Unlimited Legends #14 (Featuring Jonah Hex)

[spiritofvengeance]

Unlimited Legends #14
Hexed

Written by Michael Hewison
Edited by Mike Bowen

Featuring... Jonah Hex

The dry heat of the desert burned through the rider’s gray clothing. His hat lowered to block the sun, concealed the scars of injuries long past. His dragoons at his side, he slowly brought up his canteen and took a long drought. The snarling bounty hunter grunted as he finished the last of his water. It would be another couple of miles until he reached town and knew it was going to be a long ride.
His horse let out a whiny cry, also dehydrated. Jonah ran his hand down the brown mare’s neck to comfort her. It was a good horse, and he had taken a liking to it. He thought back to the job at hand; a murderer was supposed to be in the nearby city with a hefty bounty.

Right, ah'll bet that no good gambler killed that girl, Jonah thought.

Quickly he shook that thought from his head. The man he was tracking was a man he had worked with before, by the name of Batlash. Batlash was everything Jonah wasn't, Jonah was a devil with a gun, Batlash traveled unarmed. Jonah was quiet and introspective, Batlash was a loudmouth. Jonah was a killer, and Batlash wasn't. Well, that is from what he saw, and knew of Batlash anyway. But the Sheriff of a backwater town called Serenity said otherwise, so far as putting a bounty twice the normal rate on the gambler’s head. The woman Batlash allegedly killed was a barmaid named Eliza. Jonah didn't believe for one second that Batlash was guilty. But that didn't matter. Jonah knew that the bounty would bring in other men of his profession. And the other bounty hunters would undoubtedly be ready to kill Lash in a heartbeat. Jonah had to bring him in to keep him alive, and find out the truth.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

When Jonah Hex finally reached the town, he rode straight for the saloon and left his horse by a trough filled with water. Stepping inside the poorly lit bar, he first went to the bar and ordered a whiskey.
The bartender avoided eye contact with him as he filled the glass. Jonah was very much used to it. The right side of his face had been burned away years ago. Forever branding him a freak. For awhile Jonah had done nothing but drink the pain away, that is until he hit rock bottom. The pain Jonah had endured over the years even before that day would have destroyed a lesser man. But Jonah knew that he had a greater purpose, even during the time where he did nothing but drink the pain away. He discovered that destiny in a drunken haze when he gunned down a wanted man. He had been arrested for the killing, and he spent the night behind bars believing he killed an innocent man. When an old friend of his revealed that he had done the world a favor, Jonah knew that his place was riding the lonely trails of the west; hunting criminals down and bringing them to justice, be it the laws, or his own.
Jonah was as much feared as he was hated by the men he hunted.

Slowly, Jonah made his way to the corner of the saloon and sat in a chair and waited. His eyes scanned the room he was in; three people were engaged in a game of cards, but none of them were the man he was looking for. Off to the side, there was a man discussing a proposition with a young woman. Once again it wasn't him.
That was when the doors swung open and in he stepped. Dressed in very fine clothing, a dark red shirt, and a leather vest, Italian made boots, the only thing that seemed out of place was a daisy sticking out the top of the attractive man’s white hat. He moved with a confident swagger, and a grin on his face. That’s when he noticed the confederate grey clad Jonah. His eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets as he exclaimed excitedly.

"Well I'll be! If it isn't the world famous bounty hunter, Jonah Hex!" Batlash exclaimed as he approached his old friend. "What brings you to a dirt hole of a town like this?"

Jonah looked him dead in the eye as he spoke "Yuh know why."

Batlash paused, and gave him a confused look. "No, sir, I don’t. Care to enlighten me?"

Hex was quickly growing impatient. Slowly he rose to his feet and approached Lash. "Serenity, Lash."

"Hm, that does sound familiar," Batlash said thoughtfully.

Hex stopped dead in his tracks and knew he was right when he thought Batlash wasn't guilty. He pondered the best course of action. "Yuh're tellin me yuh dun't know?" Jonah asked.

"Well, if I did know, I reckon I wouldn't be as confused as I was right now," Batlash answered.

"Bat, yuh've been charged with murder," Jonah told him flat. This made Batlash take a step back.

