Chapter 30 - A Plan on the Way, A Plan in Dismay
Late Afternoon, The Chutney Household, Melbourne, Australia
Their stay ended up being longer than expected. Nobody noticed the sky darkening outside. Diane gave the rest of the Bad Guys a quick text to meet up at Wolf's old home as their meeting point. At the moment, there were no signs of the conversation slowing down for Stanley and Wolf, Diane and Kitty.
While they were worried about the tension between Wolf and his father, their communication was still healthy. Yes, it was still shaky, but grudges seemed to be diminished.
On Wolf's side, it was a first step to fixing what he left behind without the blame sinking in.
On Stanley's side, he wasn't left out of the party compared to yesterday. It even allowed Stanley to be more open about himself.
"Hey, son," he said. "You…remember about the careers you wanted to take back when you were younger?"
Wolf didn't usually think back to his earlier ideas. He was over his childhood interests. Yet, they floated around in his mind from impossible dreams.
One dream was close to reality, however. "Dreamt of being a racer. Now, will never get to win the Grand Prix Cup."
"Wait, you thought of becoming a racer?" said Diane.
"That explains your wicked driving skills," said Kitty, fiddling with a fork.
Wolf puffed up his chest, wagging a finger. "Hey, I'm a stunt racer at heart. And I don't want to stay grounded. I always love the air brushing against your face from drifting around tight corners, doing flips mid-air and letting yourself scream from the competition of surviving…"
Stanley chuckled at his orchestrated and melodic explanation. "Well, nice shot! Though, a bit of advice: don't get too rowdy behind the sheel. You probably already created twenty accidents."
"Good thing I practiced with Snake before," insisted Wolf. "I didn't go out driving drunk."
Stanley rolled his eyes, reflecting in sentiment. "Our love of cars never fades, eh? Son, you remember my previous job before we moved here?"
"Not really."
Stanley rubbed his chin, ruffling the furry beard. "I actually worked as an intern for fixing cars. Wasn't much, but I tried a little to fill in my vocational placement."
Kitty's ears wiggled, moving them for a better hearing spot. "You know mechanics?"
Stanley smirked, rivalling Wolf's signature smile. "Why yes! I knew all about technology before TikTok was born. Without it, my house would be a haunted house! Tinkering with car engines gave me a view of things humans overlook."
Kitty wiggled her eyebrows, eyeing Stanley's muscles. Grown in shape from all the physical work needed. "You don't say!"
"This was also how I met your mother, Oliver," said the older wolf. "Well, sort of. She was carjacking and she didn't even make it onto the road."
Wolf wasn't expecting this. He knew his mother for her lovely and patient manner yet easily strict if he tested her patience. Those warm, yellow eyes, combined with the round clothes comfortable to snuggle in. That wasn't the look of a rebel.
"That so?" he asked.
"It was her first crime," explained Stanley. "Something about being pressured into 'donating' to get tickets into DisneyLand. Everybody was desperate back then. In the end, your mother was charged and the ones who orchestrated the crime had community service for the rest of their freshmen lives."
He smiled fondly, his tail subtly wagging.
"But I got to say, when she crashed the car against a hot dog stand outside, it was…" He exhaled, hot breath pouring out. "Exhilarating. Her unfazed boldness in the face of an explosion."
The reassurance that her mother wasn't a criminal would have kept Wolf calm, but when he saw his father's tail wagging, it came to mind how 'bold' his mother was before. Just imagining her stoic face as she crashed into a hot dog stand out of all things could fit the image of a Hollywood star. Complete with ketchup and mustard flying.
That being said, it reminded Wolf a lot about how brave his mother was. His protector. Back then, whenever someone outside threatened them, she was one of the first to tell them to back off, even growling when necessary. She always wrapped her arms around him, the arms no one else would offer to him.
Her protectiveness was also what got her killed.
Wolf blinked a couple of times when a flash of the fateful memory flickered. A whisper popped up and he closed his eyes. Opening them, he briefly saw a scribbled distortion, but it was so quick that he couldn't identify it.
And fortunately, Kitty's voice allowed him to focus instead of getting locked in his memories.
"Now, I hope you don't mind if I ask you two," she said. "Melbourne looks quite grand. Wolf seems to have some old enemies. Oh, and one gnarly jackal is dead, but that's a side note." That received a scoff from Wolf. "What are your exact thoughts about the city? What was it really like growing up here? Was it…bad?"
His visions nearly flared up again, but this didn't happen when Wolf noticed the shift of look on his father's face. As far as he could tell, neither had the mental and visible courage to tell. Both of them looked lost, their previous stories not appropriately addressed to each other. The wolves feared they might hear those howls again.
However, Wolf recognized it might not be personal. Kitty didn't ask for that. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any significance of Melbourne. Aside from school, there weren't many good memories of talking with people in the city or visiting special places. He nearly couldn't tell the difference between this and Los Angeles: it was just a forgettable flux.
"Fudge," he muttered, rubbing his straining forehead. "I got nothing. You, Dad?"
"You don't have to answer," said Kitty, a little belatedly. "Sorry if it's…small-minded."
To Stanley, it was a deep question. There were a couple of ideas of what to say, but he decided to just go with the summary of his life.
"My wife and I found out about the good life there," he mumbled emotionlessly. "The office jobs were different, maybe even empowered by those golden mines. And it was a chance to be amongst different people for once. It did start off easy with the paperwork, renting a home, blah, blah, blah." He snorted, grinning without amusement. "The sad thing is that once you're sucked in, there's no way of knowing who is being genuine and who is lying."
"Then how did you become a cop?" asked Kitty. "Why so?"
The older wolf's ears folded back at his loss. "I wanted to do good. It was a secure job as well. Back then, we were either looking at one way or the other. Not many were happy that a savage monster joined the ranks. But I'll admit, it was nice they…" He sighed in regret, wishing he had known it earlier. "...know what I could do. But again, I don't know if they were expected to be respectful. I mean, do you believe this 'equality' crap?"
Kitty bit her lip. "I can't say the same since the city is nonchalant with us."
Wolf thought of looking away, feeling sheepish. Diane muttered something inaudible to herself. The two glanced at each other, mutually agreeing with Stanley on this 'equality'. It definitely wasn't secure. They knew that Kitty's experience with prejudice was tamer, if not already more adaptable.
Stanley actually took this in amusement and he even had the urge to pinch Wolf by the ear. "Well, at least the children wake the city up after playing as Turbo, you little monster."
