Millie grimanced as she knocked on the tot's door. "Iruma … honey … you doin alright?" It's been a few days since the … bitch kissed her tot, and he's been locked away in his room since. Mox left a plate of food near the door each night so the kid would be well fed … but nothing else had gotten him to come out. "Iruma….pl.." She bit her tongue. She couldn't say please … because those fuckers on top messed with head so much that any act of kindness she could offer would always have a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

Silence still came. "Iruma…. It's… it's been a week since… you know…. If… If you're not ready to talk about it… we'll still be here when you're ready to.." She meekly offered, still getting no response. "Oh sweet satan, how do we fix this?"

"We can't.." Moxxie sighed as they patted her on the back. "This… this was unprecedented."

"Which part? The holy bullet or that bitch claiming the tot's soul?" Millie glared.

"Well, I was leaning towards 'someone having feelings for Iruma this soon', but that does fit into that last part." Moxxie winced.

"How can you say that, the bitch took his soul, claimed it right out of his mouth!" Millie shrieked.

"Accidentally. You saw the regret on her face." He argued. "It caught her off guard just as much as it did him."

"Accident or not, that doesn't matter, she still hurt him!" Millie shouted. "There's no excuse for hurting an innocent child!"

"Millie….we've hurt him." Moxie told her bluntly. "And we need to make up for it by letting him come out when he feels ready … or at least within seven hours." He winced as he looked at the clock. "Already cutting it close."

"That's why we need to talk to him now…Hell's about to experience the worst thing it could offer and I don't want him in this slump in the middle of that madness." Millie sighed, knowing that Mox was mostly right.

She claimed herself to be Iruma's mom … but what had she done to prove herself motherly? She protected him from the monsters of the world … but… what else was there? She told him she loved him, hugged him, kissed him, reassured him….but… was that enough? Comparing herself to Emily, it was lightyears better… but… maybe Millie was being too shallow. She could say it all she wanted to till hell froze over… but it meant nothing if Iruma couldn't feel it.

She went over to his door one more time. "Iruma, I'm gonna come in. There's some things we need to talk about." Millie said, waiting a few more moments, hearin Mox sigh as she opened up the door … finding the boy huddling in a corner, lookin scared out of his mind. "Iruma …"

"Just … stay back …" He said quietly.

"Iruma … you don't need to be scared-"

"Yes I do." The tot cut her off. "I… I can't.. as long as I'm alive.. I can't trust anybody with myself… I can't even trust myself not to do anything stupid…I.. I really am in hell." He muttered to himself, quietly hugging his own body. "I can't even trust my danger sense, because everything is danger. Air's poluted, water's toxic … nothing is safe."

"Iruma…"

"...I trusted her…." Iruma sniffer as he curled up more. "She… she was like me…. Maybe not like how Husk is… but…. She… she's a kid like me…. Living in hell… yet she was kind… and sweet… and she never laid a hand on me… or yelled at me…." Tears fell. "I… cared for her…. She was my closest friend, and she always made me feel soft… and warm.. And safe… and… I thought.. For a stupid second that I lo…" He sniffed. "But it was just like Satina … she was just waiting to take my soul … like everyone else and everything else."

"Iruma look.." She placed a hand on his arm.

"No, don't touch me!" He shouted, moving out of the way. "I've sold my soul enough times already!"

"Iru, we've touched hundreds of times before, I'm not going to claim your soul."

"Maybe, or maybe you just want my guard down, or just trying to cash in.." Iruma growled. "Striker was right…. Every demon in hell knows it's eat or be eaten…and everyone wants a piece out me… just like on earth."

"Iruma, please-" She held her tongue.

"STOP!" Iruma shouted, looking frustrated… and sick. "Stop… please…. Stop with trying to be my mom! You're worse than Emily was!" He shouted. "Do you know how insulting it is, how much it twists me up on the inside that the closest thing I have to a loving parent STILL only ever sees me as a commodity for her life!? Because I have been on the receiving end of your 'love' for the past two months, and all I've ever been is a prop for you to feel good about being a mom!"

"I-"

"The only reason Alastor let me hang out with you all because you're JUST as bad as him! It's just an excuse to make yourself feel better! I don't LIKE getting in danger! I don't LIKE struggling! I don't LIKE death! But I'm stuck around it all the time no matter what I choose or pick because you LOVE IT!"

"Iruma.." He… he was right…. She wanted to be happy… and she ignored his own. "I.. I know I messed up, but.."

"No, There's no buts. There's NEVER a but!" Iruma shouted again. "That's the end of it! You messed up, you move on and you mess up again, and again, and again… and I'm stuck paying the price for it again, and again, and again."

