A Werewolf In Under-Town

Shaggy stood on his porch and sipped his coffee. It had been a late night. Getting back to the cave after his visit with Weldon was fairly simple. Their turf was relatively safe. They still got the late night mob spawns. But his pack and the Lackey patrols handled most of them. Shaggy spent most of the walk back contemplating what Weldon and the Phreaks could be up to.

"Grahhh!"

It was clear the in-fighting within the Phreaks was still going on. They were an odd group of hybrids and aliens. While Weldon made himself out to be some sort of good guy within the Phreak hierarchy, Shaggy doubted it. While it was true, a lot of the Phreaks were just people looking for a cure for the experiments done to them, most were just drug pushers. At least that Shaggy had seen.

"Raaaaaaghhh!"

But then, why had Weldon approached him? Was it really just to make sure the Legion kept away from whatever was going to happen? Shaggy reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the slim datapad that Weldon had given him. The cross streets on Weldon had warned him to stay away from were far from Shaggy's turf. So why even bring it up? It's like Weldon wanted Shaggy to investigate those areas. Unless it was some kind of double-bluff.

Shaggy finished his coffee and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was too early for all this. He'd just let Ephemara go about her business. And if she just so happened to stick her head into Weldon's marked off areas, so be it.

"Clack-Clack-Clack!"

"Oh shut up, Bonehead." Shaggy growled at the skeleton that was fifteen feet away from his porch.

Levy's horde was meandering through the copse of trees surrounding their cabin. She had set them to work felling the magically infused trees. But the work was slow, and the zombies were freaking stupid. Most had abandoned the tools the Lackeys had passed out and were trying to chew through the damn trees. The skeletons were progressing a bit better, but really nothing substituted for the bots or the Lackeys.

"Leave them alone. They're trying their best."

"They're trying my patients is what they are doing. Can't we wait until they get smarter before we let them do this type of stuff?"

Levy chuckled as she walked up to his side. "This is how they get smarter, sweetie. Don't worry, it'll pass quickly."

Shaggy grimaced as a nearby zombie slammed its body into a tree while groaning loudly.

"Graaggghhh!"

"They made noise all damn night, Levy."

"Well, that's on us for staying logged in over night. But I promise you, they'll get better."

Shaggy glared at the surrounding horde and tried to sip his empty coffee. Looking into the empty mug, he scowled and debated whether to go inside and grab another cup. But Levy placed a dark hand on his and caught his eye.

"No more. It's time for work, love."

"Last night was work. This is… torture."

"Talking to our neighbors is not torture." Levy laughed as she handed his mug off to a nearby skeleton.

He watched the bony bastard crush the thing in its skeletal grip before it turned its smile back on Levy. Sighing to himself, Shaggy stepped off his porch and tried to remember the names of the locals he was going to meet today. They weren't very important, unlike the various business owners. But they were community leaders and concerned citizens. Apparently, a few of them had reached out to Derek, Junior Detective, who reached out to Mama Agnes, who sent a damn crow early this morning. A fucking crow!

Shaggy scowled as he remembered the cawing magical bird, and Levy caught up to him. Seeing his face, she chuckled again.

"Magical birds are an appropriate way for magical folks to talk to each other, Shaggy."

"Bah! Y'all have magic! She could have sent a literally image of herself. But she chooses the loudest bird to come wake us up? I call bullshit."

"It's probably her petty revenge for how much we charged her for magical protection."

"What does the old crone even need it for? She's a powerful... what was it? Plague witch?"

"Yes. Which is actually why she needs the protection. My girls tell me she spends most of her time cursing or curing various people for money. She's not one for battle magic."

"And the people are okay with her… business?"

"Few complain, at least. Not to mention she doesn't kill anyone. Just makes them miserable for a set period of time, depending on how much she's paid."

"Fucking magic." Shaggy growled as they climbed through the tunnels to their exit.

A steady stream of people moving through the tunnels had widened them and stamped the dirt down flat. They hadn't been in the cave long, but already they were leaving their mark. The old kobold tunnels were expanded and unrecognizable. Same with the city maintenance corridor that led to their deli. Everything had been cleaned up, and in the case of the maintenance tunnels, reinforced. Daily Lackey patrols kept the more curious mobs out of their tunnels, too.