Wolf couldn't help snickering over his previous mischief, slapping his father's hand away. "Dad…"
"Anyway, for us, it was a different case. My time as a cop taught me something. It's not easy to do things in honor or by the book. With weapons, you immediately feel like you are one floor above the ground." An ugly scowl crossed his lips, nearly pulled back to reveal his hidden teeth. "If I remained there, then who knows who I might point a gun at. Today is better, but I don't want to continue until I implode. Humans can be self-destructive too, even to their own kind."
Diane was quick to understand Stanley's reason for handing in his badge. She wasn't a cop, but she was a governor. Knowing her time with the government and the biases they could follow, it would be difficult to juggle these policies when handling a city. It could be too hard and without proper support, she might be demolished by the negatives.
It reminded her again how the government and the International League of Heroes refused to hire Hornet. They said the consequences would be minor, but she couldn't leave all the Bad Guys out of this. As for the self-destructive part, that she didn't want to deny just yet.
"I think I know how you feel," said the fox sympathetically. "And it angers you to think that these stereotypes are always 'justified'. Did you want to change them?"
There was only a small nod of confirmation from Stanley. "You're telling me, sister."
Wolf suddenly had a question of his own. This loneliness Stanley dealt with, how long he prolonged it further? "Wait, you said that some of your co-workers offered you some support when you left. Does that mean anything to you?"
One of Stanley's ears flicked. A whisper in his ear. A reminder of his selfishness. His vision blurred and he suddenly got back into wishing he didn't leave. Stanley shook his head a couple of times, trying to rationalize the question asked. A lump formed in his throat, difficult to swallow.
The answer came out as reluctant. "It was…nice of them? But I can't get caught in their business. Some are new eggs, but they can just break easily, you know!" He waved one hand in the air, actively trying to change the subject. "But hey, I'm a lone wolf. I'm not really comfortable at making new friends wherever I go."
"But we're social animals, remember?" pointed out Wolf.
"That's true but it doesn't mean I'm you. I prefer a small circle to trust. You cannot be friends with everyone in case a fire ignites."
Wolf was a little disappointed that his father was being reclusive, as always. Stanley was an introvert, but making a few friendly connections couldn't hurt! Unconsciously, it would make Wolf feel more comfortable making friends who aren't like him. Even for them to express themselves to each other more. To Wolf, it was a problem of Stanley holding himself back from genuine help.
The only thing that didn't make him doubt was that Stanley already had a job. It couldn't be from an old friend, could it? Maybe he was not ready to admit it yet?
Diane and Kitty were starting to feel the same way, except they felt sorry for Stanley. The older wolf said it like it was casual, but it was sad that he never made friends. Diane was an introvert for a while, but she tried to start talking with more people to avoid the loneliness. Kitty saw this growth, hoping that others could do the same.
Wolf briefly checked the time from his device. "Um, well…I'll be right back! Have to go to the toilet."
"Me too," said Diane, standing up.
Stanley didn't complain as the younger wolf and fox walked up the staircase. He thought of pointing out that there was a bathroom on the ground floor, but decided to let the two of them be.
With only him and Kitty, he let this be the opportunity to open up more.
"Keep this between us," said Stanley. "But…I don't trust your governor, Diane."
Kitty shrugged. "It's alright. She can be young and-"
"No, no, I'm not talking about that or…" The older wolf paused, realizing himself where he was going. It horrified him, but only a brief while. His raised fur settled down. "Sorry. I feel paranoid. It doesn't excuse now, but Oliver and I didn't have good experiences with foxes here."
Kitty could see the bias, yet she chose to hold Stanley's hand to comfort him. "Don't worry. I have known Diane for a long time. I taught her before. She's a good kid!"
Stanley wasn't sure about this. "I know that animals like us have a chance of being elected prime minister or president, but Diane being in contact with the Bad Guys…well, they are different, right?"
"She is trying to reach out to criminals who can be rehabilitated," said Kitty simply. "I know that actually. And I heard her plans at her press conference before we saw your son in person. I did warn her to be careful. It's a good thing your son isn't a murderer."
Stones of anxiety were set in Stanley's eyes, ashamed yet fearful in his assumption. The first time Oliver made friends with a fox, he was taken advantage of and framed for having raw meat in his cubby. He wasn't willing to let that happen again. He could understand Diane was being understanding and kind, but he wasn't sure if it was really happening.
He decided to put Kitty's faith in Diane into his hands.
"What is Diane exactly like?" asked the older wolf. "It's straight out of a movie to have the president falling in love with a rogue. Though, can't really say it's just due to my son's good looks."
Kitty chuckled playfully. "He's quite the looker. Diane can be hasty and that was how she let Marmalade 'rehabilitate' the Bad Guys. She seemed to make an understanding with them. It even helped that she started her secret mercenary business at that time."
A secret mercenary, she said? Another thing straight out from a movie, but that was new. At least to Stanley. It was fantasy imagining what so much power could do, but it seemed that Diane worked the extra mile. The Bad Guys worked hard to get where they were now, so…maybe Diane was one not to exploit.
He looked back at the jelly snake bot still on the table, waiting patiently with its head directed at him. When his nose came a little closer, the jelly snake flicked its tongue in response. The cute robot brought a smile to the older wolf.
Maybe this was Diane's creation. With Mr. Snake taking care of these delicate things, Diane must have provided the Bad Guys with the tools needed to move forward.
Upstairs, Wolf and Diane were already neck-deep into their planned heist at the black site. They looked through Patty's records and phone, finding the announcement of the market she referred to outside this city. The empty table they found provided a clean base to start.
It only took the minds of two of the greatest criminals in the world to get busy.
"Why does he have to be here? Why not here, Diane?"
"No, he needs a quicker and safer way to travel."
"I'm thinking of causing a blackout section here."
"Why not the full black site, Wolf?"
"Cause that'll just alert everyone. Sure, it'll delete an extra bot, but we cannot grab too much attention."
"I think each of us should have an override USB, just in case."
"Webs is already eight steps ahead of us. Quite a lot back-ups actually!"
"OK, remind me again, why do we need to look at the invitation list?"
"Because we need to blend in. Find a punchable guest crew and we don't have to manually pay for tickets."
"You think that will work? The black site has top security."
"Of course, it'll work. People are stupid."
"...yeah, that sounds about right."
"Maybe if we applied sleeping potions to their drinks, everyone would fall asleep and thus, a hand is even too drowsy to handle the security system!"
"Are you sure about that? There would be at least one or two people who won't drink."
