Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The air of the dive bar was thick and hazy, a sourceless mist that was too sweet for one second and scorched his nose in the next. Kevin tried not to inhale too deeply.

The hovering barstool he was perched on helped keep his mind alert, it wobbled like the balance hadn’t been set properly and he was one lean too far left away from being dropped to the floor. There was also something poking the underside of his thigh every time he moved, the discomfort jolted him awake when his eyes started to slip even a little and served as a good distraction from how tired he actually was. 

And he was exhausted . 

After three weeks straight of hopping from system to system chasing after this bastard with time being just as crucial as it ever was, sleep hadn’t been at the top of his priority list. Those thirty-minute to an hour check-in queues every time he entered a system had become his new religion; a tiny window where he could do nothing but wait for his ship to be inspected, so he’d happily spend those minutes in the form of a quick nap in the back bunks. An hour of sleep every couple days would’ve destroyed any lesser man but Kevin was made of stronger stuff. 

He wasn’t quite sure what that stuff was anymore but he knew it had to start running out eventually. There was an agonising ache in his limbs and a migraine was starting to claw mercilessly at the sides of his head, he knew he was getting close to the threshold.

But after tonight it would all be worth it; he’d get paid almost twice as much more this time than he had for the last job and be able to hold his head a little higher once he got back to the others. He’d get a few days rest in a bed that was somewhat comfortable, before he was back out there with a new face on his datapad and another month of sleepless nights to look forward to.

Despite his bitterness he had to admit he enjoyed some parts of the work, it kept him busy and in a few short years he had seen far more of the galaxy than he ever would have if he’d stayed on Osmos. But the almost limitless opportunities for sightseeing hadn’t come without a heavy price and the payoff was only sometimes worth everything he went through to get there.

He took a few more sips of his drink, it tasted rough but it wasn’t unbearable yet, made his tongue sting in a way he almost liked and kept him alert. He’d bought the drink as soon as he sat down, whatever made it fizz had died a while ago and the faintly glowing orbs that had floated around the surface were now collected in a silvery mush near the bottom. Despite its no longer appealing visual he gulped more of the thick liquid down and tried not to gag, needing a reason to remain at the bar without looking overly suspicious. 

Regardless, the stocky Tetramand bartender wasn’t likely to ask him to leave, not after the look Kevin gave him as he sat down but it didn’t hurt to try and blend in a little. There was a brief, tense moment where the four-armed man had given him a second glance, a flash of what was maybe recognition in his eyes before he turned away without another word to get started on making his drink. Even if he did know who Kevin was and the likely reason he was here, he was clearly smart enough to pretend he didn’t.

He hadn’t gotten any other curious looks but he chalked that down to the low lighting and the fact that his back was turned to the door so he couldn’t see most of the other individuals in the bar, risky but he didn’t care anymore. No one was likely to try anything anyway, to everyone else Kevin just looked like an Osmosian who did not want to be bothered. If they got that impression from his sullen face, his well-built but hunched over form or the pointedly exposed plasma blaster on his thigh he didn’t care, as long as they left him alone. 

The blaster was just for show anyway, a distraction to give them something else to worry about before they noticed the metal coating his fists or his teeth growing unnaturally sharp. Not that he intended on picking any fights in here tonight, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared in case there were any complications.

He almost wanted to buy another drink, nothing that would have him cursing at his past self when he woke up tomorrow, but something to give him the little buzz he needed right now and didn’t leave such a sour taste in his mouth. But aside from the remnants of an acidic mess he had in front of him, there weren’t many other drinks to choose from, none that he wanted in his body anyway. 

Most of the drinks here were for people who wanted to forget, who wanted a quiet night in a dark booth and escape their worries for a few hours by pouring copious amounts of alcohol down whatever passed for a throat in their species. 

Kevin would have welcomed one of those three months ago, would have drained a glass the second it was placed in front of him and screamed his throat raw for another. But three months had gone fast and he had gone numb somewhere around the start of the second week; everything that had happened faded to a dull pounding in the back of his mind, blocked off with the expertise of someone who had been holding down bad memories his whole life. 

He’d stopped trying to convince himself that he could have changed the outcome. There were a thousand things he could’ve done differently but it was too late, he was a thousand miles away and Kwarrel's body was still drifting.

Maybe he would take those extra drinks, the ache in his chest that had nothing to do with exhaustion was rearing its ugly head again and he was starting to see faces he’d rather forget every time his eyes blinked shut.

No . 

He couldn’t get himself blackout drunk yet, right now he needed to work and Servantis would never let him hear the end of it if he messed up this job. Not that this was any more important than any other assignment, but after how badly the last one had gone Kevin knew there were a lot of eyes watching him and expectations were high. So he’d been extra careful this time, making sure he had every single scrap of identification he could possibly need and every line perfectly rehearsed to prevent being held back by each system’s security checkpoint for even a second. Everything Kwarrel had taught him down to the finest detail, only to get stuck in the profession and licensing verification queue for over an hour because the laws on bounty hunting were just a teensy bit more stringent here than they had been in the last fourteen fucking sectors.

They’d told him he wasn’t allowed to kill his target, which had been a given anyway and he’d have a lot more to worry about than some system laws if he dropped a corpse in front of Servantis. He had also been informed he wasn’t allowed any public use of force to make the target cooperate. Kevin was greatly looking forward to using his award winning charisma to convince the target into a dark and grimy alley under the pretense of a friendly chat, no way that could possibly go south.

The sound of forced feminine laughter from nearby ripped him from his thoughts, loose strands of his long hair falling around his face as he lifted his head up to idly search for the source. 

