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

As Kitsune and Lady Ewe continued to explore the hidden warehouse, one of the tubes suddenly burst apart. An explosion of glass rained across the dirty floor tiles. Instantly drawing her beam sword, the copper-haired vixen took a defensive stance in front of the dream shaman, her eyes narrowed and mouth baring teeth.

From the wreckage arose a creature of nightmares. A large, disembodied head of an older man, strings of thick entrails and sparking wires suspended below the monster when it took flight. A shrill scream burst from its dried, bloated lips, its maw stretched inhumanly wide, splitting its cheeks apart.

"Stay behind me," ordered the fox woman, who ducked when it dove for her head. "What the hell is that thing!?"

"Ah think it's modeled after a Penanggalan," presumed Oona, who also shielded her head to avoid the screeching creature. "It's a mythical vampire-like fiend that preys after people's bodies tae possess wit it's head an' innards!"

Unlike the actual monster, this cybernetic abomination was constructed from organic and biomechanical materials, most notable in the metallic coils that thrashed along the entrails below it. If they weren't careful, it could loop around their necks and snap them right off.

"Wait," she murmured when it sailed beyond them through the darkness. "It's not after us. Then what does it-"

"No!" Cried Kitsune, who hurled a shuriken that whizzed and slammed into the creature's skull in a gush of discolored fluid. Yet it barely slowed, ignoring the silver star lodged in its cranium when it raced towards its prize.

The entrails and metallic coils flowed over a mechanized suit of armor, styled like an ancient samurai that was left on display further in. The machinery whirred to life, a sheath in the gauntlet's hand that flared to life to form its own eerie black beam saber. When it started to move, the lab quaked, its bulk much faster than it appeared. Growls and snarls came from the head latched onto the armor that rattled with its steps.

"Holy-!" The dream shaman's clothes rustled when her dream catcher staff shimmered with her magic. The blast she launched knocked the samurai back, but its advance continued, its weapon raised to cleave her in two.

Kitsune leaped over the half-sheep woman and blocked the blow. The sabers clashed in a shower of sparks that rained around them, the kunoichi left to strain under the impact. "Escape while you can," pleaded the fox woman.

"Nonsense! A'd ne'er abandon a friend," refused Oona, shaking her head while she prepared another spell.

The kunoichi momentarily gazed at her comrade before subtly nodding her understanding, impressed by the sage's loyalty and honor. "If only Wispy and I met you early in our life...we might not be where we are now." She growled at the cyber samurai, threw her weight into the locked saber, and managed to briefly push the creature back. "But I would not trade our time with Eclipsed Heart for anything!"

"Then let's take out this monstrosity," the dream walker encouraged. "Together!"

With a brief smile, Kitsune propelled into action. She ran up a gray wall, onto the ceiling, the slashes of the abomination answered with her own in a hail of spat plasma each time the glowing sabers connected. Yet her goal was to keep the monster distracted, and off-balance while Lady Ewe conjured her dwindled strength which surged into her breast and staff.

Grunts came from the demon samurai, who slobbered impatiently, ready to devour them to sate its unending hunger. Its eyes rolled separately, unnaturally to follow the shadowed vixen, and howled when more shurikens and kunai sunk into its swollen, pallid face.

A wide arc of its blade smashed through more tubes, where the contents spilled and pooled across the debris-ridden floor. The kunoichi barely evaded in time; a split-second slower, and she would have been cleaved down the middle.

"Now!" Oona cried, raising her arms and launching a built-up blast of colorful magic. The cloud engulfed the monster's armored back in a dense, dome-shaped explosion. The beast screamed and almost lost its balance.

The distraction was all Kitsune needed, as she hopped down and severed the creature's head from the armor when she landed. The damaged armor fell apart with a rattle and clattered around the warehouse, completely immobilized.

The head screeched and hurled itself at Lady Ewe in a last, desperate effort. Its severed coils and entrails continued to bleed out, the parts that animated it, as its strength waned by the moment and its maw opened wide to reveal rotted teeth.

