Chapter 28 - Knowing the Misfits
Hornet's Detective Agency Building, Los Angeles, America
Alex was hesitant the first time they entered the crime alley where Hornet's agency was located. Despite their dark clothing, they would easily give themselves away. Maybe it was due to the hair, but they felt like exposing their face gave themselves away as an outsider to the misfits.
Their friend, who knew of Hornet's service, promised it was a safe trip, but Alex didn't want to take any chances. 'Keep your head low' was NOT a helpful strategy.
They did keep their head low to the ground. When walking through those alleyways, Alex only remembered the stained ground below. Couldn't see if it was covered in dirt or graffiti. The smell of cigarette ash added to the gloomy interpretations. So did loose change scattered around.
They did remember hearing the laughter of delinquents and the safe traffic noises from outside when they first wandered in.
And then, when they lifted their head, they were more than happy to stare at the warm, orange light of the agency office at the end of the trip where the sun didn't shine.
Now, after last night, Alex dared to go through the dark crime alleyway without needing to keep their head low…
…by riding their motorcycle through the alley.
It was more difficult than it looked, painfully slowing down when riding down staircases. Their motorcycle was thin enough to squeeze through the narrowest alleys. Alex even wore their helmet to protect themselves from scratches, the turquoise visor transparent enough for them to see. Their ponytail poking out was a dead giveaway for attention, but an unusual look would scare off strangers.
Alex was surprised by the missing sun shades in certain spots of the vast alleyway. Most of the sun shades were around the taller buildings to prevent any choppers from peeking in. The buildings formed a constructed maze like it was recently built instead of being abandoned. It kept such an unwelcoming look; uncleaned, grungy with a healthy shade of rusty brown. Those unfamiliar with them weren't welcome.
The brown and dull red colors contrasted with the neon graffiti on the nearby walls. One look at it and it was art. Sort of. Messy, dotty drawings of loud words, vibrant in how much they weighed. No need for blood or black ink to shout them out. It reminded Alex of the mural created at their high school. A celebration of youth and their carefree nature.
This even matched the first few people Alex spotted roaming around the streets. No person here wore anything but streetwear or casual. The norm was dark colors, but there were some splashes of vibrant color. A chaotic presentation yet everybody seemed well-mannered rather than raging at one another. No one looked up to talk to each other.
As Alex passed by, even at the slight roar of their motorcycle, nobody bothered their presence.
Of course, nobody could be trusted. Even in the darkest places, it was every man for themselves. But as Alex progressed further, they spotted a few groups in this world's invisible corners.
Some were surrounding the stereotypical oil cans for a campfire.
Some were having lunch together.
Or breakdancing with beatboxes, surprisingly.
Some were inside the abandoned apartments in deep conversations.
There was a lack of isolation and none of them put up an intimidating front. They were all peaceful. Soft looks. Open-minded conversations without cutting off another unless it was banter. It felt…comfortable that no one was exactly alone in hiding here. Beyond the untold mayhem of being a criminal, there was still a growing community where bonds could be made.
It gave Alex a lot of 'young anarchist' vibes since it was more of a playground. The friendly type. Though, what they were wondering was if anyone could waltz in here like a boss freely.
A light click near Alex's right ear.
"Hands up."
Alex pulled the brakes on their motorcycle. A gun rested on the side of their helmet. They turned their head to meet the dead eyes of a gangster.
If they didn't look away, then boom.
And he had company behind him, waiting patiently for the robbery.
Behind the turquoise visor, Alex couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Despite starting to feel panicky inside, staring at the barrel of the gun felt disturbingly familiar. As part of Alex's and Susan's training in marksmanship. With cautious eyes, they scanned their surroundings. Each of these gangsters was holding a gun.
There was the fear of dying. There was predictability of how the shootout would occur.
Alex immediately grabbed the leader's gun and pointed it upwards. A loud bang, hitting the rooftop above them. This brief tug-of-war was finished when Alex managed to snatch the gun. They nearly tipped over but quickly used their foot to maintain their balance.
Once clenched in their hands, they pointed the gun at the ground near the remaining gangsters and fired a few shots.
They scattered like birds, their guns bouncing around. Immediately, they clumsily tried to get back to their weapons until until their leader held a hand up.
Alex had his gun pointed at him, daring to shoot him in the forehead. They didn't want to, but they didn't want to get hurt. They were frozen, dreading that one shiver would open a weak spot. They were determined, wanting to give a good fight. Alex could see the matching determination in the leader's eyes but resonated with the cowardice his wrinkly face exhibited.
Eventually, the leader twirled his fingers around and his men complied, standing back in perfect formation. It wasn't worth it when it was supposed to be a quick robbery. The leader surprisingly bore no hatred, only begrudging respect.
He nodded.
Alex gave a small nod and switched to safety mode on the gun. With a huff, Alex drove away. They quickly looked back, but the gangsters barely moved from their spot.
After turning around a corner, Alex loudly groaned and rested their head against the handles.
"Oh my goodness!" they cried. "That was the most stressful and coolest thing I ever did. No wonder why Susan asked me to undergo that firearms training…"
This was when the anxiety kicked back in them. Knowing they could be killed easily. But somehow, they kept their cool and turned the tide. Disarmed the enemies. Got to see that they were clumsy as Alex could be. In the end, they knew the weapons they played with and have to be careful with them if it could cost their lives.
However, it proved Hornet's words true. They did take a step in this crazy land. By the third time, they slowly shaped up. And the nod of approval got Alex to realize they were walking in like a proud criminal! Like a boss! Maybe they would get used to visiting here. To find and illustrate a voice through the urban noise.
And maybe they might stand for something against…
Their thoughts were cut short when they felt the motorcycle falling down-wait, no, Just riding down the long staircase. Alex didn't have time to react when, after the first five bumps, they were sent flying off the motorcycle and rolled down the staircase alongside the motorcycle in the same fashion.
By the time they reached the end, Alex and the motorcycle slid across the floor cartoonishly. Alex's face would have been shredded on the hard floor if it weren't for the protective helmet. Once they could feel themselves not moving anymore, they responded to the soreness in their body with a moan.
"Having a good nap there?" called a familiar voice.
Alex was slowly becoming aware of the pain throbbing through their body that they didn't notice who might be watching them. They lifted their head up to meet Mira Rose's black shoes.
She seemed to be carrying something, or someone, with Hornet holding onto the other end of it. It was a strange sight since Hornet packed a lot of strength on this mysterious object.
"Like you wouldn't believe it," said Alex, immediately jumping upwards with an athletic flip.
