Inside the Heavenly Mall, Courtney walked into the cafe, her Shi ne ne sunglasses reflecting the neon glow of the fluorescent lights. She scanned the room, her eyes landing on the two boys working behind the counter.
"Heeey," she drawled, her voice laced with sugary sweetness. "Let me have a hot coffee from the cutest guy here!"
The teen boy behind the counter blushed crimson, his eyes widening. "Coming right up!" he stammered.
Courtney wrinkled her nose in disgust, her perfect pout deepening. "Ew, gross! Not you! I said from the cutest guy here!"
The teen boy's face fell, his blush turning into a look of hurt confusion. "B-but…"
Before he could finish, a stronger looking boy shoved him roughly aside. "Step aside, pencil dick!" he sneered. "I know exactly what the ladies want."
He stepped forward, his chest broad, his grin wide. "Sup, baby. You doing anything after? My shift ends in an hour," he flashed his pearly whites, his breath minty and his aftershave sharp.
Courtney batted her eyelashes, a shy purr escaping her lips. "I dunno… maybe I'll be doing you after work?" she winked, her voice laced with playful promise.
The boy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Goddamn, you sound really fun." he exclaimed, his grin widening.
"So, can I have a hot coffee?" Courtney asked, her perfect, glittered pink lips smiling across her face.
The strong boy quickly poured a steaming hot coffee and covered it with the lid as he placed it on the counter, sliding it to her. "Here you go, beautiful. That'll be $4.50." He smiled proudly at Courtney.
Courtney sighed in exasperation. "What the fuck?! You're actually gonna make me pay for this shit?!"
"What? You expect me to pay it for you?" The strong boy shot back.
"Well, duh! Do you know who I am? I am Courtney Sinclaire! Boys throw themselves at my feet! Girls wish they could be me! Courtney sneered.
The strong boy was confused and uttered. "Who?"
Courtney, feeling personally attacked, grabbed the hot coffee and said
"Maybe this will help you remember."
Right as she hurled it at the strong boy's face. strong boy screamed in absolute agony, falling backward behind the counter. "YOU FUCKIN' BITCH! OH MY FUCKING GOD! OWWW! OWWWW!"
Turning and storming out of the cafe, Courtney didn't show a hint of remorse or worry.
"Stupid cheap-ass fuckboy can't even buy me a fucking coffee," she muttered under her breath as she disappeared into the crowd, just as mall security guards ran past her and entered the cafe
SMACK! The flip chart's resounding smack echoed through the classroom, the sound ricocheting off the worn walls of the classroom. Harmony, her smile almost painfully bright, gestured wildly with her pointer, oblivious to the sea of disinterested teens staring into their phones. She was enlightening the At-Risk Youth Group on the profound power of savings.
"And here!" she chirped, her voice a saccharine melody in the stale air. "You can turn your allowance from nothing to something! It's all about savings!" She flipped a page, revealing a crudely drawn chart with stick figures and dollar signs. "Say your allowance is a generous $50? Do you really need that shiny new video game? Do you really need those sugary snacks?"
"Video games ain't fifty bucks, bitch!" someone yelled from the back, and the class erupted in a wave of laughter.
"I need fifty bucks to get fucking hiiiiigh," a girl added, her voice filled with a giddy drawl.
"I wouldn't spend fifty bucks on fucking candy, you dumb bimbo!" shouted another boy, the classroom laughing maliciously.
Harmony paused, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second, her bright eyes scanning the room. "But if you manage your money properly, your $50 allowance can magically transform into a whopping $250 every month!" She insisted, her grin gleaming, her pointer tapping the chart with exciting energy.
"Is $250 how much you're worth a night?" a crude boy grinned, his eyes checking out Harmony, as the class erupted in another wave of laughter, an explosion of cynical amusement.
"Alright, out you go!" Joan intervened, pulled the boy off his desk, grabbing him by the arm.
"Hey, come on! It was a joke! I can't go back to community service!" The boy whined as Joan dragged him out of the room. The door slammed, echoing into the now quiet classroom.
