Chapter 29

Samus' Point of View

A blue light shines against my eyes but I shut my eyes and turn around, nestling deeper into the comfort of the silk covers. "I need sleep, John."

The light glows brighter and a loud voice makes me jump from my slumber. "Samus."

My eyes jolt open but quickly adjust to the blue light coming from nowhere in particular.

"Samus." The light says again, with urgency in her voice.

"Librarian?" The light seems to flicker in response.

"Get dressed quickly, someone made a attempt on Solomon's life. While he is still alive, he is critically injured." I jerk the silk away and am instantly on my feet, my zero suit quickly forming across my skin. "Jesus, I just got my brother back and someone already tried to take him away. Any clue why?" The parasites squeal as I run pass them and I don't bother waiting for the platform to lower me, I jump down, rattling my ship and sprint through curious gazes of the ship's crew. "I believe it has something to do with his past with the Space Pirates."

The nonexistent wind of Dane's ship carried me faster through the hallways, nearly running into every assistant carrying a stack of papers, a couple of papers flew off as I went.

"He didn't bring this up while talking to John." The blue light faded but L's voice still lingered, maybe I was the only one who could hear her. "Either John chose to keep it to himself or Solomon simply didn't remember, his mind was wiped of that knowledge." She pauses before continue speaking. "The council is having an emergency meeting to determine the fate of the soldier and how to proceed with Solomon."

I frown but continue my stride towards the elevator. "I'm his kin, why didn't they tell me?"

I eye the flights of stairs before sighing, taking two steps at a time.

"I'm not sure but your soldier was already gone by the time I arrived to alert you. Be on your guard, Samus. There are still many who don't agree with the union and with your alliance with John. They will stop at nothing to wreck it regardless of the bigger threat." Her words echo into my mind until I'm left with a deep consideration and speculation." The eighth floor quickly comes and goes out of view, only 2 more to go. "I appreciate your help, L, but why help now? Her sigh resonates throughout the stairwell. "Do not forget your place, do not forget your position and where you stand. Do not forget that the Chozo chose you to become their warrior. Do not forget that I see you for what you are and what you will become. When you are facing the weak, sniveling men who only care about their own personal interests, do not forget that you persevered and survived all the death and torture and still can be able to smile about the good things in life. When they question your brother's loyalties, remember the journey it took to reunite with him. Do not worry about him, Samus. His heart is pure and his admiration and love for you is what kept him alive all of these years. He has a dark history but do not let them interfere with the present and future. Most importantly, do not lose hope in Master Chief, regardless of how his superiors try to manipulate the tool they thought John was. I know he is destined for something greater." The blue light warms against my face before fading, her voice with it. I yank the door to Solomon's floor but am quickly stopped by security.

One of the men in clean blue uniforms who look like they've never held a gun outside the training field, sizes me up before holding his hand out to stop me. "I'm sorry ma'am but you're not authorized to be here." I pinch the bridge of my nose and boot up my visor. "Call Adam." He takes longer than expected to ring but at last his stern, unrevealing face appears on my visor. "They're saying I'm not allowed to visit, Solomon." Adam's features don't move. "The matter doesn't pertain to you."

"What do you mean doesn't pertain to me? I'm his damn sister, Adam."

His face slackens and his eyebrows lift slightly. "I, I wasn't aware he was your kin." He rubs his cybernetic chin and sighs. "Let me talk to them." I shift the organic visor towards the soldiers, their eyes widening at the technology. "Vice Admiral Samus Aran has clearance to see the patient, see to it she has no other inconvenience." Their pale faces nod and give me passage past the door. Going through the door, I rub my temples and ignore the stares of the other stationed guards. "Thank you, Adam." He nods but furrows his eyebrows together. "I was being honest when I said I didn't know, Samus. The report didn't mention any ties to you. If I had known…" I quickly cut him off. "Don't worry about it, we'll talk about it later." I end the call as I arrive at the door. The guards behind me who followed nod at the guards in front of me. They look at each other before taking a step away. "Thanks." I say as I grab the handle. It's not until I close the door behind me that a sob escapes me. The hand that covers my mouth trembles as I take a closer look at my brother.

