A/N: Happy New Year all! For those that didn't see the update on Wattpad, that was my last update of 2024, and as much I wanted Huntresses & Swordsmen to be the first update of 2025, I guess this is technically the first. But that's okay! Thanks for everyone who's followed this story and I hope you continue to follow. You're in for a treat in this one. Reveals aplenty in this chapter. And also, keeping in line with the Hellaverse series', this chapter features, dramatic pause...A SONG!

Subscribe to my Ptreon for Early Chapter Releases and my DA for Chapter Sneak Peeks.

I don't own Hazbin Hotel, Garo, or any/all featured songs

Logan & any other original characters belong to me.

OK then, are you ready?

IKUZE!

Chapter 2 Unexpected Development

A lot could be said about Hell; filled to the brim with sinners and demons galore, unsafe living conditions, terrible housing. But if there was ever one pro that Logan would ever give to the land of eternal damnation, it was that they at least had decent fast food. After waiting in line for what seemed like hours, he brought his bag outside to one of the tables beneath an awning.

"2 double cheeseburgers with large fries, a soda, AND a milkshake"? Zaruba listed off, "Is it your cheat day, already"?

"It's my cheat day whenever I say it is", Logan replied, "Besides, I deserve a little extra after the discomfort I just went through".

"You mean running into your ex and her bitter and unrestrained companion"? Zaruba quipped as Logan took out his food.

"I've already told you she's NOT my ex"! Logan reiterated in an irritated tone.

"Right right, just your ex-boss, that's it", Zaruba snickered.

"You want me to break out the gum, again"? Logan threatened.

"Geez, don't break out the heavy threats, Logan, I'm just trying to lighten the mood", Zaruba said defensively.

Logan huffed as he tore off the wrapping on one of the burgers and took a juicy bite of it.

"Strange", he said to himself, "Even with the corpse strewn scenery, it can't really take away the flavor of good food".

"I was thinking the exact same thing", Charlie said, as she leaned against the table in the seat in front of Logan, "Just wish they would do something about the post extermination price gouging".

"Yeah well, on days like today, business owners know that people will pay anything to take their minds off all the shit goes down", Logan sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he took a sip from his soda.

Logan hated to admit it, but Charlie made a valid point. His eyes then widened as he just realized what he'd just thought.

PFFFFFFFFT!

"Whoa"! Charlie said as a Logan did a sudden spit take.

Logan coughed a bit before wiping his mouth and quickly did a double take to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, it was Charlie who sat in front of him.

"Charlie?! What are...when did...how did you find me"?! Logan exclaimed in shock.

"I just asked around and somebody told me this is one of your usual spots", Charlie explained, "Makes sense, I remember how much you loved Fast Food".

Logan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay then, second question", he began calmly, "Why are you here"?

"Why else"? Charlie asked rhetorically, "It's been 3 years since I've seen you and, despite the fact that we reunited while you were killing monsters and all, I...I'm glad I got to see you again".

"Well, now that you've seen me, you can go now", Logan said as he took out one of the burgers from the bag.

"Oh come on Logan, don't be like that", Charlie chided, "We haven't seen each other for so long, don't you wanna catch up"?

"No", Logan replied simply as he unwrapped the burger and took a bite from it.

Needless to say, Charlie was hurt by this. Back when he was her valet, he was the one person she trusted more than anyone in her father's entire staff. To her, he was more than just her companion, he was her sole confidante, her best friend. Now, to see him so quick to send her away stung more than anything she'd ever imagine.

"I apologize on his behalf, princess", Zaruba spoke up, "As you've seen, he's gotten more...er, abrasive since you last saw each other".

"Tch, what's the matter? Too chicken to go blue in front of royalty"? Logan teased between chewing.

"Hey, unlike you, I try to show a little more class in front of the ladies", Zaruba stated.

"Not that it'd do you any good. I mean, who'd wanna get with a stinking ring"? Logan asked rhetorically, "If such a thing were even possible in the first place, that is".

"You're just jealous that I'm able to talk to people without being an asshole all the time"! Zaruba fumed indignantly.

"Believe me, when I'm jealous of you, the world will know", Logan said before taking another bite from his burger.

"Hahahaha"!

Logan paused as he looked over to see Charlie doing her best to hide her smile, as well as stifle her giggling, to no avail.

"You two make quite an interesting pair", She chuckled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Logan said nothing as he swallowed what was in his mouth and looked the other way.

"Whatever you say", he mumbled.

"Awww, I think somebody's embarrassed", Zaruba teased.

"Shut up! I am NOT"! Logan insisted.

The impromptu comedy bit from the Makai Knight and Madou Ring compelled Charlie to laugh once more. As Logan looked over at his former charge, he couldn't help but feel a hint of nostalgia. Charlie's laughter was one of the few benefits he had working for the Morningstar Family, not that he'd ever admit that out loud. His reminiscing was cut short as the sound of a tray being set down was heard. He looked to see Vaggie sitting down next to Charlie with a platter containing a couple of drinks and a brown bag.

"The line in there was a lot longer than you said it'd be", Vaggie pointed out as she sat down, "But I still managed to get your food for you".

"Let me guess; a fish sandwich with cheese, small fries, lemon lime soda, and half a dozen confetti cake turnovers"? Logan assumed.

Vaggie looked over at the young Makai Knight in shock, unable to comprehend how he was able to deduce the contents of the bag.

"Awww, you remember my usual"? Charlie said, rather flattered.

"Hard to forget after years of being your personal shopper", Logan quipped.

"Good point", Charlie giggled.

"H-how do you know I didn't order anything"? Vaggie interjected rather defensively.

"I don't", Logan replied, "I just wasn't concerned about it".

Vaggie couldn't help but frown at that.

"This guy's really starting to piss me off"! Vaggie thought as she began clenching her fist.

Not that that was anything new, but given the fact that Logan did not appear to be affected in the slightest, it was certainly a first.

"Well, now that we're all here, why don't we all eat together"? Charlie suggested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea", Vaggie said in doubt.

"I second that emotion", Logan agreed, "Moreover, I already told you to leave me be, Charlie".

"Oh come on"! Charlie whined, "I really wanna catch up"!

Logan looked over at Vaggie, silently pleading for her to step in and help.

"Uhh, hon? Maybe now's not the best time"? Vaggie interjected hesitantly.

"Please, Logan"? Charlie pleaded, ignoring her girlfriend for a brief moment, "What've you got to lose"?

The young man in question groaned as he wracked his brain trying to come up with a good enough excuse.

"I'll give you half my turnovers~"! Charlie offered with a wry smirk.

Logan looked over at her in surprise. His disbelief was twofold; For one thing, Charlie LOVED her sweets. And for another, he had a bit of a weakness for them, too. Specifically, the cake turnovers that they sold here.

"Dammit, no"! Logan thought, "Don't let her win! Do NOT let her win! She can't buy your company with the offering of tasty snacks"!

Minutes later

"I hate myself SO much", Logan thought as he looked down at the 3 wrapped turnovers on his tray.

The princess of hell smiled as she ate her sandwich, satisfied with the fact that she managed to make Logan let them stay. Her girlfriend, on the other hand, wasn't quite as thrilled, and wasn't afraid to show it as she eyed the Makai Knight whilst slowly eating the salad she ordered.

"So, what've you been up to shince we lasht shaw each other"? Charlie asked with her mouth full.

"Swallow, first", Logan and Vaggie both said at the same time.

"Mm, shorry", Charlie said, covering her mouth as she swallowed.

Logan and Vaggie looked at each other, both surprised they managed to get on the same wavelength once again.

"So, like I said, what's new with you"? Charlie asked again.

"Nothing much", Logan replied as he took another bite from his burger.

"Didn't know killing monsters qualified as "not much" ", Vaggie piped up snidely.

"There's a lot you don't know, or more like a lot you don't care to know about", Logan countered.

"What's that supposed to mean"? Vaggie asked feeling insulted.

"Hey now, let's not fight", Charlie said, stepping in, "To be fair, Vaggie has a point. Didn't really seem like "not much" back there in that warehouse, Logan".

"Yeah well, it's not really any of your business", Logan retorted.

"If you're trying to discourage us from digging any deeper, you're not going to get far", Vaggie said, "We want know what that was all about".

"I don't care what you want", Logan replied, "I'm under no obligation to answer your questions regarding the matter".

"You know I can always make you talk, right"? Vaggie asked rhetorically, standing up as she held up her spear.

"And you know that I'm no slouch, right"? Logan shot back, leaning forward as he opened one side of his jacket and showed off his sheathed Jian sword.

"Hey! I said no fighting and I meant it"! Charlie said firmly as she stood up from her seat, "Honestly, this is a family-oriented restaurant, and your fighting is liable to scare the children"!

Vaggie and Logan both looked at Charlie with surprised expressions before glancing at each other.

"Sorry", they both muttered as they sat back in their seats.

Charlie nodded with a satisfied grin as she sat back down in her seat.

"So anyway, you don't have to give exact details if you don't want to", Charlie said calmly, "But...I would like to know what that was all about".

