A/N:

Alrighty! It's been a while since I did one of these, but I've been super productive lately and I've had a TON of help, so gratitude is (over)due. First and foremost, full props and gratitude to TheWyvernsWeaver for the amazing art and story boarding help. Chapter art can be found on his Deviantart page and the AO3 edition of this story.

Up next on the tons-of-gratitude list is is kt_valmiri for putting up with my endless whining over my writing and being my sounding board, editor and everything else. You are awesome.

Everyone please thank Cimar of Turalis Wildehopps for editing the last two chapters for me. Major favor and hugely appreciated, every second of it. Also, my beta readers Damlone and Blueberryandhoney, thank you so much for your feedback and all the time you've taken to help me.

As to the many and various readers who have read, reviewed and PMed me... Honestly, guys, I don't know what to say. The response I've gotten to this little story has been huge and I appreciate every one of you for taking the time to read it. I'm terrible at responding in good time and I an painfully forgetful, but I read every note I get (usually several times and giggle as I do). I hope this chapter lives up to expectations and the rest of the story continues to be enjoyable.

That all said, here we go again!

Nick was enjoying his morning. There was nothing quite as satisfying as productivity in the last, darkest hours before dawn. Luckily, he finished up his tracking spell before the caterwauling of the heavens began. It was always harder to concentrate with the holier-than-thou soundtrack that the heavens brought with it. More than once he'd wished that night had some heavy metal accompaniment, but that would cause a bit of distraction, too. Besides, the quiet of the deep night was comforting. Like a warm blanket...

...made of enemies.

He'd been surprised at Judy joining him before morning. As much as Nick appreciated the dawn currently for its ability to blunt the most extreme of his cravings, he was convinced that the rabbit would stay in her little warren of blankets until daylight. As much as the rise of the sun suppressed him, it amplified her, making it vastly safer for her. The dark before the dawn was his strongest time and yet, she'd joined him, seemingly unafraid.

"Curiouser and curiouser," he mused to himself. As he got in line for the taxi stop. A few of the mammals close by turned to look at him. Several appreciatively. He was glad his more casual look of slacks and a button up were doing him justice. He'd forgotten how useful his wings could be. It was a wonderful convenience to have a nearly endless wardrobe of illusions at his wing tip.

The glances shifted from him to his companion, who many males were considering with a leering eye. A few were speculative with a smattering of envy. It pleased him to see as many covetous gazes directed at her as him, but it also tickled at the back of his mind. He felt pride, of course, but also something he hadn't felt in so long he barely remembered it; possessiveness. Nick wanted to comment "look, but don't touch" to the hare down the line, who kept staring, but refrained. That was too big a box of frogs to open just at that moment. Instead, he set his eyes to roving through the crowd.

On the streets, there was the usual early morning traffic, albeit more furtive in character. Business mammals and commuters bustled around. Utility workers and city functionaries trudged. Students meandered, eyes glued to their phones while tourists gawked at the sights. All but the last group moved in hurried, anxious manners; eager to get to their destinations, as usual, but fearful of attracting the attention of anyone. The tourists were nervous, but not fearful. It seemed that the thrill seekers and enthusiasts for the macabre had come to see the city after the slaughter.

Nick found it amusing that the butcher's bill had been so relatively low, yet had garnered so much attention. Other than the police officers, less than twenty innocent lives had been lost, while more than forty of the attackers had taken their own lives. He supposed it was only to be expected. The world was no longer what it had been back in the old days where a massacred city was the work of a long weekend and of little importance. A passing comment about "hell on earth" made him smile.

You have no idea, pal.

And it's going to stay that way!

Nick glanced down at his companion and raised an eyebrow. Her look was flat and serious, but there was no force behind it. Something was bugging her and she was avoiding thinking about it. The list of potential topics for that discussion was too long to pare down without a little help, so he decided to let her do the work for him.

Good grief, Carrots… Do you really think so little of me?

Demon. Devil, actually. As in THE Devil. The Lord of Hell.

I do recall.

I wouldn't put it past you to want a little Hell on Earth.

Ehh… Maybe once, but no.

What?!

I mean it sounds like a good idea and all…

"Whoa whoa whoa. Hold it." Judy said as he stopped Nick with a paw on his chest. "Are you telling me that was your plan, once?"

