Y/N's P.O.V

"All set?" Kiki asks, looking me over, "Have everything?"

"Mm hm. I'm all good" I nod, gesturing to my large duffel bag that I use for travel, "Thanks for your help in ensuring I didn't forget something."

"Of course" My girlfriend smiles warmly, "Now that I have you, as a steady boyfriend, I can be helpful in more ways than one."

It's just after lunch time now. The both of us had overslept from...well, going at it for a long time last night. Kiki was adamant about giving me 'my reward'. Next thing I knew, it was around 10:30 A.M and I awoke to her soft, purple colored hair tickling my face as she had her head resting against my shoulder. I wasn't particularly worried about that fact, though, since I already had pretty much everything packed yesterday. But, as we were getting up, I thought about getting a laptop like my girlfriend's so that I could do some online research while I was down in Wrath and perhaps give Kiki and I the option of video calling each other to see how we're doing. So I made a quick run to the nearest place that sold them, got one, and came right back. Now that same laptop sits inside the duffel bag with the rest of my accessories, including my clothes, weapons, and armor. The bag is zipped close, buckled close, and has a fingerprint lock attached to the buckle to prevent anyone from stealing anything inside. And, in the event anyone actually does try to take it, I have a tracker sewn in that connects to my phone which will enable me to find it again. Can't take any chances with the scum that live in Hell.

"The bed's gonna feel really empty without you in it" Kiki pouts as I grab my bag off the table and sling it over my left shoulder.

"I'll miss you too" I say, giving her a small smile, "But I'll be sure to call. That way you don't get too lonely."

"That's assuming I don't call you first, but I'll hold you to that" She smiles back, approaching me and wrapping her arms around my neck as she leans in close, "You take care down there, ok?"

"I will" I nod, "And I know you'll take care of yourself just fine."

Kiki gives a small nod, showing her level of confidence and assurance, and then closes the distance for a kiss. I hold her close, my arms bringing her in instinctively. It's a short, sweet moment that I wish could last for a lot longer, but she and I both know I need to go, so it's only a few minutes until we part. I then walk towards the door of my apartment, the bag being too big for me to leave through the window like I typically do, but I pause with my hand on the knob and give my girlfriend one more smile before opening the door, her smiling and blowing me a kiss right before the door is closed again.

The hallway outside is empty and dim, so I take the opportunity to call Vortex, ringing his number as I'm walking down the hall towards the elevator.

"Hello?" Vortex answers.

"Hey, Tex. It's Y/N" I reply, my number apparently not appearing as my name on his phone.

"Oh, hey, man. How things been? Haven't heard from you in a bit" He asks, his tone changing to a more friendly one now that he knows it's me.

"Hectic" I answer shortly, heading inside the now open elevator and selecting the ground floor, "So much that I feel bad that I did reach out after the hellhound party. I'm sorry that I left you hanging."

"Eh, don't worry about that, Y/N. It's not worth festering over. I'm just glad you called" Vortex says, the way he's speaking causing me to visualize him waving off my apology while smiling, "To be honest, I was hoping we could try it again sometime. Much like Loona, I don't got much friends in this city and though being a dad has its perks, I do have less time to hang with the friends I have when I want to, if you catch my drift."

"I get what you mean, yeah" I nod, even though I know he can't see me do it, "But on that note, I do have to tell you that I'm going to be leaving Pride for a little while. A week or two at the most, but I'll see depending on how things go."

"What? Leave Pride? Are you ok, man?" Tex asks, not sounding like he fully believes what I just told him, "Are you in any trouble?"

"No, but I'm going looking for it. A shady individual has put his/herself on the top of my priorities at the moment, but they've vanished from this place. So I must track them down and get answers" I say, not saying everything over the phone since a slight sense of paranoia makes me feel like I can't trust that somebody isn't listening in right now.

"Well, ok. Just be careful out there, alright? I don't want to lose another friend, especially before we're friends to begin with" The hellhound sighs, actually sounding a bit sad when he said that second bit.

"Will do" I assure him, the elevator stopping and opening, "I gotta go, Tex."

"Ok. Take it easy" He finishes.

"You too, my man" I conclude, ending the call there as I exit the elevator.

I take the side exit out of the building and come out near the street that curves in front of the apartment complex. It's not as clearly visible to passerby's as the rest of the building, which is why I chose it as the place to create the portal at. Facing the empty wall near the exit door, I visualize the image of Wrath I searched up and committed to memory earlier. Then comes the motions and the hand gesture before the slim, crackling gateway forms. Without looking back, I walk through, stop on the other side, and close it as soon as possible. Don't want anybody following me through, even though I'm pretty sure I was alone.

True to the picture, I've landed myself behind a store in one of Wrath's smaller towns, a dumpster and full bags of garbage stacked on top of each other to my right with spare plains stretching out in front of me. I picked this spot, more so the town than near a dumpster, because I figured that the area would be one where the assassin would more often visit than not. Speaking from personal experience, it's common for us to stick to more heavily populated areas since we blend in better/don't stand out as much and have more ample opportunity for targets. And that's why I'll look around and ask around this town first before checking somewhere else. I hide my duffel bag behind the garbage bags, keeping the handgun that would typically be in my side holster with me, and walk around the side of the store before pausing out front.

The town is one that has small stores set up in a parallel fashion to the four-way street in the middle of the area. The buildings are a bit dirtier than those you'd find in Pride, but they don't appear run down or abandoned due to the imps going in and out of them. The stark landscape stretches on for miles in all four directions beyond the town, making it feel quite isolated from the rest of Wrath. Heck, if the rest of Wrath is nothing but dirt, rock, and some farms here and there, my job will be pretty easy here. But, I need to start my search here like I said I would and after quickly spotting the bar at the street corner a bit down to my right, I think it's the best place to start. There's nobody on the sidewalk leading there, so I take the opportunity presented and head to the establishment, walking casually with my hands in my pockets.

When I enter, the bar is mostly empty save for the bartender and one lone imp sitting at one of the nearby circular tables. I walk up to the bartender, lean on the counter, and quietly ask her if there have been any assassins around today and if she could point me in the right direction. Luckily, she's on the nicer side of the spectrum, telling me that the gentleman at the table is one rather than just telling me to fuck off. I thank her, leave her to her duties, and take an empty seat at the table the imp is at. Now that I have a closer look at him, he has a particularly flat face with pale yellow skin, grungy work clothes with a brown jacket, and a cap on between his horns. His eyes don't match what Octavia described, so this probably isn't the one I'm after. But, I can still question him for information to see if he may know an assassin that fits what she saw.

"Who the fuck are you?" The assassin says, his voice all scratchy.

"An individual with the same line of work as yourself" I reply, my voice taking on a serious, 'no funny business' tone, "But also someone who wishes to know more about the others around these parts."

"Mm hm, I bet" He nods, clearly not buying what I'm saying, "But I'm sure some proof would be good too. You know, just to ensure you're not full of shit and wasting my time, cause that'd be cause for a bullet."

I hold up a finger for him to wait and I carefully pull my phone out, slowly enough so that he doesn't misinterpret it as me going for my gun. I bring up my profile and hold it close so that he can see. Yet, still, the assassin leans forward, his eyes flitting over the text on screen.

"Alright, checks out" He grunts, sitting back and taking a swig from his bottle, "But do get to the point as fast as possible. I hate it when people interrupt my drinking."

