Cyberpunk Returns in B.A.B.E. : A Beatrix Belladonna Tale

Kitsune sensed the intruders long before their arrival, having been 'blessed' with her finely-honed skills and scientifically advanced senses. She lept into action, her graceful movements being played off as simply part of the show. But as the Nine-Tailed Fox danced on the air, she suddenly transmuted her form into liquid metal that congealed when it settled into a small rocket shape. Thrusters flared, and dark smoke spat in a dense trail when the shiny vessel sailed up towards the roof to intercept the intruders.

The deadly vixen transformed back at the apex, readied her hilt, and flared her plasma saber to life. It struck another blade as two combatants connected in a shower of sparks that rained down. Her eyes narrowed at her opponent, their blades locked as they continued to swivel through the air. "S.L.U.T…." She stated neutrally.

"Hey now! That's just my band," answered a scratchy, raspy voice. "The name's Hellfire… Carrion Hellfire!" The woman's spiky, messy purple mane was doused in sweat that gleamed under the light, as did the metallic, curved wings on her outer arms and the talons that made up her lower legs. Yet what stood out the most about the cybernetics-enhanced woman was the scars adorned all over her athletic body.

Rather than clothes, her costume was composed of bikini-like metal plates that covered her nipples and crotch, circuitry built into her slashed-up skin. Taken aback momentarily as the kunoichi knocked her own plasma sword from her grasp, she flashed a grin full of razor-like metal teeth and extended her talons with an audible swish. "Let's dance, bushytails~!"

Kitsune bared her teeth once she powered down her saber and put it away, opting to deal with the steel harpy with her bare fists instead. They continued to weave through the neon strobe-lit air, across the crowds who gasped and stared at the chaos, as the pair repeatedly clashed.

The rest of B.A.B.E. were unable to rest on their laurels, confronted by the other two members of S.L.U.T. who touched down on stage. Gasps rose from Eclipsed Heart, encircled by a snake tail that repeatedly wrapped around her. "Help!"

"Hang on, Eclipsed!" Beatrix called back as she and Oona readied their spells in glowing hands, until Wispy Willows grabbed each of their shoulders, pulling them back.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there, girls," the tigress insisted with a playful wink. "We're not in any real danger."

Both the witch and shaman looked back confused as Wispy skipped into the fray, summoning more plasma orbs to launch into the atmosphere. Uncertain with what was happening, the lovers trusted in the feline's words, magic fading from their palms as they observed from the back.

"Foolish princess~," hissed the half-snake woman, her serpentine body coiled tight around the pop star, squeezing down slightly with every desperate struggle. "Surely you aren't doomed without your bandmates."

Eclipse squirmed, feeling her foe's forked tongue flick against her cheek. She glared at her and warned, "Don't underestimate me!"

The lamia cackled. "Oh yeah? Then prove it! Prove that you are worthy to stand on the same stage as Obrya Slithervane!"

The S.L.U.T singer unraveled her hold, spinning Eclipsed Heart towards the edge before she collapsed to her knees in dizziness. Then, shaking it off, she focused her gaze on the fully nude serpent, elaborate tattoos inked into her supple flesh and scales. Lime-colored puffs of hair trailed after her, decorated by a crown of shrunken skulls that matched a similar necklace which hung suspended over her pendulous breasts. "Don't keep me waiting, little bitch~."

"You asked for it!" Crystalline exploded into shards from Eclipsed as she opened her balled-up fists. The serpent woman shrieked when she was forcibly cast off. The pop star stretched, the crystal transformed into a two-handed staff.

"Whoa," exclaimed a wide-eyed Wispy. "That's new--w-wha!? Heeeeey!" Before she could make sense of her friend's newly seen abilities, she was forcibly chucked into the wall. She flipped to avoid another strike, landed crouched on all fours with a hiss and swiveled her tail about.

