Rin roused himself from his state of unconsciousness, still feeling the effects of the knockout gas. How long had he been out? He blinked a few times, trying to shake off the feeling of uneasiness. It was dark wherever he was; he could hear voices rolling around in the empty space around him but they weren't discernible. Rin tried to get up but found that he couldn't. His arms were tied at the wrists behind his back to a pole. He struggled at his bondage but they were on tight. Rin cursed himself for being so easily taken. If he hadn't been so concerned with seeing that purple haired clown he'd have noticed that he was being followed. Who were those two anyway, and what was their connection to all this?

Rin could now make out where the voices were coming from but he still couldn't understand them. His eyes had more or less adjusted to the darkness in the room and he could see a faint light about fifty feet from him. It was there at the floor, meaning it was the bottom of a door letting the light in. That was the only source of light and it was so dim Rin couldn't make out any more of his surroundings. He tugged on the ropes again; did they feel looser? Rin pulled a little harder, still squinting around trying to see better. Wait a minute…something was missing here…

The realization suddenly hit Rin like a ton of bricks. His sword was missing. His precious sword that was his very heart, that he promised his father he'd never lose sight of was gone. Rin pulled at his bonds harder, frantic now to get free and find it. If the sword fell into the wrong hands…Rin didn't want to think about the consequences.

As Rin struggled to get free, the door of the room swung open, filling the room with a blast of blinding light. Rin blinked in the sudden brightness, unable to see the figures who'd just strode into the room.

"Well then, please excuse our rude introduction," said one of the figures. "But I think you'll be useful to us."

Rin's eyes slowly adjusted to the light in the room and could now make out the figures. They were the pair who had taken him earlier, the tall blonde and the slightly shorter brunette. The brunette was staring at him fixedly and it was creeping Rin out.

"Useful? You kidnapped me you bastards!" Rin spat, his level of patience quickly dwindling.

The blonde tutted, actually tutted, shaking his head. "Please, forgive that. Mammon won't stop till he's gotten something that interests him. As a matter of fact…you interest me as well."

The blonde walked over to Rin and knelt down to his eye level. From under his long brown coat he pulled out the Kurikara, dangling it in front of Rin's face mockingly.

"Now why would a little boy such as yourself be in possession of such a dangerous demon slaying blade?"

"None of your business freak," Rin hissed furiously. "Give it back!"

"Not just yet," the blonde replied. "I'm not done with you. Brother Samael seems to have a lot of faith in a pair of halfling demons and I want to know why."

Rin tensed up at the demon comment. Pair? Yukio wasn't a demon, not like Rin but he sure as hell wasn't gonna tell this creep that. And for that matter, who the hell was Samael?! Rin screwed up his face and said as venomously as he could:

"Fuck you and your shit! Untie me this instant and I'll show you!"

The blonde smirked at Rin. "Oh you will, will you? Little son of Father Satan, who can't control his flames?"

Panic flashed across Rin's face and he faltered in his glare. "What?"

"Don't think I can't tell, you idiot. You reek of demonic power. Honestly, the smell's so bad I can hardly sit here and talk civilly to you. I'm surprised you managed to survive this long in Assiah. But this little thing-," he held up Kurikara. "might have something to do with it. Isn't that right, little demon?"

Rin swallowed, staring at his sword clutched in the blonde demon's hand. Was he really so obvious? What other demons had noticed him? His thoughts went to Yukio. He was probably worried sick over him, leaving without telling him. Had his recklessness put Yukio in danger as well? Rin's head slumped, staring at the dirty floor. The blonde grabbed Rin's chin and forced his head back up.

"You will look at me when I'm talking to you!" he said, huffing. "Don't you know who I am?"

Rin cracked a grin at the blonde demon. "I couldn't give two fucks about who you are. But my brother's gonna kick your ass when he finds out I'm missing."

The corner of the blonde demon's mouth twitched and his grip tightened. Rin grunted in pain. The brunette demon hadn't spoke at all during this. After staring at Rin for a good ten minutes, he'd gone to the window directly across from the open door and stared out that.

"Uh…Lucifer…we've got a problem," he said gruffly.

"What is it, can't you see I'm busy?!"

Mammon turned from the window and pointed out it. "Samael's here. And he doesn't look very happy."

