Planet Rilgar, Blackwater City, Yurik Alley, 12:00 am Y/N POV:

Planet Rilgar. Situated in the Solana galaxy, this morbid-looking planet is forever doused in rain, thunder, and occasional snow. A personal favourite of mine in terms of atmosphere alone.

She would always joke that I got dramatic flair from this dreary planet but even she could appreciate its beauty, even if it messed with her hair. I smile at the thought of her drenched figure trudging through the rain, an unamused frown on her face. But now's not the time to reminisce.

I take a look at my surroundings and find myself in the vicinity of Yurik Alley. A drab little swampland with nothing notable about it except for the various Ameboids roaming around. Nothing like its topside relative: Blackwater City.

A hotspot for celebrities, sports events, hoverboard racing, and sewage monsters. Like the rest of the planet, this nocturnal city is endlessly drowned in rain, thriving in its tenebrous limelight, it embraces a gloomy mystique which grasps at its roots.

Cool air, moonlit skies, film quality rain, every aspect made to attract various types of visitors. But with a city as enticing as Blackwater, comes those who seek to defile it. Stain it.

For every swift breeze, a cold chill follows.

For every full moon, a shadow is cast.

For every drop of rain, a drop of blood.

And one particular stain kneels in front of me right now. A cowering Blarg male, slightly battered but still able to speak...for now.

"The auction house. Where is it." I grab him by his throat and lift him into the air. He struggles in my grip as he pitifully fights back, throwing weak punches and kicks at my chest and helmet.

"S-screw...you...", his voice strained.

I let go of his throat and push him towards the wall to which he falls over, his back facing me. I grab his left arm and pull it back while I keep my foot down on him.

"Choose your words wisely. You've got plenty of bones for me to break. Best get to talking before I get bored."

He breaks a sweat as his eyes rapidly look around for any escape. "Are you insane?!"

"...maybe." I break his arm.

He howls in pain as he looks at his broken arm. Tears stream down his face as he tries to back away from me but I slam my foot down onto the hand of his mangled arm.

He screams in pain as he looks up at me, terrified of what's to come.

"That's one bone. How many more would it take for you to talk?" I say while adding pressure to his hand.

"P-Please, man! I-If I tell you t-then I'm as good as dead!"

"You were dead the moment I caught you. So just tell me where it is and I'll-", his phone rings. He scrambles to fish it out of his pocket but a purple raven snatches it out of his hand before he can.

The raven drops the phone in my hand before perching on my shoulder and dissipating. The caller ID says no name but with how panicked he looked, it must be important.

I answer the call.

"James, where the fuck have you been?! The boss wants us all at the auction by 12:30 sharp! Did you get lost or something?!", it seems luck is on my side. I move my foot off his hand and pin him against the wall.

I hold the phone to my chest and with a flick of my wrist, my hidden blade is aimed at his throat, lightly nicking him. A drop of blood trickles down the metal as he looks at me in frightful understanding.

I put the phone on speaker and let him do the talking.

"...I swear to god, if you don't answer in the next five seconds then I'm gonna-"

"I-I'm here, Rick! I just got a little sidetracked is all, hehe."

"Sidetracked, my ass! Were you fucking with the whores again?"

This conversation is pointless. I whisper to the coward, "The location. Now."

"N-No! I-It's like you said. I forgot the address."

"*sigh* Fucking morons. I'll text you the address but if I don't see you in the next ten minutes then it's your ass on the line! Got it?!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" I end the call and pull the blade away from his throat. He rubs his neck as he cautiously steps away from me. Sadly, I'm blocking the only entrance/exit so he's got no choice.

"O-Okay! I gave you what you wanted s-so can I leave now?!" Hope lines his fearful words.

"No."

I swiftly grab him in a chokehold and twist his neck. His head bobs upon his shoulders as his body drops to the cold, hard ground, lifeless.

The phone beeps with a text listing the address for the auction. Hmm, it's closer than I expected. I memorise the information before snapping the phone in half as I begin to leave the alleyway.

Once I'm out, I summon my wings before taking off towards the location. Rilgars moon cast its white veil upon me. With these wings and my goal, I suppose it would be fitting to call me an Angel of Death.

Planet Rilgar, Unknown Location, Auction House, 12:30 am, Y/N POV:

After a couple of minutes of flying, I finally made it. A lone building bleeding with neon surrounded by rundown structures. Much bigger than I though. Three stories high yet it looks more like a small hotel. Lavishness aside, its ruined appearance does nothing to hide its hostile intentions...a slave auction.

I always hated these missions. Seeing the looks on the victim's faces, that hopelessness, that fear, and knowing I could've prevented their fates if I was just a little faster...but time is a cruel thing. My time is constant but theirs is limited. A cruel yet fickle reminder shared throughout the universe.

Nonetheless, I spent the last couple of weeks hunting these places down because of a lead I was following. Of course, lead or no, I would've done it either way but this particular lead had caught my attention.

