Last chapter of the year!

"At this point, I should open a clinic," Flug said as he bandaged Lita's scraped hands.

Wincing through the pain, Lita quipped, "Get that seventeenth doctorate while you're at it."

She and Dementia were sitting on a red cushioned divan in Black Hat's office. While Flug was on his knees tending to Lita's wounds, Dementia was watching Black Hat, her legs shaking anxiously. The demon had his back turned to them, gazing out at the night sky. But they all knew he was keeping his eye on them somehow.

"Aren't you finished yet, Flug?" Black Hat asked bluntly.

Squeaking, Flug tied the last knot on Lita's bandages. Along with her hands, he'd also bandaged her scraped knees and cheek.

"F-Finished, s-sir," Flug said, standing up. "J-Just a few cuts and scrapes. N-Nothing too serious."

Black Hat grunted. "Go back to bed, then."

"Y-Yes, s-sir!" Flug said with a salute.

Before he left, he sent Lita a sympathetic look and whispered, "Good luck."

Lita nodded to him as he shut the door, leaving the two women alone with Black Hat. Dementia had been quiet ever since they'd teleported home. No jokes, no snide remarks, not even chewing on her own arm. She knew as well as Lita that they were in serious trouble.

For a long while, Black Hat didn't say anything as he began pacing the room, circling the two on the divan. They watched him, anticipating what he was going to do. His teeth were gritted together, and he was mumbling inaudibly, clenching his fists. He looked like a volcano about to erupt.

Finally, he stopped in front of the girls, crossing his arms as he glanced between them.

"I expect this disobedient behavior from you, Dementia," Black Hat said in a low tone. "It's in your nature to be utterly incompetent in following the rules."

Shifting uncomfortably, Dementia clasped her hands between her legs. Clearly, she understood this wasn't a compliment.

"But you, Miss Gris," he said, snapping his eye towards Lita, "I've considered to be a model employee."

Lita bit her lip. She was familiar with this speech. All her bosses had said something along these lines at some point. Often, it was for something she hadn't even done. But in this case, she had done something wrong. He had every right to be mad.

And she knew he was really mad, considering he was referring to her by her real last name.

"I specifically told you," Black Hat said, leaning forward, "on your day of arrival that you were not to leave this house without my permission! Was that not clear to you?!"

Lowering her head, Lita replied softly, "You were…perfectly clear, sir."

Grabbing her chin, he forced her to look back up at him. "So what, pray tell, possessed you to ignore my clear instructions?!"

A lump caught in her throat, making it difficult for her to respond. His grip on her eased up a bit.

"Was it your intention," he said, lowering his voice, "to break your contract? To run away?"

"W-What?" Lita was honestly shocked. "N-No, I—"

"Didn't you realize such a feat would've been futile?!"

"No! I mean yes! I mean boss, I—"

He retracted his hand sharply. "I expected more from you, Miss Gris! At the very least, I expected you to have the intelligence to acknowledge—"

"It wasn't her fault, boss!"

Surprised by her outburst, Black Hat and Lita turned to Dementia, who had her eyes shut tight as she sat up stiffly, digging her fingers into the divan.

Black Hat straightened up. "Pardon me?"

Opening her eyes, Dementia stood and boldly faced the demon, looking like a child about to be spanked. "It was…my fault. I made her go."

"Dem—" Lita started to say.

"She didn't wanna!" the mutant said quickly, slapping a hand over the smaller woman's mouth. "But I made her! J-Just to have a bit of fun, you know?" She forced a laugh. "It was really more of a field trip, really! Learned a lot about personal vendetta!" She patted Lita on the back. "You should've seen her, boss! Trashing her ex's car, breaking into her old workplace! She's a real demon of vengeance!"

Black Hat looked to Lita, silently asking if this was true. Seeing as she couldn't get any more in trouble, she shrugged.

Dementia's smile dropped. "But, um…I'm the one who left her alone. She didn't try to escape, boss! In fact, she was the one who insisted we go home before…before those scumbags showed up." She glanced at Lita apologetically. "So, uh…if anyone should be punished, it should be me."

Lita's mouth fell open, while Black Hat's eye nearly fell out of its socket. Never had either of them heard Dementia actually admit to doing something wrong. Black Hat didn't know what to make of it, but Lita smiled softly to herself, knowing that the lizard-girl had finally decided to look out for her.

