Y/N's P.O.V

I stand just in front of the entrance to the tall skyscraper with imp horns, having just walked up to it and paused to see if I was at the right place. Since Moxxie didn't tell me the exact location of his company's office was, and since I couldn't find any information pertaining to 'IMP' out on the web, I had to retrace my steps to the billboard I saw yesterday and re-examine it more closely to get a spot pinned down on VoxMaps. But I think I've found it and what good timing too, since the sooner I get this moving along, the sooner it can end. I wonder, though, if the people Moxxie works with, especially his boss, will be as nice as him. I hope so, because that will make this whole encounter go much more smoothly.

Feeling refreshed from a nice, good sleep last night and with my weapons reloaded and back on me again, I put my phone away, even though I'll be needing it again here shortly, and push open the door leading inside. The interior has a spare few imps loitering around, but aside from that, it's fairly empty but also very similar structure-wise to the lobby that was in the building from the party. Of course, this place doesn't look as polished, clean, and fancy, though, which I suppose is the clear visual giveaway for the kind of people you'd expect to find here. Disregarding all of that, though, I push the button for the elevator to come, the door then opens, and I step inside, the interior luckily having a directory since I didn't ask anyone if they knew the floor IMP is on. Floor 6 it is, the elevator quickly taking me there without any stops along the way, saving me from the awkwardness that would come from standing there while others entered and started talking to each other. 

Once it stops on the floor I selected, I, obviously, get out, but then look at my newfound surroundings. There's two offices on this floor, the one on my right having a door with a piece of cardboard with 'IMP' written on it tapped to it while the other set of double doors on my left looks to lead inside a recording studio. I can't help being curious and slowly walk up to the window off to the side of the doors that lets a person look inside. Yep, it's a recording studio, but I can smell the lingering scent of vape and...sex coming from the place, which honestly is already turning me off. There's also the faint outline of some large initials on the double doors, apparently having been spray painted on at one point before being eventually scrubbed off. And I have a lurking suspicion of who it was, but I toss the thought away and walk across the hall, going to IMP's door. My instincts tell me to knock before entering, but I just go inside anyway. The room I now find myself in is like a typical waiting area for a doctor's office or so, containing a front desk, chairs against the opposite wall, and a water cooler. However, what you won't find in a doctor's waiting room is a Hellhound behind the front desk, especially a goth looking one with her feet up and reading a newspaper. And even though I don't think I made much noise upon entry, she could probably still smell me, which I think is why she suddenly speaks.

"Hi, welcome to I.M.P. What do you want?" The hellhound says in the most uninterested tone ever, asking with the clear intent that she doesn't want me to answer. But I do anyway, since I came here for a reason.

"Is the boss in today?" I question, keeping it short and simple.

"Down the hallway and to the left" She sighs in annoyance.

"Thanks" I say, turning and walking in the direction she pointed to.

"Whatever" The hellhound replies, not bothering to take her eyes off the newspaper.

I have to hold myself back from getting frustrated. You see, that's the thing about me. While I may not act like a total sweetheart to everyone I meet outside of the apartment, I still try to maintain a behavior of kindness and, personally, can't stand when people are assholes/act rudely for no good reason. That hellhound is just another reminder, a rather unpleasant reminder, but one that I won't let bother me. I follow her brief instructions and go down the hallway that branches out to the left at a point. Another door like the one leading into the waiting room lies there, another cardboard sign taped on this one too, though this one reads "No meeting in progress, but sit your asses down anyway". It looks to have been rewritten, though, since there are some blacked out scribbles beneath it with some barely recognizable writing that looks worse for wear, no doubt being the cause of the rewrite. Nevertheless, I lightly push against the door and almost step inside until I realize the verbal argument taking place when I hadn't paid attention enough to notice it when coming up to the door, choosing to listen in before entering.

"I've told you before, sir! We can't keep having you be the one who does our advertisements! Your complete inability to spell basic words makes us all look bad!" A familiar voice says in frustration.

"Oh, shut your pussy licking lips and stop getting your panties in a bunch, Moxxie" A new voice argues back, "We've gotten customers before and they haven't complained, so why are you trying to piss on my parade?"

"Mox just wants it to look a little more..professional, that's all" Another voice speaks up, this one female and having a southern accent.

"Exactly! Thank you, honeybuns" Moxxie says to the female, whom I'm assuming is his wife Mille based on how he referred to her.

"Well, until you exercise that little walnut you have upstairs and learn how to run a business, I'm still going to be managing our advertisements, Mox" Moxxie's boss casually insults him, the smugness so clear in his voice that I can see it from behind this door.

"Um, Blitzø? I think there's someone at the door" Millie says, apparently having noticed the door being open ajar.

"Best thing I've heard you say yet today, Mills. Let em in, would you?" Blitzø more kindly requests.