"Umm. Thank you, Joan..." Harmony said with a nervous pause, as all eyes were firmly on her now.
Courtney, wanting to get all the attention of the class, blurted out, "$250? I wonder where the fuck is she pulling these numbers from?" Courtney grinned with eagerness, but her words fell flat, and met with stony silence.
"Fifty dollars every week for a month is $250, you stupid dumb bitch," Natalie sighed, her voice cutting through the silence like a razor. The class exploded in laughter once again, a wave of uproarious approval washing over Natalie, leaving Courtney seething.
"Fuck you, hooker! The fifty bucks you'd spend on are the condoms at the fucking vending machines, you gas station ho!" Courtney retorted, her smirk widening, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction.
The class erupted in a collective "OOOOOOOH!" a wave of excited anticipation filling the air.
Natalie stood up, her eyes narrowed, her expression a mix of anger and amusement. "You wanna talk about condoms? How about—"
"Ladies, ladies, please!" Harmony interjected, "This is a learning group! We're here because we care!"
"Nah-uh, bitch! We're here because we're being threatened with prison time and expulsion!" Natalie shouted, her voice echoing through the room, and the class erupted in cheers, giving each other high fives.
Harmony smiled and said. "Which is why I want to present to you..."
But before She could finish her sentence, the door opened and Joan walked in, her pristine white collared shirt stained with blood.
"Oh my goodness! Joan, are you alright?!"
"Yes. I'm alright. Why do you ask?"
"You're bleeding!" Harmony shouted with worry.
Joan looked down at her shirt and then said, "Oh, that's not mine."
The classroom once again fell silent.
"Well, I was about to show the class our wonderful new idea," Harmony said nervously, framing a small smile.
"Of course! I'll wheel it in!" Joan said eagerly as she made her way to the back of the room and wheeled in a rickety, makeshift table.
"And what the fuck is that?" Natalie asked.
"A PRIZE TABLE!" Harmony gleamed as she pulled off the tarp covering the table. "I made it specifically for this week's topic!"
"Wow, so we're here against our will, and you think you can bribe us with fucking dollar store toys?" Natalie sneered, her voice thick with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.
"But it's fun!" Harmony insisted, her smile unwavering.
"It's fucking stupid!" Natalie hissed.
"But everyone's gonna get paid!" Harmony chirped, her eyes sparkling with naive enthusiasm.
"What's that? We get fucking money?!" someone shouted, their voice suddenly alive with greedy excitement. The entire class erupted in a wave of shouts and yells, their initial fear and disinterest replaced with a sudden, frenzied energy.
"Yes! You all get Har-monies!" Harmony declared, proudly displaying a stack of crudely printed paper dollars, her own face plastered on them with a cute, sweet smile.
The class went dead silent again, the air thick with disbelief.
"So, you're printing illegal money, and we're the criminals? Pfft, fuck the system," Natalie scoffed. The students, now realizing the absurdity of the situation, erupted in a wave of raucous laughter, a collective "fuck this" hanging in the air.
"The money is not illegal; it has no value outside of this room!" Harmony insisted, a desperate attempt to maintain control.
"Yeah, okay," Natalie muttered with skepticism, as she flipped open her worn copy of "I Did It and I Liked It," a true crime novel filled with deliciously dark details. Written by Ididn Doet
"So, let me explain the prize table!" Harmony continued, her voice turning into a muffled echo in Natalie's ears as she ignored her, her gaze fixed on the pages of her book. Her mind wandered, conjuring vivid images of hidden bodies and cleverly crafted alibis. How would it feel to actually get away with it? she wondered, a dark curiosity stirring in her mind, thinking about the awful smell the bodies would make hidden under a crawlspace.
Suddenly, a phrase cut through her morbid mind.
"The 'Get Out of Jail Free' card is the most expensive prize! For a whopping 1000 Har-monies, you can buy a day away from the At-Risk Youth Group! If you can come up with 1000 Har-Monies, I'll excuse you from class!" Harmony announced, her smile beaming, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
Natalie's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. A way out? A genuine escape? No Harmony, no tedious lectures? No stupid Courtney and her stupid abrasive thoughts? And, more importantly, a way to be home before her mother's nightly descent into drunken madness?