"I'm telling you that you started talking out loud, mid-conversation, so everyone in earshot thinks my girlfriend is insane," Nick retorted with a smirk.

"Girlfriend?!"

"Pick a topic to panic about. I have a one at a time policy."

"Alright… Hell on Earth first."

"Topic for another time, Carrots. It's a little tense around here, right now," he commented casting an eye to the milling crowd.

looking chastened, Judy pinched the bridge of her muzzle and muttered, "You are utterly impossible…"

"Says the stubborn bunny."

"Fine," Judy huffed before pointing at Nick's chest "Then, how could anyone think I'm your girlfriend?"

"Aside from the facts that you're standing quite close to me and we're being very familiar?"

"That doesn't mean anything we could just be friends. Why girlfriend?"

"You smell like me."

Judy blinked. "I what?"

"You've slept in my bed a few times, now, sweetheart. It's completely understandable."

Judy gasped like a fish out of water for a moment before finding her voice. "I smell like you? How?! I showered and cleaned my clothes!"

"Fox musk is a bit pervasive. After a week, the mattress had my personal aroma ingrained inescapably. No matter what you do, you'll have a little of it on your fur for at least a few days." Nick stretched and rolled his shoulders back before continuing in a whisper. "Also, incubi have strong pheromones. Odds are you smell like you had a very good night."

Judy felt herself blanche under her fur, before heat billowed through her. "But we didn't do anything!"

"Don't sound so disappointed. Besides, you and I both know your virtue is intact. What does it matter if other mammals think it?"

"It's embarrassing!"

"Let them think what they will," Nick said with an easy shrug. "You can't control it, so why stress about it?"

"I know you're right, but it's not that easy." Judy's voice was a cross between a growl and a whine. She hated it.

"If it comes down to it, I'll back you up in defending your honor, but I want you to think about something."

A raised brow met his comment. "What's that?"

A very promise-laden grin split his face as he leaned down to whisper. "How many of them are jealous of what you've got."

Heat surged through her again, sweeping through her cheeks and ears while simultaneously settling into her belly, blooming there. "I haven't yet!"

"Yet?" Nick purred with a cheeky smirk.

All Judy could manage was a half-hearted punch to his shoulder.

She was embarrassingly relieved when they made the front of the line a few minutes later and climbed into their cab. While Nick gave instructions to the driver, she curled into the seat and tried to not look as nervous, or as pleased as she felt. It was foolish, perhaps pointless, but she had to pretend a little longer. There were higher stakes than her virtue and they had to come first. Fortunately, her virtue was part of the things that would be saved if she could manage a successful conclusion to this absurd situation.

Unfortunately, that became a much harder thing for her to believe was possible as the demon settled back into his seat, bringing his heat and scent with him.

Fighting down her own growing desires was a challenge and increasingly so. She had given up on denying her attraction and her wants, at least to herself. However, wanting something and getting it were not the same. She had willpower and plenty of it. All she had to do was maintain it and keep herself under control and...

The back of his paw rubbed up and down her arm in a firm, yet calming action. "Don't fret, rabbit. We'll get this figured out."

A pulse of pleasure rolled through her arm and fanned the heat surging through her at his touch. She shivered.

That's not bloody helping….

The cab ride was uneventful for the most part. The only thing of note in the whole trip was when they passed the Municipal Center and Precinct One. Judy fleetingly wanted to check in on the cheetah she had befriended. It had only been a couple days, but it felt like weeks since she'd seen him. He'd still be busy cleaning up after the attack and up to his ears in work, so she didn't want to bother him. However, she resolved to call him once there was a lull. There was a lot she wanted to talk about and he was a sympathetic ear.

The real one anyway…

You should.

Judy jumped a little in surprise. "You have got to stop doing that."

"Doing what? Hearing your thoughts, or startling you?"

"Both."

"I can't promise either," Nick chortled. "You're cute when you're startled and that Bond thing is apparently out of control."

That statement worried her anew. If the Bond was opening without conscious thought, that was a problem. Beyond the lack of privacy, it was another unheard-of characteristic just like the flashes of shared memories. It was unsettling and absolutely not something she should think about if the fox could hear her thoughts. Instead, she deflected. "Don't call me cute."