His slate grey eyes flicked from lonely patron to patron until he circled back to the scene in front of him, the one that had been keeping him somewhat amused for the past half hour but was quickly starting to lose its charm as the smoke drifting through the air grew thicker.

The woman whose laughter kept reaching his ears was sitting across the bar; an Uxorite with deep blue tentacles dripping over her shoulders and three purple eyes that lit up like a star field as they caught the glare from the lights above. She was prettier than most around these parts and he’d caught her leering at him more than a few times since he walked into the alcohol soaked bar. He wasn’t interested by any means but it was nice to know he could turn a few heads when he entered a room for reasons that weren’t entirely horrifying.

Besides, there was something unsettling about the Uxorite, her movements seemed stuttered and her eyes didn’t quite keep pace with each other. Not that Kevin knew much about Uxorite biology, maybe their eyes could move independently of one another, but it still left him feeling uneasy.

It wasn’t really her he was interested in anyway, as interesting as she was, it was the scrawny Dracosian sitting beside her that he was here for. The grey skinned alien had been trying desperately to engage the girl in a conversation for far too long, something about a family mining business on Petropia that was sure to bring in double - no no triple! -  the expected revenue for this quarter.

Kevin had snorted into his drink at that, there hadn’t been any mining operations on Petropia for almost twelve years but she didn’t need to know that. She looked incredibly bored anyway, swirling a metallic straw around the untouched neon yellow drink her unrelenting companion had bought her as an excuse to sit down. She nodded every now and then, flashing him a bright smile that was all teeth and false promises whenever he managed to catch her eyes, and disappeared the second he looked away. 

Kevin was waiting for him to give up or for her to tell him to get lost, whichever came first, and the Dracosian would finally be alone for the first time in nearly three months.

Kevin didn’t need to check the datapad to make sure it was the right guy; male, middle age equivalent Dracosian by the name of Nel Strar, average height and as rawboned as they came. The various crusty tattoos scattered along his neck and peeking out from under his shirt sleeves had been a helpful identifier as well. But the biggest giveaway was the nasty looking burn decorating the space between his left ear and the corner of his lip that Kevin only vaguely remembered giving him the last time they’d crossed paths.

That had been almost two months ago, when Kevin had been closer to the edge and a moment of frustration had almost led to him messing everything up again. Strar had slipped from his fingers then, face half gone and chunks of his skin left scattered on the docking bay floor, but still alive which was all Kevin needed.

Strar had gone quiet for a while after that, a sensible decision that Kevin knew wouldn't last. A half baked but easily spread rumour that the Red Spots knew where he was hiding had spooked the Dracosian out from his hole in record time. A sloppy and frankly embarrassing exit from a shuttle port in a stolen ship came next for Strar, and within a matter of hours Kevin's teeth were hovering around his throat again.

Losing his trail had been impossible since then and Kevin had been following it relentlessly, from station to station and crossing into more sectors than had ever been on the brief. Atmos Station was the last stop, Kevin decided, he was getting tired of chasing and Strar’s time had long since run out.

He had been steps behind ever since the Dracosian had stepped out of an overcrowded shuttle and tried to disappear into the crowds of the station. But Kevin hadn’t lost him for a second and had just been waiting for him to enter a shady establishment such as this, where the lights were low and no one would even bat an eyelid if he walked over to ask the guy to step outside. 

Maybe he should just move now, make it look like he was doing it for the girl’s sake, Kevin doubted she’d object to that. His selfish chivalry might even open the door to a more interesting, shared evening later on.

He knew his target was aware of him. Strar hadn’t looked over yet, too focused on the Uxorite and the way her shimmery dress coiled around her like a second skin. Kevin had noticed that as well but his stares were less lecherous, closer to cautious if he had to put a name to it. 

But Strar definitely knew he -or someone- was there, when exactly he’d realised he was being followed Kevin wasn’t sure but the Dracosian’s attempts at losing his pursuer had been obvious and reeked of inexperience.

Funny . 

Kevin would have thought someone who was wanted in six systems for multiple counts of assault, embezzlement, allegedly murder and a couple attempted kidnappings would be better at concealing their tracks. But it had been almost insultingly easy to keep tabs on him as he flitted around the station like a tourist rather than a man whose face was slapped on almost every bounty board this side of the galaxy. Kevin figured the guy had just gotten cocky. Being shadowed by hulking guards for the past few months had made the Dracosian virtually untouchable but Kevin hadn’t seen so much as a glimpse of anyone who could be keeping Strar safe here.

His sudden loneliness meant it would've been so easy to grab Strar at any point earlier that day, but the upper streets had been too crowded and you never knew when Red Spots were hiding in the shadows, fingers itching for a chance to get in his way and make things more complicated.

Kevin had been growing bored, frustrated almost to the point of shoving the rules aside when Strar took an unexpected detour into this seedy looking bar that dipped below the sidewalk. It was one of his many mistakes that day and, before his patience wore out, he hoped Strar would make another.

Like letting the Uxorite take him by the hand, pull him off the barstool and start leading him toward the exit of the bar. 

Well, Kevin hadn’t expected that, and by the look of confusion on his already pale face neither had his target.

Strar’s surprise quickly changed to one of smugness as he no doubt assumed all his talk of yet-to-be-acquired wealth had finally won her over, letting himself be half dragged towards the doorway. Kevin rolled his eyes and waited a few seconds before downing what remained of his drink, wincing, and taking off after them.

