Mature Content Warning: A little foul language, and kissing and stuff. lol

Author's Note: Here we go. Sadly, this came in 200 words short of the 5,000 word mark that I like to shoot for with this story. Forgive me! Anyway, enjoy.

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Chapter 5: Boyfriend?

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The early evening was a time of frenetic activity within the city of America. Nineteen hundred hours, most people were finished with work for the day and wanted to either reach their homes or escape from them. For a hunter on a mission, it was one of the worst times of the day to try and navigate the city on foot.

Scott sighed at the sea of humanity down below. He currently stood on a cross walk overlooking the section of the city that he had to cross. In the distance there stood several large apartment buildings. In the building on the far right there was a nice girl with certain needs who was quite interested in meeting up with him.

“I can make it, but just to be sure...” Scott called up his friend list and selected Alex. He sent her a quick message telling her that he was on his way, but the traffic was heavy.

Scott started his journey by hoping down the side of the crosswalk, ignoring the stairs entirely. He dropped down to a concrete slab below and then hopped down once more. The man mentally congratulated himself for saving a few precious seconds and continued his trip.

He slipped through the mass of humanity by any means necessary. Sometimes he pushed, and sometimes he was pushed. Either way, he moved with the flow. He was never too aggressive, but people were used to being gently redirected around the path of someone who actually needed to be somewhere.

After crossing two blocks of the city, the herd began to thin. He got in line at the crosswalk. Scott checked his time and nodded. He was still on schedule. He did not want to be late.

The traffic signal changed and the people waiting in line surged forward almost as a single mass. Scott walked across the street with several people on either side of him and dozens of them in front and behind his position.

While crossing the street he once again wondered why people enjoyed living in these massive cities. If the person in front of him were to become flatulent many people could die. Well, it was not quite that bad, but they might wish that they had.

Thankfully, once he left the main artery in that area he was able to reach a section of sidewalk that allowed people to walk around like people instead of being tightly packed. Now that he had a bit of breathing room, the former soldier could become creative. He eyed the upper-level walkway. The next set of stairs leading upward was still some distance away. He would have to backtrack back to where he was to reach the proper road.

Scott looked around and noted several things that he could use to his advantage. “Heightened agility, don’t fail me now!”

The hunter took off like a shot, startling several people in the process. He reached the edge of the road and leapt atop the guard rail and then bounded away again. He immediately twisted his body and gripped a metal pole that held up a street sign and kicked off against the wall. The well-practiced maneuver allowed the man to use his momentum to flip onto the top of another sign pole. The new vantage point was much higher than the previous one.

He re-checked the distance and then nodded. He looked out over the area then steeled his courage. There was a major drop off ahead; he would only get one chance at this. However, he had made similar leaps back when he was in basic training and now his agility was several times higher than the common man.

A small crowd began to form and people started to take quick photos of is movements. Some of them began to openly gossip about the man’s intentions. Amid the gossip and cheers of the crowd, Scott jumped from the sign pole and easily cleared the distance to the upper causeway’s lower rail.

“What’s he gonna do now?” asked a hulking man with a buzz cut hairstyle. He watched as Scott swung his body back and forth three times before he kicked out then thrust his torso forward so that his arms would reach the next support.

The novice hunter repeated the maneuver several times before he managed to reach the furthest support. When he arrived there he dropped down on the other side of the river then ran over to another set of stairs. Scott was now at the next section he needed to reach and had cut several potential minutes off of his trip.

Buzz cut guy nodded then said, “Military” before he turned and walked away. A few people turned to look at the massive man-beast and then back to the distant form of the man running along the isle beneath the causeway. He had leapt over another guard rail and he currently seemed to be using the stone support base as a pathway to avoid the crowds.

Scott raced along the stone blocks and jumped when he reached the edge of each section. Below him was a deep pit known as the slums. It was not as bad as the name would suggest, but he had no desire to drop over a thousand feet down to the ground. However, he also had no concern for such things. He had made similar trips during basic training, after all.

He was not even the only person using such a short cut. After he reached the final stone support he glanced over to his left and noticed three people leaping along the support structure of another causeway. It was dangerous, and the police did not like it, but these sorts of methods provided the quickest way to get anywhere on foot.

The hunter leaned forward and looked around the corner of the final support. He was in luck. There was a maintenance ladder. He would not need to climb the metal barrier that kept cars from flying off the highway and into the residential block beyond.

