AN: I don't know if I'm a bit too late since the time zones are different between American and Australia, but HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! 2024 is now here with 2023 closing its book. Let's hope that this year will go well!
I hoped that many enjoyed the starting chapter introducing our main villains. And now, the legendary Bad Guys are finally here. Enjoy!
Chapter 2 - The Bad Guys are Back!
Los Angeles, America, Day Time
A light chuckle was faintly heard from a room in one of the best museums in Los Angeles. It didn't echo through the long hallways; many just kept to themselves to admire the art. However, this room was a little different from the others given its more recent history two years ago. It was meant for all to see.
This room contained all the statues and artwork previously owned by Marmalade. Or at least what the police managed to recover from the crater of his remaining mansion. Most of them were charred, but they were clear enough for all to look and sneer at how much they thought of him as a harmless, pure creature.
After his 'greatest heist' was exposed, being behind bars for life for robbery, years of fraud, abusive experiments and attempted murder, now everybody sees him as pathetic.
But one thing that remained untouched was the Love Crater Meteorite lamp. It was last painted gray with turquoise spots to resemble the real one. A few people were happy to have it on display to remind them about the old meteorite.
But that wasn't the thing this particular group of people were giggling about it. No, it was somewhat a bit better.
A group of students on a school field trip were sitting on the floor for an improvised meeting with the heroic vigilante Mr. Wolf.
"And that's how we managed to defeat the notorious Professor Rupert Marmalade IV," explained Wolf with his signature coy smile. He retained an air of sassiness, signature for his smooth charm. "With only my first car, this butt rock behind me and my best buddies in my life. And I'm surprised that when we all revealed that he stole the charity money, he didn't start crying like a little baby."
There were a few giggles from the children, charmed by his story-telling. There were all smiles around. Some of them just watched blankly. Some wariness towards the bona fide rebel of the law, but the 'big, bad, wolf' seemed to be placed on the side. Even the teacher was pleased by how their guest made their day enjoyable, smiling as she watched.
"Any questions?" asked Wolf.
As expected, several kids raised their hands.
"Yes, you there," said Wolf, pointing to one kid.
"Is the kitty you rescued still alive?"
"Oh yes," said Wolf with a grin, his tail subtly wagging slowly." Even after his time with Diane, he is alive and healthy. I actually…" He paused, rubbing the back of his head, flustered. "..named him Moe."
There was a collective 'aww' amongst the group of children. Another kid had their question next.
"So, we were told that the Love Crater Meteorite weighed approximately 250 grams, right?" he asked.
Wolf nodded. "Yep."
"And you had it stored on the back of the car? Wouldn't it have flattened the small car from how heavy it was?"
There was radio silence of 10 seconds as Wolf stood there, his ears lowered as he tried to process this. One would wonder if his brain just stopped.
"...no," said Wolf. "And it can carry Mr. Shark, who is the heaviest of all of us. Next question?"
"Is it true that you're still a couple with the governor Diane Foxington?" asked a young girl. "We were told that she dumped you."
Wolf chuckled sheepishly. "She didn't dump me. I dumped her first by licking her tall ears."
The teacher looked unamused. "Really?"
"Just kidding, just kidding." The canine cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, it was completely mutual, that's for sure."
A few kids raised their eyebrows and started whispering to each other. Looks like there might be more rumors to unpack regarding the Bad Guys.
"Speaking of licking," asked another boy. "Is it true? There was news about a wolf looking like you who sleepwalked in his underpants and licked a cop in the face. Was that you?"
Wolf shook his head. "As much as I wish I did, no, I never do that. I'm a gentleman."
To emphasize this, he adjusted his collar. It seemed to be a stripped-down version of his regular formal outfit, but it still carried the same street cred he loved putting up. One would be mistaken that he just didn't have his jacket on.
He only wore a simple white collared shirt that looked like it came out from a wash. Black jeans covered his legs, this time more tightly, and held up by a brown belt with a silver buckle. Demonstrating a new look, he wore a golden ring around his finger on his right hand, two silver piercings in his left ear and a pair of black boots covering his feet. He would have looked like a younger revel if it weren't for the tip of his tail newly dipped in white.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that there isn't any other wolf with bright yellow eyes like yours," said the boy, tilting his head.
"No, there are," said Wolf immediately.
"And his left eyebrow has a cut in it."
"No other wolves grow up having a cut eyebrow."
"And he wouldn't give his trademark wink."
"...which wolf in the world winks?" asked Wolf dumbly.
"And no man wears pink boxers with white hearts."
"...well, I do."
Nearly all the kids started laughing at the thought of Mr. Wolf sneaking out at night to give a cop a lovely kiss of his floppy tongue. The suspect in question rolled his eyes, huffing. Even if it might be true for whatever cause, he clearly didn't remember licking anyone in the world.
"Any more questions?" asked Wolf, wanting to change the subject.
"My dad has heard something about the Bad Guys," piped up a young girl. "He told me that there were 'rumors' that the reason why Mr. Snake earned his redemption was that he gave his friend his favorite lollipop."
"Nah, it's actually a push pop I purposely left in the fridge before the charity event." Wolf noticed that half of the kids didn't know what he meant. "AKA a popsicle."
"Aww," cooed one boy. "He gave up some ice cream for the big guy?"
"Snake's the father of our family," said Wolf, grinning. "He's a sweetheart; like all dads, he sometimes has a hard time being really nice to his children."
"Sounds like my dad," joked one kid.
"Yeah!" chimed in another. "Lots of men have a hard time sharing sweets."
Wolf chuckled. "I know, right? Would be a shame to keep putting up a grumpy demeanor to keep their candies to themselves."
A sharp 'ahem' cut through the room and nearly all the kids went silent. It was raspy with an added hiss to it. Wolf recognized it. His eyes widened and his smile frozen in place, realizing that his sweetheart already found him.
He slowly turned to face a silently seething Mr. Snake with a twitching eye. He still wore the same Hawaiian shirt and the beige bucket hat. Only things different were a golden ring around his tail, an added happy face badge to his hat and another badge reflecting the modern gay pride flag in green, white, blue and purple.
