One day. That was how long I’d had my brother back before he disappeared on me again. One day. He’d saved me from a bear, we drank and laughed together, ran into Karu, who seemed quiet but nice, and then Luminary attacked and she whisked him away to save his life.

Two days they were gone. They came back, and had almost been sleeping for two days more. AEGIS tended to their wounds while they slept, and I just sat outside in the snow, wrapped in my cloak and staring at the trees, wondering if this was his whole life now, if every day was fraught with bears and snipers and coming back bloody and blue from god-knows-what.

In another world, I would have liked it here. It reminded me of when we went camping as kids with Dad while Mom enjoyed the house being quiet. Athan and I would always be competing to see who could set up the tent faster, who could collect the most firewood, who could run around the lake the fastest.

They should have been good memories, but like everything which had Dad or Mom or my old life in it, I kept pushing them out of my head. All they did now was remind me what I’d lost.

But here I was in the present, out camping again, in a weird sort of way. Except now there was no time for silly childhood competitions, we needed to hunt and fish and forage or we’d starve. Athan had to fight to protect us all from crazy people who hated Exhumans, just for existing in the wilderness.

There really was no going back.

I unwrapped myself enough to throw a small rock with disdain, feeling the cold nipping at my arm before my suit redistributed heat to it a moment later. The rock bounced twice and landed at the foot of a tree. One of AEGIS’ robots walking by with a full bundle of organic mass craned its robot neck to watch it go by.

I wished I didn’t hate it out here, but that’s exactly how I felt. I knew it was likely that I’d just come in at a bad time and things were crazy, but I’d spent so long trying to find my brother that somehow, I just expected everything would fall into place when I did, that somehow he would still need me and we could go back to being happy siblings and life would be perfect.

Instead, he had everything already figured out, and I was intruding on his world out here. He had a house and girls he liked, one of whom was even real. He had a job, of sorts, went out and worked every day to feed himself at least. He had neighbors he was friendly with, I’d heard.

And I, what? Was I expecting to swoop in and rescue him like a damsel in distress? I’m here now so everything’s fine? Was I really so stupid that I thought the one thing missing from his life was me?

Instead he’s out there fighting and dying while I’m sitting here doing nothing, and he can’t even be bothered to tell me what or why.

I threw another rock.

I wanted a drink, but I also wanted not to drink. Things got weird last time–like every time–but it was also the most fun I’d had out in this stickhole. I blamed my outfit, which I’d based on Taglock’s survival gear, but damn if I knew how he slept in it, or if he did? Should have just packed a comfy sweatshirt.

I mean, my gear was supposedly top-of-the-line. A slipskin, they called it, advertised as better than skin; Skin 2.0. Self-cleaning, anti-microbial, durable, flexible, quality stuff. Micro-AIs read your biosignatures and increased or decreased the breathability, whisked away dirt, and recycled sweat and even urine if you were bold enough to pee in your clothes. I wasn’t, but it was an entirely other realm of awkward to strip almost entirely naked out of an onesie just to pee. Felt like, for all the modern innovation at work, they could have put a zipper down there.

And then you weren’t supposed to wear anything under it. That was another realm of awkward.

Karu, on the other hand, when she peeled off her armor, sports bra, short shorts, tank top…that girl was living the dream. I had some twisted feelings in my stomach when I thought about it…I was in shock seeing Athan bleeding on the ground, and then turned around to see this girl stripping. And then seeing him unconscious and all covered in blood, and strapped to a half-naked girl…it was like a reverse-fetish. I couldn’t get the image out of my brain, and it made my mouth go dry and my stomach turn whenever it passed through my thoughts.

I threw another rock. My brain was wandering randomly. I heard the elevator start moving behind me and tried not to look too excited.

I heard someone walk up to me and then sit down with a groan. It was just Karu, wearing the same outfit as I’d remembered from before. I found myself frowning at her long, tanned, toned legs and indecently outrageous chest. Even smushed under a sports bra, there was no hiding those monsters.