"I'm interested to know if there are any here that have ever gone beyond Wrath before" I tell him.

"Pssh! What kind of stupid ass question is that? Wrath is nothing but imps, which, last I checked, are all capable of leaving if they want" The assassin snaps.

"Yet you're choosing to dance around answering it" I say with narrowed eyes.

He sighs.

"Look, I can't speak from personal experience, but I do know a couple that have gone to Lust, Greed, and Envy" The imp answers, crossing his arms.

"Any of them go to Pride?" I ask, my line of questioning probably starting to make him suspicious.

"Yeah, yeah, they have. Pretty much everyone's gone there, doesn't make it any special" He grumbles.

I know that if I continue going where I'm already going that he might try something, assuming that the one I'm looking for is within these 'few' he speaks of. Judging by what this assassin has said already, it's looking more likely by the minute. So, I have to be prepared in the event he attempts something violent.

"And do any of these assassins have blessing-tipped weapons?" I also ask, speaking the question that might be the make or break here.

The assassin's eyes narrow significantly and he leans forward with rather menacing intent.

"You're entering into dangerous territory there, bud. Those weapons are very hard to come by and only the incredibly rich have the influence to make them available. And since you're asking about it, it leaves me to wonder who you're working for exactly. Because there's only one guy I know that has those" The imp says quietly, staring dead at me.

"My employers have some unfinished business with him" I say, my voice as low as the assassin's, "And I need to have a little chat with him to get some well-deserved answers on why he decided to do what he did to them."

I hear something cock and feel something press against my stomach. I don't need to look down to know what it is.

"If my guy is who you're after, then you sure as shit aren't gonna find him, let alone get me to tell you where he is" The assassin hisses, his gun pressing further against my stomach, "He's not someone to cross and I'll be damned if I let a good friend get roped into whatever trouble you're stirring up."

"Ok. But if you're going to shoot me, could we at least do it outside? I'm sure you wouldn't want the bartender over there to get mixed up in this" I calmly suggest, knowing that he'll say yes. Hitmen have soft spots for their regular bartenders.

"Heh, yeah, I guess you're right. And I guess you'd know too" He chuckles, pushing his chair out, "Walk outside and don't stop. I'll be right behind you."

I stand up and do what he says, the assassin breathing down my neck as I walk out the door. I'm only playing along because I still need to get that information out of him, otherwise he'd be dead already. But that doesn't mean I can't wound him and make him incapable of hurting me. That's technically still alive. Him and I now stand across from each other on the sidewalk just outside the bar, the imp trying to conceal his confusion as to why I haven't tried pulling my gun on him yet.

"Some pussy of an assassin you are. Not even gonna try to fight back?" He taunts me, throwing away any nice tendencies he previously showed.

"Why would I? I still require the information you carry. The same you're going to give me once this is over" I say, dropping my formalities too.

"Perhaps you temporarily went deaf when I was speaking. I'm not telling you anything about him!" The assassin frowns angrily, shooting me in the chest.

I feel it for sure, but it'd hurt a hell of a lot worse if not for my chest armor I'm wearing under my jacket. He looks surprised that his bullet bounced off me, which makes me believe that he isn't too trained in the way of stripping an enemy of their weapons and protective gear, given that he didn't suspect it. But as soon as he pauses, I reveal my own gun and quickly shoot him in the eye. It won't kill him, but it'll be fucking painful. And judging by the way he instinctively clutches his face with his free hand, he definitely wasn't expecting his outcome.

What I wasn't expecting was him to then turn and start running away from me. The assassin takes off down the sidewalk and I quickly run after him, my shoes smacking against the pavement as I run faster and faster. As he continues running, he shoots behind him in an attempt to hit me, even though he isn't looking. I still have to dodge those shots by flinching out of the way, but I also let off another shot near his feet to scare him.

Very soon, we're out of the town, now running across hard ground without either of us letting up on how fast we're going. Him and I exchange a few more shots occasionally and one of mine actually strikes him in the back of his leg, causing his running speed to dip a little bit. But in response to that, he actually turned back to look at me and fired off a couple shots with more precision, both grazing me in different places. He's still outpacing me, however, even though we're on much more bumpy terrain compared to the smoother roads. Up ahead, I think he sees a spot where he could try losing me. Like those interstate exits that lead onto a higher road with a bridge stretching out on the left, the land slopes up and flattens out, a small river running underneath the crude bridge as train tracks run across the top. The rumbling of an incoming train also grows louder. I can see it coming from my right, the locomotive coming along at a fast pace. He'll probably try to beat the train and trap me on this side as the train passes so he can get a bigger head start on running away. I won't let that happen.

The train gets closer as the assassin closes in on the slope. It'll be here in a matter of seconds. I try running even faster as the assassin reaches the slope and begins trudging up it, the imp firing at me a couple more times. I'm not close enough to grab him and the train is barreling towards us. Thinking quickly, I skid to a halt, aim at the assassin, who's now reached the train tracks at the top of the slope, and shoot him three times in the back. He falls down, the train horn blaring loudly as it's inches away from him. But, he rolls onto the other side just as the locomotive zips through where he was just at. I take off running again, though I run into the river and go through the small tunnel underneath the land bridge to reach the other side. As I run out the other side, the assassin is there, hunched over but still alive enough to put up a fighting stance as I tackle him to the ground.

The wounds he suffers from hinder his ability to fight to his fullest, but he's not completely incapable of defending himself. He strikes me surprisingly hard in my face before I can even begin to hit him first. The blow makes me instinctively fall backwards, but when he tries lunging at me, I dive out of the way and look behind me to see him plunge face first into the river. I stand up as fast as I can and trudge down into the river as the assassin is picking himself up. Now it's my turn to hit him across the face. He's not gained his footing enough to stop himself from falling over from the hit, getting partially submerged in water before I grab his neck, pull his sopping form up from the water, and hit about three more times before he ceases any further attempts to fight back.

"I want the name of your friend. Tell me right now and you might just live through this" I say threateningly, standing over him. 

"Well...not sorry to disappoint you...but I'm no sellout" The assassin wheezes, "Like I told you, you'll get nothing out of me."

He then bites down on something in his mouth and once I see white foam bubbling out of his, I realize too late what he just did. The assassin convulses and sputters for half a minute before going limp, having killed himself with a cyanide tooth. Not feeling any happier because of it, I toss the body to the ground in frustration and exhale while clenching my fist. First lead I have is pretty much a literal dead end now, which is not a great start here. Being a bit petty, I kick the assassin's body in an attempt to release some of this frustration I'm feeling. But then I shake my head, telling myself that won't solve anything. Instead, I take my phone out and get a clear picture, wondering if it's possible that this guy had a bounty on him.

At least maybe, in that way, this hasn't been a complete waste so far.

Blitzø's P.O.V

I feel like pounding my head against this fucking board here. All this morning, I've been wracking my brain trying to form some sort of connection with the details we gathered last night. Though I personally prefer being the one to do the killing rather than having to find out who else did, I was at least satisfied that this will no doubt give us more clues into ultimately solving this little mystery. But I actively hate mysteries. People wandering around trying to find out shit and it being all complicated when it's a lot easier when something is simple and straightforward. It's why I started up an assassination business, not a detective agency. 