"Iru-..." She cried. "I…I'm…sorry…but… we can work it out… as… as a fami-"

"I don't have a family…. I never did." He sunk under some sheets. Leaving her with nothing but her own tears … maybe they could fix this one day … but not today … not so close to extermination.

Rosie listened to the radio demon laugh. "Oh my, now we're getting into the good parts! I can tell my dear old friend, the climax will soon commence!" She wasn't sure if she's seen Alastor so positively giddy before. The only time she seen the man this lively was when Vox attempted to woo the 'hip' crowd from the 1980's… so many rap songs. "And here I thought the boy tearing the angel a new once was quite the shake up!"

"I don't know. His little meet ups with the owlet were more my cup of tea." Rosie sipped a cup. Truth be told, it was starting to get a little hard to listen to Alastor's broadcasts with the suffering the little bluebird endured. The screams of arrogant sinners and dirty low lives she could handle ... but the whimpering of a young child was a different story.

"I didn't think it was mine, but that last one proved me wrong." He sipped a cup himself. "One little light of hope crushed into absolute dust within the wind. His ability to bond permanently hampered, oh the wonders of it all." He spoke with a wide smile and laugh.

"Honestly Alastor.. the way you treat the little bluebird.. I don't know what happened in the last seven years, but you've become quite distasteful." She spoke.

"Oh come now Rosie, I still let the boy live." He responded. "If I really wanted to torture him, I would have ripped off his head and dragged his soul down from heaven."

"Big talk dear man." The ego and confidence defientely stayed the same after all these years. "It's just, your style is going after lowlifes and those that need to be knocked down a peg. A child with no ego, no stakes in anything you care about, I don't know, just feels like it's a little out of your wheelhouse."

"Like I said, I got mundane and bored." He sighed. "Don't get me wrong, knocking down sinners is fun. But after a while it's the same old same old."

The man kept his mouth closed, but his teeth started glowing as audio clips started to play. 'Please no, I need to raise my kids. Who's gonna beat them if I don't?' 'I'll pay you for the damages I caused, just don't rip me apart again.' 'MY HEEEEAARRRT!' They played out, before he went back to talking.

"See, no variety after a hundred years. I felt like I was going mad and deranged from the monotony." He took a bite out of an arm. "But imagine my surprise when I was casted up to the top in a once in a snowy day in hell moment, and came face to face with the most sweet and delightfully twisted married couple I've ever come across. Absolutely NO integrity to speak of, they casted their child aside for a few simple coins. Even dear old Husker wouldn't have been that desperate in his lowest moment." The man blinked. "Remind me to send them over here for a visit when they're down, I'm sure your cannibals would love a piece of their flesh."

"That they will." Rosie sighed. "Speaking of spilling flesh, the extermination is gonna start soon. I suppose you and your little posse will be taking front row seats to the carnage like usual?"

"Actually Husker has his own little spot from his days of an overlord. Nifty's with him last I checked." Ah right, that would check out. "As for me I'll be at my best radio station, broadcasting the carnage as Iruma Suzuki walks through it."

"... As he whats?" She blinked, nearly spitting out her tea.

"I told you didn't I … the climax is approaching." He grinned viciously. "The boy, completely unaware of what extermination is. Completely unable to trust any soul. Completely disabled with a permanent limp no one can fix." He began laughing. "It'll be spectacular, amazing! There's three distinct possibilities that shall come from this moment! He'll fall and I'll find something else to bid my time with, he'll become so hardened and black that the boy will fit right back in, or young Suzuki will retain his heart that shall be free to break once more!" Alastor laughed harder. "I'm just giddy with anticipation for this entertainment!"

The man was becoming every bit the sadist everyone assumed he was. "Well, I've seen the teeth on the little blue bird, so I'm backing up option three."

"Care to gamble your recipe for finger sandwiches? I can never tell how you manage to make the little bones taste like chicken."

"Eh, why not?" Rosie shrugged with a light smirk. "If it is option three, then you have to ease off the little blue bird just a little. Meaning no more mutilation or broken bones."

"Oooh, going soft for the boy are we?" He asked with a smirk. "And here you were ready to throw all these dad comments at me."

"He's a cute kid, sue me."

Stolas grimanced as he walked through the halls. The last week had … not been pleasant. First there was the assassin, which wasn't very noticeable in Stolas's opinion. Stella sent them after him all the time. The fact there was heaven weaponry involved was only of mild concern to Stolas. After all, Blitzy was there to stop it in the end.

But then there was the kiss, the contract … and then his daughter locked herself in her room. So many thoughts and feelings went through Stolas in that moment, but the only one that mattered was trying to comfort the girl when she ran off in tears.

