'I am going to battle the Devil.'
This was the thought that kept running through Edwin's head as he watched Cecelia get everything set up on the stage. Televisions were being set up so that everyone could see the duel clearly, able to look down and gaze upon the cards that were being thrown down. Ediwn had been assured that there was no risk of any cameras catching his hand but he still planned to keep his cards as hidden as possible. Vox would be broadcasting the duel live and Velvette would be streaming it and Valentino would most likely turn it later into a porn. Edwin was ready to not even fight him on that point.
Because he was going to battle the Devil.
In Duel Monsters.
"You so have this!" Aria said excitedly. "oooh, should I make a bet on you?"
"Don't you fucking dare," Edwin said sternly, startling her. "Sorry," he muttered, realizing how harsh that had come out. "I didn't mean to be rude but… don't you dare place any bets on me. I don't want to worry about you losing your shirt. Though I suppose, this being Hell, I need to be careful how I word things like that as it might be literal."
Aria chuckled but still looked at him, confused. "Wait, why are you so freaked out?" She tilted her head. "You are going to defeat him easily."
"You ever hear of Trap Games?" Edwin asked.
Aria shook his head. "I assume that's not like one of those Escape Room things."
That made him chuckle. "No… no, nothing like that. A Trap Game is something that they talk about with Football. A dominate, powerful team is going to take on some other powerful and successful team in two weeks. But before that they need to take on some team they are utterly better than. Maybe they've only won a game or two, they've traded away their best players, and they are taking on the Kings of the Division. You follow me?" Edwin kept talking, not really letting Aria said either way if she followed. "So that game… should be easy, right? Well… sports is a funny thing. You are worried about what is coming next, worried about injuries or giving that next opponent too much game footage… and then suddenly you find yourself losing to that team you should have utterly destroyed. That… is a trap game."
"And you're worried this might be a trap game?" Aria asked. "But why? This is the last duel!"
"Of this tournament," Ediwn pointed out. "But not of all of Duel Monsters. And duelists are going to only get better down here… and other duelists are going to die and end up down here and they are going to want to make a name for themselves. Which means I am going to be the big bad target they want to take their shot at. This isn't the end, Aria. This is the beginning."
"… well that's depressing," she said with a pout and Edwin laughed.
"I'm just saying we can't risk too much. We need to be ready for Luc… for Mucifer Lorningstar… to be better than we expect. After all, he made it this far, didn't he? He could be some amazing duelist!"
'Or he's the king of hell,' a little voice whispered in his head, 'and you are going to be embarrassing him in front of his subjects.'
That was Edwin's biggest concern.
"Duelists, 5 minute minutes and then we will begin the final round!" Cecelia called out.
Edwin rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen himself up and rid himself of the tension. 'Yeah… 5 more minutes…'
~MC~MC~MC~
Ishizu let out a groan as she slowly opened her eyes.
The fact that she was able to open her eyes was a bit of a surprise for her. She had assumed that she was being killed by Kaiba's assassin, sent off to face judgement by Anubis. Which… she wasn't for sure the end result.
Before her meeting with Shadi she would have believed that she was destined for the Field of Reeds. She was a faithful servant of the Pharaoh and by her actions she had done all she could to prepare him for his battle with Zorc. She… she had been forced to kill, but in the name of the Pharaoh and that made it not a crime that would weigh down her heart. It would be as light as the feather… she would have said lighter but that was a blasphemy and she would never dare do that. Anubis would nod to her and guide her to the doorways that she would choose from, and she would enter into her afterlife to be reunited with her mother.
But… after what she had learned from Shadi? How her actions had helped Edwin Chaos doom the Pharaoh and thus the world? She could feel the heaviness in her heart at that moment and she knew that the scale would not tip in her favor at all.
'That doesn't matter now because I am alive,' she thought to herself as she slowly blinked her eyes. There was an odd thrumming all around her and it took her several moments to realize that it was the sound of a plane. 'So… I am being flown somewhere… that is clever. That is smart.' She reached up and touched her Millennium Necklace. 'Every vision it shows me… it is of my death. And none of them are pleasant.' She saw herself dying in burning wreckage, plummet from a great height, killed before she could make a move against her captor. Again and again and again. The only way she lived long enough to be able to walk out of the plane was if she allowed it to land.