Much as he hated to admit it, the young Makai Knight knew that there was nothing he could do for now, except let this conversation run its' course.

"I can only tell you this", Logan relented, "I've been tasked with a job that's more important than you could possibly imagine by someone of a higher rank than you".

"Who could be higher up than Charlie"? Vaggie asked in disbelief.

"Wait wait, you couldn't posibly mean my father, could you"? Charlie asked as she began to put the pieces together.

"I'm not allowed to say", Logan replied simply.

"Oh my GRANDFATHER, you do", Charlie realized, placing both her hands on the table, "My father hired you, didn't he"?!

"I just said I can't tell you anything", Logan insisted, immediately starting to get uncomfortable.

"How's this even possible"?! Charlie continued, "Both of you told me that he fired you, remember"?!

"Wait, you were fired"? Vaggie said, quite surprised at this.

"Yes", Logan hissed as he rolled his eyes, "Well, technically it was mutual firing".

"Huh? Wait, I'm trying to get a better picture of this", Vaggie said, clearly confused, "Charlie said you were her valet, right"?

"Yeah, I was", Logan confirmed.

"And you were fired"? Vaggie continued.

"Yes", Logan said calmly.

"By her father"? Vaggie finished slowly, still not understanding what happened.

"YES", Logan replied loudly as his patience was starting to wear thin, "We've established that already! Why don't you get to the part that confuses you and save us the trouble"?!

"Probably would be for the best Vaggie", Charlie agreed.

Vaggie sighed, but did concede that she was dragging her heels a bit. With that, she decided to get to the point.

"Okay so, what exactly happened"? Vaggie asked, looking between Logan and Charlie, "What do you mean it was mutual"?

"If I didn't agree to Lucifers' terms, I would automatically be fired", Logan explained, "But before he could give me the whole "Donald Trump" impression, I told him straight out that I quit".

"You quit"? Vaggie repeated in disbelief.

"Just before he could even get the words out", Logan confirmed with a nod.

Charlie glanced away sadly, not saying anything.

"Okay, second question", Vaggie said before looking over at Charlie, "Did he...did he try anything with you"?

"NO"! Logan and Charlie both exclaimed as they stood up from their seats.

After exchanging a nervous glance between each other, they both sat down with awkward expressions.

"Nothing happened", Charlie said quickly.

"Nothing at all", Logan agreed.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna buy", Vaggie said skeptically, "Come on, what's the big deal? What happened"?

"Not that I'm gonna give the full story", Zaruba piped up, "Mainly because I don't know the full story, actually. But apparently, Logan and her highness shared a rather passionate moment the day he got his pink slip"!

The looks the Madou Ring received were varied; Logan looked at him with frustration, Charlie looked a bit embarrassed, and Vaggie was still in the dark, not understanding what he meant at all. This made the skull shaped ring groan as he decided he'd need to be blunt about it.

"They made out with each other the day he left"! Zaruba elaborated.

"ZARUBA"! Logan and Charlie both exclaimed heatedly, their faces turning a bright shade of red out of embarrassment.

"They what"?! Vaggie exclaimed as she looked from Zaruba to the two, "You WHAT"?!

As the former valet and his employer both exchanged a nervous glance, they knew that they couldn't deny it any longer and decided to come clean.

"Yes", Charlie said, looking away shamefully with a sigh, "The day that Logan left was the day that we...kissed".

Logan said nothing and simply nodded in agreement.

"And from what I've gathered, it's been on his mind since he ran into you earlie-GUGH"! Zaruba teased before a french fry was stuffed into his mouth.

"Will you just SHUT UP already"?! Logan growled as he smushed the fry in the rings' face.

Vaggie opted to ignore the rings' recent remark and decided to focus on the current topic.

"Why didn't you say anything about it earlier"? She asked, looking at her girlfriend.

"I didn't know how", Charlie confessed with guilt, "I was afraid you'd get...jealous or something"?

Vaggie sighed as she had a feeling Charlie would say that. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she spoke.

"It was just one kiss, hun", She said with calm assurance, "As long as that's the truth, then it's no big deal. And it happened like 3 years ago, right"?

"Yeah, basically a long time ago", Logan nodded.

"So...you're not mad"? Charlie asked hopefully.

"Of course not", Vaggie said, giving her girlfriend a peck on the cheek, "But I am still curious.

Like, what happened, anyway? What led up to you two...y'know"?

Charlie and Logan exchanged a glance with one another as the former valet nodded his head.

The princess of Hell sighed as she recounted the tale.

"As you're already aware, it was 3 years ago", She started, "It happened on my birthday. Logan had stood up for me when...something really bad happened".

"What was that"? Vaggie asked.

"I'm...not really ready to talk about that part yet", Charlie confessed nervously, "Let's just say, he protected me from a bad guy. But, that bad guy had connections with my father and demanded that Logan be put to death".

"For standing up for you"? Vaggie asked, now feeling a small glimmer of respect for Logan, "But that's bullshit"!

"Even so, this guy had more history and more clout", Logan spoke up, "I had only worked for the Morningstar Family for 3 years at the time, and that asshole had known them for much longer".

"After a long, and unnecessarily drawn-out argument, my father managed to reach a compromise with them", Charlie continued, "It wasn't until the day after my birthday that he wanted to tell Logan his decision".

"Charlie went with me for moral support", Logan recalled, "Good thing too, I was a nervous wreck".

"I wasn't feeling so great that day, either", Charlie added apprehensively, as her mind drifted back to that fateful day.

Flashback

Morningstar Castle – 3 years Ago

With bated breath, Logan and Charlie both stood by the door that led into Lucifer's office. While Charlie nervously twiddled her fingers, Logan nervously grasped at the paint splatter style necktie that was secured around the collar of his shirt. He didn't normally wear it whenever he was on the clock, but seeing as how Charlie picked it out for him, it was special to him, and he needed the kind of comfort it brought on a day like today. Glancing over at him, Charlie could see that Logan's brow was starting to perspire. Without saying a word, she took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the sweat that began to form on his forehead. Her act of kindness startled him a bit.

"Ch-Charlie"? He said nervously.

"Thought it'd be best if my father didn't see that the wait was getting to you", She explained,"Besides, it's the least I could do for you".

"R-right", Logan said, clearing his throat, "Thanks".

"I'm the one who should be thanking you", Charlie said as she pulled her hand back, "You really did save me the other day".

"Charlie, it really wasn't that big of a deal", Logan dismissed.

"Not a big deal"? Charlie repeated in disbelief, "You defended my honor, and you protected me. How is that not a big deal"?

"I was simply doing what I was tasked to do", Logan answered simply, "And that's making sure that no harm comes to you from anything or anyone".

A feeling of disappointment suddenly began to form in the princess of Hell as a new thought occurred to her. Not being one to waste time, she decided to bring it to light.

"And if it was anyone else"? Charlie proposed.

"Huh"? Logan said confused.

"If it was anyone else, would you have done it and claimed it was simply out of duty"? Charlie explained, elaborating on her question, "Or was it because of me"?

"...Does it matter"? Logan asked.

"Yeah it matters", Charlie said firmly, "Because honestly, Logan, after what happened, I...".

She took a step forward, slowly easing her way closer to him. Suddenly Logan felt nervous for a whole different reason.

"I can't stop seeing you the same way", Charlie finished.

"What do you mean by that"? Logan asked hesitantly as he subconsciously took a step back.

"I mean that, before the other day, I only thought ever thought of you as another member of the staff", Charlie explained as she walked closer to him, "So basically, just another member of the family, y'know"?

"Of course", Logan replied, "And...now"?

As Logan suddenly felt his back hit the wall, he was surprised to see an earnest and warm expression upon Charlie's face.

"Now? Charlie repeated, as she slowly reached down and placed her hand against his.

Logan's heart raced as he felt the soft, smooth texture of her palm against the top of his hand.

"Now I can't seem to stop thinking about you", Charlie confessed as she looked deep into Logan's eyes.

Logan could even feel his palms start to sweat as his charge looked at him with that endearing and passionate gaze of hers. He felt a knot form in his stomach the minute she finally closed the distance between them and the two were merely inches apart from each other.

"Close your eyes", Charlie said.

"Wh-what"? Logan gasped.

"I need to be sure of something", Charlie explained vaguely, "Just close your eyes".

As his mind began to play out a thousand and one different scenarios of what would happen, for the first time in forever, Logan was scared. If the impending termination of his employment wasn't bad enough, now he was in a rather heated, and frankly somewhat awkward, situation. But, feeling as though he had nothing more to lose, he decided to indulge in his charge's whims one last time. With the slightest nod of his head, Logan slowly closed his eyes.

"What is she planning to do"? Logan thought as he heard the rapid beating of his heart grow louder.

