Chapter Text
A Japanese girl appears out of nowhere in front of him and calls him Andy.
He is confused, to say the least.
But since when hasn’t he been, really? From the start of it all, he is always confused.
Just, even more so, as the girl introduces herself as Fuuko Izumo, and proceeds to state the exact location of his tattoos and what they are on his body in horrible English.
His crew are displeased and wary.
“Why does this girl know about your tattoos captain?” Sanders is the first one to ask, still keeping an eye on her while creeping in closer to his side protectively. He does not know how to answer him, because this is the first time he has ever seen this girl in his life.
Or perhaps…she’s from before?
“I know your future!” she says in english, slurring her words.
She’s not from before, she’s from somewhere far, far away.
“I knew i could count on you Andy! You can speak Japanese in this era!” the girl spews out happily, chattering away with no caution. He is a bit baffled, though keeps the poker face. This girl, Fuuko Izumo, is too trusting.
The crew decided to set camp somewhere near the road where they found her, originally on their way to the next village when they bumped into her. The japanese girl decided to tag along, or more accurately, went eagerly with Josh holding her hostage till they find out everything she knows about their captain.
She is quite the opposite of a hostage however.
She sits in front of him at the campfire at the dead of night, She is relaxed, smiling up at him, not bothering to even look worriedly at his comrades, just staring at him directly with big wide eyes that are not afraid.
But it is too early to say that.
And besides, there is still one little confusing thing she keeps saying–
“Who’s Andy?”
“Oh right, you don't have that name yet!” she sputters, her cheeks going slightly pink in embarrassment. That tidbit of information only adds to his working theory, but before he could confirm his suspicions, Josh makes herself known.
“Hey, you still did not say how you knew the captain’s tattoos,” she drapes herself over the other’s shoulder, leaning intimidatingly at her side as she glares at her. “Just exactly what is your relationship with him?”
Future girl straightens, and there, he glances a look of fear crossing her face but instead, it does not feel like she feels fear for herself, but more so–
“You did not touch my hair did you? Oh no, you’re going to get hit by a stroke of unluck.” she says quickly, backing away from Josh who stares at her dumbfoundedly.
Stroke of unluck?
He does not bother to question it, not when it happens right in front of him at that very moment. The second Josh looked confused, a stray of a fire spark flew right at the bottom of the strands of her ponytail.
It catches on fire, the flame eating away at the strands without her notice.
“What are you playin at?'' Josh growls at the girl, not noticing her locks slowly being eaten away by the small fire. Fuuko immediately yelps, and slaps her hands around Josh's hair in order to extinguish it. “Huh?! Wha?!'' Josh pulls away, looking at her charred ends and staring at her.
“Unluck, huh?” he hums, staring at Josh's hair and the girl, who is apologizing and she explains it all to them.
Her ability, and that she is from the future, where she knew ‘Andy’ from.
Andy, being him.
“...Sanders, get the leftovers, and booze.” josh orders, pointing towards their supplies as she flops down beside Fuuko. “We’re gonna need that booze.” she stares right at ‘future’ girl as she says so, but less so warily.
The girl is a bit shy to talk, but when Sanders hands out the booze and warms up the left overs of this morning food, the tension seeps slightly and she starts to talk.
“Um, You speak japanese so well.” she says to Josh, who takes the compliment in stride and proudly puffs her chest as she grins. “Darn tootin! Picked it up from the captain.” she points towards him, “i wanna meet a samurai! Learn the slashing quick draw stuff too!”
The leftover bread and canteen of tomato soup fills his stomach, the bread is slightly charred with how close he stuck it to the fire to warm it up, and so are the tips of his fingers but they heal quickly.
He always does.
“So, what is it that you all do, Andy?”
He only knows this question is directed purely for two reasons, that she is looking towards him as she asks (he has not taken his eyes off of her, not yet at least.) and calling him by that name once more.
He isnt used to it, he only ever paid attention to the yell of ‘captain’ from his crew.
“A lot of places are in bad shape now that the civil war is over,” he answers smoothly, “so we float from place to place…beatin up fools up to no good and gettin thanked for our efforts by folks with food or booze or a roof to sleep under.”
The girl looks confused, scratching her cheek as she thinks of something before Josh tsk’d at him, shaking her head. He blinks, confused by her annoyance before she states, “that’s just a front and you know it!”
