LOCATION: BOUNTY HUNTERS ASSOCIATION, MISTY TRAIL GALAXY HQ.
A man wearing a monocle on his right eye was seated in his office. This man was none other than the head of the Misty Trail's bounty hunter association division, Flagmaster August.
He raises his head upon hearing a knock on the door.
"Come in."
A man, tall with a firm muscular structure wearing a black long coat.
"Ahh, Commander Kane. Just the man I was looking for."
The man named Kane saluted his superior. "You called for me sir?"
"Yes, have you heard any word from A-Grade hunter Mysty?"
Kane paused for a moment. August realized that whatever it was he was hesitant to say was far from being good news.
"I believe you know me too well than to hide anything from me, especially something that has to do with that traitor." August darts the Commander a look that made him feel as if his skin was being peeled.
"My apologies sir. I wanted to wait for another day before giving you the report. A-Grade Hunter, Mysty, the warship, and 11 out of 12 mini-cruisers did not return from the mission. The only cruiser that returned contained a single hunter."
August clenched his fist. The Commander noticed his superior's rage and paused.
"Continue." The Flagmaster uttered in a calm voice.
"Gulp." Kane sweatdropped. "The hunter reported that they were all defeated by a single individual and that Mysty was held captive."
"Jackal," Argus muttered with spite. It had to be him. Who else could single-handedly defeat one of their best A-Grade hunter and nearly 2 dozen B-Grades?
"Well sir, that's the puzzling part," Kane stated. "He reported that the cruiser they intercepted in the Red Wine galaxy was in fact the Black Stallion and that they had seen Jackal Knight in it along with an android."
'The Android must be Ming.'
"I am still looking into the information he gave me. But he said that a man was accompanying Jackal. That man bested them all."
"What?" August jolted from his seat. "That's preposterous!" He snapped. "The only people that powerful that have associated themselves with Jackal are MIA."
Kane hesitated to give the last information.
"Spill it!" August gave Kane a dominating glare. As red astral energy flashed over his skin several times.
"Yes sir!" Kane saluted in fright. "The man who defeated the hunters was said to be a C-Grade hunter under our jurisdiction."
"Eh?" The Flag Master widened his eyes. If the last statement was preposterous, this one was completely impossible. It denied all the laws of common sense.
August walked up to Kane.
'Gulp. I knew I shouldn't have said that. When the Flag Master is this pissed, he might place a hex on me.'
Kane trembled in fear for the pressure August was exerting right now.
"What did you just say?"
"Sir, please. Calm do-"
Bam!
August's fist flashed before his eyes and the next thing he knew, he was sent flying through the door breaking it in the process.
The hunters that were placed in the area quickly rushed to check up on Kane.
"He's dead." One of them said.
"It's the hex of the Flag Master, Death Fist."
They looked at August who was coated in red astral skin.
"You," He pointed at one of them. They quickly jolted to their feet and saluted him.
"Get me the Vice-Commander. Tell him that he's been promoted."
"Yes sir!" They said in unison.
"Also, do something about that." He looked over at Kane's dead body.
He returned to his desk and sat on it. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his drawer moved to light one up in his mouth.
"Ahh... That's better." He wore a sly smile. "Get me the hunter who returned from Red Wine."
...
LOCATION: RED WINE GALAXY, PLANET DARTH.
"Remind me again what we're doing here?"
Ryker found himself on a planet with a cyberpunk style setting.
'The air reaks around here.' He thought to himself as he and Jackal walked through a market.
They both were wearing cloaks with hoods that covered their faces.
"Also why do I have to hide my identity?"
"Because snow-white. You're a wanted man like me now."
"Eh?"
"I let one of the hunters you defeated return to Skrull with a message for August." Ryker clenched his fist at the mere mention of the Flag Master.
"Why in the freaking cosmos would you do that?!" He snapped.
Jackal simply laughed making Ryker face-palm.
"You're a space pirate now. It's best to crank up your reputation, I can picture it now." He wrapped his arm around Ryker's neck.
"Wanted- Ryker Steele."
"That's terrible!" He snarled at Jackal. "I don't want the fame, you could've talked it out with me first!"
"If I did that, I'd miss out on the priceless reactions you've been making." He said nonchalantly walking past the former hunter.
"One of these days... You'll get what's coming for you."