"Gooday, mate~" The last of the S.L.U.T women introduced themselves. She was a shark hybrid, with fins protruding from her arms and back and a thick tail above her buttocks. Gills expanded and contracted on her side. Gray-skinned, an aquamarine punk style mane sprouted atop her head. Muscle complimented her curvy body, wearing a white shirt torn at the bottom, exposing some of her breasts. A sizeable spiked leather jacket adorns her large frame, a toothpick between her teeth-filled smile. A fish hook was pierced into her pointy snout like a nose ring.

Wispy cried, "Riptide Ruth!"

"That's my name, don't wear it out! Now, how 'bout we leave these sorry saps and get straight into dinner~?" She snickered, licking her chops.

"Fat chance, you overgrown goldfish!"

Growls arose from Riptide before she chased after the tigress, the tigress ducking out each swipe and punch aimed at her.

All Beatrix and Oona could do was watch. They dared not interfere after Willow's request, but the witch did not enjoy being on the sidelines, helpless to do anything.

"Gaaagh, this isn't fair! Just where did these freaks come from!?"

"Ceann Oga," Oona chastised while steadily gripping her shoulder. "It's not polite tae label anyone as such! A've met plenty ov creatures like them back in mah homeworld. Need Ah remind ye how e’eryone deemed you a freak in yer dimension..?"

"N-no, you're right," Beatrix admitted with pursed lips, rubbing her arm. "I'm sorry, it's just…I hate standing still, especially when we should be helping them!"

"Ah know, Beatrix. But Ah highly doubt we can simply talk these three down..."

While the battle raged across the concert hall, little did the lovers know that this was all an act. B.A.B.E. was used to these random attacks, spurring the audience to engage in this friendly feud staged between the teams.

However, like most diehard fans, some took such comparisons to extreme lengths. And, unfortunately, supporters of both girl bands began to engage with each other.

"B.A.B.E. is for pussies! Why don’t you listen to some real music!?"

"Nu-uh! You're just jealous of their success!"

"Nah, S.L.U.T is way cooler!"

"Yeah, if you're into trash!!"

"Shut the fuck up, no one cares!"

"Make me!!"

Inevitably, a punch was thrown, knocking one fan into another, causing them to spill their beverage over other bystanders. And, within a moment, the violence spread until an all-out brawl broke out, causing both bands to cease their staged fighting.

"O-oh no!" Cried Eclipsed, who banished her crystal staff and seized back her microphone. "Hey guys, that's enough! This isn't cool!"

Yet her protests were drowned out as fans fought amongst themselves, going so far as to bite and pull at each other's hair.

"This got ugly real quick…" murmured Obyra, turning to the metal harpy and shark woman. "Let's scram!" Nodding, S.L.U.T. withdrew from the area; the three intruders propelled themselves upwards and clambered into the darkness, vanished quickly as they had arrived.

"Hey! Come back here, you cowards!" Wispy called after, groaning as the bedlam they sparked refused to quiet down. Then, summoning another orb atop her palm, she proclaimed, "Well, perhaps a few explosions will get everyone to settle down!"

"No," Kitsune objected, standing beside her sister and taking her arm with a shake of her head. "It will only incite them further."

"But we can't let this continue," Eclipsed Heart cried. "We don't want all these people in the hospital. Or worse..!"

"This is getting bad…." Beatrix lamented, unsure if she and Oona could even help at this point.

"Perhaps Ah could put them tae sleep?" The dream shaman offered until her honey brown eyes took in how large of a crowd was gathered, making her gulp. It was no use, as to pull off a hypnosis spell of this scale, she would require a lot more magic than she currently possessed.

Beatrix turned to B.A.B.E. "What are we going to do?! Should I try more illusions...?"

The sound of a loud electronic horn answered their question, as a large shadow crawled over the entire concert. Everyone in attendance paused as a floating ship, embedded with speakers and lights, steadily descended to hover above the stage. Voices suddenly echoed through the arena.

"Whoa there, people! This isn't the way to be partying!"

"Yeah, you all outta be ashamed of yourselves!"

The lovers and B.A.B.E. shared a conflicted look once E.D.M. music filled the now quiet concert hall. A large screen titantron showed a platform slowly rising from the boat's bow, smoke and lights highlighting three silhouettes, each bobbing along to the beat in harmony.

