WARNING: The following contains graphic violence, strong language, sexual themes, as well as rampant demon horniness... so yes, it's intended for mature audiences.

VIEWER/READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

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3rd Person POV

It was shaping up to be a fairly slow day at the office; Blitzø was talking with five demons (three imps, a Shiba Inu hellhound, and a succubus) who were looking to be hired as interns in his office.

Millie and Moxxie were seen talking on the couch and Loona was playing online poker at her desk with one earbud in her ear while Ayden was talking at her.

Today she was wearing a sleeveless one-piece black romper with flare-leg shorts that had yellow and orange highlights with a hole in the back for her tail to be free, Jin's ring necklace around her neck, a red scarf, similar to the one she wears with her human form, wrap-cinched multiple times around her waist with the ends hanging in front, and oversized black sock-like foot coverings that bunched and hung off a bit around her ankles while leaving her toes exposed.

One paw was gripping onto her curly hair, after she decided to keep it like that, close to the two star hair clips that were secured in front of her ears as her other paw waved a magazine around, the front page bearing a photo of her and Via on their boba hangout with Ayden sharing her drink and Via smiling around the straw.

The title 'Goetia Princess Swooped Up by Sinner?' was in bold over the picture as she ranted,

"I jus' don' get how this happ'ned! I pre'y much killed the guy who took this!"

"So someone managed to post a pic of you and your girlfriend on a gossip tabloid?" Loona shrugged, not taking her eyes off her screen before continuing, "You can't exactly keep something like that on the down-low for long."

"She's not my-hrr!" Ayden started to argue before growling and protesting while pacing around, "We still haven't talked 'bout that cause I neve' wanted it to be a big thing." She smacked a paw against the magazine to emphasize, "THIS makes it a HUGE thing!"

She crumpled it up in frustration before igniting it between her paws as she panted angrily.

However, Loona was still completely unfazed as she deadpanned, not even sparing her a glance,

"This is literally too dumb for me to care about..."

"I don' know why I tell you things..." Ayden complained grumpily before she bent down to slump her head down on the desk with her arms dangling down in midair as she groaned with her mouth closed.

Loona spared a quick peek over to her before rolling her eyes a bit and giving her head a quick pat before putting her other earbud in and going back to her game.

*BV-VVV!*

Ayden's ears perked up when she heard her phone vibrate in her shorts pocket and whipped it out, hoping it was Via so she could explain things, but didn't look any less disappointed, and was in fact a tiny bit relieved, when she saw a message that read,

*Ready for tonight?*

And she typed back excitedly,

*Yep!*

*Cool!*

*Have a work

thing now*

*see you later!*

And Ayden smiled before-

*FWWW-WWW-WWW-WWW....!*

Her ears perked up again when she felt some strange vibrations going through the air, enough to make her whiskers shiver, before turning to follow the feeling to the meeting room to look out the window where the odd feeling was coming from and asking,

"Guuuuys...! Wha's that...?"

Moxxie entered the meeting room to join her at the window and, after seeing some red smoke swirling in the air nearby, he uttered,

"Oh crumbs...!"

Before running to Blitzø's office, where he was heard shouting,

"Sir! You need to see this!"

Ayden jolted when a shouting voice was heard from outside,

"COME OUT! WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED!"

Looking back outside, the red smoke came together to create a swirling vortex of lightning clouds that converged into a black hole-looking portal with a large eye in the center that opened the way for Reapers to flood out.

One Reaper was seen with a scroll in his hands as he announced,

"Employees of the illegal business I.M.P. You are... hereby arrested for breaking demon law, surrender yourselves!"

Behind the Reaper, some clouds formed a screen to broadcast the mugshots of Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzø while Loona's picture was from Bee's party a couple of months back and Ayden's picture was from the Clown Pageant when she had fought back against Mammon and was in a defensive position with her powers sparking around her.

The words "Under Arrested" and "Yes, you!" appeared in bold red over their pictures as another guard shouted gleefully,

"YOU GUYS ARE IN DEEP SHIT!"

"Shite...!" Ayden breathed shakily as the instinct to run she thought she had managed to shove down rose back up after so long.

"Haaah...!" She tried to breathe out to get rid of the tension but seemed to have the opposite effect as her tail puffed up and started whipping around, her fur bristled as her curls turned to points, and her paws clenched at her sides with her powers sparking up, nearly imploding when the guard yelled,

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!"

"QUICK! HIDE EVERYTHING!" Blitzø's shouting voice managed to semi-snap her out of her shut-down state as she went back into the main office area.

As she grabbed her satchel from the couch area, Blitzø was seen rapidly clicking on the computer mouse to make the deletion of the search history go by faster, but it ended up just crashing.

*TCH!*

*BZZRT!*

Unexpectedly, the computer was sliced in half, making Ayden jolt in place as she made sure her weapons were in there while clutching a paw on her shirt over her gemstone as her heart pounded underneath.

After Millie and Blitzø high-fived for her work in slicing the computer in half, Loona finally started seeing how serious things were as Moxxie was busy taking a huge pile of papers to be destroyed while crying as the guards outside kept yelling,

"Come out with your hands up! We are going to beat you!"

"What?!" Loona exclaimed in disbelief as Moxxie darted away once they yelled again,

"But only a little!"

"FUUUUCK!!!"

Yelling, Loona opened a drawer full of work papers along with a secret bottle of Beelzejuice, which she promptly opened and poured over all the contents of the drawer.

"There's nowhere to run you little red shits!"

Just as she brought her lighter out to set the pile ablaze, she hesitated when she saw two photos inside; one taken after accomplishing their first job and the other taken after Ayden's first mission with the team.

After groaning a bit as she took the photos to tuck into her shirt, she started trying to flick her lighter on to no avail while panicking,

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Before calling to the side as she slammed her lighter on the edge of the drawer, "Denny! I could use some help over here!"

"We are going to beat you! But-but only a little."

Looking over to where Ayden was still kneeling by the couch now with both paws clutched over her heart/gemstone, her ears tucked down, her eyes nearly bugging out of her skull, and Loona saw how she flinched down even tighter with each yell,

"May-maybe a lot. Just come out!"

Bolting toward her, she pulled Ayden up by her shoulders as she stared frightfully and blankly into space before yelling as she rapidly shook her,

"Snap. Out. Of. It!"

"AH-A-A-A-AH!" Ayden yelped jointedly from the aggressive shaking before Loona pulled her still-semi-dazed face close to hers to exclaim,

"We are all in this together! Now stop freaking out and help me with this!"

Dragging her back over to the desk area by the paw, Ayden's eyes were seen focusing back in on the back of Loona's head and she gave a quick appreciative smile even as Loona pulled away to try starting her lighter again but it kept failing to spark.

Blitzø had gone to check on them, making a 'hurry up!' hand motion as Loona kept getting frustrated with how her lighter wasn't working,

"I'M TRYING! I'M FUCKING TRYING!"

Before Blitzø took it out of her hands and tossed it into the drawer so Ayden could snap her digits and direct a small spark to be sent out from her pointer digit to light it up, causing a small fire to rise up as the three of them gave each other thumbs up.

After Blitzø ran off in the direction of the kitchen in the breakroom, Ayden's ears perked up when she heard sirens going off in the distance.

Running over to the window, she saw, in the closing distance, three Hell police cars heading toward the building with Baphomet officers, no doubt to help storm the place.

"Hrrr...!" Ayden huffed through her teeth as she searched through her satchel to find and pull out three neon red mini cherry bombs with light green cyclops skulls on them before muttering, "These should slow'em down...!"

Pulling out a wrist rocket slingshot launcher that was also hued in neon red with green highlights, Ayden laced the launcher onto her right arm, pulled the pins on all three bombs, and her ears twitched from the ticking that was heard soon after,

*Tick!*

*Tick!*

Before she loaded one bomb in, pulled back the elastic, and used the aiming notch to line up with the first car's path,

*Tick!*

*Tick!**Tick!*

"Haaah...! Pheeeew..."

When the ticking started speeding up, she took a deep, steadying breath, just like Moxxie had taught her, and released just as all the bombs started ticking rapidly,

*FTHOOMP!*

*Tick!**Tick!**Tick!**Tick!*

*FTHOOMP!* *FTHOOMP!*

Firing the other two in rapid succession, the bombs flew through the air before-

*PSH!* *PSH!* *PSH!*

"AHHHH!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"

The officers shouted in surprise as the cars swerved around, nearly crashing, as their visions were obscured by the spark-filled magenta plume of smoke that billowed from the bombs, deterring them from their destination... for now...