After what felt like an eternity, he got his answer, in the form of a soft and pleasantly warm sensation against his lips. As he slowly opened one eye, he was rightly shocked to see Charlie, the Princess of Hell, the girl he'd sworn loyalty to as a member of the Morningstar family service staff, kissing him. Part of him wanted to push her off, tell her to stop, that this wasn't right. And yet another part of him, a part of him that had longed for someone to care for him in such a way, made him realize he felt something, something he hadn't felt in a long time; true joy.

It was because of that joy he ended up leaning into the kiss. This, in turn, surprised Charlie a bit, but did not stop her from continuing. As Charlie wrapped her arms around his neck and Logan gently placed his arms her around her waist, the two young lovers both felt at ease as they held each other in a warm and tender embrace. Though like most tender loving moments in life that you wish would last forever, it came to the end. And it all started with a single sound.

"AHEM"!

Charlie and Logan both stopped as the sound of someone clearing their throat. They turned to see an imp in a three-piece suit standing a few feet from them. This was Abercrombie, one of the senior most butlers that served the Morningstar Family, and one of Logan's mentors. The two young paramours quickly separated as the imp fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Lord Lucifer will see you now, Mr. Logan", he said in a nervous tone.

"Thank you, Abercrombie", Charlie said, fixing her hair.

"Yeah, I'll be right there", Logan replied, dusting himself off and straightening his tie and jacket.

Both of them blushed as Abercrombie went ahead into Lucifer's office. Taking a deep breath, Logan slowly exhaled as he started towards the door. He stopped dead in his tracks when felt Charlie clutch his hand from behind.

"Good luck", she said softly.

"Thanks", He murmured back.

"When you get back, we should talk about...y'know", Charlie decided as she felt her cheeks start to heat up.

"Right", Logan muttered in agreement.

The princess released her grip on his hand as Logan started towards the door, which creaked open the second he stood in front of it. Casting one last glance at Charlie, Logan saw that she was giving him a warm and supportive smile. Feeling his nerves began to ease up, he smiled back and faced forward as he entered Lucifer's office.

About two hours had passed after that. Charlie was slowly feeling a sense of boredom start to sink in, and it certainly didn't help that she was still on edge from not knowing about what was happening in the office. Her heart skipped as the door finally creaked open again. Out walked Abercrombie with Logan just behind him, who had a very solemn expression.

"So"? Charlie asked as she walked up to them, "How'd it go"?

"Well, your father started by expressing his gratitude towards Mister Logan for defending you from that unruly brigand", Abercrombie began.

"Okay! Liking this so far", Charlie said optimistically.

"Though sadly, that was the only good part of their conversation", The imp butler said regretfully.

"Why? What happened"? Charlie asked worriedly.

"Would you like to tell her, Mister Logan? Or should that fall to me"? Abercrombie asked the young man at his side.

"I got it", Logan said with a wave of his hand.

Abercrombie nodded his head as he took a step back. Logan cleared his throat as he tried to muster up the courage to tell Charlie the results.

"Your father managed to reach a compromise with them", Logan revealed, "He said that, if I were to apologize and take full responsibility of what happened, they would back off and I could keep my job".

"And what did you say to that"? Charlie asked nervously.

"I told him I'd rather drown in dog shit that apologize to those fuckers", Logan answered.

"I guess that's to be expected", Charlie nodded, smiling nervously, "Don't worry, I can talk to my dad. I can convince him to keep you arou-".

"Don't bother", Logan interuppted.

"What? Why"? Charlie asked, taken aback.

"Because...I already told him that I quit", Logan said seriously.

In that moment, it felt as though the floor had given way beneath Charlie's feet. She stared at her valet, or rather her currently ex-valet, in shock and disbelief.

"You...you quit"? She repeated.

"Yeah", Logan confirmed in a firm yet wistful tone, "I'm to leave immediately".

Logan then took off his blazer and handed it to Abercrombie.

"Lucifer said he found me a place as part of my severance package", Logan continued, "He'll also give me a good reference for my next job".

"I daresay we shall miss having you around here, Mister Logan", Abercrombie said with a sad frown.

"Yeah me, too", Logan said as he bowed his head to Abercrombie, "Thanks for everything, Abercrombie. I appreciate what you've done for me".

"Likewise, sir", Abercrombie replied as he bowed his head back.

Charlie just couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not too long ago, she and Logan had shared such a loving moment and now he was just giving up without a fight?! She had no idea what went on between him and her father in that office, but she wasn't going to let this happen. Not if she had anything to say about it.

"No", she said defiance.

Logan and Abercrombie both looked at Charlie, whose expression was a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"Just...NO"! Charlie repeated, "You can't just give up like this"!

"Charlie, I'm sorry, but it's already been decided", Logan sighed.

"Well I won't allow it"! Charlie decidedly loudly, "I can't believe this! If you were just gonna quit then...did what happen back there not mean anything to you"?!

"I never said that", Logan said, holding up his hands defensively.

"Then why, Logan"?! Charlie fumed, "I mean, I thought...I thought you cared about me".

"I do care", Logan insisted.

"Then prove it"! Charlie demanded, "Go back in there and fight for us"!

Charlie reached down and clutched Logans hands.

"For me", Charlie added as she looked at him with a pleading expression.

Logan steeled his nerves as she looked at him with that familiar puppy dog expression he'd seen countless times before.

"I can't", Logan said, removing his hand from her grip, "I'm sorry".

Charlie felt her jaw go slack as Logan walked away.

"Why"? Charlie muttered.

She marched after him until she managed to get ahead. As she got in front of him, she did her best to fight back the tears.

"I want to know why, why won't you go back and fight for us"?! Charlie exclaimed.

"You wouldn't understand", Logan replied.

"Why wouldn't I understand"?! Charlie asked, still in disbelief.

"For one thing, this isn't about you and me", Logan answered firmly, "Whether he's the devil or not, if your dad is the kind of man to make me want to degrade myself just so I can stay with you, then it's not worth it".

"How can you say that"?! Charlie said, rather hurt at the implication.

"Charlie, I care about you more than anything", Logan confessed, "Maybe more than I've ever cared about anyone in my life. But I couldn't go on knowing that the only reason I stayed with you is because I allowed myself to become a scapegoat".

Much as it pained her to admit, Charlie could understand where he was coming from.

"I can't, no! I won't sacrifice my self-respect for just anyone", Logan declared firmly, "Is that what you want me to do"?

"No", Charlie denied shaking her head, "But, if we worked together, we could think of another way"?

"There is no other way", Logan said, "I mean, even if there was...it'd never feel right. Not with the way things are. Not with the way we are".

"The way we are"? Charlie repeated with a new sense of confusion.

"We're just too different, Charlie", Logan explained, looking away.

"What are you saying"? Charlie asked as she stepped towards him.

To her surprise, Logan recoiled. As he looked out the nearest window, he began to elaborate on how he felt.

Logan

"Look at you, and look at me, you deserve everything, you're royalty"

Logan looked at Charlies' reflection in the window and then at his own.

"I'm just an average guy, oh yes, it's true"

"I know just what to do when it comes down to me and you"

Logan then walked away from the window and crossed his arms as Charlie looks at him with unconvinced expression on her face.

"I hate to have this happen, the way it has to happen"

"What I thought was perfect matching was a perfect mismatch"

"And I think I owe it to you, to set you free"

"Cause you will be better, better off without me"

Charlie

As Logan starts to walk away, Charlie runs over to him and blocks his path.

"Don't back away from me! This isn't like you"

"What's gotten into you? Tell me, who said what to you"

"To make you do this? Think for a minute"

"I don't care what others have to say about us, and neither should you"

In spite of her sweet words, Logan appears unfazed as he turns away from her.

Logan

"Sorry it's over"

Charlie

"This can't be over"

Logan

"Sorry its over"

Charlie

"This can't be over"

As Logan puts some more distance between them, he slowly undoes his necktie

Logan

As he finally removes the necktie from his shirt, he looks down at it as he holds it in his hand.

"You and I we're so wrong, we're not perfect after all"

"Everybody knows, everybody knows that this is the end"

Upon turning away, he lets the once precious article of clothing drop to the floor. As Charlie sees this, she looks absolutely devastated as the tears start to form in her eyes.

Charlie

"Oh, oh, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa"

Deciding to make one last stand, she runs back over to Logan and stands in front of him. Placing

her hands on his chest, she looks into his eyes with a pleading expression while placing a hand

on his cheek.

"You and I were meant to be, as one"

Logan

Despite the heart wrenching expression she's giving him, Logan remains stone-faced as he takes her hand, clasping it gently as if to savor the feeling one last time, before removing it from the side of his face.

"I'm really sorry, but we're done"

"Sorry it's over, sorry it's over, sorry it's over"

As the now former valet heads towards the door, Charlie stands there, feeling as though she's unable to do anything as she watches the boy she's come to love walk out the front door and out of her life.

Charlie

"This can't be over"

Logan

"This is the end"

Logan stops the minute he's finally out the door but doesn't turn around, not bothering to spare her one last glance as the door finally close.