Chapter Text

The lower levels of any station were never the nicest parts of town. Kevin had come to expect the grime and the rust and the less than friendly faces compared to those up above, but there was something about this station in particular that sent his instincts into overdrive. He couldn’t pinpoint the reason; maybe it was the adrenaline of almost being at the end of his mission that was finally catching up to him, or maybe it was the memory of some lesson about being aware of his surroundings that Kwarrel had drilled into him when he was young and afraid of everything. 

He wasn’t scared now, annoyed and tired yes, but never scared. There was no one down here or anywhere up there who could hurt him, he knew he was the most dangerous thing in this entire sector but that knowledge didn’t do anything to ease his nerves. 

Never be cocky, that was another lesson Kwarrel had taught him, never assume you’re safe until you’re back home and the door to your room is bolted shut. That one never left his mind, couldn’t leave his mind. 

Kevin sighed, almost a growl of impatience as he forced himself to focus. It was technically the middle of the day but the dying sun that the station wobbled around barely coughed out enough light for him to see his hand in front of his face, so everywhere was lit up with artificial lights that strained his eyes and covered everything in a pale blue sheen. It took a split second for his eyes to adjust and when they did his quarry was nowhere to be seen, the creaking metal platforms that acted as streets completely empty save for a few drunkards lounging around the bar entrance. 

Kevin cursed under his breath, hand curling into a fist as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. A thousand different scents filled his nose, almost completely overwhelming if he weren’t so used to the sensation by now. The strongest was the stench of alcohol drifting out the door he’d just stepped through and it clouded most of the air but he muscled past that easily, searching for that unmistakeable snatch of Strar’s scent that he’d locked onto months ago and could never fully lose. 

It took barely a second, Kevin’s head immediately pulled east and his eyes were met by the same street he had followed Strar down only a short while before. He could smell the girl as well and it appeared they were still together, she hadn’t done the smart thing and bolt as soon as they were out in the open.

He caught another scent suddenly, and without warning his head jerked in the opposite direction and back towards the general area of the bar. It was strikingly different to anything else he’d experienced so far that night but at the same time so familiar in a way his mind refused to place. The scent was almost tangible, if he had to describe it he’d say it crackled on his tongue and there was a hint of citrus. It was enough to hold his attention, almost enough to see his body turn and hunt down the source, but he knew he would be able to find it again later if he wanted to. Strar was the priority, a distraction like that didn’t matter right now.

What did matter was the underlying threat, there was more than just a scent there was something stronger and deeper than skin. And not being able to understand that scared him more than anything else could.

He knew he hadn’t been the only one chasing after Strar, but many of the others had fallen off after the weeks started turning into months and easier bounties could be found elsewhere. Kevin didn’t have the luxury of turning away from this even if he had wanted to and he was determined not to let any stragglers mess this up for him. 

But the thought that anyone else had followed the trail this far out was more than a little unnerving. If he was uncomfortable before he was now almost vibrating with building tension, he didn’t need any uninvited guests paying a visit right now. 

That was a problem for later, if they were smart they’d keep out of his way.

He turned his attention back towards the increasing gap between himself and Strar, beginning to briskly walk the same path the couple had while knowing they couldn’t have gotten too far yet. 

A quick check over his shoulder and up into the platforms above confirmed there were no Red Spots around. A relief but not surprising, he knew they would never come down this far without specific reason and he wasn’t going to complain, the fewer people he had to deal with the better. 

It took a few moments but as he turned a corner and narrowly avoided being run over by one of the saddest looking hover-lane taxis he’d ever seen, he finally got a visual on the pair further ahead. They were swaying down a street cradled by towering, rusted metal buildings on either side. The sides of the buildings were covered in what looked like plants, but judging from the way the leaves flickered in the glow of the levels above Kevin assumed they were just holograms installed decades ago in an attempt to make the place look nicer. It wasn’t working. 

He walked casually a few dozen feet behind his target, not openly staring but making sure he didn’t lose sight of him again. As much as he didn’t want Strar to get scared and bolt, he also wasn’t worried the Dracosian would turn around at any point, he was a bit distracted with the girl as she giggled and pretended her legs had turned to jelly. Strar laughed in what he must have thought was a seductive tone but really made him sound like he was choking, before wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her steady.

Kevin would never understand how anyone could fall for the sudden change in behaviour from bored to ridiculously tipsy in the time it took her to stand up from her seat. He had to hand it to the girl, she was really selling it and as a result the Dracosian was acting nothing like the paranoid wretch Kevin had been stalking after for so long. 

Kevin watched as Strar let the girl steer him towards a lesser used path nestled between two taller buildings covered in faded posters and obscene graffiti in more languages than Kevin could recognise.

She had done this before then, it was textbook; find some unassuming tourist at a bar, hold his attention over a couple drinks, lead him to some dark alley, whisper sweet words in his ear to get him flustered and agreeable to anything if she’d only move her hands down a little further. Then she would gently slip one hand into the pockets of his jacket while he was distracted to retrieve whatever form of ID he had on him, disappearing into the night before he could even realise what had happened. His disappointment and embarrassment holding only until he reached whatever glitzy hotel he was staying at and realised what had been stolen. 

It was a quick way for girls like her to get a hold of some cash before the account was sealed up without having to do any of the dirty work, Kevin could always respect that.

He’d wait for her to leave then, no point in ruining her night. He didn’t need her thinking he was some undercover cop and in the confusion letting the Dracosian get away.

It was taking longer than Kevin would’ve thought though, getting close to two minutes and no sign of life from inside the alley. He had moved to lean against a building on the other side of the street and could see the backstreet entrance in the corner of his eye without having to turn his head, so he would’ve seen if anyone had darted out. He still had Strar’s scent so he would’ve known if they’d left some other way, they were only about a meter or two beyond the lights of the street but Kevin was locked on. He couldn’t hear anything either, not that he was interested in hearing the whimpers of a man who thought he was about to get it all, but the silence worried him a little.