"Well," Black Hat said, folding his hands behind his back. "Never thought I'd see the day you learn the meaning of responsibility, Dementia."

"So, you gonna break my arm again?" she asked a little too eagerly. "Pull out my spleen?"

After a dramatic pause, the demon replied, "No."

Dementia whined. "Oh, why not?"

"Because," he said with a roll of his eye, "corporal punishment clearly has the opposite intended effect on you. So, until I come up with something more fitting, you are hereby confined to your room. And you can forget about breakfast."

"What?!" Dementia exclaimed. "No morning slop?!"

He smirked. "Seems that is a fitting punishment, after all. No food for twenty-four hours!"

"But honeyb—"

With a snap of his fingers, she was gone. Lita released the breath she'd been holding in. She had been relieved that Dementia had taken the fall for her, but also concerned that her new friend would take the bulk of the punishment. While starvation wasn't fun, it was better than being obliterated.

Lita started rising from the divan when Black Hat sternly said, "I'm not finished with you, Miss Gris."

Seeing that his anger hadn't entirely diminished, she slowly sat back down. While his voice was gruff, astonishment remained on his face.

"What in the world did you do to her?"

It took a moment for her to catch his meaning. "You, uh, said Dem and I should come to some sort of understanding."

"Clearly, it had done more than I'd intended," he said with a confused shake of his head. "I've never seen her so…compliant."

"She really is smarter than you give her credit for, sir." The rest she grumbled under her breath. "Not that you'd notice with the way you lock her up like an animal every night."

Black Hat cocked his head. "She is an animal."

"Still half-human!"

"We're getting away from the subject." Going around his desk, he sat down in his chair. "Regardless of whose idea this little escapade was, you still went against my orders." His chagrin from earlier returned. "You could have very well refused Dementia's offer, and yet you took it. Why?"

As much as Lita wanted to copy his position, she was too much in pain to move. "You…you wanted me to spend more time with her."

"In hopes that you'd try and kill each other less. Not for the two of you to go out on an unauthorized midnight rampage through town!" He clasped his hands together. "I have a hard-enough time keeping the other three in line. Do I have to concern myself with you as well?"

She didn't like the way he was talking to her. It was the same way her previous bosses had spoken to her. The same way Paulo had spoken to her.

Patronizing.

Tonight had reawakened those memories, bringing back those feelings of embarrassment and frustration, dispelling all the nervousness she was feeling now.

"You're right," she said, clenching her fists. "It was reckless of me to sneak out in the middle of the night." She looked up at him boldly. "But can you blame me? Can you blame Dementia? We're cooped up in here most of the day! And Dementia has it worse, because she sleeps in a freaking straightjacket!"

"She likes it," Black Hat said simply.

She blinked. "Sorry?"

He placed his hands on his desk. "She finds it amusing every time we strap her down. Calls that straightjacket of hers 'pajamas.' And considering how restless she gets, especially at night, strapping her down is necessary. And as you can see," he said with a grunt, "it doesn't always prove effective."

"Okay, fine," Lita said shortly. "But that doesn't excuse all the abuse you put her through!"

"Oh, please!" He huffed. "She practically begs for it! Literally!" He gestured to the empty space beside her. "As you have so recently witnessed!"

"Because this is the only life she knows! It's no wonder she's so unhinged!"

His eye narrowed. "And what excuses your behavior tonight?"

"I have done everything you've ever asked of me," she said as she stood, ignoring the pain in moving. "Is it so wrong that I want a little break every now and then? Anyway, didn't you want me to do more villainous things for myself?"

Not caring about punishment anymore, Lita slammed her hands on the desk, causing Black Hat to flinch. Tonight had been a reminder that she'd let people push her around all her life. Her bosses, her boyfriend. She was not repeating that with Black Hat!

"I wasn't trying to disrespect you," she said steadily, "and I wasn't trying to run away! I thought about it, yes, but I stuck with Dementia because fuck it, I realized I actually like you guys and didn't wanna leave! Call it Stockholm Syndrome, but it's the truth!"

She leaned forward. "But no matter what that contract says, you don't own me! I mean you own my soul, but I'm still a person with needs and feelings! So is everyone else in this house, and you should start treating us like that, instead of objects you can do whatever you want with! I…we should have a little freedom to think for ourselves! We don't need you patronizing us all the time!"