They tried brushing their jacket awkwardly, even patting on the sore parts. As Alex fussed about their appearance, they noted that Mira and Hornet were indeed carrying SOMEONE. And it wasn't pretty.
It was an ice-blue-haired girl…still holding a barely-melting ice cream cup in her clenched hand.
Speaking of which, Moe was trying to lick the ice cream scoops stuck in the cup. It wasn't chocolate, fortunately, though Alex felt like telling the cat he shouldn't take some. But it was adorable seeing the cat trying to jump upwards to reach the frozen treat hanging there.
Alex raised her eyebrow again. "Did you two…kidnap someone?"
At the same time, Hornet let out a hasty 'no' and Mira responded with a sarcastic 'yes'.
They both paused and looked at each other.
Simultaneously, both switched to each other's answers.
"Stop copying me!" they then said in unison.
Alex blinked, unsure how to feel about this situation. The Bad Guys never kidnapped a soul before. They didn't know that Hornet would resort to carrying a civilian along. And seeing the bright outfit and the intact ice cream cup, she could bring up some nasty advantages amongst the criminals here.
Alex would usually be hesitant, but it felt wrong to feel casual about this here.
"You're basically carrying a girl the same height as me," they said.
Hornet scowled, clearly upset. "She got into a scuffle. I tried waking her up, but nothing seems to work! And I'm NOT using a stinger!"
"And we couldn't stay long since the cops were there," added Mira.
"How is she connected to this?" asked Alex.
Hornet sighed reluctantly. "She's…actually a close friend to the person I saw last night. And we have a name for the suspect. She's named Onsàáy. I believe she's running a crew in cahoots with Sunnyside Laboratories."
Alex's eyes slowly widened as the connection sank in. They remembered the footage of when her sister was last seen at Centralway Mall. The people she confronted before their showdown froze. If these people knew her, they had something to do with Susan's secrets.
Alex inhaled sharply, trying to tell herself that this definitely-not-kidnapped girl had some answers.
After psyching themselves up, they nodded. "I'm game. But…how are you exactly going to talk with her? The moment she wakes up, she's going to freak out."
"The higher the panic, the likely chance of blurting out everything she knows," grunted Hornet. "But seriously. If she's involved with covering up for a murderer, then we need answers before more disappearances happen."
Alex nodded again, understanding the situation. Their attention turned to the ice cream cup with Moe still trying to lick it from below.
"Is that ice cream part of your suspicions?" they asked.
"What?" said Hornet, confused.
"I-Is the ice cream she's holding included?"
Hornet shook his head. "No, just some random ice cream sample she got from the shop where she met Onsàáy."
"But…the ice cream looks like it barely melted…at all," mumbled Alex. "I-I'm not saying that it's a fact. But it seems strange it is standing and should have fallen off by now."
Hornet and Mira glanced at each other before the latter used one free arm to lift up Emerald's arm to inspect the clenched ice cream cup. And Alex got a point! It barely looked like it melted nor did it drip out of place. It looked more or less like a plastic food toy, just made more realistically. Icy and creamy as ever!
"Oh yeah," said Mira, chuckling. "I'm surprised that survived the whole thing."
"Honestly, I didn't even notice," said Hornet, blinking. "I thought the ice cream scoops would fall out."
"So, is this another weird experiment from Sunnyside?" guessed Alex.
Hornet made a lop-sided smirk, amused. "Good theory! No ice cream could survive like that. We practically carried her for like two hours! Her hands kept bumping into rubbish bins and stairs!"
"Yeah!" giggled Mira. "I've seen PHONES that die easier than that ice cream!
Alex chuckled as well, no longer feeling too worried. Well, still worried about Emerald waking up. But at least they didn't make themselves look like a fool this time.
As Alex checked to see if their motorcycle was alright, Hornet and Mira carried Emerald through the office building without further distraction. The lights were switched on, indicating other detectives and spies who arrived earlier. Fortunately, nobody came in their way to question why they were 'kidnapping' a helpless woman.
Knowing that they needed somewhere more private, Hornet and Mira moved Emerald into an unoccupied, dark room. They could feel her stirring around, making sure not to turn on the lights yet. Mira gently placed her in a seat at a comfortable position, and once she was done, Hornet closed the door, bathing them in darkness.
Moe's purring could be heard in the dark, but aside from that, there was only silence. The room's cool air allowed everyone to think about what to say, refresh their memories.
"OK, so what do we do?" asked Mira.
"We employ the classic detective technique," hissed Hornet. "Works every time."
"Oh! Maybe a bit of a 'good cop, bad cop'?"
"Then let me be the bad cop! Trust me."
"Aww, Hornet, you're too nice to be the bad cop," cooed Mira. "You're one of the less sinister members of the Bad Guys."
"Same thing to you as well! You're not even a Bad Guy! Knowing you, you can be a pacifist, sometimes. Can you let me be threatening and intimidating? Please?"
Mira chuckled. "OK. OK. But no strangling."
"What? I don't strangle! I have small hands!"
"Every bad cop strangles the suspect. And kicks around the chair. And dramatize everything."
"...that sounds awfully a lot like Shark's role. Or my boyfriend's. He likes to strangle and kick a lot."
"And I'm thinking of doing that."
"But have you ever done acting?"
"Acting classes are too expensive. Acting on your own is free and my skills have doubled."
"But, Mira…"
Before Hornet could say another thing, they heard Emerald groaning. And burping as well. She let out a gasp, finally awake.
"OK, ditch the good cop act," said Hornet. "Both act bad coppy! Act suspicious!"
As soon as Hornet flicked on the lightbulb from above, they straightened themselves with a relaxed and composed posture. Hornet hovered down on the table, simply giving Emerald an emotionless glare. Their person of interest was understandably confused by this.
One moment, Emerald was beaten up by a bug…and now, facing another bug in a dark room. It was giving her a lot of noir vibes. She thought she teleported back in time, but Hornet and Mira wore modern clothes with no signs of brown.
The darkness surrounding her intimidated her a little, but the light shining above the three made her feel like she was in a movie.
Her first thought? 'I'm in danger.'
"So…um…hi there?" said Emerald, grinning stupidly. "I'm guessing you previously rescued me from that pesky bee?"
"It was a fly," said Mira in an emotionless tone…and whipped out a RIFLE from underneath the table. "NOW TELL US YOUR DEALER!"
"I'll take it from here," said Hornet, flying in front of her.
Mira grinned sheepishly, hiding the rifle behind her back. "...I got too excited."
