Firstborn of the Frontier

Book Three - Chapter 154


Jittery as she was after the big fight, Tina didn't dare make a move lest there was another sharpshooter out there.

The mere thought of it paralyzed her with fear, of how there might possibly be another shooter out there, staring down the iron sights of his high-calibre rifle and just waiting for her to show her head. Was silly because there was almost no chance there was still anyone out there, and no cause to throw her Echo all about willy nilly or waste a Second Order Spell on Mirror Image. She still wanted to, even though she didn't, because the facts weren't on her side.

Like how Howie's first prisoner had copped to there being twelve others on the team, and the next two independently confirmed the numbers before they had any chance to talk to each other. Besides them three scouts, their team consisted of three marksmen, three supports, and four standard infantry, all of whom were present and accounted for. Wasn't nothing to be afraid of, because the threat had been neutralized, with all three shooters dead alongside three more Vanguard, leaving only the four she and Mama had taken alive.

Which Howie was none too happy about, and would probably give her a talking to soon enough. Could already hear it in her mind as she waited for him to finish up his business. "They was takin' shots and playin' fer keeps, so you ought to be too." That's what he'd say, and it made sense sure enough, but it was one thing to return fire at people shooting at you, and another altogether to put a Bolt in the back of some kid's head while he tussled with your Echo none the wiser. Tina might well have shot one of the others if Mama didn't handle them right quick, hitting them with a Blast to the legs while they was still jumping down, then finishing up with a perfectly aimed Fear that set all three to screaming and crying something fierce.

In stark contrast, Tina had gotten herself well and truly beaten by the swordsman. Ow Tian was his name, and he was no slouch with the sword, no sir-ree. Would've carved clean through the 1911's Uncle Ming gifted her, shattered her butterfly blade in two hits, and skewered the one good hand she had remaining if it'd been her real self in the fight. Then again, Uncle Ming always said fighting fair was for children and competitions, and you ought to always cheat when it came to a real fight. Made sense in a way, because if you had everything on the line, then it was only smart to stack the odds as much as you can, even if it meant breaking a few rules in the process. You could always deal with the fallout after you won, whereas if you lost, then you'd be dead and gone.

Which was how it was during her fight with Ow Tian, or at least that's what it would appear like if you didn't have an Echo doing all the fighting for you. It was a real sweet Spell-like Ability to Awaken, no two ways about it, Manifesting an Ectoplasmic Clone that could be piloted like the real thing. She benefitted even more because her Clone was a 1:1 copy, instead of a dark shadowy figure that could never be mistaken for the real deal like what came standard. What's more, while piloting it, she could see through its eyes, smell through its nose, hear through its ears, and yes, feel most of its hurt, which by and large was the big issue Tina was struggling with. She'd been around weapons all her life, but like she imagined was how it was with most folks, she'd never been shot before. Technically still hadn't, but she knew good and well how getting shot would feel thanks to the sharpshooter who put a large calibre Bolt clean through the right leg of her Echo.

Unpleasant that, but better than taking the Bolt herself, and yet it still shook her to the core. To pilot her Manifested Echo, she had to be the Echo, become it in not just in mind, but body and spirit too. When blocking Ow Tian's initial backhanded blow with her Shield, the impact rattled her thoughts with how hard he hit even though it was a strike on solid Ecto mimicking her actual Shield Spell. She felt the sword cleave through her 1911's, which weren't firing nothing but puffs meant to look like displaced air, and her heart sank like she'd actually lost the weapons Uncle Ming gifted to her on her 12th birthday. Going sword to sword with the other man showed her just how outmatched he was as he delivered two powerful strikes to the exact same spot on her butterfly blade and shattered it to pieces. He didn't batter the Echo's Ecto replication until it unravelled apart; he struck it with such precise force that the material the Ecto was pretending to be couldn't keep together and shattered like real metal would, sending out shards of sharpened steel to pierce through her hand and abdomen.

All of which felt real as could be to Tina as she fought tooth and nail against him, because she believed it was real, had to believe it to make her opponent believe it too, and thus believed she had be hurt and shot in all the different ways her clone had been hit.

The mind was a powerful thing, one Tina had learned how to trick with Illusions and Enchantments both, but now she was seeing firsthand how magic could really mess with your mind. She knew good and well that she hadn't been injured, had barely had to do anything besides point her weapons and tie their prisoners up, but her hand, stomach, and leg muscles wouldn't stop twitching because they kept thinking they'd been stabbed or shot. More than that, she was unravelling at the seams because her mind and body kept screaming at her to lie down and seek help because she needed medical attention. Then there was the fear, the stark shock and panic that came from such trauma. Getting shot was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, a sharp and violent impact that came out of nowhere and just shoved you aside. Only a small portion of you though, and every time she blinked, she felt her calf coming apart and saw her foot fly out to the side while the rest of her leg stayed right where it was.

