The day had started off pretty well. As Bryan had said, it hadn't been a long work day, as they'd finished up the job in a few hours and were completely finished.

Maddie was glad that Bryan often took another job as the last was finishing. Either that, or scheduled and planned more than one job back to back.

And since it was the last day of work, they'd received their last week's pay a day early. Seven hundred now sat comfortably in Maddie's bank account, where it would stay untouched until she said otherwise.

And since they'd already been close to town, Bryan had decided to go ahead into West Union when they left. A quick shopping trip to Walmart never hurt anyone.

Getting up and getting to work hadn't take too long, so they'd effectively ended the day at a solid eleven in the morning. Leaving the entire day free for nothing but relaxation.

Something Maddie was more than happy for. Considering she'd crashed the day prior the moment they'd gotten home, the blonde had effectively decided that roofing trusses were not good for her health.

Anyway, a farewell to their coworker Rick and a quick stop for a bite to eat, and they were well on their way through the day.

"I'll never understand how you've done stuff like this for forty years." Maddie admitted with a small sigh, gladly enjoying the truck's air condition as she slumped in her seat. "I can barely stay up anymore."

Bryan let a laugh escape him, his voice reverberating through the truck's cab as Maddie too found herself laughing right along with the older man.

"You get used to it." Bryan assured with a chuckle, glancing over at the woman with a raised eyebrow. "But I will warn you, that sleeping just turns to aching." He added as he turned back to the road.

Maddie rolled her eyes in amusement, sitting up in her seat as she let her gaze linger on the passing trees outside the window. "At least I can spend time with people while I'm aching."

"Sure!" Bryan laughed the word out more than anything, leaving Maddie to simply shake her head in amusement at the man's antics.

Is this really what John dealt with all the time? No wonder he looked up to his grandpa.

"I'm starting to see why John said you were a tougher SOB than Peter." Maddie commented with a small smile as she turned to look at the man.

"I don't." Bryan replied bluntly, shrugging his shoulders without a care in the world.

That seemed to be the end of the conversation, so Maddie once again turned her gaze to the window, watching as trees, lone homes, and dirt roads passed by in the blink of an eye.

They drove past a familiar creek, water sparkling brilliantly under the sun's rays as clear water passed by, leaving Maddie to stare at it with a fond smile.

The blonde held many fond memories of that creek. Most prominently, she'd never forget the times she'd used to go swimming there with John and their friends.

Well, with their friends, she supposed. With his powers, John's body was physically too dense to allow for swimming in the least. He sunk like a rock.

Good thing the creek was only waist deep.

It was times like these, going down the road, that Maddie would let her thoughts wander.

Some people thought it was weird, that she still wasn't ready to move past John four years later. There had even been one person who'd made it weird, considering they'd been teenagers when John had died, while Maddie was now a twenty-one year old woman.

But Maddie just couldn't move on, yet. She'd tried, admittedly. She'd even jumped into the dating scene last year.

But outside of three dates that had ended with good friends rather than lovers, and one that had gone somewhere up until the abuse started, Maddie had been unable to find anyone she could really connect with.

Maybe it was because she had her entire life to connect with John. They'd been best friends since they were small children, and had grown together over the years. Adding to that the fact they'd managed to have a child together, and Maddie didn't quite feel right trying to fun another man in her life.

But it's a good thing she'd never been alone, either.

The entire Gallagher family had stepped up to help raise Amara, and the blonde couldn't have been more thankful. And not just them either, as there was a reason Rachel and Peter had earned the names of Aunt and Uncle.

And with the occasional help from Ally, Maddie wasn't often stressing over her child's well-being.

Well, when Amara wasn't running into the woods to try and tame the local wildlife.

If there's one thing Amara got from her father, it was his stubborn determination. Considering one trip into the woods had ended with Peter scaring off a mountain lion, one would think a child would be too scared to return to the woods.

Not to mention the fact that she'd been grounded for a month.

