And now it's time for another installment! What will Charlie find this time?

Following their first major success, the group at the Elite Beat Agency was doing well. With no new calls in the past few days, the focus was collectively on sprucing up the lobby to further boost morale and to give new applicants a nicer space.

Alastor, much to everyone's surprise, took over the redecorating duty much to Vaggie's worry. Charlie, however, assuaged her and let him go through with it. What would have been weeks' worth of work was done in less than an hour as the dingy auditorium-like space was changed into a classy lounge with black leather couches, a grand piano in the back corner that played itself and even a picture of a joyous Listla as she ran to her new job on a lit-up wall under the banner "Satisfied Customers."

"Okay, I'll admit it," Vaggie shrugged, "Good job."

"Good? This is AMAZING!" Charlie awed, "This is so classy and elegant!"

"Oh, this old stuff?" Alastor said, "Just rummaged around my basement for it all! I was going to send it to the landfill any day now…"

While even Charlie had her suspicions about that, the agents and alumni all agreed it was a massive improvement. From there, though, the focus was back to waiting for another assignment which the three agents used to rehearse. Day in and out they focused on dancing, but eventually Merek had a question.

"Why all Japanese music?" he asked as they took a break one evening, "You don't know anything in English?"

"Oh, it's not that," Charlie explained, "But it's not any old Japanese music. It's anime music! The most inspiring, pumping melodies ever written! I thought it was a perfect for uplifting the downtrodden!"

"If you say so," Dorris said, "As long as it ain't that screamo shit. I got enough headaches dealing with Mr. Dumbass over there…"

Before another argument or binge-drinking could break out between the two, the siren rang again. The demons immediately put their tiff aside and followed Charlie outside prepared to tackle their next mission.

Lungless Tobacco was a company that had been thriving in Hell for generations thanks to its unique hiring methods. If someone was a corrupt executive in life, odds are that they would find their way into the company's offices and quickly find that now bribing suppliers, working employees to the bone and a complete disregard to consumer safety were now the keys to success.

One executive, however, was the opposite. Reginald Moncrun spent over thirty years in the mortal world doing the exact same thing he was doing now, but one thing had not changed. Despite now being a seven-foot tall ram demon, he still despised the cigarette business. Their smell made him nauseous, the constant corruption of the business made him feel even sleazier than he was and even he felt selling a product that was guaranteed to kill them was a low blow.

So why was he in this business to begin with? His loving family who raised him for the sole purpose of succeeding his dearest daddy who was best at finding mob connections to strengthen his business. And it turns out despite never personally smoking a cigarette in his life, several decades of secondhand smoke really was enough to give you lung cancer and he could not get treatment for it for the sake of his family business. Go figure.

And thanks to those schmucks, now he was stuck in the research and development branch of Lungless for as long as he could foresee. His job day in and day out was to find ways to make cigarettes cheaper to produce but even more addicting.

As he trudged through his office, trying to ignore his cellphone blaring at him and people trying to shout statistics at him, he slammed the door to his private office shut and quickly ran for the aged brandy he kept in his desk. After chugging half of the bottle in one swig, he only felt worse.

"The fuck am I doing with myself?!" he shouted to the sky, "First my life's nothing but shit and now THIS?! Is this all I'm good for?!"

He smashed the expensive bottle of liquor on his desk, conveniently soaking much of the paperwork clogging its surface.

"I… I'm done…" he moaned, "I can't take this anymore!"

He half-considered reaching for a shard of broken glass before his mind turned to something else. His family and this company would continue on if he offed himself, but what if he could sabotage it? That sounded much more fulfilling, but how would even do that?! The anger at his situation, resentment at his family and sheet hatred for anything smokable came up in a hoarse but loud yell that blew all of the papers off of his desk.

"HEEEEEEEEELP!"

Only seconds later, Charlie swung the car into the crowded parking garage underneath Lungless HQ. Knowing their client was on the brink, the agents leapt out of the car, through the garage and up onto the roof of the massive skyscraper that made up the building. They wasted no time starting up the music and getting themselves ready for the slower tempo of the song.

(Song: Papermoon by Tommy heavenly6 - Soul Eater OP 2)

All at once, the despair consumed Reginaled vanished as a vengeful anger took over that made him shout. "They want cigarettes? I'll make one they'll never forget!"

"Here we go!" all three agents said, "3… 2… 1… GO!"

I'M FALLING DOWN INTO MY SHADOW

Iki wo hisomete

Matteiru DEADLY NIGHT

Reginald soon ran to the main lab of Lungless, busting down the door and charging straight into the rows of tables.

DON'T SCARE ME majo ga egaita

Kabocha no basha mo

Sono me ni utsuseru kara

With a frenetic grin on his face, he started throwing beakers and test tubes together, making colored plumes of gas erupt and the other scientists in the lab watch in awe.

SEE YOU IN YOUR DREAMS

YEAH BABY kowai yume da to shitemo

After his little fireworks display, he held up a test tube with a glowing purple liquid and laughed. "It's complete! The perfect additive!"

FAIRY BLUE

Kimi no tame ni hoshi wo kudaki

Kazaritsuketa

BLACK PAPER MOON

With his creation firmly in hand, he charged out of the lab and towards the CEO's office. As he ran, he barged into every other office he could to snatch their stationery and materials.

Shinjite kureta nara!

