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

2. Chapter 2

I really have a problem when it comes to new stories... I just don't know when to stop writing the first few chapters, and then I find out they are done and I am like 'oh shit'.

Anyways, welcome back to No Way Back! I am happy to see the encouraging signs of support for this story, and I hope I bring great content for you all to enjoy consistently. I have responded to all the review that I could, and have only had one guest review for the first chapter at the time of this release. It is below in the original text.

ReadingBeta (guest): I take that I won't find any sex here to read? Not gay.

Umm, yeah. I don't really know how to respond. Are you bummed or sad about your assertion? Anyways, to answer: I am not anywhere near that point, but it is a pretty good possibility. I have already gotten a few requests for it, so there is your answer. It is stuff you can, quite frankly, skip over if you wish. I would label it.

Anyways, I don't have much else to say right here. Thank you for the support and please enjoy Chapter 2!

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Chapter 2: Employment

Realizations about where I was and what little power I had over the situation had hours to sink in since I had arrived in Hell, but they never truly did. There was a complete change in how I viewed the Universe. All it took were a few little red guys, a hound, and a magical book. This just stacked on top of me murdering someone, which I wasn't forgetting through this mess in the slightest.

I rubbed my hand through my hair as I tried to forget all of that, but there seemed to be more and more elements added to this mess. The last one came a few hours ago in the form of a towering, slender, royally-dressed owl demon. I don't know how he managed to get into Blitzo's office, my guess being that probably that he came from some portal or something, but he'd emerged from there in the first moments of my being here after Blitzo's exit from the room. While addressed as 'Your Highness' by Moxxie and the others, Blitzo was much more informal by using his actual name, Stolas.

Despite the rather elegant way he carried himself then, the hair on my arms and neck seemed to stand on end from his presence. His various red eyes seemed to peer through me with their glowing red, and I could tell that he was powerful in a way that I had only seen in the movies. I couldn't tell what intent he had with me at that moment since he held a rather well-crafted poker face. He only approached me slowly, and I did well in keeping my composure.

His voice still stuck in my head when he showed interest in what had transpired earlier in the night. It was smooth and accented to what I had expected of royalty. His questions were kept to a minimum and all he wanted were straight answers. After explaining my position and showing my new mark thanks to his demonic 'grimoire', he seemed satisfied with the result.

Stolas was rather pleasant to me for whatever reason despite my presence being unwanted. I couldn't say the same for the others as he was often dismissive to them. Hard not to expect it from a prince, being that he was one of the Ars Goetia, talking down to a commoner. This rule seemed to not really apply to Blitzo. Instead, the owl seemed to speak with him in a more sensual manner, and that was putting it very mildly. Stolas's eyes would light up whenever looking at the Imp which was only returned with a blunt, impatient, dismissive response.

That was a couple of hours ago, or what felt like it. The two had returned to what was Blitzo's office to have further discussions in private. What that actually meant? I could only keep myself preoccupied with looking at the dull surroundings. I sat on one of their couches in the large room. It had various rips and tears in it which gave the impression that it was picked up from a junkyard. However, it was surprisingly comfortable.

My company included Loona, who was sitting behind one of the desks while she stared at the computer with a bored expression, and Millie and Moxxie. The two of them would converse quietly with affection, and I would catch them looking my way a few times with interest. I decided not to address it even as they both walked over and sat on the other end of the couch.

My eyes remained on the floor. It wasn't until Millie's spirited voice broke my gaze, "I have never seen a human up this close before. Well, I guess one that wasn't in a pool of their own blood."

Moxxie nervously interjected, "Millie, I am not sure, uh, Kyle wanted to know that. It isn't a very polite way to bring up a conversation."

I looked over at Millie to see that she held no malintent behind her words as she uttered, "Oh."

I responded, "It is fine. I don't take any offense to that. I am actually kind of happy to not be included in the list of the living and not the dead."

My lame attempt at trying to ease my discomfort was greeted by Millie smiling warmly and Moxxie letting out a few awkward laughs. I never expect that a conversation with a couple of Hellborn would feel like me making conversations with a human stranger. It felt so… normal.

"I just wanted to say my thanks for helping my Mox out there. I don't know how I can repay you for it." Millie's eyes conveyed her appreciation just as much as her words.

I shook my head, "You don't need to do anything. I guess it was Moxxie who was the first to save me. I just happened to have the opportunity to repay the favor, and so I took that opportunity."

Millie looked over at Moxxie with some ire to which he let out a few chuckles in apprehension. She didn't chastise him other than that look before she turned back to me. Her posture relaxed a little while holding Moxxie's hand. She added, "I don't know any humans who would do that for one of us, especially kill another human. That already makes you fit in much better here."

