Where The Bullet Lands

A Good Disguise

"Do you want that dress back?" Will snickers.

"What?" I looked at him.

"That dress, the one you had on when you found us" Will smiles.

"No, it's beat to hell" I frown.

"What did you do anyways, you both were close to death" Will lifts an eyebrow.

"We passed out from dehydration and we were kidnapped by train robbers" I think back to the memory. "I wouldn't have escaped without him" I sigh. We walk into little shop next to where we are staying, we have stayed in the hotel for a week, they want me to be fully healed before we face the hot desert. I've had little communication with my Dad. He stays in his room and I stay in the bar. I'm pretty sure the saloon owner knows who I am, all the newspapers that are tacked on every wall aren't helping. Each time I see one I immediately pull it down. In the shop I see she is selling newspapers.

"I'll buy all of your newspapers" I frowned and flipped a wad of cash out of my pocket. Will gives me this very confused look. She also gives me a weird look. I grab them, barely holding them in my two arms.

"Thank you, I will leave now, Will you may continue your purchasing" I say awkwardly and run quickly back to my room. I read them all, there aren't any pictures, but amazingly accurate description. Each newspaper had a different tale of what happened. One says that I attacked the sheriff, another one says I attacked his nephew, even though he denies it. There was one where it was on my side, but it made me laugh. It claimed that the sheriff kidnapped him, and held him captive, and that I was pregnant with Deadshot's baby so I had good reason to save the father of my child. I laughed really hard and long because of that one. They described me as a hero, even though I'm far from it. That's journalism for ya. I began to think clearly on what happened. I felt a sudden tingle on my lips. The heat of the moment left me with only adrenaline, I didn't have time to process that I kissed Deadshot. I just now began feeling it. It's impossible to give an accurate description, but it was kind of like when you buy a new gun, the first time you use it, it's shaky and different, but you still use it, just because of the way it feels when you shoot or the way it sits in your hand. I smile, technically, we are functional. Will sat in the bar while I was in my room, he claimed he was just relaxing. He never orders a drink. He is just trying to make sure I don't run off without them. He forgot about the window. I ran farther into the desert. The town he had marked wasn't very far from the one I was at. I waited until the morning to escape. It's cooler then. I see the silhouettes of the town buildings. Looks like he is in an inn. I look closely on the map, he doesn't specify what room. I turn it over and see the numbers written in mud. How clean. Must of remembered it while delivering the map, there isn't random ink jars laying in the desert. I knock on his door. No reply. I knock again.

"It's me Annie!" I yell through the door. An annoyed Deadshot opens the door, he is shirtless and his clothes are everywhere. What? It takes me a second to register what happened. Behind him on the bed where two passed out naked girls. He smiles his signature smile and lifts both his eyebrows.

"You needed to talk to me" I frowned.

"Yeah, princess, could you give me a second" He slams the door. It's about 2 minutes later when they reopen and the two girls walk out, fully clothed. They looked like they came from a whorehouse. He pulls me inside the room.

"So how much were they?" I chuckle. He only smiles back and grabs a cigarette out of his back pocket and lights it. Any feeling I felt earlier I now realize was nothing, he feels like a brother. "I know that you're part of the ritual" I frowned. The mood of the room instantly became very serious.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about" He swallowed hard. "You do know what happens at the ritual, right?" He stared at me.

"Only what Mary told me" I shake my head.

"Forget everything she told you, forget anything anyone has told you"

"Huh?" I looked concerned.

"The ritual is made up of the four parts, the brawn, the brains, the beauty and me. We will do the stupid cult rituals and then we all bleed ourselves out, this time you all won't come back. I then drink your blood" He frowned deeply.

"What? Ew? Why?" I say quickly.

"Because, your father will almost become something among a vampire. Except, I go into an unresponsive or coma mode, where once a year, until I'm sucked dry, he feeds on me. We aren't the only ones either, there's been more in the past, once the guy is dry, the crazy cult god picks new victims. Knowing your dad, and all the powers he will get, the world is looking at total destruction and chaos." He breathes in deeply. It takes me a second to take it all in.

"We can't stop it, I tried to stop it and I was punished" I had a worried look.

"We can, we just need to convince your brainwashed friends that we can't do this" He grabs my hand quickly. "I can't stop this alone" His intense chestnut eyes pierce mine.

"What can we do" I frown looking for a game plan.

"We ca-" He is stopped mid sentence. His eyes grow wide, he is unresponsive. Suddenly, I am too. We both fall over in bursts of pain.

"This happened earlier, when I tried to abandon Will and Mary" I strained to get the words out. I let out a loud scream involvintairly. The door busts down off the hinges. Will walks angrily.

"Damn, that hurt" He winced. He looked at us both. "I feel like every time you two get around eachother, you both end up almost dead and close to unconsiousness" He snickers.

"Quit..... being..... an..... ass.. hole.... and help.... us" I frowned.

"No no, the pain goes away, nothing I can do, just let you two suffer because you're idiots" He laughed.

"I.... will fucking.... kill you" Deadshot strained to get out.

"Well, from the looks of it, you're not getting up in a little while. So your threats aren't going to work. There isn't anything I can do anyways" Will smiles widely.

"Will" I try to shout.

"While we're here let's talk about how you should stay away from Annie" He points at Deadshot.

"Screw you" Deadshot frowns.

"Not helping" I look at the two of them.

"You're going to end up dead in jail, and no one will care, you're going to bring Annie to that same end if you keep bringing her into your problems" Will pranced around mockingly. Suddenly it was as if Deadshot overcame all the pain. He sat up quickly and grabbed Will's collar.

"You don't know me, and definitely don't know where I'll end up, and you're stupid if you want me to just go away. You need my help if you want to keep the world from plunging into chaos" He looked serious and angry. "I can do whatever the hell I want, and I chose to help humanity. You know what humanity has done for me? They spit on me, they throw me to the dogs, like I don't deserve them. Even though I am trying so hard to save them, and in the end it won't even matter, because I know in the outcome of all this, I'm going to die" He stares at Will his eyes piercing Will's soul.

"Will I think it's best if you wait outside" I nod my head. Deadshot let's go and backs up. Will exits still in shock. Deadshot outreached a hand. I took it and he pulled me up. Still wobbly I nearly fell, but I caught myself. It hurt way less than the last time it happens.

"It hurts less and less each time" He said as if reading my mind.

"You know what I miss" I look at him.

"What?" He stares at the ground.

"Being okay" I smile at the memories. He smiles and gives me a tight hug.

"Me too" He kisses me on the head. He releases me and we walk out the door, still trying to figure out what to do about destiny.