Shorter chapter this time, thank goodness. I'm kinda surprised I was able to write a chapter like this in the first place.


A small secluded building in the city, distinguishable by its considerably darker back alley. Multiple small puddles around with two large garbage bins, one on one wall and one on the opposite. The area infested with rats squeaking and sprinting about. The front entrance significantly livelier and more colorful, a neon sign showing devil horns in red and a pitchfork in black in the middle. The words "Devil's Paradise" written across and flashing in blue lights – the local strip club in the city. A disclaimer dangles beneath the articulate display, warning passers-by that the place hosts adult entertainment, hence the prohibition of those under the age of eighteen.

The club itself was decorated with everything one could expect such as a VIP lounge, a bar, leather furniture and a stage with a tip rail extending from the center. Numerous small spotlights of ranging colors were the only source of light in what could have otherwise been a completely pitch black area. Music more often than not plays from speakers fitted in the background.

VIP's were isolated in a special part of the place, in the middle of the club. In front of the tip rail. Sitting on a circular sofa most likely with some alcoholic drink in hand and given the privilege of gaining an optimum view of the perfomers. The Heart of the Infernal Beast, the black wolf Makai, sat in the very center of the sofa wearing a stylish fedora hat and a pair of sunglasses, ignoring the inappropriate conditions he was under. Two purposes in his mind. To wait for the crimson griffin Eradicus to bring yet another great evil, the Night Master, and rendezvous with him there. The other, to watch and enjoy the upcoming performance. The main freelance performer on stage, the psychic and mystic tigress mage: Ella Mental.

You know…tonight I'm feelin' a little…out of control… Is it me? You wanna get crazy? 'Cause I don't give a… YEOWH‼

The spotlights dance, focusing on Ella as she struts around the stage, dancing without choreographers plan out her moves for her nor the need. Not missing a beat and staying in context with Christina Aguilera's lyrics. Her magical staff oddly shorter for this one occasion, being used like both a disco baton and a riding crop.

I'm not a character. I'm in rare form. And if you really knew me, you know it's not the norm. 'Cause I'm doing things that I normally wouldn't do, ooh… The old me's gone. I feel brand new. And if you don't like it, fuck you.

The music's on and I'm dancin'. I'm normally in the corner just standin'. Feelin' unusual. I don't care 'cause this is m' night!

Makai bobs his head to the beat, enjoying himself. Taking pleasure in the sultry performance. Despite being five thousand years old, he has found a way and adapted to the world today.

Ella's movements were improvised and well-executed, looking polished and spot on. Biting her baton, leaning and moving up and down against one of the poles, walking and strutting proudly.

I'm not myself tonight. Tonight I'm not the same girl, same girl. I'm not myself tonight. Tonight I'm not the same girl, same girl.

The song's hook comes in. Ella unzipped her top slowly enough and finished just as the quick segment ended, tossing it towards the VIP lounge. A devilish and suggestive ear-to-ear grin stretching on her face all the way. The dark lupine anticipated the action, catching the shirt. Purring in delight, grinning back at her and winking one of his green eyes. A brown bra remained on the feisty feline throughout the remainder of the performance.

I'm dancin' a lot. I'm takin' shots and I'm feelin' fine. I'm kissin' all the boys and the girls. Someone call the doctor 'cause I lost my mind. 'Cause I'm doin' things that I normally wouldn't do, ooh… The old me's gone. I feel brand new. And if you don't like it, fuck you.

The music's on and I'm dancin'. I'm normally in the corner just standin'. I'm feelin' unusual. I don't care 'cause this is my night.

Another verse is sung, and the tigress walks further down the tip rail to move to the beat some more. Her pelvis and her rump moving the most. Sometimes spinning and twirling her magic staff in place on her paw before extending it and bending her body forwards, leaning on it. Winking at the men lined up at her sides, taunting them.

I'm not myself tonight. Tonight I'm not the same girl, same girl. I'm not myself tonight. Tonight I'm not the same girl. One, two, three, four!

