WARNING! In this chapter, Black Hat's more...sadistic side comes into play. It's not graphic, but it's pretty...intense.

I am so, SO sorry!

"Stay calm, and no one gets hurt," the masked man said, pointing his pistol at the terrified store clerk.

"W-We don't got much cash, s-señor," said the clerk, a Hispanic boy of about seventeen. "S-Someone else robbed us just an hour ago."

"That's fine," the robber said. "Just get me some milk, eggs, banana juice—"

"B-Banana juice?" the boy said in surprise.

"It's my daughter's favorite!" He paused. "I like it too. Anyway, I also need bread and…"

He trailed off as his cell phone vibrated in his gray hoodie pocket, playing the ringtone of Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger." Gasping, the robber glanced down at his pocket.

"It can't be…" he whispered.

"Um…w-will that be all, señor?"

The gunman looked conflicted for a moment. "You know what?" He dug into his pocket and took out a crumpled piece of paper. "Just get all the items on this list while I take this call and no one gets hurt."

"S-Sí, señor!" the clerk said as he held out his hand for the paper.

As soon as the list fell into his hand, he grabbed a cloth shopping bag and rushed to retrieve the requested items. All while keeping his eye on the boy, the robber fished out his cell and answered it.

"Mija?" he said in a disbelieving tone. "Is that you?"

"Papi!" came Lita's voice from the other end. "Yes, it's me!"

Ricardo sighed in relief. "Oh, my princesa! I was so worried I'd never hear your voice again!"

"The boss said I could call you after I did a job for him last night."

"Job? So, he really has you stealing again?"

"Y-Yes," she said in a hesitant tone. "I'm afraid I'm not allowed to tell you exactly what I stole, though. Oh, you should know they've tapped my phone, by the way, so this isn't exactly a private conversation."

"I see." He paused to make sure the boy was gathering the groceries. "You sound alright, but…are you?"

"I'm fine, Papi. And I'm not just saying that because you-know-who might be listening right now. Despite the fact that I'm not allowed to leave without his permission, I'm pretty well taken care of here. Got my own room, got food, even a few friends. Oops. Boss doesn't like the F-word."

"But what about," Ricardo lowered his voice, "him? He hasn't…hurt you, has he?"

"No, Papi. He hasn't."Lita scoffed. "I mean he got a few lucky shots during our sparring matches, but other than that, he's barely touched me."

He let out another relieved sigh. "That's good to hear."

"But what about you? How are you getting along without me?"

"Oh, I'm…managing." He glanced at the gun in his hand. "You actually caught me in the middle of a robbery."

"Robbery?! Papi, get off the phone! They'll think you're calling the police!"

"Mija," he said with a chuckle. "I'm the robber!"

"You?" she said in astonishment. "But…you almost never steal in the daylight!"

"Yeah, well, that was before I threw my back out trying to do a backflip," he said, rubbing his spine. "No more stealth jobs for me."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. I'll, uh, let you get back to work. But I'll call you later, okay?"

"I hope you do. I still have many questions."

"Me too. Love you, Papi."

"Love you, mija."

Once he'd hung up, the boy returned with a bag full of groceries.

"Sorry about that," Ricardo said, casually sliding his cell back into his pocket. "My daughter. Couldn't wait."

"O-Oh I get it, señor!" the clerk said, shakily holding up the bag. "H-Have a nice day!"

As she sat on her bed, Lita was sad her long-awaited conversation with her father had been cut short, but it still made her feel better to hear his voice again. Once she'd hung up, she checked the time, seeing it was almost ten. It was just as well the call had ended, as she was due in the lab for a commercial filming.

So far, Lita had yet to be in the commercials. Black Hat had only let her observe quietly behind the Cam-Bot. He'd said she wasn't ready to be presented to the public as his minion yet. Not that Lita really minded. She'd never really been interested in fame, anyway. Or in this case, infamy.

When the airlock doors to the lab opened up, she was attacked with a huge hug from 5.0.5.

"Well, buenos días to you too, Pachoncito," Lita said as she tried to return his tight hug. "What's gotten you so excited?"

She heard a clearing of the throat that could only belong to their boss. With a small whine, 5.0.5. put Lita down and stepped away. Black Hat stood beside the Cam-Bot and seemed to be holding something behind his back. Flug stood next to the table holding the disintegration ray they were launching today. He was certainly nervous about something, as sweat was dripping down his bag. There was no sign of Dementia. She either didn't care to show up or Black Hat did not want her interrupting this commercial like usual.

"Oh," Flug said, picking up the ray to polish it. "5.0.5.'s just excited that you're going to be in today's commercial."

"Really?" Lita turned to the boss in surprise.