[Cue Jazz Noir music in the background]
Hornet crossed his arms. "Anyway, hello, Miss Emerald." His voice was laced with accusation and suspicion. When it came to Mr. Hornet, he wasn't really trusting towards new people who gave a bad vibe. His voice gave the sharpness to illustrate this, an extra growl. "What do you say, Miss Emerald…if that's your real name."
The blue-haired human and the little bug stared at each other for a long while. The latter was checking to see any forced fear in those deceitful eyes. The former was trying to see how nasty this cute little bug was.
Then, she remembered Onsàáy trusting her to not reveal anything. She began to squirm, sweat drops rolling down her forehead.
Everybody remained like this for a few minutes until…
[Pause]
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" she screamed dramatically. "IT WAS ME! I DID IT! I'M THE ONE! I'M THE ONE WHO KILLED DRAGONXMAN271!"
Hornet and Mira shouldn't be surprised to see Emerald cracking under pressure immediately, but seeing her sobbing THIS hard with her face planted on the table was unheard of. No one ever confessed this sort of crime openly.
Mira rolled her eyes. "Miss Emerald, with all due respect, you couldn't have been there to beat up that guy!"
Emerald stopped crying and sat up. "Huh? I couldn't have?"
"You were nowhere in the area when the man was injured," recalled Hornet. "And you didn't have time before stealing something from him.
"I wasn't?"
"You were at the ice cream shop for like 3 hours."
"I was?"
"You literally still have ice cream in your hand."
[Resume Jazz Noir music]
Emerald looked down and her fingers finally released her ice cream cup, dropping it on the table. On instinct, she picked it up again and licked the vanilla treat.
"Yeah, you were just so upset," she muttered, looking away. "I thought confessing would make you feel better."
"That dame had a sweet tooth for trouble," muttered Mira under her breath. "She's covering up something…"
"There's still something you are not telling us!" demanded Hornet, slapping a fist into his palm. "You saw something! You knew what you saw. Remember, your friend did as well."
A gradual dread darkened Emerald's face despite the light unchanging.
[End of Background Music]
"Like at the ice cream shop," she said, her chest heaving up and down. "I took more than one free sample and then I put the used sample spoons in the wrong cup-"
"Hold on, slow down!" exclaimed Mira.
"-and then my friend took my spoon-"
"This is bigger than spoons!" exasperated Hornet.
"-and I watched her, Mr. Hornet!"
"Emerald-"
Without warning, Emerald grabbed Hornet by the collar and shook him hard. "I WATCHED HER EAT MY ICE CREAM GERMS!"
The little bug found himself as the ragdoll for this erratic woman. And as she sobbed uncontrollably, he could feel a droplet of her saliva splattering on his face. Growling, he shook as hard as possible to convince her to let him go. Once so, Hornet spun around, buzzing.
"Emerald, please!" he said. "Pull yourself together!"
"You want me to finally use the rifle?" asked Mira, lifting it back into sight.
"Shush, that's for later," said Hornet before turning back to Emerald. "Let's get straight to the point. I wouldn't have want to drag you here. I only need answers. Have you known this item your friend showed you in the janitor's room?"
Emerald nearly thought of pretending again. That was the best way of protecting up for her friend. But it wasn't her life she feared. It was getting on the wrong side with one of the strongest criminals in Los Angeles. The Bad Guys were a force to be feared.
And by lying, they would figure it out eventually. Emerald was running out of options to lie.
She nearly thought of running away but stopped when she remembered how creepy Onsàáy had been acting for the last few years. The many times she stared off into the distance. The many times when she seemed dazed. The many times when she committed a crime for the sake of it without a clear reason.
And if she did tell everyone about the Devil Ship, it wouldn't be enough for Onsàáy.
At least she spread some word around to get started. Not like Mr. Hornet worked for the police.
She flinched when she felt something touching her feet. It was only Moe. The cat chose a good resting spot. For some reason, seeing the kitty resting near Emerald made her feel…more calm. Despite people demanding answers, she felt safe and not too alone in her dilemma.
"F-Fine," she sputtered, digging into her jacket. "Now…hopefully it's still there."
The object was heavy, its small thunk shaking the table. Its weight carried the image it presented. Hornet and Mira were surprised by how thick the object was. It was meant to be a card, but it was made from thick plastic. Go big for this one.
The top of the card had an image of a long black submarine shaped like a centipede. Complete with special parts shaping the claws, the antennas and windows resembling the eyes. The entire submarine was coated in pink and purple graffiti, giving the appearance of a party vehicle. But it couldn't be just that due to how complex the submarine was modeled.
Most importantly, the card had an address at the top corner.
"Melbourne, Australia?" read Hornet. "What…what is this about?"
Emerald sighed, flipping the card. The other side had a logo in the aesthetic of heavy metal. It read 'JOIN THE MECHA UNDERLORDS' in black, jagged letters.
"W-Wait," said Mira, alarmed. "Didn't your friend say that it was on voice command?"
"Let me check," said Hornet, putting on his helmet. "I'm indicating an electrical code hidden in this card…there's only a system that responds to certain words."
"Is…anyone hearing us through that card?" asked Emerald worriedly.
"No. There's no online feedback implanted in it nor an online connection. It just seems ready to respond to certain words said."
Emerald nodded before she began. "I don't know much about Onsàáy. She moved to Australia as a baby while her father remained here as a cop until he…" She trailed off, sworn not to share such a personal ordeal. "I didn't know much about her when we met. I was about to join the Mecha Underlords, well, around the time when she had a falling out with the leading council. She used to be one of the co-founders."
"What exactly happened?" asked Hornet, crossing his arms.
"She refused to tell, but whatever happened, it took a toll on her. She encouraged me to stay away and invited the cyborgs on her side to form her own political party or whatever it's called now. But she…fell off after the first month of retirement. It didn't help when she heard word about the Mecha Underlords stealing some 'Eden Apples' last year."
Emerald's voice was growing quieter, no longer the dramatic and ditzy girl.
"She was having this obsession…the Eden Apples. She wants to weaponize them. And thus, she took many Sunnyside researchers in the country ever since the organization shut down."
Mira raised her eyebrows in surprise. An official kidnapping. In their home. "So that explains their silent disappearances."
Hornet briefly twitched, now knowing they have a confined kidnapper. "And is she connected to what Sunnyside Labs did? Does she have anything to do with their past experiments? The disappearances of their volunteers?"
