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“ Are you sure she’ll want to join, Lee? ” Stelle asked through the comms.
“What, you think someone who's never felt fear getting the chance to finally experience it wouldn't jump at the opportunity?” Caelus snorted, adjusting the holster of his gun as he made his way through the dark mountainous ‘pathways’ of Pteruges-V.
“ There's only a few timelines where she doesn't. And for the most part they are ones where Caelus isn't the first to meet her. ”
Caelus slowed down, processing his son's words and making a strange face.
“Please elaborate El.”
“ She’s interested in you.”
Stelle made a disgusted noise on her end. “ Tell me we are not picking up a girlfriend for my brother.”
“STELLE.” Caelus hissed, an embarrassed flush appearing on his face.
“ I can neither confirm nor deny, ” Elio replied, sounding incredibly resigned.
“Eh?”
“ I stopped looking into your relationship the first time the strings appeared. ”
“The strings?” Caelus murmured, coming to a slower pace as he sensed something around him. “What stri-“
Glowing purple wires fastened themselves around his neck, wrists and legs, effectively constricting all and any movement.
Moments later he fell to the ground, stuck in place with the wires. Regardless, he rolled himself onto his back, coughing up some dirt he’d swallowed when he fell.
An incredibly sharp looking blade was pointed directly at his face- the woman he was searching for holding it to him.
“ Good luck lover boy, ” Stelle teased, before quieting and it took all of his strength not to retort. He heard Elio mute his feed- video too.
Assholes, both of them.
“You,” the woman- Kafka, that was her name wasn't it? She began, voice low and in a frankly cliche bored tone. “are not a demon. Nor are you from this planet.”
Caelus nodded slowly in confirmation.
“So.. guest from afar. Why are you here?” Her voice turned darker, but still kept a velvety tone to it.
Huh.
“Would it be cheesy to say you?”
Kafka let out a small noise of amusement, moving the blade inches closer.
Caelus shrugged.
“Worth a shot. Not wrong though, came here to recruit you.”
Kafka raised a brow, staying her blade.
“We’re stellaron hunters. We have someone who has the power to see visions of the future, and according to them, you’d make a good member, so here I am.”
Kafka’s eyes sparkled with intrigue, but Caelus could tell she was still far from convinced.
“Our seer also said that if you were to join up, you’d eventually feel fear.”
Now that seemed to intrigue her.
“And who's to say you aren't just some sleaze trying to take advantage of an isolated woman on an isolated planet, hm?”
‘I can't trust that you're telling the truth’ okay yeah sure but come on! No wonder Elio sounded so defeated.
“Hey, whose the one tied up here?” Caelus still couldn't resist firing back. Kafka’s expression grew into one that was somewhat amused, and incredibly intrigued. She looked him up and down, the strings pinning him to the ground loosening slightly.
“Maybe I should take advantage of the fact we’re here all alone then hm?”
Caelus repressed the urge to wince, hearing disgusted noises from Stelle. “ Get on with it so I dont have to hear you two keep fucking flirting damnit! ”
Caelus mentally rolled his eyes- he had to stall for some time you know!
“Wouldn't recommend that Kafka,” A small part of Caelus relished in the fact calling her by name caught her off guard. “Because in about 30 seconds, a demon is gonna come crashing in. Nothing worse than your party getting crashed, no?”
The timing here was important. Demons were nigh impossible to control- Pteruges-V demons at least- so being correct about this would make him more trustworthy.
Kafka’s eyes narrowed, muscles tensing.
And sure enough- a demon came crashing into the small clearing they were in.
Caelus was impressed at Kafka’s reaction time, and also at her skill.
The demon had predictably been weak, so Kafka disposed of it quickly- Caelus wincing as a limb got sliced off via Kafka’s string-thingies.
The same ones that were still holding him down.
After the demon was felled, the strings released him and he immediately started rubbing his wrists- he always hated being restrained. Brought up unpleasant memories.
“Seems like your little seer was right, nameless visitor.” Kafka mused, sheathing her sword.
Caelus suppressed a twitch. Only him and Stelle were allowed to refer to Elio like that.
“What exactly is it that you do then? Your offer sounds… interesting.”
Caelus shrugged. “Like i said. We hunt stellarons. Find em, seal em, nab em. For a few personal reasons, and to stop destruction from reigning. Don't use all that many law abiding methods along the way. Have fun. All that really.”
Kafka snorted, crossing her arms. “No bigger goal?”