Any warm expression that I conveyed disappeared within a split second. I didn't want to remember any of that, but it felt like the female Imp unintentionally was throwing it back in my face. Despite my purposes, the decision was bound to haunt me.

They both seemed to notice my change in attitude. Moxxie seemed to try and remedy, "I-I don't think she meant to s-say it that way!"

After a few seconds, I blinked a few times before relaxing my face back to neutral. I responded, "It is fine. It is just another thing that I will have to come to terms with. It is hardly the first time I have killed anyone. This time… It just happened in a different setting."

Millie seemed confused with what I meant, but Moxxie seemed to grasp what I was trying to say quickly. He whispered in Millie's ear and her eyes lit up with understanding after a few seconds. I looked around for a small moment to see that Loona's ear flicked toward our direction while the whispering was going on. Once they were done, silence prevailed once again.

Using this opportunity to change the conversation before Millie got into it once again, I asked no one specifically, "When is your boss going to come out of their meeting? I don't think I will be getting sleep any time soon, but I was hoping to possibly have everything resorted so that I might be able to."

Millie smiled, "They could be a while. The Prince is Blitz's boyfriend." She emphasized the word 'boyfriend' before she continued, "They could be back at his place 'discussing' what to do with you for all we know."

This was then added upon by Moxxie, "They could be a while. I don't think anything like this has ever happened in the history of your world or Hell. I can't even recall a living human ever coming here unless they were destined to die here. This is kind of a big deal."

I looked at them with a deadpan look, "So you are both telling me that this is going to take a while." Both of them nodded in confirmation. I let out a small sigh, "Well, is there a kitchen or fridge where I could find food? I am getting a little hungry and parched."

Moxxie hopped off the couch and motioned for me to follow him. Millie followed suit while he spoke, "I don't think there are many things we keep in the kitchen, but I am sure we could find something for you to consume."

I got up and walked behind the two small beings through one of the doors to another room nearby. It wasn't that different from what I expected for a breakroom in a regular office building. There was a sink, cupboards, a fridge, a table with chairs, and various other appliances. This place felt so strange to me with how alike it was to 'my' world.

I took a step toward the cabinets that were to the side of the fridge while Moxxie walked up to the former. He opened the fridge door and glanced through the different levels of it. Seeing as it was mostly empty, being that it only served to keep lunches for the day in it, Moxxie spoke back, "I'm sorry. I don't think we have anything to eat. Maybe Millie and I could go out and get you something."

Unbeknownst to Moxxie, but not Millie, I was on my own search for things to consume. I looked through the few cupboards that would be out of reach for the Imps to see if there was anything worth it. On my third attempt, I finally found exactly what I needed. It was a tall, unopened bottle of what looked like hard liquor.

I turned the drink around in my hand to look at the label. It was a brand I wasn't familiar with, Caramel Desire. I let out a 'hmm' to see that it was a type of rum with a blend of caramel in it. It wasn't the type of thing that I would traditionally drink, but I was open to drinking really anything right now. Now, where would some drinking glasses be?

I didn't even notice Millie glance over at me with a concerned expression. She spoke with an unassured tone, "Uhh, Moxxie…"

Moxxie gave out a grunt in response before he noticed what she was worried about. He went instantaneously from relaxed to panicked before my very eyes. He tried to wave me off of my current decision by becoming a stuttering mess, "Y-You c-c-can't drink t-t-that! T-T-That's-" He looked to the door with worry after pausing. He then whispered out for me to hear with no less of a calm expression, "That's Loona's liquor. She usually gets alcohol when she is trying to take the edge off a hangover, or she uses it when she wants to relax. She doesn't share it with ANYONE!"

Millie added while standing by my side, "She will probably maul you if she finds you drinking her stuff. That isn't even getting into what Blitz will do to you if he finds out if you upset Loona."

I looked between the two of them for a second before I popped the top off the bottle and took a decent mouthful of it. It was definitely too sweet for what I liked, but it had the burning that I needed. I dropped the bottle down to look at it once again. It took the edge off for me.

Moxxie brought his hands and slapped them on his face. His panic escalated, and he questioned, "What is wrong with you?! Did you not hear what we were saying to you?!" He stared blankly at Millie, "He's going to die after all."

Millie reassured Moxxie, "Maybe not, Moxxie. She might not even notice the next time she opens it."

I commented back, "I don't care either way. It has been an eventful day, and I need something to help me relax. I appreciate the warning…" I began to look through the various cabinets for glasses. I continued when I didn't have any luck, "but I don't need it. If she is that upset, I will just get her another bottle."

A few steps could then be heard coming from outside the breakroom, and they were getting closer. There was shouting from a very peeved Loona, "I swear if someone is drinking my booze, I will rip out their fucking throat."