"This is the end"

As the latch clicked shut, Charlie lost all sense of control and fell to her knees, sobbing as tears fell from her eyes faster than water from a faucet. Meanwhile, outside the castle, Logan had managed to get a few feet away from the large abode when he finally cast one last glance at his former residence/workplace. Despite the sadness that filled his heart, he knew that, in the end, this was for the best. And as he continued on the path away from Morningstar castle, he made a vow that he would remind himself of what he'd learned today and that Charlie would never know of what had went on between him and her father.

End of Flashback

As the memory ended, Vaggie remained silent the entire time the story was being told. Logan looked somewhat frustrated, even after going through all the food he'd ordered while he and Charlie went over what had happened. Speaking of which, Charlie had tried her best not to cry during the process, but given how much it hurt her at the time, it was easier said than done. The trail marks left by tears on her cheeks, as well as the fresh ones peeking out from the corner of

her eyes, were proof enough of that.

"Well...I mean, what else is there to say"? Zaruba asked, unable to find the words.

"You're an asshole, that's what I say", Vaggie said bitterly.

"Hey, I was being serious for a minute there"! Zaruba refuted defensively.

"I wasn't talking about you, I meant him"! Vaggie clarified, pointing to Logan.

"Yeah well, whether that's fact or opinion doesn't really matter to me", Logan replied, frowning as he stood up from his seat.

"Wait, Logan", Charlie said, holding up a hand as she wiped her eyes.

"No, I'm not staying here a minute longer", Logan said as he straightened his jacket and gathered up the discarded wrappers and empty cups he'd left on the table, "I'm done here".

"Just a minute, asshole"! Vaggie said, standing up, "I think you need to-".

"YOU don't get to tell me what I need to do", Logan snapped as he pointed a finger at Vaggie, "Just because you're Charlie's girlfriend, doesn't mean you get to decide what I can and can't do".

"I wasn't trying to-", Vaggie started to say.

"It doesn't matter", Logan interrupted, "...Nothing matters".

Logan looked away for a moment to regain his composure. As he took a deep breath, the Princess of Hell stood up and looked over at him with a firm, yet gently expression.

"Logan", she began, "I know that we didn't exactly end things on a good note".

"That's an understatement", Vaggie muttered with a roll of her eye.

"Vaggie, please", Charlie chided gently before turning back to Logan, "But even so, it's been years. Can't we at least just...talk? Like we used to"?

The blonde demon princess slowly walked to Logan with that oh so familiar pleading expression on her face.

"Is trying to go back to how things were really too much to ask for"? She asked sadly.

Despite his neutral expression, Logan couldn't help but feel a bit torn up inside. As much as he

wanted things to be like how they were, it just wasn't going to possible and he knew why.

"I'm sorry, Charlie", He sighed, "But there's really no going back".

"How can you say that when you don't even want to try"? Charlie asked, still not understanding why he was so committed to refusing.

"Because...that's not what I want", Logan answered, "Not anymore".

Charlie felt a sharp sting in her chest when she heard that. Meanwhile, Vaggie looked like she was torn between wanting to comfort her girlfriend and using her spear to filet this guy for hurting her.

"I don't expect you to understand, I don't even expect you to like it", Logan continued, "But it's for the best".

"I don't believe that", Charlie insisted.

"Even so, it has to be this way", Logan said firmly.

Picking up the last of his trash, the young Makai Knight decided it was finally time to take his leave.

"Don't make me have to tell you not to follow me", Logan said as he walked away, "...Andthanks for the turnovers".

The two girls just watched as the young man walked to the nearest trash can and, after stuffing the bag full of wrappers and empty drink cups inside it, walked away at a brisk pace. Once he was far enough away, Charlie sighed sadly as she sat back down and rubbed her forehead.

"You okay, hun"? Vaggie asked as she sat next her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know, Vaggie", Charlie confessed, "I just don't know, I mean, I just...I wish I could know more about why he's trying so hard to push me away".

"Maybe this is a sign", Vaggie proposed, "I mean, it's not like he was going to open up to you after not keeping in contact for so long. That and with everything that we saw back that warehouse, it's best that we kept out of things".

"He was my friend, Vaggie", Charlie said, looking over at the one-eyed sinner, "I can't help it if I still care about him as a friend".

A thought suddenly occurred to Vaggie as she heard her girlfriend say that. One that made her a little scared to hear the answer to. Despite that, however, she felt it better to ask now and not

"Only as a friend"? Vaggie asked.

"Huh"? Charlie said, confused.

"Is it because you still consider him a friend"? Vaggie elaborated, "Or is it because you might...still have feelings for him"?

"Of course not"! Charlie replied, rather hurt, "I mean, as nice as it was, that kiss happened years ago. I'm happy with you, you know that".

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry it's just...I've never seen you get so worked up over something like this before", Vaggie said sheepishly.

"It's okay, I get it", Charlie assured, "Believe it or not, I've seen him in a much worse state than that. It's because of that that I...I can't help but worry about him".

Being aware of her girlfriends' kind heart, and taking into account the fact that they had seen Logan slay a roomful of monsters not too long ago, Vaggie couldn't help but understand why Charlie would be so worried. As much as she wanted to continue to dissuade Charlie from pursuing this further, she knew full well that this wasn't going to stop until Charlie received some sort of satisfaction, whether it'd be from her questions being answered or something else entirely. With a groan and a sigh, the one-eyed spear wielder got up from her seat.

"Well then, shall we"? Vaggie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Wait, what"? Charlie replied with a baffled expression.

"You still want answers, right"? Vaggie asked rhetorically as she pulled Charlie to her feet,

"Well, we might as well keep going until he finally spills his guts".

"Vaggie", Charlie said, feeling both surprised and touched at her girlfriends' sudden support in the endeavor, "But wait, I thought you didn't like him"?

"I don't", Vaggie confirmed, "But this is important to you, so it's important to me. Besides, you deserve to know what really happened and why."

The princess of Hell couldn't stop herself from smiling as she felt so overjoyed at her girlfriends' support.

"Oh Vaggie, you're the best"! Charlie exclaimed before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Vaggie said nothing as a bright red blush appeared on her face.

"So then, shall we get going"? Vaggie asked as she and Charlie separated.

Charlie simply nodded in reply as the two started off in the direction

"Oh! Almost forgot", Charlie said stopping before turning around and heading back to the restaurants' side entrance, "I wanted to give that nice cashier a tip"!

Vaggie could only smile and shake her head in response to that. Things like this were common whenever she and Charlie were out and about, and if she was being honest, it was one of the things she liked about her.

Meanwhile, after driving half a mile away from the restaurant, Logan sat in his car alone, parked in a vacant lot and looking like he was everything but happy at the moment. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard it almost looked ready to burst like a balloon under pressure. Zaruba, who had stayed quiet for most of the ride, couldn't find anything to say to his partner. It was no surprise that that second encounter with Charlie left him in a pretty agitated state, and this wasn't exactly the best time for jokes. Still, he knew he had to try and get Logan to snap out of it. It was then he received the answer in the form of a new presence he detected.

"Logan"! He exclaimed.

"I swear to fuck, Zaruba, if you say anything about what happened", Logan growled.

"This isn't about that"! Zaruba said, "I'm detecting another Horror nearby"!

"Are you serious"? Logan asked in disbelief.

"Would I really lie about something as important as this"?! Zaruba replied incredulously,"Or, better yet, have I ever lied about something as important as this"?!

After giving it some thought, Logan realized the Madou Ring had made an excellent point.

"Fair enough", Logan said before turning the key and starting the car back up, "Which direction"?

"Head five miles north of here, then take a left", Zaruba instructed.

"Right", Logan nodded as he shifted gears and lightly stepped on the gas.

After backing the car out of the lot and onto the main road, Logan drove off in the direction that Zaruba had told him to go. He didn't know what to expect, or even what kind of Horror was waiting for him. All he knew was that he was in the mood to take out his frustrations on something and a Horror that dared to rear its' ugly head on his turf was just what the doctor ordered. Little did he know was that this recklessly desperate a desire to free himself from the negative feelings inside him would lead to something far worse than he could've anticipated.

A half hour later, after following Zarubas' directions, Logan arrived at an old, and seemingly run down, multistory car park. Upon exiting the car, Logan lifted up his left hand, allowing Zaruba to get a better view.

"This the place"? Logan asked.

"Yeah, this is it", Zaruba confirmed, "I can feel it, it's definitely here".

"Good", Logan said in a low voice.

"So what's the plan, partner"? Zaruba asked as Logan walked towards the parking complex.

"We go in, kill it, then we go home", Logan said simply, "That's it".

"That's it"? Zaruba replied in disbelief, "Doesn't seem like you put much thought into it".

"Don't need to", Logan said as he kept his pace, "It's just one Horror, right? It doesn't feel like multiple ones this time, right"?

"Well, yeah, that's right", Zaruba confirmed.

"Then there's nothing to worry about", Logan assured upon entering the ramshackle garage.

After sensing that the Horror was further underground, Logan made his way down the concrete path to the lower levels. Looking around, Logan could see that the place had seen better days. Granted, the extermination did just happen not too long ago, but still.