He climbed up the ladder then turned toward the barrier. He looked down and saw fast moving vehicles gliding along the road. If he did not time this properly, he would not like the result. Still, what was life without unnecessary risks?

Scott took a step back then ran forward and leapt boldly into the air once more. He pulled his legs up, one leg higher than the other, and extended his arms slightly while making his fingers take on a claw-like appearance by curling them slightly.

He dropped down a bit then caught the metal barricade on three out of the four points that he had hoped for, and smiled at the result. It was not a perfect leap and grab, but his skills were still sharp. A special technique of the ADF, the leap and grab worked well on structures such as the barricade. Had he been aiming for a different structure, he would have used a different method.

The hunter maintained three points of contact at all times and climbed over the barricade. Once he was over the top, he looked around briefly then nodded. His next destination in sight, he quickly crawled sideways along the metal structure until he reached the next necessary point.

Scott threw himself backward in a powerful jump and twisted around in mid-air so that he could catch the next maintenance ladder. This time he made a perfect catch then grinned. He missed basic training. It was fun to do things like this.

He climbed up the ladder then smiled triumphantly. He was now at the residential block. Scott checked his time then nodded. He did not have much time for self-congratulation if he did not want to be late. He did spare a glance at the route he would have had to take otherwise and shook his head. He could have traveled it with decent speed, but it snaked all over the place.

“Direct is better...” said the hunter before turning from the edge. He jogged off at a steady-clip. It was not a straight shot to Alexis’ apartment building.

Just as he arrived at the entrance to her building, she responded to his message. Scott read it then frowned. His frown soon turned into a hearty laugh.

<<< Message >>>

Oh, it’s OK. I’ll just come get you at your place if you are leaving. My mother is letting me borrow her skimmer during my ninety-day period.

>>

Scott snorted and then smiled once more. That sounded like his sort of luck. He sent her a message in response to let her know that he had already arrived. He did not want to risk her flying off to collect him while he was attempting to reach her apartment.

He walked into the lobby of the apartment building then looked around. What it lacked in height, it made up for in interior design. The people who lived there must have had credits to burn. There were crystalline chandeliers, plush red carpets, expensive looking draperies, and all manner of other signs of wealth.

The hunter quickly moved toward the elevator, but a man in a security appeared before him. One moment they had not been there and in the next instant they were standing in his way. The security officer was flanked by two Crystallim who wore police issue body armor. Scott immediately suspected that the people in front of him were off-duty police officers who worked a side job as security.

“I’m sorry sir, may I see your identification, please?” asked the security agent. He spoke in a professional, polite, manner.

“Ah, yes.” Scott called up his status and granted temporary authorization for secure viewing. Only someone with proper clearance would be able to see his status. Security personnel, even private security in the public sector, counted as authorized personnel when on duty.

The security agent reviewed the information for a moment then looked at Scott. “I do not recognize you as a tenant of this building, sir. What is the purpose of your visit?”

“I am meeting a friend of mine.” said Scott. He related Alexis’ name and apartment number. The security personnel, all three of them, looked at him carefully for a moment.

The security agent in charge said, “Grant me a moment to verify that, sir.”

Despite his polite demeanor, he was not requesting Scott’s permission. The novice hunter recognized the man’s tone of voice. He was stating a fact, rather than asking for something.

Scott hoped that Alexis had not been playing a game with him. He did not want to think of what might happen if she said something off to the man. He waited while the security agent contacted someone. Scott suspected that it was Alexis, but it was impossible to tell. Several minutes passed before the girl answered.

“Ah, I see. You are authorized for entry, sir. If you wish to visit again in the future, it may be good to see if Ms. Rantez will register you as a permanently allowed guest.” stated the security guard before stepping aside.

“I’ll make a note of that. Thank you.” said Scott. He moved toward the elevator then heard the tell-tale sound of stealth mode activation.

He looked back and the three guards had seemingly vanished without a trace. Stealth mode was extremely difficult to detect through the physical senses.

An alert individual could hear the initiation of that mode if they knew what to listen for, but after it was initiated the person using stealth was virtually a ghost. You could not smell them, hear them, or see them. You could only know of their presence through magic or psychic abilities as even their heat signature was invisible.