Lucifer released Rin and put the Kurikara back inside his coat. The sword vanished into some apparent hammer space. "I'd imagine not, after all it wasn't part of the bargain to come to Assiah ourselves."

"There's more," Mammon said, his voice unfaltering. "He's got Cael and Azriel with him and some other kid too."

"What?" Lucifer stood, looking over at Mammon. "Both of the incubi are with him?"

Rin chuckled on the floor, rolling his head to look up at Lucifer. "Told you my brother'd kick your ass."

Lucifer responded by kicking Rin in the chest. Rin gasped and coughed as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Shut your face, you pathetic inferior excuse for a demon! You don't deserve to have Father's precious blood running in you!"

Rin wheezed, falling forward and trying to regain his breath. "Uhhh…t-tell that…to your father…"

Fury lit up in Lucifer's eyes and he kicked Rin again, this time on the head. "Shut up you little wretch! Shut up!" He kept kicking at Rin, angrily beating him with his shoe all the while screaming at him. Rin took the blows; he'd been beaten up before on numerous occasions. That's not to say they didn't hurt. It hurt like hell being beaten but he was willing to tolerate it.

Lucifer's foot was coming down for another blow when the whole building shook with a massive tremor. Old plaster fell from the ceiling and Lucifer lost his balance. He toppled over, a look of surprise on his narrow face.

"What in Gehenna's name-?!"

"He blew up the front door!" Mammon said in shock. "I can't believe he did that!"

Lucifer regained his composure and stood up, brushing his coat off. "Samael did?"

Mammon shook his head. "No. The kid did. The brown haired kid in glasses did."

Rin's vision was funky 'cause he had a swelling black eye now but he could still see the disbelief on Lucifer and Mammon's faces. Clearly they hadn't anticipated this. Rin could only smile inwardly at his brother's daring.

"Come and rescue me…Yukio," Rin whispered and closed his eyes. "I'm waiting for you."

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"You can't go in there alone, Yukio."

Three of the company stood a good ways back while the fourth stood in front of a gigantic hole where a double door used to be. Mephisto was leaning on his umbrella while the two incubi brothers hung back behind him. Yukio didn't even turn around to answer him. His voice was like steel.

"I don't care. Nothing is going to stand in my way of getting my brother back."

"My, such devotion!" Mephisto smirked. "Well I'm not going to stop you but you should know that the ones who kidnapped your dear brother are not like any other demons you've faced before."

"I don't care," Yukio repeated. He took a step forward to enter the building but Mephisto grabbed his shoulder.

"You should, if you want to come out of there alive."

The seriousness in Mephisto's voice made Yukio pause and rethink this. He turned to face the headmaster and his boss, his eyes hard.

"You're normally so cool headed but when it comes to your brother's safety you just lose all reason," Mephisto said sternly. "I can understand that but you need to listen to me."

"What is it," Yukio growled, quickly growing impatient. "You said he was in danger. And I don't intend for my brother to get dragged off to Gehenna as long as I'm here to do something about it."

"Alright, alright. Rin is being held by one I made a wager with. But it seems he enlisted the help of one of our older brothers to win." Mephisto's expression darkened and his tone turned nasty. "I don't appreciate being swindled by cheaters."

"Wager? What would your gambling habits have to do with Rin and me?"

"Everything, as a matter of fact. You and your brother are the object of our bet."

Yukio's expression remained blank as he stared at Mephisto, but his rage levels were already at breaking point. That he and Rin were part of a demon's gamble just…infuriated him. But Rin's safety was more important.

"….and how do Cael and Azriel fit into this…wager?" Yukio hissed the last word with spite, clearly showing his displeasure.

Mephisto made a strange face, one Yukio had never seen the flamboyant demon make. "Ah well…it might have something to do with…um…"

Azriel rolled his eyes and cut in. "The jive was to get you two to bang each other cause your power is halved alone. But together you're stronger than any of the Princes of Hell. Of course you wouldn't do it by yourselves so Cael came to speed things up."

"T-That's not true!" Cael stuttered. "I only came because Uncle asked me to! I didn't…I mean…I just can't help it…when I get hungry like that…"

Azriel rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, I know all about that."

"You're the cause of most of it!" he spat, smacking his brother alongside the head.

"Stop it!" Mephisto shouted over them. "The point is, my brother Mammon will do anything to win against me, even if it means cheating. And he's convinced Brother Lucifer to help him. The two of them must have seen Rin and taken him as some sort of bargaining chip."

