Will ducked as a couple outlaws passed him by. His target was just down the street. He could hear them. He pulled out his knife and quietly snuck up behind them.

It seemed the Wilhup gang had decided to spend the night in Vicksby. Most of them were spread around town either looting or drinking, often both with a few sitting watching the townsfolk by the river. Both sides taking up arms and trying to gun down the other on a regular basis without any real effect.

Will grabbed one of the outlaws from behind and jabbed his knife into the base of the man’s skull, an instant kill.

They were dug in and the chances of the outlaws overrunning them were slim. The towns surviving leaders plus Victor came to the same conclusion. The outlaws had levels and Skills but even then the town had armed everyone they could with whatever they could. They had far superior numbers.

The remaining outlaw turned and Will rushed him. Wincing with pain as he grabbed the man’s weapon, the hammer slamming closed on his thumb. He stabbed a few times in the stomach, sliced open his jugular and then finished him with a blade through the eye.

Will immediately grabbed him before he could fall and pulled him off to the side of the street to hide him before returning for the other one and then taking a moment to strip them of their weapons, ammo, jewelry, and cash… He wasn’t looting them for himself, the town would need it, they estimated that over half their population was unaccounted for, and nearly every business had been ransacked.

“Fucking bastards,” Will muttered and pushed the weapons and other supplies into a rucksack he’d found and decided to keep it if one of the surviving townies didn’t claim it as their own. It wasn’t like a bottomless saddlebag but it was still in a lot better condition than what he’d gotten from Lemar and leagues better than what he’d started with.

He returned to his mission… his hunt. He’d left the barricades with three others but one of them had died while the other two had run off towards their own homes to look for their loved ones. Will would have gladly joined them but he’d gotten a mission and he was going to complete it.

Hey! You boys are missin’ out! Lotta good women folk sittin’ at the Red Rock! They ain’t the most willin’ but theys givin’ it just the same! Boss said any of you lot wanna ‘par-take’ then you’s just gotta come out! We’s lossed a few newuns, could use a few more! Itsa lot more fun our way!

Those words had set more than just him off.

It was a self imposed mission but he wasn’t just going to let what the bandits had yelled out continue to happen without at least trying to stop it. If possible his plan was to evacuate as many as many women as he could and arm them with the bandit's own weapons. Maybe even take a few prisoners if he could and hand them over to the townsfolk. Normally Will wasn’t fond of penal colonies anyways and thought the worst of the worst should just get an express ticket to hell. But what the people of Vicksby wanted? It was beyond lethal injection or spacing but... he could agree with what the townies wanted to do with them. At least castrating them, the rest was beyond brutal but the bastards deserved it for what they’d done. He thought the criminals and rebels in coalition space were a bunch of depraved assholes until he met the Wilhups. At least the bastards of the 24th century were more prone to blackmailing and extortion for the most part with enslaving people being the extreme. But they didn’t just torture or kill for no reason.

Then again they kept it mild for a reason. If they went too far they’d be made a priority and have a battle fleet sitting on their doorstep eventually. No one wanted to a Valhalla class carrier spitting out Horus class fighters and Ares bombers sitting on their doorstep supported by at least one Mjolnir, Gungnir, or Excalibur class battleships, Kartikaya class Battlecruisers, and Valkyrie and Angelus class destroyers filled with marines ready to teach them some manners.

“Fuck… I’d give my fucking left nut for some god damned air support… Drop in some devil dogs to fight beside me... I swear if I survive this I’m teaching someone a lesson about fucking orbital superior- air superiority, same fuckin’ thing. Tell someone how to build a blimp or some shit,” Will remarked quietly to himself as he neared his destination… the Red Rock Saloon.

Will froze when he got close to clear his head which only made things worse, he could hear what the gang was doing to the people in the saloon. He took a breath and made his way to a window where he could hear a woman crying for help.

“AHHHH. No! Please don’t! STOP IT! Mister... AHHHHhhhh uhaa … Well... hello mister. The Wilhups brothers left. Few of their lot’s downstairs drinkin’.”

Will blinked. It was all he could do initially at the sight of a naked woman sitting in bed yelling like she was being assaulted. She was completely bare and didn’t seem to give two shits that he could see almost everything… in fact she turned so he could see everything.

“You aren’t… ummm…” Will stared at the ceiling.

“Please. I’ve got Skills for that, heard of [You ain’t payin’?]. Locks it up like a steel bear trap if they try and I mean like a bear trap…” She snapped her teeth together in a biting motion and Will involuntarily recoiled. He’d made the mistake of looking again when she started talking. He didn’t want to know if she meant it but at the same time was morbidly curious if she was. From a purely scientific, learning about skills point of view.

“Then why are you..?” He asked. Forcing himself to give up any other curiosities in favor of being curious on why she was acting.