Snake did hear Wolf revealing that he gave a push pop to the whiny Shark, didn't he?
A couple of students glanced at Snake and back at Wolf.
Grinning sarcastically, Snake turned to the teacher. "Excuse me. I would want to have a little word with my boyfriend. In private."
Wolf doubted that whatever Snake wanted to tell him in private was positive.
The teacher stared at Snake, dumbfounded. She thought for a second if he was actually talking to her. Everyone knew Mr. Snake as the typical anti-social guy to those who weren't part of the Bad Guys. However, the teacher decided not to dwell on it that much. It would be just harmless bickering between Snake and Wolf anyway.
"Well…I don't think we would have that much time now," said the teacher with a smile. "I'll let you two lovebirds chat about whatever you need to talk about."
Wolf beamed, his tail wagging. Snake just glared at him before grabbing him by the collar.
"Everyone, say 'goodbye' to Mr. Wolf," said the teacher warmly.
"Goodbye, Mr. Wolf!" chirped all the students.
"Bye, Wolfie!" said a girl.
"Good luck!" said a boy, noticing how Snake was trying his best not to show his teeth.
[I Know You - Craig David feat. Bastille]
[0:00]
Wolf exchanged back the sunny smile, sinking in the attention. Even if it was currently tight, he was happy that he got to talk to a few people today. Only a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but it was worth it. There were people interested in his side of the story.
The thought of not being the feared wolf everybody knew a lot time ago failed him to see himself dragged by a snarling Snake out of the room.
By the time they reached the lobby, Snake was shaking his head in disappointment while a laughing Wolf drunkenly waddled, a large bump bulging from his forehead.
"I told you a million times not to tell ANYONE about this!" snapped Snake, not caring if his shouting elicited some weird looks from people nearby. "We made this fair and square!"
"C'mon, sweetheart!" said Wolf, wrapping his arm around the reptile. "It was probably one of the nicest things you've ever done!"
Snake scoffed. "That name is getting on my nerves. And you know that Shark was acting like a child back then."
"A huge baby needing a bottle of milk," teased Wolf. "Like some milk from you?"
Snake wrinkled his nose, diverting his eyes. "Would have been nicer if we did a heist here. Your fox girlfriend isn't here for your planned 'threesome' date. You got anything back from her?"
Wolf thought about it, pulling out his phone to recheck. "Last text, she said that she's busy. She'll meet with us soon, but…" Opening up the app, he tried understand the vague message. It wasn't significant, but a little empty. "Said that she needs to talk with all of us."
The reptile briefly stopped, turning to Wolf with a worried look. "Well…are you still sure about…not dating her anymore? I mean, I can understand if you want to."
The canine didn't hesitate, gently patting his friend's back. "Hey, that's not true, OK? We've made the decision and I thought about it long and hard. And I have known you longer. Why do you think I risked my life stealing from the black market to get you that ring?"
Snake looked down at the golden ring on Wolf's finger and then back at his tail. A faint blush painted his cheeks light pink. "Well…it was just some…toy you had to get. T-That's all!"
Wolf chuckled playfully. "Sure, sure. But I'll never leave you. Remember that."
Snake looked back at him, gazing at his yellow eyes. "Yeah…yep. I won't."
With that fear set aside, he rested his forehead onto Wolf's. He preferred not to say it in public, but it was his way of showing affection. Wolf placed the cherry on top by kissing the forehead after the loving nuzzle. After the affectionate moment, the two of them made their way out of the museum.
[0:40]
The normally crowded shopping of Los Angeles was still ongoing outside. Usually, when they made their presence known, people ran away from them. However, due to the Bad Guys' heroics and current activities, most of the humans didn't try running away or even bother as well.
Wolf puffed up his chest a little, taking in the peaceful and casual landscape he earned long ago. Snake was more apprehensive, his eyes turning left and right to see if a felon was coming to get them. But one thing clear was that they could fit more like equals; it was still a strange feeling, but they were slowly adapting to it.
The LA sunshine brought the familiar warmth they knew, even coating the nearby buildings orange. A little light exposed them to everyone, but they weren't afraid. Much like how Snake wasn't afraid to get a little bored and decided to do a little pickpocketing. It was when some rich-looking guy passed them and he sneakily snatched a golden chain poking from his pants.
As Snake did the deed, Wolf's attention was more towards the readers. A warm smile grew over his muzzle upon recognition.
"Oh, hey!" he said. "Good that you've finally caught up! No more twists in the tale after getting to see the main villains. Perhaps we should give ourselves a reintroduction to catch up with what we have been doing individually."
"Uh, Wolf?" said Snake, turning to face him. "Who are you talking to?"
"Oh, I'm talking to them!"
It took Snake a while to register. Once he noticed, he cleared his throat before trying to speak.
"Well…um…hey there, Baddies?" he said poorly. "How it's going?"
"No, no, no. Not like that. With confidence!"
"Ugh, OK then." And thus, Snake's voice was more confident. "Well…hello there? I'm pretty sure that you would be curious about where we currently are now. So, we have Mr. Wolf here; the…"
He trailed off, giving Wolf a flustered look.
[1:10]
Wolf smirked knowingly.
Snake tried to keep a straight face as he said the next few things. "...charismatic, loyal and strong leader of the pack!" Wolf's face, however, looked like he went into a car crash. "Baddest driver of all time. All-time vigilante/mercenary-for-hire. One of his greatest achievements is tricking a mob gang from making another 'historical' crater in the city through only his wit."
Wolf shrugged. He would teach his boyfriend later about wordplay. But the mention of his greatest achievement as a mercenary made him feel too proud to point out the mistake in Snake's narration.
"It's probably one of the hardest. But guess that I'm the greatest bad guy the world has ever seen!" He took the time to even flirt with a few women passing by. "Hey there, ladies~!"
