Well, here we are. Book 2. And yes, this is book 2. We'll have the obligatory prologue explaining the basics of the story down below, but if you want a more thorough explanation of what's going on, check out the previous story "Ed Edd n Eddy Dark Contract" (and please go easy on the first 3 chapters, I was still learning ^^;). However, I am going to do whatever I can to make this second book as standalone as a continuation can be. The first story will help you appreciate or better understand some of the details, but I'll try to make it that you don't NEED to read the first story to get this one. However, this is the only time I'm doing this. Books 3 and onwards will not waste time doing this. Who in their right mind reads the middle book in a series and expects to understand every little detail? Anyway, enough stalling, onwards!

Stop me if you've heard this one (even though you cannot, for I am the narrator, and thus in complete control of your puny mind…mwahaha) A man wants something. Whether it be money, power, eternal life, or just the ability to do whatever he wants without reproach. The man wants it so badly and so passionately, that he would do anything to get it. That desire gets the attention of the Devil himself, who offers up a deal to give him that thing he wants so badly. All he has to do for him is sign on the dotted line of the devil's contract. The man signs, and gets what he wants, but the devil gets his soul in return, and with it, the last laugh.

Most of this story is true, save for one detail: the devil had nothing to do with it. Though for some, even that may be up for debate.

They are known as The Contractors. The organized crime syndicate of the supernatural world. While their work has many more facets to it than the name implies, the creation of Faustian deals is the organization's bread and butter.

The contractors have been around for as long as there have been deals to be blamed on the devil. Not only do they utilize these deals to gain souls, they also serve as excellent recruiting tools.

Which brings us to the present day, and three boys named Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Three boys, 16 years of age, on the run after a get rich quick scheme went horribly awry. They were approached by Eddy's brother, Delta, who offered them sanctuary in the form of his company. All they had to do was sign the dotted line.

So they did, and thus were thrown into a world of intrigue and danger that had been hiding in the corners of their eyes all their lives.

It has been three years since the eds swore themselves to the service of Master Seraphim. And it is here where the story continues…

When Eddy first laid eyes on Castle Trotz, 3 years ago, he was speechless in disbelief. And that, as many of his friends would tell you, was quite the accomplishment. Eddy always had something to say, even if it got him in trouble. It was never in his nature to be in pure, venerated, shock at anything, much less a building in the middle of nowhere Germany. But when he first laid eyes on its pitch black obsidian walls, the purples, reds and yellows of the stain glass windows, and the stone gargoyles whose eyes seemed to follow you down the path to the massive mahogany doors, Eddy could do nothing but silently take all of it in.

3 years later, the black color scheme turned the inside of the castle into a slow cooker during summer, the stain glass dulled any light that came in, making it hard to see if the lights went out, and the gargoyles were just flat out cliché.

Eddy was never sure if his waning fear of the contractor's base of operations was due to him becoming desensitized to the insanity after so long, or if he was just that jaded.

3 years in to the day, and an answer had yet to present itself.

That thought made Eddy perk up from his desk, where he was daydrea-working on some reports for Master Seraphim. It was the three year anniversary of the day they were recruited. Something in the back of Eddy's mind told him that that should mean something. But he just didn't know what.

Eddy ran a hand through his jet black hair and sighed. Maybe a celebratory lunch? Eddy rose up, straightened his black tie, and walked out of his office.

The hallways of the castle were as dreary as always. Life would occasionally be injected into these dour halls if it were filled with people, but Mondays were unbearably slow.

The three years hadn't changed Eddy all that much. He was still the shortest person he knew, and his black hair still stood up perfectly straight despite him never applying any hair product to it once in his life. There was a small scar on the left side of his neck from a mission two years ago, and he had recently groomed a small mustache for himself. That, however, was the extent of the changes the years had given him.

"Finished with the reports, Eddy?" asked a familiar voice from behind him. Eddy turned to see Double d walking up to join him. Three years, and Double d still had that sock hat on his head, somehow spotless despite the insanity that was their daily lives. Thankfully, the years had also finally put some meat on the lanky teen's bones. While not nearly liefeldian in musculature, he was certainly far improved compared to the lightweight that first entered this castle.

"Decided to take a break, get a snack. Wanna come with?" Eddy asked, pointing his thumb behind him.

Double d shrugged. "Sure thing." With that, the two proceeded down the hall together.

The cafeteria was the same as always. Large, with hundreds of tables, most of them empty. Eddy wasn't complaining however, as this meant more food for him. So he and double d got some food, found their table, and dug in. "So, seen Ed today?" asked Eddy.

"He's probably still in the training room," said Double d.

Eddy smirked and chuckled. "Does that guy ever sleep anymore?"

"Yeah. He sleeps in the training room."

"Think we should have an intervention?"

"Yes, but that leads to the next, more pressing question; will he listen?"

"Point proven."

