Wasteland Outlaws

She swept into the room in the same way a dust storm whisks over a small town. The hem of her coat brushed the air as long red hair trailed her head, creating a cascade of curls that framed her face. Her footsteps were silent on the dusty hardwood floor as cold eyes scanned the room, steel freezing everyone in place, save one. Aelius Adelaide, the renegade of the south, sprawled out in the corner booth along with a collection of his henchmen.

“Lost, princess?” he asked, a crooked smile spreading over his face, “I’ve got room for you right here. Come take a seat next to Papa Elly.”

The corner of her mouth twitched up, as if to smile, as a blade shot out of her hand and into Adelaide’s collar, effectively pinning him to the wall behind him. The only sound was that of the mice scavenging for scraps as she approached the counter and handed the tender her canteen. The momentary silence was broken by one of Adelaide’s boys. “Are you going to take that, boss?”

The shock on his face turned to fury as he pulled the blade from the wall behind him and discarded it on the table. “You’ll pay for that, girlie.”

The other patrons of the saloon ducked out of doors and behind tables as Adelaide’s boys scrambled to their feet. “She don’t want no trouble,” the elderly bartender rambled as the men drew out their weapons, “Only a little water for her canteen.”

“Shut your face!” Aelius wailed as his face turned crimson, “She dies, right here, right now.”

The bartender turned back to the girl, hands shaking as she took the canteen. “Anything else?” he mumbled, and she shook her head. “I’m gonna go do inventory in the back.” he said to himself and scurried into another room.

The girl tied the canteen to her belt as she began to walk towards the door. “Girlie, you ain’t going anywhere.” Adelaide said as his boys mobbed across the saloon, blocking the door.

“Yeah, you’ll have to go through us to get out the door.” the tallest one said with a wisecrack grin. The girl giggled in response, tilting her head in a quizzical manner. The tallest one began to twirl his knife in his fingers as he took a step forward, shaking his head. “This ain’t a situation to be smiling about, girlie. You’re no match for us.” He leaned in, as if to examine her face, as she grinned back at him. “What are you, psychotic?”

“Something like that,” she replied, launching a swift uppercut that caused the boy to crumple to the floor. “Now, who’s next?”