Both Moxxie and Millie gave me a glance telling me that I had one last chance to cover up my tracks. I just glanced back at them with little thinking on my part before I shrugged and continued to look for glasses. They both then glanced at each other with acceptance of whatever might happen.

Only a couple of seconds passed before the scowling Hellhound came through the entryway and searched around, "Alright, why do I smell my-" Her voice cut out when she looked over at me holding her bottle of liquor and looking through the cupboards. She snarled a little while she glared daggers, "What the fuck, dude?! You have barely been here a couple of hours and you are already drinking my stuff."

I turned around and looked at her. I surmised, "Well, there wasn't anything else around here. It has been a difficult day, so I thought 'why not'."

I could see Moxxie's facepalm at my response. Loona didn't calm down much from what I had said. Instead, she approached me with rage but with a quieter voice, "So that gives you the right to just drink my booze?" She then decided to share her anger by turning toward the two Imps, "Why didn't either one of you try and stop him?!"

Moxxie retorted, "We did. We told him that it wasn't a wise decision to-"

Loona scowled back and cut him off, "Telling him to stop isn't making him stop, dick. I thought your wife would at least have a little more balls and take the initiative here."

The couple responded at the same time, "Hey!"

Loona disregarded their protest before looking at me once again. She continued, "You have a death wish, pal. If it weren't for Blitz's rich preenie fuckbuddy saying otherwise, I would rip you apart."

I decided to brush past the wolf before taking a seat at the small table resting beside one of the walls in the room. I let out a sigh before relaxing in the tense atmosphere. I took another drink directly from the bottle seeing as I couldn't find any glasses to drink from. The buzz was barely kicking in, and I knew that I was a long way away from getting to the place I wanted to be. Still, I could see Loona scowl a bit more while showing me the tips of her sharp teeth.

It was good to see that I had a little immunity from these guys maiming me. Still, I had enough judgment to know that I needed to resolve this now or face consequences later on. I spoke with an understanding voice, "Look, I am not going to pretend that I am not being a massive dick for taking this from you. So, I am sorry for doing this. If it makes you feel better about this, I can buy you another bottle of alcohol. Something better if you want."

Loona's expression relaxed a little, but her hostility hadn't fully disappeared. She crossed her arms before replying, "You are new to Hell. You don't have the money to even pay for that bottle, dumbass."

Both Millie and Moxxie watched from the sidelines with anticipation. They would look over at whoever was talking at the moment and then swiftly turn to the other to see their response. They were eagerly cautious and waiting to see if I would be able to calm down the Hellhound. I nodded without worry, "Well, I do have a bit of money stored up at my house in my world. When I can return, I can just buy you some with that." I knew that return was likely an impossibility at this point, but I was showing that I would keep my word one way or another.

Loona relaxed a little more but didn't seem to relent from her position. I sat there for a second longer waiting for a response before I chuckled, "Alright, fine. I will buy you two bottles. Does that sound better? Plus, I could use a drinking partner right now. Drinking alone is a bit of a drag."

I offered the bottle for her to grab. Loona stood there for a moment while she calmed down a little. Moxxie and Millie stood there and waited to see if I had any success in taming Loona's attitude. The sound of a pin dropping could probably be heard if that was any indication of how quiet it was. I continued to offer the bottle, Loona thought, and the other two stood in the background.

Loona finally took the bottle in a swift grab before her hostility disappeared into a more annoyed indifference. She replied, "I will share this one for three bottles for this one, and I promise I won't kill you in your sleep."

"You have yourself a deal," I smiled back. I could see the tenseness disappear from both Imps. They probably thought that I was a goner. Loona responded by sitting in a chair at the table and taking a drink from the bottle as well. She seemed to be unaffected by the burning of the alcohol after she took two deep gulps from the bottle without reacting at all. She drank a decent bit to have that kind of response.

Millie whispered something in Moxxie's ear, and he nodded right before the two of them left the room without saying another word. Now it was only the Hellhound and me left. It would be worth some effort trying to get to know a little more about these demons, or whatever the correct term was. I had a lot to learn and starting with Loona might be smart.

I started, "So, I guess I should formally introduce myself. I'm Kyle."

Loona put the bottle down and looked at me blankly. She responded curtly, "Loona." Instead of a handshake or anything, Loona offered the bottle to me to start drinking from. I took it without another word before I left the liquid slide down my throat. Numbing the night away was only going to get a little easier from here.

I decided to keep it easy for talking since there was an obvious barrier between us. She was an anthropomorphized hound of hell, and I can't say that I am comfortable here. The drinking made it easier, and the longer I stayed here the more it sunk in. I was unsure whether she had spoken to or seen a living human before now, but I was certain I am probably the most fascinating by circumstances.

