Cobalt's heart pounded in his chest as he stood outside the entrance to Bloody Hell. In the time it took him to get from the school campus to the club, his stomach had long since rendered the bear arm down to nothing. His veins were softly pulsing with newfound strength, and the fire deep down was calm, for once. At the very back of his throat, he could feel an anxious tickle, an impending sign that this newfound satiation wasn't to last forever. As relieving as his meal was, he still found it lacking. It was cold. Inert. It was...

Dead. It disturbed Cobalt to no end that his body craved living meat.

"How are you feeling?" Lilith asked him, sounding unsure of herself.

"... Fine enough," the Incubus answered.

Neither of them had really spoken since the incident in the basement. The way Lilith flared up at Karazelle... They had been bound together long enough for him to know that the Devil meant to speak only in his best interest. But she had the Succubus figured all wrong. She wasn't so shallow as to just "string him along" as she put it. No, she was better than that. She cared. More than Cobalt wanted to admit.

"How long do you think we should wait?" he asked aloud, changing the subject as he peered up at the doors.

"Dunno. Have they been in here since we last spoke?"

"I think so."

"Well, that was hours ago, so... we should probably head in."

"Right."

Climbing the steps to the entrance, he glanced at the sign that had been hastily taped over the door to Bloody Hell, explaining how the club was closed for a private party. Taking a deep breath, Cobalt pulled it open and stepped inside, recoiling as he was assaulted by the thrumming bass of heavy metal music.

"Dad has interesting tastes..." he breathed, forging on.

Despite the lack of clientele, Bloody Hell was absolutely buzzing. The lights were on, the music was pounding, and the entire bar was swarmed with demons, most of whom Cobalt recognised. Caeneus and Davis Wyatt sat to one side, with Calvin Srenth capping off the bar. The last remnants of the Rowdy Boys were swapping slights with the two Oni sitting across from them; Lorenzo and Aelda Suyas, the sight of whom made Cobalt feel weak at the knees. Towards the centre, Viola Terna and Jezebel Trayer shared bottles of wine supplied by Dassie Dahls, and in the very middle of it all, Brass Trayer sat carefully upon a barstool, calmly drinking a Dustop Divekick.

It was a reunion of legends whose stories were never told. Nine demons who each had a hand in defending Brimstone all those years ago. For a moment, Cobalt just stood and stared, until the one-eyed barkeep noticed him looming in the doorway. With a grin, she gave him a quick salute.

"And there he is, the product of all your hard work, Jezzy," she remarked, elbowing Cobalt's mother.

The matronly Succubus giggled and shakily poured herself another glass of wine.

"Lotsh and lotsh of hard work... Hi shnookums~!" she laughed, almost collapsing out of her chair were it not for Viola keeping her upright.

The rest of the group turned face him, with mixed reactions. The Rowdy Boys seemed happy enough to see their leader's son, but the Suyas' were less so. Lorenzo - ever the short-fused storm that Cobalt remembered him to be - immediately leaped off his stool and made to stomp over to him, only to be held back by his wife. She whispered something urgent into his ear, whereupon he sighed and marched up to Cobalt at a much more reasonable pace.

The last time Cobalt came face-to-face with the famed Parricidio was right after the man had shot him clean in the gut. His fine suit barely seemed to contain his bulk, and as his fists balled with anger, the Incubus glanced down to see the thick scar spanning his index finger. A parting gift from Elya.

"Mr. Suyas," he said, lightly bowing his head.

The gruff Oni scoffed.

"Well. You've got some fuckin' nerve," he growled, furrowing his brow.

Cobalt remembered a time when he was absolutely terrified of Izzbelle's father. That time was passed; all the man did was irritate him now.

"I have nerve? Look at you, cozying up to my dad after you went and helped his mortal enemy try to kill me," the Incubus retorted, narrowing his eyes in kind.

"You've gotten cockier, you little shit. How's the bullet wound?"

"Giving me no trouble. How's the finger?"

He grinned, but his eyes weren't smiling. It was the kind of grin a great ape bore before tearing into a primal rage. Over by the bar, he heard Brass loudly clear his throat.