He looks worse than how I found I him. He lies prone, his chest slowly rising and falling against the white blanket that barely reaches his sternum. The wires that protruded out of his body last time I saw him still linger there but a large stitch is visible against his pale skin stretching from his shoulder all the way to his chin. I cup his bruised scruffy cheek and marvel as I see the cybernetics slowly close the multiple wounds that cover his body. Sitting in the metallic chair next to him, I grab his cold hand and rest my forehead against it. Even there I can feel the thick scars adorning his fingers. "You better not fucking leave me, Sol. Not after I just found you." His eyebrows twitch but he remains unconscious. "We have so much to catch up on." I murmur into his hand. "I have a Hell of a history to tell you. Of how I became the woman I am today, without my annoying little brother beside me." I raise my head and look at the dark eyelashes that frame his closed eyes. A familiar soft light glows against his strong cheekbones. "Like you, he was forged to become a weapon at a very young age. However, he was brainwashed while in the hands of the Space Pirates. He fought their battles and brought them glory. He was never known or brought to anyone's attention because those who witnessed him, quickly perished. He tried so hard to get back to you, Samus." My teeth grit at the thought of Solomon being used as a pawn for the Space Pirates. I've spent almost my whole life fighting them and never once did I think my baby brother was in their clutches.

The light dims almost into nothing. "Samus, these visits drain a lot from me. I insist you confront the council now, fate of your brother depends on it." Before standing, I brush my lips on Solomon's pale forehead. "Please get better." and head out the door without looking back. The guards slightly jump as the door closes behind me and nervously look in my direction. "Excuse me, do you guys know where the council meeting is taking place?" They look at each other before turning back at my direction. "Top floor." A red haired woman responds, one of her green eyes wider than the other in confusion. I lower my head in thanks and head out towards the staircase.

I can hear the GF dogs shouting even before I pass the door from the stairwell.

"Attacking an unarmed man is cowardice."

"You wouldn't hesitate if you knew what I knew about him?"

"It appears we've either been deceived and he's lying about the information he's given us or -"

I push the doors open and stare down the council who looks at my unannounced arrival. "Or he was manipulated to fight the SP's fights and then had his memory wiped." The chairman of the council frowns and crosses his arms. A thick Irish voice remarks. "Well look who decided to show up."

"Chairman Thompson, never a pleasure." He rolls his eyes and I look at the rest of the council, some wide eyes, some annoyed and some just plain bored. Adam, Dane, Terrence, Dare, and John are among the many there. I find my chair next to Adam's and make my way towards there. Aware of the many eyes on me, Adam gives me a slight nod and comes closer to my ear. "The council is still undecided on how to proceed with the soldier who tried to kill Solomon." He points his nose towards the handcuffed soldier with perplexed eyed. The soldier comes forward, yanking on the chains attached to the floor and looks at me with wide eyes. "Why haven't I ever noticed? You, him. It all makes sense now! She's the mole! She's siding with the Space Pirates! She and the Shaitan!" Eyebrows raised I look at Adam and find his in the same position. "Shaitan?"

The soldier slowly sinks to the floor shaking. "I was the only one to escape.. I didn't think I'd be able to recognize him if I ever saw him again but as soon as I was assigned guard duty and took one look at him, all I could see was the bloodshed and the entrails of my team smeared on the walls with a sadistic smile spread across his bloodied face." He looks back at me and snarls.

"You bitch, you and your twin will be the end of the Galactic Federation." I catch John's deep frown a couple seats away and lean back into my chair. The chained soldier's shoulders heave with his breathing. He looks at the Chairman for a response.

Chairman Thompson looks at the soldier and deeply signs while rubbing his temples, but it's Terrence that responds. "It's clear we can't trust the Arans." I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"The attack from the Space Pirates on my small mining colony left me the sole survivor, or so I thought. My little brother who I saved from being bullied on the playground when we were little, survived. He spent his whole life trying to find me and once he finally got a clue of where I was, he was enslaved by the Space Pirates, brainwashed, tortured, and experimented on for the past decade. I'll be damned if I let him out of my sight again." I narrow my eyes at each of the council members in the room, John included.

"Who's to say he won't go rogue?" He remarks, nothing of the warmth that we held from the previous months.

"Who's to say I won't go rogue?" I bite back.

Chairman Thompson straightens in his chair and fixes his stern stare right at me.

