Nyx Rexius

I ain’t one to buck and pussy out of an agreement. Zarnak wanted a show of faith, and I gave him one. It hurt my soul to blow up New York City the way I did, but I reckon there was no other way about it. Zarnak was one nasty ass galactic overlord of Wikvack Sector B-09, but he stood on business. The Slug King hadn’t disappointed me yet, keepin’ true to his word.

Our contract hadn’t changed since we’d partnered up. I was on my way back to my space station, cruising the cosmic highway in my luxury ship, The Orion. Every now and then, I liked to appreciate my princess. She was a beaut, sleek as a sable and as polished as a cosmic diamond. I rode past the constellations, each star gleaming like a jeweled gem in the inky black sea of space. The Orion sported an interior that left other cruisers green with envy. Leather seats so soft you could lose yourself in them, imported from the hide of a Garglion beast from Nebulare IX.

The ship’s skin was crafted from impermeable Xantabrite, the rarest, toughest metal in the galaxy. It’d take a blast from an X-9 class pulsar to put a dent in this beast. And the cockpit—I couldn’t forget about the cockpit. I’d spent a small star-system’s worth of credits decking it out, putting the spaceport barons of Veglas-III to shame. But there was always room for improvement, so I hired some of the finest minds from across the cosmos, tech savants from the Guild of Baltrac V, and quantum engineers from the Council of Radon Zercak.

The custom fit was well worth it. It was immense. Stretched display panels wrapped around me in an ergonomic 360-degree arc. Each one was filled with dynamic holographic maps, space traffic feeds, and fuel gauges. The navigation console was a marvel of Yirnian engineering, capable of plottin’ courses through the toughest stargates.

With a deft flick of my hand over the holographic control panel, I initiated a call to Zarnak. I sat in my captain’s chair, leaned back, and watched as the console churn. I said his name and the signal was sent. After a few short seconds, an image of Zarnak materialized, his heavyset slimy self in a gelatinous pool of what looked like mud. He was holding a champagne glass with his harem of humanoid concubines bathing him. Despite being from the planet Curdoid, he didn’t fancy slug women at all. Naw, he liked his ladies from Earth, and Umbarion, and they catered to his many rolls of oozing flesh.

He was one ugly SOB, but the man was rich in knowledge and power.

“Nyx,” he rasped, his voice bubbling in its slimy accent. “I trust the mission went as planned?”

I smirked. “Now, did ya really have to ask?” I replied, keepin’ my tone steady. “I took the city off the map.”

I allowed a second of silence, among the stars and the emptiness, to let my words sink in. I watched Zarnak’s milky eyes widen in surprise. His gargantuan body rumbled with laughter, the vibrations shaking his entire pool and sendin’ ripples across its filthy surface.

“Well, Nyx,” he said, a satisfied grin spreading across his blobby face. “I didn’t think you had it in you! Good riddance to that petri-dish of filth!” he hissed, and I wanted to roll my eyes on that hypocritical comment. “Rotting my planet with its constant output of pollution, rat piles, and suffocating capitalism!”

“Please, tell me how you really feel about the place,” I jested sarcastically.

“Impeccable, Nyx. I admire your work.” He turned to the girl with the head of green curls. “More green slug, please. Freshly squeezed, easy on the cream top,” he ordered her. She took his glass and walked off screen, but I heard the sound of some animal squealing. When she came back, that empty glass was full again, and she swam back into the pool to hand it to her man.

Zarnak raised his glass, saluting me in his twisted way of showing appreciation. The concubines giggled, pamperin’ him with lots of love and affection. “Here’s to you, Nyx,” he said. “May your reign in the cosmos be as profitable as mine.”

I returned the toast with a slight nod, while internally grimacing at the thought of what I did back on Earth.

He could say whatever he wanted about the city, but he couldn’t deny it had culture. New York City was one of the rarest pleasures of my childhood. The road trip with the folks had me wakin’ up tired from the night before. I couldn’t get a lick of sleep knowin’ that the city was waiting for me just beyond the horizon. It was like steppin’ into another world—a world of towering structures, dazzlin’ lights, and a million stories unfolding in every corner. We would eat hot dogs from carts, ride the subway like locals, and spend hours strolling in Central Park. Zarnak knew that I was half Earthling, which was why blowin’ up the city was a big deal in our partnership. The show of faith cut me deep, but like any job, I would recover.

“Nyx, you still with me?” Zarnak’s gurglin’ voice yanked me back to the present.

“I’m here,” I said. “Just thinkin’ about my next job.”

His eyes widened with interest, “Oh really? And here I thought you were sitting there regretting your heinous actions.”