Scott mentally noted what he had learned then waited for the elevator. Alexis lived in a building that had stealth mode guards protecting the area. She was the daughter of a breeder, so that could only mean one thing. Her mother was probably well-known in the breeding circuit.

The elevator arrived and he got inside. On the way up he sighed loudly then smiled. A ridiculous thought crossed his mind and he shook his head to clear it away. He had briefly thought about the lengths he would go to in order to see a girl.

The ride up the building ended with a pneumatic hiss as the rapid-transport elevator opened to reveal a glorious sight. Directly in front of the man there stood a vision of absolutely loveliness.

“Hi, Scott!” said Alexis. She waved to him happily.

Barely capable of formatting a proper response he waved back and nodded. “Hi...”

Alexis had come to greet him at the elevator while wearing a simple skirt and tank top combination. It was a casual look, but she pulled it off with great finesse.

She reached out one leather gloved hand to him and said, “Don’t be shy.”

He fought down a blush then stepped forward. His foolish body was betraying him. He’d had sex plenty of times, so why did he feel like giggling like an idiot in front of this girl. Was it her succubus blood?

The man reached forward and gently took her hand. “Sorry, I don’t look that good in a shirt so I felt bad about myself.”

She laughed a little then drew him forward. “You’re sweet. Let’s go.”

Scott meekly followed the girl down the hallway and then turned a corner. A large set of double doors stood open before them. Inside the room up ahead there was a small movie theater, or at least that was what he had thought it of it as.

Alexis ordered the doors closed behind them and then took him to sit in the back row. “The back row is the best for people on a date.”

He looked at her casually, “I’ve heard that. Though, I have never gone to the theater.”

“Yes, sadly it is a dying art form. There are too many people who solely live for virtual reality.” said Alexis.

That was certainly true. Scott had never visited a theater before because he preferred to be part of the action. He had played a few virtual reality games that were designed to let the player be the protagonist of a story. It was a lot of fun, though he preferred true reality. The life of a hunter really spoke to him.

“What do you like about it?” asked Scott.

She looked to him for a moment then bit her bottom lip a little. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

“No. Tell me anyway.” said Scott.

She snorted at him. “That’s mean, but alright...”

Alexis took a deep breath then looked up at the screen. “I like the fact that most people don’t go.”

“Really? Why is that?” asked Scott.

“You’ve seen what it is like in the city. It is extremely crowded. I can use a skimmer or private transit, but most people are packed in pretty tight.” she said.

“True. I’m not sure why people like to live like this. There are plenty of smaller towns with more leg room.” said Scott.

“I know, right? I can’t wait to be out there in the field.” Alexis smiled softly then acquired a distant look in her eyes.

“Why do you want to be a hunter so badly?” asked Scott. It was surprising, really. She seemed like she could have almost anything she wanted.

She squeezed his hand a little then looked at the screen for a moment. Finally, she looked down. “I just want to be free.”

“Free?” asked Scott. There was something important to what she had said. He did not know if he was prying into her affairs too deeply, but he did want to know.

She nodded twice then sighed. “My mother, my human mother, has always been worried about me. Now that I am an adult I can choose my own path, but until this point I was pretty much a storybook princess kept in a tower.”

Scott looked at her then looked around at the room. “This apartment building?”

“Yes. I’ve spent most of my life in this place. I could only leave when I had an escort until recently.” she said.

“Ah, the stealth mode security guards?” asked Scott.

She laughed a little then smiled. “Yes, though Ginger counts as well.”

“Why were you hidden away like that?”

Alexis gently squeezed his hand again before looking him in the eyes. “I told you about my parentage... My mother was worried that I would awaken during puberty. There are also business related reasons.”

“Given the price tag of this place, I bet a lot of people would want to put pressure on your mother through you, huh.”

Alexis laughed slowly, sadly. “Yeah, I’m just glad that I had Ginger. Occasionally my mother would authorize play dates with other kids, but I would not call them my friends.”

“Well, I’ll be your friend if you can put up with me.” Scott started to laugh but his mirth was cut short by Alexis. She lunged forward and pressed her lips against his.

He blinked then gently moved his hands forward to embrace her. He wrapped her in his arms and she slipped her arms around him as well. The surprising and tender moment continued for quite a while.

Finally, Alexis broke contact. She looked into Scott’s eyes and it became apparent that she had started to cry, “Do you really mean that, Scott?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” The hunter was confused about her sudden aggression, but he saw no reason to avoid making friends with her.