“Hello, Lia, right? My apologies for stealing your brother from you so suddenly.” She stretched slowly, wincing as she nursed an injury. “I would have very much preferred would that things had gone differently.” She gave me a small smile.

Her eyes were like glittering emeralds, and even beat to hell and wearing the same clothes for days, she still had the face of a supermodel. What was with this girl?

“I-it’s nothing!” I said, waving off her apology. “I mean, you saved his life right?”

“I did. But I was also the one who endangered him by leading my enemies to him. How did things turn out with Luminary?”

“I don’t know. I stayed away like you told me to. I heard a boom, but didn’t investigate. Did he, uh, blow up?”

“We can hope so, but exosuits are designed to insulate their wearers even from explosives. Without medical aid, I do not think he would have survived…but I have seen more improbable things.”

“You, uh, always carry explosives on you?”

Karu laughed. It wasn’t a gentle, restrained laugh like you’d expect from someone with her features, it was deep and boisterous and I found a smile on my face despite myself.

“Explosives? Typically. Landmines typically not. I had brought them with the intention of using them to limit Ashton’s…that is to say, Athan’s mobility in a fight. I enjoy seeing how he reacts to differing circumstances in an engagement.”

“Those were…real landmines though…”

“Yes, what else would they be?”

“You were going to use real landmines against my brother?” I was standing and faced her, my face was hot. I didn’t remember how I’d gotten up here.

“Of course. There would be no point in using fake mines, would there? He would simply ignore them.”

“Or you guys could talk it over and, I don’t know, pretend or something. Why are you trying to fight him anyway? I thought you were friends!?”

I was yelling now. Maybe more than necessary. Maybe I was taking out some of my anger on this woman. She just smiled and laughed again. I hated how calm she was.

“Sometimes I ask myself the same thing, so I do not fault you for your confusion. Your brother’s and my relationship is complicated. I certainly never wish him harm, but there is nothing to be gained from fighting him if the possibility of harm is not present. As for why we fight…I confess, that is simply a selfish indulgence of mine.”

She flushed and looked up. “Before being a hunter, I was in the airborne elite–a Peregrine–and saw much active duty. I have been in many conflicts, both on the ground as a soldier in a unit and more isolated as an airborne, but never have I fought the likes of your brother. He plays the battlefield like a chess board more than a combat zone. He is resilient and dangerous, creative, but also shows restraint and mercy. He is not an enemy soldier to be removed from the fight, or an unrepentant Exhuman to eradicate. He is a force unto himself.”

She had her eyes fixed firmly on the sky, but was breathing heavier now, the red on her face growing from her cheeks and nose and threatening to conquer the rest of her face. She was holding herself tightly, but, maybe just against the cold?

Was she…she was…no. That would be disgusting. She was not getting turned on by thinking of fighting my brother.

“He’s a football player, not a soldier, that’s why,” I said, trying to back her off whatever point she was jumping on. “He’s never been on a battlefield. He was a quarterback, a playmaker, a shot-caller. He didn’t beat people by being stronger than them, he had to use strategy and react to what the other team was doing.” I tried to sit back down again casually. “Maybe you should start watching football instead of harassing my brother.”

“I doubt I’d find it as exciting.”

You’re not supposed to find it exciting!

“Well, maybe give it a shot next time.” I tried to give her a friendly, reassuring smile, but mostly just felt dirty. She returned my smile with a beautiful full grin and sat down next to me.

“Ashton is a lucky man, to have a sister such as you. I admit I find myself jealous of your aptitude.”

“Uh, I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who can fly around and knows how to blow things up and is ex-military and everything.”

“Perhaps. Yet when I was your age, I was still living with my parents, home schooled, contributing nothing to the world. Here you stand, independent and strong, not only having somehow secured information which was strictly controlled and confidential, but also acting on that information to come out here on your own.”

