"So… uh… you are probably mad."

Blitzo looked over at Gozaburo Kaiba. He had arrived at his office that morning to find the large Sinner Demon seated at Blitzo's desk, idly looking over some papers that Blitzo had left out. Nothing he was too concerned with, as they just were going over different names he had come up with for new mixed drinks. He was rather partial to the "Ass Biting Delight", though when he'd run it by his staff they had all disagreed. Mostly because none of them would known a decent name for drink if it, well, bit them on the ass.

He had been ready to yell at the man but Gozaburo had merely arched an eyebrow and slowly pulled out a handheld mini saw, setting it on the top of the desk before motioning for Blitzo to take a seat. He'd waved off the others before shutting his door… and found himself sitting in utter silence, Gozaburo making no move to speak.

"I mean… I know we said we'd kill our sons and hey, we've been trying! If there is one thing IMP doesn't slack off on, its murder! That and dressing nice. I mean, I do look snazzy, right?" He smiled but Gozaburo didn't even lift his eyes up to stare at him. "Ooooh. You are THAT pissed." Blitzo pressed his lips together before blurting out, "Hey, it ain't easy doing our job and I'd like to see you try it! Oh wait, you can't! You're stuck here while we can head to Earth. So you kind of need to rely upon us, don't you big tall and intimidating. So let me tell you something: You need to let us do our jobs. No micromanaging bullshit. You hired us to kill your two brats and we are going to do that, understand? "

"…very well," Gozaburo said, rising up from his seat and heading for the door.

"Yeah, that's- wait, what?" Blitzo twisted in his chair. "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

But Gozaburo didn't utter another word. Instead he merely headed to the door, opening it and causing Millie and Moxie to flop down onto the ground, having clearly been listening in.

"So… I managed to talk him out of whatever horrible things he was going to do to you guys for messing up… and believe me they were terrible!" Blitzo buffed his nails against his suit jacket. "Feel free to begin getting me gifts to properly show how thankful you are towards me."

"Sir, he was clearly still very upset!" Moxie exclaimed.

"Come on… if he were upset he would have ranted and raved and shouted at us. He didn't do any of those things so clearly he was as calm and cool as a dildo you put in the fridge. But NEVER the freezer." He frowned. "Not after fleet week…"

Millie grimaced, clearly uncomfortable. "Blitzo… ya know how we normally let ya just live in your own little fantasy world where you hear what you want to hear?"

"Yeah, I would like a strawberry smoothie. Thanks for asking."

Millie pressed on. "Listen… that man there wasn't cowed or calmed or anythan' like that. He was pissed and was just managain' ta control his emotions."

"That was tranquil fury, sir," Moxie said, nodding in agreement with what his wife had said. "He is giving us another chance but we can't mess up."

Blitzo's features grew stern. "Right. We need to focus. Need to take down those Kaiba Kids!" With that he marched out of the conference room.

"…why did he go into the bathroom?" Millie asked.

"Damn encaladas!" Blitzo declared followed by some… rather disgusting sounds.

"I think that and his little statement weren't actually connected," Loona replied, going back to playing on her phone.

~MC~MC~MC~

Edwin tapped his fingers together as he looked over the design plans that he going over, barely even starting as Angel entered into his office. "Someone has been busy. I have begun missing you, to be honest… you coming in and judging me for what I do, thinking the worst… almost brings a tear to my eye, thinking you might trust me."

"I don't trust you," Angel replied. "But… ya haven't actually done anything ta make me worried so I figured I could give you a bit of slack."

That made Edwin nod after a moment. "Well… thank you for that." He looked down at the drawings he had made up. "How is work, by the way?"

"Don't ya know how it is? What with ya holding Valentino's soul?"

"Does Valentino know everything you do?" Edwin pointed out. "Doesn't work like that, Angel. I can call him forth, make him do what I want, but I don't spy on him all the time."

"But you can."

"…yes," Edwin admitted.

"Same as with this little Millennium Eye ya have me wearing," he retorted with a huff, flopping down in the guest chair across from Edwin.

That made the jewelry maker smirk. "There it is… the real reason you've come here. Want to poke the bear a bit more."

