When Cobalt plugged the code into Alison's front door, he was feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and irritation roiling within him. The first week of school had kept his mind off things, but now that the weekend had rolled around, he couldn't keep ignoring what she did. With the shock collar stuffed into his bag, he marched down into the main laboratory.

"I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so fucking sorry, bluebell."

Cobalt watched with an unimpressed look in his eye, frowning as Alison prostrated herself on the floor in front of him.

"Just answer me this..." he sighed, reaching into his satchel.

Producing the disabled shock collar, he dropped it in front of the human scientist.

"... why are you making things for criminals?"

Taking it up in her gloved hands, Alison ran a thumb across the two prongs that had previously been jabbed into the back of his neck, electrocuting him at the whims of Lorenzo Suyas.

"Ah, this..." she sighed, getting to her feet.

Stepping over to one of her workbenches, she switched on a lamp and teased the casing apart. As she pulled at wires and circuitry, she took a pair of forceps and gently pulled a tiny microchip from the collar.

"I need money for research materials, and selling my services to the Sulfur Bloods was the best way to accrue the funds," she explained, raising the chip to the light.

With a grin, she winked at Cobalt.

"But with this little recording chip, I got plenty of audio files I can sell off to law enforcement! So I'm karmically neutral, if you think about it!"

"That thing was recording me?!"

"Look, I didn't know it was going to be used on you! I- I'll edit out all the sappy talk!"

Cobalt narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know there was sappy talk?" he hissed, folding his arms.

Alison froze, like she had just been caught out. She swallowed hard and slowly tracked her gaze over to her desk, where a set of headphones lay, still plugged into her computer setup.

"Oh for- you were listening the entire time?! I'm trying to start the new year on a fresh note, here, and I've already got the entire student body talking about me!" cried Cobalt, completely outraged.

The scientist raised her hands in front of her face.

"L- Look, I was surprised enough when I heard your voice! I only listened in to make sure you stayed safe!"

"Lorenzo Suyas bloody shot me that night!"

"I know! I cried a little!"

The Incubus buried his face in his hands.

"Why, in the name of all that burns, would you possibly need to personally listen in on all of that?!"

She made a series of rapid gestures.

"I'm desperate for a bargaining chip! Look, the Sulfur Bloods kinda got me by the hypothetical balls here!"

Rubbing his eyes, the Incubus sighed and collapsed into a nearby office chair, already feeling drained from speaking with the scientist.

"So you got into be with a notorious crime family, and wound up getting trapped. What a surprise," he murmured dryly, folding his arms.

"Yeah, that's about the long and short of it. Goddammit, I should have seen it coming..." she sighed, prodding the broken collar.

"I don't understand, though. If you contacted Lorenzo remotely, shouldn't you be safe? Don't you have those - what's the name - proxies or whatever?"

"Yeah, but I kinda underestimated him. I'm worried that if I piss him off, he'll find a way to track me down, find out I'm a human, then eat my heart with a side of mashed ovaries."

This... sounded like quite the pickle. As annoyed as Cobalt was about Alison dealing in business with the Sulfur Bloods, he had to concede that it was really the only option she really had. Performing acts of science likely wasn't cheap, and the money had to come from somewhere.

"Okay...," stated the Incubus, leaning forward in his chair, "what's your plan going forward?"

Alison shrugged her shoulders and turned around. Pulling out what looked like a personal laptop, she opened it and began to click through various folders.

"Well, I've already tried to negotiate an end to our business relationship, but that Parricidio prick wants me to do a bunch more shit before we part ways."

"Like...?"

"Just different things he wants built. I can handle those, but there's one request that he sent that puzzles me. Only sent it a day ago, too."

Cobalt frowned and got to his feet. He had a feeling that dealing with Lorenzo again so soon was only going to end badly, but he wasn't about to leave Alison high and dry. As much grief as she caused him, he trusted her to pay him back, one way or another. He had a newly-reinforced spine to prove that fact.