A few more seconds, he decided, then he’d go over. He couldn’t wait here all night, this needed to end. 

The time ticked by quickly and Kevin was just about done waiting. He pushed himself off the wall, one booted foot beginning the walk to the alley when a flash of green lit up dark streets. Kevin registered the sound of a blaster being fired a second later, a second too late. The Uxorite emerged from the alley almost immediately, her face the perfect mask of calm despite her quick steps, but both faltered when she saw Kevin and with steady hands started to raise her weapon of choice towards him. 

Kevin felt his eye twitch. Two murders in one night, the girl was getting greedy.

He knew he could draw his own blaster faster than she could pull her trigger but he didn’t need to bother. A magenta disc materialised out of the gloom and hit the Uxorite in the middle of her back, sending her tumbling across the ground before landing in a twitching heap inches from his feet. She was still alive, would be more than a little sore when she woke up, but she was breathing.

Which was more than he could say for his intended target. Kevin didn’t have time to be shocked by what had just happened, he gave a sigh of frustration as he stepped over the Uxorite’s body and quickly completed his journey across the street to peer into the alley at the corpse that was once the living, breathing, insufferable Nal Strar. A perfect circle burning near the centre of his chest that sizzled and flickered like a cheap imitation of the heartbeat he no longer had.

Fuck. 

Kevin could only blame himself, he should’ve glassed him in the bar rules be damned. 

He could hear his unwanted saviour’s footsteps approaching but didn’t look up from the body, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he tried to figure out what to do next. 

This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen, none of this. He was supposed to be better than this, he’d been so careful and this was all he had to show for it. 

That was it, he’d be out of the organisation after this and then what? They’d take his docs, his money, his weapons, and gods forbid they take his ship as well. Kwarrel had family kind of nearby, right? Maybe they’d take him in for a bit, until he got back on his feet or smoothed things over with the others. But how was he supposed to get there without getting blasted out of the sky first? Servantis would find him through the ship, maybe he could remove the tracker before they got to him- 

Servantis, he’d want Kevin dead for this. 

Fuck.

He let out a shuddering breath, rough and quickly becoming more of a snarl. Without thinking he struck forward and dented the wall with his fist coated in the same rusted material, it didn’t make him feel any better.

“Hey, are you alright?” asked a feminine voice from somewhere behind him, cutting through his thoughts with a tone that was concerned but to a degree that had Kevin assuming she was asking more out of politeness rather than any actual interest.

He didn’t bother turning, if she meant him any harm there’d be a second volley of vivid pink discs flying his way already. 

“Never better,” he spat, nudging the limp body of Nel Strar with his foot and barely resisting the urge to kick into it with every ounce of strength he had. “Needed this one still breathing. Fuck.”

The rush of being so close, the desperation that had fuelled him for the past months and kept his body going whenever he got close to dropping from exhaustion. It was all fading from him now as he stared down at the last chance he’d had to even begin to make up for every other thing he’d fucked up.

“I’m sorry,” said the stranger distractedly. She sounded closer now but her voice was slightly muffled, Kevin assumed she was hunched over the Uxorite and his suspicions were confirmed as he sullenly tilted his head over to the scene.

Even under the piercing artificial lights he could see a soft blue shimmer surrounding the woman’s crouched form, then unmistakable swirls of magic washed down her arms and out through her fingertips in tendrils that seemed to melt away into the air over the still breathing body.

She seemed satisfied by whatever she had been trying to do as she stood up and dusted off the front of her spotless deep blue traveling cloak. The heavy hood pulled up over her head concealed any facial features from him but Kevin was aware of enough rumours that made him almost glad of the fact. Long sleeves ended in a point wrapped around her index finger leaving the others bare and Kevin could see a line of small, glittering emblems stretching up the length of her arm, all fading in and out of his view like pulsating orbs he had no interest in getting a closer look at. 

Kevin had never been one to keep up with the fashion trends across various parts of the galaxy but even he knew someone wearing clothes as elegant and decorated as hers didn’t belong anywhere near this station. More concerningly, he’d seen some of those emblems in every brief he’d ever received right at the top of a list of planets, systems and organisations to be avoided at all cost.

The realisation should have made his stomach drop impossibly further but by that point his day might as well just get worse. He’d already watched his entire future die in the shadows of an alley, so the arrival of one of the Students of Bezel was an almost welcome shock after that. Maybe she’d kill him before Servantis did, that would be a much more preferable way to go.

The woman was oblivious to his inner turmoil, choosing to poke the unconscious Uxorite with her foot instead. She was muttering something incomprehensible even to Kevin’s ears, accompanied by displeased grumblings as she pushed her hood back and let an auburn wave of hair fall down around her face.

Kevin had heard rumours about the mutilations Students of Bezel would perform on themselves; an ancient art meant to unlock a higher understanding of magic or some bullshit like that. The method varied, he’d been told, from intentional scarring of the skin to the removal of eyes or tongues depending on what the Student ultimately wanted to achieve. 

She was missing an eye, or rather her right eye was covered by an eyepatch, learning whether there was still an eye under there or not was beyond his paygrade. He couldn’t remember what the records had said about eyes, a tongue was for dead languages but eyes he could never remember.

“Do you have a blade you’re willing to share?” she asked suddenly, turning to look up at him. She smiled almost sheepishly, holding her hands out palms up, the skin covered in old scars. “I’d make one myself but I’m a little tapped out after that.” 