"Why would I want to do that?" Angel asked. "I tried that once but we couldn't get him to lay down… and the amount of roffies Val fed him made him listless and that ruined the entire shoot."

"…the sad thing is I can't tell if you're joking or not," Edwin muttered before shaking his head. "I mean that you want to do the old song and dance and I swear if you mix up that metaphor I'm gonna begin calling you Drax." Angel frowned, clearly not getting what Edwin was trying to say. "You want to needle me about what I am doing. The spying on people. Don't like it, don't ya?"

"Why would I like it when you're spyin' on my…"

"On your what?"

Angel poked at the inside of his cheek. "Nothing. Just don't like it."

Edwin though shook his head. "No… I want you to just admit it. Might actually be good for you."

"Man, ya don't know me at all!"

"I know that you have been a lot happier since I got Valentino off your back."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Angel rolled his eyes. "Big genius here, figurin' out I enjoy not gettin' smacked around by some demented freak."

"I don't mean that," Edwin said, leaning back in his chair. "You're more content. Less on edge. You aren't making as many sex jokes to hide the fact that you are miserable. Less self-destructive behavior too. I mean… you've cut down to half a bag of coke a day, Angel. That's almost puritan of you." He let out an amused huff. "Why… one could argue that you no longer feel the need to… implode."

Angel pushed away from Edwin's desk, ripping the Millennium Eye from his jacket and slamming it down on the table. "Ya watchin' me with this, ya fuckin' perv?"

That made Edwin laugh. "That is the pot calling a lily white toilet black. You of all fucking demons don't get to call other people 'pervs', Angel. Not unless you want to be laughed at." He waved his hand about idly. "And no, I didn't use the Millennium Eye to spy on you… and didn't use your contract either." His eyes glowed and Angel looked down… and yelped when the Millennium Eye opened up. "If I did… you'd know." Edwin's eyes returned to normal and the Eye closed. "I just watched you Angel. At supper, hanging out in the lobby, during Charlie's… sharing hours."

The two demons shuddered at that.

"Point is," Edwin continued, "I've seen it. You're happy." And then he suddenly blinked, darting his tongue out to wet his lips. "Son of a bitch… that's what this is all about, isn't it?"

"What is? What coocoo thought have ya got bubbling in that brain of yours? Something new you can do to take advantage of Charlie? Because I bet she'd love to know what you are really doing."

Edwin though merely leaned forward. "Threatening me?" He wasn't angry. He was… bemused. "That's risky, isn't it? You've never been one for that kind of risk. Oh, you'll get kinky and wild in the bedroom but in my office?"

"Ain't the first time I've fucked in an office, Puppy," Angel replied. "Though I doubt your little willy will be able to do more than make me wonder if its in yet."

And still Edwin merely smiled. "More mocking. More insults. More attempts to get me mad. You threaten me, you mock me, you stand up to me… why is that?"

"Because I think its sick how you are spyin' on all them up there! Ya watchin' Charlie and the angry one-"

"You don't remember Charlie's girlfriend's name. You don't remember that is Dippie."

"-as they are screwin'? Get off on watching Charlie and Dippie go down on-"

"That isn't her name, I made it up. You really don't know it?"

"-each other? Who else are ya watchin'?" Angel slammed his hands down against the table, both sets of them. "Sick little perv! Ya can mess with me all ya want but I ain't gonna let ya bother them!"

"…you want me to punish you, don't you?"

"Wha?" Angel said, leaning back. "What are ya talkin' about?"

"You want me to punish you, Angel. You desperately want me to get mad and do something. Strike you. Smack you. Maybe break something."

"Man, you're delusional!" Angel said, waving his hand dismissively in Edwin's direction.

But Edwin continued on. "Its not even a happiness thing, is it? Because you've been happy. Drugs and sex and booze have made you happy. Numbed the pain. But… I've removed all that pain. Valentino can't do anything to you anymore. I won't let him. The hotel is giving you a chance to actually make friends… real friends. Not Cherri Bomb who comes and goes as she pleases but people who see you at your worst and don't care. Or rather they do… in that they want to help you."

"Shut… just shut up ya… ya idiot."

