Verosika was still stroking Cody's head like he was a dog or cat. Poor Cody just wanted to get out of there and be with Loona, brother, and sister-in-law again, but Verosika was quite infatuated with him like her favorite toy or favorite pet.
"Look, you don't want to keep me." Cody said
"Oh? and why would I not want to do that, sweetie? just give me a reason." the succubus gave an amused look. "Why won't you let me be your new best friend?"
"Because I... have other plans." Cody said. "there might be a dream i never even thought if doing when I grow up."
Verosika gave a small chuckle before saying: "Come on now, you're a little boy and you don't have to worry about that."
"that's a good point." Cody admitted.
"Yeah, all little kids like you want to do is; have as much fun as you can and do whatever you want without a care in the world."
Cody was silent for a moment and Verosika stopped stroking his head, letting Cody sit on her fluffy bed. "Abd I want to be with Loona ok."
The demon frowned hearing that name. "Why would you want to be with a goth chick like her? She doesn't care about anything."
"She cares about me! and Blitzo." Cody pointed.
"Oh please, don't make me laugh." Verosika doubted. "All she would care about is her phone and her alcohol. That's pretty much it."
"She... she saved me." Cody tried to stand up to her. "Loona cares about me and she saved me."
That comment took Verosika back a little bit. "s-saved you?"
Cody made a small sigh and said: "my house was on fire. I tried to get out, but I couldn't find a way out. Loona found me and saved me from dying in the fire. She took me to her and Blitzo's apartment and she gave me some new clothes and took me to Blood Burger."
"You never mentioned a fire to me." the popstar admitted.
"I don't want to talk about it." said the boy. it made him think of his parents and felt like crying, but he didn't want Verosika to see it, so he held back the tears. "but, I'm lucky to be alive."
"I'll say." the succubus agreed. "But come on, I'm a nice gal. I can give you all the food and things you can ever dream of. I am famous and I have a lot of money. Just talk to me, and I will give you anything you want and more."
Those kind of words sounded enticing to Cody. While he liked toys and video games and many things little boys loved, there was one thing he really wanted to have, and that was to see his folks again. Alas, he doubted that Verosika had the power to bring them to him so he can see them again, along with the incident not being any concern of this demon anyway.
If only he had his crucifix with him so that this woman and her friends would back off and let him go like before in the IMP office. Alas, he left his cross on the bed before.
"I don't really want anything, Verosika." Cody said.
"Oh come on," said Verosika in a sultry voice. "There's gotta be something you really, really, really desire that you want."
"There is." Cody admitted. "there is one thing I want."
"Well then, fire away, Cody. "just ask for it and I'll give it to you."
"I... I can't tell you." Cody looked away from her again.
"Can't tell me?" Verosika sounded offended. "What do you mean you can't tell me? I'm trying to do something nice for you!"
"It's none of your business!" Cody said, getting off the bed. "You probably can't help me with what I really want more than anything anyway."
"I would if you would just tell me what it is." Verosika urged him.
"Forget it!" Cody said. "It's personal and you probably don't even care about me. You just care about me like I'm like a... puppy or a prized stuffed animal." one tear escaped his face. "But Loona does care about me! she treated me like a person."
"Hey! hey! hey. there's no need to shout at me." Verosika sounded defensive. "Look, I've been with many Hellhounds before. they don't really care about anything and they eat humans sometimes. Loona could eat you too."
"That's a lie!" Cody said. "She would never eat me!" he fell on his knees to the floor and couldn't hold back his tears any longer. "She cares about me. She cares."
The Succubus noticed his sobbing and gave a sympathetic look at him, and she can tell that this child was sad somehow.
One thing she didn't understand was why Loona would just save a child like him from a house fire since she had seen her grumpy behavior a couple times with Blitzo around.
She knelt down on one knee and gently lifted his face to see it look depressed and miserable. "Cody, what's the matter, sweetie?"
"I can't tell you." Cody repeated before the door barged open to reveal Tex.
"Verosika, you got-" he noticed the boy aovving and Verosika kneeling in front "What happened in here?"
"It's nothing, Tex." Verosika said
"Wait, did you hurt him?"
"What? No! I would never hurt an adorable fave like him. Just... Gah! what do you want, you caught us at a bad time."
"a certain imp wants to talk to you."
The female demon made a small groan and breathed: "Blitzo" looking at Cody, hating to see him suffer and cry like this, she said to him: "Sorry Cody, I'll be right back. And please don't cry."
"I'll try." Cody blubbered. "I'll try."
"Tex keep an eye on him."
"Got it." as soon as the popstar left the bedroom door, Vortex close the door and gently picked Cody up and gently sat him on the bed. "What's the matter, Cody?"
"I'm sorry." said Cody, wiping some tears from his cheeks. "She said she will give me anything I want and all I wanted was to see my mom and dad again, but I didn't want to tell her because... because she's evil, and it wasn't any of her beeswax."
"Ah. I get it." Vortex. "I'm sorry. But don't worry, I'll get you out of here."
Cody looked up and he said: "you'll help me get out of here?"
"Absolutely! Oh, but you gotta be quiet."
"OK. But Tex, why didn't you stop her before she came and take me here?"
Vortex gave a look of guilt on his face and replied: "I'm really sorry. I told her many times that you didn't want it, but she didn't listen, and threaten to fire me if I stopped her any further."
"Oh." Cody realized. "Well why not just look for another job?"
The male hellhound chuckled and said: "believe me, kiddo. I wish it was that simple, but it's not unfortunately. I kinda need this job."
Cody sighed but he understood everything.
"But don't worry, I'll get ya out of here right now without her noticing. Like I said, you gotta keep it real quiet if I'm gonna get ya out of here."