No more knocking on the door, begging her alcoholic shitbag of a mom to wake up and let her in. A thousand Har-monies. A thousand pieces of paper standing between her and a day of peace. She had to have that prize.
Unbeknownst to Natalie, Courtney's mind was also racing with schemes. She pictured herself back in the mall, the glittering displays of designer goods calling to her. How she loathed leaving this godforsaken school at night, the mall doors slammed shut, the promise of new purchases snatched away. And the thought of returning straight home to her hollow mansion surrounded by loser butlers and foreign maids, and when she desperately tried to call her parents, just to say goodnight, they immediately told her to stop calling back and that they're busy. Made her stomach churn. No, She had to get that card.
"So, it's gonna take a while, but I'm sure you'll have a fun time working together, earning those Har-monies!" Harmony finished with a smile.
Courtney's mind was already calculating a brilliant idea. She's going to find a way to duplicate the get-out-of-jail-free card and sell them to her fellow peers for profit! Those losers think they're getting anything for free? I'll show them, she thought, her fingers twitching with anticipation.
Natalie envisioned a way to make 1000 Har-Monies. She'll make a collective within the classroom. She'll promise everyone a turn to buy a get-out-of-jail-free card, with Natalie of course being the first to buy it. It's a shitty pyramid scheme, but hey, whatever works, right?
Courtney's mind was filled with images of designer handbags, glittering jewelry, and the sweet satisfaction of escaping her empty home life.
Harmony's grin remained fixed, completely unaware of the storm brewing within the classroom, a storm she had unwittingly unleashed.
After school, the At-Risk Youths were on the ground texting and chatting, loitering around the empty hallways. Natalie was already laying the groundwork for her "collective." Her voice, a gravelly mix of command and impatience, echoed through the hallways.
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"Everybody listen up!" she yelled. "I need all of you to hand me 100 Har-Monies right now!"
The At-Risk Youths all turned to each other and looked at Natalie in confusion.
"Why?" asked a boy in a hoodie. "You really want those cheap-ass toys that badly?" He taunted as the rest of the teens laughed.
"Look, we need 1000 Har-Monies to get a day off from this shithole, right? So if you just give me the damn money, I promise everyone will get a turn!" she barked, her eyes scanning the room like a drill sergeant inspecting recruits.
The hooded boy stood up, his arms crossed, and said, "Yeah? And what if I wanna go first? Sounds to me like your plan doesn't have much weight to it." He scoffed.
"My knee crushing your balls won't have much weight to you either, dipshit. So if you're gonna start something you better be quick about it, otherwise give me the goddamn paper!" Natalie ordered, her patience wearing thin.
The boy's face turned pale, and he quickly gave Natalie 100 Har-Monies.
"Alright, cool, fuck you very much," she said as she looked at the other teens and began haggling for money. "You! Shit stain, give me 100 Har-Monies, and you, future offender, let's go!"
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Courtney had a simpler idea. After the class was dismissed and the last student had just left the room, Courtney approached the prize table, studying it.
"Hiii, getting your eye on the prize, Courtney?" Harmony smiled, her cheeks a bright pink.
"Ew, no... I mean, yes! These are... lovely prizes!" Courtney laughed awkwardly at the cheap knickknacks on the table.
Half of this shit looked like the toys you'd find in a capsule vending machine. None of it looked appealing, and these prizes were way too childish for high school students, even more so for the incredibly wealthy Courtney Sinclair.
"So what's up? You never stay after class. You're always the first out the door shouting 'move out of the way,'" Harmony grinned.
"Well, I was wondering if I could take a picture of your prizes! Maybe post them online to get everyone in the, uhh, prize-winning mood?" Courtney lied.
"Oh, that's wonderful! Joan? Did you hear Courtney's brilliant idea? Our prize table will appear on the 'worldwide nets'!" Harmony said endearingly.