After that came the agony, the burning heat of a Bolt tearing through flesh and bone that registered almost a full second after the fact. It was a sharp, throbbing pain that radiated outwards from the point of impact, with severed nerves set aflame just to really make sure you know there's something wrong. The mere memory alone was almost enough to unmake her, and it took everything she had to keep her eyes from welling up with tears, because she couldn't afford to stop and cry just yet. Howie needed her to watch his back as he patted the prisoners down before securing them to their Floating Discs, so that's what she did. She stood firm and ignored the spasms in her leg and hand while shadowing him with her 1911's in hand, but only because she couldn't bear to put them down just yet since it felt like she done really lost them. Was good to have them familiar grips in hand, to remind herself that none of that was real and she wasn't really hurt, something she understood in concept but was having trouble getting the rest of her to accept.

Was a struggle to keep herself from trembling as she stood close to the wagon while keeping watch on the prisoners. Felt like a sitting duck out here, even though she tried to keep the sturdy steel vehicle between her and any possible shooters looking at her from the south. Wasn't no need for it, but she felt better doing it all the same, because the mind wasn't as logical as most people liked to think. Mama made great use of that with her Illusions, and taught Tina all sorts of tricks over the years, like how you wanted to make people think they'd seen through her Illusion when in fact it was just another Illusion coming down over top it.

Never really taught her how to shake off an Illusion though, and the memory of pain and shock was real enough to keep Tina from wanting to step a single toe outside of what little cover she had. Really put into perspective how brave Howie was, because he done been shot multiple times before and went running headlong into the gunfire without so much as missing a beat. Even watching him skate out atop his Floating Disc had her heart hammering away at a hundred miles a minute in her chest, but he was all calm, cool, and collected as he zigged and zagged while returning fire with the Nanfoodle with no regard for the fact that one lucky shot was all it'd take him down. Took out three marksmen and four other Vanguard all by his lonesome without so much as a scratch, returning victorious with a sour look on his face and a whole heap of corpses piled up behind him like it was nothing.

How'd he learn to do all that? Not the shooting and killing, but turning off that part in his brain that saw a living, breathing person and labelled them as an enemy and nothing else? What sort of training did Uncle Ming put Howie through to learn that? Wasn't anything the Rangers taught Tina, no sir-ree, and while Pleasant Dunes had made for a harrowing experience, she'd actually enjoyed the thrill of the fight and blowing all them Abby to smithereens with the Pressure Wave Cannon. People were hurt, and lotta townies died, but there was something about the battle and gunfire that ignited a spark in her belly, one that had her chomping at the bit for her next big fight. Hunting in the badlands with Howie was like a dream come true, and even tangoing with the Razorscythes had been more fun than fright, but one clash with the Qin had her considering if she ought to hand in the Ranger star pinned to her chest and trade it for something safer like a stitch awl to work leather with like Mama.

Maybe Tina wasn't built for this sort of life, one filled with danger and bloodshed on the untamed Frontier. Howie hadn't told her all his stories, but the ones he did share were bad enough, and she'd seen plenty of the scars he picked up along the way. There were the three most recent ones on that spiderwebbed out across his back thanks to the Barkskin Potion that kept him from dying from the three Bolts he'd been shot with, or the multitude of nicks and gouges from near missed shots scattered all about his arms, legs, and torso. Had one on the left side of his ribs from when he was bringing Errol and Sarah Jay up to Pleasant Dunes, and a pockmark on his left shoulder from bringing down the Stagecoach Killers only a few weeks earlier, to say nothing of all the other minor injuries he took bringing down Josie's killers. All this on top of a smattering of scars from knives, talons, Fire, and Acid made for a heartbreaking catalogue of all the injuries he'd taken over the years, but Tina ain't never seen him so much as blink when it came time to face the fire again.

Meanwhile, she was stood here struggling to keep herself together while questioning her present and future both just because her Echo got shot. She wasn't even injured, not really, and here she was thinking about settling down in New Hope to help Mama with her work, or maybe heading up to the Quay to be Howie's front man while dealing with his neighbours and co-workers as it were. Didn't seem like he had any ideas on how to revamp the quay and ranch to turn it into anything besides the co-op it already was, so he'd need someone to deal with all the human aspects of the work, and Tina was great at talking to people.

Not so great at shooting them however, even when they was here for her life and the lives of those she held most dear. These Qin Vanguard had come with swords out and guns ready for blood, but all Tina could see was a bunch of kids her own age who were sorely outclassed. Luckily the fight was over and done with before it really even started, with Mama giving orders to throw their weapons aside or eat a fist full of Bolts. By then, Tina's Echo was already down on the ground with her 1911's and butterfly blade both taken out of the equation, and the only reason the Echo was still in the fight was because Chrissy had used a Command to help her. Which she wasn't supposed to do for a whole slew of reasons, especially not to save an Echo that was about to be shot all the same, but the silly girl didn't see it as Tina's Echo. She saw the truth of what it was, an extension of the sister she loved so much, and didn't want no harm to come to her even if it wouldn't last.

