Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Billy Kaplan awoke from deep and dreamless slumber. 

The warm light of morning was drifting through his window in glorious slants of gold. Motes of dust danced in the light, drifting serenely as Billy stared at them. In moments like this he could almost believe there was a sentience to the dust, the way it meandered through the air. He knew, of course, that these were the errant thoughts of a mind still clinging to the last tendrils of sleep, but he couldn't help smile at the thought nonetheless.

Billy slipped from his bed and dressed himself before heading into the kitchen to greet his mother with a kiss on her cheek.

His mother was a beautiful woman. People in town often remarked how much Billy looked like her, but Billy could never see it. Sure, they had the same dark hair, the same amber eyes, the same high cheekbones and skinny limbs. But it was more than that, his mother had... something. Something Billy couldn't really put into words. She was beautiful, and Billy could not see the same beauty in his face no matter how often others told him of the likeness he shared with his mother.

It was on mornings that his mother looked the most beautiful. When she stood in the sunlight that flooded into their kitchen, her eyes glazed slightly as they stared at the horizon, dreaming of things Billy never asked about. His mother deserved her private fantasies, for she had raised him good and well.

"Mornin'," he said with a cheery singsong quality to his voice as he slid onto a chair at the table.

"Mornin'," she said back as she placed breakfast before her son, "Your father has already left for town, said he gotta go see about gettin' a dog to keep lookout. You know how he worries himself sick about bandits comin' down from the hills."

Billy let out a small chuckle. His father sure did worry.

"We've lived here my whole life and not once have I seen any bandits come by our place," he said.

"I know, I know, but you know how your father gets. There's no arguing with that man once he sets his mind on something," his mother said, once again busying herself around the kitchen. "You know he's only looking out for us, William."

Billy smiled. His mother was the only person he knew who called him William, everyone else called him Billy, just as he asked them to.

Once he had ate his breakfast and said goodbye to his mother he set off into a brand new day.

He saddled up his horse, Scarlet, and rode off toward the town of Sweetwater where he worked as a clerk at the general store.

Billy liked his job, it meant he got to talk to whole range of people as they passed through town. He'd gotten into a particular rhythm with his days, but not the kind of rhythm that feels monotonous, no, Billy felt happy with his simple little life here in Sweetwater. Every morning he woke up, rode to town, worked, and then returned home. Sometimes he would drop by the Mariposa for a drink if he was feeling social, though he preferred not to do that too often because the ladies working there would always offer their services and it made Billy feel a little awkward to reject them. They meant well, they were just doing their job after all, but Billy had no interest in women.

Once upon a time Billy had had a crush on one of the local bounty hunters who went by the name of John Kesler. A tall, muscular man with matted dark hair and rugged stubble. But Kesler did not reciprocate those feelings, in fact he had been violently in opposition to Billy's feelings. It had been a particularly hot day when Kesler had dropped by the store. Perhaps Kesler had noticed the way Billy's eyes had lingered over the part of his bare chest exposed by his open shirt, or perhaps Kesler believed those silly rumours that his mother had been involved with witchcraft before arriving here in Sweetwater. Whatever it was, something had pissed Kesler off because he waited for Billy to be done for the day and, in the cover of night, ambushed Billy on his way home and beat him black and blue. From that day forward Kesler had taken up a real strong grudge against Billy. A grudge that lead Billy to avoid being around Kesler at all costs.

Luckily for Billy, Kesler also had seemed to be avoiding him after the incident too. Though Billy couldn't deny the shivers that shot up his spine whenever he was walking down the street and caught sight of Kesler hanging out by the jail or the Sheriff's Station or the Mariposa. Kesler would often ask travellers and newcomers to the town if they wished to participate in a mission to capture a reprobate or bandit as the more guns along for the mission, the more successful said mission would likely be. But there was always a fear that curled deep in the pit of Billy's stomach that perhaps, if Kesler felt so inclined, he could persuade a couple of the people to exact some kind of violence against Billy. He could lie, and tell people that Billy was a wanted criminal. Or perhaps he could just promise them gold or treasures.

No. No, he had to stop thinking like that.

He pushed those dark thoughts from his mind as he dismounted his horse and tied her to the post in front of the general store. He made sure she had plenty of hay in the trough near the post, and checked that the water bucket was full, before giving her a gentle stroke and entering the store for his work day. 

The day went by rather fast. Billy had a long conversation with a middle-aged couple who were new to town, he told them about the various places to go in Sweetwater, told them about lovely places to visit in the wilderness, but he warned them not to stray to far from town. The further from town you go, the wilder this place gets. Everyone knows this, except the newcomers of course. And sure, Sweetwater has the occasional shootout, the odd robbery, but mostly life here is good.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

It was late by the time Billy was finished for the day, the sun having dipped it's glowing head below the dusty horizon, bowing out to the brief reign of dusk. The main street of the town was still busy, despite the growing dark, as locals and newcomers alike bustled to and fro.

Billy caught the eye of Maeve Millay, the madam of the Mariposa, as she lounged languidly against the railings outside of the saloon. They exchanged polite nods of acknowledgement before Billy turned and saddled up his horse.

The sky had turned a deep shade of purple by the time Billy came in sight of his home. And immediately the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. Something was wrong. He knew it. All the lights in the house were burning like beacons in the dark loneliness of his family's land, and even from where he was Billy could tell the front door hung wide open. By this time the only light that could usually be seen was that of the kitchen where his mother would be fixing supper for Billy and his father. But here the whole house was alight, like a blaring sign screaming to him that something wasn't right.

Billy dug his heels into the side of his horse and sped on to close the distance between himself and his home.

Once he had arrived at the front of the house he swung himself from his horse and ran to the doorway. He opened his mouth to call for his mother but seconds before he crossed the threshold his path was blocked by a tall figure, silhouetted against the glow of Billy's home.

And then, with a searing pain to his head, the world went black.

***

Billy awoke, aching, dazed, and terrified. He found himself unable to move. Rope. He felt rope against the bare flesh of his forearms. He was tied up against one of the support beams that held up the veranda that snaked around the exterior of his house.

The sound of callous laughter filled his ears as he whipped his head side to side in search of the silhouetted figure. The man Billy knew had to have been responsible for his current situation.