"Where did you even get those...?!" Loona questioned in disbelief.

"Cherri told me ta hold onto'em fer safe keepin', 'parently they don' allow'em at the hotel." Ayden shrugged while stowing the wrist launcher back into her satchel, making Loona comment semi-impressed with a fist on her hip,

"We should hit her up for more. I wanna try'em now."

Before the two of them flinched from the yell,

"Come out with your hands up!"

"La'er!" Ayden exclaimed to Loona as they made their way back to the hallway alongside Blitzø, who was carrying Moxxie, who had papers stuffed in his mouth for some reason, before he was passed off to Millie.

Blitzø tried to pry a window open to give them an escape route before Ayden's whiskers shivered again and she warned, pointing out the window,

"Watch it!"

Just as they saw something spiky headed toward the window, Blitzø tackled them all to the floor to avoid getting hit by the hovering eye smoke bomb that expelled a bunch of red fumes.

In an effort to vent the gas back outside, Blitzø used an arm to smash the window open wider before heading back to the others while coughing,

"Agh! C'mon guys! *Koff* *Koff*"

"Blitzø, they will see us!" Moxxie protested, making him argue,

"Well, we can either run, or we can face the music..."

"Shooouuuld we be doing something here?" They all turned to see the intern demons from before.

Ayden smirked plottingly as she side-whispered to Blitzø and the others,

"I say we go wi'h Option 3; Operation Ait-Bay and Itch-Sway..."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" One of the interns tried to ask but was ignored as Blitzø had his plotting smirk on as well while side-whispering back,

"I like it."

"When'd you two have time ta come up with all these names...?" Millie asked quietly, referring to their plan names.

"Eh, they'e mostly made up on the spot." Ayden shrugged.

The scene switches to the entrance covered in heavy smoke with the Reapers waiting for I.M.P. at the front as lightning strikes behind them.

One of the Reapers checks their watch before focusing back to the building where five silhouettes looking like the team appear in the smoke, and the Reapers spring into action.

They flew over and one of the Reapers took out a rope, throwing it into the smoke to catch the group before reeling them in and out of the cloud, revealing not the I.M.P. team, but the five interns.

"Is this part of the job?" One of the interns questioned nervously before the Reapers hissed in silent rage at the fact they'd been tricked.

Meanwhile, with the actual team, they had managed to make it to the van in the parking lot while the interns distracted the Reapers.

"Get. In. The. Van!" Blitzø urged as he carried Loona above his head and rushed everyone in, "Hurry, hurry, hurry...!"

Millie, Moxxie, and Ayden went in the back while Loona was in the passenger seat with Blitzø driving as he started frantically trying to start the car,

"Okay, c'mon, c'mon we got it."

"Where are we going?" Moxxie questioned before Blitzø turned the rearview mirror to look at them to answer,

"Anywhere but here." Turning to face them as he announced, "Get ready for a life on the run gang!"

"Not again...!" Ayden huffed childishly as she slumped down in her seat before the engine turned on and Blitzø floored it,

*ERRRRR!*

*KRSH!*

Only to crash into a light pole a couple of feet away, totaling the van with steam coming out of the front and one of the wheel plate covers rolled off.

The gang recovers with Moxxie scowling at Blitzø,

"I fucking hate you so much, Blitzø...!"

"Freeze, criminals."

They all look up to see the Baphomet officers and Reapers with weapons pointed at them.

"Oh fuuuuuuuck...!" Blitzø drew out worriedly before Ayden muttered urgently,

"On my signal, run...!"

"What signal...?!" Blitzø hissed before the eager Reaper from before yelled,

"Bag'em and tag'em, boys!"

"MREOW!" Ayden yowled as she pounced through the broken front glass from the second seat, flames covering her form and sending out a shockwave that sent all the officers and Reapers back when she landed on the ground.

Once the flames receded, Ayden was revealed to be in her Mega Hellcat form; almost 10 feet tall, still with four ears, six eyes and legs, and fires on her spine leading to her trio of flaming tails, but some features from her upgraded demon cat form were still present in her new Mega Hellcat form; her under-eye freckles were still white, the imp horns were still on the top of her head above the black tri-pointed blur, which was clearly revealed this time to be a replica of the insignia on Blitzø's forehead, there were more black hearts on her leg "shoulders," and streams of reddish star-spotted light flowed from her paws up to the flames on her back and the gemstone still embedded in her chest, barely visible under her fur.

*RAAAAWWWR!* Ayden roared before she started swatting the Baphomets away with a giant paw swipe and the Reapers started trying to fight back.

"I guess that's the signal." Blitzø spoke as he tried to open his door, only to find it partially smashed shut, same as the others, so he started trying to kick the door open while Ayden was seen fighting in the background.

She was seen being able to put up a good fight, swiping away and roar-blasting multiple Baphomets and Reapers away, until her flames started dimming down and she started shaking her head and swaying on her paws a bit, signaling she still wasn't entirely used to accessing this form for an extended period of time.

Seeing the moment of weakness, two Reapers were seen nodding at each other before they manifested more rope between their hands and one of them whistled to two others,

*Fweet!*

*FW-TCH!*

*ROOOWW!*

One Reaper's line managed to snag one of Ayden's front paws and, no matter how hard she tugged and tried to pull away, didn't untangle.

*MROOOW!*

She tried fire-roaring in the Reaper's direction, but that left her open for the other Reapers to cast their ropes to her other legs.

"TAKE IT DOWN!"

One Reaper ordered and the others started flying in opposite directions, making her lose her balance and crash to the ground with her legs forcibly criss-crossed underneath her.

"MOVE IT! MOVE IT!"

More Reapers started swarming her while the Baphomets started firing multiple tasers at her, weakening her further, to where she cried out in pain,

*MROOOoow...!*

Before she started shrinking back to her normal demon cat form, still tied up with a demonic metal muzzle and collar being summoned on her face and neck to further restrain her.

*KRSH!*

Just as Blitzø managed to break the driver's window with his horns to start climbing out through there, they all saw Ayden getting taken down and Millie shouted while banging on the window,

"AYDEN!"

Making a few Reapers dispatch to them and capture them as well; yanking them out of the crashed van, conjuring demonic metal handcuffs on the three imps, separating Millie and Moxxie, and putting another muzzle and collar on Loona while Ayden was seen blacking out in the two Reapers' grips.

...

The scene went dark for a bit before focusing back in on Ayden's face as she awoke to a booming deep voice bellowing,

"SILENCE!"

Ayden's eyes fully snapped open with the lava and fire lighting up the previously dark room to reveal it was a courtroom of some kind with Ars Goetia nobility in box seats along the sides and, at the front, the silhouette of a large draconic being who was announcing,

"We are here to sentence the criminal imp, Blitzo."

Before revealing himself to be Satan, the Sin of Wrath, as evidenced by his fellow Sins, minus Lucifer from his empty, cobweb-ridden throne at the very top, sitting in the high benches behind his throne.

"A-actually sir, th-the 'o' is..." Blitzø started to stammer out, only to rescind after Satan came close to snarl challengingly while snorting some smoke into his face, "Totally there! You nailed it, great job!"

"You and your crew are on trial for stealing a powerful Goetic heirloom for undocumented personal use in the mortal realm." He motions over to the accused stand where Ayden finds herself next to Loona, Millie, and Moxxie, all standing with spaces between them, before questioning as he points to Blitzø while going to sit on his throne, "How do you plead?"

"Oh, this is about the book?" Blitzø started trying to explain as a demonic camera hovered right in front of and circled around him, "Ha! I didn't steal that thing! I mean I tried, right? But since when is attempting a crime illegal, am I right?"

"Always...!" Moxxie seethed out in a strained tone while Millie, Loona, and Ayden gave him matching deadpan and "over it" expressions before Blitzø glared at him as he emphasized,

"Point is! It was given to me, okay? I was allowed to use it."

"LIES!!! " A voice exclaimed dramatically and Ayden looked up before narrowing her eyes at the sight of the Goetia who, along with his sister, she'd heard a lot about from Stolas, none of it good...