That's the thing about Chrissy though. Folks all thought she was simple, slow, and empty-headed, but it was really the opposite. She was just too engrossed by seeing what most others couldn't see, overwhelmed by all them flows of Aether that Tina could also sorta perceive, but nowhere near as clearly as her sister. Was a good chance Chrissy only pitched in to help because she saw that Tina was piloting her Echo and knew well enough that a sword through the hand would still hurt something fierce. Sweet as sugar, Chrissy was, and she didn't much like having to fight people or Abby, but she did it all the same to protect the people she loved.

And that right there was the answer to all that ailed Tina. That's why she wanted to be a Ranger after all, not just to help people like daddy and Uncle Ming did, but also to protect the family she loved so much. Including Howie, who still needed someone to watch his back, and wasn't no one more motivated than Tina, so high time she put on her big girl pants and stopped shaking like a leaf just because her Echo done got shot. Howie was standing out in the open while binding hands and blindfolding the prisoners who done already been gagged, necessary precautions given how they all knew how to sling a Spell or three at the very least. He needed someone out there with him, not hiding out behind the wagon and watching him from around the corner, so she moved out into the open to cover his six and keep an eye on the prisoners sat in his peripheral.

All without blowing a Second Order Spell on Mirror Image just to make herself feel safe. Nor did she Manifest her Echo, even though she could've done so a few seconds after the last one was shot, but she couldn't shake the unconscious dread of maybe seeing it show up all bloodied and half dead. It wouldn't, because it wasn't like she only had the one Echo. Instead, every time she Manifested one, it was based on her current physical self. It showed up in her clothes with the gear she had on her and even the same split hairs and pressure marks on her cheek from sleeping pressed up against Howie's duster. Since she was hale, healthy, and whole as can be, a freshly Manifested Echo would be the same, but she still didn't call one up because she was still sort of afraid.

Howie was the one who was all big on facts and laws. Tina was more about feelings and emotions, and she was feeling real emotional right about now. This wasn't the time or place to be having it all out though. Abby done heard all the ruckus and was on their way over right quick, so best they made themselves scarce before them bugs arrived. Would be a lot easier to do without them prisoners, but rather than tell them all to kick rocks and sentence them to almost certain death, Howie was kind enough to let them pick two people to cast a Floating Disc that would carry the seven of them. So long as the two casters were able to maintain their Spells, then they could tag alongside the wagon without adding to Cowie's burdens, but Tina knew good and well that Howie would cut them loose in a heartbeat if the prisoners were to weigh them down.

Objectively, it seemed silly to waste time saving the necks of a bunch of people who just tried to murder them in their sleep, but Tina couldn't get around the fact that these Qin were all so young and green. The Scouts were all older, though still likely younger than Mama since most Qin had only been 16 on the day of the Advent, while the other four were all younger than Tina even. Or least they looked it, including Ow Tian who'd beaten her so handily, though Jinfeng had mentioned something about him being third brother so he was probably almost as old as Howie. Even then, Tina didn't have it in her to abandon them here without any horses or weapons, not with an Abby horde descending on their position and more than 100 klicks to go before reaching the safety of the town walls.

And not just because it was cruel. Tina was feeling less than charitable after getting shot in the leg, even if no harm came of it, but that didn't mean she was ready and willing to leave these people to be caught and killed by Abby. Or worse, brung in alive to act as incubators for more Abby, a fate which was worse than death and would make life harder on them all. Didn't have to be a woman to spawn Abby, because they took root in your flesh and organs without any care at all as to their original purpose. All that mattered was that they all still functioned well enough to keep you alive, because then them Abby spawn could use your flesh as a scaffolding to build themselves up off of. Like mushrooms sprouting out of the dirt pretty much, except these mushrooms were the size of a dog and ripped themselves free once they were ready to take on the world.

Only for the Proggie to patch you back up and let you go another round, again and again and again…

At least them Abby wouldn't look nothing like what they done sprouted off of. They'd look however their Proggies wanted them to look, but those Abby grown on human incubators would most certainly come out much smarter and craftier for it, because there was something to intelligence that went beyond DNA and programming. Fact is, lotta people believed that a Synapse Abby could only be born after a Proggie got its tentacles on enough human subjects to figure out all there was to know about brains and how they interacted not just with the physical world, but the Void too. Even better if it was an Innate like Tina or Mama, while Chrissy would probably be like winning the lottery for a Proggie intent on figuring out the human condition. Was an argument to be made that Chrissy saw things similar to how Abby did, and all her issues stemmed from the lack of the necessary equipment to process it all, whereas Proggies needed to figure out how to get their Abby Scripting to work with human-like brains.

Least that's how Uncle Art tried to explain it once, but Tina didn't understand much of it at all, mostly because neither one of them really understood Scripting. Howie might though, so Tina made a note to bring it up later on down the line, because now wasn't the time to be distracted by unnecessary thoughts. Regardless of the reasons, didn't no one want to be leaving live humans for Abby to snatch up, so Tina watched the prisoners like a hawk as they settled in atop their Floating Discs. Didn't much look like killers or soldiers, more like good little schoolchildren waiting for their parents to come pick them up so the teacher could share what they'd done wrong. Didn't change the facts none, as these people tried to kill Tina and her family both, a fact she had to keep reminding herself of even though her calf was still twitching in phantom pain from the Bolt she done took.

