I was sore.

I had no dreams, per usual. The default ringtone of my phone woke me up from my sleep, buzzing in my pocket. I sighed, stretching my arms and legs which earned a few painful pops. I pushed the warm blanket off myself, breathing in the warm air of the office. I snaked a hand into my pocket, blindly swiping the screen a few times until the annoying alarm ceased. Then, I stared at the ceiling, my breathing slow and deep.

I wonder if... hmm... maybe, that's a big maybe, but not impossible.

Taking a final deep breath, I rolled myself off the couch, landing face first on the floor. Yes, the floor is made out of floor. I gathered all the strength I had and got up, wishing for more time in bed. Mornings weren't my strong side, but there was a way to get over them.

I rubbed my eyes, yawning out loud. I began pulling the phone out but quickly let it go, instead looking over at the clock. The time was just as I set my alarm too, of course.

I was so unfocused it was embarrassing, I couldn't let anyone see me like this. I squinted around the living room until I spotted the corridor to the kitchen, I had taken notice of it when I went down the other corridor, and began trudging over there. Every step felt like a someone was sitting on my shoulders and kicking my chest.

Did I mention I hated mornings? Well, not hate. I prefer waking up at noon and sleeping after midnight, that's all. Hate is a strong word, one that was reserved for a select of individuals.

Shaking away the dark thoughts, I moved towards brighter ones; cooking!

Once I arrived at the kitchen, I was ecstatic. Haha, just kidding, it was a little underwhelming. It was a simple one; oven, stove, microwave, table for four, cabinets, fridge, everything you'd find in the average kitchen. It wasn't anything like Uncle's or Babushka's, but it'd do.

I stretched my hands over my head one more time, really getting all the sneaky nooks out of my system. I took another deep breath, readying myself for what I was about to do. I walked over to the sink, turned on the cold water, clumped my hands under the running water, leaned over the sink and splashed my face. I gasped from the sudden rush, fully waking up from my slumber.

ALL RIGHT! LET'S FUCKING DO THIS! YEAH!

I went over to the fridge, bringing out every ingredient that could be useful in executing my grand plan. Eggs, milk, butter, salt from the cabinet, orange juice? Sure. Death Smash? What is that? No, don't touch that, sounds alcoholic. Hmm... veggies, okay, okay, getting somewhere. Bread? Yes, definitely.

I arranged all the ingredients from left to right on the counter from smallest to biggest. Okay, if this is what I had to work with I'd make do. Bingo! It was perfect, let's get down to business.

First, I washed the eggs under cold water. Then, I brought a pan out of one of the drawers, it was big enough to cook two eggs at a time. I placed it over the stove on low heat, letting the metal heat up as I moved on to making a simple salad. I washed each vegetable and cut them into thin slices, taking my time so as to not injure myself. There was no pressure, what matters is pouring your heart into your work, a double-bladed ideal.

Once I was done with the vegetables, I slid them into a large bowl, peppering and salting them along with a cup of olive oil. I mixed them around until they glistened in the soft light from the rising sun. Wait, did they have their own sun? Never mind, later.

I put the bowl aside to rest and returned to the pan, I hovered my hand over it to feel if it was ready. The heat didn't hurt, it was close-

I stopped everything I was doing, realizing something very simple. I'd woken up early so I could have time to prepare, but my customers weren't even here. The couple was still at their home and the other two were sleeping. I smacked my forehead over and over again, muttering insults at myself for being so stupid. I was rustier than a junkyard, but that only meant I had a lot to improve on.

I covered the salad bowl with a towel so nothing unwanted landed on the precious vegetables, turning off the stove and taking a seat while debating what I should do. I didn't want to disturb them if they were still sleeping, but... I'll wait, no harm in that.

I opened my phone with a swipe, I had no connection which wasn't a big surprise, but now I had nothing to do but wait. I sighed, holding up my head with a hand. I opened the gallery, scrolling through recent images, the newest one being from one and a half years ago. It was a picture of me and a few other dudes, standing next to one another with our arms over each other's shoulders. Ah, that's Lenny, and that's Josh, and Bob. Good guys, shame what happened to us.

I exited the photo and swiped down until I got to some memes from high school. And so I spent the next half an hour being unproductive. The salad will be fine, a little soggy but fine. And hey, some people like that, the same way some like pineapple on pizza. Don't give me that look, you never know until you try.

Quiet footsteps became more audible as the seconds ticked by, I continued using my phone while paying close attention to whoever that was. Blitz entered the kitchen, he was groggy and muttered something about coffee. I put away my phone, clearing my throat so he'd notice me.

The demon turned to me, muttering something else. Before he could add anything I asked, "How do you like your coffee?"

He took a moment to think about it before responding, "No sugar, no milk, just dark coffee."

"Coming right up," I replied, standing up and moving over to the cabinets, "Where is it?"

"Second from the left, can't miss it," he replied, plopping down on a chair. He was wearing the exact same outfit as yesterday except he was missing his jacket.

I took the box of black, ground-up coffee off its shelf, there was a cute little demon thing logo on it. Ha, even in Hell they have brands. Well, economy, though it's still something to take in.