The meeting room, besides me, has nobody inside it. Mox and Mills are practicing their weapon skills while my Loonie is where she always is at this hour, behind the front counter. Y/N has made it to Wrath, according to a text Millie got that she came and shared with me, and Mills herself will be leaving soon to go join him there. She's probably the best one to help him, since Moxxie can't really handle himself that well without her down there, but I don't really like having one more employee absent. I told Millie that Y/N's a strong kid and that he can handle himself in an attempt to keep her here, but she insisted on going. I wouldn't usually talk anyone up, especially someone like Y/N, who I barely know, but he's got the professionalism and dedication that I like to see. And that's because it reminds me of myself and how much I dedicate myself to this company, though Moxxie might say otherwise.

My ears then begin to pick up on some voices out in the waiting room, seeing as I left the door open. At first, I more or less pay them no mind, thinking it's just Loona talking to someone on her phone. But when it continues on and I can't focus enough on the board to tune it out, I listen more closely and realize that there's another voice besides Loona's out in the waiting room with her. My curious and protective natures collide and I trudge away from the board and down the hall until I'm just outside the waiting room. Loona's at her usual spot behind our receptionist desk, but there's a slender succubus with red skin and purple-ish hair talking to her. Her back is to me, so I can't recognize her, but what I'm wondering is if this is a new client that Loona is just being uncharacteristically chatty with or is another friend of hers that she hasn't told me about. Either way, I wait and listen, looking for a good spot to cut in the conversation.

"Yeah, I kinda wished he would've come over before leaving, but it is what it is" Loona sighs, flinching in pain even though she's no longer bleeding through her bandages, "When he comes back, though, I'm hoping we can go hang out and maybe have a few drinks or something. Maybe invite him over, though I don't know if it's too soon for me to suggest that or not."

"If you two were dating then you'd be correct about that, but friends aren't quite the same as dating partners. I can't say I have tons of experience with long-term partners, since Y/N's my first, but friends are a lot more easygoing. Invite him over if you want to. But he did promise me a date, though, so how about you and I exchange numbers so that we can coordinate and ensure nothing overlaps?" The succubus proposes.

"Fine with me" My daughter shrugs, the two holding their phones near one another as they enter in each other's contact info. I take that moment to enter the conversation.

"Hi, there. I hope I'm not interrupting something personal" I say, even though I can tell that's exactly what I'm doing.

"No, no, you're not intruding. I was just getting acquainted with your...receptionist here" The succubus responds, glancing at Loona to see if calling her that was ok and upon my daughter shrugging at it, she turns to me.

"Oh, great" I grumble, recognizing the succubus as one of Verosika's posse, "Ugh, look, if Verosika sent you to remind me that I'm a 'cocksucking piece of shit', do me a favor and tell her to shove it up her ass."

"I'm not here on her behalf" The sex demon replies, her expression stern as she looks at me, probably recognizing me too, "But, since you mentioned her, I feel the need to say that I'm not working for her anymore either."

"Oh. Then, uh, why are you here?" I inquire, surprised at this.

"Well, as I just told you, I'm out of one job, so I'm looking for another. And since my boyfriend is working with/alongside this particular company, I wanted to see if I could get a job here. Aside from an obvious income, it would also give us more chances to see one another" The lady answers, letting a small, hopeful smile slip onto her face.

I feel sketchy about this. First Y/N comes in and wants to work with us and now this succubus that claims to be his main squeeze is here asking for the same thing? Doesn't feel right and I hate feeling that way about those inside my business. But Y/N was already working for Stolas and he's reputable, so that's not quite fair of me to judge him. I think I'll let her in for now, just to see if she has some ulterior motive. And I can only hope to count on Moxxie to kill her if she tries anything to put Loona or my company in danger.

"An extra pair of hands is something that's hard to say no to, especially those that come asking willingly and on their own accord" I reply, indirectly accepting her request, "Recruitment hasn't proven very fruitful in the past anyway."

"Noted" The red-skinned, purple-haired lady nods, "I'm Kiki, by the way. Don't worry, I already know your name."

"I bet" I frown, pushing away the thoughts of the last time that popstar bitch came here, "But I'm not sure where you'll fit in. No offense, but you don't look the fighting type."

"I get that a lot" Kiki sighs in annoyance, crossing her arms.

But then an idea suddenly comes to mind, one that I'm sure will make Loona happy due to some repeated asking from her in the past.

"You know what? I think I just now thought of something" I say out loud, snapping my fingers and getting both Kiki's and Loona's attention, "Say, Loona, how would you feel about our newest employee taking your position?"

"I mean, I guess, but what will I do, then?" My daughter asks, her voice portraying a sense of disinterest.

"You'll come be part of the team with Mills, Mox, and I" I say, watching with excited anticipation to see her perk up at my suggestion.

"Wait, you're serious?" Loona says, leaning forward with newfound interest as her tail noticeably starts wagging.

"Completely serious, Loonie" I smile, folding my arms over each other as I watch her get even more excited, "Don't think I haven't taken note of how many times you've asked for it. Looks like thanks to the newbie here, you finally get your wish."

"Yes!" Loona pumps her fist, before then pausing and turning to Kiki, "Wait, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. In fact, I was kinda hoping I'd get that position. Something quiet is actually preferable after spending so long around crowds of horny demons" Kiki admits.

"Then it's settled. Welcome to the team, Loona" I continue grinning, happy that my daughter's happy.

"Thanks, Kiki" Loona says to the succubus, standing up from her chair.

"Don't mention it" She cracks a smile, sitting down where Loona was just at.

A slightly girlish scream then comes from the weapon's room, meaning that Moxxie got himself hurt again. It won't be the last, but I do harp on him to know his limits. I don't want to lose an employee like him from personal disregard for his own safety. We're a family here, at the end of the day, and we don't give up on family. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna handhold him through life.

"Mox! I told you to be careful with that crossbow! You're not that good at it yet!" Millie's voice says from the room, sounding both concerned and stern.

"I know, Millie, I'm sorry! I just wanted to try and expand my skill range" Moxxie's voice answers back apologetically.

"Ugh! It's fine. Don't worry about it. Just please come over so I can patch you up" Millie's voice replies, going softer.

It's a few minutes later when both of my 2 out of 3 most favorite employees come walking into the waiting room where the rest of us are. Moxxie has a bandage around his forehead, where the arrow struck more than likely, and his holding the crossbow responsible in one hand while pointing it at the ground. Must've ricocheted off whatever target he had set up in there and hit him back. He'll be fine, though. Mox is getting better at getting tougher, which is one of the things I appreciate about him.

"I gotta go, hun. Elevator for Wrath will be leaving soon. Knowing Y/N and how he's never been there before, he'll probably get caught up in some trouble that I might have to help get him out of. Don't worry, though, I'll only be gone a few days. Food's in the fridge and if you need me, call me. Be strong and don't let anyone give you a hard time. Love you" Millie tells her husband, kissing him on the cheek before walking away towards the front door.

"I'm off!" She announces, as if we didn't hear everything she just said already.

"Good luck, Mills!" I wish her, "Hope you and Y/N pick up some leads on that asshat we're looking for!"

Millie raises a hand in acknowledgement before leaving the office, leaving me with now only having to introduce Moxxie to our newest employee.