A fact that didn't escape Howie's notice either, which was probably why he seemed so upset, even snapping at Ow Tian about how it was all such a senseless waste of life. Not in so many words, but it was clear Howie was feeling the weight of it all, especially after his heart to heart with Mama about watching his words and being more careful about the sort of fights he takes, plus how Uncle Ming never wanted him to hate his own people. Knew he was having a hard time of it lately, what with losing his hand, losing Josie, getting Exiled, and breaking up with Noora to boot, but it seemed like Mama had cottoned on to the downward spiral happening long before last year, even if it was a doozy of one.

Which was why it was so important for Tina to step up and stop leaning on him so hard. That way, he wouldn't be weighed down by all her baggage and she could even pitch in to help out, though he didn't so much as glance in her direction while handling all the prisoners. Probably because he wanted it done quick and right, and while slow is smooth and smooth is fast, faster was better in this case here because Abby wouldn't care much if things were done right. Meant Howie was rushing more than usual and simply using handcuff knots to bind their arms behind their backs without any of them fancy knots he might otherwise have used.

Not that the Qin were putting up much resistance, because they knew good and well all that ruckus would've attracted the wrong sorts of attention and didn't none of them want to be left behind as bait. Which Howie wouldn't do, not in a million years, no matter what he said or threatened. Was just talk is all, because no matter what some people might think, he wasn't no Cultist, just friends with a few who helped him out in a pinch. Before he even knew they was Cultists mind you, so shouldn't no one hold it against him, though the fact that they done brought about the first confirmed Deviant on the Frontier was alarming to be sure.

Either way, wasn't really Howie's fault, so folks ought to stop holding it against him, but that was like asking the sun to rise from the west or something. Case in point, he didn't have much to do with the Qin, but most Americans and Qin seemed to think he was siding with them all the same, for no real reason other than the colour of his skin. Didn't make no sense that, but it was how everyone saw it, and Tina was almost certain the Qin raids down south had at least a little to do with Howie's Exile from New Hope. He didn't let it show, but it had to bother him some, and Tina would do anything to set the record straight and see him back in everyone's good graces once more.

Maybe bringing in 7 Vanguard prisoners on a violation of the Accords might do something for him, though Tina couldn't rightly claim that it factored in to her decision not to kill none of them Qin dead. She had all her arguments lined up though, ready to defend her actions when Howie came a calling to set her straight, but he just gestured for her to get up into the driver's seat alongside Mama and Chrissy. Had all his attention on the latter, making sure she wasn't scared or nervous about the Qin prisoners lined up on Cowie's left flank and well within range for a fiery Dragon's Breath if they should get uppity on the way out.

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"Just you remember Chrissy," Howie was saying, holding both her hands in his own and ducking down so that she had to look him in the eyes. "Don't go nowhere close to them prisoners, not for nothing. If one of them gets out and tries to get at you, then you do whatever it takes to see them off, whether it be a Command or a Big Spell, got it?"

"Okay Howie," Chrissy replied, glancing aside before focusing on one of the prisoners in particular with a rarely seen intensity, namely Ow Tian who'd injured Tina so. "Bad people. Not friends."

"That's right, Princess. So best to leave them be and let me handle it, okay?" Chrissy nodded, and Howie gave her cheek a light brush before crossing over to talk to Tina. He had something on the tip of his tongue, but soon he got a good look at her expression, he switched tracks and put on the kid's gloves. "You done real good Tina," he said, not at all convincing as he tried to come up with nice things to say. "Good work, you and your mama both, wrangling up four prisoners like that."

"Wasn't what you told Mama," Tina retorted, feeling all surly and out of sorts. Wasn't like she wanted a talking to, but how was she supposed to improve if he was too scared of hurting her feelings to tell her the cold hard truths? "Said we ought to have played for keeps, because they sure as shooting were. Wasn't no cause to be handicapping ourselves, not against folks who mean to kill us."

"That's what I would've said yesterday," Howie drawled, getting a far off look in his eyes after glancing over at the prisoners and back again. "Today, I'm not so sure." Stepping onto his Floating Disc, he knocked twice on the side of the door and Cowie got to trundling away. Was moving at a decent speed, but nothing too fast, both to keep him from tiring himself out and the prisoner's Floating Discs from unravelling underneath them. All them two casters had to do was maintain the Spell like normal and Cowie would carry them all away to safety, all except Howie and the horses of course. They all had to walk by their lonesome, and Tina worried for them all especially Sunshine. That minor limp still hadn't gone away, and it could get worse real quick, meaning that if he started to slow them down with Abby on their trail, then there wasn't nothing they could do about it except put him down then and there.