"They would want to knock themselves out for a long sleep."
"One way to knock all of them out is to produce a large wrecking ball over their heads."
The banter between them kept their heads in the game. They had different ideas but didn't stop them from complimenting and teasing each other. It got them writing so much that they formed an established plan composed of a map of the black site and possible gateways and strategies to use. It helped that Wolf was the one person who knew everyone inside and outside.
With inflated egos and big grins, they admired the work in front of them. And it didn't look too cluttered.
"The others will love it!" said Wolf, his ears wiggling. "They'll be here soon."
"Get that plan ready," said Diane. "I really need to use the bathroom. You should also make sure you're willing to wrinkle that collar of yours "
Letting Wolf edit the plan on his own, the fox gracefully tip-toed out of the room with a childlike strut into the hallway. Her curiosity towards Wolf's old home guided her to know the hospitality he grew up in. She felt like a kid again, diving into a fairy tale world of the ornate patterns on the walls, the aging lightbulbs and the shiny wooden floor.
The one thing a kid wouldn't think of would be the muted brown colors. That being said, its earthly look, combined with not a crack in the ceiling, brought some kind of homely comfort to Diane.
As she searched for the bathroom, she wondered if she could find Wolf's old bedroom. All the doors were closed, but she didn't want to peek into each of them in case Stanley heard her. Maybe he got Clooney posters in his old bedroom as well!
And then, she came across one bedroom with the door open.
But it wasn't the appearance of the bedroom she focused on.
She was focused on the blue box that was sitting on the bed.
That was strange, she thought. She turned on the bedroom light, hoping that it was just an ordinary box. To her surprise, it wasn't.
A light blue metallic box with dark blue stripes, taking the look of a stylish, sci-fi style. The same design for the boxes containing the dangerous and sensitive Eden Apples.
Her heart skipped a beat.
This couldn't be right. She took a step closer, trying to tell herself that she was dreaming. She blinked a few times. It didn't disappear. It was right there. And then, her next worry went towards Stanley. But the first assumption that came to mind, she was quick to shoot it down.
Stanley was a kind soul. But this was bombarded with many questions. She wanted to prove them wrong.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case when she opened the box and revealed the glowing Eden Apple inside.
She covered her mouth to hide her gasp, not wanting to express her disbelief towards the Eden Apple in front of her. But then, she grabbed it without a second thought. It even looked like the right thing.
The murky colors of the house seemed to lose their awe, leaving her alone in this dark room. But she knew she wasn't alone; Stanley might not be what she thought of him. He must have known something about the Eden Apples.
And what if he didn't? What did he use this for? Did he even find this earlier?
The ideas were limitless.
She felt her stomach sink, her body trembling. Diane Foxington always kept herself reserved. But sometimes, she wanted to break down. Tear down from what might have become of Wolf's father.
"Um, Diane?" called Wolf's voice. "Are you still in there? You're taking a while."
Diane glanced at the door and back at the Eden Apple. She didn't hesitate to put the Eden Apple into her belt pouch, but she hesitated to tell Wolf what she had just found out.
Her ears flattened as she told a quick lie. She would need to come back on this later on. "It's all good, Wolf. You can go in."
Meanwhile, things were wonderfully swell.
Stanley was merely observing a performance of Kitty doing a belly dance. He was too polite to not say 'no', but he felt dirty. Now, he sipped on a fresh hot coffee to maintain his twitching as Kitty swung her hips to loopy music from her phone.
Someone knocked on the door, giving Stanley the perfect excuse to look away. He slammed the coffee cup on the table and announced his next action, but Kitty was too busy dancing to notice. Shrugging, Stanley let her be in the zone and approached the front door to open.
Snake tried grinning to make himself look nice. All the sharp teeth would convince the father-in-law that he was a bad boyfriend. It was still an 'innocent' smile regardless, yet painfully nervous from the tightened cheek muscles to buckets of sweat pouring down his face. And when the door opened, he nearly shrank down at the sight of the bigger wolf.
On the other hand, the accompanying Piranha and Fuchsia tilted their heads in brave wonder.
Stanley's attention was on Snake trying to look 'friendly'. He sighed pitifully. The poor snake must be cracking under a lot of pressure. He even noticed the two little fishes staring at him, looking like children.
Stanley could only offer a sympathetic grin. "You're here to check on your boyfriend?"
Snake's face burned and his body shivered in embarrassment. He grimaced, snapping back to appearing cranky. "N-Nothing like that! We're called over to meet here! T-That's all! Nothing more!"
Stanley's laugh reminded Snake a lot of Wolf's own laughter, even how he patted his head. "Ah, don't feel worried. I'm just joking."
The reptile briefly looked away, sheepish and flustered. However, the frown didn't remain as he couldn't help smiling. At least Stanley was nice enough. Now that there weren't that much hard feelings, he could see him as a good guy. Maybe a little annoying. As he slithered into the house, he wondered how much resentment Stanley held.
He kept his eyes back on the older wolf, noting his willingness to have criminals in his house. Snake murmured in surprise when Stanley bent down on one knee to greet Piranha and Fuchsia.
"You must be Mr. Piranha, green one," said Stanley. "Nice to meet you, mate."
Piranha smiled in return. "Please to meet you, Mr. Wolf! Or was it 'Wolf Senior'?"
"It's Chutney, but you can call me 'Stanley'. Are you actually a piranha or a mutant sardine?"
Piranha groaned, comically hanging his head. "I'm NOT a sardine! Why again…?"
"Well, your girlfriend looks like a sardine."
A vein popped from Piranha's forehead. "GIRLFRIEND?! She's NOT my girlfriend! NOT my ex-girlfriend!"
As a flustered Piranha ranted at the occupied Stanley, Snake stepped to the side to let Fuchsia enter, already making herself comfortable. The reptile frowned at her phone recording every single detail. He found it useless to do a vlog. Well, maybe except for recording Kitty doing her weird dance on the dining table.
Speaking of which, the panther opened her eyes and noticed Fuchsia holding her phone up.
She screamed and pulled out her phone. What came next was her tripping over and her afro cushioning her head when she hit the floor. The phone dropped to the floor as well before the music stopped.
"You're OK, cat?" asked Snake.
"Don't record this!" Kitty hissed, sitting up. "You shouldn't be recording people's most private activities."
"Too late," said Fuchsia casually, typing on her phone. "The views are piling up!"
