Edwin hadn't meant to do it.

He honestly hadn't.

He had been thinking he'd get Boss Lure's money. Maybe his place and his car. While he was happy at the hotel, as it was secure as shit thanks to housing Charlie Morningstar AND the fucking Radio Demon, it wouldn't hurt to have another place where he could escape too and while he would probably need to have it cleaned out to get rid of the smell of fish and cigars Boss Lure's home had to be nice.

He hadn't considered that he'd just gained control of his criminal empire.

Which, in Hell, meant he controlled… well, a business empire.

He'd sent several of the thieves to go deal securing things, the Thieves finding it utterly hilarious that they now had stolen an entire network of way stations and ports.

'Bastards,' he thought back to them and they all laughed, even those that were remaining with him to watch out for him.

The next few hours flew by, Edwin barely focusing on his duels. But that didn't matter much as he was finding that the Cream of the Crop in Hell wasn't that difficult to take on. He made it through thenext round easily enough as did Aria and Husk and Charlie. Angel, Niftty, and of course the already eliminated Vaggie were gone as the pool narrowed down. The next round had seen Edwin take out several demons, though none as dramatic as with Boss Lure. Just regular duels with no additional stakes. That might have been because Rosie and Alastor kept hovering around him, watching and scaring everyone into just sticking with the duels.

"Look at our little boy go," Rosie had said and Edwin had winced at that; pretty soon everyone at the Gala would most likely believe that he was being trained by Rosie and Alastor and he didn't need ANYONE asking him if he called them mommy and daddy.

That round came to an end with Charlie and Aria out purely because they hadn't won enough duels. The same had happened, apparently, to Vox, which had led him cursing up a storm before pouting; he had tried to mock Alastor for being out before him but Alastor had mocked him for being a 'poor sport' and taken all the wind out of his sails.

And now in the current round it was clear that it was going to be a bloodbath. Everyone had seemingly decided that it was time to wrap things up and thus urged the duelists to go harder and faster. Husk had lost one duel and won two others but he knew that he wouldn't have enough tickets to move on and thus stopped searching out foes. Valentino, from what he heard, was out after trying to gamble big and losing to Fizz, who in turn ended up losing to Lucifer (not that Edwin let him know that). Velvette was doing good but she was spending too much time trash talking and that was keeping her from rushing through the duels, which was going to prove to be fatal for her.

'I'm just going on autopilot,' he thought to himself as he won another duel. He knew he wasn't being as talkative as he normally was but his mind was elsewhere. 'It won't be long now before I have to reveal my status. Alastor and Rosie know. Aria knows. Ozzie and Fizz most likely have figured it out and I wouldn't be surprised if Stolas knows as well. His ex-wife certainly does. With me talking over the way stations and with the jewelry business… I won't be able to hide for much longer. Everyone is going to be realizing soon that I am an Overlord and when they do figure that out it is going to make for a lot of problems.'

He wasn't looking forward to that.

While he hadn't talked about it much to Yugi and his friends, not wanting to come off as a snob that was talking about 1% Problems… becoming the Board of Directors for Kaibacorp had caused him a lot of issues. It had meant that Edwin was suddenly in the limelight, something he hadn't enjoyed at all. Mai had always teased him about being able to be the life of the party but refusing to actually BE the life of the party… but there was no lie in her words. She was absolutely correct that that was how things were with him. If he had to take command he would but he had zero problem, and actually preferred, being in the shadows.

'And now everyone in Hell is about to find out that I am an Overlord and I'm going to get sucked into the fucking madness. Yaaaaay.' He mentally shook himself as he settled back at his group's table. 'And this tournament isn't helping at all. Just going to get more attention on me… huh.' He blinked as he considered that. 'I… I should throw a duel. Lose some tickets and let someone else have the glory. I made it this far, there is no shame in that, so-'

"And that is it for the current round!" Cecelia declared. "We will now be collecting tickets… and I dare say we are nearing the end, as for this round only the top two will be moving on!"

'…mother fucker.'