It stopped before Oona's staff, who surrounded the head in a bubble. "Be at peace," she murmured once the hungry ghost slowly closed its eyes and drifted off into its last sleep. When she released it, the disembodied head splatted to the slick floor, its soul returned to the afterlife.

"You have my thanks," panted Kitsune, who powered down her saber and resheathed the hilt at her belt.

"Not a… problem," the dream shaman wheezed, leaning on her staff for support while she huffed. "Haahh… Ah think Ah overdid it wit those last two spells. Let's hope we don't run intae anythin' else while we're down here." Her honey eyes turned to something in the darkness. "A-ahh! Look over there!" She wandered over to a terminal that had been uncovered in the chaos.

To her surprise, it booted up when she pressed a button. With pursed lips, she grumbled, "All this fancy technology doesn't make sense tae me…"

"Allow me," Kitsune chuckled when she stepped in, their faces reflected in the monitor. One disc was conveniently left in the machine, as if whoever had been here was forced to abandon this place in a hurry and hadn't had time to cover their tracks. She clicked away at the touchpad to check the contents, until the machine illuminated the dim room with a 3D holographic image.

The kunoichi gasped at the figures on display. They were all nude beneath the tubes, one of them the politician she and Wispy had been sent to assassinate on one of their missions. But she was far more drawn to two of the women.

"T-that's...Wispy and I!!" It was difficult to make out the shadowed, human faces of the Asian women, even with her keen eyes. But by their hair color and body shapes, the kunoichi knew that this was who they were before their genes were spliced to make them who they were today.

The tube with the politician emptied its fluids and opened. He stepped out, silky black hair stuck to his pale skin, as his brown eyes opened.

"You're finally awake," came a mechanized voice.

And as the politician stepped away to let a new, cloaked figure through, everything settled into place when Lady Ewe uttered the Vice Lord's name with utmost disgust. "Varys..!"

Of all the Vice Lords she encountered and fought off, the mechanized plague doctor was by far the most insidious. Countless innocents twisted and mangled into mindless automatons and melted zombies. The course of this world forever altered. All for the benefit of his curiosity and research into perfecting his biomechanical mutagen.

Oona shook her head while observing the plague doctor oversee operations. "No doubt he helped fund those who did this tae you an' Wispy. He probably provided most ov th' scientific knowledge, as well! Beatrix an' I may have banished him from this realm, but he's still out there, ready tae resume his work..."

Kitsune's glare hardened at the sight of this powerful advocate, her ears flicking when his voice spoke through the recording.

"And you are positive that these test subjects will survive the transformation procedure?" The cyber demon asked, tracing his metal claws over the glass tube containing Kitsune's previous form, making the vixen shudder.

"Certainly, Lord Varys," the politician assured, bowing his head. "My finest men broke several limbs trying to keep these two contained! There is no question that they possess strong spirits!"

"Hmm. Strong spirits… trapped in feeble, organic vessels," Varys hummed when he studied the preserved women, folding his hand back behind his back, lowering his head. "Oh, how I long for the day humans and machines can join together into one symbiotic organism. No longer would we have to live with such pathetic fragilities! No more fear of disease, age, or even death itself!"

A vibrating sigh resounded when he gazed towards his forearm, his hand clutching tightly. "But, alas. I am tethered to this cruel fate, meaning my plans for the future are beyond my reach. And so long as that component to my design eludes me, I cannot hope to break free."

"E-eh, perhaps we could help you find it!" The politician offered, sweating nervously. "As a way of solidifying our newfound partnership."

The cyber demon let out a low digitized chuckle. "You will not find him here. It's been a long time since I last saw him. I wonder how he's grown…"

"Him?" Kitsune turned to Oona, who shared an equally perplexed look. While the dream shaman might have a guess of what the Vice Lord was referring to, this 'component' he spoke of proved another mystery to figure out.

Varys casually turned to face forward, his hellish visors staring into the recording as if he could see the observers through the screen. "Ignore my rambling. There is much work that needs to be done while I still have time on this planet. But rest assured, all my findings and blueprints are in that suitcase. Use them however you wish."

