No Way Back

by Forsvaret-Komandir

Caught up in a loop of pain and violence, a man loses his simple life in the middle of nowhere and is thrusted into the pits of Hell. When at his lowest point, he finds unlikely friends and a purpose to life in the most unlikely of places. He comes to realize that his mistakes in the past do not determine his future, and the only way to a better life is by moving forward. Post Ep.1

18. Chapter 18

Finally! It took me a while, but I am finally back to bring you all Chapter 18 of No Way Back. This time, I am bringing you all more than you all probably expected. In terms of actual written content of the chapter, this one comes out to a little over 15K words. It is the longest chapter I have written to date. I has a TON of content, and I hope it lives up to being a relatively relaxed chapter. Also on side note, I followed someone's review from way before and decided to take inspiration from the Summer Sale of Helluva Boss online. If you are wishing for outfit images, just find that.

On the other side, sorry about what took so long. I had many points in this chapter where I was dissatisfied with the dialogue. I would then rewrite it once, not like it again, and repeat the cycle. I even gladly accepted proofreading for a section of dialogue that I was hesitant about (turns out that I had it good, which was enough of a confidence booster for me to continue). That mixed with general block meant that this puppy took forever to finish.

Anyways, enough about that. Time to get onto Guest Reviews for Chapter 17.

ReadingBeta (Guest): I nearly forgot we r still in season one. Guess Episode 6 is next. Of course u shouldn't change the carnage in that episode, it would be good to watch otherwise. Also there r times, which r most of the time, where there r no questions needed to be asked when killing someone. In other words, fuck them first, ask the shit later/never. Update soon.

Response: Yep, still very much into Season 1 with this chapter passing 200K words. This story is going to be loooooooong. Episode 6 will be coming in after this chapter with some minor changes to content. As for the carnage, that chapter will have no holding back in terms of deaths and power. It is a revenge chapter.

Guest #1: I know this is more of a personal choice, but I would really like to see Loona and Verosika wrap their tails around Kyle's chest at some point (Presumably at the middle or closer to the end), but if don't put it in, I'll understand.

Its' just that I've had this little scene in my head when I saw the post-description in chapter 16.

Response: It is going to be a human beach for this chapter, so sadly it will be disguises for all (except for Moxxie and Millie). Still, this chapter is FILLED with tender moments, so you shouldn't be disappointed. Just so you aren't looking for that image... Sorry ;)

Guest #2: Thank you for the update. Please update soon. I can't wait for next chapter

Response: Well, it is finally here! I hope you enjoy it!

Guest #3: Is it wrong for me to have more sympathy for Stella than I did for Stolas? Seriously, the actual show's attempts to justify his affair are falling flat by portraying him in the right and her in the wrong.

Also, considering how much the first episode of season 2 undermines season 1 by making her as cruel and petty as possible just to justify the affair was not something I was on board with.

Thankfully, we have you writing your story for improvement! Though if you need inspiration for how Stella should be handled, my preference would be to get her side of the fallout from Stolas' affair with Blitzo and the extent of her mother-daughter relationship with Octavia (Since the show hasn't even given us that, and I'd prefer a positive one.). Personally, I'd prefer not to make Stella a villain (Since you and the show have better ones than her), but that's my choice.

Response: Umm, I don't really know. I would say that the faults in their relationship is quite complicated, and I am unsure whether it is painted in black and white in who is right versus who is wrong. I believe Stella's relative coldness toward it all and her unsubtle focus on herself (Stolas has some thoughts about Octavia based on what is seen) makes her seem like an antagonist. That is just my view, and I definitely have problems with Stolas's actions. Because of that, I will be developing him slightly different when compared to the show.

I agree with you in how it sounds like you don't like how Vivzie TRIED and make it black and white. Still, they are not equal in the matter.

I am still thinking about how I will develop Stella, to be honest. I will probably discuss it with the people that help me with ideas for the story, but she will likely be serving some sort of antagonist role in the story. She will not be the focus, and her future is uncertain for me. Still, I appreciate the feedback and I would like to see how everyone else (who is willing to share) feels about her. I want to keep it within realistic character development.

Guest #4: To say that this was an emotional chapter would be an understatement. For Kyle to recall his first kill, a young man at that, and to finish off his first I.M.P kill was a creativity at a great level.

Here is my question, the sword of Azazel. Is it possible for it to change forms depending on certain conditions?

Response: I am glad you saw it as an emotional chapter. It was very much supposed to be a mental and emotional struggle over being a physical one. There is improvement beyond making Kyle just 'stronger'.

As for the Sword of Azazel changing forms, I don't think I will do that. My intent was to keep it limited in power. So, by greatly strengthening Kyle physically (and later with a little magic) with one drawback being its versatility, I keep the story interesting. No, there will not be any She-Ra-like weapon of convenience.

Guest #5: Considering how well you're building up Azazel as the main villain of the story, I think making Stella an anti-hero (It would make her have more dimensions than what the show is giving us, at least in my opinion.) would be an interesting choice. But I'm in the audience giving suggestions, and you are the author! So you feel free to make the decisions you believe are the best ones!

Response: I am unsure how making Stella an anti-hero would even work. You would have to elaborate on what you are suggesting. Her personality seems to suggest that she doesn't have the empathy to even make it to anti-hero territory. The only way I could see it would be through an absolute distain for the antagonist, but that would lead to power grab at some point. Wouldn't it?

IOH (Guest): finally! Even if I don't expect him to become a ruthless killer, I really hope he starts to "accept" his role and job more, man, you have people wanting to harm you and those close to you, strengthen your mentality, kill and when everything is resolved, get sad or something, a side note, I love your story, much better than others here, you know? Most people tend to do three things to their protagonist. prude

weeping

small (in more ways than one and for some reason comparing him to Vortex (I hate this character because of those reasons) and they even make you feel inferior in many ways, an example would be the story of Collins that dates here too, man that was pathetic as hell and a disappointment) It is gratifying to see a story where the protagonist is not too small or very prudish, there is something crybaby, but it is understandable, and despite everything he is still human (I think), anyway, a personal opinion? Make him much more physical, it's just something personal and because I'm tired of all the protagonists always being small, besides, it would look good with him! Think about it, he has a sword, he could very well fit into being a gentle giant, we really don't have many or even any of them... I wonder who else would be with me on that, anyway.

I can't wait for the next update! stay safe and have a good day!

Response: For the story to continue, he much accept that killing is the name of the game from here on out. So, yes, he will accept his job a little more. Vengeance will sometimes become a big motivator as well.

I guess thank you for the compliments on my character-building. I have to say that my OC will experience emotions like love and comfort, but he does have some desensitization due to his earlier experiences. He knows what war is like, and he has seen people/friends die. The complexity in his emotional state is meant to be very human.

Well, the OC won't be huge as you suggest. He is physically capable, and he isn't small by any means. Just to let you know, swords aren't all that heavy. A simple internet search states that a two-handed sword is usually in the ballpark of being 4.4-7lbs (2-3.2kg). That isn't all that heavy, so some speed would be better fit. Thank you for the review!

Guest #6: Considering how in chapter 15, Loona managed not only to sneak a kiss on Kyle, she also realized she was in love with him, I can imagine one of two things happening in chapter 18...

Option 1. Verosika may sneak a kiss of her own on Kyle.

Option 2. She realizes that she may have genuine love towards him.

Of course, I'm just putting out suggestions. It could happen in the next chapter, or it might come into play in a later one (Maybe Ozzie's?).

Either way, I'm excited to see what happens!

Response: Well, you are ahead of the curve. I won't say anything specifically, but I will just leave you with this: ;)

Nice suggestions, by the way! XD

Goblin Genocider (Guest): All caught up! Hope you'll be updating this real soon!

Response: First off, great name! Second, I am glad to say that I believe this qualifies as 'updating soon'.

...

That's it for the reviews! Onto the massive fucking chapter!

---

Chapter 18: Fun at the Beach

In and out. That was the only thing on my mind while I worked to clear my mind. My slow methodical breaths were soothing on their own, but I felt like something was missing. Perhaps I was doing this all wrong. What should I know, meditation was never the sort of thing that I was into.

Finally, the voice of Azazel entered my mind, "Of course you're doing everything wrong. This isn't supposed to be a little meditation session. You are trying to shield your mind, not make it easier for someone to influence you."

I shouldn't have been surprised that the Fallen was capable of at least reading me in some regard. I didn't know exactly how he did it, but something about my sitting here must have tipped him off. He was right, after all. I was just wasting my time.

I opened my eyes with a hint of irritation. I mentally replied, "Well, what the fuck should I do?! I don't even know what I am practicing for!"

A long sigh seemed to come from Azazel. I could practically imagine his frustration with explaining this. He was making this sound easier than it was. He finally said, "Shielding your mind, in some way, is the opposite of mediation. It takes deep concentration to keep an enemy from reading your thoughts and influencing your decisions. It will take some time before you subconsciously achieve this, so the best way of doing something like this is cluttering your mind, not clearing it. You should be practicing this against one of your friends. That Succubus would be a good candidate for you to train on. Perhaps that Hellhound would also be a good partner to practice with since you are so bent on including her in the plan. Besides, I understand you hold a certain fondness for those two."