"OK. what do you want me to do?"
Vortex made a sly smile on his face and pulled out a large, black bag like one would put garbage in. "Just get in the bag and I will sneak you out."
"Will I be too heavy?"
"Nah, it's a strong bag. So come on, hurry!"
Cody did as Tex told him to do and hopped in the bag before Verosika could come back. It was a little uneasy for him to endure this, all the sudden moving and flailing.
It was more than enough to give him motion sickness. He had to go rush all the way downstairs so that it would be faster than taking the elevator. Running as fast as he could, Vortex, made it to the door and was about to gently let Cody go and let him go free back to Loona when a voice stopped him.
"Tex?!" said Verosika. it caught the bodyguard by surprise and made him sweat.
"Hey Verosika!" Tex acted casual.
"What are you doing out here?"
"I suddenly remembered that my old bones were getting icky and gross, so I was just taking them to the garbage pretty quick and go back to good ole Cody."
"really?" Verosika said. Vortex gently placed the sack down on the ground and waited for Cody to just run away already. "Let's see if i... take a look in here!" she opened the large back and gasped: "I knew it! I knew that you would do something fishy! I am fucking surprised that you... actually, no I'm not."
Vortex narrowed his eyes at her.
"Why am I actually mot surprised to discover your treachery, Tex?"
"I told ya, what you are doing is wrong." Vortex said.
"No! I'm a popstar, I can do whatever I want!"
"But the kid is scared! You don't know him"
"Well what the fuck do you think I'm doing, Vortex?"
"Being selfish!"
While these two were bickering, Cody saw this as an opportunity to escape. However, Verosika saw him and flew over to catch him. "Not so fast, sweetie."
"uh-oh." Cody said.
"It was a really nice try, but not good enough. She flew him over back to her room and sealed the windows and door shut. "Try to behave, sweetie. After I am done giving Tex the what-for, we can talk about what's wrong."
"OK." Cody sighed. the succubus left the room to possibly fire Tex for his insubordination, and Cody saw a familiar figure outside the window, waving his hand at him.
"Moxxie?" he recognized
"Don't worry, Cody. we'll get you out of here." he broke the glass with a crowbar and he barged inside, along with Millie.
"Ah, she hasn't hurt you. Good." said a relieved Millie.
"You guys need to get me out of here." Cody said
"No problem." said Moxxie. "we came here with a hot air balloon that Stolas let us use."
Tommy came in through the window and hugged Cody tightly. "Cody, there you are. I thought I would lose you."
"I'm OK, Tommy. she didn't hurt me."
"Good. very good." The young man was so relieved to hear that, and he hugged Cody again. "Did she do any... funny business."
"I don't know what you mean... but she didn't."
Tommy was even more relieved. "Thank god." he breathed. "Let's just get out of here before Verosika comes back to-" he was suddenly interrupted by the door opening and speaking of the devil, it was Verosika herself. "Oh shit." he breathed
"What is going on here?" said Verosika
"Taking my brother back!" Tommy replied
"Wait... you're his brother?" asked Verosika. her face went from surprised to seductive. "Well, Cody told me a little bit about you. You're even more handsome than I thought, i'll admit. She began to gently massage his shoulders, and added: "Come on, why not stay here a little longer, and I'll show you a real good time."
Tommy blushed at the thought. Even though this demon had a nice curve and beautiful hair, he wanted to stay true to Celeste. "No. No, I won't betray my girl. What kind of a person would i be if I betrayed my own girl to the forbidden fruit like this?"
"Oh, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"No!" said Tommy, forcibly getting her hands off his shoulders. "You think you can just come here and try to hurt my own brother like this?"
Verosika looked surprised and said: "what? I didn't hurt him at all. I just wanted him to be with me. But if you want, I can help you see I am telling you the truth." she slowly tried to reach her hand on his crotch, but it was slapped by his hand.
"Cut that out!" Tommy blushed some more. "First me and Cody lost our parents to a fire and now he gets abducted by a demon that tries to rape him? What else can go wrong?"
The female demon was taken about to hear that and she looked at Cody. "What?" she looked at Cody. "You... lost your parents?" she started to look a little guilty. "I'm... I'm sorry to hear that."
"Oh, you're sorry?" Tommy said. "You try to rape a little boy, and you're sorry?"
"I would never rape a child!" Verosika sounded offended. "I know I'm a succubus, but I have standards."
Cody gently felt someone tap his shoulder and it made his heart pump with joy. "Loona." he said. Yes, it was the Hellhound that he grew to like, and she knelt down to hug him.
"I didn't know your own parents were-" Verosika tried to argue with Tommy again, but noticed the hellhound hugging him. "Ugh! Who let you up here?"
"I did." said Tex, coming into the room. "I've had enough of this, Verosika. The kid has been through so much, and we don't want you to make things worse for him!"
At last, Verosika couldn't hold her anger any longer. "That's it Tex. That's it. I may not be surprised to discover your treachery since you have been hanging out with that slutty hellhound, but you have crossed the line." she took a deep breath and pulled out a pink slip and a pen to write something down. "I can't believe I am saying this Vortex, but I am giving you the pink slip. Literally." she handed him the pink paper forcibly, and it was labeled "You're Fucking Fired!" on it.
Vortex looked a little surprised, but then irritated. "I don't care anymore." he began ripping up the pink slip before adding: "You can't fire me, 'cause I quit."
"Fine! Quit then! I don't need you."
"Come on Cody," said Loona, "Let's get you home." everyone but Verosika left the room, as she was pouting on the bed. Yet again, she felt sympathetic towards the boy for all that happened to him. She didn't know his own parents died in a fire and she wanted to give him a hug, but she had the feeling of "what am I doing?" in her head.
