The Many and Varied Adventures of Spaghetti Smith

The Debt That Needed Settling

Spaghetti stood about 100 metres away. He brushed the tip of his cool cowboy hat, in a true Western stand-off style.

"Spaghetti Smith." Captain Hooha said.

"What?" Spaghetti shouted.

"I said, Spaghetti Smith!" Captain Hooha replied, raising his voice.

"Hold on!" Spaghetti said.

He jogged about 80 metres towards them.

"Try now." He said.

"Spaghetti Smith." Hooha said, getting slightly frustrated.

"Okay, I can hear you now." Spaghetti regained his stand-off composure, "Captain Hooha Pants."

"We meet again."

"Wow, really? How cliché..."

"What were you expecting?" Hooha chewed on a bit of wheat.

"I don't know..." Spaghetti replied, "Try something like 'The time is finally upon us!'"

"Oh, and that isn't cliché?" Hooha said, "You're in the Wild West. Everything here is cliché. Even tumbleweeds."

"Fair point."

Hooha cleared his throat, "It would seem we have a debt to settle."

By now, some of the town residents were slowly coming out of hiding to watch the exchange.

"It would certainly seem that way, yes." Spaghetti replied, trying to sound confident.

"What's going on here?!" A voice suddenly said.

Spaghetti turned to see the mayor waddling down the street, followed by his assistant, Cecilia.

"We can't have more residents in this town!" The mayor complained, waggling his finger angrily, "I just had the sign repainted twice in the last week because two women had babies!"

The mayor reached them and looked up at Captain Hooha, who was sitting atop his horse. The mayor looked even tinier by comparison.

"And who are you, sir?!"

Hooha grinned a toothy grin and said "Your biggest nightmare."

"You are literally a walking cliché." Spaghetti muttered.

One of the other gang members trotted up next to Captain Hooha.

"Um...boss." He murmured, "Are we ransacking this town or what?"

"Not yet, Fluff Bubble," Hooha replied, "Not yet."

"Well then, Your Biggest Nightmare." The mayor said, "I will have to ask you to leave. Your presence is scaring the children."

"Good." Hooha said, bluntly, "I like scaring people."

"May I check your temperature, sir?." The mayor replied, "Because you are a sick individual."

He raised his hand in want of a high-five but no one took it.

He cleared his throat, "Anyway, what was I saying?"

"You were just telling us to leave." A random gang member said.

"Shut it, Rainbow Cake." Hooha growled, "'cuz we ain't leaving until my debt is paid."

"And how will it be paid?" The mayor asked.

Spaghetti stepped forward, "It's my responsibility."

The mayor looked at him in disbelief, "You?!"

"Yeah..."

"YOU?!"