Chapter 14: Burnout Comes Before A Breakthrough
The day finally arrived, another day of investigation, this one being more of an interesting one than most, at least at first glance. The investigator and his back-up in question, were all staking out a local establishment in Imp City, with Blitzo being the man, or rather demon, with the binoculars. Ever since they started driving to the building, he had those binoculars hanging around his neck, ready to use at a moments notice.
"This is the place, right?" He asked, looking over his shoulder and into the back seat, where Loona, Zack, and Millie sat.
"Yeah, seems like it. From what her social media page says, she should reside here." Loona answered, as she swiped at her phone with a clawed finger. Zack raised an eyebrow, as he looked through the window.
"One thing that confuses me is that if she knows anything, why doesn't the yakuza go and kill her. She'd end up telling someone about it, I'm sure." He said, as I tapped his chin in thought.
"Highly unlikely. Last I heard, she was working for ol' Valentino. If that's true, then there's no way he's gonna let his property get offed. After all, it's less money for him." Loona explained, as she searched the woman up on her phone. Of course, she was correct on that. Zack raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Valentino didn't ring any bells to him, but as of right now, it didn't need to.
"Definitely doesn't seem to be super packed. I guess most demons would rather feel up the ladies, rather than just take a few photos of them..." He mumbled. Mentally, he had been preparing himself for what was to come. No telling who might show up to screw with them all. Moxxie shrugged his shoulders, as he looked back from the passenger's seat.
"Who knows, maybe it's just a slow day for them. Anyway, does anyone have a plan for what we're gonna do here?" He asked, his tail swaying behind him. Millie, of course, was the first to respond.
"Oh, oh, oh! I got one. What if, one of us went in there and seduced her? We'll wringing out any information that she has while we torment her body in different types of sexy ways." She voiced, the sensuality dripping from every word she said. Everyone present merely stared at her, though Zack held an embarrassed look and Moxxie a disgusted one.
"Um... Maybe not something like that. All we need is one person to go in. If we had a whole group go in, it'd only raise eyebrows and turn heads. Best to keep it discreet." Loona advised, as she placed her phone in her lap.
Zack nodded in agreement, "Good idea. So, uh, who's going in there?" Without a word, everyone in the car pointed at the only human in the area, which, of course, was Zack. His eyes widened, as he pointed to himself in disbelief, "H-Hold on, I can't go in there!"
"You have to. If we go in there, they'll instantly recognize us. No one will recognize you, so you should be fine," Blitzo cleared his throat, as he looked up in the rearview mirror, catching Zack's eyes, "Provided that you don't get seduced and fucked by one of those succubi that are in there."
"Succubi?! Why did you say succubi?!" Zack looked towards Loona, his eyes showing what could only be the fear of a virgin, "Why is he saying succubi, Loona?!"
She rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead, raising an eyebrow, "Oh chill the fuck out Mr. Pre-Mature. Look, you'll be fine, and you're the investigator here. You're the only one who can remember every insignificant detail, not to mention connect it with every other clue," she placed her hand on his should, smiling softly, "You got this. Trust me."
Zack's eyes slightly widened, as he stared up into her blood-red one. The eyes he once looked into with fear, was now sending waves of courage into his chest. He smiled back, giving her a nod, before kicking open the back door with gusto. He puffed out his chest and walked towards the building, his face holding a grin. Loona smirked, as she crossed her arms over her chest with pride.
"Um... What was that?" Blitzo asked, a bit confused on what transpired.
"A pep-talk, and a pretty damn good one too." She answered, as she lounged back on the velvety cushion on her seat. Again, the only thing in Blitzo's mind was...
"When did those two get so chummy?"
--
Whatever courage Zack had before, it legitimately went and said "fuck you, you're a virgin, peace out", then left. His heart was pounding and his palms were clammy, as he looked around the room attentively. It reeked of bodily fluids and booze, most likely from the "lucky" customers that got more than what they payed for. It slowly made him grow more and more nervous, like a newly turned 18-year-old that just went into an adult superstore for the first time. The makings of a virgin, oh how ironic it is.
"Okay, okay, this'll be easy. Get in, get the info, get out. It'll be quick and painless." He mumbled to himself, as he walked towards the front desk. A man was sitting behind it, staring at his phone. His face held a stupid-looking smirk, a clear sign he was watching something...fairly intense, in a way. Zack cleared his throat, getting his attention.
"Hm? Yeah, whatcha want pissant?" He growled out, as he tapped his knee in annoyance.
"Even the guys working at the front desk are overly horny..."
He smiled awkwardly, as he scratched the back of his head and answered, "Um, I'm looking to have a session. Is a Ms. Vermillion available?"
The male demon's eyes widened, as he licked his lips, a smirk growing on his face.