"You don't know how to go about living your life if you are safe. You've been scared and frightened and in pain for so long that removing it… that more terrifying than anything. So you come down here and mock me and insult me and try and get me angry because if I snap and hit you? Well… at least you know what to do with that! You can understand that kind of life. Its pain but… that's safe for you because it's the norm. But this? This is so different from what you've grown used to…"

Angel began to back away from Edwin.

"Pain is familiar. So is loneliness. But this Hotel? Having people that care for you and someone who is offering you the chance to dream that maybe you'll be free? You have no idea how to handle that."

"You're… you're crazy!"Angel exclaimed, trying to sound tough but coming off as near panicked as he backed away from Edwin, eyeing him with the same cautious fear that one might save for a snarling dog that had just broken its leash.

"Its easy to go on when you have no dreams. Because nothing will ever chancge so there is no risk. And it doesn't matter what mistakes you make because you're already at rock bottom. No one will care if you fail or if you're broken because you're… you. A sad pathetic loser that isn't worth even a tissue covered in dog shit. But… I've taken that away, haven't I? And so has Charlie. You have things to lose. And you know that if you fuck this up… its going to hurt all the more because you realize just what you now have. You are the man who was a fool whose been made a genius… and now feels his intelligence fading away. Hope? Hope is a dangerous thing. Especially hope in hell-"

"Why… why won't you stop talkin'?" Angel asked desperately, pressing his hands to his head.

"Because Words Win Wars," Edwin said before finally sitting back down and returning t his drawings. He knew that Angel wasn't ready to talk about it, that he'd pressed him too hard and risked doing more damage to the other demon that a blow or a strike could have every done. He instantly felt regret and forced himself to look down, not meeting Angel's eyes as he said, "Put it back on."

"What?" Angel said.

"The Millennium Eye. Put it back on." He paused. "And let me NEVER catch you not wearing it again."

He hated it that Angel quickly moved to put the Millennium Eye back on. That doing that was more of a comfort than anything else he could have said or done.

Hell… was hell.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Val? Hey Val!"

Valentino blinked, startled by the sudden yelling of his name. And that… made him angry. No, not angry… utterly furious! Who dared bellow at him like that? Who had the fucking balls? He didn't care honestly, other than the fact that he planned to remove their fucking balls and stuff them right up their cock hole. Reaching out he grabbed onto the foolish interloper, wrapping his fingers around their skinny throat and dragging them in close-

"Well… someone is… kinky today!"

His anger left him at once as he realized just who had interrupted his thoughts.

"Vox!" He exclaimed, letting go of his partner. "What… what are you doing here?"

"What are you talking about? I live here."

"You don't-" Valentino looked around, blinking as he realized that he wasn't in his office at all. He was back at Vox's tower, the home of the Vees.

He had no memory of going there.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Vox asked, sliding down to sit next to Valentino. "You look like someone shoved a frozen dildo up your ass. And I know that you only go for stuff like that on Wednesdays."

"I… I don't remember coming home…" Valentino admitted.

"That all? So you daydreamed on the ride back here. Highway hypnosis… happens to the best of us." Vox then laughed. "Well, not ALL of us." He chuckled again.

But Valentino, while he did manage a smile, didn't feel an ounce of humor. Or an ounce of anything.

Ever since he had been outsmarted by that bastard Edwin Cerberus he had found himself struggling to live his life. Everything seemed so… pointless now. What did it matter if he got some sexy stupid sinner demon to sign their soul away to him? Everything went to Edwin, after all. He hadn't begun demanding the profits from Valentino's studios yet but he knew that would most likely be coming soon. The man was no different than any other demon; his greed would push him to claim more and more and that meant eventually all Valentino had would end up in Edwin's grip.

"Come on now… something has my big brave man all nervous," Vox said just as the elevator chimed.

"Fucking hell, you two better be…" Velvette trailed off as she stared at the two of them. "Oh… you actually aren't naked and trying to see whose asshole is the most gaping. That's… unexpected." She shrugged and went back to typing on her phone. "Pleasant but unexpected."

"Believe me, I wish we were scarring you," Vox said, running his fingers along Valentino's cheek. But Val merely sighed and turned away from him, which had Vox frowning. "Okay, something is seriously up with you… what is it?"

