When Octavia heard that they managed to capture the imp mercenary who might have taken Blitzo, she expected to find the team happy or in celebration. Instead, the princess found Millie arguing with Loona in the living room while Moxxie shook his head. Octavia soon learned the reason upon noticing Loona had a few cuts on her arm that were bleeding and a stab to her side that the hellhound was holding with her arm. Octavia winced upon seeing it. Even though she knew Loona could handle more damage than that, it was still a bloody sight to see. The cleaners would have a fit about the red mess on the floor, especially on the carpet her mother loved so much.

"I'm telling you! I'm fine!" Loona growled while showing her teeth. "Now, can we just go interrogate this guy already?! I can get healed later!"

"No, you don't! You are going to get medical treatment or, so help me, I'll drag you there myself!" Millie shouted, getting right up in Loona's face.

"Your not my fucking mother," Loona muttered.

"Well, until we get your father freed, I am responsible for you!"

"I'm nineteen years old! Not twelve!"

"Well, you are acting like one," Moxxie said, coming to his wife's side. "Seriously, Loona, you really should get bandaged up. We'll go see how the interrogation is doing, and then we'll let you know everything."

"But-"

"Loona, just do it," Octavia said, getting the hellhound's attention. "Much as your demonic healing factor is preventing you from bleeding out too much, this is still my house, and I'd like it as bloodless as possible."

Loona looked at all three of them before throwing up her hands in the air and kicking a nearby chair over. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down and pointed at them. "Fine, but the moment you get everything I want to know! Now, where's the stupid doctor?"

"Jerry? Please escort Loona to the Hospital Wing," Octavia asked one of the nearby guards, who nodded before guiding Loona out of the room.

"Relax, Loona. It's not like you're going to the vet," Moxxie joked with a smirk.

"...I piss in your coffee every Thursday," Loona said, smirking as Moxxie's face started to turn green. He made a nearby waste bin and started throwing up, much to everyone's disgust and Loona's amusement.

"You disgusting little-ugh!" Moxxie heaved while Loona flipped him the bird before leaving with her escort.

Once he was done puking up his breakfast, Moxxie raised his head and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "That girl is a bitch."

"Aw, she's just worried about Blitzo," Millie said, rubbing her husband's back. "But regardless, we should go see what Stolas has been pulling out of our guest."

"Follow me," Octavia said before noticing Moxxie turning green again. "Um, let's get some alka seltzer first."

***

Humans were really such fascinating creatures in the eyes of Prince Stolas. It was pure entertainment to see a species that was made in God's image act so barbarian you'd think they were made in Satan's image instead. They only seemed to get more violent and depraved with each generation. By far, the most fun time was during the middle ages. Such a bloody and savage moment in history that it was one of Stolas' favorite periods on Earth. Demons had such a delightful time manipulating various kings, dukes, bishops, and knights like chess pieces against each other for amusement. Eventually, it all ended, but there were always the memories.

One of the things Prince Stolas did to preserve those times was decorating his torturer chambers precisely like something you would see in an Inquisitions Headquarters in the 12th century. The various instruments of pain and suffering, horrible cell conditions filled with dried blood and piss, and all combined with rats would eat anything they got their greedy little claws on. It was like traveling back in time for visitors, but for prisoners, it was a nightmare. While he did keep the decorum the same, Stolas made sure to add more modern touches to it. Such as magic seals to prevent breakouts, stone golems to act as guards, and a few more common practices today, such as the Chinese water torture method.

Sadly, they weren't used as often as before, but Stolas finally had a guest who would be given the full treatment. He walked down the dark corridors with two of his shadow guards, his daughter, and the married imp couple who insisted on coming along. With a wave of his hand, the magical locks in place were turned off and the wooden door opened to reveal Vaax chained to a steel chair in the dark cesspool of a room. The rats in the corners quickly scuttled away to their holes while Stolas, eyes glowing in the dark, walked up to the mercenary who, to his credit, wasn't shaking in fear. Crimson eyes of hate met with black-masked eyes before Stolas leaned in and began to whisper. "Let's not sugarcoat anything here, Vaax. You know as much I do that you are currently fucked right now. You know why you are here, and you know what we want. So I suggest you answer us truthfully, and without any resistance, or you will see your spine removed from your back very slowly." Lifting himself back up, Stolas asked, "So what will it be?"

"Save the big scary speech, Prince Stolas. I was planning on telling you everything anyway," Vaax answered.

"Really? Just like that?" Moxxie asked, eyebrows raised. "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch. I'm currently a prisoner of one of the most powerful demons in the realm. One who could utterly ruin me with magic until I'm nothing but a smoking pile of goo." Vaax snorted. "You think I have a snowball's chance in Hell of escaping? The way I see it, I'm not making it out of here alive, so it's either a quick death or a painful one. I'll take the fast one, thank you. Unless you plan on killing me permanently with one of Heaven's weapons?"