"Oooh, you've got taste, kid. That one's got a big ass, big titties, and she's got that Russian accent that I love. She's a tough cookie though, don't go and touch where she don't wanna be touched, got it?"
Zack nodded his head quickly, as he felt his nervousness skyrocket. A Russian, big-breasted, big-ass woman... Did she have large thighs too?! His heart began to pound, as he grabbed a camera and walked down the hall. The scent of bodily fluids grew more potent with each step he took. Was this really just a place for photography?! He soon stopped at a door; the very sight of it screamed high-dollar. He took a deep breath, his eyes glancing down at the doorknob to the door of a man's fantasies.
"Okay, you can do this... You're in charge, not her..."
He slowly reached for the doorknob and twisted it, the door soon opening with a soft click. Pushing it open slightly, he peeked into the room; it was quiet, besides the faint sound of jazz music playing in the background, probably from a record players, if he had to guess. He pushed it open more and stepped into the room, the camera clutched tightly in his right hand.
"Ahem, u-um, hello? Anyone here by the name of Ms. Vermillion...?" He stuttered, his eyes slowly scanning the room. Candles littered the carpeted floor, all of them lit and burning with a flowery aroma, along with the stereotypical rose petals. The room was dim, but the candles added a slight bit of light. No answer was given, only a silent air to the room.
"Maybe she's not here..." He mumbled, as he looked towards the door, opting to come back another day.
"Where do you think you're going, handsome~?" Zack's body stopped in mid-stride. His skin drained of color, his eyes widened in a mixture of shock and fear. That voice was definitely holding a Russian accent to it, one that held an almost dominant and hostile undertone. That was his girl, one he was both hoping and hating to meet. He slowly turned back towards the back of the room, where a very gaudy looking bed sat, complete with a curtain for private matters. His eyes widened at the sight before him. The woman in question was fairly toned, muscular even. Nothing too serious, but she could definitely hold her own in a fight. Her hair was long and held in a low ponytail, her skin a dark red with blotches of white and black, and her eyes a glowing yellow that you could instantly see in the dark. Her clothes consisted of merely an beige, opened robe, a black, tight-fitting thong, one that left little to the imagination, and heart-shaped pasties that covered her nipples.
"Wh...Wh...Wh..." He couldn't even finish his sentence. His hands had dropped the camera moments long before he even tried to speak.
"What kind of a place is this?! I thought we were only doing a photoshoot, she looks like she's ready to dom me!!" He internally screamed, as he scrambled to pick up the camera.
"What's wrong, cat got your cute little tongue~? Aww, and here I was hoping to use it~" she said, her voice dripping with sexual desire. It sent shivers down Zack's spine, which was only going to get worse if he stayed their any longer. He cleared his throat and held up the camera, taking a picture of her.
"L-lets begin, shall we?" He silently spoke, his heart rate going through the roof. She smirked, as she slowly adjusted herself, her chest pressed against the mattress of the bed and her ass perked up into the air.
"You seem so tense~ Is it someone's first time~?"
Zack gulped nervously, as he quickly shook his head, shaking off his anxiety, "Y-You could say that. Um, next pose, please..."
She chuckled lowly and laid on her back, her legs spread out for him to see I'm between her legs.
"Yay for me~ Merely means I get to be your first~ It makes me so happy~" she giggled out, her fingers slowly slipping down to the waistband of her thong. Zack's eyes widened further, his thoughts shouting at him.
"What did she mean by first?!"
Whatever she meant, he didn't wanna find out. It was now or never!
"S-So, um, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can~ I'm an open book~"
Clearing his throat again, he lowered the camera, his eyes staring into hers, "I'm looking for a group that I believe goes by the name Akuma-Ningen. Do you know anything about that?"
Silence filled the room and her eyes were widened with shock, a easy tell that she did indeed know something. Zack mentally cheered; finally, a clue! Her face twisted into a serious look, her eyes glancing up at the corner of the ceiling.
"Why do you want to know? You looking to join them, or something?" She questioned, her seductive tone now a fleeting memory. Zack shook his head in response.
"Quite the opposite, actually. I'm looking to take them down."
Her eyebrow raised, her eyes once again looking up at the corner of the ceiling.
"Keep taking photos. There are cameras, so make it look good. Don't worry though, they don't pick up sound." She warned, as she got into another sensual pose. Zack nodded his head, as he took another photo of her.
"So, what do you need to know?"
"Well, I was hoping you could tell me where they are. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm fairly certain that you're not even certain of that, right?" He questioned. She nodded.
"Unfortunately, they're fairly good at staying hidden. Even the way they kill is silent and void of any trace. Usually, they'll kill someone in a place that's hard to spot, then disappear without a trace." She mumbled, sucking her teeth.
"Any leads as to where they could be?"
