Snake Skin | John Marston

Drying Bloodriver

As Y/N made her way toward the Gunsmith store, a sense of unease washed over her. Lawmen loitered more than usual, their presence palpable and heavy in the air. The return of The Golden Cobra had stirred the pot in Valentine, and the sudden uptick in security for a single outlaw felt excessive—yet the price on her head suggested otherwise.

She hitched her stallion near the Gunsmith store and walked in confidently, nodding at the shopkeeper who was wiping down the counter.

"How can I help you, Miss?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Y/N glanced outside, her instincts tingling. Lawmen were gathered behind corners, their hushed conversations tinged with urgency. The atmosphere was electric with tension; it was clear something was brewing.

Before she could respond, a loud, commanding voice broke the tension from the street outside, emanating from the direction of the saloon she had just passed.

"Van Der Linde! Get out here! Get out here, now!"

Curiosity piqued, Y/N crept closer to the door, peering outside just enough to catch a glimpse of the unfolding chaos. Her fingers grazed her revolver as she watched.

"Van Der Linde! You don't know me, but you keep robbing me! My name is Leviticus Cornwall, and I am not a man to be messed with... by the likes of you! Get out here before I have these men killed!" A large man, graying hair slicked back, bellowed as he saddled up. Y/N's heart raced as she saw two of his lackeys holding an elderly man and John, knives to their throats.

"J-John?!" she whispered, her pulse quickening. Her eyes darted to her horse, where the sniper rifle lay waiting. A plan formed in her mind.

"Get out here, you depraved piece of trash! Do you think I got where I am by letting scum like you rob from me, Van Der Linde?! You're done!" Cornwall shouted.

Without a moment's hesitation, Y/N pushed through the door and stealthily made her way to her horse. She grabbed the sniper rifle and crept behind the shop, swiftly scaling the side of the building to the rooftop. Settling into a comfortable position, she looked through the scope, spotting Cornwall and his men as they began to disperse, leaving two lackeys holding John and the elderly man.

Just then, Arthur and Dutch emerged from the saloon, hands raised in surrender.

"This is a... terrible mistake!" Dutch called out. "This is a case of mistaken identity—what is worse th—"

Before he could finish, Y/N squeezed the trigger, taking out the man holding John hostage without hesitation.

Perfect aim, perfect shot.

Before John could react, he scanned the area and locked eyes with Y/N on the rooftop, who gave him a quick thumbs up. He nodded, adrenaline surging, and dove for cover.

A chaotic gunfight erupted as soon as her shot rang out. Arthur, momentarily stunned, exclaimed, "What the hell was that?"

"Y/N!" John shouted, a mix of relief and excitement in his voice. The presence of a sniper on their side shifted the tide.

Without missing a beat, Y/N began picking off the remaining enemies, creating an opening for the gang to escape.

"Move up!" someone yelled, and she focused intently, determined to protect her newfound allies. But a part of her wondered why she was doing this; would they risk their lives for her?

"Strauss is down!" John yelled, snapping her back to reality. She quickly redirected her aim toward their side.

"Y/N, cover us while we push the wagon!" Dutch ordered. "Arthur, shoot someone!"

She sprang into action, providing cover fire as they pushed the wagon containing the injured Strauss. As soon as the gang was out of her line of sight, she slid down the roof and leaped onto her stallion. Wasting no time, she galloped after them.

"That's The Golden Co—" she interrupted a lawman mid-sentence, knocking him over as she sped past. Revolvers drawn, she fired at anyone in her path. The gang hustled to load Strauss onto a horse.

"Let's get out of here! Hurry up, Arthur! Make sure nobody's following us! We're getting back to camp to gather the troops!" Dutch ordered as he mounted his horse.

"Sure, we can't stick around after this," Arthur replied, scanning the area.

John, sharing Old Boy with an injured Strauss, nodded at Y/N to follow. They raced out of Valentine, the chaos behind them echoing in the distance, while Y/N kept pace, determined to stay with them.

What a mess. The public was now fully aware that The Golden Cobra had allied with the notorious Van Der Linde gang.