Turning up the stairs to the deli, Shaggy could smell the raw meat from today's shipment. Franklin was hard at work in the kitchen, along with a slew of his employees. His meat golem was out front, smiling and somehow charming customers. Using the side exit, he and Levy quickly made it to the sidewalk and started northward.

"So this… community meeting? What do we know?" Shaggy asked.

Levy rolled her eyes at him. "I know as much as you do, dear. They want to meet us and talk about the changes we've made."

"You mean the business deals and the nightly protection patrols?"

"As well as the businesses we've started, I imagine."

"What are the chances that this is an ambush?"

"Ha! I'd say zero. These aren't the fighting types of NPCs."

"Not what I meant."

"Oh, you mean the social kind of ambush? Like when I met your father?"

Shaggy sucked in a breath. "Have I told you how sorry I am about that lately?"

Levy bumped her shoulder into him and giggled. "Leave it. I was joking! It was a long time ago."

"Hmm."

"But, yes. I reckon this is some kind of ambush. Although I can't gather what kind. These NPCs should be used to guns and super powers going off late into the night."

"Maybe it's the fact that a suspected criminal is trying to ingratiate themselves into the community."

"Suspected criminal?! You are an escaped felon who's supposed to be lying low still, remember?"

"Meh! They can't know that and Obadiah used his connection to pull some of the attention off me, anyway. As far as the city is concerned, I'm just a rough-looking businessman trying to make a buck."

"Selling protection isn't a good look, though. Although it has been profitable." Levy nodded.

Shaggy couldn't argue with his wife. They were making a good chunk of change from protecting the various businesses. Not to mention the credits they got from their nightly activities. Stolen goods and other such criminal endeavors were a regular thing for the Lackeys. But so long as the Legion got their cut, Shaggy wouldn't stick his nose into things.

They turned the corner after walking a few blocks and Shaggy snorted at what he saw. Levy also had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Up the street, standing in front of their destination, was Derek Perez, teen and unofficial leader of the neighborhood watch. A few other men and women were with him and they were all heavily armored.

Shaggy could see they were wearing the bright white armor of the HLO. But it was scuffed and shoddily repaired in places. It looked like the 'Junior Detective' had found himself a posse. The young boy turned his head in their direction and suppressed a smile. He was trying to look professional as the other members of his little watch turned to see what he was looking at.

All ten of them stood a little straighter and puffed up their chest as Shaggy and Levy walked closer. At this point, Shaggy was pinching his leg to keep from laughing. The NPCs looked like a bunch of scared kittens. But a few held themselves a little better and seemed ready to tussle. Like Derek.

"Morning, Mr. Perez!" Shaggy greeted, stopping in front of their destination. "I see you are out in force today."

An angry-looking woman with short-cropped hair snorted at his tone, but Derek spoke up before she could.

"Yeah, the citizens called us in for this meeting. I hope everything stays calm."

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Shaggy smiled wolfishly, even as the boy rested a hand on his large laser pistol. Clearly, it was meant to be a warning. But Shaggy just couldn't take the kid seriously. His senses were telling him that this group wouldn't be a problem for him and Levy. Then something happened that made his senses scream.

CAW! CAW!

Shaggy spun on the spot and looked toward the noise. He found the damn crow seated on top of the door to the building. The neighborhood Watch all tensed, but Shaggy ignored them as he heard Levy sigh.

"You!" Shaggy growled, looking around for something to throw.

"Leave my Familiar alone, Wolf, or your wife will be taking you home in a paper cup." Mama Agnes' voice said from somewhere nearby.

He spotted the old woman with her head out a nearby window. She was grinning at them as she watched.

"Your damn crow woke me up this morning! You're lucky I didn't eat the damn thing."

"No. I think you're lucky you didn't eat him. A Plague Witch's Familiar would do horrible things to even someone of your prodigious healing capacity. Although, I can't say exactly what. Would you be open to a little experiment?"

"No!" Shaggy and Levy said together.

"Hmph! Well, don't just stand there. Let's get this show on the road."

Shaggy and Levy nodded, but Derek stepped in front of them before they could enter the house. Looking at the older woman, the boy complained.

"Mama Agnes, I need to disarm them first! You know this."

The old woman rolled her eyes. "Boy, that wolf could tear this building down with his bare hands, and his wife could probably do the whole block. With or without her staff."