"GRAB HIS HANDS!" Aria shouted and Edwin suddenly found himself being hugged from behind by the Fun-Sized Human-Form Hellhound. Which is how he learned that, when in human form, Aria still kept her strength and weight, as it felt like he was completely trapped by her arms.

"What the?!" he exclaimed, wriggling a touch to try and escape. "What is going on?!"

"You are going to try and hide your tickets to avoid going to the next round!" Aria complained.

"I was not!" Edwin said… even though he suddenly realized that was a REALLY good idea.

"I know you too well, Edwin!" Aria declared. "I could see it in your eyes! You were ready to toss a ticket or hide it or eat it-"

"I would not eat the ticket."

"And that way you could avoid the finals! Grab him!"

"YAY!" Niffty said… before launching herself right at his crotch.

"THAT ISN'T STOPPING ME!" Edwin shouted in a panic as Niffty began to nuzzle him. "Someone get her off me!"

It was, of all people, Alastor who retrieved the maid. "Come now, Niftty, you know what they say about consent."

"Its for cowards and losers," she said with a bob of her head.

Charlie groaned. "I really need to set up that sexual harassment seminar for the staff."

"I plan to be sick that day," Husk replied even as Alastor set Niftty down on the table, the little cycloptic demon pouting at not being able to actually get Edwin's pants undone.

Angel Dust chose that moment to lean around and wrap an arm around Husk. "Oooooh, maybe we can be sick together. Sometimes cum tastes better coming up that it does going down." Everyone shot him a look and Angel Dust smirked. "What? I'm not staff. I can harass anyone I want."

Edwin's fingers twitched and Angel let out a yelp as he created one of the bracers… this time around Angel's scrotum.

Alastor looked at Angel, Edwin, and then Husk before his smile became all the sharper. "Ah…" was all he said and Edwin was the only one that really got it… and knew that the game was up when it came to why he had traded for Husk's soul.

'Fucking shitballs, I was hoping to go a bit longer before Alastor pieced it together,' he thought as the attendants came over and counted his tickets, Aria refusing to let go. 'The less he knows about me, the better… because the more he knows about someone, the more ways he has to apply the fucking screws.'

'Then perhaps it is time we began to learn about him, Edwin?' Nailah whispered in his head.

That made the duelist mentally smirk. He had been growing closer and closer with the Thieves of Kul Elna over the past few months. They were utterly stuck together, the spirits needing him to take on physical forms. He had promised to try and find a way to separate them from him only for the spirits, without a single defector, to declare that there was no place they'd rather be than with him. In Hell they would just be Sinner Demons that could be killed a thousand different ways. But connected to Edwin? As wraiths nothing could truly kill them. They were able to be with those that had become closer than family. And Edwin provided them chances to truly showcase how powerful and dangerous they were.

The Thieves had thus named him Eazizi Alakh. Dear Brother.

'You weren't born in Kul Elna,' Qeb had informed him, 'but you are now one of us. You are a Thief of Kul Elna. I name you Edjo Fawdaa, my Eazizi Alakh.'

It was something that Edwin was sure nearly no one would understand, without experiencing it. They would see the Thieves of Kul Elna as merely aids and helpers. Servants, much like Jackie was. But for Edwin? The Thieves and him shared a merged soul, so that it was impossible to separate him from them. While he was in the driver's seat that was only because Edwin was the Qayid; the leader and spokesman. But in the end it was as he had told Valentino: They were Legion, for they were many.

Thus when Nailah suggested the idea Edwin at once agreed to it, for it was just as much his own idea as her own.

'Can you watch him without him realizing it?' Edwin asked. 'I've noticed that his shadow is sentient… it protects him and ensures that he is never in danger.' He was surprised that no one had noticed before… but also not surprised. He had honestly thought that, what with it being Hell and Alastor's own reputation, people would have kept their guards up around him. And yet he wasn't surprised they didn't because he had found that Sinner Demons tended to be rather carefree when it came to actually worrying about things like that. 'I don't want you harmed by it.'