Would be a real hard pill to swallow, killing Sunshine and bringing 7 would be murderers out alive. Tina wasn't one to kill in cold blood, and wasn't really one for killing to begin with. The two boys she'd killed last summer had been shooting at her and Howie both, but she still cried herself to sleep for weeks after the fact and couldn't forget their faces if she tried. Mama said that was plenty normal, but Tina didn't understand why. It was kill or be killed, and it wasn't like she was against killing or anything. She understood the necessity, knew that Howie had to make some hard calls that weren't always on the right side of the law, but like Uncle Ming said, there were some people who only understood violence, so violence is what you used to get your point across. All of which sounded perfectly normal and logical, but again, when it came time to pull the trigger on Ow Tian as he fought her Echo, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Didn't matter that he'd come here to kill her, and wouldn't think twice about doing the deed if their roles were reversed. She just didn't have it in her to gun a man down while his back was turned, even if it meant putting herself at risk. When you got right down to brass tacks, Tina and Mama shouldn't have taken these prisoners. They'd been ambushed in the middle of the night, with two shooters taking shots at Mama without so much as a warning, but she still went the extra mile to keep them kids alive. Some would say it was because she was soft, and they might even be right, but while Tina knew good and well what the right move should've been, it just didn't feel right in the moment, so she couldn't do it.

Had all of that locked and loaded for Howie when he came a calling to ask about her decisions during the fight, but he pre-empted it all by casting his own doubts on what the right move should've been. Now there was a first, because even when he wasn't sure about something, he'd readily admit his uncertainty but carry on like he was 100% committed to the cause. For him to express doubt like this then clam up after the fact was a first, but eager as Tina was to pick his brain, she didn't press him as he gathered his thoughts while skating alongside the wagon in silence.

Neither did Mama, who made a big show of singing songs with Chrissy to keep her occupied and entertained, yet kept glancing over innocuously every few seconds to see what's what. Took about two dozen glances before Howie opened his mouth to speak again, and when he did, he said something Tina never expected to hear. "These last few years, I've felt like I been doin' everything wrong, and I think I finally figured out where I done goofed." If Howie had been doing things wrong, then wasn't no one right, because he was doing better than most grown adults, much less kids their own age. Tina kept quiet though, because she could see her sorta brother was being real serious and introspective, which wasn't out of character, but he was actually sharing for once, which was.

"See," he drawled, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words and buying time to think things through. "It ain't easy making it out here on the wild Frontier. Weather and inhospitable terrain aside, there's also Abby and outlaws to deal with, and it's the latter that's had me most concerned. Lots of mean, tough cutthroats out here who'd put a Bolt in your chest if you so much as look at 'em sideways, but you can't do nothin' about it until they reach for their gun." Which didn't sound fair, but was, because you couldn't rightly gun a man down just because you thought he was about to shoot you. Had to wait until he made a move to do it before you could respond, so you had to be quick and alert.

Howie knew this of course, and had told Tina countless times before, so she didn't understand what he was getting at until he continued, "Never fun ridin' into a new town with palms forward, arms out to the sides, and a big ol' smile pasted on my face while wondering if these strangers gonna stop to talk before they shoot. Smiles don't do for me what they do for you or your mama see, and more than once I've had to say and do some things that were less than savoury to get myself out of a tough spot. Nothin' too too bad, just threats and promises mostly, while showing off my gun and throwing cold stares left and right. After a while, I convinced myself that this was how I had to be to make it out here, meaner and tougher than the cutthroats I run across, else they'll walk all over me. Thing is, somewhere along the way, I might've been mean and tough in the wrong spots when a smile could've seen me through nice and easy."

Glancing at Mama with a sheepish look, Howie quickly went back to staring up ahead at nothing while Tina listened close. "What I'm sayin' is my mouth, glare, and itchy trigger finger might've gotten me into more trouble than out, like with these fellas here." Gesturing at the prisoners, he heaved a sigh and raised his voice. "Hey prisoners," he called, speaking loudly enough to be heard over Cowie's clomping hooves and the creaking wagon wheels. "Nod if yes, shake your heads if no. Best be honest too, because I'm at my limits of charity for the year, and while I can stomach carrying a bunch of wannabe killers out of the badlands, I ain't so sure about lying wanna-be killers. Y'all catch my drift?"

Four of the seven nodded, while the other three just sat still as a rock, which got Howie looking all sorts of sour until he asked, "Only two of you understand English?" There was a short pause, then all four shook their heads with some reluctance, all worried they might well be dooming their friends. Was clever that, not just going right to four and not knowing if they was just nodding so as not to give the game away. Howie asked if three understood English, and they all shook their heads again, before nodding when asked if the magic number was four. Once that was established, Howie moved on and asked, "Y'all were sent here to bring me in alive?" They all nodded. "But that changed after I done shot the fatty??"