I then step back from the door as it opens from the inside, Millie standing there with one hand on the doorknob. Like Moxxie, she's an imp that's more on the short side, but with her dark grey hair, ripped pants, yellow eyes, a heart tattoo on her right shoulder, and very noticeable curves, Millie definitely stands out as one of the more attractive imps I've seen before. Oh, and she has a red tail, the same color as her skin, with some white splotches on it.

"Well, hi there! Come in, would you please!" She says, that southern accent still well and clear in her voice.

I, indeed, come inside and look around the office. Like a typical meeting room, it has the long table in the center with chairs all around it, a long stretch of windows on the leftmost wall, and a large whiteboard against the adjacent wall. Posters and other advertisements litter the right wall, but all together, it's a more professional-looking setting. Eventually, though, my gaze settles on the two other imps in the room, Moxxie and the one called Blitzø, Moxxie sitting in one of the chairs facing away from the windows while Blitzø stands near him, almost leering over the small imp. Both have stopped their argument and looked over at me when they heard Millie speak. Moxxie looks the same as he did a couple days ago when I first met him, but Blitzø is more of the stand-out to me. Along with being the tallest imp here and having the longest horns out of everyone, the boss wears a tattered slate-gray collared coat with red buttons, black knee-high boots, elbow length black, fingerless gloves, and a red skull charm around his neck. Definitely the more stylish one.

"Nice to see you again, Moxxie" I remark casually, Millie's husband's eyes widening as he recognizes me.

"C/N? What are you doing here?" He asks, Millie having shut the door and gone over to sit down next to Moxxie.

"I'll tell you in a minute" I promise, then turning and walking towards Blitzø, "But first I'd like to meet your boss here."

"And it's nice to see that someone recognizes authority here" The taller imp smirks, holding out his hand, "Hi there, I'm Blitzø, the 'o' is silent, and I'm the founder of this company."

"Nice to meet you too, Blitzø" I reply, shaking his hand.

"And I assume you know what service this company provides?" He asks.

"I'm pretty sure I do" I nod, glancing at Moxxie out of the corner of my eye, "But would it hurt for you to give me the basic rundown of it?"

"I most definitely will!" Blitzø grins, looking happy that I asked as his hands are rubbing against each other, "My company deals in assassinating people from the living world. A client comes to us, pays us, tells us who they want dead, and myself, along with my weapons specialist Moxxie and his wife Millie here, go on up there and brutalize the living shit right out of them until their brains are pouring out of their asshole. And some of my company's specials include a client's first kill being free if we're not able to axe the bitch within 24 hours and kids getting the same treatment for absolutely free! Quite a deal, if I do say so myself."

"Hmm, a very creative business idea" I reply, letting all that extra information go right out the other ear.

"Exactly" Blitzø nods, no doubt feeling prideful, "And since you're here, that makes you our first client for the day. So, who in the living world do you want to get their throat cut? Abusive dad? Slutty mom? Horny cousin? We don't judge."

"Actually, I'm not here as a client. I was wondering if you knew anything about the small-scale massacre that happened yesterday" I say, the boss frowning at my real reason of coming but still listening.

"The one that 666 News won't shut up about, huh? Yeah, we've all heard the story. What about it?" Blitzø asks, folding his arms in minor annoyance.

"Because one of the attackers mentioned being hired by an assassin and I quote 'wore clothes that made him look like he originated from a different Ring than this one'. Judging by appearances and the fact that you run an assassin-based company, you seem to fit the profile. So, tell me, did you hire the attackers?" I say much more seriously, stepping closer to Blitzø with my arms crossed. Millie and Moxxie look shocked, glancing at their boss and appearing anxious as to how he'll respond.

"No, I didn't" He denies, shaking his head, "I don't outsource work beyond what my employees are willing to handle themselves and I've never seen those cocksuckers before in my life. I don't have any reason to do that either, especially since I heard that Stolas was there at that party. So you might wanna do some more research before you start accusing me of shit, asshole."

"Interesting that you mention Stolas" I say with a narrow-eyed expression, "Because he is part of the reason why I am here."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, what does he want?" Blitzø groans, pinching his nose in annoyance.

"He requested me to look into this situation, since he and his family were put in danger specifically and because I've worked for them on a number of occasions. But the fact that you know his name only adds to my suspicions, so I'd like you to be honest when you tell me how you know him" I passively demand.

Blitzø quickly pulls out a flintlock pistol from his coat and points it at me, though I waste no time in pointing my own handgun right back at him. Surprisingly, though, neither Millie or Moxxie jump to his defense and pull out weapons of their own to point at me. Must be a result/consequence of Blitzø's treatment of them, if his argument with Moxxie was any indication. The imp boss is surprised about this too, looking over his shoulder at his unwavering employees.

"M & M, aren't you two gonna help me out here?" He pointedly inquires.