"There's a coffee machine there," he pointed. How did I miss that? I wanted to make it myself, but I'll do as he wishes. I went over to the coffee maker, refilling the kettle with fresh water and depositing a generous amount of the black powder into its right place. I pressed a button with the power symbol and an option came up to set the time.

"Five minutes," he instructed, staring at me struggling with the machine. I never used those things, I always made my own on rare occasions when I didn't have time to rest. It was disgusting, but oh boy was I awake after drinking that.

I did as he told me and the maker began, well, making the coffee, however it did. A sharp exhale left my mouth, I turned to the demon.

"When are they others coming?"

"Fifteen minutes tops," he replied, going back to his own phone. I leaned with my elbows on the counter, staring into the air. Just because I had patience didn't mean I liked waiting. What to do, what to do...

How about another story? This one won't be boring, I promise! So, one time my dad took me fishing in a lake. It was my first time, so I needed his help. Wait, no. Hahaha, take that out of context and you got yourself a prime joke. He showed me how to prepare a fishing rod for throwing, going over each bait type-

"Jack, I wanna ask you something," blitz said, bringing me back to the present.

"Hmm? Yes?"

"Sit down," he gestured at the opposing chair, I approached it and sat down, growing nervous. "You're an assassin, right?"

"Well, technically-"

"It's a yes or no question, no in between."

"Then yes, why?"

"How long have you been in the business?"

"Three years?" I estimated, rotating my hand from side to side.

"Do you have any advice for me?" He took me by surprise, sending me into a loop. Why all of a sudden?

"Are you a rookie?" He went silent, debating something with himself.

"Technically," he replied, grinning with a cheeky glint. Nice one, fair enough.

"Advice... advice... be selective."

"Pardon?"

"Pick your targets wisely, don't just go for the the first bastard you see. Do your homework, assess the target, plan ahead of time. Make Plan A, B, C, all the way down to Z."

"But we'll miss out on income!"

"I'm talking about long term, if you really want to succeed, you got to be careful of who you mess with. It's like a boomerang, it'll come back to smack you in the face. It happened to me," on the wrong end.

He thought long and hard about what I told him, shaking his head. "Alright, keep this between us or I'll fucking hang you."

I gave a single nod, not taking the threat too seriously. I wish them good luck in their future, many businesses never make it past the first years. And in this kind of business, most don't make it past the first month. It's a dangerous job, but there are some perks to it.

Faint footsteps came closer to the kitchen from the same direction Blitz arrived, I knew exactly what to expect.

The she-wolf let out a groan, half-lidded eyes scanning the kitchen. Until they landed on me, her demeanor changed and she was a little less pleased with her morning. I didn't look up from my own phone, though I didn't do anything with it. I just kept my attention at it while being aware of my surroundings, a useful trick I've learned throughout the years.

"Blitz," Loona muttered, sitting down at a chair between me and the demon.

The coffee maker dinged, so I got up and went over to it. I took two cups out of another cabinet and poured the dark liquid until both of them were two thirds full. I then put a cup in front of each demon and returned to the counter. I had a feeling the romantic pair would arrive shortly, it was mostly hope because I wanted to get out of here.

Loona stared at me for a second before sipping her cup, taking shallow gulps as she gradually reawakened. Blitz was the opposite of that; he chugged down the entire mug in a second, finishing with a satisfied sigh.

"Ahh~ Nothing like coffee in the morning, Loony?" He smiled at her, but she remained neutral. Hey, at least she didn't insult me, yay.

I looked at my wrist- like an idiot. Old habit of mine, I used to have a wrist watch in high school because phones were prohibited in class. I asked my uncle to buy me one so I could use it for various reasons. I still owed him for that, too bad.

"Sooo... when are they coming?" I asked, attempting to break the ice.

My question was answered by Moxxie clearing his throat, entering the kitchen along with Millie.

"Good morning."

"Sup ugly," Loona replied, shutting down the positivity in the room.

He groaned in response, moving to me. Millie had a bag with her, ah, perfect.

"Hey," I gave a small wave.

"Hey," he returned. Millie handed me the duffle bag, from what I could see in there, there was a mask connected to some dark cloth, a very long coat of sorts, shiny gloves and something longer, most likely a scarf. Wonderful! Time to get to business.

"Thank you," I said, counting a stack of cash I had in one of my jacket's inner pockets. Barely enough, though I had a few extra dollars hidden in multiple parts on me. No, no dirty spots, that's gross.

I slid ten thousand across the table to Blitz, and tipped another ten to Moxxie. He seemed shocked for a moment before pocketing the money, whispering something to Millie.

"Alrighty then! As I promised, I'll make you something to eat so take a seat, it'll take a couple minutes," I cracked my knuckles, moving to the fridge in order to bring the salad out of the freezing gulag. I then began making the main part of the meal; a fried egg on a toast.

I turned the heat back on under the pan, opening the same bottle of olive oil and gifting the surface of the metallic tool with some rain. I then rearranged the ingredients on the counter for my liking. Once that was done, I began cooking the main course of the meal.

While the pan was re-heating, I took four pieces of white bread, putting two in the toaster and moving down the hammer. Ah! Can't forget the seasoning. I may be white, but I'm not that white, if you get what I'm saying. Salt and pepper are the building blocks in cooking, they're just so good.