"…you remember Slaten?" he finally said, looking down and noticing an advertisement for that new card game, Duel Monsters. Velvette had ordered several boxes and done an opening living stream and apparently it had been a massive hit, so much so she wanted to do another one… and was working to crush those that were copying her. As such their place was filled with Duel Monsters literature as the young demon did all the research she could into the game.

"The newspaper guy?" Velvette asked, screwing up her face as she thought. "Ain't he dead?"

"No but print is!" Vox laughed and Velvette joined him. It was an old joke and a favorite of all three of them. Vox had been a key player in bringing the demon down and had taken many of his best reporters. Early on Vox had made it almost a daily ritual to mock the other demon but as time had gone on and his power had grown Slaten had been forgotten… or at least not mentioned.

"Why ya bringing up that bag of dust?" Velvette demanded, kicking off her shoes and moving to sit in the arm chair she always claimed as her's. "He decide to come to yar club and beg for nickels?"

"No… no I didn't see him," Val said. "You know he's working with the creator of Duel Monsters, right? Letting her use his printing press?"

"You don't say…" Vox said only for Velvette to throw one of her shoes at him. "Hey! Don't throw your stinky boots at me!"

"And don't you go thinkin' about ruinin' Duel Monsters! I got a lot of hits on that video and I am promisin' new content in the next few days. Deck buildin', live stream of me goin' ta get another box, openin' packs, maybe even a duel or two… need ta find someone ta pay off to agree ta lose ta me but you know…" Velvette trailed off… only to blink. "What do ya mean, stinky?!"

"I mean," Vox said with as much sweetness as he could muster, "that if the Angels manage to get through our defenses I can just throw your shoes at them and kill them instantly."

"Fuck you, Vox! My shoes are sweet as roses!"

"Roses that were buried in a trash heap," Vox teased. "Why do you think we sit down wind of you?"

"That's it!" Velvette roared and she leapt from her chair, Vox screaming in terror as she tackled him right off the couch. Valentino watched as the two wrestled, Velvette managing to get on top of him, pressing her bare feet against his face. "Say my feet are like roses!"

"Never!"

Val watched the two continue to fight, knowing from their tone that there was no real danger. Normally he would have either egged them on or mocked them both but he… just couldn't bring himself to care.

His mind kept going to Slaten. Once he had been an Overlord. Powerful. Dangerous. Commanding so many souls that it was said that he could have bled them all in order to print his papers and still had plenty left for a second addition. Nowadays though? Slaten was a joke. Barely an Overlord and certainly not invited to any of the important meetings. Forgotten about when anyone talked about the movers and shakers of the Pride Ring.

He had wanted to ask Vox and Velvette if they ever worried they might end up like him. If they ever wondered if some new force would come along and make them obsolete. How any of them would deal with the fact that one day they might be the ones with their faces pressed against the glass windows, wondering why they weren't invited to the important meeting. But watching the two of them snark at each other (as Vox had managed to get away from Velvette and she was now crawling along the floor, feet stuck out as she scooted on her ass trying to get to the crawling Vox) he knew they had never even dreamed of such a thing happening. For them it was simply an impossibility. They would always be on top.

But Valentino knew better.

And more than that… he also began to wonder if he could survive such a life. If he could handle being brought down low. Yes, Slaten was helping with Duel Monsters but if he had to guess Valentino would put it at being more likely that the woman, Cecelia Pegasus, becoming an Overlord over Slaten rising up in the ranks once again. He was too old to change…

…and so was Val.

He stared down at his wrists. Even though he couldn't see the cuffs on his arms he knew they were there. And it hardened his resolve. He had to find a way to free himself. To break free of Edwin Cerberus' grasp. And when he did he would make the bastard pay for all he taken from him!

~MC~MC~MC~

"I am afraid that there is no one that matches that description here," the sprite said sadly, bowing her head before Brom. "I wish that he was… I can sense that he has quite the story to tell."