'What is the shadow but darkness found in the light?' Nailah stated, sounding rather smug. 'Alastor only adopted the dark. I was born in it. Raised in it. I didn't see the light until I was a woman grown and by then it was blinding.'

'…it is so weird that you are quoting The Dark Knight Rises to me,' Edwin replied.

'We have movie nights in your head when you are asleep. Next week we want to do Indiana Jones.'

'…oh that will end well,' Edwin thought to himself. 'Alright, you have my permission to tail Alastor. But the moment you think you are in danger… or better yet when you would fear for one of your brothers or sisters… you will return to me. Your life is worth more than some information.'

'Of course,' she replied.

The conversation only took a few seconds… more than enough time for the attendant to get a count of Edwin's tickets and move up to Cecelia.

"I'm going to the final fucking round, aren't I?" Edwin bemoaned.

"Someone is a bit arrogant," Vaggie commented; she was still sullen that she had been eliminated in the first round and seemed determined to take it out on him.

"Nope, just knowing how this is going to play out," Edwin muttered. "The bullshit is strong with me and getting sucked into things like this."

Charlie smiled. "Vaggie, don't be upset that Edwin is doing well. Remember, he's played this game for a while."

"Cheater," Vaggie muttered only for Charlie to stare her down, causing her to let out a groan before nodding. "Right… sorry Edwin."

"And as for you, Edwin," Charlie said, "you shouldn't be so down! You have been doing really good in the tournament so far!"

'That's what I'm afraid of,' Edwin thought to himself as Cecelia stepped forward to the microphone.

"Now then, everyone, its time for the final match! This will determine who will be named the champion of the Hellfire Gala and the first Lord of Cards for all of Hell!"

"Beats King of Games," Edwin muttered before looking at Aria. "You can stop hugging me."

"Nope, you are perfect for snuggles," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Edwin let out a sigh at that but didn't budge… though it did lead him to questioning how she was doing that, considering that he was currently sitting down and she was standing up.

'You truly haven't noticed you have gotten bigger?' Safiya commented.

'I mean, I noticed that I was an inch or two…'

'An inch or two?' Safiya laughed at that. 'You look Alastor in the eye and every day you get a touch larger. We've been working with Jackie to replace your outfits.'

'…how?'

'No idea,' Safiya admitted.

'Thanks for dropping the bombshell that I am growing and having no answers.'

'Your hellhound is 10 feet tall,' Qeb stated. 'Perhaps, since you've adopted her and you are her alpha, that is causing you to grow bigger. You'd have to ask Beelzebub.'

'Fuck, that would do just wonders for my reputation,' Edwin thought before focusing on Cecelia. She was going over the runners up, which was earning some polite clapping but mostly making people eager for her to get on with it. They wanted to know who would be moving on.

"Moving to the final match we have someone many of you are familiar with… and if not you should be. Without him I would have never made Duel Monsters. Edwin Cerberus!"

"And there it is," Edwin muttered darkly though he forced himself to smile as people cheered. He heard Fizz and Ozzie calling out his name though barely as Charlie was screaming her head off. "I wonder who-"

"And to face him we have a newcomer… but one that has certainly proven himself. Muficer Lorningstar!"

Edwin's eyes went wide as he turned toward Charlie's dad, still wearing the fake beard and sunglasses.

"Oh fuck me in the ass!" Edwin snarled.

'I mean, I'm not really into that but we could see if Velvette-'

'NOT NOW QEB!'

~MC~MC~MC~

"Of course… of course Edwin is in Hell!" Yuri exclaimed.

Renard shrugged. "I mean, it really was a 50/50 chance at this point. Technically 33/33/33 as Limbo was an option-"

"No, he was baptized," Yuri said. "He mentioned it to Mai."

"So 50/50-"

"Not the point!"

Yuri and Renard were still in the Spanish Underworld, looking like Skeletons and sitting at the café where they had first noticed the broadcast showing what they had learned was The Hellfire Gala. It was Duel Monsters tournament and neither were surprised that Edwin was involved… it was him being in Hell that was a touch startling.

