Author's Note: I'm thanking Yin and Yang opposite for giving out the first review so far. I hope I get more soon because since I'm a believer in giving people what they want, here is chapter three!

Disclaimer: Harukiya and the bartender belong to Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo.

Envy Wrapped in Shades of Green

The weather was still nice outside seeing that the sun was still shining. Buildings stood up tall and proud while roads and streets bowed down before them. A few cars and a bicycle or two passed by signifying an urban jungle minus the hustle and bustle from midday crowds. Somehow, workdays were more relaxed in the modern days of right now but other than that, it was dead quiet that afternoon as the tangerine cat took a stroll to somewhere (seemingly) important.

Ella was sent outside later that day to look around to make sure everything piece of their company's territory was still there. She was given a list of places owned by Eradicorp and ordered to look over them. Very stressed out about the near death experience, the orange cat started thinking about how their company's last plan of taking over the world that just gone awry. The roach whom Ella had encountered earlier became (and probably will be) the odd villain out thanks to his (accidental) treachery.

Ella then spotted a bar and its name was Harukiya. Under the name laid under a board it read "A new subdivision of Eradicorp." Frustratingly, she hates bars, especially ones like this; but, this was owned by Eradicorp anyway since their goal is to rid the world of Woo Foo by hunting for more recruits to join them on the path of villainy for their cause. She also noticed a stairway that would lead her to this bar so she went down. Each step she took was another step into plunging through darkness (both literally and metaphorically) like a walk toward the waters in a beach straight toward the sunset that's leaving the shore behind. When she got to the door downstairs Ella opened it.

The cat looked around at the bar and it was a big mess. In fact, it was a typical definition of a cesspool: graffiti painted the wall with names, gang symbols, and obscenities, loud music played in the background, lights blinked and flickered as they gave off their energy, and bottles, cans, and ashtrays sat on unbalanced and sullied tables. There were also shady characters, immodestly but casually and/or formally dressed woman, gritty muggers, mysterious desperados, brawny football hooligans and hasty teenage biker gangs (you name it), residing in every corner carrying (almost) anything they can get their hands on and use as weapon. One person wearing a red pacifier even carried a large pillow that was somehow heavy to carry. Sulfur, formaldehyde, arsenic, ammonia, and cyanide overcame the oxygen air force as if tobacco turned into anti-aircraft turrets and soon conquered the atmosphere faster than a severe thunderstorm striking a forest where the talking tree stump landed.

Coincidentally, the talking tree stump which Ella kicked this morning fell out of the big blue sky like a meteor. He drove through the clouds like a giga drill breaker before hitting the ground; as a result, the impact left an explosion complete with a mushroom cloud of sand and fog. A giant hole was left behind and the epicenter was right where the tree stump landed, face forward of course. He saw so many stars and birds he fell into La-la-land but he shook his head fiercely before reaching back to the land of the living.

"Owww, I'm having the worst day of my life so far," groaned the tree stump as he rubbed the twig on his head to make the pain go away. "I should go home now."

He then climbed back up with the help of his special ability that enabled him to control plants only to summon a Venus flytrap from an underworld named Hell which ate him. However, as luck would have it, the plant felt no sign of taste from the tree stump so instead of swallowing him up the plant spat him back out into the sky as if he was choked by an guardian angel who didn't want the stump to die this way.

"AAAHHHHH! I STAND CORRECT... THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!" shouted the tree stump as he flew to where even only fate itself knows.

Meanwhile, back at the bar, she then spotted a tough bartender in a gray short sleeve shirt behind a bar stand watching the banner fly below the screen of the television. He was bald as an American eagle, which he was, but he had a thick mustache and he was also very tired. His weary feet rested on the table as if business was slow. Various brands of alcohol beverages were arranged behind him. The tangerine cat walked up and sat down on a barstool. The bartender noticed that Ella just sat down on there with a clipboard and a pen sitting on the table within range.

"So, I guess today is inspection day?" questioned the tired bartender sarcastically.

"Maybe, I just came here to stop by and check up on this place..." Ella responded.

The bartender asked again, "can I offer you a drink or something: maybe water, juice or even milk? I could even get you some trail mix if you want anything."

"It's okay, I ate a bowl of salad during lunch," answered the cat. She took out a pen and observed the area while writing whatever she thought about this messy bar.

As Ella inspected the bar, a group of six people were residing in a far off table littered with coins and cards playing poker under a large dim light; in fact, only five of the people over there were mice but one was a lizard.

The first mouse had a body structure of a teapot based on a nursery rhyme, short and stout; plus, his face was round and chubby. He wore a brown derby, an orange sweater with a vest that matched the derby hat. His pants were also brown, just only lighter and he wore solid black shoes. The second mouse was tall and thin wearing a blue flat cap and a burgundy sweater; in addition, he had on gray jeans and a two inch nose structure. The third mouse was muscle-bounded, only wearing an athletic which exposed his chest and both his shoulders and sported a heart tattoo on his left shoulder with the inscription "MOM" engraved, which either meant he lives with his mother or he still wears his tattoo in the loving memory of his late mother. He had in his mouth a big cigar which was lit already earlier compared to the five o'clock shadow that vacates his face.