"Watch it, Aran. Don't forget you were just a bounty hunter before Dane thought it was a good idea to reenlist you and give you a promotion most soldiers who've dedicated their whole lives to the GF would die for." I resist the urge to bare my teeth at him and stand up from my chair, startling the ones sitting closest to me. "I'd like to remind you it was the Galactic Federation who hired me to handle the affairs they knew wouldn't be able to take on. MB ring a bell?" He pales slightly and leans back into his chair.

"Do not allow your personal connections to him cloud your judgment." Terrence cuts in.

"Yes I have a biased opinion in this matter but I believe every single person in this room is forgetting the brutality and avarice the bigger picture represents. We've been pussyfooting the Space Pirates and Covenant, with Solomon on our side the war is already won." I say without hesitation, remembering Stygian's words.

A tan gentlemen to the left of the council clears his thought and rises.

"While I don't agree with everything, we have been forgetting about the tactic Samus recommended in the beginning of the war. We need hit them hard with Blitzkrieg instead of little victories here and there. We have the Aran siblings and the Spartans. We will not fail."

Adam stands, resting his hands on the metallic table. "I concur." He says before adding. "I'd also like to know why I wasn't notified of Solomon's heritage." A heavy silence fell in the room.

Terrence clears his throat and directly avoids Adam's stare.

"You're forgetting the fact that the newest Aran is still in the hospital. How will we win the war if he's bedridden?"

"Solomon has a healing factor in the nanotechnology found in his blood, he should recover quickly." The handcuffed soldier chuckles quietly. Adam coughs.

"I'm sure that would be the case if he didn't defend himself." He says in a low voice.

I frown while remembering the long gash across his body. "He'll be fine, give or take in a couple of days."

Councilman Thompson rises and the rest of the council follows. "Council members, have you reached a decision?" Everyone nods. Looking at Adam, he nods directly at me and I feel slightly better. We lift up the cards at the table indicating our votes. I raise my hand high, indicating the dark green on the paddle. John, while not directly avoiding my gaze, raises his maroon, Terrence with him.

One by one, green and red are lifted in the air until the council member who spoke earlier is left. He looks at Dane and Terrence who both have their eyes narrowed on him and then looks at me.

Green. I suppress the urge to hug Adam and smile.

"Well then, Samus Aran will remain fully responsible for any actions Solomon may commit. The soldier will be locked up until further notice. " The councilman then says. "Case closed. Dismissed." Everyone quickly shuffles as fast as they can towards the door, away from me. I release a deep sigh and turn back to Adam. He looks at me with a slight smile and pats my back. "I didn't know you had a brother, looks like we'll have double trouble now." I laugh at Adam's attempt at a joke at smile back at him. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a while, Adam." He nods and places a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Samus. I can only imagine what it was like to get him back. Regardless of what happened in Ian's case, I know I would be happy to get him back, if only to see him one last time."

We let a couple seconds of silence pass in respect before a large figure appears.

John stands tall, towering over Adam who stares back at John with a frigidness in his eyes. "Step aside, I need to pass." John doesn't even look at me. Adam withdraws his hand and stands straight as Adam clears his voice to speak. "The UNSC doesn't exist anymore, 117. Neither does the Galactic Federation. I suggest you keep that in mind while keeping your priorities in order." John furrows his brows but remains silent, pushing past us to reach the door. "Hold on, Adam." I quickly reach the door before it closes behind John and slightly push him against the staircase wall.

"I understand your concerns about Solomon but you didn't mention any of them in the previous week." I sigh and lean against the wall next to him. "Why didn't you wake me up?" He straightens.

"I was ordered to report to Lord Hood immediately."

"And you couldn't have woken me up to just let me know?" His eyes quickly divert away from mine to the camera in the corner facing us. I take his silence as his response and cross my arms. "Regardless of our past, we're a team now, John."

His cold eyes narrow onto mine and with steel in his voice he says, "Regardless of the union, I'm still loyal to the UNSC. If they command me, I'll follow their orders even if they don't follow the Galactic Federation agenda, vice Admiral." Like a slap to the face, I step back before quickly composing myself and take a step closer to his face.

"I don't know what's gotten into you but understood, petty officer." I can still smell the clean mint of his aftershave. I clench my fingers so tightly that my nails bury into my skin and go down the stairs before I say anything else. My hands shake from frustration. Adam quickly catches up and he keeps up with my pase, not asking where I was going because as my previous commanding officer and current mentor, he already knew.