"Mox, I'd like you to meet the newest addition to our growing family, Kiki" I say, getting him to glance over at the succubus behind the desk, "She'll be taking over Loona's position from now on."

"Um, hi there" Moxxie hesitantly greets her, holding out his hand for a handshake. 

Kiki smiles and stands up before approaching him and shaking his hand.

"No need to be scared of me, little imp" She says calmly, "I won't try to take advantage of you or seduce you while your girl is absent. I have a boyfriend."

"That's good to know" Moxxie sighs, regaining a bit of his self-confidence.

The company phone then starts ringing, Kiki walking back over and answering it without me having to ask.

"I.M.P, how may we help you?" She asks, showing that she's been paying attention.

The succubus is quiet for a minute before holding out the phone for me.

"It's for you" Kiki says.

I rush over and take the phone from her, leaning against the desk all nonchalantly as I go to see who's calling.

"Greetings! My name's Blitzø, the O is silent, and who is it that I can kill for you today?" I ask enthusiastically, twirling the cord between my fingers.

"Hello there, Blitzø. And, no, I'm not looking for anyone to be killed today" An all-familiar voice on the other end answers.

"Oh, it's just you, Stolas" I realize, my enthusiasm dropping after hearing his voice, "What is it you want?"

"Well, you see, with Y/N away, we're currently without a bodyguard and Stella and I still need to venture to places around the city for political meetings and such. Would you happen to have a temporary, but suitable replacement that you could lend us in the meantime? I'll pay them handsomely for it" The owl prince asks.

His request isn't one that I didn't see coming, but one I really hadn't thought of. The fact that they'd still need someone to watch over them even though their golden boy isn't here wasn't something that came to mind, apparently, but I'm also not about to let my company skip out on an opportunity to get some cash. I pause, thinking over who I could send or who would willingly agree out of everyone here. Kiki's brand new and doesn't look like she can fend off assassins. Moxxie has heart, but might be a bit annoying for Stolas' family. I can't, because I have to keep this place running. And Loona......actually, wait a minute. Isn't she good friends with Stolas' daughter and wanted to spend more time with her? This could be the perfect opportunity for that, provided that my Loonie doesn't get distracted by talking to that princess and lets Stolas and his wife get killed. But I have faith in her.

"Hmm, I might have something. Hold for a second" I tell him, then covering the receiver with my hand, "Hey, Loona, I have an even better offer for you. How'd you like to not only be apart of the team, but also serve as the bodyguard to Stolas' family while Y/N's away? You'll get to spend plenty of time around his daughter and the cherry on top is that you'll be paid well for it."

"Is today my birthday?" My daughter smiles, clearly happy that I pay attention to who she's friends with as her tail wags furiously, "I'll take it, no problem."

"You have a deal, Stolas" I say, uncovering the phone and giving him an answer, "My daughter Loona is the toughest and strongest of I.M.P and she agreed to your offer."

"Hey!" Moxxie exclaims, probably thinking I'm devaluing his worth, but not knowing that I'm talking up my daughter so that Stolas will have more of a reason to accept her.

"Splendid! Have her come over as soon as possible. And, thanks again, Blitzø" Stolas concludes, then hanging up after sounding very pleased with my answer.

I hand the phone back to our new receptionist, Kiki putting it back on the ringer before sitting back in her chair.

"Well, today's just full of surprises, isn't it?" I exclaim fervently.

"You're telling me, sir" Moxxie replies, keeping a tender grip on the crossbow in his hands.

"Speaking of which, Mox, now that your plus one is out of the office for the next few days, you're gonna have to pick up the slack!" I tell him, walking behind him and giving him a suppressed slap on the shoulder, "I'd just put that crossbow away and stick to what you're best at."

"Of course, sir" Moxxie sighs, looking a bit discouraged, "I'm gonna go and practice some more with some of our other stock in there."

And with that, Moxxie trudges out of the waiting room and back where he came from, giving me the chance to clap my hands and segue into something special in mind for Loona now that she'll be working a much riskier job than she's used to.

"And, believe it or not, I have one last surprise for you, Loonie!" I say excitedly.

"You're fucking with me, right? Please tell me you are, because this is too much" Loona says, no doubt feeling overwhelmed by how much better her day got so quickly.

"Come with me to my office and I'll show you" I tell her, gesturing for her to follow me.

Though she appears bewildered by everything that's already happened, Loona still follows me out of the waiting room, down the hall, and into my office. She waits in front of my desk as I move the picture of us two on adoption day to the side on the wall and enter in the code to my safe.

"Do I even want to know what you're keeping in there?" Loona asks, half jokingly.

"Probably not" I smile, opening the safe door and slipping out a particular item wrapped in cloth, "Here, this is for you."

I hand her the covered item and she unfolds it to reveal my favorite gun. Well, it used to be my favorite before I got the couple flintlocks I have now. Loona looks at it with confusion, not sure how to respond. So I give her some background on its meaning and why I want her to have it.

"What you're holding right there was my most prized weapon for a while. Never let me down and proved quite useful in more situations than one. And the best thing about it.." I tell her, walking around to where she's standing and reaching over her arms to tap a couple key aspects of the gun, "...is that it has two different types of shooting. You use this little switch here to toggle between the types. Right now it's on the standard firing rate, but if you flip the switch, it changes to being able to fire two shots at once. Better for more close-quarters combat."

"And you're just giving it to me? Why?" Loona frowns, sounding not ungrateful but more so that she doesn't want to take away something that I cherished and may still cherish.

"To be honest, I was gonna give it to you anyway at one point or another, but this just provided the best excuse so far. After all, Loonie, I want you to be safe out there and have something to help protect yourself with. I know you can handle yourself plenty well on your own, but this just gives me...peace of mind that you'll be ok, especially since this kind of job isn't something I think you're used to" I explain, taking a few steps back so she doesn't feel crowded by me, "I do worry about you and don't want you to get hurt, so please take this and know that I care. Consider it an early birthday present."

"Wow, I......." Loona begins to say, then pausing for a moment before regaining the ability to speak, "Thanks.......Dad. I mean Blitzø!"

She tries to correct herself/cover up what she really meant to say, but I already heard it and can't stop the happy grin from appearing on my face. I get so happy when she calls me that and though Loonie might be embarrassed to say it, I sure won't ever tell her to call me anything else. But she also realizes she can't take back what she just said and sighs before letting me hug her. I can barely get her to hug me at times, especially when I'm the one who instigates them, but this one lasts just a bit longer than the other ones. And by the time she pulls away, I can still see a hint of a smile on her face.

"I gotta go. Thanks again" Loona nods, then turning around and leaving my office. 

I trail behind her as she heads through the halls, but pause around a corner and merely watch her leave through the front door before I go back to my office. I stand by my window looking out into the streets below, waiting only a few minutes until I spot her walking away from our building and down the sidewalk. Sighing, I cross my arms and bite my lip. I don't pretend to know what her family situation was like before I adopted her, but her reluctance to call me 'dad' does hurt a bit sometimes. I won't force her to call me that, but I also won't force her to tell me what happened with her real family just so I can try to do better. I want to be the dad she wished she would've had growing up, but I fear that since she's already a few years past 20, I'm already too late to help her. But I still try. Try to show that I care, that I won't just leave her to fend for herself or neglect her. But she waves off my attempts and calls me overbearing. Maybe she's right, but maybe there's still more I could do.