Her argument was all over the place, but she was too angry to care. Black Hat sat patiently throughout her rant, watching as her nostrils flared and her blue eyes blazed like fire.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Almost!" Lita shouted. "If you hit me over this, I'm never having lunch with you again!" After taking a moment to catch her breath, she removed her hands from his desk. "Now, I'm finished."

Black Hat heaved a sigh. "While I admire this newfound rebellious attitude of yours, Miss Gris," he said as he stood from his seat, "my rules for this house are in place for a reason. You, and everyone else under this roof, are my property." He deliberately locked gaze with her. "And I will not let my property be damaged."

She opened her mouth to protest, only for him to hold up his hand to silence her.

"I may not be able to control your decisions, but your life is still in my hands." Placing both hands on his desk, he leaned towards her. "Aside from the fact that I like to know your whereabouts at all times, the other reason I cannot have you wandering about is that everyone here is a wanted criminal. Within the confines of this mansion, you are protected from the law. Outside, you are exposed to the police force and do-gooder heroes who won't hesitate to bring you to what they call 'justice.' And I'd rather not waste my time and energy busting you out of prison, or paying for your medical expenses!"

His claws dug into the wood. "Not to mention the scum on the streets who don't care what side of the law you're on! So long as they get what they desire from you, as clearly demonstrated tonight! Why, if I hadn't found you when I did…"

He trailed off as his gaze focused on the bandage on her cheek. She was practically covered in bandages now, still recovering from her scuffle with Dementia.

Realizing he was staring, Black Hat shook his head. "To put it simply, without my protection, the lot of you would be dead."

Stunned, Lita sat back down. "Next time, I'll ask."

"See that you do," Black Hat said, also sitting down.

A minute of silence passed as Lita processed her boss' declaration. On the surface, he sounded totally selfish and possessive, but in a way, he had just admitted that he didn't want anything bad happening to his employees. For a villain, that was saying that he cared. At least a little.

Black Hat was also contemplating what he'd just said, his eye trailing over her various bandages. If she only knew how he had felt the moment he realized she wasn't anywhere in the mansion. He'd screamed so loud, he'd woken up Flug and 5.0.5, feeling a mixture of anger, betrayal and fear. Had she left him? Had she been abducted? Would he ever see her again?

His fury had boiled over upon seeing those thugs laying their grimy hands on her, openly planning to defile her. He hadn't hesitated in making them suffer.

And then, seeing that frightened expression on her face, and cut on her cheek… He may have stopped them from ravishing her, but not soon enough to stop any other damage from being done.

At least one good thing had come out of this whole debacle.

"So, Miss Gris," Black Hat said with a sadistic grin. "That man you stabbed, was he your first kill?"

Only just remembering this fact, Lita avoided his gaze. "That I…know of."

"That you know of?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There was this other guy who tried to…" She crossed her ankles. "I, uh, knifed him in the balls. But I didn't stick around to see."

Black Hat chuckled at the image. "How did it feel? Taking another's life?"

She took a moment to think about it. "I…I felt…shocked? Then…relieved? And then…nothing."

He gave a pleased nod. "You didn't hesitate."

"I didn't wanna see you get hurt," she said softly.

"That's a hoot!" he said with a snort. "You know I'm indestructible."

"I…forgot." Her cheeks reddened as she played with the end of her ponytail. "By the way, I…I didn't get a chance to say, uh…thank—"

"Don't," he said in a warning tone. "I didn't save you out of the goodness of my heart or anything. I was simply protecting my investment."

"Still." She looked back up at him. "Like you said, if you hadn't shown up… I mean even I couldn't have taken that many guys at once."

"I shall add multiple-assailant combat to your training." He tried to sound detached. "That way, next time some hooligans attempt to have their way with you, you can make them suffer."

"Good idea," Lita said with a nod. "Oh, and, uh…boss? There was…something you said to that…"

Black Hat tightened his claws into fists, thinking she was referring to him calling her "his Lita."

"You said something like, 'Not even I would stoop so low?'"

He mentally sighed in relief. "Yes, that. Well, I consider rapists to be the lowest of criminals."

She cocked her head at his disgusted tone. "Even for you?"

"I may be a villain, Miss Gris," he said firmly, "but I am still a gentleman, contrary to what you might think of me. As I may have mentioned to you before, I do not indulge myself in sexual pleasure, and see very little point in forcing such a thing on another." He gagged. "And for what purpose, in the end? If you can't manage to seduce the being beforehand using your own charms…well, you can't call yourself a true manipulator now, can you?"

