Bright lights illuminated the streets, smells of excotic foods filling the air. Skyscrapers clawed their way towards the sky, their multicolored radiance showering the dark sky with fractals of rainbow light. Oracle kept her head low, eyes watching everyone who walked the streets.

She faded into the shouts of people on speeders and the chatter of the city. People jostled her as they passed, talking of restaurants and the view from the balconies of skyscrapers. Everyday things she had never had the pleasure of worrying about.

Most of the people on the street gave her space. They knew what her armor meant, what the sigil on her breastplate symbolized. Most knew who she was, what she stood for, what she did. Oracle had accepted the looks of fear, the silences that fell in her wake. She had accepted being feared instead of loved. Avoided instead of praised.

After all, she thought, it's easier being feared than loved.

Once upon a time she had let herself love, she only found hurt down that path and wouldn't allow herself to fall into that trap again. Her only worry now was getting paid what she was owed.

She slipped through a small alleyway, nodding slightly to the Arakosh guard by the entrance. She twisted down a narrow hallway, winding deeper into the hidden Backstreets of Hyperion. Lowlifes and criminals could often be found here. She found herself more often than not back in the twisting alleys of this second world. Everyone eyed her with suspicious looks, wondering who was on her list and who wasn't.

It's your lucky day, she thought, walking towards the Nova's entrance, I'm only here for a drink.

She slipped the bouncer at the door of the bar a handful of Coronas, small, bronze coins, one of Vargo's most common currencies. When she entered she was met with the lively beat of Kayo, a northern style of music often found in nightclubs. Every table was full, assortments of humans and aliens discussing everything from business deals to whether or not the person playing them in a game of Titan had cheated or not.

Oracle walked up to the counter, finding a spot between a man wearing part of a Paragon soldier's armor and a small green-skinned alien. Behind her she heard yelling voices and knew the debate on who had cheated someone out of their money had escalated. The scraping of chair legs against hardwood and the shouts of excited patrons filled the air as the two fighters took their places. Money changed hands as bets were placed.

She turned her head when she caught a snatch of conversation over in the corner. Something about stealing Tritanium, the metal most of the weapons sold to Hyperion were made out of.

Be careful, or you may end up on my list. She thought, turning as one of the bartenders came up to her.

The man, Yarwyn if she remembered correctly, gave her a slight nod.

"The usual?" He asked.

She nodded and he went to retrieve her drink. Oracle removed her helmet with a soft hiss, letting her long brown hair spill over her shoulders. Oracle said her thanks as Yarwyn set her drink by her hand.

She flicked her bangs out of her face and surveyed the room with suspicious emerald eyes. She took a drink of beer and focused on a pair of aliens. They were talking intently about something, using the commotion of the fight to hide their words. Oracle tuned out the noise around her, focusing on the two aliens.

"We can get in through the back entrance." Said one.

"The containers of Tritanium are kept in the warehouse towards the back, heavily guarded." Said one.

Oracle smiled for herself.

You are going to end up on my list, and your ultimate destination will be a body bag. She thought.

"Oracle." Came a rough, deep voice, cutting through her thoughts.

The voice coming from her helmet was Reclaimer, her boss. She chugged her beer and slipped on her helmet, ready for another mission.

"Yes?" She answered.

"I'm sending you the details on another job. It should be easy for you, after all, it's a smuggler who's been a pain in the ass for us. He's been... elusive, but we finally found where a deal is going down and I need you to retrieve him for me."

"Time limit?" 

"Tomorrow, 03:00 hours." He said.

"Alive or dead?"

"Alive. I need to have a word with our... friend."

"I'll bring him in no later than 02:00." Said Oracle.

"Good."

Reclaimer's voice cut out and she got a notification on her Heads-Up Display.

Oracle made her way out of the cantina and out onto the sidewalk. She stopped at the corner and took a deep breath, opening the file.

Name: Bastian Ambrose,
Description: Short brown hair, pale skin, 6'4", dark blue eyes. Last seen wearing pine forest camouflage soldier's attire, carries a rifle and pistol with him at all times.
Reason For Bounty: Is a smuggler of Irinorphine (aka Iris) to his associates in Maklava's Underground and the Backstreets for a good profit.
Method: Is to be taken alive using any means necessary
Last Known Location: Abandoned Warehouse on the outskirts of the Western Hyperion Storage Yard.
Notes:Former member of Vargo's Guard.

"Maklava." Said Oracle, impressed.

That was one of the biggest cities on the planet of Vargo. There were many drug dealers in the Underground and Hyperion was a perfect place to smuggle drugs, if you could stay hidden long enough to do it.

"He'll be an interesting one." muttered Oracle as she got up from the bar.

She set seven silver coronas on the counter and walked away, blending in with the people around her. When she returned to the bustling main streets of Hyperion she went to where she had left her ship. She found it waiting for her at the Landing Pads.

Crimson Shadows was a medium sized ship with a sleek, narrow design. A red stripe ran along its side and the rest of the ship was a glittering obsidian black. Oracle lowered the boarding ramp and entered the ship, going straight to the cockpit and settling into the chair.

She flipped several switches and heard the ship hum to life.

"Good girl." She said, raising the ramp.

Oracle then expertly piloted the ship off the landing pad and into the air, rising above the many buildings of Hyperion.