She was pretty, for a Student of Bezel. The eye that remained glittered a deep emerald and was surrounded by swirls of blue eye makeup that Kevin was sure served a higher purpose than just vanity. But beyond that she was pretty unremarkable; no scars, no dark symbols scratched into her flesh, no twisted words of a long dead language seared into exposed cheekbones. Aside from the eyepatch she could’ve been any regular woman on any regular station, nothing special or worth a second glance. Yet still Kevin found himself without breath as her gaze met his.

Her request caught up to him finally, Kevin was almost flustered and reached for his belt before he really knew why. 

“This do?" 

He flicked out the small knife, barely bigger than his thumb but it was more of an emergency tool than anything meant as a serious weapon.

The woman raised an eyebrow, almost amused but held out her hands as he tossed it over to her, catching it neatly. She turned it over in her fingers like it was far more interesting than it actually was, before returning to crouch down beside the unconscious Uxorite.

“It’ll do,” she muttered before hooking the blade into the soft flesh of the Uxorite’s chin and tugging a line from one side to the other.

No blood, Kevin noted, leaning towards mildly uncomfortable. Not a single drop when he knew it should be gushing. Maybe that’s what her magic had done, slowed the blood flow or maybe just removed the liquid from the body entirely.

Finished with her incision she held the knife between her teeth for safe keeping and curled the fingers on both hands under the line she had drawn, slowly peeling the skin up. Tensing up slightly Kevin prepared himself and his stomach for whatever the inside of an Uxorite’s face looked like, but an electric shimmer and complete reconstruction of her form had not been even close to what his imagination had prepared him for. 

Three eyes smeared into two, deep blue skin faded to a dull grey, and the tendrils were gone and replaced by nothing.

Nel Strar lay before them now, eyes closed and body limp but the rise and fall of his scrawny chest let them know he was still alive.

Kevin blinked, eyes darting to the alley to make sure the body hadn’t been switched around like some kind of magic trick. Nel Strar's body still lay there as well, hunched up awkwardly against the wall, chest sizzling.

“ID mask,” the woman said, noticing his confusion. “Skin deep, expensive, sealed by old magic.”

“Cut off by a cheap knife,” Kevin muttered, because he needed to say something or he’d scream. “How’d you know?”

She tapped her eyepatch by way of explanation, the fabric glowing reactively at the touch. “And because he stole it from my people months ago, I knew what to look out for.”

Kevin tensed at that, at the knowledge that she’d been looking for Strar maybe as long as he had and had information that wouldn’t have ever been available to him.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, encouraging them to grow a touch sharper. He needed to be ready for when this turned sour and he knew it would.

“You’re done with him now, then?” It was a harmless enough question, but her response would change how this evening ended for both of them.

“I have to bring him back,” she said simply, handing the knife back to him hilt first. “He needs to answer for his crimes.”

“Wrong answer,” Kevin muttered with a sigh, reaching out for the blade. In the blink of an eye burning embers covered the skin of his hands and the suddenly blisteringly hot blade fell to the ground between them.

“I’ll add you to the list of folks after his sorry ass,” he growled, voice like rolling thunder as the glowing coals climbed up his arms and enveloped the rest of his body in flames. 

Immediately her hands glowed blue, brighter than the streetlights but ebbing in and out like a silent alarm. He hoped it wasn’t a call for reinforcements, her own kind or the Red Spots.

“A Pyronite,” she said calmly, like she was just making note of it. Her eye drifted over his now bubbling, fiery skin. “Wasn’t aware your species could shift like that. Interesting.”

Kevin smirked, stepping back a little to give himself some space for theatrics. “Wrong again.” 

His hands came up, jets of flame blasting out from his palms straight into the woman’s face. He knew she’d put up a shield, some kind of barrier to protect herself, but he had been counting on that. As soon as the circular shield went up, the glowing runes almost blinding, he sent another wave of fire out into the streets. This one walled up around them, narrowly missing Strarr’s body and Kevin was reminded of what happened the last time he was so careless around an open flame. 

“Impressive party trick,” the woman said flatly, taking her own step back and Kevin swore for a second she floated. “But didn’t anyone ever teach you not to play with fire?”

She clapped her hands together, the impact sound louder than it had any right to be, and bursts of blue tendrils were born in the moment to snuff out the flames that surrounded them. It was frustrating to have her counter him so easily but he knew he could keep the flames burning for longer than she could keep putting them out, that wasn’t the end goal here anyway.

He could advance on her, put the pressure on so she had no choice but to focus on her shields instead of any offensive spells. Kevin knew he had to strike first, before she had the chance to use any of that magic he'd been warned about.

He had no qualms about hurting her, if she wanted Strar as well then she was just another obstacle taking up more of what little time he had left. 

"This is a waste of time," the obstacle huffed above the roar of the flames, like she could read his mind and Kevin didn't doubt that. "I need him, you need him, maybe we can work something out. I’m not interested in fighting like children."

It caught him off guard, her diplomatic suggestion, and he almost ignored it in favour of another wave of fire in her direction. 

Then Kwarrel was there, hand on his shoulder telling him to cool it , hear her out. If he didn't like what she had to say then they could go back to blows, but it was important he listen first. 

The flames were gone as quickly as they'd appeared, his own body slipping back to his Osmosian form in the same moment. 

He looked at her expectantly, dark eyes holding her down. He was watching for movement, for her request for peace to be a fabrication, words uncommon enough to disarm him just a second long enough for her to get a few crucial shots in. He watched her mouth closest, knowing that was where all the power was. He’d never heard a spell in his life, wouldn’t know what was about to happen until it happened, but Kwarrel had told him enough tales that he somewhat knew what to be prepared for.