"So where's it at"? Logan asked as he took out his phone, "Close by? Or do we need to go higher"?

"It's definitely close", Zaruba confirmed, "But I'm not so sure that going in without a plan is the best way to-".

"Shh"! Logan hissed suddenly.

"Hey man, I'm just trying to get you to-"! Zaruba protested only to be shushed again by Logan.

"Be quiet"! Logan whispered, "I thought I heard something".

Quickly converting his phone into its' Gun Mode, Logan looked around the area. It was as empty could be, but given the fact that the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, he knew that there was something in the room with them.

"I don't sense the Horror in here", Zaruba said quietly, "It was probably just a rat or maybe a hobo".

Much as he would've liked to believe that, Logan knew better than that. He'd been a Makai Knight long enough to trust his instincts and right now they were telling him that something was off about this place. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that it was nothing good. Just then, he quickly turned around and saw a group of hooded men in dark robes standing a few feet away from where he stood.

Zaruba gasped in surprise. Despite the fact he wasn't able to sense them, he could tell right away that they seemed dangerous. But Logan wasn't frightened. Surprised, sure, but not frightened. He kept a firm expression as he lifted his phone gun and aimed it at them.

"Who are you"? Logan asked.

His question was met with silence as the hooded figures said nothing.

"What's the matter? Imps got your tongue"? Logan quipped slowly making his way toward them.

Once again, there was no reply. Logan stopped for a moment and tried to get a read on them. During his time spent in Hell, the young Makai Knight had managed to get good at figuring out someone's character by pure observation. Though given the fact that the hooded strangers didn't give him much to work with, it wasn't exactly an infallible skill. Luckily, he had other methods to work with.

"Incendiary", He said in a voice that was loud enough to hear.

His cellular weapon let out a loud beep and the words "Incendiary: Ready!" appeared on the screen.

"Okay, this is your only warning; tell me who you are and what you're doing here, or else I'll be making some demon flambé tonight", Logan declared firmly.

The hooded men still refused to reply, or at least, with words. Each of them reached down to their sides and drew out a broadsword that pulsed with demonic energy as they held them at the ready.

"I don't think they're willing to negotiate", Zaruba stated worriedly.

"Hmph, who is in Hell"? Logan half joked before taking aim, "Alright then, hope you don't have any plans tonight, cause I'm about to-AUGH"!

Before Logan could finish, a bright ball of flame knocked his weapon out of his grip, sending it clattering to the floor. As Logan held his newly burnt hand, he looked to his side and saw more hooded figures that appeared as if from nowhere brandishing swords of their own.

"Where'd they come from"? Logan asked as his shoulders suddenly tensed up.

"Logan, this may just be my own sense of paranoia talking", Zaruba spoke up as his human partner slowly reached into his coat for his Jian sword ,"I think we may have walked into a trap"!

Before Zaruba could finish, another figure appeared from the shadows, It was a pale-skinned woman clad in a suit of iron maiden-themed armor. The sclera of her eyes was milky white, making her pupils stand out.

"That's the Horror"! Zaruba recognized, "Quick! Take her before she-"!

Before Zaruba could finish, the Horror opened her mouth and dark ebony chain shot out towards Logan. As Logan clutched the handle of his sword from inside his coat, the chain coiled around him like a boa constrictor and began squeezing him like one, too. The Makai Knight grunted loudly as he tried to fight back against his restraints.

"Does that"? He guessed, finishing Zaruba's sentence.

"Yeah", Zaruba mumbled from beneath the chains.

With Logan properly incapacitated, each of the hooded men walked towards him while the Horror lingered behind them. Despite the situation, Logan wasn't going to let them see him sweat.

"Okay so, ya got me", Logan conceded as he slowly looked around and saw that every possible escape route was blocked off, "What's next? You gonna slice and dice me with those swords of yours and put me in a stew? AUGH"!

One of the hooded men had kicked him in the leg, causing him to lose his balance and hit the floor. As he lay on his side, Logan tried to pick himself back up, which given the circumstances, made him look like a struggling turtle stuck on its' back. One of the hooded men walked up to Logan and knelt down in front of him.

"We've been looking everywhere for you", He said, his voice raspy like that of a smokers', "It was certainly an inconvenience for the Master when Lucifer broke the contract".

"Master"? Logan repeated, "Who's that? The guy who sent you to ambush me? What does he want with me, anyway"?

"He wants to pick things up where he left off", The hooded man replied holding up his hand.

Logan looked to see a pentagram brand on the palm of the hooded figures hand which started glowing bright red.

"What's that"? Logan asked.

"Something to help you jog that oh so foggy memory of yours", was the reply, "And don't worry, it won't hurt much...it'll hurt a LOT".

In the blink of an eye, the man pressed his palm against Logan's forehead, it felt as though Logan had been struck with a lit cigar. He let out a painful scream as he felt his skin burn with an intensity that felt both new as well as familiar. As he writhed in agony, Logan's eyes began to glow as the room appeared to be filled with a bright light.

Logan gasped as he opened his eyes and, to his surprise, noticed that the burning sensation was gone. Not only that, he didn't feel the weight of the chains on him. Everything was still a blurry mess to him. As he gently rubbed his eyes, he felt something wet against his face.

"Huh"? He said in confusion as he held his hand in front of his face.

Through blurred vision, he could see his hand was covered in some kind of sticky red liquid.

"Paint"? He guessed as he rubbed his fingers together.

As his vision finally returned, he was shocked to find that it wasn't paint, but partially dried blood. Looking over at his other hand, he saw that it too was soaked with blood. His fingers trembling, Logan could feel his whole body began to tremble. Despite the dread that was building up inside him, he slowly looked up and was met with an even more terrifying sight than that of the blood on his hands.

Before him were hundreds, if not thousands, of dead bodies of slain sinners scattered around in heaps. All of them lay about in various poses and positions, but they all shared the same horrified expression on their faces. It was all too much for Logan; the sight, the smells, all of it. Though as his vision suddenly filled with darkness, he failed to realize that the worst was yet to come.

Stirring from his slumber once more, the first thing that Logan noticed, aside from the lack of light in the pitch black area he was now in, was he that he was in pain. He could feel a few sharp objects piercing the flesh of his arms and torso all the way to the muscles. In an attempt to reach out and remove them, he tried to move his arms, only to realize that he couldn't. Something was restraining both his arms and his legs, as well. It also felt as though he was suspended in midair.

"Where...what is this"? He croaked out.

"This is where it all began for you", said a voice.

Logan's eyes darted around upon hearing the oddly familiar voice.

"Who's...who's there"? Logan asked.

"Why, Logan, I'm hurt", the voice spoke again, "With all we've been through together, how can you not recognize your old friend? After all...".

A bright dark red light filled the room. Logan had to squint because it was so bright, but he could just barely see 2 pairs of red eyes appear in above him.

"I was the one who owned your ass", the voice finished in an arrogant and sinister tone.

For the first time since he could remember, Logan actually felt scared.

"Who are you"? He muttered.

"...I am...Azazel", came the reply, "Try not to forget this time, because it's a name you'll remember for the rest of eternity, once I reclaim your soul".

Without warning, the chains that held Logan glowed orange with heat and the young man screamed as it felt as though he was being stabbed with burning knives.

As this was happening, Logan was back in the garage, groaning and whimpering on the ground as the hooded man kept his hand pressed against the young Makai Knights' forehead and using whatever magic he had to make Logan see the visions in the most painful way possible.

"When will I get my turn with him"? The horror asked, making her presence known.

"Soon", the hooded man replied, "Once his memories are restored, his grief and sorrow will have reached their apex, and his soul will be ripe for the picking. Don't forget though, you're allowed only a bite of him. Just one bite".

"Hmph! I haven't forgotten", the Horror scoffed, "Just hurry up so I can get my appetizer"!

"Guess you'll have to settle for takeout, then", said a voice.

SNIKT!

The Horror let out a painful shriek as she felt something cut into the flesh of her backside. Turning around, she saw a grey skinned sinner with white hair and an eyepatch clutching an angelic spear which was aimed right at her. Before she could move, the one-eyed spear wielder quickly rushed forward and held the tip of her weapon at the Horror's neck.

"It'll bring down a sinner with one good hit to the vitals, la perra! And it's pointed straight at your throat"! Vaggie warned.

The Horror simply smiled.

"You think you can slay something as powerful as me so easily"? She asked rhetorically, "That may be an angelic spear, but what good is it if you're not able to hit me with it"?

"Moreover", one of the hooded men spoke up, "What's your blessed spear worth in comparison to dozens of our blades"?

All the hooded men aimed their swords outward as if ready to rush Vaggie.

"You're brave, but foolish to think you could rush in here and take us on all alone", the Horror sneered.

Vaggie simply smirked.

"Alone? Me? Never", she said simply.