“Why am I screaming like a lil horse filly being taken by a bakarna stallion? NO! UGGH! STOP IT RIGHT NOW! I’ll bite! I’ll bite… They might not be able to get at the goods unless I let them but they can still put a bullet in my head,” She answered, “Told me as long as I keep it up they’ll keep their hands mostly to themselves with the other women. LAWS GONNA HA- HANG YOU FOR THIS!”

“So no one is...?” She moaned loudly as he asked but Will tried his best to ignore it.

“Sorry, I’m a professional, some guys like it like that but to answer ya… FUCK! MY DADDY’S GONNNN- PLEASE NOOOO! ...No sweety. Men can’t be doing that all the time, unless they got the skills for it...Those boys got that outta their system real quick this afternoon. Most the young girls in town din’t have a problem… Some got what they didn’t want and hopefully the fucks cocks rot off but most the bastards knew better. Why go for inexperienced when we’ve got skills to show a man what they’ve been missin’. Me and my girls done our part on that. Showing Wilhup’s crew that they’re better off lining up to take us instead of some young lass that don’t know a cock form a cockatoo.… Don’t look at me like that!AHHHHHH! NOT FROM BEHIND! PLEASE! I CAN’T… Aint the life for everyone and I ain’t gonna let some young lass be deflowered if my cunt has anything to say about it… ‘Nough bout that… Ain’t no damsels in distress here. my guess is you walked yourself into a trap,” She smiled and stood up to strut, walking away from the bed with her eyes on the door.

Will tore his eyes away and took aim at the door but it didn’t open.

“or not, bastards probably drank half the bar by now. OH PLEASE MISTER. DON’T!!! PLEASE STOOOOP!” She sobbed loudly for a solid half minute after. Which made Will insanely uncomfortable, but after she continued on like she hadn’t been crying, apparently deciding it was enough of her act. He had to give her props, she was an insanely good and insanely disturbing actress, “So mister lawman, what’s your plan?” She asked.

“I’m not a lawman… [Bounty Hunter], I was going to-” Will felt stupid as hell now, “I was gonna… I don’t know. Shoot the bad guys, take you and everyone else to the warehouse by the river where the people of Vicksby set up a safe zone.”

“Well, ya pull it off, let me know. Don’t mind the occasional cock for free if it’s the right man but these bastards don’t got the length, girth, or skill to take it for free... Stairs are to the right but if ya head left and round the corner you’ll find yourself a balcony overlookin’ the bar. Me and the girls… we advertise there at times. Should give ya a good shootin’ spot… please don’t hit any of mine,” she smiled… a little too much, “You get us outta here. I’ll show ya every Skill I got.”

“Ahhh….” Will froze, she walked up to him and grabbed his dick. He got his senses back when she let go, “Ah… one woman man? Too handsome to not know a woman’s touch.”

“Just not looking right now,” Will said more quietly and innocent than he’d planned. She’d only let go briefly... but he remembered something else when she gave him a curious look, “I’ve got a couple friends in Silverstead that’d take you up on that.”

“Really? Got some names?”

“Jakob and Bart… Bart goes by Skunk, don’t ask. Both deputies,” he said.

“Well… If Jakob or Skunk ever make their way to Vicksby or I make my way to Silverstead, I’ll make sure to give them a visit. See if any of the other girls wanna make it special,” she leaned up and kissed him on the neck before biting slightly, which sent shivers down his spine...

Fuck! He didn’t feel the telltale sign of her using a mental skill against him but… FUCK! That was all natural.

“Okay… Badguys… Shoot the bad guys,” Will said to himself after pushing her away, making sure not to touch anywhere inappropriate. She laughed and started screaming bloody murder like she was getting beaten, but he could see the mirth in her face despite the act. She gave him a wink and opened the door before peeking her head out, after a second gestured for him to exit.

As he walked out she spoke.

“I’m Kitty… shouldn’ta gone so long without introducing myself. Good luck Mister [Bounty Hunter]. I’ll be waitin’ on ya.”

Name: William Tempest

Race: Human-Variant

Age:19

Class: Prodigious Gunslinger lvl 6

Secondary: Vigilant Bounty Hunter lvl 6

Profession: Arcane Artificer lvl 1

Level: 10

Health: 218/250

Mana: 170/170

Stamina: 79/130

Vitality: 25

Active Effects:

Sleep Deprivation: -50% stamina regeneration, -1 Stamina/half hour

Poisoned!: Smoke inhalation- minor. -1 health per hour while exposed. -1 Vitality per day exposed (Temporary effect).