The woman’s hands still glowed, fainter now he was no longer a walking bonfire but he didn't blame her for remaining cautious as well.

"What happens if he goes with you?" she asked, nodding at Strar. She sounded calm, tired almost and Kevin wondered if she truly was drained after such small uses of her powers. He filed that information away, if they couldn’t work things out here that would be useful to know later.

"He dies," Kevin replied shortly. "That's why I need him breathing. He doesn’t get to die here."

The woman nodded, chewing her lip. "My people want his hands, that's all."

Kevin grimaced, weighing his options. He never liked feeling backed into a corner, but even in this open street it felt like he was falling short of directions to run.

“I’m coming with you,” he said finally. “He’s mine soon as you get what you want.”

It was a lie, of course, and he had no doubt she wasn’t telling him the whole truth either. But they were both apparently smart enough to play the game for now, establish some kind of truce to be ripped apart when the time was right, and Kevin was willing to bet his claws were sharper than hers.

The woman paused for too long a moment, Kevin swore he saw her eyepatch pulse a deep blue and it probably wasn’t just the streetlights interfering.

“Double cross me and you’ll wish you stopped chasing this creep months ago,” she said flatly, hands losing their glow and flexing at her side. “I’ve dealt with people like you before.”

Kevin blinked at her insinuation. “Like you said, it’s a waste of time to fight each other.”

The woman nodded, her shoulders visibly relaxing and Kevin knew she had been expecting him to want another round. He didn’t blame her, he knew he didn’t look like the biggest advocate for peace, and as much as he would have enjoyed the exercise he couldn’t let his own desires get in the way of the job.

He cocked his head to the side, dark hair sweeping across his face and catching in the artificial breeze that dragged air around the station. Hers didn’t move, even with the hood down her long hair was static, it was captivating for reasons Kevin couldn’t quite place.

Some magic thing, had to be.

He didn’t realise he was staring until she moved and his vision blurred a little, blinking slowly he watched her venture into the alley and stand over Nel Strar’s perfect clone.

“Not sure you could ever pay me to do this,” she mused, giving the body a nudge with her booted foot. 

Kevin bit his tongue to hold back the question about to roll out, it was clear she knew more than him about this whole situation but he didn’t want to look completely clueless.

He could bullshit well enough anyway.

“Death decoys are pretty pricey,” he shrugged, leaning against the alley entrance. Even if his assumption was wrong, he knew he was close enough. “The family back home gets a nice payout, help pay off some debt or whatever they need. Assumin’ they ever see the money.”

She hummed in agreement and gave a small nod, not looking at him. Crouching down until she was eye level with the corpse, she ran her fingers softly under his chin, almost tender in her touch until Kevin saw her fingers tense and curl around something. She pulled her hand back, taking Nel Strar’s face with her and tossing it unceremoniously onto the rust slathered ground.

The ID mask, a standard model this time, clattered to the ground and shifted back to its blank form, ready to be programmed by whoever needed it next.

A lanky, heavily scarred Kinceleran had taken Strar’s place now. Kevin didn’t recognise their face which was a relief. Seeing a Kinceleran this far out made his stomach flip, a brief second where he was reminded of those waiting for him back home and how long it had been since he’d last seen a familiar face.

He needed to get this done quickly, be finished with this bounty that had lasted longer than the money was worth. He knew he didn’t have time to follow this woman back to wherever the hell she needed to go first, but separating her from Nel Strar would be an entirely different challenge.

“We should go, we aren’t the only ones still interested in him,” the woman said suddenly, snapping upright and squeezing past him to get back out onto the street. “You have a ship, right?”

Kevin heard the question, gave her an answer but only inside his head, the rest of his body not willing to cooperate. Her movement past him, the close proximity even for a second had been too much. Every nerve in his body was now screaming at him, overwhelmed by her scent and everything that came with it.

Power. 

So much power.

All trapped inside her and he could taste it, he wanted it.

It was citrus, sharp and almost electric on his tongue. Burned in a way he used to like, terrified him now.

And just like that it was gone, she had moved far enough away that he didn’t feel completely suffocated anymore. His mind was his own again.

Kevin felt lightheaded, reaching out to steady himself on the alley wall and fighting to keep his legs still. He wasn’t sure which direction he wanted to run, towards her or as far away as he could get. 

He felt hungry, starved to his core for a food he knew would never be enough to satisfy him. This was dangerous, he hadn’t had a reaction like that in years, decades almost. 

How was he supposed to travel with her now? His ship wasn’t anything big, just enough room for himself and one other person, and even then he knew they’d be stepping on each other’s toes more often than not. 

He had to trust himself, if she got too close again before he could dump her off somewhere, that he wouldn’t snap. He couldn’t snap. There was no Kwarrel to bring him down anymore, and he was a hundred systems away from anyone else who would know how to handle him.

He was quickly finding more and more reasons to want to get this over and done with as fast as possible.

“My ship’s up there, higher levels but it was a quiet bay,” he said, not letting his voice betray how he really felt. He needed some distance, anything he could get. “I’ve got Strar, you walk ahead ‘case there’s any trouble, yeah?”

“Not going to try and sneak off with him?” she teased, moving ahead anyway as she pulled her hood back up.

Kevin didn’t understand how she could stand there and make jokes, act like her entire being wasn’t a bomb waiting to go off. She could do more than blast his hand off, if she wanted to he had no doubts she could put this entire station out of its misery with a flick of her fingers. 

“Wanna make a bet on how far I’d get?” he asked, fighting back the nausea. 