"Wait, she's responsible for the volunteers?" said Emerald, surprised. One look and it was clear she didn't know this. "We never talked about the focused concerns on those disappearances. All she talked about was needing the Eden Apples more than anyone. Even though we became close, she never told me about her past. But from what I can tell…" She sadly gestured to the card. "...it looks like a revenge plan on the Mecha Underlords."
"Then…why did she get this card?" asked Mira. "Wouldn't she know this ship?"
"The Devil Ship wasn't completed when Onsàáy left," explained Emerald. "Now that the Mecha Underlords are picking up recruits worldwide, they seem to have confirmed a destination of their official home."
Mira felt that something didn't look right. She flipped the card, checking the address. Melbourne…the name struck a cord from the newspapers she wrote in the morning.
"Wait, isn't that where the Bad Guys are?" she asked, her eyes bugged out. "It's all over international news."
Hornet gasped. "What? What are you saying?"
They gasped again in unison. Even Moe, who had been listening, hopped onto the table, meowing in worry. If it was true that the Bad Guys were seen in Melbourne, they were close to this 'Devil Ship'. And Onsàáy planned to confront her former empire with the Eden Apples. The Bad Guys might be next on the chopping board…
The darkness around them seemed to grow stronger, urging the two to let themselves be pulled right in for relief. For dreams. The thought of their friends in likely danger was already distressing, but Onsàáy looked like she could bring more than a nightmare onto them. Nearly in the same way as Marmalade. She and her crew didn't seem to be level-headed.
As he slowly lost his cool, Hornet covered his mouth to hold back a whimper. "My friends…my friends! My family! If she gets there with what she needs, they'll be in the crossfire!"
"How big is this…thing she plans to do?" asked Mira, her voice hoarse.
Emerald sensed their worry, her shoulders drooping. "I-I have no idea. I tried to warn her, but…" She looked down, ashamed. "I really want to tell her, but whatever I say, it's not enough for her."
Hornet slowly took off his helmet, worried. "Where is Onsàáy now?"
"I guess she is back at her lair," muttered Emerald. "I don't have directions to where it is."
"Do you have her phone number?"
Emerald was silent for a while. "Yes. B-But I must tell you that it's not a good idea to confront her. Don't be the police."
"I'm not the police," scoffed Hornet. "I'm just someone trying to find answers for worried families and friends."
"No, seriously," said Emerald, standing up with a glare of her own. "You don't understand. She's a psycho. She kidnapped people. She will do ANYTHING to complete what she thinks is 'justice'. And she never revealed to me if she hurt those researchers. If she have a hit on you, you should be scared right now!"
"And that's why we need to find her," said Hornet, narrowing his eyes. "If we get to her, not only are we preventing her from attacking Melbourne, but saving more people before they are gone forever. We also need answers from her to see what else Sunnyside Labs is hiding."
Emerald wanted to argue, but there was nothing left to say. It was already done. She exposed Onsàáy's worst secret. "Fine…"
"But why didn't you tell any of this to the police?" asked Mira.
"...because Onsàáy doesn't trust them. Not even her father's colleagues. She doesn't want help. And in her own words, 'If you already become a cyborg like me, then what's the point of turning back?'"
Hornet and Mira would have been indifferent if it weren't for the crestfallen look on Emerald. The emotion from her disappeared, switched by deep concern and hesitation towards confronting her friend. Considering the unusual features she and her crew possessed, it sounded like Onsàáy must be going through something. This might have motivated her to do her part with the Eden Apples and their history.
They didn't know how many crimes Onsàáy exactly did, but they were determined to find out.
"Looks like we will have to ask her as soon as possible," said Mira.
"I agree," said Hornet, cracking his knuckles together. "Maybe tonight. I doubt that Onsàáy's whole motivation is to prove that these 'Mecha Underlords' are anything but lousy politics."
Emerald sat down, resigned. "I wish you luck. It might not be what you expect when entering her lair…" She could hear beeping coming from the card. "And was it supposed to be in that color?"
Hornet gasped, turning to see the card glowing an intense pink shade.
Outside the office room, the entire building rattled by the card's sudden explosion. Pink glitter and paint spilled right through the gaps of the closed door. If the door had a window, then it would flash a reddish-pink color.
The door opened, revealing a muddled Hornet. Coated in glitter and hot pink paint from top to bottom. Growling through his teeth, he flipped the lights on to bathe the entire room in full light. The entire room was already covered in the matching glitter and paint.
There was coughing from Mira and Emerald inside, choking on some of the glitter they accidentally swallowed.
Hornet was trying not to freak out, rubbing his eyes. "If this is the kind of thing the Bad Guys might see, who's the first to endure it? Maybe Shark and Piranha would."
Phillip Hotel, Melbourne, Australia
Making it back to the Phillip Hotel, Snake and Piranha dropped Fuchsia back inside her room and secured the collected Eden Apples in Diane's room. They had no plan of where to go next, but they were still buzzing with energy. They decided to take it to the lonely, dark alleyway nearby to take it all out.
Once outside, leaning against the walls, Piranha was the first to laugh loudly. With a light-hearted, high-pitched giggle that echoed through the sad alley, followed by the loud snaps of him slapping his knees. A testimony to his lovable crazy energy.
Snake was more dazzled, only able to let out a small snicker. It wasn't much compared to Piranha's bombastic laughter, but it was something. His mind was racing in worries and catharsis. He nearly wore himself out, leading him to lie his head against the wall.
"That was a lot of popo back then!" barked Piranha. "I honestly thought we would be caught!"
"I honestly thought we accidentally stabbed someone inside!" said Snake, breaking into a stupid grin. "Though, I hope the cat was OK."
"I think they just had to make a cat noise when the furniture collapsed."
"I suppose that your silver senorita is gonna nag on you repeatedly, will she?"
Piranha gasped, offended. "For the last time, she's NOT my ex-girlfriend! But…yeah, she's gonna be really mad. At least she still has her suitcase of knives."
"And yet, I thought we removed a problem," said Snake, wiggling his eyebrows. "Would it be funny if we use her entire suitcase and see if all the knives flew everywhere?"
"Oh, no, no, no," said Piranha, waving his hands. "That's too sharp! It would kill the fun too quickly!"
Snake guffawed and used his long tail to pat the little fish's head. "Well, you got a point. Say, for a revenge plan, you're not so bad at making one."
Piranha's face turned a light shade of pink, touched by the older Bad Guy's complaint. Even though he could get used to Snake's snarks, Piranha was quite pleased to hear this. This…never happened before. It was so rewarding.
Piranha was beaming in pride and affection.
"...just take the win," added Snake quickly.