And yet, a month later, Amara suddenly turned up with a wolf pup following her. 'Wolfur' she'd called him.

Amara had obviously gotten in trouble for that when Wolfur's mom and siblings came strutting into the driveway for the missing pup, but it had a escaped anyone's attention that there had been a wolf that would show up on the property and sit, acting as if it were a regular house dog whenever Amara was present.

So Maddie supposed Amara had managed to find them a pet.

Though… the last couple of months hadn't been easy on everyone.

Being six foot two and weighing in at close to four hundred pounds, there was an unfortunate reason James Guthrie hadn't often brought home a girlfriend. Add the fact that the boy was autistic into that, and as much as Maddie hated to put it this way, the boy didn't exactly have people lining up for his hand.

But a few months ago, he'd come home absolutely ecstatic. Apparently, his crush had finally asked him out. Some girl he and Shiela were friends with. Maddie had been happy for the boy, having finally found someone who was interested in him.

The girl killed herself later that day.

It didn't take much for James to immediately jump to the worst case scenario, and the incident hadn't exactly done much for his self-worth. It had taken hours for Shiela to convince him that it wasn't anything to do with him, that it wasn't his fault, that it had to have been something else. Considering how sure she'd sounded, Maddie was positive the two knew the girl very well.

Ever since John had passed, Shiela and James seemed to have grown much closer than when they were younger. They'd always had this weird dynamic where one would think they hated each other with a passion. Yet, they would always hang out with each other and protect each other.

And then John died, and suddenly, the two were best friends. No hostility, nothing more than Shiela's pranks and James' occasional playful insult. The two had each other's backs through thick and thin.

She'd never forget the day that Bryan had brought the two home last year. From what the blonde knew, it had started with someone insulting Shiela's impairment, and had promptly ended with three different boys going to the hospital, one of which had ended up in a cast from where Shiela had broken his arm.

As for the other two… well, for what James lacked in speed and grace, he more than made up for in raw physical power.

Something that seemed to run through all boys in the Gallagher family, if Bryan were any indication.

Shiela's blindness hadn't been easy to learn about either. Some idiot had run a red light and t-boned Debbie's jeep with Shiela taking the brunt of it. And though she'd eventually made a full recovery… it turned out that the impact had busted her skull, and some fragments had cut her optic nerves.

She'd be blind for the rest of her life.

Though, with the subsequent development of her own superhuman ability during the entire incident, at least Shiela wasn't truly impaired. If anything, she was scarier now than before.

It's hard to sneak around someone who can hear your whisper from a room away.

Nonetheless, the strength of the entire family shined through as it always did, and Shiela was back to her usual bubbly self in no time. She'd even managed to find herself a girlfriend.

Though… obviously, that came with downsides. The less said about that, the better.

Though, Maddie could say one thing: Shiela was a lot like John in many ways.

Both of them were. James had even started wearing John's flannel after he'd died, and unlike John, he was the thing every single day. He'd even been given John's wallet.

The only one of the family who hadn't been affected as much by John's death… was the one who deserved to know him the most.

And the very best Maddie would be able to manage was countless stories and photos of John, of the person he'd been, the man he'd become at a young age.

Amara would know as much about her father as Maddie could give. After everything John had done, he deserved to have his daughter know him.

Maddie found herself thrown from her thoughts when her phone's ringer began blaring through the truck, causing her to fumble a hand into her pocket and retrieve the device.

She smiled when she read the word 'HOME' flashing across the screen.

She immediately swiped to accept, before pulling the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mommy!" The familiar and beloved voice of her daughter came through the phone, greeting Maddie as a wonderful distraction after a hard day's work.

"Hey sweetie!" Maddie greeted back, almost gushing as she sat up in her seat with a smile on her face. "How's your day?"

"Great! Uncle James took me riding on the four wheeler!" Amara told her mother, joy abound in her small voice as she spoke excitedly about the events of her day so far. "Oh, and Aunt Shiela said to stop clogging the toilet!"

