I’ve been debating posting this since I wrote it but eh might as well. Have a story about my Bounty Hunter, Numelia, and her twin brother. It’s a little on the longer side so...
Five years, three months, and fifteen days. That’s how long it had been since Uliccol had been in the same room as his twin sister. And now… There she sat, on the other side of the living room of their sister, Rhori’s, home, keeping most of her attention on the half-empty glass in her hand. There was a split second where their eyes had met, and he immediately turned away, fearing the power of her emotionless silver stare.
Out of pure curiosity, he took another glimpse of her, this time taking in the details. He noticed that, despite her ever-growing collection of intricate tattoos, her height and her demeanor, little else had changed. She was still a monster wearing his sister’s face. Only now she was cocky about it.
He could still remember the beginning of her transformation. They had stowed away in a supply ship, with a plan to never return to their cursed home. They would make their name in the universe. They would be better.
Mel had always been a force of nature, with the stars in her eyes and her smile just as bright. They would always be together, or so they had promised.
It was one day, as he had been looking at a map, that it began.
Uli hadn’t even heard the man come into the cargo hold until he had started yelling, spitting out a few choice words and had come closer, grabbing Uli by the collar and pulling him up to his feet. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, turning away from the outraged man. And that’s when he heard it.
Three shots.
The man fell to the floor.
Mel stood there, a stolen gun in hand until it slipped from her fingers. She stared at her hands for a long time, taking a few moments to collect her composure and compartmentalize. Uli lifted his head, looking to her as she finally stopped shaking and lowered her hands to her sides. Her eyes were colder than he had ever seen before. It was the first time he caught a glimpse of what she would become.
She had been the one who ran. She left him behind. Now she travelled the galaxy, trying to feed her bloodlust. She had once tried to convince him to join her in her quest, but he had adamantly refused her, foolishly hoping that she would stay behind. Perhaps he should have tried harder to save her soul.
She was an unstoppable force. And, despite all they had been through together, he had just been something else in her way.
* * *
Mel had grimaced at the sight of those cold, calculating eyes. Uli had always been like that. Too distant. Too smart. Too stubborn. And judging by the bubble he had created around him, he was still an acquired taste.
It appeared the man he called father had groomed him to play the part of a good little soldier, but he was still the same scared kid she had left behind. Not that he had given her much of a choice in the situation.
She had always been the stronger of the two, protecting her elder twin from those who would cause him harm. Now she sat across the room from him, focusing on swirling the last remnants of her glass around until the memories sucked her in.
After the incident on the supply ship, Uli had managed to track down their father, hope lighting up his face. He’d only wanted a family and some stability. She’d always had her reservations. The man had left them. There was nothing there for them, she was sure of it.
And she had been right.
Their father had taken them in, being distant and cold and cruel. He was a warrior and had only taken an interest in their skills and some other, hidden motives she couldn’t quite place.
She had tried to stay for her brother. She had killed to protect him. She had fought for him. It wasn’t anything to take pride in. Unfortunately, staying for him had been harder than anything else she had done.
She remembered pulling Uli outside of their father’s home, standing in the drizzling rain. After months of living in the darkened city, she had realized that she feared what she would become of them if they stayed. They needed to leave before… She wasn’t sure at the time, but her gut told her that it was time to leave. She normally wasn’t one to plead, but she had begged him, despite his firm answer.
He had been resolute in his refusal. As hard as she tried to change his mind, it had been a futile endeavor. He was determined to stay, and so she made the hardest choice she could, leaving in the dark of the night with a bag slung over her shoulder. As much as he had insisted she would, she hadn’t become a monster. She was a survivor.
She didn’t expect his forgiveness. She didn’t need it, either. She had made peace with what had happened a long time ago.
Taking a deep breath, she took another look at him, noting his shaggy hair and his pressed uniform, trying to keep herself from laughing at his signature slouch. At least that much hadn’t changed.
Just over five years had passed since he had become immovable on the subject. Finally draining the last bit from her glass, she pulled herself to her feet, tugging at the hem of her shirt to straighten herself out. Steeling herself, she walked over to him.
* * *
Numelia let out a prolonged sigh as she carefully sat next to Uliccol, remaining rigid. Neither of them made the move to comment first.
“Been a while. What like… almost five years?” she finally muttered to break the silence, scratching the back of her head as some way to ease the tension, “Glad to see you’re still alive.”
He let out a scoff, keeping his attention on whatever report he had been working on the entirety of the gathering. “Funny. Did you want me alive so you could drive the knife of betrayal further, or did you plan on finishing the job?”
She leaned forward, massaging her temples with a noise of irritation. “Uliccol, I’m just tryin’ to talk to ya. Friendly conversation? Put the damn datapad down and talk to me. We’ve been avoiding this long enough.”
The air around him shifted as his anger towards her bubbled to the surface after years of biting it back. “Avoiding? How, exactly, have I been avoiding anything?! You were the one who left. You never came back. You were the one who… who…” He put the datapad down a bit more forcefully than intended, whipping his head to face her. “A hospital, Numelia! Did it ever run through your head that’s what it was when you were blowing it up, or are you just that far gone that it doesn’t even matter to you any longer?”
Numelia quirked a brow. “All those brains. All that damn technology, and you can’t even figure it out that my file was padded? Sure my kill list has grown, but you can’t really believe I would do any of the shit that was in that file. Nothin’ like that, at least.”
His lips pressed into a hard line. “I don’t know with you any longer, sister.” The tone in his voice made the term sound more insulting than necessary.
“Because I left? Malus gave me no choice,” she sighed, “I didn’t want to leave you behind, Ul. I tried to bring you with me. I don’t know what I’d have become if I stayed. Hell, I don’t even know-.” She stopped herself before she said something she’d regret and take them back to square one.
He scoffed in response. “So you opted to become something worse?”
“We don’t know that,” she snapped, “Uli, the man was hiding things from us. Things you didn’t want to see. So, sure I ran. Sure, I left you behind… But I don’t believe that I would have been redeemed for killin’ that man if I’d stayed. You can think what you want, but… Every instinct said to run. My gut hasn’t screwed me over yet, either. And gut says he isn’t doin’ right by you, Ul.”
“Father has done nothing to deserve such scorn, little sister. And was it your gut that told you to bring your friend?” Uliccol nodded toward the man who remained close to the wall, watching those around with keen eyes.
She glanced in his direction, incapable of hiding the quick smirk that played across her lips, “Not my gut, no. But this ain’t about him. This ain’t even about dad. And you’ve got two more insults left. Use ‘em wisely.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line, radiating annoyance at her comment, and gave her a harsh stare. “And what, pray tell, is this about?”
Numelia seemed to be getting comfortable, leaning back into the seat. “You’ve been actin’ like I’m not me since the incident. Shit, Ul, we were kids. That man was shoutin’ about launchin’ you out an airlock. I had the blaster I’d stolen and it seemed like the only move. I did what I thought I had to. And if I’d known this shit was gonna happen? I’d still have taken the shot.” She crossed her legs and vaguely gestured with her hands as she spoke. “Ul, the only regret I have is leavin’ you behind. But you got a lot of anger, and I get that. Maybe, one day, we can start over. You’ll probably like at least one of my crew. She’s smart. A survivor. Kinda makes me think of you.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself just before she stood up and gave him a half-smirk.
“You probably can find out a way to contact me. You ever feel like talkin’, call. You know I don’t do that readin’ thing too much.” She almost chuckled at that last bit, holding out a hand to him in a friendly gesture. He stared at it for a long while, not making any move to accept it. She carefully drew it back and shoved it into her jacket pocket. “Right. I’ll see ya.”