As the hook kicks in again, she undresses herself further and unclips her skirt to display more of her skimpy underclothing, never forgetting the presence of the rhythm or the music itself. Again tossing the garment towards Makai for some odd reason. The different species of males that were looking on, disarmed and aroused. Except for Makai himself, who kept his hormones and thoughts inhibited.

In the morning…when I wake up…I'll go back to the girl I used to be. But baby…not tonight…

The bridge signified the song's near end. For the short part, Ella leveled herself down and crawled near the edge of the tip rail, gaining the nearby male audience's attention. Stimulating their immoral thoughts. Some of them even handing ranging sums of cash to the tigress archmage, which she gladly and suggestively took and tucked into her cleavage. She left them with a wink and a dominatrix-esque smile, really entertaining the thoughts about how shallow and superficial the different creatures who watched her are. For one last time, the chorus played and from there, for the remainder of the three-minute song, Ella improvised again. Repeating very few moves. Impressing again. Leaving majority of the spectators weak-kneed and helpless at the sight of her fine figure and finesse.

From behind the VIP couch, a bird-like silhouette crept in and nudged Makai's shoulder. At his side was a bat-like being that could have blended in with the darkness in the room if it weren't for the erratic movements of the many spotlights.

"Makai!" The voice was familiar. Eradicus' voice. He needed to scream through the loud music, but it only took one try to get the Infernal Beast's attention and make him turn to face him.

"What is it?" The evil lupine asks in an annoyed voice. "Can't you see I'm trying to enjoy the show?"

"Thought you shoud know, I've managed to bring him with me. Not as easy as you might think. Here you go. Night Master, Makai. Makai, Night Master."

Makai greets the Night Master, knowing that the fact that he was the strongest among the three could justify how lightly he's taking the meeting. "Howdy, Mister Night Master!"

The bat scans the wolf with the lowest of expectations. "You're Makai? You're the Heart of the Infernal Beast? Huh! Whoever coined that title and gave it to you must have had his last brain cell die." Normally, he was not one for witty remarks, but he was unimpressed by what he saw. A dark wolf in a black long coat and black business pants with a fedora and sunglasses for finishing touches.

The song playing was near its end, and both the griffin and the rodent-like creature were stunned by the sight of Ella, her current appearance and her sexually stimulating dance routine. Inhaling the detail, her entire body. From her bra to her panties to the stilettos on her legs. Commenting on the tigress' apparent immorality and lack of dignity and self-respect, speechless because of it.

"Wow!"

"Oh my…"

At last, the song comes to an end. She rounds the night up, returning to the main stage with a triumphant pose. Holding up her mystic weapon in the air, resulting in a standing ovation among the audience.

Off the stage she jumped. On the way to the VIP lounge she made. She had escaped from Bakal Correctional Facility, the most heavily-armored and well-guarded penitentiary in the whole area. Along with her colleagues, the flexible and devious Rubber Chuck and the feeble-minded and fierce Indestructi-Bob, who that night were both guarding the unknown headquarters established by their masters. The feat could not be done without Makai's influence, however. Without his help and efforts. She would not be commanding the other jailbreaks that have sworn their undivided allegiances and lives to the dark.

Makai rises from his seat, holding out Ella's clothes in his hand as she approaches and takes them.

"Shall we go, people?" He asks, adjusting his hat. The other three just follow without a sound, the feline putting her clothes back on along the way.

Out to the back alley they exited; there was a very high chance that the public would panic if they did the exact opposite. Makai adapted a mentality. One that neither Eradicus nor the Night Master could neither comprehend nor adapt themselves. One that the phrases "save the best for last" and "make a splash" were synonymous with; the wolf preferred to appear to the people in a fashion so memorable and grand. Adding suspense and hype with each crime committed secretly to really leave their mark.

"Interesting performance back there, Ella. You oughta consider working two jobs. Y'know, make some nice cash." The wolf comments with a smirk of approval.

The griffin felt unsure, on the other hand. "It was…yes, interesting. A little weird, if I may say so."

"Morality and respect for one's self all in one day and out the other. It's baffling the chances of how one person can go so far with a career by behaving like that." The bat added, intrigued and disgusted at the same time.