"Indeed," Black Hat said with a nod. "After last night's performance, I think it's high time my followers were introduced to my latest minion."

"Uh…okay. I've, uh…never been in a commercial before. What do I do?"

"Oh, not much." Flug chuckled awkwardly. "You just have to, uh…"

"Firstly," Black Hat said, stepping towards her, "you'll have to change out of that dull attire."

Lita glanced down at her yellow t-shirt and black jeans. She didn't think the outfit looked bad, but it definitely didn't fit in with this villainous crew.

"Fair enough," she said. "Should I…get the stealth suit or—?"

"Oh," the boss said with a grin, "I have something…better in mind."

He then pulled out a hanger from behind his back. What it carried made Lita gawk.

Before her was a black leotard with puffed shoulder-length sleeves. The low neckline was laced with red, a black bowtie in the center. Around it was a red tulle skirt that was so short, it might as well be called a belt. But that wasn't all. Draped over the hanger was a pair of red fishnet stockings.

"Oh," Black Hat said, bringing his other hand around. "Almost forgot."

He held up a pair of black high heels and a headband with a small, black hat on top.

"Is…" She looked blankly at her boss. "Is this a joke?"

Flug facepalmed his bag. "I told you she wouldn't like it, sir."

Ignoring the scientist, Black Hat replied, "I can assure you, Miss Gris, that I am quite serious. Oh, that reminds me. From now on, your villain name is Lita Ladrona."

She blinked up at him. "Since when?"

"Since I decided last night. Now, put these on."

She didn't mind the name. Ladrona was the Spanish term for a female thief, and the alliteration with her nickname rolled off the tongue pretty well. And it had a more threatening sound, like Black Hat had wanted, even if it was a bit too literal.

This skimpy outfit, however? This was where she drew the line.

"Nah-uh," she said, holding up a finger. "¡Porque no!There is no way in Hell I'm wearing that thing!"

She expected him to yell. Instead, he looked over to the scientist and calmly said, "Flug, please explain to Miss Ladrona why she must wear this?"

"Um, uh," Flug said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking like he didn't want to be involved in this conversation. "Well, uh…it's to appeal to our…adult male audience?"

"Right," Lita said, crossing her arms as she looked back at her boss. "And this has nothing to do with the fact that you're a pervert?"

"Honestly, my dear," Black Hat said, rolling his eye, "you could be stark naked, and I wouldn't care."

"Then how come you never make Dementia wear stuff like this?"

He moved the hanger towards her. "Remember your contract, Miss Ladrona."

Still not quite used to the new name, Lita shook her head. "I'll look like a whore."

"So?" he said bluntly.

She pointed to the hat headband. "I'll look like your whore."

He cocked an eyebrow, not seeming to catch her meaning.

"Oh, come on," she said with an exasperated sigh. "If people see me dressed up as a slutty version of you, they're gonna think we're…you know. Involved. Don't you think that'll tarnish your reputation as a heartless villain who wants nothing to do with anything remotely involving romance or sex?"

Black Hat paused, as if to think about it. "Some viewers might get that impression, yes."

She looked at him hopefully. "So…you won't make me wear it?"

"Oh no, you're still wearing it."

Lita scoffed. "Why?"

"Because I know it'll make you uncomfortable." He smirked as he leaned forward. "Consider it punishment for last night."

She stared at him incredulously. "Last night? What…what part of last night?"

Was it for triggering the alarm? Was it for talking back to him? She thought he'd been okay with that.

Then, with his face an inch from hers, his voice became more growly. "You know exactly what you did. And if you ever do it again, remember that there are worse things than being forced to wear immodest attire!"

Then she remembered something else that had angered him last night.

"Wait," she said in bewilderment. "Is this about the hu—?"

"PUT THIS ON BEFORE I PUT YOUR SKIN ON THIS HANGER!" he bellowed in his demonic voice.

"Okay, okay!" she said, grabbing the hanger and accessories. "But don't go blaming me when people start shipping us!"

He cocked his head as she went over to the decontamination chamber to change.

"What do you mean they'd start 'shipping' us?" he said in confusion. "Who would dare put me in a box and ship me off to someplace?"

Lita groaned from behind the curtain. "You wanna explain it to him, Flug?"

"Nope!" Flug squeaked. "I had nothing to do with this decision, and am not gonna lend my opinion, nope!"

The dress looked even sluttier on her body. The neckline was so low, her cleavage was there for all the world to see. The tutu was so short, the fishnet stockings were the only things covering her legs, and all that did was make them look skinny. Though maybe people would be too busy noticing the fact that she hadn't shaved her legs in years—she didn't see much point in spending extra pesos on shaving cream when there was no one she was trying to impress—than them being so exposed. Not to mention her armpit hair was now plenty more visible.