Marquis Andrealphus took the floor, using his ice magic to conjure a platform to let him slide toward the floor in front of Satan's throne as he spoke smugly,

"Your honor, speaking on behalf of my aggressively attractive sister;"

Ayden had a matching "really...?" expression with Bee while Ozzie had a knowing smirk on his face and she was also thinking,

'Denier...'

Before Andrealphus continued his schpiel with,

"I must testify that this BRUTEISH imp was forcing himself on her husband, Stolas, who, unlike a responsible and handsome Goetic demon such as myself, was too weak and ashamed to come forward about it. ~The poor thing...~"

"WHAT?! Hey, I didn't force shit!-MPH!" Blitzø tried to argue back but was cut off when a mouthguard was summoned on his face and he struggled to get it off before Andrealphus came over to him to emphasize,

"This vile, hideous imp has put his kind to shame. Committing such hardened acts to GAIN THE UPPER HAND!"

Ayden had almost leaped right over the stand when Blitzø had been smacked back if Loona hadn't caught her by her shoulders with her own cuffed hands before Moxxie protested on Blitzø's behalf,

"That isn't what happened!"

"SILENCE!!!" Satan grew larger as he snarled right in the team's faces, making Moxxie quake in place from fear while Ayden just glared unyieldingly at him.

"Um, Satan?" A little winged Hellborn demon named Yogirt gently butted in to remind Satan with a gentle and calming, "Sorry. W-wh-what did we say about negative energies in our mind temple? Yeah, remember to take deeeep breaths."

The Sin did so while making the gyan mudra hand gesture as he shrank back down a bit to sit back on his throne while admitting,

"Right, yeah..." Before waving a hand to gesture, "Continue."

"Ahem. I'd like to add, your honor," Andrealphus continued speaking dramatically while summoning an ice platform to rise up above the courtroom while speaking, "that in addition to his unspeakable acts with our ~dear, beloved Stolas-~"

Only to get cut off as another Ars Goetia, a Macaw-like Prince named Vassago who was standing in front of the shadowy silhouette of a familiar feline-looking Goetia, objected,

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Where is Stolas, anyway? Can't he speak on this himself? ¿Qué carajo?" (What the fuck?)

Irritating Andrealphus as he turned to Vassago and answered bluntly,

"He... has not been informed of this trial."

Outraging Vassago enough to summon his own magical lift shaped like a five-pointed star as he confronted Andrealphus while arguing fiercely,

"¿Qué? Why not?" (What?)

Before trying to reason with the rest of the Ars Goetia jury while "walking" over to the mid-air center of the courtroom,

"If this involves him, then he should be here, no? No puedo creer... We need to summon him at once." (I can't believe...)

"Okaaaaay, Vassago." Andrealphus drew out annoyed before stating impatiently, "Shut the fuck up."

To which Vassago responded by zipping back over to him to repeatedly poke his chest while responding heatedly,

"¡NO me voy a callar, pendejo arrogante!" (I will NOT shut up, you arrogant idiot!)

Until Andrealphus had enough and fanned out his tail feathers threateningly to get Vassago to back down, which he didn't and stayed right in his face, before he stood down to "reason,"

"Stella and I didn't want to put him through the trauma of facing his aggressor." Vassago rolled his eyes and strode angrily back over to his place as Andrealphus kept speaking, pausing when he said so before pointing at Blitzø as he declared, "Who, might I also add... dramatic pause... PLOTTED TO HAVE HIM ASSASSINATED!"

"MMWhat?!"

More chains appeared out of nowhere to further restrain Blitzø's arms as he was vaguely heard cursing through the mouthguard as Vassago muttered,

"Puta madre..." (Motherfucker...)

A quick look at the Sins showed Ozzie and Bee looking horrified while Belphegor managed to wake up for a bit at that statement before inevitably falling back asleep.

"*MPH-A!* *MMM!* *MPH!* *MPH-A!* *MMM!* *MPH-A!* *MMM!*" Ayden tried to shout through her muzzle, but no one could understand what she was saying before Moxxie spoke up,

"That wasn't him! We don't know who wanted Stolas dead, but it wasn't Blitzø!"

"MPH MMM MPPHH-AAAA!!!" Ayden muffle-shouted again, on the verge of a full-on anger frenzy if Loona hadn't looped her cuffed arms around her to try and stop her from thrashing around.

Andrealphus spared her a suspicious look before it changed back to smugness as he announced before snapping his fingers,

"Oh? Well... Perhaps we should ask-"

*SNAP!*

"The hitman! Himself!"

A stand hovered up to reveal Striker, a new scar on his face from the fire he endured the last time Blitzø, Ayden, and Fizz faced off against him, and smirking smugly at them all.

"MPHHHHH!" Ayden managed to wrench herself out of Loona's grip from sheer, rage-fueled strength, jumped on top of the stand, and tried to bolt over, most likely to attack Striker for daring to show his face again, if two Reapers hadn't manifested in front of her.

*CHINK!* *CHINK!*

They summoned chains in their hands to attach to Ayden's collar, forcing her down to her knees or else her air supply would've gotten cut off from the pull strain.

"It appears their Sinner sycophant wishes to silence this victim of the instigator's barbarity!" Andrealphus proclaimed in a feigned victimized tone that made Ayden's eyes glow red in anger.

Just as pinkish-red flames started flickering off her form, though, they abruptly turned white and red-edged and she looked like she was fighting against being forced into a kneel before a look to Satan showed him holding a hand out, manipulating Ayden's own hellfire flames against her as he spoke grimly,

"That.. is not.. a Sinner..."

Ayden continued shrinking under the indirect influence, enraging Millie to shout as she almost climbed over the stand as well with Moxxie looking livid beside her,

"You let our daughter go or I swear I'll-!"

"There is no possibility of this creature being your ward..."

"Actually!" Bee's voice sounded from her place and everyone looked over to her.

"As of yesterday, following a month of appeals and processing, yes they are!" Bee stood up from her seat and summoned a rolled-up and ribbon-tied Adoption Certificate to hover above one of her upper arms while a lower arm made a motion to unroll it, revealing that "Ayden Hellfire" had been legally adopted by Moxxie and Millie Knowlastname with two of Bee's hands purposefully covering underneath the latters' printed names.

A series of gasps and mutters sounded from the court before they all quieted down as Satan questioned,

"And why would you approve of this acquisition?"

"Even cambion minors need parents, don't they?" Bee answered with a hint of sass as she put the certificate away in a subspace while sitting back down with her arms crossed.

As soon as she said that, arise in murmurs were heard from all the Ars Goetia, Beleth fully stepping out of the shadows from behind Vassago to look down and take on an expression of shock and horror when she saw Ayden down below, frowning dully beneath her muzzle with her flames retreating back into her body.

"We shall revisit that issue once this initial one is resolved." Satan waved a hand to signal the Reapers to hoist up and drag Ayden back behind the stand with the two of them now flanking her sides to prevent any more outbursts as he resumed, "Back to the witness."

"Ahem! Anyway!" Andrealphus coughed loudly to get back to the point he was making earlier before the interruption, gesturing to Striker, "He has agreed to give us his testimony in exchange for immunity."

Spitting out his wheat stalk from his mouth, Striker began to testify,

"It was him alright. Paid me to kill the precious Goetia to cover up what he was doing with the uhhh..."

He trailed off before squinting down at his hand, which had several misspellings of grimoire scribbled on, before asking Andrealphus,

"Um... The um... Line?"

"The Grimoire!" Andrealphus "coughed" out from behind his hand and Striker finished with,

"Yeah, that."

After a while of thrashing around, Blitzø managed to get the mouthguard off his face so he could shout indignantly,

"Blagh! WHAT?! Look, I am an assassin, okay? If I wanted to kill Stolas, I WOULD'VE DONE IT MY-FUCKING-SELF!!"

"HAAH!"

Everyone in the courtroom looked horrified and gasped in shock at that declaration, except Andrealphus as he smirked at the faux pas.

"We're gonna fucking diiiee...!" Moxxie cried as he clung to Millie while Ayden thumped her head down on the stand from between the Reapers in exasperation.

Blitzø realized how bad that sounded and tried to retract,

"Hang on, that's not what I meant, okay? I'm just saying I could've totally fucking killed Stolas myself. B-but I would never do tha-MPH!"

He was cut off by the mouthguard being secured over his mouth again when Satan criticized,

"What a disappointment."