Azazel said it in a specific way that seemed to suggest something. I felt myself instantly fumbling within my mind. The relative calmness was gone, and it was replaced with a sense of panic. He might have done it on purpose, but I began to argue within my mind, "W-What do you mean by that? We are just friends."

Azazel responded right away by letting out a small chuckle, "See. That got a rise out of you and filled your head with distracting thoughts. Learning how to control those kinds of buffers is when it will become useful."

I felt myself relaxing a little before an aggravated look presented itself on my face. I didn't have the desire to confront my friendships with Loona and Verosika. I wasn't blind to what was happening there, but I couldn't allow it to happen. Besides, I had other things on my mind while I tried this new type of training.

I finally responded on point, "I don't see the purpose of undertaking all this mental training. I am already impervious to things like that. Verosika and her other friends had no effect on me like other humans, and even Stolas couldn't use abilities like that on me. I have also been training my ass off in combat with Millie. I just don't see how the Sins would be any different than other demons other than being stronger."

There was a pause from Azazel before a sigh escaped from his end. He stated tiredly, "And here I thought you were a human blessed by foresight…" I could hear his words pulsing through my mind in a way that felt a little more direct to me, "The Sins are each entirely different beasts compared to anyone else in Hell, even to the those in the Ars Goetia. They are older, stronger, and will use different means to overwhelm you. It has been eons since I have had the displeasure of being in their presence, and my knowledge of them has… let's say… faded a little."

I rolled my eyes, "Great. So even you don't know."

"Perhaps not, but your little defenses won't work without a little training. You need to be able to fight them from all angles. You are almost competent enough to take one on with that sword, but you are far from holding the mental fortitude to do so." Finally, an impressed tone seemed to come from Azazel as he said the next part, "I didn't think much when I recommend that you go speak to that Goetian, but the advice he provided to being your instruction seemed to get the idea well enough. He even seemed to have a further understanding of your abilities than he did before. You just need to remember what he said while you practice."

---

About a week ago…

Stolas seemed to be deep in thought after I brought up training my mind to be able to actively resist subtle attacks. It was an unusual question, and I traveled to his home just to see him about it. I was just hoping that he didn't read too much into it.

He finally started, and this time with a question, "What is it that you are trying to achieve with this? From what I have gathered, you are more than capable enough to resist the little abilities of the common demons you run into daily. Even I have no influence over you with my powers."

I rubbed the back of my neck while I tried to think of a good reason. I am not sure he would take it too well to know exactly what I was training for. I didn't take long before finally coming up with a good excuse and one that wasn't a lie either, "I want to understand the extent of my abilities, and I haven't taken the time to look into them. Seeing as you have more familiarity with magic, I just wanted to get some guidance from you."

Stolas directly asked me without any pause, "Are you wishing to start your training in magic?" There seemed to be a deeper interest in my next words in the tone of his voice that he masked behind a façade.

I responded somewhat unsurely, "Uhh… Yes?"

Stolas clapped his hands together with an elated look. He nearly jumped from his chair when he heard my confirmation. He didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that I was way more doubtful than him about this. I was only coming here to try and begin my first steps, but now I was roping myself into training under another demon. I almost felt like taking a step or two back from this.

I could sense that Azazel was listening in on the conversation. He spoke in a pleased tone, "Don't. Just go with it."

Stolas finally said, "Splendid! It has been so long since I have felt this way, and that was when Via was starting her own magical training. I haven't even prepared for us to even-" Something caused Stolas to pause for a moment. It finally seemed as if his thinking caught up with him. He finally responded more carefully, "Hmm, I am a little worried about the other end of your powers. I understand that you have some connection with Azazel?"

I felt my back go rigid. It has been a while since he or I mentioned Azazel to one another. Still, I felt compelled to tell the truth, "Yes."

Stolas seemed a little more critical about his next moves. He sat back down while holding his fist with his other hand in a thinking manner. It took him a few seconds before he stated, "I must think this over a little more. I don't know the motivations behind what the Fallen is plotting, and I have a feeling that you will be the tool for this plan. Being a human, I know you will find this hard coming from me, but I am concerned about your well-being in this."

I sighed before saying, "I understand…"

Stolas gave a light smile before saying, "I don't see the point in withholding a little lesson in defensive magic, but I am a little busy at the moment."

I held some relief back with a curt response, "Okay. I guess I can come back some other time."

I began to stand up from my seat across Stolas's desk from the owl demon. It didn't seem like Stolas was satisfied with leaving me with nothing by how he sat with a contemplative look. It took him a moment, but then he offered, "If you want, I can give you a few suggestions on what you were inquiring about. What was it? 'Mental Resistance'?" I quickly nodded before sitting back in my chair. This gave Stolas enough indication that I was attentive, so he continued, "Right. I would suggest that you practice such techniques by clearing your thoughts and then fogging your thoughts on something you can repeat in your mind. That is in essence what you need to do to start this kind of training."

I began to think to myself for a moment while coming to grips with what Stolas was talking about. It sounded simple enough by how he described it. Based on what I have seen, I doubt it was this easy. So, I voiced my concerns, "That's it? I thought it would have been a little more difficult than that."

A simple smile formed on Stolas's lips before he responded, "You humans have no affinity for magic, so I wouldn't be surprised if it were more difficult for you than that. I don't know who you have befriended since coming here, but perhaps you would find it helpful if you could practice with one of your little friends."

That last part left me thinking in silence. I wasn't entirely sure where I could turn to help me with something like this.

---

Present…

After thinking back on what I discussed with Stolas, I finally let out a sigh before saying, "Yeah, I guess I remember what he said. I thought this would be as easy as what he described to me. I guess it would be a good idea to turn to someone to practice with, but I just don't know who…" I rubbed my hands over my face with an exhaustive stance. I thought back to myself, "I need a break."

A voice finally came out of nowhere, "You okay over there, Kyle? You look tired." I nearly jumped from where I was seated. I completely forgot that I was sitting in I.M.P. The day had been slow, and there was no one coming in for a contract since opening a couple of hours ago. I guess I had forgotten that I was also sitting across the room from Loona, who was the one who opened her mouth. She followed my skittish action with a small laugh, "You also seem a bit jumpier today."

I could feel the presence of Azazel slip away since our conversation was over in the meantime. This allowed me to relax a little while I got back to what, and who was presently around me. I reassuringly smiled, "Yeah, I'm good. I was just dozing off. I forgot that I was here, actually."

Loona groaned, "Tell me about it. This is how it is every day when you guys go off frolicking on the surface. I am stuck here with nothing to do."

The voice of Moxxie caught our attention as he and Millie sat in an embrace on one of the other couches, "Shouldn't you be doing some work while we are gone?" Apparently, I had completely forgotten that nearly everyone was sitting in the same room while I was 'dozing off' earlier.

Loona only looked over at Moxxie with a bored look before she simply shrugged her shoulders in response. Millie then shared her thoughts with a cheerful tone, "I don't know. I don't think this is too bad."

After she said that, Moxxie pulled her tighter toward him causing the female Imp to let out a small giggle. This earned an eye roll from Loona before the Hellhound responded, "Of course you would say that, especially when you two are preening each other."

Moxxie seemed to lightly retort to the comments, but Millie beat him to the punch when she confidently and jokingly stated, "Oh, don't worry about what she says, Moxxie. I'm betting she is jealous of the two of us."

Loona returned Millie's smug look with a narrowed gaze until the female Imp started to subtly motion toward me with her eyes. This caused Loona to growl out in embarrassment. Her cheeks even filled up with the smallest rosy color. I, on the other hand, decided that I needed to change topics away from something that was quickly becoming uncomfortable for me.

I coughed a few times before saying, "Have any of you seen Blitz? I would have thought that he would be out here telling us about the job for today."

No one even got to respond before Blitzo's door swung open showing a tired and pissed-off Imp boss. He was rubbing his temples to relieve the pain in his head. He said, "What the fuck are you all saying about me?" No one responded immediately as he looked at us all one by one. He finally added a little more forcefully, "I know I heard my name! Who's talking shit?!"

Loona responded in a bored and nonchalant tone, "No one is talking about you."

Moxxie added, "Loona's right, sir. We were just wondering if we got a job to complete today. You just haven't popped out of your office since earlier this morning."

Blitzo sighed before joking, "Glad to know that all of you are lost without your dear old boss." He groaned out before he seemed to head for the door, "Well, there is no work today. Those banking assholes in Greed are saying that I have 'discrepancies' or whatever the fuck for the company account."

Moxxie questioned, "We have a company account?"

Blitzo seemed like he wanted to roll his eyes, "I should be offended by that question. I am not as irresponsible as you make me out to be, Moxx." Each of us returned that assertion with a questioning look. Blitzo decided to elaborate, "Yes, I opened an account in Greed since I am running a successful business. All successful businesses have an account like that." He then folded his arms in anger, "I just thought that they would do more than just leer at my money and try and steal from me."

Loona scoffed, "Yeah, that's what they do."

Blitzo continued without missing a beat, "So, I am going to spend my day going down there and letting them know who to not fuck with! Those fuckers will WISH they were never born!" Blitzo made for the exit before turning around one last time to say, "I guess you guys should get some work done here, or something. I don't give a shit."

