Stranded Hound: A Helluva Boss Fanfiction

Day 1

They both walked out of the pharmacy, the gentle wind greeting them both once more, with the stranger walking one direction, and Jim walking the other, but not before the young man asked her if she needed anything on her way, only to be met with a blunt "no" before taking off across the road, sitting down on one of the benches. What seemed strange to Jim, other than her sudden appearance on the boundaries of his property, was why she looked frustrated, if not slightly anxious. It didn't seem that she was anxious about her earlier ordeal, rather about something else entirely. Still concerned about her wellbeing, he decided to sit on the side of the road adjacent to the stranger, without trying to make it so obvious that he was perhaps spying on her, though it was without maliciousness.

That is where young Jim sat for the next five minutes, looking up from his phone every-so-often to see whether or not the stranger was still in, at least, a self-manageable condition, trying to be inconspicuous. He wondered if his expertise of being inconspicuous was paying off. He didn't need to wonder for too long, as the stranger was now walking towards him at quite an alarming rate. This alerted Jim, prompting him to quickly stand up, before being confronted by the stranger face-to-face once more.

"You're stalking me, aren't you?" the stranger barked through slightly gritted teeth, coming right into his face.

"Oh, what, so it's called "stalking" these days to watch out for someone who had a medical episode," Jim remarked back, his figure ever-so-slightly towering over the stranger.

"So what? Why the fuck is it your business," the stranger barked back, frustration in her voice now turning into a hint of anger.

"It's called 'courtesy', ever heard of it," Jim snapped back. Like this stranger, Jim, too, was prone to anger in times of direct confrontation.

The stranger shot him a real dead-eye look, seemingly taken back by his retorts back to her. The stranger took a shallow breath, then sighed harshly: "Thank you for being worried, okay? But shit, if you're worried about me, just come up and ask how I'm going, and don't be a fucking creep about it!"

Jim nodded: "Look, I apologise; you're right – shouldn't have gone around that the way I did. So, anyhow, why are you down this way? I heard something earlier about Victor Malloy?"

"I was hoping if... if I could speak with him, it's-it's for an interview about him, why he's- yeah, why he's so hated," the stranger "explained", stumbling over her own words.

Jim seemed almost incredulous; "So you came out here not knowing why he's so hated around here? I'll tell you why; he's this region's scourge, an absolute stain on Australian society. He's been in and out of prison more times than anyone else. He's robbed, laundered, and intimidated everyone in this region from here to the Summit where he currently resides. If you want to know more, I could perhaps take you up there to speak with him, but you'll need someone to protect you up there - the bastard's dangerous."

The stranger hesitated, thinking about the offer, deep in thought. After a couple of seconds, she sighed, and looked back up at Jim: "You know what? Sure, I'll come with you. There better be no shady shit like you pulled off just now, because I will quite literally end your life."

Jim raises his hands, backing off: "You can take my word for it, I'm not the type to do that! If I do, then you have permission to kill me, yeah?"

The stranger mumbled something harsh from under her breath, before nodding slightly: "Lead the way."

Jim nodded, gesturing for the stranger to follow him. He led her to his Ute, seemingly 40+ years old in appearance. It was a moderate gray in colour, with small signs of its age appearing on the exterior. Jim climbed into the driver's seat, as the stranger followed, squeezing herself inside to the passenger side. After checking with the stranger that everything was sorted, he started the engine, the old workhorse powering to life, before pulling away, passing houses, and into the surrounding ranges.