Another reason why I try so hard is that she's the only person that I have so much love for that I'd do anything to protect her. Nearly everyone else that I've had around me at some point has either abandoned me, thrown me away, or showed that they didn't love me even though I tried to show them some too. Dad treated me like shit when I was a kid and still worked at the circus. My best friend Fizzaroli betrayed me and sold out to Mammon. Barbie got herself into trouble and now spends most, if not all, of her time in rehab. Mom died a long time ago after being sick for so long. And my relationship with Verosika fell through to the point where she hates me, though that was more my fault than hers. I feel too scared to trust and get close to anyone, even Moxxie and Millie, because deep down I'm scared that they'll abandon me too. It's why I keep them at arm's length rather than be open and completely honest with them. Yet, still, I can't help myself from caring about them. I don't know, maybe I'm just forced to repeatedly care for others before they ultimately abandon me again and again. But my relationship with Loona is different than all of that. As long as I can look after her, take care of her, and help her as she keeps moving forward with her life, then I have a reason to be happy in a world of fear and sadness.

Now feeling a bit down, I make an effort to swallow down any tears that may try to break free and trudge out of my office. As I head down the hall for the meeting room, I take note of how quiet it is now. With Millie and Loona gone, and Moxxie and Kiki being the more silent types when working, it really does make this place feel empty. But I'm not in any mood to think on it further, closing the meeting room door behind me when I enter and sulking over to the board. Perhaps this'll prove to be a decent distraction. My gaze falls on the picture of Stolas' brother-in-law before long. The fact he hasn't reached out is suspicious, but even if he did reach out, that'd be suspicious too, since it'd be out of character for him, according to Stolas. I just have an unshakable feeling of uncertainty about him. But still, we have no direct evidence pointing towards this pompous, rich dickweed.

Ugh, I hope that kid Y/N is doing better than I am.

Y/N's P.O.V

Grunting, I finish shoving the assassin's corpse into a nearby dumpster and bring the lid down, the metallic box making a reasonably loud 'thud' as it closes. Not even three hours in Wrath and I've already killed someone. It's like Hell itself sends me an indirect reminder of what I am whenever it feels I'm forgetting. It was a real pain carrying his body back to town, but I somehow made it and chose the exact same spot I arrived at as the place to dump him. Cracking my neck, I pick up my bag and trudge around the side of the store before leaning against the corner of the shop next to it. I still have dried blood on my face from where I was punched, but I don't clean it off. I'm not in the mood to really care about my appearance at the moment, aside from unfolding some sunglasses and putting them on, the pale green sun in Wrath's sky making it a bit bright out. I then bring out my phone and, while keeping my breathing calm, I take my time scrolling through the assassin list on the app. A couple of this Ring's citizens look at me with frightened eyes, but they quickly look away when they see me looking back at them. Shaking my head, I continue searching and after a bit find the guy. Huh, well I'll be damned, he did have a reward out on him. Not much, but at least I'll bag about 30K whenever I go back to Pride and collect it.

"Y/N? Y/N!" Someone says my name in a way that means they're trying to get my attention.

I look up and see Millie, but she's not standing in front of me, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to look up. No, she's actually on a horse, one that looks mostly like ones in the living world except this one has black skin, gray hair, and red eyes. Millie sits atop the creature, wearing black overalls and faded jeans that fit quite well with this rural setting.

"Hi, Millie. Nice to see a familiar face in this place" I greet her, putting my phone away.

"Why, thank you" She smiles warmly, "How are you finding Wrath so far?"

"It reminds me of some trips I made to visit relatives when I was still alive" I tell her, thinking back to those times, "They'd live out in farmland with only some small towns between me and them. The car trips were agonizingly long, but the wait was worth it because we had so much fun while I was visiting."

"I can only imagine what that was like" The imp nods, trying to be empathetic, "Growing up around here was a real chore, let me tell you. At first, I hated it, but after a while, I got used to it and actually enjoyed it here. The townsfolk weren't total pieces of shit, but still had plenty that were scary for me when I was younger. Ma and Pa protected me until I was old enough to handle weapons, which was about the same time when they started training me to defend myself. I've come pretty far since then, but still coming back, it feels like I'm a completely different person than I was before, which makes this place feel different too."

"Still feel like home, though?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, yeah, it still does" Millie nods, slightly adjusting one of her overall straps since it was cutting into her shoulder, "Though I think the main reason for that is because my family still lives here. If they weren't here, I probably wouldn't have a good reason to come back to Wrath."

A part of me feels glad that she can still see her family whenever she can and that same part of me wishes that I could still see my parents too. And, I guess, since Blitzø does jobs in the living world, I could always try to go see them. But I do look different after dying and they probably wouldn't recognize me or believe me if I told them. Honestly, it's probably just best that I leave them in the past and don't fester on it, otherwise I might start chasing after something that ultimately won't end well.

"Pardon me for asking, though, but where did you get the horse?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Oh, this fine steed?" Millie remarks, smiling and petting its neck, "Ma let me use it so I could come get you. I stopped by her and Pa's place as soon as I got here and they had the horses out, so it was no trouble borrowing one for a bit."

"Neat" I nod, this horse being one that I personally think looks way more cool than any I happened across in the living world.

"So, any leads so far?" The imp asks, changing the subject and turning in the saddle to sit sideways while holding my gaze.

"Believe it or not, yeah. I talked to a local assassin and, through my subtle questioning, I deduced that there are only a rare few around here that actually travel between Rings for jobs. But, when I inquired further, he bolted. Quite a chase ensued and I was able to get him in my grip in the shallow depths of a riverbed. Unfortunately, he killed himself before I could extract anything else from him. All in all, it's a start, but I still need more" I recount for her.

"Hmm, that would be disappointing, I bet" Millie muses, nodding with understanding, "But, I wouldn't fret too much. Wrath's a pretty simple place with pretty simple folk. Finding someone here is probably the easiest chance you'll ever get. And, y'know, whenever we're not busy helping out around the ranch, I'll gladly help you out however I can. I'm sure we can sniff this critter out if he's lurking around here somewhere."

"What do you mean?" I ask, her talk of 'working on a ranch' confusing me a bit.

"Well, you see, I had a proposition I was thinking of sharing with you once we were both here. Since it's your first time here, I'd imagine that you wouldn't have a place to stay, which is where I got an idea. My family has a ranch not incredibly far from here and since we're working together, I wouldn't mind offering it as a place to stay if you're interested" Millie explains, interlacing her fingers together, "Ma and Pa might be a bit cold to you at first, just like they were with my husband when I brought him to meet them, but they'll warm up to you so long as you help out around the place. Also, they don't tolerate freeloaders, but I don't think that would be a problem for you. And, besides, I'd like the company. It'd be great to get to know one another better if we're ever working with each other again in the future, whether that's you being a part of the company or otherwise."

I smile.

"You and Moxxie were definitely made for each other, because your kindness definitely compliments his own. And I'd like it if we get to know each other more too. You and him seem like the nicer crowd compared to a lot of other imps I've met" I say to her, "So, in other words, yeah, I wouldn't mind staying at your family's place for a bit, if you don't mind."

"Not at all" She grins happily, patting the saddle, "Just climb on up and we'll head there now."