Billy knew exactly who was laughing before he even set eyes on the man. John Kesler. He stood flanked by two men who had their faces concealed with bandannas, just two anonymous cronies. The one to the right of Kesler had to have been the silhouetted man, simply due to the height of his build.

Billy's inability to identify these men didn't fill him with any relief. The men stood beside Kesler as he laughed, and Billy knew it took a certain kind of man to stand beside John Kesler. Even the rest of the bounty hunters, people known for their comfort around violence and lack of fear of reprehensible undesirables, kept their distance from Kesler. The man was abhorrent, famously so.

It was only when Billy tried to speak that he realised he was gagged. A handkerchief or some scrap of fabric had been tied across his mouth, making communication of anything beyond moans and growls impossible. Billy's struggle earned him another burst of cold laughter from Kesler. This time his two cronies joined in. 

"Don't bother crying out. Ain't nobody here to hear you," Kesler said, his voice laced with malice.

The look in Kesler's eye told him everything he needed to know. His father was dead. His mother was dead. And very soon, Billy would be dead too. A crushing wave of hopelessness collapsed on Billy, filling his ears with the rushing rhythm of his own blood pulsing through his body. And then he was crying. Tears spilling down his cheeks.

Again Kesler laughed, though this time the sound was more of a sneer than the cold undulation that had bellowed from deep within him beforehand.

Kesler nodded to the man on his left, who Billy noticed was carrying a small barrel. The man approached him and the disappeared from Billy's view as he walked behind him. The contents of the barrel were dumped over Billy as Kesler lit a cigarette with a match he produced from the pocket of his vest.

Billy felt sick as the sudden realisation of what was about to happen hit him. He thrashed and struggled against his bindings, straining his voice to scream for anyone to hear him.

"Well, as they say in the Good Book, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," Kesler said with a wink before flicking the still lit match in Billy's direction.

The tiny flame somersaulted towards him before making contact against his soaking wet chest. The tiny flame bloomed into glowing life around his torso, engulfing him with searing heat and light.

And that's when the screaming began.

Teddy Altman stepped off the train onto a brightly lit station where multiple people stood waiting for the guests that were disembarking.

White lights shone down on immaculate white tiles. It was dazzling, but damn did it take a second or two to adjust.

A tall, slender woman in a dress (also white, Teddy noted) stepped towards him, offering him a wide smile.

"Welcome, Mr Altman," she said in a calm yet authoritative voice. 

"Oh, hi, thanks, erm, Teddy is fine, thank you," he said, offering the woman his hand.

"Teddy, lovely. My name is Angela and I'll be leading you through your orientation, so to speak."

The woman, Angela, turned and walked off toward several sets of escalators. Teddy was clearly meant to follow her, so he hurried to match her swift pace.

They ascended the escalators and walked down a wide corridor, the walls of which consisted of video-screens playing adverts for the park itself. Westworld. 

God, he was really, finally here. A pang of sadness spread in his chest as his thoughts turned to his mother. She would have loved this. So often they had spoken about coming here. They saved and saved and saved to come here but... clearly his mother wasn't meant to make it. It was unfair. So fucking unfair. But Teddy knew, if his mother had been here, she would be scolding him for being sad and she would be telling him, just as she had at the hospital the previous year, "you go, Teddy. You go and enjoy it for the both of us. Promise me."

And he would. He would enjoy this place for the both of them. It was his promise. For every glorious old western movie his mother had ever introduced him to, for every night of his childhood he had spent curled up beside his mother staring at horses and guns and saloons and cowboys on their old TV set.

It was almost overwhelming really. He was walking down a corridor flanked by scenes from all his wildest dreams. He saw horses galloping across the desert landscape, great clouds of dust billowing in their wake. He saw a rugged cowboy tilting his hat to a pretty blonde woman, just like the cowboys in the movies. He saw a group of men gambling in a saloon. He saw people cow herding, riding horses, dancing, cheering, laughing, drinking, eating. Pastiches of every cowboy movie, every western fantasy just playing out around him. And soon, oh so very soon, Teddy would be stepping out into that world and experiencing it for himself, not just in his dreams, but in his reality.  

God, I'm such a nerd, he though to himself as a Cheshire-cat grin tore across his face.

They finally arrived at a door, which Angela held open for him. If the woman noticed his stupidly large grin she didn't mention it, though Teddy supposed she saw a lot of faces just as impressed as his was.

The room beyond the door was covered in black panels polished and shined to mirror-like perfection. The room was well lit, but much less blinding than the platform Teddy had arrived on. The walls of this room were adorned with a variety of clothes. Cowboy clothes, Teddy noted with a chill of excitement. Various colours and styles, different materials, different accessories. 

"All the clothes here are tailor-made to suit your measurements you sent over with your booking. Feel free to try on as many as you like until you find your perfect look," Angela said, before taking a step toward him. And another.

She now stood almost uncomfortably close to him as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"I can stay and help you get dressed," her voice low and flirty. Seductive, Teddy thought nervously, she's being seductive. 

But then she stepped back, allowing Teddy to regain his personal space. "Or," she continued, "I could step outside and give you some privacy..."

Teddy rubbed his hand against the back of his neck anxiously. "Erm..."

"Say no more, Mr Altman," Angela said, the politeness and professionalism back in her voice, not a single trace of the earlier seductiveness. With an acknowledging nod she stepped out of the room, leaving Teddy alone in his awkwardness. 

Holy shit, he thought to himself once the door had closed behind the woman. She was totally offering to... Jeez, customer service must really be a priority to these people...

And then a thought hit him. Was she real? This place was filled with robots, or Hosts as the website and ad campaign called them. What if she was one of them? Teddy had assumed she had been real because... Well, because she looked real and acted real, she just felt real. 

Well fuck, the technology here really was beyond anything he had expected. He'd seen all the adverts and the brochures, yeah, but he'd still presumed he would be able to tell robot from human. But apparently not. 

He shook those thoughts from his head and turned his attention to the clothes. 

He tried on a few of the choices, modelling them awkwardly in front of the mirror. Just as Angela had said, the clothes fit him perfectly. Teddy was tall, broad shouldered, with an athletic, muscular build, and every single item of clothing complemented his body exquisitely. It was weird, but he decided it was a good kind of weird.