"Excellent!" The politician beamed, though still sporting a cautious frown. "But how can we be sure the president won't get involved?"

"That brute's brain only ever functions whenever his penis is erected," scoffed the Vice Lord. "Thinks he's entitled to an entire city after discovering one extraterrestrial ship. I've built better androids and weapons than he knows what to do with! The fool's far more occupied with his collection of sex drones than he is with any of our scientific achievements. So, believe me. You have nothing to worry about."

With a nod, the politician and his armed forces secured the briefcase and left the mechanical doctor to his devices, preparing to phase into Kitsune and Wispy's eventual transmutations.

Unfortunately, that was where the footage ended once the device popped out from the slot, no other hints or clues discovered. With a frustrated growl, Kitsune removed the disc and tucked it away. "Imoto and Beatrix will want to know about this," she insisted. "We must hurry back!"

With a nod, Lady Ewe followed the kunoichi outside the abandoned warehouse, where she transmuted into a saucer this time. "It will be a much slower flight," Kitsune's voice spoke through the interior. She didn't want to rattle her friend. "Since it will take some time until we make it back, why not rest and recover your strength?"

"G-good idea. Thank ye," yawned Oona, who almost flopped into the chair with how fatigued she was. Then, with her passenger secured inside, the spacecraft lifted off and hovered over the deserted buildings, leaving the worn warehouse and its abandoned secrets behind.

*****

When the pair returned to the hidden lair, most of the Komodos were drunk and unconscious, piled around the floor by emptied beer bottles. Kitsune and Oona carefully stepped over the slumped bodies to meet Carrion Hellfire, laying naked over the pool table while petting the heads of her female reptoid partners. "Heeeey, there you are! You missed one hell of a party~!"

"A-Ah can see that," Oona muffled under her hands, the smell of sex and alcohol overwhelming.

The punkish band leader smiled slyly at them. "So, anyway, did you find anything?"

Kitsune nodded, showing off the disc.

"Oh shit, nice! Wait, hold on a second." Then, raising her head, she yelled at the back of the room, "Hey! Ruth!! When you're done with our equipment, can you scan this disc?"

"Yeah! Not a problem, mate," the muscular shark woman called back. "We owe you guys anyway since we weren't able to finish our concert!" She ducked to make her way into the room and carefully took the disc. "Damn, the bottom ain't scratched up badly either! Can't wait to see what uncovered secrets lay inside this baby~!"

Oona looked around the littered interior, eyes narrowed. "What happened tae Beatrix? Ah thought she went wit ye guys!"

Obrya, cuddled up nude with Dillon, yawned and stirred with a lazy stretch. "Ooh, after Raff roughed her up a little, she went back onto the ship with those pretty boys." Her eyes were half-lidded and hazy after she and her lover had worked themselves up into a sweaty frenzy.

"Ahh. Figures," snorted Oona with a small smile. She and the vixen made their way back outside. Sixth Measure's machine was ahead. She was scooped up under Kitsune's arm, who hurtled up onto the platform, then touched down without a sound. The duo made their way inside, only to find Tenor waiting by the door, drinks in his hand.

"Oh great," he slurred, clearly plastered. “More intruders?! Might as well invite President Spike in while we're at it!"

"Ignore him," Alto insisted as he, Wipsy, Eclipsed, and Bass walked over to greet them. "Tenor tends to get out of control when it comes to booze."

"Pppphft! I'm... *hic!* not outta control. YOU'RE the one whose outta control, Alto!!" He drunkenly grumbled when Bass took the bottle away from him.

Sighing, the eldest debonair boy asked, "So, did you find anything else at the warehouse?"

"We have," confirmed Kitsune, who turned to her sister. "We need to talk."

"Sure, sure." Wispy frowned at the red-maned rocker, unable to deny she felt a little bad about how she'd treated him. "I'll make it up to you later," she whispered in his ear and purposely swayed her hips and buttocks in a slow, exaggerated manner on her retreat. "Are we still planning to hold that charity concert? I mean, after everything that's happened, it sounds dangerous. What if President Spike puts out a warrant for our arrest? We'd be screwed!"