And, as she'd predicted, with the red and black pattern, and the black hat headband, she looked like a slutty female version of her boss.

The only upside was that the high heels made her look taller. Too bad it'd been so long since she'd worn heels that she nearly tripped while pulling back the curtain.

Flug gasped upon seeing Lita step out in the costume. "Oh my—"

"Don't," she said through her teeth, holding up a warning hand, "speak."

She noticed her boss' blank expression, his eye racking up her body. Self-consciously, she covered her cleavage with her hand.

"Well," he said in a neutral tone, "it doesn't exactly spell evil, but it's better than the Señorita Inocente look you were sporting earlier." He waved his hand. "5.0.5. put some makeup on her."

The bear moaned excitedly as he came at Lita with a makeup box.

Of course, the bear does makeup, she thought as she was suddenly attacked with a powderpuff.

Five minutes later—he worked fast—5.0.5. proudly held up a mirror so Lita could see the results. Thankfully, he didn't put too much on. Her face and neck were lightly powdered, her eyebrows had been made smoother and darker, and her eyes had been subtly outlined with some eyeliner and purple eyeshadow. The lipstick he'd chosen was a light brown, so it blended in with her skin but still made her lips noticeable.

Lita didn't usually wear makeup—too expensive—but she had to admit, it didn't look that bad. At least it didn't make her look more like a hooker.

"Thanks, bear," Lita said.

5.0.5. responded with a chipper, "Mrow."

"Yes, yes, now come," Black Hat said, walking up to her side. "We've wasted enough time already."

She flinched as he touched her back and guided her over to the Cam-Bot. She'd gotten used to his cold touch by now, but in this outfit, when there was barely anything covering her skin, it was absolutely freezing.

"You were the one who insisted on the outfit and makeup, boss," Lita grumbled.

Ignoring her, he placed her in front of the Cam-Bot. "Your role is simple. All you have to do is stand there and look pretty."

She scowled at the mocking tone as he said that last part.

"And of course," he said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "shoot the disintegration ray at those rabbits."

Her scowl turned into a look of shock. "Wait, what?"

"Don't worry, it's very simple," Flug said, showing her the gun. "All you have to do is point and pull the trigger here."

Lita bit her lip as the weapon was placed in her hands. It didn't look threatening. With its bright orange color, it could easily be mistaken for a child's toy.

"The rabbits are in a cage under that sheet over there," Flug said, pointing to the table on the other side of the room. He leaned forward to whisper, "Don't worry. They're old."

That didn't make Lita feel any better. She'd never really killed anything before. Except maybe the occasional fly or mosquito. And it was a different crime from stealing. At least when you stole, you could always return the item, or its original owner could replace it themselves. Killing was permanent. There was no going back from it.

But that wasn't the main reason she was nervous. Rabbits didn't have particularly long lifespans. And if they were in this evil lab, they probably wouldn't last much longer anyway. And there were more painful ways to go than to be spontaneously zapped into disintegrated particles, so this was more of a mercy killing. There were many ways to rationalize this concern.

Except for the fact that Lita had no idea how to shoot.

"W-Why do I have to shoot it?" she asked in a small voice.

"Because I said so," Black Hat said gruffly.

"It's to appeal to our female demographic," Flug said calmly. "To show that villainesses can use our evil products too."

Lita raised an eyebrow. "So…you're appealing to your feminist," she said, glancing down at her outfit, "and misogynist viewers…at the same time?"

Laughing awkwardly, Flug shrugged. "That's advertising for you."

"If there are no more complaints," Black Hat said, his eye directly on the woman, "we will begin in one minute."

"Yeah, um, sir?" Lita said.

The demon groaned. "Now what?"

"Um," she said, turning the weapon over in her hand. "About…about shooting those rabbits…"

His face was in hers, his eye glowing dangerously red. "I don't want to hear about any pathetic moral dilemmas that you may be mulling over right now! You are working for the greatest villain in the multiverse! If you can't so much as disintegrate a few puny rabbits, then maybe you aren't fit to be a part of my organization!"

"But boss—"

Grabbing her arm, he pulled her closer. "And if I can't find any use for you as a minion, Miss Ladrona," his eye flicked towards the covered cage, "perhaps you should be the one in that cage!"

"I get the picture! But you should know that—"

"IF I HEAR ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU BEFORE THIS COMMERCIAL IS THROUGH, I'LL BE THE ONE SHOOTING THAT RAY AT YOU!"

Lita shut her mouth and nodded. Grunting in satisfaction, Black Hat released her.

"Now smile, will you?" he said in a mock-encouraging tone. "You're about to be on camera!"

Without speaking, Lita put on her customer service smile. Slightly exaggerated, but small enough to look sincere.