That's when an uneasy feeling fills my stomach. I hadn't ever ridden a horse before and, from the looks of it, it won't be all that comfortable. Not to mention that I could fall off since I don't want to hold onto Millie. But, I don't know where her family's ranch is, so this is probably the only option. Doing my best to conceal my hesitation, I put my sunglasses away and try my hardest to climb up onto the horse without looking stupid. I think it succeeds and I get seated as comfortably as I can, Millie seated in front of me as I hold onto the saddle.

"Fair warning, though, my little brothers are a bit rowdy and tend to swarm strangers" Millie says, gripping the reins, "And my sister....well, you'll find out when we get there."

She then snaps the reins and the beast takes off down the street, my stomach jumping into my throat at the sudden acceleration. We quickly leave the town behind, the nearby shops and stores there one second and gone a few later, getting replaced by dirt roads and barren fields. After a few minutes, my stomach relaxes and I calm down, getting the chance to look around and see the other farmhouses we pass by as we're riding. They all look generally the same, aside from a few varying livestock between each house, and it almost makes this place feel more like the living world, given how similar the behavioral patterns of the imps are with those of humans. Though phones and other technology came from there too, along with tons of sinners, so influence was probably high.

It's a bit longer until Millie and I finally make it to her family's ranch, her having to take a few turns and avoid passing cars. But when the horse slows beside a wooden, two-story farmhouse with a pig pen out front and multiple imp boys out front, I know we're at the right place. The location is a bit more secluded than I imagined, but some folks do like their privacy, which I can only assume is the case for Millie's family.

"Well, we're here" Millie announces, getting off the horse first, "Hope that ride wasn't too bumpy for you."

"You did fine, Millie, don't worry" I tell her, climbing down from the horse as well and walking around it to stand by her, "I've experienced worse before."

Upon hearing our voices, the three imp boys drop what they're doing and rush over to us. Millie's warning proves true as the kids all clamor around me, surrounding me and immediately asking questions. It's honestly quite cute and I have to resist the urge to pat them on their heads. But then two older looking imps, one lady with gray hair and one man with white hair, step out onto the farmhouse porch. They must be Millie's parents. Her mother has an attire of a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, a crimson ascot around her neck, faded blue jeans, and gardening gloves on her hands while her father wears a sleeveless black vest over a brown sleeveless shirt, a black belt with silver buckle, and gray pants with black boots. First impressions give off the sense that they're hardworking people that might be a bit hard on their kids, but love them no less for it, but I'll wait to see if that's proven true or not.

 "Kids! What have I told you about crowding newcomers?" Millie's mother calls to the three boys sternly.

The imp children all murmur apologies to me before scampering away. The two parents then begin walking down the porch steps towards us, Millie tugging my sleeve and gesturing in their direction to signal that she wants me to meet them. They watch me as I approach with their daughter, no doubt being skeptical of me since, in their eyes, I'm a complete stranger. I'll have to be cautious and respectful when speaking with them, because I don't want to anger either of them by being impetuous.

"Ma, Pa, this is Y/N, the one I told you about" Millie introduces me once her and her parents are stopped a few feet away from each other.

"Mildred doesn't usually speak highly of anyone besides her boss and that husband of hers, but since you come better regarded than most others, we don't see much reason to turn you away yet" Millie's mother speaks first, her tone dead serious as she looks directly at me before pointing to herself and then to her husband as she continues, "I'm Lin and this is my husband Joe. We're Millie's parents, as you could probably tell."

"A pleasure to meet you both" I say kindly, waiting a minute before speaking so that I don't run the chance of accidentally interrupting Joe if he tries to speak.

"What do you do for a living, kid?" Joe asks, completely flat-faced.

"I kill people" I state simply, both parents waiting for me to elaborate further, "Though it may be more like a bounty hunter, I take jobs assassinating others and collect the money tied to their contracts."

"So that means your weapons are in there?" Joe speculates, referring to my bag.

"Yes, they are in there. Would you like to search it to make sure?" I ask, giving them the option to show that I have nothing to hide from them.

"No need" Millie's father waves it off, "Any assassin I've met doesn't offer such a thing and they've always had something hidden up their sleeves. Given how you've done the opposite, and willingly, tells me that there's nothing you're wishing to hide from us. That's good. But tell me this, boy, do you like war?"

"I don't know if I could say that I enjoy and/or revel in war, but someone like me will probably always get caught up in it. Our skill set of fighting is necessary to it, just like some wars are inevitable to happen by themselves. And at the very least, it would give me purpose if I had no other" I answer him.

I think I answered right because I can see a grin spread across Joe's and Lin's faces, but since Joe is the sterner one, I notice it more easily with him.

"I like that. That's a great answer" Joe nods, "You're not too bad, kid. And, hey, if a war ever breaks out here, I suppose I know who I can count on to help, right?"

I smile at his attempt at humor.

"Yes indeed, sir" I agree.

"Pa! Those damned hogs got loose again!" A voice calls to Joe, the voice belonging to a tall imp girl who runs towards us, jumps over the fence, and skids to a stop near us, "I tried herding them back in myself, but the little suckers were too much for me!"

"Ugh, not again" Millie's father huffs, shaking his head.

The elder imp thinks to himself for a moment while his daughter glances at me, allowing me to get a better look at her. She's about as tall as Blitzø but also has long dark hair that covers part of her face and goes down her back, a red bandanna over her head, a white crescent-shaped scar over her right eye, and an outfit consisting of a ripped black crop top, tan short shorts, ripped black leggings, and matching heeled boots. In other words, she looks pretty cool and badass.

"Say, Y/N, how about you go with her and help bring our hogs back?" Joe finally speaks up, bringing my attention back to him, "And if you succeed, Lin and I will have no problem letting you stay for a few days, right, hun?"

"Sounds fine with me, Joe" Millie's mom nods in agreement.

"Was just about to offer my help anyway" I smile, crossing my arms while Millie's sister also smiles.

"That's what I like to hear" Joe smiles, "Now, just follow Sallie May and listen to her instructions."

"You heard him, sunshine" Sallie May says, gesturing me over with her hand, "Now, let's not dilly dally and get this show on the roll."

Seeing no reason to raise any objections or question the situation, I heft my travel farther up on my shoulder and leave Millie and her parents behind, following Sallie as she walks away from the farm house. There's some pocketed bits of ground a bit farther up ahead along with what looks like a tiny gorge, which I'm guessing is where the hogs ran off to. Sallie appears interested in talking, though, since she slows down to where she's matching my pace with her own.

"So, a job bring you out here? Cause Milster said you're from Pride" She asks curiously.

"You know my profession?" I say, surprised even though Millie might've also told her sister what I do for a living.

"I'm great at observing things, both people and not. Judging by the bag you're carrying, size, weight, and the sound of the material, you're carrying not only some clothes, but also a sniper rifle, two handguns, and some other bits of metal that are probably bits of armor. Am I correct?" The female imp explains.

"Impressive" I compliment her.

"Aw, stop it, you're gonna make me blush~" Sallie teases me, using a rather flirty tone before it goes back to being more semi-serious, "So, really, why are you here?"

"One of my best friends was targeted by an assassin wielding some peculiar weapons. We had our suspicions based on a scare attempt a little while ago, but after he/she actually tried to attack my friend, I decided to visit this place to see if I could track them down. If not here, then Lust" I tell her in a way that doesn't compromise many details.