He finally settled on what he felt was a 'cool' look. Dark grey pants with a matching grey waistcoat on top of a black shirt. He then picked out a grey hat, and was bust trying to sit it at the right angle atop his head when Angela reentered the room.

"Wonderful," she said as she crossed the room toward him. "I would perhaps make just two adjustments," she added.

She unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, exposing his bare chest. Teddy felt himself stiffen as she did so, feeling somewhat uncomfortable and hoping this wasn't the start of her seduction routine again. 

"There, much better. And here, try this..." she said as she handed him a dark green bandanna. "Green suits you."

Angela helped Teddy fix the bandanna about his neck, just like they wore them in the movies, wow. Teddy looked at himself in the mirror and holy shit he was a goddamn cowboy. Okay, he really needed to chill now, his face was practically split in half with his ridiculously excited grin.

"Now, on to weapons," Angela said, dragging Teddy from his embarrassingly obvious amazement.

Angela had made her way to the far side of the room where she stood beside a table that was covered with a range of guns and weapons as diverse and impressive as the array of clothing.

The belt Teddy had chosen for his outfit held two holsters, one at each hip, so he chose two simple revolvers. He left the knife range untouched. He didn't plan on this being a violent trip, but the guns were just too much a part of the whole Wild West experience to pass up on.

"Those guns are already loaded, but you'll have access to more ammunition within the park itself, don't worry," Angela explained.

"Right... and, err, the robots... they can..." Teddy didn't know how to ask what he wanted to ask, the very questioned seemed wildly insensitive.

"Hosts. We prefer the term Hosts. And yes, to answer your question, the Hosts can die, so to speak. But that's not a problem, the Host will be taken away by Tech Staff to be repaired and have their memory wiped. You can't do any permanent damage to any of the Hosts," Angela said. "Likewise, the Hosts cannot harm you. We use only the best technology here at Westworld. Many of the Hosts in the park aren't programmed to handle weapons, and the ones that are cannot kill you. You can be shot at, but the bullets will be slowed down. strict park policy. More like getting shot at a paint ball game. That way you can experience a sense of danger, really feel like you're living the experience of the park, but without having to face serious injury."

"Oh... wow, that's good."

"You may get the odd bruise or two, but Westworld is a safe environment where you can live out your wildest dreams and fantasies without fear of consequence."

Well, this was it, the experience of a life time lay ahead of him. It was hard to believe all this was real, but then technically it wasn't really real in a way.

"Now, do you have any other questions, Mr Altman?" Angela asked.

"Erm, so the ro- the Hosts, do they know that they're... Hosts? And what's the rules? Can I just talk to them and they can answer anything? Can they have conversations, or is it more like... scripted?" Teddy asked, questions stumbling over each other to get out of his mouth and get an answer first.

Angela smiled, kind and sweet and not condescending. Teddy kind of liked her, in all honesty. But that was her job after all, to be hospitable.

"The Hosts believe that they and the lives they lead in the park are real, and they are programmed to ignore any and all evidence that may suggest otherwise. And as for conversations, yes, you can talk to them about anything. The Hosts are able to maintain a conversation just as well as two human guests could. Though, of course, a conversation about anything from our modern world wouldn't make sense to a Host. But there's no script, the Hosts are programmed to be able to respond to any stimuli naturally, just as you or any guest would," Angela explained. Teddy wondered how many times she had to say these things all while not letting it show how boring she probably felt all this rule explaining was.

"Okay, last question... what exactly can I do in the park?" Teddy asked.

"Anything. Everything. Whatever you want. And you can do it with whoever you want. All the Hosts have their own narrative loops, repeating endlessly day after day unless a guest interrupts them. You can create your own adventure with any of the Hosts, or simply go along with their narrative. It's completely up to you. There is no guide book," Angela said before turning to face the a door Teddy hadn't taken notice of till this moment. "Through that door you'll enter the Mariposa, a saloon in the town of Sweetwater. It will be morning when you arrive. Enjoy your experience."

Teddy felt a tremor of nerves as he turned to face the door. This was it. He moved forward towards the door, pausing with his hand resting on the handle. He turned back to Angela, a question he couldn't shake arising within his mind once more.

"Sorry... are-are you real?" Teddy asked.

Angela tilted her head slightly and smiled at him. "If you can't tell, then what's the difference?"

***

Teddy stepped into the Mariposa and instantly it was as if he had stepped inside a movie. The whole place was bursting with life, a vibrating quality to the air that was instantaneously electrifying. Teddy made his way through the crowd of people, heading towards the bar because he knew the bartender would have to be a Host and he was itching to meet one. Well, to meet one for definite, it was still up in the air as to whether Angela had been a Host or not.

He slid himself onto a stool at the bar, where he finally laid eyes on the bartender. The man had a grey handlebar moustache and was currently serving a man at the opposite end of the bar to Teddy. Teddy found himself staring. He looked... normal? Human? Teddy didn't really know how to describe him. The Hosts were the best technology, constantly being updated and improved and perfected by a tireless team of workers day in day out. And of course the park advertised the fully life-like and realistic experience they offered but still, actually seeing a Host in real life, with full knowledge that what he was looking at was created in a high-tech laboratory, was mind-blowing.

Teddy's view of the bartender became suddenly obscured by a very elegant, very beautiful woman. She was dressed in a red and black, very revealing dress and her curled hair was twisted and pinned up on her head with an array of red feathers to finish of the look.

"Why don't you tell me what you're looking for, and we'll see if I can help you find it, shall we?" the woman said with a knowingly flirtatious tone. 

"I don't really know what I'm looking for, if I'm being honest," Teddy said.

"Well, here at the Mariposa we cater to all tastes," she said. And then her lips spread into a mischievous smirk, "for the right price of course."

"Oh," Teddy said, clicking on to her meaning. Oh. "Erm, sorry but I'm not into..." women, Teddy wanted to say, but his voice faltered beneath the woman's unflinching gaze. It felt like she was peering deep within him. God, this was one intimidating woman.

And then she smiled, a knowing smile, as if she had just figured Teddy out completely.

"Not into women?"

Teddy nodded. He felt a warm blush spread across his cheeks, much to his own chagrin.