"He looks a bit different," Renard said as he took in Edwin's more… regal savage appearance. It was a mix of wild beast and cultured man; honestly it reminded Yuri of some performances of Beauty and the Beast. And Edwin wasn't wearing a dress.

"We're not ones to talk," Yuri said, gesturing at their bony forms before looking at Brom. "Do you know which afterlife that is?"

"I do… and I am rather startled Edwin ended up there. That is no where near the afterlifes of our world. How Edwin ended up there…"

"But we can get to him," Renard said.

"Oh yes. It will take time… as I said it is quite far away but it is still manageable."

Yuri wanted at once to get going but the more rational part of her mind won out so instead she asked, "What can you tell us about that Afterlife?"

Brom gave a slight smile at that. "Well, it is Hell. Though not one that resorts to torture or the like, though knowing how Edwin sometimes gets when it comes to Duel Monsters it is possible he disagrees. This version of Hell is filled with 7 Rings, each representing one of the 7 Deadly Sins, though Human souls only go to Ring of Pride. When they first arrive they are turned instantly into a Sinner Demon, with their forms representing what they were experiencing moments before they died."

"And since the Captain was using the Millennium Key and the Millennium Items are links to Duel Monsters… Master Cerberus."

"Oh yeah," Yuri said with a nod. "I see it now. So what would he be doing there?"

"Honestly?" Brom said with a shrug. "What he did in life. Though with no rules. The only dangers are if he sold his soul to someone or if he were stabbed with Angelic Steel."

"So knowing Edwin he has already obtained plenty of souls and he has a ton of Angelic Steel," Yuri said. "Right… anything else?"

"Only that the Heaven that is counterpart to that world is a bit… bloodthirsty." The two looked at him for a few moments more and Brom sighed. "They have Exterminations, where Angelic Beings go and slaughter Sinner Demons with Angelic Steel, wiping them from existence, in order to make Hell less crowded."

"…so we are going now or-?"

Brom nodded. "Of course we are going. Edwin Cerberus doesn't deserve to be in Hell. While it might not be one of torture and torment he must always be on his guard, fighting for every scrap of power he has." He shook his head. "We can not begin to conceive of the terror he is in, even if he is hiding it."

~MC~MC~MC~

"So, I hear you have a date with Velvette!" Charlie said as Edwin looked over his deck.

"Charlie, should we really be discussing gossip?" Vaggie said.

"Its not gossip," Edwin replied. "I have a date with Velvette."

That made Vaggie blink before she shook her head. "Okay… okay… so not- wait, seriously?" Edwin merely nodded. "Seriously?"

"I am trying to not be offended by this," Edwin said dryly which caused Charlie to turn and glower and Vaggie.

"What is wrong with Edwin and Velvette going on a date?"

"Uh… they are nothing alike," Vaggie pointed out. "Edwin doesn't like to go out and Velvette is all about the party scene."

"Honestly, no different than my last girlfriend," Edwin admitted.

"Oh, doooooo teeeeeeelllll," Alastor said only for Vaggie to wag her finger in front of his face.

"No no, none of that!" she warned. "Take your fishing someplace else."

Alastor merely laughed at that. "So concerned! Why… one would almost think you were worried about having something revealed…" He leaned in close, smile growing all the bigger and sharper, and Vaggie began to worry that he KNEW. He knew her secret and was ready to shatter everything she had built for herself down here. All she had created. That-

"You know, for someone that is all about smiles, you sure go out of your way to wipe them off the faces of others." Edwin said. "Is that an elitist Overlord thing? Only you and those you deem can smile are allowed to?"

Alastor suddenly leaned back, pressing a hand to his chest. "Why Edwin, you wound me! I can't help it if others simply aren't able to keep their smiles up!"

"Uh huh, right, sure. Oh look, a demon tripped into the fondue pot. You should go eat him."

That made Alastor laugh. "Oh Edwin, if you are going to try and distract me you really should think of something more believable-"

"Uh, actually?" Charlie said with a slight grimace. "He's right." She pointed behind Alastor and Vaggie tilted her head as she saw some clumsy demon keep falling into a large pot of bubbling cheese. It… it was honestly rather pathetic.