This admission caused Lita's heart to beat rapidly. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

She gave a small smile. "You're not completely evil."

He quickly stood up from his seat. "I just have better things to do with my time! Like punish uncooperative subordinates!"

That wiped the coy grin off her face.

"Yes, Miss Gris," he said as he came around his desk. "You broke a cardinal rule. I am afraid a punishment is in order."

Lita sighed in defeat. "Well, I tried."

He frowned as he watched her roll up her sleeve, revealing the bandage covering the stiches she'd gotten from Dementia. He realized Lita was thinking about the last time he had punished her. Like then, she was accepting it.

He wasn't.

After a moment of contemplation, Black Hat held out his hand. "I'm revoking your phone and internet privileges until further notice."

Lita blinked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

She rolled down her sleeve. "What is this? High school?"

"Would you rather I chop off your hand?" he said with a growl.

Lita pulled her phone out of her back pocket. It was still stained with her blood. Black Hat swiped it and tucked it into his jacket, resisting the urge to lick it.

"What if I have to do research for a heist?" Lita asked.

"For that, I will have Flug supervise you." He paused. "Also, it is now your job to feed the snake."

She shrugged. "Shouldn't' be a problem. Lil' Jack likes me."

He chuckled darkly. "You do realize what she eats, don't you?"

The color drained from her face.

"Oh, you needn't worry about the how. That's already taken care of. Just make sure she doesn't choke on any bones." He paused to allow the implication to sink in. "Well, run along now! Get some sleep, before I'm tempted to render you unconscious."

In spite of all that had transpired tonight, Lita couldn't help but giggle at that last statement.

With Dementia grounded and Lita half-covered in bandages, any physical training was out of the question. Lita was relieved when she opened the app the next morning and found that Black Hat agreed. Instead, she spent the day in the lab, assisting Flug in designing a Disintegration Bomb. As if a Disintegration Ray hadn't been enough.

"The disintegrating is not the problem," Flug murmured as he reanalyzed his blueprints for the twelfth time. "It's harnessing enough power to disintegrate everything within a hundred-meter radius."

"Does it have to be a hundred?" Lita asked, leaning onto the table next to him.

"At the very least. Hmm." He rubbed his chin. "I have plenty of plans for power cores, but nothing small enough to contain that much energy."

She shrugged. "Maybe you could try double-A batteries?"

He huffed. "Now that would be… Oh, you know?" He started scribbling on the blueprints. "If I redirected the current, and increased the voltage on the batteries… Yes, yes, this just might—"

"MISS GRIS!"

At the sound of their boss' voice, Flug ducked under the table while Lita merely flinched. Black Hat's echoing footsteps were coming up behind her.

"Aw, man," she said with a groan. "What did I do now?"

Turning, she found Black Hat standing there, holding her phone up to her face.

"Who is this Paulo who keeps calling you every five minutes?!" he demanded in an extremely annoyed tone.

Lita glanced at the screen, a notification telling her she had twenty-seven missed calls. She quickly shared her boss' annoyance.

"My ex," she said, looking away. "I, uh, kind of…ran into him last night. He won't leave me alone."

Intrigued, Flug came out from under the table while Black Hat raised an eyebrow. If Lita had ever mentioned Paulo to them before, neither of them remembered.

"Why do you still have his number?" Black Hat inquired.

Lita cocked her head at the question. "So I know to hang up when he calls."

"Why not just block him?" Flug asked.

"Already tried that once. He called again from a payphone." She held out her hand. "Look, I'll put it on silent, if it's bothering you."

As if on cue, Lita's phone screen lit up, blaring Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Her cheeks reddened from both embarrassment and fury as she glared at Paulo's name.

"Answer it," Black Hat commanded, handing the cell to her.

"What?" Lita said in surprise.

"Demand that he stops calling," he said, putting his free claw over where his ear should've been, "before I break this damned thing!"

"You took away my phone privileges."

"Consider them renewed! Just for Hell's sake, make it stop!"

Rolling her eyes, Lita snatched her phone, swiped the green button and held it to her face. "What?"

"Oh, thank God!" Paulo said on the other end, sounding exasperated. "Why didn't you answer?! I was starting to think you'd been killed!"

"I'm working," she said bluntly, keeping her gaze on Black Hat. "Only answered because you've been annoying my boss."

"Black H—" He paused, and then whispered, "Is he with you?"