"This is bullshit, guys." Bee announced from her spot as she gestured down at Blitzø to praise and declare, "I've met this lil' imp dude before. He's a real wildcard, but he's a lot of fun and I think we should hear him out. It's pro'lly not a big deal."

"Yeah!" Ozzie agreed with her as he reasoned, "I'm sure he has a good reason for aaall this."

"Oh shut up, you two." Mammon stated before continuing, "We all know you enjoy slumming it with the lower-class plebs." Hoisting his stomach onto the table before flirting with the two-headed Sin of Envy, "Unlike the rest of us, heh. Right, Levy? Hahahaha!"

Elbowing her as her right head looked disgusted by the contact and made them move seats, despite her left head actually looking interested in Mammon and annoyed she made them move.

Meanwhile, the comment only riled Ozzie up as he threatened him, starting to go full demon mode while lighting a blue-flamed and slightly tinged reddish-orange fireball in his hand,

"Oh, you wanna fucking go, Mam?!"

Before Bee managed to hold Ozzie back from fighting as she snarked,

"You're just pissy nobody wants to fuck with a flaming pile of clown shit." Conjuring a dildo-shaped ice cream popsicle to sling at him as she taunted, "Also, suck a dick!"

But it hit his chair instead as he stood up to avoid the splatter and insulted her right back while double-flipping her off,

"Why don't you buzz on back to your mutt, bitch!"

Ozzie looked like he was about to fight on her behalf, but she signaled him to stay back as she roasted Mammon herself with,

"Why don't you keep fucking yourself, ya big asshole!"

Before Satan had enough of their quarreling and proposed,

"Why don't we take a vote?"

Questioning the entire court, clearly biased from the bored tone he had,

"Who wants to listen to hooouuurs of testimony?"

Ozzie and Bee raised their hands and spotlights shone on them as Millie and Moxxie raised their hands as well with lights shining on them before looking over at Loona and Ayden for them to raise their hands as well, a spotlight shining on Loona, but not Ayden for some reason and couldn't be addressed as Satan questioned more enthusiastically,

"Who wants to kill this imp bastard and get home for lunch?"

Spotlights shone over the rest of the Goetia who raised their hands in favor of that course of action, including Loona if Millie hadn't nudged her to put her hand down and a spotlight shone on Ayden for that vote only until she put her paw down with her eyes angrily furrowed at that twisted biasness.

Bee was also disappointed by that turn of events to where she flipped them all off with all her hands as she and an equally annoyed Ozzie sat back down in their seats,

"Oh fuck aaaalll y'all...!"

"HAH! Suck it ya bloody cunt!" Mammon jeered as he plopped himself back into his chair, only for Bee to conjure another dildo-sicle to fire at him, this time hitting the mark by landing in his mouth with enough force to knock him out of his chair, making her and Ozzie smirk in satisfaction and high-five.

Andrealphus chuckled menacingly as he created ice steps down to Blitzø so he could crow while placing a heel on his head to make some ice spread out on his forehead,

"You should've remained in your place, imp. You see, this is what happens when lesser demons try to step out of line."

Before teleporting away in a flurry of snow as Satan started to declare at the same time Striker was dismissed, sending a smug look to the team, and Vassago was seen tapping a finger on the rail with an unsure look on his face at the situation in front of him before he looked between Ayden and Beleth, the latter having a look of indifference to the verdict being bestowed on the former and her team,

"For the treacherous crime of stealing a Goetia's grimoire for illegal use, bringing harm to a Goetic prince, and accessing the mortal coil without clearance or procedure; you, Blitzo, and your crew, are hereby sentenced... TO DEATH."

Blitzø and the rest of the team gained looks of horror and stunned disbelief, which only worsened when Satan added,

"And due to your bold actions against the laws of Hell, your execution will be broadcast across the Seven Rings. To remind all of imp-kind why our power must never be challenged again."

More demonic cameras were summoned to livestream the execution to everyone throughout the Rings; including Verosika and Wally as they were hanging out in a bar with other cohorts, Alex was seen handing over a paper bag of pastries to a customer at the bakery, Remi was seen at a roller derby practice sitting on the bench with her teammates and taking a drink of water, and Fizz was seen eating cereal at home.

When the bakery TV and scoreboard TV channels were switched over to the execution, Alex subtly crumpled the bag top tighter while Remi did a horrified spit-take in response to what they both saw.

Fizz panicked after seeing the live stream and got his phone to text Ozzie, "OMFS", "Ozzie", "DO SOMTH", but he was powerless to do anything to stop it.

As the accused stand in front of Blitzø retreated into the floor to make way for the executioner's chopping block, more Reapers started appearing behind the others to force them to line up behind Blitzø before Satan pointed to Ayden as he directed,

"Not that one... for now..."

The two Reapers flanking Ayden started pulling her away from the others, even as she fought to stay with them, reaching out with her cuffed paws and protesting through her muzzle as Millie and Moxxie both cried out doing the same,

"No!"

"Please!"

Blitzø managed to get his mouthguard off again so he could "confess" and try to reason nervously,

"NO! Not them, Your Highness! It was me, it was all me, okay? Y-you can't expect to teach anyone a lesson by killing all of us!"

But Satan didn't take kindly to the accusation as he shouted while hunched over to be right in front of Blitzø as some fires flared up around him,

"You dare try to tell me how to PUNISH?!"

"Uh, Satan!" Yogi reminded Satan to keep his anger in check with, "Heh, sorry. You know what, today's an amethyst and you're acting kind of ruby. Yeah?" Flying around as he drawled out soothingly, "Try some meditatioooon, realign your chakraaaas."

"Look, all that Hell is gonna see is you executing imps who are just trying to do their job and a kid who's just trying to live a semi-normal life!" Blitzø continued protesting to save his team as they looked at him with worry before he asserted while pointing to himself, "I'm the rogue here, not them!"

Making Moxxie push away the Reaper grabbing him to question in a wary tone,

"Blitzø, what are you doing?"

"Haah..! Fine." Satan sighed as he reasoned while sitting back on his throne, "I suppose I created imp-kind to be obedient, hellcats being the same, I see no reason to punish the dutiful. Just axe the mouthy one."

"Oh shit, I did not see that coming, look I'm sorry Mox, I did everything I could-" Blitzø misinterpreted the verdict and apologized to Moxxie until he deadpanned back,

"You know he means you, right?"

The fact was confirmed when a growling Reaper placed a hand on Blitzø's shoulder and he cursed,

"Fuuuuck me..."

Before the Reaper took the chains and mouthguard off his neck as the Reapers behind Millie, Moxxie, and Loona and one guarding Ayden disappeared, allowing her to be by Loona's side with only one holding her leash as they all kept looking over at Blitzø with worry and he returned their glances while Satan told him flippantly as he leaned back into his throne with his head propped on a hand,

"Do you have any final words? We'll pretend to care."

"All I was trying to do was rise above this stupid fucking place YOU ALL FORCED US INTO!" Blitzø shouted angrily to the rest of the courtroom.

"Your Highness, please." Moxxie tried to oppose, "Blitzø just-"

"Moxxie, stop..." Blitzø told him plainly as the two started arguing,

"Blitzø, I can't let you...-!"

"This big red bitch never planned on hearing us out..."

He looked over to Loona, whose eyes were glistening, before directing to Millie and Moxxie,

"Just... just take care of Loona for me..." Before looking over at Ayden as she was teary-eyed as well, "I know you'll keep doing an amazing job..."

"N-No! I can't look, Millie..." Moxxie choked out as he started sobbing and held onto his wife.

*CHINK!*

Some more cuffs and chains appeared to drag Blitzø to his knees in front of the chopping block as the Reaper beside him took out an axe, its eyes flaming with an eerie crimson glow.

As it raised its weapon up, Blitzø bent over the chopping block, resigning to his fate, while Millie looped her arms over Moxxie's head to hug him close and block his view of the execution.

Loona started to tear up and whimpered fearfully while turning her head away from the horrific scene and hugging Ayden as close as she could with her bound hands, but she could still peek out with one eye seen crying glowing tears.

Blitzø looked at them all for what could be his last time and saw Millie unwaveringly looking at him despite the tears in her eyes and Ayden still looking at him despite Loona hugging her close.

He smiled at them all and expressed to them while crying,

"I love you guys..."

Before the Reaper brought the axe down with a metallic swing,

*SHING!*

Everyone watching gasped in shock at what happened while Andrealphus just smiled wickedly when a single gray feather landed on Blitzø's back as Yogi was heard uttering,

"Haah! Oh my holy heck..."