Joan, with a broom in her hand, walked over to the table and looked at Courtney suspiciously.
"Hmm, yes, I believe that does sound like a good idea. However, Lady Courtney, why are you invested in helping your fellow peers all of a sudden? Since when have you become the charitable type?" Joan said, looking down at Courtney, her tall stature towering over her.
"Hey, I care about my fellow queers! (She meant peers.) I think they're all good people! Love is love, right?" Courtney grinned nervously.
Joan blushed a shade of red, taken aback by what Courtney had just said, then looked at Harmony, who was completely overjoyed.
"That's wonderful, Courtney! I'm glad the At-Risk Youth Group is finally making sense to you! Oh, Joan, I'm so happy!" Harmony squealed, hugging Joan.
Joan naturally held Harmony in her arms tenderly but quickly let her go when she remembered Courtney was still standing there.
"Uhh, be quick now! And don't take long. I still have to sweep the room and tidy everything up for tomorrow!" Joan flustered as she quickly speed-walked to a random corner of the room and swept the floors vigorously.
Courtney quickly got to work and took pictures. Between each shot, she looked over her shoulder making sure Harmony wasn't looking as Courtney stole a yellow 1000 Har-Monies bill.
"All done?" Harmony chirped, her cheeks rosy with joy.
"Yuuup, I got everything I need hehehe..
You idiot..." Courtney accidentally blurted.
"What was that?" Harmony said in confusion.
"Nothing! Uhh I gotta go!" Courtney bolted out the door leaving Harmony and Joan to their after school duties.
The next day after school, Natalie, with determined calculation, counted the "Har-Monies" she got from her threatening "collective."
"Thank fuck that worked. A day off, here I come," she thought, a smirk playing on her lips.
Courtney, however, was 10 steps ahead of Natalie.
Phase 1 was simply stealing the bill. For the next phase of her plan, she needed the get out of jail free card.
Courtney waited by the hallway leading to the classroom for Harmony when she spotted Harmony and Joan strolling by, their voices a cheerful murmur.
"Perfect timing!" Courtney cleared her throat and pulled out a hand mirror, quickly fixing her hair trying to look as innocent as possible.
"I can't wait to start another day, Joan! It's gonna be great!" Harmony chirped with naive enthusiasm.
When Courtney cautiously stepped in front of the joyful duo.
"Heeeey, ummm, you!" Courtney laughed nervously forgetting Harmony's name.
"What a lovely surprise! Good afternoon, Courtney." Harmony smiled. Joan just stared at Courtney suspiciously.
Courtney played it cool and got straight to the point.
"I'd like to cash in my Har-Monies for a get out of jail free card please!" Courtney smiled, feigning her innocence.
"Already!?" Harmony gasped with joy. "Come on, let's walk to class together, we'll talk on the way over! " Harmony's smiled as her pink hair bobbed with every joyful step.
Joan kept her eye on Courtney who was still grinning nervously. She was wondering what was going in Courtney's mind.
Inside Courtney's mind all she thought of was "I wonder if the mall still has those cheesecake yogurt I love so much."
As the At-Risk Youth Group began to assemble, Natalie was impatiently tapping her feet waiting for Harmony.
"Come on, come on, where the fuck are you?!" Natalie's grunted.
Finally, Harmony walked in, her voice a joyful melody, rambling about friendship and some other bullshit. It didn't matter. Natalie fished out her pocket full of Har-monies and walked over to Harmony ready to buy her way out.
"Hey, Pinky!" Natalie smirked with anticipation.
"Yes, my learning angel?" Harmony chirped, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink, a giggle escaping her lips.
"Yeah, never, ever call me that again," Natalie growled, her eyes narrowing. "I just wanna cash in my money!"
Harmony's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "WOW! See, I knew you'd like the prize table!" she exclaimed, her smile wide and blinding.
"Yeah, whatever. Just give me the Get Out of Jail Free card so I can get the fuck outta here already," Natalie muttered impatiently.