The God of the Dead sighed. He had hoped that this afterlife, the Realm of Lost Tales, would hold Edwin's soul. It was a place where all people, good or bad, were allowed to stay, telling the stories of their lives to the sprites that would go out into the world to help the living. The heroic told of their work to protect the worlds they'd come from and why it was important to continue on such work. The evil also told their tales, so the sprites could understand why the wicked did what they did and, perhaps, help those still alive avoid falling to the same fate. There was no judgment from the sprites and in the face of their simple questions the good were honored and the evil humbled.

It was… a good afterlife. If Brom had to choose one for himself, when his time was at an end, he'd select it for himself. A lifetime of telling his story, the good and the bad. Yes… it would be a good one.

But it wasn't his time yet.

"Renard… Yuri," Brom said, motioning for the two to join him. The walk through the world between worlds, known as Limbo to some, the Dreaming to others, and names long forgotten by people who had long been dead, was not an easy one so he didn't blame the two for wishes to get some rest. Anyone who thought that the dead couldn't become tired didn't understand their existence at all. A soul would become weary if too many hardships were placed upon it… just as it could make a worn body continue on.

The two rose from the tree that had been sitting under, having refused the pleading of the sprites to tell their stories. He was pleased they had listened; more than one person had become trapped visiting the land, thinking they could tell a simple story only to discover the words tumbling from their lips, unable to stop themselves from unburdened their souls to the sprites.

"What now?" Yuri asked.

"We can depart, if you wish. I would-"

"Let's go," Renard said and Yuri smiled at that and shook her head; Renard was driven to find Edwin, even if it meant risking damnation upon himself. "Where to next?"

"I am thinking the Light of Alfheim," Brom said.

"Norse myth?" Renard asked.

"Though," Yuri chimed in, "I suppose its rude to call it a 'myth'."

That made Brom chuckle. "Quite right. It is said that souls rejoin the light and, so long as all parts of them exist, there is a hope for them to be reborn again. Edwin is the reincarnation of Endymion."

"So that might be a good place to start," Renard said.

"Yes… and I know that Endymion and Selene spent some time in Asgard-"

"…I'm sorry… what?" Yuri said.

Brom chuckled as he led them towards the exit. "Well, considering where we are leaving this might not be the best choice of words but… I have a story for you…"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Charlie… are you sure this is a good idea?"

The Princess of Hell frowned as she glanced at her girlfriend, looking away from the stack of papers that she was going over. She had been sitting in her office going over the resumes that had been sent to her, Vaggie lounging on the couch reading a magazine when she'd suddenly spoken up. Which was very odd because Vaggie had always been very respectful of Charlie when she was working, always remaining quiet and not interrupting her when she was going over things. Charlie sometimes just liked having Vaggie near her, even if they weren't doing anything together. It was a comfort, no different than Charlie sitting in as Vaggie worked out.

So the fact that she had spoken up while Charlie had been taking notes was… very unusual.

"I thought you were all for us getting a psychologist on staff."

"Oh, I am, I am," Vaggie said quickly. "Its just… have you really thought about this?"

"Uh, yeah?" Charlie said with a scoff and a laugh. "We get a psychologist who can help us out! They can work with demons to help them figure out why they do things that don't make them better people and then they can go to Heaven! Its all pretty straight forward!"

"Right…" Vaggie said slowly. "Its just… you might be forgetting a few things."

"What do you mean?"

"Charlie… we're in Hell."

"I, uh, I know." She stared at Vaggie like she was very, very, very slow. "I mean that's kind of the point. Are you feeling okay? I am worried you aren't feeling okay."

"I'm feeling okay its just… okay." Vaggie took a breath. "I want you to follow me on this."

"Uh huh."

"If you are in Hell you aren't a good person."

Charlie blinked at that. "Oh… oh Vaggie!" She stood up from her desk and walked over to Vaggie. "You are a good person."

"No, that's not what I-"

"It must be so terrible for you, thinking that you aren't because you haven't gone to Heaven. I mean, you've been with me the longest and you've never really done anything horrible while in Hell so you must be so stressed that you haven't ascended."

"That's not-"

"I know you will though! I know that you will get to go up there and it will be so wonderful! And I mean sure, I will feel really bad when you go because I'll miss you but I'll also be super happy for you! And nothing says you can't visit! Angels visit all the time. Well, I mean, they visit in order to kill us but I know you'd NEVER do that!"