She huffed, her face holding a defeated look, "No, nothing I could see... To be honest, I've been trying to find them myself. Have some unfinished business with those sons of bitches..."
"I'm guessing it has something to do with your brother's death. They killed him?" He questioned, bring a silent nod from her.
"My brother, as dear to me as he was, didn't know when to use his head. He told me he was working for them, said it could get us some cash, but..." She shook her head, her breath a slight bit shakey, "working for them is risky business. If they so much as see or even think that you're going to be a hindrance to them, they silence you. They show no mercy, not even to their comrades..."
Zack gulped nervously. Was she serious? Even gangs in New York had standards about their own. Then again, this was hell, after all. Death and the like are a common place, maybe even worse. He looked up at her, taking more photos, "Do you have any other information? Anything at all can be a huge help."
"Just one..." With that, she grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him on to the bed, before pinning him down to it. His eyes heart stopped and his eyes widening. Was she planning to kiss him?! Maybe something else?! She leaned forward, her lips barely brushing against his ear, as she whispered into them, "Take these. They're photos I took from the other murders. I haven't found anything useful for them, but maybe you can."
She slipped 4 polaroid pictures into his coat pocket, her tail obstructing the view of her hand from the camera. Zack sighed in relief; at least that's all it was. She sat up and moved from on top of him, allowing him to get to his feet once again.
"Time's almost up for you. You better get going, before anyone comes to force you out."
Zack nodded, as he stepped towards the door and opened it. Before leaving, he turned back to her, smiling softly, "Thank you, ma'am. I promise, I'll be sure to give the guy responsible a good ass kicking for you."
She smirked, her tail swaying behind her, "Please do. I'll be sure to reward you when that happens~"
She blew him a kiss, drawing a blush from Zack. He quickly walked out, his hands slipped into his pockets.
"Women are a fuckin' mystery..."
--
Zack's face scrunched up in thought, as he stared at the photos given to him. His silent, intense stare only made the group of demons slightly uncomfortable. As usual, he looked more menacing when he was in his patented "Detective Mode".
Loona cleared her throat, trying to get his attention, "Um, you good, Zack? What's up with those photos, anyway?"
Zack looked up at her, his face softening, "Oh, right. They're photos that Ms. Vermillion gave me. Apparently, they're all of murders that the Akuma-Ningen have done."
He gave the photos to her, allowing her to see exactly what he meant. Each one held a different victim, all killed with what seemed to be a knife wound to the chest or abdomen. She passed each of the to the others, her phone held tightly in her other hand.
Blitzo raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning the photo, "They're all killed the same way? What kinda idiot kills the same way, it'll only be seen as a calling card."
"Yeah, but if ya think about it, it's more effective to just stab someone and leave than trying to make it more elaborate-like." Millie added, her hand rubbing her chin in thought. Moxxie looked down at his photo, his tail swaying behind him.
"Hold on, I've seen this place before. It's literally a few minutes away from here." He mumbled, his eyes looking towards the window, "There, turn there!"
Without a second word, Blitzo swerved to the right and stopped in front of a dead-end alleyway. Zack opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, his hand grasping at his magnifying glass. The rest followed in pursuit, each one holding a weapon, except for the hellhound, whose claws were her weapon. Zack looked throughout the area, his eyes looking in through the magnifying glass. Nothing in sight, only a few trash cans, littered garbage, the dried blood on the floor from the last victim, and a lone manhole cover. There wasn't even a door they could get into. Nothing was showing up in the glass either.
"Hm... Odd... How were they able to disappear out of thin air...?" He knelt down, looking at the large dried blood puddle. It had to have been left there for a few days. His fingers brushed against the dried blood, his eyes catching something interesting. It seemed like a piece of trash was trapped under the manhole cover.
"Huh? Hey, Moxxie, help me with this." he called out. Moxxie nodded and quickly ran towards the manhole cover. With a quick huff, the two pulled off the circular metal slab and tossed it to the side. They all looked down into the dark hole, completely confused.
"Soooo, you think that there's something down there?" Loona asked, her hands on her hips.
"Seems like it, but the sewers are vast. Searching the entire thing would be an issue, I'm sure..." Moxxie voiced. Zack huffed softly, as he looked down into the darkness. He was right, searching in there would be frugal, at least in this case.
"Um, maybe we should get some rest? It's getting rather late." Millie said, a smile on her face.
"Yeah, good idea. I think we can call it a day." Blitzo agreed. Zack's eyes widened, a bit surprised. He didn't wanna just go home, at least not now. However, as of right now, there was nothing he could do. Without some more information, it'd be more of a waste of time than if they knew what to look for. He huffed, feeling agitated with himself. He knew there was something, but what?!
"Hey, Zack! Come on, let's go home!" shouted Loona from the car. Zack growled at himself. There was something here, he knew it; all he had to do was figure out what it was.