And that was what she would do.
She opened her eyes and confirmed she was in the cargo hold of a plane. She pulled on her wrists and felt heavy steel bite into the flash of her arms, refusing to yield even slightly. That made her scowl, as there was little she could do about the restraints. Her domain was knowledge but such basic chains and shackles couldn't be broken with genius. The cargo hold was utterly empty, so that when she looked straight forward she only saw the other side of the plane's metal hull, the rivets like little boils popping out of its smooth skin. And while she didn't see her captor… she knew he had to be in there.
"Who are you?" she asked because while she had accepted that she must remained captured for now that didn't mean she would be captured forever. There would be a chance to escape, she knew that, and having knowledge would help her do just that.
She didn't say it but what truly worried her was the fact that the Millennium Necklace didn't show her anything about her captor. That was very worrisome, as it meant that he was something beyond the Necklace… and as far as she knew the gods were the only ones that could avoid her gaze. A god… or something created by them. Zorc had given his power to forge the Millennium Items and Edwin Chaos had used that [\power to lock his mind against her and her item. Selene was unaffected as well but she dismissed Moon being her captor because she wouldn't have the patience to prolong Ishizu's death. So… who could it be?
There was movement to her right and Ishizu blinked as the assassin came into view, smiling slightly as he looked at her. The gaze made her skin feel as if a thousand beetles were crawling along her limbs but she avoided giving into the urge to shudder, refusing to show that kind of weakness to the man.
"I know you work for Seto Kaiba," she proclaimed. "I know that you are his assassin."
The man merely stared at her.
"Why have you let me live?" she asked. "Did Kaiba demand it? Does he have some other fate in mind for me? To have my body tortured in some other vile way? I am afraid it will do him no good, as I will refuse to suffer purely for his amusement."
The man tilted his head.
"Well?" Ishizu said.
"Why do you ask who I am… if you are so quick to proclaim who I am?" the killer said sardonically.
Ishizu glowered at that. "I would have your name, assassin!"
"It wouldn't matter anyway," he responded.
"And why is that?"
"Because this isn't my actual face," he replied. "Not that anyone but you or I know that." He chuckled again. "It was so easy to tap into Seto Kaiba's phone call… and the redirect his hired gun to go to the wrong side of the planet so I could take care of you myself."
Ishizu felt a chill suddenly run down her spine.
"Oh," her captor said mockingly, "you don't like that, do you? Poor little Ishizu Ishtar… so used to being able to see all and know all. It must hurt you so very, very much, to be in the dark."
"Who are you? What are you? Only a god or one aided by a god could avoid the powers of my Millennium Item!"
"So you are willing to admit your weakness?"
"When dealing with a god I am," she said. "Are you one of Selene's siblings? A brother or a sister?"
"Not really, no. I guess, in the most loosest of senses… she's technically my mom. Step mom that is. Or adopted mom. Thanks to my dad."
And then the man's body changed. He shrank a little, his bald head becoming covering in curly dark hair, and his skin becoming like those of the southern African regions.
Ishizu stared, startled and confused.
She had no idea who she was facing.
That must have shown on her face because the figure smirked and squatted down next to her.
"hi," he said casually, "I'm Troy."
~MC~MC~MC~
"Oh, this just isn't fair at all!" Charlie complained. "I mean, on one hand I'm glad that no matter what someone we love-"
"Pretty strong words there," Husk commented.
"-is going to win. Which is-"
"Depends on her definition of 'love'," Angel said. "Granted, I ain't been with either of them but who knows with Charlie. I hear she swings both ways and sometimes she sneaks away with Edwin to talk about 'the hotel'."
As Charlie continued to ramble on about how it was nice that someone she cared for would win Aria looked over at the porn star. "Edwin would never be a homewrecker."