Endurance: 13

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 28

Intelligence: 17

Attributes:

Variant Human: +1 Vitality, +2 Strength

Marskman +2 perception, +1 Dexterity

100+ Bounties: +1 Vitality, +3 Luck

Fear the Hunter: Provides fear effect against bounty targets-Active

Unbreakable: Immune to mental effects

Focus: 9

Perception: 19

Luck: 6

Utility skills:

[Identify] lvl 5

[Tracking] lvl 3

[Animal Processing] lvl 3

[Restraints] lvl 1

[Hunting] lvl 1

[Meditation] lvl 2

[Charm] Level 1

[Lesser Endurance] lvl 1

[Revolver Proficiency] lvl 3

[Rifle Proficiency] lvl 2

[Knife Proficiency] lvl 2

Resistances:

Smoke Resistance lvl 1

Will closed the status screen again and winched while he rubbed his jaw. He’d dozed again and smacked his face into the cast iron ridge on the peak of the same roof he’d taken post before marching off on his one man mission. He’d resumed his post after getting seen by the Doc and his assistants. It woke him up though, not that it was easy to sleep with his leg or shoulder. Even after getting patched up they still hurt. He was about halfway down the list for a healing tonic too, if there were any left in town. To make it worse, it was the first time getting shot, even if it was just grazed.

But the fight was over. He’d figured it was when he leveled… four times after getting back. The system seemed to wait until the conflict was for sure over before applying levels but everyone stayed on their toes for a while longer. There was no telling if the bandits would come back. In fact, it was a concern that they would if any of them leveled and decided to turn around to test out any new Skills on the people of Vicksby.

Although, it wasn’t a waste for Will. Besides getting a present that he knew Skunk and Jakob would love. Him too if he decided to take Kitty up on her offer after gunning down a half dozen bandits at the bar. Butt he didn’t think he was ready for, or even wanted, a harem of hookers indebted to him. It sounded exhausting and he gladly passed the burden onto his friends in Silverstead, with a mention of Sheriff Teddy as well… He’d probably pay for that but it’d be funny. Who knew, maybe the old man had picked up a thing or two from his romance novels.

The potential benefit of excessive fucking aside, Will leveled and had gotten a couple new Skills.

For his gunslinger class, he got [Rapid Reload] and for his bounty hunter class, he got [Posse: Mark Target]. He’d have to figure out what the latter did later but he could guess. His mindset was at the idea it was for if he was working with others he could tell them where to shoot. Abe thought it was so he could mark a target and the entire posse would be able to track them. He’d have to find out.

“Huh… Maybe I should make my own posse,” He said to himself. Also Abe. Will had taken the same position and the older man hadn’t moved the entire night.

“You do and I might join, kid. That was some damn good shootin’ there. So ya know, been watchin' and ain’t see no one go after that sharpshooter you took out. I’d get to claimin’ that rifle first thing if I was you,” Abe said and took a shot from his flask. He shook it around for a moment and passed it off to Will.

Normally Will would say that alcohol and firearms had no place being used by the same person at the same time but he took a pull anyways. They were just on watch in case the outlaws came back and one shouldn’t hurt. He was a bit surprised though, he’d expected whiskey. There was a bit of a bitter, fruity aftertaste to it.

“Haha, never had brandy before?”

“Heard of it but never tried it,” Will answered. It was the truth, he was a pale ale man on a slow night and either a whiskey or vodka man when it was a busy night. Throw in some Soju if he planned on it being a fucked up night. Brandy wasn’t bad though.

Throughout the night he’d been putting up with the shit. Not including the Red Rock, just the number of times outlaws that took random potshots at him and the others on the roof the night before, mixed with the sheer destruction… and that wasn’t considering when he had to roll over on his back, almost sliding down the roof, to shoot down at the bandits assaulting the barricade below… he needed a drink. Fighting on Cradus was a lot more chaotic than war back home. He’d had enough for the moment.

“I’m headin’ down. Yell if you need me,” Will said and rolled onto his back to slide down the roof.

“A’ight [Bounty Hunter], will do.”

“Oh and Abe? Grab that rifle for yourself. I like the one I’ve got,” Will said. Abe looked down at him as Will started to slide and gave a weird salute. Looked British.

As soon as he was down he ran into none other than Kate Landry.

“Got some good and bad news for ya… maybe better, depending on your intentions Mister Tempest… Will.”

“What?” He wasn’t ready for any more bullshit.

“Got my Marigold and your Void back. Marigold responded to my whistle and Void was right behind her but she took a round to the shoulder, poor thing…The stable master said he’d look after her but it might be a while before she can take a rider,” she said and pursed her lips.

“Huh… sorry,” he said, too tired for the implications even though he knew she was going to state them anyways.

“With the riverboat a pile of charcoal… Don’t suppose you’d be willing to ride double on Void to Fairpoint?” she smiled unsurely but he knew she wasn’t even trying to flirt. She wasn’t like her normal self and he guessed she just needed a ride.

“Ahhh, why not,” he decided, “But I need to sleep.”