The women giggled shyly, surprised to see the one and only Mr. Wolf casually walking around. Though, at least one lady rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"And here is Mr. Snake!" continued Wolf, patting the reptile on the head. "The known safe-cracking machine and the kind of guy to tell you that your glass is half empty! He's kind of taking my place as the pickpocket for now. He's getting better at it~!"
"Hey," hissed Snake, blushing. "I taught you how to do pickpocketing in the first place. You flaunt it too much."
"Nope, it's a fact!" said Wolf, grinning. "You sometimes like keeping your distance. Even after being allowed to be back in the city."
"Doesn't mean I'm making new friends. Look, man, three-quarters of this city knows when a snake is coming, so what's the point in being able to pickpocket them? All humans are as cunning, smart and aware as you are! They'll know what to be careful of!"
[1:49 - Pause]
As if on cue, a car sped past them, speeding through a puddle. Naturally, this left the two animals wet.
But registering the wetness only lasted a few seconds when they turned to see the car speeding in the distance. Some idiot was driving it, whooping along the way. Several cars screeched to a stop to avoid getting hit. And then, the idiot seemingly didn't know to brake when he crashed the car THROUGH the building at the end of the straight road.
There was a few seconds of silence, followed by crumbling inside. Looks like the driver was taken care of now.
"...MOST people know what to be careful of," corrected Snake.
Wolf chuckled. "Yeah, sure then, sweetheart." He shook his body, removing the excessive water dripping from his fur. "But you know that we are careful as people against the law."
"Oh yeah," said Snake, recalling back briefly. "Webs has a side solo hacker career, whether for the best or worst. Piranha somehow convinced Shark to participate more in fight clubs. Don't know if that is gonna keep Shark more thick-skinned, but he's a shark."
Wolf whistled nervously. "Anyway, I'm sure that you'll be all wondering about the others. And, of course, what everyone is thinking for a really long time; what were we like before the Bad Guys?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Wolf!" said Snake, alarmed. "Don't tell them about our 'origin story'! I mean, you didn't tell the group of kids back there, did you?"
"No," said Wolf softly, bending down to meet the reptile's eye level. "Buddy, I would never reveal our 'origin story'. It's confidential. And you know that it could be…"
He paused for a second, his eyes suddenly appearing glassy. His ear flicked up, thinking he heard someone…whispering to him. A voice he hadn't heard for a long time. It was only random. Wolf rolled his eyes, shrugging it off.
However, Snake was the more cautious one in the couple. "Yeah, I figured. I don't want us to be reminded of how life was back then. You're not lying to me?"
Wolf shook his head. "No lying ever again. I'm not. Just waiting for the best time to perform it in the right way."
[Resume at 2:03]
Snake gave him a lame look. Before he could point out this issue of downplaying it, there was a loud scream and a second hole made in the building the driver crashed into. It turned out that he wasn't done yet, driving the car the opposite way. And still laughing recklessly. Wolf and Snake nearly thought of moving out of the way in case he splashed them with water again until they heard someone screaming behind them.
"My baby!" a mother cried in distress. "That guy has my baby in that car!"
Wolf's eyes widened when he saw the blurry figure of a sleeping baby in the backseat. Even though the baby didn't appear to be harmed, one wrong move and the seatbelts wouldn't be enough to save her.
"Oooooh…okay," said Wolf, grabbing Snake's tail. "Your turn to be the hero!"
"What?" said Snake.
He never got the chance to ask when Wolf swung him around in a circle. A few people nearby watched in awe as Snake started to look more like a lasso. With all of his might, Wolf threw Snake forward to the car.
[2:18]
The idiotic driver thought he could get away with it, grinning as he hugged a bag of money in his other hand. That smirk was wiped clean when he spot Mr. Snake splattered against the front window.
"Oh, hi there!" said a dizzy Snake with a goofy smile.
The driver let out a high-pitched scream, swerving the car around. At this point, there was a higher chance of crashing. Noticing this, Snake quickly slithered through the opened window and onto the driver's lap.
"Let's play a game," he said flatly. "Whoever brakes this car first doesn't get bit by a likely venomous snake."
The way he put it sounded like a lie, but the driver valued breathing over being bitten. He wisely pulled over, coming to a gentle stop on the side of the road.
Snake grinned. "You win."
The driver didn't get to see Snake again as he quickly left to leave the witnesses helping the baby out. The mother reached in time and picked up her baby, crying in relief that she was alright. Meanwhile, the driver found himself surrounded by angry people with many already calling the cops. He slowly lifted his hands up, probably doing the second wisest thing.
While everyone was focusing on making sure that the driver didn't try to escape, they even wondered where Mr. Snake went. What they didn't know was that he and Wolf already retreated to an alley, snickering to themselves. One spot that hid them away from the crowd and a place they were more familiar with.
[2:33 - End of Song]
And when they were in this spot, Wolf was the first to give his first thought.
"You nearly considered biting him?" he asked.
"Eh," said Snake, moving his body in a manner of shrugging. "It isn't as pleasing as you think. I prefer being a robber to a brawler. Though, a warning would have been nice."
"But you have been more ready with me swinging you around, so I thought you would be fine."
Snake was about to refute, but he knew the canine had a point. "Touche. Though, anyway, do you know when you plan to really reveal…our pasts?"
Wolf didn't know how to answer that. "I don't have a full answer, sweetheart, but…when the time is right. It could be any time. We have people who trust us. We proved that we're more than scary monsters everyone thought of us before we defeated Marmalade."
Snake frowned. "Wolf, I hate to break it to you, but…I don't really believe that we're more than scary monsters. You know that everyone is still on edge. Maybe it has to be due to us being criminals, but they know that we can be 'evil' to them whenever we feel like so."
"Don't think of that this way," said Wolf, placing a hand around Snake. "It doesn't really matter what they think of us. We already proved that to ourselves. And just because they don't think highly of wolves or snakes doesn't mean it defines who we are now."
Snake swallowed. "You're sure about that?"
"All I can see is you and our friends. We have each other's backs and as long as we are not alone, we will still have someone who would see us more than scary monsters."
