The Iron Pillars

Chapter 28

The next morning, Brant sighed and reluctantly accepted the bow Wendy thrusted into his hands. Behind him, he felt Aaron tying a bandana around the lower half of his face, concealing his mouth. Hannah rummaged in a cluttered box for a pair of sunglasses.

"What exactly are you guys trying to achieve here?" he asked, his voice muffled through the thick cloth.

Wendy clipped a hip-quiver full of arrows to his hip. "There's a bloody famous mercenary called Trickshot Talon who looks a bit like you with just a little tweaking."

"You're easily recognizable as is, so figured we'd help you out." Aaron added, "So I told Ryder to be expecting you in this."

Brant shrugged. "Alright, then. What about Hannah?"

The brunette glanced up sharply at the sound her name before staring at Aaron, waiting for his answer.

"I dunno." Aaron said, "We'll figure something out. I guess our story is that Trickshot has a new partner, how about that?"

Brant shrugged. "I guess so." When Wendy ran her fingers through his hair and swirled the strands around, he glared. "What're you doing?"

"Calm down!" she snapped, "Trickshot doesn't brush his bloody hair."

Brant rolled his eyes and only reluctantly surrendered to the treatment. Hannah giggled when she noticed the mess Wendy made of his hair. Then she stepped forward and slipped a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Aaron completed the look by placing a sheathed dagger on his hip. He and Wendy stepped back, glanced over their work, and nodded proudly.

"Half an hour!" Sila called from the cockpit.

Aaron craned his neck to peek through the doorway. "Until what? Landing?"

"Yes."

"Awesome. Thanks for the update." With a mischievous grin on his face, he turned to Hannah. "Time to mercenarify you."

She laughed. "Oh boy."

First, Wendy draped a jacket of Aaron's over Hannah's shoulders, easily concealing her figure with its excessive length, loose sleeves and broad shoulders. Next, Wendy tied Hannah's hair into a ponytail, which was a hairstyle Brant had never seen on her before. It certainly allowed him to see the beautiful structure of her face in a new light, and without thinking about it, he found himself smiling at the cuteness.

Wendy sent Aaron off to grab a pair of earrings from her bag while she applied eyeliner to Hannah's eyes. Brant found himself struck with how a simple change like that detracted slightly from the innocent look her usual makeup-free face emanated. Reminding himself it was for her protection, he tried to brush it aside.

Soon enough, golden earrings hung from her earlobes, tactical leather boots complete with a sheathed dagger for each covered her feet, and her familiar shotgun rested in her hands. Aaron and Wendy stepped back again and nodded with proud smiles as if they'd dressed a child in a new ensemble.

"Alright, what's your new partner's name?" Aaron asked Brant with a smirk on his lips.

Brant met Hannah's eyes and chuckled. "Let's see...you're...Heatwave."

"Heatwave?" she asked in the midst of a giggle, "Alright."

Brant turned to Aaron. "Would now be a bad time to bring up I know nothing of archery?"

"Oh, stop it." Wendy chided, "You're bloody strong, so drawing the string back's not gonna be a problem for you, and with your eyesight, I've no doubt you can figure it out with a little effort."