“The captain here has no memory of his past, y’see?” ah, Josh doesn’t want to beat around the bush, jumping right into the real deal. The japanese girl pays extra attention to her words, and he feels his forehead dripping with blood from the scarred card that is jammed in his head.
“That’s why he is roaming around the world. He’s been hoping to run into someone…who knows who he is.”
A look passes on her face, he does not know what to make of it before Josh continues. “As for us three?” Josh wraps an arm around Red, pulling him closer to her side and pointing to Sanders who is far away from her grabby mutts. “He met us over the course of his journey and saved us from trouble.” she says with a wide grin, her voice going a little soft at the end.
She looks over at him, a warm look in her eyes that reflects the same look on his. “now we’re helpin him the best we can.'' She turns to the future girl this time, Sanders also leaning in towards her from the other side.
The girl stiffens as Josh points a finger at her, “which leads me to my point, you better not be lying about knowing the captain…” she presses her finger to her clothed chest, hesitantly due to the ‘unluck’ thing. “Or you’re dead meat.”
The fire is making him much warmer than before, watching his crew being protective and on guard against a meek looking girl is a bit silly. “All of you settle down,” he calls out gently, he looks at her, deep blue eyes to reddish browns. “she won't tell us anything if you threaten her like that.” She flushes slightly at his look, he wonders, briefly, how a girl like her knew about his tattoos.
He never really did care about sleepin around, but, since she’s from the future, maybe he changed his mind?
(somehow, he doubts that.)
“Fuuko, right? How do you know about my tattoos?”
She blushes lightly, it almost makes him confirm his previous thought before she says something wildly different than he expects. “In the future, you’re almost always nude from the waist up–!!”
Now he isn’t surprised the crew all got their guns out, pointing straight to her head.
Because that is something he’d never do.
The girl has the gall to look confused, before he straight up tells her. “I’d never do that.”
“It’s the truth! I don't know the reason behind it but if i had to guess, maybe because you had been undead for so long that it must have wrapped your sense of value about going shirtless at some point!” she rambles on, though a word catches his attention, and he isn’t the only one.
“Oh you also use a katana and your fingers as bullets–” “hold on.” Josh cuts her off, lowering her gun and the other two follow her lead. “back up, undead?”
The girl freezes, blinking at her in confusion before she nods. “Uh, yes.” At Josh's confused look, and glancing at him to see if he was confused as well, she somehow reads the confusion on his perfectly poker face as well before becoming confused herself. “Huh? What?”
Josh laughs, slapping a hand on her knee. “Oh! Listen the captain may heal quickly in a lickity split but he aint no dang zombie!”
That is right.
Last time he checked, ever since he came out of that grave and unlike zombies, he still had a beating heart, hunger for normal food, and a workin brain.
He takes the last bite of the bread in his hands, watching the girl's reaction. There is a look of understanding on her face, before she hardens her expression and looks at him with a determined look in her eyes.
“Andy, let me join your crew.”
That shocks his crew, the three of them looking at her in surprise. He himself saw it coming just a second ago.
Not that he would agree to it.
“Nothing I'm saying is making you trust me anymore, is it?” the girl says, hitting the mark as to why he isn’t gonna let her in. “Then let me risk my life right alongside you on your journey.”
The fact that she could easily see it in him that he did not trust her yet is unnerving slightly, he does believe that she is from the future and she knows him, there is no denying that with how she can read him like this.
However, he does not trust her, just like she said.
“I can gain your trust, get stronger and learn more about you andy.” she says, standing up in confidence and looking down at him. “It’s like killing three birds with one stone.”
The girl is already talking like he’d accept, and from the way she looks, she wont take no for an answer. He mulls it over, before reaching for his revolver.
He checks the cylinder for the bullets, before snapping it back in and spinning it. He looks up at the girl’s eyes, curious. “One bullet,” he says, handing her the gun. “One shot.”
“Aim at your head and pull,” she takes it from his hands, “if you live, i’ll let you join my crew.”
If she has the balls to stand up against him now, then she should be able to do it. Unless he has gotten soft in the future, she might tuck her tail in and run. The lands are harsh and unkind for a girl like her, so it’s best to get her out before it’s too late.
“Nice,” Josh comments, looking at the girl excitedly. “First induction test in a while–!!”
The girl pulls the trigger, once.