Snake nodded. He felt embarrassed for thinking back to his worries. He should be over it, but it would keep coming back. Not to mention how much he worried for Wolf. He knew that Wolf previously tended to take things personally or go on the offence with the things stuck in his head, not Snake's.
"Yep, bud," Snake finally said, smiling. "Thank you for…reminding me of that."
Wolf smiled. "As always, sweetheart."
The distant sound of police cars arriving at the scene echoed through the alleyway. Looked like they came right on time. They would be thanking the Bad Guys later on. Before, the police alarm would have put them on alert. But at the moment, they weren't too interested in these sounds when in their quiet place.
"...is there anything else we would have to do?" asked Snake. "Diane won't be visiting until later. Hornet won't come 'till later as well since he is dealing with something now."
Wolf shrugged. "I don't know. But, say, do you exactly know where Webs, Piranha and Shark went off to? You didn't clarify to me in the morning when they left early."
"Oh, right," said Snake. "I didn't care at first since I was drowsy when I saw the note and tossed it in a bin. But…I think I remember the name of the fight club they are going to." He thought, trying to recall back Piranha's messy handwriting. "I believe it's close to being where today's 'San Diego's Juice and Booze Competition' is at."
Wolf's eyes widened. "Wait, WHAT?!"
Not even Snake got a word and Wolf already got them right at the venue where the monthly San Diego's Juice and Booze Competition was at. They thanked the taxi and hurried into the dark alleyway, ensuring nobody was watching them. But once they entered, it was nearly on their own in searching for the right venue.
It took them a while since they didn't really have any directions to the 'venue'. The alleys sandwiched between buildings were like a maze! The organization must have picked the right spot to hide away from the police, especially the general stroller.
"You didn't even think of telling me that club's name in the first place?!" growled Wolf.
"What?" said Snake nonchalantly as he hung onto Wolf's shoulders. "I thought that it was no big deal. As long as they don't get themselves into trouble."
"Snake! This is SAN DIEGO'S we are talking about! Don't you know how easy the cops can catch them?!"
"I don't know about you, man, but this is probably like every time we have gone on a chase." A smile crossed Snake's, enjoying the breeze against his scales. "Ah…this brings back good memories."
"Forget about going on big chases! This is SERIOUS! If this place opened just today, it will be found before the sunset! I'm not letting the others hang around there and get themselves stretched one way or another."
Snake snorted. "You're too overprotective. Would be their fault if they get caught. This would be a good learning experience for them to grow up."
"Absolutely not!" snarled Wolf, raising a firm finger. "I'm not letting them visit a place by some guy who thought that naming his company by a country AND HIS name would be perfect. Diego is even one of the worst fight club's managers!"
"He pulled up a nice bar, though."
"That's because he just mixed some chemicals in the same alcohol. They all taste bland!"
"As bland as his taste in girls."
Wolf jerked his head, sending a fierce glare at Snake. "Don't. Tell. Me. THAT. I've seen what he looked up on Instagram."
Snake whistled. "Just kidding. I don't have his taste in girls or any in particular."
"Well, that's a red flag. And who knows what else our friends would end up in that club?!"
A dead end in front of them. More in the form of a huge steel wall with an invisible door. It looked like it was trying to hide a construction site. The two Bad Guys tried looking upwards, but the wall reached up to underneath the roofs of the buildings. Deciding to test things out, Wolf knocked on the door and a rectangular hole slid open.
Through the hidden peephole, they could see two stern eyes of a rhino. "We're under maintenance here. What business do you have here?"
The guard was acting intimidating, but the infamous Bad Guys weren't always the type to be intimidated easily. Especially by other scary-looking animals.
"Well, hi there, buddy," said Snake, grinning sinisterly. "I'll tell you this. You must have bet that a simple, closed peephole could prevent a SNAKE ATTACK!"
At those last two words, the reptile leapt right towards the door with his fangs prominent. The guard closed the peephole and Snake's face was left sliding down the door. Wolf chuckled a little to see this failed intimidation of his sweetheart before knocking on the door again.
"Just go away!" yelled the guard.
Wolf cleared his throat, letting his charm run the show. "Well, don't mind us. Just gonna be…robbing our friends out of this place. They told us that they would be here, so we need to pick them up before dinner time."
The guard's eyes widened upon feeling the charismatic, smooth tone of Wolf's voice. That was Mr. Wolf. THE Mr. Wolf everybody was talking about in the criminal world. And he must be here because three other Bad Guys had their names ticked off on the guest list. The guard nodded before generously opening the door to let the two Bad Guys in.
"It's always better for you to convince others to let you in," grumbled Snake, rubbing his head.
"You got to let the charm work," said Wolf, adjusting his collar. "That's how you get yourself ahead in competition."
[SAD B!TCH - Anne Marie]
[0:00]
The small hallway was only a short walk, opening up to a much bigger space. Wolf and Snake briefly closed their eyes as neon lights flashed over them. When they slowly opened them to adjust to the flashing, they took into the loud noise going on. From the pumping club music to the wicked laughter of the inhabitants and the screams of the brawlers in many rings. Once you step into it, it was a zoo.
It was the perfect spot for a casual fight club. It was nearly too crowded to see, but the two could see tables set up at different spots for people to drink and eat at. At least five small boxing ring stages in bright colors of cyan and pink where all kinds of fighters took their turn with their match. People nearby the rings were exchanging money in loose gambling.
It was already a riot in this empty space. The ceiling blocking the fight club from the rest of the world helped, containing the neon spotlights flashing in rhythm. The large bar on the side was flooded, intoxicated by different drinks. There was even a conga line with a variety of humans and animals. Wolves could also be seen, but they looked more sleazy than Mr. Wolf.
It was a bit hard to tell who was a criminal or an ordinary civilian, but one thing they all agreed on was having a hell of a time.
As the two dared to walk further in, Wolf caught the sight of a punk woman drinking her milkshake using her straw. Through her nose. Ten seconds in and the slurping woman ended up dropping dead on the floor. The contents of her milkshake slowly spilled out from her mouth.
