In Love With the Manhunter

I strapped in my chest plate as it let out a hiss as the lock click shut. Eddie was doing the same, but he was fitting body armor under his t-shirt as he threw his white leather trench coat on, “You two are serious not going like that right?” Rachel asked as she walked into the room with a black dress on and black platform high heels. Her dress also showed off her right leg. Her black and white hair was brushed neatly and curled exquisitely. As she walked her heels clicked and thumped loudly on the metal floor.

“What’s wrong with it? We will be perfectly protect from most blaster fire and bullets.” Eddie explained as he hit his chest signifying he had armor on, “Rachel we’ve been in manies fight and brawls and all of the sort to know how to go dressed.”

“Can you guys just relax on the weapons and armor and just take off the heavy armor relax. Take a load off for once and enjoy yourselves. Eat some party food, drink soda, get dead drunk for all I care.” Rachel said as she pushed some hair out of her face. Her lips covered with a shiny black lipstick and black eyeshadow and eyeliner.

“I see how that can work out.” I muttered as I strapped in my shoulder armor.

“That was different Ryder. I was being hunted by dickwad mcgee over there.” Rachel pointed out, “Listen can you guys just dress nice. If everything goes smoothly and with no problems let’s do this again, but if everything goes to shit and we got shot at you guys can do whatever want okay?”

“Nah I’m good.” Eddie said as picked up his gas mask helmet and went to put it on.

“How about this.” Rachel said as she place a few golden chips on a table, “Seventy-five credits you can leave the weapons and armor here.” Eddie looked from the table to Rachel seeming to be in deep thought, “Come on Eddie I know you want to always gamble.” Rachel whispered.

I walked up to the table and placed down a few platinum colored credits on the table as well, “I’ll raise the pot to one thousand seventy-five credits.” I challenged as I backed off and began taking off my armor.

“Fine.” Eddie conceded as he also place a few gold credits on the table, “I will also up the pot to two thousand credits… May the best man… or woman win.”

“You guys have three hours to clean yourselves up for the club.” Rachel said as she grinned turning and leaving her heels clicking sharply.

“Do not worry were guys not women.” Eddie said as he threw off his trench coat and began wiggling the body armor out of his t-shirt.

I began to also unlock my armor and preparing to get ready.

*****************************************************************************

I looked at myself in the mirror adjusting my black tie. I was wearing a full suit, and even a dark red handkerchief in my suit’s pocket. Under the suit jacket I was wearing a similar colored dress shirt. The suit was a little tight on me showing off my chest and arm muscles well, but it was not a surprise as it was my old suit from a couple of years ago, “Sharp sharp aren’t we?” Eddie stated as he brushed his jacket off.

“Hmm.” I grunted as I turned around seeing him in his black and white suit, “I hate this old monkey suit... It’s too thin and too tight there’s no protection from anything.”

“That’s because it’s an expensive suit of cloth, and there is no armor in a ‘money suit’ as you call it Ryder old boy. Also to note you gained some weight old chap. You’re not the same as you use to be. I however haven’t… I’m the same good man as I always was.” Eddie said as he placed his hand over his heart a grin crossing his face.

“What, a ‘good man’?! Eddie do not make me laugh. WE’RE men you get paid and enjoyment of other people’s misery and death. We served in a corrupt army, which ended up betraying us in the end. We served in a War Clan that survived and bathed in blood regularly. Then we became mortal enemies, and you became a gang leader and I a bounty hunter. Truly how far have we fallen, eh Eddie? It feels like just yesterday we we’re preparing to fight each other, but now…” I trailed off looking at my reptilian features. My grey scales, and my grey slitted eyes.

“Dude save that fucking heart jerking speech for a funeral or something. Now is not the time and place.” Eddie said as he stood beside me, “Write that shit down, rather you or I will read it at each other’s funerals or somthin’.”

“Or be it someone else reading it for our funerals.” I said pointing out the possibility with an even voice, “We’re not invincible. We’re not above death”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Eddie said as he patted me on the back roughly and walked away.

“Right back at you Eddie, right back at you.” I muttered as I followed him off the ship.