"That was to James, not you!" Maddie could hear Shiela's frantic voice plain as day in the background, and the blonde found herself laughing to her heart's content. An action which prompted Bryan to begin laughing as well.

"What's so funny?!" Bryan asked, a broad smile on his face even as he refused to let his laughter impede his driving abilities.

"Shiela." Maddie answered between laughter, pointing at the phone. The woman felt a small bit of her fatigue fade slightly when she heard the sound of her daughter's joyful giggling on the other side of the phone.

"You're silly, Mommy!" Amara laughed out as her mother slowly came down from her amusement, soft chuckling escaping the woman as she attempted to regain her composure. "What are you doing?"

"Well, me and Papaw are on our way to go shopping." Maddie answered with a smile, habitually gesturing to the man despite Amara being unable to see. "We weren't working long today, so we're gonna get some groceries and then we'll be on our way home."

"You'll be home EARLY?!" Not even Maddie's ears were immune to the deafening effects of Amara's high pitched squeal of glee. "Yay! Oh, can we go on a four wheeler ride when you get home?"

"Maybe." Maddie assured between fits of amused laughter, a sigh escaping her as she let a fond smile take over her face. "But first, I have to give you a present."

"Oh! Is it a new Transformer?" Amara asked eagerly, excited at the prospect of a new toy to play with.

Considering the prices of Transformers these days, Maddie breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she wouldn't have to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a new one. All of John's old ones should do well enough.

"No, it's something else." Maddie answered, shaking her head in bemusement at the thought.

"What is it?"

"Well, I can't tell you that. It's a surprise."

"Yay!" Of course Amara would be overjoyed at the prospect of a surprise. It didn't matter what it was, the child absolutely loved surprises. In her eyes, it always meant something special was coming.

However, Maddie had another question slide into her mind, one she felt was a little more pressing despite already knowing the answer.

"Did you take your inhaler, Amara?" Maddie asked, making sure she came across seriously when she asked the question. She felt a small bit of relief when Amara responded with a sound of affirmation.

"Yep! Uncle James made sure I took it before he let me watch cartoons!" Amara answered quickly, likely assuming she'd have been in trouble if she hadn't. Which… Maddie had admittedly given a reason for her to believe that.

Amara had stopped breathing when she'd been born, and last year she'd suffered an asthma attack while they were at the fair.

Maddie would never forget the crippling dread she had felt when her child sounded like she was choking, and her heart had shattered when she'd learned that Amara was an asthmatic.

Ever since, she made sure Amara remembered to take it before and after bed, admittedly or her own piece of mind more than her daughter's.

Nonetheless, Amara dutifully administered the inhaler herself every night and morning, and never missed a single one.

"Good." Maddie replied, nodding along as her smile returned to her face. However, she found her call being interrupted when Bryan tapped his knuckles against her shoulder. When he pointed towards something out of view, Maddie turned and found herself looking at their approaching destination. "Alright, Mommy has to get off of here, sweetie. Be a good girl for your Aunt and Uncle, alright?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"I love you, Amara."

"I love you too, Mommy."

Maddie waited for Amara to end the call from her side, a habit she'd developed in case the child had anything else she wanted to say. Once the call ended, she pulled her phone away from her ear, and took a quick look at her notifications.

Her eyes widened at the first one. A link, sent by Rachel during the phone call with Amara.

She immediately opened up her phone as Bryan turned into the parking lot of Walmart, and wasted no time in seeing what the link was.

Her phone loaded up a news article. And Maddie had no shame in admitting that she laughed. Her. Ass. Off.

METALMAKER FIGHTS RUBBER DUCKY IN CENTRAL PARK

Maddie heard Bryan begin laughing next to her, genuinely as amused at her own amusement as his loud gravely laugh mixed in with her own, both echoing through the truck cab.