"Better," he said. "Now, once more. Say nothing. And when Flug takes the sheet off the cage, you just smile, point, and shoot."

Not wanting to push her luck, she nodded silently. As Black Hat turned his back to her, she glanced nervously at the gun in her hand.

Guess he'll find out the hard way.

"Livestream's ready, sir," Flug said from his laptop. "We've got over two thousand people in the chat already!"

"Good," Black Hat said, straightening out his tie. "Remember. 49.99 in American dollars, 948.29 in Mexican pesos. Plus shipping and handling."

"Right, sir," Flug said, readying himself beside the covered cage.

The demon stood directly in front of the Cam-Bot, a grin on his face, one hand behind his back and the other on his chest in a gentlemanly pose. One thing Lita had noticed in observing the commercials was that her boss was a natural in front of the camera. Wasn't surprising with his overly inflated ego.

"Alright, Cam-Bot," Flug said, holding up three fingers. "We're live in three…two…action!"

The red light blinked under the Cam-Bot's beret. Lita stopped fumbling with the ray and held it up in two hands like one of Charlie's Angels. One thing she'd learned from years of odd customer service jobs was the ability to act like she knew what she was doing.

Considering she was holding an explosive weapon, however, this proved to be very, very difficult.

"Hello, villains," Black Hat said, taking on his salesman role. "It is I, Black Hat, here once again with deadly items to destroy all the heroes—and other annoyances—in your life! Including our latest product…"

The Cam-Bot panned over to Lita, who did her best to perk up and look straight into the lens.

"The Disintegration Ray!" Black Hat said, walking up to her side. "Modeled by my new henchgirl, Lita Ladrona!"

For a touch of flair, Lita gestured to the gun with one hand, as she'd seen models do on TV. Out of the corner of his eye, Flug saw the livestream chat pick up rapidly.

Black Hat continued his sales pitch. "This weapon will leave your enemies in the dust! Literally!"

She couldn't help the snort of laughter that'd escaped her nostrils. Then she remembered what she was supposed to do next.

"Observe," Black Hat said, gesturing to Flug. "As we test our product out on living targets."

Cam-Bot turned over to the scientist, who took it as his cue to pull the sheet off the cage. Three large rabbits sat inside. They did look old, as their eyes were pretty tired and worn. Their cage didn't even have any food, water, or wood shavings. Lita almost felt sorry for the poor things.

Oh, right. I have to…kill 'em.

"Miss Ladrona," Black Hat said, bowing out of the line of fire, "if you would."

Gulping, Lita aimed the gun at the cage. Her hands were sweating and trembling, causing the ray to jiggle.

She was no stranger to weapons. But she'd never held a gun before. It wasn't the same as a knife. A knife was lighter, more controllable. Guns were heavier, unpredictable. Not to mention she had to aim from a distance, and she hadn't had much practice in that area. She didn't even play darts that much.

What if she missed? What if she accidentally hit Flug? What if it shot from the other end and she was turned to dust?!

The impatient look from her boss wasn't helping her in the least. She wanted to scream that she had no idea what she was doing, but remembering his warning, kept her mouth shut.

"While you're still young, Miss Ladrona," Black Hat growled through his teeth.

She quickly turned her attention back to the rabbits and tried to relax. It can't be that hard, right? Just point and shoot, right? Just point and—

"Just shoot already, ya nitwit!" Dementia shouted from behind her.

Lita had no idea when the mutant had come in, and was thus, so startled, that the gun dropped out of her hands.

"Dementia!" Flug screamed.

As Lita fumbled to regain her grip, the ray went off in her hands.

There was a flash of light, a screeching sound, and then a poof!

Once the gun was stable in her hands, Lita looked up to see the rabbits still intact. What had she hit?

Dementia was fine, as confirmed by the gasp behind her.

5.0.5. was fine. He was still watching from behind the Cam-Bot, shaking in terror.

Flug was fine. Though he was looking down at the floor in horror. Lita followed his gaze and put her hand to her mouth.

There in front of her, where Black Hat had stood just five seconds ago, was a smoking pile of black dust.

"Honeybun?" Dementia said in a squeaky voice.

"Boss?" Flug croaked.

Holy shit! Lita thought in panic. Did I just…did I just kill my boss?!

Then to everyone's amazement, the dust particles started moving. And slowly, they seemed to be reforming into a solid being. Lita found herself sighing in relief.

That's right! He's immortal!

Then she remembered they were still live. Her customer service side kicked in. If something goes wrong, act like it's no problem!

"A-As you can see!" Lita said chipperly to the Cam-Bot. "The Disintegration Ray also works on immortal beings!" She glanced down at the dust, which had now formed into what looked like a pile of black sludge. "Though temporarily, of course!"