"I don't know… I mean there is somethin' to be said about some nice pussy but sometimes ya just need a big throbbing cock, ya know?" He let out a dreamy sigh. "Ya know?"
"No," Husk said flatly.
"not at all," Sir Pentious said.
"If it were Godzilla, maybe," Aria stated.
"…what?" Husk said slowly, turning to look at the hell hound in human form.
"Now now, let her talk!" Niftty proclaimed eagerly.
"I'm just sayin' that Charlie might need a good dicking now and then and who else is she gonna turn to?"
"She's not cheating on Vaggie," Husk stated.
"Could be a polycule," Sir Pentious ventured.
"A what now?" Husk asked.
"A polycule. They are a group that issssss together. Would explain him flirting with Velvette… trying to break up the Vee threessssssome and get her to join them."
"…I hate you young people so much," Husk complained.
"I'm older than you," Sir Pentious stated, confused.
"Also," Vaggie said, reminding the group she was RIGH THERE, "Charlie and I aren't in a polycule."
"You sure?" Angel Dusk said. "I mean, I can kinda see it."
"Now I can't unsee it," Aria chimed in.
"I'm coming up with poly names right now!" Niftty proclaimed. "Charvagwin?"
"-amazing that one of them could win!" Charlie said, not realizing none of her friends were listening to her. "But it also means that one of them is going to lose and that is so sad! And who do we root for, anyway?"
Aria's phone buzzed and she looked at it. "Edwin says, "For the love of all don't root for me"."
"Its just so hard to decide!"
BZZZZZ!
"Don't root for me you idiots."
"I am so close to both of them!" Charlie moaned.
BZZZZZZ!
"I am fucking serious you stupid bitches. Don't root for me." Aria tilted her head. "Then he calls us all the C-word. Edwin has a potty mouth."
"Says the woman that drinks from the toilet," Husk muttered.
"THAT WAS ONE TIME!"
~MC~MC~MC~
Edwin shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Cecelia had warned him what was to come next but he still wasn't for sure he was ready for it. 'I wanted to lay low. Stay under the radar. Now multiple Overlords known I'm within their ranks, others are catching on, I have a date with yet another one and I own the soul of her partner, the Princess of Hell calls me friend, I'm about to duel Lucifer Fucking Morningstar, and its all going to be broadcasted for all of Hell to see.' He shook his head. 'Yeah Edwin, just need to go out there and proclaim that you have a god-killer weapon and you're from another universe and really finish up laying low you fucking-'
"First, the Jeweler that has been taking the Pride Ring by storm: Edwin Cerberus!" Edwin forced himself to smile as he walked out onto the stage, waving as the crowd began to cheer. He was a bit surprised at that, considering he had beaten so many of them earlier. But he supposed that they were figuring if he won that meant their losing to him wasn't as big of a deal. It was something, as a Lions fan, he was sadly used to: We lost to the guys that won the Superbowl, so we aren't shit.
'The Lions being shit… at least there is one universal constant.'
~MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER PART OF HELL~
"It keeps freezing over!" an imp declared as he looked at Hell's boiler.
"Damn you Dan Campbell!" his partner cursed, shaking his fist in fury.
~MC~MC~MC~
"And his opponent, from parts unknown… Mucifer Lorningstar!"
'Mucifer' smiled and waved, almost blushing as he did so, and walked over to Edwin, offering him his hand. Edwin carefully took it but when nothing happened he sighed a bit in relief. Sure, Lucifer had SEEMED friendly when he'd first met him but he was still leery of the Devil.
"Now then, I want a good, cleanduel!" Cecelia declared and Edwin and Lucifer nodded, going to their seats as the TVs kicked on.
"Alright, so I suppose we should flip a coin or something," Lucifer said, "you know, decide who goes first?"
"Yeah, that-"
Cecelia though cut in. "One moment…" She gestured angrily at the crowd and Edwin frowned as Vox came up. "What do you mean hold on?" she hissed.
"Sorry, but there is some breaking news. I'm telling them to wrap that shit up now, I promise."