And when the figures stepped out, the crowd uproared in excitement while the three debonair men each struck a flamboyant pose.

Before Beatrix or Oona could fully comprehend what had happened, a loud squeal escaped Eclipsed Heart, who exclaimed, "OH MY GOD! SIXTH MEASURE IS HERE!? AAAAAAAAAAAH~!!”

The pop diva soon clasped her hands and blushed hard, her bandmates and friends gazing at her in bewilderment. "S-sorry! It's just…they're the biggest reason why I became a pop idol," she confessed with a sheepish giggle.

"Seriously? Them!?" Wispy scoffed, hands to her hips. "If you ask me, they're overrated!"

"Not to mention they're crashing our show…" Kitsune nodded, arms folded under her bust.

Yet as the music grew louder and energetic, all eyes were locked on the boy band, who leaped off their boat to take center stage.

While having bits of matching attire, Sixth Measure styled themselves differently. Bass wore a black top and tight jeans, the blue maned, oranged-eyed earth pony giving off some country flare. The yellow maned, green-eyed pegasus, Tenor, had a more dapper look that made him classier than his brothers. Finally, the red-maned, purple-eyed pegasus, Alto, appeared to be the group's 'bad-boy', dressed in an open vest that gave him a rocker's edge.

All three stallions wore a jeweled pendant around their necks, matching the shape and color of their respective owner. They also wore a headset with microphones attached. Bass tapped into his to address the crowd.

"So sorry to crash in like this," he apologized, flashing a charming smile towards Eclipse backstage, causing her heart to flutter more. "But we couldn’t stand to watch the fans to conjure quite the storm!"

"Yeah, trust us! There’s far better things worth fighting over," Alto added in, giving a brief look towards President Spike's towering building before looking over the crowd. "Besides, I think both girl bands are excellent in their own right! S.L.U.T oozes raw, unfiltered passion~!" This remark earned a cheer from their respective fans.

"And B.A.B.E. are some of the most enthusiastic, talented acts in town~!" Tenor chimed in, getting a positive reaction from the Heartbreakers.

"It's a matter of taste," the lead singer concluded. "But in the end, we're all music lovers here! And what's more important than standing for the thing we love?!”

“NOTHING!!” The crowd replied.

“That's right! So let’s turn down the violence…”

“Turn up the lights…”

“And party all night~♪”

“Wooooooooooooo~!!!”

The crowd erupted as Sixth Measure began to perform their signature song, Cruise with Me. A theme about exploring the seas with your love, sung with clever lyrics and sailing references along with a killer breakdown after the second chorus. Bass as the lead, with his brothers backing him up and, occasionally, switching roles. All while dancing in complete sync.

The concert filled with bubbles and light as everyone swayed along to Sixth Measure's groove, including Eclipsed, Beatrix, and Oona, unable to look anywhere but the colts, little hearts shimmering in their widened pupils.

Wispy, who previously denounced the boy band, had fallen for their melody, hips wiggling with the beat and tail waving around happily.

The only person who stood unaffected was Kitsune, likely due to being more machine than human after the experiments on her. But even then, her foot was tapping along to the rhythm.

When the song ended, everyone applauded Sixth Measure, who nodded towards the captain piloting their ship. Alto, Bass, and Tenor lept back onto their hover platform.

"Thank you so much for having us perform tonight!" Bass smiled at the crowd, though he directed his statement to B.A.B.E.

"If anyone's interested, we're continuing this party at the Leviathan Isles!" Alto gestured.

"So come 'cruise with us,'" Tenor said before all three sang,

"And help save the seas~♪"

After their announcement, the boat turned to the side and lowered on the stage. A plank dropped down to welcome a surge of fans abroad. Beatrix managed to shake out of her daze.

"H-holy crap! That was amazing!" She exclaimed to her lover, who dreamily grinned.

"It sure was~!" Oona sighed before eventually recomposing herself. "They're certainly a charismatic bunch. Sae should we indulge in this 'pleasure cruise'?"