"I don't think he'd go that far," Eclipsed said, still cuddled up to Bass. "Besides, we need to help our fans! Carrion told me S.L.U.T.'s with us! So we'll let the people know why we had that ruse and help raise money to save the environment!"

"Alright! You're the boss," Wispy said with a shrug. One of her tails curled around the USB drive the boys handed over. Turning to the trio of singers, she said, "Guess we better get a move on then. Thanks for the help, Sixth Measure! Maybe you're not as overrated as I thought~!"

"Pft! Whatever," scoffed Alto, who poured himself a fresh drink. "I'm just glad we were able to help."

Bass smiled at the pop star princess. "I'll miss you. Hope we'll be able to make more time later."

Eclipsed frowned and met his lips in a short kiss, her arms still wrapped around him while their eyes met. "I wish you could head out onto the stage with us. Though given what happened last time you came, maybe it's for the best that you lay low. Hopefully this will all blow over."

"Yeah," said Bass, who returned her kiss. "B.A.B.E. and S.L.U.T. should be fine. But President Spike will likely want Sixth Measure disbanded."

"Well, too bad for him! Because we won't let that happen!" She kissed him one last time before she rose. With a wink and hair toss, she said, "We'll be in touch~!" They headed onto the platform's surface, where Kitsune transformed back into a saucer, the top opened to allow them inside.

"H-hey! Wait for meee~!" Came the cry of Beatrix, who dropped down into the ship. Her platinum hair was damp and dripping, while soaked clothes clumsily adorned her supple form.

"An' where have you been?" Oona asked with a skeptical expression.

"Oh, y-you know. Enjoying that fun little diversion," the witch tittered sheepishly. "Boy, those lizards sure know how to rile a girl up~!"

"Yes, A'm… sure they did." She noticed her student now sported a swishing reptilian tail, with part of her limbs sheening with scales.

"Don't worry, it'll wear off eventually," Beatrix insisted with a bashful titter. "Had to climb aboard and shower off all the lizard slime."

"Hmph," Oona snorted while taking her lover's hand. The pair of them slumped into a chair.

Eclipsed used her heart-shaped phone to send a few notes to S.L.U.T. First, they set up a time and place to hold the charity concert, a venue already okayed by their contact with President Spike. "I hope he won't be too sore with us," she muttered. "All we wanted to do was help direct civilians to safety! Maybe we'll have to pay a heavy fine, but that's okay!" Her face lit up.

"In any case, we should be prepared fur th' worst," Oona suggested with a yawn, her eyes struggling to stay open. All this chaos had made the half-sheep woman incredibly sleepy.

"Agreed! You two have been wonderful! We'd better rest until then." The pop star reclined in her seat and continued to lazily text.

Wispy looked over her shoulder, a sly grin forming. "Still talking to Bass, huh? Damn, princess butterbuns! You have it bad~!"

"As if you weren't making goo-goo eyes at Alto after getting the USB," the pop star teased back, earning a small elbow to her ribs.

But Wispy's attention turned to her older sister, who offered a rundown of all they'd seen in the warehouse. After taking in every detail, she focused on keeping herself calm as faint memories resurfaced. "So this Varys guy is responsible for turning us into freaks, huh..?"

"Most likely," Kitsune's voice murmured through the saucer where she paused a moment. "Part of me wishes you didn't let him live…"

"A simple death won't make up fur all th' lives he's destroyed," Oona disagreed with a sigh. "Varys must be apprehended fur his crimes. He's a formidable foe, but he's not invincible."

"Yeah, we beat him before," reminded Beatrix with pursed lips. "And if we run into him, we'll do it again! At least he can't return here!"

"Although it seems he's searchin' fur someone," the dream walker recalled, now lost in contemplation. "His… missin' component?"

Beatrix waved that away. "We'll figure it out later. But until then, you're all free to come crash at my mansion whenever you want! How about it?"