"Still!" Derek said.

Mama Agnes sighed loudly as the members of the watch stepped close to surround Shaggy and Levy. Shaggy put his arms up and smiled. He never carried a weapon and Levy's staff was in her little dimensional pocket thing. So he wasn't worried. Until he saw the look one of the Watch members was giving his wife. They were both holding their arms out for a pat down, but Shaggy didn't like how the man was flexing his fingers. Thankfully, one of the female members of the watch saw it too and clocked the guy hard on the back of the head. When he recoiled from the blow and glared at the woman, Shaggy growled. That didn't deescalate things, but it made everyone hurry up.

They were patted down and set on their way all while Mama Agnes muttered in her window. Shaggy entered the large home first and immediately he felt a spell crash down onto him. He grunted at the impact and felt his legs almost buckle. He had to concentrate to keep standing as Mama Agnes came around the corner from her living room.

"Oh! You're still standing. That's a surprise."

"What… the… hell!?" Shaggy asked through gritted teeth.

"Part of the deal for this meeting. The community leaders wanted you sapped of your strength in some way. I wasn't sure about doing that, so instead I just increased the gravity in my house for any shape changer."

Levy quickly rushed to his side and started muttering something. But Mama Agnes coughed.

"Dear, I wouldn't. These people were already hard enough to bring together. With your husband like that, they might feel more inclined to talk to you."

"Then why invite me at all?!" Shaggy growled as it was getting easier to speak.

Mama Agnes quirked an eyebrow at him, but answered. "Because you're the Big Bad Wolf Of Brentwood. They only agreed to this because you were going to be here."

"Meaning they wanted to see him cowed a little bit," Levy snarked, canceling her spell.

"They wanted to see that he was mortal, dear. Frankly, I can kind of see their point. Nevertheless, come in and let's get this 'meeting' over with."

Shaggy grunted as he took careful steps after the old crone. She had turned around and entered her living room again. Levy tried to help him along, but it he weighed far too much for her. Eventually, she just slowly walked by his side as they both entered the small living room.

Two couches sat facing each other, with a small brown coffee table in the middle. Four people were squashed in on one couch watching them enter. Shaggy saw looks of relief and wicked glee cross a few faces until he stepped into the room with a loud thump. One of the two women of the group gulped audibly and turned to glare at Mama Agnes. But the old crone raised a withered hand.

"He is more powerful than expected. Y'all are just going to have to deal with that. Besides, did you expect me to drag him in here?"

One of the two men glared at Shaggy. "I expected him to crawl."

That, more than anything, made Shaggy take a larger step toward the second couch. The loud thud of his leg against the floor made the angry man return his eyes to Shaggy. The glare between the both of them would've frozen a lake. But Shaggy had more important things to do, like make it to the couch.

Once close to the couch, Shaggy tossed himself onto it with a loud grunt. As soon as his back hit the leather couch, he felt his weight normalize, and he sighed.

"It's only on the couch, wolf. You step off and the spell comes back." Agnes said from over his shoulder.

Shaggy grunted in acknowledgment as Levy set down beside him. An evil thought entered his mind, and he decided to try it out. Lifting his feet onto the coffee table, Shaggy set his booted feet on it. The spell took effect as soon as his feet left the couch's surroundings, and it took a bit of work. But Shaggy grinned as he felt his feet crack into the coffee table.

"That was uncalled for." Mama Agnes muttered.

"You put a curse on me," Shaggy stated simply.

"Petty."

"At least your bird is still alive."

Levy cut in before another word could be said, addressing the people across from them. "What did all of you want?"

All four humans sat up straighter at the steel in Levy's tone. But the angry man found his voice first.

"We want you criminals out of our neighborhood!"

The man's three compatriots all glared at him. Shaggy rolled his eyes and looked toward them as he said.

"No. Next request?"

"R-Request?!" sputtered the man.

But Shaggy ignored the idiot. He clearly didn't speak for the group. The other man and the two women shared a look before they nodded together.

"We want to know what your plans are, really. Not some double-speak or some 'for the people' bullshit. What are you looking to do here?"

Angry man had almost gotten his voice back as Levy and Shaggy shared a look. Communicating with their eyes, Shaggy eventually gave his wife a little shrug. Taking his meaning immediately, Levy turned back to the NPCs.

