Benny Sisco moves to get the shotgun from behind the counter, and Greg has to stop the kid from getting himself killed ( I guess 🙂 )
The fallen bandit crawls away, catching the leg of a small bedside table and heaving the table toward Matt, knocking Matt's gun away. The bandit kicks upward as Matt bats the table away, kicking his other wrist, jarring that pistol free. In moments, both men have recovered and square off hand to hand...
(OK, weak, but can showcase Matt's skill as pugilist... or weakness, if he has one?? )
(Lol. I was actually gunna have him begging, and then Matt to kill him, executioner style. Ah well, I'll do it anyway.)
The man lunged at Matt, knocking him a blow to the side of the face that sent him stumbling to one side and followed up with a punch in the eye. Matt struck back blindly, knocking aside the man's hands and pushign him back. Kicking him in the shin, the bandit went down, and kicked him again, striking him till he was almost unconcious. He bent down and picked up his gun, raising it to point between the man's eyes, which although hazy still showed his fear clearly.
Matt squeezed the trigger twice.
BAM! BAM!
Miss Sisco screams then runs to the stranger, her savior, and hugs him, shaking.
"MA!" Benny drops the shotgun, and runs from behind the counter, past Greg and Matt, leaping into his mother's arms as she breaks from Matt.
"I tried to help, Ma... I tried... and I didn't cry at all!" he lied.
"I know I know..." Ma Sisco soothed. "But you shouldn't be the hero! You need to stay safe and keep the store in order, Ben! Like your Pa would have wanted!"
"I need to learn to shoot, Ma!" Benny bawled. "And to fight with my bare hands, like this man!" he looked to Matt, then stepped back, shadow-boxing moves like he'd seen Matt doing. "To protect the my family and the store!"
Matt puts his arm round Miss Sisco, his other hand still holding his gun, and spoke to Ben, "She's right, kid. Ain't no good you going and getting yoursel' shot. But I got no doubt yo woulda done perfectly well, had me and Greg not needed your momma's assistance for the man lying with to bullet wounds in the street."
~sorry Spike 😛 but Leo can find Buddy down on main street, keeping the peace, if he needs to talk...~
"Oh dear!" Miss Sisco gasped. "These bandits cause such a ruckus!" she hid her own fear and pain and moved into the storefront, gathering some bandages, alcohol, and other supplies from the shelves.
"We need a proper doctor in this town! ah well, one will probably find a home here once the bank is up and running... take me to the wounded man, if you will, Sir?"
"YA!" Benny cheered. "Is he all bloody, with brains and guts hanging out all over?!"
"Benny, you mind the store... I'm sure this young man will watch over things with you, in case more unsavory types than you can't handle come back, son... be careful..."
"Aww Ma..." Benny pouted, but Greg nodded and held the boy fast, while Miss Sisco waited on Matt...
Miss Sisco shushed her savior with a sigh. "Why I'm sure you're nothing like those men, Mister... I don't believe I caught your name... but, I'm sure you're not like those scoundrels! Or you might have walked away, or even joined in in their hooliganism and filth!
Why, here we are, givign care and treatment to one of them felled by your hand! Certainly, you are a better man than this?"
Buddy heard the last bits of conversation as the two approached, and he eyed Matt curiously, closely.
"Don't be too sure, Miss Sisco..." Buddy warned subtly. "All us scoundrels got something to be afeared of about us... something more than the stench, that is! We all got our secrets, aint that right, friend?"
his scowl twisted into that cocky smirk. "Now, then, let's get this trash off the streets..."
"The sheriff's right. Although us scoundrels gotta stick together, ain't that right, outlaw?" Matt offered the lady a drink of water, "Why, thank you ma'am, but the sheriff's right. You shouldn't trust someone just for saving your life. We could be aiming for anything," Matt winked, "Luckily, I'm new blood from Abilene, so although I may be a scoundrel, I'm one without much knowledge or aims here. To be entirely truthful though us scoundrels gotta stick together, ain't that right, outlaw?" He directed his last remark at Buddy.
"Not sure about the lack of knowledge..." Buddy nodded, still with that smirk, "But, I'll just bet you have aims... sharp aim, sharp as a blade! Precise, poised, purposeful, prepared to strike for the jugular..." 'Something' about the new guy struck Buddy familiar, but he just couldn't place it... 😉
Miss Sisco missed the subtle jabs, while she tended to the wounded Scorpion scoundrel, bandaging his wrist and leg wound. "The best I can do, he should survive but he needs a splint for his leg and a sling for this arm."
"Just get him up on his feet and off the street for now, Ma'am.." Buddy suggested. "I need a hand myself, I think, if you'd come to the sheriff's office, I, uhhh, have a wound that needs tending... in a uhh, sensitive area..." he turned to the Stranger, Matt, showing Miss Sisco his wounded area.
"Mister Declave, any other loose ends needing to be tied between you and these Scorpion scoudrels should be taken up with local law enforcement in the future... in the next few minutes of that future, I'll be in the Sheriff's Office, being tended to, a 'captive ear' so to speak..."
Buddy hobbled off, under the helpful hand of Miss Sisco, while the Scorpion scoundrel limped away into toward the hotel.
((Wow, sry i missed so much. Teachers are throwing everything at us))
Greg smiled as he watched Buddy hobble. He still found it funny he had shot his friend in the ass, but hey, he should have said something. He rested his hand gently on his still very tender stomach. "Hey Buddy, I'm gonna go ahead and stay on the street. God knows what else could go wrong. I'm gonna keep a watch out."
Buddy looked to Greg. "Alrighty... You know where I'll be... in fact, why don't you go collect Catori from the hotel, get her over to the office, and try to find Luis.. and Lilly too.. she should know about her father... I'll be up and around again, in no time..."
he looked from Greg to Matt, "You coming, DeClave?"
~OK so game-off until June, or something...~
Buddy: shot in the a$$, about to be murdered by the approaching Army
Catori: about to be raped and murdered by the approaching Army
Luis: having lunch and tea and signing on with Cavendish
Greg: about to discover Catori has left the hotel
Lilly: outside the hotel, about to be discovered by someone
Leo: about to fill us in about the Scorpion plot to derail the money train
Matt: about to clue Buddy in to his bounty-hunting for the Scorpions
Scorpions: about to rob the money train
Jericho's Army: sent to protect, defend and escort the money train, and murder Buddy Reno
Comanche Indians: murdered by the Army, searching for Buddy
New Hope Citizens: welcome Buddy as new sheriff in town, a job which Buddy doesn't really want, but to bring justice upon whoever killed Lily's father, Sheriff Sanders
Mysterious Gringo (in Mexican border town): coming back to Texas to kill Luis
Mysterious Mexican Girl: Mystery White Man's love slave