I hovered my hand over the pan until the heat reached the right temperature, nodding to myself. I broke two eggs over the pan, throwing away the shells in a garbage bin under the sink. Perfect! The toast and eggs will both be warm when served, take that world!

The little things, enjoy the little things.

I gave a fair peppering and salting to the frying eggs, letting the aroma fill the room. It was so mmm my mouth started to water. I could imagine the juiciness of the egg yolk melting along with the toast, combining together to make a crunching and tasty texture. Ah! It's done.

I moved the pan off the heat, a moment later the toasted bread jumped out of the toaster and fell back in. I brought two medium plates and assembled the breakfast; fried egg on top the toast, at the side a scoop of salad. Notice something missing? Drink. I shook the plastic bottle to spread the taste around, pouring the juice into two tall glasses.

I quickly debated who I should give the first plates to and decided on Blitz and Loona. They were here the longest, as petty as it sounds. And I did just that, I placed the plates in front of the relatively tall demon and wolf-woman. "Enjoy," I told them, moving back to the stove to make the other two meals.

I repeated the entire process, wiping off the sweat on my face with my sleeve. I swear it was winter, maybe in Hell they don't have seasons? Nevertheless, I was dripping under my clothes, and without style.

I turned the knob to its origins position, the tiny flames died and all was done. I brought the plates to the couple, also wishing them enjoyment in the food. If I had to pick a favorite food it'd have to be...

...

Vanilla ice cream.

I began cleaning up the mess I made, returning the salt and pepper to the cabinet. I let the pan rest as I waited for them to finish their food, thinking of what I would do next.

Blitz was the first to finish, staring at the plate with dead eyes. He slowly turned to me, did I do something wrong? Too much salt? Too little? Undercooked? Overcooked? Badgoodwhatnoyes-

"That. Was fucking delicious," he clapped several times, and I sighed in relief. If I could make one person happy, that was enough for me.

"Are you a chef? This is," moxie took a bite of the toast and egg, shivering from the taste, "fantastic."

"Thank you, thank you. No, I'm a home cook."

"Surprised you weren't snatched yet," Millie commented, also enjoying the breakfast.

"Millie!"

"What?"

"Wait, what do you mean 'snatched'?" My heart skipped a beat, shit, I was gun-less. An American without a gun?! What?! Impossible! In all seriousness, I felt naked without my trusty revolver. WHY DIDN'T I TAKE IT?! FUCKING STUPID! I dug my nails into the palm of my hand, that was going to leave a mark for a while.

"N-never mind her," Moxxie whispered something to her, which resulted in a playful punch to his shoulder and a snicker.

Loona was the last to finish, sighing in satisfaction. She glanced at me, "It was okay," she said, and that was that.

I proceeded to take every plate, and the utensils, to the sink. Turning the faucet on, I dropped the soup- bad wording, I soaked a sponge with some dish soap. I washed plate after plate, fork after fork.

"You don't have to-"

"I insist. I made the mess, I clean it," I stated, quietly humming a song. This might sound weird, but I enjoyed doing stuff like this. It's simple yet meaningful, it brings me happy feelings. I like happy feelings from time to time, along with unhappy ones.

Once every plate and utensil was sparkling clean, I placed them on that thing that holds them so they dry off. I washed my hands and dried off with another towel, sharply inhaling which was followed by a suppressed cough.

I turned to face the still seated demons, clapping my hands together. "Welp, glad you enjoyed it. Do you have a bathroom here?"

"What do you think?" Blitz retorted.

"Stupid question, where is it?"

"Down the hall, second on the right wall."

"Thanks," I took the bag with me to the bathroom, following the given directions. Once I entered the room, I turned on the faucet and coughed a couple times into my hand, spitting some saliva into the toilet.

Turning off the water, I opened the bag to see what I had in hand; a long overcoat, good. A full-head mask to hide my ugly mug, haha. It reminded me of the ghost face mask I wore as part of a prank in middle school. I was suspended for a single day because the poor girl pissed her pants, was very funny and worth it.

I pulled a short scarf out of the bag, okay, it's pretty thin, and leather gloves. Alright! I believe that's about it. I searched deeper into the bag, yup, that was that. I then put on the clothes starting with the coat and ending with the scarf, sealing away my true self.

It was perfect, but there was one small issue; I was sweating gallons. Not only did I have drip, I had drip, yo. It'd do for now, I can worry about comfortability later on.

I flushed the toilet, washed my hands a second time and left the bathroom. I returned to the living room where the four of them were waiting for me. I smiled under my mask, presenting my arms wide, "Well? How do I look?"

"Like any other degenerate here," blitz commented, eliciting a chuckle from me.

"Um, it's okay. Blitz, I-"

"Later M, now! I'm glad to conclude our business together, and remember your half of the deal ,yeah?"

"Of course, I'll get rid of them in a few days, promise," I offered a handshake and he took it. He had every right to be worried but he had no reason to. I never go back on my promises, I wouldn't have gotten this far if I were a disloyal jerk.

He let go of my hand and gestured to go after him, so I did. The five of us walked towards where I'd seen the couple exit, around the corner we ended up at the reception area, a set of double doors leading out of here.

"You'll need to take the stairs, the elevator is out of order," Blitz said, checking his phone.