The freaked-out Wolf couldn't tell if the woman was dead, but judging by her smile, she must have enjoyed her experimental drinking.
"This is why I don't really like going out to clubs," said Snake, needing to close his eyes when the lights blinded him again. "It's too loud."
"And that's why we are here," said Wolf. "To find the others."
"But they are younger than us, so it should be fine?"
"No way. They can get hurt here."
Snake chuckled a little. "I guess that's why I'm the dad and you're the mom."
The two Bad Guys tried to push their way through the dancing crowd. A mix of partying folks and hostile criminals who could break their skulls. It would be just another day in the office as Wolf and Snake faced criminals like them. However, they didn't really want to cross against someone who would want to look into more than their Sunday undies.
For example, Snake accidentally bumped into a biker gang trying to have a good sip of their gigantic beer cups. The bikers glared down at him, definitely not liking being touched. Snake just grinned before trying to hide his face with his hat. He knew not to mock guys bigger than him.
At one point, Wolf noticed that a man wearing military clothes had a nice golden watch. This caught his attention, his yellow eyes sparkling in a childlike manner.
He pretended to accidentally bump into him, spinning around to grab the watch. The man turned around, only to politely ask him if he was alright. Wolf just apologized, hiding the watch in his pocket. That person would eventually ended up in jail anyway for attending an illegal fight club.
[0:40]
Wolf and Snake heard a loud whooping from a table in the middle of the room. Right there, they recognized the small fish in green and orange colors. As they came closer, they recognized the fish currently in an arm wrestle with a boar larger than him.
Right there is Mr. Piranha. Our little loose cannon with a short fuse, willing to scrap with anyone or anything! Always a fearless little chap. Well, a little crazy as well. If he sees a challenge, know he'll be coming!
Mr. Piranha was in the middle of telling jokes, laughing away with the crowd around him. Even though he should be slipping off the table due to his smaller size to his opponent, he was perfectly holding his ground. The way he crossed his legs and his hand on his hip made him look like he was leaning against the fist trying to squeeze his hand!
The pink lighting obscured the true details of his clothes, but Snake was able to tell through the lights. A stitched and hand-crafted blue hoodie with a pink pixelated heart in the middle, his usual black pants held up by his red overalls and small black boots with pink soles. A rather cute outfit yet humble and gave the look of a comfy pyjama jumper. Much like Wolf and Snake, he had a golden ring around his little thumb on his free hand.
His struggling opponent was a tall brown-furred boar with a beer belly and yellow eyes, sitting in a black futuristic wheelchair. He was using his left metallic glove, relying on its substantial strength to beat Piranha's raw little fist.
Even though he didn't need to put on a show, he wore a red jacket with golden lining, black cuffs and the left sleeve cut off, equivalent to a captain pirate's jacket. In addition, he wore a light brown ripped singlet underneath, a utility belt with a strap across his shoulder, black pants with a red scarf attached to his belt and black boots.
"Oh, oh, oh! I got a good one!" said Piranha, barely breaking a sweat without looking at the growling boar. "Why does the chicken cross the road?"
The lack of an answer coming out from his wide, opened smile made his companions wonder if they were supposed to ask back.
"Why?" asked a guy at the back.
"I don't know!" said Piranha, pushing the boar's arm back to a right angle. "I was asking you!"
"Piranha!" called Wolf. "There you are!"
"Oh!" said Piranha, quickly pinning the boar's arm on the table. "Hi there, Wolf!"
"Tell us another one, Mr. Piranha!" roared a tiger through laughter.
The boar groaned, smacking the table. In his defeat, he snatched a nearby hot dog from a passerby and stuffed it in his face messily. A time for failure meant a time for stress-eating.
"Dang it!" he grunted, his muffled voice still rumbling deep. "I thought it would be easy to take down a small fish like you!"
"Says the guy who couldn't defend himself easily against the Zombie Gang, Baron," said Snake bluntly.
"The Great Hoggust who thought it would be easy to do so," agreed Piranha earnestly.
"That was one time, lizard!" snarled Baron, pointing a finger into Snake's chest. "One time! Well, at least I could just say I've been trying my best to fight back."
"You're not that smart yourself," pointed out Wolf. He crossed his arms, but didn't share the same smirk Piranha was giving.
"Oh yeah? If you're smart, do you remember the governor's phone number?"
Wolf scrunched up his nose. "You mean Diane's? I don't need to! Her number is in my phone!"
Baron rolled his eyes. "Exactly." He turned back to Piranha, still in disbelief. "How are you even this resilient?!"
Piranha smirked, flexing his arms. "I'm all muscle, amigo. I've practiced my entire life!"
"Well, good for you," grumbled Baron, pulling out a brown leather wallet. "You won that stupid bet."
"Nah, chico," squeaked Piranha, his fins wagging. "It's actually fine. I had a lot of fun!"
"Wait, what?" said Baron, confused.
"I could do the lovely remark," offered Snake.
"No, I don't want to pay you!" scoffed Baron. "You barely did anything!
"You just paid me some entertainment," said Piranha simply.
The boar was sure that the little fish put it passive-aggressively. "Whatever. Anyways, you lot gonna be staying here for a while? There's only five out of the current six here."
Wolf shook his head. "Nah, we're just picking up our friends here before the FBI shows up."
Baron snorted, taking another bite from his hot dog. Mustard ran down the corner of his lips "The cops ain't anything to worry about. If anything, tonight would mark my 10th prison escape this year."
"Well, hope you can still run fast," teased Piranha, patting the boar's muscular arm. "Cause you are as chubby as I am!"
The boar wrenched his arm away. "Shove your money up your mouth! I got better things to do. Meddling 'Bad Guys'."
[1:21]
With one more aggressive bite on his hot dog, complete with what appeared to be sausage juice squeezing out from his mouth, Baron pressed a button on his wheelchair and steered it away. Once he was gone, Piranha whipped towards Wolf and Snake, sitting in his seat properly.
Seeing the innocent look on Piranha, Wolf decided to humor this and took his seat. Snake just stood nearby, trying not to look back at those partying around them.
"Sorry that I dragged Webs and Shark here, chico," said Piranha sheepishly, stroking his mohawk fins. "They were finding a good place to chill and this was the first thing that came to mind!"
"You know that San Diego's is not a stable fight club, right?" said Wolf sternly.
Piranha hummed, his eyes a little watery. "Yeah. And you're kind of right. Also, I don't really like the drinks here. The cold ice is quite dirty."
"You didn't drink anything, did you?" asked Snake anxiously.
Piranha waved his hand, smiling. "I only took half a cup of whiskey, but I strangely don't feel different. I must have burnt it out, but I would rather drink Somó. Don't worry, I have been responsible!"
Piranha seems to be a different person ever since his Summer trip with his fiance Mr. Hornet. They revisited Bolivia to meet his family. I don't really know why, but he's becoming more…responsible instead of acting crazy 100 per cent all the time. I don't really know how to feel about this, but it's kind of nice he's looking out for his friends more than he usually does. In Snake's own words…
"You've been becoming more mature these days, haven't you?" said Snake, raising an eyebrow. "This isn't some kind of act, is it?"
"Nope!" said Piranha, grinning. "C'mon, I had such a great summer before returning home. What else than to enjoy what we have now?"
Wolf smiled, feeling the raw joy from the little fish. "I kind of like you in this good mood."
"Well, you know me, chico!" said Piranha, punching his fists upwards. "Now, as light as a feather, I bring the rumble!"
The canine suddenly was wet again when a lady accidentally spilled her drink onto his shirt. This made him remember why he and Snake were here, grumbling a little as he inspected the new wet spots on his shirt.
"Anyway," he said. "We have to go now. The longer we stay, the more likely we'll have jailtime again. Do you know where Webs and Shark are?"
"Oh, Webs is right at the bar during her homework," explained Piranha, standing up from his seat. "Shark is about to get ready for his first match."
Wolf's and Snake's eyes widened, glancing at each other. "Uh oh."
"I'll go find Webs!" said Snake. "You two find Big Tuna."
Wolf and Piranha nodded, hopping out of their seats. The crowd was getting tighter, so they had to squeeze right through. Snake easily dropped to the floor and slithered through the gaps created by the numerous amount of legs. A couple of the party-goers moved out of the way, shocked to find a snake running through.
He paid no attention, only making sure there weren't any full-blown overreactions. They must be too drunk to comprehend.
[Stop at 1:51 and replay at 1:31]
Speaking of drunk, Snake found Webs aimlessly typing on her computer, her eight legs crossed. Sitting on a bar bench might be a problem since several drink glasses kept slamming against it. But she was invested in her work, ignoring the tremors. Besides, her black hoodie and purple beanie covering her head gave them the sign that she was occupied despite being a small insect.
Right there is Ms. Tarantula. We all call her 'Webs'. Our lead tech wizard, able to hack and create! She's nearly the youngest of all of us and the smallest. And her hacking career has been going smoothly since last week, she managed to encrypt the hidden messages exchanged amongst a terrorist gang!
Webs barely paid attention to Snake sitting right onto the bench. The bartender asked if he wanted a drink and he muttered 'only water'. He looked back to find the tarantula staring at her screen, typing softly. Her movements were sluggish, her wide eyes on the screen similar to a zombie.
"Webs," he said. "Wolf is calling for you and Shark. We have to go soon."
"Hold on, Snakey," said Webs, narrowing her eyes. "I'm about to break through the firewall. If I'm able to in 15 hours, then I'll be paid rich!"
"How much did the guy pay you?" questioned Snake.
"A nice one thousand bucks. But I have to be quick before time runs up and I have to make the hack free. Now, here we go…!"
She slapped one button and her computer got to work. A large file tab appeared, slowly progressing. Once the bar reached a hundred per cent, it came into effect.
Webs' smile brightened, shaking her fists as if excited to see a new movie. The moment of truth was right here…
And then, her screen turned completely blue. Several images popping from all directions. Pictures of a butt wiggling on screen and a pimple-covered man licking the camera. Disgusting to watch. The speakers were blasting in a siren alarm and chipmunk laughter.
A large text box then appeared.
"UH OH! YOU JUST ENTERED THE SHADOW REALM!"
Webs growled, slamming her fists onto her keyboard. "Argh! Are you freaking kidding me?!"
"UH OH! YOU JUST ENTERED THE SHADOW REALM!"
She tried to mash many keys, but that didn't do anything since she was met by the same obnoxious images covering her entire screen. A text box appeared, asking her to download a security program.
That was met by her punching the screen and it turned black. After a few seconds, the computer rebooted. Everything looked fine, but the notes and tabs she used to get through the particular firewall were gone.
Webs groaned, closing her computer. "Damn it! This is why someone injected a real virus into the digital world. I knew that theory was true!"
"Angsty teen that much?" snarked Snake.
"Bite me," grumbled Webs, rubbing her face. "I never thought that doing a solo hacker-for-hire career will be THIS intense."
"You win some, you lose some. Lesson learnt."
Webs sighed, despondent. "And yet, I'm supposed to be looking for a job at this age if I ever go to the final year of college."
[End of Song]
Snake wasn't always the empathetic type. However, he noted that Webs had been more on edge recently. Maybe starting this year. It was first shown through minor issues such as her grumbling or her typical sarcasm. However, the last few months, she had been picking up a temptation in trying to find the closest thing to punch.
He would have ignored it, but it was becoming worrisome due to the little temper Webs was slowly picking up. Snake wasn't sure if he wouldn't recognize her later on. It could match Wolf's temper. The canine's temper often makes him go ballistic but fizzle out quickly. With Webs, she seemed to become a little more grouchy and sarcastic for the rest of the day.
This wasn't the Webs he knew.
Snake didn't really know how to solve this. Especially since he wasn't fully attached to helping out. The least he did was in an awkward manner.
"Is there…anything you want to talk to me about?" he asked. "There's something up about you."
"Oh, no problem!" lied Webs, crossing her arms. "I'm just doing my own thing and all. You know. A queen has to be strong."
"You're definitely not strong," said Snake, being straightforward. "But seriously, I'm not calling you weak. You have been acting differently for a while."
Webs was about to protest, but doing so would lead Snake to ask more questions. She sighed, knowing that it would be useless to keep denying it.
"Sorry, Snake," she said, rubbing her arm. "I-I don't really know what's going on. I just…want to make sure that this will go smoothly. What really happened to me after getting out of jail?"
"I won't lie; the world is constantly changing," said Snake. "And there will be harder people to catch in this business. I don't see things smooth as Wolf does."
"Do you…think that we would hold a candle to the higher criminals? This is not like going on a casual heist. We got more competition and more attention than ever. The only toughest thing I went through before all of this was getting past the WPSST. I spent months making an anti-drive to change its coding. But on our own? You could fall hard. We might lose touch."
The picture was clearer and Snake could understand. He could relate a little since he was worried about being more exposed to other dangerous people. Or even anyone outside his friends in general. It still felt weird being treated as an equal in Los Angeles.
But if Wolf said it, then they managed to get respect from almost everyone. The odds were even.
Snake shuffled around awkwardly, but he tried to put his next words into what Wolf would say. "Maybe, but what about it? Our battle with Marmalade is unlike any other. We can take on the challenge again, like breaking through the WPSST. And you're not dumb, Webs."
The tarantula wasn't really happy on thinking that another challenge could happen again. Not when the biggest challenge nearly split her friends up. But as Snake pointed about, they could still break through them to reach the highest moments. Getting caught stealing the Golden Dolphin was considered the best thing since that changed Webs' life and allowed her to make more friends outside her family.
She first took a deep breath in and out, relaxing herself. "You're right. Sorry for being this…'edgy' lately."
"Just remain wise-cracking," said Snake lightly.
Webs' bubbliness returned and she cracked a smile. "Oh, yes! 'Cause I wouldn't want to take over Mr. Grumpypants' spot!"
Snake groaned, slapping his tail over his eyes. "Yeah."
"Are you actually agreeing with me?"
"OK, stop. Just stop." Fortunately, the bartender gave him his cold drink of water right on time. "Ah, hopefully, this doesn't have any ice."
Placing down a few money notes for the bartender to take, Snake slurped on the straw, feeling the refreshing cold taste of pure water. Webs watched by, looking envious.
"I need some," she cooed. "Can I have water, please?"
"Alright then, bud," said Snake. His glass was already half empty anyway, so he could spare much.
Webs opened her mouth, hoping to feel the wetness of the tasteless liquid. Her throat was already killing her.
Instead, she felt a river of water splashing all over her body. Snake realized his mistake, but the damage was already done. Poor Webs peeled off her hood, sputtering out water that nearly got into her lungs. She shook her abdomen, trying to shake off the water from her fur.
"That's why I prefer tiny cups my size!" she coughed. "I should have brought a clean straw here…"
Snake blinked, nearly thinking he was dreaming when he saw Webs' long braid ponytail. She had been growing her hair longer recently, rolling down the back of her hair. However, what caught Snake's attention and utter chagrin was the bottom half of the ponytail dyed in sky blue.
"Webs…" he hissed. "What did you do to your hair?"
The tarantula's eyes widened, equivalent to a child caught for ordering ice cream without telling. "Um…I just accidentally dipped it in blue cocktails?"
"Why would you even SWIM in cocktails?" growled Snake, towering over her.
Webs broke out into a sweat, waving her arms around. "They had a super cool hair dye going on! I couldn't resist!"
"Webs! For the last time, I told you not to go dye your hair or fur! The last time Wolf did that, it ended with Piranha needing to apply green dye back on his mohawk!"
"But they were careful," cooed Webs, patting her braided ponytail. "It looks so nice, don't you think?"
Snake glared at the blue tip. "I don't know about you, but I'm more into seeing orange than blue."
"Don't father me, Snake."
Meanwhile, Wolf and Piranha reached the huge boxing ring of all the stages with Mr. Shark nearby, getting ready for his turn. He was currently chugging a couple of water bottles, listening carefully to his passionate coach.
Surprisingly, the giant shark still had his casual clothes on without changing them. A blue hoodie with light blue stripes across the middle, a pair of maroon jeans and black and white boots styled as sneakers. In addition, he included a golden piercing ring on his dorsal fin, giving a flamboyant look to his interest in fashion.
Next up is Mr. Shark. The apex predator of a thousand faces who can pull off conning his way through! Recently, he's become one of the greatest con artists and masters of disguises! He actually outwits my charm when it comes to getting through people without provoking them! Dig that! He isn't often the fighting type, but it's interesting he's putting out the muscle in the boxing ring.
"Shark!" called Wolf. "Please don't tell me you're gonna start."
"Oh, hey there!" said Shark, looking up. He swallowed the last mouthful, a confident smile crossing over his face. "Sorry about this, man. I'm about to go into a dual, so…"
"It's fine," encouraged Piranha with a grin. "Go wrestle your enemy first!"
"No," said Wolf firmly. "This is insane! I'm not risking you doing this fight if the police come any minute. I suggest thinking this through."
"Don't worry out, babe," said Shark confidently. "I got this. With me this big, I can throw him out of the ring!" He patted Wolf on the shoulder in a reassuring manner. "It won't take too long there."
Wolf sighed. The crowd was already cheering loudly, so they wouldn't let them go until they saw a fight.
"If you say so," he muttered. "But make it quick!"
Shark grinned before pulling himself onto the boxing ring stage. As the announcer introduced the fighter's name, his opponent arrived and squeezed through the fence. It was a muscular coyote, but he wasn't as tall as Wolf. In his hand was a knife.
"Wait, hold up! Hold up!" said Wolf, alarmed, pulling over Shark's coach. "Is that a knife?"
"Yeah, so?" said the coach, not understanding his worry.
"That's actually illegal! There should be no killing here!"
The coach just shrugged. "Eh, but if one subdues his opponent for at least 10 seconds, then it's a fair fight."
"But haven't you heard of the phrase 'never bring a knife in a fist fight'?" pointed out Piranha.
"Yes, but not here. We just conceal it more."
Piranha pouted, annoyed. "This is not fair. Not even a real fight!"
Wolf gulped, his hands shaking at the thought of Shark getting stabbed. If Snake and Webs didn't get here in time, they wouldn't be able to run out of this fight club together.
Shark was even surprised by the coyote brandishing a knife. Before he could process this, the coyote let out a loud war cry of rage and charged right at him. The coyote was agile as he tried scratching his opponent. However, Shark dodged every single slash despite being a larger target. All the way pleading with a flabbergasted look.
"Whoa! Whoa! Stop now!" said Shark, holding his hands up. "Look! I come in peace!"
The only thing the coyote was at peace with was punching right into Shark's face so hard that it nearly looked like he made a hole. Then, he kicked the giant shark in the stomach, sending him bouncing from the ropes and crashing onto the floor in the middle. The crowd was starting to become rowdier, stomping their feet.
Sensing the coyote nearby, Shark rolled around before he could stab again . Thinking quickly, he swiped the coyote's legs before picking him up and throwing him to the side. The coyote recovered quickly, using the ropes to bounce back and fly towards Shark.
The giant shark grabbed him, but then the coyote used this as an opportunity to try to use his knife on Shark's face. The weapon was barely close to Shark's skin, but he was able to use his other hand to grip it. It was coming closer despite all his strength. The coyote sported a wicked grin, hoping to receive blood for his fight.
Shark noticed Snake and Webs going through the crowd with worried looks. Webs cried out his name. His best friend was watching him, about to be stabbed by a bloodthirsty coyote.
He didn't want to let her down.
"I-I'm so SO sorry," stuttered Shark as the knife nearly touched his skin.
The coyote sneered. "I knew it. Too afraid to even kill a man? You must have never seen that many fights before."
Shark's eyes narrowed. "Just a few."
With all his might, Shark slammed the coyote down, nearly creating a crack in the latter's spine. He then threw him upwards. This time, the coyote couldn't use the fence to bounce back. In the process, the knife was sent flying back, scratching the coyote over the cheek. By the time he crashed onto the floor, so was a splatter of red blood.
The crowd went wild, raising their glasses or swinging around their towels.
Shark bent down, his hands on his knees. "Phew! That was too much cardio now!"
The coyote growled, coughing as he slowly got up. He wiped his cheek. It was bleeding. He looked back at his opponent and then, he did the math.
"You…can smell this, right?" he asked.
"Smell what?"
Shark should never asked that. In fact, he shouldn't even see it. When he caught the sight of blood dripping from the cut over the coyote's cheek, he froze.
Despite the cheer, there was confusion amongst the crowd when they saw Shark barely responding. Only his eyes shifted, shrinking in size. A few noticed the blood spilled. Fears were raised on whether the sight or smell of blood would send him into a frenzy.
The blood dripping from the coyote's cheek was all too familiar for Shark. No matter how deep the cut was, it was blood. Coming from a person who got themselves hurt and the wound could deepen for them to…as he stared at the bloody scratch and back at the splatters on the floor, Shark could feel a memorable whisper floating in his head.
A memory that he left before a long time ago.
Shark's eyes glanced back at the blood splatters and then at the knife. The coyote was panting, but in Shark's mind, he looked distressed.
Suddenly, Shark envisioned the coyote's face streaked in tears, his lips were curled into a whimper.
Wolf and Piranha watched on, slowly becoming concerned. Snake's eyes widened in dread, nearly fearing the worst. Out of all of them, Webs was the most fearful and the one to know the trigger.
"Oh no…" she said quietly.
A petrified Shark rushed forward, grabbing the knife.
AN: I have to admit; I originally wanted everyone to be breaking the fourth wall, but I ended up not liking it. So for now, I have Wolf and Snake (to a smaller extent) to take on the role. Additionally, the new narration lines we'll be seeing took some inspiration from the titular character of Wednesday narrating to the audience.
Reintroducing the Bad Guys was a little difficult since while I took a new direction, I want to ensure they are still in-character with some noticeable additions from their first character development. The heaviest ones would have to go for Wolf and Snake; there's still some things to unpack for them despite taking steps to be good. And in this story, each of them play a huge role, so there's nearly little waste to place aside.
And in case you didn't notice, Wolf and Snake have already become a couple before the events of this story (FluffyVenom lives on, baby!). While I am worried that it might be more shoehorned, I want to explore their relationship a little more in detail and their thoughts surrounding each other at times. Friends, siblings and lovers always worry for one another.
Adding to the cast is Baron Hoggust; a character made by King Halloween (AKA earthstars on DeviantArt). Much like his role in 'The Bad Guys in the Bad Purge', he's the snobby, rude crime lord who would end up being a punch bag. King Halloween requests him to be in a wheelchair and constantly eating, taking inspiration from Don Vizioso (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012). If you think he only has a one-shot scene here, then you're wrong. Thanks again, King, for allowing me to use this character! He would be voiced by Will Arnett here.
Many inspirations were taken in this chapter. The starting scene with Wolf talking to many kids is based on Peacemaker. I thought it would make a fairly funny yet heartwarming scene that shows the current progress of the Bad Guys. The fight club scene takes inspiration from the bot fighting scene in Big Hero 6 and Black Mask's bar in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. While not vital, I want to create this neon, club-like feel that is consistent with the 'lighter' tone of the story.
For clothing references, Piranha's hoodie is a shout out to King Trollex (Trolls World Tour) who shares the same VA and Shark's hoodie easily resembles King Shark (Harley Quinn). Webs' dyed blue hair is actually taken from a previous art design where she was supposed to be colored blue!
What do you think about the Bad Guys' return? Let me know in your review. Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story so far, be sure to favorite or follow. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but if any flames, then it's down the drain.
Next chapter…well, it ain't pretty. And we will be addressing two more characters part of the main cast!
Until next time, keep on rocking!