The Runaway {Hunter} (WATTYS 2022)

Chapter 33

Holding her grip tighter around Hunter, Cora saw further ahead, hanging from a tower, was Omega.

"There!" Cora yelled as speeders zoomed past them. Her finger pointed over Hunter's shoulder and to the skyline.

"I see her!" Hunter leaned forward and flew faster.

The strange woman was holding her arm as she dangled above the traffic below. She sudden dropped Omega, making her fall onto the back of a transporter. The woman dropped down with her and eyes Hunter and Cora as they drove closer. The woman jumped to the edge of the transport, pulling her blaster from her hip, and started shooting at the two. Hunter pulled back and behind a series of buildings.

Cora gripped his shoulder, putting one knee on the seat. "Get ready to get close."

Hunter glanced over his shoulder to her, "What are you doing?" He asked.

Cora prepared herself for when Hunter got back towards Omega. "You'll see."

Hunter drove back around and got closer to the truck. The woman started to shoot at them as Cora pulled out her grappling hook. She pointed it towards the front of the truck, wrapping it around one of the steel beams at the top. Cora then let go of Hunter and jumped forward, the grappling hook pulling her up towards the truck. Cora pulled her leg out and kicked the woman as she landed on her. Omega had just pulled the leaver to dump the back of the truck, causing the woman to tumble forward. Cora held on by her hook as boxes fell, causing the stranger to loose her grip and fall below into the traffic.

Cora struggled with her own grip as Omega fell, holding on by a small band around the edge of the truck. Cora saw Hunter speed closer, reaching for Omega. The Senator pulled herself up and quickly loosened the rope, falling closer to Omega as Hunter approached.

"Look out!" Omega yelled as the strange woman, now on her own speeder, hit Hunter, causing him to flee off the traffic lanes.

Patrol enforcement came closer behind as the woman looked back. Cora took this moment to try and reach for Omega. The truck was going to fast for Cora to actually rescue Omega, but she tried anyways. The woman moved closer as Cora retracted her grappling hook and grab the same piece of rope that Omega was holding. Looking back, Cora saw Hunter coming up from behind, shooting the speeder that the woman was on. He shot the engine as Omega lost some of her grip. Cora reached for her, trying to grab her as she struggled to hold her weight. She grabbed Omega, holding her with one arm.

Now holding herself, and Omega, she struggled to hold onto the rope. Cora looked quickly and locked eyes with Hunter. Cora them let go of the rope. She closed her eyes as she heard Omega yell as they fell down into traffic. But she held Omega tightly in her arms.

A hand grabbed Cora's, the air of a nearby speeder grazed her body as she looked up. Hunter groaned at the amount of weight he held with one arm. He pulled the two up, Cora breathing a sigh. She helped Omega up as Hunter pulled the girl in front of him. Cora sat behind him again, her arms around his waist.

"Hold on, kid." Hunter said pulling one of the small explosives out from his bag, "We're not out of this yet."

Hunter slammed on the breaks, pulling back behind the woman who was still on one of the cruisers. He threw the bomb on it, it blew up as Hunter pulled away and back towards the ship. Cora let out a sigh, leaning her forehead on Hunter's back as they got away safely.

No one said anything on their way back. Cora was tired, and sore, but she couldn't imagine how Omega felt. Hunter landed the speeder bike in the bay where the Marauder was. He came to a stop and looked at Tech and Echo, who were waiting for their return.

"We need to go, now!" Hunter said jumping off the bike. Cora lifted Omega off, as they ran up into the ship.

Wrecker soon joined them as Tech jumped into the pilot's seat. The ship took off and they were soon safely out of the planets range. Everyone was gathered at the front of the ship, taking a moment to relax after what had just unfolded.

Hunter placed his bag down and sighed. "She has to be a bounty hunter."

Cora sat down next to him as she nodded. "A what?" Omega asked turning to him.

"Someone hired to retrieve targets." Echo said turning to them.

"And you appear to be the target." Tech turned around in his seat, pointing to Omega.

"Me?" Omega gasped.

"Hey," Wrecker growled, "don't scare the kid."

"We have to find out who she is, and who hired her." Hunter said, his face deep in thought.

Omega looked to Hunter, her eyes filled with worry. She was lost in this world, something she wasn't used too. She was only a young girl, raised on Kamino, now in a world completely different from the one she knew.

Cora looked away and leaned her head back. "She was after me too." Cora said.

Everyone's head turned towards her, their eyes burning into her.

"You? Why?" Echo asked.

Cora opened her mouth. Was she to tell the truth, or lie again and again, like she had been doing for years.

"I'm not sure." She lied.

"Do you think it had something to do with the person who recognized you?" Hunter leaned closer.

Cora turned to the group. She shook her head. "No, I don't think so." That wasn't a lie, because she didn't think the old lady told the bounty hunter about her, especially since she was after Omega first.

"Well, that bounty hunter will have to go through all of us to get to our girls." Wrecker said patting Omega on the back, a smirk on his face.

Cora looked to him and gave a smile, she was grateful for having them all on her side.

"Thanks Wrecker." Omega said hugging him.

Cora sighed and stood up, walking towards the back to get out of her common clothes. She slipped into the private area and placed her blacks on. She rubbed her face as her nose felt sore from the head butt from the woman. She cleaned the dried blood and slipped out, grabbing her armour again. She was putting her chest plate on when Hunter approached her, Omega with him.

"Get some rest kid." Cora said to her, she could see the sleep in her eyes. "You've had a long day."

Omega yawned and waved to her, walking past towards her little room. Cora smiled as she watched her walk off, clipping her chest plate on her body. She reached for her leg guards as Hunter crossed his arms, leaning on the wall beside her.

"How'd you know I was going to catch you, when you fell off that speeder?"

She didn't look up at him. "I didn't." She admitted. Cora sighed and looked up to him. "But I had hope in you, I knew you'd catch us."

Hunter wanted to scold her. Yelling at her for how dangerous it was for her to let go of the rope with Omega in her arms. She could have been hurt, or hurt Omega, or even have been killed. He wanted to give her a mouth full, but he didn't.

The small smile on her face stopped him.

She was genuine about her words. Cora knew Hunter wouldn't let anything bad happen to them, no matter what. She had hope in Hunter from the moment they met, and it was still true now.

Her smile was a reminder to Hunter that she was healing. She still ached, the things she had seen would never go away. But slowly, she was healing.

Cora was healing on her own.