The Horror raised a brow, confused by her statement. Just then, a shockwave was sent across the room, nearly knocking everyone on their backs. After regaining their bearings, the hooded men and the Horror looked to see Charlie standing a few feet away from them, her expression indicating dissatisfaction. Her appearance now greatly resembled her demonic heritage; a pair of dark maroon horns protruded from her head, and her eyes changed to have red sclera with white irises and slit pupils. This was a partial transformation to her Demon Form and only appeared whenever she was especially angry, like right now.

"P-Princess Charlotte"! One of the hooded men gasped, immediately recognizing her.

Despite the mission they were tasked with, the hooded men could feel the power that she was giving off and immediately dropped to their knees in surrender. The Horror, however, did not share in their reverence and simply watched as the Princess of Hell walked over to where Vaggie stood. Taking advantage of their momentary reprieve, Vaggie looked down at Logan and then at her spear. With one quick swing, she managed to cut the chains off, setting him free.

"Valkyrie girl, your timing is as amazing as you are", Zaruba said as Vaggie lifted Logan onto his feet and held him with one arm over her shoulder.

"Save the kiss up routine for when we're outta here", Vaggie advised as she rolled her eye.

"Vaggie, can you get Logan to the elevator"? Charlie asked, not taking her eyes off the attackers.

"Yeah", she grunted as she shifted a bit, "He's a little heavy, though".

"Here, let me give you a hand", Charlie said as she walked over to them.

She gently placed Logan's other arm around her shoulder and helped Vaggie carry him to the nearby elevator. Once they were inside, Charlie glared at the group of assailants with her arms crossed, daring them to follow them as Vaggie pressed a button and the doors to the elevator

closed shut. The minute they closed, the Horror looked at the hooded men with disbelief.

"So that's it"? She asked, "You're gonna let them go like that"?

"We'd be foolish if we didn't", One of them said.

"Anyone who dares to make an attempt on the Princess of Hells' life forfeits their own", said another.

"You think Lucifer actually gives a shit about what happens"?! The Horror exclaimed, "He barely cares about Hell anymore, so why the fuck would he care about what happens to his shitty brat"?!

"You'd do well to reconsider that statement, Ishutarb", The lead hooded man warned.

"Screw you, guys! I only came because I was promised a slice of the Makai Knight to chew on", the Horror, now identified as Ishutarb, replied heatedly, "And I plan on claiming what I'm owed".

The Horror then proceeded to head towards the elevator only to be stopped by the leader.

"You're only signing your own death warrant again by going after them", he said, "Stop now while you have the chance".

"I will not be denied what's rightfully mine", Ishutarb growled.

As a feral hiss escaped her lips, Ishutarb opened her mouth and shot out another chain at the leader. The pointed end pierced him, causing him to let out a painful gasp. The chain then started to retract and began transforming the man into chains connected to the one that pierced him.

Ishutarb then proceeded to slurp up the chains like a long pasta noodle. Within minutes, the leader was gone, having been fully devoured by the Horror. The remaining hooded figures drew their swords at Ishutarb, who only smirked in reply as a visor was formed over the top half of her face.

"Looks like I'll be getting plenty to eat tonight", she observed smugly.

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Charlie was doing her best to tend to Logan's injuries while Vaggie kept a constant vigil on their surroundings, her spear at the ready. Despite the isolation, she knew better than to let her guard down at a time like this.

"Logan? Logan", Charlie said, trying her best to gently rouse the young man.

The man in question simply groaned in response, still feeling the effects of whatever it was that hooded guy did to him.

"What's wrong with him"? Charlie asked worriedly.

"After they managed to get the drop on us, one of the guys managed to pull some kinda mind hoodoo on him", Zaruba spoke up, "I was able to sense what was going through his head before you two happened to arrive".

"Seriously? Are you guys like "mentally connected" or something"? Vaggie asked in an unconvinced tone.

"Something like that", Zaruba replied, "Whatever that guy did managed to open up Logan's mind, and not in a good way".

"What's that mean, exactly"? Charlie asked.

"He's remembering", Zaruba simply stated, "And given the screams he was making back there, it was anything but good memories that he was reliving".

"You mean...they restored his memories"? Charlie asked, feeling quite surprised by this.

"Restored his memories"? Vaggie repeated, "What are you talking about"?

"When I first met Logan, or rather found him, he told me that the only thing he could remember was his name", Charlie explained, looking down at her former valet with pity, "He couldn't remember where he came from, what happened to him, or even why he was in my dad's dungeon".

"He was in Lucifer's dungeon"?! Vaggie half-shrieked as she looked at her girlfriend with disbelief, "And you let him become your valet"?!

"He wasn't dangerous, Vaggie", Charlie defended.

"The fact that we saw him cut down an entire group of monsters today says otherwise", Vaggie countered.

"He wasn't always like that"! Charlie said before lowering her voice, "Back when I found him, he...well, he wasn't anything like that".

Looking down at the semi-conscious young man laid out in front of her, Charlie felt her heart clench as she recalled how they first met.

"If you'd seen what he was like back then, you would've felt the same things that I did", Charlie lamented as she placed a hand on Logan's head.

"And what was it that you felt"? Vaggie asked hesitantly.

Charlie ran her thumb across Logan's forehead as she took the time to remember what it was she felt that day.

"Like I wanted to cry", Charlie replied sadly, "But most of all, I felt that...I had to help him".

Little did either of them know, the physical contact between Charlie and Logan and the memory they shared was slowly, but surely, having a profound effect on the downed Makai Knight.

The faint sounds of pained screams. The foul stench of decayed, rotten bodies and bodily waste. The pestilent dripping noise that echoed ad nauseam through the halls. The uncomfortable sensation of the cold air licking at his damp, barely clothed skin.

These were the things that plagued Logan, physically and mentally, as he lay curled up in a fetal position on the cold stone floor. He had no idea where he was now. All the visions, or memories? Whatever they were, all the pain he felt from them, they were more than he could take. As he trembled and shook, he felt like crying, despite the fact that tears weren't forming in his eyes. Any mournful wail that escaped his lips was choked back, making it sound more like wheezing. With no other option before him, he was left with only his thoughts. One thought, in particular, stood out and it came in the form of one simple word;

Why?

Why was this happening? Why was he here? Why can't it end? Why won't the pain just stop?

Just when he was about to shut his eyes in a vain attempt to block out his surroundings, a new sound filled the air. It sounded like someone letting out a gasp. His vision still blurry, he looked around and saw a blurry figure standing in front of the door to his cell. He could then hear the sound of keys jingling, the gears of a latch shifting, and the loud squeak of the cell door as it was pushed open. In a fit of panic, Logan quickly crawled to the furthest corner of the room, whimpering like a frightened child.

"No, no, no! It's okay"! The figure assured in a feminine voice, "I'm not going to hurt you".

Logan was unconvinced as he sat there in the corner, trembling in fear as to what might happen. Just then, as the moonlight began to peek through the one of the windows, the blurry figured was suddenly illuminated, glowing like a white flame. It was so bright that Logan had to cover his eyes at first. As the light died down, he looked to see a familiar face. The blurry figure who stood before him was Charlie with a sad expression on her face.

"I swear, I won't hurt you", She assured with a gentle and warm smile.

She slowly reached out towards Logan, who suddenly felt at ease as he gazed upon the beautiful girl in front of him. Before he knew it, he too was reaching out for Charlie. After what seemed like hours, their hands finally touched. As she gently wrapped her fingers around his and she smiled at him, Logan felt his fears slowly wash away. And as the white light returned in full force, he felt something else, something he hadn't thought he'd ever feel again.

Happiness.

With a loud gasp, Logan's eyes slowly opened up. Groaning loudly, he struggled to get himself in an upright position.

"Logan", Charlie said in surprise as she helped him sit up.

" 'Bout time you woke up", Vaggie noted.

"Get enough rest, sleeping beauty"? Zaruba quipped.

"...Get...bent...the both of you", Logan said tiredly.

"Yup, he's alright alright", Zaruba confirmed.

"Try not to move too much", Charlie advised as she kept him steady, "I don't know what happened exactly but, Zaruba said you were reliving all the painful memories that you'd lost".

"So those were memories", Logan surmised as he tried to catch his breath, "I knew they felt too familiar to be visions".

"What did you remember, exactly"? Charlie asked in a worried tone.

"Nothing good", Logan replied.

"Right", Charlie nodded.

"Well, actually...that's not completely true", Logan amended, "The last thing I remember seeing was the first happy memory I ever had since coming here".

"And what was the memory of"? Charlie asked.

Logan felt embarrassed, but he knew she'd keep at it until he cracked. Turning his head to where their eyes didn't meet, Logan took a deep breath.

"It was...the day I met you", Logan answered.

Charlie felt a surge of joy fill her chest after hearing him say that, while Vaggie bitterly frowned in response. Tempted as he was to make a joke of that, Zaruba was too intrigued to say anything else. Just a minute ago, Charlie was telling them how she met Logan and everything she felt that day, and now Logan said that the last thing he remembered before waking up was that exact memory? This couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?

DING!