"Well… I suppose it is my duty to… aid… the young demon. Rosie?" His companion smiled and nodded and the two walked away, much to Vaggie's relief.

"You do realize you just got that demon killed, right?" Husk pointed out.

Edwin shrugged. "I talked with him earlier. He was a rapist. If it weren't for the Hellfire Gala's No Violence Rules I'd have killed him myself. We might just luck out that he just comes back and Alastor develops a taste for him." He shrugged before looking over at Vaggie. "Alright, so me having a date with Velvette is bad… why?"

"Its not bad!" Charlie said quickly. "I think its really nice!"

"And I think it's a disaster waiting to happen," Vaggie said. "You two are nothing alike."

Edwin look at Charlie. Then Vaggie. Then Charlie. Then back to Vaggie.

"What?" Charlie and Vaggie said at the same time, not quite sure what Edwin was getting at.

"They seriously don't-"

Angel Dust shook his head. "Nope. Never see it."

"We've brought it up a million times," Husk said.

"Even I notice it!" Niftty declared brightly.

Edwin shot Vaggie another look and then shrugged. "Alright then. Point is that I have a date with her and we'll see where things go."

"I hope it works out!" Charlie declared. "Velvette always seemed like someone who could be really great if she just had some more positive influences in her life."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Fucking ass cunts!" Velvette roared as she stormed through the back hallway of the theater, waving her hands wildly in the air.

"Aw, now come on sweetie," Vox said as he and Valentino trailed after her. They were trying to calm the youngest of the Vees down but she was NOT having it; that much was clear to Valentino. Honestly, in most cases he would have just let her go off and harm whoever and whatever she wanted. Was a good way to burn through her energy and Velvette always had energy to burn.

'But we aren't exactly amongst the riff raff at the moment,' he thought to himself. 'The Hellfire Gala is filled with some powerful Overlords… and a Prince. Even if he is the weakest one we can't have Asmodeus getting offended by us… he could make life very difficult.'

It didn't help that Valentino wasn't at the moment on the Prince of Lust's good side. Ever since he'd begun marketing his love potion to every pathetic little incel that longed to control those they craved Asmodeus had refused to have anything to do with him. Which made running his studio and his clubs rather hard since lust was a key factor in them. It would be like trying to run a burger joint with Beelzebub pissed off at you. Demons understood that the mark of approval from a Prince as good… but the mark of disgust and hatred was VERY bad. Valentino was managing just fine without him but he could have been doing MUCH better if he had him on his side.

And the last thing he needed was to piss him off even more and make the Prince go from just scorning him to actively wanting to destroy him.

"I knew that fucker was taking too long, I just knew it!" Velvette snarled as she stormed aimlessly through the halls of the theater. At this point it was clear she had no true destination in mind and she just wanted to keep moving. "I kept tellin' him to hurry the fuck up but he wanted to look over his cards a thousand times. Kept setting the same card down on the fuckin' field only to put it back in his hand because he couldn't make up his mind!"

"Oh, that would be very frustrating," Valentino cooed. "There is a time for pulling in and out and there is a time for just plunging in…"

"We needed a fuckin' timer ta make sure the fucks actually took their turns when they were supposed to, instead of dickin' around like that!" Velvette grit her teeth and looked skyward. "I could have had another duel or two easily if not for that fucker wasting time like that! I bet that's how he ended up winning as many tickets as he had! Got his opponents to give up and surrender so they could find quicker duels!"

They entered into what looked like some kind of lounge, Valentino wasn't for sure what it was exactly. There was a TV playing Vox's coverage of the tournament and nice comfy seats to relax in. He sniffed and determined that no one had yet used the room for a quicky so that was a plus; he had no problem with cum stains but he did tend to like to know who had squirted it all out. Vox quietly shut the door and Velvette began to pace like a caged animal, which was a bit distracting and dizzying but better than storming through the halls with no purpose. At least Valentino was able to sit down and relax.