--
Zack silently sat on the couch, his head resting on his hands. His eyes stared straight at the photos sitting on the table, each one spread out for his viewing. He knew there had to have been something with the photos, a tell that could help him figure out what's going on. However, they just looked like normal murder scenes, nothing big or extravagant.
"Damn it, there's something I'm missing... What is it though..?"
Without him even noticing, Loona sat next to him, her hands at her sides. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes looking towards the photos, "You've been staring at those things ever since we got back. Something up with them?"
He nodded, not even taking his eyes from the polaroids, "I know there's something here, something that can help. I just can't figure it out..."
"Huh, I gotcha. Can't say I'm too well-versed in this sorta thing, but maybe you should try, um, broadening your view? Like, try to look at more of the photo?" She advised. He rubbed his chin; maybe she wasn't off base.
"Broaden my view..." He mumbled, his eyes widening slightly.
She sniffed her clothes, growling in annoyance, "Damn it, shoulda never opened that manhole cover. I smell like the fuckin' sewers..."
He froze, his body tensing and tingling all at once. Was it... Could it be...? No, it'd be so simple, yet effective! He looked towards Loona, his right eye glowing slightly.
"Wait, what did you say?" He asked. She raised an eyebrow, tugging at her shirt.
"Um, I smell like the sewers?" With that said, he jumped off the couch and leaned closer to the photos, mumbling softly to himself.
"Wait... There's one here...and here...and even fucking here!" He grabbed his phone and flicked through the photos of the torture victim in the nightclub. There was even one there too!
"That's it!! I was right all along!" He exclaimed, as he stood to his feet and paced around the room.
"Wait, I'm not following. What are you right about?"
"The photos, all of them have something in common," he showed her the photos, "Tell me what you see!"
She huffed softly, as she looked at the photos, her ears flicking about.
"Um, I don't know, it has a guy dead. Um, he's stabbed and..." Her eyes widened, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks, "They all have manhole covers in the photos!"
"Exactly! That changes things. Before, it was merely a theory that they used the sewers, but if every victim was killed near an entranceway of the sewers, then it's fairly certain that they've used it at some point!"
Loona nodded her head, her fur standing up from the excitement, "Then do you think that they could have dropped something down there?"
"Not just dropped, but I think that their hideout might be down there too!" He shouted, his eyes holding accomplishment and excitement. She smirked, as she stood to her feet and stared to the door.
"Then we better get going! Come on, lets get going!" She said, as she went to grab the door. He quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"Hold on, I think there's one more thing we need to check..."
--
"Thanks for the help, Stolas." Zack said, as he and Loona stood in Stolas's study. He smiled, as he pulled out a large map.
"It's not a problem, I'm happy to help."
Loona raised an eyebrow and watched him pull out a small looked throughout the map, his fingers tracing down a line on it.
"Um, wanna tell me what this is?"
"It's a map of all the sewer-lines in Imp City. If my hunch is correct, then those manhole covers will each lead to a sewer-line that all go to the same spot..." He mumbled, as he continued to follow the red line. His finger soon stopped, a content huff escaping his lips, "Just as I thought. They all lead to this one spot."
He pointed to a lone spot, one that was underneath the center of Imp City. Loona scoffed, her hands on her hips, "Then it looks like we have our heading. Should we call the others?"
Zack shook his head, "No, I don't think that's necessary. We're just going there to scope out the scene. Having a bunch of people following us isn't the greatest of ideas."
Loona nodded in response. She had to admit, it was true, and she and him could handle themselves without a problem.
"Alright, then let's get going! No telling what we'll find."
--
Zack and Loona stared down into the sewers, back at the alleyway from before. It reeked of mold and sewage, a mere fraction of what the dark and musty tunnel would hold.
"Um...so, ladies first." Zack muttered, an awkward smile on his face. Loona growled in response and slipped down into the hole, a small splash echoing out.
"Fucking damnit, I stepped in something!"
Zack snickered, following behind her. Fortunately for him, he was at least wearing shoes, unlike his hellhound companion, "Yeah, it's called a combination of shit and piss."
"Don't start with me, Mr. Pussy-Virgin-Investigator," she sighed, doing her best to try and the muddy liquid engulfing her paws, "So, we just gotta go down this tunnel, right?"
Zack nodded, as he pulled out his phone and turned the flashlight on, before placing it in his coat pocket.
"Judging from where we are, I'd say about 15 minutes is how long it'll take us."
She groaned at the sound of that, as she raised her left foot and shook it off slightly, "I've been near shitty things, but this is literally shit..."
Zack smiled awkwardly, as he watched her. Well, there was always that option. Without saying anything, he walked in front of her and bent his legs, lowering himself slightly. She blinked in confusion, her left ear flicking.