"Sorry, sir, it's not our business" Moxxie replies, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"This is your last chance to prove that you're not guilty here, Blitzø" I warn him, the imp looking back at me with his gun still raised while I hold up my phone that's showing Stolas' contact info, "Either tell me the truth right now or I'll call Stolas and tell him that I've found the person that ordered the scare on his family. And let me tell you, he won't be anywhere near merciful when he hears that."

Blitzø is visibly shaking from the threat, though I don't think it's from the thought of what Stolas will do to him. Still, with a troubled expression on his face, he struggles to remain strong and keep his gun pointed at me, finally caving in and lowering his gun after a painful half a minute later.

"Fine! I'll say it!" The boss grits his teeth, "Stolas and I had...a transactional relationship a long while ago. Because in order for my company to access the living world, I needed his fancy book that could open portals there. He wouldn't let me use it without giving him something in return. It started out intimate, but later resulted into something that involved a lot less penetration. I asked if I could just have the book and not have to endure the 'transactional' bit. He agreed, since we were more trusting of each other by that point, but under the condition that I still check back with him once every month to ensure that I wasn't misusing it. As far as your little inquiry goes, my answer is still no. You think I want to fuck up the relationship Stolas and I have when it's keeping my business going? No. I did not hire those other fuckwits that put him and his family in danger. I didn't have anything to do with that."

I lower my gun and put it away, seeing that Blitzø is really being honest here.

"Thank you, Blitzø" I say to him.

He just shakes his head in response, biting his lip and partially pouting while re-crossing his arms again and looking off to the side in a very childish manner. This gives Millie and Moxxie more of a chance to speak, since it seems like Blitzø is quickly losing the desire to speak with me. 

"How'd it all go down?" Millie asks, leaning for with interest in her eyes, "I mean, you speak as if you were there, unless I'm mistaken."

"No, you're correct, Millie. I was there" I affirm, "And aside from running into a rather malevolent relative, the gunfight I had with the imps was probably the most thrilling thing to come out of that party.'

"Ooooh! Now I wish I could've been there" Millie smiles eagerly. I can't help but crack a smile myself at seeing her happy.

"Well, whenever I get assigned bodyguard duty, I'll see if I can't talk Stolas into letting you and Moxxie tag along. I'm sure he wouldn't mind given his history with Blitzø and the company" I half jokingly offer.

"Oh, come off it!" Blitzø snaps, "What's your deal with Stolas anyway?"

"My regular job is an independent assassin, though sometimes I offer to help his family" I reply, feeling like that's enough to answer Blitzø's question without being too specific to someone I don't trust enough to reveal more.

"Wait a minute. Is he the assassin you told me about that helped you the other night?" Millie asks her husband.

Moxxie nods and Millie gets up from her seat, walks past her boss, and over to me, before then proceeding to give me a much warmer handshake with a smile.

"You have my thanks for helping my husband out when he needed it. And I suppose we haven't done a proper introduction yet, so allow me. My name is Millie and it's a pleasure to meet you" She says.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Millie" I respond back.

"And to express our thanks, can we invite him over for dinner later tonight, Mox?" Millie asks, looking back behind her at Moxxie.

"That sounds fine to me, honey" The imp smiles, perfectly accepting of the idea.

"Sure, that sounds great" I accept, Millie looking glad that I agreed.

"Well, if it's this situation is that important to Stolas, then I suppose we could try lending a hand in this little on-going investigation" Blitzø sighs, still stuck on the topic and looking like he does want to offer his help but still forcing himself to say it anyway, "Better that than have him up my ass for not doing anything. But, on a unrelated note, I can see that you clearly take a job seriously and that's what I like to see in an employee. So it would make my day better if you decided to sign on with I.M.P."

"Sir, are you serious?" Moxxie asks, not sounding indignant and against the idea, but confused that his boss would suggest such a thing.

"C'mon, Mox. Another employee won't hurt anybody. And you don't think I can see how easily you and Mills get along with him? You three would probably become great pals given the chance. And maybe Loonie could have another friend aside from that other hellhound she hangs around with" He grins, keeping his arms crossed.

"Who's that?" I ask.

"She's my adopted daughter. You probably went past her on the way in here. She's our hellhound receptionist" Blitzø replies, saying that first part with pride.

"Huh" I merely reply, not exactly thrilled given how her behavior is still fresh in my mind.

"So, are you willing to work with us?" Blitzø asks.

"...Yeah, I'll work with you guys, though whether or not I want to officially join your company is something I'll leave up in the air right now" I answer.

"That's good enough for me" He shrugs, walking forward and shaking my hand again while I do him the courtesy of shaking back, "And since we'll be working together, I'd like it if you could try and get to know everyone here a bit better, especially Loonie since she has trouble making friends."

"Sure thing. I don't have a problem with that" I say, though not really meaning it when he mentioned his daughter.