“I would say keeping the universe from being terrorized by Stellarons is a pretty big goal,” Caelus scowled, somewhat offended.
Kafka gave him an amused glance.
“Alright,” She said boredly. “I'll bite. I'll hang around for a bit to see how it is.”
Caelus’ brow raised, and he got to his feet slowly. “Just like that? Really? Thought i’d actually have to show off more.”
“You're interesting. And why not?”
Caelus blinked, before shrugging.
“Stelle, tell El that it's a yes.” He said into the comms. “And stop pointing your gun at her, she was just being cautious.”
“ You can't even see me, how did you know? ”
“Intuition.”
Caelus rubbed at his wrists again, the itchy phantom sensation of constraints haunting him.
He glanced up, smirking at Kafka, who was vaguely surprised.
“What, you really thought I'd come alone? Some of those timelines my timing was off and I’d rather not have a blade in my flesh today.” Caelus crossed his own arms, tilting his head. “So. Anyone you need to say bye too, anything to grab before we leave? We nabbed the Stellaron that fucked this place up ages ago so nothing else for me here.”
Kafka shook her head. “Doesn't matter if I say goodbye to anyone. Won't miss me, won't miss them. They can believe a demon got me for all I care. Every item I care for I have on me.”
Caelus grinned, holding out his hand. “Well alright then Ms Kafka. Hold on tight, anchor travel can be dizzying the first few times.”
“My my, hand-holding already? Devious young man, aren't you,” Kafka teased as she grabbed his hand. Caelus was taken aback for a minute before a competitive streak born of being an older sibling awoke.
“I am far older than you Little Lady. One could argue too old.”
“ WOULD YOU STOP FLIRTING AND GET TO THE SHIP?!”
Caelus’ fun was killed as Stelle shouted into his ear, his free hand going up to hold his head. Kafka looked questioningly at him.
“My sister’s getting impatient. Hold on tight!”
And Caelus whisked the two of them up on the Astral Shadow, into the main bridge.
Caelus gave Kafka a few moments to reorient herself- and admirably after those moments she seemed fine.
“Kafka, this is Stelle, my sister, and Elio, my adoptive son and the seer I mentioned.”
“I assume you all already know my name,” Kafka said dismissively, gaining nods in response.
“Welcome to the group! I'm certain we’ll grab more members along the way, but it’s just us right now.” Caelus sounded incredibly proud of the faction.
“Oh shut up,” Stelle sighed. “Come on, I'll actually give you some information on stuff. Those two need to talk anyways.”
Kafka seemed amused by the pair, and followed Stelle as she walked off.
Caelus turned to Elio, looking at him questioningly. The short man looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Caelus. If I get a mom from trying to expand this, I will kill you.”
“What?! Why- Elio i was just matching her energy I swear! I'm far too busy for genuine romance!”
“ I don't like the implications of genuine, so I'm going to ignore it. ”
Caelus snickered at that, patting Elio on the back.
“Sorry to say, but your dad is pretty popular with both men and women.”
“ THAT'S IT! ”
Elio, despite being several centuries old, and fully grown, was still his father’s child. And a part time cat.
So he obviously decided to tackle the taller man to the ground.
“Is that normal?” Kafka asked in amusement as the two women passed by the bridge on a tour.
“Unfortunately,” Stelle sighed. “The idiot’s name is Caelus by the way. Don't think he introduced himself in all his flirting.”
“Ah, was wondering about that.”
Stelle’s eye twitched as there was a loud crash, a pair of ‘OH FUCK’s, and an alarm going off from the bridge.
“Welcome to the group Kafka. Hopefully with another braincell around things are more peaceful.”
Even as she said that she doubted her words.
“You look good in sunglasses,” Caelus said casually, glancing at Kafka.
“I'm glad you think so darling, but focus on the road please, I do believe Stelle is about to throw up.”
They were in a high speed chase through a city, Stellaron and Stelle in the back.
Caelus shrugged, violently turning to the left- face split wide in a feral grin as the car went up on two wheels briefly.
Following that, he turned the other direction, causing a loud squeal of dying tires to sound out across the street as he drifted.
Maybe he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
He glances over at Kafka in the passenger seat briefly, glad to see the same relaxed smile on her face. What was he worried about? Kafka couldn't feel fear.
Not that there was anything to worry about, Caelus was a great driver!
Even if the retching noises in the backseat begged to differ.
“Oh, that coat’s quite nice,” Kafka mused, glancing at someone in a car that had rapidly pulled to the side.