He had known his daughter had grown a tad soft on the human boy, but enough for a kiss of such passion … It was a whiplash to say the least. He didn't know when his daughter caught such feelings, though Stolas suspected that the apple didn't fall from the tree when it came to Romantic interests.

Finding love in your first ever friend ... comradery and solitude in a soul that only you and you alone could relate to. Finding passion in someone of seemingly lower station … Stolas knew these feelings all too well.

And now such feelings were twisted and corrupted with simple words … in his defense, Via didn't have many friends, Stolas didn't think he'd have to bring up a talk about choosing your words carefully or you would create a contract between souls. Via displayed little interest in using her powers or contracts at all, which Stolas didn't mind. The last thing he wanted was for the 'precautionary heir' to believe it was her only role in life.

And now it seemed that she needed help … Stolas tried remembering the words carefully, finding anything wrong with the situation. He could do his best to try reassuring her that they would simply be together … honestly it was such a mutual contract it was probably the both of them owning the others soul.

It was no different than the unspoken contract he and Blitzy formed for their mutual gained. Both of them got to have the book and shared passionate nights of love and fornication. Everyone won in that situation.

He gave a gentle knock on the door as he finally arrived at his daughter's room. "Octavia." He gently said, opening up. "I wanted to talk to …" The room was empty … the room was empty. "Via … VIA!" He shouted in horror, looking around.

"Octavia!" He shouted out in air. He teleported to the star room. She wasn't there. He teleported to the library. Still not there. "Where are you!?" His daughter was in an unknown place without any notice or sign as to where.

Klank

He heard a crash from a nearby radio. "Gah …" Young Suzuki's groan came out. "Okay … out of the house … need distance." The child began walking. "Stupid limp … Need to get away …"

Stolas stared at the radio, before sighing in relief as the pieces clicked in his mind. "Oh thank stars." She just went to go see the child. This would be fine, she would apologize, they'd talk it out, then he could come and offer his two cents.

"STOLAS!" His wife shouted.

The Goetia groaned in annoyance. "What is it now!?"

"Double check the runes you pathetic limp dick owl! I want this house secure for the fucking extermination! I will NOT get blood on my sheets!"

Great, more work. "I'll be on it you-" The extermination, the boy walking through the streets unaware, his daughter following after him, angels with weapons that could hurt her … "MOTHER FUCKING WHORE!"

"What did you just call me, imp fucker!?"

"You heard me!" It wasn't for her but it was right all the same. "Im heading out!"

"Out?! Where the fuck too!?l"

"Anywhere that isn't near you!" Stupid bitch, he had no time to deal with her nonsense right now.

"Fine! Hope an exorcist chops your head off!"

"And I hope you choke on your own bullshit while I'm gone!" He marched out the door, taking to the air. He needed to find Via. He needed to find and protect her before it was too late.

Clara double checked the shielding on the houses defenses. "Angelic sheidling now with seventy perfect angelic steal ... going to need to improve that margin at a later date." As strong as it was, it was increasingly hard to melt down and repurpose.

"It'll do for now." Odette nodded. "Too much would make entering the building a nightmare. Plus we're already reaching the end of our funds. We're going to need as many weapons as these angels drop …" She looked out the window. "You ever wonder why they leave them behind?"

"So narcissistic, violent, and self serving demons can kill each other and cut their workload in half?" Carla guessed. "That or they're just lazy bastards. You've seen them fight. They're completely armor less and rush into ever fight like they're untouchable."

"I mean…. They kind of are." Odette pointed out. "People have tried guns, explosives, poisons, and whatever old timey sorcery existed back in the day. Never come out with anything other than looking a tad winded at best, never even a scratch or singe."

"I know, I just hate looking at their smug faces." Carla grumbled. "They know we can't fight back and they make it a game. Heck, last year, I saw two of them play volleyball with a demon's head in the middle of it! What's the holier than thou explanation for that?!"

"That we're demons who are lucky to even be left alive to begin with?" Odette spoke sarcastically. "Alright, I've got the food and water prepared, and back up generators online. We should be good to go for the next four hours."

"Good." Carla smirked. "As long as you me and mom make it out, everything else should be-"

Kappoot

"… What was that.." Carla slowly turned to the back.. where smoke was coming out. "Our house.. our generators!?"

"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Odette ran inside and used an extinguisher to take out the flames. "Damn it, they overheated and melted the gears down… it's useless now.. they're all are."

"We can … go without elect-" Carla tried to remain optimistic.

"They magnetically sealed the doors. Now there's going to be nothing to stop the exorcists if they decide to be rough." Odette told her, a worried look on her face. "Fuck fuck … what do …"

"What gears do we need?" She asked.

"We don't have them in storage-"

"What gears Odette!?" She shouted.

"… A Spiral bevel gear; two Herringbone gears, and three Hypoid gear."

