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

After their descent below deck, Sixth Measure led Beatrix, Oona, and Eclipsed Heart into a lavish, open room by the trio of brothers. The pop princess paused to take in the well-stocked bar, couch set before a wide monitor, and a few beds. But her eyes came to rest on a painting that overlooked the place. It depicted a ravishing opera diva that dominated the aquatic area. “Ooh! And who is this? She seems lovely!”

Tenor made a sour face before answering, “That... would be our mother.”

Oona made a note of this and asked, “Ah take it th’ paintin’ doesn’t capture her personality?”

“She’s not that bad,” insisted Bass, who shook his head. “She can be a little… headstrong most of the time.”

“Uh-huh. So what they’re saying is, she’s the worst,” quipped Alto, who plopped down on a stool and cracked open a can of beer. “Luckily, she doesn’t get in the way of our mission. So go ahead, settle in! I’m dying to know why the famed heroes of the city sought us out~.” His orchid eyes wandered all over Beatrix’s curvature, licking his lips.

Frowning as her girlfriend looked equally promiscuous, Oona stood in front of the witch, much to her annoyance. Then, clearing her throat, she gently said, “We came fur answers regardin’ yer’ mission.’ We understand there’s been conflict wit President Spike.”

“There’s always conflict with him, isn’t there?” Bass sighed, pacing the interior. “Not really sure what else to tell you. Corporations that run amok keep ruining the planet. And we’re aiming to fix that through our music! If we can lift up as many voices from the unheard masses, we can turn enough of the populace on President Spike. With enough pressure, he’ll be forced to step down. Then, we’ll be free to use our funds to help restructure the government and clean up this mess.”

“Pretty solid plan, don’t you think?” His brother chimed in, chugging down his entire can.

“Solid?! More like absurd!” Argued Beatrix, planting her hands on her wide hips. “Push the President out of the way, and there is sure to be chaos.”

Eclipsed nodded before asking, “Wouldn’t it be better to speak with President Spike in person? As miserly as he was, I can tell you he has reformed quite a bit. If there’s anyone to pin responsibility for the damages, it’s that weird plague doctor!”

“Who worked under President Spike’s authority to carry out his work and mass produce his products,” reminded Tenor, arms folding into his chest. “He was the one who hired him. Therefore, all the atrocities he’s committed still fall under Spike’s responsibility. And last I checked, he’s yet to show any remorse for hiring that psycho!”

Eclipsed said, “B-but that’s hardly fair! He couldn’t have known his employee would go rogue!”

“Oh, he does,” Alto corrected, sitting up and pulling out a USB from his jacket pocket. “And we have proof!”

“W-what!? Lemme see that,” Beatrix demanded, trying to reach out of the taller singer’s hands, who kept pulling away like a schoolyard bully. Pouting, she decided a different approach and purposefully pressed her ample breasts into Alto’s chest, sliding her leg over his thigh. “Pretty please? I’ll make it worth your while~!”

“B-Beatrix!” Oona exclaimed, flustered.

The bad boy murmured a sweet sound as he considered her offer. “I’m listening~! A-ahh! Hey!”

Bass swiped the USB from his brother, shaking his head. “This is highly confidential stuff. We’re not supposed to share this with anyone!”

“Cock blocker,” Alto muttered under his breath.

“Can’t you make an exception?” Eclipsed pleaded. She, too, was worried that once Spike was removed from power, someone worse could swoop in to replace him. “We won’t share it with anyone else, promise! We’re only trying to look out for the people in the city.”

After rubbing his chin in thought, Bass murmured, “Mmm… we’ll think about it.” He placed the little device into his pocket.

Oona nodded. “We highly appreciate it.”

“C’mon! Don’t let controversy dampen the mood!” Alto urged, taking another drink while securing Beatrix by the hip. “Let’s party~!”

The witch snickered and danced with the edgy rocker, grabbing a beer from the cooler. Once they seated at the couch, she straddled his lap, popped the lid, and downed the foamy drink, some of the contents spilling down her cleavage and clothes. He said, “Wooo~! Chug it, girl!”

Rolling his eyes, Tenor sat on the couch and used a remote to turn on the television monitor. In it, a pair of familiar-looking twins were getting tag teamed by muscular black men, overexaggerated moaning booming out the speakers. “Whoops! Erm, wrong channel~!” The younger brother chuckled in embarrassment before switching over to the news feed.

Images of what had once been B.A.B.S. flashed across the screen, where the heavily armed Babs Seed, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset Shimmer currently battled some Redcaps.

“Courtesy of our drones,” explained Bass, plopping down while wrapping an arm around the charcoal-skinned popstar, whose cheeks heated to match her pink hair and eyes. “Pirated footage to spread the word to the masses.”