"Blitzø! The client that stopped in yesterday just called and wants to know if we've killed his target yet!" The uninterested yet raised voice of the hellhound says, the girl herself walking in the door a second later.

Blitzø thinks for a moment, but then glances at me with his grin widening shortly after.

"Tell them we're on our way to do it now" The boss instructs, "Now that we have enough people to do the job, it's a done deal."

"And why is it that I can't go?" Loonie frowns.

"Because I don't want to put my little Loonie in danger" Blitzø replies in a babyish type of voice, his daughter rolling her eyes and looking back at her phone, "Oh and while you're here, I want you to meet our new accomplice...uh..."

"Y/N" I help him, having not revealed my name yet, but figuring it's fine now since we're going to be working together.

"Yes, that" Blitzø nods, "Try not to be too mean to him, Loonie Tunes. He and you could be good friends."

"Don't call me those things in front of strangers, Da-Blitzø!" The hellhound quickly corrects herself, looking visibly angry before briefly looking at me, "And the name is Loona, not any of the other things he calls me by!"

'Loona' then storms out of the room, lightly slamming the door on her way out. The office is silent for a minute, Moxxie, Millie slightly frozen in surprise while Blitzø just keeps smiling. But given what the imp boss just said, I feel the need to question him on it.

"What's this about a job that she can't be apart of now?" I ask Blitzø.

"Think of it like this, kid. You'll do us a favor by coming along and helping us, get an added bonus in the form of a visit to the living world, and we'll start doing some brainstorming on this whole 'assassin' deal tomorrow. Does that sound pleasing enough to tide you over?" The sardonic imp replies.

"It's definitely something I know I can handle" I state with confidence, "But what about disguises? Because, even though it's been a while since I've died, I'm fairly sure that humans aren't used to seeing Hellborn demons walking around in broad daylight."

"We've got that covered. This isn't our first rodeo, after all" Blitzø answers, gesturing with his hand towards an open chest sitting next to the wall with costumes peeking out of it.

I have to restrain myself from saying 'are you fucking kidding me?' in the most disappointed tone ever out loud while also pinching the bridge of my nose. These guys will stick out like a broken thumb, nevermind a sore one.

"So let's get our shit together and get going!" Blitzø announces, walking past me and opening the office door a smidge, "Get the portal ready, Loona!"

"Ok" Her voice calls back, sounding calmed down but still bored and flat.

Blitzø then goes right past me again, but instead goes to the open chest, Moxxie getting up from seat and heading over to it as well with Millie meeting her husband there. All three of them, at their own pace, begin putting on a different disguise, Millie putting on a farm girl outfit with suspenders, a straw hat, and boots, Moxxie putting on an outfit that makes him look a bit like an elder scientist with a white wig and glasses, and Blitzø putting on make-up, an afro, and a striped suit that makes him look like a clown. In the literal sense, not the metaphorical sense, though I suppose he could pass for that sometimes too.

"Hey, Y/N. Catch!" The imp boss calls to me, tossing a cap and a bandana my way. I do indeed catch them, but I also frown at Blitzø's selection.

"Umm, why did you pick these, Blitzø?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Cause, you're more human-looking than the rest of us, so just a hat and something to cover your face should suffice" He answers simply.

"Fine, ok" I sigh, putting the hat on and putting the bandana around my face, not being in the mood to argue.

Right as everyone is finishing, Loona comes back in the room with a blue and gold book in her hands. This must be the book Blitzø mentioned earlier. Loona then opens the book and some wavy lighter blue magic comes swirling out of the pages. Those swirls then come together to form a red, oval-shaped portal near the whiteboard, the other side showing a blue sky, sunny day with lushful trees and green grass. The I.M.P crew don't say a word, Blitzø taking charge and being the first one to go through with Moxxie and Millie going after him. I wait a second before following them, giving Loona a thankful nod before stepping through the portal for myself.

As soon as I'm on the other side, it closes up, but my attention is soon captured by the living world. Just by looking around at the bright, lively, and peaceful looking environment makes me feel like I never died. In the back of my mind, I still have to accept the fact that I did, but I just can't help but smile underneath the bandana and sigh in complete happiness. The area we're in is a public park surrounded by trees and bushes and consists of a large open field, a playground with wood chips, a shelter, and parking spots with cars in them. Oh, and let's not forget the people. There are a fair amount playing with their kids on the playground, out in the field, or just sitting around on benches or under the shelter. It almost feels like I'm back on another field trip back when I was much younger and in a summer camp. But I then have to remind myself that we're better off not being seen, so I hide behind a nearby tree while Blitzø hides behind me, Moxxie and Millie concealing themselves in a bush.