Again, they all hesitated, and while most nodded, one, the Scout Howie picked up first, Qian, alternated between nodding and shaking his head. "The reason you want my head now ain't just because I shot the fatty?" Four nods. "Was it because I refused to comply with the warrant for my arrest?" They all shook their heads to indicate no, and Howie seemed to take that hard. "It's because I threatened to kill any Qin I see, yeah?" They all nodded, and Ow Tian seemed especially emphatic, straightening up for just a moment because he well and truly believed himself in the right, which only went to show that Mama was rarely ever wrong. Had it right on the nose, and Howie didn't much like facing the facts, no doubt blaming himself for the attack on the camp for more reasons than one.

Wasn't his fault though, not really. The Qin had no right to him, and if they was gonna initiate hostilities by taking him prisoner in the middle of the night for the silly crime of not contributing to the Republic, then he had every right to defend himself moving forward. Granted, killing any and all Qin on sight outside of claimed territory was a bit much, but he'd been rightfully heated when he said it and walked it back a few hours later, because even though most were calling him the second coming of the Yellow Devil, Howie was anything but. He might kill more people than most, but wasn't like he wanted it, not really. What he wanted was to make the Frontier a better place, and lately, the way he went about doing that was killing fools who the Frontier would be better off without. Like Ronald Jackson and his explosives manufacturing company, or the Pugliano crime family with their stranglehold over Brightpick.

Course, that wasn't the sole reason he went after them. They crossed him first, and the same happened here with the Qin. What right did they have to arrest him just because he wasn't a card-carrying, contributing member of the Republic? They had no claim over him, no entitlement to his labour, and no reason to waylay him in the dead of night out here in the badlands all so they could bring him in for some trumped up charges. They was lucky he didn't blow half of them to smithereens with a Fireball and take care of the other half with his Pressure Wave Cannon, and the only reason he didn't take that fight was to keep Mama, Chrissy, and Tina safe.

Least that's how he would've framed it a week ago, and Tina would've wholeheartedly agreed even if she thought he could've been more diplomatic about it, but that was Howie in a nutshell. A straight shooter to the end, because he'd tell you the facts and figure that if you didn't like them, then that wasn't no skin off his back. Again, perfectly logical, because wasn't like Howie was responsible for making things the way they were. He simply told it like it is, but once again, people weren't all that logical, and they didn't much like being called out either.

"Alright," Howie said, after stopping to think his words through after his last question. "Listen up now." All four English speakers straightened up, while the other three just sat around looking uncertain and unsure because wasn't no one translating for them on account of how they was all gagged and blindfolded. "When I said I'd kill all Qin on sight, I was speaking from a place of anger. You can believe me when I say that because y'all still drawin' breath, even though I probably wouldn't have spared you in the heat of the moment." Glancing at Tina, Howie added, "That's the harder choice. To exercise restraint even in the heat of battle because you know it's the morally correct choice. The world we live in is kill or be killed, but that ain't the world we aspire to build, to return to what was lost when the First Wave passed through the Gate. Guess I lost sight of that somewhere along the way, because while I still think holding to those morals is handicapping yourself against folks that won't show no mercy, that righteous and principled bearing is what separates the outlaws from the heroes like my daddy. They take the high road, whereas I been skirtin' low as I can go and crossin' lines aplenty, both on purpose and by accident. Can't keep doin' that no more, not if I want my daddy and my family to be proud of me."

The last was said with a warm look from Howie, which brung a tear to Tina's eyes it did. She'd be lying to say she wasn't worried about Howie's darker nature, but it looked like he was well on his way to finding the light again. Better late than never, so she reached out to take his hand and smile as he blushed and tried to look staunch and manly. "Said it before," he continued, still speaking to the prisoners, "And I'll say it again. My daddy was no traitor. He loved his people, so much that he scolded me for killing the men who killed him instead of taking them prisoner. So I ain't gonna kill y'all, and instead I'll bring you in to town. Once there, I'll hand you over to the authorities and have your charged under the Accords with attempted murder, at which point your Republic will step in to negotiate." Glancing over at Mama, Howie stalled in his tracks and asked, "If that's alright with you, Aunty Ray. More than half are your prisoners, so it's your call then."

"You just do what you think is best," Mama replied, sounding pleased as peach even though she didn't so much as glance at Howie while gazing fondly at Chrissy. "No need to mind me."

Which translated to, "You're doing good, until you aren't, and I'll let you know when you're not."

Howie understood Mama same as Tina, and they traded looks of chagrin and commiseration before breaking out into smiles. Small ones, but smiles all the same, which were near and dear in these trying times. "Okay then," Howie continued, picking back up where he left off. "So American jail is where you bound for, and what happens next is on the lawyers. My guess is the Republic will make a big fuss and a bunch of Federal bigwigs will trip over one another in a race to be the first to solve the issue and send you all on your way back to your land of fortune before spring."

Tina didn't know it was even possible for someone to sneer through a gag, but Ow Tian managed it rather nicely. Probably had something to do with Howie's refusal to use any Qinese ever, not even to name their town of Fuyuan. Not for nothing though, because his pronunciation was so atrocious it was the one subject Uncle Ming had ever given up on teaching him. That was probably Daddy's fault, because he had so much fun seeing baby Howie speak with a southern drawl, he taught him all the 'wrong' ways to speak as far as English goes, and Howie soaked it all up like the sponge he was. Mama too, but only because that was the only way she knew how to speak, while folks who spoke 'proper' American English were usually too busy with other stuff to teach Howie how to speak proper.

