AN: Here you go with chapter 2. Once again thanks to CatSamurai and FaroeKing for editing help.

Disclaimer: I do not own Helluva Boss

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

Matthew 21:22

What have I done?

Theniel stared at the curious-looking baby Hellhound in his arms and felt like he would be sick. His feet were standing in a pool of an innocent young one's parents, whom he had killed accidentally. The little puppy didn't know that her caretakers were dead. Never again to hold or love their child. Theniel was doing his best not to picture his son, Mannus, in the Hellhound's place, but he couldn't help it. Maybe it was his parental instincts or the guilt kicking in, but if it had been Mannus in the arms of some demon and he and his beloved wife on the ground...

Suddenly, everything else was irrelevant to him. The Extermination. The demons. The messages he was getting from his A5 Armor. All of it was in his mind as he tried to come to terms with what he had done. He had never managed to kill or hurt a demon who was to be spared instead of killed in his entire career as an Exterminator. He took pride in his professionalism and carefulness to avoid what other dishonorable angels had done in the past, either out of hatred or negligence. Yet today, fate was against him. Today he had joined their ranks and was now beset with self-disgust.

"Waaaahhh!"

Theniel's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the child crying in his arms. Tears shed down her furry cheeks as she began to wail. He quickly comforted her by bringing her gently into his embrace and began to rock her back and forth. Times when Mannus cried at night for one reason or another were warped into his brain as Theniel's body went into "father mode" and began to coo at the little puppy, who started to sniff a little before calming down. He quickly summoned a small ball of light into one hand while using his other arm to carry the Hellhound.

Loona. Her name is Loona.

With the ball of light, designed to be harmless by Theniel's willpower, he gently held it in front of the wide-eyed baby, who looked at it with awe. Taking it with her paws, she joyfully shook it a few times before biting her teeth onto it as if it was a chew toy. Mentally, Theniel made it softer so she could squish it, and a happy bark exited her muzzle as she continued to play with her new toy.

Theniel sighed in relief that the means to calm her down was simple entertainment. He didn't want to think about how he would calm her if she needed to be fed or given a new diaper. That still didn't solve the problem of what he would do with this child. There was no way in Heaven, Earth, Purgatory, Limbo, or Hell that he would let Loona just lay here with her dead parents and hope for the best.

A5. Calculate the survival odds of a Hellhound newborn being left alone in the middle of an Extermination?

Calculating

Odds of Survival: 1 in 79209913041

Yeah, not happening. Information about Hellhound themed orphanages.

While Hell is known for having several various kinds of orphanages, Hellhound Orphanages are more like "pounds" for dogs. This is due to the racial discrimination they face as being seen more like beasts than actual people due to their canine-like qualities. This includes: housing being more like jails, poor food quality, and lack of public decency and sanitation. Any Hellhound not adopted at age 18 is kicked out of the orphanage without assistance.

Most Hellhound orphans are adopted between ages 6 and 10, with girls typically chosen over boys. Despite being classified as living beings, they are treated as pets for other demonic children. These "pets" are eventually thrown back out into the streets, forced into servitude (primarily as bodyguards), or left to set out on their own. Adopted Hellhounds are occasionally treated as family members with good lives, but this is the minority.

Because of their theme of loyalty and combat abilities, Hellhounds often get jobs as bodyguards or similar-themed jobs. Usually, they end up as criminals, but some manage to make a decent living outside of the criminal world. Another common fate is for them to be used as sex workers for those with "furry" tastes. These Hellhounds often start young and, upon getting older, continue to prostitute themselves. They are barely one step up from Imps regarding the Caste system that Hell uses.

...Odds of a happy life if I put in an Orphanage?

Calculating

Odds of Happy Life: 1 in 5841582

Theniel didn't often curse, but this time did. He was starting to see why many angels hated Hell beyond the typical rivalry they'd had since the start of existence. The idea that children could be treated so horribly was mind-blowing to him, and he had seen horrible things on Earth, but this took the cake. He looked at the happy little puppy in his arms and shook his head. He would not put her in one of those hellholes that dared call themselves "Orphanages."

"Maybe I can find you a Hellhound family or one of the packs that live outside of the cities," Theniel muttered, shaking his head. "A5? Look up information about Hellhound packs adopting orphanages into their groups?"

