Hey, y'all. Here's another story I've been doing. And here comes the cycle again. Expect everything to be gone in a couple of months lol.

You may or may not recognize it.

It was packed full tonight. More so than it used to be. Mike's Bar and Grill was not all that popular. But that was before an alien race calling themselves 'Cornerians' showed up on Earth one day. Our first contact with an alien race nearly began in bloodshed. Thankfully, peace was immediately established once the Cornerians proved themselves far more superior than our current military force, which was divided amongst other nations instead of being united as the CDF (Cornerian Defense Force) was. Once the trade talks had finished, some of the Cornerian population visited Earth as interplanetary tourists, sampling every bit of Earth's different cultures. Mike's Bar and Grill in the coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, became a trendy point of interest for the Cornerians.

That was years before I was born.

My name is Kyle Evans. I'm a twenty-year-old college dropout-turned-rookie-bounty-hunter. 5' 11", short brown hair, green-brown eyes, and a rather poorly shaven face thanks to my shaky hands and inexperience in shaving.

I'll cut to the chase and stop wasting time. The only things you need to know about me are my name and current occupation: Kyle Evans; Bounty Hunter.

As for why I'm hanging out at Mike's? Well, I'm a bounty hunter, remember? Mike's Bar and Grill transitioned from a (sort of) family-friendly restaurant to a place for scum and villainy from both Earth and the Lylat System to lay low. Therefore, it was the perfect spot for me to sit and wait for someone to waltz in and sit down at my table with a contract or something worthwhile to offer me. It was also the perfect place for people like me looking for their first easy paycheck. However, most of the 'jobs' were mainly from Cornerians and took place on the other side of the galaxy. That made 'business' very slow and made me the only human bounty hunter—as far as I know, at least—willing to take those jobs. That, plus the fact that there was some animosity from a protest group who managed to stir up many anti-extraterrestrial feelings amongst the general population of Earth. And either out of a kind heart, forgiving heart, or just because they were mainly a peaceful species, the Cornerians did not return the same feelings.

This was why I was astonished to find a monkey of all things walk into the bar an hour into my patient waiting and make a beeline straight for me. He wore a dark, billowing cloak with the hood pulled up and covering most of his primate face. The one thing that stuck out about him was that he appeared to be a very shifty and jumpy character. His eyes, which were a magenta color, darted left and right. He occasionally checked behind his shoulder as if he was expecting an assassin or the police to show up and take him down at any moment. Of course, with the current situation of Earth, I can't say that I blame him. I, too, would be cautious about my surroundings on a planet that belonged to an entirely brand-new alien species that hated my guts for no reason.

He eventually made it over to my table in the back corner of the establishment and sat down across from me. His eyes continued to scan left and right and behind him before they settled on the person in front of him: me. "Are you Kyle Evans?" he asked. I nearly choked on my chicken wing when I heard how high-pitched his voice was.

I looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Yeah? Who's asking?"

He shook his head and placed his hands firmly on the table. "Doesn't matter. I have a bounty for you if you'd be willing to take it."

I set down my picked-clean chicken wing on the plate and wiped my fingers with a napkin. "I don't know. What is it?"

Another quick glance around the room before he reached inside his cloak and brandished a small disc, and set it down in the middle of the table between us. The monkey then pressed a button on the side of the device, and a blue, holographic bust image materialized above it. I was taken aback by what I saw: it was a female Cornerian wolf. Short, pointy ears; long, broad muzzle; a scar covered by an eyepatch; a mane of 'hair' that was pulled back into a ponytail and draped over her right shoulder, and a rather mean, nasty-looking glare plastered on her 'wolfish' features. Pun intended.

"This is Wolf O'Donnell, a ruthless mercenary of the Lylat System. However, she is currently known as 'Lady O'Donnell,' a title she adopted after taking over the criminal underworld a year ago."

I looked up from this 'Wolf O'Donnell' at the monkey with a raised eyebrow. "Let me get this straight." I leaned forward and pointed at myself. "You want me, a young, inexperienced bounty hunter," I paused and pointed at the holographic wolfess hovering above the projector. "To go after her, a notorious mercenary-turned-crime-boss who's in control of the entire underworld of your system?" I shook my head and sat back in my seat. "I can't do that. I'd die as soon as I stepped foot into her territory." I let my words hang between us for a moment, and then a thought popped into my head. "Speaking of which, where is that exactly?"

"Sargasso Space Station," he replied quickly. "A place not unlike this little restaurant; only bigger. Much bigger."

I nodded. "Okay." A few seconds passed before I spoke up again. "What if I were to accept this bounty? How much would I be paid upon completion?"

The monkey smiled; oh, he smiled in such a way that it sent shivers down my spine and made me feel highly uncomfortable. Not only that, but the shadow cast by his hood hid most of his face, except the eyes and mouth. I shuddered violently and swallowed back my fear, only for it to come back again shortly after. "More money than you would make in your entire life, Mr. Evans. The reward that the CDF offers for her capture, plus what my employer will pay you once we have confirmed you did the deed. In short, a lot of money."

"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked skeptically.

The grin grew impossibly wider. "You don't." I gulped. "However, you will be paid in advance for your travels and basic needs while in the Lylat System. Including, but not limited to, your very own ship."

My brain screeched to a halt, and I blinked at him in disbelief. "My…m-my own ship? I…I don't…I don't know what to say."

His reply was to extend his furred hand towards me in a handshake to seal the deal. "Just say yes, and all of what I said will come true. Even your wildest dreams."

My conscience screamed at me to not accept it, ignore the monkey and look for another job elsewhere. But I was young and stupid and evidently greedy as I missed the mental protests and immediately took the monkey's hand up in mine and shook it wildly. "You've got yourself a deal, mister," I said gleefully, a wide grin spread across my thin, human lips.

Little did I know that I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. And that it was a big, fine mess I had managed to get myself into.

A shadowy figure watched with narrowed, beady eyes as the human known as Kyle Evans boarded a shuttle bound for Corneria. He quickly ducked into an alley, away from the prying eyes of the public. He then pulled out a small disk-like device like the one he had given the young human bounty hunter.

Andrew Oikonny, a nephew to the late Andross, activated the device, and a figure appeared, dressed as shadily and mysterious as he was. "Report, Oikonny," they spat, sounding disgusted with having to use Andrew's name, their voice garbled and distorted due to the poor connection.

Andrew bowed his head and said, "My lord, the human has taken the bait. He is on his way to the Lylat as we speak."

There was a moment of silence before the figure spoke again. "And?"

"The explosives have planted in their respective areas, my liege."

"Good. Once the human has captured O'Donnell, I'll detonate the station. That will be your signal. Understood?"

"Of course, my liege."

"Good. Long live Andross."

"Long live Venom," Andrew replied as the device shut off. He replaced it within his cloak, and he disappeared into the shadows once more, his head lowered slightly to mask his alien origin from the planet's general population. "And long live Oikonny."