I handed her the bottle and asked, "So, what do you do here?"

It was a simple enough question. One that was just to start a nonhostile conversation between the two of us. This seemed to work since Loona dropped any hatred for a more neutral look. She was about to take a drink before answering, "Do you mean what does the company do, or what do I do?"

"I figured that Moxxie, Millie, and Blitz go into my world and kill humans. I still don't really see why, but that is all I know. You, on the other hand… I don't know exactly what you do." I finished and waited patiently for Loona to have her turn with the rum.

Loona finished drinking before she responded, "I'm sure the only thing those three do in the human world is fuck around most of the time. They just happen to get rid of enough people that they are contracted to kill to keep this place going and pay our bills."

From outside the room, I could hear Moxxie yell, "We don't mess around in the human world!"

Loona proceeded to yell back, "Fuck off, Moxxie! Stop listening in on our conversation!"

Ignoring the interruption and response, I surmised, "So, they are paid by those in Hell to kill someone in my world."

Loona took another swift drink before passing back the bottle. In a very subtle way, I could see that she was getting affected by the alcohol. She seemed a little more friendly, but that was a long way from being friendly. She just wasn't as irritated and as much of a spitfire toward me. I could see it in how she seemed more open when she spoke, "Yeah, that is basically what we do here. A sinner with a grudge pays us to kill a human as payback. That is the reason for your shitty day today. They were supposed to kill someone because someone paid, but you managed to kill him for us."

I nodded at the blunt, but informative look into this business. I did a great job filtering out the last comments to the best of my ability. I mumbled, "Yeah…"

As uncomfortable as I should have been with their business, I just wasn't. I guess I should thank my currently numbed state of mind. I said, "Well, I get that, but what do you do? It sounds like you don't go with them ever."

Loona crossed her arms in anger, "That's because I don't! Blitz doesn't ever let me go with them. I don't know what he is so afraid of. Instead, I have to sit back here as his receptionist and keep the books."

I made a little joke, "That's kind of funny. I would have thought that you would keep that magic book until they needed a portal home based on what I saw earlier."

My words were replied with a huff from the Hellhound, and she responded, "Yeah, well, Blitz wanted to bring it along for some reason. Maybe he wanted to go somewhere else after the job was done afterward. All I know is that it won't happen again after the shitshow that is tonight."

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, "Yeah, I guess I am making quite a mess for everyone here. My life was fucked the instant I killed Wyatt. I shouldn't have made a mess for everyone to sort out."

I was surprised to see Loona not berate me like she probably would with Moxxie or Blitzo. Instead, she brushed off my concerns with some level of alcoholic euphoria, "Don't worry about it. Moxxie and Millie are probably beyond thankful for what you did. Between you and me, don't be too surprised if they invite you for a threesome in the future because of it."

There was a yell from the pair a few rooms away, "Hey!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the response since Loona didn't exactly keep her 'between you and me' quiet. The Hellhound yelled back, "What did I say about listening in!" Loona continued, "To me, that prince seems interested in the changes to his book and what happened. The only one bitching right now is Blitz, but he will come around sooner or later once he can see how he can use you.

I mumbled out in slight despair from the way she made all this sound permanent, "I was afraid of that. I am going to live the rest of my life here, aren't I?" There was no need for a response from Loona. She only gave me physical ones, anyways, with a small drop in her ears and a saddened look in her eyes. It was surprising to see that kind of sympathy from someone who wanted to kill me just mere moments ago. She didn't want to tell me the truth, and I didn't need it. It didn't matter anyways.

Instead, I let out a deep breath before distracting myself, "What about you? What are your thoughts on me."

Loona looked at me once again. She thought for a moment before saying, "Well, I was still pissed about you drinking my booze." I let out a few huffed laughs while I looked at the bottle in my grasp. Loona continued with a lighter look, "For some reason, I think you will keep your word about getting me more. You don't seem like a piece of shit. So, I guess you aren't too bad. Still, just one question."

I looked at her with confusion, "What?"

She asked, "Are you a dog or cat person?"

"What the fuck?" I guess I repeated myself a little more crudely feeling like I didn't hear it right. It was such an odd question that came out of nowhere. I responded to it without much thought, "I am probably a dog person. Why ask that?"

The words had already left my mouth until I found some understanding of her question. She was at least somewhat 'dog'-like. For the first time since being here, I thought I was talking to her as if she were another human instead of a canine-like being from Hell. Regardless of the reason or silliness of the question, she seemed pleased by the response. She gave a tiny smirk, "Yeah, you are alright. Especially for a human."

I just smiled in response before a quick moment of quiet overcame the room. The only thing that was happening now was Loona drinking from the emptying bottle. I barely noticed how we were passing it back and forward through our talking. The alcohol was soothing, but the conversation with her was therapeutic.