Ironically, despite having values of family and pack mentality. Hellhounds will not adopt their own kind if they are not blood-related due to the superstition that an abandoned Hellhound is seen as bad luck in Hellhound society. This is commonly done by both "City Hellhounds" and "Tribal Hellhounds."

While Hellhounds are known to live in the cities of Hell, the majority of their kind live in packs outside of them and roam around the various rings. These packs range in theme from biker gangs to full-on tribal clans with druid and pagan traditions. They tend to isolate themselves from all others and are xenophobic to outsiders.

The adoption of outsiders among these tribes is sporadic. Any who are taken in are often treated as slaves and highly mistreated. They tend to kill the abandoned young or leave them to die in the wilderness, both due to earlier superstition comments and to have one less mouth to feed.

Hunting Tribal Hellhounds is also popular among high-ranking demons who tend to tread it as humans would hunt foxes for sport. They are also subjected to being sold on Hell's slave market, primarily the sex trade.

"You have to be kidding me," Theniel said to himself as he rubbed his forehead. He then felt a tug on his collar and looked down to see Loona staring at him with wide red eyes. She smiled at him, and it was so cute that he almost forgot that this was a demon in his hands and instead looked no different than any angel or human baby he had seen before. Nuzzling her furry face into his chest, she sighed and slowly snored into his cold metallic armor despite it being as hard as a rock.

And yet...she looked so comfortable and happy.

...A5? Look up adoptions of demonic children among angels, Theniel thought as a part of him wondered if he had lost it. Angels adopting children was common, especially for those who died young or were unfortunate victims of abortion. They would raise the children until their real families came to Heaven (if they did). Even then, they were often happy to be with their angelic parents until they were old enough to live independently. With the infinite resources, assistance, and lack of need for material income, there was no issue in having so many children to love and care for.

But a demon being raised by an angel? Theniel had never heard of such a thing before. There were times when angels and demons had been friends, especially those few who lived in Purgatory. Once or twice, there had been tales of romantic relationships between them. The fact that nephalem (half-angels and half-demons) still existed in various realms proves that co-existence was possible to some degree. However, Theniel knew the rules of Heaven. Impurity and sin were not allowed; as much as Loona was a newborn demon, she was still a demon.

But Theniel didn't care. He owed this baby a better future after taking away her parents, who had been good themselves. Their sins were nothing; they seemed to love and care for one another and their daughter. He had taken that away from Loona, and his duty was to make it right. He didn't mind taking her in and raising her as his own. Hilla, being the kind and loving woman she was, would instantly love Loona despite her origins and care for her like any real mother would. Loona also appeared to be the same age as Mannus, so they could be raised as siblings together. It would be tough for her, a demon raised as an angel, but he was sure he could...

Adopting demonic children is forbidden among angels, as the Angelus Council dictates.

Any attempt to do this will result in immediate investigation and judgment.

Purgatory Law also forbids the adoption of demonic children to angelic parents.

Theniel felt his heart break and swore to get more involved in Heaven's politics after all this. He debated ignoring the law and raising Loona to raise her in secret, but he stopped himself. I'm getting too emotional. I need to think clearly about this.

Leaving Loona alone was not an option. The orphanages were not an option. Adopting her was denied to him. Even leaving her among her own kind was apparently a bad idea. Theniel gritted his teeth and looked into the soft snoring face of the innocent little girl who had just had her entire life ruined by him. Theniel was sure a tear or two was dripping down his face, and he hated it. He hated feeling this weak and helpless, but he hated himself even more.

Suddenly, his A5 armor had a message for him. He opened it up on his visor and felt his face paling upon seeing what it was.

"Exterminator Theniel Helostus.

It has come to our attention that you have two casualties of your extermination listed as "spare."

Effective immediately, you are to report back to Heaven for investigation.

Failure to comply will be met with severe penalties.

You have twenty minutes to return, or else you will be labeled for capture by your fellow Exterminators.

Repeat. Return to HQ at once."

Theniel felt his heart sink. This was bad. No, this was the worst timing possible. He didn't care about the investigation into what he had done. He was more than willing to confess to everything and take whatever punishment was required for his actions. He had killed two parents who were not supposed to die that day. Even if his actions were by accident, it was still his fault, and he accepted full accountability.