"You’re joking right? Wait, I know you’re not joking. Are you telling me that you came here to bring me in?" Batlash asked.

"If'n it wasn't me, it'd be someone that shot first and didn't take time to ask questions," Jonah told him.

"Oh, so I guess you’re here to help?" asked a doubtful Batlash.

Yup, but ah still gotta bring you in. We kin sort this out when we get tuh Seren..." Jonah started before he was caught off guard as Batlash laid a mean right hook on him. Hex nearly lost his balance, and fought the urge to draw his guns. Instead, he in turn threw a left Batlash's way. But Hex wasn't fast enough. Batlash ducked down and drove his left shoulder into Hex's stomach as he grabbed both his legs and slammed him into the table Jonah had been sitting at.
The bounty hunter gripped Lash's back and flipped him. Getting on top of the quicker fighter he put him in a choke hold and spoke.

"Dont be so goddamn stupid, Lash! Just let me bring yuh in and we kin sort this out!" he yelled.

Batlash threw his head back, connecting with Jonah's nose, breaking it. Jonah's ironlike grip weakened enough for Lash to free himself and get to his feet.

"Sorry, Jonah boy, I may be innocent but as you well know innocent doesn't mean not guilty in a court of law."

He turned to run when a single gunshot sounded. Lash froze, and his eyes widened as the daisy in his hat fell to the floor.

"The next one is fer yer leg," Jonah told him, aiming one of his Dragoons at Lash's back.

Slowly Batlash let out a sigh and raised his hands in the air. Wiping the blood from his face, Jonah approached Lash and slammed the butt of his gun into the back of his friend’s head, knocking him out cold.
By then, everyone in the bar had their attention on him and Batlash. Without saying anything, Jonah threw money on the counter and scooped up the unconscious Batlash as he walked outside. Binding his arms and legs, he placed Lash on what appeared to be the man’s horse, and Jonah then secured the rope around Lash's wrist onto his own. Walking his own horse, and the one Batlash was now on, Jonah first got supplies for the long ride. Then rode back out in the direction he came.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

It wasn't until nightfall had set, and Jonah prepared camp that Batlash had woken up. His head throbbing, he quickly realized what had happened.


"I cant believe you pulled a gun on me," he muttered.

"Yuh broke my damn nose, so ah reckon we're even," Jonah told him.

"Well, would I have done so if you hadn't come to bring me to the gallows?" Batlash asked him.

"Ah ain’t gonna let ya get hanged. Ah'm bringing yuh back to Serenity so that ah can make sense of this mess before any other bounty hunter comes gunnin for ya," Hex shot back.

"How many?" Batlash asked, suddenly the color in his face drained.

"Last ah heard thet sheriff put the word out all across thuh territory, and with the price on yer head ah wouldn't doubt a lot of them'll be lookin fer yuh. Just be glad that ah found yuh first," Jonah answered.

"You know, you could have told me that before we had that little tussle," Batlash told Hex.

"If'n yuh hadn't sucker punched me, ah would have," Jonah shot back.

Batlash tried to come up with a response, but knew Jonah was right. So instead he simply let out a defeated sigh and shrugged.

"It's not like you would have done otherwise."

"Ah would have shot someone that tried bringing me in fer somethin’ ah didn't do," Jonah told him.

"Even me?" Asked Batlash.

"Did ah shoot you when ah had the chance?" Jonah asked.

"Ah, Hex, I had no idea you cared so much," Batlash said dryly.

"Shut up, and get some sleep," Jonah told him.

"Before I do, mind telling me just who I allegedly killed?" Batlash asked.

"Some saloon girl named Eliza. Does that name sound familiar?" Jonah asked.

Batlash looked at him for a second and then it hit him.

"Damn straight that name sounds familiar! Me and her had a little fling when I was in Serenity. In fact, I recall an ape of a man getting kind of upset about that too," Batlash answered.

"So yuh left town?" Jonah asked.

"Yessir. He was a big fella, and while I left him face down in the gutter, I knew he had friends and thought it be best if I rode off quietly into the night," Batlash answered.

"So whut yer tellin me is, after a fella got violent over a girl, yuh slapped him around some and left the girl, and him, and his friends in that town?" Jonah asked.