"Sounds promising, but no," Stolas stated before glaring at Vaax. "Tell me what I need to know, and I'll give you that quick death. Give us something beneficial , and I may hold off killing you for now."

"Right, so what do you want to know?" Vaax asked, leaning back against his chair.

"Where's Blitzo!" Millie demanded.

"I don't know," Vaax turned to Stolas immediately as the owl's face was about to become enraged. "And that's the truth! After I knocked him out, I took his body to a meeting place I was told to arrive at. It was a group of six of them. Three raven looking Goetia demons, I think they're called tengu. The other three were hellhounds. They were red-furred with black tattoos, so they had to be of the Devil Dog pack. I just gave them the body, and they took off with him."

"Why would a bunch of Goetia demons and hellhounds want Blitzo?" Millie asked.

"I doubt they're the real kidnappers. Most likely hired help," Stolas answered, rubbing his chin. "Hellhounds being hired as goons is normal, but tengu? Those demons are of a much higher tier of strength."

"Plus, tengu demons don't really hire themselves out," Octavia pointed out. "Those guys are honorable warriors who fight for the masters they're sworn to serve. So whoever is working for them has to be a high-level Goetia or Fallen demon."

That made things even more worrisome. There were several nobles that Stolas could think of that could have a clan of tengu serving them: Marquise Aamon, Duke Buné, Lord Balam, and others.

"How were you contacted? Did you even meet your employer?" Moxxie asked.

"No, I got a call on my cell asking me to meet me in an abandoned alley for a job. A hellhound gave me instructions to capture your boss and offered a good seven million for his capture. Half of it paid upfront," The others' eyes lit up upon hearing just how much money had been offered. "Job was too good to pass up, so I agreed. I stalked him for a week and learned he liked to get shakes at the same place three times a week. I just bribed the store to place a drug in his drink to knock him out. That bitch Yima almost ruined everything, but I took care of her just before he started to feel the effects of the drug."

"Octavia, remind me to give that place such a bad Yelp review that they'll never get business again," Stolas asked his daughter before turning his attention back to their prisoner. "Do you have any idea why Blitzo was captured?"

"No, and I don't ask," Vaax answered. "I find my life a lot simpler if I don't question orders. Although it seems I should have passed on the job entirely. Knew the job would get me in trouble despite the pay."

"Are you still able to contact them?" Stolas asked as a plan began to form in his head.

"I guess? I still have that one guy's number on my phone. Why?" Vaax asked before Stolas levitated it out of his pocket.

"Because if you're lucky, I might still have a use for you after all," Stolas said as he walked out of the room with the others.

"Well, can you at least let me out of these chains! I'm starving here! Hey!"

***

"What are you planning, Dad?" Octavia asked as the group exited the underground chambers and arrived back in the living room.

"Since we can't get any real information from Vaax, I think we can get information from the one that contacted him," Stolas said, shaking the phone in his hand. "Granted, it's a bit of a long shot, but so far, it's the best chance we have of knowing where Blitzo is or who is at least behind this plot."

"So, we're going to trace the call?" Millie asked.

"Yes, but sadly it might take another day or two," Stolas sighed as he stared at the cellphone. "I can't think of any other method at the moment."

"We don't have another day or two! By that time, the kidnapper will want the book, and if we don't give it to him, then Blitzo is curtains!" Moxxie shouted, crossing his arms. "There has to be another way! Maybe something to drag them out in the open?!"

A bright idea came to Octavia as she quickly grabbed the phone from her dad. "I think I got it. Trust me on this," Octavia said as she ignored the eyes on her and looked for the text that Vaax mentioned getting about the job.

Finding it, she quickly saw that the number was still textable, so she decided to go to work:

Vaax: Hey, I need to meet up with you.

Unknown Number: We've already concluded our business. If we need you again, we'll contact you.

Vaax: I just managed to get attacked by those three assholes at I.M.P. They captured me and tried to get information out of me, but I managed to trick them into thinking I don't know anything.

Unknown Number: So?

"Okay, here goes nothing," Octavia commented before continuing.

Vaax: Well, I could always tell them who contacted me for the job.

Unknown Number: Are you fucking threatening me?

Vaax: More like offering an exchange. I hear Prince Stolas is fond of that imp you took. He doesn't know what's going on yet, but if he does? I wonder just how powerful he really is?

The texting stopped for a while as Octavia waited for an answer. The others had gathered around her and watched. Reading the texts, Moxxie asked, "Are you sure about this, Princess?"

"One, don't call me Princess," Octavia growled as she narrowed her eyes at the tiny imp. "And second, it's the quickest way to get a meeting with these guys."

Finally, there was a reply:

Unknown Number: What do you want?

Vaax: 3 Mil in Ca$h for my silence.

Unknown Number: 2 Million.