“If anyone deserves to know, it’s the fans,” Alto proclaimed, grabbing a handful of Beatrix’s supple buttocks and massaging the flesh in circles. “And information concerning their livelihood shouldn’t be suppressed.”

The lovers were drawn to the battlefield, helpless to watch as the flash and hiss of lasers, staccato of rapid gunfire, and the whir of blades filled the screen. Smoke rose from the charred, blackened earth where molten stone steamed.

Thankfully, it appeared there hadn’t been any casualties on the mercenary side, supported by more soldiers sent in by President Spike.

The Redcaps had collected around the place where the U.F.O. had been housed, driven to try and reclaim whatever left behind technology the cyborgs could to bolster themselves. A number of the horde had visibly upgraded themselves.

“W-we should be there,” Beatrix groaned, quivering under Alto’s groping hands.

Lady Ewe shook her head. “Leave this tae th’ professionals. We have our own mission tae complete here.”

“And what mission might that be?” Tenor asked, his brow raising.

“O-oh! Y-ye wouldn’t be interested.”

“Now, now. We shared some stuff with you. Surely, you could shed a bit more for us~?” Alto whispered melodically, tugging down Beatrix’s top enough to expose her wobbly tits, rolling them in his palms. She shuddered, her rump rubbing back into his bulging crotch. “A-aaah~!”

“I am quite curious to how such a gorgeous young lady became such a rising star,” Bass admitted, pulling Eclipse closer while she giggled excitedly.

“And what our dazzling heroines get up to when they’re not saving the world,” Tenor chimed in, stroking along Oona’s thighs, making her gasp and shudder. His other hand reached for the remote to put on a more fitting soundtrack.

“O-oh, sweet lucid dreams,” she muttered shyly as the trio of boys began humming along, making the girls relax into their eager hands. Caught in a daze and becoming more and more open to their sexual suggestions, they failed to notice the jeweled pendants around their necks gleaming.

Suddenly, the speaking came up, and a worn feminine voice echoed, “Attention passengers! This is your captain speaking. Our cruise will be approaching our destination in roughly five minutes. So would our ‘gracious’ hosts, please return on deck? Your adoring public is waiting!”

With the mood ruined, the boys shuffled away begrudgingly. “So sorry to cut this short,” Bass said in an apologetic tone, rubbing the back of his neck. “Looks like we’ll have to continue this conversation another time.”

“I-it’s fine,” Oona assured, somewhat relieved nothing escalated. Nevertheless, she sensed something was amiss with the boy band, eying the jewelry wrapped around their necks.

“W-was that your mother just now?” Eclipsed asked. “She’s the captain of this ship!?”

“Eeyup...” Tenor said, looking away.

“Like I said. She’s the worst,” scoffed Alto, arms folded.

Beatrix frowned while adjusting her boobs back into her top. “Yeah, we better head back up. Don’t wanna keep Kitsune and Wispy waiting.”

Nodding, Sixth Measure escorted the girls out of their lounge. Eclipsed Heart clung tightly to Bass’s arm while Alto and Beatrix made suggestive gestures. Oona and Tenor conversed a bit more before they returned the party aboard deck.

*****

Like the captain said, the party boat arrived at the desolate beach and touched down with rocky waves. A bridge formed to reach the shores, passengers unloading onto the crystalline sands. The water was clear and glinted under the sun, the private spot chosen one of the last few in the world untouched by the taint of pollution.

“This is why we’re so vocal in our protests,” explained Bass, who spread his arms. “Can you imagine a world where the seas and land were once again clean?”

“A beautiful one indeed,” noted the dream shaman, who studied the calm seas which stretched beyond her honey eyes. She yelped when Beatrix’ liberated’ her clothes; her own magically waved away to join the throngs of naked people below. They openly drank, danced, and swam. Eclipsed Heart, Wispy Willow, and Kitsune were bombarded by several crazed fans.

“Tasukete!” Whispered Kitsune when the couple wandered close.

“Aw, but you’re so cute!” Beatrix winked and noted how little the body paint left to the imagination, now that everyone could see B.A.B.E. up close. But no one dared try and lay hands on them, not after Wispy had hissed and summoned a massive ball of raw plasma.

“Now just come along, one at a time,” directed Wispy, lips pursed and tail flicking about.

“I’ve lost count of how many breasts I’ve autographed,” admitted Eclipsed, who giggled as she wrote her name across the latest bare pair pushed into her face, this one by Tree Hugger, who shook her tits afterward with a chuckle. Next came Fluttershy, who also had Eclipse’s name scrawled across her denuded, ample bosom. “What about you two? Want to get in line?”

