It was another dreary day in Hell. The red-black sky of the Pride Ring loomed over the countless denizens of Perdition, Sinners populating the various Circle Cities and, depending on their level of power and sin, waging war on another for territory, prestige, and ever more power.

For Vortex, a black-furred Hellhound who, like many others, made his living as a bodyguard, it was just another Tuesday.

He sat riding shotgun in the luxurious convertible of one Hell's top pop stars, the 'One and Only' Verosika Mayday. She drove, as she was fond of saying, 'fast and loose, just like me' while egotistically singing along with one of her own songs, a vile little ditty called Exes and O-Faces, the hit single of her equally debauched summer album Booty Wave. At one point not too long ago, Vortex vowed that he'd throw himself from a moving car and barrel roll into oncoming traffic if he had to listen to that song one more time. Instead, he remained focused and aware for any possible threats to his client. Normally he would have drove, but she wanted to today, making some crack about riding bitch that he had successfully tuned out. Can't go wrong riding in these nice seats and not have to worry about some douchebag Sinner trying to t-bone you. And if there's any catcalls from any drivers, he would obligingly give them a snarl, Verosika would blow a kiss, and the catcallers usually wound up in a five car pile up.

There had been two so far...

Oh! Make that three.

It brought a smirk to the one-eyed hound's face, and Verosika barked out a laugh.

"Works every time. Sinner cockstains are going to be asphalt-cake for months before they regenerate."

"If they can get through the Purge, that is." Vortex replied, dryly.

"Well, we'll worry about that when we get there." The pink haired Succubus drawled as she looked at herself in the rearview mirror. "Do I got something on my face?"

Vortex turned, looking at her as she got off the highway and towards Imp City where her studio was.

"Looks fine to me. Though I don't have depth perception," Vortex said. "Ask your friends to powder you up."

"True, but they usually cover everything up. I gotta make sure I look juuust right for the upcoming recording session."

"Is it going to be filmed for a documentary? Chanel 666?"

"If it was, you'd be the first to know Tex." Verosika winked, and Vortex shrugged. They drove through the streets and found their building where the studio was as Verosika huffed at the sight of a familiar van in a parking spot.

"Fucking no good cock eating shit huffing…" She hissed under her breath.

Vortex rolled her eyes. To be fair, she DID steal his spot. When it came to her Ex, they way she could drop all rationality and go full on feral and petty was almost impressive, in a stupid, self-defeating way. Then again, it wasn't in his job description to judge, just to guard her body. Verosika paid very well, and the only downside was giving the occasional blowjob to some fat human cop.

As a Hellhound, he'd done worse to get by.

"So Tex, Gael and Scott have some Envy Shrooms," Verosika said as they got to their spot and settled in. "After the recording sesh, we were thinking of dropping some. You in?"

The pop star grabbed her white-fur boa and got out, tossing Vortex the keys. The hound caught them without so much as a second glance as he got out of the car, and clicked on some keys to close it the convertible and lock it.

"Maybe having a little fun?" She licked her lips, eyeing him up as Vortex remained neutral, inwardly his eyes rolling like a dog on a fresh bed of grass.

While he was good at his job – the best, if her Yowl reviews were anything to go by – the reason Verosika wanted him on the payroll was far less professional. Amongst all her other bodyguards, he was by far the most attractive. Considering her other guards consisted of burly snaggletoothed Leviathans an short, scrawny Imps, he took this compliment with a grain of salt. Not to say he didn't deverve the attention, he made the effort to stay in shape, training every day, but that was more for practical reasons than vanity. Outside of Sinners, there weren't many Hellions out there that would want to tangle with him. And even among those depraved Faller trash, most wouldn't come away from the experience in one piece.

"Sorry, I'm not into that, Ma'am." Vortex pocketed the keys as he walked behind her.

"Oh, come on Tex! Like, I know you got a girlfriend but, what she doesn't know can't hurt~" She oiled, winking his way and lowering her glasses to show off her red eyes.

"My apologies ma'am. But," he shrugged, smirking her way as he thought up something. "I'm saving up my pent up daily stress for Yula."

Verosika blinked, then laughed. "Hahaha! Why didn't say so!"

She huffed, shaking her head. "Man, I've had fun with my producers and buddies, but you Tex? You're the one egg I just can't crack." Vortex saw her eye him up. "Makes me wonder what gooey goodness is inside... your bitch is a lucky gal~"

"Well, I got something good. Might as well hold onto it, ya know?" Vortex said as he opened the door for her. "Let me be the one to make the good decisions, while you make the bitchin' bad ones."

"You card." She sauntered as her phone vibrated. She reached into her purse. "Oh fuck that's right… Tex?" Vortex closed the door as he followered her. "I got a trip to Ozzie's back home planned for tomorrow. Can you make it?"

The black furred hound sighed. "We agreed on this Ma'am. I'm using my vacation day tomorrow." Vortex pulled out his phone. "We agreed on it when we signed the Geas Contract for my employment under you."

Verosika's lips puckered in as she let out a loud growl of frustration.

"Ugh, you're right." She grumbled. "Fucking Geas Contracts… Fucking unbreakable."

Vortex nodded as she sighed. "Guess I'll come packing a little heat just in case, and bring some of my buddies."

She looked back up to him, eyebrow arcing as a lurid glint flashed in her eyes.

"What you got planned?" She asked as she walked along the first floor heading towards the recording studio.