Any further investigation into the matter would have to wait as the elevator let out a sound that indicated they were back up on the ground floor. Just before the doors could open, a pair of chains burst through. Everyone could only duck as the chains embedded into the wall of the elevator. With a tight jerk, the chains then stood still, but that didn't put anyone at ease.

"Why'd they stop"? Charlie asked worriedly.

Vaggie ran over to the doors and tried to force them open, but to no avail.

"They're jammed"! She grunted in an irate tone, "Dammit! We're locked in"!

It was then that the one eyed spear wielding sinner suddenly heard a rattling sound coming from the walls.

"What's that noise"? She said.

Charlie and Logan both looked around and were soon able to hear the noise, too. As Logan tried to discern the cause of the noise, as well as what the Horror was trying to do, a terrifying realization dawned on him.

"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING"! Logan shouted, grabbing hold of the handrail.

"What"?! Charlie said in surprise.

"Why"?! Vaggie asked.

There was a loud groaning sound as the entire room jerked a bit.

"That's why", Logan deadpanned.

What followed after that was the entire room shaking, with Charlie screaming at the top of her lungs while she and Vaggie did their best to keep their grip on the handrail. Turned out that Ishutarb had intercepted them and, by using her chains and inhuman strength, plucked the elevator cab from out of the shaft. As she held it up in a cocoon made up of her vast array of chains, she grinned in satisfaction. Then, with a swift jerk to the side, she threw the cab forward, sending it careening across the room. Inside, the three occupants groaned in pain as they were now lain out on their backs or sides.

"Maybe we should've stayed out of this after all", Charlie groaned as she lay on her back.

"Oh gee, ya think"?! Logan exclaimed as he shifted over to where he was now lying on his stomach.

"Guys, she's heading this way", Zaruba informed, sensing Ishutarb's presence growing closer, "And when she cracks open those doors...well, you get the picture".

"We just need an opening", Vaggie decided as she sat up and reclaimed her spear, "If we could get her to back off for a bit, I could hold her off long enough to stall for time".

"You can't face her on your own"! Charlie said in concern, "She ripped the elevator out of the wall! What do you think she'll do to you"?!

"I'll be fine, Charlie", Vaggie assured, "You just gotta get Logan back to his car and I'll meet you there".

"But-", Charlie began to protest.

"Charlie, out of the three of us here, I'm the only one that can still put up a fight", Vaggie said in a firm but calm tone, "I don't like this anymore than you do, but someone has to stay and fend off that bitch so that you can get Logan out of here. It's our only chance".

Loathed as she was to admit it, Charlie knew that Vaggie was right. Even though she didn't want to leave her girlfriend by herself, she knew that she herself wasn't a fighter. And with Logan still weak from earlier, there weren't that many options left to explore.

"I know something that could help", Logan spoke up.

"And what's that"? Vaggie asked.

"Charlie, did you happen to grab my phone when you guys showed up to save me"? Logan inquired, turning to Charlie, "It might've looked like a gun at the moment"?

"Huh? Oh yeah"! Charlie asked reaching into her coat and pulling it out, "I saw it on the floor and thought it might've been yours".

Logan smiled as he accepted it back from her. By pure luck, it was still set to the Incendiary ammo.

"I think I can make an opening for you", Logan said, smirking at Vaggie.

As this was happening, Ishutarb had finally came within range of the elevator cab and leapt onto it. Summoning 3 chains in each of her hands, she sent them down and pierced the doors. As she pried them open, she failed to notice Logan aiming his phone gun at her until he finally pulled the trigger.

FWOOSH!

A bright light that scattered into a dozen little ones shot out from the weapon and knocked Ishutarb away. Now on the floor, the Horror screamed in agony as she was suddenly covered in a burning cloak of flames. The three occupants of the recently removed elevator cab peered up as they saw this happen.

"Damn! Where can I get a phone like that"? Vaggie asked, quite impressed.

"Sorry, custom order only", Logan quipped.

"Alright, come on, let's get going, quickly"! Charlie said as she clambered out of the elevator cab.

Logan was next and then Vaggie followed after. After setting back down on the ground, Charlie and Logan fled, leaving Vaggie to watch as the Horror scrambled to her feet, quickly patting herself down until the fires on her were out.

"Did you think you could kill me with that"? Ishutarb asked rhetorically.

"Maybe that's not what we were trying to do", Vaggie said as she pointed her spear towards her opponent.

"Oh, please", Ishutarb sighed in a bored tone.

A single chain shot out from her mouth towards Vaggie, who deflected it using her spear. But it didn't stop there, and as it swayed in the air like a cobra, Vaggie alternated between parrying and blocking each strike from the chain.

"Hmm, I see you've trained well", Ishutarb said as she held up her hands and conjured up more chains from her fingers, "Let's see how you fare against THESE"!

Multiple chains shot out from the Horror's fingers towards Vaggie. Her eye widened at the multiple chains heading her way, but she wasn't about to let up. As the chains surrounded her, each of them took turns taking a shot at Vaggie. The one-eyed sinner continued to block and parry each incoming strike, up until one managed to catch her off-guard

SCRTCH!

"Ah! Dammit"! Vaggie hissed as she felt the chains' blade nick her arm.

After that, in spite of her best efforts to block each hit, Vaggie kept receiving one cut after another. Annoying as it was, she couldn't stop, she had to give Charlie enough time to get out of there with Logan. As she focused on that, she failed to notice one chain that was slinking across the ground towards her like a desert sidewinder.

As this was happening, Charlie and Logan finally managed to get outside. Ignoring the burning sensation in her chest and the exhaustion beginning to kick in, Charlie panted as she helped Logan over to his car.

"We made it", Logan sighed as he leaned against the hood of his Camaro.

"Wait, where's Vaggie"? Charlie asked worriedly.

"Maybe she's right behind us"? Zaruba suggested.

"AAAHHH"! Cried out a familiar voice from inside the parking complex.

"That was Vaggie"! Charlie exclaimed worriedly.

"Shit", Logan hissed.

"Well, I can be wrong, can't it"? Zaruba asked nervously.

"Charlie, you stay here, I'm going back for her", Logan said as he slowly stood back up.

"Are you crazy? You're still weak from what happened earlier"! Charlie protested.

"I'm fine, Charlie! Now just let me-Ugh"! Logan started to say before hissing in pain as he clutched his forehead.

"See? You're still hurt", Charlie pointed out.

As Logan tried to catch his breath, he looked over at Charlie with a serious expression.

"Charlie...if I don't go, there's no guarantee she'll survive", He said.

"Well then, w-we'll call for help"! Charlie suggested weakly.

"Who's gonna come, Charlie"?! Logan asked rhetorically, "Don't you get it?! We're on our own"!

Charlie looked worried as she desperately tried to think of another way. Her train of thought was lost when she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Logan looking at her with a sincere expression.

"I know you don't like it, but there's no other way", he said calmly, "We can't wait around anymore. So please, let me save your girlfriend for you".

Charlie could help but feel touched by those words. Despite any misgivings she had, she knew that Logan was right, and as she watched her former valet slowly make his way back towards the parking complex, she prayed that he wasn't too late.

Meanwhile, Ishutarb had finally gotten the best of Vaggie, who was now wrapped up in the Horror's ebony chains like an insect caught in a spiders' web.

"I was right about you before", Ishutarb said as she circled the chained sinner, "Brave, but foolish. I can only imagine how that'll taste going down".

"Choke on it, you bitch", Vaggie growled as she tried to fight against her restraints.

"Hmm, like I haven't heard that before", said the Horror as she brought Vaggie closer.

With a lick of her lips, Ishutarb opened her mouth to reveal her fanged teeth and looked quite eager to eat Vaggie whole. The girl in question did her best to keep a brave face, but a situation like this was enough to make even her crack. Shutting her one eye, she slowly braced herself for the gruesome end that awaited her. Thankfully, fate had other plans.

In a quick burst of speed, Logan ran forward with his sword drawn and cut the chains that held Vaggie in place. Ishutarb cried out in anger as her new meal was set free. As he caught her with one arm, Vaggie looked up at Logan with surprise and disbelief.

"You came back"? Vaggie said.

"I owed ya one", Logan replied.

Charlie ran up to them and placed her arm around Vaggie.

"Get her out of here", Logan instructed.

"Right, come on Vaggie, let's go", Charlie nodded as she helped her girlfriend along.

"Wait! I can still fight"! Vaggie protested, "Where's my spear?! Let me get one last hit in on her"!

"No buts"! Charlie said firmly.

Logan could only smirk as he heard Vaggie groan in protest.

"How many times is someone going to stand in my way"?! Ishutarb shouted furiously, "I will NOT be denied my meal any longer"!

"As long as there are monsters like you throughout Hell and Earth, that's EXACTLY what's going to happen", Logan declared pointing his sword towards her.

"Let's wrap this up quickly, partner"! Zaruba shouted.

"Right", Logan said with a nod.

