*Hands Shocker a bottle of mouthwash*

“Here you go, bud. Happy birthday.”

“Hey; nothin’ wrong with the classics. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?”

He glanced at the holstered weapon.

“Lemme guess; a projectile thrower, right? Those are pretty effective as long as you don’t run out of ammunition.”

“I ain’t from around here; just passing through. The piece of space I’m from is filled with worlds kinda like this one, but they’ve all been roped into a war that’s been going on so long, no one’s really sure what started it.”

He took another drag.

“I guess you might call my time here a vacation.”

The Will glanced over the rim of his drink at the stranger. The man seemed friendly, but he detected a glint of steel hiding beneath the jovial exterior. He raised his glass in greeting.

“Thanks, friend. It’s standard issue, but it gets the job done.”

“Yep. Your planet has a lot of beauty to it.”

He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and languidly released a wavering ring of smoke.

“Hope y’all don’t fuck it up.”

He shrugged.

“To tell the truth, I’ve never really liked the Removal jobs. But the bounty-hunting?”

His smile returned.

“Most of those gigs actually 𝙖𝙧𝙚 pretty cool.”

The Will greeted the stranger with a good natured smile.

“Various jobs; depending on the pay. Most of the time, it’s what some folks call ‘bounty-hunter.’ Sometimes, it’s protection detail.”

His eyes grew cold.

“Sometimes, it involves removing troublesome people. Permanently.”

“Hope you weren’t counting on a monogamous deal, pal. ‘Cause I’ve had my eye on beer as well.”

He leaned back on his elbows, extended legs crossed casually at the ankles.

“It feels like I’ve been adrift for years now, and the water’s been stormy as fuck. This place, this moment; it felt like the first piece of calm I’ve seen in a while. Thought I’d enjoy it while it lasts.”

A warm breeze briefly washed over the hill, carrying with it an unfamiliar floral aroma. The drifting clouds partially obscured the sun, momentarily muting its brilliance to a soft pink glow.

“Yes. Both the view, and that tune you’re humming. What is it, by the way?”

With a quiet coughed to announce his presence, he sat down next to the woman. The ground was surprisingly soft; the commingling scents of plump grass and raw earth a pleasant change from the harsh, industrial smells he was used to.
He gazed out at the lazily drifting clouds.

“That’s a nice view.”

“Who knows? Their marriage was more a combination of business-deal and political arrangement than an affair of the heart. Maybe he wanted more control of the finances, or maybe he just wanted a way out. Whatever the case, I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”

“Tall-Tale?”

He felt his checks redden in mild annoyance at the implication.

“I assure you lady, everything I’m tellin’ you is true.”

With a resigned sigh, He passed a hand over his stubbled scalp.

“Anyway; we eventually parted ways. Turns out her husband was behind the assassination attempts.”

He shrugged.

“Maybe he’s got places to go? Besides; walkin’ is a lot more environmentally sound than driving.”

“World called Jaxx. One o’ the regional matriarchs was getting death threats; she hired me to get to the bottom of it. We got swept up in a whirlwind romance, and the threats escalated.”

He smiled.

“It got crazy. Sniper-bots one day, venomous squirrels the next. And then there was the dragon...”

Stifling his discomfort, he donned a casual smile and accepted the offered hand. He gave it a brisk, moderately firm shake.

“Pleased to meet you, Hécate.”

He offered an unbidden nod of assent.

“Solid choice. My favorite one is Obie-Kenobie.”