Snake snorted in amusement. Those kids with their fancy gadgets. Piranha's ranting seemed to quiet down, now pouting and carried into the kitchen area by Stanley like a baby. Once again, another similarity to Wolf since he did hold Piranha up like a teddy bear on first meetings. Helping himself up on a chair, Snake observed Stanley plopping Piranha onto another. The mad little fish looked like he was utterly fed up.
Looking away, Snake immediately spotted the jelly snake bot wandering around. Sensing its original owner, it turned to him and let out a happy hiss.
Snake smiled softly, flicking his tongue back. "Hello again, bud. Stanley being a good boy lately?"
The jelly snake bot nodded.
"Good. Make papa proud." The reptile lifted his head up at Stanley. "I see that you held onto this for quite a while."
The nearby older wolf grinned. "I grew attached to it. It even looks like you. OK, in a weird way, I thought it would help me know how to approach you? Get to know you better? Well, you're engaged with my son, so have to be familiar. Besides, I haven't seen snakes lately, so this is my closest interaction with one like you."
Snake only gave the jelly snake as a present, but having Stanley keep it as a reminder of him being around was interesting. "So, you have a Snake Junior to help you prepare for the worse?"
Stanley barked cheerfully. "Yep! Same minds, I gave him the same name."
"You know, you don't need to…prepare." Snake cringed, noting the hypocrisy. "We can chat like normal. I mean, your…cub is still a child."
Stanley hummed. "That would be lovely."
"Snake Junior," repeated Piranha innocently. "Snake, it looks like you and Wolf have your first child!"
While he flicked his tongue to Piranha in annoyance, Snake found Stanley's perception of the jelly snake bot dorkily endearing. The jelly snake flicked its tongue towards him again in affection. A bumbling feeling crept throughout his body, nearly putting aside any guilt he carried. Sort of. There was relief as well, even knowing Wolf and Stanley talked things out earlier today.
Another knock on the door again.
The next visitors? A familiar-looking tarantula and a shark.
Stanley's first reaction to the tarantula?
"Judas Priest!" he shrieked. His fur poofed down when he remembered. "Wait…oh, it's you, Ms. Spider?"
"Tarantula," cooed Webs. "Not a big fan of spiders, huh?"
Stanley shrugged sheepishly before turning to the bigger fella. "And I am supposing that you're Mr. Shark?"
Though, unlike Snake right now, Shark found himself apprehensive around Wolf's father. He suddenly lost his usual charm and energy, not even sure if a mighty handshake would do the deed. He just met Wolf's father, but he might have to be careful. Stanley appeared different, but…it was true the bad ones were different.
Shark knew this from Oscar. Wolf did run away from his own father…
Eventually, Shark could only muster a slight smile and a gentle handshake. "Well, a pleasure to meet you, Mr Chutney. Your son has…told us a lot about you."
Webs gave Shark a lame look.
Stanley immediately sensed Shark's discomfort. "Um…well, hope we'll get to know each other better. It must be important to many here."
"It's a secret, however," pointed out Webs. "So no peeky peeking."
Shark immediately changed the subject, but not out of hastiness. One sniff and look at the place, his eyebrows were raised in keen interest.
"So what kind of architecture era do you two prefer?" he asked, this time, sounding more lively.
Stanley smiled. "I actually don't know. I'm not one on decorations and carpets."
"Hmm, just curious. Has this Charleston aesthetic. Has Wolf taken his suit wardrobe based on his old home?"
It didn't take long for Wolf and Diane to return downstairs, finding everyone making themselves comfortable at the dining table.
Piranha, for some reason, decided to try to grab Stanley's tail, much to the latter's annoyance.
Snake was still flicking his tongue at the jelly snake bot while Webs patted it gently.
Kitty was begging on her knees to the persistent Fuchsia to delete the video.
Oddly, Shark wasn't engaging with anyone. In fact, he was keeping a wary eye on Stanley.
Overall, there was no strong tension between them. After a nail-biting end to yesterday, they got to relax for once. Wolf smiled to himself. He wasn't sure if it would be meant to last, but this made their stay in Melbourne worth it.
"Alright, guys!" he called, clapping his hands. "We have another job to do. A big one!"
The Bad Guys stopped whatever they were doing and turned to their leader. Surprisingly, Stanley, Fuchsia, and Kitty took the opportunity to leave the house respectfully, letting them converse in private. Wolf sighed in relief while Diane simply smiled, both grateful that those three gave them the space needed.
But first, Wolf had to check on his sweetheart. "Snake, you're good at the moment?"
Snake immediately knew that Wolf would check on him first. After Piranha and Adeline came to his unsaid aid, he could think clearly. And it was in this state that he came to his senses and remorse of remaining silent this morning.
The reptile's smile dropped, appearing sad that this morning nearly became their downfall.
Snake kept his voice quiet, not wanting to sound firm. "I'm…I'm all good now, Wolf. Sorry that I wasn't chatty earlier."
Wolf shared the same sentiment, holding onto Snake's tail like a dear hand. "No, no, I'm sorry for not checking up on you earlier."
Snake nodded. "I'm guessing we don't need to worry for now. You seem to figure things out with your father. Me and Piranha already solved things together. I believe…I might have a good handle on things. You, as well?"
Piranha gave Wolf the biggest and proudest grin. Their leader had a thoughtful look, theorizing what the two did together. But the contrast was overwritten by how calm and collected Snake was. And seeing him appearing happy made Wolf grin happily. Good for everyone as well.
Shark found himself smiling. If things really did go well, then it seemed like what happened yesterday wouldn't drag on. Him making the message to Thelma would help as well!
Webs glanced at Piranha in surprise. There was no way the little fish could bring a smile to Piranha! The tarantula pouted in slight envy, but she appreciated the gesture.
"Not bad, Piranha," she whispered with a smirk.
Wolf smiled at Snake, planting a kiss on the lips. "Yeah. I think I do."
The reptile chuckled, feeling a little shy. "Yeah, yeah….well, let's not get too mushy. We have an emergency task now, right?"
"Indeed, earlier, we picked up information from one of our targets," explained Diane. As smoothly as she walked in, she set down the map blueprint and notes on the table for all to see. "According to her contacts, a cookie jar of Eden Apples is going to be on sale tonight in the second half of a black market. At a black site outside Melbourne."
"Now, this black site is hidden in a thick forest," followed Wolf, circling around the table. In his walk, his confidence was slowly returning. His folded arms behind his back only allowed full attention on his thoughtful look. "While the forest is usually open for hikers and fishers, the black site blocked off any unauthorized personnel. At night is when the associates visit for their slumber party, bringing the perfect opportunity to rob early."
