Work Text
A bang The flash of gunpowder The revolver that is pointed at his head explodes. The sparks in Arthur’s brain had but a moment to register that his life was soon to be over. Not a spare moment for his life to even flash before his eyes. Time paused. Then it restarted; moving twice as fast as he had ever remembered it moving before. Instead of the crunch of his skull being shattered or the wet slap of his blood and brains being splattered across the road; all he feels is the-whiz-of-and-the-heat-of superheated air flying over his head.In an instant, as fast as the gunpowder’s flash; Arthur had fired his gun. Slamming his hand onto the hammer of his six shooter revolver inhumanly fast, riddling the bandit infront of him with all six; clustered closely in the man’s heart.He sputters for a moment before he falls backwards with a thump onto the dirt road barely outside of Valentine, a cloud of dust softly rising into the air after him.Arthur scowls looking over his shoulder at the road.“Bastard shot my hat.” He grumbles as he leans over snatching it out of the dust.He grips the crown of the old hat giving it a few solid smacks with the back of his hand getting the orange colored dust off. He gives it a once over finding that the bullet had stuck the top most part on the side of his hat.From the angle the shorter man had fired it from, it had just barely entered the hat before exiting it almost immediately. Arthur runs his thumb over the hole tracing the rough edges of the charred wound. Grumbling to himself he plops the hat back on his head turning his attention to the O’Driscoll bandit now lying dead in front of him.Arthur sighs, shaking his head as he tucks his thumbs under his gun belt looking at the poor fool. He had gotten the jump on him but he was a worse shot than even Sean; letting himself get killed for nothing. He walks over to the slowly cooling corpse.After patting the boy down he finds less than a dollar on him and a single box of bullets, Arthur grabs him and walks over to the O’Driscolls’ horse. He tossed the body across the saddle and gave the horse's ass a slap sending it racing away. Hopefully someone who knew the boy will find the horse to give him a proper burial.Moving over to his own horse, Arthur swung into the saddle, quickly continuing on his way into Valentine. He isn’t too far out now, he rounds a single bend before he sees the tops of the old wooden buildings of the livestock town come into view.The whole town stank, smelling like sheep and cow shit, that’d hit you before you even entered the outskirts of the town. But there was purpose in being here, scams to play, people to rob and money to make. Even though it was a small town it was still too big for Arthur. He is no fan of the hustle and bustle of town, the politics that came with that many people all living so close to one another wasn’t for him.It had its perks, like a proper bath, a feather bed and saloons with people to play poker against who weren’t complete and utter shit like Uncle. And it was the saloon that he was headed to. A couple of the guys told him to meet them in the saloon today, they apparently had a lead on something.‘Mighty big,’ if Sean was to be believed and Arthur wasn’t all so sure if he ever truly believed the Irishman.Hitching his mare to the posts outside Arthur made his way through the swinging door inside the musty, damp and dank saloon. The place reeked of whiskey, sweat and piss. But, he quickly found the people he had come to meet: Sean, Javier, and Charles. The three of them were sitting around a table, half finished drinks in one hand, a working girl in the other.Arthur strolls towards the men, his heavy boots booming on the old creaking wooden floor boards. He grabs Seans’ cut crystal glass from out of his hand and takes a swig of the dark brown whiskey.Sean’s head shoots over to the side, his body tensing ready to fight whoever had the balls to steal his drink right from his hand; but when he notices that it's Arthur he relaxes with a laugh.“Ya should know better than to steal an Irishman whiskey there Arthur. Coulda put a hole in ya gut.” He laughs again, turning his attention back to the black haired woman who is sitting on one of his knees.“You couldn’t put a hole in the board side of a barn.” Arthur takes another small sip before setting the glass back onto the rough wooden table. Javier and Charles chuckle at that; greeting Arthur with a slight raise of their glasses.Sean grabs his glass back taking a sip himself. “Lucky that you're wider than!”Arthur chuckles, placing a firm hand on Sean’s shoulder looking around the table at the other people. He leans closer ever so slightly and his light hearted voice from earlier turns into something darker and more serious.“I think we need to speak… alone, without company.” He looks over to the working women who are clinging to the other two men, pawing at them lightly trying to hold their attention.“Come’on Arthur, they won’t bite.” Sean says his voice dripping honey as he lightly strokes a finger along the woman's soft jaw.“Much,” she counters, teasingly as she leans in slightly towards Sean, their noses brushing.