I then spoke on a point from earlier, "I am a little surprised that you don't go with them ever. You seem like someone who could handle their own out there. Someone would definitely shit themselves if they saw you pop out of the shadows."

Loona pouted a little, "It doesn't matter what you or I think. The only thing that matters is what Blitz decides. Right now, he decided that I should stay here and behind some desk 'safe'. It is more than him being my boss. He is also my adoptive father."

I let out a surprised, "Oh?"

Ignoring his surprise, Loona turned to a lighter tone, "Plus, I wouldn't go out there like this, idiot." She motioned up and down her slender form before continuing, "I have my own way of blending in."

I was confused by how she would blend in with how she looked right now. Sure, she looked like a wolf, but there were definite differences on the head alone that would draw attention. Still, I decided not to question it. I responded, "Well, I am not sure how much it matters, but I would support you at least going with them sometimes. If it ever comes to it, I will support you."

Loona's eyes narrowed critically at me. She replied, "Why would you do that? You barely know me."

"I don't know." I shrugged before thinking of a better response. Truthfully, I didn't have that good of an answer to it. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking and I felt like I wanted to be nice. I then replied with my true feelings, "I guess there isn't a reason for me other than I see that it means something to you. That is enough reason for me to want to support you. Also, if I am getting the right feeling, then I would say that I am probably going to be around to help you."

Loona blinked a few times, "Oh…"

A bit of awkwardness settled in the breakroom after my omission of support. I thought that I was going to have to figure out another conversation topic, or at least drink the rest of the bottle quickly. Instead, I didn't get too far into my thoughts before Loona asked, "What is the human world like?"

My brow raised in interest. Perhaps the discussion about going to the human world and whatnot had drawn this question out. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised by it. Still, I let out a small chuckle, "Well, that is a harder question to answer. There isn't one description I could give."

Loona's expression seemed to drop a little from what I had spoken. It was a hard question, but I doubt any answer was going to suffice. I had been from small towns to big cities, in cold and hot climates. I sat up a little straighter, tried freeing my thoughts of the major buzz I was going through, and cleared my throat. Loona looked at me with a little more attention as well.

"I guess I should explain that everything from look and culture seems to vary from place to place. When I served in the military, the places I went would either be villages that remained the same for thousands of years or cities where I couldn't even walk without bumping into a few shoulders. They were the first eye-opening experiences I had away from home. I wasn't there for the pleasure of it, though. I saw friends get hurt and die there, and I killed people there. It always felt so… hostile." I didn't really know what else to say about those places. I was hardly the best person to ask about those times, and I don't even know why I brought them up.

I looked over to see that Loona wasn't going to interrupt at all. I lacked the words and thoughts to really give much detail, but I still did my best while I thought of the next thing to describe. I continued, "When I got back home, I stayed with a friend in a big city. Everyone seemed like they were always in a rush to get from point A to point B. People would be selfish, rude, and careless. Tourists could be even worse than that." I thought for a moment seeing as the Hellhound didn't seem enthralled by what I was saying. I persisted with praises, "There would be moments to cherish, though. Festivals where there wouldn't be a sad face in sight, and sometimes I would see moments of compassion from others there. The nightlife was also something to enjoy."

Loona sat back a little, "You were making it sound a little too much like here for a second. I guess that would make sense since we tend to adopt things from your world while taking the worst people you had to offer."

I smiled, "Well, if you get the opportunity, I hope you have the opportunity to focus on the good that my world has to offer." I tried to regain my thoughts for a moment before settling on the last thing, "Then there was the place I lived before running into Moxxie. It was a small town completely void of any vibrancy that would be seen in the cities. No nightlife or major parties, events, or anything like that."

Loona let out a snort of laughter before saying, "Why the fuck would you live in a place like that?"

"It was for a job, but I also wanted to get away from all of that. Sure, it was cold most of the year with little comforts, but it also felt peaceful beyond what the city could give me. You could see forever from the mountain peaks, and the northern lights were beyond comprehension. I think it is something you just have to see to believe," I went quiet after all of that.

From there, I believed that I was done talking about the world. I had seen such an insignificant part of it, but I did my best to draw a picture for the hound to grasp. I even looked down to see that the bottle was empty with just one more small drink left. Instead of taking it, I offered it Loona to take. She looked back with surprise but shrugged and took the bottle. She then downed the rest of the alcohol.

Loona tossed the bottle into the garbage can without a car that it broke a little from the impact. She turned back to Kyle before saying, "At least that place feels like it has more to offer than here. One would have to be blind to find anything here beautiful. Interesting, sure, but nowhere fucking close to beautiful."

I chuckled a lot, "Great, something to really look forward to, then." I went back to a little more of a genuine and serious expression before I said, "Look, I just wanted to say thanks."