“A’ll pass,” insisted Lady Ewe, her arms folded to hide her inverted nipples.

Beatrix added, “Maybe in private sometime? Truth is, I’d kinda like to hit the sea!” She ran ahead, where small waves lapped around her ankles when she padded in. Then, once the waters reached her shoulders, she dove in with a splash, enveloped by the sea's warmth.

With a shake of her head, Oona banished her staff and followed her lover in. She drifted over to Beatrix and swam beside her. Beatrix bobbed to the surface with a laugh, pressed close to her partner, and held her while they tenderly kissed.

Submerged in the calm waters, Eclipsed swam over to meet them with a broad smile a short time later. “Whew! Finally escaped! I absolutely love our fans, but I can only take so much!”

Oona asked, “What about yer bandmates?”

“Wispy doesn’t like water much. She prefers using an air shower,” explained Eclipsed, who couldn’t help but snicker as the image formed in her head. “Well, aside from how fluffy it always leaves her fur! Kitsune doesn’t like the sea much, either!”

“That’s too bad,” said Beatrix who stared at the band members on the beach, still surrounded by the mob which they tried to placate, now that the princess of pop had abandoned them. “Maybe they just need the proper encouragement?”

“ Don’t ,” chided her teacher, but the witch wrapped the band members in her aura as her transparent unicorn horn manifested, plucked the pair off the beach, lifted them over while they struggled helplessly, and finally deposited the women into the drink with a heavy splash.

“Yuck! Why you-” Wispy, soaked when she rose from the waters, summoned a dozen yellow orbs that encircled the witch.

“Hey, lighten up! Yeesh~!” Beatrix covered her ears once the spheres started to pop one-by-one and showered her and the area in thankfully harmless yellow embers, aware that had Wispy wished to, she could likely reduce her to a charred corpse in seconds.

“We did need a bath,” confessed Kitsune, all of them sweaty after their concert performance. She ran her hands through her dense mane, then started to wash her nine tails. With a defeated grumble, Wispy too began to bathe herself.

They drifted out further into the sea, away from the crowds, to seek a sliver of privacy. After months on tour, the band was exhausted and in terrible need of a vacation. So the foursome swished in the salty seas, relaxed under the morning sunlight that reflected off the surface and emphasized their wet down nude bodies, as they lost themselves in playful laughter.

Even Kitsune joined in, albeit more reserved than the rest of them. They headed out further still until the crowds that dotted the beach started to disappear, little more than dots once the group began to make their way towards a lone cove.

Beatrix pointed at the cave ahead. “Say, how about we explore some?”

“That could be dangerous,” Oona observed with a creased brow at the sight of the dark opening.

“Aw, c’mon. You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” Wispy nudged her. “Don’t worry, sis and I will look after you two!” Eager to escape the ocean, the tigress swam back to the shore, followed close by the others while they wandered back onto the beach. The sands were dotted in seashells, strips of seaweed, and a hermit crab skittered by. Their footfalls left imprints on the sand upon their cautious approach.

The cave’s mouth beckoned them in. Wispy summoned an orb to light their path. Water dripped off their bodies, and their movements echoed down the interior, where a low draft washed over them. The illumination caused their shadows to crawl over the rocky enclosure, and they headed deeper in. Beatrix was drawn to explore, if only to sate her natural curiosity.

“Wow. Wasn’t expecting to find much here,” said Wispy, who sniffed the air.

“It’s a chance tae see some natural beauty at least,” admitted Lady Ewe, who studied the weathered rocks.

Kitsune spun and narrowed her eyes when she took a defensive stance, poised to transform. “We’re not alone.” Her muscles visibly relaxed when the three silhouettes came into view. “S.L.U.T. State your business!”

“Honestly, Kitsune. Always so serious,” replied Carrion Hellfire with a nasty smile, a hand on one hip. “Cut us some slack, will you?”

“You know why we’ve come, B.A.B.E.,” said Obrya Slithervane, crawling on her serpentine body to meet them.

“You might be stars on the stage. But you’re on our turf now!” Boasted Riptide Ruth, who licked her chops and bared her needle-like teeth. She rushed forward, seized the fox woman sooner than she could leap away, and pulled her into her arms off the ground while she hugged her.

Again, the couple started to fire up their magic, only to have Eclipsed step in between them. “Will you drop this hokey charade already? Seriously! I already told you, these girls are cool!”

“Phesh! We were only having a bit of fun,” said Carrion before she embraced Eclipsed and Obrya did the same to Wispy, much to the shocked expressions of Beatrix and Ewe. “Didn’t they tell you? It’s all part of our act! We're all friends here!”