"I won't promise that, because you are and I wont lie about it." His grin deepened and he held up his paw. "Demon's honor."

"Just try, anyway." Judy blustered. "And stop startling me!"

"Again, not likely even if I wanted to." Nick hummed in thought. "If you're this excitable, I'd lay odds you're ticklish."

"I-I'm what?" Judy stammered, eyes growing wide.

"Ticklish."

"No…! Not at all," Judy stammered. as she tried to shimmy away from him on the seat.

"Lie."

"Please don't?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't not find out for sure."

"You know I lied!" Judy's voice was a whispered shriek. Her back was against the cab door and there was nowhere to go. "You can keep your paws to yourself!"

"This needs direct confirmation, Carrots."

As Nick leaned her way with his paws menacingly flexing, Judy felt the first panic giggles welling up in her throat. Blessedly, that was when the cabbie hammered on the panel separating him from the passenger area.

"Hey!" the old jackal barked. "I normally don't care if fares get pawsy back there, but you're keeping it to a dull roar, or paying for the cleaners, you hear?" Mortified, Judy tried to hide behind her ears as she shimmied away from the fox, who was fighting not to laugh under the driver's gaze through the rearview mirror. "Normally, mammals wait until after dark for that kind of stuff, but…" the cabbie continued in a fonder tone. "Ah, hell… Who am I to get in the way of young love? You two just keep your clothes on, would you? The cops aren't all that tolerant about indecent exposure."

"Is there anywhere they're tolerant of such things in the city?" Nick drolled as he sat back.

"Actually, yes. There's a naturalist club in Sahara Square. If you're looking for a little sun on your fur, that's your place to go. They're a bit more tolerant of, uh… unusual relationships… and their um… proclivities…" The jackal's voice grew hesitant as he spoke and Judy wasn't the only one to catch the implications.

Nick leaned forward and inquired, "Good sir, would you by chance be in an unusual relationship yourself?"

The desert canid smiled lopsidedly and tapped a framed photo on his dash. It was of him and a lithe cheetah who was obviously male. "My mate. Lifetime members at Mystic Springs."

"We will have to check it out, then. Thanks for the tip."

It was only a few minutes later that the vehicle stopped and they disembarked. Judy was sorry to leave, but was pleased to hear the exchange between the males.

"Thanks for the ride."

"It's on me, so the pleasure's mine."

What happened next astonished her. Nick held the door so he wouldn't leave, and with the other paw pulled out a small, bronze Coin. A snap of his fingers later, it was a money clip of notably high denomination bills. Nick didn't pass it to the driver, electing instead to drop it between the seat and the door.

"Hey! What are you doing, kid?"

"Making sure you can't refuse." Seeing the astonishment on the cabbie's face, Nick smiled. "Take him somewhere nice."

He walked away before any reply could be heard and Judy scampered after him. Several paces later he heard a loud horn honk and a shouted "Thank you!"

Judy grinned up at her fox and said, "Well look at you, being a nice guy. Keep it up and you might just make a good angel."

"I know… You're a terrible influence."

"Will that money stay… Um…"

"Real?" Seeing Judy nodding somewhat shamefacedly, the fox huffed a laugh and ruffled her ears. "As real as any. It'll spend and it wont turn into a leaf when the sun hits it."

"Is that a real possibility?"

"Depends who you ask." Seeing her little mouth open to continue pursuing her line of questioning, Nick interrupted, saying, "Look up. We're here."

That startled Judy out of focus and pulled her into her surroundings, again.

They were in the business district, just east of the city center municipal complex. Businesses of all shapes and sizes from corporate powerhouses to small and smiling entrepreneurial startups abounded. Office spaces teemed with mammals and the air practically vibrated with industriousness and stress—and in some cases, greed or avarice.

Nick savored the feel of the Sins in the air. It was a little touch of the familiar and quite welcome after the strangeness he'd been experiencing lately. He made a mental note to return if he ever needed a little grounding before heading off down the street.

