Disclaimer: … You know the drill…

A/N: It's me again… You don't get XBlade or a plot again until chapter 9. Then, we alternate until 18, where I sign off. Then XBlade will write the final chapters until 26, which we write together. Blah.

The $$600,000 Boy

By Kouji

Once again, our heroes were traveling in the desert. They hadn't eaten in days. They were very hungry. "I'm gonna kill whoever gave me that 'tip' that Daggers was in February…" Jin growled.

Sly spoke up. "Do you think it was a good idea to run away from the bill on the Sandsteamer damage?"

"Hey, you're the one that did it. It's your responsibility, not ours…"

"Ah, okay… I guess you don't have to worry about that sign with our faces on it, then."

Umi raised an eyebrow. "What sign?"

"The one on that cactus -- cacti-- er, that prickly green plant over there." Sly said, pointing at it.

WANTED $$600,000

ALIVE

JIN THE STAMPEDE

SYLVESTER CHATANOOGANAKANAKANAKAJOOJOO

UMI WATERS

"Aw crap, they used my real name…" Sly muttered.

"That's your name?!" both Jin and Umi taunted. They then laughed.

"Grr… Shut up…"

"But this means we're wanted…" Jin said after calming down. "We have to be careful…" The other two nodded and they were on their way to March City.

~~~

"There they are…" a mysterious figure said, looking through binoculars. The figure and it's gang drove down the hill in a Jeep-looking thing. "Jin the Stampede! I've got you now!" The Jeep came to a halt, and all the gang members got out of the vehicle. The leader was a very feminine looking person with jeans and a yellow jacket. "So, the rumors are true", the leader said.

Jin glared. "What rumors?"

"That Jin the Stampede was nothing but a scrawny little boy!"

"Grr, take that back! Who are you, anyway?"

"I am Alex Roswalker, Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire!"

Meanwhile, Sly and Umi were watching. Sly had a look of thought on his face.

"But another rumor was true also…" Alex said.

"What?" Jin muttered.

"You are cute!" Alex said, poking Jin on the nose and kissing him on the cheek.

Jin glared, then smirked. "I guess you're after the bounty on me and my two sidekicks?" *BAM!*

Umi glared. "I swear, if you do that again…"

Jin got back up and whimpered. "You're a meanie…"

Umi got an "X" shaped vein on her forehead and twitched. "No I'm not…"

Alex began stomping on the ground. "Quit ignoring me!"

Jin looks back to Alex. "So, ya wanna fight me? Let's go, then!"

"Very well. It will be a showdown between the two of us, and ONLY us… If any of your little friends interfere, my men will have to… step in…"

The two gun slingers faced each other off. Alex brings out a machine gun and begins shooting. Jin's eyes widen and he runs and dodges flying bullets. "No fair, you didn't tell me you had a machine gun and besides, I wasn't ready!!" Jin could only dodge so many bullets and got shot in his right arm twice. He fell to the ground, holding it.

Sly yelled over to Jin. "Yo! Catch!" He tossed the Cross Punisher over to Jin and dragged Umi down to the ground. Jin caught it and pulled the trigger. A barrage of bullets from a built in machine gun shot through the air, a few hitting Alex in the shoulder.

"I said no interference!" Alex snarled.

"Yeah, but I didn't interfere", Sly smirked. "My gun did…"

Alex got up. "Well then, you're free to go…"

"Really?" Jin asked.

"Yep… Let's go, gang!" Alex and her gang then rode off.

"Well, I hope all bounty hunters are that easy! Oh well, all in a day's work for Jin the Stampede! Ha ha ha ha!!" *BAM!*

"Don't forget, your ass would be plugged full of lead right now if it wasn't for me!" Sly said, his fist in the spot where Jin's head was.

Jin was on the ground, whimpering. "Why are you guy's so mean?"

"Well, someone's gotta keep your ego in check…" Umi twitched.