Millie asked, "You don't want us to come with?"

Blitzo shook his head, "For things like this, I do my best work when I am alone."

Without saying another word, Blitzo slammed the office entry shut leaving the other four of us confused about what to do. Loona already said what was on everyone's mind, "I'm not doing any work if Blitz is just going to screw around in Greed."

Moxxie countered, "It doesn't sound like he is going to be messing around. That's the company's money on the line there."

"Yeah, right." Loona scoffed. She got up from her seat before she decided to sit right beside me. She added, "Knowing him, he probably has a bunch of personal shit that he wanted to keep safe there. He wouldn't ever let some other demons watch over his cash."

Moxxie thought out loud, "Yeah, that seems like a more reasonable conclusion."

Millie asked, "Now what do we do?"

This seemed to spark some thought from Moxxie while he seemed unsure as to what their next step would be. He then thought out loud, "Well, I don't see any point in wasting the day by just heading home. It's quite abnormal to have the day called off like this."

Millie beamed, "Yeah! Let's do something fun together!"

Moxxie smiled at Millie before he looked at Loona and me to ask, "What about you two?"

I only shrugged as I was stumped like the two of them. Other than my training I had been taking up earlier, and failing I might add, today was a day off for training with Millie. My social life here was completely restricted to the three of them plus a few. That didn't leave that many options open to me. That left me with only looking over to Loona for her response.

Loona offhandedly said while she scrolled her phone, "I don't know. It's not like I was expecting anything other than sitting at this desk. I will probably just check out some shops to see if there is anything new. I don't see how that would be exciting for you two."

This seemed to somewhat disappoint Millie while Moxxie began to ponder. It seemed like the two were getting more accustomed to, and even enjoyed, having the four of us spend time together. There was then more chatter from both Imps while they tried to figure things out while Loona continued to look at social media. My thoughts then moved to what Moxxie and Millie said before. We should do something fun and different. After all, I felt like I could use the break.

However, I found myself having trouble thinking up what could be fun to do in Hell. There were some okay things to do, but nothing spoke to me. Most of the activities here usually ended in blood and broken bones, or it would fall in a category like 'drinking'. None of those felt particularly fun now.

My mind then traced back to what I used to do for fun. Omitting my thoughts of my adult life, I began to think back on when I was younger. I remember activities such as going to amusement parks, going on hikes, and camping by a fire. I especially found myself thinking about spending the dog days of summer at a beach at a lake near my hometown with friends and family. That specific memory brought a small smile to my face.

This didn't go unnoticed by Loona who was sitting beside me. She lightly bumped into me before asking, "What's got you all happy all of the sudden?"

It finally clicked in my head. Forgetting the last time we had been to a beach, it seemed like something fun to do. I finally shared, "I was just thinking back on what I used to do for fun with friends and family in the past, and it just came to me. Why don't we all try and go to the beach for the day? No killing or contracts, just a nice day up there to enjoy the sun."

A moment or two passed while the three of them seemed to think over my suggestion. They didn't seem swayed one way or the other for the longest time while I second-guessed what I had just shared. Instead, Millie began to smile boldly before stating, "Ya know, that sounds like a fun idea! I have never been to the surface without having to do some job."

Moxxie joined in, "I agree. There are a lot of things up there that tickled my mind. I would like the opportunity to just check things out without having to blow someone's head off."

Finally, Loona smiled and gave her own nod, "Not bad." She then seemed to come up with an idea before pitching it, "You know, I know that Verosika has been wanting to hang out. Do you mind if I shoot her a message and ask if she wants to join?"

I lightly smiled at Loona, "That sounds fun. With her around, it is really going to be another repeat of Spring Break."

After that joke, I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. Everyone else seemed to chuckle before they went about preparing for the trip up to my old world. My smile faded at the realization of me using that term, 'my old world'. The thought was fleeting while I watched as Moxxie and Millie excitedly discussed what they could do for the day. I then looked over at Loona to see her smiling while she typed away at her phone. This joy allowed me to relieve my minor sadness into a small smile.

---

A little later…

The sun was shining on the glistening waves of the ocean and off the sand and stands of the beach. The crowds of people casually enjoyed themselves on their vacation by sunbathing, swimming, or walking the shops along the shore. There was no shortage of smiles and laughter from people of all ages.

In an empty supply shed filled with beach equipment, a portal opened. Out of it came a good number of individuals, with the first being Moxxie, Millie, Loona, me, and then Verosika. However, a short second passed before we were followed by the seven members of Verosika's posse and then Tex to finish it off. The portal closed behind us all while we stood closely together.

All of us had brought clothing that seemed to fit in with a trip to the beach. I went with something pretty basic, including a lightly colored button-up shirt along with swim shorts and sandals. The clothing seemed to fit weirdly on me, but not because it fit incorrectly. Instead, I was just unused to this level of casual clothing.

I found myself finally breaking the silence in the shed when I stated, "You know, I thought that it was going to be a smaller group."

Verosika stepped forward. I finally got a good look at the outfit she was wearing, which included a strapless swimsuit top that only managed to cover her chest while being held together by a golden heart-shaped ring. I could see her swimsuit bottom could be seen through a cloth skirt that did nothing to hide it. The outfit seemed to fit well with her hot pink skin. She had come prepared for this outing, and I didn't even realize that I was staring.

Unfortunately, the Succubus seemed to notice my gawking as she seemed to step even closer to me before saying, "I guess that is my fault. It seems that Loona called me when we were all together, and I just couldn't exclude them when they overheard the conversation about you going to the beach." She motioned to the others. She leaned forward and pierced me with her half-lid gaze, "You don't blame me, do you?"

I shook my head before taking a minor step back, "No, it's fine."

Loona finally added from the side, "It should be okay. They should be splitting up to do their own thing." She then looked over while growling at them, "And they won't do anything stupid to get themselves in trouble, right?"

After meeting them all, I was still trying to remember all their names. While reacting to Loona's harsh tone, I believe it was Coco and Apple who looked at one another with worried expressions, Kiki went wide-eyed, and Milky seemed slightly taken aback. On the other end, the three Incubi, Josh, Kat, and Ace seemed to have more protesting expressions. Tex seemed to fold his arms with a smirk and a small laugh.

Verosika answered for them, "Oh, they wouldn't dare try to fuck up anything for us. That means no seducing anyone or drawing attention to yourselves. Got it?!"

There was a certain fire in her eyes as she said this. She glared back at the group which caused them to change their expression to ones of terror and anxiety. A few of them even responded verbally:

"Of course not!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

"Nope!"

Verosika smiled before giving me a reassuring look. This was followed by Loona grabbing me by the arm to pull me away from the Succubus. The Hellhound asked me, "So… We good to go now?"

Instead of instantly responding, I found myself tracing down Loona's figure to see her outfit and overall appearance. I noticed firstly how her hair was tied together in the back before my eyes moved down to see her collar was missing. Next, I looked at her swimsuit top, which seemed to somewhat mirror her usual top, except that it was a little tighter fitting and made with red fabric. Other than that, it still had the same, black-strapped pentagram where a small window for her cleavage. She did a better job of hiding her swimsuit bottom being short shorts. However, straps of it seemed to peek from the shorts at her hips to show me that they were black like Verosika's. She was still donning her black stockings, but those would most certainly be replaced with some sort of shoe when she went into her human disguise.

"Hello? Are you going to answer me?"

I looked back at Loona's face to see a deep red blush forming on her cheeks and over her snout. She was even holding her arms awkwardly. To the side, Verosika's smirk broadened. I didn't realize that I was once again caught gawking like some fool.

I stuttered, "Oh, yeah! I guess everyone should probably change into their disguises so that we can get moving."

The only response I got from them all was in the form of a flash of light that nearly blinded me. Two seconds passed before it dimmed back to the dimness that existed before. What replaced the group of Lust demons and Hellhounds was a group of various human lookalikes. To the side, I could see Moxxie and Millie putting on hats and sunglasses to look inconspicuous. I had no problem with this, but it didn't take long before someone in the group said something.

Josh asked incredulously, "So these two are going to be walking around like that, but we were the ones told not to draw attention to ourselves?!"

I brushed off his concern, "I don't know how, but no one seems bothered by them. You will see." Before anyone else could protest, I opened the door to peek out of. Seeing as no one was paying attention to the shed, I turned around and asked, "You guys ready?"

They all nodded, and that was enough for me to lead the group into the sunny outdoors. It should have looked strange with thirteen 'people' walking out of a shed together, but no one seemed to bat an eye. Instead, they all seemed far too busy with having fun to even notice. I guess I should just count ourselves lucky for the moment.

It didn't take long before our group started to dwindle in size. The first to leave were Coco and Apple when they pointed excitedly in a direction before running off. Next to go were Ace and Josh, and a couple of seconds later Kat, Kiki, and Milky went along together.

Moxxie seemed as observant as me before since he asked Verosika, "Uhh, do you not have a problem with them going off like that? Shouldn't we be sticking together?"

Verosika looked down at Moxxie before explaining in her smooth voice while tenderly pinching his cheek, "Don't you worry your cute little head about them. This isn't our first trip up to mingle with humans."

