Work Text:
Start time: 3/24/25 (In Freedom Time)
“Get back here!”
Two sheriffs were right on his tail, literally, Branzy had felt one of their hands try and grab onto it. Thankfully he had been able to slip onto a passing train but now he’s completely stuck there unless he timed it right. Each car Branzy passed was another reminder that he couldn’t jump out since the train was going over a canyon. The train was practically empty that day and those who were on the train were seated and didn’t have the reflexes to stop him. But there were only so many cars that Branzy could run through.
Breath in
Breath out
Breath in
Breath out
The fresh air Branzy got from leaving the cars for a few precious seconds was enough to keep him going.
Breath in
Breath out
Breath in- not fresh air?
Branzy was just about to cross another car when someone stopped him right before he pushed the door open.
“Wha-?”
The man switched spots with Branzy so he was facing the guards who stood in… fear?
“C-Clownpierce! Well, I'll be! Ain't it a sight to see ya here with us, right in front of him.”
The man didn’t say anything, Branzy could only see his back but those muscles were there and he knew better than to reject the man’s help.
“If ya could just scoot on over, that'd be real nice.”
“No can do, I've got some business with this one.”
The sheriffs were really thinking hard about what to do next. Branzy couldn’t see much but he did see the two men reach down into their holsters and grab their gun-
Snap!
Branzy didn’t have any time to process it all, he saw the gun and then now the clown has the sheriffs on the ground. The sheriffs let out some blood-freezin' screams that were quickly muffled by hands, presumably. A few more breaking of bones happened and the clown stood up again. The man stood up and faced Branzy, that wasn’t scary at all!
“W-well howdy! You ain’t got a mind to let me on through, do ya?”
“Don’t think so, what's in your bag?”
The bag sat right under Branzy’s hip where it was attached to his belt. He had kept the item he stole in there while he ran. A gun, it was a customized gun that a man named Zam had ordered. The handle was shiny with intricate carvings on it. It looked so intriguing and Branzy just had to have it! More so Branzy wanted to resell it since he would be able to buy more expensive things for himself, but of course he didn’t have the means to buy it so he stole it. He was doing well at first, didn’t trigger any booby traps or get mauled by a sheriff. That was until he tripped over nothing and fell right onto the pedestal that had the gun on it and made a loud noise. Which prompted Branzy to smash the glass case and break the window to escape. So he really didn’t want this guy to take it.
“Just some ol’ trinkets. Nothin' of worth.”
“No, I think there’s something I’m interested in there. You know, Zam and I had discussions about having a trade. You don’t happen to know anything about that do you?”
Oh Branzy was so done for.
“Naw! Just found m'self in a pickle with the sheriffs, heh...pleaseletmego.”
“You’re not from around here are you?”
He wasn’t, but neither was Clown. Anyone who had a brain knew who Clown was. His name spread throughout the country and even to the west where they are now. Branzy had heard of his name a few years ago through a friend of his and hadn’t thought much of it since he was based in the North. He didn’t expect to find him so out of his territory. Yet again, Branzy had done the same when he heard of Zam and his newly made weapon so it wasn’t all that surprising. Since no one else was around Branzy dropped the accent.
“No I’m not, but neither are you.”
“Touché. You know, since you’re very easy on the eyes I’ll help you out when we get off the train.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
Clown didn’t say anything, Branzy just stared at where the eyes were on his mask, neither of them broke the silence so Branzy continued, “What’s happening when we get off?”
“Well for one I knocked out the ticker and the sheriffs so they’ll be waiting for us on the other side to try and catch us.”
The ticketer? Branzy looks around and sees a pair of legs next to the sheriffs, “Oh, didn’t notice him.”
“I’m more surprised that you didn’t trip over him when you were running, but really you should drink some water before we get off.”
Clown reaches down and takes a jug of water to give to Branzy. He doesn’t take it, “It's not poisoned, if it was I’ll have to carry another water jug and it wouldn’t be worth it.”
Branzy slowly reached out for it, Clown made no extra effort besides holding the jug out. No poison, at least it didn’t smell like it or had any immediate reaction. It tasted fine as well, no puffer fish poison which was good.
“Let's sit down, the train won’t stop until we hit the next town over.”
“Yeah, uh, ok I can do that.”
So that's how they got to playing card games for the rest of the ride. Slapjack, goldfish, speed, and a bunch of other games that Clown is just so much better at for some reason. They talk as well. Clown doesn’t go into specifics about anything, just base level information. Branzy wasn’t planning on doing anything with the information but it was good to know that Clown’s huge on privacy. They’ve long past the canyon by now and have been cruising by a bunch of plain land. Branzy’s original plan was to keep heading North and go to a village far from his own to sell the gun. Clown must’ve decided to go back home after the situation with Branzy taking the gun and all.
It felt normal, even if he was playing cards with the murderer in front of him. Hell Branzy would even call this fun if it wasn’t for the impending doom that was waiting for him on the other side of the train ride. He could really go for a drink right now.
Clown, midway through a game of speed, stopped to look outside, “We’re almost there.”
Clown said it so softly it felt like Branzy was a mile away even if he was just a table width apart from him, “We should pack up, we’ve got a whole lot of running to do when the train stops.”
There wasn’t much to pack up in the first place, just a deck of cards and Clown’s pack of maps that he carries around. It spanned all across the world with places that Branzy hadn’t even heard about, “Where are you headed?”
Branzy didn’t know, he didn’t exactly plan things out. Usually he would end up at a village and stay there until the actual residents started to ask about him. That was his cue to jump to another village and sometimes he would even return home! So most of his time was spent just going wherever life wanted to take him.
“I’ll go wherever you go.”
“You sure you’re up for that? Lifesteal isn't a for everyone.”
Lifesteal, a group of people from all over the world that work together to accomplish things beyond ordinary people's beliefs. Branzy's certain that one of them even started a full on cult that's gained thousands of followers.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Then what’s your name?”
“Branzy.”
“Ok Branzy, be ready to grab the nearest horse you can.”
“Wait what?”
Clown grabbed Branzy’s hand and jumped out of the train before landing in front of a stable where the horses were grazing about. They kept running until they could find a horse calm enough to let them on. Branzy couldn’t find one so Clown pulled him up onto his own horse. It wasn’t ideal but until they could find a safer time to get another horse it would have to do for now, “Ready?”
“More than ever.”
Branzy didn’t know where Clown was going but it sure as hell would be more entertaining than whatever village he would leech off of next.
“Ash did you take my fucking horse?!”
“No? Why the hell would I take something that you touched with your grimy hands?”
“Fuck you.”
“No fuck you!”