"Okay, simple gears, simples gears… maybe we can build them before.." She looked at the clock… barely fifteen minutes left before extermination. "… I'll go get them." She told her sister.

"Clara-"

"I'll go get them." She restated. "Just try and get everything set up in time. This is going to be a rush job."

"Clara-!"

"Either I get those gears or we all die!" She shouted. "I'm not willing to risk our family going through death over a simple mistake again, Odette!" They were lucky that hell existed.. it gave them all a chance to do things right as a family.. gains without the loss.

"Moms going to figure it out quickly-"

"Then stall her until I get back!" Clara told her as she slipped on her angelic woven fight suit. It would fend off one or two attacks at best, but one was still better than none. "And I love you guys, always!" She ram to the door.

"Clara, wait!" Odette called out to her, but it fell on deaf ears. Clara would do everything she could to protect her family… just like her mother raised her to do.

Iruma did his best to try and keep moving. He needed to get away, far far away … to … he didn't know. He just needed to get away from all the demons and sinners that wanted to use him and laugh at him.

"Should have listened to Striker." He could have been free, he wouldn't have lost his soul to Octavia, and he wouldn't have this damn limp in his leg. Even if the bastard failed, it would've been better than losing his soul again..

But if that happend… Octavia would've lost her dad and she probably would've hated him…. But she tricked him into loosing his soul again… but would've lost her dad who loved her..

Do demons even comprehend love? Eat or be eaten, literally in Rosie's case. There's not a single good bone in their bodies.

No, no, that wasn't what he thought! Isn't it? You want everyone in this place dead. I don't want anyone dead! Then Striker was wrong? No… Every time you get close to someone, you lose more and more of yourself.. Not just your soul. Your body has healed wrong, your heart is willing to do things it doesn't want, and then there's the thing you're not even acknowledging. … What … was that? You're talking to yourself.

He looked around… no one was paying attention to him or talking to him… he was having a whole argument inside of his own head… Alastor said he wanted to break him… and… he was succeeding.

If we weren't already broken. He just shattered what was left. Did he even have anything left? He still had friends he trust and like-Friends that were demons, friends that are one bear away from turning on you. He.. he still had Emily, he.. still sort of had a family- Family doesn't exist to make you happy, it's just another tool to suffer.

It would never be safe, Iruma would never trust anyone, he just had to live, and deal with Alastor messing up his life over and over, along with everyone else, because this was hell and everyone loves suffering.

… He needed to … he needed to … there was nowhere to run … nowhere to hide … Iruma just had to accept that it was only downhill …

Bong …

Iruma could hear a church bell in the distance.

Bong …

… This was hell … why would there be a church?

Bong …

Screams sprouted through the city … as the skies became white and golden. "Is this some kind of eclipse I wasnt told about?" He turned around, seeing dozens of demons struggling and running into the streets.

"Oh fuck it's happening!"

"Damn it, why did I have to sleep in!?"

"This is the year, I'm not lucky enough for another run!"

"What's going on!?" Iruma yelled as something came out of the white hole in the sky ... gray and black coated female figures with wide smiles and X's over half of their eyes. They all had wide gray wings and black halos. "Are… are those angels?" Angels… in hell? They didn't look anything like Emily or those Cherubs.

"Fuckin so many!"

"Who wants my baby as a meat shield!? I'll sell it for protection!"

He turned to a sloth running past him. "Excuse me, what's going on here!? I'm new and I have no idea what's going on!" Iruma would like an answer.

"The extermination kid!" A man screamed. "Angels come down and permanently kill sinners!"

"What!?"

"Run! Run while you still can! But be slower than me so I can-"

Shinnnk

One of the angels came down.. and sliced the sloth demon with a stab through the heart… ripping them to shreds. "Hahaha! First kill of the extermination! I'm so going to win this years deadpool!"

"You… you.." The body was cold … unflinching … the person going into non-existence.

The cold, almost mechanical eyes turned to Iruma. "Ooh, funny lookin kid. You'll splatter NICELY!" And she rushed at him with a speed comparable to a bullet.

"Ahhh!" Which luckily, due to past experience, he knew how to dodge; even with a limp. He tried running, ignoring the pain as he went, the angel following closely.

"Sit still so I can stab you, pansy!"

"Why are you doing this!?" Iruma shouted. WERENT angels suppose to advocate for life!? Even the jerky ones like the cherubs wanted people to live, even if it was for the wrong reasons!

"Cause killing demon scum fills me with pleasure, bitch boy!" She shouted, missing him as she hit the building-

CRUMBLE

With enough raw power to decimate a quarter of it with one swing of her spear. Even the angels want you dead. You need to accept it. You will never ever get to be happy.