Chapter Text
“That a compliment?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
A harmless conversation then, a plaguing issue on his mind now.
How? How had this woman merged so quickly to his team? Sure, they were favorites of hers, but they’d met people who’d heard of them before. Those people had no desire to interact with them, however. They preferred to admire or judge them from afar, not wanting to get close enough to become associated with them. Never get to know them. Know them not as soldiers, but as men. People. Humans.
But this woman, this strange, unordinary woman, planted herself right in the middle of them and did so happily. Both physically when they’d sat and watched the horror games, but also mentally. Especially with Tech. He and Shadow had instantly hit it off, Tech no doubt grateful to find someone who would actually listen to his ramblings and not let them go in one ear and out the other. Hunter could still hear them softly talking through the wall, chattering something about evolution.
He’d met many interesting people on their various missions, but the kid certainly ranked among the highest. It was rare for people to outright defy him, but rarer still was it for someone to defy them but respect them at the same time. It was either defiant and rude or scared and respectful.
Respect. The kid certainly earned his. She’d evaded them for a decent stretch of time at the start, only surrendering because she wanted to. Hunter had known people, targets, to say they were surrendering only because they wanted to in an attempt to look braver than they were, but with Shadow... he saw now that she truly meant it. If she had wanted to evade them longer, they may still be after her. Especially had she used her full abilities.
He’d gotten a feeling she was more dangerous than he originally thought when she revealed her species and the fact she could wield an element. Hells, he knew she was dangerous when she first went head to head with all of them but Wrecker. But he hadn’t expected the actual ground to shake beneath him when she’d gone after James. Nor did he expect her primary Feral Form, as she called it, to be so big. She didn’t have the height that the grey male did, but she possessed a far stronger build. Not to mention one swish of her tail had sent him flying off his feet and into the couch. That thing was pure muscle beneath the soft, colorful fluff.
Then there was her... weapon collection. Not as expansive as some, but still impressive. That, combined with her extensive hand to hand combat skills plus elemental powers, survival skills, animal speak, shapeshifting...
Were she part of the GAR, Hunter would have had half a mind to request her to be transferred to their squadron. She’d fit right in with her danger level plus disdain for authority and love of freedom. Additionally, if her tales of the adventures she had with sailors were true, she was no stranger to dealing with dangerous men. Her lightsabers had been purple, too. The color of someone who used both the Light and Dark side of the Force, their fighting style very aggressive.
That one Jedi, Mace Windu, had a lightsaber like that. But he was a peaceful Jedi, a negotiator who preferred words over actions.
Shadow was... not.
He thought once more about how she had attacked James. How that dangerous fury erupted into a violent fight in which she not only wounded him, but did so in a deliberate manner that would ensure he never forgot why he had that injury.
She’d not only gotten angry. Hunter instantly recognized that secondary emotion: protectiveness.
For all her banter, snark, “grump” as Wrecker called it... she cared about them. Saw them as men. Not rejects, lab rats, or defects. Men.
It was... heartwarming. To have someone look past all of that. Treat them not as mindless drones, but individuals.
Not only that, but there was that strange way in which she could alter her personality to fit with each of them in turn and yet... it didn’t feel like she was faking it. She genuinely could merge with them. Many couldn’t do that if they tried, but Shadow switched between them effortlessly.
He couldn’t help but think back to when he found her wrestling with Wrecker and Tech in her room. Those two she instantly got along with, more so than him or certainly Crosshair. He expected her to like Tech. Afterall, most people liked him best of the force. But Wrecker was a little surprising. Many people found him too overwhelming. Too brash. Too loud. But not Shadow. No, she gladly wrestled with him, joked with him, and apparently shared his love for explosions.
Both the demolition expert and engineer already approved of her, and approved greatly. Once the mission was over, it would not be easy for them to say goodbye.
Or... or maybe...
No, that was ridiculous. They couldn’t recruit her to their squad. She was no clone, no Jedi, no medic, no intelligence officer. She wasn’t even in the GAR, kriff’s sake.
Yet... perhaps all the more reason to get her on their team. She wouldn’t be forced to obey the orders of the higher ups. She wouldn’t be bound by rules and regulations. She wouldn’t have that mindset most Nat-Born Officers had. That prejudice. That discriminatory attitude. That hypocritical outlook of peace while leading men to their death.