"Alright, so this is the guy we're looking for" Blitzø says in a hushed tone, holding his open phone in my direction so that I can see a picture of two guys standing next to each other who look like good buddies, "The one on the left, you know the one with no hair and a fashion sense equivalent to fucking a circus clown. The other one was his best friend and he's the one who hired us. He said that his best friend usually comes to this park with his 5-year old son on Saturdays."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't crowd my personal space" I reply tersely, feeling cramped with him and I being stuck hiding behind the same tree, "But what is your plan with taking this guy out?"

"Well, we can't take him out here, too many people around" The boss analyzes, peeking around the tree, "But we also can't kill him yet. You see, the target's involved in a gang in the nearby city and we're getting paid to not only eliminate him, but his fellow members too."

"So that's why you needed somebody else for this job" I say, putting the pieces together.

"Right" Blitzø nods, "Now, according to our client, the target comes here with his kid, but then drops him off at home afterwards and goes to meet with this gang he's apart of without his spouse knowing. We need to identify the target before he leaves and tail him to his gang hideout. That's when our fun murder time can commence. So let's get looking! You too, M & M."

"We got it, sir" Moxxie's voice replies, coming from the bush to our immediate left. 

Not seeing any binoculars out, I creep back a bit and unsling my sniper rifle from my back, looking through the scope at the playground. Obviously I won't be letting off any shots, but I do look from person to person in a quick but analytical way to try and find the target. At least this is easier than some other jobs I've taken before where the target was in a much larger area that took way longer to spot.

"I don't see him yet" Millie comments.

"Keep trying" Blitzø replies, "He's here somewhere."

"I found him" I state, clearly surprising everyone, even though I can only see Blitzø's slightly shocked expression.

"Ok, where? And why are you pointing that thing in that direction?" The boss inquires, sounding uneasy at the second bit.

"I'm not going to shoot him, Blitzø. I'm just using this since it didn't appear like you, Millie, or Moxxie had any binoculars. And to answer your question, he's at the bottom of the slide, waiting for his kid to come down" I answer, still looking through the scope.

"...Yep, that's him alright. Good job, Y/N" Moxxie says.

"Ok. You and Millie keep an eye on him while Eagle Eyes and I see if we can find his vehicle in the parking lot. Oh, and let us know if he starts heading that way" Blitzø instructs.

I then put my sniper rifle away and tentatively stick close to the imp as he begins creeping along the treeline away from Millie and Moxxie. The two of us have to move cautiously, not being completely hidden from sight if anyone were to look over in our direction, kid or adult. We have to not step on any twigs or branches, but keep an eye out for when the trees curve around and where the parking lot begins. But, after a minute or two, we reach a suitable point where the cars are close enough for Blitzø and I to step out of the trees and sneak our way into the parking lot, a couple rows of cars down to our left.

"Now, remember, this guy has a kid, so look for..I don't know..a baby seat in the backseat" He surmises.

"Blitzø, nearly every person here has a kid, so that doesn't help narrow it down any" I point out, gesturing back towards the playground.

"Ugh, fuck, fine" Blitzø sighs in annoyance, "Then we might have to do this a bit more risky."

"Meaning?" I ask.

"We wait for him to come and follow him to his car" He says.

"Then how are we supposed to tail him? Hide in his car?" I guess, Blitzø shrugging, "If he's coming to the car, he'll see us if we try and get inside."

"We'll distract him and improvise the shit out of this" The imp huffs, resuming walking.

"Not really professional" I mutter to myself, still electing to follow him.

Blitzø's phone then rings, him answering it promptly.

"This better be good, Mox" He says. I can't quite hear what Moxxie is saying to him, but the main reason he'd be calling is if the target was heading our way, so I'll for now go by that assumption.

"Then you and Mills get your asses over here stat! We're only gonna have one chance to do this and we all need to be here otherwise somebody's getting left behind!" Blitzø answers. Something else is said and then the boss answers again.

"Just do what Y/N and I are doing, staying out of sight and tailing him to his car when he appears" Blitzø orders.

"Uh, I can see him, Blitzø" I say, him looking up at the target coming towards the row of cars with a kid beside him.

"Shit. He's already here. Get over here now!" Blitzø urges more quietly, then hangs up while the two of us hide out of the target's direct line of sight.

The man and his kid then turn and move between some cars a little ways in front of us, though Blitzø and I parallel his movements and follow him, there being a couple more rows of cars in the direction they're going. And, as our luck would have it, I can hear the two innocently talk about heading to the car on the far end, the father having the child recite the color of their car from memory as a guessing game. Blitzø ends up hearing this too and we hasten forward, speeding up while still staying out of sight. We reach the last row quickly and spot the wolf gray minivan about three cars in from the end. Blitzø and I hide behind the side of the vehicle that's facing away from where the target and his kid are coming from. And when the two voices begin to come closer, I see Millie and Moxxie approaching from the front of the car, crouching down next to us. The voices are getting closer and the car doors then unlock, nearly making some of us jump. Blitzø then takes out his pistol, glancing at us three.