"I want him dead. I want him fucking dead! I already sent out a bunch of blasts about the fucker and me fans are cyberbullying his ass right now but I want him to utterly suffer!"

"Don't worry," Vox assured her, "I'll make sure all the coverage about him is as insulting and horrible as possible. When he wakes up tomorrow he'll be such a poisoned well that he'll have no job, his partners will abandon him, and he'll not be able to walk the street without people hurling garbage at him." He reached over and tickled Velvette under the chin. "Does that make you happy?"

"…a little," Velvette muttered. The anger left her and she moved to the couch Valentino was sprawled on, falling down onto it in a heap. "But its not fair! One of us should be in the finals and because you two fucked up-"

"I don't know about that…" Valentino said, arching an eyebrow; he personally thought he and Vox had done well and while it was disappointing they hadn't moved on it wasn't because they'd lost. Just hadn't gotten enough duels. It was a lesson for next time.

"-Ya fucked up and it was up to me to make sure our rep was maintaining," Velvette declared. "But because of that fucker I'm not going to be in the finals and now we'll have to work triple time to make sure that it doesn't hurt us."

Vox though shook his head. "Well, we can't attack the Hellfire Gala. Its run by Cecelia and she controls Duel Monsters… and this is a juggernaut that we aren't going to be able to stop."

Valentino nodded in agreement. There had been plenty of hot new things and intensely loved fads that the Vees had been able to crush in their cradles, destroying them before they became a thing. Sometimes out of revenge, sometimes out of self-preservation, and sometimes just because they were bored. But Duel Monsters was different. It was beloved already and the public wouldn't stand for slander against it. They would attack anyone that tried.

'And, frankly, I'm enjoying it too much to destroy it,' he thought to himself before declaring out loud, "Well, then I suppose our only choice is to take out the winner. Make them look pathetic and weak until they are forced to defend their title… and lose to one of us."

Vox though, much to Valentino's surprise, shook his head at that. "Oh, we can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Well, the first guy that is dueling is actually getting a lot of good will. Mucifer Lorningstar is supposed to be some really friendly demon, getting really popular. We can't risk alienating our adoring public by attacking him. Would be like…"

"Live streaming throwing a puppy in a microwave," Velvette stated, much to Valentino's disgust. "Which I would never do!" she protested. "Fucking hell, I have standards, Valentino."

"You do?" he teased, earning a swat from her.

"And the other one is a no go since its Velvette's boyfriend!" Vox sang the last part, far too chipper and cheerful.

"Oh fuck off!" she snapped. "He ain't my boyfriend!"

"You're going on a date with him…" Vox sang.

"He tricked me into agreeing." Under her breath she muttered, "Though I didn't exactly fight that hard to cancel…"

Valentino though was confused. "You have a date?"

Velvette's relationships with demons, when it came to things like romance… didn't exist. It was all just sex with her and only when she felt a craving to be filled up or licked hard. Val had provided her with plenty of his whores to see to her needs and even told her if she found one she liked she could keep them, like a pet. She just had to make sure they were fed and taken for walks to keep their muscles from growing weak. But Velvette had never found one she really liked and thus the string of bodies going into her bedroom never ended.

So finding out she was going out on a DATE?!

"Yes I do," she muttered darkly. "And we aren't even going to do things fast and the like. He mocked me just going in for quick cheap sex and said he wants to give me the entire experience. Dinner, a movie or go to a club, then see where the night takes us…"

Valentino's eyes widened as he heard the… longing… in Velvette's voice. She actually wanted to go on the date. Wanted it to be a date date. Oh, she'd deny it but he could tell. She sounded so… innocent. Hopeful.

It was startling.

Valentino… didn't know how to react to that. Of course him and Vox wanted Velvette to find someone she could trust. That she could rely on, as much as one could rely upon someone in Hell. Someone that could work with them, help them build up their empire. A power player that would help them move up and secure their positions within the Pride Ring.