"Um, what are you doing?"
Zack looked back at her, a smile on his face, "Piggyback; I can carry you until we get out of the water."
Her eyes widened and her cheeks grew a light hue of pink. Not any people gave her the option to ride them. Well, at least not in the way Zack was giving her. She cleared her throat and climbed on to his back, his hands gripping under her thighs. Now it was his turn to grow flustered. They were soft, yet held a firmness to them, not to mention that they were fairly warm from her fur.
"U-Um... You comfortable up there?"
"Y-Yeah, totally... Can we just get going now?!" She whined, giving his head a light tap. He nodded and trudged through the crappy fluid, following the dark path that lied ahead.
The two remained silent, the only sound being the slosh of liquid that surrounded Zack's legs. Anxiety and nervousness gnawed at their minds. Whatever was down the way had to be something big, perhaps even dangerous. Zack could feel Loona getting on edge, mostly from her clawed fingers digging into his shoulders. Her heart was beating faster, though he couldn't say much, his heart rate was even rising as well. That's when it happened. He began to whistle, which startled her slightly. This was common for him. Whenever he wanted to calm himself, he always hummer and whistled to himself, no matter where he was. Loona's eyes widened, as she listened to his voice.
"Wait a fuckin' minute... Are you whistling what I think you're whistling?"
He looked back at her, his eyebrow raised in confusion, "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't 'what do you mean' me! That's that one song! Vacay to Bonetown!" she shrieked. Zack smiled awkwardly, giving out an embarrassed chuckle.
"I-Is that what it's called? I just saw a video of some concert at a beach. The song was kinda catchy." he explained.
Loona was floored. Did he actually not know what happened at that very concert? The monster, the police, the SEX?!
"Dude, you're completely clueless..."
"What do you mean?"
She huffed, "The person that was singing is named Verosika Mayday. She's a succubus; apparently, she needed to use our building for some shit, even stole our parking spot... Our only parking spot."
"Seems like she wasn't very nice. Wait... Wasn't there something on the news about that? Something about a giant orgy or something?" He asked, scratching at his cheek. She nodded, giving a roll of her eyes.
"Yeeeeaaah, that was Blitzo's fault. He challenged her that we could kill more people than they could fuck. Funny enough, we won, but only because of some giant sea monster."
That stopped Zack in his tracks. He looked up at her again, his eyes wide with shock, "Wait, so that did happen?!"
"Yeah, it did. They ended up getting busted by the cops. I don't know if they were able to suck their way outta that one or not, but who knows?" She pulled out her phone and held it up for him to see. On it was a picture of a white-haired, pink-skinned woman. She wore a tight, form-fitting dress, a white-furred coat, and a pair of gaudy sunglasses. "That's her in her true form."
Zack silently stared, blinking in confusion, "She looks like she could be the mascot for fuckin Pepto Bismol..."
Loona scoffed, the comment almost making her drop her phone, "Yeah, I can see that. Still, in her human form, she's probably seen as one of the sexiest chicks out there."
"So she can transform into a human, huh? Makes sense, I read that succubi take on human forms to steal the life of men that sleep with them," he looked up at her again, "though that does bring up the question, can all demons turn into a human form?"
Loona shrugged, her clawed finger tapping against Zack's head, "Dunno, but I know hellhounds can. Even me, see?"
With that said, the room filled with a cobalt blue light, one that almost blinded him. He felt a warm feeling on his back, and the weight on him lessened. His hands, once sinking into fur, was now gripping on to soft, smooth skin.
"Guh...Loona, what was that...?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He slowly turned his head to look at her, his heart stopping at the sight before him. Her muzzled face was replace with a normal woman's, her large body now at around the same size at him, yet still holding an inch more in height. Her lips now adorned a dark black lipstick, and her paws, or used to be paws, held normal grey sneakers with black knee-high socks.
"Ta-da. Whatcha think? Bet it gets your heart rate going, huh?" She teased, a smirk on her face. Zack stared in silence, his eyes widened and his cheeks growing warmer. She was...she was...
"I dunno, it's pretty and all, but it kinda seems the same to me."
Silence filled the tunnel, as she stared at him, her face twisting into a look of utter confusion. Either he was a furry, of something much worse!
"Wait, what? Why's that? Don't tell me, you're one of those weird freaks that are into animals, right?"
Zack smiled awkwardly, clearing his throat, as he continued to walk along the path, "Not at all, actually," his face softened and grew a genuine smile, "I just like your true form. A person can change their looks, but no matter what, you're still you. So, whether you're human or demon, I still think you're beautiful either way."