Webs cracked her knuckles, smirking. "Please, this should be easy!"
"Oh, that's what you think, sister," said Diane, the tone in her voice sharp, disciplined and straightforward. There was no humor in her voice and eyes. "Think of it like Area 51. Countless defense and security systems, both human-led and technology-led. Their advanced weaponry could cut a ninja into thin sausage slices before they could slice fruits into wedges."
"We need to bypass three fields of security," said Wolf, his more calm, graceful and loose demeanor contrasting Diane's seriousness. "First, the most obvious, the wire gate. We need to blend in, so we found one limousine: their passengers are late to the party due to a clothing malfunction. Just knock them out, take their clothes to pass security."
"And with that, we'll have access to their tickets and ID cards!" piped up Shark.
"Oh, you know it, buddy" said Wolf with a wink.
"Once inside, there are two armored gates," continued Diane. "We can go through the vents, but we need to open the first door to not trip any backup security. The system can detect whoever is in a certain room. Webs will be hacking the black site's system, but we must be careful.
"The first is guarded by an elite special ops unit trained to strike first and ask questions later. It can only be opened by a special key card by one of the co-managers who will host the weapon market."
"Looks like we have to steer them to us first," commented Piranha.
"The second is a holographic door that requires a large decryption key," said Diane. "It's memorized by the higher-ranked staff, but we don't have a foolproof option to get the password. So, Webs will be in charge of hacking it while one of us needs to provide an extra override protocol USB to get past the rest of its fields."
Wolf and Diane were about to discuss their roles when Snake raised his tail up.
"Can we have Fuchsia join along?" he asked.
Piranha raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Why's that?"
Snake struggled to not snicker. "I don't know. She's a good distraction. It would be funny!"
A chorus of nods and chuckles between the squad, a wordless agreement and joke.
"Fuchsia~!" sang Piranha in a high keynote. "I have another job for you!"
The door opened and Fuchsia waddled right in. To say that she didn't expect to come on a top-secret mission was understandable.
Her red eyes were bugged out, worried. "I have not even practiced yet…"
"I think you did pretty well considering yesterday's incident," muttered Webs robotically. "So killer."
And Fuchsia was none the wiser. She was still reeling from Piranha's latest teaching on being a successful vandalizer. She glanced at him to see his 'innocent' grin. Maybe this was indeed another lesson. Thinking about it, some more experience would make her a brilliant murderer.
"Cool then. Cool…cool!" The red-eyed piranha hopped a few times to pump herself. "So…who do you want to k-?"
"I swear if you even suck a human's bloody nose," growled Shark sternly. "I will swallow you whole. I'll not flush you out immediately!"
"That reminds me," said Diane before calling out loud, "Kitty! We might need you for a short bit."
The panther popped her head through the opened gap of the door. While the bored Stanley watched behind her.
"What?" said Kitty in disbelief. "Me?! You're joshing!"
"We need someone to take Hornet's role as well," said Webs. "I want eyes both inside and out. While some of us will fulfil Hornet's task, you'll be on the lookout outside. Don't make your hiding spot too obvious."
Kitty saw this as too sudden. Too quick. This wasn't what she thought her visit to Melbourne would be like. She wasn't sure if it was the moral thing to do.
"Tempting," she muttered, rubbing her afro. "But I don't really want to upset Hornet."
"I can take your spot if you want to," said Stanley sincerely. "As a former cop, I can fill in!"
"If you join, I can delete the public video of you dancing," offered Fuchsia flatly.
"...actually, that's a good deal!"
"No, no, no," said Kitty, putting her finger over Stanley's lips. "Don't overlook honor, alpha."
Night Time, Onsàáy's Royal Lair, Los Angeles, America
With the card wasted, Emerald was worried that Onsàáy would hunt her down for not thinking straight. However, Hornet reassured her that he captured a picture of the card, even if the quality wasn't working. He told her that she would need to let him decide when to post the image of the Devil Ship's address since he wasn't sure of the outcome of drawing unwanted attention from the cops.
Reassured, Emerald was left unharmed and she let Hornet use her phone for a while.
Through Emerald's contact details with Onsàáy, Hornet managed to use his helmet and his hacking skills to locate where Onsàáy likely resided at. Much quicker than the usual phone tracker. The closest location to a 'lair' and a hideout was on the edge of town in a secluded area. A warehouse, to be specific, bought under a 'legal company'.
This was where Hornet and Mira drove off to. They left Moe with Alex, telling them to stay put for now. By the time they reached their destination, the thick black sky blanketed the entire city in emptiness and lonely lights.
Perhaps the night sky reinforced their indifferent shock towards the located warehouse packed with laughing partygoers, bright neon lights and booming music inside.
They were standing on the pavement and the other side of the road. The warehouse lair gave the appearance of a run-down building. A nearly easy place to hide, but the windows flashing in blue and yellow would alienate even the paranoid cops. No criminal mastermind would want an obvious party going on.
The laughter and glass shattering heard a mile away would have deter them if it weren't for the post-awaken atmosphere. Barely any buildings with lights on, no people walking around. It was just them standing under one of the many headlights. The rest was nearly pitch black, difficult to see. A territory that blocked them from entering that safe-looking place.
Hornet, resting on Mira's right shoulder, clenched his teeth nervously. "Are you sure THAT is Onsàáy's hideout or a brothel?"
The journalist shrugged, brushing her left shoulder. "Onsàáy doesn't look like she's around my age, so what can you expect? Of course, those teens would throw a party."
"Emerald's calls mostly took place there. Guess that's the one."
Mira had a thought. "Her friend is right that Onsàáy is crazy."
Looking left and right to ensure nobody was at the scene, Mira crossed the road and she and Hornet readied their weapons. The journalist already had her pen gadgets in her jacket, while the little bug had his sniper gun attached to the back of his jacket. Walking across the parking clearing should intimidate them. But seeing the towering, gigantic building in front of them, it felt more like entering a casual food factory.
There was a sweet, pleasing aroma instead of dirt or puddles. It was reassuring. TOO reassuring.
Stolen cars flanked around them, many of them appearing ordinary ones. The latest models were futuristic, sleek, colorful in stripes and patterns. Given their appeal to the modern world, it seemed like Onsàáy hired many people around her age. Hornet could tell that since half of the Bad Guys were composed of older men with a classic Hollywood taste.