“And more,” she continued, “even in his absence, you are still here attempting to protect him. From me.” She gave me a small wink and I froze.

Was that…a threat? Had she seen right through me so easily? But then she laughed again, and it seemed impossible for anyone who was laughing like that to be evil.

“Do not worry. I have no intention of stealing your brother from you. I can readily see how important he is to you, and would not wish to get between the two of you.”

I sighed. “But you’re still going to fight him? Still going to try to kill him?”

“Your brother would not permit me to take his life, I have the utmost faith in him in that. You should have faith in him too.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I just smiled at her.

I wanted to just dismiss her words. This was some superstar, super-soldier, home-schooled, murderous psycho with a really unhealthy fixation on my brother. But my brain didn’t work like that. I had to think it through, because she was here, Athan clearly saw something in her, and there was always that terrifying possibility that she was right.

So I sat and thought. And once I removed the fact this idea came from Karu and her huge breasts from the equation, I saw a lot clearer.

And…she wasn’t wrong. Athan didn’t need my protection. He was doing fine. I needed to stop hiding my feelings behind excuses like him needing me, or him not needing me when the obvious, sad truth was sitting there staring me in my dumb stupid face.

I needed him.

I was the one crossing half a continent to chase him down, I was the one sitting sad and alone while he went on his adventures, and I was the one crying and drinking myself to sleep because of the image of him covered in his own blood. He was out there fighting his best, and like Karu said, I should have faith in him to do that. If her word was worth anything, apparently he was awesome at it. The last thing he needed was a depressing, clingy, dependent sister hanging off him all the time.

“Thanks, Karu,” I said, breaking a few minutes of silence.

“I know not what you thank me for, but you are most welcome regardless.”

“Just thinking some. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I simply wish your indolent brother would awaken already. I only emerged because I could no longer stand laying next to him while he continued to sleep through the day.”

Laying next to him?

“Weren’t you also asleep for over a day?”

She laughed a little. “Regardless, I wish to be off soon and would prefer to see that he is well before doing so.”

I stood up and brushed off my butt. “I’ll go get him up then. He’s slept enough.”

She frowned. “It would be better not to. I can simply leave if I need to–“

“Nah, I’m sure he’ll want to see you off. Just hang on a sec.”

I rode the elevator down. When the doors opened, Athan was right where I’d last seen him, sleeping in the middle of his little surgical theater. How he got any sleep at all with all those menacing medical bits around him was beyond me. I saw AEGIS had put a hammock in a corner for Karu, at least twenty feet from the bed in the middle of the room.

Next to him. She wishes. AEGIS had the right idea.

He looked bad but not scary bad. He was wrapped in bandages across nearly his entire body, but the only one which warranted any gauze was on his shoulder.

“How’s he doing?” I asked AEGIS, who turned on her holo in response to me talking.

“He’s fine, just sleeping.”

“I was going to wake him up. Karu’s leaving soon.”

“Let her go.”

“I think he’d prefer to say bye. They just went through god-knows-what together.”

“From the injuries they both had, I’d say they both went to the dark ages and publically blasphemed on a street corner.”

“What?”

“It looks like they got stoned. Bruises and cuts all over. Caked in about two tons of dust and debris. Tiny pieces of rock broken off in his shoulder.”

“But he’s okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’m waking him up.” She sighed but didn’t stop me.

Trying not to touch any part of him which was beat up, I slowly poked Athan in the cheek.

“Brother. Big stupid brother. Wake up. Singing will commence in five seconds.”

He muttered something.

“What?” I asked.

“Not the singing.”

“Yes the singing. Mom’s not here so I’m her understudy. Singing will commence in four seconds.”

“I’m up, I’m up.” Athan groaned while he stirred, and I mercifully decided to spare him my singing, even if it took him longer than five seconds.