"No matter. Like I said, we cater to all tastes here," she said.

"Oh, erm, no, thank you, but... I mean, it's just..." Teddy's voice trailed off, his blush deepening. 

It wasn't that Teddy had any kind of personal prejudice against prostitutes, but the idea of paying someone to sleep with him made him feel awkward and self-conscious. In all honesty, Teddy knew he was good looking, or at least he was the typical idea of good looking. People often commented he had a handsome face, they complimented his athletic build, complimented his ever-ruffled blonde hair. But still, he'd grown up as a fairly geeky boy with a love for comic books, sci-fi, and the Wild West. He didn't have many friends until high school when he got involved with Actual Asshole Greg Norris. Greg was popular, adored by all, and Teddy spent day after day emulating him. He joined the basketball team, he trained endlessly at the gym to look like him, and they became friends and that was the key to Teddy's popularity. Not that it did him any good. Teddy had swore he'd never act like Greg again after they had a large falling out in their senior year. But the less said about that the better.

Greg was the kind of guy who walked with all the confidence in the world, if he saw somebody he was attracted to, he went for it. Teddy had never been like that, always fearful of rejection, always fearful of being seen as not good enough.

"What's your name?" she asked, her voice dragging him from his rueful reverie.

"Teddy, and you are?"

"Maeve. But my name doesn't matter, we're talking about you. Your new, or at least I've never seen you around this town before, so I have some advice for you for while you're here. I can see it in your eyes, you're shy, there's something holding you back. When you see something you want you don't go for it because deep down you struggle to believe you deserve it. Does that sound like you?" She spoke with no malice in her voice, no negative insinuation. And the words struck true with Teddy.

"I'm just not that kind of guy," he said with a shrug he hoped came off as nonchalant, but likely came off as sad and resigned.

"We all have inhibitions, darling, every single one of us, but it's up to us if we are going to be ruled by them. I used to dream of so many things I wanted but there was always that little voice in the back of my head that said 'no, don't'. Don't ask that, don't say that, don't do that. And then I came here. And I just stopped listening to that little voice. I crossed the great sea and I realised that this was a new world. And in this world, you can be whoever the fuck you want."

And with that, Maeve turned and glided off into the room.

So, Teddy Altman, who do you want to be? he thought to himself.

And that was the question, wasn't it? This whole park was basically a real life role-playing game, and Teddy was completely free to be who he wanted.

Damn, he'd been here no more than ten minutes and, after a short conversation with a local prostitute, he already felt like he'd been thoroughly psychoanalysed. Maybe this trip was going to be more than just fake gunfights and horse riding after all?

***

Teddy made his way out of the Mariposa and stepped onto what he deduced was the main street of Sweetwater. And if he thought he'd been walking through a movie before, boy was he unprepared to face the full scale of an actual (well, sort of) Wild West town. As he looked from side to side he was, again, reminded of Angela's departing words. He really couldn't tell who was real and who wasn't.

He looked up to see blue skies forever, white clouds, and the burning light of the sun. Dust drifted through the air, kicked up by a passing horse, and the sounds of a bustling community greeted Teddy's ears. God, this place was amazing.

He'd been advised a good place to start his adventures was by stopping at the Sheriff's Station, where he could find a variety of bounty hunters looking to recruit help in tracking down wanted criminals for monetary reward. That, Teddy thought, seemed like the perfect gunslinging start to his Western adventure.

The Sheriff Station wasn't hard to find, there was a number of men stood around outside of it holding wanted posters and attempting to reel tourists into their missions. 

Just like NPC's in a video game, Teddy thought to himself with a small, appreciative chuckle.

"Young man, you haven't by chance happened upon this man here, have ya?" asked a short, balding man who held a poster in Teddy's direction. The man's face printed on the poster was of a rather handsome yet gruff looking criminal who whore a black hat and had a scar on his face.

"Oh, no, sorry," Teddy said.

"This here is Hector Escaton, most wanted bandit in these parts. You watch yourself if you ever come across him. This man is dangerous, though he's got one mighty big bounty on that head of his. Make sure you give me a call if you find yourself in knowledge of this man's whereabouts, wont ya?" the man said.

Teddy nodded, and with that the man had moved on to repeat his dialogue to another guest passing by. 

After hearing a few of the 'missions' or 'narratives' (Teddy still wasn't sure the correct nomenclature when it came to these... opportunities) Teddy found himself drawn to one offered by an older man who had told a tale of his daughter being kidnapped by bandits. It was a gut feeling that told Teddy that this is the kind of plot line that would appear in one of the movies he and his mother loved so dearly. 

The man instructed Teddy to drop by the general store to pick up some supplies such as food, rope, camping equipment, anything Teddy thought he may need while the man set about acquiring Teddy a horse for the journey. Teddy was hoping the clerk at the store would be able to advise him because he had no idea what he would be in need of for a mission to rescue someone from a group of bandits, but he reassured himself that no matter what happened out there no real harm could befall him.

He followed the man's directions to the general store and stepped inside. The store was huge, and from what Teddy could tell it seemed to sell just about everything one could need. He supposed that would be why it was called a general store, obviously.

Teddy looked over to the counter, where his glance was met with a pair of curiously watchful amber eyes. 

The eyes belonged to a thin young man, around the same age as Teddy or perhaps a year or two younger, with defined cheekbones and endearingly messy black hair that hung in fine strands at either side of those eyes that still lingered on Teddy. Teddy felt slightly awkward beneath the gaze, he averted his eyes back to the shelves beside him.

"Anything I can help you with?" the boy behind the counter asked, his voice casual and friendly.

Of course, Teddy thought, this guy is a Host, he's probably well adept at handling clueless guests who don't know where to begin.

"Oh... erm, I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for to be honest..." Teddy said, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck in an awkward subconscious gesture.

"Don't worry about it, I can help. I haven't seen you around here before, you must be new. Is there anything specific you're in Sweetwater for? Maybe I can help you find what you need if I know your purpose here?" the boy said.

Teddy glanced back towards the counter. The boy's eyes still focused on him but his face was no longer curious, instead the boy now wore a friendly smile. Teddy felt a blush spread across his cheeks as he noticed just how cute the boy looked when he smiled.