Harmony giggled, waving a dismissive finger. "Ah-ah-ah! I'm afraid that prize has already been sold out!" she chirped, her grin unwavering.
Natalie's face contorted in a mask of unbelievable fury. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN SOLD OUT?!"
Harmony, startled by Natalie's outburst, pressed her fingertips together and shuffled her feet, her smile faltering slightly. "Well, it's just that... I didn't expect Courtney to make 1000 Har-Monies so quickly, sooo she bought the only one I have... And to complicate things, in her joyful skipping out the door, I realized she forgot to hand the card back, so that was a mistake on my part. I hope you understand... "
"THAT BIIIIIIIIIIITCH!" Natalie shrieked, her voice echoing through the classroom.
Later that evening in her mansion, Courtney had her father's top graphic designers create counterfeit get out of jail free cards with amazing accuracy and AI precision. Was it overkill? Yes, but it's the best overkill money can buy!
The counterfeit cards were being printed at mass volume; they were indistinguishable from the originals. "It's like printing my own money!" Courtney grinned wildly.
The next day after school, before the doors to the classroom opened, Courtney prepared the second phase of her plan: selling the get out of jail free cards.
"Hey losers, tired of spending time in this shit hole? Well I got the thing just for you!"
Courtney revealed her stash of printed Cards.
"Step right up one and all! Bring out your wallets! I'll even accept NFC!" Courtney Friend.
"Can I get get out of jail free card?" a voice piped up.
"Of course you can, that'll be fifty dollars! Real ones!" Courtney giggled, her eyes gleaming with avarice.
"Hey, me too!" another voice shouted.
"Yeah, same here!" shouted one more.
"Thank you, thank you, and thank you!" Courtney cackled with glee as she raked in real money. "So, who's the stupid bitch now?!" She giggled.
Later, when class finally began, Natalie was literally the only one who didn't get excused from class.
"Well I guess it's just you and me Natalie! We can make this a fun experience! One on one learning, just you and me!" Harmony smiled.
"Fuck my life ..." Natalie sighed deeply.
The next morning, before the first bell even dared to ring, Natalie stormed up the stairwell leading to the roof. There, bathed in the pale morning light, sat Courtney, draped in a ridiculous amount of brand-new, gaudy clothing, her eyes glued to her phone.
"You fucking whore!" Natalie shrieked, her voice a raw, furious rasp, startling Courtney, who nearly dropped her phone.
"I was gonna buy that fucking card! Now, how the fuck am I supposed to go home early from school!?" Natalie sneered, her eyes burning intensely.
"Well, lucky for you, I have plenty of get-out-of-jail-free cards to go around," Courtney purred, slowly rising to her feet. "Of course, if the price is right." She grinned, her eyes locking onto Natalie's with malicious intent.
Natalie sighed in defeat and said, "How much do you want for it...?"
"Well, I'll throw in a special price just for you! I want a thousand." Courtney said with a smug grin.
Natalie practically shoved the wad of Har-monies into Courtney's face, her fingers trembling with impatience. "Well?!"
Courtney threw her head back and unleashed a torrent of mocking laughter, the sound echoing through the stairwell. Natalie's expression twisted from rage to bewildered confusion.
"What's this shit? Sorry, sweetie, I don't take food stamps!" Courtney smirked, her eyes glittering with sadistic amusement.
"FUCK YOU!" Natalie roared, her voice cracking with fury.
"Now, now, pudding, calm down. I'm sure we can arrange something," Courtney giggled, her voice laced with venomous sweetness. "Maybe you can scrub toilets at my mansion for a week!" Courtney cackled at the thought of it.
Natalie snapped. She lunged forward, grabbing Courtney's pristine jacket from Vanity's, yanking her face-to-face. "Just. Give me. The FUCKIN. CARD!" she hissed, her breath hot and ragged.
Courtney held the laminated card aloft, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "You want this? WELL TOO BAD! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!"
With a swift, hard shove, Courtney pushed Natalie off her. Natalie shrieked and lost her footing as she stumbled backward, tumbling down the stairs. The sound of her body hitting the steps echoed through the stairwell.