She turned away from both men, as if that would give her any privacy. "Why did you call, Paulo?"

"You owe me an explanation," he said sternly, "as to why you were at that criminal bar last night."

"I don't owe you anything," she said through her teeth.

"Lita, please, tell me you aren't working for Black Hat!"

She spared a glance at the demon. "If I am, it's none of your freaking business!"

"Lita, this is serious! Black Hat is dangerous! He could kill you!"

"I can take care of myself!" she said, putting a hand on her hip. "I don't need some clingy, control-freak knowing what I'm doing all the time!"

"So you aren't working for Black Hat?"

Lita seethed, her patience wearing thin. "You missed the point."

"So you are?"

"STAY OUT OF MY FUCKING LIFE, YOU BASTARDO!"

The sudden change in volume caused both men eavesdropping to jump, the man on the receiving end to gasp.

"Since when do you use such language?"

"Stop trying to change the subject!"

"What is going on with you lately, Lita? First, I see you with Dementia, then I hear you trashed a clothing store you used to work at?"

She paused. "How did you know I worked there? We broke up long before Victor hired me!"

"Now who's changing the subject? Lita, this isn't like you!"

"How would you know?" She paced around the lab as she shouted. "You never really knew me! You just knew the sweet little girl I was pretending to be so I wouldn't end up in jail again! By the way, like what I did to your car, querido?"

"That was you! Jesus, Lita! Can't you see what these new so-called friends of yours are doing to you?!"

"They're better friends than you ever were!" Lita exclaimed, briefly glancing back at Flug and Black Hat.

"You don't have to do what they tell you! I can help you! Remember my friends in the—"

"Stop right there, Paulo!" She held up a finger, as if he were actually in front of her. "I don't need any help, not from you or whatever capes owe you favors! I'm fine right where I am, and the best part is it's far away from you!"

"Has he brainwashed you or something?"

"Nobody's brainwashed me into anything! I came here by choice, and I stay here by choice!" She didn't dare look at the guys' reactions to this declaration. "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore! So stop calling, or else I'll call your office and tell everyone there that tu pene es tan pequeño como un meñique!"

She heard Flug gasp, but Lita didn't stop. She was on an angry roll!

"And even if size isn't an issue for them," she said, making sure the phone was as close to her mouth as possible, "I'll tell them I faked it every, single, fucking time!"

"Lita—"

"Adiós, Paulo! See you in Hell!"

She hung up before he could respond. Lita faced her coworkers again. Flug was staring at her blankly while Black Hat grinned toothily. After a minute of silence, Black Hat slowly clapped his hands. Flug applauded as well, though much more giddily.

"Exceptional performance, my dear," Black Hat said.

"I am so in awe of you right now," Flug said, holding his hands to his chest.

Lita beamed, honestly feeling great from having shut her ex down so viciously.

"Now," Black Hat said, coming up to her and taking her phone, "to block that imbecile from ever calling you back."

She frowned at his behavior. One, because he was acting like her personal life was his business. Two, because he had grabbed her phone back without asking.

But she did agree with him.

"My phone," she said, snatching it from his hands before he could do anything. "I get to block him."

Flug squeaked, looking at his boss anxiously. The demon wore an expression of surprise, but then it quickly turned into a wide grin. Stepping back, Black Hat bowed and held out his hand. This caused Lita to giggle.

"You can't work a touch screen, anyway," she said as she pressed the screen. "And…done!" Her shoulders relaxed as she heaved a sigh of relief. "Híjole, that felt good!"

"Positively ruthless, my dear," Black Hat said, cupping her chin with his fingers.

Lita smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Learned from the master."

"One day," he said with a tip of his hat, "that may be you."

She responded with a dramatic curtsy. "Why thank you, sir."

He smirked in amusement. "Keep up the good work."

Flug continued to stare at his boss in bewilderment as he sauntered out of the lab. The scientist's gaze returned to Lita, who had also been staring at Black Hat, her big smile still present. He waited for the airlock door to shut.

"Okay, I give up!" Flug exclaimed, throwing up his arms. "What the hell is going on between you and the boss?!"

Lita turned to him, her smile gone. "Excuse me?"

"You just swiped something out of Black Hat's hand." Flug held out his hands to emphasize his point. "The last time Dementia tried something like that, she nearly lost a hand!"

"Well," she said, turning the cell in her hand. "It's my phone."

"In his hand."

Lita shrugged. "Maybe he's just in a good mood?"