"Either way," Howie said, scowling something fierce at the thought of letting these would-be murderers go, "Ain't nothin' I can do about it. Y'all came at me once, and I accept that I share some of the blame for it, even if I don't much feel like forgiving or forgetting about any of this. Thing is, I doubt killin' y'all will change anything besides the fact that you all still breathing. So here's the score. I'm willing to accept that you all just soldiers followin' orders and got no personal stake in all this, so I'm gonna try somethin' new and not hold no grudges against you. I'll reserve my grudges for the fatty, and I'll settle those in due time. As such, I'm amenable to handing you over to the Feds and watching them make a mockery of the Accords instead of giving y'all a taste of Frontier Justice. I'll even do my best to bring you all in alive and well, because we still ain't in the clear just yet, and in return, I want y'all to do one thing and one thing only."

Zipping forward on his Floating Disc, Howie zeroed in on the leader of the group. Not Qian, the meek and dutiful Scout who had a good head on his shoulders and plenty of years on the rest, but Ow Tian, the hot-headed and frankly indecisive swordsman who was much too strong and fast for Tina to beat in close combat just yet. Once he was close enough, Howie pulled down Ow Tian's blindfold and looked him dead in the eyes. "When you get home, you tell anyone and everyone who will listen," Howie began, his tone cold and words steady like he'd rehearsed this a thousand times before, "That I ain't no son of the Republic. I am the son of Ming and Li Na, but that's where it ends. I want nothing to do with the Republic, so I will kindly ask that you and yours leave me be. Should any of you come at me again, whether it be to take my head, bring me in for dereliction of duty, or any other reason under the sun, then we gonna have a problem." Glancing at the corpses stacked on the Floating Disc sleds trailing behind the wagon, Howie added, "And y'all seen how I solve my problems. We clear?"

The three blindfolded Qin who understood English all nodded emphatically, but Ow Tian took a moment to consider it thoroughly. All while glaring daggers at Howie, no doubt still upset over how his little challenge had been disregarded. Which, if Tina was being honest, was a little sad since she would've liked to see Howie smack the other fella around just a bit. Wasn't like she condoned all his fighting and roughhousing of late, but she wasn't against watching him smack some fools who deserved it every now and again.

Odd that. Even though she knew good and well how skilled a swordsman Ow Tian was, the possibility of Howie losing in a straight up fight never even occurred to her. Wasn't like Howie was some amazing brawler or nothing, but Tina had never seen anyone besides Jinfeng get one over on him, not big Al, Kacey, or even Tina herself despite all their hours of training. Howie was just too fast, too slippery, and too difficult to read while seemingly aware of every move they'd make before they even figured it out for themselves. All without any real hand-to-hand combat training outside of a few boxing lessons with daddy way back when, and some footwork Uncle Ming taught them all to keep out of harm's way.

After a long staring contest which he ended up losing, Ow Tian begrudgingly nodded and Howie put the man's blindfold back on before falling back to drift at the wagon's side. Heaving a long and tired sigh, he turned back to scan behind them and collected a whole storm cloud across his brow, which meant things weren't looking good. "So you never answered my question Songbird," he said, not just to make conversation, but to get the lay of the land and learn what they were all working with. "How you doin'? Not just in terms of battle readiness," he added, before she could get a word in edgewise. "I really want to know. You good?"

Tina nodded, but only because her throat tightened too much to do otherwise. Didn't make for the most convincing answer, and he just gave her a look so full of sympathy that it brung her to the edge of tears. Pushed her right over when he reached out to squeeze her hand three times right quick, and she couldn't help but amend her answer with a shake of her head. Couldn't play it tough anymore, so she told him about her Echo getting shot and how it scared her something fierce, which got Mama all turned about as she smothered Tina in hugs and kisses while Chrissy stroked her hair. "Just don't know how you do it," she said, hiccupping a little as the last of her sobs left her feeling a little better now that all her sorrows were shared. "Run headlong into danger time and time again. You been burnt so many times before, but you keep right on reaching into the fire without any concern."

"Well, the answer's simple," Howie replied, still stood on his Floating Disc, but leaning over the edge so he could hold his hand this entire time. "I ain't all that smart." His delivery was so matter-of-fact Tina had to do a double take to make sure she heard what she heard, and soon as she did, his features broke out into a grin to show that he was having a laugh. "Gotta be some wires crossed in the back of my head or something, because a man who keeps reaching into the fire after multiple burns has gotta be some sort of simple."

"I'm bein' serious!" Pouting something fierce and hating how she couldn't stop, she looked Howie dead in the eyes and asked, "How do you just do what you do without letting fear, apprehension, or uncertainty slow you down?"