Courtney gasped and covered her mouth in shock. She didn't mean to throw Natalie down the stairs. She looked around and saw there were no witnesses and quickly made a run for it, her heels clicking with every step.
After school, Courtney was raking in mad cash, the However, she was starting to run out of Get Out of Jail Free cards. So naturally, when demands are high and supply is low, the next logical step is to jack up the prices to absurd levels, her greed knowing no bounds.
"What do you mean I gotta pay $100?! You said it was $50!" shouted a bewildered teen.
"Supply and demand, dickhole," Courtney sneered. "You don't want it? You don't buy it! Make with the money or fuck off!"
"Fuck you, bitch..." the teen retorted, turning to storm off.
"Asshole...." Courtney muttered.
After a long day of shopping at the Mall, Courtney sat on a faux-marble kiosk. She pulled out her $9000 Die-Phone 25, pressed it against her ear, and began gossiping with some friends. It was a usual "who did what and who said what" type of conversation. Courtney was so immersed in the conversation she lost track of the time.
"Like, I knowwww that bitch is gonna be pregnant for sure!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the mall's atrium. Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over Courtney. She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt an unnerving chill running down her spine.
"I have to go..." she whispered, abruptly ending the call. As the screen went dark, the reflective surface revealed a distorted image: a masked figure standing silently behind her.
Courtney spun around, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was Natalie. She was Nebula Ninja now, and her body was swirling with dark aether shadows spiraling slowly around her body. Her hoodie was now a Shinobi Shozoku with a skirt-like design, her crimson scarf, blowing in an unknown wind indoors, concealing the lower half of her face. A gleaming, oversized shuriken served as a menacing belt buckle.
"H-hey! You're alright!" Courtney said with genuine relief. "I thought you died and ended up at the hospital!" She laughed nervously as she stood up and faced Natalie. "Look, sorry about the whole throwing you down the stairs thing." She fished out the last Get Out of Jail Free card and held it in front of Natalie. "My treat, what do you say? Let's just put all of this behind us, yeah?" Courtney grinned nervously.
"I'm gonna fucking destroy everything you love, bitch..." Natalie said deadpanned, her voice a cold, venomous whisper. "NINPO SHADOW BURN!"
With a guttural cry, Natalie unleashed a swirling vortex of dark energy. A shadowy hand, formed from pure malice, emerged from the vortex and swept through Courtney's body, leaving her standing in her bra and underwear, her face flushed with mortification.
"AHHHH! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, YOU FUCKING PERVERT!" Courtney shrieked, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch as she frantically tried to cover herself.
Natalie, her expression cold, began systematically stripping Courtney of her prized possessions. She snatched the shattered Die-Phone 25, the glittering Jimmi-Changas shoes, the luxurious Double G's sweater, the priceless necklace from Glitz n Shiz, the hand-crafted French purse from Le petite incompétent, the intoxicating perfumes from Queefini, and finally, the exquisitely tailored pants from Smexi's, "a girl's best friend," the most expensive store in the entire world!
"WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH ALL MY STUFF?!" Courtney shrieked, tears streaming down her face, her voice cracking with a mixture of rage and despair.
Natalie raised her hand, her fingers clenching into a fist, the gesture almost mimicking the crushing of Courtney's very soul. With a swift, deliberate motion, she caused all of Courtney's beloved possessions to erupt in a fiery inferno. The shadowy hand pulsed with dark energy, morphing into a swirling vortex of purple flames. Courtney's eyes, wide with horror, reflected the agonizing destruction of everything she held dear, turning to ash before her very eyes.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Courtney screamed as a burst of shimmering light enveloped Courtney. Her body shimmered and transformed, wearing a cute, yellow-spotted dress with a fluffy skirt. Fluffy kitty ears popped out from her perfectly styled hair. Her arms transformed into paw-like gloves, tipped with retractable, razor claws. Her legs wore thigh-high spotted stockings.