Fittingly, where mammals congregated in large numbers, so too appeared the businesses that supported them. Eateries, service providers, efficiency accommodations and creature comforts littered the area and warred endlessly for customers. That included medical facilities, which was where they found themselves; standing at an innocuous, practically anonymous, glass door. Aside from a small sign in the shape of a red cross on the wall nearby, it was entirely forgettable.

The sense of blandness didn't last long.

The door was unlocked, but the place was deserted. It took all of five seconds before Nick was unimpressed, walked through the door from the waiting room to the office and flopped himself in front of the front desk's computer.

"What are you doing?" Judy whisper-shouted as the machine powered up.

Nick looked at her rather bemusedly. "Getting answers, I hope."

"We can't just break in to a computer like this!"

He smirked and rested his chin in a paw as he looked at her. "This is a facility owned and operated by the Host. On earth, you are the Host right now, so I think we're fine. And why are you whispering? No one is here."

You don't know that for certain and we can't be cavalier about this.

So, we're using mind-speech. Why?

If you insist on doing this, I'd prefer to keep my ears open. When you speak, you can't hear. The reverberations from your vocal chords interfere with your inner ear and you become deaf as long as you talk. It's a quick way to get snuck up on and killed.

I can understand caution considering our situation, but you're sounding extra paranoid. What's going on?

I am not comfortable in this place.

Nick raised an eyebrow at that. "Alright, angelfluff. You use mind-speech and keep an ear out while I do some digging." Nick beckoned her to him. "Now, get over here and give me access."

Judy suppressed a thrill at his words and feigned a sigh as she walked over to the keyboard. A moment or two later she was concerned. "It's not letting me in."

"What?" Nick blinked owlishly.

"My passcode is rejected," Judy stated in disbelief. "I should have access to all resources associated with the Host, but this is sealed to me."

Nick hummed to himself before manifesting his spear.

Judy scoffed. "Oh, that'll help. What are you going to do? Smite the computer?"

"I'll save that for later. Right now, I think I'd like to know what this little box of wires is hiding."

"You have got to be kidding."

"Carrots," Nick said evenly, as the spear morphed into an appropriate key for the lock, "This is the Key to Hell. I think it can handle a mediocre operating system's security measures, even if Heaven is lending a hand."

Judy watched as the Key became a USB stick in the fox's paw, then was clicked into a waiting port on the computer tower. Seconds later, they were in. Shaking her head, she walked to the office doorway to keep an ear out. Closing her eyes let her focus on her hearing and, conveniently, avoid looking at him. She sighed in part to help her relax, a little bit out of frustration and largely for the anxiety her day had been riddled with.

Her assignment to the Mortal Plane had been a dream come true; her career goal, in fact. Yet, it had been an unmitigated disaster. Upon arrival, her assignment had gone downhill so precipitously it felt preordained. A decision of dubious wisdom in creating their bond had left her in this position, but that was as far as she was willing to admit responsibility for.

She'd been stupid.

She admitted that much. However, the events beyond that and the forces at play were so outrageous and extreme that her one decision to pursue Nick was dwarfed. She was a grain of sand in an avalanche. The trouble was she also just might be the heir to the mountain chain. Judy shook herself out of her musings before the metaphors got too mixed and gave her a headache.

She got one anyway when the demon's voice drifted over to her.

"You may want to take a look at this."

Her eyes snapped open at the concerned tone of his voice. It was uncharacteristic and cause for worry. "Look at what?"

"Judy," Their eyes met and she knew something was wrong. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

The laundry list of secrets she was keeping flashed through her mind, causing her heartrate to double, "What?"

"You're scheduled for surgery. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm what?" Judy chirped in surprise.

"You're scheduled for a medical procedure, here. Why are you surprised?"

"I'm a celestial. I don't need surgery. I don't get sick. I can't!"

"I know that, but it says here, "Elective surgery". Plain as day."

"I haven't elected to do anything!" Judy spouted before turning away, trying to hide her interest. "What procedure am I supposed to be having?"

"Hang on." Nick's paws fiddled over the keyboard as he mumbled. "Procedure… Procedure… procedure! A Medullitus Traducere? Marrow transplant? Who still uses latin?"

"What?" Judy's ears shot up in alarm.

"That's a cancer treatment." Nick scratched the back of his head. "It's been a while since I was in Heaven, but last I recall officers didn't have major surgery on the mortal plane, especially for diseases they can't have."