And it's all she needed to do, but she pulls again, and again, and again and again and again–
Josh smacks the gun away from her, but it’s too late, She pulled it six times already.
“Are you outta your damn mind?!” she yells, staring at her wide eyed, smacking her head. The girl pays her no mind, other than a pained yelp, she turns to look back at him.
“It wasn't loaded, was it?” she says with a glint in her eyes, he rolls the bullet out in his hand now that he was caught, fiddling with it between his fingers. “Even if there was only one in six chances, the Andy I know would never do that to someone who's not a fighter.”
“Thank goodness.” She giggles, smiling widely and closed eyed. Relaxed, vulnerable and so, so trusting. “I guess you’re still the same Andy after all.”
He stares in shocked silence, as the blood dripping from the card jammed on his forehead ceases.
Thankfully, he does not need to say anything as Josh jumps at Fuuko.
“What would you have done if there actually was a bullet in there?!” she asks incredulously, pulling the girl to sit right beside her. Fuuko giggles, smiling up at her, “oh, it’d have been fine. I know Andy!”
“But what if?”
“Just fine!”
Josh huffs, before a smile warms up to her face. Sanders chuckles from his place while Red retrieves the revolver to him, handing it to him with a knowing smile.
“I like the cut of her jib,” Josh exclaims, looking over at him with a wide grin. “I say we let her join the gang.”
And what is there for him to deny?
While he still does not trust her, she trusts him plenty enough.
“Got only three tents.” Sanders points out, and sure enough, only three small tents that barely fit them.
Fuuko blinks, suddenly feeling very intruding. “Ah, i–”
“I’ll take watch for tonight,” Andy suddenly says, kicking sand onto the fire and extinguishing it. “Good night.” he plops down to the ground, in his hand the revolver.
Fuuko stares at him, tempted to join him but a push at her shoulder snaps her out of her thoughts. She turns around to see ms.Josh, who smiles at her with a knowing look. “Then that means Fuuko can use your tent, eh cap?” she calls out, Fuuko looks over to Andy, who does not respond but him not denying it is enough answer for her.
And ms.Josh as well, since the woman pushes her inside, and also comes in along and squeezes into the tight space.
“M-ms.Josh?” Fuuko stutters, trying to make sure that no part of her skin is touching her and giving the woman enough space to be comfortable. Ms.Josh lays down with a sigh, humming as she looks over at Fuuko with a bored glance.
“I’ll be out of your hair in a quickie, just got some questions.”
Fuuko settles in her place as she glances at ms.Josh curiously, questions?
“Yes?”
“What is yer relationship with the boss?”
“Normal!” Fuuko says quickly, the word relationship is already making her sweat, face pinkish.
Ms.Josh stares, for a good while before she snorts.
“Sure, whatever you say.” ms.Josh does not sound like she believes her, and Fuuko face reddens more. “I am telling you the truth!! We are not like that.”
“So you wouldn’t know about the tattoo on his thigh then?” ms.Josh asks, serious this time.
Fuuko blinks at her, surprised by the question. A tattoo on his thigh? But Andy does not have one. “He doesn’t have one.” she says, squinting her eyes at ms.josh. Could it be that at this time Andy got a tattoo but the next time he regenerated, it did not regenerate with him–
Ms.Josh is looking at her with a gaping look, and cackles.
“Oh, oh! You are like that! How’d you know he did not have one on his thigh huh?!”
Fuuko is startled, and even more confused before she realizes what ms.Josh is doing. Tricking her into knowing if he had it or not.
“N-no hold on! I am serious!! We are not like that!”
“Then how do, as you say, a normal relationship between you both, get you seeing him pantless?”
“Because he is always naked!”
“You said from the waist up didntcha?!”
“Yes but also from the waist down too!”
“You saw his shlong then?!”
“Let’s not talk about this!”
“You did see it!”
“N-no i did not–”
“You sound even less believable by the second!”
The tent is small, cramped, but filled with ms.Josh laughter and chatter, it’s a warm nice space.
Amidst the laugh and teasing that was easily found between the pair, Fuuko finds herself blinking her heavy eyelids shut until she is snoring into the makeshift pillow that smells heavily like Andy.
A hand comes to cover her body with a thin sheet, careful not to touch her with her previous instructions based on her ability.
Josh walks out of the tent slowly, as to not disturb or wake her, looking at the captain.