Vaggie paled at that, not that Charlie noticed. "Uh… about that-"

"But you can visit all the same! In fact that is one of my new ideas to help the sinners! Get their loved ones who are in Heaven to come for visits. You know, hype up how wonderful heaven is and that's why people should stop doing drugs and stealing and having sex with unwilling bison."

"Wait, what was that last one?"

Charlie thought continued on. "It would have to be at the Heaven Embassy but it would so work! And you and I could see each other a lot… maybe you get a job there…" Charlie turned her head to the side, lips pressed together in a fine line as she thought. "Wait… why couldn't I go and visit Heaven? I mean… I'm not a Sinner Demon so I was never judged. And while Dad was banished from Heaven and so was Mom it seems really cruel to say their daughter is banished as well… can I go to Heaven? Can I just… walk in and be like "Hi, I'm Charlie and while I'm the Princess of Hell I think it is reasonable I get to visit"? I mean, just visit. Not stay there forever because while heaven is, you know, awesome, I don't see any reason to live there forever when there is so much work to do here and-"

Vaggie finally brought her hand up and covered Charlie's mouth.

"Charlie? We have… well, we haven't gotten off of track, we've more gotten on the wrong train and ended up in an entirely different city. I wasn't talking about me… at all. You know that I don't care about Heaven. If they offered me a chance ba… to go there, I wouldn't. My home is here, with you."

"Aaaaawwww," Charlie said happily giving Vaggie a hug. "But wait… what's the problem then if you weren't talking about yourself?"

"The resumes," Vaggie said. "We are hiring a shrink. But they are in Hell."

"Uh huh."

Vaggie, seeing that Charlie still wasn't connecting the dots, continued on. "Okay… do the math with me: If you are in Hell you are a bad person."

"Right. That's why we need the therapist."

"Who is in Hell right now."

"Right."

"And you can only be in Hell if you did something bad."

Charlie blinked.

"Every therapist is going to be a bad person."

"Oh, come on Vaggie!" Charlie said with a laugh. "I don't think-"

She stopped and actually considered what her girlfriend had said.

"…oh."

"There we go," Vaggie said but she didn't gloat but rather smiled, stroking Charlie's face.

Charlie though frowned. "Okay… I can kinda see your point but… I'm not just interviewing Sinner Demons."

"You… oh" Vaggie blinked as she realized she had been just as mistaken as her girlfriend. "Imps. Succbi. Hellhounds."

"Exactly!" Charlie declared. "The Hellborn and Imps and Hellhounds and all the rest? They aren't given a fair shake. They are seen as the lowest of the low! That's why I am going to give one a chance to work with Sinners and prove they are the best therapist ever! I'm going to be carefully vetting them, of course, to make sure that everything is nice and squared away with them but-"

Vaggie once more covered Charlie's mouth… but this time she leaned in and kissed the back of the hand that was covering Charlie's mouth. "I'm sorry I didn't think of that and I didn't think that you would think of that. Sometimes its just easy to forget how smart you are."

"No, I get it," Charlie said as she lightly pulled Vaggie's hand away. "Its something my mom and dad taught… as well as the other Sins. Let people think you aren't as smart or as cunning as you really are and they will make it so much easier for you to defeat them. Everyone sees my dad as just some goofy guy who wears his suits and does horrible at parties so they forget that he built all of this. Makes life so much easier, you know?" Charlie shrugged. "I have been working on this for years, Vaggie… thinking about it even before I met you. Maybe not a hotel but how to help demons. All demons." She smiled as she clasped Vaggie's hands in her own. "Now then… want to do something really fun?"

"…is it go through the resumes for the shrinks?"

"I was going to suggest fooling around but-OOOMPF!" Vaggie at once tackled her girlfriend, the work forgotten.

~MC~MC~MC~

"…why do you keep staring at me?" Husk asked as he looked over at Aria, who was sitting at his bar nursing a drink. Rather than how most people looked at him it wasn't lust or anger or anything like that which was causing the hellhound to openly stare at him. No… if he had to put a word to it he was say it was an almost giddy admiration.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to its just… wow. I can't believe I'm getting to meet you."