Loona's face grew a dark red, her transformation soon reverting her back to her hellhound form. Something about what he said stumped her. He didn't use sexy, or banging, or dick-raisingly sexy, but instead he used something normal. Most would just call her those things, hoping to get a piece of her, but rarely was she ever called something just because they wanted to say it. Sure, Blitzo would call her cute or "his favorite", but she wasn't ever called that for no reason; Or rather, the reason being was just to be nice. It made her heart tighten, her grip on his shoulders growing stronger, as if she didn't want to let go, something that she rarely ever felt.
--
It didn't take long for them to finally make it to their destination. At the end of the tunnel was a large circular room, one that held many other entrances to other sewer-lines.
"Just as I thought. The other entrances must all lead to the other murder scenes. Which means there has to be something here..."
He walked forward and stepped on to a nearby ledge, getting out of the sewage infested water. He shook off his foot and cleared his throat, looking up at Loona.
"You uh, you can get down now."
She silently nodded and stepped on to the ground, her hand quickly covering her face. Zack raised an eyebrow in question. Was she blushing? He looked down at her tail, noticing the excessive wagging it was doing. He chuckled and looked around the room.
"So, what do you think? This is the place, so what are we looking for?" She asked, wandering around the area. Zack shrugged and leaned against the nearby wall, his hand stroking his chin.
"Not a clue. Whatever it is, it's gotta be around here. Maybe there's something they dropped..."
He looked around the wall, his hand brushing against the moldy bricks. They all were a dark shade of green and brown, a testament to just how long they had been placed there. All except for one. He gently pressed against the lone, clean-looking brick. It seemed loose for some reason.
"Hey, Loona, take a look at this." He called out. She quickly walked towards him, a look of confusion on her face.
"What's up? Find something?"
"Mhm, I think so," he looked towards the loose brick, "it feels like I can push this. You think it could be a switch or button of some sort?"
She shrugged, "Maybe. Press it and let's find out already."
He nodded and slowly pushed against the loose brick until it stopped. They stood for a few seconds, as the brick slid back to its original position. Nothing but silence and a slight bit of annoyance filled the air.
"Well, that's a bust. Maybe there's another switch?" Zack voiced, his hands slipping into his pockets. She leaned forward and sniffed at the loose brick, before sniffing the air. After a few seconds of walking and sniffing, she made her way to the left of Zack, spotting another clean-looking brick.
"Yo, I found another one! Maybe it's one of those double push switches."
Zack rubbed his chin again, raising an eyebrow, "It's quite possible. Okay, on my three, we'll press the button."
They slowly touched their respective bricks, both of them ready for anything.
"Okay, ready," he took a deep breath, "One," Loona readied herself, "Two," then Zack, "Three!" And with that, they pushed against their bricks, both of them giving their own respected clicks. Silence, once again, enveloped the room. Loona huffed glancing at Zack, as she crossed her arms.
"Got any other ideas, Mr. Investi-" before she could even finish, the ground shook and the wall rumbled, making the two take a quick step back. The bricks shifted and rotated, exposing a staircase leading down a deep, dark tunnel. Zack and Loona stared down the entrance, their eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"I got a idea. How about we go down the staircase?" he said, giving her a cocky smirk. Rolling her eyes, she gripped his coat and dragged him down the staircase, bringing a yelp from him. The dripping echoes die down with each step they took, silence surrounding their bodies. Within seconds, Zack would feel the tight grip of Loona's hand on his shoulder. He could even feel her quickening heartbeat. It must have been due to the darkness. He instantly felt bad for her; he knew what it felt like to be afraid, to be worried of your surroundings at every turn. After all, he barely ever left his home, especially after that unhappy day.
"Hey, Loona...?"
She winced in shock, her ears folded against her head, "Guh, yeah, what? I'm not scared, you're scared. Fuckin dick, pussy, virg-"
Before she could even finish, her hand grew warmer. She looked down, seeing a smaller, human hand holding hers. She looked at Zack, who was keeping his eyes forward.
"...You'll be okay, I promise..." he mumbled, his heart pounding against his chest. He was going crazy inside, crazier than anything he was feeling before, though he wasn't sure why. Was he sick? Afraid? Nervous? Maybe all three?! Loona was more confused than anything. She felt warm and safe, something that a demon usually doesn't feel in hell. Though, what she also felt was an unwavering feeling of guilt. After all, she was technically the one who pulled into this situation, not to mention she...
"Hey... Zack, I gotta tell y-"
"Shh, you hear that?" Zack asked, stopping in his tracks. The two looked further down the path, a small ray of light feeding through a lone entrance. They slowly walked towards the light, both of their guards raised and readied. As the two stepped towards the blinding light, hands raised to shield their adjusting eyes, they peeked into the room. Imagine their shock and amazement, as their vision adjusted to see a bustling, near-crowded plaza. Small buildings lined the sides of a small bridge that stood over a flowing stream. Demons conversed and and congregated around the multitude of stalls, all manned by different sellers and employees. The two could only stare in awe, their jaws hanging open.