"Top of the morning, boys," said a voice from behind who draped an arm over eddy's shoulder. Cobalt smirked at Eddy, who was trying to wretch free of her clutches. "Finish that report yet?" The only major change to Cobalt in the past three years was her beautiful, but toned, body had become even more so. Her slightly muscular teenage body had matured into that of a petite bodybuilder.

"I will after lunch, boss," Eddy said, finally getting Cobalt's deceptively slender arm off of his shoulders.

"Better hop to it," Cobalt said, standing back up. "We're getting some pretty tasty jobs today. You don't hurry, you'll miss all the fun." She finished that sentence with a teasing, sing song tone as she walked off.

Eddy kept his gaze on Cobalt's back as she sauntered away. Double d rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers in front of Eddy's face, bringing him back to reality. "Distracted, are we?"

Eddy's eyes widened for a sec and he loosened his tie. "Oh, uh, sorry," he said, standing up. "Yeah yeah, I'll go handle the report. Thanks, mother." With a spin of his heels, Eddy made his way out of the cafeteria.

Double d chuckled and sat back in his chair. His eye was drawn to the job board in the far left corner of the room. Three years, huh?

The eds looked up at the green and blue board in front of them, laden with various posters and papers advertising different jobs. "This, as you may have gathered-" said Cobalt, who walked up in front of them. "-Is the job board. Here is where the vast majority of your profits will come from." Cobalt pulled out an extendable pointer and tapped on a contract. "In some cases, the client will offer something for us in exchange for our services. Usually money or information, but the choice is often up to them. If daddy doesn't see the exchange as profitable for the work involved, the price will become the client's soul."

Cobalt then pointed to another contract. In contrast to the previous parchment, this contract bore no price at all. "These are the jobs you want to look for. Whether its dumbasses who don't know how the system works, or people who know damn well how it works and just don't care, no price offered means we take their soul, end of story."

"And what do souls do for us?" asked Eddy.

"The souls aren't for you, they're for daddy. If the price is money, you simply get a third of the profits. But a soul equals to a couple thousand dollars an hour depending on the job. Zephyr gets souls, you get money, any questions?"

Double d was the first to raise a hand. "Are we allowed to drop out of a job if we feel we must?"

"Nope," Cobalt said. "Read every single contract thoroughly, and learn to read between the lines. You can choose which jobs you take, but when you take one, you either complete it, or you die."

All three shared a gulp. Eddy raised his hand. "So, do you go on a lot of jobs?"

"I think you've learned all you need to know," Cobalt said, ignoring the question and walking away. "Pick a job and get working. We don't pay you three to lounge around."

All three watched her leave, dumbfounded at her sudden hostility. "Well that came out of nowhere," Eddy said.

Double d chuckled to himself, sitting back up. Their reserves were running a tad low. A job was probably the best idea.

Double d rose from his chair and walked out of the cafeteria. He needed to fetch Ed.

Meanwhile…

Another day, another training dummy destroyed.

Ed flopped down on the bench, which laid at the edge of the training courtyard, and helped himself to his 5th bottle of water. Ed had always been strong, but his lanky figure had always masked that from those who didn't know any better. Three years with the contractors, however, had given Ed the body to match his strength. Equally as muscular as Cobalt, but twice the size.

"I'm starting to believe a third of the company budget goes into making you better dummies," said Hungryface, who walked up to Ed with a towel. Little had changed about Hungryface, save for a snazzy new goatee on his face.

Ed chuckled. "Am I that bad?" he asked.

Hungryface shrugged. "Hard to say, but you won't hear me complaining."

The door to the courtyard swung open, and in walked Double d. "Ed," he said. "We're about to look for a job. Would you care to join us?"

"You even have to ask?" Ed replied, practically jumping to his feet and running over to his friend. "Let's go!"

Ed grabbed Double d by the hand and ran out of the room, hungryface laughing heartily as he waved them both off.

Later…

Eddy was leaned against the wall adjacent to the door to Zephyr's office. His head was pressed against the obsidian stone as he stared off into space. No matter what subject came into his mind, his thoughts inevitably found a way to veer back to his redheaded superior. It seemed that today being the three year anniversary did mean something to him; it meant all the changes over those years were far more noticeable to him. Or in the case of Cobalt; the lack of changes.

Three years, and barely anything about their relationship had changed. Oh, they were much closer to be sure. But their roles were as defined now as they were back then. Eddy could practically set his watch to their routine: he advances, Cobalt sarcastically rebuffs him. Rinse and repeat. At least if she had outright rejected him, that'd be some form of progression. As it stood, a part of Eddy was starting to believe that he was trapped in some sort of time loop with that girl.

Which wouldn't be a problem, if his feelings for her had also stagnated. They had not.

"Oh, there you are," said an approaching Double d, which broke Eddy from his trance. Eddy looked over and smiled at his two friends. "Finished the-?" Eddy pulled out the report before Double d could finish the question. "Alright then, shall we?" Double d gestured for Eddy to go in first, and Eddy obliged.

And, like so many times before, he bottled up his thoughts for a later date…