"They don't." The edge to her voice was unsettling to the demon. Judy sounded shaken.

"There's a notation here on the term "Medullitus"… My Greek is a little rusty, but I believe this reads as "Pemptousia".

"Pemptousia?" Now, her voice sounded weak.

Hoping to give her something to focus on other than whatever was happening in her head, he offered more, "It looks like the specifics for the procedure are in the surgery down the hall."

Judy was gone by the last word. She had a sick suspicion she had to confirm. Her feet skittered on the linoleum floor as she ran, hoping with every fiber of her being that she was wrong. Sadly, her hopes were so slim by this point she didn't trust them.

There was no need for her to have a bone marrow transplant. The idea was absurd. However, marrow wasn't the only translation of the word. The notation was enough to prove it. She kept chanting in her mind that there was no way it was possible, but in her gut she knew she was about to be proven a liar. The doors to the operating theater bounced off the walls under the force of her paws and nausea rolled through her at what she found.

Nick was a moment behind her. He registered her departure not by her movement, but the emotional maelstrom that he felt from her as she fled. He didn't have time to think. He merely reacted. No sooner had she launched herself down the hall than he was out of the chair. Her speed, however, was more than he had anticipated and she quickly outpaced him, much to his surprise. He was further confounded to find her standing in the surgical theater, holding herself and staring.

"Carrots, what's gotten into you?"

Getting no response, he walked up to her and put a paw on her shoulder.

"Judy?"

Her gaze was clear, but cold. He'd seen similar expressions many times on the faces of the Fallen; aware of a terrible fate and determined to at least try to face it well. Without exception they failed. Hell had been too much for him. Him and all those he'd seen arrive on its doorstep. As the thought flitted through his mind, Nick felt a horror akin to his first moment in the inferno. He saw his angel, kneeling on the ash and obsidian of Hell's doorstep and felt a fury burn through him that he hadn't felt since his own fall. Pain lanced through his temples, so he fought the memory down. It would wait until she didn't look stricken. His paw slid down her back and she shuddered before pulling away.

At length she spoke.

"When I was in the Academy, I was accorded the honor of witnessing a ritual of ultimate sacrifice. One of the cadets elected to give himself for the sake of preserving one of the High Seraphs."

"The angels in charge of keeping the Heavens turning?"

Judy nodded. "There was no successor ready and the death of the Seraph would have cost the Host dearly. Mikhail gave his body for the sake of preserving the Heavens. They extracted his quintessence and allowed the Seraph's to take its place."

Nick stared at her blankly. "I don't understand."

Judy shuddered. "It was done in a surgical theater just like this. I remember every tool and implement. This… It's the same."

Understanding crept into the fox's awareness of both her reaction and the circumstance. "Judy, we don't know that was what was planned here." The only response he got was a shuddering breath as her gaze slid out of focus.

Nick saw he was losing her, so he acted. Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her to face him. "Carrots, look at me." No answer. "Hopps?" When she continued to stare into nothing, he shook her and barked, "Judy! Look at me." That got her eyes to lock onto his. Her hopelessness and desolation were a knife twisting in the pit of his stomach. "Judy, focus on me. We don't know for certain. We need to find proof. Will you help me?"

Her jaw firmed up and she managed a weak nod. Nick returned it and led the way to the bench top closest to the doors, where paperwork was most likely to be stored. Judy trailed along behind, but only had eyes for the room. Nick grabbed the first file and flicked it open. It was a condensed copy of Judy's medical file. No surprise there. Aside from a few notes on compatibility and her astral biorhythms, there wasn't anything he hadn't expected. The second file, on the other hand, was a revelation.

"Carrots, this is the file for Celestine, Custodem in Caelesti Solio."

Judy tried to keep a straight face, or pretend she didn't understand, but it was an obvious lie. To her guilty relief and dread, the fox continued, answering his own question.

"Does this mean what I think it means? That you were going to be the host for the current Divine? Wha- Hang on." Nick's mind reeled as the pieces fell into place. "It wouldn't be possible unless… In order for an organ transplant to be possible, both the donor and recipient need to be compatible. Quintessence is the basis of all existences. It's what makes us, us in whatever form we take. For you to be a candidate, that would mean were were nearly a perfect copy of the Ruler of Heaven on the most basic of all levels. Judy… Are you the successor to the Throne of Heaven? How the hell didn't you know?"

