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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Risesohigh33 on 2025-10-15 16:00:11+00:00.
A long, low whistle comes from Matteo as he leans back in his chair. It creaks with his weight, and he pushes the thick hair back over his head. There are deep grooves above his eyes. Sagging skin below them. This Terran has lived a hard life, and he is clearly older than both James and Klara. By how much I’m not entirely sure. “Must be a pretty high-profile assassination if you need this kind of hardware,” he says. His eyes flicker from James to Klara. They do not waste a single moment on me.
Klara just smiles back at him. I swear even the guards around the room are leaning in, and who knows what they have heard before. They’re all Terrans, after all. “You could say that,” she says.
Matteo clicks his tongue. “I will not haggle, because you both know my feelings, and I know you will pay, because you have the funds to do so. Daddy Dante pays well, no?”
James doesn’t tell Matteo the truth. Not yet. Not ever, hopefully. It was part of the plan. Letting Matteo in on the fact that James and Klara are both on the run could be quite unfortunate for us. Neither of them have a single shred of doubt that Matteo would turn them both in for the bounty in less than a moment if it would benefit him.
“We have never failed to pay, Matteo,” James says. He cracks a few of his fingers. “Nor will we now.”
“I believe you. But before that bit of business, there is something I must know.” Matteo leans forward, hungry for information. His face is set in focus, but there is fire behind his eyes. I did not notice the tattoos on his fingers until he just folded them in front of him on the table. I see the makings of more on his arms, but most of them are hidden by his sleeves, which dangle near the top of his wrists. “Where have you been, Cazador? You were perhaps my best customer. And then you were gone.” His eyes narrow. “How long has it been? Ten years?”
James just stares back, not giving an inch. “Give or take.”
“Good options, but I will take. Your answer, please. That or our business here today will be difficult to commence. Trust has been built between us, Cazador.” He glances at Klara. “You too, savage.” Back to James. “That trust feels shaky, and I would like to shore up the foundation.”
James slowly shakes his head. “You know we cannot discuss official Inferno business with you. You’ve tried this before. You will try it again. The answer will remain the same.”
The two Terrans stare daggers through each other for a few more moments. Then Matteo breaks the eye contact, yawns and leans back in his chair again. He shrugs as if he does not mind. “Such secrets you keep.” Matteo takes on an odd voice. “Soulless are the best, need the best, pay the best.” Oh, I see. He is imitating James. “That’s what you told me.”
“I did.”
“Then let us hope it still holds!” Matteo rolls up his sleeves to around his elbows and sets his arms on the table. He flips his palms up, and he’s still talking, but I do not hear what he is saying, because I am staring at one of his markings. The marking on his arm, the tattoo, is a white, faded fang wrapped in dark red and orange flames. It is intricate. Very similar to the tattoos that James and Klara both have, but this one is a different symbol.
“And I know you don’t want to talk about price,” Matteo is saying as I come back into myself, “but I still need to know the specs that you request–”
I raise a hand and point to his arm. “What is that marking?” I ask. I’m not sure why I care to know or why now. I just do. And after spending these last months with James and Klara, I have learned that without asking for something, you will never receive it. Within reason, of course.
Matteo turns to stare at me, and his eyes are wide in surprise. He lets out a sharp laugh and slaps the table. “The little one speaks!” he belts. “In English too! What did you say?”
I clear my throat as James would do and sit up straighter. “What is that marking? On your arm.” I ask again.
Matteo looks down at his arm for a moment then back up to me. His eyes, I notice, have changed from amusement to great sadness. He blinks, and I wish to be anywhere else. I do not detect much anger at me but just bottomless despair.
“Sheon,” I hear James say from beside me. I look at him. He is slowly shaking his head. “Not now.”
Matteo still hasn’t spoken, but Klara does it for him. “I’ll keep it short,” she says, and surprisingly, Matteo nods slowly. I notice her voice. It is changed. Deep respect comes along with her words. “Matteo was a Fireborn. We told you about Fireborn a little, yeah?”
I just nod. My eyes have not left Matteo.