"I'm just here for a while, passing through I suppose... Oh, I'm helping a man search for his daughter. She was taken by bandits," Teddy explained.

The boy's eyebrows rose.

"Well, there's always room for a hero here in Sweetwater!" the boy said, the admiration in his voice only serving to deepen Teddy's blush. 

"Yeah, hopefully... I was thinking I'll be needing food? And stuff to start a fire, maybe? And a tent? Stuff like that."

"Ah, you'll be wanting our Hero Starter Pack," the boy joked, with a slanted grin spreading across his face. he moved out from behind the counter and crossed the store to stand beside Teddy. He offered out his hand to Teddy, "the name's William Kaplan, but you can call me Billy. Only my mother calls me William," he added with a little laugh.

Billy's laugh had an infectious musicality to it and Teddy found himself unable to resist letting out a small laugh too.

"Cool, awesome to meet you. I'm Teddy Altman," Teddy said, taking Billy's hand and shaking it.

'Awesome to meet you'? Gee Teddy, way to ruin your chances of cultivating some kind of action hero persona, now he knows you're about as smooth as a Klingon's forehead, Teddy thought to himself as he felt his blush return.

Billy busied himself finding supplies for Teddy, who stood and watched. Billy knew what he was doing, he knew where to find everything, and everything he suggested seemed like exactly what Teddy may need. 

When they were finally done Teddy ducked his head of the store to see that the older man was waiting outside with the horse he had promised to acquire for him. Teddy also noted that the man had been joined by three other men who Teddy surmised were along for the ride too.

Billy helped Teddy carry his stuff out of the store and pack it onto his horse. Billy had recognised the older man and referred to him as Clarence and from listening to their conversation Teddy was able to infer that two of the three men that had recently joined the mission were also Hosts and the third addition was another guest like Teddy. 

Teddy and the other guest, a particularly muscular man with dark skin and a shaved head, exchanged nods of acknowledgement before Teddy's attention was suddenly pulled away by Billy who had appeared beside him once again. Billy was somewhat shorter than Teddy so as he smiled at him his head was tilted back slightly. Seeing the dark haired boy smiling up at him gave Teddy an odd, yet pleasantly warm sensation in his stomach. Not butterflies, but not something completely unlike their proverbial fluttering.

"When you've completed your heroics you should drop by here again, fill me in on all the brave details?" Billy said.

Perhaps it was just Teddy's imagination but he thought he sensed a trace of hope in the invitation. But then again, Billy was a Host so he was probably programmed to be welcoming and charming. God, he hadn't even been here a day and he was already getting sucked into the manufactured reality of this place, what kind of wreck would he be by the end of his stay here? He dreaded to think, and shook such thoughts from his head. So what if Billy was programmed to be nice? Teddy could still enjoy it, that was the whole point, wasn't it?

"Erm, yeah, sure, I'll make sure to come find you when I'm done," Teddy said, mirroring Billy's warm smile.

The smile on Billy's face faded as he noticed something beyond Teddy's shoulder. Teddy turned to see what had caught Billy's attention and caused the smile to slip from his soft features.

A tall, broad man with matted dark hair and heavy stubble stood some distance down the street staring directly at them. Teddy turned back to see that Billy's posture had completely changed. His shoulders had hunched forward and his head tilted down with not a single trace of his warm smile left on his face.

"Are you okay? Do you know that guy?" Teddy asked, not even trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"Oh, it's nothing," Billy said quietly before looking up and forcing a smile, "Now come on, you better get going. People to rescue, bandits to defeat and all that."

And then Billy was walking back toward his store, a little to fast for Teddy to believe any of his bravado in the face of the watching man.

"I'll come find you later, okay?" Teddy called after Billy, hoping to sound reassuring.

Billy smiled, not as brightly as before but it was a smile nonetheless. "Okay, see you around, Altman."

And then he was gone. Teddy looked back over his shoulder to see that the man had now turned his gaze to Teddy. The man tipped his hat to him before he turned and walked away.

"I wouldn't worry about that guy. Probably just some other plot." 

Teddy turned to see the voice belonged to the other guest in Clarence's rescue party.

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked as he mounted his horse and fell in step with the others as they began their ride out of town.

"Every damn Host has their own narrative loop, and they're all endlessly trying to suck every guest around them into their plot. That's just how this place works. I'm sure you'll find far better plots outside of town than whatever that tension was between Mr. Evil-Stare and the doe-eyed store clerk," said the other guest. "The name's Eli, by the way. Eli Bradley."

"Teddy Altman," he replied, completely ignoring Eli's other comments. Because, for whatever reason, Teddy did care about whatever that tension was.

Teddy found himself thinking of something his mother had told him once. '"You're too sweet for your own good sometimes, Theodore." She had said it with a fond smile, but Teddy knew the warning behind her words. Don't let your kindness be taken advantage of. It was good advice, but still, Teddy wasn't one to just "ignore" the way Billy's entire posture and behaviour had changed just from seeing that man. Whether Eli thought it was a boring plot or not, it didn't matter. And it didn't matter to Teddy that Billy was a robot. No, Teddy knew that as soon as he was done with Clarence's mission he would be riding right back to that store to find out what that tension had been about.

Maybe it would end up being a much more interesting 'narrative' than Eli had been willing to give credit for?

***

 The mission had been a success. Eli had taken charge when it came to planning their assault on the bandit's encampment, and he showed quite an impressive proficiency in both leadership and tactical planning skills so Teddy was more than happy to let Eli take the lead.

There was a shootout, because of course there was a shootout, and even though Teddy knew deep down he couldn't be seriously hurt he still felt that surge of adrenaline, still felt the rush of nerves, still heard a tiny voice screaming in his mind that he was being shot at. And while he was hit with a bullet in his chest he felt like being shot with a paintball gun, not that that did much to assuage his nerves. 

One of the Hosts that had came along with Clarence's group was shot in the neck, the blood (so damn lifelike) sprayed forth in a scarlet fountain that splashed down on where Eli had crouched to avoid a particularly heavy hail of gunfire. But other than that, all the casualties had fallen on the side of the bandits, leaving a clear albeit bloody path for Clarence to reunite with his captive daughter. 