"Wait, you think it was him that killed her?" Batlash asked.

"Ah sure as hell don’t think it was yuh, if that’s what yer askin’," Jonah answered.

"So it's my fault..." Batlash whispered.

"Yur damn right it is! And now, me and my boys are gonna get our payback!" came a third voice.

Both Hex and Batlash looked over to see a large man, clad in dark brown clothing, with two others beside him. All three had guns drawn, and had them aimed at the two surprised cowboys. Jonah scowled, and let out a curse for letting them be snuck up on. That’s when Batlash spoke up.

"Hiya, Bobby wasn't it?" he asked.

The man fired a bullet in Batlash's general direction causing him to flinch.

"Damn, right, and you know what? I thought about letting you hang for it, but the way I see it is like this. I kill the whore, and you get blamed, then I come and track you down, kill ya, and collect on the bounty," Bobby answered.

"So yuh'r sayin it was yuh that killed thuh girl?" Jonah asked.

"Yessir, just like I'm gonna do the two of you..." Bobby started.

But before he could finish his sentence, Jonah drew both his Dragoons and shot Bobby's two cronies. Then fired another shot, taking the large man’s thumb off, and knocking the gun in his hand to the ground.
The large man dropped to the ground and screamed. He clutched his now thumbless hand as blood poured freely from the wound.

"Damn, Hex, did you have to kill those two?" asked Batlash.

"Yup, it was them or us. Besides, this one's alive, so we kin clear yuh'r name," Jonah told Batlash.

"My thumb! You bastard!" The large man screamed as he charged at Hex.

Instead of firing, Jonah slammed the butt of his six shooter into the large man’s nose. He stumbled back as blood erupted from the newly broken nose, and Hex then shot him in the foot with his other gun. The man fell to the ground, and it was then that he first got a good look at Jonah's face.

In shock, he managed to speak, "Dear God, you’re Jonah Hex!"

"That’s right, and yer gonna come with us and confess to what yuh did," Jonah told him.

"Go to Hell!" the man screamed.

"You know, it is a really bad idea to antagonize him. Especially when you just saw what he's capable of," Batlash warned.

Hex cocked the hammer of one of his Dragoons back and leveled it on the man’s groin before speaking.

"There’s two types of men ah enjoy killin’ above all else. Liars... and women beaters. Yer both. Now, yuh kin hang in Serenity, or ah kin apply mah own brand of justice on you. Yer choice."

"Bastard..." the man groweled.

"Wrong answer," Jonah said as he shot the brute’s other foot.

"Agh! Damn you! I'll tell them, just stop shootin’ me!" the man begged.

Jonah said nothing as he walked over to the still bound Batlash and cut the ropes around his wrist. The newly free man rose to his feet and stretched his soar limbs.

"Jonah boy, I owe ya one," Batlash said.

"Hmph, if ah had a dollar fer every time ah pulled yur ass outta the fire ah'd be rich," Jonah grunted.

"Good point," shrugged Batlash. He walked over to the brute named Bobby and checked the wounds. "Damn Hex, you really did a number on him."

"He's alive ain’t he?" Jonah replied.

"I guess according to your logic, you were being nice to him then huh?" Batlash answered.

"Ah ain’t ever nice," was Jonah's answer. "Let’s get goin, we kin be in town by daybreak if we hurry."

"You know, I'll leave that to you. I've got a funny feeling that if I showed up in that town regardless of being innocent I still wouldn't be all that welcome," Batlash told Jonah.

"Right, take care of yurself kid," Jonah responded.

"Don’t I always?" Batlash asked.

Jonah looked to the two dead gunmen, and the groaning Bobby and raised his eyebrow towards Batlash.

"To a degree, anyway," laughed Batlash as he mounted his horse and rode off in the other direction.

Jonah remained silent as he watched one of the few people he called a friend ride away into the night. They had their differences, and butted heads at times but Jonah knew he could rely on Lash, and Lash knew that Jonah would always watch his. Turning his attention to the man that framed him, he spoke.

"It's time yuh own up to whut yuh did," Jonah told him as he hoisted him onto the back of his horse and rode to Serenity.