"Why? No that I have a problem with that, but why's that?"

"Some retard broke the buttons."

I laughed, naughty words is funny, "Understandable."

I sighed, turning to face the four. "Well, this is it. I wish you all well. You seem decent enough, so keep at it! And Blitz, remember what I told you, yes?" He nodded, drawing the others' attention.

"What's he talkin' 'bout?" Millie asked.

"Doesn't matter."

"Farewell, people!" I waved a hand, walking to the double doors, in turn they also gave their goodbyes, more or less. This is it, this is the moment.

I placed each hand on a door and pushed them open, leaving their office. The doors creaked behind me, a click signifying they were shut. I looked to my left and right, another, albeit larger, corridor. In front of me was another office of sorts, behind a tinted glass view I was a bunch of demons partying, I think? No matter, just leave.

I saw down the right a staircase leading all the way to the ground floor, as I began walking there a set of doors opened. I glanced behind me, confused at why the demons would want from me. However, they weren't the same ones I'd become familiar with, these were strangers from the office across Blitz's.

There were three of them and all were women. They wore revealing outfits that made me internally recoil, Uncle raised no simp.

The tallest of the three had pink skin, not like caucasian pink, like pink-pink. She had two horns on her head, as expected with most demons. She had two small wings on her back and a spade end for her tail tipped with black. She was chatting with her friends until she spotted me, a devious smile creeping onto her face.

"Hello there, and who might you be?" She said, swaying her hips as she approached me. My heart rate spiked, stranger danger! Stranger danger!

"Nobody," I responded, clenching a fist behind my back.

"Hey 'N-nobody'," one of her friends hiccupped, leaning for support on the third.

"Haven't seen you around, why are you here? Looking for some fun~?" She was too close for comfort, my height did nothing to help me as her breasts were this close to my face. I took a step back, craning my head upwards.

"I had some business with the ones across for you, now if you'll excuse me-"

"Hold it, you're with that limp dick imp?" The pink demon snorted.

"We're not friends, purely business."

"HA! I bet he's small too!" The third added, and the second giggled like a hyena. I hate drunks, so unreasonable.

"Eh, you're probably right," I shrugged, ready at a moment's notice to throw a punch, though that would be a bad idea since they're literal demons and I was missing my precious bang-bang.

"What?" the tallest broke from her persona, baffled at my reply.

"What do you want with me?" I wanted to get this interaction over with, why do I always attract the weirdos? Is it because I'm also weird? Life truly is a fucking comedy.

"Let's have sex!" the second shouted, earning a slap from the one helping her stand.

"No," I simply replied, my cheeks reddening under my mask.

"I have prote-" her friend covered her mouth, awkwardly smiling at me. Yup, and I'm the weird one.

"...Yeah, okay, bye bye," I turned away, increasing my pace to a speed walk. Before I could make it a meter away, the tall demon grabbed my shoulder.

"Hey, wait-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed, slapping her hand away with the force of a punch.

They stared in silence, my reaction had taken them off guard. I used this moment to get away and walked to the stairs, down them and out of the building, breathing a sigh of relief. I brushed off the invisible, non-existent germs she passed to me. I shivered despite the heat, shaking away the experience.

I scanned the area around me; unfamiliar streets and faces. At least no one stared at me, though I did get the odd glance here and there. Right, plan, plan. The plan. I had a hard time thinking after... that. I let go off a breath I didn't notice I was holding, looking down at my feet.

I closed my eyes, letting the surroundings fade into darkness. The plan, the plan, the plan...

Lenny.

My head shot up, determination in my eyes. I began walking down the street, where? Doesn't matter, exploring time. If I didn't find what I was looking for in the first hour, I'll ask the denizens. If that doesn't work, let's not get to that.

As bad as this place seemed, it was pretty interesting. The many faces of many species, is that it? I don't know. The diversity was something else, really. The more I went around, the more questions I had. There was a lot on my mind, but what mattered was finding Lenny, and I knew just the place.

I stood outside a generic gaming store, admiring the work that went into constructing this dank hole.

After walking for less than an hour around the city, which I now knew was Imp City thanks to the endless neon signs around, I came across this store. It wasn't anything over the top, but I bet the inside was much better than the outside. Lenny wasn't known for esthetics, but he wasn't that known back then either.

I entered the store, the ring of a bell above indicating a potential customer had arrived, hey, that's me! Although I wasn't here to buy anything, the golden time for video games had passed long ago.

A chubby, red-skinned imp sat behind the counter, watching something on a small television in front of him. The moment he heard the bell he turned off the box, giving me his full attention.

"Morning, how can I help you?" A sort of anarchy is in place, yet they somehow manage capitalism. What a wild world this is.

"Morning," I greeted him, glancing at the electronics neatly organized on the shelves, the companies and brands were parodies of the ones on Earth, typical, but funny. "I'm looking for someone."

"Sir, we sell electronics. If you want to find someone go to assassins or-"

"Don't worry man, I'm sure you can help me with that," I approached the demon who seemed to recoil in his chair. "Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble." I put my hands up, smiling behind the mask.

"Then...?"

"I'm looking for Lenny," the imp froze, staring at me. Jackpot.

"W-who?"