Loona became the most surprised I had seen her yet. Her ears had gone completely upright, and her eyes became wide. She had also come to a more attentive posture compared to her relaxed one from the alcoholic buzz. She asked, "Uhh, what for?"

I leaned back a little in thought, "I guess I was in a negative mindset from what happened earlier, and talking about the places I had been reminded me that there is a lot of good despite there also being bad..." I rubbed the back of my neck, "even though I couldn't really explain it well enough for you." I then smirked, "Also, thank you for just being here to listen."

Instead of going with a more genuine response, Loona did her best to shrug it off, "The living are an odd bunch, aren't they?" Her mind spoke a warmer tone as she thought, 'What is with this guy? When I heard he was a killer, I thought he would act like one. He is thanking me for something so small. I thought humans would be worse. Maybe this one is just different.' Well, they were warm for her. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking for them both.

Before either one of them could say another thing, the sound of a door flying open caught their attention. A yell from Loona's adoptive father caused them to jump a little, "Thank fuck we are done with all of that… Hey! Where is that human? Also, where is Loony?"

I laughed, "Loony?! Well, that is something."

I continued to let out a small snicker at the nickname given to the Hellhound, and she resorted to punching me quite hard in the arm. She growled out with embarrassment, "Don't fucking laugh. It isn't even the worst he has called me."

I moved toward the door and spoke back, "Now I can't wait for that moment."

I walked through the doorway with Loona following behind me. I knew that I hadn't had enough alcohol to become completely drunk. Still, I could feel that I wasn't entirely stable in my walking. It felt like my vision sloshed back and forward while the floor stood uncannily still. I just wondered how I looked. I would undoubtedly fall further into the hole of drunkenness as the night continued.

I entered the room where the three Imps and the owlish prince were standing. Moxxie proceeded to explain, "W-Well, s-sir, both of them are in the breakroom. They are probably both drinking from her stored alcohol."

Loona growled out behind me, "Damn it, Moxxie! Why would you tell him that?!"

The little Imp turned back to look at her, "It was the truth."

Blitzo grabbed him around the shoulder and pulled him in, "Great job there, Mox. Really looking out for your friends there, aren't you."

Moxxie only muttered, "We aren't even friends."

Blitzo then turned to me and Loona, "It hasn't even been four hours since you have gotten here. You better have not gotten my baby drunk while she is ON THE JOB!" He yelled the last part very loudly to us.

Loona spoke back to Blitzo with distaste, "The day is already over. Also, I am not drunk, just buzzed."

Blitzo held up his finger and was about to retort, but Stolas seemed to clear his throat catching the attention of everyone. Blitzo looked over in surprise before Stolas spoke, "If you are quite done, we should quickly explain what we discussed in private. Shouldn't we, my Blitzy."

Blitzo let out an aggravated sigh before pinching between the eyes, "Yeah, I guess we should." The taller Imp walked up to me before saying, "Let me be the first one to tell you that have completely fucked yourself, pal. Welcome to Hell as it will be the last place you will call home."

An empty feeling filled my chest from confirmation of what I had suspected this entire time. Still, alcohol was a great numbing agent for these kinds of things. Blitzo's very dickish way of saying that I was stuck in Hell was met with mildly concerned looks from Moxxie, and less so from Millie. Loona was behind me, but I knew that she wouldn't react much to the news. Stolas kept decorum through Blitzo's brash way of breaking news.

After a second or two, I responded, "I figured as much when I got this mark. So… was that all that you had to say? I thought there would be more."

Stolas spoke with a more serious tone than before, "You would be correct in presuming that there is more. You see, I am completely baffled as to why my grimoire reacted in such a way to you. I also don't have the faintest clue about many of the new pages and their scripture. I can't think of such an incident even close to this. It makes you a curiosity to many, and perhaps a trophy to those at the very top of Hell."

I rubbed my chin as I thought. Just what the fuck happened? Perhaps I will have very little idea of the full story of what happened to me. I asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you know?"

As if he had expected my question, Stolas began to explain immediately, "Despite what my little Imp said earlier, you can technically return to the world of mortals. You can just do so for a short amount of time every so often. A day there, and then a day here."

Well, that was not nearly convenient enough to continue a simple life where I was living before. I wasn't stuck here, but I was equally bound to this place. A place where I didn't fit in at all. I didn't even want to let it sink in, "Alright, what else do you know."

Stolas seemed to perk up at the next part. He spoke with a more interested voice, "The next part is what makes all this fascinating. A human should have been completely vulnerable to the various environments and inhabitants of Hell, but it is almost like you were born here."

Now I was confused, "So, what does that mean?"