"Huh, I see. A personal job. I can get that" Millie's sister nods to herself, "Though I can't attest to having the kinds of friends as to where I'd travel entire Rings to find someone who threatened them, much less having any friends at all, I can respect someone who does go out of their way for others out of the kindness of their own hearts. Not very many people around here are like that."

"Well, that's a shame" I sigh, the conversation trailing off after that.

We eventually pass by the tiny craters, the hogs not being there, and stop before the gorge. And, sure enough, all twelve of them are down there.

"Well, shit" I comment, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, now you see why I couldn't do it myself" Sallie May muses, "But, since there's two of us now, I might have a way for us to pull this off."

"I'm all ears" I tell her, encouraging her to go on.

"It'll test your strength, but I can slide down there and toss them up to you one by one" The imp says, then frowning as she just thought of something new, "Actually scratch that. How about you go down and toss them up to me? I hadn't thought of the fact that they'll listen to me and not jump back down there, so it would probably make more sense for me to remain here, yeah?"

"Solid logic to me" I shrug, not really caring how it's done as long as it gets done, which is my assassin mindset kicking in again, "Just be ready to catch them."

The gorge is only about six feet deep, making it really easy for me to slide down inside it. I land on my feet and look around at the hogs near me. They're larger than their counterparts in the living world, which means they're probably heavier too, but I'm confident enough in my own strength to not seemingly appear incapable. Grabbing one off the ground, I lift it up and do my best to toss it up towards Sallie May. She catches it, but also grunts, it probably being a bit too heavy for her. Nonetheless, it seems like her little strategy will work just fine.

So, we repeat the same thing with the other eleven and I climb out of the tiny gorge, accepting Sallie's hand to help me stand. Now all we have to do is herd these hogs back to their pen, which turns out to be a lot simpler than I anticipated. Sallie just takes the lead and the ushers the hogs to follow her, which they surprisingly do without question. I stay behind the small herd as we walk back towards the farmhouse, pausing only when each and every last one of those things have gone through the little door of the pen. Sallie closes it behind her and leans back against the wooden frame.

"Damn good work, newcomer. You may just yet peak my interest" Sallie May says, smiling mischievously at me with her arms crossed before looking back at the rounded up hogs, "Now that we have them all back, we need to pick one to have for dinner tonight. Since you helped out plenty, I'll let you choose which one."

"Thanks, but I think you should choose" I say, the imp girl surprised that I declined her offer, "You've probably done this more than I have, so I trust your judgment more than I do mine."

".....Wow, never had someone turn me down like that before. But I like it" She admits, continuing to lean against the frame, "Shows that you're aware of your strengths and weaknesses and are willing to admit as much. I like that in a person. But keep it on up and you might flatter me enough to insist you stick around~."

Millie's sister teases me with that last sentence, coming off as a bit flirtatious before pointing a thumb behind her into the pen.

"The one with the spot under its eye. See it? Grab it and bring it here would you kindly" Sallie requests.

I see the hog she's referring to, the swine looking the most docile of the whole bunch. Shrugging my shoulders, I set my bag down, hop inside the pen and walk over to the one in question. It's a bit skittish, but I act faster, scooping the hog up before it can turn and run. I then walk back to where Sallie's waiting, her arms outstretched, and she takes it from me when I'm close enough to give it to her. She begins heading towards the porch of the house as I climb out of the pen, but I join her when she stops just before the steps, her parents watching us approach. I wonder if they were watching us this whole time.

"How'd it go?" Joe asks gruffly.

"He's a keeper, Pa. And not too bad if I say so myself" Sallie smiles, sending it my way after a minute.

"Ok, then" He replies, nodding in satisfaction, "You've earned your stay here, boy."

"Thank you" I tell the two elder imps, "I appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it" Lin waves off, "Feel free to put your travel bag in the room upstairs next to Millie's. It'll be yours for the next few days. Just don't damage anything, otherwise it'll come out of your own pocket."

"Understood" I nod in acknowledgement.

Lin and Joe then turn and head inside, Sallie May following them in after giving me a playful nudge with her elbow and a small smile. Millie passes by her sister on her way out, spotting me standing there and coming down to talk.

"So, I'm assuming it all went well?" She asks.

"Pretty smoothly, all things considered" I answer, "Because I have very limited experience working in rural environments like this."

"Great. I was hoping it would work out" Millie smiles for a second before her face becomes more serious, "But, if you don't mind, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure" I nod, following her around the side of the house until we're out of earshot.

"You remember when I told you that my sister was a bit of a special case compared to my brothers right?" She asks some more, making me nod once again, "Well, have you by any chance figured out what I meant? Because I'd like to tell you if you haven't."

"She's a bit flirty and does like to ask personal questions. Is that what it is?" I guess.

"Well, not quite" Millie responds, slightly tilting her head down, "You see, Y/N, my sister used to be one of my brothers. He was born with a more feminine voice and it was some time ago when he started wanting to look more feminine too. Ma and Pa supported him and even helped when he wanted surgery. They went up to Pride, got it done, and my brother became my first sister. She later changed her name to what it is now. If you're wondering why I'm telling you this, it's because it's a rather touchy subject for her and I didn't want you to accidentally make her feel bad by unknowingly mentioning it. She also seems to like you, too, so it was especially important that I told you this."

"I see" I say, nodding and taking it all in, "I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me this. But are you sure she likes me?"

"Yes, I do, and it's because of something. It's a little secret my family has so I'd like to ask you not to share it with anyone that doesn't already know" Moxxie's wife continues, waiting for me to promise before she elaborates further, "The secret has to do with the 'hog breakout'. In truth, they didn't break out. Sallie May let them out once I told my parents you would be coming over. That pen hasn't ever broken from the day it was created. The whole ordeal was a test, both for my parents and for my sister. If you succeeded, it would prove to my parents that you were trustworthy enough to be around us without being a potential threat, even though they were 'seemingly ok' with it already, and Sallie May would use it to see if you were suitable dating material for her. As far as my sister goes, it's why she acted flirty with you to see how you'd respond. Deep down, she's afraid of being judged by others for her transition, and she hides it by acting a bit seductive to anyone we have come by. All I ask is that you please don't judge her. I love my little sis just like I love Ma, Pa, and my brothers and that won't ever change."

"I can assure you, Millie. My job here is to hunt an assassin, not to be a douche towards your family who are kind enough to let complete strangers into their house for a few days. I may be a more hardened and aggressive person than I used to be, but I haven't forgotten how to be kind, caring, and compassionate to others. I'm perfectly fine with Sallie being who she wants to be. I have no problem with that. And even on the astronomical chance I did, I'd leave here and not cause any harm."

Millie's silent for a moment, but her content and relieved expression perfectly reflects her words when she speaks.

"You have my thanks, Y/N" The imp girl smiles appreciatively.

"Mildred, we need your help in the kitchen!" Lin calls over to us, leaning over the side of the porch to look at us.

"Coming, Ma!" Millie calls back, giving me another thankful nod before walking past me and around to the front of her house before going inside with her mother.