"Holy effing shit-biscuits..." he muttered, as he pulled out his phone and began to take photos. Loona snickered, a hand resting on her hip.
"Effing? What are you, 15?" she taunted. Zack rolled his eyes, before slipping his phone back into his pocket. That's when his eyes laid on another building, one that stood at the farthest reaches of the plaza-like area. He rubbed his chin in thought.
"Something tells me that's where we need to head."
Loona nodded her head, her mind now stuck on their new objective, "We should be discreet here. No telling who's working for the bigshot here."
Keeping their heads low, they started down the path, while slipping past the sea of demons that crowded the buildings and booths. Zack took every bit of information that he could from just seeing, as more questions filled his head.
"Seems like this place is like some sort of hub. Though, its existence doesn't make any sense. Why would the big boss need to keep this place hidden from people?"
Loona shrugged, her finger scratching at her furred chin, "Well, if it were me, I guess it'd be to keep the competition off my ass. I mean, you see all the bitches and drug dealers here, and we all know that very specific dudes have an iron grip on those industries. Maybe they're keeping it down here to protect themselves and their cash."
Zack couldn't help but admit it, but that was a good theory. Something like that is plausible, especially with how dangerous demons could be. The question was, who owned the place? A question he hoped to solve soon. A few minutes and yards later, they made it to the large, gaudy building. The entirety of it was made to resemble a palace, complete with golden statues of dragons, large steps that led to the large front doors, and an entire garden that surround the palace-like establishment. The two both whistled in a combination of shock and amazement.
"Well, we at least know that the head honcho isn't strapped for cash..." he mumbled, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. She nodded in response, her arms folded in front of her chest.
"We should go around back and see if there's a way inside. Better than just going through the front door, right?" she advised, to which Zack had to agree. The backdoor would be the more ideal place to sneak in. Without a second thought, the tag-team duo sneakily walked around the various plants and shrubbery, doing their best not to get their clothes stuck or ripped. As they made their way around to the back, their eyes soon landed on just what they wanted. A backdoor, looking out of place with its shabby and rusted demeanor. Unfortunately, it not only seemed to require a keycard to enter, but guarding it was a large, burly demon male in a suit and tie. Zack groaned, scratching his head.
"Well damnit. Taking him head-on would cause too much noise, and killing him would only leave some evidence of us being here. We just gotta lure him away somehow. Got any ideas Loo-" he stopped, noticing that she was already gone. His eyes widened, as she slowly stuck her leg out of the bush, allowing him to see it. For added measure, she let out a soft whistle to get his attention.
"Hm? Whose there?" he questioned, as the burly guard's left eyebrow raised, obviously intrigued at what he was witnessing. Loona smirked and slowly slipped her body out of the shrubs, her finger curling, beckoning him to come closer. He licked his lips, his eyes holding a sexual hunger. Judging from his attitude, he definitely was feeling a slight abstinence of the flesh.
"Ooh, I gotcha~ Hmm, guess a bit of fun wouldn't hurt~" he chuckled, his low voice rumbling throughout his throat, as he walked towards Loona. Zack gulped down a nervous lump. If he got to close, he would be spotted as well. With her concealed hand, she held up three fingers, then two. That's when Zack understood what her plan was.
"So, we doing this here, or maybe at your-"
As soon as she held her last finger up, Zack leapt out of the shrubbery and slammed his fist into the demon's temple, knocking him out cold. She rolled her eyes, brushing off any leaves that stuck in her fur.
"That took all of my patience to even attempt that. I already did this once during spring break. Last thing I wanna do is do it again."
Zack raised an eyebrow, as he slipped his hand into the guards coat and fished the keycard out of it, "You did it before? Huh, no wonder it was a cakewalk for you."
The two stepped towards the door, before Zack swiped the keycard down the reader. The door unlocked with a click and a small green light, indicating that the lock was disengaged. With a nervous and anxious grab of the doorknob, he slowly and silently pushed the door open, as he peeked through the crack he made. Luckily, the coast was clear for their intruding.
"Follow me ad stay close. No telling who may be on guard duty." he said with a hushed voice, as he slowly pushed the door fully open and stepped in, while Loona followed close by. Shutting the door behind them, they both took in the lavish inside. The floor was of a jade marble, giving off a light sparkle and shine, while the walls were an almost hardened oak wood. The ceiling held the hanging lights. The lights themselves may have been dim, but the sheen of the golden light fixtures more than made up for that. Zack quickly shook his head; this wasn't the time to be getting impressed by their interior decorator, they were literally in the belly of the beast! The belly of the dragon, so to speak! He looked towards Loona, his thumb pointing down the hall.