Blitzo cut in, "What he is trying to say is that you have it easy for a human. You aren't going to die from the weather and some of those in hell can't fuck with you. You won't get all horny from the mating call from some succubus or anything like that. Some of the stronger demons of Hell might not be able to affect you as well other than maim and kill you. Lucky you."

I let this sink in for a second before asking, "So… I can't be possessed by you guys or anything like that?"

Blitzo and Stolas looked at one another before the room burst out into laughter. I was more confused than embarrassed by their reaction. Loona spoke behind me, "You have a little to learn about Hell, don't you?"

I looked back at her and just shrugged in response. Stolas then cleared a tear from his eye before explaining, "These little ones don't possess that kind of ability. The Imps are more or less like you were before now, just a little stouter. Real demons like myself have that ability amongst others, but I have been testing possession on you the instant you have entered this room."

The color drained from my face, "Oh…"

He responded a little peppy for me after that little news, "It doesn't seem to have worked, now has it? Whatever ancient magic is protecting you, not even I can break through it. I am unsure if anyone other than Lucifer could break through it."

I should have felt some sort of relief from that news, but I didn't. The buzz from earlier felt like it was disappearing while my legs felt like jelly for the second time tonight. I moved to the couch while mostly everyone looked at me with worry. The only ones that were unphased were Blitzo and Stolas. Even Loona seemed concerned to some extent.

I asked, "What else did you figure out."

Stolas responded, "Well… that was all I was able to uncover."

I said, "What?"

Moxxie whispered over to Millie, "How is that even possible? Isn't it his book?"

Blitzo let out a loud laugh, "That's what I said!"

Stolas didn't seem entirely happy with the criticism he was facing. His eyes widened to the Imps to shut them up, and it seemed to work spectacularly. He proceeded to speak in an annoyed but composed tone, "It is my book, but I have to remind each of you how impossible this should have been." He turned to me before yelling, "The pages that you graffitied into my grimoire refuse to respond to my magic! I am surprised that I was even able to figure any of it out!"

I held up my hands in a disarmed look to the angry demon prince. I responded in blunt politeness, "I apologize for what happened, but I never intended to do anything!"

Stolas calmed down for a moment before regaining the same composure as before. He smiled a little to ease the tension, "I know that. I am just faced with something I never have before. This does present me an opportunity to uncover something completely new, which leads into why Blitzy and I were meeting for so long."

Blitzo folded his arms and protested something unknown to the rest of the group, "I don't see why I am getting punished for something Moxxie did. Let me remind you what I said I would do to you and your wife if I-"

Moxxie's protest cut Blitzo off before he went obscene, "Sir, I did nothing wrong in this scenario. Let me remind you that you were the one who wanted to bring the book with us."

Stolas smiled, "Precisely!" He then looked over to Blitzo and spoke as if he were speaking to a baby, "I left my grimoire in your care. Seeing what happened because of that, I believe my insisting on a little more… personal time with you is fair payment."

"Yeah, whatever." He folded his arms with a very present pout on his face. Stolas gently caressed the Imp's horn in the meantime before letting go shortly after.

Stolas continued with a little more seriousness, "I also made a deal with Blitzy regarding your employment under him."

Everyone looked on with surprise at the deal before I uttered, "Uhh, what was that?"

Blitzo walked over before smiling, "It means I am now your new boss. The name is Blitz, the 'o' is silent." For the first time, he was greeting me with happiness. From this, I don't think it was genuine. Instead, I knew I should dread why he was so happy.

I took his hand half-heartedly before I asked with an unusually dry throat, "What 'o'?" I cleared my thoughts and asked with more conviction, "Wait. Why wasn't I given a choice in this matter?"

Stolas seemed somewhat amused, "Oh? So, you have everything taken care of for your stay in Hell, hmm? Beg my pardon if I don't entirely believe that. Let's just say that this is your punishment for what you did. I also happen to know that you happen to have some experience with dealing with mortals, so you should be helpful around here."

I was left speechless as I tried to think of something to say. Instead, Blitzo spoke with some level of excitement, "He has already promised to give I.M.P. a fat stack of cash if I employ you and protect your dumbass. So, you can't go back on it."

The realization that I didn't have much of a choice in the matter swiftly dawned upon me. The alcoholic effects felt like they had no more hold over my mind. I am not sure whether there was an amount that I could drown in that would get rid of the depression. There were no more words left for me to say.

Stolas continued with his points, "Well, I believe we covered all that needs to be. I will, of course, need to make something that will hide the human's true form so he can blend in. All you have to do is make sure he isn't discovered by anyone in the meantime and keep this all a secret. Can you all do that?" Everyone nodded in response, and the prince continued, "Also, I will need to take my grimoire so that I can record the pages, so you Imps will be left without it for a day or so."