Howie's smile grew softer as he gave a little shake of his head. "You know," he drawled, never one to get to the point when he could drag things out. "Even though they never asked outright, I answered this question for them both Errol and Sarah Jay, but I suppose I should've told you too. Just never occurred to me, because it all comes so natural to you. You take to training like a duck to water, and I'm right proud of how far you've come." Which was nice and all, not to mention enough to get Tina to blushing and beaming both, but it didn't answer her question, so she locked eyes with him until he said, "As for dealing with fear under pressure? There ain't no easy answer besides 'experience'." Howie shrugged, then glanced at Chrissy and picked his words carefully. "Remember that story I told in the saloon back at Pleasant Dunes? Bout the first time I uhh… lassoed a man?"

Didn't take much to remember it, because it wasn't something you easily forgot, the story of how Howie hung a man outside a saloon window for buying an underaged prostitute. Was a true story too, or at least true enough with regards to the hanging. Couldn't rightly make something up like that, how the man didn't die of a broken neck and instead was stuck kicking and fighting for air for a good fifteen seconds until Howie stepped outside, shot him in the leg, and 'watched him die slow and hard'.

Tina had never asked him about it, because there were something things best left untouched, but if Howie was broaching the subject now, then he had good reason. So she nodded and listened as he said, "Well, that wasn't the first time I killed a man, but it was the first time I had violence visited upon me unexpectedly. I was in town for a layover, and he done broke in thinking to kill and rob me while I slept. I got the upper hand and came out unscathed, but after all was said and done, I stayed up another forty hours or so, pushing Cowie all night and day and night again in order to get away from it all, even though there wasn't nothin' or no one chasing me."

Which made Tina feel a little better, but probably made Mama feel so much worse, because this was the first she was hearing of it, and would probably want Tina to go over it all in detail later on down the line. Howie was very careful not to look at Mama though, because then he'd be compelled to answer, and he didn't want to do it with Chrissy right there because that wasn't something he wanted her to know. Instead, he maintained eye contact with Tina and gave her a sad little smile. "I also used to get the shakes real bad," he admitted, which again was news to her. "Didn't even have to be a big fight. Sometimes, I'd just be out huntin', then something would burst out of the bushes and I'd see my chance. No threat to my life or nothing, just an opportunity is all, and I'd be shakin' like a baby wally after the fact. Excitement usually, or nerves maybe, but it went on for two years or so until one day I noticed it'd been a while since I had the shakes."

"So what you sayin' is I just gotta deal with this until I get over it?" Was right to say there was no easy answer, but Tina didn't hold it against him, because wasn't like he made things this way.

"Pretty much," Howie said with a shrug. "You got most of it down pat already. The rest will come with experience, and until then, practice and repetition helps. Best to be prepared for anythin', so can't nothin' surprise you." His soft smile turned into a big grin as he added, "Though I will say that I got no qualms about you doublin' down on your Echo and learning how to send it further away like Kryn the Echo Knight. Would love it if you could patrol the badlands from the safety and comfort of home, and I know your Mama would too." Howie finally glanced over at Mama, and they shared a sneaky smile between them like they was in on a joke that Tina didn't know about, but it was only for a moment and nothing more. "Truth is Tina," Howie continued, giving her hand a single squeeze of warmth and support, "You doin' great. No joke. Not only are you top boot and recruit, you done beat… fourth brother? Or whatever over there, and while I didn't see him fight, Jinfeng rated him pretty high. Keep in mind, you didn't just win either, you took him prisoner, which is even harder to do, so that's gotta count for something. You got this Tina, so like I said before, just remember your training and follow your instincts."

Feeling much better about all this, Tina sat up a little higher, but not so much as to leave Mama's embrace or pull away from Chrissy patting her head. Heaving a small contented sigh as she squeezed Howie's hand three times, she waited for him to squeeze back before facing the facts and coming up short. "Thing is," she drawled, glancing back behind them even though she couldn't see or hear nothing, "My training didn't cover what to do when being chased by an Abby army in the badlands, so what's the plan?"

Howie's smile turned cold and grim, but his hand was warm as could be as he held on tight. "We run," he said with a shrug, before adding, "We run until we can't, and then we fight."

Not much of a plan, but no point saying as much. So instead, she said, "Simple is as simple does," and gave Howie her best and brightest smile to let him know she was feeling alright, before giving him the full rundown of what she still had in her. Which was pretty much everything, and while Mama and Chrissy chimed in, Tina got to checking her weapons and pouches to make sure she had everything she needed. Once she was done with that, she moved on to looking over the new weapons they'd taken from the Qin, most of which were garbage save for the three rifles them sharpshooters were carrying, one of which had delivered the Bolt that had scared her something fierce.

No better way to conquer your fears than to face them head on, so Tina familiarized herself with the large bore rifle and prayed she wouldn't have no use for it, even though she knew good and well the chances of that were slim. No matter though. Wasn't no one she trusted more than Howie to get them out of this bind, and if he wasn't up to the task, then at least they was all here together. Whatever may come, they'd all face it together as a family.

For better or for worse.

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