"What's so funny?!" Bryan asked, somehow managing to sound like a child as he asked. When Maddie heard the question, amidst holding her aching sides and still laughing, she struggled to turn the phone for him to see.

The old man's laughter quieted as he read, before almost barking in amusement as he grew louder than Maddie herself.

And yet, somehow perfectly parking the truck in the process.

The two sat there shaking in amusement as they struggled to reign in their laughter. The mere idea of Peter fighting a literal human sized rubber duck in Central Park couldn't be funnier.

At about this moment, John would've spouted off with something along the lines of a poor duck imitation.

Their laughter eventually died to small breathless chuckles of amusement, and Bryan eventually turned to Maddie with a grin.

"Read that fucking thing, we can sit here a bit." He said, jerking a stiff finger in the direction of her phone.

The actual story was that a fight had started a state over between Peter and what was essentially a real life Plastic Man. The fight had managed to go freaking airborne, and some idiot had stayed behind to capture about ten seconds of the following fight after they'd landed in Central Park.

They still laughed. It was still as hilarious as ever.

"I don't know whether to laugh at the fact that the guy decided a toy with legs was the way to go, or the fact that Pete is struggling with this guy." Bryan admitted as he gestured to the video, and Maddie let a small laugh escape her at that.

"What about the fact that I'm pretty sure Rachel actually could've done better against this guy?" Maddie asked, glancing over at Bryan with a grin on her lips. "You have to admit that the fire is basically a death sentence unless you're Peter or John."

As if by fate, Rachel texted immediately following that.

Found out pete's prank :(

Rachel IS TYPING…

Could've beat him entire time :)

Rachel IS TYPING…

Shot him in the d ;)

They were both laughing up until that last message, when Bryan's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's that mean?"

Maddie snickered.

"She burned the guy's dick."

Bryan's laughter echoed through the parking lot as he opened his door.

When the door burst open, Moxxie knew his night had just gotten longer.

When Blitzo stepped out looking like he'd gone a few rounds with Satan, Moxxie knew his might had just gotten much more frustrating.

When Blitzo started screaming some incoherent swears at the top his lungs to the point that Loona even winced, Moxxie was sorely tempted to walk right out the door, ignore his boss for the day, and maybe get a good night's sleep for once.

After about a solid minute of this, of which Loona had eventually left her spot at the desk and moved over to stand next to the couch, Moxxie looked up at Loona.

"Ten more minutes?"

"SHUT UP, MOX!" Blitzo suddenly turned, yelling at his employee as he flipped the smaller Imp the bird.

At this, Loona glanced over at Moxxie, shaking her head. "Five."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, LOONA!"

At that, Millie leaned over, shaking her head with an unamused stare. "Nope, with that, it's only about another minute."

After Millie had promptly gotten a swear thrown her way, the two imps and one hellhound waited out another minute as the woman had guessed, watching with raised eyebrows as Blitzo threw a giant temper tantrum.

As if the timing were perfect, Blitzo stopped, letting out a frustrated sigh as he brought a hand up to his forehead, before turning to face his employees/daughter with a grin. "Alright, bitches, gear up! Pack your ammo, guns, knives, machetes, claws, medieval gauntlets- pack your fucking MOM for all I care! We got one hell of a job!"

"Yay!" Millie, ever the bubbly optimist, gladly cheered at the news, while Loona rolled her eyes and Moxxie himself let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sir, is this going to be like the last 'hell of a job?'" Moxxie asked, rubbing his temple and raising a sarcastic eyebrow as he recalled the D.H.O.R.K.S mission.

Blitzo scowled at the Imp in response. "Shut up, Mox! Only important people are speaking right now!"

Moxxie rolled his eyes. He wasn't even going to dignify that with a response.

"Anyway, we've got five targets!" Blitzo said, pulling a set of files out absolutely nowhere(his ass, if Moxxie had to guess) and slapping them down on the smaller imps lap.