She smiles, coming to sit next to him.
“It’s my shift now, go on and sleep.” she instructs, punching him in the arm. He does not move, the thick wall of muscle that he is, and only turns his head towards her with a raised eyebrow.
“You did not sleep.” he comments, knowing very well and obviously hearing the two of them speak loudly from their tent. He half wonders how Sanders and Red slept through that, but they have slept through worse.
“I ain't in the mood,” she says, leaning back and staring at the black void inky sky of the night. “Lots to think about.”
“hm.”
“...”
“...”
“...hey, did ya hear? She saw your dic–”
“I’ll put you to sleep myself.”
The heat of the sun is bearable once you get used to it, he has no problems walking the road to the village and so does his crew who are adamant about following him.
Though the new recruit herself seems to struggle slightly, she does not complain. She wipes the sweat off of her forehead discreetly, trying to walk the pace next to josh.
“S-so, where are we heading?” she asks, an attempt to distract herself from the heat or the tiresome walk, or maybe just genuinely curious and not ready to follow him blindly.
“A town here, heard from a post nearby that they’re havin trouble with some gangs taking kids.'' Josh informs idly, pointing over to Red who is holding the map and making sure they’re goin the right path.
Fuuko hums, though a scratchy sound slightly.
He drops his canteen of water ‘accidentally’, letting it stumble to her feet.
“Oh.” Fuuko stops to pick it up, trying to hand it back to him. “You dropped this.”
“Keep it.” he grumbles, and she tries to make an attempt for him to take it back. Luckily enough, Josh stops her. Though he gets a very knowing look in her eyes as she tells Fuuko to drink.
“This is just the way he shows he cares, he was like this with us too!” Josh whispers to her rather loudly, Fuuko smiles and he tries to walk a little further ahead because he is not interested in a retelling of his past with them.
Red follows along beside him, the kid is unusually quiet today.
As well as yesterday now that he thinks about it.
“You good?” he asks Red, to which the kid looks up at him in surprise before nodding. Searching his face, and raking his eyes on the boy, he does not see anything out of the ordinary.
Well, whatever. If there is something, he’s bound to tell someone at some point.
The village is in disarray, the moment they came near, men with guns came out pointing and warning them.
But the sight of a kid and women on his crew stopped them enough for them to enter peacefully.
“-they’re asking for ransom, a huge amount that we cannot afford.” a man tells him bitterly, eyes downcast and expression mournful. “We have no idea if the kids are alive or not, still, even if just their bodies…”
“Then you know where they are?” he asks, and the man nods.
“We’ll bring those kids back.” he says, and he does not need to look at his team for approval. Knowing full well that they’ll follow him, he gets the feeling that Fuuko wouldn’t say anything against it.
They give them horses, with very little convincing needed.
They’re desperate.
He only hopes he can bring the kids back alive.
“Ya ought to learn how to ride one of these bad boys!” Josh's loud teasing is audible enough from the clacking of the horses hooves as they wallop over the barren land, her and Fuuko are sharing a horse as the japanese girl has no idea how to ride one.
Besides, asking for five horses seemed a bit too much in his opinion.
Settling for three, Sanders riding his on his own, no need to abuse the poor fella with more weight so Red is riding along with him, and the girls are sharin one.
Josh's laughter and fuuko’s embarrassed sounds help to alleviate some nerves, as Red shakes silently in restrained laughter as he hears them. Still, a little bit too quiet for his liking but, not gonna force the kid.
Maybe he’s shy from the new addition to the team.
“I see smoke!” Josh calls out, and sure enough, behind a small hill a trail of thin smoke. Usually, one would be careful of their fire but, these are bandits.
They look for trouble.
He gets his revolver out, silently urging the horse to go faster. The others follow his lead efficiently, and quietly.
“Josh and i will take care of the bandits, sanders, Red and Fuuko will get the kids to safety, if there is still a fight afterwards, help out.” he quickly gave out orders, which is not something he usually does as the others just follow along and do whatever they do but with the new addition, it’s a silent way to tell the other two to look out for her as well.
She has guts, but he does not know what she’ll do in a battle.
Red manages to catch an eye on where the kids are, at a beaten down tent being held with ropes as the other bandits and a few of the ones guarding them are huddled together in another corner.