WHEN YOU'RE LOST "HERE"

I AM... "FOREVER" WITH YOUR SOUL

"Uncle Bronchit!" he declared, literally knocking the door of its hinges, "I've got the perfect ingredient for your next product line!"

Miagereba kagayaku tsuki no youni

Amai shinku no jamu wo

Otoshita kaado ni ukabiagaru moji

The executive was stunned by the interruption, but he was soon enraptured by his nephew's presentation. Everything from his charts to his charisma screamed enthusiasm and read that this new breakthrough would make them incredibly wealthy.

YOUR DESTINY kimi ga nozomeba

Donna sekai mo

Sono te ni tsukameru kara

"So… What do you say?" Reginald asked.

"We're sending this out tomorrow!" the CEO blared, "And you're overseeing the production of it!"

A flash of desperation went through the other demon, but the fire roared in him making him give a salute and ran down to the main floor of the plant.

Madowasarenai de

Darenimo kowasenai

He literally jumped onto the assembly line and kept all of the workers in line as they rushed through producing his new cigarettes, even keeping them in line with his a pocketed lighter.

FAIRY BLUE

Kimi ga kureta ikiru akashi

Kizuna to iu "eien"

Sakende kureta nara

Hours upon hours passed but soon the staff was working into the night, slaving over their work from the factory to the delivery drivers and advertisers rushing the product out to market.

I WILL FIND YOU MY DEAR!

Doko ni itemo

Karamitsuku jubaku wo tokihanatte

The following day, Lungless' new "White" line came out to immense fanfare from the nicotine-obsessed masses. The hyper-aggressive one-day marketing hyped everyone up to the point where they broke into stores to get the first taste.

Daremo shinjirarenakute

Hikutsu ni naru toki mo aru

The result was instantaneous. The entire stock sold out in less than twelve hours with heavy smokers going through as much as a pack an hour. In fact, they wanted more Whites so badly that they stormed the factory in an angry mob demanding more!

Soredemo kimi no kotoba ha

Itsudemo mune ni hibiiteru

"REGINALD!" the CEO yelled, "What have you done?! Your formula has turned them into maniacs!" He turned to face his nephew expecting a scream, an insult… But was instead met with him laughing mad.

FAIRY BLUE

Kimi no tame ni hoshi wo kudaki

Kazaritsuketa "mejirushi"

Yume wo miushinatte mayotta toki

Miagete hoshii

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Reginald shrugged, "Isn't this what you wanted?! Addicting, money-making drugs! Well now you've got them!"

"Fine, so get back to work and make more!"

"Nope!" Reginald balked, pulling out a massive cigar which he then lit and then blew smoke in Bronchit's face which spelled out "I QUIT!" in pink letters.

FAIRY BLUE

Kimi ga kureta ikiru akashi

Kizuna to iu "shinrai"

Kimi ha hitori janai

WHEN YOU'RE LOST "HERE"

I AM... "FOREVER" WITH YOU SOUL

And as he left, Reginald took all of the profits for the White line and the rights for the new cigarettes' formula with him. He had worked that into his groundbreaking presentation the previous day and now he left the building as the frenzied masses broke in, looking for the next hit of a drug that would never be released again.

Tadoritsukeru kimi ga shinjiru nara

And from there, Reginald charged out of the building with the most genuine smile he ever gave in either of his lives, already looking to burn the papers of his creation and turn his newfound millions into a business he could be proud off. And all of this was helped by the sound of the plant collapsing behind him as the mob resorted to inhaling any fumes they could get.

That night, Alastor hung another photo on the wall as he was still snickering at the events that transpired. This good spirit was not shared by everyone at the agency, though, as Vaggie was still unsure if everything she just saw happened.

"So, let me get this straight…" she asked Charlie while she was enjoying a cup of chamomile on the couch, "The guy made hyper-addictive cigarettes…"

"Yep!" the blonde said before taking a sip of her soothing beverage.

"…Intentionally got himself full distribution rights to them and 100% of the money for them…"

"Uh-huh!"

"…And once they were made and sold-out after one day, he packed up with all the money and the rights to them so they'd never be made again."

"More than likely! He hates the narcotics business more than anything."

"Um, honey, is this necessarily a good thing? I love you and all, but I don't think this will work out will. There's now thousands of demons craving a drug that doesn't exist anymore and…"

"And the addiction's already wearing off," Alastor said, having listened to the entire conversation from across the room, "I don't know how, but those cigarettes were designed to only have a temporary addictive quality."

"HOW?!" Vaggie protested, "That doesn't make any sense!"

"I honestly don't know either," admitted Charlie, "I didn't read the notes or scientific mumbo-jumbo he made, I just inspired him to make it!"

"Spoken like a true angel from on high!" applauded Alastor, "Except with far less hypocrisy! Now then, shall I close things up for the night and give you lovebirds some privacy or should I be ready for your girlfriend to be your next client?"

He was referring to Vaggie as she gripped her head, trying to make sense of all this, but eventually just decided to let this whole issue go and share some tea. Alastor, meanwhile, headed downstairs to get the rest of the staff to lock up and instead imagined what Vaggie's reaction would be to learning that not only did Lungless White only give a twelve-hour craving, but afterwards it cures someone's nicotine dependency entirely. He may not have been making money on this arrangement, but he was certainly entertained!

As fun as that was to write, next time I'm excited to bring the first chapter from a request! That'll be in a little bit, but be sure to leave anything you want to see over in a review!