"Breaking news?" Edwin asked, confused. "What is going on?" He turned towards the screens that were SUPPOSED to be showing his duel with Lucifer but saw instead that it was a news story about some building in the Burrows that was being attacked by some imp mobster.
The little red imp in a suit was directing a horde of other imps, all dressed in 1920s style outfits such as undershirts with suspenders or striped tanktops with baggy dockworker pants, as well as a group of humanoid shark creatures that were part of the Hellborn; Edwin had been told they were connected to the 'sirens', but he honestly didn't see it other than the fact that they were fish people and if they had another name he'd never learned it. Their kind never came to see him about jewelry. They were firing all manner of guns at a towards old warehouse, the non-descript kind of structure one would see in shows like The Simpsons or Family Guy to showcase a warehouse without bothering to make it memorable.
Vox was looking utterly stressed, trying to spend a third of his time screaming at one of the cameramen that was actually at the Gala to get him answers, a third trying to reassure a VERY angry Cecelia that this was just a minor thing, and a third of his time trying to play to the crowd of steadily annoyed demons and Sinners who weren't happy that the final match of the Hellfire Gala was being postponed because of his fuck up. It was almost entertaining to watch him switch from groveling to confident to enraged before cycling back and Edwin wondered what would happen if he made a mistake. Screamed at Cecelia. Groveled to the audience. It wouldn't be good at all and he knew it as he began to pace the stage. Vox tried to dart to the back but Cecelia was having none of it, forcing him to remain front and center.
'Clever girl,' Edwin thought to himself. 'Vox disappears into the wings and then he can claim this is all on her. This way she ensures that everyone knows this is his fault.'
"I don't know why we are even bothering to cover this…" Vox said to Cecelia, "…just a fucking imp attacking some Sinners." He turned and rage came upon him once more, though this time it was just barely restraining. He looked at the little gopher who was the current target of his rage and snarled, "I swear, I am going to skull fuck whoever broke in with this… and not in the good way!"
But Edwin wasn't paying attention to Vox and his ranting anymore. No… his focus was on the building, his eyes captured in as the camera zoomed in on the Sinners that were fighting back. The Imp mob boss and his forces were raining everything they could at the building and it was clear that the defenders didn't have nearly all the fire power that the crime boss did. The camera had panned to them ducking in and out of view from the windows, allowing him to see who was fighting against the imp and his horde.
His blood froze.
Many of them had different pieces of building materials jammed into their bodies. There were themes and patterns to all of them… it wasn't a mishmash of rubble. One had wiring sticking out of his body and his hair was copper with little sparks shooting out of his eyes. Another had two steel beams sticking out of his back but the beams were moving, grinding but bending like extra limbs. One looked to be liquid that was somewhat holding its form. And there was also a marble dragon who kept flashing the bowfinger at the imp mobster.
Edwin trembled as he stared at them. They were altered, just like he was. Changed by their deaths… and while he had no idea when or how they had died or how or why they had ended up in Hell he knew them all the same. Recognized their faces.
Martin. Caesar. Moose. Cassie.
The Kaiba Corp department heads.
"I forfeit," Edwin said at once.
"Wait, what that now?" Lucifer said even as Edwin moved from the chair, the crowd murmuring in shock.
"Something's come up and I doubt Cecelia will let us postpone things so I forfeit. Charlie! You have the limo available?"
The Princess of Hell stared at him, utterly startled, even as those in the audience began to grow louder in their shock and displeasure that the duel wasn't apparently happening. But Edwin didn't even blink at their outrage, instead staring Charlie down.
"I… I would have to call-"
"No time," he said as he leapt off the stage, Aria already moving to flank him.
"That was-" she began.
"I know. We're going. Ozzie!" Edwin snapped his head towards the Overlord. "Fizz! I need a favor!"
But Asmodeus merely smiled… and it was far sharper and more dangerous than anyone was used to. All those gathered at the Hellfire Gala had kept their mouths shut but they had thought it silently to themselves that Ozzie was able to mingle with the Sinners and the Overlords because he was the weakest of the Princes. The one that would fold if the slightest problem arose.