“You really makin me come all the way up here just you can catch something else to make ya dick itch? Weren’t ya at the doctors just the other day getting an ointment for that green shit coming outta ya?” Arthur slaps Seans shoulder harder, pressing his shoulder down forcing Sean to lean away from the woman.The three women all glance at each other for a moment, clearly taken back. In an instant they all stand and mumble something about needing to go powder their noses before wandering away to hang off the arm of some other man.“Hey wait! He was talkin about him not me!” Javier calls after the women but they have already moved on and are giggling with some man who is in what must be his 70’s. He sighs in defeat taking a swig of his beer, a broken man.Arthur smirks quietly to himself pulling up a free chair to join the others around the table. He leans back in his chair, his legs spread wide as he pulls a cigarette from the breast pocket of his leather vest. Striking a match on the bottom of his brown leather boot he lights it, flicking the match out before he takes a drag. Light gray smoke seeps from his mouth drifting aimlessly toward the ceiling.“So what's all this about?” Arthur says, cigarette still hanging from his mouth as he uses his hands to tucks the soft pack back into the pocket.“Well wasn’t about you scarin’ off all the women… again,” Charles bites, slightly bitter.Arthur rolls his eyes taking another drag. Adjusting himself so that he is sitting comfortable in his chair.Sean sighs and groans a bit to himself, his head thrown back looking at the ceiling. “Arthur, you are a right cunt aren’t ya?” Arthur responds with a lift of his cigarette bowing his head in agreement. “Green shit coming out me dick, really… good god you are a right fucker. I’ll get ya back fer that.”Arthur chuckles “Ya blow any more hot smoke there, n’ the only women who’ll ride you are the ones that bought tickets from the station to go to San Francisco.”Sean punches Arthur in the shoulder with a smile slamming his glass onto the table with a loud thunk spilling some of the whiskey. He leans in with his elbows on the table. This causes the other men to lean in as well.“It’s nearin the end of the cattle season, and there an auction happening tomorrow. That means that da bank is flush with cash.”“You wanna…” Charles seems to notice his voice is loud before he hushes himself; “you wanna hit a bank?”Sean hitched up his shoulders in a yeah-why-not way before taking another sip of his whiskey. “We was thinkin’ of movin’ on soon anyways, camp is half packed as is. Might as well make a big score and then leave.”Javier sighs loudly looking around the saloon to see if anyone is paying attention to the conversation, but no one is. Everyone is drinking, playin poker, or tonsils deep in a working woman. “As much as I hate to admit it, and trust that I really hate the words I’m about to say. I think that Sean’s idea is a good one.” Javier's face crinkles as if he smelled something bad or took a bite from lemon.Sean groans, throwing his hands up, “Come on now I have good ideas every once in a while.” He looks around the group for validation but finds everyone looking anywhere but at him. “Fuck all of yous.” Sean laughs and polishes off his whiskey.“Broken clocks are right twice a day and all that.” Arthur sighs and rubs his face with his hands. “You got a plan then?” His face also crinkles up; “I hate that I just asked Sean that.”“As a matter of fact I do, Javi, Charlie and I go in, Charlie and I deal with the tellers and the patrons, Javi takes the safes.” Sean looks pretty smug, obviously proud of himself. The rest of the party looks between themselves horrified by his relatively solid plan.“What bout Arthur?” Charles cuts in, desperate to find a hole in said plan.“Pretty boy over here,” Arthur punches Sean in the arm causing Sean to hiss in pain, grabbing and rubbing his abused arm; “fuck… will man the door, no one comes in or out so that no one knows what we up to. Anyone tries to get in, he'll sweet talk ‘em.”“Who ya callin pretty boy?” Arthur growls stubbing out his cigarette before leaning back in his chair again.“You o’course what with your city boy good looks and way with the ladies.” Sean wiggles his eyebrows at Arthur antagonizing him.“City boy!” Arthur lunges at Sean trying to grab him in a headlock but Sean is too fast slipping away standing from the chair hoping a few feet away. “Come ‘er you little shit.” Arthur stands, running around the table trying to catch him.Sean laughs and dodges Arthur again making a break for the door. Javier and Charles are laughing so hard you can barely hear the bartender yell for them to take it outside.“Didn’t realize I offended your feminine sensibilities!” Sean calls over his shoulder and barely manages to dodge Arthur’s grapple.“Keep talkin’ and they’ll be scrapin you off the walls!” Arthur races after him, barreling toward the cackling Irishman.Sean doubles back, dancing around Arthur with a flourish. He slams his palms onto the table between Javier and Charles. “Midday tomorrow boys we sho-” he’s cut off by Arthur grabbing him by the scruff of his dirty blue shirt and all but tossing him outside the saloon.Sean lands with a great crash as he rolls down the steps onto the dusty street below. He groans all the while still laughing as he hops up onto his feet as Arthur himself bursts through the door he had thrown Sean through.“Come ‘er!” Arthur bellows but Sean ignores him and swings into the saddle of his horse and is off racing through the streets of Valentine with Arthur hot on his tail.