“Oh?”
Kafka nodded. “Quite lavish though. I doubt we’d have the credits for it.”
Says the interworld wanted criminal.
“Caelus if you don't look at where we’re going I'm going to kill you!”
Caelus snickered at his sister.
The reason they were in a car chase at all instead of using the twins' anchor point on the Shadow with the Stellaron, was because they were acting as a diversion.
While everyone was focused on the trio of wanted space criminals stealing a sacred relic (re: stellaron) Elio was hacking into the scientifically run government.
The real goal of the trip was actually the gadget’s Elio was trying to find. The Stellaron was just a bonus. The real prize was the two gadgets- ones that would make it so that anyone that interacted with their wearers would forget about their existence after the interaction was finished. Finetune it to let certain people bypass that, and they had the perfect way to hide Caelus and Stelles identities as the Stellaron Hunters became more and more renowned.
“I think we need more members,” Caelus hummed, taking another sharp turn that had Stelle squeak in terror.
“It’s gonna be hard to hide me and Stelle’s identities while being a legitimate faction if only you're ever seen properly.”
Kafka nodded, hand flying up to the handhold to steady herself as Caelus drifted around two street corners.
“ I've finished, ” Came in Elio’s voice over staticy comms.
“Great! Stelle, Kafka, grab hold!”
Caelus threw his arm out behind him, snickering as Stelle grabbed onto it desperately. A slight red appeared on his cheeks as Kafka leaned over, placing her head on her shoulder and grabbing hold of his bicep.
All with a stupidly smug little smile.
Caelus maneuvered the car with the other hand, aiming it at a closed restaurant.
He sped up the car, pulling on an anchor point and blipping away.
Sadly he could not stay to watch the explosion.
The moment they blipped into the ship, Stelle shoved the Stellaron at Caelus and went stumbling out to a bathroom.
Caelus sniggered, adjusting his grip on the stellaron-
Kafka was still clinging to him.
“Er. Kafka?”
“Hm? Ah.”
Kafka released him, and Caelus used his now free hand to scratch the back of his neck- sometimes he wondered how much of a game their flirting really was to her.
Not that he’d ever ask.
“I have to go grab Elio, can you take the stellaron down below?”
Kafka hummed, nodding and taking the sealed stellaron from his grasp.
Caelus smiled in thanks, before disappearing in a staticky mess of blue light.
As he went, he wondered if he could source that jacket- even if he’s only briefly seen it.
( A few days later, Kafka returned to her room to find a lavish jacket sitting neatly on her bed- brand new. It quietly became amongst her favorites, being the only one she wore near constantly, regardless of how many different jackets appeared on her bed without her buying them herself. )
Kafka was brushing her hand’s through Caelus’ hair, enjoying the soft sensation as he laid his head in her lap. The pair were resting- taking a brief moment to be physically affectionate with each other while those who disliked witnessing it (Re: Stelle and Elio) were offship on a mission with Sam.
Therefore, they were alone on the ship- asides from the few cats wandering about, picked up from various planets.
Caelus was reading a book, something about engineering or pyrotechnics, or maybe both, and Kafka was technically watching a show, but her attention was far more on Caelus.
It was hard to not focus on Caelus. He was just so sweet, leaning into her touch like a desperate puppy.
Long had she noticed how desperate for touch the twins were, and she was all too willing to give it to them. Subtly of course, she had a reputation to uphold, as Stelle would say.
Kafka was amused at how Caelus’ glowing blue eyes seemed to light up the pages of his book, the soft glow flickering as he read.
“Kafka?” Caelus was quiet, head not moving as he gripped his book tighter. A miniscule motion most would have missed- not Kafka.
“Do you…” Kafka ran her hand through his hair again in an attempt at reassurance, seeing that whatever he was trying to ask was difficult to get out.
She frowned though, as her attempt only seemed to worsen the tenseness in Caelus’ self, hands tightening around his book once more.
Caelus’ words seemed almost choked out as he said them- “Do you actually love me?”
“What?” Kafka was rarely surprised, even past going off of Elio’s ever improving scripts, but Caelus always seemed to be one new thing after another, taking her off guard far too often.
“Do you?”
Kafka disliked that.
She really disliked that.
Specifically how afraid he sounded.
Kafka’s hands moved down to cup Caelus’ cheeks leaning his head back to look up at her.
“Why would you ask that?” She felt almost angry, that he would need to ask her that, but she kept her voice gentle.
