Hector hasn't been enthusiastic about Halloween for years. It just felt like something he had outgrown a long time ago. Sure, it was kind of interesting to do things themed about Halloween, but he never bothered with handing out any candy or anything. Now he was being dragged into Animalia's version of Halloween. Admittedly, Animalians did make for better costume possibilities, especially with their oversexed bodies. But Hector didn't bother with dressing up. He was just waiting for this night and his punishment to be gotten over with.
Like Evelyn before him, Hector's final punishment will fall on Halloween. His handlers had been frustratingly vague about what this punishment entailed other than 'what goes around, comes around'. He wasn’t even sure what it could be referring to. It couldn’t mean that they were going to beat him up. Animalians don’t use corporal punishment, unless you count denying sexual release. Hector just wanted them to stop beating around the bush and get it over with.
Eventually, Hector was collected and was led off to where his final punishment would take place. Probably for the sake of irony, the one escorting him was that bat lady, Mercy. Hector wasn’t sure if Mercy has been completely pardoned for her crimes, but it seems the police was giving her a bit of leeway. Granted, she was still wearing her tracking anklet, but there weren’t any cops present. Well, at least visually present. Hector wouldn’t be surprised if there were some cops following discreetly, possibly dressed in Halloween costumes for camouflage.
“You’re not wearing a costume,” said Mercy. She was dressed up like a kunoichi. She may be wearing a little more mesh than a real ninja would have worn, but she knew she looked good in it.
“I’m not here to party,” said Hector, who was just wearing a hoodie and jeans, “I just want this to be over with. Besides, this is more about you being entertained than me being ‘taught a lesson’.”
“You’re a rather poor sport,” said Mercy.
“Not much of a sport,” mumbled Hector. But even though he still had a surly attitude, there was one remarkable improvement in Hector’s character. He was not as abrasive and misogynist as before. His ‘woody wooly’ episode hadn’t really broken his bad attitude, but it certainly humbled him enough. Previously, the only thing that had kept Hector in check was his instinctual fear of predators. While he wasn’t completely respectful with Mercy, he wasn’t trying to push her around or intimidate her. It showed that fear wasn’t necessary to keep him in line. But a good dose of fear is exactly what he was getting tonight.
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Hector wasn't sure what this building was usually used for. He wasn't even sure if this building stood around outside of Halloween or it was put together for Spookyville. But whatever it was, it was set up like a church, a ruined church. Pieces of pews, broken windows, an altar that was in deliberate disrepair. Of course, none of these things were really from a church, nor have they been consecrated in any way. While Halloween was a time for darkness and mischief, no one was going to actually desecrate a church. But the atmosphere was sufficiently spooky, with a few candles along the edges that provided only just enough illumination to see the pews.
"So what exactly am I supposed to do here?" asked Hector. Becoming a sheep hadn't given him particularly good night vision.
"Pray for mercy," said Mercy.
"Oh, you having trouble with your own parole?" asked Hector dryly.
Just then, a red spotlight shone down in the middle of the room, illuminating a figure who was hidden by the darkness. It was a little hard to tell with the red light, but Hector was pretty sure that the person sitting in the chair was wearing a nun's habit and dress. She had her head tilted down, her face concealed. "You have sinned, Hector," said the nun, her voice deep and rumbling.
Hector's tension abated. Obviously this was one of those cat nuns who had joined Animalia recently. "You brought me all this way so I can get a lecture?" asked Hector incredulously.
"This is not a simple lecture," said the nun. Obviously, there was a voice modulator used to make her sound so guttural.
"Yeah, yeah, what I did was wrong and I need make reparations to cleanse my soul," said Hector, nonchalantly.
"No, this isn't about reparation. This is about retribution," snarled the nun. Hector wasn't sure because of the red light, but he started to notice that the nun's habit was looking...splattered with something.
"Retribution?" asked Hector.
"Do you remember the girl you had beaten?" snarled the nun, "Do you remember Danya?"
"What? Danya? What does she have to do with..." Hector was starting to get a sinking feeling. His prey instincts were telling him he was in trouble. "Uh, what kind of nun are you?" he asked nervously.
"Not a forgiving one," growled the nun. Then she started to stand up. It was only now that Hector saw just how tight the gown was around her. And the darkness and red light had kept him from seeing how large she was until now. It wasn't so much the curvy figure that drew his attention but the way the sleeves were now ripping to show huge arms with heavy muscles. The gown didn't appear to be long enough to keep her legs hidden as she rose, showing just how powerfully built they were. But Hector was a bit more concerned with the claws on her hands, her large paws, and the bushy tail he could see now. None of those looked like they belonged to a cat. Then the 'nun' lifted her head, allowing her face to be clearly seen. That was definitely not a cat's face. Inside the nun's habit was a snarling wolf head with dark rings around its eyes and a bloodstained mouth. The wolf woman let out a roar before she leapt at Hector.
Hector's fight-or-flight instinct kicked in completely in favor of the latter. With a bleat of fright, he turned and ran. But the door was shut and locked. Hector desperately tried to open them but soon had to run again. The wolf woman had no real trouble keeping up with the ram. The gown she wore didn't hamper at all, especially considering how ripped up it was now. It only took a few moments of observation to realize the she-wolf was toying with Hector. She could have easily caught him at any point, but she allowed the sheep to keep running around the room.
But eventually, Hector tripped over a piece of broken pew and fell on the ground. He flipped onto his back to see the she-wolf advancing on him. "I'm sorry!" he yelped, "I'm sorry about what I did to Danya! I'm sorry about what I did to every woman that I met! Just don't eat me!"
The wolf-woman paused before letting out a long breath. "I wouldn't eat you," she said. This time, her voice came out smooth and lighter. It also sounded familiar.
"Danya?" asked Hector, finally recognizing her voice.
The wolf flashed him a grin full of sharp teeth. "Scared you good, didn't I?" she asked.
"Wait a minute, you became a wolf Animalian just to scare me?" asked Hector incredulously.
"Oh, I'm not just a wolf," said Danya, "I'm a dire wolf."
"Isn't that a fantasy thing?" asked Hector.
"No, it was an ice age animal," said Danya, "Not that much different from modern wolves, asides that the average dire wolf is as big as the largest grey wolf. And the head's a bit bigger too." Looking at her, Hector could see that she was noticeably bigger in height and muscle than the average female wolf, especially with that shredded nun costume. He didn't know if he should feel aroused or be close to wetting himself.
"You were never in any real danger," said Mercy, "But you had to learn your lesson: that the people you've wronged can strike back at you and they can strike much harder than you think."
"Ok, ok, I get it now," said Hector.
"We'll have to see if the lesson sticks," said Mercy.
"And I'll be keeping an eye on you," said Danya, leaning down and baring her teeth more. Hector was a little caught between looking at her canines or looking at her cleavage. This was definitely going to affect his dreams later, though he wasn't sure if they'll be nightmares or wet dreams.