I don't dare look back at John even though there's something yanking at me to do so. I unclench my hands and head out of the docks. Librarian's words dig into my head once again but I quickly push them away.

We quickly arrive to the training room only to find it empty. He stretches his arms and flexes his hands. "Ready?" I raise my brow in confusion, slightly forgetting what just happened. "It may have been years since we've trained but I know I can still beat you." I roll my eyes. "Prepare to get wiped off the floor, Adam." He shrugs off his decorated uniform off until he's just left in a white button up and his blue pants. We wrap our fists in bandages and head towards the mats. "Tell me about Solomon."

"Really, Adam? When we're about to spar?"

He nods while we circle each other. "I don't see why not." I shug and roll my shoulders to stretch the knot.

"Right, well Sol is 5 years younger than me." He pretends to strike and I jump back.

"Go on."

"He was the one who got all the best gifts during the holidays." I throw a useless punch. He catches my fist my throws me behind him. Sloppy throw but just testing how the new cybernetics work. I bump into a nearby pillar and push myself off.

"Jealous?" I roll my eyes in response.

"Hardly, he always invited me to play with him." We circle again and I throw my leg under him. He jumps, missing it but collides his face with my fist. He stumbles back and I smile.

He shakes it off and comes back to the circle. "I tried to teach him to fight but he never liked it, always buried his heads in books; Dramas, scientific journals, horror, you name it, he probably read it. I guess I picked it up because it reminded me of the time when he used to just curl up by the fireplace and spent hours reading." I smile at the memory and narrowly dodge his punch.

"Any good stories?"

" This one time, I-"

"Princess!" I turn around at the sound of Anthony's voice and briefly wave at him but I quickly fall back as Adam's fist collides with my back. "Sorry" Anthony mouths me and I roll my eyes and look back at Adam, crossing my arms. "Cheap shot, I know. Anthony, your turn."Adams shouts. "Oh no way, I've gotten my ass handed to me too many times. I'll just watch from here, thank you."

"I wanna spar!" A build soldier with various scars visible by the thin white tank marking his pale arms raises his hand as he walks through the door and smiles at me.

"Simmons!" His maroon eyes widen and he walks over towards me.

"You remembered me!

"How could I forget? You were my first friend here." His smile grows wider and he starts to wrap his fists. "How have you been?"

"It's been an interesting couple of months, I have to say." He says laughing.

"Tell me about it." I respond sighing.

"Sammy!" Casey's bubbly voice echoes in the room. Rick and Rebecca appear behind Casey shyly wave towards me but quickly retreats to the shadows.

"My team. Nice seeing you guys." I say grinning.

"It's nice to see you too, Sammy. We didn't think we'd ever get to see you since the Master Chief got your attention all the time." I huff at the thought of our encounter earlier. "Yeah well, after meeting with the chairpeople today I think we'll be going on more ground missions if you guys are up for it." They smile and nod. Simmons comes closer to the mats. Adam pats Simmon's back and he stumbles forward. "Good luck." Adam leans against a nearby pillar and watches with some humor in his eyes. Simmon's raises his fists as and I do the same, smiling. He smiles back and I use the distraction as an opening for a swing. He stumbles back as my fist collides with his abdomen. He laughs in shock. "Hey." I roll to the left to avoid his punch and follow up with an uppercut. His eyes narrow but there's still humor there. We dance around the mat until he takes a step backwards and I fall for his trick, jumping forward. He twists my arm and we both fall to the mat. He throws a punch against the side of my temple and my visions falters. I raise my arms to protect my face and try to push him off but he uses his weight to keep me down. I take the repeated punches and as I wait for an opening, I find John staring at how Simmon's is positioned on top of me. His lips set in a grim line.

I find my opening and put more force than necessary behind an uppercut to his chin. He knocked backwards and falls against the mat. He looks up while still on his back and smiles while rubbing his chin. "Remind me never to piss you off." I offer a hand and he takes it to pull himself up. "Oh you got some good punches in too." He laughs while looking at the winces and chuckles from his comrades. John isn't in the spot where I saw him and is nowhere to be found. "Hey Samus-" Simmons starts but is interrupted by Adam as he takes me by the arm. "Excuse us." He says to my team as he pulls me out of the training room. "Solomon is awake. I thought you should know." Disbelief before excitement rushes throughout me. I find Adam's cautious face and smile. "Would you like to meet him?" Catching him off guard he clears his throat and softly smiles back. "I'd love to."