No, impossible. How would they even get her as a member? Would she even want to stay? Was he thinking way too much in this?
“You have a thorn in your side?” Crosshair growled, kicking him, “Stop tossin’ and turnin’.” They opted to share the large bed while Wrecker took the couch. The lean sniper currently laid with his back to Hunter, but the sergeant knew that by morning Crosshair would be curled around him. He always got cuddly when the team was alone, touch starved from acting aloof and cold all day. But right now, the man was trying to sleep and Hunter wasn’t helping.
“Sorry,” Hunter muttered, trying to get comfortable. It wasn’t too hard; the bed was a major improvement over his bunk on the ship even if he did have to share it with his rather abrasive brother. But his mind just wouldn’t let him rest, swirling his thoughts into a mass of confusion and even irritation.
A sigh, which could easily be mistaken as a snarl by most people, came from the sniper. “It’s the brat, isn’t it?”
“I can’t figure her out,” Hunter admitted with a frustrated groan, rolling onto his back and laying a hand over his eyes as the other rested by his side atop the fluffy covers. It should have been easy, after all he prided himself on figuring people out. Yet the moment he thought he had her figured, she’d do something random and leave him back at square one. She was unpredictable, yet that was part of the reason he liked her.
She’s an enigma. No other way to put it.
“What’s to figure?”
“Don’t give me that, she’s on your mind too,” Hunter snorted, smacking Crosshair in the shoulder. The look of approval on the thin clone’s face as Shadow fought James remained in his mind, so minute and quickly gone but nevertheless there. That fact alone was another reason on the list to get Shadow to join them. Crosshair hated everyone. He had hated her at first, but already Hunter could tell his jabs were becoming less malicious and more... teasing. His words were still abrasive as sandpaper and to an outsider corrosive as acid, but Hunter knew his younger brother. He liked Shadow whether he wanted to admit it or not.
The sniper scoffed. “No, she isn’t.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. Did Crosshair really think he couldn’t hear the defensive note in his voice? I’ve known you since you were twelve, Crosshair. That’s five years I’ve had to figure you out. I know you still have that stuffed shark that Togruta boy gave you after you fell into the tank at that aquarium. You can act tough but I know you’re soft. “Whatever you say, Cross.” He stared up at the ceiling, studying the patterns on the light fixture, before faint laughter came through the wall. Frowning, he sat up.
“Tell those two to go to sleep,” Crosshair grumbled, pulling the covers over his head. “Can’t get any shut eye with her and Four Eyes cacklin’.”
Shifting out of bed, Hunter trudged down the small hallway and to their living room. Wrecker laid sprawled over the pullout couch bed, covers in an absolute mess. Faint snores came from him as he gripped a spare pillow tightly, hugging it close to his body. He probably couldn’t wait to get on the trail where he could pull them in to sleep in a pile.
How would Shadow take that? The moment he thought about it, Hunter cursed himself. What are you thinking, Hunter?
Shaking his head, Hunter went to the door separating their rooms and opened it slowly. He blinked as the light spilled over him, squinting against it until his eyes adjusted.
Two pairs of eyes turned his way as he stepped into the room, one soft brown and the other sharp blue. The latter pair widened slightly, and it was then Hunter realized he hadn’t put his upper blacks back on. His bare torso was on display for her to see. With Tech it was no issue, but he would have preferred to put a bit more thought into the first time Shadow saw him shirtless. Damn it, why hadn’t he thought about that before getting up?
But her gaze was oddly… not lustful. No, just appreciative.
Right, she’s… what was the word? Grey-sexual? But she likes muscles, or at least that’s what she said.
Hunter couldn’t get over how different she looked in lighter, colorful clothes. She looked more relaxed, more carefree. Kinder. Happier.
Softer.
“Sarge? You good, my guy?” she asked, head tilting to the side as one brow quirked up.
What are you doing? Say something, di’kut! Stop staring! “Er, can you two lower the volume?” he asked, looking over the pair. Both sat on the pullout couch with their legs crossed as they faced each other, Tech’s hands frozen mid gesture.
Tech blinked at him, brows furrowing. “We weren’t laughing that loud, Sarge,” he protested.