The surgical table was the first thing to break.

Nick stepped through the gateway his Coin opened, just in time to see Judy step through the door. He had to give the rabbit credit. Seeing the bleak look of betrayal and her shuddering little sobs morph into the heaving breaths and snarling face of a furious warrior was quite a sight. However, anyone trained in combat knew anger was a quick way to get killed. Not that he was about to say anything of the kind just then. That was a challenge when the other side of the conversation was moving close to Mach 2 with a blue-white trail of divine fire.

"Rabbit, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill something."

"What, exactly?"

"I don't know!"

"Then, might I suggest avoiding random acts of violence until you have a proper target?" Nick knew he was being snide and dripping condescension. If there was anything that could take her ire, it was him, but the rabbit surprised him.

"I see what you're trying to do."

"Oh?" Nick asked in mild surprise.

"Goad me into venting my anger on you, so I don't do anything stupid. I'm not that undisciplined, Nick, or that stupid."

"Aside from the doctor's office, that is."

Judy sniffed, dropping he ears. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, well. Are you playing the dumb bunny, my dear?", Nick chortled.

"Don't call me that!", she barked.

"Which one? My dear, or dumb bunny?"

"Either!" Her voice was embarrassingly shrill to her own ears.

"Very well, my rabbit."

Judy forcibly exhaled and unclenched her fists. "That sounds inane."

"Then, how does "M'lady" sound?"

Her jaw trembled as her tension splashed up against the wave giddy delight from his words. "Cut it out, Nick. We have work to do."

"I think you've vented your spleen enough as it is." The demon commented wryly, pleased that his word play had blunted her fury a touch. "Don't you usually contain the shockwave when you use your divine might? You shredded what was left of that room and half the floor of the building with that little stunt."

judy growled, actually growled. "It deserved it."

The fox's response was cut short as there was a knock at the door. Just when it was getting good, of course. Nick padded to the door, ready to enlighten Finnick to meaning of the term "poor timing", only it wasn't him. Upon opening the door, he discovered an otter in a food vendor's outfit with a tray of fried food on display.

"Good afternoon, sir. The name's Gerry. Is there anything you'd like?" The chipper voice of the young mustelid earned no reaction from the demon. "We have a lovely variety to choose from. Wouldn't you like something for yourself and the lady?"

"What do you want?"

"To sell you a pouch of fries? Maybe a chimichanga or a tamale?"

Nick sighed. "See, you've already made three mistakes."

"My manager tells me I need to work on my technique," the mustelid smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Does he…"

"She, actually."

"Oh! Well… my apologies. What does she say about your ability to walk through defensive wards?"

"Oh, no…" He groaned. "Did I walk into another LARP?"

"How about the wings?" Nick fluttered his appendages for emphasis. "Did you want to claim you missed those?"

"I've seen better cosplay. Sorry."

"Ok… Wards and wings are two." Nick leaned down to loom over the shorter vendor. "Can you guess the third?"

"Look," Gerry dropped the false cheer. "If you don't want anything you can just drop the bunnicula act and say no."

Nick's claws slashed from the floor straight up in a deadly arc, moving faster than any mortal could perceive. The tray was destroyed, the food scattered, and the otter should have been ribbons of meat on the floor. It wasn't. It was, instead, a flesh bouquet standing a few inches back from where it had been. Everything from the bellybutton up was hamburger, but it still stood.

It swayed slightly before whining, "Really? I just got this one!" in a voice that was a gurgle as much as a rasp.

Judy, who had been mildly curious until the claws came out, rushed over and immediately recoiled. "Oh, merciful heavens!"

What was left of the otter bubbled a laugh, its slices of face smiling at her. "Do you really still think the Heavens are merciful?"

The laughter redoubled as both angel and demon watched the otter pull itself together. Black tendrils and ichor oozed in the wounds and pulled the meat together, but it was not a thorough repair. The eyes wouldn't focus and fur was falling in patches from blackening skin. It was obvious that the monster had drained his current host and whatever durability the inhabitant found in mortal flesh was largely gone.