The guards straighten with Adam's presence but allow us to pass through the hallway to Solomon's room without any trouble.

He opens the door but allows me to pass first. Lying in the hospital bed and covered in more blankets than when I first saw him, Sol turns at the sound of the door opening. He puts down the paper he was reading and his grin widens from cheek to cheek. "Sammy!" I sigh in relief at the sight of him awake and coherent. He looks up at Adam whose face doesn't reveal any emotion except nervousness. "Sol, this is Adam, my mentor. Adam, this is Sol, my little brother." Sol's face lights up and looks back at me with a big smile before looking back at him. Weakly he raises his hand and offers it to Adam. "Nice to meet you." Adam smiles and returns the shake. "You too." Solomon laughs as he looks at me. "I'm sure you must have some embarrassing stories about my sister, Adam." He gives a small grin and chuckles. "I can think of at least 3 on the top of my head." I feign to be insulted. "Hey! Maybe it wasn't a great idea to introduce you guys." Adam ruffles my head and smiles at Sol and I. My heart grows tender at just the sight of my mentor who guided me through my toughest years and my little brother but then aches at the mere thought of John earlier. Sensing the tension, Adam grabs a chair and pulls it next to Solomon's chair. "Sit. I'll leave you guys to catch up." I briefly rest my hand on shoulder and nod my thanks. Adam leaves and the silence is heavy between Sol and I. I take the chair and try to get comfortable against the cold metal. "I came by this morning, you looked like shit and now you're.. Okay?" He sits up and leans against the bed frame. "Cybernetics, Sam." The wound I saw earlier is almost closed. I take a closer look and marvel. Leaning back into my chair, I play with my fingers, unsure of how to proceed. "You can ask me anything. Or tell me anything for that matter." I smile at his kindness. Too many questions flooded my mind, too many hows and whys so I settled for one word.

"How, Sol?"