Moxxie responded with perplexity, "Cute little head?"

Verosika hummed while pulling back, "When we come up to the surface, they work together. They have been told to keep each other out of trouble. Besides, I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about you little red ones."

How Verosika seemed to gaze down at Moxxie and Millie drew a nervous chuckle from Moxxie before Millie decided to brush off the concern, "You don't have to worry about us, Ms. Mayday. We haven't run into any problems before."

Millie agreed, "Moxxie's right! We've come up 'ere countless times without any major issues. Even when Blitz's plans don't work out like they should, it hasn't been because we have been discovered. Only a few humans have connected us with Hell, but that hasn't been a problem."

Loona pointed out, "Weren't you two captured by a family of blood-thirsty maniacs before? And what about that dude in the mountains when Moxxie ran into Kyle for the first time?"

Millie giggled while sticking out her tongue while Moxxie rubbed the back of his neck while avoiding eye contact. He said, "Heh… Yeah…"

Verosika rolls her eyes before saying, "Why am I not surprised that your little bitch of a boss has run into trouble up here." She let out a relaxing breath before saying, "I guess I'll just have to trust your word on it. Just don't do anything stupid."

There was a moment of silence before Moxxie asked, "Ms. Mayday, do you mind if I ask you something?"

The Succubus looked over at the male Imp before saying, "You can just call me Verosika, and what is it?"

Moxxie corrected himself, "Verosika, why are you being so kind to us? We are your ex-boyfriend's employees, and that bet we had last time didn't go in your favor last time."

The comment didn't seem to sit well with Verosika. A small frown formed on her face, "Don't remind me." Her tone then softened before she said, "I guess I have learned to just separate how I treat Blitzo from how I will treat you two Imps. If you want, I can just lump you all together."

Moxxie waved off the notion erratically, "N-No, thank you!"

In a swift change in attention and tone, Millie pointed out in the distance, "Moxxie, look!"

From what I could tell, there was some sort of fair or amusement park area that was just off the beach. From there, I could see stands where one could win prizes, various rides, and a ton of places to get cheap food. From my experience with them at Loo Loo Land, I knew that Millie thoroughly enjoyed that type of stuff.

Moxxie began to say, "I guess we could go and-"

He was immediately and violently pulled along by his wife. Millie yelled back, "Let's go!"

With the departure of those two, it was only down to four of us. It seemed like we were finally reaching a more natural group with Loona, Verosika, Vortex, and me. Even with the crowds, it didn't take us too long before we finally found a place to set up a few things to mark it for us. Mostly, it was just Verosika placing a couple of towels down for both her and Loona to enjoy the sun. Once that was set, the two of them began to peel their bottoms off to fully display the rest of their swimsuits.

I didn't even get a chance to watch the two of them before Verosika turned back around. She was looking over at Vortex as he seemed to stand on guard. She nicely stated, "You can relax a little, Tex." A thought seemed to come to mind for her before she continued, "I know that girlfriend of yours enjoys the treats the surface offers. Maybe you could find something to get for her."

Vortex seemed to perk up from this before he nodded in return with a small smile, "That sounds good to me."

Verosika then walked up to me and placed her hand on my chest. She seductively stated, "Why don't you go and accompany him. You can meet us back in an hour after Loony and I have a little 'girl' time."

A mild amount of disappointment swelled within me before it was replaced with a content one. I don't think I had a moment to really talk to Vortex and get to know him. Showing him around didn't sound like the worst thing to do. So, I nodded, "Okay. I can do that."

Verosika replaced my acceptance by brushing her hand across my cheek before turning back to Loona. From what I could tell, Loona wasn't entirely pleased by the contact she was giving me. Leaving these two to talk it out no longer sounds like that bad of an idea.

I motioned for Vortex to follow, "Come on. I'm sure we can find something for you to bring back to your girl."

---

A minute later… (POV: Loona & Verosika)

Verosika let out a long, relaxing sigh as she decided to rest on her stomach on the towel on the beach. She began to look out from behind her sunglasses at the various people playing in the water and those walking along the beach. It was peaceful for her, and that was something that seemed to be rare nowadays.

Verosika told Loona, "I have really needed this little break. My schedule was getting booked up writing new songs, and interviews on TV and for some podcasts. That isn't even getting into the freelance work I have been doing here and there. A day at the beach is just what I needed."

Loona hid her emotions behind a blunt response, "Yeah, I know what you mean…"

That sort of reaction drew curiosity from the Succubus as she had a suspecting feeling about why Loona was acting all moody. Still, Verosika decided to play dumb for the moment while she continued, "I can't remember the last time I have been around humans without carrying out business. I leave the more 'intimate acts' to the others, but I still have to lead them."

Loona remarked, "That's great… I'm happy for you."

Verosika cocked her brow at Loona. The disguised Hellhound was now holding her knees to her chest while she averted her gaze. If it were visible, her tail would likely be wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. Still, Verosika held her tongue. She wanted Loona to come out and say what she wanted to.

Verosika asked, "What about you? What has been happening over at your little workplace? It isn't easy working with that shit sack."

Loona commented back under her breath, "Yeah, try living with him…"

Verosika found that Loona wasn't going to open herself up like she initially wanted. So, she spat out at the memory of her with Blitzo, "Yeah, I have." She then teased, "What's got your panties in a twist? Maybe it has something to do with my little flirting with Kyle? Did it really bother you that much?"

A growl escaped Loona right before she snapped. She was furious, and it showed in her body language and tone, "What the fuck are you trying to pull, Vee? You of all demons know that I have feelings for him."

Verosika muttered in a sassy way, "And here I thought there wouldn't be any 'girl' talk about boys. I was hoping for something different…" She then spoke directly to Loona, "A little flirting is rather tame by my standards. Besides, I am not the only one who noticed him checking you out. The way I see it, you have nothing to worry about."

Loona seethed while a blush formed on her cheeks, "And he did the same thing to you, but that's not the fucking point!" Verosika felt a knot tie itself in her stomach. She knew that Kyle was looking at her then, but it made her feel excited with that being said to her. She didn't know why, either. Still, this upset Loona. Verosika felt a great amount of guilt overwhelm her. Loona continued, "You know I love him."

Verosika's look turned serious. She knew that Loona had feelings for the guy, but she didn't imagine the word 'love' would come from her. This only made Verosika feel more like a piece of shit. She nodded, "Yeah…"

Loona clenched her jaw before asking a little more calmly, but still hurting, "Then what are you trying to pull? I mean, feeling him up?! Why would you do something like that?"

This kind of confrontation would usually yield the ire of the Succubus. The others in her group were usually weary of trying to tell Verosika what she could or could not do when it concerned other demons, or in this case, humans. It was a shock to have Loona scold her like this.

Verosika, while feeling guilt seep into her being, tried to deflect, "I think you are making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. It was just a little friendly flirting. I even did it with that little Imp you work with, and his wife had no problem with it."

Loona growled out while pinching the bridge of her nose, "Trust me, that was a turn-on for Mills. She will be thinking about how some famous popstar flirted with her husband." Loona's eyes then connected with Verosika's. The intensity had deepened. She continued, "And what you were doing with Kyle was different than that. Do you have a thing for him or something?"

Verosika's cheeks darkened deeply before she stuttered out, "N-No!"

That was something that caught both of them completely by surprise. If there was something that Verosika never did, it was stutter out of apprehension. Verosika herself didn't even realize how her stomach twisted into a knot until the two of them sat in silence. She thought that her words were nothing but the truth, however, she realized how that didn't seem to be the case.

Loona was quick to recover from her shock. The next move for her would usually be for her to react in blind fury, but that wasn't going to happen here. She felt her anger subside since she didn't expect this. She asked while doing her best to cool her temper, "S-So what? Do you just have some crush on him, or something more?"

There was a momentary pause while Verosika thought to herself. It felt like so long since she had held anything close to feelings like this. The last time she felt anything close to this had to be back when she was dating…

She stopped that thought while she clenched a fist at her chest. The deep soul-searching didn't result in anything solid. All Verosika knew was that she held feelings for the human that were beyond lust and curiosity. She finally said, "Well… He is a very interesting human."

Loona's shoulders slumped a little. She looked out into the distance to see that people were still having fun. It was a stark contrast compared to the more serious tone between the two of them. Maybe it would have been best not to bring this up? No, it was going to happen at one point or another. On the other side, Verosika was doing her best to not answer the question directly. To do this, she resorted to what she was comfortable with, lust.

Loona asked Verosika and herself, "What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Vee? Are we going to start fighting over him like some piece of meat? Is this going to destroy our friendship?"

The hesitation behind Verosika disappeared after she heard that. She reached out and grabbed Loona's hand and pulled it towards her. Loona looked over at Verosika in shock. The disguised Succubus began to speak, "Nonono. You are getting too worked up about this."

Beneath all the calm and flirtation was a Succubus suddenly becoming panicky inside which seemed to put Loona on edge immediately. Despite the façade, Loona was unsure about what she was seeing. Something felt off to her. So, she then spoke incredulously, "Ehh, Okay…"

It seemed like Loona didn't know where to take the conversation. This left Verosika in a position where she needed to ease her friend. So, she began to speak from her heart, "I care about you, Loona. I have surrounded myself with Hell's icons and successful demons until I met you." Loona looked at Verosika with an unimpressed look, but the Succubus simply ignored it for now. She had more to say, "You're fun to be around, and you taught me how to be different and happy."