Piranha chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm not gonna boast about it."
A couple of cars passed by with no lack of police sirens. The noise was brushed away by the reptile's and the little fish's joy that kept them distant from the rest of the world.
The pride of their stunt didn't last long when Piranha had a thought about it. Even though they managed to get away, it might be possible Spalding and Thelma would hunt for them. They would then have a reason to put a warrant on their heads. He sure hoped that Diane wouldn't find this out, but hiding it for the next 10 years couldn't be possible.
"Do you think we should tell the others?" asked Piranha, rubbing his hands together. "I don't…really want to make Foxington mad again. I backed her up once!"
Snake sighed. "Well, things escalated yesterday. Today's prank looked minor to our joyriding crime."
"And…what about Wolf? Will he be alright with this? Now that I'm thinking clearly, I don't want him to be angry."
Snake's smile disappeared. It came to his attention that he had nearly forgotten what Wolf would think. Believe it or not, a part of his willingness to get revenge was humiliating Thelma for making fun of Wolf. While the prank was for his own personal reasons, Snake thought hard enough and realized that doing this would serve Wolf justice after Thelma had the guts to mock his father.
"That's why you have this change of heart coming back here; you don't give a crap about Stanley Chutney and everybody knows it!"
Snake hummed to himself, keeping those words on replay in his head. A pang of familiar guilt reached him, knowing it was his fault for separating Wolf and Stanley for decades. But when he thought back to Stanley's attitude, it seemed like maybe the two wolves still cared for each other. Stanley didn't shut himself from Wolf or Snake.
Thelma was wrong.
"Let them find out," he said nonchalantly, reassuringly waving his tail. "We both know that Wolf isn't one to take insults lightly. Just like when he tried to spite Diane. I…I think he'll be alright with this. He'll be happy for us taking revenge."
Piranha wasn't sure if this was a good thought. While it sounded a little honest that they would reveal once they found out, he wasn't sure if Wolf was the same as before since coming back to Melbourne…changed him.
"Um…OK then," he said worriedly. "...and please don't breathe down my throat. It's disgusting."
However, Snake's eyes were directed to the looming shadow above Piranha. "That wasn't me…"
Behind them was a muscular thug in dark leather. Piranha turned around and instead of trembling, his body slouched forward. Snake was becoming nervous, but noting Piranha's slow, genuine annoyance, this was another disturbance coming their way. He followed suit, grimacing.
"Hello there, little boy," growled the thug, twirling around a broken glass bottle. "I finally got you where I want you now."
Piranha's bored look turned into suppressed anger. "Refer to me as 'little' and 'boy' again and I can't promise you that any part of your body is taller than me."
"Weird talk, eh?" said the thug. "Oh well. At least I'll be off the hook here soon enough."
The thug looked like he was trying to appear intimidating. Emphasis on try. The body build was understandable, but both Bad Guys couldn't take the fuzzy beard and the droop foaming in his mouth seriously. It seemed like he rushed all the way due to how untidy his bandanna was wrapped around his head. Not to mention, he looked dumb enough not to say any arousing words.
Snake sighed. "Look, bud. You know you're like the seventh guy who tried capturing me. Can we do this another time back home?"
The thug laughed. "And destroy the fun? That would be too anti-climatic. We'll settle this here!"
He raised his broken bottle over his head like a knife. Snake was close to pulling Piranha out of the way despite the former clenching his hands into fists.
"No one will stop me!" the thug declared. "NO ONE. IS COMING-!"
Out of nowhere, a pair of black-gloved hands slapped what looked like duct tape over his mouth and grabbed him by the mouth. The thug's eyes went wide, flailing his arms and legs around. It didn't deter his attacker.
Snake felt his jaw drop when the attacker slowly turned around to reveal their entire body.
He didn't need to inspect the entire person once he saw that pink braided ponytail. This time, it was covered by a pink beanie with devil horns, sharp white teeth printed on the front and two angry red eyes, resembling a monster.
"Adeline?!" he sputtered out.
Splaarghön grinned, overjoyed to see Snake. Before, she was still in a bad mood after her disastrous interview with Spencer's family. But now that she made it in time to revisit the famous Bad Guy (and to strangle the life out of the thug), it made her day infinitely better.
"Oh, hi there, Mr. Snake!" she said cheerfully, oblivious to the choking cries of the thug. "Thought that you would be busy."
Snake blinked a couple of times. He should be dreaming. But he wasn't. He could feel his mind spiraling into a state of uncanniness. He didn't expect the girl to appear again. Seemed full of surprises.
And fortunately, he wasn't the only one. Piranha was gaping, both hands pressed against his cheeks.
Splaarghön realized that she had more than one Bad Guy staring at her. One of the youngest members of them all! She must have hit the jackpot lately. However, he didn't seem to be staring at her directly. He was staring at the thug she was strangling at the moment.
"Oh, don't worry," reassured Splaarghön casually. "I applied a tape laced with a killer drug. It should put him to sleep."
"Put him to sleep?" asked Piranha, squeezing his reddened cheeks.
"Yeah, he should be out in three, two-wait…oh, he's already dead." She checked the thug's pulse by the neck and it felt cold.
Snake and Piranha backed away as the thug's body slumped onto the floor, his back jiggling like a fat belly. So much for all those muscles. Piranha gave the body a slight kick, but the thug barely responded. Snake looked at the thug's face, but his eyes already had the 'x' symbols replacing his pupils.
"I wanted to drop down gifts at your door," chirped Splaarghön with a chipper smile, pulling out two gift bags. "To make up to you after what happened last night!"
"...I'm sorry, what?" said Snake incredulously.
"Is this necessary, stranger?" whined Piranha, more focused on the dead body. "We're not slouches. And that's overkill."
"I took a quick look at his criminal record and it's loaded," reassured Splaarghön. "So, no worry, mate! Besides, there aren't any new fingerprints on this body."
Piranha and Snake glanced at each other with Piranha, especially, weirded out by the new girl's carefree attitude. She made it look like it was a hobby of hers. They never went out to severely hurt a person. Street fights might be slightly similar but no worse.
Adding to Snake's growing confusion, he was surprised that the girl he talked to last night had a 'professional' stance in assassination.
Now, he could confirm that this girl was far from normal.
The only positive was no one gave a damn towards the thug. Yes, Snake and Piranha were disturbed, but the lack of love made them sane.
"...OK, help me drag this, new girl!" said Piranha in a thick and squeaky accent, grabbing the thug by the leg.
