Is It Wrong To Get Redemption In A Dungeon?

The Last Outlaw

Arthur woke up with a groan, he found himself sleeping on the cold ground in the woods with a massive headache. He brought his gloved hands up and wiped his face, hardly remembering the events of last night as he sat up to rest a bit.

[] Arthur []

"Ugh, not again..."

He grumbled, he must've made himself look like a fool in front of everyone with his excessive drinking. As he scowled, he felt his face ache and sucked his teeth a little, oh right, he remembers face-planting after mistaking two fools for his old gang members. Or at least he thought. Arthur quickly came back to his senses when he heard some leaves crunching behind him together with the trot of horses, he stood up and turned around to find two silhouettes.

[] Hosea Matthews []

"Ah you're awake, young Lenny and I were worried you died of alcohol poisoning for a moment."

[] Lenny Summers []

"Good to see you back on your feet Arthur, now I know we've been through this before but that drink was quiet compared to the time in valentine."

[] Arthur []

"What?"

Arthur squinted, staring at the silhouette as they came closer and closer to him, the flames from his campfire lighting up their bodies and the gunslinger couldn't believe who was standing in front of him. Hosea Matthews and Lenny Summers.

[] Arthur []

"Hosea?!? Lenny?!? What the- how d-"

Arthur spoke, a small smile forming on his face as Hosea gently sat the man down whilst Lenny took Arthur's Mug and brought him a drink.

[] Hosea Matthews []

"After you had a good face to face action with the floor, we picked you up, loaded you on your horse and she guided us back here."

[] Lenny []

"As for how we got here, well, I think you already know..."

Lenny spoke solemnly, looking down but Hosea placed a hand on the others' shoulder to give him some form of reassurance. Then another voice spoke that made Arthur's veins pop out a little in annoyance but at the same time, joyous.

[] Sean Macguire []

"It's gonna take a whole lot more than a wee bullet to the head to put this big dog down!"

The Irishman spoke, chuckling as he sat right behind Arthur, all those who perished before his very eyes now sat together with him. Arthur chuckled and reached for his hat before putting it on.

[] Arthur []

"You know, I think I prefer you having a bullet in your head."

The four laughed joyously, though it sounded cruel, that's their way of bonding and they wouldn't have it any other way. After settling down and eating some scraps of food Arthur hunted or bought in town.

[] Hosea Matthews []

"OK Arthur, you know how we died, Sean got shot in the head, I got shot in the chest and Lenny here the same as me. Honestly, you were the last person I thought I'll see here, hows Dutch and the others?"

Hosea spoke, clueless about the events that transpired after the bank robbery in Lemoyne. Arthur stared at all three in silence, blue eyes slowly facing the ground as he took in a deep breath. He didn't want to get too descriptive as it was a long journey so he kept it simple.

[] Arthur Morgan []

"After that bank robbery, we escape on a boat but it capsized and we landed on an island called Guarma. We helped a few of the locals there and got a boat to sail back to America, Dutch said we needed more money..."

[] Hosea []

"W-What about the take from the bank? Ya didn't get anything?"

Arthur chuckled in amusement at the mention of that, he gently wiped his chin and faced Hosea.

[] Arthur Morgan []

"Well, it's resting at the bottom of the ocean, unless we're half fish, I don't think we can do anything about that. Things all went to hell by the time we got back, Pinkertons and bounty hunters were everywhere and me, well I got real sick....tuberculosis.

Silence plagued the campsite, Hosea looked down whilst Lenny and Sean looked shocked. Arthur simply laughed it off, finding how he contracted it to be hilarious.

[] Arthur []

"I got it.....beating a man....to death....for a few bucks. Thomas Downes, another one of those folk who borrowed from Strauss..."

Arthur explained his condition, the burning in his lungs, the stinging and soreness around his eyes mixed with the constant coughing fit was still fresh in his memories. He did not want to relive that ever again.

[] Arthur []

"Anyway, we moved to another camp called Beaver Hollow, used to belong to a group called Murfrees. Dutch...he went crazy, doing things he told us never to do, he became the very thing all of us stood against. I'm not sure if it was because of Micah, or he just went crazy..."

[] Hosea []

"Micah?!? What about him?"

[] Arthur []

"He spoke to agent Milton after we came back from Guarma. Told him everything he needed to know. He got into Dutch's ear and made him go on and cause all kinds of trouble, even getting involved between the native Indians and the US army."

Silence plagued the campsite, Hosea, Lenny, and Sean had a look of shock on their faces. Of course, they knew Dutch as the man who would take risks, calculated risks at that but getting involved with the Pinkerton and lawmen is one thing, but with the entire US army? That wasn't the Dutch they know.

[] Sean []

"So ol Dutch turned into a madman, after all those years of following him, he chose that cheesy turd over someone he considers his Son."

[] Lenny []

"Sean!"

[] Sean []

"Wut? Ya know I'm right."

The Irish man spoke but their attentions were soon brought back to Arthur as the former outlaw stood up and stared towards the woods.

[] Arthur []

"Look...I'm a changed man, I don't feel it's right to steal from good and honest folk anymore. So if you're here to start Dutch's gang part 2, kindly leave me out of it...."

Arthur warned them, refusing to make eye contact as he was given a second chance and after staring death in the face, he wanted to do it without regretting the life he lived. Hosea looked up at the man he raised and stood up, though he wasn't there for Arthur until the end, he understood his pain.

[] Hosea []

"Well...ya see Arthur, we have been given second chances as well and we sure as shy don't want to waste that being outlaws again. Now after hearing about some brave adventurer who put down a beast with a shotgun, we thought about finding you and...."

Hosea looked back towards Lenny and Sean as they stood up and joined Hosea to stand right beside him as they all stared at Arthur.

[] Hosea []

"And after hearing how you brought John and everyone you can to safety, we figured that all four of us should stick together. No trouble making of course unless it's for the greater good."

[] Sean []

"Just like old times right Arthur?"

[] Lenny []

"Can't think of anyone better."

The three decided and Arthur was silent for half a minute until he turned around to look at the three and smiled, chuckling and shaking his head a little before moving past them to sit around the camp fire.

[] Arthur []

"Well...I don't see us having any other choice, come on!"

With that, the group of old friends gathered around the fire to catch up, eat and drink the day away. Something Arthur missed doing.