"Lenny Miller? Tech guy? Really smart? Come on, you know who I'm talking about," I leaned on the counter, inspecting a smartphone case with red hearts and fire all over.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

I groaned, massaging my forehead, "Stop, you're embarrassing yourself. I'm a friend of his, he knows me," the imp calmed down but was still wary, pulling out his own cellphone and dialing a number.

"H-how so?"

"Doesn't matter. By the way, don't stutter, it's an obvious sign of fear," the receiver answered the phone call.

"Boss? No, e-everything's fine... There's someone looking for you... N-no! What? What's your name?" the imp asked, still stuttering.

"Jack," I answered, growing excited over the surprise I was going to give Lenny, but also anxious.

"His name's Jack... yes... o-okay? Really?! Yes sir! O-okay, right away," the receiver, Lenny I assumed, ended the call and the imp seemed much calmer and collected.

"Well? What did he say?" I inquired, grinning like a kid in a candy store.

"He told me to drive you to the Elevators. I don't know who you are, but you just earned me a day off, so thanks!"

"No problem, I told you I meant no trouble."

"Yeah, well, there aren't many honest sinners in Hell," we both chuckled, though mine was bitter. Not just in Hell, on Earth too. We could all use a little more honesty, even with ourselves.

The imp got up from his swivel chair, the fabric was a little torn and had lost its color due to frequent use. He walked over to the front door and flipped over the sign from open to closed. Then, he went around the store turning off the lights and air conditioner that I hadn't noticed. Once he was done, he gestured to me to follow him out of the store. He closed the entrance with a double twist, checking that it was truly locked.

I followed him around the block to a parking lot. There were sports cars, trucks, muscle cars and- wait, that's the I.M.P logo, huh, neat. We ended our short journey before a pickup truck, it looked old but was without a speck of rust. Hey, as long as a car can drive, who cares how it looks? From point A to B, that's it. That ought to trigger the car enthusiasts.

"Here it is, my baby. It ain't much-"

"But it's honest work," I finished. He unlocked the car with a press of his key, I sat down at the passenger's seat while he ignited the engine with a few twists. The machine came to life, revving up for action.

"Alright, to the station we go," he told himself, reversing the truck out of the lot and into the main street, driving at a decent speed. I looked out of the window at the passer-byers, everyone was so different, so unique, but at the same time they were the same. Old tactics, old tricks, new faces. It's all the same, I know it will be.

"You're new to Hell, right?" The imp brought me back to the present. I averted my gaze away from the randoms to the windshield, avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah, it's fascinating."

"How so?"

"Everything. I mean, Hell's real? You know?" the imp nodded, turning right at an intersection.

"Can't imagine what it's like, I'm a hellborn."

"Oh, so you were born here... well of course, stupid answer. And what are those... wolf-people?" He snorted, releasing the gas pedal as he came to a stop at a red light.

"Wolf-people, that's a new one. They're called Hellhounds and are also hellborns. You really know nothing, do you?"

"Yeah, sorry," the imp gave me a funny look before shaking his head.

"...What was that?"

"Hmm?" a car sped by us, going well over the speed limit. Was there even a speed-limit? I doubt it.

"That switch, the fuck was that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That- fucking bipolar shit man, you just went from... forget it," good, don't push me around. You don't know me, sir. There are things that are better left buried.

The light turned yellow and then green, the truck moved forward and the drive went on. We turned a couple more streets before we arrived at the same impressive building I'd noticed from the window. It wasn't just high, it was thick too, no double c you naughty. There were giant demons guarding the perimeter of "The Elevator" as he called it, checking every person that went in and out except a select few.

"Here we are. See the one with the purple bowtie?" He pointed at a particular demon with said bow tie, standing guard alongside his comrades, "He's expecting you, just telling him you're with the boss and you're good."

"Alrighty then, thank you," he was taken aback by my gratitude, muttering "no problem" in response.

I stepped out of the truck, closing the door with a casual swing. As I approached the front plaza of the massive building, I straightened out my clothes. I sniffed my armpit, recoiling in disgust. Yup, shower was needed.

"Hey there handsome~ Looking for a good time?" A woman slightly shorter than me offered, swaying her hips from side to side.

"No thanks."

"How about something bigger, hmm?" a different demon beside the first butted in, pushing out her much bigger bust. Ugh, prostitutes, so annoying.

"Nah, I'm good," I was nearing the designated giant, but before I could get to him a male demon wearing skimpy clothing blocked my way.

"Hey sexy~ How about-"

"Yo! Back the fuck off whores!" the giant shouted, and the whores backed off scoffing, moving on to other people going on about their business.

"Thanks," they also smelled awful, just awful.

The demon grunted, returning to his position. I approached him and cleared my throat, crossing my arms behind my back, "Excuse me?"

"What?"

"Lenny."

He stared, dumbfounded at me before the piece fell into place. He nodded and gestured to me to follow him. Lots of following today, I never liked tailing missions, boring. Anyhow, I did so and passed through the main doors close behind him. The other guards didn't seem to mind me one bit, nice.

Inside the station were rows of connected seats to wait on, guards at every corner and demons of varying stature and all that. There were five large elevators lined next to each other in the center. One elevator arrived and its doors opened on two, parallel sides, cool.