“We’ll go from behind.” Sanders says, looking at him for approval and he nods. “Then, good luck to the both of you.” Fuuko says with a smile, directed at him and josh. In her hand is her own type of gun that seems like a new type he never saw before.
He watches the three leave, taking into their position from faraway.
“Wanna bet?” Josh settles beside him, a hand on her whip and the other on her gun. “Wazzat?” he turns to her, and she pops a feral grin on her face. “Who kills off more.”
“Hm, whatever.” he shrugs, but she takes it as a yes as she always does.
She runs in the second there is screaming, and he isn’t that far behind either.
Sanders is already in the open and slashing some of the bandits with his dual axes, he can spot Fuuko and Red behind him pushing the children away.
He grabs his gun and shoots a guy who is at Sanders' blind side, before decking the one trying to throw himself at him in the face, plummeting the guy to the ground. He hears the sound of the loud snap of Josh's whip, and the poor fella’s scream of pain.
It’s well deserved, he thinks as he shoots another in the face.
He moves to angle himself out of the shooting range once the bandits finally get a handle on their guns and positions, behind a very well placed convenient sized rock.
Looking over once the shooting subsides for a second, his eyes scan for Josh. The woman herself is also hiding and peeking to shoot, but he sees one scum trying to run off into her blind spot to shoot at her.
He quickly raises his revolver, shooting but no bullet goes through. He smothers down a curse as he ransacks his pockets for more, before coming empty handed.
That’s fine, he’ll just throw himself at her. A human shield better than nothin, not like he isn't gonna heal just fine–
“Undead.”
(or die, probably, judging from Fuuko’s words.)
No time for experiments.
He quickly throws himself to his feet and rushes, just as soon as that scum climbs over the small hill to shoot at Josh does he slam beside her and get the bullet on the back of his shoulder instead.
“Boss!” Josh calls out in shock and concern, but grits her teeth as she resolves herself quickly enough to shoot just from his shoulder at the offender.
His ears ring slightly.
It was close, if he just slowed down slightly, it would have been right to his heart, and if the guy had better aim, to his head.
“Undead.”
What could she have possibly meant about that? If he stabbed himself in the heart, would he still be warm? If he shot himself in the head, would he still think?
He is no dang zombie, that’s for sure.
Zombies don’t heal after all, they don't feel their skin stitching itself back together after spewing the bullet out.
He sighs as he looks around now that it’s quiet, “that’s the last of them?” Josh asks, eyes scanning round as well.
“For now.” it’s too small of a group to be this dangerous, there has to be others. After all, this isn’t the first time they rescued children of some village or town.
“...let’s run from here then, yea?”
“Mhm.”
He takes some ammo from her, chastising himself in the head due to his carelessness. The two turn to jog over to where they left their stables, already finding the rest there waiting for them.
Sanders tenses when he notices them coming before relaxing when he realizes who they are, smiling, Red and Fuuko are too busy interacting with the kids to notice them approaching.
“Well, ain't that a sight for sore eyes.” Josh says with a pant as they slow their jog, he follows to where she is looking. Staring at Fuuko who looks like she is making the kids smile and laugh around her, those who aren't are wiping away their tears, calm.
Odd, whenever they rescue kids they’re always crying or silent.
“...”
“A job well done! Can’t wait for the food and the booze, eh captain?” Josh pokes him on the side, and he huffs, “Aint done till we reach back.”
Fuuko notices them, and their staring but she only smiles and waves. “Guys! Are you guys okay?”
“The captain got shot on his back!”
“Oh okay, you’re fine then?”
“Wow, she does not care for you at all boss.”
“...”
The kids are on the horses, unfortunately not all of them as there is a big number for three horses. Luckily enough, they’re not snotty brats who would cry about walking back.
He shifts his arm slightly so it would be comfortable while carrying a kid on his back, glancing at Sanders who is carrying three. Sanders shares a glance with him, expressionless as a kid pokes him on the cheek.
Funny.
Fuuko, Josh and Red are all holding onto the horse reins as they lead them back into the town.
He looks over at both Red and Fuuko, no blood or any injury thankfully. Other than him being injured, no one else luckily was from what it seemed.
“Everything went well on your side?” he asks Sanders, glancing over at him. The big man nods, “smoothly.” he answered bluntly, and that is enough for him to know that it was not a bad choice to accept her on the team.