"Certainly," came the voice of Kitsune around them. "But first, we must try to save our world."

The party continued to chat or drifted off to sleep on the way back to the upper parts of the city. From the silver saucer's transparent bubble, they were able to witness the capital from a bird's eye view, the sea of skyscrapers lit up by brilliant neon. The inferno that had torched downtown had finally died out, yet the women knew their work to save the populace was far from done.

*****

Upon their arrival back home, the band and their friends settled in. Then, after a tentative breath, Eclipsed contacted the president. "...no, no, we're all safe and sound!" She paced in the dressing room, the heart-shaped phone pressed to her ear. "What, you're sure you're not upset with us? Oh, thank you~! Yep, we still plan to hold that charity concert with S.L.U.T., if that's okay!"

While she continued her conversation, everyone else settled into the dressing room. Kitsune, adorned in a flower-patterned silk kimono, sat across from Lady Ewe, a shamisen in her hands when she started to quietly strum. "If you'd allow me, Lady Ewe, I wish to thank you for your help. Please, let me hear that beautiful voice."

"O-oh! Why, ov course!" The shaman smiled, taking a small sip of water before she sang a wordless melody. The tune, Cherry Blossoms , soon harmonized the instrument with the music. The pair closed their eyes, lost in their sound, while the others listened. Beatrix smiled despite the pang of envy in her heart.

"That's so pretty," said Eclipsed as an aside between her chat with the president. "Can we work it into our concert? Pretty please~?"

"Bit unusual from our typical work," noted Wispy, who had stripped down and taken an air shower, her twin tails flicking in irritation when her fur puffed up while she was cleaned. "Guess it could work with one of your romantic pop ballads!"

Beatrix studied the discs filled with B.A.B.E.'s music, her eyes drawn to the sleeves, where she paused when she saw one adorned by the innocent pop princess dressed in the black leather bikini, outlined in neon pink trim. "Ooh, saucy! You're practically naked up on stage~!"

"W-well, sex does sell in the music biz!" Eclipsed stammered with flustered cheeks, her call with the president ended once she contacted S.L.U.T. The band leaders took a moment to iron out the details, aware it would be tricky to make their two styles mesh. As a compromise for their help, she decided their performance would be a little racier and more intense than usual, reminded that it would be a worthy trade to raise a fortune.

In the meantime, they would need to practice with Oona and Beatrix to make sure they were ready. She put her phone away and started to wiggle out of her clothes which she tossed aside, onto her bed which was lined by lacy bras, panties, and stuffed animals. By this time, Wispy exited the shower and started to brush down her fluffed-up fur. Eclipsed smiled at her and headed in, but instead let the warm water envelop her.

Beatrix sifted through the outfits on display until she found the bondage bikini and smirked wide. "Hee-hee. Please tell me you'll wear this?"

"Mmm… I-I suppose," Eclipsed considered shyly while she lathered up her ample curves, then rubbed them down while the droplets trickled down the slopes of her nubile form. "It will help me fit right in with S.L.U.T.! But in return, I also want everyone else to wear something that fits!"

"Don't think I'll have to change my style much. Maybe make it a tad skimpier?" Wispy shrugged.

"Same," said Beatrix, who grinned. "I mean, you pretty much held your last concert naked!" She remembered the body paint that glowed in the dark to accentuate their curvature and practically drooled. "So~, what about you, Oona?"

The shaman momentarily paused to think over the suggestion with heated cheeks. "O-oh my… Well, I-if it's fur a worthy cause…" She cautiously held her chubby tummy, aware that most preferred women with an hourglass shape.

"It will be," Kitsune assured, stroking her friend's shoulder before they resumed their tune. The pair were lulled into a sense of tranquility.

Despite only having a couple days to prepare, the group would hopefully be ready for the charity event, thanks to their shared chemistry.

*****

Soon, the fateful day arrived. The bands had met beforehand to practice their routine. It was a momentous event, the first time when the rival bands had worked in tandem. Eclipsed's heart raced when the curtains started to arise, aware of all that could go wrong. But she knew her fans would simply be happy to see them as she took her first, tentative steps to reach the microphone.

