Bounty Hunter

Chapter 2

“Kai,” he answers simply. He turns his back to me to face the weaponry. The loud sound of machinery vibrating to life startles me, inciting me to take a step back. Threatening knives and guns begin flying off the shelves, as if a magnetic pulse were drawing them to Kai. Gizmo yaps excitedly and he zooms around as if he controls the gadgets. My jaw drops open and I can only imagine how dumbfounded I must appear. My eyes widen in disbelief. Kai’s hands reach overhead removing his shirt with one swift tug. To my surprise he also reaches down to pull off his pants, leaving himself in a pair of black boxers. I avert my eyes awkwardly, trying not to ogle his Adonis like perfection. But the loud commotion draws my helpless eyes back to him. His long muscular arms spread outward to accept an incoming vest. The thin black vest slams onto his torso, and he accepts it without flinching. Matching black leg pieces latch onto his legs like pieces of armor. The weapons rotating around him shoot onto the parts of his body covered in black. Thin, deadly weapons settle into the vest and onto his legs, they fit perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. A faint blue glow emanates from the vest and leg pieces.

                All the possibilities of his identity run through my mind. Gizmo interrupts my thoughts, and hurls a gray v-neck and a pair of black pants across the room. Kai’s hands grasp the clothes as if they were a victory prize. He pumps his fist in the air leaping up triumphantly. “Woo! I am back!” He runs his hands across the vest, gliding them across the deadly weapons with satisfaction. Such a typical guy. I run my trembling fingers through my black hair. He pulls the clothing on, concealing the deadly weapons underneath. Gizmo flies ahead of us, heading farther into the house. The glow of all the machinery and weapons dims, and they revert into the wall as if they had never been there.

                Kai gestures with one hand and I nervously follow him through a door and into a normal looking kitchen. “Sit,” he says casually. I take a seat at the kitchen island, and rub my sweaty palms against my running clothing. And yes, I am acutely aware of the fact that I smell like the devil, in front of the most gorgeous man I’ve ever come across. But considering the absurdity of my situation it’s currently my last concern. Kai takes a seat across from me and Gizmo levitates two glasses of water, laying one before both of us. Kai sips his thirstily and eyes me with amusement. “It’s not poisonous or anything. You can drink it.” I gulp down the water, and mentally brace myself for whatever he’s about to tell me

               He wastes no time in leaping directly to the point. “Gizmo is not a toy. He’s a high tech robot wired to mimic the tendencies of a real dog. He’s programmed to track down aliens. All he needs is their picture. I’m an alien. I was born on a planet named Attero which means impair. The air on Attero would impair a non Atterian’s lungs, hence the name. It’s light years away from Earth, but my ship travels faster than the speed of light. Since I’m an Atterian my lungs are practically indestructible and my entire body functions differently from yours. My body is geared to handle intense speeds without collapsing, amongst other abilities. That’s  also why the bullet didn’t affect me. My body literally regurgitated it. That cat who was trying to kill us is actually an alien named Shashira. Her cat form is merely one of her shape shifting forms. She’s a highly wanted criminal with a hefty bounty for anyone who captures her. I use the rings on my palms to catch aliens. That’s why I wear the biker gloves. Once I catch them I transfer them to the highest bidder. Shashira is just one of the many runaway criminals.”

                “So you expect me to believe you’re some ‘alien bounty hunter’,” I ask incredulously. “You don’t even look like an alien. You look like a regular human. How do I know you’re not just some whack with access to illegal weapons?” “You could choose to believe that. But I am an alien.” “Prove it,” I say challenging him. He stares at me equally daring. With one quick movement he removes his shirt. “What are you doing?!” I say. He tears open his vest revealing a chiseled chest. His torso is illuminated by a blue light and the vest’s wiring is connected directly to his body. The delicate silver and red wires are inserted into his flesh in a way not humanly possible. The wires run through his body forming a maze of electricity. “I believe you! You’re an alien. You can pull your shirt down,” I say with slight disgust. The unatural sight of the wiring nauseated me. “I would run away now, but I don’t want the cat to murder me. So I’d say my best bet at living would be to trust you,” A large grin spreads across his face. “I knew you’d come around. Oh! and if we’re going to be spending more time with each other I should probably get your name,” “My name is May, and this arrangement is only temporary. After you catch your bounty I don’t want to see you. Ever!” “You say that now, but trust me we will see each other again,” he states confidently. I squint my eyes at him devilishly, “Yes. I see it now. You’re definitely an alien. I just couldn’t see that massive head of yours as clearly before, inflated by your even bigger ego. Especially considering the fact that you were almost killed by a kitten,” I spit.