“…”
The skies within Caelus’ eyes seemed as if they had turned to night- it was most likely due to the room's lighting, but it still wasn't a pleasant sight, with how it seemed to match the sudden conversation. She hated how his eyes looked anywhere but at her.
“You cant feel fear,” And Kafka felt almost hurt- hadn't she proved that that didnt mean she was emotionless already? “And I know that you still have other emotions but- Kafka it does affect the rest, your absence of fear. And I can't help but wonder if that means you actually love me or if I'm just.. something fun. I guess.”
Kafka realized why he had come to this conclusion- it was likely due to the fact she hadn't been worried for him whatsoever after his last mission- one that had gone haywire (thanks to a Stellaron of course.) That mixed with the twin’s childhood (something oh so long ago, that Kafka knew still affected them both deeply ) and the issues that came with it, and you got insecurity to the nines.
“Caelus.” Caelus flinched slightly, at her slightly frustrated tone. “Of course , I love you.”
Kafka was not finished. She was not emotionless, anything but, and past that her frustration had turned to the urge to make this fact as clear as words could.
“You are fun, I will not and never will deny that. You are also far more than that Caelus. You are one of the only people I have ever trusted, and one of the only people to ever get the privilege of seeing me vulnerable. That is not something I take lightly, and if I didn't love you, it would not be a privilege you‘d receive.”
Kafka’s thumb gently caressed his cheek, and his face seemed to begin to take on the same shade as her lipstick (a gift from him), and his eyes moved to finally look up at her.
“I do not worry for you, not solely because I cannot feel fear, but because I trust you, and I know that you will always come back to me and our family.”
Kafka leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, smirking slightly at the mark she left.
“Our destinies are entwined darling. And it’s not something I’d ever want to change.” Kafka caressed his face again, smiling a soft smile that only he and the hunters- far rarer than Caelus- had ever been privy to. “And I know I can’t reassure you enough to make this seed of doubt go away forever, but I can promise I'll do my best to kill it any time it tries to grow.”
Caelus smiled in return, his eyes seeming to brighten, and he sat up and captured Kafka’s own lips in a kiss- missing the door hiss open. Unfortunately for Stelle, who got to witness the pair fully making out.
“Oh fucking hell- every time!”
The pair broke apart laughing as Stelle smashed the close door button, flipping them off.
“You're gross! Both of you! You too Firefly! I hate you all! Elio is the only good one in this damned ship!”
Poor Stelle.
Kafka’s room felt so cold and empty nowadays.
Ever since Caelus had left it had.
… no.
Ever since Stelles death.
Even if ‘Caelus’ had warmed up the room, in almost an attempt to replicate his former self unknowingly, it wasn't the same.
Especially not with what Caelus had asked of her.
Kafka sighed, hand brushing over an old book Caelus used to love. Did he still like engineering? He had been the ship's engineer till the incident, when Firefly ended up taking over (Sam, rather.)
Kafka supposed he didn't get much of a chance, Himeko was the Navigator and thus the Engineer.
Her bed looked almost empty, no new gift sitting nestling on the corner for her return safe from a mission.
It had looked that empty for almost 5 years now.
Five years.
Five years since Caelus erased himself to keep the universe from prematurely ending with Stelle’s death.
Two years since she had abandoned him on Herta Space Station.
The anniversary of the day was coming up.
She wondered if Caelus remembered it too.
Did he count it as his birthday? It would be quite tragic in her opinion.
Kafka hummed quietly to herself, wiping away the few unwanted tears that had slipped down her cheek.
No use crying, not over this. This is what Caelus wanted to happen. Their ultimate goal needed this.
At least that's what Kafka told herself.
“Kafka!”
Kafka turned around, raising a brow at the clearly upset Silver Wolf storming into the room, followed by a barely controlled angered Firefly.
“What the fuck did you do to him?”
Silver Wolf shoved a phone in her face, a photo pulled up.
In it, was Caelus, half dressed, covered in gold blood, with wires digging into his skin. Far tighter than her strings had ever cut.
Kafka inhaled sharply. She glanced at Silver Wolf again, noting how she was similarly stained in gold blood.
“What-“
“He broke a ‘ Rule’ , and ended up freaking out because of that and the fact he was thinking of the Nameless as replacements for us.” Seethed Firefly.
Kafka scowled. She knew that this could happen. Caelus had known this could- would happen most likely. She never fully knew the truth of what Caelus had learned.