'Of course they might need to change their name…' he thought. 'After all, we do need to keep the entire naming pattern going…'

"So that means we are going to cheer Edwin on and hope that he kicks Mucifer Lorningstar's bearded ass!" Vox declared before suddenly blinking. "Huh… you think his ass is bearded too? Is that possible? I mean, stranger things have-"

Valentino's world suddenly shrank down to a single pinprick of light.

"…what?" he heard someone say and he realized that it was himself.

"I mean, considering some of us are moths and Television sets its possible-"

Valentino cut his lover off. "Edwin?" he managed to get out.

"Yeah," Vox said. "The jewelry guy we met, current toast of Hell. Turns out he's a kick ass duelist." Vox settled down next to Velvette and gave her a shake. "Our little girl sure can pick them!"

Edwin Cerberus.

The man that held Valentino's soul.

He was going on a date with Velvette.

"And I plan to rock that fucker's world!" Velvette declared with a smirk. "He thinks that he can just say all those things about my love life, that I don't know what a good fuck is? Oh ho ho… not fuckin' way! I'm gonna give him my utter best until he squeals that I am the greatest around." She rubbed her hands together, a sharp smile forming on her lips even as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to milk him for every drop he has and then I'll get him to beg me to teach him every way he can pleasure me if it means he gets another shot at my body. I'll have him craving me so badly that no matter what inch of skin touches his cock it will make him explode. Hands, lips, tits, pussy… get really kinky and go with the feet or the belly. Fuck, get him addicted to my damn knees…"

Valentino tuned Velvette out and not merely because it was his little demoness talking about kinky kinky sex. No… it was who she was considering with. Who she wanted to do that all with.

Edwin. Cerberus.

'I'll kill him. I'll kill him and I'll do it with a fucking smile!'

But even as he made that promise Valentino knew… it would be impossible to keep.

Because it was damn near impossible to kill the one that held your soul.

Yet… after all Cerberus had done to him? All he had torn away from Valentino?

He'd find a way.

~MC~MC~MC~

"There it is," Crimson said as his van pulled up to the abandon building the squatters were fucking set up in. He glowered at the sight of it, knowing that within it were the bastards that had thought they could take what belonged to him and thought that he would never act against them.

"Don't look like much," Muncher replied from the back seat, causing Crimson to roll his eyes.

"You think the fuckers holed up in there were going to put up signs letting the entire fucking world know they were in there?" he asked.

Muncher just blinked at him.

Crimson slowly pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. You fucking idiot." He shook his head. "They know they don't belong in there so they are hiding, hoping that no one notices that they are where they don't belong. But I noticed and now I am going to tear them apart!" He pulled out a gun and cocked in. "And when we are done all of Hell is going to know that it is VERY dumb to fuck with me!"

Everyone would know how foolish it was to try and take what belonged to Crimson. The other imp crime bosses and hellborn gangbangers. The Sinner Demons that looked down their noses at him, even when they didn't have fucking noses. The Ars Goetia who thought they were above him and his actions, so dignified and refined. The Princes that saw him as little more than a pest.

Fucking Moxie.

All would realize that the one that was now truly in charge of Hell was Crimson. It all started right here, with a big flashy show.

Crimson didn't even care that the building wouldn't be useful in his schemes anymore after he did what he planned to do. Everyone would know about it and be paying attention to it and that would mean that it being the secret base of operation to trick newly arrived Sinner Demons into signing their lives away to him wouldn't work. Crimson didn't care about any of that at the moment. He could come up with some new plan later on, after he dealt with this fucking insult.

All that mattered was ensuring everyone in that building, and everyone in Hell, knew that he meant business.

Taking out his phone he dialed a familiar number. One he had used many times when he wanted to make a statement and wanted to get fancy doing it.

"What is it this time?" the bored voice of Katie Killjoy said on the end other.

"Get some fucking cameras down to the Burrows," Crimson told her. "Corner of Shits Creek and Without a Paddle-" Because sometimes the names of things in Hell were on the nose, "-and tell them to have some strong stomachs because I'm not holding back." He smirked as he motioned for his boys to begin pulling out the heavy weaponry. "Some Sinner Demons are about to be turned into swiss cheese."