“Our promoters tried to force a rivalry between our bands,” explained Eclipsed. “But we decided, ‘why can’t we all be friends?’ So instead, we set up random attacks on our concerts to stir up interest and show off our skills! It’s made us tons of money and kept everyone happy! Still, we never thought it would cause a riot! I feel so terrible about that! I hope no one was seriously hurt!”

“Nah,” said Ruth, as the shark-like woman continued to snuggle the fox lady. “Nothin’ serious. Just a few scrapes and bruises, at worst!”

“Oh! Well, good to know,” replied Eclipsed, who wiped her brow. “I couldn’t live with myself if any of our fans died due to me! Oh, and while we all come clean, I...have another secret.” She concentrated, and her pink ponytail whirled as she formed a shard of crystalline in her hand.

“Oh, it’s so pretty!” Marveled Oona as the shard sparkled. “An inheritance from yer father...?”

“Maybe. I never met my parents, at least not that I know of.” Eclipsed shrugged and rolled the crystal in her palm. They followed the members of S.L.U.T. outside, where they also stripped down in preparation to enter the sea waters.

They submerged themselves and relaxed, thankful that no fans were around, so they were finally able to break character. The band’s tech whiz, Ruth Riptide, had set up their own drones to watch the area and alert them in case of discovery, since even the media hadn’t caught on that their ‘rivalry’ was a playful, mutually beneficial ruse that had only made them closer.

Beatrix waded beside them and asked, “So~...what does S.L.U.T. stand for anyhow?”

“Sadistic Lesbians United Together,” replied Obrya with half-lidded eyes and a hiss between her teeth. “Well… that’s at least true for Ruth and Carrion. I actually have a supportive boyfriend who’s in a biker gang!” She leaned in to whisper, “But don’t let the normies in on our little secret, okay? It would break their poor little hearts~!”

“They’re a bunch of neutered pussycats when you get to know them,” said Wispy, who laughed.

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far...” Carrion used her shining metallic wings to splash the sassy tigress. “We should thank you two, really.” The avian-like turned to the couple. “You saved the world and helped reintroduce magic, which helped us all become what we are now!”

Beatrix nodded with a shamed smile. “Y-yeah…about that? Sorry I called you ‘freaks’ before!”

Riptide answered, “Water under the bridge, mate. We’re used to it! We just want to stand out from the other bands and embrace the image.”

“We chose to modify our bodies in ways most people wouldn’t dare,” Carrion proclaimed with a wicked smirk. "Pretty cool, huh?"

“Shame we can’t be more open with the public,” sighed Obrya, who quickly took to the seas in a swish of her elongated tail. “But if you’re ever in a serious pinch, you know we’ll be there for you. Until then, why don’t we all try and relax?” Glistening under the sunlight, her silky, lime-colored hair floated like tendrils around the snake woman, who reclined atop the calm seas.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” hooted Wispy with a toothy smirk, who watched their band leader swim. “Better not leave the ‘Princess’ alone too long, though! Knowing her, she might try and shack up with those pretty boys. Can’t afford to have her knocked up this early in her career!”

“Give her more credit,” said Kitsune, who narrowed her eyes. “She can take care of herself.”

Wispy shrugged. “Whatever you say, sis! Speaking of which, we’d better head our cute asses home soon! Not sure I trust this Sixth Measure yet!”

“A settlement Ah can agree with,” Oona nodded solemnly. “Ah can tell they’re genuine about their ambition. But Ah don’t know. They’re somethin’ else about them that seems off…”

“Well, I think they’re pretty swell guys,” said Beatrix, who toyed with her lover’s wooly hair. “Eclipsed sure has very nice taste~!”

"She's still a virgin," explained Wispy as she watched their leader swim further out, so carefree. "A real romantic at heart! But should any of those boys break it...I'll castrate 'em!" To punctuate her threat, she popped her claws.

"On that we are one," swore Kitsune. "She's like a little sister to us. We won't let her be harmed."

Beatrix noted how intense they could be. It was clear Eclipsed meant the world to them. She wanted to rush back and spend more time with the boy band, but figured her partner would cut that short again, much to her disappointment. Just like her last trip here, it would be business first, with any pleasure left to the occasional sideshow!

By the time noon arrived, the rival female bands had said their farewells, whereupon S.L.U.T. had hidden away for the moment to maintain their dangerous reputation. Perhaps one day, there would be no choice but to reveal the strife between the bands was no more than a ruse.

Until then, Beatrix was thankful to know they were on their side. Rest time was over. Next, she needed to meet back with President Spike!