He reaches for my hand, grabs it tightly and looks up at the lights. "I couldn't find you. Hours and hours I tried looking for my big sister among the cinders and burnt bodies of our neighbors with no avail. After I found mom, dad but still no you, I gave up. I laid next to their bodies and fell asleep, waiting for death to claim me too. It wasn't until a group of scavengers found me and took me in. Kindra, Scarte, and Tinian were their names. They were generous and always gave me a share of their food even if there was hardly any left. Despite their efforts to cheer me up, I still couldn't forget the charred faces of my friends, family and even bullies that littered around our neighborhood. But above all I didn't have closure with you. That drove me to the point where I had crazed hope. I would read every article about what happened and looked for your name among the list of the dead. When everyone was listed but you, I knew you had to be alive somewhere, so I left the family that had adopted me as their own when I was 10 and looked everywhere for you. Unfortunately I got caught and forced into slavery when I was in the outer rim of the Wixth system. They paid me very little but I ended up saving enough money that would've bought me a ship but the slave masters saw that I had potential for another 'business' of their and forced me there." He lowered his gaze and twirled his fingers around mine. "I was a courtesan, Samus." He said softly, refusing to look at me in the eye. "It wasn't until I turned 19 that I had killed one of my clients to escape. He was trying something I didn't want to and once I decided I had enough… It was an accident. I hadn't meant to." He paused and turned to back at the lights. "After that I learned I was good at it, at killing. So I trained in secret and a stranger took me under his wing and then I became really good at it. He never told me his name and never showed me his face but I know I owe my survival to him. His methods were unorthodox…" Sol push the blanket covering his arm to reveal a deep cut with alien symbols. "He said this was for me to remember him. He never explained what it meant though. For all I know it could mean huge loser." I laugh and he looks back at me with some humor in his eyes. "After I had established myself in the 'hunting' business, I gained the respect of my peers and for once in my life after the pirate attack, I was happy. I wasn't plagued with the thought of finding you. Things were going relatively smoothly as I earned each paycheck but it wasn't until in one of my missions I realized was a set up." His fingers dig into the palm of my hand. "The fucking Pirates wore out my health for a month and all my com systems were down. I should've been able to last another week but then he showed up and I lost all control of my senses, a deep hatred and anger inside of me begging to be released as revenge plagued my mind." He shuts his eyes closed. "With no health, I was no match for him. He mocked and sneered at me, told me I reminded him of his mortal enemy, the Hunter. By then, I had only heard rumors of him, he who slayed and butchered countless Space Pirates and those who deserve it, he who was a savior to those who were subjected to the Pirate's abuse. I heard his heart was frozen and never spoke, regardless of his actions. I heard his suit had the ability to materialize and disappear with just a thought. Never could I have ever imagined that the legendary Hunter was my big sister." He releases his tight grip on my hand and rubs the nail marks he made. "He told me about how the Hunter looked just like me. He boasted that he was the last survivor of an attack he made on a small mining planet years ago. I stiffened as soon as I heard that but tried not to reveal anything. Unfortunately, Ridley knew. And once again, I was enslaved to a different master. He kept me around as a reminder that one day he'd capture you and turn you into a weapon for them but not before humiliating you by torturing me in front of you." My brows come together and without trying to hold it back, a lone tear falls from my eye. I grab his hand with both of mine and rest it against the palm of my cheek. His adam's apple bobbles as he has difficulty swallowing. "It wasn't until they realized they couldn't defeat you that they decided to make use of me. I never did their bidding willingly but they somehow twisted my mind to make me their obedient huntsman." He takes my hand and rests it against his temple. "It hurts when I try to remember but I know they sent me to decimate, massacre and commit genocide for solely their benefit. I only remember because they made me take something from each place I went. So far they have memorabilia from 73 places…" He shudders against my palm. "I don't remember where I've been but I see their faces when I sleep, in torment and agony." Bead of tears roll off my fingers. "I tried to end my life, end the suffering that the experiments brought but the thought of seeing you just one more time made the torture worth it." He brings his eyes up, watery and red, while gripping my hand tightly. "You survived. You're alive." He says with a small smile across his pale face. I cup his cheeks and raise his eyes to mine. "You survived. You're alive." I repeat back to him and smile. He rests his cold temple against mine before leaning back into his bed, hand still holding mine. "So, what's going to happen now?" I sigh.

"I'm not sure how caught up you are but we're at war with the Space Pirates and another species called the Covenant. We're not doing as well as we should be and the Galactic Federation/UNSC want you to fight alongside me and my team on special ground missions. Just know you don't have to if you don't want to." Just the mere thought of all the blood he's already shed, I wouldn't blame him. He looks straight ahead at the plain white wall and narrows his brows. "As long as I get to hunt those bastards who took my childhood and adolescence away, I have no complaints."

I nod. "How long do you think till you're ready?" He eyes his body. "Thanks to my cybernetics, I give it a good 3 days or so."

"Can you walk?" He stretches his legs and bends the knees, testing the muscles and joints. "Even though I was almost stabbed to death, I feel strangely fine. The Pirates were thorough with their experiments." I frown and scratch the back of my head.

"I gotta make some rounds before I end the day, wanna come with? If you're feeling up to it of course." He looks back at me and smiles. "Are you kidding me? I've been dying to get out of here." He gives me his hand and I place it on my shoulder for support. He tests his feet on tiled floor before placing weight on them. He takes in a deep breath and then presses his hand down on my shoulder and gets up. He sways before steadying himself and then takes a careful step.

He looks over his shoulder and laughs. "Hey Sammy, as much as I'd love to woo the uptight soldiers here, got any clothes where my ass isn't showing?" I look down at his hospital gown and join his laugh. "We'll have to make a stop at my ship first." He nods and loops his arm in mine. I boot up my visor and call Adam. Sol marvels at the organic matter forming against my eyes.

Adam appears with this stoic face but worry in his voice. "How's Solomon?"

I smile at him worrying. "He's fine. It is okay if I show him around the ship? He's stable enough to walk and I'd just be showing him my ship and a few members of my team." Solomon presses his cheek against mine to see Adam and smiles. "I'll be back before the curfew." Adam huffs and the edge crease of his lips raises slightly. "That's fine." Sol's smile grows wider. "Thanks Mr. Malkovich." Adams tries to cover his laugh with a cough. "Adam is fine."