But Loona? His mind was going a million thoughts a minute as he tried to think of a solution. She needed to be safe. Someone had to care for her. He had to do it. He couldn't live with himself if he knew that not only he left her an orphan but also left her to suffer more afterward. He felt his teeth gritting against each other and his hold on Loona increasing, which made her wake up and look around as if she could sense something was wrong.

Please, God. Help her. Just help her. I ruined her life. Please, I'll take whatever punishment you want but give me something that can help her! Anything!

"Oh shit!"

SMASH!

Theniel turned around sharply and saw that a few trash cans were lying on the ground, messed up and turned over by a figure slowly getting up and moaning from the pain. The figure was an imp, taller than most, with white makeup on his body while dressed in a black showman's trench cloak with a strange red skull bell around his neck. He had long horns of black and white and was bald save for a single strain of hair on top. He cursed up a storm while rubbing his head and back before noticing Theniel standing before him and went wide-eyed.

There was a long awkward silence between the angel and the imp as they stared at each other.

Name: Blitzo Buckzo

Demonic Race: Imp

Occupation: Assassin

Sins: Multiple Acts of Murder, Multiple Acts of Theft, Vandalism, Public Indecency, Public Intoxication, Embezzlement, Tax Evasion, Breaking and Entering, Multiple DUI's, Animal Theft (Horses), Illegal Weapon Purchase, Failure To Pay Parking Tickets, Multiple Acts of Faking Death, and Jaywalking

Judgment: Exterminate

Theniel sighed and prepared to take out this Imp. His multiple sins were impossible to ignore. Even though Loona was his priority, he couldn't forget what was happening. He was about to summon a gun and ended this quickly when he paused upon seeing that this Blitzo character's gaze was not on him, but on something else. Specifically, someone else.

Narrowing his eyes, Theniel had to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. The Imp worried not so much about his life because there was an Exterminator in front of him, but rather the baby Hellhound that Theniel held in his hands. The flintlock pistol in the Imp's hand was gripped tightly, and he looked almost ready for a fight. Theniel blinked and wondered something that made him pause. Is he...Is he concerned about Loona?

He closely looked into the assassin Imp's stance. He was ready to fight. That much was certain. Even though he was armed with a single-shot pistol and looked ready to piss himself, he was willing to fight him. Not for his own survival, because his eyes never left Loona's gaze, who was staring at the Imp with curious eyes. It was like he was ready to grab her and run for the hills.

Theniel stared at the list of sins again. By all rights, this Imp was a person who had many crimes from being a selfish, immature, and outright horrible excuse for a living being who should be punished for his terrible nature and actions. He had seen demons throw their loved ones at him before, even their children, to save their own skin. And yet, here he was willing to die to defend a baby that he thought Theniel was going to kill just like the parents before him.

An absolute monster would run as fast as they could and let the baby serve as a means to distract Theniel.

But this Imp was willing to die for a baby Hellhound he had never met.

...A5? Odds of Loona having a good life under the care of this Imp? Calculate to include everything known about Blitzo Buckzo. His past and present. Crimes. Deeds. Everything that is known about him.

Calculating

Odds of Happy Life: 1 in 231

That was the best odds so far.

There really was no other option.

Time was against him, and he had to make a choice before the order for him to be brought in was activated.

It was time to take a leap of faith and pray for the best.

Activating his distorted voice box, Theniel held Loona towards Blitzo. "Take her and run."

"...Huh?" Blitzo said in both confusion and shock.

"Take Loona and run. Raise her. Care for her with love. Treat her as her own. Do this, and I will spare you."

Blitzo stood there frozen before finally shaking his head and slowly walking over. It felt like time had frozen still as he took Loona from Theniel and looked up at the angel in awe. Theniel looked at the confused little Hellhound baby who was looking at Blitzo and then at Theniel. He closed his eyes and prayed to the Lord above that her life would be good. That she would be safe and loved.

And to one day forgive him for what he had done to her.

"Go."

That was all Blitzo needed to move his feet. He watched as he ran around the corner, clutching Loona wrapped in her blanket, and was gone.

She was gone.

Theniel sighed and looked at the deceased bodies of her parents and knelt before them. "Forgive me. I am so sorry."

With one last sigh, he opened his wings and flew to find a safe place to portal himself back to Heaven.