Holding his sword up into the air, he spun it in a circular pattern that created a white circle in the air above him. Thrusting his sword into the center of the circle, it opened up into a small portal of light that shined down on Logan. As this was happening, several pieces of what looked like armor fell out of it and flew around Logan for a moment before attaching to him. A bestial growl was heard as Logan now stood clad in a suit of gold & black armor and now clutching a golden handled broadsword in place of his Jian sword. As they saw the newly armored Logan, neither of them could believe it.

"Did he just...summon a suit of armor"?! Vaggie exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's not just any armor", Charlie gasped, "That's the armor of a Makai Knight"!

"Makai Knight"? Vaggie repeated, "I thought they were all on Earth, now"!

"I think there's more to Logan's new job than we thought, Vaggie", Charlie observed.

As amazed as she was, there something about the armor that was familiar to Charlie, but she just couldn't place it. Meanwhile, Ishutarb was not impressed, let alone intimidated, and as the visor slid down over her face once more, she smiled in anticipation.

"This will make my meal all the more delicious", she hissed as she licked her lips.

"The only thing you'll taste tonight is defeat, given to you by the steel of my blade", Logan stated as he held up his broadsword.

Ishutarb replied by sending her chains out to the side. After picking up an abandoned car, she tossed it straight at Logan. But the young Makai Knight was unfazed, and the moment he saw the defunct automobile heading towards him, he rushed forward and, with a single upward swipe with his sword, he sliced the car in two and continued straight towards Ishutarb. The female Horror stood ready and, after forming a crescent shaped blade on her arm, struck out at Logan. Luckily, the young Makai Knight was able to block it with his own sword. With a quick forward push, he managed to break free and swung his sword horizontally, landing a hit against her stomach.

"AAUGH"! Ishutarb cried as she felt her power seep out from the wound along with her own

blood.

"He got her"! Charlie quietly cheered.

"Nice"! Vaggie nodded.

What happened next was something nobody saw coming. As Ishutarb's power leaked out, it seemingly flowed into Logan's armor. Logan grunted as he felt the sudden surge of power from the energy that was being absorbed. While this happened, the black parts of his armor started to glow bright gold. Vaggie and Charlie had to cover their eyes as the glowing got brighter. After regaining her bearings, Ishutarb rushed at Logan once more and managed to get a few good hits. Before she could get anymore, Logan blocked the downard thrust she sent him and followed that up with a front kick and a diagonal slash to her chest from his blade, causing more energy to pour out from her. Peeking through her fingers, Charlie gasped as she got a better look at Logan. Now glowing as bright as the sun, was the very same figure she saw as a child in her father's room honoring the Makai Knights and the same figure she'd seen in the picture book he'd given her and had held onto. As Charlie realized why Logan's armor seemed so familiar, she smiled as she saw, standing in front of Ishutarb, the Golden Knight, himself.

"Garo", she gasped in recognition.

"What"? Vaggie asked.

"Logan's not just any Makai Knight", Charlie said, still overcome with shock, "He's the legendary Golden Knight. He's Garo"!

Vaggie's jaw dropped as she immediately recognized that name. Many in Hell had heard of the Makai Knights, but there wasn't a single person of any ring that had never heard the name Garo. The two girlfriends watched as the Horror and the Golden Knight clashed once more.

"So what if you're the Golden Knight?! I'm still more than enough to end you"! Ishutarb claimed as she pressed her blade against his.

Opening her mouth, she released another chain that swirled around Logan. Zaruba, who was still attached to Logan's finger, knew that this didn't look good.

"She's gonna pull you in! Evasive action"! The Madou Ring cried.

Logan nodded his head and, after breaking off from Ishutarb, swung his blade in a circular motion, causing the chains to disperse. Ishutarb screeched in protest. Not wanting to waste any more time, Logan rushed forward once more. He would put everything he had into one last strike while his armor still glowed with power. With a single horizontal slash, he cut down Ishutarb, who cried out in agony as her body suddenly burst into pieces. There was a moment of silence and just when things got quiet enough to where you could hear a butterfly's wingbeat, Charlie let out a series of cheers.

"WHOO! HE WON"! Charlie cheered, "ALRIGHT! WHOOHOO"!

Though she didn't exactly share in her girlfriends' enthusiasm, Vaggie was just as impressed as she was. As Logan nodded his head to Charlie, he slowly slid his sword back into the scabbard.

BA-BUMP!

"Augh"! Logan cried out suddenly as he clutched his chest.

Upon hearing his pained cry, Charlie quickly stopped cheering. As Logan doubled over in pain, the Princess of Hell and her girlfriend ran over to him.

"Hey, you okay"? Vaggie asked.

"Logan"?! Charlie said in concern.

Their questions fell on deaf ears as Logan was only able to focus on the pain that coursed through his body. For some reason, though, it felt strangely familiar. After dispelling the armor, Logan fell forward, but Vaggie and Charlie caught him.

"Don't worry, we gotcha", Charlie said with a smile as she pulled his arm over her shoulder.

"Let's get him to the car", Vaggie said.

After making it back outside, Charlie and Vaggie slowly carried Logan over to the car. They were surprised when the driver side door opened and out came a well dressed minotaur.

"Whoa whoa, who the fuck are you"?! Vaggie asked, "And what're you doing in Logan's car"?!

"Chill, Valkyrie girl! That's Efram, Logan's butler"! Zaruba said in his defense.

"Oh, his-wait, his WHAT"?! Vaggie exclaimed.

"It's true, young lady. Efram Gough, at your service", Efram said with a slight bow before turning his attention to Charlie, "I must say, when I came out to look for Master Logan, I didn't expect to see you here, your highness. It's truly an honor".

"Oh! Uhh, no need to be so formal uh, Efram was it"? Charlie said holding up her hands.

"I can see that Master Logan was put through quite the ringer tonight", Efram observed as he walked over to Logan, "I shall take it from here, ladies".

"You sure you don't want some help"? Charlie asked.

"No no, I'm quite used to this already", Efram assured as he strapped Logan into the front passenger seat, "Though I'd wager you'll want to know more about our little...operation, for lack of a better term".

Charlie and Vaggie both exchanged a look. This wasn't exactly what they expected to get into right after the Extermination. But with how far in they were already, pretending none of it happened wasn't exactly an option. They both turned towards the Minotaur butler and nodded their heads.

"I see", Efram said lowering his eyes as he reached into his jacket, "Well then...".

With a swift flick of his hand, he threw something Vaggie's way, who caught it. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was a business card of some sort.

"Our contact information and address is on the card", Efram said as he got into the car and started up the engine, "I daresay it won't be long before you use it. Farewell for now, ladies"!

"G'nite, girls"! Zaruba called out as they drove off.

"Bye bye"! Charlie waved as she watched the black Camaro drive away.

As Vaggie inspected the card, the Princess of Hell still couldn't wrap her mind around it; Horrors in Hell, Logan was Garo. It was all so surreal. And yet, she couldn't help but smile. Something that Vaggie took notice.

"What is it, hun"? She asked.

"I always had a feeling that he was special", Charlie said, looking off in the direction where they'd left, "Looks like I was right".

Vaggie followed her girlfriends' gaze and, as she looked out at the horizon, she couldn't help but agree. The day had ended, but both of them knew that this was but the beginning of a new chapter in both their lives.

A/N: Ngl, feel like I could've done better on that one. But hey, I can always go back and edit, no big whoop. Anyway, big shout out to Kaijugod10000 for suggesting I use the song "Sorry It's Over" from "Monster High: Boo York, Boo York". Not a bad pick, man, not bad at all. Keep this up and I just might make ya my go-to song guy. Anyway, I was kinda looking forward to this one; we get to see more of Logan and Charlie's history, Logan transforms for the first time, Charlie meets her hero, and of course, the song. Also, for those who haven't seen the version that's up on Wattpad, the aesthetic for the hooded figures is the Headless Monks from Doctor Who, a personal favorite from my days spent as a Whovian. And don't worry, this won't be the last time you see them. Especially not with this "Azazel" still in the picture, pulling strings from behind the scenes, as it were.

This one still felt a little rushed so, Idk. But I'm satisfied with it overall. Had to get this in on Wattpad before the clock struck 12, so there was no Early Chapter release for Knight Of Pride this time. The next Early Release will be for Huntresses & Swordsmen, and it'll have two, that's TWO, new chapters available only on my Ptreon. For those following the story, please feel free to subscribe and for a mere paltry payment of $7 a month, you'll get access to Early Chapter Releases the day before they're uploaded. My handle is currently BlackCondor96, but with a new year now on the scene, I may change that. For those who want the full details, please subscribe to my DA (lonewolf82084) to keep in touch with any/all further updates.

Again, that's BlackCondor96 on Ptreon. Please subscribe!

Anyway, TEASER TIME!

After their harrowing encounter with the Horror, Charlie and Vaggie delve deeper into the mystery behind Logan's new life as a Makai Knight. Also, Logan reveals that their encounter helped restore his memories. Not just the bad ones, but good ones, too, as well as some useful memories that will help to serve as clues to the mystery behind Logan's past and how he came to Hell. What kind of memories will we see?! Find out NEXT TIME!

GET EXCITED!