~~~

Meanwhile, another bounty hunter was watching. "Hmm, this one might be tough… But oh well…"

~~~

The team was once again traveling through the desert. They then saw a guy with a brown trench coat, black pants, gloves, and a huge hat. "… You Jin the Stampede?"

"What's it to you?" Jin said.

"I'm out to get the bounty on you and your friends…"

"Oh boy, another one? Oh well, I'll take this guy out too…"

"Oh you will, will you?" The bounty hunter tore off his trench coat to reveal a robotic body.

"Ohhh… Okay, this might be a little trouble…" Jin said, raising an eyebrow. "Can I get a hand, guys?" He looked back to see running off.

"Oh, no! We wouldn't want to get in the way of the great Jin the Stampede, would we?" Umi said.

"Nope…" Sly muttered.

"Aw, c'mon! I was just joking! Guys?" he looked back at the guy.

"Mwahahahaha! I am Mr. Roboto!" the guy said.

"You're joking, right?"

"… Shut up!" Mr. Roboto screamed, shooting missiles at Jin.

"Crap!" Jin yelled, running.

"Ha! Run! Run! You won't get far… They are heat seeking missiles!"

"… Dude?"

"What?"

"We're in a desert…" Jin jumps, the missiles hit the hot sand.

"Oh… Well, eat laser!" Mr. Roboto shoots lasers out of his eyes. Jin easily dodges the slow lasers.

"… You're not a very well built robot, are you?"

"No… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay…" Jin says, as he shoots a hole into the robot.

"Urk, malfunctioning! Does not compute! There is no spoon! You suxx0rs!" The robot then explodes.

"… Well that was awkward…" Jin says, as he searches for the others. He grabs his arm. "Ow! It still hurts from earlier…" He continues searching.

"Going somewhere, Jin the Stampede?" a voice asks.

"Oh no…" Jin says, as he turns around.

"I am the one who built the robot…"

"Ah, yes… The clunker!"

"Yes, but he was merely a decoy" the man said. "My name is Fad…"

"So you're an inventor?"

"Nice observation! The Academy of Inventions cut my funding, and all I need is $$500,000 to complete my greatest invention!"

"So you're out to get me so you can get the money…"

"Yes. Now if you would just come quietly…"

"No way! I'm not going out without a fight!"

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you by force…" Fad says, as his left arm becomes a case. The case opens to reveal several guns. The guns are all pointing at Jin, and they go off.

"AAAAHHH!!!" Jin dodges some, gets hit a few times, then shoots with both guns, shooting Fad in the legs.

"Oh well… " Fad says, his legs popping off to reveal 2 machine guns. "This… is my greatest invention!"

"Geez…" Jin mutters.

"I've turned my body into the ultimate human weapon! You are the first to see this!"

"Lucky me…"

"Now I shall finally finish this invention, after catching you!"

"You talk to much…" Jin was beginning to get woozy from all the gunshots.

"You shouldn't be so cocky… I know who your father is…"

"Of course. Vash the Stampede. Wasn't 'the Stampede' enough of a clue for you?"

"Well I'm not the one in a net!"

"What are you--" Jin looked around to see he was in a net. "Oh…"

"Ha! I tricked you with your excessive talking!"

"Aw man…"

"Ha ha! I --" Fad fell asleep.

"… What the?"

"Howdy…" Sly said, as he put down the Cross Punisher 4 and Umi laughed.

"How long were you there?" Jin asked.

"Eh, I dunno…"

"… You suck…"

"I know!" Sly said, smiling.

"Well, say goodbye to the 'Great Jin the Stampede'…"

"So you're done being a fat head?"

"Yeah… Hey! Shut up!"

"Well I'm not in a net!"

"Who said I was in a net? Thanks Umi…"

"No problem…" Umi shrugged.

Jin got up. "Well, shall we get going?"

Umi smiled. "Ready when you are!"

"Okay then…" Jin said, picking up the Cross Punisher 3. "Here, Sly!"

"Naw, keep it…" Sly said "Carrying both of those is killing my back!"

They all laughed for no reason and headed over to the next town/city.

~~~

DONE!!! GO HOME NOW!!! ;_;