Loona found herself stunned by the comments, and she even blushed in embarrassment at them. She didn't have the words to respond to the compliments. She didn't even realize the impact she had on Verosika.

After brushing her hands through her long hair, Verosika focused on the other part, "Kyle… He just started as a way for me to get on Blitzo's nerves. I thought he was just some sucker intern who was stupid enough to work for my useless ex, but then it turned out that he was a human who was unaffected by my advances. He helped me and my friends out in a pinch and didn't ask for anything in return." Verosika felt like she could go on with how they were very similar, and that there was a connection there that hadn't existed with anyone else. Instead, she settled on something that would less likely rouse anger from the Hellhound, "He's… just different than the rest. I find that interesting in more ways than one."

It seemed like Verosika had gone too far when speaking about Kyle, but that didn't seem to register too much for the Hellhound. That didn't seem to be the immediate case as Loona mumbled in a barely audible voice, "I know what you mean…" However, it was then realized. Loona let out a frustrated sigh before saying, "I don't know what to make of that, Vee. I want to tell you to fuck off and stay away from him, but I know that will just blow up in my face." Loona leaned back on her towel to stare up. She growled out, "His shit with his ex-girlfriend also shows me the last thing he needs is two girls fighting over him."

Verosika knew that Loona had a temperament that usually led the goth to think for herself. To see her think out of the ordinary, and for the well-being of Kyle was something extraordinary to see. It also gave insight into how much Loona had changed because of humanity.

Verosika remarked with a poppier tone and smile as she tried to hide her affection for Kyle from Loona and herself, "You know, you two are really cute together."

Loona, confused by the remark, blushed while responding, "Uhh, thanks? Weren't we just talking about you having feelings for him? Why would you say that?"

Verosika shoved that thought into the back of her mind while she returned to her usual persona. She stated, "I'm just saying it how I see it. You two work really well together. Plus, I don't have feelings for him. That is a silly thought. A Succubus can't fall in love with a human. It doesn't work that way." Loona raised a brow, clearly not believing the obvious rationalization before Verosika finally said, "You are getting all worked up for nothing. I simply find him interesting." Loona didn't let her thoughts known through her blank expression, and Verosika wasn't even close to being convinced by her own words. She decided to change distract away from it, "Hey, I don't want to be that bitch, but we came to the beach for a reason. Let's sit back and soak up the sunshine. There is nothing like it in Hell."

Loona sat back and tried to relax. She was more than okay with thinking about other things. She said, "Yeah, great plan."

While leaning back, the thought of Kyle continued to circle in Verosika's mind. The worry grew. Finally, a thought came through her mind, 'What do I feel for him?'

---

With Vortex & Kyle (POV: 1st Person)

I stared down at the bottle of expensive alcohol in my hand while I thought for a moment. I had been helping Tex find some things for his girlfriend. Since I had not had the chance to meet her, I didn't exactly know what to get her. Was what I was holding good? I don't know.

I walked over to the larger disguised Hellhound while showing him the bottle, "What about this?"

With a careful eye, Vortex looked over the bottle after he grabbed it from my grasp. He hummed for a bit before he let out a small chuckle. He said, "I've gotten this for her before. She loves it."

I smiled, "That's good to hear."

He continued, "That's why I want to get her something new. She isn't one to complain, but that doesn't mean I won't try and get her something new."

With a nod of understanding, I proceeded to ask, "So, what is your girlfriend like? I guess I just never asked that before?"

Tex thought to himself for a moment before he smiled at the thought of her. He began to say, "What's there to say? She is a one-of-a-kind girl in my eyes. She's gorgeous, adventurous, and she has a way with Hellhounds and other demons. She also knows how to throw the best hound parties." Tex continued to peruse the other things in the store while he continued, "Plus, she loves the drinks that are offered up here. Man, she even had to admit that the candy up here is better than in Hell. She's got one hell of a sugar tooth."

Seeing how happy talking about his girlfriend made Tex even managed to bring a small smile out of me. I complimented, "She sounds like she is quite the demon. Based on how you describe her, she is lucky to have someone like you getting stuff up here for her."

With a smile, Vortex shook his head, "Naw, man, we are lucky to have just found each other. She knows that I have her back, and she's got me. Plus, the cool thing is that she wants to meet you."

I looked back with a quizzical look, "She wants to meet me?"

He nodded, "Yeah. A living human pops up out of nowhere and becomes the talk all over Hell. There are a lot of peeps are want to meet you because of what they've heard. My girl is just another like that, and she wanted me to tell you that you are welcome to one of her hound parties any time."

I hummed, "Huh… I guess I will keep that in mind. I guess I am interested in meeting her as well since she sounds pretty cool."

There was a small pause after he said that before he finally asked me, "What about you?"

I raised a brow, "What about me?"

Vortex clarified, "You and Loona seem to have a good thing going on. You are lucky to have her."

My eyes instantly widened before I balked, "O-Oh! Nononono! You have it all wrong! Loona and I are just friends."

This resulted in Vortex turning around and looking at me with a scrunched face, "Really? I thought that you two were hitting it off. Yeah, I know that others think it would be weird for a Sinner and Hellhound to be together, let alone a human, but who am I to judge? It's cool with me. Am I misreading what I am seeing between you two?"

Hearing Tex's laid-back attitude toward this showed how easy it was to get along with him, and how it should be easy to open myself up. Still, I didn't relent. There wasn't a response from me, and Tex analyzed my expression and body language. I remained silent under Tex's gaze. I wouldn't outright admit anything to him, and I didn't feel like it was a good time to say anything about this. So, I just stood there thinking of a way out of this. Not seeing a way, I just deflected, "Yeah, I guess. Can we get back to looking for a gift for your girlfriend?"

Tex held up his hands, "I wasn't trying to pry. I'm just a little surprised, is all." Another thought seemed to come to mind before he said, "If that is the case, then you might want to watch out."

Concern grew within me, "Why should I watch out?"

Tex explained, "I may not be like my girl, but I do notice a few things with other demons. You and Loona act differently with one another, and so does my boss."

"Verosika?" I questioned. It took me a second or two before I pieced together what he was implying. I then asserted, "Oh… You are saying that you think that Verosika might be interested in me as well."

Tex shook his head, "Not 'think'. I know that she's got a thing for you. It is just like how I knew that she had a thing before for your boss, but now all she wants to do is cut off his-"

I motioned to quiet him, "Yeah, I get the idea." I rubbed my hands over my face while letting out a groan. I didn't expect this little trip with Tex would turn this way, but here I was. Seeing no way out of it, I finally decided to give a direct response. With a sigh, I said, "Yeah, I figured as much."

Tex cocked a brow, "You know that she is interested in you?"

"I know that Loona cares for me beyond what a typical friend would. She was different when I met her than how she is now. She was colder and ruder, and she was very indifferent toward me. We will be sitting here forever if I explain everything, but we've really connected, you know? She is the first real friend that I have had in a long time." I smiled while I spoke from the heart. I continued by saying, "I don't think she had very many opportunities for friendship before I came along. She doesn't exactly hide her interest in me. I know she likes me in that way, but I don't know how deep that goes."

Tex shrugged, "Can't tell you, man."

I continued by discussing the other side, "I only had a hunch that Verosika likes me. She's all touchy-feely with me, but she also seems afraid that she might be taking things too far. Still, I feel like she and I have a similar experience with love. I'm responsible for the death of my ex, and she had her thing with Blitz. We both still had our hearts broken, and I know how that feels. We haven't spent as much time together as Loona and I have, but I know that we both have a deep understanding of one another."

Tex seemed to understand what I was getting at. Instead of saying anything, Tex simply put down a bottle and turned to listen to me. He knew that I was opening myself up to him about all of this and made himself visually available to hear it. I felt better speaking about this because of that.

My words continued to flow, "I guess I do have a certain love for Loona above just being friends, but I also have a similar feeling for Verosika. I know they each like me. Hearing that they like me from someone else makes me happy, but I am also afraid to hurt one of them. I can't choose to be with one of them knowing that one of them could be devastated by my choice."

Tex let out a small chuckle before he placed his hand on my shoulder. He spoke in a genuine voice, "At some point, they will make you choose. I can't say much for Loona, but my boss has changed since she started hanging with the two of you. Hell, I never thought she would give me personal time like this."

I knew where he was coming from, but that wasn't my fear. I let out a small, huffed laugh, "I'm not worried about her hating me. I found that I can do my job at I.M.P. I can find it in myself to kill, especially when I have those, I care about relying on me. I just don't want to be the source of their sorrow. I am done causing that kind of pain."

While holding up his hands in a disarmed manner, Tex replied, "I'm not going to dig into your business. I am just telling you how I see it, and the way I see it is that you can't hold off on them forever. You might want to make a move before then."

A small sigh escaped my lips. I knew that he wasn't wrong, I was just hoping he was. I finally said, "Yeah, I guess I will think about it. Uhh… Thanks for the help."