Vaax: 2.5, or this conversation is over.

Unknown: Deal. Meet us at Warehouse 13 by the Warehouse District of Imp City at 8PM. If you're one minute late, the deal is off.

Vaax: I'll be there.

Everyone sighed in relief upon seeing this. "Great work, Octavia," Stolas complimented as he hugged her from behind. "That's my daughter! Smart as her father!"

"Then why didn't you think of it first?" Octavia teased, which made her dad blush. "Anyway, now we just need to set up a sting, and we got them dead to rights."

"Are we going to ask Vaax to help us?" Moxxie asked.

"No, I don't trust him. Besides, I wasn't done with my plan," Octavia said, smirking. "All we from Vaax is his outfit. I doubt these guys know what he really looks like with that mask and cloak, and lucky for us, we got an imp who is the exact same size as him."

Everyone slowly turned to Moxxie, who looked at them one by one until his eyes lit up upon realizing what that meant. "Oh, no! I am not going to be going undercover! Not after what happened last time!"

***Last Time***

Of all the ideas that Blitzo had come up with for taking out at a target? This was by far the stupidest and insane one yet. Their clients had requested that they take out the leader of a doomsday cult they were once a part of and willingly sacrificed themselves in a ritual to help stop the apocalypse. Instead of finding themselves in heaven for their sacrifice, the seven of them found themselves in hell both for worshiping a man claiming to be Jesus, the murder of outsiders upon their 'Eden,' theft of goods, sacrilege against God, and suicide. Needless to say, they were pissed and wanted their revenge on the so-called "John Christ of Newcastle."

Moxxie had to roll his eyes. Seriously, like Jesus would ever do his second coming in Canada of all places.

For the past three days, he had been pretending to be a new disciple at the cult thanks to his disguise of a blond wig, makeup, red dress (With oranges inside for breasts), and high heels. He didn't know why Blitzo wanted him to dress up like a woman, but that question was nothing compared to how the hell the humans still thought he was human. His disguise was barely hiding his demonic features, for crying out loud!

"Or maybe the insanity has made them stupid as well," Moxxie muttered as he continued to hull their latest food boxes from 'generous' donators at the town nearby. He placed them at the end of the warehouse, where he watched other members of his new "family" working getting the rest out.

That was until they all started bowing and praying as their "Savior" returned to check up on things. Moxxie, keeping up his part, began to worship the ground he walked on as well but kept a close eye on him. The bald cult leader, John Christ, as he called himself, was dressed in fancy blue and white robes while having one of the most enormous beards Moxxie had ever seen on a human face. He was fat too and walked around with a limb. How these idiots thought he was a savior was anyone's guess.

"You there!" John Christ ordered as he pointed a finger at Moxxie.

Moxxie looked around before pointing at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, come with me at once! I have a special job for you," John Christ ordered as he motioned for Moxxie to follow him. Moxxie nodded as he heard whispers from some of the other girls about how lucky he was to get a one-on-one session with the Savior.

Frankly, Moxxie didn't care. He had been trying to get a moment alone with the guy for three days so he could finally kill him and get out of here, but he was always surrounded by others. Moxxie had no doubt he could take on a number of them single-handedly, but the problem with this cult is that it was around a hundred in number, and each of them was trained in firearms. Moxxie wasn't stupid, and he knew his limits, but if he could kill this guy and get out, then all there would be no trouble at all.

They passed through the residential houses and arrived at the big fancy home their leader had all to himself. Entering the establishment, Moxxie realized this was the first time he had ever been here. It was filled with high-class furniture, paintings, and modern appliances that none of the other followers were allowed in their dorms. But of course, the leader got all of it to himself.

Moxxie continued to follow the stupid human until they were in a large bedroom with a king-sized lavender bed with velvet sheets and pillows. He was about to ask what was going on when John Christ closed the door behind him and pressed play on a nearby remote. A speaker system started playing smooth jazz-like music as the fat human slowly began to take off his robe. "You know, my child, I've been noticing you a lot lately. You look so confused and nervous all the time."

"Um, I..." Moxxie gulped and quickly put on his fake female voice. "I'm just...in awe...of all that you have built! You have truly...given us the path to salvation! My lord!" John Christ was now just in his pants and long shirt, but soon he took that off, making Moxxie slightly widen his eyes as he slowly backed towards the bed. "Um, sir?"

"Relax," John Christ said as he tossed the shirt into the hamper while showing his hair covered oily body. "I just felt like you, and I can get to know each other first? I like to give my blessings to newcomers. Especially pretty ones like you.

Oh no.

Oh, HELL no.

"Um, sir, I think maybe we should-GAH!" Moxxie yelped as John Christ pushed him onto the bed and got on top. Grinning, he started to get closer to Moxxie's face as the disgusted imp felt his stomach turning inside while sweating bullets.