"As soon as I shoot, get inside and hide. They'll cower, as humans do, and that'll distract them enough so that we'll remain unseen" He quickly instructs.

The imp boss doesn't wait for us to nod or respond, leaning just far out enough to let off a shot at a nearby car. That car's alarm goes off and glass shatters, Millie throwing open the car door and jumping inside, her and Moxxie throwing themselves into the trunk space while I dive into the backseat with Blitzø coming in after me and pulling the car door closed. From the looks of it, I'm stuck behind the kid's seat, so I'll have to be really quiet. Rapid footsteps then sound and the car door leading to the kid's seat opens, the motion happening so close to us that I can't help but feel a bit afraid of being caught. The target hastily buckles in his kid and shuts the door, then gets in the driver's seat and starts the minivan. The vehicle quickly reverses and leaves the park, the father telling his son to calm down and that whoever did that can't hurt him anymore, even though he doesn't know about three imps and a sinner hiding in his backseat and trunk.

Judging by the clock on my phone, that's thankfully on silent, we spent the next 30 mins being quiet and having to patiently wait through long bits of the car moving and some traffic light stops until the car reaches the target's house. Throughout the wait, I can tell Blitzø was getting impatient, but I had to send him visual signals to calm down, otherwise he'd blow this whole operation. Millie and Moxxie were dead silent, and I'd at least like to think that they fared better since they were with each other. But once the minivan stops and the target announces to his son that they're home. He then comes, opens the door, takes his son out, and shuts the door, letting us all sigh in relief once he does.

"Fucking shit that was painful" Blitzø huffs, crossing his arms.

"How are you two doing back there?" I softly say to Millie and Moxxie.

"We're fine, Y/N" Millie's voice answers.

"Can't wait until we get out of this minivan, though" Moxxie's voice complains.

"Oh, suck it up, Moxxie. We've gone through worse things than having to be quiet" Blitzø says, despite being the first one to complain.

"Shh! He's coming back!" Moxxie notices, apparently catching a glance of the target through the window.

"Alright, everyone, just hang in there a little longer" I say reassuringly, I.M.P. going silent again as mere seconds later, the driver's side door opens again and the target gets inside.

The vehicle then starts back up and we begin moving again. What then transpires is even more stops at traffic lights than the previous trek along with the target stressing over the shot Blitzø made, worrying if someone might be taking revenge on him just because of his gang affiliation. Honestly, he doesn't come off as a hard, tough, and ruthless gang member, but he confirms it, so we know that we have the right guy, assuming that, by any chance, the picture Blitzø was given was incorrect. But, a short time later, the minivan stops and shuts off, the target opening the door and getting out being the ultimate confirmation that we've arrived at our final destination. Everyone still waits for his voice to fade and then I slowly peek through the window above and behind me.

"He's gone into the building" I tell the imp crew, "And we appear to be in a parking lot behind a warehouse with plenty of buildings on either side."

"Great! Now the best part can begin" Blitzø smiles eagerly, "Let's get in there and finish the job."

"Agreed" I nod, going to unlock the door before pausing, "Wait, Blitzø. Don't try the door, it's locked, otherwise the car alarm will go off and bring him back out here."

"And why's that a problem?" He asks, "He's part of the kill list we have, so we'd just be bringing him right to us."

"If that's your mindset, we could've just popped him before he got too far away from the car, but then loud shots will bring the rest of the gang members outside where it's less confined and provides them ample opportunity to run" I rationalize.

"Hmm, I see. Good point" Blitzø nods, "Alright, I guess we're going out through the trunk. Mills, Mox, you guys are getting out first. Y/N will hit the switch."

I then crawl between the seats and up into the driver's seat, pulling on the small switch in the floor and popping the trunk open. Millie and Moxxie then climb out, Blitzø going after them as I crawl back the way I came before climbing over into the trunk and hopping out of the vehicle, Millie closing the trunk back up. And, yep, the sky's still blue and sunny, but we're now in a parking lot behind a warehouse with buildings on either side of us. I.M.P ready their individual weapons and, together, we walk towards the door the target went into. We all pause before the door and Blitzø says one last thing.

"Whatever you three do, don't let anyone escape" He orders.

Millie, Moxxie, and I collectively nod and Blitzø opens the door, all of us surging inside. It's a very open space inside, the gang members all lounging around in the center and quickly looking in our direction when they hear the door open. They're too slow to respond, though, having not expected us, and Blitzø lets off the first shot, shooting his pistol and making one of the guy's heads crack open, blood spraying on the men next to him as he falls over dead. Millie then charges ahead and jumps on another guy, proceeding to stab him to death with a knife while her husband and I each pull out a handgun and let loose on the others. Obviously, those that aren't in the direct line of fire try to either pull out their own weapons and fire back or attempt to take cover, but Blitzø isn't about to go back on what he himself instructed us to do. The imp boss is prepared with a grenade launcher and fires it directly at the group, leading to about three guys getting blown apart. Millie has now jumped on another gang member while the remaining men are taking notice of how easily they're getting wiped out, Moxxie and I killing a couple more before having to reload our handguns, and are now starting to run away. 