What they all forgot though was that Asmodeus had been in Hell LONG before any of them. So long that it was impossible to know what he truly was. Some held that he, like Lucifer, was a Fallen Angel. That he was one of the warriors that had been outraged by Lucifer being cast out of Heaven by his brothers and sisters and fought to return him to his home only to join him in the Pit. Others though whispered that the Princes had existed long before Lucifer had fallen and, in fact, had existed before Heaven itself. That they had found Lucifer and healed him and then, when he had proven himself to be mightier than them, he had rewarded their kindness by making them part of his court. Others still claimed that the Sins were only the most recent versions of themselves and they were always reinventing themselves in a cycle of Death and Resurrection.
Whatever the case might be Ozzie's smile told all those in attendance that he was NOT one to be trifled with.
"Eddie…" Ozzie purred as he moved to walk with Edwin, the crowd parting for him, "…you would be doing us a favor letting us join you."
"That bastard is Crimson," Fizz said. "He's the one that kidnapped me and tried to blackmail my sweet Ozzie."
Edwin's mouth twitched at that, a snarl ripping through his throat. "Then he dies."
"Edwin?" Charlie called out but he ignored her. This was something that she couldn't be a part of. Her heart was too tender and he couldn't risk her talking him out of what he was about to do.
The foursome left the theater and Ozzie moved towards where his limo was waiting for him. While the other attendants, be they mere Sinners or mighty Overlords, had been forced to send their cars away from the building, Ozzie was a Prince and that meant his official limo was allowed to park wherever it wanted.
Which worked well for Edwin.
"Aria, get in," Edwin said as Ozzie moved to the other side, opening the door for Fizz. "And get every weapon you have ready. We're going to go in hot."
~MC~MC~MC~
"I don't see why we need to talk to… them," Lute said dismissively as she followed after Adam. Gray dust was kicking up whenever she took a step and she looked down at her boots which were coated with the stuff and knew that there was no way she was going to be able to clean herself up properly. 'Probably why we couldn't just land at the doorway,' she thought bitterly. 'Want us to be covering in grit.'
"Hey, listen, I know its fun just to show up and swing your dick around and see who gets smacked in the face. Believe me, I know it." Adam let out a fond little sigh. "Granted, I know that you DON'T know, unless you are hiding things on me Lute. You tucking? Maybe born with both like that Ring Girl bitch Samara? I swear, that Seven Days bit of hers would mean how long it would be until she stopped walking bow legged after I was done with her!" He elbowed Odion who merely continued to walk with them, not responding to the vulgar jokes the First Man was making.
"Adam…" Lute growled.
But the head of the Exterminators waved her off. "Jesus Fucking Christ, Lute, get a sense of humor! I know you wish you had a cock so you could go find Vaggie and finally give her the pounding you both are in desperate need for but that's never gonna happen. You just have to deal with the fact that you'll never know the sweet embrace a woman gives you when you are balls deep within her and making her scream while her toes curl." Adam looked at Odion. "You get what I'm saying, right big guy? You must have left a trail of broken hearts and stretched out cunts when you were among the living? I know a bunch of the angels want you to give their feathered pussies a good grooming."
"I was a virgin when I died, Master Adam."
Adam blinked at that.
Lute blinked at that.
Odion just stared at that.
After a moment Adam burst into laughter, a hand gripping Odion's shoulder as he doubled over.
"Yeah… yeah, sure!" he cackled. "You are a virgin! And Lute has never come to a meeting with her breath smelling like Tuna Fish!"
Lute scowled at that. She had never come to a meeting like that. She was a professional. She always used mouth wash.
"That's a good one, buddy! A real good one!" Adam managed to straighten up and took several claiming breaths. "Man… I almost pissed my robes!"
Adam and Lute were wearing their official garb for the meeting, which included their masks that could mimic their expressions. Odion, much to Lute's annoyance because while he was proving to be a skilled fighter and rock-solid emotional supporter he was still a rookie in every sense of the word, had been given a new set of robes. They were dark purple and his mask was golden with black eyes and a black mouth. His mask could also replicate his expressions but considering how stoic he was that wasn't saying much at all.