“What did you do with him, Kafka?” Silver Wolf sounded almost pleading, as if she was begging for Kafka to tell her this wasn't her fault, that it wasn't Kafka’s actions that led him to mutilate himself in a panic.
But they were.
Never had she ever punished him this harshly, she couldn't bring herself too, treating him the way she had, even if it’s what Caelus had wanted of her, was one of, if not the only, thing that ever forced her to feel guilt.
“…” Kafka silently walked over to her desk, unlocking a draw and pulling out two matching letters- one for both of the shorter women.
“That is my fault. My actions led fully to this. I can promise, never once did I harm him past a bruise nor a shallow cut, even if the scars on his skin say otherwise. It's… hard to explain. I never expected that this would be the outcome- but Caelus likely did.”
Kafka wouldn't deny her part to play whatsoever.
“But, before you hate me, please. Read these. … try to understand. I never once wanted this.”
Kafka would fully accept it, were the pair to hate her. Some parts of herself felt the same.
The pair seemed confused, but took the letters and left, leaving Kafka alone. The image of Caelus like that haunted her.
Reaching once more into the desk, she pulled out a third letter.
Long ago she had read the other two, and Blade had no such letter, if Elio did, she didn't know.
The third was for her.
She hadn't once touched it since shoving it in her locked drawer.
She wasn't afraid to read it.
She just didn't want to know what was inside, because she had the sickening feeling it was a goodbye.
Regardless, Kafka opened the letter, sitting down on her bed the same way she used to - to allow Caelus to rest his head in her lap - and began to read.
Hi, love.
I'm going to assume it's been awhile since I got dropped off with the express, that you're reading this. Not because of sentimentality. But rather something to do with my conditioning happened, and you decided it was time. Sil and ‘Fly have theirs too I'm assuming.
I'm sorry love. It wasn't fair of me to ask you to borderline abuse me. I know you love me. I promise. That's why I asked you. Not because you don't feel fear (maybe slightly) but because you love me enough to recognize that in the end, this is the best for everyone. Including you.
I hope you do still love me. I know I'll still love you regardless, I'll never be able to stop loving anyone, but especially you. You're one of the first people I've ever properly loved after all.
Who knew that getting a sword held to my face and being in a very vulnerable position at the same time would lead to that huh? Elio probably. He wasn't all too happy that ‘recruitment’ turned into ‘step-mom finding’. (Don't tell him I said that.)
There isn't much for me to say in this letter. Not like Firefly and Wolf’s. You already know most of it- considering your almost certainly the de facto leader now especially. So this is basically two things. An apology and a reminder.
I'm sorry Kafka.
I love you.
- Darling
Kafka placed the letter down, not wanting it to get damaged from tears.
That asshole.
“You want me to do what?! ”
“Shh! Keep your voice down.”
Kafka looked scandalized as she stared at Caelus.
“I- Caelus, you can't be serious.”
Caelus sighed, hands falling to his side.
“I am Kafka. A hundred percent. This is the best for everyone.”
Kafka shook her head- there was zero part of her that even wanted to fathom intentionally harming Caelus. Especially when he would be so vulnerable.
“Kafka, please .”
Kafka responded with no again.
“What’s stopping us from just leaving you with the express? If they are the ones to help you return to functionality again-“
“There's zero futures where that ends well.”
There was a solemnity to his tone that gave Kafka pause.
“Elio discards every future where me and Stelle would endure harm. He barely reads through them. I do. Even if we acted as wildcares, the accuracy still remains near perfect.”
Caelus looked at the floor.
“I won’t properly bond with them, nor will they be able to safely handle me and my unknown powers. It needs to be the Hunters.”
Caelus looked Kafka in the eyes, looking incredibly resigned and incredibly tired.
“Please. It needs to be you. ”
Kafka’s resolve wavered.
Damnit.
Damnit.
“Okay,” her voice was soft and quiet, a tremble barely kept out of it.
“Promise me, Kafka.”
“I swear. I'll do it.”
Caelus smiled in relief, moving closer and wrapping Kafka in a tight hug.
Speaking into her shoulder, Caelus clutched her close. “I'm going to deal with Elio and then I'm going to go.”
“… so soon?”
“You know I have too.”
“…”
Caelus pulled away, replacing the hug with a chaste kiss, before wiping away the small tears that had begun to fall- from both Hunter’s eyes.
“Thank you. I'm sorry. I love you Kafka.”
“… I know darling. I love you too.”