Without waiting for an answer he scooped Strar up and over his shoulder, not as gently as he probably should have been but the Dracosian’s comfort was the least of his concerns at the moment. 

They walked in silence back down the street, the woman a good few metres ahead of him and barely acknowledging his presence but the thought of trying to make a run for it didn’t even cross his mind. He knew her earlier threat had been anything but empty, and now that they were heading towards the less isolated parts of the station there’d be no opportunity for another wrestle for Strar’s body, not if he wanted to leave this station at all without the Red Spots getting involved.

If Kevin was going to get this done, he was going to do it right. And if that meant playing along for a little while longer then so be it.

Chapter Text

The walk back to his ship was slow, uneventful, and Kevin might've even called it boring if he hadn't been worried about jinxing the good luck they’d been blessed with so far. They hadn’t run into any Red Spots save a few patrols wasting time across the walkways above. The woman had started to move more cautiously at the flashes of pristine red and white, but they were far enough away and the light was so poor that Kevin knew they’d have no issues.

Despite this the woman didn’t seem to know how to relax and continued to briskly walk ahead, her head was on a swivel and those symbols on her arms pulsed irregularly with every step she took. 

With her hood pulled up she hadn’t turned to look back at him once but Kevin could practically taste her nerves, humming through the air in ugly spikes he had a hard time ignoring. The rational side of his brain presumed she was on edge because they still had a ways to go before reaching his ship, and they still weren’t guaranteed a clean exit once they got there. But he also couldn’t help but wonder if he played some unintentional part in her discomfort.

He didn’t know how obvious he’d been, whether she was aware of that split second where his brain had switched off and all he’d wanted to do was sink his teeth into her neck like some energy-draining monster. It had caught him off guard even though he’d been able to hold himself back, get his head back on straight and carry on with their conversation like nothing had happened. 

He had to hope she hadn’t noticed. If she had any fear that he was unstable enough to attack her in that way, then there was no chance she’d want to put herself on a ship with him for even a second. 

Not that Kevin was looking forward to sharing space with her either, but he at least knew there was no chance of him going rogue now he knew what to expect when she was in close proximity.

He'd keep his distance, as much as he could, just long enough for them to get away from this station and then he could deal with her properly. 

He wasn't going to kill her or hurt her too badly, just do enough damage to scare her off and make it clear he wouldn't be so merciful if she was stupid enough to come back. And there was the very real risk that she would be stupid enough to retaliate, return with her magic buddies and all they had at their disposal, but Kevin knew he'd be long gone by then. 

Back home.

Safe and sound.

Home .

Finish the mission first.

Kevin breathed out through his nose, chewing at the inside of his cheek as they walked in silence. 

She didn’t speak to him, he didn’t speak to her, and Strar couldn’t have started a conversation even if he’d wanted to. The Dracosian had been in the process of stirring as they got higher up the levels, twisting uncomfortably on Kevin's shoulder, grumbling words that started to become more coherent as his eyes adjusted to the light. Kevin was seconds away from giving him a swift whack on the head when the woman raised her hand, fingers clicking together impossibly fast and Strar's body went limp again.

The spell didn't break her stride, the sound of her heels on the metal kept a steady rhythm. 

Until Kevin heard a click skipped and his eyes snapped up in time to watch her stumble.

Her hand reached out to the nearest grimy wall in a way that looked almost desperate to his watchful eyes. It wasn't until she almost went down, her fingers curling against the wall trying to find purchase as her left leg refused to take her weight, that Kevin’s nerves skyrocketed. 

Her head whipped to him over her shoulder, eyes wide and something like terror flashed neon under the lights of a passing cab. The quickening rise and fall of her chest made Kevin keep his distance. Not that he was about to rush over and check on her, but if she was scared he'd use this opportunity to strike he had to show her he had no such intentions. 

He knew that all walks of life were most dangerous when at their most vulnerable.

"We need to get to your ship," she managed to say, voice growing more strained with every word. "I'm not… I need to rest."

Kevin hesitated, surprised by the blunt admission of her weakness. He could feel the prickle down his spine, the warning to stay on his guard, to not accept this as truth but he was starting to believe it might be.

"Can you make it down there?" he asked, jerking his head down an empty passageway between buildings that barely qualified as an alley let alone a street. But it would do if she needed somewhere quiet to rest.

The woman nodded, dragging herself up to stand and staggered ahead deep into the darkness. She dropped to her knees again, grimacing at the unpleasant squelch that welcomed her to the floor. Kevin made a note to watch where he stood.

He stayed at the entrance anyway, his bulk blocking off any light and onlookers who might've gotten too curious for their own good. For his own peace of mind he kept his head slightly to the side, one ear listening out for approaching trouble should it decide to come their way.

Needing his hands free, he lowered Strar against the wall much in the same way his body double still remained all those levels below.

The woman looked moments away from slumping over as well, her hand blindly reaching out for more of her newfound allyship with the walls of this station as they remained the only thing holding her up. He could see her shoulders shaking, just slightly under the wrappings of her cloak but his eyes didn’t miss anything. There was a heaviness to each breath she took as well, like every inhale was too much effort for what the exhale was worth but she forced herself through it anyway.

If she was going to pass out on him this would not be the most ideal place to do it, he had no intentions of wading into the filth for her if it came to that. 

Easily he could just leave her here if she did drop, it would make his job a lot less complicated and he was almost certain he wouldn’t feel any guilt for it. 

Maybe he’d feel a little bit guilty.

"You need a recharge? Some caf?" he offered, trying not to sound too patronising. He didn’t even know where he could get some caf on this level, nor was he interested in leaving her alone with Strar for any amount of time whether she looked like she could stand or not, but Kwarrel’s voice told him it was polite to ask anyway.