"Arlgiht… alright." Adam began to wave his hands in front of his face. "Okay… I'm good. I'm good. Everything is back to normal. We are serious… we are serious!"
Lute watched as he rolled his neck, causing it to crack as he did so. "You still haven't explained why we have to visit these two."
"Listen… you know that the next Extermination is gonna be the Big One. We take everything down. Destroy all we can. Leave Hell looking like a shitstorm." He rubbed his chin suddenly in thought. "Of course it already looks like a shitstorm so we might actually make it better. Which makes us heroes! I like the sound of that!" He smirked. "Adam the Hero! Or… SuperAdam! Yeah, that might work. And you can be WonderLute." He looked at Odion. "BatOdion? That work for you?"
"Yes, Super Adam."
"I love him so much!" Adam practically squealed.
"Why… are… we… talking… to… these… people?" Lute slowly said, hoping maybe third time would be the charm with Adam.
Adam let out a sigh. "Fine, if you are going to be worrying about this… normally their ilk stay out of our affairs but apparently something as their panties all twisted up and crammed up their buttholes. I guess their boy toy got killed and they are digging through all the different afterlifes. Bran Brones or some Death God fucker is out there doing some grand tour and these two attacked some Egyptians. So we need to play nice and make sure they play nice in return. Don't go interfering with Heaven's work. THAT is why we are going to talk to them, to make sure they know that we are just doing our jobs and we aren't going to be killing off the soul of their little boy toy or messing around in their hunt." He shot Lute a dry look. "Happy?"
"Not in the slightest," Lute declared. "We are the Exterminators. Heaven's most feared Fighting Force. Why should we care what a pair of goddesses think? We shouldn't be talking to these two… we should be marching up to their door, telling them to stay out of our way, and if they don't like it we do to them what we do to every Sinner we've ever encountered."
Adam though shook his head at that. "And that, Lute, is why I am the brains and you just look fucking hot as you kill things. These are goddesses… and yeah, we could probably win a war with them and yeah, there is something that gets me hard as steel at the thought of dragging those haunty bitches around, stripped naked and on their knees, letting everyone see we took them down…" he paused, a smile forming on his lips before he suddenly shook his head. "But it ain't worth it. We'd lose so many angels that we'd have to postpone the big slaughter for another year or two. Maybe even more. No… we're going to charm them, maybe wine and dine them, and get them to agree to stay out of our way. Speaking of… Odion, you bring the wine?"
"Yes, Master Adam." Odion held up a rather nicely wrapped bottle that he had obtained.
"Nice! Very nice! I can't imagine what life was like before you, Odion!"
"I can," Lute muttered under her breath.
"Alright… happy faces people. We need to be polite." Adam walked up to the door of the large temple and moved to knock only to nearly stumble when it was ripped open.
Lute stared… and hated the heat that was suddenly gathering in her belly.
The goddess of utterly beautiful. Long silver-blonde hair. Large breasts that were barely covered by the dress she wore; not helped by the fact that it was slit from neck to navel and she could just make out the goddess' nipples that were practically singing out for Lute to suck on them. Wide hips and ample ass that led to toned legs. She was a towering beauty and Lute had the urge to crawl up and down her form like a spider monkey.
'She's Greek,' a little naughty voice whispered in her head and suddenly Lute saw a little cartoony devil version of herself sitting on her shoulder, playing with a dildo. 'They are supposed to be super kinky…'
'No!' an angelic version of her… well… angelic self… said. This one was wearing armor like Joan of Arc. 'We must focus on slaughtering all those sinners!'
'Boring!'
'And then we make passionate love to this goddess on the mountain of sinner corpses!'
'…okay, I'm listening now…'
Lute shook her head, forcing the vision from her mind. She needed to focus.
"Ah… Adam," the goddess said dryly. "You are slightly early but I suppose that's better than being late. Come in… my sister is waiting for us."
"Thanks for having us, Selene."