"Let's see if there's some sort of computer room. If there is, then we can figure out everything in one full swoop." he whispered. Loona nodded in surprise, before the two began to speedily, but hushly, walked throughout the halls. The deeper they went, the more intimidated they felt. It was as if they walked right into the Queen of England's home. Hell, it could even be bigger that that! With any luck, they'd be able to find their destination without a hitch. With every turn they made and every guard they slipped past, they felt an inch crawl down their spines, almost as if they were being directed to their objective. Soon, they made it to a larger hallway, one that lead to a large set of dark green double doors. They slowly looked up at the entranceway, their jaws dropping.
"Um...large door, huh?" Loona mumbled.
"Big boy door is what I'd call it."
Giving them both a nod, they stepped towards the doors and pushed at them, the large, wooden doors giving out a soft, barely-there squeak. Once inside, they both looked around, their bodies frozen in place. It was exactly what they were looking for, though they didn't think it'd be at this large of a scale. The room was filled to the brim with computers and monitors, all of them mounted on various places on the walls of the large room. At the center of it was a fancy-looking desk, a computer sitting on it.
"Holy shit, this is just crazy..." he muttered, as he stepped further into the room. Loona huffed softly in surprise, her ears flicking slightly.
"Why the fuck would this guy need so many computer screens?"
He raised an eyebrow, as he stared at one of the screens. It was showing a large group of demons, all of them just doing their own thing, as if things were normal. All of the other screens showed them too.
"He seems like a fucking perv. I mean, look at all of this. Did he record it?" she asked, her eyes glazing over the many monitors. Zack rubbed his chin, the gears in his mind slowly turning. The images were awfully strange to them. That's when he noticed it; at the corner of one of the screens, it had a date and time on it. 5:49 PM, December 17th.That was today! His eyes widened and his fists clenched. Those weren't recordings, they were cameras, all of them spying on the inhabitants of Imp City!
"He's been watching us this entire time..." He growled out, as he stepped towards the computer and sat down at the desk. Loona's eyes widened, as she followed after him.
"Wait, so they aren't just old recordings? You mean he's got cameras all around Imp City?"
"And probably around The Pentagram too. He's been watching everyone and everything, possibly for a while. Maybe he's even an info-broker, who knows?" He said, as he tapped away at the computer and moved the cursor to the files app. Loona silently watched, as she tapped her foot against the ground, her eyes looking around the room and at the monitors. Zack silently spoke to himself, as he opened up file after file.
"Huh... This guy has definitely been busy. These files date back a good 15 years..." He thought, as he clicked a recent file, "This ones has a shit ton of records. All of them are from lesser known dudes. No overlords, at least I don't think."
He opened another file, this one opening a list of people and establishments. His eyes widened. Valentino, Vox, Velvet, Alastor, even Lucifer was on the list. Yet, the one thing that confused him was the fact that they all said to either avoid or ignore. This stumped him. Was he trying to stay hidden in the shadows just out of protection and fear? Or maybe, he was biding his time for something. His eyes continued down the list, until he noticed Blitzo's face. On it, it had a note saying "See file 201".
"File 201? I think I just saw that..."
He closed the file he was looking at and searched for 201, soon finding it in a matter of seconds. He clicked on it, opening it for his viewing. It was a normal text document, though it was written as an email.
"This is a very important announcement and command. To the team we're sending out, your assignment is to send a message to I.M.P. They have been causing us trouble; we can't afford to waste anymore time on this matter. Your mission is to send find the book. If you're unable to obtain it, be sure to leave a message, one that will shake them up. Failure is not an option. The job starts at 5:30 PM, December 17th." He read aloud.
He raised an eyebrow, his fingers typing away in the file all's search engine. There had to be something that saved the footage from the cameras. After a few moments, he not only found the footage, but also the time frame as well. He gulped, as he looked through the file, finding the video labeled "I.M.P".
"Okay, what do we have...?" He mumbled. He clicked the video and started it, showing a view that was probably taken from a street light. As the video player, his eyes slowly widened, his skin draining of any color. If what he was seeing was true, then that would mean...! He looked towards Loona and stood to his feet, startling her.
"Quick, where's Blitzo and the other?!"
She stared in surprise, before composing herself, "Guh, Blitzo texted me a few minutes ago. He said he was gonna be at I.M.P with Moxxie and Millie for about an hour."
Zack cursed himself, as he quickly shut the computer down and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the computer room. She yelped in shock, being practically dragged back to the backdoor.
"Hey, what's going on?! Why are you spazzing out like this?!"
Zack looked back at her, his face holding fear and anxiety within it, "Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie are in danger! We need to get back to warn them!"
"Warn them? About what?!"
"I.M.P! Those yakuza guys, they rigged the place to explode!!"
To Be Continued...