Husk frowned at that. Alastor had sent him back to the hotel to rest while he continued to stake out the Sinner Demon that he felt would lead them to their killer and he had decided to make sure no one had pilfered any of his booze only for Aria to sit down as soon as he got back behind the bar.

"Listen… I'm not sure what your mama told you but I don't have any daughters…" He'd been down that route before.

"What?" Aria gasped. "no! No no no! Not that I wouldn't mind it if you were my father. Honestly that would be so amazing! I would love it, you know? Being your daughter, I mean. It's just-"

Husk held up a finger even as he grabbed a bottle with his other hand. "By Satan you ramble worse than Charlie. What do you mean you by meeting me? Seems like you are excited to see me and the only ones these days who are happy to get a look at my ugly mug are the pool hustlers."

"Ugly?" Aria proclaimed, offended. "You aren't ugly! And why wouldn't demons be excited to meet you!? You're Husk!"

That made him blink. "Yeah… I know my own name."

Aria though shook her head. "No… no you are HUSK! The Gambling Man! High Stack Husk! The Overlord!"

Husk stared at the young hellhound, shaking his head. "Huh… I didn't think someone your age would remember me."

"I'm… kind of a groupie for Overlords," she admitted, embarrassed. "Growing up in the orphanage there wasn't too much to do if it didn't involve fighting and because I was so small-" Husk looked over the 10 foot tall Hellhound, eyebrow raised, "-I didn't like to fight all that much so I learned about the Overlords. You were one of my favorites."

"Well… that was a real long time ago," he muttered. "A real long time."

"I know," she said, her tone growing sad. "I… I remember when Alastor let everyone know what had happened to you. I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault, kid," Husk said gruffly, not wanting to yell at her but hoping she would drop the subject.

Aria sipped her drink. "Have… have you thought about talking with Edwin about it?"

That made Husk frown. "Why would I go slipping my guts to him?"

"Well… he's really smart and he's good at working out deals with people."

"A deal is what got me in this mess," Husk replied. He wasn't for sure WHY he was bothering to talk to Aria. He knew he should just tell her to fuck off and leave him alone. Yet at the same time he felt the urge to talk with her. To discuss what happened to him. She reminded him of the old days and for once those weren't tinted with bad memories.

"I mean, yeah, but Edwin… he's different. He ever tell you guys about KaibaCorp?"

"…he did not," Husk said, mentally flipping Alastor off. For all his talk about it not being fair or sporting to just talk with Aria to find out more about Edwin Cerberus it looked like he was about to learn all the info Alastor had been seeking.

"So there was this tournament... the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus-"

"I thought Cecelia Pegasus made duel monsters," Husk said.

Aria shook her head. "She is his wife and made it down here after Pegasus made it. Anyway, Edwin got into the tournament and ended up reaching the finals first. That gave him the right to challenge Pegasus one on one, skipping ahead of everyone else. But he knew that Pegasus and Seto Kaiba, the head of KaibaCorp, really wanted to duel each other. So he made a deal with them that they would turn over a bunch of stocks to him and he'd swap his spot with Kaiba's. So he ended up in a few minutes one of the wealthiest men on Earth and minority shareholder of two companies!"

That… did sound rather impressive, Husk had to mentally admit.

"If you talk with him, let him know how Alastor-" Aria suddenly looked about nervously.

"He's not here."

The hellhound let out a sigh of relief. "Good. If you let Edwin know what Alastor did to you maybe he could help!"

"I doubt that," Husk said without second thought. "Listen… I appreciate the kind words but I've long made peace with the fact that I'll never get back what I once had. I'll never be an Overlord… heh, forget that." He shook his head and took a long swig from his bottle. "I'll never be free again. That's how things work down here for no good losers like me."

"You aren't a loser!" Aria protested. "And Edwin-"

"I doubt he can help. Man doesn't have that kind of power."

As if sensing they were talking about him Edwin entered the lobby, adjusting his cloak. "Aria, want to come with me to a meeting."

At once the young woman got up. "Who we seeing?"

"Asmodeus."

Husk's eyes went wide.

"Wha…what?" Aria stammered.

"He wants to commission some pieces."

Aria numbly followed after Edwin while Husk looked at the bottle he was holding before downing it.