Chapter Text
Boothill is tackled to the ground
"Forkin' hell! What's wrong with you, shirt bag?!?!"
"You!-"
Clementine huffs from the running.
"Are you... (@$§¡3π ?"
Boothill is now even more in shock than before... And... How did this kid know his-
"Wuh?!! You crazy son of a nice lady... H-how the fork do you know that-"
"Answer me!"
Clementine yells.
"If yer askin' for my name, it's Boothill, not whatever ye just called me..."
Boothill pauses to process. Nobody knew his identity from before, Argenti only knew a small portion of his past before becoming a cyborg.
"Now. I need you to tell me what the fudge is going on, right forkin' now, or I'll stick a bullet in yer head!"
He says, whipping out his gun and holding it up to Clementine's head.
"Boothill! Calm down, please!"
Argenti says.
"Please!!! Do not shoot!"
Shouted Lillie, frightened.
"Ok! Wait... I can explain."
Clementine pleaded. Lifting herself off of the cowboy and stepping back.
"Let's see it then. Who are you, muddle fudger? And how did you learn of that... name"
Said Boothill as he stood up.
Clementine didn't hesitate. She was sure about the man's true identity.
"My name is Clementine."
Boothill hadn't heard that name in years... But, it can't be her. She was taken from this world so long ago...
"And... That name belonged to my dad."
Clementine confessed, as she looked Boothill in the eyes.
"I- I'm yer daughter..."
"No... No, no, wait. That's impossible! My kid is—"
Boothill stuttered. This wasn't possible, right?
"You adopted me when I was a baby, found me cryin' in the clementine groves on a winter evenin’. You and yer family raised me... Gramps Nick and Graey, my aunties and uncles... We'd go and pick flowers together, or play our guitars under the big oak tree with everyone. Aeragan-Ephrashel was lovely... All before—"
"STOP!"
Boothill yelled. It was staticy.
"How do I know yer not just some fudgin' spy who's tryin' to off me?"
"I can prove it!"
Clementine says tearfully. She reached into her bag and brought out a braided piece of colorful string with some charms on it, holding it out on her hand.
"Back home, aunty Mara started a tradition of weaving together strands of thread and wool for any new family members... When you found me, you made me one... It was lost in the fire, but you gave me yours before y-... B-before you..."
Clementine can't stop herself from sobbing.
Boothill's eyes widened seeing the braid. He lowered and put his gun away, and stepped closer to Clementine.
"Can I... take a look?..."
He said, gently, once again with static putting through his voice.
Clementine barely manages a nod while extending her hand. Boothill takes it gently and observes. All the colors, the star charms, matching his medals, and even the same bullet he wears as an earring...
"Yer not lying?..."
"No..."
She chokes out.
"Y'know? Now that I think 'bout it... You still look just like 'er."
Boothill kneels down, putting his hand on her shoulder. He hesitates to comb his hand through her wavy hair, and simply parts the hair covering her face.
"...Clementine?"
She tilts her head and looks Boothill in the eye.
"Papa..."
Clementine reaches her hands around Boothill's neck and embraces him, kneeling down with him, and the previous sob turned to weeping.
Boothill is left feeling like it was all a dream. His daughter was back in his arms... He returned the hug, making sure not to wrap his arms too tight so as to not hurt her. If there were any moment where Boothill wished he still had the ability to cry, it would be this one. Instead, all that came out of his voice box were whispering comforting words, barely understandable due to static.
"H-hey, kiddo, it's a'ight... I've got cha now. Fork! 'M sorry for threatening ya— fudge I... I've missed you so much..."
"I missed you too, dad!"
She said, breathily.
They sat there, in each other's arms once again.
"H-How are you here? I thought..."
Boothill questioned
"Me too, I— It doesn't matter."
Clementine said while crying. Hearing her father's voice again was surreal, but just as crisp and soothing as it was in her memory.
"Hey, Clem, lemmy get a good look at you!"
Boothill asked, gently pulling out of the hug.
"You really do look just like you did way back when, yer hair is just as unruly too, hehehe."
"Yeah, it is."
Clementine was barely able to exclaim.
Boothill continued to observe and take in the fact that his daughter was no longer a toddler when he noticed her prosthetics.
"Oh, Clementine, yer legs, how'd that 'appen?"
"Ah, yeah..."
She smiled.
"T'was the fire, but I 'm okay!"
Clementine looked at Boothill and then noticed that he was also made of metal.
"Oh, wow, looks like you too. W- how?"
"Well I... I had to avenge everyone, and my human body wouldn't cut it..."
Boothill explained almost shyly.
"I see, a real shame. But I'm glad to have you here again! That's all that matters."
She barely blurts out in tears
"Yeah, I've gotcha."
Argenti and Lillie had run over to make sure neither's partners were going to hurt the other, but once the situation seemed to deescalate on its own, they gave them their space.
Lillie was able to piece together who the metal cowboy was to Clem; her father. She had told them about him, how he adopted her as a baby and cared for her along with his family, also consisting of adopted family members. Clementine had also told them about how their planet was attacked by the IPC, and that she and her father were the only survivors, taking refuge in the ruins of their homeland.
But this bittersweet reunion confirmed their suspicions about that rift. They were indeed in another reality, because Clementine's dad had died years ago.
Argenti watched as Boothill comforted the young girl, but he didn't know who she was to him, as they seemed quite familiar with each other, well, once they stopped threatening each other.
"Miss Lillie, may I ask, have you met Boothill before? Clementine seems to be familiar to him."