It was beautiful from up high. Tall skyscrapers reached into the sky, their lights like many stars on the dark background of the sky. Below her the warm light of the many shops and catinas made the city glow shades of oranges, reds, blues and soft purples and greens.

The light faded as it reached the Eastern side of the city, as the buildings became older and you reached the war-torn part of the city that had never been pieced back together.

She flew high, above the regular traffic of ships coming and going, carrying minerals and various foods and goods to Hyperion from neighboring cities.

When she got closer she put her ship into stealth mode where the ship mirrored its surroundings, essentially making it invisible.

Oracle landed it on a hill above the warehouse, which was tucked in close to the hill's rocky slope, keeping it hidden from anyone driving on the road. Once she had landed the ship safely, locking it down.

When that was done she got up from the cockpit and walked into the belly of the ship, grabbing her assault rifle on her way out.

It was quiet, the only sound the distant hum of speeders on the road. Wind sighed through the trees, various insects chirping. She even heard the sound of night hawks calling to one another in the dark. She stood there for a minute, listening, hearing every tiny sound.

Oracle's heart pounded a steady beat in her chest as she took a deep breath, settling into a focused headspace. She made her way down the hill via a worn and overgrown path, careful to stay away from the edge.

Oracle got close to the bottom and then ran out of path. She looked at her options, and saw the smooth rock that made up a 15 foot drop to the ground or the noisy brush ahead of her.

She decided to slide the rest of the way down, making her decent and silent as possible. When she was on the ground she snuck up to the fence surrounding the warehouse.

Barbed wire ran along the top of the metal and she was willing to bet there were guards patrolling the perimeter.

Oracle listened for a moment, enhancing her hearing with the technology in her helmet. She heard footsteps,

There you are. She thought, looking up at the camera.

She tapped her wrist and a small keyboard came up on the screen. Oracle put in a command and waited until she got a verification saying she was in their system. After that she typed one more command and passed the camera.

All she had done was made it go fuzzy while she passed, hiding her from view but not giving her presence away.

She finally made it to the front of the building which was lit with firefly lanterns, small orbs of light that emitted a strong golden glow. They floated above each of the guard's heads, lighting the area well. She quickly counted them, taking note of the weapons they carried.

There were only six she could see, maybe more patrolling the outer edges of the warehouse.

Oracle silently snuck through the tall grass, getting behind the first guard. She drew her combat blade and struck quickly, slitting his throat.

She carefully lowered him to the ground, dragging his body unto the tall grass. Oracle did the same for the second guard, pausing to listen after the deed was done.

She heard footsteps approaching her position and got ready, watching where the remaining guards were looking. Oracle killed him soundlessly and quickly as she heard one of the guards begin radio in a disturbance. She threw the combat blade, hitting him in the throat.

The last guard raised his rifle as she sprang from the grass like a snake. She kicked the man in the chest, yanking the knife out of the dead guard's throat.

Oracle put her foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground as she raised the knife. He looked up at her and she got a good look at his face, at eyes filled with fear. A brief flash of sympathy overcame her and for a second, only a second, she hesitated.

He's young. She thought.

Then the cold, unfeeling part of her took over.

It doesn't matter, he will kill you if he has the chance.

She raised the knife, deciding the fate of the man in front of her.

"No, please-"

His cry was cut short as she slit his throat, crimson blood staining the ground below him. Oracle cleaned the bloodied blade on a blade of grass, quickly checking for alarms before opening the door. Large shipping containers were stacked around her, various small wooden boxes strewn about on the floor. Dust made the already dim light seem murky, almost like she was looking through smoke.

The metal walls of the warehouse were dented and neglected but still standing. Large swaths of the room were cast in long shadows, creating perfect hiding places.

Oracle disappeared into one, hearing multiple sets of armored footsteps. She waited as the guards passed her and emerged from her hiding place, slitting the last guard's throat before he could say anything.

Oracle dragged the body into the space she had been hiding in and moved in on the other guards. She picked them off silently one by one, going for the ones at the back until only one of the five was left. She threw the combat blade at him, hitting him in the leg as he tried to get away. He fell, his rifle skidding across the dusty floor.

The lights flickered once... twice.... and then she was in front of the guard.

Fear shone bright in his eyes as he looked up at her, crimson blood running pooling from where the combat blade was sunk into his knee.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"Let's just say I'm a Bounty Hunter and leave it at that." She said, wrenching the combat blade out of his leg and slicing it across his throat in one fluid motion.

She flicked his blood off the blade as she made sure that no one else was coming. The deal was taking place in the main storage unit, where most of the guards were. She quietly snuck to the door and stopped.

Voices echoed off the neglected walls, amor softly rustling as guards moved outside.

Oracle saw the shadow of a guard pass outside through the gap between the ground and the heavy metal door.

She waited, listening, and then, when she was ready, opened the door. She immediately slipped into another shadow. Oracle looked around them and saw the two men, between the stacks of crates. One fit Bastian's description and the other she assumed to be his buyer. Duffle bags lay at their feet and six guards stood around them.

She smirked.

Now the fun would begin.

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Heyo so I'm currently going through and editing some stuff, rewriting and stuff so let me know how these chapters feel.

Thank you for reading!

~Nightfury107