Then there was a lizard with the traditional green scales indicating his appearance, wearing an olive green shirt and black pants. On his head lay a gray Gatsby and thought; he was losing a lot of money on this poker game like he found shamrocks every time he finds four-leaf clovers in a small green endless ocean.

Another mouse was a fisherman who liked playing poker with his friends. Contrary to the people he sat with, he had thick eyebrows; in fact, he had freckles. He had on what a fisherman needed; a blue peaked cap, an ocean blue coat, a midnight blue bandana, some gray pants, a black under shirt, and a pipe. He also had a pocket watch in his hand, possibly an antique.

Lastly, as luck would have, attention turned around again and this time it was a lady who wore all green. She had orange hair just like Ella's fur. She had on a wintergreen beret resting on her hair serenely and she wore a lot of makeup. A jade spear necklace was wrapped around her neck. She toke a puff from the long stick that resided in her spit and vinegar lips. Her spaghetti strap was lined up with both celadon and viridian in a horizontal pattern; somehow, her left shoulder strap was loosened up baring her respective shoulder with the intent to seduce a male and do the rest. In addition, her shirt fused with her evening gown. Her bust was about as close to the cat's as they were somehow medium-sized, just smaller. A frilly myrtle scarf blanketed over both her shoulders while her bracelets surrounded her wrists. Her high heels were an olive drab that barely strained her feet. She was filled with beauty just like Ella but her eyes shifted from boredom to envy as she spotted the tangerine cat.

Soon, she thought of a nasty prank to play.

"Psst," said the lady quietly drawing the males' attention; as the masculine heads drew close she continued on, "I thought of something that will really knock her socks off if you catch my drift."

Ella was removing the bottles with her hands.

Then she said continuing off yet again, "what if we trip the girl over there on the floor and some ale was on it? Her face would be so filled with ale we'll tell the bartender that there is an 'ailing' girl in here."

They were at first hesitant when they heard the cruel joke; it's because she's in her right mind while their plan wasn't. "You kidding, what if she knew about it? She'll get suspicious..." grunted the tall mouse.

"Calm down, we don't give a bloody hell if Yamagata or Kai step over it, it's the perfect joke we could all play," snapped the lady in green as she took another puff from her long stick.

The muscle-bounded mouse didn't care dozing off quietly on his fat cigar as his arm lay silently on the table.

Unknowingly, Ella overheard their thoughts and conversations while being close by; she grew suspicious the minute the cat saw one the lizard's index finger briefly sticking out at her. Then, they nervously but calmly take it into action; the fisherman mouse poured ale out of his cup and over the floor turning it into a slippery wet puddle of trouble. She stepped around it thanks to her keen eyes but the lady in green stuck her foot out right in front of the cat's shin. Ella felt the trip and tried to reclaim her balance by quickly rowing her arms in a clockwise paddling circles but it was too late; her right foot invaded the puddle and the molecules in there responded by sliding the palm of the cat's foot back making poor Ella fall forward facedown flat into the puddle.

The force of the fall shook the floor at bit; but, on the one hand Ella wasn't hurt. However on the other hand, her hair was riddled with the smell of ale and vodka with a hint of allspice. Her hair was now dripping with alcohol. As if falling to the floor weren't enough, to add insult to injury, her now slightly smudged apricot lipstick lining also blended itself with a red cut filled with that's recognized as none other than blood attempting to escape the thin trench on her lower lip. The green lady laughed out smoke so much the whole room was bursting with a tremendous uproar of laughter.

Seeing that the lady was the ringleader of this heinous act this Ella threw a deathly glare at her.

"So this is your idea, well let's see how you feel when you have alcohol over your head," Ella thought vengefully. The cat tapped into her mind to operate the nearest object. The object turned out to be a porcelain mug that was in the possession of the lizard and that he still had more ale in the mug left to satisfy him. The mug then seemingly lifted itself off the table out of the grasp of the lizard's hands. At first, he was both surprised and amazed; but, the lizard then realized what was going on. The mug was floating straight towards the green lady. Soon, he tried to recapture it by the handle but it was out of range. The laughter started to quiet down in the room as she looked at what's coming to her. When the lady did to look, it happened; the mug then tilted towards the green lady and spilled over her head.

The room went silent as the answer to the sound of one hand clapping made everyone gone deaf. The lady in green was splashed with the same smell and feeling Ella had. The liquid dripped halfway through her body from her orange soiled hair to her abdomen like her dress had become a mere wet blanket. The alcohol sloshed her dress which made it heavy for her slowly withering physique to be seen through her dress. Her makeup swished down from her face to her bright jade necklace where the spearhead rested close to her breasts.