Bounty Hunter #47 couldn’t bring himself to murder, yet he’s done it before.

He stares down the holographic sight of his laser gun. The gun is littered with etchings of tally marks, all of which count a life taken. He’s no rookie to murder yet today he feels sympathy, today he feels many emotions he hasn’t felt in what feels like a lifetime. “No”, he muttered in a low voice which to the outside world was magnified through his mask to sound deep and threatening. An idea thought out by the higher powers of the intergalactic government he works for, an idea to strike fear in all of his victims. The same fear they’re feeling now as the bounty hunter disconnects the live feed from his mask. He knows what he’s just done, they’ll be running around gathering weapons and thermal detonators. The emperor larding around in his fat and filth screaming “Hunt down the traitor, and brim him back to me alive!”.

The bounty hunter standing tall, battle-worn and menacing was a complete juxtaposition to the creature he couldn’t bring himself to murder. A small skinless ugly thing with bulging eyes and a thin neck, it could be compared to a baby chick from hundreds and thousands of years ago. The delicate ugly flower raised its head, eyes closed, enjoying the light rain with a soft humming noise.

The bounty hunter clipped his laser to his side and stared in disbelief. Most of his victims were big brutish beasts who deserved what was coming to them but this little guy hasn’t long been born. Caught in the crossfire of a pharmaceutical trade gone wrong, both parties got greedy, a result of being treated to constant compliance from people fearful of their connections, their power. Now the big bulls have locked horns. Now it’s serious.

This creature is incredibly rare, last of its kind, born with the ability to lay eggs which if cracked and cooked straight away produce a serum which holds healing properties. Blemishes, scared skin, deep cuts you name it. The bounty hunter could run off with a fortune, obviously be chased by the government but that didn’t scare him. Nothing scares him, something died inside long ago no one knows why. The days for the bounty hunter just bleed into the next, keeping memories of better times at bay with his job of lasers and blood.

He doesn’t have to do that anymore, he now has a purpose, he’s found someone as lonely as himself, but now they have each other. Unconditional love and he refuses to let anybody take that from him again. Love.