Teddy himself had landed a few shots, proving to be a better marksman than even he himself would have thought, but he targeted mostly legs and shoulders unlike Eli who had gone straight for kill-shots. Obviously when it came to bandits Eli's way was more efficient as shots to the legs allowed the men to keep shooting at them, but Teddy couldn't bring himself to kill. He knew that the bandits were robots but, in the same way he felt a sad sinking pity for whatever had made Billy's face drop back at the store, Teddy was unable to completely detach himself from just how real these Hosts were. It felt exactly like he was shooting at real people. Teddy supposed that was probably the point, and he knew had he been at home playing a video game he would have no problem shooting to kill enemies, but there's a rather large difference between killing pixels and killing something that looked and behaved like a living, breathing person.

Riding back into town was a triumphant affair. Teddy felt the flames of victory blooming in his chest as he and Eli chatted away excitedly about how the afternoon had been a pretty good way to start their respective experiences here in Westworld.

"I'm a little disappointed with how quickly it was over?" Eli said. "I mean, I got a tent and supplies and everything, and didn't even need them."

"Well, I suppose now you have them for whenever you do need them. There'll be plenty of time you can use them, lots of narratives'll stretch out beyond just an afternoon I presume," Teddy shrugged.

"True. I'm planning on heading out of town tomorrow I think, see what this place has to offer outside the beginners zone. Tent'll come in useful then I suppose. Feel free to tag along, man."

Teddy looked over at Eli, surprised by the invite. It was a genuine invite and Teddy really appreciated it.

"Thanks. Maybe I will," Teddy said with a smile.

Eli laughed, "I suppose neither of us know what'll happen when the sun goes down around here... I'm sure that's when all the real bad guys come out."

Teddy laughed in agreement, but it was a rather empty laugh, all he could think about was the way that man had been so intensely looking at Billy. It was a little ridiculous just how much he was thinking about the boy, but he couldn't help it.

I guess that's just the way I'm programmed, he thought with a chuckle. God, I'm such a nerd.

The group parted ways as they entered town, Clarence returned home with his very grateful daughter (who had privately offered both Teddy and Eli an invite back to her home in order to 'thank them properly', an offer which had been politely declined by both of them), while the other surviving Host, whose name Teddy couldn't recall, headed straight to the saloon to drown his grief over losing his friend.

Eli rode off in search of the inn he was staying at so he could change out of his blood-soaked clothes, luckily Teddy had been spared from such stains and was relatively clean with the exception of a few dirt marks and perhaps one or two tiny blood drops on the back of his waistcoat, but all of that could wait. Teddy knew exactly where he was going. 

When he arrived back at the store the sky was stained a fiery red and the air was filled with rambunctious, drunken singing echoing from the nearby Mariposa. Teddy dismounted his horse and tied him to the post outside the store beside what he presumed was Billy's horse.

He was quietly congratulating his horse on a job well done when a shadow fell over him. He turned to see the man from earlier that day, his stern stare fixed on Teddy with an uncomfortable intensity. After a moment that felt like an hour the man's face split into a smile, though it brought no comfort to Teddy.

"Name's Kesler. Seen you here this morning, now you're back," the man said.

Teddy shrugged. So what?

"I was just thinking maybe you'd wanna know what kinda twisted shit is hiding behind them doors over there," Kesler said, nodding over to the general store.

"What are you talking about?" Teddy asked.

"Kid that works in there is the son of a witch. He gotta have some of her witch blood in him, right?" Kesler shrugged casually. "There's something not right about that boy, so you better watch the company you chose to keep. You're new here, thought I'd do the good thing and give you a warning. That boy is bad news. I knew it from the way he used to look at me. Not right. Not good."

"Right. Okay," Teddy said as bluntly as possible as he shoved his way past Kesler toward the store.

"You're making a mistake, my friend," Kesler called.

Yeah, whatever, Teddy thought as he barged into the store. 

The boy behind the counter looked up towards the entrance, amber eyes wide with fear. Teddy felt a warmth spread in his stomach as Billy's expression softened into a smile upon recognising the sudden entrant into the store.

"You're back!" Billy cried out merrily. "How was it? Well, obviously it was successful because you're stood here, but how did it go? How does it feel to return to town as a hero?"

Teddy felt himself blushing at Billy's happy rambling. But then he recalled his encounter with Kesler and he felt his smile vanish.

"I just ran in to some guy named Kesler," Teddy said, stepping toward the counter. 

Now it was the turn of Billy's smile to vanish. And Teddy instantly wished it would return.

"Oh..." Billy said quietly, barely more than a whisper. "It's fine, I understand..."

"Understand what?" Teddy asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"You spoke to Kesler, he told you... whatever it was he told you, and now you've come to warn me to stay away. Well, message received. I get it. Just... please don't mess up the store, okay?" Billy said. The heavy sadness in his voice mixed with the resignation in his face made Teddy's stomach twist into knots.

"What? No, no, I'm not here to mess up your store and tell you to stay away from me. I'm here to check... to see if you're okay."

"Oh," was all Billy managed to respond. His face contorted in confusion before finally settling into a sad smile. 

"So why does this guy hate you? If you don't mind me asking," Teddy said, offering a smile he hoped came across as reassuring.

"His mother hates my mother. She was always resentful of how my mother got more male attention, hoe my mother's house was always tidier than hers, just stupid things like that. So Kesler's mother started a rumour that my mother was a witch. Nobody really believes it of course, but it hurt my mother all the same. And a while ago I guess I kind of..." Billy's eyes studied Teddy a moment, hesitating before he continued, "I guess I kind of took a liking to Kesler, if you catch my meaning... and Kesler didn't like that. Not at all. He's had it out for me ever since."

Was Billy suggesting he had had feelings for Kesler? That seemed to be the only conclusion Teddy could draw from what he had been told. Did each Host have a programmed sexuality? And if so, why would there be a Host be programmed to have homophobic attitudes? Surely that would be detrimental to the enjoyment of the park for any guests who weren't straight. Like Teddy himself, for example.

And then it clicked. Teddy could almost feel the little light bulb going off above his head like in childhood cartoons. The park was full of plots and narratives for the guests to engage with, and Teddy was pretty sure he had just figured out what this one was. The homophobic asshole, and the sweet victim. It was the set up for a revenge fantasy for anyone who'd ever encountered a homophobic bully, all while giving a chance for the guest to feel like a hero too. Damn, this place was good.