"He wants a box retrieved. Doesn't sound all that hard, until I found out where it is."

Scooting herself over to the other side of the desk, she unfurled a sizable map of the entire city-state of Brimstone. Taking a pen, she circled a small area by the southern shore.

"You know this place?" she asked, looking back as she raised a singed eyebrow.

He nodded.

"I do. Mom used to take us down to the cove on sunny weekends. Azul got stung by a jellyfish once, kept asking me to pee on it. I didn't, before you ask."

"Huh. Well anyway. Around about here, there's supposed to be an entrance to some sort of underwater cave system. In there, there's a box Parricidio wants retrieved."

The Incubus raised an eyebrow.

"What does Lorenzo Suyas need with sunken treasure?" he asked, scratching his chin.

Sighing, the human leaned back in her chair, looking very unpleased.

"I dunno. What I do know is that I can't get it," she grumbled.

"Why not?"

"Can't swim."

"Really?"

"I grew up in inland France, bluebell. There wasn't much need for swimming when your town was landlocked."

She pulled a plaintive face; the kind she always pulled right before she asked Cobalt to do something for her. With a groan, he tried to turn away, only for the scientist to cling to his shirt.

"Please~! I just need to get this damn box, then no more Sulfur Bloods! I'll get my funding money elsewhere, I promise!"

Still grabbing onto him, she leaned over to a drawer on the desk and began rooting through it. Pulling out a small device out, the scientist reached up and jammed it into Cobalt's ear. She flicked it on with a whine, causing him to recoil.

"Ow! What the Hell is that?!" he cried, holding a hand up to his ear.

"Earpiece I made. Long-range two-way communication. GPS tracking. Waterproof too. Should let us stay in contact while you're down there," she explained, tapping a microphone setup atop the desk.

He furrowed his brow.

"And you just so happened to have this to hand?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Alison, I really wish you'd stop taking my help for granted."

"You said you'd help me when we first met!"

"I said I'd help you find a place to hide out, not enable your mad science experiments!"

"Please~? Last favour, I promise you!"

He groaned and buried his face in his hands.

 

-----

 

The Brimstone Cove was a nice place to be during the holidays. It was a rather sheltered bay of rounded stones and glittering sand, with deep crimson water that glittered in the summertime sun. The shore boasted steep rock faces that children loved to climb whilst their parents lounged upon the sunbaked stones, all while drinks vendors and ice-cream fans defended their wares from the ravenous seagulls.

But during any other time of the year, it was a dreary and bleak place.

Cobalt stood on the rocky shore, watching the roiling waves as he clung to his satchel. There was a bitter nip to the wind; it was not a good day for swimming.

"Bluebell, you there yet?" crackled the voice of Alison through the earpiece.

"I thought you said this has GPS," he sighed, gazing disapprovingly at the grey skies overhead.

"Well, yeah. I got the map up in front of me here. Just thought it would be the polite thing to say, you know?"

"You owe me the taxi fare."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll give you whatever you want once you get that box."

Cobalt clucked his tongue and shook his head. Slinging his satchel over his shoulder, he made his way towards one of the changing rooms by the carpark. Truth be told, it was little more than a wooden shack that had barely enough room for him to move around in. The wind whistling through the gaps in the planks didn't do much to help either, turning his bare skin to gooseflesh with every gust.

After a few minutes of wrestling with his own clothes, the Incubus eventually managed to change into his swimsuit; a simple pair of trunks and some goggles.

"It's a good thing there's nobody around..." he murmured, shivering as he stepped out onto the rocky beach.

"Kinda wish I was. Been wanting to see you in a swimsuit."

"Don't be crass."

"Or a speedo. Ooh, especially a speedo."

"Just tell me where to go, please."

Guided by Alison's voice, he trekked eastwards along the shore, taking care not to step on any crabs or slip off the rocks as he did so.

"There should be like a little outcropping of rock to the far east, just below where the cliffs start to rise. Do you see it?" asked the scientist.