Blitzø opened his eyes to see that Stolas had saved his life; blocking the executioner's axe with some of his cosmic magic but also smushing Blitzø's face into his butt from the way he complained,

"Ugh! Stolas! Get your ass outta my face!"

"MPH...! MPH...!"

Ayden was heard chuckling a bit under her muzzle while tears spilled out of her eyes, making it a bit unclear if she was laughing from the butt-joke or from relief that Blitzø was OK (most likely the second one).

"What in LUCIFER'S HELL IS THIS?!" Satan shouted, outraged at the interruption as he grabbed Yogi like a stress toy.

"I am about to explain everything!" Stolas announced to the court as he used more of his magic to cut the chains holding Blitzø down on the chopping block before hitting a theatrical pose as he declared, "In the only way I know how... song!"

Blitzø planted his face back on the block before Stolas heard Vassago cheering as he was seen dancing in place a bit,

"YES! Yes! Cántalo baby!" (Sing it!)

Satan reluctantly sat back down on his throne after releasing Yogi and gesturing for Stolas to continue as he began to sing, glaring at Andrealphus in particular as he was seen smirking back,

♪ I came down just as soon as I heard of the imp

Stood accused of a devilish crime ♪

Stolas levitated some large rocks to be floating stairs with his magic as he continued singing,

♪ Could it be that a worm such as this half a brain

Could concoct such a plot so subliiime?

Does this fool deserve the flaaaame?

Or is someone else to blaaame? ♪

"Like who, you ask?" He questioned while raising his cape up in a typical villain's pose before continuing,

♪ Some kind of mastermind

A mind behind the plaaaan! ♪

Stolas conjures himself in one of the jury's stands.

♪ Some villain's grand design

To use the book

To breach the world of maaan! ♪

Mammon was playing with block letters when Stolas smacked them away, causing Mammon to eye him suspiciously, as he continued singing,

♪ Could he be roaming free? ♪

Stolas moved around Leviathan as both heads just watched him.

♪ Scheming more masterminder-y? ♪

Stolas shadows up and over to Asmodeus before moving around to Beelzebub before conjuring his demon form to fly back to Blitzø,

♪ Will he rest?

Who knows what he may unleash ♪

Grabbing Blitzø's face in one hand condescendingly before shoving him away as he sang with faux haughtiness,

♪ Next, do you execute this little wretch? ♪

Brushing himself off before "predicting" as he gestured back toward the team,

♪ Pat yourself on the back, close the case

Let this imp take the blame, take the fame

Let his name light a fire in the hearts of his race! ♪

Placing the back of his hand on his forehead in a faux distressed pose, he prolonged the notes before declaring to the entire court,

♪ Why it's more than I can baaare

I must make all of Hell awaaaare! ♪

"Fuck it!"

♪ I am the mastermind, the hand that holds the striiiings! ♪

Gesturing to himself before Satan flared his wings and leaned forward at this new confession.

♪ No simple imp of mine could master the disaster

Oh it stings!

That you thought you had caught the schemer of the schemes I wrought!

I confess!

It was me and I have no regrets! ♪

With a flick of his cape, Stolas and Blitzø found themselves in a starry realm but, off to the faaaar side, Ayden's head was partially seen as if she were submerged in water, watching the scene in front of her when Stolas sang in a lamenting tone,

♪ I have regreeets

Why am I throwing my freedooom away

For this idiooot? ♪

Before Blitzø began to sing as well,

♪ What have you done? ♪

♪ I would rather be dead ♪

The two of them chorusing,

♪ I can't/Than live life without you by my side ♪

♪ So if it keeps you alive! ♪

Stolas began to walk forward, making Blitzø try to lunge forward but his chains kept him anchored in place,

♪ What are you doing?! I don't deserve this! ♪

♪ I am the mastermind, the master of my fate! ♪

♪ I realized too late! ♪

♪ Sure as the stars have shined ♪

Stolas looked up at the shooting stars that streaked across over their heads before they chorused again,

♪ Don't give your life/I'll give my life to clean my/your slate! ♪

♪ You're my light ♪ Stolas acknowledged, peeking back at Blitzø as he confessed with tears running down his face,

♪ You're my heart ♪

♪ Only death can rend our love apaaaaart! ♪

"Hahahahahaha!"

Their chorused note was cut short when Satan started chuckling darkly as the courtroom started reappearing around them,

"~Weeell, isn't that adorable?~"

Referring to Stolas calling himself a "Mastermind" compared to him as he began to announce,

"We have been betrayed by one of our own. A Goetic demon."

A glance at the box seats where Vassago and Beleth were seen, him looking conflicted before resigning himself to stay quiet while Beleth had little to no hesitation joining her fellow Goetia in chorusing as Satan started admonishing Stolas,

"Your hubris has gotten the better of you, Prince Stolas."

Satan stood up from his throne to crack the floor beneath him as he sang menacingly,

♪ I am the mastermind, and here I am the laaaw ♪

The rest of the Sins chorused together ominously as they stood in unison,

♪ (He is the laaaaw) ♪

♪ I've ruled the endless dark ♪

Satan manifested some flames into the shape of a six-winged being as he referred to,

♪ Since long before the golden angel's fall ♪

Before a look at the cobweb-covered throne with a rubber duck and a sign that read "BRB. 5 Min." had Ozzie and Bee exchanging an unconvinced look while rolling their eyes, hinting that that claim wasn't true, something Ayden caught notice of with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

♪ So you see ♪

Satan's eyes flamed up as small explosions went off around Stolas

♪ Next to me, your master plans all look so small ♪

Satan's large and frankly terrifying face was seen through the flames,

♪ Little mice

When you break my rules ♪

Some chains sprang up to ensnare Stolas's wrists before a chain-leashed collar appeared to force him into a kneel as Satan finished the song with,

♪ You paaay. theeee. priiiiice! ♪

More demonic cameras rose up as Satan ordered from his seat,

"Release the pawn!"

The chains around Blitzø disappeared completely, but Stolas remained in his place to his fate as Satan disparaged,

"Stolas of the Ars Goetia, you are a disgrace..."

Blitzø ran over to Stolas to pull on his cape while protesting frantically,

"No! No, th-Stolas, you-you can't! You can't do this!"

Stolas only took one glance back at Blitzø with his heart-shaped pupils before facing forward again, even as Blitzø continued fighting the two Reapers trying to drag him out of the courtroom,

"Stolas please! Get the FUCK off me!"

Managing to break free for a few seconds before the Reapers conjured another chain to collar him, but he kept trying to pull forward despite the increasing restraints as he was slowly but surely dragged out screaming,

"Stolas! STOLAS! Stolas! Fucking-use your powers, do something! STOLAS!!!"

Getting thrown out of the courtroom, Blitzø only fought to get back in,

"Ah, let me back in!"

But the doors shut in his face so he shouted while trying to pry them open,

"WOW, this is a sturdy door!"

*TCH!*

*KRCK!*

"OW! My supple wrist!" Blitzø yelled, almost comically, as he nearly broke his wrist trying to punch the door open before breaking down crying.

Moxxie's hand on his shoulder made him turn back slightly before he was pulled into a group hug with everyone sobbing different things at him,

"Sir, sir-"

"Dad!"

"You're here!"

"Don't you ever do that to me again, you fucking idiot!"

But all Blitzø could do was stay in shock at what could be happening to Stolas at the moment.

"Wait, where's Ayden?" Moxxie questioned worriedly, making Millie cry out,

"Fuck! She's still in there!"

A look back inside revealed Ayden was still in the courtroom, having been separated from the team as they were all escorted out despite her attempts to pull away from the Reaper still guarding her.

Now, she watched with horror as Stolas walked back over to the chopping block, willingly kneeling down and placing his neck on the block before awaiting his death.

"Uhhh... What're you doin'?" Satan questioned, watching Stolas with a raised eyebrow.

"Um..." Stolas stuttered as he stood back up to question while sliding a finger across his throat, "I mean... aren't you going to... you know... Execute me?"

"Hah! Aw no, 'course not. You are a Goetia."

"But I... committed a heinous crime!" Stolas protested, but Satan reasoned,

"Yeah, you did. But, you are demon royalty sooo... your life has actual worth."

Ayden made a deadpan "seriously...?" expression through her muzzle at the double standard as Stolas stuttered out in uncertainty while pointing to the door,

"So... uh... can I... can I go then?"