Kidnapping and interspecies trafficking is nothing new but this particular spot is the biggest trafficking ring in the entire Solana galaxy. That, and I may have found a lead on her. Seventeen years of rumours, dead ends, and political corruption only to find one solid lead about her whereabouts.

The guilt gnaws at me every time I think back to her imprisonment. I should've broken her out the minute she landed in that hell hole but...she forbid me from doing so.

She was right to not let me but...would she still be by my side had I ignored her? Hmph, A thought for another time.

I position myself across the House on a tall building adjacent to it, allowing me to gain a decent perspective of my target.

The ground floor of the building looks decayed with barricaded windows and stripped walls, some even showing the interior due to heavy decay. The first floor is more extravagant with a large, mezzanine-like balcony as two stripper poles stand tall surrounded by various furniture and even a hot tub. The final floor is nothing special. Much like the ground floor, its rotting appearance parallels its sinful interior. Would make for a good sniper's nest.

Near the entrance of the House stands a well-dressed Markazian male as he checks a clipboard, possibly the guest list. While distracted from his reading, a lone limousine pulls up to the entrance, snapping the male out of his stupor.

The limo doors open up to reveal an unidentifiable male and female talking to the Markazian who then leads the guests inside before closing the door behind him. It seems I made it just in time.

The door opens once more and four guards stand at the entrance, armed with some strange weaponry I've never seen before. Looks almost Earth-like...Human.

Two more exits the door and position themselves on either side of the exterior, this time armed with what looks to be a shotgun. I spot some movement above on the second floor and see a familiar glint. Sniper.

A lot more security than I thought there'd be but I guess that's what happens when it's the last one on the planet.

Spent the last couple of weeks hunting these places down because of a lead I was following. Of course, lead or no, I would've done it either way but this particular lead had caught my attention.

Kidnapping and interspecies trafficking is nothing new but this particular spot is the biggest trafficking ring in the entire Solana galaxy. That, and I may have found a lead on her. Seventeen years of rumours, dead ends, and political corruption only to find one solid lead about her whereabouts.

The guilt gnaws at me every time I think back to her imprisonment. I should've broken her out the minute she landed in that hell hole but...she forbid me from doing so.

She was right to not let me but...would she still be by my side had I ignored her? Hmph, A thought for another time.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. Not now. I activate the heartbeat sensor (HBS) on my mask as my focus directs itself to the guards.

Need to make this quick. I unbuckle a small cube on my belt just above my left thigh and press a button on it. The cube instantly transforms into a high-tech bow with streaks of blue light rippling throughout its body. A gift was given to me from a lost friend. I call her Amira, named after a woman whom I held dear to me.

Readying my bow (Amira), I pull back on the string, a blue energy arrow materialising between my fingers, and aim towards the sniper.

One...two...the arrow cuts through the air and embeds itself into the sniper's head, his heartbeat dying and eventually fading. Scanning the guards below shows the kill went unnoticed.

I spread my wings and leap off the building with a strong boost towards the lone guard by the left side of the House.

While in the air, I dematerialise my wings and un-sheath Lia, my secondary, and ready myself for impact. Once close, I drive Lia straight into his nape before burning his corpse to ash. No witnesses, no evidence.

Two down, five left.

I could hear some of the guards coming my way. Judging from the amount of footsteps, only two came to check. Seems they heard the impact.

I activate the stealth mode on my armour allowing me to blend in with the environment better and silencing my movement more than it already is. Additionally, it deactivates the lights on my armour.

The guards pass around the corner and see nothing but investigate further.

"Yo, Jimmy? Where'd you go?" One guard, a tall, muscular Cazar male called out.

"Probably for a smoke break. C'mon, let's head back to our post." Another guard said.

"No, no something ain't right. You, come with me." The Cazar and his friend, a Markazian, made their way towards my direction.

They unknowingly walk past me as I follow behind them with both my hidden blades extended. Two swift plunges into the napes of their necks were all it took. My blades retract and my hands ignite, incinerating the duo as I move to the right side. Three left.

Using my wings once more, I boost myself over the building and land directly on the unsuspecting guard, crushing him. Bones, blood, and viscera strewn across the ground, his now unrecognisable body a pulpy mess. I don't bother burning him, or rather, what's left of him. Two left.

A quick glimpse around the corner shows the two facing forward as they guard the door, neither one straying from their post. Easy pickings. I summon a shower of swords a couple of metres above their unsuspecting heads and rain them down upon them at breakneck speeds. Their bodies stay frozen from the swords before they drop down as the swords dissipate in seconds.

And then there was only one.

I teleport to the door but not before burning the bodies of the dead. I glare at the door, steeling my nerves for the horrors of that which awaits me. Countless millennia of controlling my rage ignored when exterminating the demons who infest this disgusting place. A hardened look emblazoned upon my face as I crack my knuckles.

"Showtime."