"Err…yes!" Flug exclaimed, improvising along with her. "It will not kill immortal enemies, but will certainly slow them down long enough for you to detain them! Order now, for just, uh…uh…"

The scientist had been so distracted by the incident that he'd forgotten the price.

"Just 49.99 U.S. dollars!" Lita piped up. "Or 948.29 pesos! Assuming the exchange rate doesn't go up again. Plus shipping and handling! And don't forget to like, comment and sub—"

She was interrupted by an angry growl from the floor. Looking down, she saw a pair of claws coming out of the sludge. Glancing at the weapon in her hand, Lita realized with panic the deep trouble she was in.

"B-B-But," she said to the Cam-Bot with an awkward laugh, "this item is, uh…not recommended for use on y-y-your immortal boss!" She could see the top hat forming. "E-Especially when he can r-regenerate!" The claws had stretched into arms. "So, uh…order now and, uh…stay evil!"

Still carrying the ray, Lita bolted out of the lab. She knew it was pointless, as Black Hat would find her no problem, even without the tracking device in her arm. But maybe, if she kept running, it would buy time for Black Hat to cool down. Maybe if Flug and Dementia explained that it was an accident…

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Black Hat's voice echoed throughout the manor.

Maybe not.

Lita didn't bother waiting for the elevator and dashed down the stairs. Finding it difficult to run in heels, she paused a moment to kick them off. She had no idea where she was running. She just knew she couldn't stop. Already she could hear Black Hat's angry cries up above her.

Since the stairwell was too open an area, she got off on the next floor down. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she ran down the hall, holding the disintegration ray close. It wouldn't kill him, but she'd use it again, if need be.

Just then, a shadow passed over her as her arm was snatched up, forcing her to drop the gun. The nearest door flew open into a sitting room and Lita was whisked inside. The door slammed shut, and she was, in turn, slammed against the door.

Looking up, her eyes met Black Hat's. And it was glaring hard at her. His sharp teeth were clenched together in a furious growl as he arched himself over her. His grip on her arm was tightening by the second.

It was then, Lita knew, she'd done goofed. And for the first time since her arrival, she found herself legitimately scared of Black Hat.

"WAS IT YOUR INTENTION," he shouted in her face, his rotten breath smellier than ever, "TO HUMILIATE ME ON LIVESTREAM?! IN FRONT OF ALL MY VILLAINOUS VIEWERS?!"

"N-No!" Lita cried, struggling to get her usual boldness out. "I-It was an accident! D-Dementia surprised—"

"PERHAPS I'VE BEEN TOO LENIENT WITH YOU!" His grip on her arm tightened. "MAKING YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH SHOOTING ME ALL WILLY-NILLY! WAS IT REVENGE FOR THE OUTFIT YOU DESPISE SO MUCH?!"

"No, boss!" She tried in vain to wrench her arm free. "I tried to tell you! I've never shot a gun before!"

He seemed to relax slightly as his voice lowered in volume. "That doesn't excuse your insubordinate behavior!" His gaze narrowed as he pressed her shoulder further against the door. "Do you think I tolerate your constant talking back to me? Your constant mocking of me as you mimic my every move?!"

She stiffened. "Y-You've…noticed that?"

"OF COURSE I'VE NOTICED!"

Lita winced at the spit splashing on her face. She felt Black Hat's claws dig into her shoulder, just one millimeter away from piercing her skin.

"YOU FAIL TO REALIZE YOUR PLACE!" he shouted, his breath cold on her face. "SEEMS YOU NEED A REMINDER OF WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE!"

Lita found herself trembling in his grasp. The delectable smell of fear coming off her then transformed Black Hat's anger into delight.

"Ah, at last," he said, inhaling deeply. "You've finally learned to fear me."

Lita opened her eyes to see his closed as he relished in her scent. His now smiling face was much too close for comfort.

"It only took several weeks," he said, opening his eye to show a deranged look. "But it was worth it." His hand moved up from her shoulder to her face. "Your fear is absolutely intoxicating, my dear."

"P-P-Please, sir, I—" she said weakly.

His finger silenced her, tracing over her trembling lips. "I really do like you, Miss Gris. But you do realize I can't let this little transgression go unpunished, don't you? I mean if I let all my subordinates disintegrate me like that—which, by the way, is extremely uncomfortable—no one would take me seriously."

His hand came away from her face and produced the disintegration ray. "Perhaps I should give you a taste of the humiliation I went through."

Lita's eyes widened in horror. "N-Now hold on, boss! I-If you d-disintegrate me, I won't be able to steal for you! A-After all, I, uh…won't r-reform like you!" She paused. "W-Which, b-b-by the way was really cool to see! I mean imagine my r-relief when I realized you weren't d—"

His hand clasped round her throat, enough to silence her, but not choke her. "Flattery won't help you this time, Miss Gris."

