Chapter 1: From bad to worse

When Moxxie slowly looked around him, all he saw were corpses in a pool of blood. Though he didn't want to think about it, it slowly dawned on him, that he too will soon join them.

He tried to get of the ground, but the sharp pain stopped him.

Hey laid there, for what felt like hours, silently praying for this nightmare to finally end. He had seen enough. All the pain and suffering he witnessed in hell couldn't prepare him for this. His whole life he thought, that only demons were capable of such horrors.

The imp heard something landing not far behind him. He knew who it was.

"Please..." Moxxie plead. He was so close. "Please...mercy...I beg you."

Footsteps echoed throughout the street, coming closer to the wounded imp. His thoughts went wild.

After everything he tried, everything he's been through, it didn't mattered in the end.

"Your disgusting existence ends now." A distorted voice answered him with hatred and rage.

Desperately he tried to rise up again. To run away. To escape, no matter how futile it may be. He just needed to reach it. All Moxxie needed to do was to run for it and he'll be save. He just...

The little imp screamed in agony, as he felt the hooked blade being ripped out of his leg. Of all the stab wounds he suffered in his life, this weapon created a pain he never had the misfortune to feel before. On the brink of fainting, he barely noticed his body being turned around. Now lying on his back, Moxxie looked up to the dark, red sky above him. A full, black and red, pentagram moon was looking down upon him and far beyond that he could see heaven itself in the distance. Peacefully observing the whole event.

His gaze was obstructed when a tall figure stepped in his view.

There it was. Standing right above him.

Its slender body was covered in a dark gray, almost black armor, that was sprinkled with the blood of its victims. It's feathered wings were a mess, still capable to fly for a short while, but nothing more. In its hands was a spear with a long, hooked tip and it's mask, with its blue malicious smile and demonic horns, had a large crack, almost splitting it in the middle like a hideous scar across someones face.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment, as the exterminator raised its spear high above the imp, ready to strike.

All Moxxie could do at this point, was to close his eyes and hope it would be quick.

*36 hours earlier*

Moxxie stepped out of the Goetia Mansion and quickly made his way back to the company building. If it weren't for the fact, that his Boss wanted to finish all their open assignments before the extermination he wouldn't be wandering across Imp City, just bring back Stolas' Grimoire in the last possible minute. Sometimes Moxxie wonders how Blitzo manages runs this business without going bankrupt.

But that was unimportant. All that mattered at the moment was to go back to the office as soon as possible.

Unlike his run down apartment, the office building was well fortified. Guns, automated turrets, hidden explosives, blast doors, every defensive measure possible was present here.

Though it was mostly used against other demons, like thieves, thugs or the occasional turf war, it was also effective enough to deter some exterminators.

While it would stand no chance, if one determent enough would try to force its way inside, most of them simply didn't bother. Even someone so bloodthirsty as an exterminator would know that it was not worth the trouble, especially if there were easier targets in less defended places.

It was something that Moxxie was proud of. Most of the defenses were installed by himself after all.

The imp ran as fast as he could through the chaotic streets.

To say that hell, especially the slum he calls his home, was a mess would be quiet an understatement, but the day before the extermination was whole different story.

Everyone was in full panic mode. Demons would rapidly barricade their homes, fights would break out over the smallest things, and newly arrived sinners would wander throughout the streets seeking shelter or not fully grasping the gravity of the situation.

In short, it was free for all. The winner would get a better chance of surviving for another year and the others...

Moxxie tried not to think about it too much. He already lost quiet a few friends during the exterminations. Luckily for him tough, he always was somewhere safe when the day had come. When he was still a child he would be with his family and today with his wife and coworkers.

As on cue, his phone started to ring and saw his wife's name on it.

"Hey honey, sorry for keeping you waiting." The imp answered the call, while still running.

"Its fine sweetie, Blitzo is just getting nervous about that book and wanted to now how things are." The sweet voice of his Millie replied.

"I just returned it, I'm on my way back now."

"Great." Millie said. "Just be careful. You know how things are now."

"I will honey. See you soon." Moxxie said before ending the call.

As he was about to put his phone away, he was abruptly stopped by a metal pole he ran straight into.

For a moment he could see stars in front of his eyes before his vision became clear again. Now he saw what he hit. It was a pole with a large screen on top, displaying various information about the extermination.

While completely useless for Moxxie, it was helpful for the newly arrived sinners, to have at least some knowledge about the upcoming slaughter. At the moment it showed a few images of some exterminators.

Moxxie has learned quite a few things about those angels over the years.

While they always have been extremely fast, strong and cunning, their armor was one of the few things that constantly changed over the centuries.

Though its appearance has stayed the same, the technology underneath it was always some of the most advanced in heaven. Their armor was highly resistant. So much so, that it requires heavy weaponry to pierce it. The helmets were equipped with various sensors and protective features. Their LCD masks had an integrated voice changer and radio transmitter, giving their words an unnatural sound and the ability to better coordinate their tactics. Even their halos acted as some kind of sonar.

Their worst and most iconic feature however was still the malicious smile with its crossed out right eye. It was used since the exterminations began and according to some, even before that.

They are truly a force to reckon with and none that Moxxie wanted to encounter.

The imp was just about to leave when a large shadow over him caught his attention.