Satan then starts laughing again,

"Hahahaha!" Before switching to a serious manner, "No. Ooh, ooh. No, no. You still definitely fucked up, we just need to figure out a fitting punishment for you..."

"Might I suggest something, Your Majesty?" Andrealphus spoke up to recommend while sliding on an ice platform down to Stolas's level, "I think you should banish this shameful excuse for a prince,"

Touching the chains with a finger to make them dissolve as he reasoned, getting right in his face to emphasize,

"and allow someone else to take over his legions. Considering the heir isn't yet of age, I'd be happy to volunteer. After all, I'm basically everything he is but, ahem, NOT! A deviant piece of shit." Casting a judgemental glance to Ayden as he criticized while summoning out a copy of the gossip magazine she'd been worrying over earlier, "Even going so far as to allow that lowly creature to fraternize with his precious heir."

Ayden's eyes had narrowed at the insult to her, the mention of Via, and the convenience of everything falling into place for the Marquis, but couldn't linger on it as Satan responded plainly,

"Yeah that works." Before proclaiming seriously as he raised a hand up to make an ancient set of gold, rune-etched rings rise from below, "STOLAS! I hereby strip you of your status, your power, and your title."

"Yeees! Yeeesss! YEEESSSS!!" Andrealphus drew out in arrogant cheerfulness while ripping his coat off histrionically.

"For the next hundred years."

Stolas looked horrified at the sentence but not as peeved as Andrealphus as he got up from the floor to whine petulantly,

"OH MOTHERFUCK! SERIOUSLY?!"

Ayden watched as the rings surrounded Stolas and swirled around rapidly while draining all the magic from Stolas through his eyes in a crackle of red-edged black lightning from Satan as he pronounced,

"You will have to live amongst the citizens of Hell and revel in your failings!"

Before Stolas was haphazardly dropped back onto the chopping block with his hat falling off his head as he inquired weakly but urgently,

"But, what about my daughter?"

"She'll be safe and sound... With her mother. The wholesome parent. And I further move that this feline flunkey no longer be allowed to corrupt the precious princess." Andrealphus boasted unsympathetically before adding smugly.

"Very well. I guess that settles that." Satan confirmed when Stolas implored one last thing, looking back at Ayden with his now ever-present pupils,

"Wait..! What about my student...?"

Ayden's eyes turned upward slightly at the fact that Stolas was genuinely concerned for her, only to have it snuffed out when Satan answered grimly,

"Its fate is no longer any of your concern..." Before waving a hand, "Get him outta here."

Two Reapers picked Stolas up by his arms, as he was too weakened to walk himself, when Andrealphus approached him, stepping on his hat and crown as he gloated,

"Buh-bye Stolas. Enjoy horny jail. And say ~bye-bye~ to your little ~protégé...~"

A quick cut back outside showed Blitzø as he was trying to pry the doors open while Millie and Moxxie clutched onto each other anxiously and Loona watched worriedly as he kept grunting and shouting,

"YOU! Uh, urgh-YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT-AHH!"

Unexpectedly, the doors were thrown open, flinging Blitzø back before Stolas was dumped unceremoniously outside the doors by the two Reapers before closing them again.

"Stolas? What happened in there?" Blitzø panicked while helping him up,

"I... have been banish-ed-..." Stolas responded in a broken tone.

*PSH!*

Before he was hit by a cup of coffee that spilled all over him from an imp janitor as he yelled at him while flipping him off,

"You suck, Stolas!"

"Hey! Fuck off, fuck-o!" Blitzø retaliated with a flip off of his own before Stolas tried to assure him as he managed to stand back up,

"No, it's fine, Blitzø. I'm okay."

"Wait, where's Ayden?!" Moxxie panicked, pulling away from Millie.

"She's still in there..." Stolas uttered, looking at them both forlornly, "They're.. deciding her fate now..."

"No... NO!" Millie shouted as she started banging on the door, similar to how Blitzø had been doing only a few minutes before, exclaiming desperately as her eyes started welling up, "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!"

A look back inside showed Ayden being led away from the accused stand by the Reaper guard as Satan commenced,

"And now onto the impromptu case of the unprecedented reemergence of, not only a hellcat demon, but a cambion..."

More murmurs were heard rising from the remaining Goetia, minus Beleth as she watched Ayden being led to the chopping block while Satan continued deriding her,

"A being with no loyalties to any realm, unstable powers that cannot be controlled, and whose very existence could threaten our very way of life..."

The Reaper disintegrated her collar, muzzle, and chains and dissipated into the air as she was left standing with her paws hanging limply by her sides and her head slightly dipped down to where shadows obscured her eyes as Satan questioned,

"How do you plead...?"

Ayden looked back up, about to speak, when-

"Forget hearin' her out!"

Everyone looked to where Mammon had shouted abruptly and obnoxiously while picking at his ear with one hand and messing around with a yoyo with his other hands as he continued with,

"We should snuff her out for that little stunt she pulled back during my show!"

"STUFF IT YA REJECT-LOOKIN' AI' FRESHENE'!" Ayden snapped with an irritated yell.

"HAAH!"

A collective indignant gasp sounded from nearly everyone in the court at the affront against a Sin before she continued, shouting rebelliously while fisting her paws and bristling,

"What do I have ta 'plead' fo'?! Protectin' my friend?! Findin' a home an' family down he'e?!"

She strode right up to the edge of the ledge as she kept ranting,

"I've been down he'e two yea's without you all noticin' me! Now alluva sudden yer makin' a fuss?!"

She stood right at the edge, still shouting at them all,

"And how pathe'ic is that? That yer all sca'ed 'f a 16-yea'-old gi'l when you'e all, what, hundreds, thousands of yea's old?!" Before glaring right at Satan as she stated boldly, "Not a good look fer the 'Maste'mind!'"

There were a few seconds of tense silence with only the occasional hushed comment following her rant before Satan announced plainly,

"Welp that settles it..." Before waving a hand dismissively, "Off with its head."

Ayden's ears twitched and she leaped back right as a pair of chains were shot right at her, aiming for her wrists if she hadn't dodged them.

Backflipping away from the edge of the ledge, Ayden skid-landed in a crouch with one paw to the ground to halt her slide when two Reapers manifested on either side of her, just out of her peripheral vision, but her ears twitched again to alert her of their presence.

*CHINK!* *CHINK!*

*FW-TCH!*

*KZZT!*

"HAAH!"

"HRR...!"

Another round of gasps sounded from the court as Ayden was seen with her paws outstretched on opposite sides, keeping the chains from reaching her, and growling slightly from the effort of using her sudden and new power, demonic metal manipulation.

Beleth was seen gripping the edge of the box seat as a memory was brought up for her; almost the exact scenario before her, only instead of this child, it was her once-promising antiquarian, Ayden, and she was in Satan's place, sentencing him to death for meddling in magic and sorcery he shouldn't have known about and causing the Exorcists to start purging the Realms of all hellcats.

Ayden seemed to be having the same memory flashback as Beleth as they made brief eye contact while remembering how Den had attacked the hellcat court with a dual-burst of flames before running away to his life as a fugitive for centuries... dooming the rest of his kind to pay for his mistakes...

But that was not what was happening here...

"I'm..." Ayden gritted out as she shakily but determinedly stood back up and continued shouting, "Not. Goin'. ANYWHE'E!"

*KRSH!*

With a clenching of her paws, the chains were shattered into a million pieces that fell back down into the fiery abyss, while the shockwave that traveled through the chains poofed the Reapers into hazy wisps of smoke.

"I'm gonna keep existin' whethe' you all like it o' not cause I've fought fer too long to keep my life ta let it get taken away again...!" Ayden stated fiercely, her glowing eyes narrowing and hair undulating from her powers stirring just under the surface.

Satan looked mildly surprised at what had unfolded before him before stating simply in response to her declaration,

"Very well."

"Sorry what?" Ayden was surprised by the quick turnaround as her powers dimmed back down until Satan added the condition,

"But we cannot allow a dangerous being free rein with no oversight."

"I'll take her." Bee was quick to volunteer, standing up with a hand raised.

"You already have authority over hellhounds and too much of a personal entanglement with the subject, so your request is denied." Satan shut her down with a fist slam to his throne arm.

"Damn..." Bee sat back down in her seat with a snubbed pout.