Her skimpy leather bikini clung to her curves when she strutted under the lights. Her eyes met the manifold faces who watched her make an entrance, completed by an explosion of claps, cheers, and whistles that echoed in the arena. "Thank you," she called when they started to settle down. "I'm so happy to be here with you tonight! I'm sure you have lots of questions, so let me take a moment to address them!"

She paused to let the audience quiet down before continuing. "First of all, we never meant to deceive you! B.A.B.E. and S.L.U.T. were set up to be rivals, but we decided on becoming friends instead! We thought our rivalry would help make our concerts more fun! But we've realized there are more important matters, like the state of our world! That's why we're proud to announce that 100% of the profits we'll go to the restoration of the environment!" Her wide pink eyes teared up when she was met by more open jubilation.

Turning to Carrion Hellfire, the partly steel harpy approached a mic beside her. "By helping us out, everyone gets to be a winner! C'mon, let me see those fists!" She raised her own in triumph, and the crowd followed to more thunderous applause. Soon the rest of their bandmates made their way out onto the stage. Eclipsed openly wept, moved by how easily her fans forgave her and showed up to support their hard work.

Like promised, B.A.B.E. were adorned in skimpier, bad girl costumes to match S.L.U.T. Kitsune and Wispy were clad by the old, deactivated collars that marked them back when they were forced to undertake missions, a reminder of their dark past. The vixen wore a sheer mesh black outfit that adorned her shapeliness but failed to hide much. The nekomata left her suit unzipped above her mound, as her breasts threatened to spill out every time she sashayed about with a coy smirk.

Aside from her hat, gloves, and heeled boots, Beatrix only wore star-shaped pasties over her nipples and another over her slit. Lady Ewe clad herself in an emerald bikini and garters, all of them trimmed by fluffs of wool-like material.

The lights dimmed when the equipment rose from trap doors in the stage. They took their places in preparation for the first track, Eclipsed and Carrion in the lead. Their voices united once the music kicked in, all of them driven to make sure their team-up would prove unforgettable.

The other band members played and performed with them for well over an hour. Some of them would leap into the sky, sail across the mobs, while Beatrix and Lady Ewe worked a few simple spells to aid in the show. Holograms of the performers were blown up over the area, while Kitsune transformed back into a motorbike that Wispy rode across the stage with a hearty laugh.

Huge monitors displayed the show to the captive audience. But while they were lost in the show, the equipment suddenly died down, and the lights flooded back on, the displays interrupted by a sudden emergency news feed. There were grumbles of disappointment when everyone turned to watch, whereupon a newscaster appeared and her voice boomed across the area.

"...disturbing footage of a terrorist attack in downtown. B.A.B.E., S.L.U.T., and Sixth Measure are seen assaulting the police and aiding known violent criminal gangs, the Komodos and Halloween Party." Images of resistance and fires crossed the screen, bodies trampled underfoot and the air filled with smoke. "According to reports, head officers have labeled these two terrorists responsible for the tragedy."

The faces of Lady Oona Ewe and Beatrix Belladonna filled the monitors. "Lady Oona Ewe, founder of the Flower Children cult, is known to indoctrinate the disenfranchised, vulnerable, and innocent to mold them into her followers. And her amoral sidekick Beatrix Belladonna, known for her perversity and recklessness. If you have any information, please call this number."

A reward of ten million credits was offered for them, naming them together as public enemy number one. Their supposed crimes flashed below, which included treason, alongside blame for the arrival of Lord Varys to this dimension.

Beatrix fumed, her fists balled up while the audience erupted in an outcry. "Oh, come the fuck on!! I'm not a sidekick! I mean, sure! You're my teacher, but I like to think we are equal!"

"Ceann Oga, that's not th' point!" Oona berated, her honey eyes full of fury when she glared at the news reports. "President Spike… that bastard is behind this treachery! He set us all up-!"