It was over.

Extermination Day had ended.

A total of 90 million demons were killed this year.

And yet all Theniel could think of was the two innocent ones he had killed. He wished he could have given them decent burials but was pressed for time. It was the least he could have done to them after ending their lives without warning. He wondered if Blitzo was taking care of Loona now. Or if he had decided to just dump her in an orphanage. If he so much as harmed her...

It was funny. It was still only hours ago, yet all Theniel could think about was that little Hellhound. Her wide innocent eyes and happy smile as she nuzzled against him like a plushie doll. It made him all but run home and cradle his own son once he had been dismissed by his superiors after giving his report. They found the entire incident an accident and were willing to punish him lightly, but it mattered nothing in the end. He had handed in his resignation. He couldn't do it anymore. Not after what he had done. Not after what just happened.

They understood and thanked him for his service before finishing the final paperwork. By the time Extermination Day was over, he was no longer an Exterminator. Just another angel. But he felt like a sinner.

He killed two innocent people, even if they were demons, and he orphaned a young little baby. Now he understood why some humans drank out of guilt. Too bad angels didn't get drunk.

Cradling his son, a lamp light shone upon him as he sat on a rocking chair in the nursery. Theniel wished he could have kept Loona. Maybe it was out of guilt, or perhaps they connected the moment they saw each other, but he wished she was here. In his arms with her possible adopted brother. He could imagine the two looking at each other curiously before playing. He would sing to them, rock them to sleep, and kiss them goodnight.

He didn't know again if this was guilt or father instincts.

"Still can't sleep?"

Looking up, he saw Hilla levitating by the entrance. She put her feet down and slowly walked over to Theniel before wrapping her arms around his neck. A small kiss on his cheek for comfort warmed him like a hot blanket over his cold body, and he sighed in relief. "I can't. All I can think about is her."

"You have to have faith that she's being looked after," Hilla whispered.

"I left her in the company of a ruthless assassin who had committed enough crimes to be exterminated twice over," Theniel snorted. "That's not exactly a comforting thought."

"You didn't have any other options."

"I could have brought her home. Hid her in secret."

"God sees everything, my love, especially in Heaven," Hilla pointed out as she gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm not saying I wouldn't have accepted it. I would have gladly taken her in, but even you know such a thing would never have been allowed. Not to mention we don't know the first thing about caring for a demonic baby, let alone a Hellhound."

"There are Winged Wolf angels that were once Hellhounds during the times when redemptions were common," Theniel said as he shook his head. "We could have asked them for help. Blessed be, maybe they might have been good choices as well."

"Theniel," Hilla sighed as she touched his shoulder, "I understand that you feel guilty for what you have done, but you cannot let this consume you. If not just for your sake, but your family, who worries about you. You have faith in the Lord, yes?"

"Of course," Theniel stated firmly.

"Then trust that he heard your prayer and that this Blitzo character will care for her regardless of his past. Perhaps she will be what he needs to change his life around, just as she will need him for guidance and love," Hilla said as she took their son from Theniel's arms and held him close. "Come to bed, my love. And then I suggest making arrangements to speak to a therapist to deal with what has happened."

"I don't need—" He shut his eyes and paused. "No, you are right. I need to talk to someone about this."

"And we will be here for you," Hilla said as she kissed him on the forehead. "Now, come to bed."

"Let me just say a few more prayers? I promise I'll be in bed soon," Theniel whispered as his wife stared at him for a while before nodding.

As she left the room with her son, Theniel slowly got up and returned to his study, where his private prayer room and the altar stood. He knelt down on it, did the cross sign, and whispered aloud, hoping the Lord could hear him. "Father, forgive me, for I have sinned on this day. I have ended the existence of two beings who were not supposed to die according to your will. I have failed you in this regard, and I beg your forgiveness. I also ask you to watch over their daughter, Loona, who I have placed in the hands of an Imp named Blitzo. Watch over her and give her the love and care I have taken from her unjustly. May she be happy and looked over by you despite her demonic status. Give her a future I nearly ended, and may she be safe from all threats. I ask this of you, almighty God, protector of the innocent, to look after this one demon whose life I have ruined. Amen."

Theniel sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes. It was all up to God and fate now.

And he hoped that one day, even if it took forever, he would know he made the right choice.