The stoic Snake cracked a giggle, destroying the mood. There was something jarringly funny about the way Piranha said it.
"Don't laugh! C'mon! People are going to see us!"
Eventually, Splaarghön and Piranha dragged the body somewhere else. Thanks to their gloves, no one could find a clear suspect. There weren't even security cameras in this alleyway. Once finished, Snake decided they should go inside the hotel and chose the main waiting room for a proper and calm conversation.
"Well, back me up a little here," said Piranha as he hopped into a comfortable pink cushion chair. "Snake, you know this…pink naco?"
Splaarghön gave the little fish a stink eye. Piranha, for his merit, stared back with a justifiedly dazed look.
Snake cleared his throat as he slithered onto an oversized leather couch beside Splaarghön. "Well, Piranha, this is…Adeline. I met her last night here."
"Oooh, she also has a room here?" asked Piranha.
"No, no," said Splaarghön honestly. "I teleported here and talked with him. I heard rumors that the Bad Guys were around."
Snake raised an eyebrow at the pink-haired girl. "You're making yourself sound like a stalker."
"What?" said Splaarghön blankly. "I'm just explaining things truly."
Piranha hummed with a sardonic grin. "All our lovers and haters are here to catch our show. Explains why tickets were out for Hornet."
"But what motivates you to come back here?" asked Snake. "Why kill a man to get to us? He doesn't mean anything to me."
Splaarghön's face turned red. "D-Don't put it that way! Don't make it weird…OK, so about the gift bags, I…" The blush disappeared and was followed by a look of regret. "I want to give these to you so that you might feel…better? I tried contacting Dreary Dream University and…" She shook her head, too embarrassed to tell. "Look, I'll deal with them soon. It wouldn't matter by then. But for now, don't want you to feel left out."
She pulled out the two gift bags again, passing one each for the two Bad Guys. Piranha wasted no time opening his bag and pulling out…good gravy, he thought with wide sparkling eyes.
The present was much larger than the bag itself! A metal electric guitar in a twisted and demonic shape, coated in splatters of black and pink. Even the head of the guitar was curled up, resembling a centipede. It looked like the kinds of Hot Topic props you would see from emo concerts, exaggerated to appear 'edgy'.
The little fish bounced on his heels, tempted to strike the strings. But it was for Snake, after all. However, the reptile was more interested in the gift bag he was holding.
He pulled out a long, silky cape. Or was it a cloak? Dropping the gift bag to the side, he let the material uncurl and illustrate itself as a long black cloak. In the light, he could see the shine that created a beautiful glossy gradient of black and white. Lifting it upwards, he took a quick scan and measured it as a little shorter than his entire body. There was even a baggy hood at the collarhole with two black horns on top that resembled devil horns.
Snake bit into one of the horns. It was soft like the cloak's fabric. He flicked his tongue, wiggling it. He didn't know why. He was just curious if it would be hard to squeeze it.
He stared at the fabric with a lost look before glancing at Splaarghön, waiting patiently with what appeared to be puppy eyes. The reptile grunted at the look and pushed his head through the collarhole. Managing to wear it easily, the cloak fluttered over his body and the hood rested comfortably on his hat.
A flick of his tail and his cape swung upwards. It touched his back, giving a chilling sensation of solace and spookiness. Somehow, the edgy cloak looked good with his green and blue spy outfit, matching his collared shirt.
"Say, chico!" said Piranha, holding onto one end of the cloak. "This fits you to a T! Mysterious Grumpypants~!"
Snake rolled his eyes absentmindedly at the way Piranha wiggled his cape. However, he didn't have the right words. This was the first time a human had ever given him a…present like this. Well, if there were any, they didn't tickle his fancy.
Wolf knew how to cheer him up with a good old birthday party. But it was new that a human, let alone an unusual witch, gave him one that could talk to him.
This unexpected but thoughtful gift evoked an ache in his chest. He didn't recognize that his tail was shaking. He remembered her relation to Dreary Dream University and her reaction when he accidentally told her what they did. He turned back to Splaarghön with wary eyes. He couldn't properly analyze the cloak to grasp its likely meaning.
"Is this a joke?" he questioned, barely croaking these words.
Splaarghön was confused. "What do you mean?"
Snake glared down at the cloak. "This gift. This offering after you say you'll try to 'settle' your people. What is this?"
At first, Splaarghön felt offended. She spent a good portion of her time finding the right fresh clothes from the rookie rack. But then, her memory clicked again and she realized why Snake was paranoid. He had a clear memory of last night and he wasn't one to let things go.
Her face crumpled, apologetic. "If you don't like the gift, you can return it to me."
"No, no, I'm not saying it's a bad gift," said Snake quietly. "I'm not-just tell me why you're being so nice. You must be a student at that conformist university. Treating animals like animals?"
The attentive Piranha crossed his arms. "You say there?"
Splaarghön was grim. "I didn't even attend university at all. Honestly, the only thing I did was partner with one of the university's secret clubs through my contracts. We agreed on silently spreading the word of our goals. It reached the staff of the university, well…" She mocked a smile, resentful. "For the wrong reasons."
"It sounds like you're running a political club."
Splaarghön whistled lowly. "Yeah…"
Snake narrowed his eyes, careful. "And did you agree with what Dreary said? About people like us, Adeline?"
He wasn't going to take any chances. He made sure to get up close and personal. He wasn't going to drop his guard this time around. The reptile made sure that his nose was close to the pink-haired girl's nose, flickering out his tongue. Let that scare get into her skin.
So it was a shock when the unfazed Splaarghön gave a calm answer.
"Trust me," she said, her eyes showing how much this impacted her. "If I can control the world to be perfect, then I would. That university has its head in the right mind, but I'm guessing both of us know more about the adults running the place than the students do. Condescending, am I right? Like 'stop treating it like a break-up'. What the hell do they know about you?!"
Her eyebrows drooped, clearly upset. "I'm sorry I hired the wrong people lately and I'm starting to see that. With what I'm working on, I really hope that someday, everyone will live in a world where there are no more fights, no more judgment, no more…" She clicked her tongue, her self-consciousness kicking in. "OK, yes, it's corny. But it's what I'm advocating for in my global project."
Those last few lines cleared away from the previous robotic tone, gradually rising in frustration and lowering in grief. There was no deceit in these words, even if they were corny. Maybe it was the old-fashioned guys at the university she got into trouble with. Not every group in a uni environment was collaborative. Right now, seeing her look away in shame was proof that her beliefs didn't align with Spalding's or Thelma's.