Yukio's fists were clenched tight at his sides. He'd never felt this useless before in his whole life. To demons like Mephisto and his brothers, humans were just pawns in games of risk. He and Rin were no exception to this. He was angry, he was hurt but above all else he just wanted to have his brother back, safe and sound.

"So…what do you propose we do about it?" Yukio asked as calmly as he could, straining to keep his voice level.

"It's very simple. We're going to create a distraction while you go heroically rescue your brother." Mephisto's face was aglow with excitement, whether from getting revenge or just purely being excited for some action, Yukio couldn't tell.

"But you just said-,"

"Ah, on contraire, my dear little exorcist. You're not going in alone. Cael is going with you."

"Huhhh? B-but, I'm no good in-,"

"Cael, you're going and that's final!" Mephisto said sternly. "Aziel, come with me. You're going to help draw them out."

Azriel grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, finally! Some real action!" He leapt into the air, ripping off his shirt and spreading wings out to catch himself in all of a few seconds.

"Yukio, you'll only have minutes to rescue him. If need be, Cael will provide cover for you so you can get in."

Yukio nodded, already starting to calculate how much time he'd have to find and then rescue Rin. Cael still looked reluctant to go with Yukio but a quick glare from Mephisto quickly culled his opposition. Yukio loaded his twin berretta hand guns up with fresh magazines and cocked them. Locked and loaded for anything.

Mephisto turned his attention to the air where Azriel was hovering. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yes I am! Let's do this thing!"

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Up on the second floor of the building, Mammon was watching from the windows. They were scheming something down there. After the building had been shaken down by the explosion, he'd become wary. The building was old and dilapidated. A blast like that was likely to make the whole structure collapse if they weren't careful.

"Lucifer, what do you want to do about them?" Mammon asked. He was fidgeting in his spot at the window.

"Go take care of them. I'm not done here and I'd like to have a little fun before we go back to Gehenna."

Mammon made a face at his older brother. "But what about my bet? You promised-,"

"I don't care about your silly bet anymore," Lucifer snapped. "Get out there and stall them!"

Mammon grumbled something nasty but did as he was told. He shuffled away down the hallway but didn't get far before another explosion rocked the floor. Mammon stumbled and caught himself on another window sill. He looked out to see Azriel flapping there outside the glass holding something. Mammon's eyes went wide.

"! Y-you, how did you?!" Mammon sputtered, pointing at the thing in Azriel's hands

Azriel grinned at the other demon. "What this? Oh I picked it up from Mephisto. He said I could have it but I think I'd rather destroy it."

"NOOOO! GIVE IT BACK IT'S MINE!"

Mammon dove into the window, shattering the glass around him as he grabbed at Azriel. His fingers grazed the toy but that little contact was enough. A blast of light erupted from the toy in long thin tendrils and proceeded to wrap themselves around Mammon's body. The demon of greed struggled to free himself but the harder he did the tighter they became. Before long he was tied up and dangling down from Azriel's hands.

The incubus brought his captive down to the ground and into some nearby trees. Mammon's body slid heavily for a few inches while his captor shifted black feathered wings and grinned at him.

"Boy, your reputation for stupidity wasn't kidding," Azriel smirked.

"Let me go this instant, you insolent brat!" Mammon screeched, trying in vain to struggle free.

"I'm afraid he can't do that," came Mephisto's voice from the trees. The demon came out from the shadows and he wore a none too happy expression. Mammon's face drained of color .

"S-samael…," he murmured quietly.

"You will refrain from using that name while you are here," Mephisto replied curtly. He knelt down so he was on Mammon's level. "You've gone and upset me, Mammon. You broke the rules of the gamble."

Mammon's cheeks turned red with fury. "So what if I did?" he spat. "I'd do anything to win against you and your cursed luck!"

Mephisto had to chuckle at his brother's outburst. "Brother, when will you learn? I have all the luck in the world. You're never going to beat me."

Mammon strung together a long line of nasty curses, some of which weren't in any human tongue. Mephisto shook his head at him and straightened up.

"You've gone and brought Lucifer into this, of which I am not happy. I've had enough of your shenanigans for the time being. This ends tonight, Mammon."

"Heh, it's already too late, Brother," Mammon sneered from the ground. "That piece of filth you call a brother is finished."