We ended up in what could only be a higher-class zone, it's comforting to see that the rich stay the same. These demons had the vibes of power and authority, the latter of which I had problems with. There were owls, snakes, bulls, hybrids of different animals, even smoke, yes, their bodies constantly let off smoke vapors, and other weird stuff straight out of your imagination, too bad I lacked one.

There was an empty row beside a sixth, reserved elevator for the cool kids. And unlike the regular seats, these were bigger, and made of better materials.

"The next ride is in ten minutes, I will take you to him once we are there."

"Hmm, glad to see he's doing well," I commented, attempting to whistle while looking around the station. There were massive chandeliers hanging far above us, I believe the candles were also real, incredible.

I sat down, but the large demon remained on his feet. Even though the chairs were much better, they were still too narrow for him. Is that a fat joke? If that makes you mad, sure. It wasn't fair though, it really wasn't.

"Mind I ask how you know him?" the giant asked. A smoke figure glanced at me multiple times, whispering something to another, more feminine smoke figure.

"We're good friends."

"Yes, but how?"

"Does it matter? We have a long history, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"..." the demon didn't respond, sighing in defeat. Did Lenny change? If it were for the worse, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to help me meet up with him. Right? Fuck. I need to think.

A few minutes passed by as I calculated any possible ways Murphy's law could screw me over for the millionth time, the demon stood guard by my right side while still doing his job. I was so focused on myself that I didn't notice someone sitting down next to me. I rubbed my chin in thought, exhaling through my nose in frustration.

"-excuse me? Hello? Hellooo?" A girly voice derailed my train of thought, making me jolt out of my seat which was followed by a giggle. I glanced to the left, a smoke figure in the next seat. I broke into a sweat for multiple reasons which I will not go into.

Coming down from my moment of adrenaline, I relaxed in the chair. "Hello," I'll humor her, something to distract myself from my worries.

She fiddled with her fingers before continuing, "H-how are you?"

"Good, you?" she was definitely not expecting my straight-forwardness. Though my heart ached for some reason, I didn't like that.

"U-um, so I, um, I..." from afar I could see a couple other, similar smoke figures giggling amongst each other, pointing at the poor girl. I sighed, craning my head at the ceiling.

"This is a dare, isn't it?" she then broke into a jumble of sounds and letters, eliciting a chuckle from the giant who was witness to all of this. I never liked truth or dare much. Like many things in life, in theory it sounded great. In practice? Not so much.

"Attention all passengers, the Pride Elevator will be shortly arriving, please prepare for boarding," an announcement stated, finally.

I stood up from my seat, coughing into my gloved hand. Time to go.

"W-wait! I also think you're cute!" the smoke demon semi-whispered, reaching a hand to me.

Cute. huh. That's a first. When was the last time I received a compliment? Nah, it was probably just a lie. A way to get my guard down, to betray me. Feelings. Silly, but useful.

"I'm not cute," I turned to face the demon," I'm very ugly, that's why I wear this mask," I pointed at my face, enjoying her stunned reaction. "How old are you? If I may know."

"E-eighteen?" she sounded unsure, a big, red flag.

"Whether that's true or not, mind your feelings. They're just chemicals in your brain after all."

"Let's go," the giant said, starting towards the elevator. I waved goodbye to the she-smoke, humming away the nasty taste in my mouth. A few moments later the doors opened, a group of demons left and we entered alongside many others. Wasn't it just me or the interior was much, much bigger than it looked from the outside? Magic probably, ha.

I remained close to the giant, not liking the suspecting glances I received from a few of the demons. Then, the doors closed with a ding, and the elevator began ascending, though it didn't feel like we were moving at all.

Some were chatting with each other about mundane things, and some, like me and my friendly giant, stayed quiet. In just a few seconds, we arrived at our destination; the Pride Ring. I was never religious, but I'm pretty sure hell had rings of sin or something. There's also wrath which means big angry, sloth which means big lazy and greed which means I-deserve-everything-give-me-now. Yup, I belonged here, a sinner like the rest.

We stepped out of the elevator and immediately a different crowd got it, the elevator closed and continued its schedule. The inside of this station was more or less the same, except the massive apple hanging from the ceiling! Wow, is that gold? What a hazard! All it takes is one placed shot and down goes the hammer on the mole.

"Boss is right outside," the giant informed me and we continued our walk. So many people cramped together, like a sardine can. I was very glad I had this disguise on, I feared to imagine how they'd react to... well, me. I was like an illegal immigrant, but worse, although I wasn't planning on staying permanently.

The outside was just like Imp city, but despite being on the ground level I could spot many landmarks; there was a giant clock tower not too far from the station, a beautiful, white moon- wait, what.

There it is. The moon. How is that possible? I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but I was still here, and it was still there.

I glanced around us and saw many people going about their normal and wicked business, some prostitutes, demons smoking low quality cigars, oh, someone just got their car stolen, yikes. I subconsciously followed the giant, semi day dreaming about, something. Until I bumped into his right leg, frantically looking around. I moved around him, my eyes widened at the one we faced.

Lenny.

"Jack? Is that you?" he asked in a gentle tone, approaching me without hesitation. He had to be Lenny. Same height, same voice, same facial structure, though his skin was ashy and he had two tiny horns on his forehead and a slim tail swaying behind him. It was Lenny.