"As a former overseer of hellcat kind, responsibilities such as direction and power training shall fall... to Beleth."

All eyes turned to Beleth as she had a "not again" grimacing scowl expression when she tried to protest the order,

"Sire. Need I remind you that I am not a hellfire user?"

Stepping over the edge of the box seat to manifest a glowing asterisk-shaped hovering platform to float closer to Satan as she continued arguing,

"The only present ones qualified to teach her would be either you or-"

"Or me." Ozzie finished her sentence as he stood up from his seat and declared seriously, "I'll take over her power training."

...

"I'll allow it, seeing as you used to help Beleth with overseeing the project anyway." Satan begrudgingly agreed, before subtly muttering to Beleth, "But be sure to keep an eye on any... unusual talents this one displays..."

"Yes Sire..." Beleth acquiesced as she "walked" down toward Ayden before Satan decreed,

"Then it is decided; the cambion shall be under Beleth's supervisory jurisdiction while Asmodeus will oversee power instruction." Before casting a foreboding expression to Ayden as he added threateningly, "But if there are any further disturbances that convince me it is a threat to this realm..."

Getting close to the ledge where Ayden still was, unmoving as she faced him with a defiant look and her tail whipping around agitatedly,

"There is nowhere in any of the Rings or Realms where you will be able to hide from punishment..."

"Got'it..." Ayden spat back through gnashing fangs as she didn't back down from the menacing glare, despite her heart hammering in her chest and against the gemstone she made sure to subtly cover up.

"Very well..." Before his mood made a complete 180 turn as he clapped and cheered, "Court's adjourned, time for lunch!"

"Yeah! It's fucking lunchtime!" Mammon celebrated by getting out a bucket of green chicken drumsticks and a box of tenders before diving right in face-first, disgusting everyone around him.

Ayden turned to see Beleth waiting for her to guide her out of the courtroom as she told her in an unconcerned, yet also strangely no-nonsense, tone,

"You'll remain with your.. imp family and we'll reconvene every few weeks for.. 'check-ins' at my earliest convenience."

"Yeh yeh..." Ayden grumbled at the disinterested attitude her new "supervisor" was displaying, seeming like neither of them was happy at being stuck with each other.

On the other side of the large doors, Millie was seen hugging Moxxie, having been pulled away from banging on the doors by him, both still looking worried at what was happening inside.

Luckily, their unspoken hope was answered when the doors swung open again to reveal-

"Ayden!" Millie and Moxxie shouted at the same time as Ayden cried out while tearing up again, this time with joyful relief,

"Mum! Dad!"

The three of them hugged while Blitzø, Loona, and Stolas watched them, the two former smiling while the latter watched with an empty gaze.

Beleth watched for a bit before looking to the side and turning to leave when a voice spoke up behind her,

"Hey you two."

They all turned to see Bee standing there with Ozzie, both of them looking apologetic.

Bee spoke as she summoned the adoption certificate back out, along with two yellow pens in her multiple arms, before she whispered to Millie and Moxxie, being careful about Beleth seeing or hearing,

"Didn't want to say this back in there, but I do need both of your signatures to make this thing official official."

Wordlessly with unreadable expressions, Moxxie and Millie subtly took the pens and signed the lines under the guardian lines, the ink flashing golden before returning to normal.

"Congrats you two." Bee smiled softly at Millie and Moxxie while handing the scroll over to them before directing to Ayden with a gentle shoulder pat, "Sorry the surprise didn't pan out..."

She gave them all a polite nod before fluttering up to return to the courtroom as Ozzie stuck around for a few seconds to tell Ayden,

"I'll message later about the sessions."

Ayden nodded morosely before he too left and Beleth only stuck around for a few seconds longer with a cryptic expression on her face as she left with the courtroom doors slamming shut behind her.

"What was all that about?" Blitzø questioned with a mix of suspicion and worry.

Ayden sighed before answering without fully facing them all,

"Haah...! Lotta stuff I'll tell you all t'morrow.." Finally turning to suggest, "We shoul' all get home..."

"Yeah..." Blitzø agreed before turning to Stolas to tell him, "You need a ride home."

"I... have no home now... Everything I have is gone..."

The team looked to Ayden for confirmation and she nodded sullenly before Blitzø told him,

"Look, come with me, alright? Let's get you out of here, you'll need a place to stay."

Gently taking his hand to guide him out with the others following behind them, all of them wearing worried expressions.

Once they got outside, Moxxie was able to hail a taxi for the three of them and she and Ayden climbed in with Moxxie holding the door open for them as the former noted in a slightly disturbed tone,

"Yeaaah, let's not do that again..."

Moxxie got in as well and closed the door behind them, giving Blitzø a returning wave goodbye with a down expression as the taxi took off.

The whole ride back home was silent, whether it was comfortable or awkward, Ayden couldn't tell as she bunched the fabric of her scarf wrap in her lap in her paws.

Once they got home, Ayden stayed by the closed front door as she apologized, still clutching her scarf anxiously as she ranted,

"I'm sorry that that was how ya both found out..."

Before speaking more animatedly as she described, more tears came to her eyes as she conveyed the unrealized scheme,

"I had this whole plan whe'e we'd have a movie night t'night and orde' Bee Eats, but it'd be Bee bringing the food and su'prisin' you with the ce'tificate ta sign an-Huh...?"

She was gently cut off when they both pulled her into a hug, with Millie sighing,

"Oh Sweetie..."

Before they both pulled away slightly so Moxxie could express profoundly,

"You became our daughter from the first moment you trusted us to take care of you..."

"And you were right," Millie held up the scroll to emphasize before tossing it on the table, "This didn't make us family... we already knew it..."

"Heh..." Ayden chuckled a bit in relief as more tears started flowing before the three of them hugged again, their familial love practically palpable until-

*TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!*

"I'm sure it's nothing." Moxxie tried to keep the fond moment going, but whoever was at the door was insistent,

*TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!* *TCH!*

"WE'RE TRYIN' TA HAVE A NICE FAMILY MOMENT IN HERE!" Millie shouted in annoyance as they had to break up the family hug so she could stomp over and throw open the door to reveal Angel standing there.

"Ruby!" He shoved Millie aside and brushed Moxxie aside to throw his arms around Ayden, who was surprised by his presence as she questioned,

"What're ya doin' he'e?"

"You kiddin' me?!" Angel pulled her to arm's length as he ranted, "I get off from a 16-hour shift and see that ya almost got yer head taken off and you think I'm not gonna come here ta haul yer ass to the hotel where you'll be safe?"

Angel stood up with Ayden still in his arms, poised to leave with her when-

*TCH!*

Millie slammed the door shut with her body holding it shut as she argued,

"Hey! You're not takin' our daughter right after we got it legitimate."

"You kiddin'?!" Angel put Ayden down so he could bend over and go face with Millie as he asserted, "I've got half a mind ta get Charlie to do more than just give that big red bitch a riot act readin' ta keep her safe."

"We can protect her just fine! We don't need any royal protections cause we're I.M.P., we handle danger every day!"

"And that's exactly why you gotta let someone else take care of her for a while!"

As they continued their heated argument, Ayden was seen still standing behind them, looking overwhelmed at the arguing between two parties she loved and cared about,

"Come on..."

When Moxxie managed to semi-snap her out of it by gently guiding her out of the room to her room with a hand on her back, Millie and Angel didn't notice since they were still arguing.

"I'll make sure we come to a reasonable agreement..." Moxxie told her softly.

"Shoul'n't I be the'e ta decide my own life...?!" Ayden argued, starting to fully snap out of the haze she'd been in.

"I'll make sure you get your say." Moxxie assured her, stopping her from storming back out, "We all want the same thing for you, but only you can decide it for yourself. I'll make sure they realize that..." Moxxie smirked softly as he suggested, "Besides, I think we both know there's somewhere else you'd rather be right now..."

Ayden looked to the side guiltily before Moxxie nodded his head toward the window as he continued,

"Go check on her..."

Ayden gave him an appreciative smile and small head nod, heading over and opening the window to start hauling herself through when Moxxie added,

"Just try and be back before midnight, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold them both off after that."

After giving him a thumbs up, Ayden dropped off the window ledge to land on the fire escape below.

Pulling her phone out, she texted a quick message to Via to let her know she was about to drop in, when a "Blocked" message popped up as soon as she hit send.