She smiled tenderly at him then moved her hand so that she could place it against his cheek. “I believe you.”

Scott nodded slightly. He was not sure what to say to that. She had obviously not had much luck with making friends in the past. His heart went out to the girl a little. She had everything but the one thing she actually needed most, simple human contact.

Alexis sighed in a gentle way then looked down and shook her head. She looked him in the eyes once more. “I know I seem weird and probably a little clingy, or something. But would you like to be my official boyfriend?”

“Boyfriends? Alexis, you barely know me... and we’re both hunters...” said Scott.

“I know that! I know... I don’t have a problem with you being a hunter. Hello, I’m one too! I just... need you to be my boyfriend. Is that, OK?” She looked at him with soft pleading eyes.

“Why me? I have no problem with spending time with you, but why me?” The very idea of her asking him that sort of question was bizarre to the man. She did not know him, well. They had only just met. Hell, the only real communication that had originally had between each other was his time spying on her with a flying eyeball.

Alexis winced slightly then sniffled a little. It was obviously an emotional moment for the girl. She fought back the tears that seemed to be on the verge of falling and smiled sweetly.

She spoke in a measured manner. It was as though she had rehearsed what she would say next. “Your resonance matches mine... If I do awaken, I need to have someone readily available who I can trust to take care of me. That’s my only requirement.”

Scott understood her purpose then. He did not know if she actually liked him, or even how she had determined that he had a proper resonance pattern to match with her if she awakened. However, he could understand it when someone wanted to secure their future.

“Will there be cuddling?” he asked curiously.

“Frequently.” said Alexis with a smile.

Scott rubbed his chin like he was thinking it over. He glanced over to the girl and she tilted her head to the side, a curious and hopeful expression on her face. “Ms. Rantez, you have yourself a boyfriend.”

She cried out happily then pulled him close for another kiss. Scott did not resist her affections in the slightest. How could he? She was his girlfriend, now.

They continued their special moment for a time then drew apart once more. Alexis’ face was bright red but she looked like she was happy with the outcome.

“So, what are my boyfriend duties?” asked Scott.

Alexis kissed him on the chin then clasped his hands. “Just be nice to me. If I need help and you’re nearby, help me. I do want to journey on my own though, is that OK?”

“Sure, we can get together whenever.” said Scott. This courtship was more like a business transaction than an actual relationship anyway.

“Great! Hey, I know... Do you want to be spotters?” She squeezed his hands happily and shared a hopeful smile.

“That does sound like a good idea. I have not chosen one, yet.” said Scott. A spotter was not absolutely necessary. It was more of a convenience really. When a hunter captured a Crystallim, they would not always be able to bond with the girl.

That forced them to find the newly freed girl a better situation. Typically, that would mean that the girl would need to be sold or sent to a sponsor. Her fate would no longer be in the hands of the hunter.

However, a spotter was someone who could help with that issue to some extent. If they spotted and captured a Crystallim who was not compatible with them, they could send them to their partner through the system. They shared liability, but it provided rapid access to a wider variety of Crystallim if they hunted in different areas. Of course, only close friends or people with contractual obligations would enter into such an agreement. If you send a Crystallim to someone else, she becomes that person’s property under law due to liability issues.

“Great! Where do you intend to hunt first? I’ll make sure we don’t go to the same area.” said Alexis.

“I thought that I would try the grasslands at the national park. I have to finish gaining Crystallim for my team.” said Scott.

Alexis nodded. “I planned to head to the lake myself.”

“Ah, I just came from there earlier.” he said.

“Really! How did it go?” Alexis leaned in excitedly.

Scott lifted his arm and showed her the blue Crystallim core slotted to his bracer. “I only found one Crystallim during the entire trip, but it worked out well.”

“Oh? Did you form a new bond?” Alexis’ eyes widened slightly and her lips parted in a gentle way. She seemed to be hanging on his every word.

“Yep! I found and partnered with a Caesg.” said Scott. He left out the part where she was not ready to even speak to him properly, yet. The mermaid girl seemed like she would be a nice girl to get to know.

“Caesg... Caesg... Oh, that’s a mermaid, right? She’s a mermaid?” asked Alexis excitedly.

Scott laughed at her enthusiasm. “Yes, I distracted her with a rock and Flora dragged her out of the water and took her down.”

