Amidst the streets of Tokyoto lies a bustling dark market that performs right beside the common people. Anika finds herself among this crowd time and time again yet she chooses to discount the possible relationships that are possible when dealing with the underground. Her business stays her business and ideally she will never have to associate with any such affiliation.

Today is an unusual day, however and Anika finds herself feeling a bit more tense than usual.

It was past sunset by now and along the darkened streets was an energy that couldn’t be solely described in words. There was a buzz of chatter, an air of excitement and a rising sense of anticipation that Anika could sense from the passerby. A group of teenage girls in heavy makeup and grungy hairstyles rushed passed Anika giggling excitedly and looking around before rushing toward a group of guys engaging in a lighthearted debate.

Anika knew this crowd, the very crowd she had been apart of once upon a time. Her cloaking spell made her invisible among the grey sidewalks and burnt out street lamps but had the teens seen her they’d recognize her in an instant. After all, those were her old friends.

Marley had been the first to introduce her to street racing: a dangerous sport competed in by only the most daring. The rules were simple: teams of five were given their choice of vehicle and expected to race a haphazardly planned course from start to finish. But that’s where things got interesting.

Unlike NASCAR races Anika had only heard about from Marley, street races in Tokyoto were a complete free-for-all. Violence, cutting corners and cheap tricks were about as expected in the race as having a solid winner within the twenty minute timeframe. Any racer not having finished in those twenty minutes was considered a failure and rejected by the community without remorse.

The races were a bit extreme but Anika loved to watch them as a kid.

But even as she saw the undeniable setup happening at the abandoned train station nearby, her interests lay elsewhere. She wasn’t here for fun- Anika had a job to get done before the night was over.

The hum of spectators awaiting the racers arrival filled the air as Anika rounded a couple corners into a nearby brothel. Nope, that wasn’t the business Anika had in mind but Yaroslav had very specific requests for the Black Mamba when it came to obscuring his identity.

Glancing at a pane of glass, Anika admired her latest work. She’d used a new disguise for her alias: a man with sculpted features, piercing blue eyes and a mop of blonde hair. She hoped her Russian appearance would set the old lord at ease.

Entering the brothel caused eyes to follow her impeccable disguise but Anika focused on making her way to the cozy booth in the back where Yaroslav sat leering at a busty brunette android.

“Sir Yaro. I apologize for the wait.”

Taking his eyes off the hominoid, Yaroslav grinned at the imposing figure standing above him speaking his language.

“So this is Black Mamba...why I simply didn’t expect this.”

Anika nodded and took the empty seat across from him, noting his Russian accent carried an air of royalty.

“I believe you had a request for my services.”

“Mhm, yes indeed. But I’m afraid that request has changed a bit.”

The Russian let his chin rest gently on his clasped hands, nearly smiling innocently at the vigilante.

“I previously asked for a girl’s hand in marriage and after she played a bit too hard to get I had planned to have you take her for me but there’s been a disturbance.”

Having left her biases at the door, Anika nodded along and urged the man to continue.

“Turns out the little miss wasn’t playing hard to get at all, she’s in love with a scoundrel.”

Anika had guessed where this might go but she entertained him anyway.

“Would you like this man gone Sir Yaro?”

Grinning like an evil madman, Yaroslav spoke with a darkness even Anika hadn’t experienced before. “I want him dead within the next 24 hours. Do this and I’ll pay you twice what I promised.”

Anika nodded and made a mental note to buy more silicone gloves on her way home.

“Will do Sir Yaro. Expect to have her hand at this time tomorrow.”

“I expect you know what happens if my men don’t find his body?” Despite her confidence, Anika still felt a bead of sweat roll down her neck. “Ahh what am I saying, this is the Black Mamba we’re talking about! I’ll just leave it to you and let you work your magic. I expect great things.”

“Your wish is my command Sir.”

With that Anika stepped out, making sure she kept her disguise on until she was completely out of sight. But before she could change, she noticed the street race once again. This time the setup was complete with lights adorning the racers as they entered their vehicles. The rowdy teenagers had turned into a crowd of spectators with many holding signs or enlarged photos of the racers’ faces.

For old times sake, Anika diverted her path into the crowd. The race was about to begin and the lineup seemed to be an almost even split between four teams. Two of them she recalled as local racing teams, Red Fox and Jaxwall. Neither were notable in the vigilant’s mind.

The third and fourth team on the other hand were unknown to Anika. She suspected one of them was the notorious Fireball, a street racing gang with a few of its members making headlines nearly every week. They liked to move around a lot but always seemed to end up in trouble no matter where the team ended up. Anika had known one of the racers as a kid but she supposed the sweet and shy little boy was no more.

Her ears perked up when she heard a pair of girls talking in front of her.

“Ugh! I can’t wait to see them ride, I hear Barracuda is an absolute beast.”

“Are you kidding?” The Phantom is supposed to be the fastest man on earth both on land and in a Tuatara.”

“True but aren’t you also curious about Windrider? Now that’s a driver that’s really crazy.”

Anika supposed the girls were talking about the last team, an ominous group that all boasted luxury vehicles. and shaded helmets masking their identities.

“You both are geekin’.”

Beside the girls was another fan waving a blown up picture of his favorite rider.

“Astro is the one to watch. I’ve never seen a rider so passionate. I could watch his races all day.”

The fans continue to jostle about their favorites but Anika was focused on the riders now as they began to rev up their engines. An android outfitted in Tokyoto’s signature blue, white and black stepped onto the track with a flag ready to wave. As the countdown reached its end and the flag went down, the crowd bustled with excitement. Screams erupted as the assortment of luxury race cars and motorbikes sped off into the distance beside the train tracks.

As the flashy vehicles glistened in the night, Anika caught a glimpse of the back of a forest green Pagani Huayra.

In bright yellow type it read Night Riders.