"That guy is an asshole," Teddy said plainly.

"Yeah, well that asshole has dangerous friends. And I've had a feeling they've just been waiting for their chance to do something. I just know it," Billy said, his voice dripping with dread and worry.

"Well, when you're done here I'll escort you home, how's that?" Teddy offered.

He felt pretty damn sure he'd have no problem shooting Kesler. Ever since his falling out with his high school best friend Greg Norris he'd had no time to waste with homophobes, particularly ones of the violent variety.

"Oh, you'd do that? Are you sure?" 

"Of course, don't worry. Teddy Altman, local hero, at your service," Teddy said with a laugh and a joking bow, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Much to Teddy's delight the warm, bright smile from that morning returned to Billy's face as he chuckled.

"Well how could I resist such an offer, I'd be honoured to be your damsel in distress," Billy laughed, mimicking Teddy's bow.

 Billy decided to close up early, saying that he didn't want to keep Teddy waiting around too long but Teddy got the feeling Billy was just anxious to get home, not that Teddy blamed him.

It was dark by the time the two of them left the store, only the final few streaks of light left to slowly sink below the horizon. Teddy glanced both ways down the street but couldn't spot Kesler nearby. The street was just as bust as it was during daytime, though with a considerably higher amount of drunkards staggering around.

The pair mounted their horses and set off.

There was little chatter between the two as they rode out of town, the both of them glancing nervously over their shoulders to check that they were not being followed. But they weren't.

It turned out, however, that danger was ahead of them not behind them.

It was Teddy who spotted them first, Billy still peering into the darkness behind them as they approached his house. Two dark figures stood outside of Billy's home. Waiting. 

"Kesler." It was just a whisper, barely audibly above the breeze, but Teddy heard the word that slipped from Billy's lips as he turned and spotted the dark figures too.

"You don't happen to have a gun by any chance?" Teddy asked, his hand closing around his own pistol at his hip.

"No, I don't... sorry," Billy muttered.

"Then stay back, okay? I'm pretty sure they're not here to talk," Teddy said, lowering his voice to a whisper as they approached closer.

Billy slowed his horse so that he fell in step behind Teddy, who squared his shoulders and straightened his posture in an attempt to appear as threatening as possible. He really hoped it wouldn't come to violence, but he knew men like Kesler, he knew that violence was the only language they truly relied on.

"Is there a problem here?" Teddy called as they closed the distance between them and Kesler's group.

Teddy noted that the man with Kesler had the lower half of his face covered with a bandanna. Coward.

"Looks like you can't take good advice, huh?" Kesler said, a wicked grin pasted on his face. "What, you're gonna protect him? Is that what's gonna happen?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what's going to happen," Teddy said.

Kesler laughed. "No. Let me tell you what's going to happen," he said, and with that he whistled loudly.

The door to Billy's house swung open and a third figure emerged, his face also covered with a bandanna, dragging a woman violently behind him by her long hair. Hair the same colour as Billy's. Amber eyes wide with fear. Just like Billy's.

If the eyes and the hair didn't give away her identity, then the horrified gasp from the boy beside him did. This was Billy's mother.

Then, before Teddy could react, Billy threw himself from his horse and made to run toward his mother. Kesler simply lifted his arm and aimed his pistol at Billy's mother's head, stopping Billy in his tracks.

"Not so fast," Kesler said, before turning to the man who had kept a tight grip on the woman's hair, "you got the father?"

"Yeah, course I did," the man replied.

"You killed him?" Billy demanded, his voice wavering.

"No, not yet, just tied him up so he won't be a bother," Kesler said.

"What do you want?" Teddy snapped.

"Him," Kesler said, turning to look directly at Billy, "we want you, Billy. Come with us and your family will be unharmed. And tell your protector to fuck off."

"Billy, don't even think about it," Teddy cried.

Billy turned to look at Teddy, tears just beginning to spill down his cheeks.

"I have to," he said. And his voice was so small, so weak, it broke Teddy's heart.

Fuck this, Teddy thought. And he drew his own gun, aiming it right at Kesler.

Kesler laughed. An arrogant sound that vanished any doubt Teddy might have had about killing him should he bring harm to Billy or Billy's mother.

"Looks like our mysterious stranger has come to play," Kesler smirked.

Kesler pulled back the hammer of his pistol, and Teddy moved on pure impulse. The smallest movement triggering his body's fight or flight instinct. And his body chose fight.

Teddy's gun fired, the bullet speeding forth and puncturing the arm that Kesler held the gun aiming at Billy' mother. A spray of blood and a cry of pain exploded into the night.

Teddy turned his gun fast on the man beside Kesler and pulled the trigger as the man was reaching for his own pistol. The bullet piercing his chest, and his body collapsed to the ground in a heap of limbs.

And then there was a gunshot. And a scream. And Teddy span around to see Billy's mother collapsing to the ground, limp and lifeless. 

Kesler. While Teddy was distracted by dealing with one of his cronies, Kesler had murdered Billy's mother. His arm was bleeding heavily, and he held his gun awkwardly in his left hand, but the damage was done.

Kesler's remaining ally had his pistol aimed at Billy, who had collapsed to his knees and burst into heart-wrenching sobs. Teddy wanted to run to him, to sweep him up into his arms and just hold him, but he couldn't move, didn't dare to lest he trigger any further violence.

"Okay, you shot me, you killed one of my men, fair play to you, but you've done enough fucking damage for one night. Turn around and leave. While you still can," Kesler spat angrily.

Teddy said nothing. He needed to act. Fast. But what could he do? Two against one. If he shot Kesler then his crony would shoot Billy. If he shot the guy aiming at Billy then Kesler would shoot him.

Oh fuck, of course! Teddy realised. Hosts can't kill a human. Shit. In the panic he'd forgotten that these men were nothing more than robots.

Teddy shifted the aim of his pistol and shot Kesler's crony in his stomach. And then Kesler fired his gun, the bullet hit Teddy square in his chest and the force of it knocked Teddy off his horse. He collided with the ground hard and fast.

Billy screamed. Teddy couldn't be sure but he thought it was perhaps his name that Billy had screamed.