The woman’s head shot up, her eyes flashed with something that thankfully wasn’t power but the ire swirling amongst the green was magic enough to make him shut his mouth and promise not to open it again.

He understood completely and tried not to stare. He knew firsthand how frustrating it was to look weak in the eyes of others, especially after such a considerable display of power. But he had to take note of what state she was in, if he took his eyes off her for a second something could go wrong in either direction.

“Just give me a minute,” the woman muttered, nails digging into the walls and likely coating themselves in grime as she pulled herself up to stand. “I’ll be alright.”

It was then that he noticed her other hand, clutched in a tight fist against her chest and pulsing a faint blue that was definitely starting to glow brighter.

He backed up at that, quickly hitting the railing that stopped him from plummeting to his death and absorbing its rusted metal not taking his eyes off her once. 

So it was trick, her little act serving well in her efforts to get them off the streets and somewhere more private. It had been believable and Kevin felt his stomach twist, knowing he had spared her a second of concern that might have just cost him everything. He was less prepared for this fight, granted far less space, and had no way of knowing what she was about to throw at him.

She hadn’t moved yet save for her head, eyes devoted to watching him just as intently and he was surprised to no longer see malice in her gaze.

Her brow had furrowed, confusion starting to line her features, mouth opening but before any words could escape her head snapped upwards so fast it gave Kevin whiplash. Her eyes went wide, something Kevin could only describe as genuine panic replacing the exhaustion he had seen seconds ago.

Her eyes returned to him faster than they had left and Kevin saw the decision being made, just as he heard the whirr of something like a blaster bolt inches away from his skull.

Then he was moving, his feet far off the ground as he was dragged back into the alley with a glowing blue rope around his waist and a mouthful of grime as he barrelled into her, sending them both sprawling to the floor while the explosion echoed behind them.

Shrapnel flew around his head, bouncing angrily off the walls and he could only pray to whoever bothered to listen to him anymore that none of it hit Strar. He felt the graze of metal along his back, knowing fully well that it would have sliced him open and sold him for parts had he not coated himself in it only a few seconds earlier. 

He barely registered the filth coating his mouth even as he spat it out, mentally he was still on what remained of the walkway and splattered across the walls. That should’ve been it, even with his armour he wasn’t built to survive the side of his head being used as an impact point. 

But he was alive, aching and vaguely nauseous but alive. Thanks to her.

He could hear her groaning somewhere off to the side, wind knocked out of her and probably fairing much worse than he was but any sound at all was a relief. He looked up to see she was on her back, covered in sludge but from a quick glance couldn’t see any serious blood mixed in with it.

“You alright?” he managed, spitting out more muck and pushing himself to a crouch now he was sure the rusted confetti had stopped raining down on them. 

“Been better,” she croaked after a few tense seconds of lying a little too still. “Strar?”

Kevin almost reluctantly turned his head to the Dracosian, his heart ready to sink and his stomach halfway out before his eyes met the last specks of a quickly fading blue mesh around Strar.

He managed to stand, wobbling to the right as his head spun a few more times, but everything still seemed to work as he staggered closer.

Kneeling, pleading fingers on Strar’s pulse, he felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat. 

He kept his hands curious, checking him over for anything she hadn’t managed to catch with her net.

Satisfied, he leaned back on his haunches, running a dirtied hand down his already muddy face. 

“You saved us both. Why?”

The woman scoffed, inhaled sharply, and Kevin heard the sludge protest as she pushed herself to her feet.

“Because half the Red Spots on this station will have heard that explosion,” she muttered somewhere to his left. “And getting caught with two dead bodies wouldn’t have been a great look for me.”

As if on cue, Kevin heard a symphony of sirens quickly growing closer to their little alley. There would be no time to talk or explain the situation, and the Red Spots weren’t likely to listen anyway. So trigger happy for something beyond petty theft, he didn’t doubt they would start blasting the second he poked his less than presentable head out of the shadows. 

He knew he might stand a chance at making a run for it, with Strar slung over his shoulder it would be harder but not impossible to get back to his ship before being caught. But her? 

Kevin turned, watching as she slumped against the wall again, arm wrapped tight around her stomach and her eyes squeezed shut. She was quiet but Kevin knew what pain looked like, he didn’t doubt she was bruised if not broken under those robes but doing her best to hide it from him still.

She wouldn’t make it far, he was willing to bet the money from this job that she wouldn’t make it out of this alley before either her legs failed her again or something more internal gave out first.  

His head spun, there were only two exits to the alleyway if you didn’t count up and he never did. Heading out the way they came in was quickly loosing its spot as an option and he didn’t know what lay further ahead of them, they were still in the lower levels and he wasn’t looking to meet any more unfriendly faces.

“We’ll say we were attacked,” the woman said, voice sliding its way through the pounding in his head. She coughed, wet and unpleasant, into her sleeve. “Walking our friend home from a night out, we don’t know why this happened and they should be grateful we don’t press charges against the station. Then we get the hell out of here for good.”

It wasn’t a great plan, just the thought of having to talk to any law enforcement was making his stomach twist and there was one glaring flaw she hadn’t considered:

“And when they scan us? Scan him? D’you know how many sectors he’s wanted in?!” 

Kevin had been in tighter spots than this with worse odds, but the stakes had never been quite so high and there was a twinge at the base of his neck that told him he was reaching his limit.

The woman stared, piercing green eyes that held him in place and told him don’t say another word or I’ll turn you into asteroid dust . 

“Buy me some time,” her mouth said instead, crimson smeared down her chin. “And I’ll borrow some for us.”