As they came closer to the front entrance, Hornet and Mira spotted two people guarding the huge door. They didn't even need to bring out a flashlight. Under dim lighting, they recognized the striped shirts and the black vest. Surprisingly, the two guards had the same cyborg features: black shell and glowing glass material covering part of their faces. One eye in a different color with a single yellow pupil.
But the mind-boggling question was why they decided to show themselves like this.
The guards seemed to be talking loudly, not noticing Hornet and Mira. Seemed to be justified as they could hear this growing buzzing from…the front entrance. Hornet squinted his eyes to see in the dark and they grew in surprise.
Bee hives.
Full-sized, hand-crafted, honey-drenched bee hives.
The smell of honey became stronger.
Two of them hung on the walls, each surronding the door between them. And then, that was when they acknowledged the ticklish, pesky black dots buzzing through the air. For a minute, they took the shape of flies. It barely sounded like human chatter, confirming that it was non-anthropomorphic bees.
Their constant buzzing indicated their active state, even though it was already night time. The smell of honey was now signature, making the air sweeter than a flower.
Hornet could feel Mira's shoulders shaking. He glanced at her, noticing her eyes were wide in fear. A couple of bees were innocently flying around her, but she was walking stiffly. They didn't even think of wearing armor like those white clothes beekeepers wear when extracting honey from beehives. And humans were afraid of getting stung as well.
The little bug would have felt disappointed if it weren't for the fact that bees and hornets were often enemies. Despite never meeting a bee before, Hornet knew he could get roasted by a few bees. The imaginable death he had in mind wasn't a flood of bees. That would be both embarrassing and horrifying.
As if the world had read his mind, one bee landed next to him. Hornet turned to it, flinching at the sight of its realistic, uncanny face. The bee rubbed its front legs together, its black eyes hard to read. It looked boring. More creepy to Hornet. To his surprise, the black eyes didn't look natural. They appeared to be made from plastic in a hexagon pattern.
One bee landed on his back and this elicited Hornet shaking himself to scare it off.
"Pesky bee," he muttered.
Mira chuckled mirthlessly. "I hear you now. And sorry my daughter called you a bee plenty of times."
Hornet waved a hand. He didn't care about that issue. "Eh, I don't mind. She's still a kid after all."
Once Mira got through the scary bees, they were up close to the two guards watching the door, still in their conversation.
"There was that one time when I had to tackle this asshole," said the female guard. "And then, I dug my knife right into his face!"
"Was it a slice or a stab?" asked one male guard matter-of-factly.
"Does it matter? He was practically dead by the time the blood coated his neck!"
"Well, there's a significant difference between these attacks than just blood loss!"
Hornet cleared his throat and, out of nowhere, the guards IMMEDIATELY whipped out neon crossbows with glowing blue arrows.
"FREEZE!" yelled the first guard.
"No one enters unless you have the password!" snarled the second guard.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" said Hornet, holding his hands up in defense. "We're not a threat. Yet."
Mira only shuffled her feet backwards, timid.
The first guard recognized the little bug. "Wait…that's not a bee. Isn't that Mr. Hornet?"
Hornet nodded. "Yep. We're actually here for someone. Named 'Onsàáy'?"
If the lights were on, they might see the guards' faces going in pale shock.
"We're private investigators," explained Mira, trying to sound friendly. "We believe she might have answers and links to Sunnyside Labs."
Hornet inhaled sharply. "And…we believe she might know something about recent disappearances. No need for violence. We request a friendly chat."
The silent guards exchanged one last look before going into denial.
"Um…no, you're talking about our Queen Bee, right?" asked the first guard.
"Hmm, isn't it another queen you're looking for?" said the second guard.
"Oh yeah! Your queen, right?"
Hornet tilted his head in confusion. "Uh…I don't have a queen…my queen is dead."
"Yeah, your dead queen, though, is in another castle!"
"Oh yeah, that's right!" the second guard smugly said.
"You should try another castle!"
Mira was wondering if this had any implications. "Then explain the pretty lights inside."
"Oh, just an impromptu musical," lied the second guard with a smirk. "You don't want to go in there, old lady. Unless you're willing to taste the wet glitter. You have already passed the prime age."
A vein popped from Mira's neck. "I'm not THAT old."
Hornet sighed. "Actually, we're…on our way. Let's just go."
The two guards smirked and shared a high-five while Mira sulked away. However, they were distracted in their mini victory not to notice Mira using the darkness to travel behind a wall. Just too bad that when they came to another side of the warehouse, there were MORE bee hives attached. Convenient yet poor Mira and Hornet were potential victims to the busy buzz.
The journalist was left frozen, praying that the thousands of bees had already gone to sleep. She didn't want to invoke them to attack. Her hand nearly reached in to grab a smoke pen, but one look at Hornet and that told her to just remain still.
"Are you sure we can't beat them up?" asked Mira.
"I'm not gonna test their strength," said Hornet, biting his bottom lip. "We don't know how strong they are."
"OK. Better or nothing."
"Looks like we have to go with Plan B."
"Eek!" squeaked Mira suddenly. "Bee!"
Indeed, there was one.
One bee was already lifting her glasses with superhuman strength. Hornet reacted quickly and tore the glasses away. Surprisingly, the bee held on as Hornet returned the glasses onto the journalist's nose. And when the little bug leveled his sniper gun, the bee wisely chose to fly away.
"Holy crap…" muttered Mira. "Did that bee lift up my specs?"
Hornet nodded slowly, dumbstruck. "It didn't even struggle. They are as strong as me!"
"Either they're robots as well or they are on steroids."
One bee sat on Mira's shoulder, close to Hornet. He got another look to stare into those beady black eyes. But they were only filled with artificial plates. Literally. One close look and Hornet could identify its…glossy plastic material. That gave him the shivers.
Another bee flew over, landing right near the first bee. This one, for some reason, wore a red hoodie.
"Oh look!" said Hornet, tilting his head. "This one's wearing a hoodie as a shirt."
Mira chuckled. "I think Winnie the Pooh has some competition now."
"Didn't know it has a dress code," commented Hornet, becoming nervous. "Definitely on steroids! I kind of have a bad feeling about-"
Mira had to cover her mouth when the red hoodie bee swallowed the other bee.
The WHOLE body.
It flew off like nothing, leaving the little bug and the journalist frightened.
"The frick?!" cried out Mira. "Did that one eat the other?!"