“He was one of them. A medic. Best surgeon in his company. Battle tested as well. Perfect soldier, some might say.”
Matteo’s huge body heaves. He shakes his head and clears his throat. “I would not,” he says softly.
“Matteo lost people, Sheon. Lots of them. Humanity still fights skirmishes and brief wars with alien races from time to time. None as big as either of the Higgan Wars, but still.” She pauses. “His company was killed. All of them. He survived. Struck out on his own after that. Good?”
I swallow and nod. “Good. Sorry I asked,” I say.
“What were the specs you need?” Matteo asks, raising his head. The sadness is gone. Whatever remains is much more muted.
“Biometric, facial recognition, all the rest. The entire playbook, please,” Klara says, taking the chance to answer.
“I can do that. Just need a couple of days.” Matteo is back to business, and he’s leaning forward again. He gestures to Klara and James. “Need a sample from both of you, to mix with what I have. You know the drill–gotta have some of your own in the material, or your body will attack it. It’s a delicate balance.” He gestures between them again. “Especially for you two”–Matteo clears his throat–“enhanced.”
“We know the drill,” James says. He stands, ready to be out of here. He extends a hand for Matteo.
Matteo rises and grasps James’ hand. “Two days, Cazador. Gotta make sure it’s proper and then a quick test. Then you’ll be out of here. Hope it isn’t another ten years before we cross paths again.”
“It just might be,” James says. “We’ll be back in two days then.” James looks down to me and motions his head. Time to leave.
The door behind us opens, and the same Terran that let us in approaches Matteo. He whispers into the man’s ear, and Matteo’s face goes from confused to shocked to pleased. His eyes can’t help but flicker back and forth between James and Klara.
My two friends share a look. I almost feel like I can tell what they’re silently saying to each other, but I’m not quite there yet.
The Terran guard leaves and shuts the door behind him. Matteo sits down, picks up a cup from his table and takes a sip. He then chuckles to himself, sets his feet up on the table, places his hands onto his stomach and levels his eyes at us.
“There has been a development,” he says.
I have a poor feeling about this, so it does not surprise me that James is the one to immediately ask, “What kind of development?”
“A good one, I’ll tell you that!” Matteo says, chuckling again. “It seems you have competition that has just arrived.”
Klara’s face falls. She cocks her head. “Which means, what exactly?” she asks.
Matteo claps his hands. “A brother of yours is here!” he says, standing. He frowns. “Two, actually, but one is coming here, and the other will stay on the ship.” Matteo waves a hand. “Semantics. Anyway!”
“Fucking out with it, Matteo!” Klara snarls.
Matteo sighs, placing the back of his hand on his forehead. “So uncivilized,” he says, clearly joking. Where did the sad Terran go? Was that an act? No, impossible. I saw it clear as day. But Matteo has morphed back into this form. Then he raises his arms. “We have a bidding war. Your brothers Kieran and Joshua are here!”
My stomach sinks because I have heard those names before. Those are two other Soulless. I remember Klara naming each of them when she and James were about to square off. Matteo starts to pace in excitement, but James and Klara are not moving.
I look at my friends. Madness dances behind their eyes, but the rest of their faces are blank. Matteo’s, on the other hand, is alive as he continues. “There is another Soulless at my door for business. That is the only reason you all come here. And I have seen your competitions firsthand, no?”
Klara licks her teeth in agitation. “Yes, and you always favored us. So, do it again. Don’t even let them in,” she says. Klara rises from her seat and takes a step closer to Matteo, shaking her shoulders. I watch her uncoil her body in real time, arming her inner war machines for combat.
Matteo must notice too, because he just scoffs. “Why the hostility, Medusa?” Matteo asks. He pumps his hands in front of his body. “I have seen you and your siblings squabble for my services when you all arrived at the same time, yes. I am only one man.” He raises his hands. “With only two hands! But that is just squabble and nothing more. Everything always works out.”
James is calm as he eyes the door, Matteo, Klara, the guards around us and then me. Back to Matteo. "You wan…
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