"Oh, hell yeah!"

"Oh, hell no!!" Wispy insisted, crossing her arms. "I hate water! And I'm not getting on that boat, especially after they stole our show!"

"Funny you say that considering you were really vibing to their song," Eclipsed pointed out with a sly grin.

The tigress gave a flustered glare, muttering, "S-so they make catchy music! Big deal! I still say they're overrated..."

Despite Sixth Measure crashing their concert, Kitsune said nothing, being equally embarrassed to admit she found the band's performance undeniably appealing.

"Oh, c'mon! I wanna see what this party is about. Let's go!" The pop idol urged her fellow bandmates. "Besides, when's the last time we got to enjoy a venue we weren't headlining~?"

Before the two sisters could protest, Eclipsed spurred them towards the ship, with Beatrix and Oona following. Once enough inhabitants were onboard, the hovercraft took up to the night skies and sailed through the brightly lit city.

Fans and party-goers were all having a great time, drinking and dancing to their heart's content. Some even went bold to undress and grind up against their partner, dry humping each other without care. Among them was a familiar pair of faces Beatrix instantly recognized with a giggle. "Figures I'd find you two here as well~!"

"Heeeey~! Welcome back, babes," Tree Hugger greeted with a wave, lounging next to Fluttershy in a shallow tub. Their skin glistened with sweat from the steam, a slight sheen highlighting their breasts that barely hid below the bubbly surface.

"Nice get up!" Shy complimented, checking out the scanty body paint with half-lidded eyes.

"Y-yes, thank ye," Oona stammered, cautiously closing her arms over her massive chest, which only made her breasts push out more.

"Hehe! Sexy as always~" The witch snickered, looking around to find that the boy band was nowhere in sight. "Where's Sixth Measure??"

"Probably down below or something." Hugs shrugged, taking a cocktail and pouring some of the fruity liquid into her cleavage, hands holding up her tits topped by perky nipples. "Thirsty~?"

"Erm, no thanks! I would rather not drink while on a boat. Might get seasick," Beatrix politely declined, despite the cruise having not reached water yet.

"Suit yourself!" Shy lapped at her lips before suckling the drink out of her marefriend's bosom, causing Hugs to shudder and coo.

"Sae, what brings ye tae th’ party?" Lady Ewe asked.

"Oh, c'mon. I'm sure you've figured out what Sixth Measure is, like, all about," Tree Hugger said. "Sure, I love bands who put out positive messages or, like, are in it just for fun. But a band that's both about the environment and made of hot studs?! Like, sign me the fuck up, bra~!!"

Shy tittered when she continued to eye the witch and shaman. "I know President Spike has tried to make amends, but it's hard to look past all the trash and chemicals he dumped in the river while working with that Vice Lord. All of it wound up polluting the ocean! I'm sure Sixth Measure will explain in their own words!"

"Aw, come on, babe," Tree Hugger frowned, stroking her thigh. "Don't let what Spike's done mess up your sweet vibes."

"I...I know," replied Shy, whose bosom expanded and contracted with heated breaths. "But it still makes me so upset!" She was pulled into the hippie's arms, who stroked her dense pink mane and did what she could to console her. "I think President Spike should take full responsibility and step down! Maybe then someone else can take faster steps to try and heal the planet!"

Beatrix recalled mistakes she had made in other trips into worlds and cringed. Stroking her arm, she said, "Look, I'm sure he's doing his best to--"

"Sorry, Bea. But I ain't vibin' with that. Too little, too late," replied Hugs, who warmly embraced her lover, only to be met by a flurry of playful kisses that peppered bite-marked tits. "Mmmm, yeah~! Just like that, my succulent sexy kitten~!"

Oona's ears perked up at the sound of applause, turning to find Bass, Alto, and Tenor entering the main deck from sliding doors, many fans eager for an autograph from the three stallions.

Tugging at her girlfriend's arm, the dream shaman motioned towards the boy band. "We can discuss this wit them. Perhaps it'll help us further reform th’ president."