Hornet gulped, now holding onto Mira's lapel too tightly. "O-OK! So…a few of them have a bad reaction. K-Know what? I would like to go. Right now, please…"
It only took a minute, but eventually, the million bees seemed to recognize their presence and provided a full space without bumping into them. Hornet mentally prepared himself before hovering upwards in the free space above. Mira observed, keeping an eye on his colorful outfit through the sea of dark yellow and black.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Hornet.
"I'm more than ready," said Mira, patting a camera attached to her belt. "Plan B, you were saying?"
"I'll go start on the top level. You go bottom. There should be a few opened windows and a vent grill somewhere."
"I think I saw one here or on the other side. These AC vent passageways look big enough for me to fit in."
"That will have to work. Now, remember. Be careful; these people might be like Onsàáy. Make sure to stay hidden, but cover enough ground to find evidence. I'll also keep a lookout since my helmet is connected to your comms."
"Got it."
Hornet smiled and gave her the thumbs-up. He still felt uneasy, but it was good seeing Mira taking this seriously. "Good! Find what you can see and survive."
Mira didn't stick around for any more questions, giving a reassuring nod before walking away. With an internal prayer that the two would know what they were doing, he flew upwards to the top level of the warehouse. There was a mini top balcony sitting above the roof, so it was good that he could take this entrance without using the chimneys.
The hallways were dark when he entered. His helmet was on, providing him with night vision and X-ray mode. Despite his usual fear of the dark, he was relieved nobody was around. The X-ray mode seemed to scan rooms that were…fairly mundane. One room in this hallway appeared to be for laundry due to these machines there.
Flying down to the floor downwards, he could hear laughter and booming music. But the second he got through the gap of the staircase door, he had to shield his eyes when golden light dazed him. The helmet visor immediately provided the sensory decrease he needed to see through properly.
He immediately tried to hide at the nearest door framing. He looked around: this floor appeared to act like a huge balcony that led to other rooms. These doors were constructed in these walls, their bold and mature black oak wood clashing against the messy blue and yellow graffiti coating the walls. Looking upwards, Hornet could see spinning spotlights attached to the ceiling, raining blue and yellow lights to the large clearing below.
Curiosity got to him and he hovered close to look down from the balcony fences. It felt like staring down a multi-level apartment.
The party was right down below at the ground level, but not the wild drunk kind. It looked more like a slumber party, given the numerous people sitting in blue beanbags. The front row was furiously mashing the buttons on their controllers while the others were cheering loudly. A large projector screen hung in front of them, presenting a cartoonish racing game. The silly bleeps, bonks and explosions got them screaming every time.
There were a few people right next to a table set up for snacks and refreshments. They were already in the mood to gossip, all sharing nonchalant and judgy looks. A DJ playing a mini turntable was nearby, setting the mood for the gaming tournament.
While these people were just wearing diverse pajamas for the night, they wore matching leather vests and the cyborg facial features. These were all hints they worked for Onsàáy. This must be her 'political party'.
They nearly looked like they could be vulnerable, but he didn't want to test that theory and they would be immune against his paintball bullets.
A wistful sensation made Hornet feel longing for something…like this. They weren't wearing the yellow and black striped shirts, but he visualized that. Bees flying around in a happy hive, just having fun. They all looked different, but there was no fuss. Just friendly shouting, laughing and shared food. No fights, no growls, no conflicts.
This safe haven looked like the ideal colony for Hornet. Something he didn't have and never granted…
Before he could even think deeper, he shook his head in a mental attempt to forget. No, these people might be as bad as his colony. He had an investigation to do. Emotions couldn't get in the way.
Trying to get away, he flew to the nearest room. At first, he didn't know where he ended up in.
But upon a quick scan, it was a storage room. No sign of any Eden Apples or captives. Curiously, he peeled off his helmet. The light still on allowed him to see in full color. The gray brick walls weren't anything eye-catching, but there seemed to be a lot of treasure in these colorful boxes, all stacked on multiple black shelves. Each labelled by names seemingly of the warehouse inhabitants. Half were left open for sinister stealings, offering sparkly or outdated objects buried.
Hornet's good antenna twitched in temptation. He suddenly forgot about the bad feeling and now curious about these wonderful toys. Though, it seemed that the lazy bees flying around prevented him from doing so. They appeared to be resting inside the boxes, but Hornet couldn't get too close to them.
Believing that there might be something important here, he flew towards the first shelf in sight and randomly observed the top row of belongings. One box was left open, revealing an ugly pile of clothes and dusty books. Seemed like the kind of childhood things people throw away. What a waste.
He dug into a file poking out and it turned out to be a book. Sort out. Just a crappy printout of a Sugar Rush rip-off.
Grunting, he threw it aside. This would take a while to find any strong evidence of Onsàáy's crimes. His drifting eyes eventually stopped at a box two shelves away from him. This one was labelled 'ONSÀÁY'S JUNK'.
Quickly flying towards it, he noticed the dusty piles of books and newspapers. Seemed like Onsàáy was a reading fan. He blew the dust off but coughed when some dust caught up in his throat. Once he could concentrate, the books he was on surprised him. They appeared to be more for children.
From kindergarten years to primary school years to young teens. Most of these books were graphic novels, however, with a watercolor art style. The hardcovers were painted in thoughtful and mature colors that weren't saturated. They looked like art you would see in a museum.
One book he was staring at the longest had an image of a wheat field with a sunset. The beautiful image was interrupted by the price tag sticker still on. The sticker looked stained. Must have been sitting around for years.
Onsàáy must be still young considering she could be reluctant to sell these books away. Speaking of which, Hornet noticed the newspapers peeking through the gaps of the book piles. They all appeared yellow. She must have held onto them the longest.
Pulling one out, he was surprised that it was in black and white. But the interesting thing was that the date of the newspaper issue was burnt in black stain. The written text was thankfully clear. It detailed what appeared to be a long shot of Oscar the Great White Shark fleeing a police station. He checked the headline and the description: a random attack on those police cops.
Putting back on his helmet, he scanned the newspaper article. That way, he wouldn't need to carry an entire newspaper out of the warehouse. And it was easily accessible on the internet. With the link saved, Hornet was about to put down the newspaper when his helmet beeped.
Anomalies. Certain corners of the newspaper were wrinkled. They nearly looked crunched up. Hornet noticed a few small rips on the edges, but it seemed big enough to make fingernail scratches. He narrowed his eyes. The paper looked rugged and not by itself.
Before he could look through the other newspapers, Hornet whipped his head around at the door, suddenly moving. His eyes widened. He felt exposed. It was impossible for him to try wiggling into the narrow gaps of Onsàáy's box. Skittery, he flew down to find a sizeable hiding spot. And then, he entered through a hole of a cardboard box.