"Come on...don't you want to have a little one on one with the Lord Almigh-" John Christ didn't even get a chance to finish as Moxxie flipped out his pocket knife and slashed him in the throat.

Gasping for air, John Christ tried to stop the bleeding with his hands, but Moxxie quickly stabbed him two more times in the chest and once in the balls. John Christ weakly fell to the floor before his loss of blood caused him to faint, and a few minutes later, he breathed his last. Moxxie sighed in relief before taking off his wig and giving the dead asshole a good kick in the face.

"Well, now that I've been scarred for life, time to-" Moxxie froze as the door opened. Slowly, he turned around and saw a shocked and pale female member of the group just stared at the scene before her. With a nervous smile, Moxxie raised his hand and said, "Um, Praise the Lord?"

"DEMON!!!!!!"

Without a second to spare, Moxxie smashed through the window and ran for his life as the entire camp went out on full alert.

***Present***

"And the only reason I was able to escape was that I was too short for them to shoot at!" Moxxie yelled as he took a drink from Reginald, who was holding a tray of bourbon shots. "I'm just lucky that Blitzo had the sense to bring the heavy machine guns to mow those zealots down when I reached the safe zone!"

"Come on, Mox," Millie said, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "You're the only one who's the right size! Besides, we're doing this for Blitzo!"

"I don't care! I am not going to go undercover!"

***Later***

"I can't believe I am going undercover," Moxxie muttered to himself as he stood in the freezing rain, dressed in Vaax's clothing. The mercenary imp was upset that he had his clothes taken away, but Stolas reminded him that he could lose his life instead if he wanted. That caused the imp to shut up quickly.

"Relax, Moxxie," Grimbeak said on the radio. "We're all positioned here ready to spring into action the moment we're ready. Just stay calm. You'll do fine."

"Don't worry, Moxxie," Millie said on the other line. "I'm right here for ya. So don't worry."

Moxxie sighed and shook his head. Blitzo was going to need to give him one hell of a raise to make up for all this. He still didn't like this idea and knew something terrible was going to happen.

He rechecked his surroundings. The warehouse district was creepy at night, with all the storage units closed and unlit. Some of the machines used to move stuff were silent but hulking around like monsters. The only thing making this worse was all the rain, but at least it wasn't acid rain.

"I got eyes on five motorcycles coming in from the east."

"Copy that. Look alive, everyone."

Moxxie soon heard the motors' sounds soon enough as he turned around to see five sets of lights coming in his direction. A few minutes later, five bikes with wolf-like heads for the front and flames on the back stopped a few feet away from him before their passengers disembarked. They were all hellhounds, just like Loona, but that was where the similarities end. For one, they were an extra foot higher than his co-worker and were red-furred instead of silver. Each of them had tattoos on their limbs, chests, and heads with their hair spiked. Their leader, however, had dreadlocks instead and looked twice as tough as the rest of the gang. They wore your typical biker gear jackets and pants with patches that ranged from a screaming devil face with fangs and a snake tongue to an upside-down cross with an angel nailed to it naked and screaming as the flames engulfed it.

"Vaax," the group leader said as he stepped forward with a black briefcase in his claw.

Moxxie gulped but did his best to stay calm. Thankfully, Vaax's mask came with a voice modulator, so he didn't need to worry about sounding different. "Good to see you. Got my money?"

"You get new horns? They look different," the leader said, pointing them out.

"I tend to change my horns. Helps keep my identity hidden from my enemies."

"Smooth response, Mox."

"Speaking of enemies," the leader said, walking forward slowly, "my employer wants to know how the members of I.M.P knew it was you that helped take their boss?"

"They picked me out of a photo on the guy's Voxagram account," Moxxie answered, truthfully. "They captured me thinking I could tell them where he was. I managed to get them to believe that I was after a different target. The other mercenary you hired, Yima?"

"Right, her." The hellhound leader took out a cigarette and started to light it. "Do they know anything?"

"No, they're clueless. They haven't even gone to that demon prince that Blitzo sleeps with. I think they're afraid of retribution for losing him," Moxxie lied, as he got closer as well.

"Hmm, I guess so far everything is working out," the leader said as he held out the briefcase. "Here's your cash. I suggest you take it and get out of Imp City for a while."

"Show me the money first," Moxxie said, knowing he had to keep playing his role.

"What you don't trust me?"

"In my line of work? You trust nobody," Moxxie replied.

The hellhound snorted before slowly opening the briefcase to reveal it full of cold hard cash. Nodding Moxxie accepted the suitcase. "A pleasure doing business with you, but you'll forgive me if I don't accept another job from you."

"Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing."

Before Moxxie could respond, the hellhound pulled out a hidden pistol behind his back and aimed it right at Moxxie's face. He heard Millie scream his name before a shot rang out, and he felt his head landed hard on the pavement.

Then everything went dark.