He asks, quite confused.
"Argenti, I am afraid this is quite the complicated situation, and it will require a long explanation that I do not believe myself fit to give you, but, in short, they do know each other..."
They calmly say.
"But, let us leave them for now. They need some time to catch up. And no worries, Boothill will not try to threaten Clementine again."
"Then let us retreat back to the kiosk and give them their space," Argenti offers, "We can ask each other some other questions while we wait."
He said.
Lillie nods in approval, walking back. As they go in and take their seats, she starts speaking.
"Before we start with the questions, I wish to explain why me and Clementine are here, as that may help clear up some doubts you have." They cleared their throat, "I was returning from a mission with Clem, taking a day off in the countryside here in Melustanin. That was until we encountered a strange rift in space. We both entered but nothing seemed to happen afterwards, as everything looked identical."
"Hmm, I see." Argenti hummed, "That does indeed seem like a curious predicament."
He said, trying to understand.
"Me and Clem then decided to report it to the Knights of Beauty here, that is when we ran into you, and when I realized something was off. I believe we entered an alternate reality that our own, furthermore, you and Boothill prove it."
"How so?"
Argenti questions.
"Back where I am from, you seem to be younger than you are right now, additionally, I outrank you there, whereas this version of yourself holds my same rank. Also, we had met briefly in my universe recently, so I found it strange that you failed to recognize me. Still, I maintained a steady head earlier so as to not appear suspicious."
"Oh, why yes, that does indeed seem like compelling evidence, miss Lillie. How strange that such a rift would appear so suddenly though? I have never heard of such an occurrence."
Argenti replies.
“I have also never heard of such a thing. Also, I failed to mention that once we stepped into the rift, it disappeared. So currently… we're trapped here."
They finished off in a worried tone.
“Do not fret, dear friend, for I will do all in my power to aid you and Clementine back home, as well as find the source of these rifts in space to halt their spread. Me and Boothill shall accompany you both until you are safely back in your universe.”
Argenti declares passionately, wishing to comfort his fellow knight.
“I thank you, sir Argenti. Even though you are different from how I met you previously, you hold the same air of chivalry in every incarnation. I am honored to have your aid.
Lillie thanks him.
After some idle chatter between knights of beauty, asking questions about each other Argenti brings up a question he had meant to ask earlier.
“Miss Lillie, I do wonder. If you don't mind me asking, what traits of Boothill's aided your realization that you were in a world different from your own?”
Said Argenti with curiosity.
“That would be leaning towards what I wish to refrain from explaining, but I suppose I can explain briefly. You see, I only know of him from what my dearest Clementine has told me. I have never met him in person because in my universe… he passed away…”
Lillie solemnly explained.
Argenti couldn't really imagine a world without Boothill in it. He knows the man has had many close calls with death, and is quite familiar with it from what he can assume and piece together from his lover's past. But Argenti also was never one to push for answers if they weren't necessary.
“I see. So for Miss Clementine, she is whitenessing a dear friend of hers once more after losing them. That must be incredibly painful."
Argenti expresses, holding a hand to his heart.
Then, a thought came to his head; If Clementine had lost a version of Boothill in the past, did Boothill lose a version of her in this universe? What could be why their reunion was so emotionally intense. But Argenti would never dare to ask such a thing to Lillie. He would wait for his dear silver cowboy to tell him himself. After all, if it concerned the man's past, it was sure to be a difficult topic.
As the knights continued their conversations, moving on from the topic of the rift, Argenti received a notice that the refreshments he requested were finally prepared and ready to be picked up.
He excused himself and walked out of the kiosk, making his way back to the building. But, not before checking in on Boothill and Clementine.
After regaining some of their composure, the pair sat down close and continued conversing.
“So, yer huntin’ down the man who did it? How's that goin’?”
Clementine asks in a serious tone.
“That’s right. I found his cursed name after sneakin’ into the garden of recollection, but in all that time, I hadn't been able to find any traces on his whereabouts. Well, that is until recently when I found a party holding a similar grudge."
Boothill responded with a bit of frustration.
“I knew that bastard wouldn't be easy ta find, but… it makes my cables twist up in knots that I still ‘aven't come up with much. Sometimes, I feel like I've… failed them all.”
He confessed in a solemn tone.
“At least you've been able to last a good while thanks to yer metal body, no?”
Clem acknowledged.
“Though… How long has it been?”
“I ain't sure really… I sorta lost track, and it ain't easy to find any reports on the attack since those muddlefugers buried the whole thin’ under ashes…”
He says, regretfully.
“I see… So yer pretty old, Boothill? Sure don't look like it.”
She chuckled.
“My papa stayed human…”
“If ya don't mind me askin’, when did I— He die?”
Clementine's eyes grew wide and she turned away, staying silent.
“Look, ya don’t—”
“Five years ago… I was 17.”
Boothill wrapped an arm around Clementine’s back and pulled her close.
“We were refugees, but our camp was attacked by the IPC and some lackeys hit you during the frenzie. By then, you had nearly given up fighting in order to not risk me gettin’ hurt, and yer injuries from the fire had hindered your abilities too...”
Clementine explained, trying her best to hold back her tears.
“Oh Clementine… I'm so sorry ya suffered so much…”
Boothill expressed.
“...We did, but we at least had each other… If anythin’, I'm sorry you had to go through everything alone…”
“Maybe if I had been faster—”
“Hey! It ain't yer fault.”
She exclaimed.
“Guess yer right… and hey, yet here now, that's what matters!”