~MC~MC~MC~
Ozzie's limo was more like double decker bus, with its roof so tall that someone like Charlie could have easily done jumping jacks inside. For Ozzie it allowed him to sit comfortably and, in turn, Aria was able to, once settled, shift into her hellhound form.
"That will never not feel odd," she said as she reached down and took off her now loose shoes. While the rest of her clothing grew with her thanks to the build of her paws her shoes were just a lost cause and she tossed them away. Later on she would be blushing in embarrassment at tossing her footwear around one of the Seven Deadly Sins but at the moment she was too amped up for the fight that was to come.
'Our friends are here!' she mentally squealed in delight. 'I didn't consider for a second they'd end up in Hell! I thought I'd never see them again… but they are here! And Edwin and I are here and… and things can be like they were before!' She paused, feeling the connection between her and her pack leader. 'No… better. It doesn't matter that they aren't canines… Edwin will make them all pack. We'll be a family and we'll never be apart again!'
It was what she had always wanted.
She looked over at Edwin who had also shifted into his full demon form. She saw Ozzie and Fizz share a look at how much MORE there was of Edwin but Aria wasn't surprised at all. With Hellhounds their size came from their standing in the pack and how much power they had, both on their own and with the aid of said pack. And while they were currently only a pack of two Edwin was also an Overlord. A powerful one, even if he wasn't telling people that.
As such while his full demon form, when Aria had first arrived, had been only about 8 and a half feet tall now he was well over 10 feet, probably closer to 12.
'He's stronger too,' she thought to herself. The lumberjack frame that he had in his normal form had exploded with muscle so he looked like a superhero. Massive forearms, a broad chest, wide shoulders, powerful legs… combine with his canine head and long burning mane and he truly was a sight. A proper Pack Leader.
Ozzie reached up and wiped Fizz's mouth. Oh… they noticed too.
"Alright," Edwin said, "tit for tat."
"Mmmm… tits," Fizz said.
"None of that," Ozzie chided. "This is serious. Time for threesomes later." He glanced over at Aria. "Or foursomes."
It was only because she was focused on their friends that Aria didn't yelp at that.
"You explain Crimson, I explain the Staff."
"Mmmm… staff," Fizz said.
"I will spray you like a cat," Edwin warned Fizz though he smiled when he did it so Ozzie didn't get mad.
The Prince of Lust narrowed his eyes, his good humor leaving him as his limo raced towards the Burrow. "Crimson is an imp gang leader. A real piece of work. He kidnapped my sweet Froggy and his friend Blitzo and tried to get me to sign over pretty much everything I own in order to get them back."
"He also had no problem tormenting me," Fizz whined.
"Any powers or the like?" Edwin asked.
"He's just an imp," Ozzie said. "A powerful one in terms of his criminal empire but just an imp."
"That means jack and shit," Edwin stated. "Anyone can be deadly and anyone can be hiding something. So that means we need to be ready for him to have some surprises. That said… I am ready to go to town on this fucker and make him regret ever thinking about hurting my friends."
"Yes," Ozzie said, leaning forward, "those Sinners must be important to you for you to end your time in the Hellfire Gala to go rescue them."
"They're our friends," Aria said firmly with a sharp nod. "We all worked together… they made me feel accepted when I first arrived on earth."
Edwin placed a hand on her shoulder and Aria fought the urge to snuggle into him for comfort. There would be time for that later. "I don't like it when people threaten those I care about. So Crimson is going to die for this… and I am going to make it such a death that no one ever thinks of hurting my friends again. Hell will whisper about it like they do Alastor's rampage, not daring to raise their voices out of fear I might do an encore. It doesn't matter that he didn't know that they were mine… he still threatened what is MINE. And I am going to enjoy making him the example that every other demon thinks of right before they decide to leave Cassie or Martin or Aria alone."
Jackie raised his head and snickered at that and Aria felt… something… shift in Edwin. She knew it had to be the Thieves of Kul Elna and at once she realized that they were just as angry and blood thirsty as he was.
Oh… this wasn't going to end well.