Showcase #76

BAT LASH

After meeting a girl (and her boyfriend), Bat Lash heads out of town. Soon, he finds himself a pheasant that he shoots for dinner, and heads into the nearby town of Welcome to find a place to prepare it. He comes into a bar and finds a lady, Diane, working there. He asks her to prepare the pheasant, but she says that she is leaving town just like everyone else. They've been having trouble lately, she says. Bat insists that she stays and cooks his pheasant, and heads over to the store to get some ingrediants. There, the shop keep is also preparing to leave town. In walks two ruffians, insisting that they leave town. Bat Lash takes out the two men with two shots and heads back to check on his dinner. Diane finally agrees to cook his bird, so Bat decides he better get some fine wine. On his way there, Quincy decides to ask Bat to leave town while his two goons ambush Bat. They don't get the drop on Bat though, and one more body is added to the body count. Quincy is hung up to dry, and swears vengeance on Bat. At the wine cellar, the shopkeeper is also trying to get out of town. Quincy shows up with five of his goons and violence breaks out. Bat makes a point to let the thugs know that he hates violence, and just wants to be left alone - as he brawls with the goons. Clearly outmatched, the goons run off and head to "the Boss". Hearing the news, the "Boss" and his Coombine, which includes the town Bank-owner decide they they need to take care of Bat, or their plan will be ruined. The boss decides it best to poison his dinner - the bird he's been talking about so much. Bat heads back to the tavern with the wine just before the pheasant's done, allowing him plenty of time to kiss the cook. Unfortunately, Quincy calls him out, with two thugs hiding in ambush on either side of the door. The wiley Lash decides to come out the window and dispatches them. Bat heads back and is ready to take a bite of Pheasant. He offers Diane some, and she reveals that it is poisoned. Bat tells Diane to explain herself, and she hands him a stack of ill-gotten cash that she "took off the top" while sneaking out a gun and talking about marriage. Bat stops her from grabbing the gun, and decides to marry her! As they leave town to start their new life together, Bat makes a quick stop by the jail and has her locked up for conspiring with the bad-guys.