>”Ma'am, I don't want to harm you, but I will do what I must to survive. Please put the money in the bag, and I'll be on my horse and out of Tuscon in...”You pull out your pocket watch and check” 3 minutes, 52 seconds.” >Tipping your hat low enough to cover your eyes, you puff your cigar and let out a small smile. >She looks at you, at your golden watch, at your revolver, then back at you. >”Ma'am, please.” You gently nudge the bag towards her. >You see her expression. >You know what she is about to do. >Why are these things never easy? >”HELP, ROBBERY! HEEELP!” >God damnit. >You hop over the counter, cocking the hammer of your Colt 45. >Grabbing her by the front of her dress, you pull her down under the counter as a flurry of bullets fly above your head.. >Jesus, these guys wasted no time. >Then again, this lovely little town was never known for its hospitality towards bank robbers. >Seriously. Robbing Tuscon was a terrible decision. >Why are you doing this again? >You pull what is left of the old register to the ground, the drawer popping open as a ton of cash spills out >Ah, that's why. >Staring into the bank-teller’s eyes, your voice is barely a whisper. >”You just couldn’t put the money in the bag, could you, you hussy.” >She is terrified, her sobs barely audible above the volley of gunfire.   >You continue stuffing the money into the bag. >If you were gonna die, you're gonna die guns blazing, and with a bag cash in your hand. >You look up, and see the safe. >Big metal door. Completely bulletproof. >And you'd have no exit, Anon. >You're right brain. Now I know why I keep you around. >And if you were to get rid of me, you'd cease to exist. >That too. >That thick metal door will help you with this part of your plan >You grab a stick of dynamite from your inside coat pocket, and light it on the end of your cigar. >Probably not safe, but dynamite hardly ever is. >As soon as the fuse starts sparking, you throw it full force into the safe, and dive to the side, grabbing the teller before your roll. >Using your body to shield the innocent from any potential shrapnel, you wait for the explosion.   >And you wait >And wait. >Seriously, where was the- KA-BOOM! >Ah, there it is. >There appears to be a ceasefire. >You peek your eyes above the counter, holding your other hand over the girl's mouth. >Everyone is either KO'd, stunned from the explosion, or reloading. >Good enough for you. >You leap over the counter, shooting towards the attackers. >Most take cover, others are too stunned to realize they're getting shot at. >Bursting out of the saloon style doors, you look side to side looking for your horse. >Ah, there's M. >You run towards him, vaulting over the hitching post, and hopping in the saddle. >”HYAH!” You dig your heels into the horse's sides, and take off like a bolt of lighting down the main road. >As you leave the edge of this trainstop town, you hear “Anon” “Wanted” and “Kill” >You have been a part of many robberies in your day. You can tell by the bullets flying above your head and the angry shouting behind you that this isn't going to end peacefully.   >While still running, you open the bag of cash. >After grabbing a fistful of dollars and shoving them into your tan duster, you grab a small flask you have latched to the side of M. >The first time you tried this, you lit yourself and your horse on fire. >You and M still have the scars from it. >But after a few dozen tries, you have gotten good. >You dump the contents of the flask into the bag, and hastily shove the flask back into its holster. >You didn't notice that some of the liquid had managed to splash onto you and your coat. >You pull a match from your coat pocket, and strike it against your hat. >Dropping the match into satchel, you wait for it to igni- >SHIT TOO MUCH LANTERN FLUID. >The fire trails up the bag and onto your coat sleeve. >”SHITSHITSHITHOTHOTAUUUGH!” >You frantically wave your arm around, dropping the bag. >Must be quite a sight, really. >Half the town is chasing after you, bullets are flying above your head, and you just dropped a bag of burning money because your right half is now on fire. >A realization hits you like a slug from a 45. >Wait... >Your right half is on fire... >That's where you keep your dynamite. >In an effort to prevent a grisly demise, you try to grab the stick of dynamite and throw it away from you. >As it leaves your fingers, your vision burns orange for a second and your ears ring. >Then, darkness.   >Pain shoots through your body as you jolt upright >Of course you're in pain. A death stick just went boom not a foot from your face. >Thanks for the analysis, brain. >Opening your eyes, you see trees everywhere. >This isn't where you parked your horse. >You slowly rise, and pat your body down. >Your jacket has some burn marks on it, but everything else about it is fine. >Well, everything except for the fact you are feeling nothing but pain. >Not a sharp pain. It's more like the pain you feel after working the fields all day. >Good honest work for good honest folk. >And an honest to goodness pain on your fit form. >You hobble towards a tree, using it for support >”Damn, this hurts.” >”You feeling okay, Anon?” >”Not really. I'm really achi-” Wait... >Drawing your revolver, you point it at the bush that seems to be talking to you >”Who's there?! Show yourself!” You quietly check the drum. >Good,it's still loaded. >”Wait, you can understand me?” The voice says again. >”Of course I can understand you, you're speaking perfectly good English. Now tell me who you are before I start shooting!” >Silence falls. >After an eternity of a moment, the voice speaks again. >”Anon, you really wouldn't shoot your only friend in the world, would you?” >You pause for a moment before responding. >”Momma?”   >”2 things wrong with that guess. Firstly, I'm a male, you damn fool. Second, your momma died when you were born.” >Well this person clearly knows about your past. >”Why dontcha come outta those bushes and reveal yourself, friend.” you say, revolver still aimed at the foliage. >”Put the revolver away, and I’ll come out..” >Holstering your revolver, you see a still saddled M walk through the bushes. >He looks different though. His face is more...face-y. And he seems more vividly colored. >”Get out from behind my horse, you yellow bellied son of a bitch” you draw your revolver and point it towards M. >You like your horse. You'll be damned if some boot licking snake is gonna use him as cover. >M turns around to look behind him, effectively turning around in place. >Always a smart horse. >”There's no one there, Anon. I think that dynamite hit yer head harder than you thought.” M looks back to you, clearly speaking. >”Yeah... I think so too.” you put your revolver back into the holster, and lightly grab your head. >”Are you feelin ok Anon?” M cocks his head, staring at you with his comically large eyes. >You simply stare at his moving lips. >His lips move because he is speaking, Anon >THANKS FOR THAT OBVIOUS BIT, BRAIN. >He doesn't have a bit in his mouth. He probably couldn't speak if he had a bit in. >SHUT. UP. BRAIN. >”Nope. Not ok in the slightest.” >Your legs fail you, and you crumple to the floor. >You're unconscious before you hit the ground