"Yes," Flug said, stepping towards her. "That seems to be happening a lot lately." He folded his arms. "Especially where you're concerned."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "You broke a cardinal rule, and all he did was take away your phone for a few hours!"

"And make me watch Lil' Jack eat," Lita pointed out.

"But he didn't…he never…" He slowed down, trying to make this as clear as possible. "He never punishes you physically. He laughs every time you take a shot at him. He danced with you for more than one song at the ball. He lets you touch him, eat with him, and the way you talk to each other and how he looks at you…"

He trailed off, his worry apparent even through his goggles. "Lita, do you even realize what this looks like?"

It took Lita a moment to answer. "The boss and I have an understanding."

"And that doesn't concern you?"

She crossed her own arms. "Why should it?"

"Lita," Flug said, firmly placing his hands on her shoulders, "it's so obvious he's infatuated with you."

"Not this again!" Lita stepped out of his hold. "You know he's not like that, Flug!"

"I used to think so too, but…you can't deny he treats you differently from the rest of us."

"Are you jealous or something? Because I don't encourage it!" She paused as she started to really think about it. "I mean it's not like I ever asked to be his favorite or any—"

"I know, I know."

"I mean," she said, rubbing her arm awkwardly, "he's said he likes me, but I don't think—"

"The fact that he used the words 'like' and 'you' in the same sentence didn't send off any red flags?"

She scowled. "You're starting to sound like Dementia!"

"She's right!" He stiffened. "Wow. Can't believe I just said that. But she is! How else do you explain his behavior towards you?!"

"What makes you think there's anything romantic about it?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Can't he just like me as a friend?"

"Black Hat doesn't have any friends!"

"He feels like one to me."

Putting his astonishment from that sentence aside, Flug said, "Lita, I'm saying this as a friend. Black Hat is a man who only looks out for himself. If he's being nice to you, it means he wants something."

"Not necessarily. Can't you give people the benefit of the doubt?"

"Not Black Hat!" His arms shook in frustration. "He's evil in itself!"

Lita fumed upon hearing this. "No one's one-hundred-percent evil, Flug! Not even him!"

"Lita, listen—"

"He saved me, Flug!" she shouted passionately, putting a hand over her heart. "How can I call him completely evil when I owe him my life?! Not to mention he's always been there for me whenever I…"

She trailed off, not wanting to get into her history of emotional breakdowns. Flug stared at her, terror welling up inside him as he reached a new conclusion.

"Lita," he said, gently taking her shoulders again, "I-I swear I'm only going to ask you this once." He made sure she was looking him in the eye before whispering, "Are you in infatuated with him?"

Her mouth dropped open. Appalled that he would suggest such a thing, Lita pulled away from him.

"I don't need this," she muttered, stomping towards the door.

"Lita!" Flug said, turning. "We need to talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about!" She practically punched the button to open the airlock door. "Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

She was out of there before the scientist could say anything more.

After hearing the computerized voice say "The person you are calling is unavailable" for the fifth time, Paulo finally gave up and hung up his phone, tucking it away into his pocket. Obviously, Black Hat wasn't going to let her accept any more calls. There was no getting any more information out of her.

Paulo Blanco couldn't understand it. He'd assumed the reason he hadn't been able to reach Lita for months was that she was purposely avoiding him. He had never guessed she would be working for Black Hat! He supposed he should've been paying more attention to Black Hat's commercials, but his editor-in-chief had insisted he stay away from investigating Black Hat Organization for his own safety. And even Paulo agreed that trying to dig up dirt on Black Hat was too risky. He would leave the demon to his friends in the Hero Organization.

After discovering Lita with Dementia, however, Paulo had had no choice but to do some research. If he had kept himself updated on Black Hat's encrypted website, he would've learned of a new henchgirl by the name of Lita Ladrona sooner! Not only was she featured in many of the recent commercials, and listed as a thief for hire, but she was also Black Hat's new Head of Sales?

How could this have happened? How could his former girlfriend be working for the most dangerous being alive?

If only she hadn't left him. Lita was a good girl. Sure, she'd made a few mistakes as a kid, but Paulo had helped her to rise above all that, make something of herself, become a functioning member of society. At least, he thought he had. But when he had seen her in that bar, his car trashed upon his arrival home, and then had gotten that tip on Lita's old workplace being robbed by Dementia and a woman matching Lita's description; it appeared Paulo had left her alone for far too long. She had fallen back into her old habits, only worse than before.