"Thanks Adam!" He says walking towards the door. Adam looks back at me sternly. "You are 100% responsible for his actions, understood?"

"Yes, sir." He turns back to him and loosens his strict composure. "He seems like a good kid." I look back at Sol and smile. "He does. I can't wait to know him better." The transmission ends and I catch up with Sol who's resting against the door. Various small bruises mark where the wires were connected and thin white lines mar every inch of his visible skin but regardless of that, his blue eyes beam with merriment. I go back for his blanket and wrap it around his thin shoulders. "This should keep all the oogles away." He brings the hard military issued fabric closer and grins. "That would've been one hell of an impression." I roll my eyes and smile at him one last time before opening the door. The guards nervously shift to the sides, allow more room for us to pass. Sol thanks each one as we make our way towards the stairs. They all look at him with confusion but nod back.

"So John, huh? How long have you and your boyfriend have been doing it?" He jests as the door closes behind him.

"Sol!"

"What? Can you blame me for wanting to know who my sister is sharing her life with?" I roll my eyes and my heart sinks further into my stomach as I remember today's encounter with him.

"Things were great but know I'm not too sure." I tell him as I help him down each step.

"Something to do with me?" The hurt in his voice wasn't meant to be intended but it came out nonetheless.

"No, just stupid military allegiance." I quickly shoot back. He pauses, rests one hand on the rail, and turns to look at me. "Sometimes the military is all someone has, it's hard to leave that behind when you first open your eyes and realize there maybe something else." He descends another step and it takes my mind a second to follow after him.

"How about you? Any romances?" The ends of his lips raise.

"One. A brief but passionate and emotional affair. I never got her name but we shared so much."

"Well? Tell me about her."

"She knew what it was like to be physically and emotionally wrecked by the Space Pirates. In a way we bonded over our terrible experiences but I like to think we also gave each other hope. Hope that a better world would be there as we opened our eyes each day."

"Whatever happened to her?"

"Another Space Pirate attack and we got lost while evacuating. I never got her name or any information from her actually. All I remember is how soft her blue hair was." Silence took over as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Here we are." I say as I open the doors to the hanger. The orange of my ship stands out against the military issued ships and the stars shine off of the clean polish.

Sol takes a step forward and lets out a long whistle. Looks more like a flying scarab than a ship to me." I loop our arms again and walk towards the ship, ignoring the stares of the dock workers. But with Sol's wink, everyone looked away. The ascensor lowers and Sol tightens his grip. "Going up." He sways as we arrive in the ship and his eyes widen at the technology. He unhooks his arm from mine but holds my hand and guides me to the cockpit. "This is amazing!" He comes closer to the screen and squints at the text. "What language is this?"

"Chozo. The species who saved me." He closes his eyes and pauses. "I have to thank them for taking care of you, for giving me this opportunity to be with you." I gently squeeze his hand and his eyes open. "The Chozo have gone into hiding since the Space Pirates almost exterminated them." I softly say. He sits in the captain's chair and runs his fingers through his growing hair. He takes in a deep breath to say something but I interrupt. "We'll make them pay for everything, Sol. The time we missed, mom, dad, the bullies who picked on you on the playground and even cranky Ms. George from 2nd grade. Their deaths by the Space Pirates won't be in vain. We'll make sure of that." He nods and signs. "I know we really haven't spent a lot of time together but is it strange I already feel whole again?" I pat his back and give him a quick peck on the head. "Strangely enough, it feels right."

"INCOMING CALL FROM ADAM."

Adam appears on the ship's screen and loosens his tight expression and the sight of us together. "I'm glad, you're doing better, Solomon."

"Sol, please."

"Dr. Halsey is requesting your presence in the infirmary. I guess she wasn't informed of your discharge."

"Will you be okay to go by yourself?"

"The cybernetics are almost done with their job, I feel almost good as new."

"Let me know if you need anything." I pass him a small earphone. "Use this if you need anything, it's a direct line to Adam or me."

"Thanks, Sammy. Hey uh, can I still get those clothes?"

"Oh yeah sorry, they might fit a little big. They're in the bottom drawer in my room." I'm left alone with Adam. "How's Sol?" I smile at the use of his nickname. "We still have a lot to catch up on but things are going good."

"I can only imagine."