“Food and booze? Will that suffice?” the saloon manager asks, and he nods. “Just that, no need for anythin else.”
He looks over at his crew, already on the table and eating away at the food. “Boss! Come on and sit, we need ta’ talk about who won the bet!” Josh calls over, and he does not bother trying to remember what bet she was talking about as he makes his way to his chair.
“A bet?” Fuuko asks, curious as she bites into a piece of bread.
“Who got the most, I won by 9.” Josh exclaims, raising her cup of booze. “So i get the prize!”
“Prize? Fuuko blinks, looking over at him for an answer that he could not possibly have because he has no idea what josh is talking about.
“Mhm yep, gotta discuss what that prize gonna be…hmm.” Josh ponders, scratching her chin as she thinks and for a moment, he thinks Red might suggest something to her but she comes up with something quickly.
“We’re takin the horses yea?” she asks, and he shrugs.
“The guy is giving them to us by force, can’t really say no to a grateful father.” he answers, remembering the weeping man that went down on his knees after being reunited with his daughter, thanking them wholeheartedly and begging for them to take the horses they went with as repayment for his debt.
“Then, i want Red to ride with me! So Fuuko is riding with you.”
“Sure.”
“Don't i get a say in this?” Fuuko jumps in, a little blush on her cheeks as she stares in confusion at josh. “I mean, you don't mind do you?”
“N-no? No.”
“Then that settles it.”
“Did i do something to you Ms. Josh?” Fuuko says in a dejected tone, a little worried and there is something in him that just wants to reassure her that josh just does whatever she wants. “Nah, I just wanna hang out with Red on this ride!”
Red smiles from his seat, but there is a knowing look on his eyes that he shares with Josh that has him just a bit confused on the matter.
She really did not have to waste a bet prize over such a simple thing, could have just said so from the beginning without making a fuss over it.
Josh notices the look on his face, and smirks. “What? Did you want me to ask for something else?”
He gives her a half shrug as he continues to munch on the food.
“Hm, i could have asked you to give Fuuko some more information about your past before us, but i think she could persuade you just fine.” Josh says as she takes a drink, he pauses as he glances over at the girl in question, she herself is looking wide eyed at him and with a hopeful look.
Right, she wants information about him just as much as he does.
“Or I could have asked Fuuko for some embarrassing stories.” Josh turns to her, and Fuuko tilts her head. “Embarrassing stories, huh…”
“She is not obligated to, the bet is between us.” he kindly reminds, before Fuuko could conjure up something.
“Bah, you’re no fun!”
The table gets carried off in idle chatter, but mostly focused on eating food. The saloon manager always coming in to refill their booze constantly, and damn did it feel good knowing that this is all for free.
“You know, i gotta ask since you’re from the future and everythin’, what’s it like?” Josh asks, leaning against the table and staring at Fuuko, that certainly got the attention of them all. He is rather curious about it himself.
“Uh well, there are…tall buildings, electronics i suppose, we can travel by the sky also–”
“The sky?!” Josh stands up, gasping as she looks at Fuuko.
Yeah, she’s definitely drunk.
He supposes the town won’t mind them using an inn’s room for one night, hopefully.
“I wanna touch the clouds!” she says with a buzz of excited energy, grabbing at Fuuko’s shoulders. “Did ya touch the clouds?”
“No–well…I mean, technically I did?”
“D’ya hear that–!!” Josh turns to them with a wild smile, but he watches her expression turn into shock and then–
His ears ring, popping as he comes to.
He feels his skin stitching itself back together, the aching feeling on his forehead, chest and legs. Familiar pain, just one he had experienced not too long ago. Back in the field when they rescued the kids, when he came between Josh and a bullet.
He was shot.
Multiple times.
He blinks his eyes, vision hazy for a moment. There is blood on the food, and his crew–
“-future, the captain…he doin well?” a voice rasps out, Josh’s voice that is boisterous and loud and confident, now hurt-”doesn’t look like…he’s in pain?”
“No! He’s fine. Great in fact!” Fuuko answers, ah, she survived then.
“Great, glad to hear it…” a stifling breath is the last thing he hears, and judging by Fuuko’s near silent sob, Josh did not make it.
There is a bullet wound at the back of Sanders head, bleeding profusely. Red’s little head as well, they did not give mercy to the kid. Instant death for the both of them, Josh suffered for a few seconds.