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I sat in a limousine shifting constantly. To say his was uncomfortable was a understatement. Now the tight suit that got even tight as I had sit down, but I looked out the window constantly, (A sniper has a perfect shot on the bridge. A RPG has a good placement there and there. An ambush could be set up on that corner and-)

I was pulled out his thoughts we someone tapped him on the bicep, “Y- you ok- okay?” Jessica asked hesitantly and in a whisper.

It was like she was trying to decide if she was more frightened of me or someone else, “Hmm.” I grunted as I peered out the window again, “Just a full mind an all. I- it’s nothing.” I sighed.

“Y- you want to talk.” She asked weakly.

“No.” I shot back quickly, “It’s- it’s just… You would not understand.”

“I can try?” Jessica offered seeming to be a bit determined.

“Fine…. I’m just have too much coming at me at once. First I lose my basically second father after my first one died, and then I went to kill Eddie, but I just got Eddie as a ally. Then I gain my connection with the Dremora clan and lose my flight partner Veronica who was basically an older sister figure, and when I was being operated on or what have you I had a nightmare. Now you may say: ‘Ryder it’s just a fucking nightmare get over it’, but this was not any normal nightmare…. I was taken back to my home on Nombi and it’s a place that is dead to me. That was the place I lost my true mother and father along with my youngest brother and sister in a fire.” I explained my eyes filling with anger and my hand clenching into tight fists.

“Wh- who set the fire? W- was it an accident?” Jessica asked

“Far from it.” I growled as I began to hear a voice calling to me…

(You think I had a choice?)

(You had one and this was the one you chose so deal with the consequences!)

(NO PLEASE! AGHAAAA!)

“My mother and Father were know as the top and most reliable bounty hunters out there. So my parents got the most jobs and the most money and people wanted those jobs. And in the bounty hunting world if someone is in your way they have to be moved. SO this rival hunter had their oldest son burn them as if for some right of passage or some assanie bullshit like that. So at the time Eddie was still on my side I thought that he did it, but I was quick to judge. But when we got that sorted out we found the fucker burned his family made him watch, then when gutted him and made his nervous system explode with a bit of this.” I said as I took a small packet of golden sludge, “This is Maximus Hydra in it’s purest form untouched by anything.”

“And y- you use that stuff?” Jessica asked seeming to be shy of the packet I held.

“No pure Maximus Hydra is to volatile and powerful to put into any living creature, however putting it into a living person causes their nervous system to ignite in fire and breaks itself down from the inside out. Basically we drove needles into his nerves and ripped them apart one by one inch by inch.” I said as I put the packet away and I gritted my teeth in anger.

“T- that’s horrible.” Jessica said as she moved away from me toward Rachel.

“It was just! He got what he deserved. He poke the bear he got mauled!” I said looking at her.

“Ryder.” Rachel said looking at me with disappointment wrapping a arm around Jessica to comfort her.

I let out a heavy sigh releasing my anger, “I regret doing it though I was arrested with Eddie however we escaped. So that is one of the many charges the cops in Crime City. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. My reaction was retaliation settle our families, but the opposite was getting the cops on my tail. Any systems under the New Tranquility jurisdiction is off limits to me as they have a price on my head.”

“Don’t they all bro?” Eddie asked as he took a swig from his cup as he slouched back, “Jessica don’t be worried Ryder and I are not monsters-”

“That can be debatable.” Rachel interrupted Eddie.

“Rachel I’m having a moment… Please shhhhhh…. Anyway Jessica like I was saying, we are not blood thirsty monsters. In this world it’s kill or be killed. Rather you grab a weapon and kill your attacker or lay your head down and take it like a bitch. And FYI that’s not how myself or more importantly Ryder takes it. If Ryder and I hadn’t ‘retaliated’ as he puts it then we would have been next. So nothing ventured nothing gained.” Eddie slurred as he began to fall to the effects of alcohol, “Aheone wats a dricky.” Eddie slurred again falling deeper into the effects of drinking.

Rachel got up sat next to him and took his glass away from him, “No more.” Rachel said like a doting mother as she slapped him across the face and messed with something on his chest.

“What are you doing if you do not mind me asking?” Jessica asked hesitantly.

“Flushing his body of the alcohol he’s been drinking so he not drunk when he sees Metamora.” Rachel explained as he twisted something and she began to walk over to her seat next to Jessica.