Sol comes back in gray sweatpants and a baggy "Hunter" hoodie where clad in my suit, I pose at the viewer with my canon. Adam laughs echoes throughout the ship. It's strange to hear him do so, I've only heard it a handful of times. I don't suppress the smile wanting to widen at both his laugh and Sol's interesting hoodie choice. Adam ends the call before I can comment anything else and Sol walks towards me. "I'll see you in a bit, Sammy." He kisses me on the cheek and descends in the elevator. I let out a deep sigh I didn't know I was holding in and head towards my room. The parasites chirp against their door. "I fed you guys yesterday, you're not supposed to eat until another week." I roll my eyes and head into my dark quarters. A dark silhouette moves against the shadows and my canon is aimed at it before I can blink. Metallic cobalt irises stare back at me and strong hand lowers my canon. My raised hairs relax and I lower it. He raises a finger to his lips and pulls out a device. He presses it and a bright blue light flashes throughout my room. As the light dissipates, my canon de-materializes and he takes a step closer before wrapping his arms around me. "It's safe to talk." He says against my neck. Confusion stiffens my arms and he pulls away. "I thought the UNSC…"

"The UNSC and the Galactic Federation can't be trusted."

"What changed your mind?"

"Nothing. I needed to give them the wrong impression of our relationship. It's going to have to be like this from now on. They think I'm getting too friendly with you." He says in a low voice.

"If they only knew…" I respond, wrapping my arms around his shoulders

"I thought I lost you to them." He avoids my gaze and looks at the door.

"The UNSC was a big part of my life. In a way, it is my life. But recently Lord Hood has become more erratic and unpredictable. I've discovered secrets of the UNSC that never should be heard by the public or another revolution will be imminent. No one is taking the Covenant as the immense threat is it, the ones in charge are just arguing who should be given higher positions from the union. The Galactic Federation isn't exempt from that either."

"I know, why do you think I became a bounty hunter?"

"I used to think bounty hunters were the lowest of the scum that pollutes space but recently, I'm starting to understand why."

"So no more sleeping over?" I cup his rough cheeks and sigh.
"No, not unless we want to raise suspicions."

"Wait, didn't Solomon come in here to get clothes? How did he not see you?"

"Oh he saw me. Do you think he got that Hunter hoodie by himself?" I smile and

"Oh, but you love that hoodie!"

"I do but I can't wear that one and you can't wear your '117" one or else it'll raise suspicions."

"Understood."

He runs his hand over his shaven head. "At least the cameras can't register my suit when I turn the invisible feature on."

"So we're hiding because the politicians want to use you against me in case anything happens?"

"We're hiding because we're two very powerful soldiers and they're worried we might team up against them and know we'll win."

I nod and rest my head on his shoulder. "I didn't mean what I said earlier about you and Solomon." He says, his deep voice rumbling his chest. "The situation is… hard with our superiors right now and-"

"It's okay, John. I would've appreciated a heads up but I understand your point." I interrupt him.

He nods and returns the hug, wrapping his defined arms around me. We stay like this for a minute until a small noise beeps within him. "I have to go." He says pulling away. I press a small kiss on his cheek and take a step back. "I'll come back when I can but from now on, act like you don't like me."

"Shouldn't be hard." I respond. He stops walking and looks back, curious eyes relaxing as he finds the humor in mine. He activates his invisibility factor and leaves the room. "John?" The footsteps stop.

"I'm glad you're not my enemy." Even though I can't see him, I can almost picture him nod. The thud of his boots against my floor grows silent.

I fall on my nearby bed and sigh against the silk sheets as silence washes over. "What a day." I murmur into the sheets while deactivating my zero suit and wrap myself in the sheets. I grab a nearby pillow and enfold my arms around it, breathing in his still lingering scent. The stress of today flows back into my body and my eyelids lower despite my efforts. "Just a quick nap." I manage to say before succumbing to my exhaustion.

Special thanks to all of you who favorited, followed and/or reviewed.

SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta - I hope this chapter satisfies your curiosity haha. Thanks for your comment!

LONE RANGER 97 - Thanks for pointing that out! I'll fix it in a bit.

Hooray for more updates and more interactions with our favorite space soldiers. Leave a comment, suggestion or review. As always, I would love to hear what you guys think and expect for this story, thank you for reading and your continued support.