I run after one that's heading for a small door on the far left end of the warehouse, tackling him to the ground and putting my foot against his throat before shooting him in the head and running towards the next closest gang member. This one is already getting too close to the door, so I resolve myself to shoot him a couple times in the back, the man slumping/sliding down to the ground as I shoot him in the back of the head to finish him off. There's only about four gang members left now, one of them trying to strangle Millie but ending up unsuccessful as her husband easily shoots him dead from behind, Moxxie then helping Millie up before Blitzø lets them finish off the other three. I walk back to the imps as they move to kill the very same guy we've been tailing this entire time, standing next to Blitzø as Millie stabs the target in the head and the man dies shortly after. After that, everyone takes a sigh of relief, the job now complete.

"Well, that actually wasn't that hard" Blitzø comments, then taking out his phone and dialing Loona, "Ready the portal, Loonie. We're coming home."

And, true to her word, the red oval portal forms a couple moments later in the center of the warehouse. All of us waste no time walking through, probably not wanting to wait around for anyone that might've heard those gunshots to come looking, and we end up in the office lobby. Loona is back to sitting behind the receptionist's desk, looking at her phone while shutting the book, the portal closing.

"Well, gang, another successful job!" Blitzø remarks, "I'll let the client know, but the rest of you can go. I'm calling it a day."

The boss then heads down the hallway towards the meeting room while Millie and Moxxie stay standing around.

"Would you still like to come over for dinner?" Millie asks me, bringing it back up since she doesn't know if I forgot about it or not.

"Sure, that'd be great" I reply with a smile.

"Wonderful! We just need to change out of these disguises and then we'll go" Millie concludes, Moxxie nodding as they head off down a different hallway, leaving me alone with Loona.

To not make the hellhound feel awkward, I take a seat on the nearby chairs and take out my phone. I scan through some of the bounties that have been posted recently, but I can feel Loona looking at me. Glancing up from my phone, I do find the hellhound looking at me, though once she notices me noticing her, she looks away and pretends not to have looked in the first place.

"Look, Loona, if you have something you want to say, feel free to say it. I'm not going to be judgmental and make you feel like this has to remain a bit awkward" I say to her. 

She sighs and accepts it.

"Look, I may have come off harsher than I usually am, but that's only due to Blitzø being the way he is" Loona says back to me.

"I take it he's overprotective of you?" I guess.

"Like you wouldn't fucking believe" The hellhound sighs, putting her phone all the way down, "It gets so annoying and he takes it way too seriously."

"I can relate to that" I say, willing to be slightly more open in the hopes that that'll get us to connect more on a friendlier level.

"Oh, really?" Loona comments, one of her eyebrows raised.

"Yes, really" I nod, "My dad used to be pretty dictating of what I could and could not do, always telling me what clothes I should wear and how I should act. Even when I was past being 18."

"Damn. Sounds like we both had it a bit rough, huh?" Loona sympathizes, beginning to show a hint of a smile.

"I guess so, yeah" I agree, seeing that this is going somewhere good, "And you probably don't need me to tell you this, but it doesn't hurt to be a little firm if Blitzø is being too overbearing. I don't know the full extent of what he does, but if he's anything like my dad, letting him know when he needs to stop definitely isn't a bad idea."

"Trust me, I do" Loona muses, "All the time. He can't really take a hint. But at least it's nice to know that somebody else knows what I go through that's also had it happen to them too."

The hellhound then leans forward, both of her arms resting on the desk as she makes eye contact with me.

"I guess you're not too bad, now that I think about it, so I also guess that I wouldn't mind starting off as friends, assuming that you're wanting to and aren't lying about what you said" Loona says.

"I wouldn't have any reason to lie, not to mention that you could probably bite me in half" I partially joke with her.

"Hehe, yeah, you're right" She chuckles, smiling more, "So, friends?"

"Friends" I nod.

"But don't get any ideas of wanting to come over to my place" Loona smirks, "We're not that far along yet."

"Hadn't even occurred to me, but thanks for putting the idea in my head. I'll be sure to bring that up again sometime" I smirk back, Loona just rolling her eyes while she continues smiling. It really brings out a cuter side to her.

"Let's go, Y/N!" Millie then calls to me, her and her husband now standing at the hallway entrance. I nod to them.

"Gotta go, Loona. See you tomorrow" I conclude.

"Likewise, troublemaker" The hellhound replies, jokingly holding up her middle finger. I jokingly flip her off too before we both smile and I walk out the front door with Millie and Moxxie.

