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Chapter 1 - Slutty Blue Suit
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"Hey handsome, 45 seguru and I'll let you finish inside." Spoke a slim young woman to a passerby. She was dressed in a neon green latex leotard, with matching neon green stockings and sleeves. Her hair was done in a high ponytail and her makeup was styled similarly to her outfit, bright and eye-catching. The leotard clung tightly to the girl's small breasts, leaving them clear to see to any who looked. The girl's nipple piercings could be seen through the leotard as well, serving to draw the eyes to her already, essentially exposed, chest. However, her glossy eyes betrayed her otherwise clean look, showing clearly that she was on some cocktail of drugs.
A blue-gloved hand reached out from the sleeve of the long dark coat worn by the passerby, and swatted the girl's hand moments before it made contact. "Ow! What the hell is your..." The girl started, cut off as the stranger turned to face her. To her surprise, hidden under the deep hood of the coat, the girl saw a woman's face. The face was pretty with full lips and soft features, and her makeup was far more subtle with only small mascara wings accenting each green eye and an amount of blush that made the girl question if she just had naturally perfect color in her cheeks. The woman's face would be invitingly beautiful were it not for the sneer currently on it.
She wondered where this person's man was. Judging by her latex-like blue glove the woman seemed to be wearing, under her coat, an outfit similar to the girl's own. And despite her makeup being more subtle, it was certainly fitting for her pretty face. The girl was jealous of the passerby's beauty. If she wasn't careful she could lose a lot of customers to the woman. "S...sorry." She mumbled, her voice thick with envy.
Samus Aran looked back at the girl with equal parts pity and disgust.
Poor thing.
She lowered her hand, a hint of compassion breaking through her deadly expression for a moment, before she turned and walked away. The girl was drugged up in a skimpy outfit and begging strangers to sleep with her. How anyone could let themselves be lowered to such a sorry state was beyond Samus. Her remorse for the girl faded as she walked away.
She let this happen to herself, perhaps it was what she deserved.
These streets were even seedier than she had thought. It wasn't a good place to be, for anyone. Yes, she was a universe-renowned bounty hunter. But a bullet is a bullet no matter who you are. That said, despite the risk, she was only human, and after the kinds of days she had, a drink wasn't unreasonable.
The risk of seedy streets like these was not lost on Samus. She knew that despite being a universe-renowned bounty hunter she could be surprised like anyone else. And a bullet is a bullet, no matter who you are. That said she was only human, and despite the risk, she felt after a long day a drink was reasonable.
The air smelled of stale smoke, illegal drugs, and alcohol as Samus pushed open the door of the bar. The lighting inside was dim. Only a neon strip of lights next to a pole at the back of the room really broke the darkness. Standing at the entrance, Samus scanned the room. There were six patrons in total, three playing pool on a dusty table, two at the bar, and one seemingly waiting for a girl near the stage in the back. None seemed any more dangerous than a regular thug, except the one waiting in the back. He wasn't human, and though he was sitting, it was clear he was taller than Samus would be in her Varia battle suit. She couldn't tell his species from here and didn't really care to. So long as he kept his attention on the empty stage, Samus didn't care.
The patrons at the table glanced at Samus as she walked further into the bar. A few fingers were pointed but nothing more. With her coat and hood, she looked like just another low life trying to get drunk. She sat down at the bar as far from the others as she could, though with the building being relatively small, that wasn't far. The bartender was chatting with the others, leaned on the counter and laughing. After a moment or two, he lumbered his way over to Samus.
"What do I pour?" he said in an almost annoyed tone of voice while looking at the stranger in front of him
"A shot of whatever is cheap and strong." Her reply was soft in volume but spoken firmly, in an attempt to both mask her gender from the others and to not come across as vulnerable to the barkeep.
Immediately the man's expression changed from discontent to suspiciously curious. He eyed her down for a second but was still unable to see her face under her hood. He turned to look for a bottle. The man reached for a large half-empty bottle but stopped just before grabbing it. He glanced back without moving his head, then reached for a different, unmarked bottle, a few spaces away from the first. Turning back to the stranger, he grabbed a cup and poured. When he finished it was almost full.
"That's a pretty big shot."
"Never had anyone complain about it before"
Samus reached out, her blue gloved hand again extending past the sleeve of her coat. From across the bar the two men watched, their eyes widening as they saw the stranger's hand. They glanced at the man at the bar, sharing a slight nod. Oblivious, and with her focus on remaining unseen, Samus lifted the cup up to and under her hood, then drank the 'shot'. When she placed the cup back down on the bar it was empty. Only moments later the bartender was filling the cup again. From under the hood, Samus eyed him with growing suspicion.
"What brings you around these parts" Called out one of the men from across the bar.
Samus grabbed her cup and raised it toward the man before setting it back down.
"You sure your not here hunting any bounties, Samus."
The already quiet room fell completely silent as her name was spoken and the few heads not already looking, turned. The two men watched, waiting for a response, when none came, the other thug spoke up.
"No no no, see her hand? She's got that slutty blue suit of hers on. She must be here to be our new dancer. Good timing too, Ol Rough Ruckus over there was getting lonely."
"Slutty suit? No Marv I think you have it wrong, Samus Aran, the famous bounty hunter, surely would never wear anything like that." His voice was thick with sarcasm