The orange tigress slips on her top, having finished with her skirt. Bringing in her share while the zipper closed up. "Not just that, but you cannot believe how fickle, picky, one-dimensional and plain stupid those people in that club can be. It's like they don't respect themselves. Like all the pornographic crap they get from the internet's not enough for them." She scoffs at the idea, amused by how superior she viewed herself in comparison to the creatures she was just referring to. Irritated by the men back in the club themselves. "Losers."

"Somewhat harsh, Ella." Eradicus grinned.

"But it's true. You gotta admit that", the wolf rectified.

They were walking through a network of multiple smaller back alleys. Trickier than any of them thought.

Makai however enjoyed such thrills. And his impulses act again as they pass by a local supermarket. He halted everyone. "Wait, wait, wait! One sec. Got something to take care of. Be right back."

Through its back alley entrance he entered, leaving the others waiting and confused. The plan was simple, yet the result would contribute to the unrest that was already among the city. A simple crime of murder, where Makai would cloak himself within the shadows of the supermarket's cargo area and pull in a random, unsuspecting victim for him to do whatever he pleased. Mutilate. Decapitate. Assault. Deprave. Abuse, physically, emotionally, sexually or a combination of the three.

Behind the door, he lies in wait. Whatever species of animal that was unfortunate enough to pass by didn't matter, as long as his point was made. That the results are what he expected.

After seconds, minutes of waiting, a brown Kodiak bear in a yellow shirt and violet overalls moves past the cargo area door, pushing a shopping cart in front of him. Oblivious to his impending demise.

"Bingo!" Makai uttered to himself, grinning to the sound of the soon-to-be-unlucky creature's footsteps.

In a surprise attack, he leaps out of the room and grabs the bear who panicked and screamed, taking him into the solitary part of the supermarket. Dragging him by his fur and mercilessly mauling him, using every part of his body. His fangs, his sharp-nailed feet and paws. No one else was present to notice the criminal and heinous act being done. Not that it was an easy task considering how the bear's screaming noises were muffled and contained. Enhanced by the encompassing darkness in the room.

It only took five minutes for Makai to finish the job. To end another creature's life. Grinning sickeningly, proud of his actions. All to rouse up the citizens' fears even more and suspect what was false. Another to add to the demonic wolf's list of crimes; he was responsible for the numerous criminal acts as of late while still remaining behind the scenes. Each one serving the same purpose of instilling fear into the hearts of many and shift the blame towards the one whose physical appearance he embodied. Let the people put the blame on the first wolf they see. Woo Foo Grandmaster Lupin. Have him despised, accused and feared – a crucial part in the grand plan in the black lupine's mind.

He peeks out of the door, waiting. Waiting until the coast was clear. Seizing the opportunity once it introduced itself and throwing the motionless, wide-and-lifeless-eyed, blood-stained corpse hard enough to land in the middle of the aisle in front of him. A patch of Makai's black fur protruding out of one of the overall's pockets. A streak of blood left on its path as it skidded across the tiled floor. Aisle 5.

Fixing his entire ensemble, Makai takes his leaved, but is halted by the sight of a phone. A telephone rigged to the shop's PA system. An afterthought sparking. The corrupted grin returning to his maw as he grabs the device and presses the button to speak into it.

"Murder on Aisle Five", he announced the twisted one-liner out to the whole supermarket, knowing that his mark was indeed left. That this 'incident' will be featured on the nightly news. Knowing that everything will go accordingly. With that finished, he took his leave at once and exited through where he entered.

Ella, Eradicus and the Night Master were all waiting outside, impatient.

"You dare keep us waiting?" The bat demanded. To which the wolf simply shrugged, causing all of them to simply leave.

"What was the point behind that?" The griffin included.

Makai's only response was "You'll know soon. Don't want me to spoil the juicy bits now, do ya?"

Three great evils. The wicked and malevolent Night Master. Eradicus, the merciless and unrelenting griffin, and his trusted general, the feline femme fatale Ella Mental. And Makai, the Infernal Beast. The threat they pose together. With the world literally in their grasp. It would be a fool's errand to cross them.

The duration of the walk was silent.


Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera.