Chapter 8 - Ain't Cool With You Around

Afternoon, Melbourne, Australia

The Bad Guys remained restless in their tour around the city, even after they shortly split up to explore certain parts of the city. However, they had to get into business after knowing the essential corners of Melbourne. Though, none of them wanted to discuss their mission back at the hotel. Even when Kitty Kat and Fuchsia returned, they wanted to still be outside for a while.

Even Diane felt that they should be at a different place to set out their plan for the next few nights.

Wolf found it a little amusing whenever the fox kept rubbing her eyes. She left her glasses back at the hotel, going for contact lenses. But boy, they were a bother to her.

"We could have picked your glasses up and placed them in your pocket," said Kitty as the group walked through the streets, staying close to Diane.

"The public cannot see Diane Foxington," said Diane, blinking. "She shan't be seen."

"They can still see you slinking around," laughed Wolf. "In that outfit."

"They never know what I wear in my job."

"You're sure about?" asked Webs. "You might end up being roadkill if you wander off."

"Nah," lied Diane with a grin. "I'm sure that I can make it without glasses! Contact lenses aren't too bad."

Wolf and Snake shared a chuckle, knowing how well Diane could be when trying to be tough. Kitty Kat could only sigh in exasperation and amusement, finding it endearing how much of a try-hard Diane could be at times. She glanced at Webs, noticing her raised eyebrow. Shark shared the same expression while Piranha was just chilling in the background. Fuchsia, on the other hand, remained quiet at the back of the group.

"If so," said Wolf with a cheeky smile. "Perhaps I should give you my blessing to make your adventure safer."

And he pecked a kiss between Diane's eyes. The fox's fur turned completely red, her tail wagging. She stared at Wolf, who gave her a grin. She turned to Snake, her eyes sparkling as if asking him for a kiss. However, the reptile quickly looked away, pretending to be distracted by a speeding car.

"Anyway…" said Shark, trying to break the awkward silence. "What's the deal here, babe? Why out without the glasses?"

"Well, you see, as the leader of Shadow Squad G," explained Diane, raising a finger. "I'm supposed to take the role of Wolf's. We still have a deal, so I wonder what should I do if I'm him?"

"Buying the cheapest sunglasses around?" asked Snake sarcastically.

"No. By trying to think AND act like how a criminal mastermind would plan. Especially in a team. This is somewhat my first time on a huge mission with one."

"That makes a lot of sense," said Piranha, smirking.

"In a team?" said Kitty.

"To get in the right mood and atmosphere, I thought that I could plan right here!" announced Diane.

Right next to her appeared to be a lit club. However, they couldn't tell what it exactly was due to the black tinted windows preventing them from seeing further. There was a guard in front, watching carefully as many new people enter.

"That would work," said Piranha.

Snake was the odd one out. "Right…here?"

"At least a club would help make it a bit more fun for you all," said Diane. "Besides, this one has a secure yet accessible network. Webs could hack through this without being caught."

"You just like bars, don't you?" said Kitty dryly.

"On nights when I want a break," snarked Diane.

"I guess so," muttered Snake. "But normally, we prefer doing it in private spaces…"

"Well, not usually a common place we do," said Wolf. "But I don't mind. I did this many before when planning for heists on my own."

"Don't forget that people have too much fun in there!" said Shark. "They won't pay attention to what we're doing."

"You're sure about that?" asked Fuchsia, eyeing the entrance. "I'll admit that a bar might make your head clear…"

As if it came as an answer, a drunkard was pushed out. He stumbled on his feet, raising his fists at someone inside telling him to get out.

Piranha shrugged. "You know what? I'm not gonna worry about it."

"Yeah," agreed Webs, crackling her knuckles. "Let's not waste time now."

[Technicolour - Montaigne]

[0:00]

The club looked more like a small concert venue because of its spacious interior, appearing larger than the outside of the building. Despite appearing bigger than thought, there were a couple of small tables for many to take shots and a bar deck nearby for a quick pick-up. For some of the Bad Guys, it easily reminded them of the fight club they went to yesterday, except maybe not too bright.

The lack of flashing spotlights helped them secure a large table without being dazed. However, it seemed that Snake, Webs and Diane were the only ones who remained at a table as the rest of them wandered off or stood nearby. Once settled, Diane pulled out a large folder and Webs took out her computer, remembering the mentioned network.

"OK, so what's the strategy?" asked the tarantula.

"First, I'm gonna need coordinates of our targets first," said Diane. "These fugitive researchers are quick in hiding themselves from the satellite. Track who you can find in Melbourne. They might be at their homes now. Think you can do that?"

"I can do a huge city scan," said Webs, already typing. "It would take a while since I need to apply a quick check through every device to find those associated with Sunnyside Labs."

"Excellent. Once you find them, save them in case they move around later on."

"And what will you do?"

"We don't know what their moves will be," said Diane, pulling one file from her folder. "That's why I'll be starting to plan how we can grab the Eden Apple simultaneously."

Snake grunted. "I don't think you should start planning at this part. It's gonna take long until Webs can identify where those scientists are at."

"In case of anything," retorted Diane. "I'm not gonna guess on specific locations."

Snake rubbed his chin. "True, but you should probably wait for a while."

"I agree," said Wolf, leaning on the table. "Facts are everything."

"It's just that," said Diane. "They can be unpredictable."

"Loosen up a little. We're at a club and you would want to chill. We got all the time in the world!"

Snake looked back at Wolf. "You're gonna go dancing again, aren't you?"

"I'm both a ladies' man and a man's man," said Wolf, flashing a grin. "I can't help it!"

In truth, the canine just wanted to feel, and definitely KNOW, that this place was safe. Despite no dirty encounters, Wolf's paranoia barely diminished. This club was packed with people and he could smell possible new acquaintances he could form in Melbourne. He wanted to play around first to get himself into the right mindset.

Snake noticed the twinkle in Wolf's eyes. "You better know what you're doing."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," said Wolf, grinning. "I'll be fine!"

And with that, he turned away to mingle with the crowd. That left Snake alone with a busy Diane and a very busy Webs furiously typing on her computer. Before Snake could sit up to look for the rest of his friends, a waitress came nearby, carrying a tray of drinks.

"Hello there, sir," she said politely. "What would you want for today?"

Snake was initially hesitant, but much like Wolf, it would be a nice sweet escape to get himself in the zone for the mission. He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to have a good time as well. This wouldn't mean he would let that be unsubtle to the others.

"I'll take the pink and the green ones, please," he muttered under his breath.

Webs nearly lost concentration when a large green glass landed next to her. Snake was already licking his tongue around, eager to start drinking.

"Seriously?" she said. "You're gonna start drinking now?"

Snake thought about it. "Well…at least I get sober when I'm drunk!"

And immediately, he started sucking on the green glass. Not even less than a quarter was already devoured. Webs' jaw went slack, dumbfounded by how Snake was going THAT deep. Even Diane got into the act, taking the pink glass. The tarantula groaned, rolling her eyes. Whatever, she didn't need noise to distract her. She returned to her hacking, pulling up a map of Melbourne on her screen.

[0:43]

From the bar, Shark spotted Wolf going to the crowd, talking a bit with the people around. A few ogled him, but some were welcoming. Glazed eyes of amusement and good nature. Granted, they appeared drunk, but they were more than happy to rope him in for a good time. The canine's signature smirk appeared and he barked happily, swaying to the music blasting from the speakers.

Shark smiled to himself, happy to see the leader of the Bad Guys enjoying himself. He remembered clearly Wolf zoning out when Buck mentioned Melbourne in their briefing, but it seemed to have passed quickly.

Knowing that there wasn't much to worry about, he turned back to the tray of drinks on the deck for him. Boy, he ordered a lot. He didn't take the fancy-looking ones. Only various shots that were new to him.

"Whoa!" said Kitty nearby, humbly taking a mocktail glass. "That's a bit overkill, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm larger, so that would mean my limit would be five times the human alcohol limit," pointed out Shark with a grin.

"Don't take all of them in one go. You're gonna get a stomach ache."

Shark laughed. "Why's that?"

"You're gonna miss out on the dance floor! It's gonna get hot right there!"

To make her point, Kitty stood up and proceeded to do the most exaggerated belly dance everyone knew. Shark could only watch, intrigued with the way she did it. This wasn't the first time since Kitty loved doing it to cheese her friends off or have lots of fun. Diane already got used to it, but not Doom. Shark? Well, this was actually his first time seeing it.

"OK, OK," chuckled Shark. "You can stop right there."

"Just saying," said Kitty, sitting down.

"But back to my point, I'm a shark. You ever think that any object that is not edible might be digested?"

"Huh?"

Without warning, Shark lifted the tray and all the shots went into his mouth. In one big swallow, he let out a loud burp. This caught the attention of the people nearby and also the bartenders, who watched in both horror and awe.

Even Kitty was shocked. "Will this be a concern? I don't think swallowing GLASS is good for even sharks."

"Don't worry, it happens to me a lot," reassured Shark dumbly. "I once had to swallow down the smaller Bad Guys when sneaking them in."

This did NOT reassure Kitty at all. "...when sneaking them in?!"

Before the panther could even imagine the situation, Shark already gathered a crowd of people impressed by his huge consumption.

"Whoa, dude!" said one wearing sunglasses. "Must have a great appetite!"

"It's yummy right there," said Shark smugly, patting his belly. "Mmm!"

"How many more trays do you think he can take?" wondered a woman.

"I bet 20 dollars that he'll reach until five," said a man.

"It's a deal," said another.

"Say, mind we share drinks with you around?" asked a woman, patting Shark by the side.

The giant shark was surprised by the positive attention he was getting. He thought that they would all be afraid. He knew that they might have drank a little, but there was something nice that they didn't mind his presence. It made him smile, happy that he could mix around with the humans. Even if it was his first time in this country.

"Sure then!" said Shark. "All drinks are on me!"

Kitty decided to let him be. "Good luck with that! If you want some whipped cream, go for it."

[1:03 - Pause]

Meanwhile, Piranha led Fuchsia to the very back of the club. Fuchsia wanted to ask, but once they entered, she kept her lips sealed the second they came in.

Upon doing so, it felt kind of quiet…and told her to be quiet herself. She didn't know why, but she shouldn't say anything out loud. The red-eyed piranha wasn't dumb enough on when to be respectful in a private place.

That being said, it was a little dark here, yet it was…tempting. Passing by some rooms, the air suddenly felt a little moist. She passed by a room, spotting bubbles coming from behind the curtains. Upon seeing through them, she looked away…only to return to take a sneak peek.

"I'm guessing that it's hard for you to open up, Fuchsia?" asked Piranha, leaning against the wall.

Fuchsia turned back to him. "Is this some kind of brothel?"

"I checked and…not really." The little fish himself cringed. "Some kind of place where they can strip without being seen."

"OK, that's way too out of line, Pepe. I suppose you and the avispón are at the safe line with engaging in this kind of place, however."

Piranha wiggled his eyebrows. "If we feel needy."

Fuchsia crossed her arms. "You're not gonna hook me up here with anything, right?"

"You just need a distraction. Fuchsia, the second your parents know, you'll be in hot water. And it's not fun worrying about that."

"And when have you ever notified your parents about doing something 'bad', Pepe?" questioned Fuchsia. "The day when you only returned as an adult?"

Piranha bit his lip but ended his reaction with a snort. "Fuchsia, do you know what your problem is?"

"What?"

"Your problem is that you are more exposed than you think," explained Piranha. "The only reason why I didn't hide my identity from the world is because I'm open to revealing what I am. And murderers with secret identities don't last long. You might as well have to adapt to being seen by everyone."

Fuchsia narrowed her eyes, trying to understand this. Piranha was unashamed of what he loved doing on a daily basis. And so far, Fuchsia only relied on bark rather than being sure on biting. The red-eyed piranha felt embarrassed that her parents might talk to her more about murder in the worst way possible. The scolding kind.

And she wouldn't want to be judged like that. Or at least feel affected by them.

It nearly appeared that she needed to commit to making a name for herself to be safe.

"So..how can I be…if I want to be subtle?" asked Fuchsia.

Piranha shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps getting around here first? Hard to use favouritism. It's called forming new contacts that 'would be useful to you'. You can start here. Man or woman?"

Fuchsia's eyes widened. "What?"

Right on time, one of the room's curtains drew open and revealed to be a female thorny devil lizard with bright yellow eyes. A few inches higher than the two short piranhas. At first, she was confused but immediately switched to a flirty look.

"Hey there, babies," she said seductively. "I haven't eaten ALL day yet…"

Fuchsia's face turned bright red. She glanced at Piranha as if asking for help. Piranha remained still, however. She noticed his hands clenched into fists in case of anything. Before he could beat her to it, Fuchsia decided to take the first step. She turned back to the lizard, mustering up a tempted grin.

"Then…erm…let's eat some more?" said Fuchsia nervously.

The lizard smiled, grabbing her hand. "Perhaps we can make a nice stab for some talk."

"I…do like stabbing…"

Piranha was about to reconsider, but once Fuchsia disappeared behind the curtains, he decided to let her be. For her still new, she would still be tough and likely break the lizard's back, judging how breakable her spikes were. He and Fuchsia never got along, so it surprised him that Fuchsia would be willing to try something like this.

"Hmm, maybe I should just take her to a better place for her to develop contacts," he said to himself. "I think she just wants to do this to throw her parents off."

As he was about to leave, two human jocks suddenly came in, accidentally pushing him aside. The little fish growled a little. A plastic bag filled with potato chips bags slapped him in the face. Immediately, his attention turned to it and tried tackling it. But the bag moved away as the two men noticed his presence.

"Holy moly!" said one jock. "Mate, he scared the hell out of me."

"Must be a little fishy here," teased the other. "What's a little fishy wondering here without his mummy?"

"What?" said Piranha, feeling tight inside.

"No, no, no. He looks like a grasshopper."

"I thought insects would get stepped on here!"

"Oh! Oh! Notice the little legs? He looks like a leprechaun"

"What?" growled Piranha.

"Oh my gosh!" said one jock, leaning forwards. "He's getting mad!"

"He looks more adorable when mad," crowed the other jock.

"Like a little leprechaun!"

"Oh yeah!" The second jock mocked a little dance. "They're always after me, Lucky Charms!"

The two jocks burst into laughter and Piranha's eyes widened when he realized what they meant. He was too stupefied to get past being called a leprechaun out of all things. Usually, he didn't mind being small, but his blood was boiling at the thought of his too short legs compared to a runt.

Neither of the two men noticed the seething Piranha, entering an empty room to do whoever knew what they would do.

Little did they know, Piranha's eye began twitching.

He didn't want to do this, but maybe unleashing a little of what he had repressed ever since his vacation shouldn't be wrong, right? He DID tell Fuchsia she would need to adapt to eyes watching them…

[Resume at 1:42]

The party was already in full swing after a few minutes.

Wolf didn't get himself drunk and yet he was acting drunk, dancing along with the crowd. The loud music blasted in his ears, making him nearly forget about anything in this place. He did a couple of dance moves, managing to sway a few people around. He was still a bit of a show-off, but hopefully, this wouldn't have any lasting negative effects.

It wasn't him who was being cocky. Shark was drinking more into having a fun time. Maybe a bit too much, but he surpassed several trays of drinks to the point where some other people wondered what else he could swallow. He eventually passed before sharing drinks around to his new buddies. It was better to share with friends than have the spotlight on him.

Webs was having a hard time concentrating. Like mentioned before, the noise wasn't enough to distract her. No, she managed to hack through almost every available device found in this city. From looking through messages, platform accounts and files. She had to do a silent search not accidentally to tip off anybody using their devices. She wasn't done yet as she was about to go deeper into more private devices.

But the thing that was making her unable to concentrate wasn't the party.

It was due to Diane and Kitty dancing on the table.

Snake already made the wrong move by ordering too many drinks. It seemed to work since he did give points to Webs on where to look. But due to gulping one too many, he lost care on his surroundings. In fact, Diane drank too much to pass the time that it made her feel more tipsy. Eventually, she hopped on top of the table with a giddy Kitty, dancing to the loud music.

At the moment, Kitty was doing her infamous belly dances again and Diane was trying tap dancing, laughing their heads off. Snake was stupidly grinning at the spectacle in front of him.

It wasn't even safe for Webs to the point Snake placed her on the chair cushions to not get stomped on. It didn't make the tarantula feel better since she could hear and feel the stomping vibrations. Making it hard for her even to hold her laptop still.

Webs groaned, holding onto her beanie. This was starting to get on her nerves right now. She wondered if biting on Diane would snap out of her idiocy.

Some random guy even noticed this and with a smug smirk, he threw his cup of water at them.

Webs yelped, nearly backing up when she saw water nearly dripping on her end of the table. This seemed to catch Diane's attention, slowly turning to the rude man with a stoned smile.

"What can I do for you?" she asked flatly.

"Get your little paws off that table right now," snarled the man.

"What again?"

"I said…" He grabbed her hand firmly. "Get your sorry, skinny fur rug off the table now, you ditz."

Diane stared at him for a long while with a drunk smile. Kitty was about to tell her to back off, but she had other ideas.

"OK, pretty boy…"

The fox leaned in to give a kiss on the forehead. In response, the man chuckled in satisfaction, wondering what she could do. And then, he was given his answer when Diane twisted his arm around. A scream echoed through the club, hiding away the popping of his bones in the wrong places.

Everybody froze, even the DJ pausing the music.

[Pause at 2:03]

The rude man collapsed onto his knees, seconds from rolling around in pain. He stared at his arm in agony, seeing it bent in the wrong direction. He flashed a glare at the laughing Diane, baring his teeth in hopes of scaring her.

"YOU BROKE MY FREAKING ARM!" he scolded.

"Oh boo-hoo!" teased Diane, booping the man's nose. It didn't take long until she noticed everyone was staring at her. "What?"

Wolf clenched his teeth, inhaling sharply. Without a second thought, he rushed through the crowd and pulled Diane away from the agonizing man.

"Sorry!" he said sheepishly. "Sorry! She's just gone off her rockets now."

[Continue at 2:03]

The crowd eventually dispersed and somebody helped the injured man get up. The music resumed as Diane resumed laughing her head off. Wolf sighed, shaking his head as he placed her back in her seat with a flabbergasted Kitty and laughing Snake.

Speaking of which, Snake looked drunk, but he was able to keep a clear mind…with a camera in his tail.

"Seriously?" said Wolf, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we weren't gonna go bad in this situation!"

"Totally worth it!" said Snake, burping a little. "I think I like Diane better like that than before. It's not that often you see a governor becoming a party girl."

"Well, one thing I learnt," said Kitty, rubbing the back of her neck. "She's not to mess with if she's drunk."

However, it seemed that Diane was right at her limit. The heavy hangover kicked in and she rested her head on the table, tired. Wolf sighed, shaking his head with a smile. Her acting more sillier was debatable, but he wondered if it was just her trying to act like how the Bad Guys would. She was never usually one to show her inner child. Wolf figured out that Diane worked too long that she eventually snacked on the drinks to pass the time.

"Ah, sweet Foxington," he joked. "Being me must be hard for you, huh?"

"I can bring some water," said Snake randomly.

"What?" said Kitty.

"You know, to revive Diane."

"Erm, I'm not sure a drink of water will work."

"Well, all you need to do is like how that man does it."

"You mean splashing all over the table?" asked Wolf.

"Why yes!" said Snake, grinning. "It's better when you put some ice in that nice l-"

"No more water!" said Webs, shivering in fright. "Don't splash me as well!"

"C'mon. Maybe it would do a little bit of cleaning up…"

"You're too drunk to comprehend anything! Geez, just relax a little."

"You don't seem to take the time to relax…"

Webs growled, hanging her head. "Enough already. I'm nearly close to finding all of our targets!"

Kitty took a quick peek at it. "And would you need to look at when they last used their devices?"

The tarantula raised a fist upwards, shaking it at the panther. Despite being much bigger, Kitty actually leaned back. However, Webs lowered her fist and took in a deep breath. She wasn't feeling good and it was just around the end of her search when she got bombarded by some jerk and an intoxicated fox.

Despite being drunk, Snake noticed that Webs was close to screaming. Even though his apathy reached a new high thanks to the drinks, a small part of his consciousness grasped onto his common sense.

"OK, OK, maybe it's a bit too much here," he muttered. "Sorry about it. The hotel would be much better-"

Webs sighed. "It's fine. I'm nearly done. Let's just wait until Diane wakes up and the others come back here, then, we can go sort this out."

"Speaking of which," said Wolf, looking around. "Does anyone know where Shark, Piranha and Fuchsia went?"

Shark would be easy to find due to his height towering over all the humans, but he mysteriously disappeared from the club. Piranha and Fuchsia were last seen waddling towards another corridor, but they never came out.

Wolf sighed. "I guess I'm gonna be the one to search for them."

[End of Song]

However, it wasn't the canine that went out to find his friends. Shark already moved to find Piranha, figuring that he led Fuchsia to the 'secret hallway'. He nearly bumped his head when he went through the entrance, but at least the hallway wasn't too low. His head didn't touch the ceiling, so it wasn't a problem for him.

As he ventured through, it wasn't a problem either with finding where the two piranhas went off to. Fuchsia just stumbled out from one of the rooms, dazed like a deer in headlights. There were a couple of scratches over her face as if spikes impaled her. This was in contrast to the amazed and aroused look in her eyes.

"Man, I don't know how to explain this to my abuela when I return," she muttered, her accent noticeably thicker.

"Um, hi there, Fuchsia?" called Shark.

"Oh, there you are. I suppose you're hungry for munching some humans for the first time like me?"

Shark narrowed his eyes. "No!"

The two jocks from earlier came out as well, sticky in sprinkles. Shark smelled this, raising an eyebrow as they laughed.

"This is such a great time in there!" said one of the jocks.

"I know!" said the second one. "Now I know how I can use this to get my girlfriend closer."

"Hey, do you have time now? I heard that there's a new movie in-!"

"SURPRISE!"

Out of the blue, Piranha landed on one of the jocks from above and wrapped his arm around the jock's head. With all his strength, the little fish spun his prey around and slammed him to the ground. The other jock was left shocked before trying to swing a fist forward. Unfortunately, this was nothing compared to the more experienced Piranha.

He just leaned back before launching himself forward. The jock found himself unlucky with a face crashing into his. He stumbled backwards, but Piranha wasn't done. Once he landed, he kicked the jock right in the ribs before using the first jock to trip over. The two jocks sprawled all over before slowly trying to get up.

Once they did, they were greeted by the maniacal grin of Piranha.

They screamed at the top of their lungs, realizing this wasn't just a leprechaun. Like a bunch of girls, they pulled themselves up and ran for their lives. All while an enraged Piranha shrieked at them.

"YEAH!" Piranha roared, bearing his sharp teeth. "I'm your worst nightmare, hombre! I'm a piranha burger with EXTRA SPICE!"

Shark let the moment sink in for Piranha, but Fuchsia beat him to it.

"Why can't you just kill them?" she asked.

"This is much better, OK?!" snapped Piranha, biting in thin air.

Shark laughed, picking the little fish up. "Oh, you. You're still the best in fighting."

Piranha chuckled. In his laughter and the warmth of Shark's arms, he could feel himself returning to reality. "Yeah, yeah…sorry that I…went loco just now."

Shark shrugged. "That's fine. Besides, I don't think you would attack them for no reason."

Before Shark could carry the two piranhas (maybe not Fuchsia) away, Wolf arrived in. Strangely, he was wearing a necklace of flowers, looking like he had just taken a trip to Hawaii. Seeing the befuddled looks, he quickly took it off.

"They were giving away free flowers," he lied.

"Aww, is it about time we go now?" said Piranha.

"Just need the pack together since Webs is close to finding all the coordinates of our targets. Anything else you want to pick up from there?"

Fuchsia was tempted to get the lizard's number, but she was too perplexed to call a favor of giving her an extra minute.

"Nothing? Cool then. Let's go, people!"

Shark and Piranha nodded, making their way out. Fuchsia followed from behind, but not before needing to lean against the wall and groan. Wolf was about to ask, but the red-eyed piranha was able to find the strength to walk again.

"First-time lover," he muttered. "I wonder what Piranha got her involved-"

"Do I know you before?" asked a voice.

The canine's smirk was wiped clean when he recognized the person behind him. And turning around, he only felt sharp ice digging into him.

A female dachshund dog with brown fur, fluffy long ears and a perpetual frown. His face was frozen, but his heart leapt in familiarity. She appeared to be around his age if not older, wearing a black and white hoodie, black jeans and white sneakers.

If that wasn't enough to convince him, then it was the noticeable narrowed eyes of observing that meant bad news for him.

"Oliver?" said the dog. "That's…you, isn't it?"

Wolf found it challenging to breathe. "T-Thelma…I was just…making my way out."

"Hold on a second," said Thelma, crossing her arms. "You waltzed out before the two of us could go to university. I should have known that the chicken finally returned here to collect its eggs."

Wolf's ears were twitching, matching his increasing heartbeat. There was an urge to run, but he was frozen, unable to escape her gaze. He was in the presence of someone who wouldn't let him go unharmed. He wanted to leave already.

"I'm just…visiting here!" said Wolf, grinning nervously. "Nothing bad I'm doing. I promise!"

Thelma scoffed. "I doubt you're doing nothing. Either you're gonna finish applying for a university scholarship? Or teaching all the bandits to be like you?"

There was a growl in the dog's voice and it scared Wolf.

"I-I don't have time for this," he said shakily, stepping away.

"You're not going anywhere," said Thelma lowly. "Don't think we really forgot about you. In fact, most of the city would remember the criminal you really are. Isn't that right, Mr. Wolf?"

Wolf tried forcing his usual charm or grin to mask. For some reason, it was a blank look that barely hid his timidness.

"I remember the news," said Thelma, her voice eerily cold. "First time hearing about 'Bad Guys'. Running around to take the gold in Los Angeles like a movie?"

A lump formed in Wolf's throat.

"I thought so," continued Thelma without taking a break. "You were either too dumb to live a life or they just didn't want someone so indignant as you were. The same peasant."

Wolf was beginning to shake, his eyes becoming watery.

"B-Back off, Thelma…" he whispered.

"What did you say?" whispered Thelma.

Wolf said it again but it was inaudible.

"Speak louder."

He didn't know why he was scared. Why was he like this? He should have been more confident. And yet, it all faded away when around Thelma.

"Back off, Thelma," muttered Wolf.

Thelma snorted. "What was that? Finally acting like you matter when you haven't proven that?" She leaned closer, her narrowed eyes suddenly appearing like daggers. "Listen here; you may have become a 'hero', but that doesn't make you righteous. Just because you're now handsome and well-fed doesn't exclude that you're a handicapped piece of trash floating aimlessly."

A spike edged in Wolf's behavior.

"Get away from me, Thelma," he snarled, trying to sound intimidating.

This was actually enough to make Thelma back off. However, the fear she had gradually replaced by anger. She saw through the cracks but was suddenly on the offensive.

"I knew it," she growled. "First time for everything, huh? Showing your real savage self? What's next?! Tearing out my throat?!"

Wolf shook his head, unable to stop his shaking. "You don't…know anything about me?"

"What else do I need to know, Oliver?!" exclaimed Thelma, her voice raising louder. "That you cannot afford anything in life? What about your father? Is that why you came back here to claim him?!"

That did it. Wolf's vision was darkening once again, impaired. A couple of voices were entering his head. His breathing became more shallow and he didn't have the energy to snark off Thelma. The dog said something more, but Wolf doubted that it was anything but kind. He couldn't even hear it through all the noise.

He shook his head. He must get out. He must stay away. Anywhere.

He slipped away and roughly pushed himself out of the hallway, not caring what other people were saying near him. The canine made it back to the main party room, but he didn't bother joining the dance floor again. He sprinted, passing by his friends where Diane was slowly recovering from her small episode. All while Fuchsia was taking pictures of her face, no less.

"Wolf?" said Snake.

His friend didn't hear him. He bolted right through the door.

"Wolf!" called Snake louder.

Without waiting, the reptile jumped off his seat and chased after Wolf. Piranha and Shark did the same while Kitty stood up, inclined to do so. Fuchsia's mind went blank, unable to find the appropriate reaction. Webs was about to follow, but she heard Diane moaning. As the fox came to her senses, the tarantula groaned and pushed her laptop to her.

"All the coordinates for those researchers are already saved in here," said Webs quickly. "Use them. That might be where they are staying. I'll be right back. Sorry for the small screen."

Diane was about to question, but she realized that Webs was the last Bad Guy to leave the club, catching up to Shark. As they disappeared around the corner, she wondered what she missed out on.

And then, a hollow feeling came over here.

Something wrong must have happened if all the Bad Guys weren't here. And she drank too much to spot it immediately. She should come to see what the problem was.

She wanted to help. She wanted to be a part of it.

But Kitty placed a comforting hand over her shoulder. "Don't run yet. Let them cool down. They'll come to you when they're ready."

Diane wanted to argue badly, but she remembered that it might be related to Wolf's and Snake's deep grudge against Melbourne.

She remembered clearly.

But at the moment, her mind was a blur to concentrate. The alcohol must be still in here.

Defeated, she sighed and stared at the tiny laptop before her. Maybe she could set things up while the rest of the squad had a smoke or something?

"Is he alright?" asked Fuchsia, standing up from her seat.

"I don't know," said Kitty. "It doesn't…look like he had a simple encounter."

Wolf finally broke outside, feeling the puddles splashing underneath his boots. He didn't care if he got wet. At least it wasn't raining and no signs of umbrellas being lifted. He stopped by a bench, leaning against it with one hand. The other slid across his eyes and slapped onto his snout, trying to take deep breaths.

It didn't work when he found himself thinking. He didn't want to think anymore, but it was impossible. It was impossible not to think. He found himself thinking about his father.

He hadn't thought about him in a long time. He hadn't called or texted him. He had forgotten about him ever since he came to Los Angeles. Or at least tried to since sometimes, he could see his father's face in his dreams. A face of anger and primal rage.

The first time Wolf cut his father's face out of his mind for a while was after an argument that resulted in him slapping his father.

The memory of his frightened father with a nosebleed entered his mind. That memory was suddenly drawn over by crude bright blue scribbles, covering his father's face with an angry, sharp-toothed human face. Wolf shuddered, trying his best not to flinch as gibberish flooded his hearing.

In his dark vision, a memory appeared of a younger him pushed to the ground by a couple of kids.

However, the kids suddenly appeared blood-stained, doodles distorting them. Their words turned into echoes taunting him, mixed with loud screaming from somewhere.

Wolf looked around, only seeing these monsters pointing their fingers at him.

White lines glitched around him as if ready to take him away. However, one thing he could make sense of was the words 'it's the big bad wolf'.

Wolf screamed when he felt something cold touching his hand. That was all it took for him to escape his visions, facing the person who might try to hurt him. But it was Snake he was facing. The reptile was close to his face with worried eyes. His tail looked like it was refraining away from Wolf's shoulder. The canine relapsed into thinking that he did something wrong.

Snake was quick when Wolf's chest heaved again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's alright. It's alright…I'm here."

Snake already ordered the other three to wait by the door. Shark, Piranha and Webs watched the entire thing in shock, mind blank.

They never saw their leader like this. Usually, Wolf held a confident, snarky and composed figure. They did see him in his angry moments. However, to see him shivering, close to a breakdown, was…haunting.

First, when he was barely conscious during the briefing and now…

And Snake was no exception. The way he slowly approached Wolf made it clear that it happened before. The reptile was careful, his limbless body trying not to hunch up in tension. He looked suddenly human for once instead of being a threat.

Snake slowly placed his tail over Wolf's hand, telling him gently to breathe when he counted to three.

Webs watched in awe at the way Snake calmed Wolf down. Snake was patient, gentle, ready to hear his boyfriend. Everything she didn't always see from Snake. Despite his distress, Wolf was able to listen, his finger rubbing Snake's tail in comfort. It took a while until Wolf's chest stopped moving up and down too many times.

Something stirred in the tarantula. A feeling of wanting to help. She hopped off Shark and crawled towards the two.

"Webs!" hissed Piranha. "Webs! What are you doing, chica?"

"We were told not to go to him yet!" whispered Shark.

Webs knew that it would be a bad idea since Snake wouldn't allow anyone else to come in. Maybe Snake was protective, but she wanted to do something. She might not understand, but she should try. What was the harm in that?

Wolf finally regained his breath, but his heart was still beating irregularly. "S-Snake? You're…there?"

Snake nodded. "Better?"

The canine averted his eyes.

"What happened?"

Wolf didn't respond.

"It has to be this city, is it?" asked Webs.

Wolf lifted his head to find the tarantula already on his shoulder.

"Webs," said Snake firmly. "I told you to wait for my signal."

"And this is me breaking it," said Webs. "Let me help."

"This is not the time now, kiddo. You don't-"

"Know until it's too late?" questioned Webs. She didn't wait for an answer, turning to Wolf. "Wolfie, you gotta tell us what happened back there. Anything we can do?

Wolf sniffed, rubbing his eyes. "It's…nothing. Why shouldn't it be?"

"This place seems to give you bad memories," said Webs softly. "And it happened to Snake as well?"

The reptile gulped, finding himself too choked up to admit it.

Wolf looked down, his eyes dull. "I just…ran into some wannabe bully and…I lost touch."

"Lost touch?" said Webs, concerned. "W-What do you mean by lost touch?"

"Hold on," said Snake. "Let him say it if he can. So this jerkward you ran into was someone we know?"

With a grunt, Wolf muttered, "Thelma."

For a moment, Snake felt dread.

He looked back at the club, but he could see Piranha and Shark. He didn't know if the dog would make her way through them. He found himself worried about seeing her again. Knowing who she was and who her-Snake shook his head, even slapping himself across the face. He shouldn't be thinking like that!

"She's just one of them," growled Snake. "She doesn't believe in us. Why bother?"

"I know, right?" said Wolf, giggling mirthlessly. "I mean, rivals, you can't live with them, you can't face them. They're…trying to stick up a purpose in that role?"

Webs was scared. This was nothing like Wolf at all.

Snake sighed, nodding ruefully. "We're still on my condition. We won't see them in a long time."

Wolf wanted to agree, but he was exhausted from keeping up with a perky attitude. "We will eventually. But it wouldn't matter. They are waiting…just out there."

In turn, it scared Snake as well. He hated that being here must be personal. He preferred not to, but this time, he couldn't escape. The reptile was reminded of what Melbourne had in store for him and Wolf. Memories of disdain and attacks crept in, but Snake pushed them aside. It didn't make his paranoia gone, however. It just made him feel cautious.

He looked to the side, seeing many humans walking by. They didn't bother them, but Snake briefly imagined one staring at them…and coming in with a crowbar. He closed his eyes and opened them. The man was nowhere to be seen. He looked around and back at Wolf. The canine didn't appear upset anymore. He looked drained as a flat battery.

To Snake's fear, it left them vulnerable.

Webs noticed the way Snake went quiet. Guess that meant it was her turn to come in.

"Hey, that doesn't mean the rest of us aren't gonna wait," she said, patting Wolf on the back fur of his neck. "You got us. We're a team. Call me crazy for being involved in this adventure as much as you two are, but we won't leave you two. Not this time. We're here for you."

Wolf and Snake stared at her with a longing look. For a brief moment, she thought their eyes appeared…empty. She was scared not because of how they looked. But because of how they would cope. What if it wasn't enough? Would being around good friends protect them from…whatever nightmare this city had? Were they strong enough?

Would they all stand a chance in someone else's memory lane?

Eventually, her fear faded when Wolf sniffed again and rubbed his eyes. He smiled weakly, but it was still a smile. He was grateful. Snake gazed on, seemingly lost.

Any insecurities seemed to fall away as much as the reassurance relieved Wolf.

"That's why we had you on this team in the first place," he uttered with a bubbly giggle. "You know when to show up."

Webs grinned faintly. "Yeah…"

Shark suddenly pulled both Wolf and Snake in a bear hug. Webs was also caught off-guard, but she hopped back onto his arm. To her surprise, the giant shark appeared to be crying as well.

"Shark?" said Wolf. "You're OK?"

"No, are you OK?" asked Shark.

"Shark…" said Snake, slowly wiggling his way out. "I don't need-"

"I don't care," said Shark sharply. "I'm not letting the two of you go until you feel better."

Wolf eventually pulled himself out of the hug. "No, no. It's fine. It's not a big deal to you all-"

However, Piranha jumped in and embraced the canine around his chest. Squeezing a bit hard for no reason. Wolf looked down at him before sighing, returning the hug. He let himself collapse on a bench as the dark thoughts left his mind. After a while, Piranha let go and looked up at Wolf with hope.

"You're alright, brother?" he asked.

Wolf chuckled a little. "Yeah, yeah. I'm alright."

Piranha glanced at Snake, who had Shark's arm wrapped around him.

"I-I'm all good," said Snake quietly. "I'm good. I'm good…"

A loud song of riot filled the awkward silence from a crossing lane far from there. The city was still alive, with many walking around with shopping bags while others were singing in a group together. The sun was about to set on the horizon, but it was still far from nighttime. But yet, nobody seemed to mind the growing emptiness of the city.

"Shall we go back to the club?" suggested Webs.

Wolf shook his head immediately. "No. No. Let's not."

"Oh. I kind of forgot. Sorry…"

The Bad Guys suddenly moved aside when they heard a car stopping nearby. It was a fancy, yellow Lamborghini, looking like it was just bought this morning. The door opened and it wasn't in the angle of how regular doors opened. And climbing out from it was a pristine man with a beard, taking off his coat.

"Here, you mortal," he said, slapping the coat over Wolf's face. "Watch over it for me."

Snake was about to hiss back at the man before his eyes laid on the car.

"Now," said the man, licking his lips. "Time to make babies in this exotic land."

Nobody dared to ask him, letting him rush into the club. Snake and Webs slowly turned to the fancy car with sparkling eyes. They glanced at each other and their ideas were already shared.

"I'm driving!" said Webs suddenly.

"No, you can't!" snickered Snake, chasing after her.

"Yes, I can!" squealed the small tarantula as she hopped onto the car.

"You are too small even to drive a human-sized car!"

"Wait, what are you doing?" said Wolf, removing the coat wrapped around his head.

"Is this a good idea, hermano?" asked Piranha, concerned.

"Nah, he gave us his coat," said Snake, already in the car. "We're just gonna give this baby a spin."

"Hold on there," said Wolf, quickly putting back on his motherly act. "We shouldn't be totalling a nice car."

"Says the guy who had his car destroyed twice," said Shark. "But I agree. We still have the other girls waiting for us inside."

"They'll be fine," said Webs as she observed the dashboard. "What they don't know won't hurt!"

Wolf grunted. "You two. Get out now."

But Webs was already playing with the key left in its socket, twisting it around. The engine revved, clearly alive.

"Oh my gosh!" said Webs with a grin.

"Guy's too dumb to lock his car," remarked Snake.

"I don't feel like joyriding today," said Piranha, trying to make an excuse. "My tummy isn't feeling good."

"Well, I was…hoping this might help get your mind off," said Snake. "Perhaps driving through these roads would make us feel ready to take on Melbourne."

Wolf raised both of his eyebrows. "I do like the feeling of dominating. Though…not literally, I usually don't do that since…I'm not gonna go into challenges again late."

"Don't worry, Wolfie," promised Webs. "We'll go slow today, shall we?"

Wolf had a thought about it. On one hand, Diane would throw them until the weekend once she caught them. On the other hand, he hadn't been out to drive for a week now. He had been using his feet! The earlier drive somewhat counted, but it didn't feel too exciting. The car looked really nice; a fancy boost away from the dampness of Melbourne.

He inhaled again. "OK. But just slow."

AN: This chapter has been reworked and edited. A lot of dialogues were changed. Looking back, it felt like a random and weird moment to be in another club, but I ensured it was consistent with the tone and the characters. Even gives this welcoming sense of being among the Melbourne community…and that is before Thelma walks in, hinting at the interpersonal ties.

I have to say that the bar setting and its secret hallways are inspired by the gay club and brothel from The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Arcane, respectively. In a way, it's where people could hide within the partying crowd while mingling around. Piranha siccing on two guys was inspired by a scene in Peacemaker and a clear reminder that he hasn't grown soft. Similarly, Diane twisting a guy's arm takes inspiration from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey.

The debut of Thelma adds a wrinkle to Wolf's background and I can confirm that they don't have a good history together. When writing about her, I want to give this sense that she's an academic bully, but isn't too popular. She's quite blunt. What she did to Wolf or what Wolf thinks about her is vast. Furthermore, Rally is the one who suggested to me to make her a dachshund dog, so thank you, mate! Additionally, I imagine that Ilsa Fisher would potentially voice Thelma; fitting as well that she's Australian and both Thelma and Wolf are somewhere in their 30s or so.

At the moment, the night won't be too much that could overwhelm Wolf and Snake. However, that won't last long and Thelma isn't done. Neither is Los Angeles in which Hornet and Mira are about to discover in the next chapter.

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.

Until next time, keep on rocking!