The fact that he'd reverted back to calling her by her actual name made her even more nervous.

"But you have a point," Black Hat said, tossing the gun over his shoulder. "I have no desire to kill you. As of yet. Besides, I believe you once told me that death was too…merciful a punishment. It'd be over too quickly.

"Oh no." He cupped her chin. "I want you to remember your punishment, down to its very," he said, leaning forward, "last, painful," he hissed the last word into her ear, "detail."

"P-Please…"

The demon chuckled at how small her voice had become. "Not so bold now, are you, little one?"

Indeed, Lita was truly scared. Not of death, but of the unknown.

Usually, when in a scrape like this, she could deduce the intentions of her attackers right off the bat. From that, she'd determine the best means of dealing with the situation. If it wasn't money they wanted, it was sex. Money was an easy fix. If she couldn't fight her attacker off, she'd just throw her wallet at them. Sex was a bit trickier to deal with, but rapists tended to be a bit less calculative than muggers. And they always made the mistake of underestimating her because she was a woman.

But she had no idea what Black Hat wanted. Well, she knew he wanted vengeance, but that led to a number of possibilities. With his powers, he could literally do anything to her! She wasn't sure if she should protect her wallet or her panties! But of course, neither of those were his targets.

The worst part was, whatever he had in mind, there was nothing she could do about it. Even if she fought, he'd win. It wasn't a matter of gender, but pure fact that he was the most powerful being in the universe. Sweet-talking wouldn't work either, as he was also the smartest. At least, he was the smartest being she knew. And, having observed her the past several weeks, he would not make the mistake of underestimating her. He knew she was a fighter, and would not go easy on her this time!

Lita hadn't realized just how lucky she'd been before. It was clear her luck had run out, as had Black Hat's patience. There was no possible way for her to come out of this unscathed. She had messed up big time, and he was not intent on forgiving her. The memory of Dementia's broken arm caused her to shiver. Suddenly, it wasn't so pleasing an image anymore.

But just what was he going to do? Lita hated not knowing! Death was at least certain! There'd be no pain afterwards. It'd be over.

Catching Black Hat's thoughtful expression, it seemed he didn't know what he was going to do either.

"Hmm," he said, bringing his finger to his chin. "Let's see. What would be a suitable punishment for you?"

It was strange. He'd been looking for an excuse to punish her severely. Now that he had the opportunity, he found himself unable to decide the proper penalty.

He considered breaking her hands, as they'd been the ones to fire the gun. But no, hands were much too valuable to a thief. He thought of disintegrating just one part of her body, but if she so much as missed a finger, it'd be difficult for her to pull off her heists. No, her body would have to stay intact.

It would have to be painful. But small. Yet traumatizing. Something she'd remember next time she even thought to defy him.

As his eye wandered absentmindedly over her trembling body, he couldn't help but notice how much of her skin was exposed. He paid special attention to her neck, its small veins pulsing rapidly.

"Oh, yes," Black Hat said, his sharp teeth glinting as he grinned widely. "That would be most," his finger traced her shoulder wistfully, "delicious."

When Lita saw the direction of his gaze, mistaking it to be towards her breasts, her fear quickly transformed into disgust. In an instant, all her rationality was thrown out the window, in place of pure survival instinct.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!" she shouted, kicking him hard in the balls.

The kick didn't hurt, but caught Black Hat off-guard enough for him to back away. He stared at her with a mixture of shock and anger.

"You can," she said, wrenching her arm free from his grasp now that it had loosened, "torture me all you like!" She poked him in the chest. "You may have my soul, but I will not let you take my body too!"

The anger went away, leaving only confusion. "What?"

"I know you're a villain." She held up her hands. "I'm fine with that. I'm even fine with you casually murdering bunnies! But I draw the line at rape!"

"What?!" Black Hat put a hand to his chest. "You thought…you thought I'd…I wasn't going to rape you, you idiot!"

Lita blinked in surprise. At his claim, as well as his tone. He actually sounded…appalled. Insulted that she would accuse him of such a thing.

"You…weren't?" she uttered.

"No, of course, not!" he exclaimed, as if the very idea was ridiculous. "I was going to suck your blood!"

This, too, surprised her. She hadn't considered the demon to have vampiric tendencies, though she wouldn't put it past him.

"That's…it?"

Black Hat scoffed. "What do you mean, 'that's it?' Do you know what it means for someone to drain all the blood from you?!"

"W-Well, yeah," Lita said, still bewildered by the idea. "I mean I've watched Twilight."