He got shot in the head as well.
He’s not dead.
He’s alive.
“undead.”
They’ll pay the price.
“Sanders, i'll be burrowing these.” he takes the axes from his friend’s back, seeing Fuuko raise herself to stare at him from the corner of his eye. Josh’s body is limp over her, with tears in her eyes.
“I’ll be back.”
The bandits, the scum that took his crew lives. They see him only a second too late, they raise their guns, and he raises his–Sanders’--axes.
The bullets do nothing, shot to the heart, arms and legs. There is pain, but he is still standing, he is not dead.
“Andy!” Fuuko’s voice comes from behind.
“undead.”
“I see.” he says, standing between the corpses of the ones who took his friends away from him. “Now that i know i can’t die–that i’m undead, It makes more sense i get close in” he lowers the axes to the ground, raising his head as he feels blood pouring from his card wound.
(and not the other wound, the bullet that passed right through his head, through his brain. He’s alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, and not dead.)
“If i ain't gonna die…” the images of Sanders, Red and Josh dead body flashes before his eyes, blood and tears pour down his face. “I couldn’t care less about the pain.”
Fuuko helps with the burial.
As well as some folk in the town, giving him the shovel and things they needed but it’s the least they could do with what they’ve done.
“Sorry I made you give me a hand.” he apologizes to the girl in tears, standing beside him as she wipes her eyes.
“No, it’s fine. Seeing how ms.Josh saved me…”
He gets the idea that even if she didn’t, she’d still help him regardless.
“The three of ‘em were good people, far too good for me, in fact.” he says softly, feeling blood trickle down from his forehead, he’d like to imagine it as more tears for his fallen friends.
They deserve good things, Josh should have learned how to use a sword like a samurai, Red should have grown older and drank with them, Sanders should have learnt how to be a carpenter.
But now they can't.
They’re dead.
“Um, pardon!” the saloon manager calls out, face full of tears.
And she confesses that it was a plan and that it was her fault. To take the punishment herself and to forgive the others in town who were in it too.
Fuuko tries to stop him, but she lets go when he simply asks her too.
(because she knows him, she knows that he won’t–)
He gives her a punishment, one that she has to follow her whole life. If this was the way Red gets to finally have his first drink, then so be it.
“Do that, and those three won't blame ya for what ya did…” he says, turning around but he could still hear her relieved sob, as she thanked him while clutching her child, one of those they had saved.
“Let’s go.” he tells Fuuko, who blinks tears from her eyes and nods. “Okay.”
He heads over to where their promised horses will be, three of them tied to a post. The man that gave them to him is there, a grim look on his face.
Was he in it too? Is that why he threw the horses at them? Knowing that he’ll get them back eventually?
He is tempted to take two horses, one for him and Fuuko but–
“Which one is the fastest?” he asks, not letting the man speak or sputter anything else. Frankly, all he wants to do is get out of this town fast. “This one, she’s our fastest and this fella right here is also just as fast…please forgive us for what had happened–”
“We’ll take one.” He grabs the handle of the reins of the horse, untying her from the post. “I-i think I can learn how to ride a horse quickly enough.” Fuuko says, her eyes are dry now and no longer teary.
She looks at him in assurance, obviously trying to say that she won’t get in his way.
“No need, too troublesome.” He moves the horse away, climbing on and turning to Fuuko, extending a hand to her. “Besides, gotta honor the bet.”
Fuuko blinks at him, and her eyes are teary again but she grabs his hands and he hauls her up. She settles behind him, grabbing at the edge of the clothes of his waists.
They’re on the way out of the town with the horse and she says something weird again.
“You sure are kind.”
“How so?”
“You know, for going easy on that lady. She’s such a nice person…”
“I'll atone for what I've done! So, please forgive the others!”
“...that she probably would’ve kept blaming herself, but then you gave her a way to make amends-”
“You’re giving me too much credit.” he stops her right there, holding onto the reins of the horse tightly. “I just want her to suffer, nothing more, nothing less.”
“...i see.” Fuuko’s voice is soft, and he is reminded of that moment back then when she knew he did not place any bullets in his revolver.
“Where are we headed?”
“Nearest town ta drop you off.”
“Wha?! Hold on! I'm part of your crew, remember? I passed your whole test!”
“Wazzat? I'm disbanding the crew.”
“Wait a minute!”