Mao Mao's Sisters

A Rumble in the Bar

While Mao Mao was getting his arm treated thousands of kilometers away, unbeknownst to him and his friends, something was gonna happen in a run down bar that would come to affect them soon enough.

The Low Key Bar was a place for mercenaries and bounty hunters to find a job to do, or a head to hunt. It was pretty run down, with dirty floors, grime stained windows, and the smell of alcohol so heavy you could practically see it.

The saloon style doors produced an deafening shriek, causing the denizens of the bar to take a look at the lady walking in. There wasn't a regular customer in the Low Key Bar who didn't know the lady who just made herself known.

Tanya Keyes, a tanuki lady that no one wanted to mess with. They knew who she was, they knew what she was capable of. The mountains of high reward bounties she brought in were proof of that much. As she sauntered over to her usual bar stool, all eyes tracked her across the room.

As she hopped up onto the stool, she cast a look towards the bartender. He was a big panda with a very noticeable beer belly. Tanya pulled a platinum coin from her coin pouch, she placed it on the counter and gently slid it across to the panda.

Taking the coin, the bartender placed a shot glass on the counter and filled it with one of his top shelf drinks. Tanya brought the glass to her lips and let it trickle down her throat.

"Aaah," said Tanya, happy to have finally slaked her thirst. "Nothing's better than a drink after a job. A round for the room, on me." The bar erupted in a rumble of cheers and hurrahs.

"How have ya been, Keyes?" Asked the bartender, a sly smile spread across his face. "That last guy wasn't too tough was he?" His voice was deep, and a bit rough, like he had smoked for several years straight.

Tanya laughed at his question, a tear almost coming to her eye. "That's a good one Biggs. But seriously, he wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Honestly though, the only thing hard about the job was imagining how a guy like that managed to get a bounty so large."

The panda had enjoyed watching Tanya over the years. He remembered when she left his bar to take on her first bounty, back then the bar had a different name. Biggs later changed the bar's name to better match his best customer and bounty hunter. For awhile, she would come in with a partner, a black cat dressed in a green cape, sash, and leg protectors, with brown gloves.

"Tanya, it has been an honor to know that THE Tanya Keyes, is a regular at MY bar." The panda stated in a elated response. "Say, now that I think about it, your coming up on your 1,000th bounty aren't ya?"

Holding her glass out for a refill, she took a moment to reminisce about the tons of outlaws she took down throughout the years. Biggs refilled her glass, excited to know he'll be someone to know the first bounty hunter to take in one thousand bounties without losing their life.

"I suppose your right, my bounty count is getting up there." Tanya said, downing another shot of alcohol. "Let's see, if I'm right, I should have about 23 more bounties to go."

Confused, Biggs felt the need to point something out. "I beg your pardon, Keyes, but I believe you need only 22 more bounties."

Taking a moment too think, Tanya saw where the confusion lied; Badgerclops, the one outlaw she let get away. "I got a bit... sidetracked on one of my jobs. Owed Mittens a favor. I'll figure something out."

Biggs brought his hand to his chin, thinking why that name was familiar. "Isn't "Mittens" your nickname for your old partner?" He asked.

"Yep," she said, running her finger along the rim of her shot glass. "I ran into him not too long ago on a job. You know he's a sheriff now?"