"You're keeping the disguise on?" Moxxie questions, reminding me of that very same fact that I've gotten too used to that I already forgot.

"Eh, why not?" I reply, though pulling the bandana down from my face.

The three of us take the elevator down and exit the building promptly, Millie leading the way towards her and her husband's apartment, according to Moxxie. I was almost under the impression that we were leaving just a bit early for dinner, but the fact that I arrived at I.M.P in mid-afternoon had only just resurfaced in my mind to make me realize how the timing was as it should be. And it also shows in the amount of imps outside or I guess the lack thereof. We walk for minutes and minutes and only come across a handful of them scattered across our little trek through the city, the most standout one being an older imp lady with a baby carriage and a baby imp inside of said carriage. Millie marveled at how cute it was, Moxxie smiling at his wife's happiness, though it made me think how they might be looking to become parents one day. Though it would probably best be a day where neither of them or at least only one of them still work at the company because they couldn't care for a kid while on a job and neither Blitzø nor Loona seem like the kind of people to volunteer for such responsibilities.

At some point, we're getting close, Millie giving all of us the reassurance, but it's also around that time when my phone buzzes. I take it out and see that it's Stolas calling, leading me to answer as soon as I can.

"Hello?" I say.

"Are you alright, my dear boy?" Stolas asks, making me frown in confusion, "I tried calling a while ago but you never picked up."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, Stolas" I answer, Millie and Moxxie looking my way after I name drop him, "My phone was on silent because I was helping I.M.P on a job, one that involved tailing a subject in his own vehicle."

"Sounds like quite the adventure" The prince says, his tone making me visualize him nodding, "But how goes the investigation into yesterday evening?"

"Well, a couple things. One, I.M.P was not responsible, and, two, they've agreed to work with me and help me uncover who's behind this thing. We start tomorrow" I update him.

"Splendid! That's good to hear, Y/N" Stolas replies, sounding grateful at the progress, despite the fact that I don't think it's all that much, "You know, Octavia really is missing you, though you'll be thrilled to know that we have started her on training exercises."

"I'll come visit her soon" I promise, "In the meantime, though, I gotta go."

"Alright. Thank you for help, Y/N" The owl says.

"You bet. You take care now, Stolas. Bye" I conclude before hanging up.

"...I never knew you had a royal prince's number on speed dial" Moxxie comments, "What's that like?"

"It's not just him, I have his wife's number and his daughter's number too, though it's not something to brag about, if you can guess how often they call" I hint to him.

"Ah, right" Millie's husband nods, getting my meaning.

"We're here!" Millie announces, all of us stopping beside a rather cramped looking apartment building, it looking cramped by way of being sandwiched tightly between two other taller apartment buildings with no room for alleys in between buildings.

I choose not to comment on this and instead keep following the married couple as they walk up the steps into the building, walk up the spiral staircase going up to the different levels, get off on the top floor, walk down the hallway with the doors leading to the apartments, and enter room 420. And, immediately, right off the bat, I notice that it's a more simple but still homey apartment, consisting of a walk-in kitchen that leads back to the dinner table, a couple windows so that anyone at the table can look out while their eating, and a door leading to their bedroom, though I just guess at that since I don't want to appear nosy.

"Nice to be home!" Moxxie exclaims, sounding relieved, "Now, what shall we have for dinner?"

"Oh, I know!" Millie announces, twiddling her fingers together, "Y/N, would you like to help?"

"It's only fair that I do" I reply, meaning exactly what I said.

"Then let's get started!" Moxxie's wife says with enthusiasm.

I then set my sniper rifle down, put my guns next to it, and head into the kitchen. What happens next involves a lot of vegetable cutting, me handing Millie and Moxxie things along with them handing me things, Moxxie getting ingredients from the fridge, and Millie working with the stovetop. It's a lighthearted and easygoing process, the three of us talking among each other in a very casual sense while we're working. We share a couple bits of background information about ourselves, me being the more exclusive one since I don't want to give out much about myself to imps that, while nice, are people I just met today. And with our combined efforts, dinner is soon done, the next step being serving up our own portions, taking our plates out to the dinner table, and sitting down.

The three of us then continue talking, but also mix it in with our dinner eating. Millie and Moxxie look so happy together and there's a point where they're talking and the two imp place their hands over one another's on top of the dinner table. It's just so wholesome that I can't help but smile. Sure, my experience with imps in the past hasn't been the best, but compared to all the others, these two pale in comparison. Though the skeptical part of me is saying that this could all be a front to get me to let my guard down, but I keep that part of me more on the backburner. Right now, I enjoy the dinner we made together and just bask in the good company I've found myself in tonight.

Who knows? Maybe after this temporary alliance ends and this investigation concludes, we could still remain friends into the future.