"Hey..." I rubbed my arm, biting my lip. There was so much to say and little words to compact it all into a neat package. What can I say? How? After everything, how could I-

He hugged me, holding me like a true friend. The moment passed and he let go, a smile pursed on his lips, "It's good to see you man."

"Yeah, good to see you," he turned to the giant, giving him a single nod. He returned the gesture and began walking away, presumably back to the Wrath ring. I waved at the giant, though he didn't see that. Funny, I didn't even know his name.

Lenny patted my shoulder, "We have a lot of catching up to do, how've you been dude?"

"I've been," I twisted myself around, my arms resting at my sides.

"We can talk more at my hideout, let's go," and once again, I followed another person, but this time we talked side by side.

"Heard you're a big shot, kinda proud of you."

"Bro, you don't even know. I'll explain everything once we're safe."

"Sure- wait, safe?" Hold on, hold on, hold on. Don't tell me... shit. Lenny, what did you do?!

I remained calm on the outside, but I was screaming internally. I was unarmed, you dingus! Thought it was my fault, so it balances itself out.

"Spies man, they're everywhere," he whispered, now it made sense. Well, it wasn't that surprising considering who Lenny was and what we did. He helped me pinpoint many of my enemies, he was one of the best in his field, respectfully.

We went to a parking spot a block away from the station, stopping beside a muscle car. Lenny really hasn't changed, has he? He pulled out a keychain and unlocked the car, while he entered the driver's seat and ignited the engine, I went around and sat next to him. I didn't have a favorite car type, from point A to B.

After two tries the engine roared like a lion, the crispy sound of potential speed waiting to be achieved. Lenny backed out of the lot and made a sharp U turn. He grinned at me, and before I could formulate a response he slammed the gas pedal, sending us away from prying eyes. I reached for a belt seat, clicking the little metallic thing in its place.

"Like my new ride?"

"Slow down man! I only got here yesterday!"

"There is no speed limit bro! You always said 'fuck the rules'! What's good?" He made a drift in an intersection, cutting a line of cars through the middle and narrowly avoiding a crash.

"Yeah, everything's great, don't crash."

"Relax man, I got this. I missed so much you dude, how did you die?" If I weren't sweating enough under this second skin, I sure was now.

"I'll tell you everything in your shitshack- WATCH OUT!" he missed a- what the fuck, is that... corpses in a shopping cart? Oh, what the fuck man. That's... another question to add to my ever growing list. I had Lenny as a trusty, though troll-ish, source. Actually, no, I think I can answer that.

It was cannibalism, they were gathering corpses in order to eat them. On the slim chance that they were just cleaning up, I'll admit my misjudgement. There were things that not even I was willing to do for any reason, not even if a gun was pointed at my temple.

"Don't diss my crib, you haven't even seen it yet! By the way, how's the family?"

"Doing fine, I didn't keep in touch though."

"Ah, I get it. I really missed you man."

"You already said that like ten times."

"And I'll say it again, been a fucking year in this shithole but I got shit under control now. I'm a fucking overlord! WHOOO!" He smashed his hand over the steering wheel over and over, laughing like a madman as we sped down the busy road, swerving into a smaller one.

"Together, we're unstoppable! Hell isn't that bad once you get used to it, it'll be like old times. How does that sound?" he smiled at me, genuine happiness radiating off him. I couldn't help but crack a grin of my own, chuckling at his joy.

"Like old times."

"And what's with the mask? What're you hiding?"

Shit shit shit shit shit- "It's a surprise."

"It better be good. I got some new friends here, you'll love them, I promise," like old times, he says. Ha! Yeah right. It was always just the two of us and someone that I thought was a friend. I didn't like this one bit, but it was Lenny. The Lenny that knew me and I knew him, as much as I needed him to know at least. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad... yeah. Lenny's been loyal all this time, he's good.

Maybe not a good person, but he's good to me.

After making a couple more turns down some shady alleys, he parked in front of what seemed like a "good" crackhouse. The paint wasn't old and dusty, the cement was solid and crackless and there were no weirdos lurking outside the premises. Once he shut off the engine, we stepped out of the car, closing the doors behind us. Lenny locked his nice vehicle and proceeded towards his so called crib. I said nothing as we came closer and closer to the shady, yet taken-care-of building.

Lenny grabbed a different key from his chain and unlocked the door, letting me come in first.

"Ladies first," he teased.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go on," I retaliated, we both laughed and went in. Like old times.

Once we were inside, he locked the door and double checked it. Satisfied with himself, he sighed, breathing in the clean, filtered air.

"Good to be home. YO! WAKE UP BITCHES! I GOT SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU!"

"Fuck off cunt!" a feminine voice shouted from somewhere further in the building.

"What is it?" a different, male voice responded.

"Make yourself at home, wait in the kitchen while I get those lazy asses down here. Second floor, first door on the right," I nodded and went upstairs as he instructed while he went to the higher floors. Like old times, right Lenny?

The kitchen wasn't anything special; slightly bigger than the one at Blitz's office but far more stocked. The table was longer and had eight seats in total, a clean, white map covering the brown wood. I glided my hand over it, I wanted to take my glove off and feel it but refrained from doing so, Lenny was still getting his "new friends".