Moxxie jumped in surprise at the action, shooting his now grinning boss a glare, before turning down to the files and take one in each hand. He passed each one out for Loona and Millie to read, before picking up one and flipping it open.

Staring back at him was a picture of a teenage girl. Blonde hair, baby blue eyes, round facial features… the girl seemed to be wearing some kind of green top, but the picture was mainly of a head and neck.

Below the picture was a small note.

(Aged 16; Picture not accurate)

How Blitzo, or possibly the client, got their hands on these was something Moxxie was genuinely curious about.

The assassin let his eyes flick down, beginning to read the information on the target with apt attention.

Name: Madison Thompson

Age: 21

Weaknesses: Physically Weak, Impulsive

Target Information: Usually at one of the listed addresses. Not often outside. PRIORITY TARGET. Don't target this one first, or you're screwed. Take out Wyling and Lauren first.

Reason for contract: Punishment

Special Request: Kill this girl and bring back proof, and you will be rewarded the money for three kills regardless of the status of any other target.

As Moxxie slowly read over the information, his eyes widened further and further, surprise becoming apparent on his features.

Whoever wanted this girl dead really did not like her. Kill her alone and still get the payout for three targets?

What did the others do to the guy? Heck, what did this girl do to anger the guy so badly? From the picture, one would think that this was just an innocent high-school student.

…

On second thought, Moxxie could kind of understand.

"We're going after the big buff fucker first. Client says he's the most dangerous, says we won't win if we try to fight him head on." Blitzo said, actually rolling his eyes in amusement before glancing towards Millie. "I personally don't think he stands a chance against Millie, but that's just me."

"Why not go for the blonde chick?" Loona asked, glancing down at the file over Moxxie's shoulder before glancing up at Blitzo. "It says that we get the money for three of these fuckers if we just kill her."

"Unless the money offered isn't really that much to begin with?" Moxxie guessed, raising an eyebrow at his boss.

When Blitzo continued to grin, Moxxie's eyes honestly widened in surprise.

"Actually, we're getting a hefty paycheck for every single one of these whores! Yeah, bitch!" Blitzo's voice rose in excitement as he spoke. "Let alone the blonde bitch! We'll go for the 'threat' first, on the very off chance it's true, and then we'll just go straight for the blonde."

"So we're only killing two?" Millie asked, looking both utterly baffled and genuinely disappointed at the idea of not killing the rest of them.

But Blitzo shook his head. "Fuck no, we're killing all of them, Millie! We just secure our paychecks first."

The way his tone switched from irritating excitement to almost parent like irked Moxxie, and he rolled his eyes and let an annoyed sigh escape him.

"Blitz, shouldn't we survey this first? We've never had this many targets from a single client." At least, not any with these kinds of conditions and recommendations. "If the client sees this guy as a threat, we should at least make sure he's not first."

"Oh, come on, what's a human gonna have over us, Mox?" Blitzo asked with an annoyed eyebrow, glancing down at the smaller Imp. "They're all the same, evil bastards who piss people off. Our job is to kill them, who gives a sit about the warnings?"

"Um, I feel like everyone forgets how dangerous these humans are when they're dead." Moxxie retorted, because he honestly believed that. Every sinner was once a human, and sinner's abilities varied wildly.

They were just as harmless as they were unstoppable.

"Well, that's why we kill them when we're alive." Blitzo was suddenly right next to Moxxie, a hand on his shoulder as if they were best friends. "Living one's aren't a problem, are they?"

"Well… I suppose not… but-"

"Exactly!" Blitzo interrupted, jumping to his feet as he cut Moxxie off without a care in the world. "So get ready, because we're fucking shit up tonight! WOOHOO!"

"FUCK YEAH!" Of course Millie would be more than delighted at the prospect. She got to do her job, she loved fighting, and she was getting paid.

What's not to love?

However, Moxxie did have one more question.