Fortunately, there was a lot of space! The surrounding clothes were soft for him to rest against. It was even dark inside, hiding his distinct looks from the light.
"You're sure, Esmeralda?" said a female voice. "I think it is best to cut loose. By then, she won't be a problem."
There was nothing else except a long period of silence. A painful period.
Hornet waited in the dark, hoping to hear the footsteps depart and the door close. The silence persisted. He couldn't hear even a single crumb falling nearby. The little bug kept himself still based on not showing himself to potential threats. They might be bumbling, but never underestimate them.
He only dared to peek around the hole to watch as carefully as he could be. His eyes identified two people by the door. However, one of them was dressed differently. Drastically. A black gown that led Hornet to wonder if he was dreaming.
The woman in the black gown wasn't talking. Except, she was moving her fingers and hands in gestures. Hornet didn't know sign language, but it must be a variant. The other woman seemed to be understanding, nodding her head a few times.
After a while, she sighed in reluctance. "If you say so, Esmeralda. But I think our leader is a lost cause. She already like killed Sebastian and Jayden last night. I won't be surprised she'll go for their kid next. She has their home address."
Hornet twitched. "What the…?"
The woman in the black gown was left alone. She closed the door, taking in a deep breath. Hornet suddenly could hear her breathing, even from far away. She didn't look like she was breathing heavily, her chest barely lifting up and down. Before Hornet could know it, he felt a peculiar chill running down his spine.
A tingle, but not the good kind.
It was the feeling that he was in danger.
He couldn't describe it. It was a bad impression. He couldn't tell from the lack of movement. Not wanting to be a deer in headlights, Hornet drew his head back in and pressed it against the wall. No sounds from outside. The little bug could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Why was he feeling like this? What got him this…scared?
Without waiting for Esmeralda to make a step, Hornet tapped on his helmet. A quick note from Mira: her comms were still online. He fidgeted with a button to turn on X-ray mode. Looking downwards, he could see her body exiting a room on the second level, taking pictures.
When Hornet looked back up, he could see the shining eyes of Esmeralda pointed towards him.
The little bug shut off his helmet, putting him back into darkness. He didn't want to believe Esmeralda sensed him. He kept his breathing to a minimum, both hands over his mouth.
The silence was growing longer than before. The unnatural sensation grew, threatening to swallow him up. He felt sick in the stomach. He wanted to pass out. It was killing him.
This hiding spot wasn't safe anymore.
Finally, he could hear her footsteps.
He was grateful that it was at an average walking pace. He heard her passing by the box he was hiding in. She seemed to be going to the other side of the room. He nearly dared to peek through the other hole of the box, but a voice screamed inside him to run.
A sharp buzz nearby convinced him to prepare his sniper gun. He whipped around, startled to see a…bee beside him. It innocently stared in the darkness, rubbing its front arms together as if washing its hands.
Hornet did an internal exhale. At least this bee was harmless. He was kind of happy to see the bee.
But that smile was wiped away when he saw a glowing silver eye staring from the box hole he considered looking through.
Ever wonder about the feeling of falling out of bed? That was the experience. And he couldn't stop falling, feeling like he was going to fall to his death when he toppled out. He failed to react on time when his back hit the wall and rolled out from the opened box. Blinded by the light, he covered both of his eyes, not paying attention to what he could feel. Until he felt himself grabbed around the chest by a meaty hand.
Before he could respond, the fingers tightened around him. Hornet let out a sharp scream, alerted by the new pressure against his body. This was real. This was painful. Teeth clenched, he snapped his eyes open to see the same glowing eyes.
The right eye was white with a silver pupil and the left was neon green with a yellow pupil.
The eyes of a ghost stared at him, but it became so surreal to see the cyborg features on Esmeralda's face. The left side of her face was made in a black shell material and a neon green glass-like material, resembling a crack outline across her face and ending around the tip of her lips.
Her appearance was no less uncanny: a full black gown with circular shoulder pads puffed up exaggeratedly, a thick collar that appeared spiky and black high-heel boots so thick that it could crush a skull. A witch who don't need magic to make the poison effective. Silly, yet her contrast to Onsàáy's crew gave a definite and justified aura of doom and shadow towering over the little bug.
Interestingly, her skin was a healthy shade of brown. Her dark hair was tied in an upward-facing braid ponytail with a green streak, resembling a scorpion's tail. Her narrowed eyes inspected Hornet, a sophisticated and intense gaze to learn rather than look away.
Hornet tried squirming out from her fist, but Esmeralda barely budged. She put a finger over his mouth, shushing him quietly.
The bee Hornet just met flew onto Esmeralda's shoulder. Rubbing its head against her collar.
Hornet's eyes widened. "W-Wait! That bee knows…and then you heard from them?"
A creepy smirk crossed over Esmeralda, a nod in amusement. She honestly didn't know how these cyborg bees work aside from being their cameras.
Hornet stared at the bee in disbelief. "Oh, c'mon! Mr. Bee! I thought we were friends! Traitor!"
AN: We are still heating up and we already got some more surprises along the way. The introduction of Underlord Esmeralda Ghaāstly into the narrative and Stanley shown to be have an Eden Apple! Yep! I can confirm that the item Stanley found in the tenth chapter of No Decision Goes Unpunished is actually an Eden Apple. Though, why did he left it on a bed that cryptically?
Some more information about Stanley. While he's not in charge of a carjacking syndicate, he still retains some car mechanic skills. That said, Wolf's mother carried Stanley's book counterpart's crimes for a short while. And if you're wondering why he grew reluctant to trust Diane, it was actually true that Wolf got deceived by a fox when younger. Chapter 5 of No Decision Goes Unpunished revealed this in a diary log.
The visit to Onsàáy's lair takes some inspiration from Family Guy, Nimona and Super Mario Bros. Movie for the comical moments. Rally's favorite would have to be the Family Guy reference since Mira and Hornet just watched one on steroids eating another! Yep! This is real! Though, in the Murder Drones reference, it didn't help Hornet when Esmeralda gained access by it to track the little bug down.
Underlord Esmeralda Ghaāstly's inclusion to the story is something I decided to do and give a new perspective to Onsàáy's side. I mean, she IS a book character! Despite only having a minor role, she'll have an interesting dynamic with Onsàáy.
What do you think of today's chapter set in Stanley's house and Onsàáy's lair (brothel)? Let me know in your reviews. 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!