"We intend to set up a base of operations under the neighborhood and enact our various evil schemes from beneath the city."

One woman's face went pale, but the other two nodded in understanding. Angry man found his voice again as he hopped up from the couch and pointed a finger at Shaggy and Levy.

"See! They are Villains! We need to call the HLO and have them ousted from our precious neighborhood."

"Oh, sit down, Liam! It's not like we didn't expect that."

"And it was the HLO that forced us out the first time, dumbass. At least they are being up front."

Liam glared at the pair that had rebuked him. But the pale woman asked Levy another question.

"What about us? What's going to happen to us?"

Shaggy and Levy glanced at each other again. This time it was Levy who shrugged in confusion.

"What about you?" Shaggy asked.

"The neighborhood! Are you going to enslave us?! Bite us and make us a part of your werewolf army?" The woman practically shrieked that last bit, making Shaggy wince.

"What the hell? Why the fuck would I do that? How loyal would a group forced to be werewolves be?" Shaggy asked, rapid fire.

"Truthfully, y'all are probably in the safest place." Levy explained. "I mean, do you think we want the police or HLO snooping around our home base? No. of course not and the best way to make sure that doesn't happen, is to make this the safest neighborhood around."

"While operating your illegal businesses?" The other man asked.

This time, both Levy and Shaggy shrugged at the same time. Liam sputtered at that response and leapt from his seat. His face was red with anger as he pointed at all of them.

"You have all lost your damn minds! They're villains! You report them whenever you can and send them to prison! That's the honorable thing to do in this case!"

With that, Liam stepped toward the living room door. Faster than she had any right to be, Mama Agnes was suddenly my the larger man's side, her fingers on his wrist. The woman said one word that Shaggy's ears refused to hear and a wave of force washed over everyone. When they looked back up, Liam was on the floor unconscious and Mama Agnes had a gnarled staff in her hands.

"Mama…" the other man admonished gently.

"Charlie, I told you this might happen. Liam is too much of a stick in the mud," Mama Agnes grumbled, looking at both couches. "Now listen here. Levy and Shaggy are good people. They might be Villains, but they ain't hurting our home. So I say they can go about their business and we can remain none the wiser."

"Well, in truth, you can be as close to things as you want to be." Levy smiled. "We have some friends who are in the know and some who aren't. But we have no plans to throw this neighborhood into chaos. In fact, we've been fighting to protect it almost nightly."

"Not to mention it was us that kicked the HLO out."

"After they tried like hell to 'buy' or homes and make us leave." Said the pale woman who had got some of her color back.

Nodding to herself, the woman stood and walked over Liam's prone form. Turning to address Levy and Shaggy, she said.

"I don't know how you can be Villains and still protect this neighborhood. But you'll get no problems from me if you leave my home alone."

Shaggy and Levy nodded, and the woman turned toward the door. Turning her head as she was leaving, she added.

"And we could use a school. The nearest one is a private school downtown. Something closer to home would be nice."

Shaggy snorted, but Levy smacked his shoulder hard as the woman left. Leaving Charlie and the other woman. Mama Agnes wandered to a door just behind the opposite couch and entered. Shaggy glimpsed a kitchen as the man and woman seemed to discuss something in quiet tones. By the time Mama Agnes was back with a tray full of tea, both of them seemed to have come to a decision.

"My name is Willow and I run a small library. Our funding has been cut by the city to pay for some such nonsense that the HLO 'needs.' If you can get us some funding, I won't ask where it came from."

Shaggy rolled his eyes. "When did this become a Secret Santa meeting? We're not a charity, damn it! What do we get out of this?"

"The library has a massive second floor that's been sealed off. The first floor is beyond big enough for my needs. So if you want to… make use of it somehow. I can get you a key."

"You don't say?" Shaggy grinned as he started thinking of Rackets that could fit above a library. Turning to Charlie, he nodded. "What about you? What do you got?"

Charlie rubbed his hands together and leaned forward slightly. "Not much, really. But how do you feel about arcades?"

Shaggy sat up straighter as Levy tried to cover a laugh. Charlie and Willow looked on in surprise as Shaggy leaned forward. Mama Agnes' spell hit his shoulder again, but he ignored it as he stared into Charlie's eyes.

"What kind of arcade?"