(Two days later...)

"Wake up, you cranky old man!"

Not expecting to be woken up so rudely, I grunted in surprise before flopping out of bed. I then hit the ground with a loud thump, and my head throbbed in pain after it bounced off the floor.

Boreas laughed his ass off while I tried to figure out what year it was.

"Oh-Oh shit!" he wheezed, bracing himself against his knees in an attempt to keep himself upright. "This is too good."

"Fuck you too." I grumbled as I stood up and glared at my partner. "What day is it."

"It's a Tuesday–You slept for an entire day after getting back from Rykos."

I loosed a heavy sigh and stumbled over to a nearby mirror to get a glimpse at myself. Simply put, I looked like shit: I had dark circles and bags under my eyes to show just how tired I was. My black hair was a complete and total mess, and the dark beard that adorned my face was starting to get out of hand–I should probably shave...Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I regarded my right eye, which was devoid of color. Considerable scarring could also be seen on this side of my face, which brought back painful memories. thankfully, my other eye was just fine: it was a bright emerald green–the same color my mother's eyes were...

I ran an idle hand through my hair before kicking Boreas out.

"Hey–Hey!" he snapped as I pushed him out of my room. "I have your next bounty ya twa-!"

"Save it for after I take a shower," I cut him off, closing the door behind me with a slam.

When I was sure my partner wasn't going to charge back in, I huffed and entered the bathroom that was connected to my bedroom. While Boreas and I live in a nice house, I at least managed to keep my room simple: all that was in it was a bed, a nightstand, a few bookshelves, and a chair so I could read in comfort. 

At any rate, I entered my bathroom and and took a shower. Ten minutes later, I felt a little more alive after getting dressed.

"Ah, so he lives!" Boreas exclaimed when I came downstairs via the stairway leading into the living room and sat down on one of the sofas. "And you're not hidden by armor and darkness!"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not."

His expression softened as he reclined in the sofa he was sitting on. "So...I take it you still don't want to talk about your little outburst on Rykos?"

Persistent bastard. "All I'll say is that my mind wasn't in the best place."

"Uh-huh, I've heard that excuse before," he pointed out, "You saw your father again, didn't you?"

"...Yes, I did."

"You know he's been dead for, what, little over two decades now, right?"

"Yes, I know that."

Boreas nodded to himself. "You killed him long before you ran into me. I'm honestly surprised you told me about your fucked-up past."

I glared knives at him. "You're the only person I can trust, you asshole."

He smirked. "Fair enough. I guess it's better to vent than to keep it all bottled up, eh?"

"Yeah..." I breathed, deciding to change topics. "You said something about a new bounty?"

Boreas lobbed the info shiv at me. "Indeed I did."

"Please tell me I'm not going after another god-forsaken cult." I grumbled.

"Nope. This time, your targets are Christopher and Leanne Arestosos."

I cocked an eyebrow. "The crime family?"

"Yep. It's unknown if they actually have a kid–some sources have told me they killed their child after it was born."

I scowled. "Monsters."

"Oh, that's not the worst part." he chirped. "They're involved in the drug trade, human and arms trafficking, you name it. When one illegal avenue is closed, they open up another and disappear."

I shook my head. "Who's the client?"

"Didn't say," Boreas mused, shaking his head in frustration, "All we know about the client is that they want the Arestosos family brought down."

"...I have a feeling I'll be going back to Du'Vuna."

"You are indeed, my friend. While it's an industrious core world, it's also the perfect place for crime syndicates and other unsavory characters to hide."

I sighed. "Just great...What's the reward?"

"Fifty-thousand credits per family member."

I loosed a low whistle. "Damn."

"Tell me about it. I may actually be able to buy you a new eye and prosthetic arm with that money."

I felt my heart drop into my chest. "Yeah..."

"Why are you so fond of your old prosthetic? The damn thing looks like it's about to fall apart," Boreas began, only to frown, "More importantly: why did you need it in the first place?"

Old memories bubbled up like tar, but I was able to shut them out before they got the better of me. "A hunt went awry. One of my targets decided to get creative, and I lost part of my arm."

Thankfully, he took the story. "I'm guessing this was before you became the legend shrouded in mystery and fallen bodies?"

I snorted. "Yeah, something like that."

Boreas nodded to himself, then stood up. "Well, I dunno about you, but I'm starving."

"Same here," I breathed.

"How about I cook something?" he offered.

I shrugged. "Just don't set the kitchen on fire."

"Bitch please, I'm a damn fine cook and you know it."

"You'd make an excellent housewife." I added as we both walked into the kitchen.

"I heard that, bitchboy."

I snickered to myself, and I watched as Boreas got several supplies out of a refrigerator.

"What are you planning on making?" I prompted him as I made myself comfortable at an island bar that sat in the middle of the white, sleek kitchen.

"Um...Scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage."

"Hmm, sounds good to me," I mused, "When should I head out to take care of this next contract."

"I'm not your nanny. You go when you want to," he replied, cracking a few eggs into a skillet, "Just make sure you're physically and mentally prepared to take care of business, you hear?"

I nodded in understanding. "Alright. Thanks, Boreas."

"For breakfast? No problemo, my friendo–."

"No, I mean thanks dealing with me."

"You gettin' clingy all of a sudden?" he prompted me, turning to regard me as he started scrambling the eggs with a whisk.

"No. I'm realizing you've helped me stay sane." I replied, looking him right in the eye. "In this line of work, all the violence and bloodshed gets to you. Most bounty hunters fade from the public eye because it grows to be too much–even for the most cold-blooded bastard, they eventually snap from the pressure."

"It sounds like you're getting clingy."

I scowled. "Go fuck yourself."

He chuckled. "I understand though. That's why I hang back and provide support. I...Doubt I can handle killing someone–especially someone that could kill me back. Call me a coward, but I really don't think I can live with that..."

"At least you're honest with yourself."

"How do you cope with it, man?"

A rueful smile appeared on my face when I thought about the Void I've constantly visited in my dreams. "I ask myself that question every night."