And, in no time at all, the crowds broke out into another fistfight. Some proved fanatically loyal to the bands. But others were tempted to turn them in, whereupon some clambered onto the stage.

"Don't even think about it," hissed Wispy, whose palms and tails summoned plasma balls.

"Maybe I should open a portal to get us out of here," whispered Beatrix to her love.

Oona shook her head. "We can't simply abandon them! This is partially our responsibility!" She readied a spell to put the crowds to sleep in hopes she could quell the outbreak of violence. Yet before she could cast it, the ceiling opened with a thud, and the platform that housed Sixth Measure made their arrival, as the machine lowered down to scoop up the trapped bands.

"We figured something like this might happen," came the voice of Bass, who had tracked their movements. "We can't afford to stand by!"

"That scaly prick's gone too far this time!" Alto's voice seethed at the side of his brothers.

"Looks like we've got no choice this time," lamented Tenor when the trio stood in front of the angry crowd, clutching their jeweled pendants to them. "We have to go all out!"

*****

Somewhere in the slums, a straggler was rushing through the alleyway, shoving aside trash cans and whatever else stood in his way. But just before he got to the clearing, the sound of staccato gunfire echoed, and the man collapsed onto the floor. He yelled in pain, clutching his shot ankle, blood oozing out the open wound.

"Gotta say, Mack," a voice called out as footsteps echoed closer and closer. "You got a lot further than I expected you to. I'm honestly impressed! If only lady luck carried you during some of those games."

"P-please, let me go!" The man begged.

"Eighty-seven."

"I-I'll get your money, I swear!"

"Forty-six."

"I can hold up my end! Just give me more time!"

"Sixty-three."

"W-what the.. why are you counting!? I've got a bullet in my leg, man!!"

"Oh, don't mind me! I'm just recounting how many times pissants like you have fed me those bullshit excuses," the figure chuckled, looming over his target. He was dressed in a white suit with faint pinstripes. Underneath was a black dress shirt and a bright red tie. A stylish hat adorned his top, a pink feather embedded on the trim. Around his face was an orange bandana with a fanged design. His slime yellow eyes pierced through the dark veil, spiky dark red hair tied in a ponytail.

"S-Seb, please! I-I have a family!!"

"Ohh, buddy, I know," he said with false sympathy, kneeling down to aim his pistol at the guy's temple. "And it sucks because I have to be the one to tell them that daddy's a worthless hack. Sorry pal, but you should have known when to walk away. Because, unlike your landlord, sucking my dick won't reduce the amount of debt you owe me. You've got no one to blame but yourself."

The man began to weep when the safety clicked off, snot and tears leaking down his face. The pin-striped devil hesitated before letting out a wry sigh.

"Alright, alright! Quit slobbering over my shoes. I'm gonna give you one last shot. One more game to turn this all around."

Digging into his suit pocket, he pulled out a coin, the man reducing his sobs to whimpers. On one side, a jester face with the words 'JAQK' written around the emblem. On the other side, a rattlesnake design.

"Guess correctly, and I'll give you another week to sort your shit out and get me that money. Sound good, amigo?"

Mack nodded his head frantically, bawling, "Y-y-yes! Oh, thank you, Seb! Thank you! Thank y–"

“Just shut up and call!!”

"O-Ohh! U-uuuuaaah! Heads! N-no, wait, tails! Tails!!”

With a nod, Seb flipped the coin in the air and slapped it against the back of his hand. But as he was unveiling which side was facing up, the news feed picked up, and the announcement caught his attention. With his eyes locked on the 'traitors' up for ransom, Mack saw, to his dismay, that the coin was facing 'heads.'

Panic arose once more, the man jerking his head between his fate and the alleyway. But with his attacker currently watching the news report flashing on the screen, perhaps now was his chance to escape certain death?

With nothing to lose, Mack shot up from the ground and limped away, yelling out for help. But the pin-striped devil steadily stood straight and, without tearing his gaze away, aimed his pistol at the fleeing target and fired another shot. The pleas and screaming stopped as the body fell lifelessly onto the cold floor.