"What the-?!" She tried to send another message when it ended up the same as the first one; sent but not received from Via's end.

"Hrrr...!" Ayden growled as she realized this was most likely Andrealphus's doing.

"Screw it..." She muttered to herself before turning to the wall to draw the encircled pentagram while focusing on portaling to Via's room.

The portal opened like normal and went unbothered for a few seconds as Ayden was preparing to jump through until-

*FWW!*

*KRSH!*

A cold wave of air hit her when she was midway through the portal, causing it to warp on itself and instead of winding up in Via's room, Ayden crashed in one of the bushes out in front of the mansion.

"Ugh!" Ayden popped her head up as she wrestled herself free from the bush while wondering, "What the-?!"

"I wasn't sure even an uneducated crossbreed such as yourself would be this foolish, yet here you are..."

Ayden turned with an angrily annoyed expression on her face to see Andrealphus with an arrogantly unamused expression on his face as he stood in front of the doors to Via's balcony, his ice magic spreading out to create a wall there and around to the front doors, effectively prohibiting her from entering the mansion at all.

"If it i'n't' the A'ctic Arsehole..." Ayden griped as she brushed herself off and faced him with a threatening glower as she demanded, "I want to see Via..."

"What you want is irrelevant." Andrealphus sneered as he slid down to the ground to tower over her as he mocked, "The fact is; you shouldn't exist..."

"Tell me somethin' I haven't already hea'd a thousand times..." Ayden seethed as she made sure to keep an eye on him as he circled around her.

"Very well..." He grinned maliciously as he declared, "Your little visits will only make things worse for her..."

Ayden's resolve was seen wavering a bit at that as he continued to speak condescendingly,

"Stolas was already banished for associating with you lot. How ~selfish~ are you to risk your ~friend's~ safety for your own reassurance?"

Ayden's eyes turned downward as that perspective sank into her and he was all too eager to pile onto the doubts forming,

"After all, my ~darling~ sister's stray was all too willing to go after her and it would only serve to benefit us in the long run. So if you keep attempting to come around..."

He faced her with a wicked grin at the implications he was hinting at and Ayden felt a jolt shock through her as she realized he was, partially, right; the court had been willing to believe whatever benefitted their own stupid status quo rather than the truth, and if Via got banished, there'd be nothing stopping Striker from going after her as well, even under her protection.

Seeing her resolution fading, Andrelaphus gloated as he headed back inside the mansion with a triumphant leer,

"I trust you can see yourself off my property."

Ayden narrowed her eyes at his retreating figure before muttering loudly,

"That snake comes 'fte' me o' Stolas again o' if any ha'm comes to Via, I'll tell anyone who'll listen that I know it was Stella who hi'ed him in the fi'st place... you c'n count on that..."

She jumped up into the air, landing and running on fire platforms away from the mansion as Andrealphus was seen also glaring after her in suspicion before returning inside to "converse" with his sister about that small revelation.

Meanwhile, Ayden kept running through the air, not even caring how high in the air she was from the worries storming through her head; the safety of her family, Stolas, and Via, the fact she was now working for or under Beleth and Ozzie, and her and the team narrowly avoiding getting killed.

She was so preoccupied with her worries that she was oblivious to the fact that she was right over Imp City as fireworks were going off all around her until-

*PSH!*

"YAH!"

Ayden was blown back by the shockwave of a firework going off a few feet away from her, sending her flying back and skidding across the roof of the building she landed on.

"Agghhhh...!" Ayden groaned in pain as she rolled from her side onto her back with her tail waving around like the smoke fuming off of her as she slowly but surely recovered from the crash thanks to the sparks that had been in the explosion, 'Fuuuuck...!"

"Kid?!"

She looked to the side to see Blitzø climbing up from the fire escape and scrambling onto the roof to help Ayden sit up while asking,

"Do I even wanna know where you just were that you got blasted outta the sky like-?"

"OK Imma stop ya the'e befo'e ya say something I'm not gonna be able ta unhear..." Ayden put a paw in front of his face to stop him mid-sentence.

"Fair..." Blitzø shrugged before-

*TCH!*

"OW! Hey!"

Blitzø recoiled when Ayden punched his shoulder, knocking him on his ass next to her as she scolded,

"You do anythin' stupid like that again an' I'm gonna putcha down myself!"

"He-wh-huh...?" Blitzø sputtered until Ayden seized him in a hug around his middle as she mumbled softly,

"...I don' want 'nyone else dyin' fer me..."

...

"Haah... I really wish I could promise you that Kid..." Blitzø sighed as he hugged her back, giving her head a comforting pat when they pulled away as he added, "You know I'd never make you one I knew I couldn't keep..."

"Yeh I know Zio..." Ayden spoke with an appreciative tone as she bumped her head against his shoulder and he did the same, the both of them sitting side by side watching the fireworks before she asked, "How's Stolas doin'...?"

Blitzø hesitated to answer, looking conflicted about the situation, until he relented and answered simply,

"He's tired... pretty sure everyone is after today..."

"Yeh..." Ayden agreed before saying, "We'e gonna need ta keep an eye on'im y'know..."

"What...?!" Blitzø pulled away to protest, "Kid I got him. You don't have to-"

"Blitzø." She cut him off firmly to reason, "You 'n I both know what it's like to lose everything from one... action..."

Both of them looked down as they both tried to keep from replacing "action" with "mistake" in their minds before she continued with,

"An' we both know how it feels afte'wa'ds, how.. da'k it can get... I wanna help whe'e I can..."

Blitzø sighed while tiredly scrubbing his face before relenting,

"Alright alright... but it's not all on you, got it?"

"Yeh." Ayden agreed before expressing worriedly, "I jus' hope Via's 'lright too..."

"Weeell if she's anything like her old man, she'll be fine." Blitzø answered airily.

Ayden nodded, looking like she was trying to convince herself of that before asking hesitantly,

"Speakin' of; c'n I break Shitty Spe'm Dono' Club rules fer a second...?"

"Suuure...?" Blitzø spoke with uncertainty as Ayden stood up to walk toward the edge of the roof as she started saying,

"My fo'me' dad may've been an evil, manipulative psychopath, but he was right about one thing...; Hell needs ta change fer us 'little guys,'" She turned back to Blitzø with a determined look in her eyes as she proclaimed, "but we'e gonna do it ou' way..."

A firework bursting behind her with dramatic timing,

*PSH!*

...

...

...

AN- WOO! One more chapter left for Season 2! Almost there! ^^ (Sorry for posting a little later in the day than I usually strive for...)

Some notes and references for this one:

There are a few lines from Gravity Falls in here, kudos to you if you can spot them : DAyden's Mega Hellcat form was already posted to Deviant Art with her Mega Demon Cat form a little while ago but I've also posted a digital drawing of Mini A and Angel and Blitzø protecting her from a Corruption and Ayden and Blitzø hugging to my Deviant Art account plus I'm gonna work on drawings of the photos of Ayden's mug shot photo and first mission aftermath photo mentioned in this chapter soon hopefully In case it wasn't all that clear from the writing, Ayden was attempting to yell out "STELLA!" during the accusation scene since she does know that she was the one who hired Striker to kill Stolas when the two of them were kidnapped back in "Western Energy"Ayden being the only one to see the duet with Stolas and Blitzø is supposed to be a nod to how we as the audience were able to hear both of them when they weren't able to hear each other during that soliloquyAyden calling Mammon a "reject looking air freshener" was a reference to when Morgan Terry called him the same thing in their reaction of this episodeI'm pretty sure you all know where the "Off with her head" line is from ^^Ayden holding the chains back was mildly inspired by the similar moment in Stranger Things Season 3 when Eleven held two Mind Flayer tendrils back from opposite sidesI'm not exactly sure if portals from Asmodean crystals can really be warped like that but, from what we've seen in Mission: Chupacabra, they can be messed with if the user's concentration is broken

Sinsmas has been partially written and will be fairly short since (mild spoiler alert) Ayden's not gonna be going with the others on the hit and Via's "I Will Be Okay" number won't be written out. Plus there'll only be like one major original scene written in.

However, the next month and a half will be fairly busy for me with finishing up the semester and graduating in mid-May so apologies in advance if it takes a while to get out... ^^;

I'm also still working on putting together and opening digital art and beading art pieces commission requests in collaboration with help_me_make_constellations and would still like to know if, right off the bat, anybody would be interested in that?

Until the next one, Bye!