"Hound Party." Vortex replied. "Me and Yula love hostin' them. Plus gives us the chance to blow a little steam."

"And I give you so many chances to blow a little…" Verosika sighed before shrugging. "Whelp, can't be helped. The big man down below was interested on who my new BG is nowadays."

Vortex quirked an eyebrow. "The Lord of Lust has been asking about me?"

"Here and there, wondering who my new 'knight in shining armor' is." She posed dramatically, leaning into the muscular hound. Vortex looked ahead, sighing through his nose. "Would be. I bet you'd love a trip to Ozzie's~"

"I bet I would," he lied as he felt the urge rise up again. "Hey ma'am, I'll join up at the studio. Gonna have a smoke."

"We can just smoke inside ya know." She said, rolling her eyes as they arrived to the elevator and pressed the button. Vortex shook his head, making her tilt her head as he pointed at the wall. On it, a new sign was posted.

IMP CITY REALTY MANAGEMENT:

ANYONE MAKING A FIRE WILL BE TRIED AND SUED BECAUSE FUCK YOU FIRE DAMAGE REPAIRS SUCK ASS.

DO NOT:

SMOKE

COOK

HOUSE ELECTRIC EELS

MAKE BONFIRES

OVERPOWER ELECTRICAL OUTLETS

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.

Verosika sighed and clenched the bridge of her nose.

"There goes the bong. Fuck." She uttered as she got her phone out to text her groupies to inform her of another vice being stricken off for the night. "Well, go ahead and have your smoke Tex. Studio is just out the elevator."

"I know ma'am."

Vortex patted her on the shoulder and walked down the side and exited out through a side exit of the building. He sighed, looking about as he reached into his pocket to grab a pack of cigarettes. He got one out, brough to his lips and got a lighter to light it up. He took a deep breath and sighed, smoke exiting his maw as nicotine filled his system.

Imp City already had issues with smog, what's a little more as he leaned against the wall and looked down at his phone. A new text popping up. He brought it up.

'Hey Tex, can I come to that Hound Party please? Got nothin planned tomorrow.' It was from Loona.

He smiled a bit. His boss' Ex's hellhound seemed like a nice girl, little shy and awkward, and when embarrassed can be loud. Her comment on not having many friends struck a chord in the black furred hound.

Fuck it, what's one more to the party? Yula would like her anyway.

'Of course, here's my address. Can you get a ride there?' He texted back as he sent her his address. He sighed, leaning against the wall.

He heard dark chuckling and crooning, his eye looking down the alleyway and seeing some misshapen Sinners: one looking some Quasimodo looking fucker, the other a giant blue bird covered in gangrene.

They were rummaging through a dumpster down the alleyway, likely looking for food, and Vortex's hand slid down to his thigh, to the Seraphim Steel bowie knife holstered there. He continued to smoke, his ears glued on their activities.

And he heard a yell, a scream of someone falling. And falling.

And falling.

How high up was this fucker?

Vortex looked up, watching as a shape plummeted from the defiled sky to crash into a dumpster nearby.

Vortex's eyebrow arched slightly.

Don't Sinners always land in Pentagram City when they are condemned to Hell? Or maybe this fucker got tossed out of a plane?

Fuck it. Cats are curious, Hellhounds not so much.

"Owww… Damn…" groaned the voice as Vortex's eye remained glued to the dumpster and out came…

Whoa.

The thing crawling out wasn't some absurd perversion, no ironic reflection of a fetid soul made manifest in Hell. It was a boy!

Like... just a boy. Some kid.

A genuine, honest to goodness human boy with pale skin, freckles and a messy mop of red hair, bordering on orange or even blonde – perhaps Strawberry blonde? – all dressed up in some dipshit-looking deep green jumpsuit. He crawled out and landed on the pavement, rubbing his arms. Vortex's nose perked up, sampling the air: this kid smelled very much alive. Too alive. The Kid didn't stink of a fresh Faller, he smelled like actual living human!

Vortex closed his eyes and sniffed, opening them again to see the boy's aura glow, still firmly connected to his meatsuit. This was impossible! A living, breathing human in Hell?!

Vortex' eye looked down at his cigarette and tossed it to the ground. Did Verosika spike his smokes again? Maybe he should quit, if only to deny his lurid boss the limited access to his body she already had. Nebula always said he should. He rubbed his eye again. His cig was laced with something, right?

He sniffed the air again.

Yep, very much an alive human boy, late teens with his hair covering his eyes and freckles on his cheeks.

"Where the heck am I?" The boy asked before turning and his eyes settled on the scarred Vortex and he froze like a deer in headlights.

Okay, his voice indicated he was either young(most likely) or a twink.

"Mugsy look!" Screeched a voice from down the alleyway.

Vortex turned, the boy squawked as the hunchback and bird Sinners sauntering over, licking their chops, drooling. "Fresh meat~"

This was the day that set in motion events that would bring all of Creation to the brink of collapse of Armageddon, a meeting between a boy, and a hound.

And there you have it. The collab between me and Wr1teAnon!

This has been eating at my brain for a plot bunny for well over a year now, talking about it back and forth with WA as we both became fans of each other's works. The original plan was to wait until I had a couple more chapter to publish, but with Vivziepop releasing Season1 Episode 8 soonish I figured I would post this sooner rather than later.

Its going to be an interesting journey, and I hope you're all here for it. The Next two chapters will come along very soon as we follow Brief's journey through Hell.

Stay tuned~