"It's no trouble." He took a second before smiling and saying, "So, you have a thing for both of them, huh? That's going to piss off your little boss."

Yeah, I guess that was another matter entirely. When all this broke, I wasn't sure how Blitzo would react. If how he treats both Loona and Verosika was any indication, it wasn't going to be good. It was all coming out to be one giant mess of drama and emotions, neither of which was something I was particularly good at.

I changed topics with a laugh, "We should focus back on the task we came here for. You said that she likes stuff here like candy and alcohol, right?" Tex nodded at me while he awaited a suggestion from me. I thought for a moment before a lightbulb formed over my head. I asked him, "Hey, have you ever heard of liquor candies?"

I could practically see him come to attention at hearing that. He shook his head in response, and I followed up with, "Well, I think we found what to look for, then."

Vortex followed me through the store to look for a gift for him to get his girlfriend. In my own mind, I began to think over the entire discussion he and I had. He was right in me having only so much time to figure out what I should do. All one of them had to do was make a move, and then the other could very well be angered. That is if they both see me in a 'more than friends' light. Still, those worries could come later. I shouldn't let those thoughts get in the way of a fun day at the beach.

---

Meanwhile, in a van… (POV: 3rd Person)

The massive amount of traffic on the streets around the beach allowed for a covert, undisguised van to sit on the lookout. Inside it contained two individuals, one being a man and the other a woman. They looked as if they were straight out of an '80s spy movie. Their reflective shades gave no indication of where they were looking. The only thing that was certain about the two was that they were on the hunt for something.

The male scoffed, "Still nothing! I thought that there was a demonic anomaly detected in this area!"

The female responded in an annoyed tone, "Pipe down, One. We haven't even been here for a full five minutes, and you are already getting impatient." She then grabbed what looked to be some sort of scanner before turning it on and pointing it at random people. Nothing seemed amiss for them. She added, "If all you are going to do is complain, then I don't want to hear it."

One folded his arms in a pout before he continued by saying, "It's just going to be like the other times, Two. These demons are a crafty bunch, and they continuously elude us. I don't see how we will-"

The item in the hands of Two began to beep. That instantly shut One up while they both looked at it with wide eyes. Then, the two of them looked forward to seeing two females walking down the street while they gave seductive looks at all the people they walked by. Unbeknownst to the two agents, the demons that they were looking at were none other than Apple and Coco.

One smiled broadly before he loudly proclaimed, "Yes! Finally!" He erratically began reaching into the back of the van until he managed to get a long rope along with weapons to subdue the demons. He was reaching toward the handle of his door, "Let's go!"

Before he could do anything else, Two grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, "Are you crazy?!" This stopped One as he looked back with confusion. This allowed the female agent to explain the problem, "We can't go out there and just abduct them in public like this."

After thinking for a moment, One sighed in agreement, "You're right. We also don't know what kind of demon tricks they might hold up their sleeves." He looked back at the two while he thought. He wasn't willing to take his eye off them. He finally added, "We should stay back and watch until we can catch one of them off guard."

Two smiled, "Exactly. All we have to do is wait for our moment to strike…"

---

A little later… (POV: 3rd Person)

It was already getting to the peak heat of the day right when Kyle and Vortex managed to make it back to Loona and Verosika. The thoughts that each held of the earlier discussions had already been settled deep within their minds. Now, they were able to focus on one another without the awkward actions of three of the four of them. Tex, on the other hand, seemed content with the various liquor chocolates that he managed to find for his girlfriend.

With the heat kicking up another notch, a thought finally came to Verosika. Since they were all back together, she stretched herself out and said, "I think it is time to take a soak in the water. Do I have any takers?"

Tex shook his head before Kyle was able to respond. He lightly smiled before saying, "Yeah, I think I could use this time to cool off. What about you, Loona?"

There was a great amount of hesitation in her eyes before she finally brushed it off, "Naw, I think I am good. I will just sit here and hang out with Tex."

Vortex said, "Sorry, girl, but I am going to check around on the others to see if they're staying out of trouble. I should head out and do that now."

No one even had a chance to say goodbye to the disguised hound before he made his way off the beach. This prompted Verosika to jokingly state, "Even when I give him the time off, he still goes off to work." She then looked over to Loona and asked, "How about it, Loons? Wanna get wet with us?"

Disregarding the twist of her name, Loona shook her head while clutching her legs. She said, "I think I'm good. I will just watch the two of you from here."

Kyle carefully looked over his friend before asking, "Loona, what's going on? Why don't you want to go into the water? I will be fun."

Loona responded quickly, "No reason. I'm just not feeling it."

There was a moment of silence before Verosika let in a deep breath of air with realization. She finally said, "Oh, this is just too precious. You can't swim, can you?"

A blush of embarrassment found its way onto Loona's cheeks before it completely consumed her entire face. She tried hiding her face in her knees, but that wasn't going to stop the surprised gaze that Kyle was giving her along with the smile Verosika had. It wasn't that Succubus was making fun of Loona, but more that an idea was forming in her head.

Kyle asked, "Is that true?"

Loona snapped after not answering immediately, "Okay, yes! I never learned how to swim. When the fuck would I've learned?! I had shitty parents before I was sent to an orphanage, and you know Blitz wouldn't teach shit to me."

Verosika approached before she grabbed onto Loona's shoulders. She said, "It's nothing to be ashamed of, girl. In fact, I think this gives us something fun to do." Loona had slowly risen to her feet with the help of the Succubus right before Verosika whispered in her ear, "Why not use this little opportunity you have to get some personal attention from him? You can let him feel you up a little bit and get really close."

Loona was already blushing from the idea right before Verosika shoved her forward right to Kyle. She stumbled forward and was only stopped once Kyle caught her in a hug. Loona looked up with her face red. She wanted to scream and maul Verosika for this, but no words dared leave her mouth.

Kyle, fully realizing the hold he had on Loona, spoke with a calm voice against the nervous feeling in his chest, "I could help you learn if you wanted me to."

Seeing as Verosika was literally shoving her forward to do this and with Kyle offering to teach her, she decided that there wasn't much of an option for her. So, she responded, "U-Uh, y-yeah. I guess that sounds good to me."

Kyle let Loona stand on her own before the trio began to walk toward the calm waves of the ocean. Loona looked back at Verosika with an annoyed expression and a growl, but it was only returned with the other girl sticking her tongue out and winking back. That only served to quiet Loona into an embarrassed pout.

They finally reached the water where they walked in slowly. Loona nervously walked deeper into the water while Kyle stood by her side. A small shiver rose up her legs to the relative coolness of the ocean. Verosika was only a step back from the two to give them time to themselves. Loona was the only one to understand that Vee pushed her forward to do this only to watch from the sidelines.

Not wasting much time in calming her down, Kyle finally said, "We will take this slowly. No need to be nervous. I will be with you the whole time."

His words were somewhat successful as Loona found her breath calming down a little. Her eyes still watched the incoming waves with a hint of terror as she half expected to be swept out into the ocean with no chance of getting back to land. She then thought to herself, 'I'm a Hellhound, for fuck's sake. A little water isn't any problem.'

At that moment, Loona found herself tripping over something that was obscured by the water. She almost faceplanted but was saved by Kyle as he managed to grab her around the waist. He said, "Woah. Watch out."

Loona straightened herself out. She uncomfortably said, "Thanks…"

The water was up to the middle of Kyle's chest before he decided that they made it into the water far enough. He turned to her before asking, "So, are you ready to try learning?"

The commotion around them made it difficult for Loona to focus. There were plenty of people swimming in the water around them, the sounds of the waves crashing against distant objects filled the air, and there were even humans balancing on boards in the distance. It made all this feel like a lot was happening.

Loona looked over to Kyle once more to see that his full attention was on her. She found herself calming down enough for her to be able to move on to the next steps. She nodded in confirmation.

Without any sort of warning, Loona felt the hands of Kyle hold onto her stomach in a position from where she would be swimming. He began to lift her before he finally said, "I guess we should get you comfortable with the water. This is the position you are going to be in to start with."

Loona felt herself struggle against his hold of her. She spat out while blushing profusely, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Kyle remarked in a similar tone, "I'm trying to teach you to swim!" He calmed down a little before saying, "It's not like I have a handbook on how to do it. So, I am just winging it."

From the back, Verosika suggestively said, "From where I am standing, I wished I didn't know how to swim."

Loona turned to look at the disguised Succubus before spitting out, "Couldn't you be doing something helpful, or do you just enjoy being a massive bitch?!"

This only got a smirk out of Verosika. Kyle ignored the commentary between the two before he motioned for Vee to come over. She slowly followed his direction until she managed to find her way to his side. She gave a show of her chest at him before asking, "Is there something you are wanting me to do?"

Kyle shook his head, "Right now? No."

There was a small pout from Verosika while Loona let out a small laugh. This quickly stopped once Loona felt Kyle's hands leave her stomach only for him to grasp her hands. She asked in a panic, "What are you doing?!"

He smiled before saying back, "Relax. I am just going to hold onto you by your hands for this next part. Now I want you to kick your legs."

Loona's face scrunched, "Huh?"

Kyle followed up, "Kick your legs. Hurry up, you are sinking."