And, based on the venomous attitude she'd exhibited on the phone, Paulo deduced that he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. At least, not in the polite way.

He had to help her out of this situation. But, like the reporter he was, he had to get all the facts first, before taking action. And if he wasn't getting anything out of Lita, he had to turn to an alternative source.

Paulo knocked at the Gris family's door. It was shortly opened by Ricardo, whose eyebrows shot up upon seeing his visitor.

"Paulo," he said. "My, this is an unexpected surprise."

"Been a long time, Rick," Paulo said, putting on a smile. "Is Lita here?"

The older man's face fell. "Uh, no, she…doesn't live here anymore."

Paulo sighed. "I was afraid of that. May I come in?"

Nodding, Ricardo opened the door further. Paulo stepped in, his head turning in all directions. Without a word, he began turning over couch cushions and checking behind picture frames.

"What are you doing?" Ricardo asked.

"Checking for bugs," Paulo whispered. After practically ransacking the living room, he turned back to the older man. "Okay, we should be safe. Rick, I ran into Lita last night."

Once again, he was surprised. "You did?"

Paulo nodded. "Have you heard from her recently?"

"Oh, yes. She, uh, called me just a few days ago." Ricardo narrowed his eyes. "Where did you see her?"

"I was…working undercover." Paulo ran a hand through his wispy brown hair. "In a villain bar. Rick, she was with Dementia."

Ricardo's expression became grave. "You know, then."

So, he knows, Paulo thought. "What happened, Rick? Why is Lita working for Black Hat?"

"It's my fault," Ricardo said, putting a hand to his forehead. "Oh, it's my fault!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Paulo gently took him by the shoulders and sat them both down on the couch. "Tell me what happened."

Ricardo shook his head. "I'd hate to involve you in this, Paulo. Black Hat—"

"Don't you worry about me! I just wanna know what's going on with Lita!" He lowered his head. "We…may not be together anymore, but I still care about her."

Taking a moment to contemplate this, Ricardo said with fondness, "You're a good man, Paulo. I often wished you'd been the one to take care of Lita for me. What did happen between you two?"

"We, uh…" Paulo's gaze shifted. "Just weren't ready for a commitment, that's all. I mean…I was, but…" He sighed sadly. "I guess our hearts weren't in the same place."

Ricardo knew telling Paulo would be dangerous, but he had always liked the boy. So polite, so thoughtful. He would've been good for Lita. And Lita needed more good people in her life. Besides, Ricardo had been so lonely these past several months with his daughter gone, he needed to confide in someone.

"Fifteen years ago," the older man began slowly, "when my Linda got sick, I…I took out a loan from Black Hat to pay off her medical bills."

Paulo gaped. "Oh, Rick, you didn't!"

It was no wonder Lita had been working so hard to earn money!

"I did," Ricardo said guiltily. "That's why…that's why I got Lita into thievery. She never had any idea why we needed so much. Well, about nine months ago, Black Hat came to collect. I didn't have the manor, so he took me back to his manor to…" He didn't want to get into the grisly details. "Lita came after me, and…offered her life, in exchange for mine."

"And Black Hat took that offer?" Paulo said in bewilderment.

Ricardo nodded. "He was…impressed with her."

"Sounds like something Lita would do," Paulo murmured. "She loves you more than anything."

"She still calls me every other day, so I know she's alive. But…I can't help but worry for her, especially since…"

Ricardo stopped himself. Paulo could see the fear in his wrinkled forehead.

"What?"

"I think…" The older man struggled to get the words out. "Black Hat may have…other intentions for her."

Paulo's blue eyes widened as he whispered, "Dios mío."

"She claims he hasn't done anything unseemly! But…" He placed his face in his hands. "Oh, I can't!"

"Rick," Paulo said, putting his hands on his back. "If you know something that can help Lita, I can call my friends in the Hero Organization and—"

"They won't help," Ricardo said, wiping his hands down his face.

"Because they don't know all the details! Did she sign a soul contract, Rick? Is there some loophole that can help us?"

Ricardo looked like he was going to be sick. "There is one, but…"

Paulo leaned in. "What?"

As if someone might be listening, Ricardo glanced around. "Lita…gave her life for mine. She wanted to ensure Black Hat wouldn't just kill me later, so he added a special clause saying that Lita will work for him as long as I live."