"How long is this gonna take?" He asked, looking up at Blitzo with an unamused stare. "Because I'd actually like to go home tonight."

"Then get fucking ready, Mox!" Blitzo snapped, pointing an aggressive finger at the smaller imp. "Because we got people to kill, money to make, and bitches to fuck!"

"You got bitches?" Loona casually asked, her mere tone making it clear that she didn't believe that one bit.

Not that Moxxie could blame her.

"Yes I do, now GET READY!!"

"Well, I'm calling Vortex." Loona announced with an eyeroll, waving a dismissive hand at Blitzo as she turned and made her way back to the desk.

Moxxie couldn't help but to be a little jealous of Loona. She wouldn't have to deal with her dad/boss/whatever the hell they were all day.

But nonetheless, Moxxie began looking through the files, taking in as much info on the targets as he could. Ever since D.H.O.R.K.S... better safe than sorry.

"There they are." John's voice rang through Vanessa's ears, causing her to finally bring her still irritated gaze up to him. He was pointing ahead, and she turned her gaze to find Bee and Vortex standing outside of a building.

The succubus allowed a genuine smile to finally overtake her face, and she rushed past John when she spotted the couple talking to each other.

"Hey, guys!" Vanessa greeted cheerfully, honesty happy to see the two as she came to a stop in front of them. When both Vortex and Bee turned to look at her, their faces lit up in surprise.

"Vanessa?" Vortex questioned, uncrossing his arms and standing up straight as his brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I teleported." The teen couldn't help but to laugh at the utterly baffled looks the two demons gave her at that.

"Kind of funny, isn't it?" John spoke up once more as his heavy footsteps came to a stop next to Vanessa, a small smile on his face. "We were talking about possible powers earlier. Next thing I know, she's slamming into me eighty feet off the ground."

"Well… that's uh…"

"Great!" Unlike Vortex, who Vanessa guessed he just had his mind on other things, Bee was visibly beaming at the news, quite literally lifting the succubus into a hug and earning a giggle as the Sin squealed in joy. "That's so good to hear!"

"Thanks!" Vanessa was happy to get lost in conversation with the Sin. A part of her admittedly found it a little funny, honestly.

Everyone she could've possibly met in Hell, and one of the literal Seven Deadly Sins had become one of her favorite people.

"So, how does it work?" Bee asked, setting the succubus back down and placing a pair of hands on her hips as she raised a curious eyebrow.

Vanessa couldn't help but to look a little sheepish at the question.

"I… don't exactly know." Vanessa admitted, rubbing the back of her head in an embarrassed manner as she met the woman's gaze. "One second, I was sitting in the Hotel lobby. I remember a puff of smoke, and then I was falling out in the desert."

"And hitting John like a homing missile?" Bee teased, grinning slightly.

The Sin looked taken aback when Vanessa suddenly lost all traces of amusement at that remark, letting an annoyed sigh escape her as she shot a similar look at the behemoth.

"It's not like it did anything." Vanessa mumbled, watching as the behemoth let a shameful look overtake his expression. "Besides, he's the one who actually did some damage."

At that, Bee immediately turned her own gaze to John, her eyes wide in slight anger and looking ready to hit the goliath then and there.

"What is she talking about?"

John let a sigh escape him, a guilty shake of his head accompanying it as he looked off in a random direction.

"When Vortex told me about Maddie… I panicked." He admitted with a slight shrug. "And I may have… destroyed the Hotel entrance in the process."

Both sets of eyes widened in surprise at the admission, turning to look at each other as if silently asking if they'd heard that, before slowly turning their gazes back to the behemoth.

"You… like, the whole thing?" Bee asked, a look of puzzlement on her face as she struggled to process the fact that John had actually done that.

"Yeah." John admitted, shaking his head with a shameful expression on his face. "I came running out the hall, and went right through the entrance." A mirthless chuckle escaped him as he looked up at the two. "And uh… well, I probably scared the hell out of everyone in the process."