Nodding and waving at the busy couple, Beatrix followed Lady Ewe through the crowd to get closer towards Sixth Measure. Sweaty, bared muscles and bounce of denuded breasts and buttocks met them on the way closer. Hips swayed, and bare feet smacked on the deck. Some of them slyly touched each other up, or openly took this even further, in a few cases.

Finally, they managed to get in line, steadily growing closer to Sixth Measure. While many fans loved having their merchandise signed, some mares were bold to request singing their forearms or bare breasts, giving the band ample opportunity to feel up their crazed fans.

"Yeesh! Some of these girls are quite trashy," Tenor offhandedly remarked while drinking some water.

"I ain't complaining," Alto shrugged, scribbling his signature right above one fan's heart, who bit her lip as she departed. "Boobs are boobs after all~!"

"Hey," Bass nudged his younger sibling. "Try to keep it professional, guys. We've got a reputation, remember?"

The pegasus puffed, blowing some of his mane from his face. "Oh, please. Like you haven't sweet-talked your way into a fan's panties before. Or pants, for that matter~!"

"Pst! Look sharp, boys!" The unicorn whispered, pointing out the witch and shaman pushing their way through the crowd. "The 'heroes' are coming~!"

"Ooh~" Both brothers cooed, wrapping up their autographs just as Beatrix and Lady Ewe were in front of them. But before the witch could introduce herself or her mentor, Eclipsed Heart rushed past them, unable to restrain her childish enthusiasm as she happily cooed, hands cupped and her cheeks afire. The diva felt like she could faint just by being in their presence. Beatrix cringed at memories of how she once reacted to Lady Ewe, before she became her student.

"Well, well," Bass grinned, eyeing each of the lovely ladies before him. "I didn't know this would be a star-studded voyage."

"Eclipsed Heart and the city heroes. Aboard our ship? What an honor!" Tenor chuckled.

"O-oh, please," Eclipse waved off the remark. "You guys are real showstoppers…literally!"

"What can we say," Alto laughed, whipping his head to make his crimson bangs bounce. "We like to make an entrance~."

"I'm Bass," The elder idol introduced himself, offering his hand for Eclipse to shake. "And these are my brothers, Alto and Tenor."

"S'up~♪" His younger bandmates sang harmoniously.

The pop idol was blushing brightly as she accepted his hand, only to glow hotter when Bass took her knuckles to his lips. Kitsune and Wispy watched from a distance with sour expressions, leaning along the guard rail while ignoring dance offers from the other party-goers.

"Seriously though, we're thrilled to have you join us!" Bass insisted, twirling Eclipsed in his hand before leaning her into his chest. "Such dazzling dance moves~!"

"Such beautiful singing~," Tenor stepped in to rub Oona's shoulders which quivered at his tender touch.

"And such killer outfits~," Alto teased, hooking Beatrix's waist to pull her in closer.

The witch smirked, placing both hands to his shoulders, and arched her back to push her breasts out. "Glad you think so. Though if you ask me, I think we'd be much more comfortable without clothes~" She purred, racing her index finger along his bare chest.

"Mmm, now there's an idea," Bass admitted, his eyes sparkling with interest. "What do you say we get away from the paparazzi and have ourselves a... 'private' concert?"

"Pr-private? With you?! O-oh yes, please~!!" Eclipsed eagerly nodded, visibly shaking like a leaf while in the lead singer's arms.

Oona couldn't muster any words, too bashful and excited, while Tenor playfully traced along the curve of her curled horns.

"Lead the way, boys~," Beatrix airly offered, confident she could get them to open up about their goals with a bit of persuasion. Not that she remotely minded being touched up like this! Oh no, she thoroughly enjoyed how the bad boy was feeling up her curvy ass. Her violet eyes took in every bump on his tummy, drawn towards the pendant that faintly glowed against his chest.

"Right this way," Bass said as he and his brothers led the group through sliding glass doors, away from the envious crowd. The rest of B.A.B.E. slowly followed, remaining suspicious of Sixth Measure and their activities. Enhanced intuition told Wispy and Kitsune something else was up.