He made a lot of noise and stretched every part of himself as he slowly sat up. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see how he looked under all those bandages. Painfully slowly, he brought an arm to his face and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“I owe you a story,” he said, smiling at me despite his pain. “Think I kept you in the dark long enough.”

“You certainly do,” AEGIS chimed in.

“Thanks for patching me up again, AEGIS. Or so I assume?”

“Yes that was me. You can tell by the excellent quality of your care.”

He slowly raised his arms to look at, wincing. “I look like a mummy.”

“An excellently cared-for mummy.”

“Anyway,” I cut in, before they bantered back and forth forever. “You can tell me later. Karu wanted to take off and you should say bye.”

“Oh. Thanks Lia. Help me up?”

I pulled him to his feet and he leaned on me for a few moments before shuffling to the door, stretching everything stiffly as he walked. I hoped I wouldn’t get used to him looking like goat, as I followed slowly behind him.

“You’re up. I hope you recovered well?” Karu was sitting right where I left her and turned at our approach.

“Well, I don’t seem to be dead, so that’s a plus.” Athan began to sit down but Karu stopped him.

“Don’t get too comfortable, I’m leaving momentarily. I merely wanted to thank you…for…well, everything.”

“What, exactly did you two do?” I found myself saying, elbowing Athan with a lot less care about avoiding his injuries than before.

“Nothing! I mean, actually, a lot. Is AEGIS here?” He looked around and found a DOG-E with a red light on, craning its head to look at him. “So, while Karu and I were at the clinic…which absolutely saved my life, by the way, so stop thanking me, Karu…there was an, um, Exhuman event.”

I gasped. The DOG-E recoiled slightly. Karu stared at the ground, ashen-faced.

“Karu…as you know…whether you agree with her or not…has sort of a life goal of stopping Exhumans from harming people. So, without her weapons or armor…she assisted with the evacuation, and then moved in to engage the Exhuman.”

“You, a normal person, fought an Exhuman without any weapons or anything?” I asked.

“Not…exactly,” she said, shifting uneasily. “I had hoped you’d…have told them after I left,” Karu said.

“So completely independently of Karu, and with her actively telling me not to, I tried to talk to the Exhuman,” my brother continued. He was blinking and looking around at lot, but mostly at the ground. He sucked at lying. “She–the Exhuman–was…less than receptive of my ideas. She killed a lot of people, and was endangering a lot more. Karu had the right idea, I agreed, and…the two of us fought and killed her.”

He lapsed into silence. We all did.

“Ashton did everything in his power to bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution. He even attempted to argue her into living in the wilderness like him, even while evading her attacks.”

More likely live in the wilderness with him. He already had quite the harem.

“I…tried. I really did. But she was just so angry, so convinced she was right, so willing to turn to violence…”

“All the reasons I believe all of us hold you in esteem, despite being Exhuman yourself,” Karu said.

“I just can’t believe I worked so hard to kill someone,” he said in barely more than a whisper.

He sounded so hollow, so brittle. I couldn’t help but to step forward and hold him in my arms, murmuring that it would be okay. A shadow fell over us as the DOG-E took a step forward and laid its head on him gently in a comforting manner. Even Karu put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“You saved many lives, including mine, I am certain,” she said. “Think of them whom you have allowed to live.”

“Thanks, guys,” said Athan, somewhere in the middle of the hug. He was shuddering slightly from crying and we all pretended not to notice, just holding onto him.

Maybe, like always, I’d overthought everything. Maybe Athan wasn’t out here with his own life kicking ass and making his own living with a bunch of groupies while I was useless in the sidelines, maybe he was just barely holding it together and just getting by, like I was.

I looked around at the hardened faces around me, all on the verge of breaking. Like we all were.

Maybe I needed to stop worrying about who needs whom more and just be there for each other. Maybe these girls weren’t his bimbos, they were his life, and so was I.

Maybe. I didn’t know. And for the first time in a while, I was okay with that.