"Hey there little guy." A deep voice said behind Moxxie.

He turned around to face a group of demons, all armed with guns and knifes looking down on him like predators on their prey.

"Me and my friends wanna go on a little...hunting season. Wanna help us?" A huge, buff imp with broken horns and heavy, gray body armor asked him with a smile on his face. His 'friends' were chuckling and kept their eyes on him.

"Ehm...I...how...can I..." Moxxie tried to answer, but he was too nervous. There were at least seven of them surrounding him, while he was still on the ground. He had his rifle on his back, but before he could do anything they would probably tear him apart.

"How you ask?" Their leader replied. "We're about to hunt the worst beasts you can find in hell and we can always need some help."

Moxxie slowly stood up and tried not to look intimidated, tough that was easier said than done.

"Sorry, but I can't join you guys. I have to go now." The imp responded calmly.

The demons looked at each other before bursting into laughter, making Moxxie fell uncomfortable.

"How said we wanted you to join us?" The buff imp said, while wiping a tear from his eye.

"My nephew could fuck you up and he's still shitting his diapers." Another imp carrying a red shotgun mocked him.

"Oh crumbs..." Moxxie muttered under his breath. "This can't be good."

When the group finally stopped laughing the leader continued. "We don't need a toothpick like you, but... I really could use a new sniper."

Moxxie held onto the rifle on his back. They can't have it. Millie gave it to him on their first anniversary. He treasured it a lot and has been using it ever since. There is no way those brutes will get their hands on it.

"No." The short imp said with a serious tone in his voice. "I can't give you..."

Before he could have finished his sentence, one of the demons behind him grabbed him by the neck and lifted him a few feet up before smashing him face first on the sidewalk. He could stars in front of his eyes, yet again.

"How does the old saying go? No means yes?" The armored imp said as he grabbed the gun. "Thank you for being so generous little guy."

Moxxie rarely felt so angry in his life. Normally he would just have his attackers have their way, he knew he couldn't win after all. But this time was different. Maybe it was because this rifle was from Millie. Maybe he was too sick of being pushed around or maybe it was for some other reason he did not know. All he did know was, that this prick was going to pay.

He quickly stood up and punched the hornless imp with all his strength, square in the face.

For a moment there was silence. Everyone was either looking at Moxxie or their leader. The latter looked at the small imp with a surprised expression before turning into pure anger.

"Oh fuck..." Was all Moxxie could say before a huge fist now hit him in his face, sending him tumbling backwards, before being pushed back by the demon behind him.

Without any time to process what just happened, another punch stuck him from the side. Then another, then the next one. And then another one. The beating continued for a while before it suddenly stopped.

Moxxie hardly felt any pain, as he was to disoriented to register it. What he did register, was the he was now on his knees and the buff imp standing in front of him.

"So..." He calmly said. "You want your gun back, little guy?"

Unable to speak or move, all Moxxie could do was to watch and wait for his attacker to continue.

"No problem." He merely shrugged and raised his rifle.

"There you go" The brute added before hitting the defenseless imp face on last time with the gun's stock.

When Moxxie woke up, he immediately wished he didn't. An intense pain shot through his head, felling like someone pierced his skull with a glowing hot rod.

For a while he couldn't do anything aside from lying on the ground and moaning in pain. It took him a while before he could open his eyes.

Once he slowly opened them, the imp saw that he was still in the same place where he has been mugged. Despite him struggling, he managed to slowly get of the ground. Something like this was nothing new to him, but it was never a pleasant experience. He touched his forehead, where the pain was the worst and felt a large bump with dried blood, that was all over his face.

After that Moxxie checked his belongings and of course everything was gone.

Not only his rifle, but also his phone, purse, watch and weapons. The only thing those low life scum left him with were his clothes, covered in his own blood in a few places.

"Great." He said bitterly. "Millie must be worried by now."

That's when he suddenly froze.

"How long was..." Moxxie then noticed that the street lights were on and the sky was colored in a dark red. It must have been close to midnight.

The streets were mostly empty. Only a few demons and homeless people were still running around, seeking shelter no matter where. But apart from that, the chaos he saw, when he was on his way back, was no more.

All of hell's denizens have barricaded themselves in their homes. All of them waiting for the nightmare to start. All but him.

The imp had no idea what time it was, but he knew it was no use to worry about it now. Moxxie's heart was beating like it never head before. Maybe he would be lucky and he would be in the office just in time. He could spent this terrible day in relative safety with his wife. At this point he wouldn't even complain spending the full twenty four hours with Blitzo's annoying remarks, or Loona's insufferable attitude.

It was still better than this. If he only could reach the other side of town, everything would be okay.

Then he felt how his heart stopped for a moment. In fact he could have sworn, that he felt how all of time stopped.

"This can't be happening..." He told himself. He didn't bothered, that someone could hear him, talking to himself. Nobody could have heard it after all.

Any sound he could have made, would have been drowned be the howling of the siren, echoing throughout all of hell. A warning every demon knew the meaning of.

Moxxie felt how his whole body was shaking.

The extermination has begun.

Thank you very much for reading this chapter. If you have any criticism to offer or noticed any errors, spelling or gramma wise, please let me now, as english is not my first language and anything that could help me improve my writing is welcome.