That didn't stop it from speaking. "One would think you'd know better after your trip to the good doctor's."

Nick was the first to recover. "You seem saner than the last few times we've met. Does that mean you're improving?"

"One must maintain skills to keep them useful. That means practice, practice, practice."

"And what are you practicing, now?" Judy chimed in.

"Sanity." Gerry groaned. "Such an annoyance."

"Practicing… Sanity…"

"As it is not my natural state, I must," the otter giggled. "I must! I must! I must increase my musk!"

"It looks like you're slipping."

"Oh, drat. Well, I am out of practice."

"You don't say," Judy stated coldly.

"I can say a lot more." The otter grinned in the way they had come to know and loathe. "For instance, the demon was right. You should mercy kill the mortals, now before it's too late."

"If it comes to giving them to you and death, I'll consider it," Judy snarled.

"No... Not me for once." Fetid giggling accompanied Gerry's words. "Not yet. No... The coin has two sides. one is black, the other white. Tarnished, rotten white."

"You've been speaking in riddles this whole time. Is that part of your practice?", Nick sneered evenly.

"The best that practices can manage under impatience." Gerry groaned. "You two take sooo long…"

"So long for what?"

"For your parts! Your parts! The parts you play for my amusement!"

"We aren't here for your anything," Judy shouted. Her patience was wearing thin and she saw Nicks was as well from the tremor in his wings.

"Think as you please, but you'll do as I desire and dance and dance and dance for me!"

The demon's voice was sepulchral and cold as ice. "I think I've had enough of this."

Suddenly, the possessed otter turned his burning, insane gaze on the pair and pinned them where they stood. "TAKE HER."

Taken aback Judy rasped, "What?", but the reply was directed solely at the fox.

"Take her! You desire it above all else and you waste your time!"

Nick's fangs gleamed as he snarled. "I have plenty and I will not bow to you."

"No! No time! None! No more time to waste!"

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"Too long… Too long imprisoned in this Russian doll of thought and form!" Gerry shrieked "I must be free!"

Nick's hackles had risen to join his snarl. "I think it's time you left."

Gerry, or what was left of him giggled through a horrifying rictus. "You think yourself so mighty, little ember?"

In response Nick launched a fist at their antagonist only to find himself flung backwards, slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the suite. Judy goggled and backed away from the door as Nick found his feet, summoning his armor and spear.

Bored mustelid crooning split the silence. "A drop and the ocean… The same, yet so different."

Judy felt her own weapons summon to her paws as her armor settled on her frame. She was doubtful it would be any good, but she was not about to go down without a fight.

The otter's eyes managed to focus somewhat and he crooned. "Ah, ah, ahhhhh… No need for that. I'll be on my way. Only do hurry, little ember, little flame. A larger, dying light is coming."

Before either Nick or Judy could strike at the vile creature it seemed to melt and collapse in on itself, becoming a tentacled slug of meat and rotting bones which vanished into a vent down the hall. Judy stood in shock, looking between the door and the demon. She looked at her weapons and felt helpless. Feeling the demon at her back brought an unreasoning catharsis rolled through her. Unsummoning her weapons, Judy turned and saw something she didn't expect.

Nick was thinking.

Putting a paw on his arm, she asked, "What is it?"

His paw covered hers and gently squeezed it as he muttered, "Interesting."

"Interesting? That thing treated you like a rag doll and you find something interesting?"

"I find it interesting that it let me hit it first and then flicked me away like an insect…"

"You aren't a threat to it. Wonderful." Judy's voice was shrill in her own ears and she didn't care. She was close to hysteria when she heard Nick quietly laughing. Turning to stare at the fox, her jaw hung open.

"Oh, Carrots…" He put his paws on her shoulders and stared straight into her eyes. "I wasn't a threat. So why did he back down when you drew your weapons?"

"I— What?" Judy sputtered.

"Come on."

"Come what? Come where? What are you doing?"

"If that thing got in here, then we need to go somewhere else. Somewhere safer."

"There's safer?" Judy asked in obvious bewilderment.

"Yes. Now, get your things." Nick's grin was fierce and eager. "It's time to go to Wilde Times."