Blitzo's happiness evaporated in an instant as he looked around to see Stolas already making a portal to head out. He asked in a panic, "Wait, you are taking your book with you! What are we supposed to do without it?!"

Stolas turned around while he stepped into his portal, "I am sure you are creative enough to figure that out, my big," Stolas coughed in a correction to keep it not too personal before continuing, "I mean, Blitzy. Perhaps when I am done with it, you can… come for a visit? Hmm? How does that sound?"

Blitzo deflated before sharply saying, "Fine."

Stolas beamed, "Splendid. I will be waiting ever so patiently." He walked through before uttering back through the closing portal, "Ta-ta."

The hole closed and left a steaming Blitzo and mostly everyone else mildly uncomfortable. I, on the other hand, was coming to grips with this reality. I barely even paid any attention to what happened after hearing about my new employment.

Blitzo yelled, "Fucking damn it! What are we supposed to do tomorrow!"

Moxxie looked lovingly over to Millie, "Well, I think we could use an off day. Millie! We could go to-"

Blitzo responded fiercely, "Oh, no you fucking don't! You are still showing up no matter what. You got that?!"

Despite knowing better, Moxxie tried to reason, "Sir, what point would there be in showing up? There would be nothing to accomplish."

Loona responded boredly, but matter-of-factly, "Actually, we have a fuck ton of paperwork that needs to be done. You all thought it would be smart to leave that to me, which you should have known I wouldn't do."

Blitzo hugged Loona by the side, "See! We need to help my baby with paperwork. Won't that be fun!" Loona growled audibly at his affection before he parted and looked at me, "Plus, we need to watch over this one. Who knows what he will do if we aren't here to stop him."

Millie cut in with her thoughts, "Umm, probably nothing."

"Yeah, I agree with 'probably nothing'," Moxxie added.

Loona, who was back on her phone, uttered, "Yup."

Blitzo responded, "Shut the fuck up, Moxxie."

Moxxie looked offended, "What did I do? I was just agreeing with Millie."

Blitzo addressed me, "Looks like you will be staying here tonight. We will probably end up getting some of your shit once we get that FUCKING BOOK BACK." He proceeded to mumble, "Everything has gone to shit."

Each one of us looked at Blitzo with questioning gazes while he steamed. No one spoke to him while he cooled off a little bit. When he calmed down, he spoke again, "You can sleep on the couch here. It is all we got. There is a bathroom out of our office and down the hall. There are sometimes cameras trying to peep that some assholes from a couple of floors down put in, so just try and watch out for them." Blitzo sniffed and waft the air away, "You probably should consider a shower. You reek of the living world. It is an easy giveaway that you aren't from here."

Blitzo began to walk toward the door before calling out, "Loony, let's head home. It is already really fucking late."

Loona began to follow him out with her phone still in her hands. She only gave a small gesture toward me as a goodbye before heading out the door. When they went out of sight, Moxxie and Millie got to their feet before the male Imp stretched. He said, "Well, Millie and I should be heading out as well. It has been a very eventful day."

Millie smiled at him, "You can say that again, Mox." She turned to me before waving, "I guess we will be seeing you tomorrow."

I nodded, "Yeah, I guess so…"

Millie beamed, "Don't be so down, Kyle. You will find living in Hell isn't so bad."

Both Imps began to head toward the entry with their waves of goodbye. Before I knew it, they were both out of sight as they shut the door to leave me all alone in this place. It was eerily quiet without all the commotion from everyone. This was the first time being here that I was alone. It felt even weirder than being around the Imps, Hellhound, and hellish prince. I made no move to the bathroom, or even to prepare for bed. Instead, I moved to get a good look through one of the windows. The best scene to look outside a window seemed to be through one inside what seemed to be a conference room.

From there, I got a good look at the scenery to see an expansive city bathed in the red glow of the sky. From here, the surrounding buildings seemed in disrepair and it didn't at all look that safe. The sky would have been a cool thing had it not been for the constant reminder of where I was.

I muttered to myself, "Well, it isn't called Hell for nothing."

---

There we have it. Already 18K words down for this story. Not bad if I don't say myself. I hope that this chapter entertained you all well enough.

If you wish to support the story, I implore you to favorite, follow, and/or review for the story. It make me happy knowing that there are people who have enjoyed the story and support its growth from here into the future. I accept you doing all three, one, or even none as long as you continue to read and enjoy it.

I don't really have a plan for when Chapter 3 will be out. I don't want to set a precedent for a few days for each release, so I am making no promises of that happening. Still, I will do my best to get it all figured out and released to all of you. I shouldn't have too much trouble with motivation at this point, so don't worry about a no-release.

That is all I have to say. Thank you once again.

Until Next Time,

Forsvaret-Komandir