He slapped himself in the face. "What is wrong with you, woman?! How are you not fazed by my threatening," he said, stepping towards her, "to take you into my grasp," he took her by the shoulders, "to…sink my teeth into your neck," his eye focused on her throat, "to…to pierce your delicate vein," Lita shivered as his cold finger traced up her shoulder, "to…drink the precious source of life that runs through them," and then to her neck, "to…savor that sweet, sweet liquid," his mouth was watering at the thought, "while the life drains slowly from your body and…you tremble…powerless against it…"

The more he talked about it, and the more he stared at her neck, the more he craved her blood. It'd been so long since he'd taken a drink from someone. How must she taste, now that she was marinated in fear? And oh, how that fear would grow, with every second his drinking would bring her closer to death! The very idea made him growl hungrily.

And it would be a fitting punishment. It would be painful, but as long as he didn't get too greedy, she'd recover, and not be left physically disabled. And he'd be exerting his power over her, marking her as his property with his bite, showing her once and for all that he was not a being to be trifled with.

Lita felt uneasy as he watched her neck with that hungry eye. She finally knew what he wanted. And frankly, it was better than him wanting her virtue. Not that she was a virgin, but she still had her pride. This knowledge quelled her fear, but only slightly.

Now came the hard part of getting out of here. There was no doubt he was going to hurt her. Once Black Hat had made up his mind, there was no changing it. But perhaps there was a way to soften the blow.

"If…I let you drink my blood," Lita said slowly, "without struggle, will…will you promise not to kill me?"

His eye rolled up to meet hers. Her sudden submission surprised him. But he wasn't complaining.

"That's a risky deal, my dear," the demon whispered, his hand moving down her arm. "Even if you keep your end of the bargain, I might just," he chuckled darkly, "lose myself."

Without breaking eye contact, Lita took a deep breath. "Do what you want. I deserve it. I just don't wanna die today."

Her voice was quiet, but strong, and sincere. Black Hat tried to control the giddiness bubbling up inside his chest. After weeks of this woman standing up to him, he'd finally managed to take her down a peg. Now here she was, submitting fully to his power.

At last, she understood that there was no use fighting him.

As his grin widened, Black Hat pulled her closer. "Deal."

Stepping back, he led her away from the door and over to one of the red velvet couches in the room. As promised, Lita didn't struggle as he sat her down on the couch.

"W-Will it hurt?" she couldn't help but ask.

He shrugged. "My victims never lived long enough to complain." The worry in her eyes caused him to smirk. "Oh, you'll be fine, as long as you remember our deal."

She bit her lip. "I'm not gonna turn into a demon, am I?"

He chuckled. "You mistake demons for vampires. Now hold still, or this'll hurt more than it has to."

Lita kept still as he lay her back on the couch. The sickening grin he wore as he climbed on top of her caused her to shiver. She decided it would be better if she closed her eyes.

She tried to relax herself, but it was difficult when feeling the weight of his body crushing down on her chest as he leaned towards her. With so much bare skin and nothing much covering the rest, she could easily feel each crease in his coat, the buttons on his vest, the sharp edges of his spats on either side of her legs.

Her heartbeat accelerated at the memory of another body crawling on top of her. One she'd tried so hard to forget.

Easy, girl, she told herself. That's not what he's after. Worst case scenario is you'll feel anemic after this. That's fine. You deal with that feeling every other period or so, so no biggie. Just hope the bite wound doesn't take too long to heal.

She gasped as she felt something cold and wet on her neck. It took a second for her to realize it was her boss' long, snake-like tongue. It ran slowly up her neck, as if to sample the taste of her. Despite her situation, she found herself clinging to his arm.

The action caused Black Hat to retract his tongue. He glanced over at her hand clutching his sleeve. He found it delightfully ironic that she was seeking comfort from the very thing tormenting her. It showed how desperate she was.

Finally, she was right where he wanted her. In his hold, completely submissive, and absolutely terrified. For a moment, he considered dulling the pain, as a reward for her cooperation.

But he wasn't that merciful.

Lita steadied her breath as he felt his cold claw on her head, tilting it slightly to the right to expose her neck further. She shivered as his icy breath drew nearer, his saliva dripping onto her skin.

Strangely though, she found herself relaxing beneath him. Now that she knew what was coming, there was no more dreaded anticipation. She supposed there were worse things he could do than drink her blood. At least he didn't want what most men wanted from her.

And despite how scared she was, how terrifying Black Hat was in this moment, she trusted him. She trusted him enough to keep his promise and not kill her.

The suspense, however, was much more torturous. She didn't understand why he was taking so long! Why couldn't he just get this over with?

Losing patience, Lita reached up with her other hand and pulled his head down towards her. Shocked at this action, Black Hat shut his mouth before his fangs could pierce her skin.