"Right." Vortex looked uncomfortable with the entire situation, a blowing some air past his lips before turning his gaze to Bee. "See why I was so nervous?"

"Anyway, we've got a plan." Bee answered, ignoring Vortex's question in favor of keeping John focused and calm as she turned back to the behemoth. "Or, a bit of one anyway."

"I'm wanting to try and be peaceful, for Loona's sake." Vortex admitted, turning back to the sinner with a slight sigh. "I know I shouldn't really be asking you that, but-"

"Let me stop you right there." John interjected, raising a hand to halt Vortex's words as he narrowed his eyes. "These guys are going after living people, people who still have their lives ahead of them. I'm not making any promises on being peaceful."

"But-"

"No, Tex. I ain't making that promise." John reinforced his words, unflinching in his stance as he crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the hellhound. "Tack onto that who they're going after…"

"Look, we aren't going to ask you to be friendly with the girl or anything," Bee spoke up once more, resting a reassuring hand on Vortex's shoulder and offering him a comforting smile, before turning her attention back to John. "But will it really kill you to not go all 'destroyer' mode on this one?"

John showed no outward reaction at first, remaining undaunted and unimpressed with their wish. However, after a few moments, he rolled his eyes and let a defeated sigh escape him.

"You two talk, and we'll see where it goes from there." John responded, appeasing their wishes as he shook his head. "That's the best you're getting. Take it or leave it."

"Works for me." It was clear that Bee was just fine with that arrangement. So was Vanessa, honestly. Considering the behemoth's current mindset, he'd likely be less than civil and more than ready to start throwing fists.

Vanessa did not want to be in the middle of a fight. Especially not with an apparently professional assassin.

Vortex still looked hesitant, but with no real choice other than to accept John's words, he let a sigh escape him and waved everyone along as he began moving down the street.

"If we're lucky, we can catch them all there before they leave." Vortex began speaking as he led them down the street, uninterrupted except for the always audible sound of John's heavy footsteps. "Loona should be there anyway, so hopefully we can convince her to help us."

"And if we can't?" Vanessa couldn't help the glare she shot at John when he said that, but the behemoth didn't pay her the slightest bit of attention as Vortex turned to face him with a dismayed look.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too… pushy?" Bee asked, glancing at John with a raised eyebrow. Unfortunately, the behemoth didn't seem to care.

"Someone I love is being targeted for murder." John began, lifting up a hand and folding down a finger as he began a verbal list. "It's been four years since I've seen her, she's still alive, and the people targeting her are doing it for money. Need I go on?"

…

Okay, Vanessa hated to admit, but John did have a point there.

"It's just their job, man-"

"I care about as much as you think." John admitted bluntly, halting Vortex's defense as he raised an eyebrow. "Besides, even if this girl is as trustworthy as you think, how much do you know about the rest of them?"

Vortex opened his mouth to respond, only to leave it hanging open for a moment as he second guessed himself.

And then he let out a sigh.

"I mean, there is one thing I know, but I really don't think it's important." Vortex admitted with a sigh. "Loona's boss, or dad, or whatever he is… well, and he and Verosika were together at some point or another."

"Ah, so all the more incentive to beat the fucker into the ground." John surmised with a short shrug, an unreadable expression on his face even as he gave a quick nod. "Thanks."

Vortex sighed as he realized that any attempt to improve John's demeanor was apparently going to backfire for the time being.

Vanessa felt sympathy for the hellhound. It would seem that John's stubborn nature could be as irritating as it was admirable. Nothing would change the behemoth's opinion except meeting the people for himself.

And considering the kind of business they were in… well, Vanessa didn't see it ending too well, if she were honest.

But one way or another, John was clearly putting a stop to the attempt on- wait.

John's ex was the priority… but there were five other targets. Targets John assumed he knew.

…

Vanessa couldn't believe that this possibility was only now occurring to her, but…

What if one of the targets was James?