It burnt out all of Snake's doubts into nothingness. She could see it. His eyes were watery but refused to spill.
However, it got Piranha smelling something fishy. His crossed arms tightened, squeezed against him like a shield.
"How I would see this," continued Splaarghön offhandedly. "The real freaks won't be a problem anymore. Add to that, no one will miss them."
Yikes, now that was a red flag. Snake didn't appear concerned about this, but Piranha was. The girl seemed reasonable but fishy. Not to mention, she casually killed a guy in front of them despite having reasons to. The little fish's eyebrows were bent deeper, squinting his eyes to see what she might be hiding.
Backing away, Snake exhaled and all of his qualms disappeared. "OK then. I…thank you for the cloak." He spun around and when he saw the cape flying upwards, he felt like a legend. "It looks really nice."
Splaarghön smiled bashfully. "Well…you're welcome. It also has an auto heating system inside."
"My jacket does the same, but you cannot get too cold in this wasteland." While not feeling too cheery, Snake managed to give a sly smirk and wagged his tail like a warning finger. "Remember, you better not go playing around with this trust."
"Yeah," said Piranha, crawling onto the couch. "How should we not know you're not playing games, missy? How should we know you're not trying to get personal and use that against us?"
The reptile turned to him, shocked by his bold mouth. "Whoa! Where did that come from, Piranha?!"
Splaarghön had a thoughtful look. Piranha was not wrong, not to mention the implications lately that they might be on opposite sides. But even though she chose not to reveal further about her empire, she might just give more hints about herself. Probably the safest way possible.
"Well, aside from feasting on the-"
Out of nowhere, Snake's and Piranha's visions were met with distorted scribbles all over the place in a deep pink tint.
"DELICIOUS, LAUGHABLE PHOBIAS OF MAGGOTS-"
Oh, and Splaarghön was giving a sinister grin armed with razor teeth and foaming yellow saliva.
And just as sudden as her mood whiplash, Splaarghön deactivated her manipulation powers and returned to her perky, level-headed self.
"To prove they're actually weak…" Splaarghön took a moment to smile gently. "I just want to make the world a better place. And I am using my power to fight against the greater evil."
If Snake and Piranha had telepathy, they would mentally ask each other if they saw the missing distorted scribbles. One moment, Splaarghön was psychotic and the next, she was sweet. There was no sign of anomalies anywhere. It just…happened.
Rattled, the two Bad Guys glanced at each other with stunned, shrunken pupils.
Snake grinned nervously, a sweat drop rolling down his face. That girl reminded him a lot like Wolf whenever he got angry, except she didn't look hot when she was mad.
Hopefully, she could get therapy. Youths have all the time in the world.
Surprisingly, Piranha was able to shrug this off with a relaxed look. "And I thought I was the crazy one. Are you copying me?"
"Nope," said Splaarghön innocently. "I'm not. I just have a much broader appeal to intimidation."
"Hmm, are you a criminal as well-?"
"Rebellious delinquent," said Snake and Splaarghön in unison.
Piranha pouted. "OK, fine, fine. Whatever nickname you prefer. But you have a foreign accent, so that's a trope."
"And yet, you have a strong accent and you're one of the good guys?" sassed Splaarghön, her Australian accent suddenly thick.
Piranha closed his eyes and let out a big sigh. This was really complicated since Splaarghön looked like a devil in plain sight. She didn't even hide her eccentricities! For some reason, he felt envious that she had control over her temper. He couldn't tell if she was a villain. Well, guess they would need to dig more into this.
"Can you tell us more about yourself?" he asked, jumping down on the floor in a sitting position. "Hermana, we only just met."
"Oh yeah," agreed Snake, more neutral on the matter. "We have never seen you in papers. You probably know more about us already."
Splaarghön nodded, surprised by this question. It wasn't a lie that she did hear about them on the news, though she took the time to think about what might be going through their minds. About herself, she could offer them to be part of the Mecha Underlords, but she didn't want to force them when they seemed busy.
If Snake did run into Drillaärgh, then she really needs a word with the idiot once he recovers.
"OK then," she said, leaning back on the couch. "But I can't promise what I'm saying is the full thing. I'll say the full story, top to bottom, when your schedule is empty clean. Just…need to ease in with the information first until the right time."
Piranha curled his lips, humming. She made a solid point since they had no idea if she should be an asset to their problems. They could do this after they collected the Eden Apples. Snake and Piranha shared an understanding look, knowing that she might be on a separate project that wouldn't interfere.
"OK, first, your real name?" asked Piranha.
"Adeline Mia," answered Splaarghön simply.
"You're sure that's your real name?"
"I would go ahead and ask for your real name."
Piranha grunted. "OK, OK. Next…" He pulled up the metal guitar. "What's up with this?"
Splaarghön grinned in delight. "Oh, I'm a big metal fan! It helps create the mood! I know a lot of heavy metal and hard rock bands. One of my favorite modern bands is Bring Me the Horizon! Heavy metal always works with uprisings!"
Snake flicked his tongue, indifferent. "Rock bands these days are extinct."
"What about your taste? Well, I wouldn't imagine rock being one of your favorites."
Snake hummed. "I think I prefer the…well, classic rock? Blues rock. Like the Black Keys."
"Oh yeah, that's a good band!" squealed Piranha.
Splaarghön smirked. "They're a good indie duo. Hmm, what about… ? I only heard like one or two songs from them."
Snake perked up, his eyes glowing. "Oh! That's another good band. They're one of the few who influenced many genres. Glam rock. Punk. Alternative. They might not be for you kids, but I'll admit they know how to make a good anthem. A voice for the voiceless, you would say?"
"Fair enough then. Maybe I'll look up more of their songs to see if I can play them on my guitar."
"I can't say for sure if you're a gifted musician," teased Piranha.
"Just watch."
The pink-haired girl snatched the guitar, stood up and struck the strings with her bare fingers.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A deep, harsh strum exploded from the impact, causing an earthquake. Neglecting the guitar's volume, it emitted a ripple across the entire floor that even shook the couches they were resting by.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
One last strike and the sound reached everybody's eardrums and it left some cracks in the surrounding windows.
It even cracked Piranha's spy eyepiece! The little fish yelped, startled.
Snake chuckled in amusement upon the devious grin of Splaarghön, ignoring Piranha mourning his 'little piecey'. Despite looking maybe a bit more hippie due to clothes choices, this girl seemed to love going hardcore. The harsh metal riff explained this. He stared down at the cloak and once he connected the pieces to its rock roots, he blushed. He stood out like a sore thumb.