He glanced up. True enough, there was a spur of stone jutting out into the ocean, where the water was deeper and the waves were rougher.

"I'm almost there."

"Good. You should be able to dive in from there."

Clambering up the side of the rockface, Cobalt grunted.

"Tell me, why couldn't you have put together a drone or robot for this task?"

"What, just because I'm a scientist you think I'm an expert engineer too?"

"You built most of the equipment in your lab by hand, and rigged all of the electronics yourself. Out of all your talents, your engineering skill is the one I doubt the least."

"... it just never occurred to me, okay?"

Sighing despondently, the Incubus crept over to the edge of the outcrop and peered down into the wine-red water. Though he was a confident enough swimmer, he didn't particularly fancy the idea of swimming through an underwater cave. He really should have thought this through more before caving to Alison's pleading...

"Let's just get this over with..." he murmured, slipping the goggles over his eyes.

Tucking his satchel safely behind a cluster of rocks, Cobalt took a step back and braced himself. He inhaled and exhaled a few times before finally holding his breath and running straight towards the edge of the outcrop. Leaping off the edge, he placed his hands together and dove headfirst into the water.

As soon as he breached the surface, his entire body lurched, shocked by the sudden drop in temperature. He shivered all over, but kept his composure. Barely able to see through the murky water, he reached up and tapped the earpiece a couple of times.

"You underwater yet?" asked Alison.

Cobalt tapped once.

"Uh... is that a yes?"

He tapped again, a little more forcefully.

"I'll take that as a yes. The cave entrance should be pretty close by. From what I'm looking at here, you really shouldn't have much of a problem fitting through."

After some exploratory diving and a lot of squinting, the Incubus eventually located a yawning chasm at the bottom of the cliff face that looked more than wide enough to comfortably accommodate a full-grown demon. Surfacing for a moment to take a deep breath, he braced himself and began to swim through the rocky tunnel.

The light only reached a few metres into the cave; beyond that was pitch-darkness. Cobalt hesitated for a moment, concerned about the gloom. But he hadn't been afraid of the dark since he was a child, so steeling himself, he pushed off the wall and swum deeper in. The tunnel slanted downwards, and though he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, he managed to navigate by running his hands along the stone all around him.

"You're getting close," Alison commented through the earpiece.

He had better be; he was running out of air.

Eventually, the tunnel began to sharply incline, urging the Incubus to grab onto the rocky walls and pull himself up through the water. He could see dim light eking through the surface just above. Was there air in this submerged cave?

Right as his lungs began to ache painfully, Cobalt breached the water's surface, allowing him to gasp down lungfuls of stale air. He hauled himself out onto the stone floor of the cave, chest heaving as his heart hammered in his chest.

"You good bluebell?"

"I- I'm fine, just a little out of breath..." he gasped, placing a hand on his bare chest.

"The box shouldn't be too far."

"Alison, just give me a minute, please."

"But-"

"Alison!"

He heard her sigh and step away from the microphone. Allowing the pain to ebb away from his chest, Cobalt opened his eyes and was surprised to find that the cave was fairly well lit. Far above him, sunlight leaked through cracks in the ceiling, which reflected off the many-

"Wait, what...?"

Getting to his feet, the Incubus squinted hard at the cave walls. There, nailed into the rock itself, were dozens upon dozens of mirrors, each covered in scratchy writing. Getting closer to one of them, he noticed that most of the words scored into the reflective surfaces were written in Tongues, but the dialect was strange and unrecognisable. There were also numerous runes, similar to old Succubus protective wards.

"Alison, what exactly is in this box?" asked Cobalt, looking around at the mirrors uneasily.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. Suyas said he just wanted a box from that cave; he didn't specify what was inside."

"Right... because there's a bunch of protective wards on the walls here, transcribed onto mirrors. I can't imagine who put them up or why, though..."

"Are they stopping you from getting to the box?"

"No, I just thought-"

"Then quit dragging your heels, bluebell! The sooner you're out of there, the sooner I'm out of the Sulfur Bloods' pocket!"