Yes, she looked fab as fuck, but her eyes sparkled with such intensity and hatred. She was Cosmic Cheetah now, and she was ready to fuck shit up!
"I TRIED BEING NICE WITH YOU! NOW I'M GONNA FUCK YOU UP!" she shrieked, her voice a distorted, high-pitched roar.
"Bring it, bitch..." Natalie whispered, with cold, unwavering resolve.
Courtney launched herself towards Natalie, her incredible Cheetah speed blindingly fast.
Natalie, with a swift, fluid motion, drew her razor-sharp Ninjatō, the blade glinting under the mall's fluorescent lights, held it above her head, and slashed at Courtney.
Courtney spun around mid-air, her claws extended, sinking into Natalie's side. The chainmail, though sturdy, offered little resistance against her razor-sharp claws. With a powerful flip, Courtney executed a brutal suplex, sending Natalie crashing onto the polished mall floor, her neck impacting with a sickening *crack*. The sound of concrete and broken bones echoed through the corridor.
Courtney, her chest heaving, looked down triumphantly. But Natalie had been replaced by a straw man! A clever ninja art of deception, its painted eyes staring blankly up at her.
"WHAT THE FU—"
The blunt end of Natalie's Ninjatō connected with Courtney's jaw, the force of the blow sending teeth flying and blood spraying across the pristine mall tiles. Courtney spun, a high-pitched yelp escaping her lips, and crashed through the storefront of a Crapple Die-Phone store, sending shattered glass and electronics raining down on the horrified onlookers.
"Oh my God!" shouted a woman, as employees quickly opened the back door and ran inside, abandoning the customers. Sparks flew, electricity crackled, and the air filled with the scent of burning expensive, made-in-China technology.
The crowd, a sea of gaping mouths and wide eyes, watched in stunned silence, their phones held high, recording the carnage.
Natalie, her eyes gleaming with intense hatred, burst through the shattered storefront, grabbing as many Die-Phones as she could carry. "HERE YOU GO, BITCH!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the store as she began throwing expensive product after expensive product with ninja precision.
"DIE-PHONE 25! DIE-PHONE 25 AIR! DIE-PHONE 25 PRO! DIE-PHONE 25 MAX! DIE-PHONE 25 PRO MAX! DIE-PHONE 25 PRO MAX AIR! AND A FUCKING TABLET FOR YOUR FUCKING HEAD!"
Courtney, now a mangled mess of fur and bruises, was pummeled by a relentless barrage of ridiculously expensive phones, each one a slight variation on the same overpriced device. Her face was a swollen, bloody mess, her ribs cracked, and the tablet, delivered with pinpoint accuracy, smashed into her forehead, sending more teeth flying.
Natalie rushed forward, delivering a devastating uppercut that snapped Courtney's jaw shut with a sickening *crunch*, sending her hurtling through the ceiling and into the store above.
The crowd in the Crapple store was cheering as Natalie jumped into the hole above, leaving the satisfied onlookers behind
"Ooohhh... okay... you win... please stop..." Courtney whimpered in pain.
Natalie ignored Courtney's pleas as she rushed over to the game shelves. She clicked open a green Omni Box Serial 2 case, only to find it empty inside. A low growl rumbled in her throat. She spun towards the Gamesux employee, who was cowering behind the register, his eyes wide with terror.
"Where do you keep the discs to this shit?" Natalie demanded, her voice a low, menacing growl.
"We don't keep the discs in the boxes! We have them in the back!!" the man stammered, his voice trembling.
"What was I thinking?" Natalie scoffed, her lip curling in disgust. "Nobody comes here for discs, fucking digital future..." She turned back to Courtney, grabbed her limp tail, and began a brutal, rhythmic slamming against the walls. Empty game boxes rained down, adding to the chaotic symphony of destruction. She slammed Courtney against the malfunctioning demo consoles, the controllers dangling uselessly. She slammed her against the flickering monitors, sending static-filled images flashing across the screen. And finally, she slammed her against the towering display of Yucko Tops, the tiny plastic figures scattering like startled cockroaches.