I hope they're were, at the minimum, chill. If they weren't... I'll tolerate them for Lenny's sake. We owed each other a lot of things, and what better time to start paying our debts than the present?

I sat down on one of the chairs, the cushion was thin but comfortable nonetheless. Lenny always kept his environment clean, he had this... what's it called? An irrational fear of dirty things. I'll never tell anyone, but I know he had that. It has its ups and downs, and I also have an irrational fear of sorts.

After a couple minutes, three people walked into the kitchen. First was Lenny who was followed by an imp as tall as me and a... what is that?

"Excuse me?!" the female demon shouted, stomping over to me. She was stopped by Lenny who glared at her then me. I said that out loud, didn't I? "Apologize!"

"I'm sincerely sorry for my rudeness, please forgive my stupidity."

"... apology accepted," the... what is that creature? It's on the tip of my tongue, I just can't get the right word for it.

"Gang, meet Jack. Jack, meet gang. This is Morris," he gestured at the imp who waved at me, and I waved back, "And this is Abby, she's a dragon."

Dragon! That's it! Wait...

"Dragon?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?"

"No, just... surprising. I think it's pretty cool actually," I crossed my arms, tilting my head to the side.

"...Lenny, who the fuck is this fool?"

"That 'fool' is the guy I used to work with back when I was still alive. The one that did the thing," he hinted, making both the demons' eyes widen.

"Lenny..." I groaned, face palming my mask.

"What? Gotta flex a little here and there."

"What did you tell them?"

"Just Vegas."

"Broooooo..." I moaned. Fucking Lenny, really hasn't changed.

"W-well, nice to meet you," Morris said, breaking out of his shock. I gave him a single nod of approval and mutual respect.

"This little fry? All that?"

"Yup, and now he's part of our team!"

"WHAT?!" the two strangers screamed, baffled at the sudden announcement. I personally wasn't against the idea, I was going to ask him for help but this works too.

"Since when?" Abby hissed, glaring at me. Uh oh, Loona vibes.

"Just now, isn't that great? We can step up our game! Plus, he's a real professional."

"Come on man, you'll make me blush," I responded, annoyed as much as I was nervous.

"I- you can't just-"

"What? I can't what?" Lenny's demeanor changed, becoming more serious. Abby stared at the significantly shorter man, sighing in defeat.

"...If you trust him, then fine," she sat down across from me who was followed by Morris.

"I'm not against it," Morris added.

"See Jack? Just like old times!" he sat down next to me with a slap to my back.

"Yeah..."

"What's wrong? You good?"

"Yeah, it's just... well..."

"I get it man-"

"You don't, no one does. I like you man, but..." the three stared at me, Lenny was more concerned out of them.

"But?"

"...I think it's better I show you."

I grabbed my right glove, slowly pulling it off my hand and revealing my pale skin. Then, I did the same with the left, both hands exposed to the environment. It still hasn't clicked in their heads, so it was time for the big surprise.

"Lenny, do you trust me?"

"With every cell of my body."

I loosened the strap that held the mask around my neck, pulling it off with some struggle. Once I got it into a position where all that was needed was one swift pull to remove it, I contemplated my life choices. I've gone too far, there was no going back. I had Lenny on my side, everything will turn out right, everything will be fine.

It will.

I pulled off the mask, the smooth cloth offering little resistance against my weak stubble. I put the head cover on the table, intertwining my fingers on the table. Their jaws were on the floor, though Lenny was the first to say something.

"Jack?"

"Hehehe, yeaaaah, that's me."

"You're... you're..."

"Yeah... surprise!"

Author's Note:

Here's the third chapter. Left on a convenient cliffhanger as well.

I like this style of writing. Not only do I manage to write longer chapters, instead of spoon-feeding the readers all the information, describing what's happening is much more interesting, in my opinion. The dialogue and actions hold so many subtleties, and writing in first person feels natural to me.

Guest: Make Jack and Loona spend more time together to know each other so they can fell in love.

I believe this chapter speaks for itself. I don't know how to write all that romance and feelings stuff, so I simply won't. I might do some here and there, but no spoilers.

Before I start writing a chapter, I make a general plan for the plot and events. However, while writing this one I just made up two characters on the spot, and I have some ideas for interesting interactions in the future.

GodzillaMaster: Hell's a pretty big place, so no guarantees that Jack would find whoever he's looking for. And even if he does, well... It would be pretty funny to see his surprise when he finds out his attempts to kill them won't work.

Wonder if anyone from Hazbin Hotel will be showing up.

I actually didn't think about that at first. Hell is indeed a pretty big place, and with that I changed the entire chapter to make more sense and unlock more doors for advancing the story. Thank you for that, this is one of the reasons I love reading comments. They inspire me and shape the way I write the next chapters.

Also, I have solid solutions for the problems that exist in Jack's way, but you'll have to wait and see how he solves them, if he solves them. I genuinely enjoy writing, but it's not as easy as it looks. Also, no spoilers.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, I'll be more than glad to read them. Any tips and criticism are always welcomed, and I'm always looking for ways to improve and produce better works.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

Stay safe and hydrated.

-FacelessUser