Something was…off. Why was she rushing this? Why had the tension in her body ceased? Taking a whiff of her, he was astonished to find that her fear was diminishing by the second!

He pulled away to look at her. Her eyes opened in confusion.

"W-What are you waiting for?" she stammered.

Black Hat stared at her, unable to respond.

He had no idea.

He had no idea why he'd stopped. Was it because of her unexpected willingness? Was it the fact that her fear was slipping away? Or maybe, because she wasn't fighting back, this didn't feel as…satisfying as it should've been? She always fought against him! Even though it was a losing battle! It was one of the things he secretly admired about her. To see her act so helpless was just…unsettling to him.

Whatever the reason, he found himself no longer wishing to harm her. He couldn't believe it. There'd never been a time, since he'd gotten his demonic powers, that he didn't want to harm someone! Especially someone who'd humiliated him in front of millions of villains!

But here he was, sitting above his victim, his bloodlust suddenly gone.

"Boss?" Lita said, using her elbows to prop herself up. "Are you…are you alright?"

She shouldn't be asking that question. After all, he was the one threatening to suck her blood! Why should she care if he was alright? But as she gazed up at him, his expression seemed…hesitant. Almost…conflicted?

Could it be that Black Hat had suddenly…changed his mind about hurting her?

Black Hat saw the bewilderment in his victim's face, and realized that if he didn't do something soon, the situation would become even more awkward. He couldn't just let her go. It'd make him look soft, and would cause her to think that she could get away with humiliating him. But the idea of biting into her throat didn't sound so pleasing anymore. Not to mention there was the deal they'd just struck. If he didn't drink her blood, he might have to kill her.

Then it occurred to him.

Before Lita could ask further, Black Hat shifted backwards so that he was sitting on her legs. Grabbing her right arm, he lifted her into a sitting position. He rotated her arm so that her palm was facing up. He licked the area below her wrist, sending another shiver through her.

Then, with a single claw, Black Hat made a small cut below her wrist. The pain was sharp, but brief. Lita gasped out of reflex. She then watched perplexed as Black Hat brought her arm to his lips and started sucking on the small wound.

Lita didn't know what to think. A minute ago, he'd been aiming for her throat. He was still drinking her blood, but in a way that she could barely feel anything. What had caused him to change his mind?

Or, was this perhaps his way of luring her into a false sense of security, before inflicting the real pain?

Meanwhile, Black Hat was relishing in this small taste of her blood. It was a bit deficient in iron, but strong. It was also AB negative, a rarer type. This explained her personality so much. He found people with AB negative blood to be self-contradictory.

After all, it had been his blood type once.

As he sucked more and more of her delicious blood, he could feel his earlier thirst returning. He even considered going for her neck again.

But before he could make that decision, the door flung open.

"Sir!" Flug cried, waving his tablet. "Before you punish Lita, you should—"

He stopped in his tracks as he took in the scene in front of him. Black Hat and Lita were staring at him, sitting on the couch together in a…questionable position, the demon's lips on her arm.

Considering Lita looked more embarrassed than frightened, the scientist had no idea what to make of it.

"Um," Flug said, holding up a shaking finger, "am I interrupting s-something?"

Scowling, Black Hat dropped Lita's arm and climbed off her. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

"Eep!" Flug held up his tablet as a shield. "I just, um…thought you should know that…we just received over five hundred orders for the Disintegration Ray, and uh…they're still coming in fast!"

Relaxing a bit, the demon glanced back at Lita, who was now sitting fully upright as she cradled her arm. The wound wasn't severe. Only a little blood was trickling from it.

"And, uh," Flug said, showing his boss the screen, "you should read the comments from the livestream. The, uh…audience seems to be really taken with—"

Black Hat snatched up the tablet before he could finish. Their boss skimmed over the comments section of the video. His back was to her, so Lita couldn't see his expression. After about a minute, Black Hat shoved the tablet into the scientist's chest.

"Patch her up, will you?" he commanded gruffly.

With a nod, Flug saluted as his boss stomped out the door. He then turned to Lita. Seeing the blood on her arm, he started to understand what Black Hat had done.

"You okay?" Flug asked, running over to her.

As he examined her arm, Lita opened her mouth, but paused as she processed the last five minutes.

Then, as if she couldn't believe her own words, she replied in a small voice, "Y-Yeah. I'm…okay?"

I didn't want to make this an abusive relationship. But given how Black Hat is, I knew it was only a matter of time before he'd lose his patience with Lita. I went over this scene again and again in my mind before finding a way where he wouldn't hurt her too much, but still leave her pretty shook up. The point was to show Black Hat's hesitance to severely harm her. I realize this scene was intense, but necessary to move the story forward.

DON'T HATE ME!