There wasn't any more resistance to Loona as she did exactly as she was told. Her kicks were initially erratic in movement with no real tempo. Slowly, and through the patient corrections made by Kyle and even by Verosika, Loona's movements started to show real progress.

When Kyle was finally happy with her progress, he stopped her by saying, "Okay I guess it is time to move on with the next steps." He let go of Loona so that she could stand on her own before he began to imitate the arm motions that he wanted her to follow, "I want you to do something like this. Once I think you have this down, I guess we will have you go on your own."

With that said Kyle then began by grabbing Loona around the waist and stomach area. While initially embarrassed by the action, she quickly got over it before focusing on simulating the motions that she was just shown. Verosika smiled at her with a nod once she got there, and little critique was made by Kyle compared to the corrections he made for her kicking.

Verosika made eye contact with Loona before suggestively saying, "You're doing great, Loony. Just don't think about the skin-to-skin you are giving him right now." Loona bit her lip while she made attempts to ignore the Succubus. This prompted Verosika to continue, "How do his muscles feel? From what I can tell, he is shredded."

Loona finally spat out in a blushing mess, "Are you going to shut the fuck up and help, or will you continue making this harder than it needs to be?"

Verosika was about to make another tease, but Kyle beat her to the punch, "Verosika?"

"What do you need?"

He simply said while failing to hide his blush, "Do you think you could back up ten meters or so?"

This was met with Verosika brushing her hair and walking away. She then spoke back to the two, "It sounds to me like you two don't know how to appreciate a good thing."

When she made it a bit away, Kyle told Loona, "Okay, kick your legs now." There was little delay between his command and her action. He then rhetorically asked her, "You ready?"

Loona's eyes widened before she said, "Wait, what?! Don't even think about letting-"

Kyle didn't even waste a second before his arm let go of her allowing her to swim forward. Despite not being in any danger, Loona found herself panicking now that she was on her own. Kyle yelled at her, "Don't stop moving!"

Her arms and legs never stopped moving. Her motions were a little more erratic than before since this had become the real deal, but this soon calmed down once she realized that she wasn't sinking. Instead, she moved through the water like nothing.

Within moments, Loona found herself right in front of Verosika. The Succubus smiled down at Loona. She said, "There you go. You just learned how to swim."

The feeling that swelled within Loona was completely foreign to her. Learning to swim was such a simple thing, but she couldn't help but let some of the emotions from this experience finally come out. The shocked look she held slowly devolved into happy tears.

Without a word, Loona found herself lurching forward and clinging onto Verosika in a strong embrace. This caught Vee completely off guard as she didn't expect the move. Loona finally said, "Thank you."

Verosika wrapped her arms around Loona in acceptance. She spoke in a tender voice, "You're welcome."

The moment seemed to last until the sounds of someone approaching caught both of their attention. With a wide smirk, Kyle said, "I hope I am not interrupting a tender moment." Loona looked over at Kyle with some tears still present. He continued, "See. It wasn't that hard to learn. All you needed was-"

Without hesitation, Loona managed to grab Kyle and pull him into the hug along with Verosika and herself. Kyle's words immediately stopped as he was overwhelmed by the unexpected action. He didn't get to say anything before Loona finished his sentence, "You two. All I needed was you two."

Kyle, not expecting this, allowed his jaw to drop. Hearing that, for him, meant more than the hug possibly could. From the moment of Larissa's death, he felt that there was a void that could never be filled. He was the cause of so much misery and so much damage. He couldn't comprehend something as small as this could have such a positive impact, and that impact came from him.

Verosika's soft fingers rubbed his shoulder. She spoke with a smile and wonderous eyes, "You really are something…"

Right there, Kyle finally understood that the void was now beginning to shrink. The coldness left behind by death and war was healing, and it was with the help of his friends. Beyond getting a place to call home with Moxxie and Millie, and the tutelage of Stolas, he found himself most impacted by the two right before him. So, he brought the two into a deep hug of his own.

As for Verosika, she felt a familiar sensation filled her heart. The closeness and embrace of the two brought a warmness that she thought had left her when Blitzo left her life. This time, though, it felt more powerful than before. Verosika looked at Kyle with wide eyes. She knew exactly what it was, love.

There was simply no ignoring it anymore. It wasn't lust, and her feelings couldn't be mistaken as a simple crush. There was a passion behind what she felt for him, and she yearned for the contact of a simple hug or the tenderness of a simple kiss over the hot action that kinky intercourse could offer. Verosika felt excited over the realization, but there was also a facet of guilt in it.

While Verosika contemplated this, Loona, in a moment of excitement, kissed Kyle right on the cheek. The Succubus were surprised by the action, and the two of them seemed to come out of their emotions immediately. Both of their faces became red in realization, and they made no other movements to escape the embrace.

There wasn't a sense of jealousy in Verosika when she saw this. Instead, she smiled at the two before saying, "I never thought I would be the one to say this, but how about we enjoy this water before you two start feeling each other up."

Loona and Kyle looked at one another before breaking out of their stupor with looks of agreement. In one last move, Verosika moved forward to Kyle before saying, "You know, you really are a great guy."

Before Kyle could react, Verosika placed a swift kiss on his other cheek from where Loona did. This caused a jolt of excitement to run through the disguised Succubus before she looked at the shocked expression that Kyle had. She then looked over to Loona to see that she was equally stunned. Slowly, her eyes narrowed, but not in a menacing way. For whatever reason, Loona wasn't pissed off. She should have been jealous, but it didn't feel like Verosika was trying to steal Kyle. It was a simple kiss on the cheek, which was a remarkably tame move for a demon of Lust to make. Quite frankly, Loona couldn't think of the last time she had even heard of something like that. That was because that wasn't lust, it was…

Loona looked to see Verosika happier than she had seen her before. The circumstances brought on at the beach seemed to have such an effect on each of them. Even when she looked at Kyle, she saw how relaxed he was. A small smile formed on his lips as he seemed to feel each cheek. He was happy. That alone relaxed Hellhound. Nope, there was no jealousy to be felt.

In one swift move, Loona launched a torrent of water right at Verosika. The water completely soaked Verosika to the point where her hair drooped down to the water. Where the Succubus had a surprise expression, Loona smirked. She then stated, "What? Weren't you wanting to enjoy the water? Seems to me that I gave you exactly what you asked for."

Loona's words were returned with a face full of water. When her vision cleared, she got a good look at Verosika who posed with her arms folded under her breasts. She smirked, "I did ask for it. I just didn't want to be the only one having fun."

Suddenly, the two turned to Kyle to see that he was the only one who hadn't been involved. He was pulled out of his earlier trance once he saw the two girls smirking at him. He shook his head, "Don't you two think about it. It's unfair for you two to gang up on-" A large splash of water cascaded in his direction to slap him in the face. Once it settled down, he finished his sentence, "me… Oh, so that's how it is going to be."

The three of them were suddenly splashing water at one another as they laughed and enjoyed themselves on the day off. The worries of organizing files, songwriting, and Azazel completely vanished for the three of them. It had been so long since the three of them could play and forget. The swimming that Loona had just learned was quickly becoming natural as she evaded the attacks from the other two. It truly felt like a new step in their relationship with one another.

---

The Evening (POV: Kyle)

Playing in the water had worn the three of us out after a while. When it was finally time to come back to the beach, we did so. After leading Loona and Vee to an ice cream and other snack vendors, we decided that we had enough activity for the day. So, the three of us sat on the towels laid out to enjoy the sun that was slowly dipping in the sky. A peaceful atmosphere hung over us while we waited for the others to rejoin us.

Verosika was the first to say something after a while, "It's been really fun. I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed myself like this."

Loona remarked, "Tell me about it. I don't think I have ever done anything like this."

Verosika asked, "Have you not been to a hound party? I heard that they can be pretty fun."

An awkward response escaped Loona, "Nope. I, uh, haven't been invited to one. Tex was the first to offer, but he hasn't reached out about one yet."

Verosika smirked, "Tex honors his word. When that happens, you will see just how crazy those parties get."

There was a moment where Loona thought before she said, "Yeah… I don't know. I'm not the crazy party animal type. I like keeping things to a smaller group."

After she said that, I could feel Loona shift over until I could practically feel her against my arm. Before I could even question it, Verosika asked, "What about you, Kyle?"

I let out an amused huff before stating, "I haven't been to a party since high school. They weren't my thing back then."

Loona smiled to my side while Verosika scoffed, "Those are both boring answers. Maybe you two just haven't been to the right one."

I shot back, "What about you? You are making yourself sound like a major party girl."

Verosika rolled over to look at me before she said, "I loved a good party. The drinking was always the best when so many other demons were doing it, and the drugs weren't half bad. Sadly, I can't go to a good one without being swarmed by my countless fans."

I commented, "At least you were left alone up here for the day."

The Succubus exhaled in relaxation before saying, "Tell me about it. Sometimes I wish I could control minds, but I can only affect you humans through sexual desire. I would have needed some strong bodyguard to keep those horny people away had it come to that."

Loona shot back, "Well, Tex isn't around. I could put a few of those scrawny bitches in their place if they tried anything."