Natalie paused and released Courtney's tail for a moment, her gaze drawn to the assortment of Yucko Tops. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a collection of Sailing Star Cutie Princess figures. She picked up a Nebula Ninja Yucko Top, turning it over in her hand, her expression a mix of confusion and disgust.
"Why the fuck am I a toy?" she muttered, her voice laced with incredulity. She flipped the box over, her eyes scanning the collection. "Who the fuck is Emperor Sylak?" she demanded, her voice laced with a newfound sense of unease.
The clattering of toppled Yucko Tops snapped Natalie out of her fourth-wall reverie. She watched as Courtney attempted to crawl away. A low sigh escaped Natalie's lips. "I think you've learned your lesson, bitch."
But a mischievous glint flickered in her one visible eye. "But first..."
With a swift, brutal motion, Natalie grabbed Courtney's tail again, the fur matted. She began to swing her around and around, Courtney's body a ragdoll in the whirlwind of destruction. "AHHHHHH!" Courtney shrieked loudly. Finally, with a grunt of exertion, Natalie released her grip, sending Courtney hurtling through the Gamesux storefront, the glass shattering in a shower of glittering shards.
"So long, gay Bowser!" Natalie smirked.
Courtney's body crashed through the opulent displays of Smexi's, sending designer clothing and accessories flying. She tumbled through the meticulously arranged travel goods of Chewie Glutton, luxury suitcases and travel pillows scattering like fallen dominoes. Finally, her broken form came to a slow, agonizing skid at the foot of the escalators. With a mechanical hum, the "Up" escalators began their relentless ascent, carrying Courtney's limp body upwards, only to deposit her at the top, where she began the slow roll, an endless humiliating loop.
Natalie walked over to Courtney, who was completely out cold, feeling satisfied. She reached into Courtney's pocket, retrieving the laminated get-out-of-jail-free card. "I'll be taking this," she said, her voice laced with a sardonic edge. "Fuck you very much."
The endless loop of the escalator spun Courtney's body around like a rotating chicken on an open fire.
"Attention shoppers! It's 7:00 PM," a cheerful, automated voice echoed through the mall's speakers. "The mall will now be closing. Shoppers, please exit through the nearest exit. Thank you for shopping at Heavenly Mall, the mall where all your prayers come true! Have a good evening!"
A lone security guard, his face pale and eyes wide with terror, who had witnessed the entire fight, turned around and quickly retreated, his footsteps echoing through the empty corridors.
The next day, Natalie arrived at the At-Risk Youth Group with intense exhaustion. She practically survived the whole day at school just so she could leave for home three hours early.
Clutching the get-out-of-jail-free card, she stood by the door, ready to thrust it forward and finally escape this shit hole.
The door swung open, and the usual crew of delinquents shuffled inside, their expressions apathetic. Courtney, however, limped very slowly towards her usual spot, slumped down on her desk, and immediately passed out.
Natalie, however, walked towards Harmony, her face stern and annoyed.
"HEY!" she shouted at Harmony, who spun around with her usual happy glee.
"Natalie! What is up, my sister?" Harmony replied, her attempt at cool slang trying to stay relevant to connect with the at-Risk Youths.
"Here! Take this shit and let me go!" Natalie exclaimed, thrusting the get-out-of-jail-free card into Harmony's hand.
"Oh... I'm so sorry, Natalie," Harmony said, her smile unwavering.
"Sorry? What the fuck do you mean, sorry?!" Natalie hissed.
"Principal Stone told me too many students weren't showing up to the At-Risk Youth Group," Harmony explained, her voice calm but sweet to ease the pain of disappointment. "And when I explained the Har-monies and Get Out of Jail Free cards... well, he didn't like that one bit. So we're canceling the prize table altogether... But thanks for being such a good sport!"
She patted Natalie's shoulder and gave a dazzling, sweet smile.
Natalie's face turned bright red. She took a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes wide with disbelief and rage. Then, from the depths of her soul, she unleashed a primal scream of pure, unadulterated frustration.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"
つづく
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