“Flora... is that your starter?” asked Alexis.

“Ah, yes. I ended up choosing to partner with a very nice Alraune girl.” said the hunter. He studied her face carefully. He had probably imagined it, but it seemed that a strange look had crossed his companion’s face when he mentioned Flora. That had to be a trick of the light in the dimly lit room.

“An Alraune? Interesting... Do you think I might be able to catch a Caesg with an Alraune?” asked Alexis. She gazed into his eyes in a penetrating manner that caused the man to become slightly uncomfortable.

“Worked for me, though you would probably be better off with a lightning or water type Crystallim.” said Scott. He laughed a little then drew back from the excited girl and her strangely intense gaze.

“Well, that’s true. Wow, a Caesg. If you find another one and you can’t take her on, please send her to me. I love water types. My new partner is a water type.” said Alexis.

“Oh, sure. If I find someone I don’t think will fit with my team, I’ll trade with you.” said Scott.

“Wonderful! I will do the same. I would rather send a Crystallim to someone who I have met than to strangers. Though, I can also send them to my mother’s breeding center. She’s my sponsor.” said Alexis.

“You’re lucky to have someone you know as your sponsor. I was picked up by a research institute. I should probably learn the name of it soon.” said Scott. He was slightly dismissive at the end of his statement. He knew the name of the place, but he had never heard of it before.

“Well, as my boyfriend you can ask my mother to be your sponsor. Though, she would probably want to test your skills...” said Alexis. She made a face then snorted.

Scott was a little surprised at her reaction until he realized what she actually meant. Yes, that would be an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. He decided to change the subject by asking another question.

“So, who’s your new partner?” asked Scott. He was curious about who she had chosen. She was a sweet and energetic person; it would be nice to learn more about what manner of Crystallim she prefers.

She blushed gently then said, “I purchased and bonded with a Scylla...”

“Scylla? She is the octopus girl, right? Doesn’t she have tentacles for legs?” Scott immediately envisioned a beautiful girl with the upper body of a goddess and the lower body that was a mass of tentacles.

Alexis nodded and her blush deepened. “Yes... tentacles.”

Scott grinned at her and she pulled away from him a little. She tilted her head to the side and eyed the man carefully. “What’s with that look mister...?”

“What, a boyfriend can’t have thoughts about his girlfriend bound in tentacles without having questions asked?” he asked in a pleasant tone of voice.

Her face turned bright red. “Hey... Just what kind of thoughts are you having about me and those tentacles?”

“Do you really want to know?” Scott smiled at her sweetly then quirked one of his eyebrows upwards.

Alexis shook her head. “Yes.”

Scott blinked at her then laughed. “I think I like you.”

“Good. That was the plan.” she leaned in and sweetly kissed him on the lips.

“So, I was a pawn in your sexy game?” asked Scott. He wrapped her bottom lip gently between his lips then drew them back slowly.

She nodded slowly then kissed him once more. It was not long before they ran their hands around each other once more then held each other close. Nothing more intimate than a kiss happened that night, but they did take a while to come up for air.

Eventually, the night ended and Scott made his way home. He took his time and thought about his situation. He had a girlfriend, such as that was. It was more of a business thing than a true relationship, but its initiation had been a pleasant experience.

He hoped that they would keep in touch after this. While, they were supposedly together there was no real way for either of them to know what the other one was up to most of the time unless they told each other.

On the way back, he checked the time. It was three hundred hours. He should get a little sleep. Scott reached his temporary home then walked inside. It was a small place, but he did not need much.

He flopped down onto his bed and then sighed. Had he made the right choice? He doubted that being her boyfriend would amount to much besides having a cute female friend to occasionally spend time with. That sort of outcome would not change his lifestyle at all.

Uncertainty about his recent decision caused him to lose track of time. An hour passed. It was not until he heard his alarm go off that he realized that he had almost missed his window of opportunity. Scott called up his log screen and viewed the information. He had nothing to hide, so he clicked the option, yes to all.

His report of the day’s events had been logged and would be reviewed by dawn. Soon, he would see just what he had earned for his recent exploits. Scott did not think he would receive much for his efforts, but having a new partner was the best reward. Hopefully, she would be coherent and ready to start developing a working relationship in the morning. The hunter drifted off to sleep, his mind conflicted, and his senses filled with the heady perfume of a girl who wanted to be more than friends.