“How much longer?” Rachel asked as she tapped the glass behind Jessica’s head.

“Under a minute ma’am.” The driver said. The car turned and began to slow down, “And we are here.”

“Thanks.” Jessica said as we exited the limo. We stood at the entrance to the Onyx Night and Gentlemen’s Club. A long line as far as the eye could see stretched out into the city.

“Rachel stick with Eddie I got Jessica.” I said as I brushed off my suit a little and I adjusted my tie.

“Why do I have to babysit Dickwad Mcgee? Why don’t you, how about Jessica and I go together and you waddle around with this shitbag? Also I would like to point out you looked like you about ready to bite her head off.” Rachel protested giving me a look.

“You want to wait in that line?” I asked pointing at the line.

“Metamora’s request should get me to the front.” she said giving me a sultry grin.

“She request Eddie and I, not you.” I said returning the grin, but mine was not sultry, “Also I just got worked up that’s all we have our moments don’t we?”

“Maybe you not me.” Rachel responded with a huff.

“You came to be once crying and to take care of you because you thought Eddie did not think you were quote unquote ‘supplied with good back and front assets’.” I shot back the grin disappearing from my face, “And to top it off you were naked. That was one of your many ‘moments’... Now I fine and I’ll be good.”

Rachel went to say something, but gave up grabbed Eddie by the collar and walked in. I cracked a grin before it fell and I walked after them. Jessica had her hands on my arm like we were going on a date. As i approached the entrance a man had stopped Eddie and Rachel and now stopped us, “I want an invitation ma’am I can not let you in without one.” The man said his features of a shark his grey leather skin dull in the neon lights.

“Oleg everything check out?” I asked earning a quizzical look from him his black eye searching me.

“Ryder? Ryder Gale! Ha It’s good to see you.” Oleg said in a rumbling deep voice, “If I’m mistaken that’s your brother and partner Eddie aye?”

“Yep we’re here to see Miss Dremora herself for some business. She requested use ‘personally’ as Madwick Neoman puts it. You doing well Oleg?” I asked as I smiled.

“Oh don’t worry about this old guard dog. If Dremora is call you’ll best be going. Me ole fish gill still be kicking meaning I’m doing mighty fine. It was good speaking with you.” Oleg said as he nodded at me.

“You too Oleg you too.” I said as Oleg began to unhook the red velvet ropes which blocked the path.

“Hey! Why do they get to go in before us?” A man asked angrily two woman in fancy clothes to his sides.

“Pipe down you or my teeth be around your neck!” Oleg threatened as his eye squinted in anger.

“I’ll deal with this Oleg.” I walked over to him Jessica still at my side, “because Miss Dremora herself requested us.” I said as I saw the man’s eyes widen in realization, “And now you're noticing I’m or I should say use to be Miss Dremora’s top bodyguard yeah?” the man shook his head weakly, “Now wait in your line and maybe you will get in eventually. Have a good day.” I said as I walked into the Onyx Nightclub.

I was greeted by a big dark foyer. The walls were lined with full body screens that held the light blue silhouettes of women dancing and twirling on poles. Lining the screens were rather purple or blue lights that glowed to a beat of a thumping music. The music was muffled signifying the dancefloor was certainly not here, but in another location. In the foyer were a few leather couches and tables, but most of them were occupied with rather smooching couples or those who did not want to draw too much attention to themselves. Also off to the right side was a small bar, with a women in skimpy clothing. When she looked up from the glass she was drying off her eyes widened. Next to the bar was a stairwell leading down to something bright light occasionally flashing up it. We made our way over there Eddie and Rachel walking down first. I nodded toward the girl as I flicked her a platinum credit earning a squeal and a subjective smile. I walked down the stairs and into the main club of flashing lights and lasers. Club music blasted into a thumping bass. It poles lined a stage along with a bar and individual cubby roms off to the far sides. The room did offer privacy as they did have holo doors both opaque and sound proof. I knew by experience.

“Eh Ryder remember that time you scared that guy in one of those rooms? Good times Ryder, good times.” Eddie slurred loudly still not fully escaping the hold of drunkenness.

“Just thought of it.” I shouted back trying to beat back the music so I could talk back.