Partner (Micah Bell)

1. Partners

Sometimes stories start with something big. Sometimes a story starts with a life changing event that draws the characters together. Sometimes stories start with something clever and exciting, something that will be remembered. But sometimes stories just...begin, and sometimes they begin with something so coincidental and seemingly irrelevant that you wouldn't think it would be the start of anything.

A insignificant event like this could be running into somebody the first time you visit a new town, or it could be your usual partner getting injured and being forced to do a job with somebody you despise.

"Are you serious? I'd rather take Sean!" Ashley argued as she followed Dutch towards his tent, not caring that a few people spared a moment to glance at her and definitely not caring about the blonde man trailing behind her seemingly unbothered about the situation.

"This could be a big score, we can't afford any mistakes. Just take him with ya" Dutch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat down in his tent.

"See Black, just deal with it. We gotta move before sun down" Micah smirked, patting her on the back roughly causing her to huff as he turned around and started walking towards the horses. She ran her fingers through her dark hair that was pulled back into a messy braid like usual. Ashley bit her tongue, so hard she thought it was going to bleed, and Dutch would swear to anyone that he saw genuine steam coming out of her ears as she turned around and followed Micah to the horses.

Ashley couldn't help but roll her eyes as Micah mounted his horse, Baylock. She mounted her horse, Robin, just afterwards. Neither of them spoke as they rode out of camp together, this wasn't how it was meant to happen.

Ashley was meant to go on a job with Arthur, nothing too difficult but there was meant to be a promising score. A small group of outlaws, which behaved more like delinquents than fearsome outlaws, were apparently held up in a cabin hidden off of a dirt path. But, unfortunately, Arthur got injured in a bar fight. It wasn't anything serious, just a few cuts and bruises, but they both decided that it would probably be better for him to sit this one out. Of course Ashley knew that she would need a new partner for the job, but she thought that see would get a choice. Apparently Dutch had already decided that she had to take Micah with her, Micah Bell of all people! Those two never got along since the day Ashley joined the gang.

Micah and Ashley rode out of the camp at Horseshoe Overlook and followed the directions that Uncle had given them, hoping that they were accurate.

"What does this place look like anyway?" Micah asked as they started down a familiar road.

"I dunno, I've never been there. It's a cabin so I'm assuming wooden, with a door and maybe some windows" Ashley responded sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at him.

"You aren't as clever as you think you are" he shook his head and he looked over at the woman riding alongside him.

"Yeah well Arthur wouldn't have asked such a stupid question" she scoffed, not even bothering to look over at him.

"And I wouldn't have got my ass kicked in a bar fight" he laughed dryly to himself, returning his gaze to the road ahead.

"He won the fight" Ashley defended her friend, just mumbling at this point. Was it childish to argue with Micah about something rather petty? Maybe so, but she didn't care.

"But he can't do a simple job?" Micah asked, scoffing slightly as they took a turn towards thinner roads.

"Why did Dutch make you come with me?" she groaned in frustration.

"He probably thinks you need someone to look after ya" he smirked slightly as he knew that he was getting under her skin.

"I'm perfectly capable of working alone and Dutch knows that" she snapped back, trying to keep her cool and not let him affect her so much.

"I'm sure he does" the man rolled his eyes.

"Just shut up and let's get this done" Ashley snapped again.

The pair of outlaws rode the rest of the way to the cabin in silence, eventually stopping somewhere they were hidden by the trees as they scoped out the small building. The sun was just setting in the distance and light was coming from the cabin windows. The pair dismounted their horses and crouched down at the edge of the trees so not to be seen.

"How you want to do this?" Micah asked. This was Ashley's job and he thought it would go a lot smoother if he just let her decide how to play it, at least this time anyway.

"Wait for a while, see if the lights go out. We will sneak in when they are sleeping. Less chance of anyone getting hurt" Ashley decided quickly, knowing that was the best option.

"Worried about me?" the blonde man asked mockingly.

"No. Just don't want you killing men for the fun of it" she scoffed as she stood up from her crouching position and stepped away from him.

They both took a seat facing each other, leaning back against opposite trees, making sure that they could keep an eye on the cabin. They sat in silence, not having anything to say to each other and not wanting to say anything to each other. A short time after the sun had fully set, the light coming from the cabin windows went out. Ashley and Micah waited for a few more minutes, wanting to make sure the people in the house had gone to sleep before they made a move.

Once they thought it was a good time to make a move, Micah and Ashley crept towards the cabin. Ashley went around one way to see if any windows were open and to make sure that coast was clear while Micah went around the back to see if the back door was unlocked and unguarded. "Three men, all sleeping in the bedroom. Should be easy enough" Ashley whispered as she quietly walked up behind Micah.

"Idiots left the door open" Micah criticised as he pulled the door open as quietly as possible. The two outlaws crept in and went their separate ways again.

Ashley and Micah started searching through every cupboard and draw that they could see, checking for anywhere that cash could be hidden. They found a few valuable items but nothing close to the size of the score that Uncle or Dutch had mentioned. "Can't find anything here..." Micah complained as he closed another draw.

"They probably keep it in the bedroom" Ashley sighed as she looked towards the slightly open door that led to the room were the three men were sleeping in their cots. Micah sighed as well, both of them aware that they would be more likely to wake them up.

Ashley reached for her gun on the holster on her belt, just double checking it was there before slowly entering the bedroom followed by Micah. They quietly searched the room, pausing when one of the sleeping men stirred, until Micah reached under one of the beds and pulled out a lock-box. Micah and Ashley nodded at each other before leaving the room as quickly and quietly as possible. They walked over to the dining table and set the lock-box down before breaking it open, pausing for a moment to ensure that the noise didn't wake anyone up.

They both smiled when they saw the amount of cash in the box. Micah quickly grabbed it before Ashley had a chance and headed toward the back door, the woman rolled her eyes but followed him without argument. As soon as they got back to their horses they darted off into the night, slowing down when they felt that they were a safe enough distance away.

"Not too bad Black, here's your share" Micah hummed as he held a stack of cash out towards Ashley, who was riding beside him.

"Thanks" she nodded as she took the cash from him and tucked it away safely. "And I suppose you could have done worse, Bell" she shrugged, to be fair they both pulled the job off smoothly but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of telling him that.

"So I guess this would be a good time to tell you that Dutch had stuck me with you until Arthur is doing proper jobs again" he spoke casually, almost like he didn't want her to actually hear it.

"What?" Ashley asked, turning her head to face him with wide eyes.

"We're partners for now, Black" he shrugged before running off ahead.

"Oh, hell no..." the young woman muttered to herself as she followed Micah back to Horseshoe Overlook.

Yes, sometimes that is exactly how a story begins. The usual partner getting injured and two outlaws that despise each other being forced to work together.