Jack of Diamonds: 'Ticktock'

A hush went through the town when the dark haired stranger rode in. He wasn't physically imposing, per say, but he walked in a way that just shouted danger to anyone watching. A wide smile never left his face, and he ordered in only a few words. When the leader of the local cattle rustlers showed up behind him, the stranger didn't say anything. When he started threatening, the stranger didn't turn. When he drew his gun though...

tick

The sound wasn't. But the lack of it reverberated through the room. It took a moment for the onlookers to notice, as nobody had seen him move, but the smiling man was rather suddenly very close to the large cattle rustler. His gun, made of brass and copper with a large, gear shaped hammer, was set just beneath the larger man's chin. A gasp ran through the bystanders, as they noticed the red diamond on one side, and the red J on the other. "Now, I'm a bit hard o' hearin, and I may have misheard ya. So what'd you just say?" the man said, still smiling.

The big man had a lot of faults, but cowardice wasn't one of them. "I said, you better get outta my town, stranger. I don't like the look of ya, and this is my place."

The man sighed. "An' here I was, hopin' for a quiet drink. I suppose you'd be Jimmy 'Big Man' Jones, then?"

"Yeah. And if ya know my name, then ya better get runnin! I ain't afraid to duel!" Jones was the leader of the entire old state line's cattle rustlers, and feared throughout for his excellent draw, though he was no true Gunslinger.

tick

That unsound rang through the room again, and rather suddenly the stranger was seated at a nearby table, a drink set out before him and some coins on the bar's counter.

"A duel eh? Won't go your way, I'll tell ya. Sure you wanna do this?" Jimmy nodded, clearly unnerved by the man's sudden movement. The dark haired man grinned and drank deeply from his mug. "I'll see you in an hour. Might want ta get your affair's in order, though."

Jimmy shrugged. "You think real good of yourself, stranger. It'll be fun to wipe that smile off your face." He turned, motioning for his gang to follow.

The smiling man said nothing back, and winked at the onlookers.

An hour later, both men were standing facing each other in an open part of town. The townsfolk watched, some from their windows, the braver from their porches. Jimmy spoke first. "Al here will throw this coin, and when it hits, we draw. You get it?" His attitude had shifted from arrogant to angry, as the smiling man didn't look the least bit afraid.

"I get it, kid. One last chance, I'm no bounty hunter. You can turn and walk away, if ya want." The man said as he stretched.

Jones snorted. "I ain't afraid of you. Let's do this." He motioned sharply and the man called Al throw a coin up into the air. When it came down...

TOCK

Neither man was anywhere to be seen. Confusion spread before someone screamed. Jimmy was found hanging from the corner of a building, a gun shot straight between the eyes. The smiling stranger was gone, and another small pile of coins was on the bar's counter.

Later, a small portion of their whiskey was found missing.

---

Wild Cards
Spades:	2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - J - Q - K - A
Hearts:	2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - J - Q - K - A
Clubs:	2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - J - Q - K - A
Diamonds:	2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - J - Q - K - A
Jokers:	Red Joker - Black Joker
Introduction - The World - Gameplay - Stories of the world On the Attainment, Ownership and Passing of The Cards Variant Rule: Hands