In a flash of dark crimson, the gun became a playing card that he hid up his sleeve. Then, as he took in the mugshots of Oona Ewe and her accomplice Beatrix, Seb let out an elated cackle, his spaded tail slithering out from his tailcoats.

"Just when I was getting bored of this town! Fortune smiles on me yet again! Hahaha! Finally, something new to play with!"

Popping his suit collar before shoving his hands down his pants pockets, Seb strutted through the crowd, who were still in disbelief that the two heroines had made a sudden turn to terrorism.

But the pin-striped devil cared only about one person. "Let's go see what the big man up top is doing~!"

*****

President Spike met up at the designated place by his lonesome, despite the fears of his secretaries. His suit stuck to his bulkier form, and he strode into the restaurant with his head raised, a sly smile on his face. He took his seat across from Mezzo Soprano, the mature woman adorned in a showy dress that left much of her pristine skin exposed. Candles lit the area.

He breathed in the scents of dinner and his belly rumbled in appreciation. "Ah, very nice."

"I'm thankful you appreciate it. I prepared this myself." She waited until he was seated before she leaned in. "Please, indulge your appetites. I've aged and seasoned the wine to perfection." She took a dainty sip from her own cup. Her very straight silver hair was highlighted orange fades along two of her bangs, her body tall and shapely.

"Not the only things that have aged well," Spike muttered, leering at her cleavage on display. "Enough foreplay, Soprano. Why did you call me out here? Do you really expect me to step down?"

"Only for a time. Your efforts as of late are only doing your company more harm than good," Mezzo noted, her breasts suspended in his face when she poured. Her eyes locked with his, and she started to hum with the soft music, the only sound in a restaurant where they were alone.

For a moment, Spike's eyes started to dull, entranced by the voluptuous woman. But with a sudden snarl, he knocked the bottle from her hand, where its contents splashed across her bosom, where the moisture revealed the hidden scales that adorned her ample breast. "Well, well well. Should have known that angelic voice was more than just talent." His fist seized her throat when he shot up. “Thought you could seduce me with your feminine charms, huh, siren?”

She sputtered in his hold when he squeezed down. "I own this city! I could have dozens of women like you in an instant!" He softened his grip and released her while she choked and sputtered. "But hey, I'm not a monster. Walk away now, hand over the evidence, denounce your claims in public, and I'll make you the second richest person in the world!" He smirked.

"And if I refuse?" She stared daggers back at him at the insult and rubbed her reddened throat.

"Then I'll expose you and your sons for what you really are! Do you think you ended up where you are by sheer talent? Ha!" His claws sank into her dress, then tore it off to leave the siren bared, his eyes pinned on her nakedness to lustfully drink her in. "You tricked your fans! Brainwashed them! You're no better than me! Just another uppity bitch who doesn't understand her place!"

She visibly burned and fumed. "Barbarian! I'll have your head on a silver platter for this!!"

"No," he answered with confidence when she started to retreat. "You will." He turned on one of the monitors in the restaurant to a news feed. There was a live feed of the bedlam at the charity concert, now surrounded by heavily armed black choppers. Mezzo's eyes widened upon seeing the red trails lining the heads of Sixth Measure, B.A.B.E., and S.L.U.T., who were completely pinned by masked sharpshooters from above.

“You soulless bastard,” she hissed.

"This is what happens when you drive me into a corner and threaten my position! Resist any further, and I'll execute them on the spot!" He dangled her dress before her, felt his stomach swell and heat like a furnace, before he breathed a small fire and set it ablaze. "Crawl and beg," he demanded smugly. "Maybe then I'll be motivated to make certain your sons are treated well!"

With no options left, after a moment's hesitation Mezzo lowered to her knees, the president's face lit up in satisfaction. She then placed her hands down and started to crawl. Her suspended breasts, hips, and buttocks swayed on her approach, her wide nipples erect in the cool air.

His loins burned and threatened to split his pants, which swelled while he leered at her. He licked his chops, certain this bitch would make a fine addition to his horde of lovely secretaries!