Teddy was winded, and his back was in agony, but otherwise he was unharmed. 

Kesler stomped over to Billy and grabbed him by his shirt, dragging him up onto his feet so that their faces were practically touching. Teddy saw how small and helpless Billy appeared beside the sheer brute strength of Kesler. Fuck. He had to move.

Teddy forced himself to sit up, grimacing as pain wracked his whole body in protest of the movement.

"Listen here you little fuck, this is your fault, okay? You hear me, you pathetic little shit?" Kesler screamed into Billy's face. "Two of my men, good men, damn fucking good men, are dead because of you."

And then Kesler threw Billy back to the ground. Billy merely groaning in pain, unable to vocalise any semblance of a response.

Teddy looked for his gun, having apparently dropped it in his fall from the horse. There it was. He reached for it, trying to keep his movements as unnoticeable as possible. The element of surprise would be his best shot at getting the advantage over Kesler, especially since Billy was still at Kesler's mercy.

"Do you know what's gonna happen now?" Kesler asked, gun pointed at Billy, "You're going to fucking burn."

"No, he's not," Teddy shouted once he had dragged himself to his feet. And then he shot Kesler. Twice. Right in his chest, his body buckling to the ground ungracefully. 

Billy cried out as blood sprayed across his face.

Teddy rushed to him, scooping him up into his arms.

"Teddy..." Billy said, his voice croaky and unsteady, "Th-thank you..."

And then Teddy became aware of a warm dampness spreading against his body. He looked down and grimaced.

A scarlet flower bloomed on Billy's shirt. Shit. Kesler. Kesler must have fired his gun when Teddy shot him.

"Billy! Billy, no!" Teddy shouted. But his cries rang empty in the night.

Billy was dead.

And Teddy was alone, surrounded by death. His head filled with Billy. With memories of his mother laying pale and weak in her hospital bed. And then he was crying, clutching Billy's limp body close to him, and weeping heavy and silent tears.

***

Teddy had no idea how long he sat there, cradling Billy in his arms, but it felt like forever. He'd long stopped crying by the time the tech team showed up to collect the bodies.

They were dressed in white hazmat-like suits, which Teddy noted as unusual, but didn't bother to inquire about them.

The team was lead by a short woman, not wearing one of the white suits. She had dark hair held back in a ponytail and held a tablet device whose screen reflected in her glasses. 

The woman glanced over at Teddy, a sympathetic expression on her face. Teddy wished she would just leave him alone but she approached him, crouching beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Theodore Altman, right?" she said.

Teddy looked at her, puzzled. How did she know his name?

"It's on here," she said, nodding at her device, "so we can see which guests are in the area when we come to collect bodies."

"T-Teddy. Teddy is fine," Teddy said, speaking for the first time in a while. His voice quieter than he anticipated.

"I'm Elsie Hughes, I'm a programmer, Behaviour and Diagnostics department," she explained. "It's pretty traumatic the first time you see a Host killed, huh? Everyone reacts in different ways, but don't worry, we're gonna take them down to the lab, get 'em fixed up and they'll back back out by sunrise. None of them will remember any of this."

No, maybe they wouldn't. But Teddy would.

Elsie looked down at Billy. "This one is assigned to work at the General Store. You can drop by there tomorrow, and you'll see he'll be totally fine. Not a single mark on him physically, and not a single memory of all this. No trauma. Lucky him, I suppose, getting to forget all the violence and the heartache."

"And... and he'll just be fine? After all of this?" Teddy asked, gesturing to the remains of the chaos around him.

"Absolutely. This one's been through worse than this in its time in the park," she said, indicating Billy.

It. She called Billy it. Because he's a Host. A robot. Oh god.

And then Teddy was laughing. Not because he found anything particularly funny, but because he didn't know how else to react. Here he was, cradling the bloodied body of a robot in his arms as if it was a person he'd known for years. 

"I guess this is pretty pathetic, huh?" Teddy asked.

Elsie shook her head.

"Nah, trust me, I've seen worse. The Hosts are designed to be indistinguishable from humans, that's the point. I guess it's a good thing you're affected by it this way. Some guests don't give a shit," she said matter-of-factly. "But we do need you to let go of the Host. So we can take him and get him fixed up."

"Right, yeah, of course. Sorry," Teddy said, letting go of Billy and slowly rising to his feet.

"Well, get yourself back to town, Mr Altman, get cleaned up and sleep this all off. By morning everything will be back to how it was before all of this happened," Elsie said with a smile.

And then she was gone, moving off to supervise the collection of the bodies. 

And Teddy left too, riding back to town with a heavy heart and aching limbs. The woman was right, of course, these Hosts saw violence day after day after day. They would be fixed and have their memories wiped and then it would be life as normal. But that wasn't much comfort. Teddy felt like he had made a connection to Billy, the kind of connection he hadn't made since high school, the kind of connection he had feared he would never make again after his mother's death. And Teddy didn't care how stupid it seemed that he had made this connection with someone who wasn't real, the connection felt real to Teddy. And he was sure that Billy felt it too, the way he smiled and relaxed when he saw that Teddy had returned, it didn't matter to Teddy that Billy was likely programmed to connect with guests. Teddy didn't care at all. It felt real, and it felt important, and it really fucking hurt that right now, as Teddy rode towards his inn in Sweetwater, that that connection was being wiped from Billy's mind and that tomorrow he would have to begin all over again. 

But he would. Teddy knew he would do it all again tomorrow. Because he realised the real reason he was here in Westworld, something he knew about but pushed to the back of his mind. He told himself he was here to reconnect with the childhood joy he had shared with his mother through their love of Western movies and, yeah, that was true, but there was something deeper. Something Teddy had struggled to face until now. Because it was hard to admit just how fucking lonely he had been before, and it was hard to admit that losing his mother meant losing the only person Teddy really had. It meant losing that feeling of being 'home' in their shared apartment. It meant a lot of things Teddy didn't like to dwell on, but here in the manufactured desert, surrounded by blood and death, he had had no choice but to face his reality as it crashed down upon him.

Ever since his mother's death Teddy had been looking for a reason to live. And he thought maybe, just maybe, Billy Kaplan could be the one to help him find it.