Chapter 16: The girl that shared the Stranger title

This was a strange battle indeed, as the enemies had no intention of killing the Kid. Their target was someone else, however, a normal vulnerable human. A Doll raised her hand to cover a sadistic grin, then with a flick almost instant, she sent a blade flying with deadly velocity.

The Kid replied with a shot, splitting the blade in half mid-fly. A feat the she could never have dreamt off before her ‘death’. Was it enhanced reflex the product of the metal coursing through her vein? Or perhaps for the first time ever, someone the girl had come to known was now in direct danger? Whatever the reason, the Kid was not picky as she would need every possible advantage to get her friend out of this alive.

“Watch out, sister, here we come for real!”

The Dolls split up to the both edge of the Kid’s vision and charged at her. Firing at them both would be useless as they were more than capable to deflect the shots. But engaging in close quarter combat meant an instant failure. With a single machete there was no way the girl could defend herself from two assailants, much less protecting another.

It was all or nothing, she must took out one of them before they both could get closer. And against the Doll, the girl would need to put all of her in this attempt. The other she would try to stop with her own body.

The Kid focused the metal flowing to her, directing them to where most necessary for what was to come. She could feel the power, focusing, threatening to burst out of her veins. Turning to the damaged Doll, the girl fanned the hammer, unloading all that the revolver had left. The moment the last shot was fired, the Kid immediately emptied her other gun with frightening speed.

Both guns completely spent in the time it took the old her to unload even one.

What she feared became the truth as the vein on her arms ruptured. The Kid had poured everything she had into that maneuver. Little did she know, in that one moment, she was worthy of being shared the title The Fastest Hand in the Realm. It was a speed even the Kid herself could not comprehend, transcending even instinct.

There was no being currently in this waking world that could match such a draw, the fan of the hammer. It was a height the Kid could never come close ever again.

Yet, it was all for naught.

The revolvers were the peak of engineering disguised as something unassuming. The girl was not aware of their mythical construction, enough to accommodate such a speed with no loss in efficiency. And it was not just the weapons but also the powder and the bullets themselves. But they could not overcome a crippling weakness.

The speed of the bullets, even as the fastest possible, was simply insufficient.

The damaged Doll twirl her knifes, deflecting all of the shots with ease. The Kid did not know if she could even hold back one of them at this state, two was just impossible. It did not stop her from trying anyway. Even as she was drawing her last breath, the Kid would not stop struggling.

Four knifes pierced through that small and tattered form, she dropped her head down, her hat fell to the ground. None of the stabs were lethal, but they sent a message loud and clear.

“Worry not, sister.” The second Doll said. “You might have lost but... just calling that display legendary was still underselling it. Under proper tutelage, we both would stand no chance against you. You are definitely Father’s magnum opus.”

That was a genuine praise, coming from a being that only knew deceit and killing. But none of it could reach the Kid. The girl was devastated by a painful lesson taught with a most cruel outcome soon to arrive. Just shooting fast, in the end, did not amounted to much, only a simple useless title.

A tear ran down the Kid’s cheek as she tried to struggle to no avail. Blades sprung out, cutting the muscles in her body. She crumbled into a disabled mess in Carina’s lap. The young scout held the girl in her arms for what seemed like her last moment.

Over them stood the Dolls, beings made and tuned for killing, with their sadistic grins.

“Leave them alone, now.” A voice most firm called out from the dark.

The Kid was horrified, she could recognize that anywhere. Fear completely took hold of her as the figure of the mayor stepped out, holding a duffle bag. “Mother…” Claudia whispered.

The Dolls did not even turn around to face the woman. One of them simply flung a blade straight at her. They were surprised by a loud bang of gunshot followed up by the sound of colliding metal. This now attracted their attention both.

X waltzed at them with her jaw bandaged, her white teeth flashing in the dark. But a hand was raised in front, telling her to stand down. Somehow, the psychotic executioner stepped down for real. The same person walked in front of X, holding a rifle with smoke coming out of the barrel.

Frank ‘Doc’ Holliday stepped up to face against the Dolls.

The Kid was supposed to be glad, but she simply could not. The reason was one Carina could also see clear as day. This was not the drunken Doctor with shaking hands that the young scout had met. Nor was this person the mentor the Kid had known.

A feeling of uneasiness overwhelmed the girl, dwarfing even her fear. It only got worse as the Dolls, with their eyes opened wide with joy, greeted the man in synchronicity.

“Father!”

It was not a mistake, a fact the Kid could feel in her bones even if a big of her wanted to reject it. The whirlwind of emotions, the startling revelation crippled her mind, throwing it into disarray.

What of the Dolls? It seemed like this reunion was different from what they had in mind. The Doctor approached the mayor and silently took the duffle bag from her hands. He opened to reveal that it was filled with… revolvers.

Uneasiness soon spread out in between the Dolls. But it was not the same feeling that Kid had felt just a moment ago. No, what the girl went through was the emotion of meeting a complete stranger. The Dolls were feeling the complete opposite. This man in front was a person they knew too well. Thus, they once again called out to him, but not out of joy. Oh no, this time their voices were quivering in fear

“Fa…ther?”