THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Ted looked up as he heard loud noises coming from upstairs. It was like someone was banging a hammer against the floor. Then he saw Sentenza slide down the banister and crash into a roll along the floor. He was holding the barrel of his rifle in one hand, and a new gun in the other. Both of his hands had some black gunk on them.

THUMP

Sentenza let out a groan as he slammed the butt of his rifle into the ground. He used it to help himself stand up, like a makeshift cane. He was sweating profusely as he glared towards the door, and with several more loud thuds, he hobbled his way to the front door rather quickly. It took him a second to balance the rifle against him as he tried to open the door.

"Sentenza? Are you...alright?" Ted asked.

Sentenza seemed too focused on the door to notice anyone else. Sadly, whatever was on his hands made it slip along the handle, but after a few tries he finally got it. With the door open he grit his teeth in a snarl as he hobbled out the door with his new pistol raised in the air.

Fog, of course there was fog outside. Sentenza flung his head around as sweat dropped down past his neck. "Show yourself dang it!" he called out. "It's high time I repaid all you've done to me."

There was no answer besides the silence they'd come to expect from this place. Sentenza had a wild look in his eyes as he kept looking around like a madman searching for the specters haunting him in the dark.

An elongated hand rested down on Sentenza's shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around and pointed his new gun at whoever had touched him. It was Bakade, but he held the gun there for a moment. As his wild eyes stared into the fire that sat in the eye sockets of her moose skull.

"You should've told me that he had arrived." he grumbled as he finally lowered his gun.

"Yyyyoouuu'rrree hhhuuurrrttt," Bakade said calmly as she kept her hand on his shoulder. She pointed down at the gun. "Wwwhhhyy iisss ttthhheerree wwwrriitttiinngg oonnn tthhhee bbaaarreeelll?"

Sentenza muttered under his breath before looking back up at her. "Because this mala fella wasn't too bright. It's like writing your name on your can of beans. Won't stop someone who's hungry from eating them."

"Hhheee wwwrrrooottteee hhhiisss nnnaammmeee ooonnn iiittt?"

Sentenza nodded as his legs started to give out. Bakade managed to catch him and pulled him inside. However, as she was supporting him with her hands, her fiery eyes caught a glimpse of the desiccated figure lying to the side of the door. Without mentioning anything, she leads Sentenza back inside.

"Yep, engraved it so he couldn't lose it. Just makes it harder to really clean." Sentenza complained. "Didn't think through things when he spent the money to engrave it."

"Wwwhheeennn dddiiddd yyooouu sstteeall iiittt fffrroommm hhhiimmm?" Bakade asked as she led him back towards the stairs.

Sid eyed Sentenza cautiously as he was led back inside. Death was on his tip toes trying to attach a speaker to the ceiling. Og'drimun was passed out on his back in a pool of alcohol. Lulu wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"You really should be resting," interrupted Ted. "You basically fell down the stairs, and you're already beat up pretty bad."

Sentenza smirked. "I didn't steal this actually. It was abandoned in some ruined house. And Ted, I'm still healthy enough to win a quickdraw. Just figured I'd try and say hello to our benefactor, but it seems I missed him since no one told me he was here. I only heard secondhand from Trizel complaining about being dragged into some mess with..."

He started to cough rather violently, and Bakade looked out of her depths as she cautiously patted his back much too lightly to actually make any difference.

Ted sighed and shook his head. "Just get some rest, okay?"

"Fine fine. I'll take a soak and head right to bed. That okay with you boss?" Sentenza teased.

"I'm not...:" Ted sighed. "Never mind. Yeah, that's a good idea."

Bakade nodded and continued to help him up the stairs and towards his room. "Fffooouunndd iittt, hhhuuhhh?" She said with clear disbelief in her voice. "Whhheeenn ddiiddd yyoooouuuu fffiiinnddd ttthheee tttiiimmmeee?"

"It's a recent acquisition. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

Bakade grumbled. "Fffiiinneee."

They were standing outside of Sentenza's room. "Thanks for helping me up here," Sentenza said. "But I've got it from here."

Bakade lowered her head down and the fire she had for eyes seemed to grow slightly, almost like she was raising her eyebrows in disbelief. Sentenza just smirked at her. "I'd hate to give fuel to any rumors by having such a beautiful young woman joining an old man like me in my private room. Especially when I'm heading straight for the bath. Now go on and leave me to it."

Bakade still seemed a little hesitant but didn't stop him when he opened the door a crack and slid in without really giving her a view of what was inside. As the door shut behind him, Bakade stood there a moment as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Eventually, she left down the stairs and walked up to the bar. She reached her hand out towards a mug on the wall, but was quickly intercepted by Lulu who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Hiya! Let me get that for you. What would you like cutie?" Lulu cooed as she snatched a mug herself.

"Pppiiinnneee bbbeeeeerrr. Tttwwwooo mmuugggsss."

"You know, you can always get a refill. You don't have to take everything at once." She smirked as she filled a mug with pine beer.

"Tttttwwooo pppllleeeaaassseee." she repeated.

Lulu shrugged. "You're the boss. Of course, such excellent service deserves just as excellent of a reward, doesn't it?" She seamlessly grabbed a second mug and slid it under the stream as she pulled the first mug, now full, away. In a moment she had both mugs topped off and frothy. She slapped them down on the counter, and smiled at Bakade.

Bakade nodded slightly and went to grab the two of them. But, as she did, Lulu let out a loud cough as she motioned towards the tip jar. Bakade stared vacantly at the jar, and then returned to grabbing the mugs. Lulu coughed again, louder this time. Bakade paused, but then grabbed both beers and turned away. Lulu let out an obnoxiously loud cough as she grabbed the tip jar and leaned all the way over the counter out towards Bakade with the jar extended towards her.

Bakade let out a sigh that sounded like a winter breeze rushing through thick bushes covered in snow. She turned around and set both mugs back on the counter. With her left hand, she dug through a tiny pocket in her skirt, and pulled out a few coins. She dropped them into the jar rather brusquely and then grabbed her beers again and walked away.

Lulu dug her hand into the jar as she stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth. She pulled out a penny and two nickels. "Wow! two whole nickels!" She bit down on a nickel with her teeth, and then held it up with a smile. "This is the best haul yet."

Bakade walked past the others and to the front door. She looked down at the two mugs in her hands and started to lift her foot up.

Ted saw her and shook his head with a small smile. "Here, let me get that for you." he said as he stood up and moved to open the door for her. "Feel like drinking outside?"

Bakade nodded.

"Alright, just be careful. The guy that beat up Sentenza is out there. There was something about a big eye, I think?"

It's his hand! It has a huge...WHOAAA!!!

CRASH!

Death lifted his hand to warn her and lost his balance. The speaker he was trying to hang fell back onto him and knocked him to the ground. Pieces of his body flew in all different directions. Ted sighed with a weary smile. "Well, be safe and have fun. I'm going to see if I can help Death."

Appreciate it bro!

Bakade nodded as she stepped out of The Oasis. She used her foot to hook the handle on the outside, and pulled it closed. Then she turned her gaze to the side and walked up to the hollow king who was lying against the building. She crouched down in front of the dried-out corpse, and pushed a mug into his hand.

As she stared at the emaciated form she whispered, "Dddddrrriiinnnkkk"