He had to admit, she was right. Deigning to ponder the nature of the strange mirrors at a later date, Cobalt instead focused his efforts on locating anything that resembled a box. It didn't take him too long, as the cave was mercifully small, so after a bit of fumbling around, the Incubus eventually stumbled across a small wooden chest on the floor. It was held shut by a pair of heavy locks, and sat upon a large flat stone. As he approached, however, he noticed something on the wall; a spot not taken up by mirrors.

"Hm?"

Stepping closer, he was surprised to find words written in English scratched into the rock. Laying a hand upon the chest, the Incubus began to read.

I don't know if I should think of this as a eulogy or something. I don't got much time left, I know that. Scares me. More than I'd like to admit. But before I go, I'm gonna make sure that I bury this deep. I tore that bastard apart, but I let him live. I dunno why. Maybe killing is a line I just won't cross. Maybe I hope he changes. Maybe I'm just stupid.

I'm laying what I took from him to rest here, alongside my mentors. Rtnetpes and Direm. You guided me well. Taught me to when to curb my anger, and when to let it loose. I wish I could have saved you, but I think you two wanted to go out in a blaze of glory like that. So I'll settle for thanking you.

I never cried before, but when I found myself staring at the end, I couldn't hold it back. But I ain't the man I once was. I ain't what my mother made me. I finally understand what my dad was trying to teach me, before he fell. It's okay to cry, even as a man. Even when you're supposed to be strong.

So let me lay it all to rest. The remnants of my enemy. The bodies of my friends. My title as Hellhound. And the fantasies of a future that I'll never have.

And for my beautiful wife, let me write this down in stone; I will always love you, but don't let my memory hold you back forever. I want you to be happy, so live your life in my stead.

Goodbye.

BT

Cobalt stared at the words on the wall, jaw slackened and eyes wide. This message... there was a lot to parse. It seemed to refer to the box as some kind of grave, but at the same time, it read like a last will or even a suicide note. Just who the Hell wrote this...?

"BT...?" murmured the Incubus, squinting at the signature.

"You find the box yet?" asked Alison impatiently.

He shook his head and returned his attention to the small chest. He could worry about the note later.

"Um, yes, I found it. It's locked, though."

"Not our problem, thankfully. Hurry on back, okay? Thank you."

With a heavy sigh, Cobalt hefted the chest into his arms and began to make his way back to the water, only to stop and stare at words written on the wall. They were so heartfelt; it seemed almost a shame to leave them there. But with nothing to capture them with, all he could do was try and memorise them.

"The Hellhound... I must follow up on that..."

With that, he slipped back into the frigid water and prepared to make his way back outside.

 

------

 

Lorenzo sat quietly in his study, staring at his finger as he repeatedly bent and unbent it. He was lucky to be married to such a talented woman; Aelda's expert needlework saved his severed digit, and left him with an impressive scar to show for it. He had tried to show his appreciation with no small number of romantic gestures, but his wife simply wasn't happy with him.

He couldn't blame her. He wasn't exactly happy with himself, either...

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the wooden chest that lay upon it. It had been delivered to the estate just a few hours ago, still soaked with seawater. The locks and hinges were heavily rusted from years of neglect. A painful lump formed in Lorenzo's throat as he gazed upon it.

"Titch certainly knows how to get things done. Almost a shame to let her go."

Gently, he laid his hand upon the box's lid.

"Forgive me, old friend..."

There was a knock on the study door.

"Enter," commanded the Oni, quickly wiping any traces of sentimentality off his face.

The door slid open, revealing a tall man in a long coat. His eyes glowed red from within the gloom of his hood, and as he approached the desk, he began to chuckle.

"Ah, I see our delivery has arrived," he commented in a rasping tone.

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes.

"I don't need your commentary, Diate."

"No need to be so snappy, dear Lorenzo. Surely sleeping on the couch isn't that bad."