Shadow rubbed the back of her neck. “Eh, that’s probably my fault. In karate I learned to project my voice for teachin’. It kinda... stuck. Not to mention my voice is a bit rough and loud anyways. My vocal cords are funky.”
I like your voice. He caught the compliment on the tip of his tongue. But her voice was as intriguing as her personality. Oddly deep and rough for a woman, he could feel it resonating within his chest. Until she got excited, however, then it would rise in pitch. Her accent could get thicker as well, yet he found it to be slightly... amusing. Some part of him said he was looking for a different word, that also started with A, but he pushed it down.
“Yeah, well, it’s keeping Crosshair up.”
“Certainly wouldn’t want to interfere with that man’s beauty sleep. He needs all he can get,” she snickered, drawing a small laugh from Tech.
“Careful, kid. He might get the idea you’re flirting with him,” Hunter joked, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway. He noticed her eyes drift over his arms for a moment before meeting his gaze again.
“Ha. The last person I’d flirt with is someone who vaguely reminds me of a rabid raccoon.”
“What’s a raccoon?” Tech asked, yanking Hunter out of his thoughts as he wondered who she would flirt with.
“Oh, small furry scavenger about yea big,” Shadow explained, holding her hands apart to show the size. “Call ‘em Good For Nothin’s, they basically eat anything in sight and are known for their rather disagreeable nature. And habit of attackin’ anything that moves like that rabid little trash gremlins they are.” She paused. “Although, guess I can’t say anything about bein’ rabid. I could have rabies right now and wouldn’t even know.”
Hunter stared at her with unconcealed surprise, immediately tensing. Rabies?! How could she not know she had that horrible disease? It was a deadly affliction that ended the life of nearly any species it came across!
Tech obviously thought the same, yet he scooted closer to the potentially rabid woman. “That viral disease can be fatal within the first few hours! Why would you not…” A lightbulb went off in his head. “I see! Alpharans are carriers! It doesn’t affect you, but you can transmit the disease to others.”
That did not help ease Hunter’s anxiety in the least.
“Alphians,” Shadow corrected the excited engineer with a laugh. “And yep. I’m not affected by that. Of course, it causes humans on Kelusia to view us even more like animals.”
“Oh, Alphians and humans do not get along on your planet?” Tech inquired.
“Not really. Humans lost their spot as top dog to us. There’s a lot goin’ on there, but I’ll spare y’all the history lesson for tonight.”
“Might you tell us on the trail? I would be very interested to learn more about your species!” Tech asked, and Hunter knew the engineer well enough to pick up on the slight pleading tone in his voice. He just hoped Shadow didn’t pick up on it.
The sergeant may have begun to view this woman as an ally or even, tentatively of course, a friend, but they still needed to keep up an image. Begging her for her species information was not the way to go about it. He nearly died inside when Wrecker had gone last night and asked, of all things, if she could purr. Sure, Hunter was curious, but he understood that there were times to keep that curiosity to himself.
“Don’t see why not,” she shrugged. Her bright gaze turned back to him. “Don’t worry, Hunter. I can’t flirt to save my life so I don’t even try.”
Did she not notice the way Tech had started to look at her? Or Wrecker had begun to look at her? What had she said? She was only half blind? But he needed to get out of here before that warm feeling in his chest grew to an unignorable level and he was forced to confront just what he thought of the Alphian. “Right. Well... goodnight,” he said abruptly, turning away and shutting the door.
“Goodnight?” came her slightly confused voice through the door.
Muttering to himself, he stormed back into the bedroom and flopped angrily down on the bed, shoving his face into the pillows.
“Smooth,” Crosshair muttered, lightly kicking him.
“Shut up, shabuir,” Hunter growled.
“I can see it now,” Crosshair snickered. “She’ll be fallin’ in love with you any moment now.”
Hunter indignantly sat up, glaring at his brother. “I do not have a crush on her,” he hissed, jabbing a finger towards the smug sniper’s chest.
“Oh no, definitely not. Your voice isn’t crackin’ at all.”
Sith karking hells. Hunter had half a mind to whack his brother in the face with a pillow. “Don’t try to cover for the fact you are intrigued by her as well.”
“As well? So is that what you call a crush now? Being intrigued?”
“I do not have a crush.” With that, Hunter turned his back to Crosshair and forcefully shoved himself back into the bed.
Right? That was the truth, wasn’t it?
Or… was it?