Verosika suggestively stated, "I know, but it is always good to strong guy around to help. I guess I would've had to rely on Kyle…"

The conversation that had spurred between Verosika and Loona seemed to fall into the background for me. Instead of hearing their comments, I was focused on the little comment Vee made about 'wishing she could control minds'. It brought me back to my earlier discussion with Stolas, and then to the one I had with Azazel. I had completely forgotten about the training I was struggling with.

Coming out of my thoughts, I said, "Hey, Vee? Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Verosika's smile widened, "What is it, Kyle?"

I began to share, "When I was talking to Stolas-" Verosika looked at me with confusion, so I clarified, "an Ars Goatian prince, I have found out that I can both train others and control my resistance to influences like your sexual inducement. I was just wondering how I would do that."

The first thing that was apparent after I was done talking was just how confused Verosika was. I could tell that she was also disappointed by what I had to say. She started by saying, "I was hoping for a fun question, especially since I can't answer it." My shoulders slumped a little while she continued, "I doubt your resistance is anything like making humans horny with my voice, so I don't think I would be much help."

I laid back down in defeat. I muttered, "Great."

Verosika added, "Still, I would be happy to spend a little personal time with you if it means I can help you with this little training. Loony could come too if she wanted to keep us company."

I felt content with that response seeing as I was treading into new territory. I responded with a certain level of confidence, "I guess that works for me."

However, the more I looked at Verosika, the more I could see something didn't add up for her. She looked me over with an unusually critical look. She then asked, "Why do you want to know, anyway? Don't tell me you are just interested because this is too specific to be that. It sounds like you want to be able to resist something stronger, so what is it?"

As if she were reading my mind, I felt myself freeze completely. There was no way I could clue her into my plan with Azazel. Unlike Loona, Verosika had a connection with one of Hell's Sins, Asmodeus. I could lose any element of surprise while potentially putting her in danger by simply knowing. That was something I was not willing to do.

I started to come up with an excuse, "Uhh… I-"

Before I could even start, two familiar figures began running at us with a sense of urgency. From what I could see, I could distinctly see Tex being one of them. His usually serious demeanor did not spell good news. To his side was Coco. Tears stained her face as a few continued their journey down her cheeks and to her chin. Loona, Verosika, and I jumped to our feet to meet the two. I barely even registered the others of Verosika's posse along with Moxxie and Millie following behind them as if they knew what was going on. From what I could tell, someone was missing.

Verosika instantly pulled Coco into an embrace before asking, "What's happened? Where is Apple?"

While being comforted by the popstar, Coco stuttered out, "T-They t-t-took her! T-They took Apple!"

There was anger immediately shown on Verosika's face, a type of anger I hadn't seen in a while. Her attention turned to Tex. She knew that she would get a more direct answer from the Hellhound. She asked, "What's going on, Tex?!"

With a growl, Tex responded, "A couple of suits came and snatched Apple up when she was alone. Coco only managed to see them carry Apple to their van, and she tried to stop them. By the time she was able to get me, their trail had gone cold. I couldn't even sniff them out." While clenching his jaw, he averted Verosika's fiery gaze. He spoke out with regret "I'm sorry. I failed you."

Instead of responding to Vortex, Verosika focused her attention on Coco, "Is there anything you can tell me about them?! What did they look like?!"

Coco sniffled a few times to regain some control over her voice. She said, "I-I remember t-there being a guy and g-girl. T-They were in s-suits." She stopped for a moment while she let out a few more cries while she tried to get more solid details. She thought of something before wiping away tears to say, "T-They also had the l-letter 'D' on their c-chests. That's all I remember."

Verosika pulled away from Coco as she began to quietly seethe to herself. On the other side, everyone else managed to join the group. The rest of Verosika's posse tried to console the sobbing Coco. On the other side, Moxxie and Millie seemed to be ready for war.

Millie pulled out a knife she had been hiding in somewhere on her body before saying, "Who's ass are we gonna have to kill?"

Loona stated seriously, "We need to figure out where they went first. It isn't going to be easy given what little info we have on the kidnappers."

Finally, Verosika managed to get into the conversation. She spoke lowly, "I don't care what it takes." She then looked over at us with a level of anger I hadn't even seen her direct at Blitzo. She continued, "No one fucks with my group. I will find them and make them FUCKING PAY!"

In a brash transition, Verosika's form changed into a fully demonic form. It was one that I hadn't had the displeasure of meeting face-to-face, and we were lucky that the beach had mostly vacated or was completely disoriented by the alcohol and drugs they had ingested. Her rage was terrifying, but it was also disheartening to see.

I finally stepped forward and grabbed onto her arm. Her angry expression connected with my calm one. After a moment of realization, she reverted to her human disguise. Her expression still held anger, but there was a great deal of sadness as well.

I looked around to see that we were in a desperate situation. If Moxxie's disarmed state and Millie's small knife were any indication, we weren't going to be able to fight anyone. Everyone in Verosika's group, apart from maybe Tex, was going to be useless in the rescue of Apple.

I let out a sigh before I delivered the news, "We can't go after her right now."

Everyone looked at me with surprise before Verosika wanted to pull away from me. I didn't allow it, and she instead exclaimed, "What do you fucking mean?! I'm not going to do anything."

I pulled back at her to quiet her before saying, "We have no plan, we don't know where they went, and I think we are only armed with what I can only assume is a pocketknife." Everyone stood silently after I said that. Millie even looked down at her little weapon. I continued, "Given that it is in the hands of the best little assassin Hell has to offer, it isn't enough. If we go track them half-cocked, then things will only get worse. It's way too dangerous."

Verosika then said, "So I should just leave her?! They will kill her!"

Coco let out a few more audible cries before anyone else had the chance to respond. This time, the thinking came from none other than Moxxie. He rubbed his chin while saying, "I'm not so sure about that. I have a feeling that they knew exactly who they were going for based on the limited description of the two. If that is the case, then they will most likely resort to trying to gather some information about her. That gives us at least a couple of days to find her safely."

I smirked at the Imp before nodding, "That should be more than enough time to figure something out." I turned to look at Verosika to say, "You just need to trust us to find her."

I could see that Verosika was struggling to agree with me, but she finally relented with a dramatic sigh, "Fine! I don't seem to have a choice."

I nodded, "Good, then I guess we should-"

"But I am coming with you when you find her."

Everyone practically exclaimed, "What?!"

I shook my head, "No you won't. You aren't trained for it. Plus, as a side point, Blitz will most likely be clued into what is happening. You two won't be able to work together."

In a quick move, Verosika grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. She said, "I don't give a shit! Apple is family to me and the rest of us! I won't sit back and do nothing." Tex was about to respond, but Verosika beat him to the punch. She pointed at him, "Don't argue against me, Tex!" Her gaze pierced me, "I am going, and that is final."

I was going to argue, but I clenched my jaw. My face twitched at the thought, but then I agreed to it, "Fine, but you will only be going once she is found. I promise you that she will be found."

Verosika finally let go of me before saying, "Good. I wasn't taking no for an answer anyway."

Verosika seemed to have zero shits in getting caught as she opened a portal back into Hell right beside us. She headed for the portal and yelled at her group, "Let's get going, bitches!"

I rubbed my head to relieve the headache that was slowly forming. This mess was going to be a massive pain in the ass to explain to Blitzo. I was unsure as to whether he was going to agree to it, too, since there was going to be a lot of danger with no reward. That didn't matter to me, since I made a promise to Verosika to find Apple.

Moxxie and Millie followed behind the rest of the demons from Lust. To my side, Loona placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I returned her worried expression with a thankful one. She took this as a hint to get through the portal, and she walked through.

My face returned to a serious expression. My hands clenched into fists as my determination grew. I was going to keep good on my promise. If that meant that I was going to have to shed blood, then so be it. There would be no holding back by me. Having my way of life threatened left me in desperation. They were going to pay.

Finally, I walked through the portal only for it to close behind me.

---

That's all I have to offer for now. I guess next up is D.H.O.R.K.S. and Truth Seekers. As you can probably tell with the small setup, the story will start diverging a little bit from what is shown in the episode. Should be a massive ass-kicking, though! I should say that a section of the chapter was proofread by none other than Stingywingy, who has helped before with this story. If you have the time to, please check out the story he co-writes, Star Trek Redemption Part 1: To Boldly Go

Anyways, I guess I should say that things for the next chapter are decently planned out at this point. I shouldn't make any promises to the timeline for the next chapter seeing as I failed to come even close to delivering within the right timespan... Still, just know that work is getting done for it. Feel free to join my Discord and pester me if you think I am taking too long (please don't pester me too much).

If you are enjoying the story, I implore you to favorite, follow, and/or review for the story. I very much enjoy hearing and seeing all that good stuff from you guys. I am always happy to answer questions as well. I am good at responding to named reviews, too. I usually work on the chapter when I am feeling motivated, so it is hard to know when it will release. I will try to stick with 2 weeks, but that can easily move onto 3 if I am having a bit of block.

Now, if anyone is interested, I am going to leave the discord channel code available to any of you. I usually ask for small details, and some ideas are discussed with others on what I should do with the story. You can even just chat with others in it.

VVVVVVVV

INVITE CODE: 8RT9hC5Aau

That is all I have to give!

Until Next Time,

Forsvaret-Komandir