Face paling, Paulo lifted his hands from the older man. "So, in other words, you'd have to…"

Ricardo nodded grimly.

"There's…no other way?"

He shook his head. "And Black Hat knows it. That's why he bailed me out of prison a little while ago and gave me what he called insurance. I call it a bribe. So that I wouldn't…end Lita's contract early."

Paulo was even more confused now. "Black Hat gave you money? Not another loan?"

"He's so adamant on keeping her, you see, that I worry he might…" Ricardo couldn't bring himself to say it. "He might not have realized at the time, but…"

The horrible implication sank in. "You think he might…take advantage of her?"

When Ricardo didn't immediately deny it, Paulo knew it had to be true. The situation was worse than he had thought. Not only was Lita in the clutches of that villain, but she was quite possibly his intended…what? Girlfriend? Concubine? Was the creature who spread anti-love propaganda even into that sort of thing?

No, it was impossible. Lita was too smart of a girl to fall for that demon. But her emotional state wouldn't matter to Black Hat!

But now Paulo knew the whole story. Lita hadn't willingly joined Black Hat Organization. For all he knew, she might've been forced to say those things to him over the phone! And her contract wasn't permanent. All hope wasn't lost.

"Rick," Paulo said, taking the broken man's shoulders. "I promise you, no matter what it takes, I will find a way to get Lita back."

Ricardo smiled sadly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, my boy."

"I can. And I will. Just…don't tell Lita I came by next time she calls you. Black Hat might be screening her calls."

"Of course. I don't want anyone else getting hurt on my behalf. Just…Paulo," Ricardo said, placing a hand on Paulo's shoulder, "don't do anything drastic."

The younger man laughed. "That I can't promise, Rick. I'd do anything for Lita." He focused his attention on Ricardo. "Anything."

Lita crept up to the glass case. Sitting there was her target, a diamond chain holding a black, heart-shaped jewel for a pendant. No alarms went off as she cut a hole in the glass, not even as she took the pendant in her hand.

"All too easy," she whispered.

Just then, a gloved hand snatched her wrist. Lita turned to find Black Hat grinning down at her.

"Stealing from me again, are we?"

He spun her fully to face him, holding her arm above her head as he swiped the necklace from her.

"I…I didn't realize it was yours," she said.

"Of course, it's mine," Black Hat said, swinging the necklace like a pendulum. "Everything here…is mine."

Letting go of her wrist, he moved his hand to her face, brushing his gloved fingers along her cheek. Lita shivered at his touch, but she did not protest.

Cupping her chin, he bent down to her eyelevel. "I'm afraid I can't let this little misdeed go unpunished, my sweet."

My sweet? Lita thought. That's a new one.

"You won't hurt me," she said with conviction. "You don't wanna."

He chuckled mischievously. "Who said anything about hurting you?" He looped both hands through the necklace, stretching out the diamond-studded chain. "You stole something from me." His finger flicked the black heart. "It's only right that I steal something from you."

"Steal what?" she said coyly. "My phone again?"

"Oh, no, my dear," he said, lifting the necklace over her head. "What I'm after is something much more…precious. Something I know you want me to take."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "You've lost me, boss."

"Have I?"

Lita realized too late that he had slid the necklace around her neck. Tugging on the heart-shaped pendant, he brought her closer, his other hand seizing her waist.

"Then why do I feel like I've already won?" Black Hat whispered.

She stood there stiffly, unsure of how to react. Despite the cold arm ensnaring her, her skin felt like it was on fire! His hand teasingly stroked her hip, causing her breath to quicken. His eye was locked on hers with a half-lidded gaze, his lips closed as he smiled fondly.

She was both terrified, and excited. She couldn't understand why.

But Black Hat did. She could tell as he widened his grin to show his teeth.

"Checkmate," he said, pulling her flush against him, "my little black queen."

Before Lita could ask what he meant by this, his lips came crashing down on hers.

Gasping as if she'd been underwater, Lita sat up in bed. Panting heavily, she checked her surroundings. She was in her bed. Black Hat was nowhere in sight.

Well, except for the large portrait on the wall. It reminded her of her dream, and she realized she was sweating, and her heart was beating wildly.

"Oh no," she uttered, cradling her head in her hands. "Oh, hell, no!"

If you're interested in what I have planned for the New Year, or have questions on my fanfics, join my New Year's livestream on PodBean! This site doesn't allow me to put a link here, but my podcast is "Beauties and Beasts!"