"Aelda hasn't felt safe since you set foot on our lands, and can you fuckin' blame her?! After all you've put her - and everyone else - through?!"

Diate sighed dramatically and sat down in a chair opposite the Oni.

"As I told you countless times, that little rampage of mine was over two decades ago. I'm a changed man now. These days, I tend to be a lot more precise regarding my anger."

He laid a gloved hand upon the chest.

"Which brings me to this," he stated, eyes glinting dangerously.

Lorenzo scoffed.

"What, want to piss on his memory even more?" he spat, glaring at his unwelcome guest.

"Of course not. I have no small amount of respect for the great Hellhound. I would just like my horns back."

With that, he rose out of his chair and unceremoniously smashed his fist straight through the lid of the chest, shattering it into a dozen pieces. Lorenzo recoiled as bits of salt-soaked wood were scattered all around his study.

"Twenty-two years... To think I've gone without them for so long..."

From within, he produced a pair of long, curved spikes, each comprised of dark iron. The tips were sharp, while the bases were ragged and crusted with dried blood. The moment Diate clasped his fingers around the pair of severed horns, the hairs on Lorenzo's arms began to prickle as a strange magnetic force began to circulate around them.

"I shouldn't be doing this..." grumbled the Oni, balling his fists.

"We share a goal, do we not? To punish those who shamed us? It's only natural for use to join forces, and I'm sure he would agree if he were here," responded Diate, running his fingers along the metal spikes.

Lorenzo suddenly slammed his fist against the desk, cracking its surface.

"How dare you speak for him! That man put his life on the line to defend Brimstone from you! He sacrificed everything for us, and showed you mercy when you didn't even fuckin' deserve it! The fact that I'm even helpin' you...!"

Diate sighed overdramatically.

"Ever the avid follower. I supposed bonds of brotherhood are often forged in the blood of one's progenitors."

Lorenzo bared his teeth. It was common knowledge that the Oni killed his own father. What wasn't so well known was that he had help...

"Whatever! You got your fuckin' horns, so get the fuck out!" he roared, pointing at the door.

Slipping the severed horns into his pocket, Diate shrugged and got to his feet.

"Very well. I'll come back later to discuss our plan when you're feeling better, shall I?"

"Just... go!"

He just chuckled and gave Lorenzo a bow before he ducked out of the study, sliding the door shut with a steel-toed boot. Growling irritably, the Oni collapsed back into his chair, feeling utterly drained.

He knew what he was doing was wrong. But he couldn't let what Trayer did slide. Even if it meant joining forces with an evil from the past... he had to save face.

Lorenzo glanced at the smashed chest. There was something else inside.

Reaching inside, he tentatively pulled out a pair of old steel knuckles; one red, one blue. They were both heavily corroded with age, and dozens of cracks spidered across the metal. Gently, Lorenzo closed his fingers around them, taking care not to damage the knuckledusters any further.

"Rtnetpes and Direm... Steadfast hounds of the north and south..." he murmured, feeling an odd pain in his chest.

How many people had tasted the brunt of these knuckles over the course of the three years the Hellhound graced Brimstone? Like a desert wind blowing in from the West Country, he took the town by storm, from the moment he rode his motorcycle in until the moment he left for good. He was a rioter and a revolutionary, a vandal and a visionary, an anarchist and an agitator. A man who wouldn't roll over for those who lorded themselves above the common man, and wasn't afraid to loose a few teeth in order to do so. A hero clad in black battle jacket and a striped tie who stood against a tyrant for the sake of a town that could barely stand him.

Like the twin-headed beast from whom he got his name, the Hellhound was equal in his judgement; protecting those he considered friends, and showing no mercy to those he considered foes.

That man helped put an end to his father's reign of terror. And here Lorenzo sat, helping out the Hellhound's mortal enemy.

"Damn these codes of honour..." he spat, planting the knuckledusters down upon the damaged desk.

He stared at them for a moment, unsure of what to think.

"I'll have them sent to his wife... If only to apologise for what I'm about to do..."