Having nothing better to do, I decide to go find the room they're letting me stay in and put my stuff down. Heading in the same direction as Millie, I go around the side of the house, up the steps, and go inside. The interior is what I expected it to be, wooden floors, smooth oak counters, a dinner table with chairs around it, an open-air kitchen, and a staircase built into the right wall leading up. I trudge up the stairs and, once I reach the top, see that the rooms are to my immediate left. Sallie's is the closest, her not in it right now, while the brothers are all shacked up in the next room over playing games with each other. Millie's room is the second from the end, her parent's room between her and her brother's, while the guest room is on the very end near a window looking out into the backyard.

I go down the hall and swiftly enter the room, setting my bag down on the bed inside and quickly surveying the place. Nothing of note really, so I leave my stuff and exit, heading back downstairs to see if Millie's parents need help. Lin is in the kitchen and upon my asking, she just shakes her head, appreciating the offer but saying that her daughter and husband are working out back. She also offers to take a seat and wait for dinner to start, so I do just that, trying to take in everything that happened today.

But then my phone buzzes again, for probably the sixth time today alone. I put it on silent because I was busy, both with finding leads and helping Sallie May, but I do wonder who it is. I could speculate, but there's always the possibility of it being Loona, Stolas, or even Blitzø wanting to talk. But when I pull my phone out and look at the number, my frustration rises. It's not a saved number, but after seeing a couple texts from Kiki about the fact that she might try to call me, it confirms my premature suspicions. Sighing, I figure it's best to get it over with so she doesn't keep it up and dial, waiting a little bit before the call goes through.

"What do you want, Verosika?" I huff.

"Where have you been?! I've already called you five fucking times today!" Her clearly irritated voice says back.

"Well, not to be rude, but I do have a job that I'm working on and a life outside of being a bodyguard on a few occasions" I say, trying to tone down the frustration in my voice even though I'm not very successful at it, "And why are you even calling me? I already told you that I don't want to work for you."

"Because, like I remember telling you, I want us to stay in contact and rekindle our relationship again, whether that be friends or more. Besides, do you think I accept people saying no to me that easily?" Verosika replies insistently, "I'm not going to stop trying until you say yes."

"Well, tough luck with that, because I'm not in a position to help you even if I somehow managed to agree with whatever you're offering" I tell her flatly, "And I'm not going to re-enter any relationship with you until you come to accept your mistake and not try and excuse it."

"What do you mean? Where are you? Can we meet up and talk?" The popstar asks, definitely displaying how persistent she can be.

"I'm over in Wrath, tracking down an assassin that's been causing some trouble back in Pride" I say, giving her something that isn't compromising my position here.

"What? No, you aren't. People like you can't just leave Pride whenever you'd like to. It's against the natural laws of Hell" Verosika says in disbelief.

"If you're really that curious, why don't you come down here and find out yourself?" I say back, knowing that she won't do it.

"Hehe, yeah, right. Wrath's just another backwater shithole. No place for someone like me. I doubt the locals have even heard of me, so there's no point putting on a show or anything there, which you and I both know would give me an opening to get you to work for me" My ex replies in a sassy tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know" I sigh, bowing my head and pinching my nose.

"Y/N, I don't like fighting with you. I really don't" Verosika sighs as well, her voice changing to a more sentimental one, "I really wish that our reunion went better, but I was surprised at seeing you after so long that I acted a bit...out of place...admittedly. What I'd like is for us to talk as if nothing happened or at the very least not be so hostile to each other, if that's at all possible."

Her words feel a little too close to being guilt-trippy and manipulative, especially since someone like her doesn't feel like the type of person to suddenly think that what they did so unapologetically was wrong and only just now wanting to make a metaphorical peace treaty. However, if she's willing to accept being friends, she could be helpful in the event that I need help in a way that only she and her connections could provide. That doesn't mean taking advantage of her, since that wouldn't make me any better of a person even though I don't forgive her or trust her as much as I did in the past, but it will keep her somewhat happy, in a sense, as to where she can maybe start believing what she's saying and actually change on her own, assuming that she wants to of course. Or at least ensure that whenever I think of her, it'll eventually be at a point where it doesn't feel painful or dreadful.

"Look, I won't lie and say that I can easily forgive and forget, but I'm also not going to lie and say that I hate you. I don't. I just don't feel like I can trust you the same way again. But, most of all, I'm tired of having to think back to the past and think of everything that happened. If it would make you happy, we could try being friends again. But don't take that as a sign of anything further and don't get any ideas, ok?" I tell her.

"That would make me happy, yeah, even if it is just a start of what I want" Verosika admits, the last bit probably only intended to be muttered under her breath but was still able to heard anyway, "But, still, want to meet up? I have a day or so before I have a gig in Lust."

"Can't make any promises, Verosika" I tell it to her straight, "But if I think about it and have the time, I'll see about letting you know."

"Great! I'll see you and talk to you later" The succubus concludes, ending the call as I put my phone away and roll my eyes at what just happened.

Some fresh air might do me good after that, though, so I head out onto the porch. But, after a tiny bit of pacing to collect my thoughts, I quickly find out that I'm not alone out here.

"Girl problems?" A new voice asks, making me pause and look around me before I find the source sitting on the porch steps to my left, "Those are always fucking stressful."

The stranger is an imp, but I can only tell that by his horns. If those weren't visible, I'd think that he's a totally different hellborn species. His skin is a much lighter shade of red than most other imps, his tail is longer and has black stripes, his eyes are yellow with green rings around them like a snake, and he's dressed like a southern cowboy with the jacket, boots, hat, and red bandanna around his neck. The imp is also smoking, though that's not really something that defines him from others.

"You gonna sit or am I gonna have to ask nicely?" He speaks again, giving me the chance to pick up on how grisly, yet alluring his voice is with a certain drawl mixed into it.

Not wanting to be rude, I take a seat on the same step as him, though not too closely since I don't know him that well yet.

"I haven't seen you around these parts before. You new?" The cowboy asks.

"Pretty much, yeah" I nod, refraining from specifics since I don't trust him yet, "You too?"

"Naw, I've been here a long time. Born here, really" The imp answers, taking a drag from his cigarette, "Wish I could visit another Ring, though, because after a while, it gets plain fucking boring around here."

"There aren't any fun festivals or whatnot that occur yearly?" I ask him.

"There are, but the Pain Games only happen at every harvest festival and after winning them easily for years on end, it ain't exciting in the least to me. Also doesn't make it any better when those ditsy blue-blood Goetia's come here and talk down to the townsfolk" The stranger grunts, clearly not liking Stolas, which makes my sense of suspicion perk up just a bit, "You probably don't know this, since you know, newcomer and all, but the only reason they're tolerated in Wrath is because their fancy magic brings the harvest moon out. Don't seem like much of a reward to me."

"And would heaps of money be more to your personal liking?" I speculate, this imp coming off as one of those kinds of people.

"Heh, now you're speaking my language" He grins.

"Do you help the family here?" I politely inquire.

"Pretty much, yeah. I'm a...field hand of theirs, I guess you'd say. It's decent work and decent company, but like I've said already, it's yet another thing that lacks excitement after a while. But I keep myself entertained through other means, so it's not all bad" The cowboy goes on to say.

"Good, good. It's nice to meet you, by the way, and I hope we can work well together while I'm here" I tell him, standing up and looking down at the southern fellow, "I'm C/N."

"Right back at you, kid" The imp replies, gripping his cigarette between two fingers and glancing up at me from under the brim of his hat, "The name's Striker."