting the gun up to his head.
The kids’ screams and wails are heard all over Low town, echoing of agony for miles.
—
“You gotta be more careful” Sunny sighs, shaking his head,
“Making a deal with Navada Nick? Really?”
Matt shrugs.
“You know I like a good game with somethin’ at stake.”
Sunny sighs. Joe chuckles and pat's Matt's shoulder.
“I'm sure it somethin’ that a little bit of alcohol can't fix!” He beams.
Sunny grumbles.
“Always with the alcohol…you really enable me.”
“I mean a nice drink will help ease the pain” Matt grins.
They chuckle, Sunny also kind of joining in, before horses clatter past them, nearly running them over.
“WOAH-!!” “The Cowbae horses??”
“What in the hay are they doin’ all the way out here?” Sunny mumbles to himself, grabbing Wes’ horse's reins and stroking its nose, trying to calm it down.
Joe slowly looks to Low town, where they have been walking for at least half an hour now from their main offices.
“...Them fuckin’ Bandits…” he sighs.
As they open up the gates of Low Town, a sight greets them.
Bodies spraying the floor with blood, the bodies all desamated with bullet holes.
The first bodies they spot are Courtney, Ian and Mari.
They all stare without blinking, Matt's jaw slightly falls ajar.
Sunny looks to the other streets; they can look down from where they stand, and see even more bodies piled up on one another. Nobody in particular, but civilians.
“Put your hand in my hat- what shit has went down here..??” Joe mutters.
“Put your hand in my pants- what??” Matt stutters, looking at Joe.
“Hand in my hat-” “Oh HAT! Right right, Put your hand in my hat.”
Sunny starts to lead, marching on towards the jail.
Joe and Matt worriedly follow behind.
One body after another, they try to avoid getting their boots in the gore as they make their way swiftly to the Jail.
They see Flitz, Noah and Olivia looking slightly shaken as Boze and Keith are muttering to each other, whilst Joven is pacing and shouting at the sky.
“Goddammit…GODDAMMIT, ALL OF THIS FOR NOTHING!!”
“What is goin’ on here?” Joe questions.
Sunny sighs.
“Tell us what is goin’ on. Why are you gangs not in the midst of a duel we need to stop or somethin’?”
They all look at each other. Boze sighs.
“The Randy bitches have killed some of our people sheriff. AND, they stole Anthony from us!!” She dramatically whines, gripping onto Sunny's arm.
Sunny felt awkward, trying to gently slide himself out of her soft grip.
Matt raises a brow.
“They…stole Anthony?”
Joven faces him and nods.
“Yes they stole Anthony!! It was all part of THEIR plan! But now, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE HE IS.”
All 3 sheriffs look at him, before looking at the remaining Randy Bandits.
“...You don't know where he is-?”
“Ian told us he would be in Centre Jail. But he ain't there” Flitz interrupts, staring down at them.
After a moment, Sunny starts marching into the jail, swinging open the doors and looking through the bars.
There is only Navada Nick in the second Jail cell, and an empty one next to him.
“Nick, Where's Anthony?” Joe asks sternly.
Nick shrugs.
“Never seen the fella. I don't know what he looks like-”
“CUT THE HAY NICK WHERE IS HE?!” Sunny presses, getting out his gun, making Nick bounce back against the wall and holding his gun wound.
“I DON'T KNOW I SWEAR TO THE LORD ABOVE I DON'T KNOW!!” He yells,
“SPARE ME SHERIFF. SPARE ME.”
Sunny breathes and grips his gun tightly, making it shake, before he drops it back into his holster.
“Wh…Where could he have gone?” He utters.
“So, he wasn't even in here before Nick was put in jail?” Matt looks between them.
Joe takes off his hat and scratches at his head.
Sunny looks at the empty jail cell, seeing the scratched floorboards all covered in layers of dust, in the corner of his eye he sees a popped up floorboard underneath the slight hoisted up mattress with a wooden frame.
—
He struggles against the restraints, mumble yelling for help as he tries to shake out of his position. The bandanna over his eyes made it all the more claustrophobic, the tiny space making him cough with the dust hanging in the air.
“Shut up” the voice demands.
He tries to yell again, but his muffled scream doesn't leave the room.
Ian's body in Low town, now put into a well dug grave, lies with calm rest.
His heart may not be beating, but he knows he has now officially dealt with his rival, with his one last breath.