"Next thing to ask is if you're going through a phase," asked Snake sincerely.
"No, it's not a phase, old man," said Splaarghön, playfully tickling his nose. "It's…cathartic!"
"Those beats must hit really hard," cooed Piranha. "Webs would very much appreciate it! She's even experimental."
"Sounds like my kind! After all, the avant-garde is more for the underrated youth."
Despite being suspicious, Piranha couldn't help but give Snake a cheeky grin.
"I'm not THAT old," grumbled Snake.
"Say, considering that you're a 'rebel' and running an elite club at a university…are you an activist?" asked Piranha.
"I don't usually go by labels unless it's referring to my enemies, but…you can say that," said Splaarghön in a so-so manner. "I'm guessing that you do the same, Mr. Piranha?"
She knew that Snake didn't seem confident in doing an uprising, given that his motivation to stop Marmalade was to help his friends. Piranha looked more like a follower, willing to do anything his friends did. What he said was more insightful.
"I don't have a degree in law, unfortunately," said Piranha, rubbing the back of his head. "But I do fight for what's right. I don't really think I'm the best at being a leader. I'm more of a team player. And there's a lot to process if I want to protest because it's much crazier."
"Unless you're prepared," pointed out Splaarghön. "Not much time doing study?"
"Well, I do take the time to look into some protests. Even if I don't know much. Some of them, I understand the reason why they aim to do…well…these kinds of things!" He ended up flapping his hands up and down with a knowing look. "If there's something that I can do as a representative, I can try supporting it with the best I got. We're even helping a government authority and we did speak our mind to them!"
The clear answer would be Governor Diane Foxington, but Splaarghön didn't have that much to look up to the fox. But it would be fair enough since she DID side with the Bad Guys and supported them well. The pink-haired girl decided not to overthink since the Bad Guys might have their fingers around the fox; the perfect trump card.
"Cool!" said Splaarghön. "But if you ever feel like there's something in the world you want to change for the best, I'll show you the ropes. You don't have to, but I'm available if you two need me."
Snake nodded, smiling a little. He did have some kind of power to speak out loud in this world, but he wasn't in full control of it. Maybe someday he would turn to her, but at the moment, he would do what he should now.
"I'll have a think, so…thank you again," he said. The words were foreign, his cheeks tinting pink. "A-And I'm not backing it down because I'm lazy."
"That much of a couch potato?" sassed Piranha.
"No. I'm just swallowing up my own harrowing memories to be in the right mind space."
"Hey, you're going through the same phase as I am!" joked Splaarghön with a proud smirk.
Snake came up with a question of his own. "Also, you don't seem to be scared of us. I'll praise the bravado, but most humans usually feel uncomfortable seeing us."
Splaarghön wasn't uncomfortable and didn't hesitate to explain with a smile. "That I can explain. Cliche, but this is Australia after all. It's still a growing land like your American home. More people come in, the Indigenous are given more recognition. So many animals crawling around as well, not even just the pets. I know thirstier scalies than you."
Snake raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you've seen snakes before?"
Splaarghön grinned. "I made some bonds with non-anthropomorphic animals before. They never judge you. They play fair. They are rather playful!" She smiled sadly at those words as she looked into childhood nostalgia. Nostalgia that…she didn't think of for a long time. "It's a small city, so I also came across sentient snakes like you. Well, they're more like Mr. Wolf, however. In fact, I even worked with them and other animal people here!"
She took a moment to pause, trying to maintain her giggle.
"Recently, have been more in contact with the foxes. Some of these contracts dated back to high school. Now, I won't lie. I was scared when facing these people at a young age. But I grew up. It's that simple. You'll eventually have to. And if the world kicks us around, we kick it back together. To kick value into each other…"
She trailed off with a hiss of a curse word, embarrassed by the cheesy statement. Snake and Piranha didn't mind that, glancing at each other. Another human alright with deadly animals. While not far from biases, she immediately showed to treat animals as equals. No wonder why she had no trouble treating them like her friends, even if she was a bit of a creep to Snake at the start. It didn't even sound like it was just because of her being elusive.
To Snake, it was her at her gentlest since this was a new side he was seeing. Not many humans would admit wanting to be near wild animals like them. It was a nice surprise to him despite Splaarghön being an oddball.
It made him blush again at the thought of Splaarghön admiring him for being a friendly snake.
"Right, right," muttered Snake, smiling a little. "You could work at the nearest zoo."
"Too patronizing," retorted Splaarghön. "That invalidates my partnership with animals. And to be honest, if my latest shark recruit thinks I worked in a zoo, he'll flip upside down literally."
Piranha thought similarly to Snake and had to admit Splaarghön wasn't so bad. Her intentions weren't too overly convincing, but he would have to learn about her later on. He cracked a small bubbly smile, anxious yet respectful towards the stranger.
"Well, we can stay inside the habitats and let you take care of us," he joked likely.
Splaarghön chuckled. "Yeah, don't think that'll happen. You did say you two aren't slouches."
AN: This is another favorite chapter of mine! Even entertaining since we learn a little more about the villains' eccentricities. Both Splaarghön and Onsàáy might have a few screw looses on how they see themselves, but they are still fun characters to write about.
The entire interrogation scene with Emerald takes inspiration from 'Zootopia: Extended Ending' by Piemations, Rarity Investigates from My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (Digital Series) and Murder Drones. Me and Rally had a blast with this scene. Remember the last chapter where we see Onsàáy? She didn't see Emerald's spoon in her sundae! Next time we see Onsàáy, she's gonna have a flu.
The following scene of Splaarghön first appearing takes inspiration from Yelena visiting Kate Bishop in Hawkeye and Super Hobo Bros || 100K SUB SPECIAL (A Mario In Real Life Action Comedy). Her sudden mood whiplash even takes inspiration from Murder Drones with Piranha's reaction being valid. Speaking of which, initially, I didn't plan for Piranha to meet her this early, but eventually, I decided to add him in to give him more moments.
There are a lot of fun details in this chapter, but the main one has to go with Snake's present; the black cloak that his book counterpart wears when he becomes a demonic underlord. I had trouble fitting the hooded cloak in and eventually found this spot! Serves as a bit of foreshadowing as well.
Now, what do you think of this chapter? How do you like Alex's third visit to the Mean Streets? What do you think of the interrogation scene? And how do you think of Splaarghön's visit with Snake and Piranha? Let me know in your reviews. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.
Thank you all for reading this story! If you enjoy this story so far, be sure to subscribe and comment.
Until next time, keep on rocking!