“Don’t tease me now, Zarnak, I mean business.” I smirked. “I do what I say, and I say what I mean.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. No breaks.”

“Breaks are for those who can afford them,” I replied, keepin’ my gaze stern.

Zarnak laughed again. “The plan is moving beautifully. With the destruction of NYC, I now know for a fact that you’ll not break our contract. You have a lot on the line here, even so… a man’s home is part of a man’s image. To sully it requires much willpower.”

“I did more than tarnish, Zarnak. We both can agree on that.”

“Nothing compared to what I’m prepared to do with it.” He grinned, his yellow jagged teeth staring back at me. “For far too long, Etheryn has been keeping Earth off the market, winning tournament after tournament. Etheryian champions are strong, but I want Earth, and you want celestial power. To be honest, I should have charged you more, but I am willing to overlook that for the resources I’d get for our little exchange.”

“I have an agent workin’ Etheryn. King Leech. Khnum is very thorough in his operation. A lot of Etheryian champions have died already.”

“You best hope this plague continues on its route. I do not want any chances of Earth being defended by its sister planet in the games,” he said seriously.

“Earth is as good as yours, Zarnak. Don’t you worry about that.”

“You don’t need me to remind you about my half of your agreement, do you, bounty hunter?”

“No, you don’t. But I know you’ll go on and do it anyway,” I said cheekily.

“I was the one who gathered the resources to put those gods to rest!” he boasted. “Trapping them back in the ley lines of the Tree of Infinity was no easy task for my mystics! They worked for years, draining their own essence just to contain the power of those meddling deities. Then it was up to my assassins to silence anyone who had knowledge of the seal… including my mystics! This was no easy task!”

His rant invigorated him, his eyes glowing bigger with each word. I tried not to roll my eyes. I knew how much them damn mystics were worth, and he was heated that he had to slaughter them because of me.

A dead man can’t talk, and a dead man can’t reverse the effects of the god containment spell.

“You certainly did your part, Zarnak,” I said diplomatically.

“And don’t you forget it! The balance of power in the cosmos has shifted dramatically because of my actions. I’ve thinned the herd of those pretentious gods and goddesses, carving you a path of divinity! And all I ask is for one planet.”

I smirked. “Is this your way of requestin’ an amendment? I already guaranteed you Earth. Etheryn will not be competing this year. Are ya fishin’ for somethin’ else?”

His chest deflated.

“I knew there’d be a steeper price,” I said, getting off my seat and taking two steps toward my console. On the hologram, Zarnak straightened himself out, his girls suddenly fleein’ his mud pool as our conversation got more serious.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Well, let it out then.”

“The head of Boro-gin.”

I laughed. “Oh, is that all?”

He looked at me funny.

“You know you’re asking for suicide, right?” I verified.

“I believe then we’d be fair, bounty hunter.”

“Boro-gin is the deadliest overlord in this quadrant,” I cautioned. “He’s taken out entire regimes in a single night. He’s not some pussycat that you can just swat away. He’s even sent demi’s runnin’ back home with their tails tucked between their legs.”

“Yes, but you are Nyx, aren’t you?” Zarnak challenged. “The man who collected scrolls from ancient crypts and buried temples from all over the universe to tame the gods. The renowned celestial bounty hunter who blew up his own city just to uphold the terms of a contract. And the galactic overlord who’ll complete my collection and in turn, become a god himself. Surely, Boro-gin is not out of your league. In fact, you are above his league!”

“Yeah, when I become immortal.”

“And what? Risk him snatching what you’ve worked so hard to achieve? Who is to say that Boro-gin doesn’t have eyes on you as we speak, patiently waiting for the moment of your ascension to strike? He’s a scavenger, thriving on the remnants of greatness. You seek to secure divine power, and he’ll be right there at your heels! Knowing this, doing nothing is simply foolish!”

I ground my teeth together. I ain’t wanted to admit it, but Zarnak was right. Boro-gin was dangerous, and a threat that I couldn’t underestimate. I wouldn’t see him comin’—the bastard was cunning, and I couldn’t dismiss the possibility Zarnak was layin’ on me.

“There’s no guarantee that I’ll survive,” I said softly under my breath.

Zarnak’s grin widened. “That’s the thrill of business, isn’t it? Getting rid of him now will be in not only my favor, but yours as well. Remember, this is the same man who’d threatened your tournament council and tried to take your seat. Best do away with him now before it’s too late.”

“All right. I’ll do it. Don’t know how yet, but I’ll get ‘er done.”

He reeled himself back in his pool with an excited smirk on his face. “Your lust for immortality runs deeper than the bond of your dead mother and her home planet.” He chuckled. “I envy you, Nyx Rexius.”