"Lory, any beef you got with my kid's gonna have to put in the deep freeze, alright? Ain't no sense in gettin' pissy over... what was it... a weddin'?" the older Incubus called, turning around in his seat.

"My daughter's weddin'!" Lorenzo corrected.

"Yeah, and from what I heard that whole thing was your idea. So was puttin' a fuckin' shock collar on my boy. As far as I see it, both'o'you are squared up, alright? Now quit frownin'; you're puttin' a damper on my triumphant return from the dead."

The Oni glared at Cobalt, who just stared back with a defiant gaze.

"This isn't over. Iron Hound or no, I won't tolerate anyone who disrespects me or my family," he hissed.

Over at the bar, his wife rolled her eyes as she passed an ashtray over to Viola as she lit up a cigarette.

"Honey, just sit down and shut up, will you? Leave the kid alone," the Oni sighed, pushing her spectacles up her nose as she sipped a class of brandy.

"But... what he did to us...!"

"He didn't do nothin' he wasn't pushed to do, and do I really gotta remind you who's fault that was...?"

With his ego bruised by Aelda's pointed comments, Lorenzo Suyas gave Cobalt one last glared before trudging back to his seat, his shoulders slumped miserably. His wife sighed, took a swig of brandy, and surprised him with a sudden kiss, snapping the Oni out of his funk immediately. Perturbed by the sight of such brazen flirtation, Cobalt just scuttled over to his father, greeting the familiar faces as he passed them by.

"There'sh my baby boy~!" Jezebel laughed drunkenly, making a cloying grab for her son's face.

As she relentlessly pinched his cheeks, Viola rolled her eyes.

"I hope you don't expect me to escort her home, boy. There's only so many times I'm willing to do so," the Headmistress remarked, blowing a plume of smoke into the air.

"Well it ain't like I can do it. If she plans on ditchin' me and gallivantin' off into the night, all she's gotta do is slam the brakes on my chair," Brass joked with a charming smile.

Jezebel immediately threw herself on him, wrapping her arms tightly around the Incubus and nearly dragging them both down to the floor.

"No, I'd never do that! I promished to shtay with you forever, death do ush part!"

"Heh... That you did, darlin'. Might've been a bad call on your part."

"No~!"

Cobalt laughed along nervously, rocking back and forth on his heels as he tried to find a break in the conversation. Dassie brought him a Dustop Divekick and left to attend to the others' needs before he could say anything, forcing him to take a seat at the bar and awkwardly sip at his drink. The taste had dulled since he first tried it; all that remained was the alcoholic burn.

"Dad?" Cobalt eventually asked.

"What's up, son? Somethin' wrong?"

"No, no, it's just... you wanted me to pick you up, remember?"

Across the bar, the three Rowdy Boys turned their heads.

"What? You can't be leaving already!" Caeneus cried, tossing his empty mug to Dassie as she flawlessly slid him a fresh one.

"We just got you back, boss!" Calvin added, clearly deep in his cups if his teetering was anything to go by.

Brass raised both of his hands.

"I know, I know, but I did have prior arrangements with my boy here."

Davis scoffed. The dour Nymph's scarf was conspicuously absent, exposing his scarred mouth to the world.

"We've been waiting years to see you again. He's only known you five minutes," he muttered, staring into his stout.

Beside him, his husband gasped and slapped his back, spilling his drink all over the bartop, much to Dassie's annoyance.

"You can't say that!" Caeneus chided.

"What? I'm not wrong!"

Burying his face in his hands, Brass turned to his son with a strained smile.

"Stay with us for a bit? Just one drink. I'd like you to get to know my friends, y'know?" he suggested.

"Dad, I already know everybody here," Cobalt replied, cradling his glass.

"You know 'em as a bunch of has-beens or gangsters or your boss or whatever. Nah, I want you to know them like I do; like friends."

He sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"Alright. I'll stay for a drink."

With a mighty grin, Brass Trayer whirled back around and pounded his fist against the bartop.

"Hell yeah! Dassie! Two more Divekicks!"

Whipping around, the barkeep gave him a grin and a nod, her single eye glinting in the light.

"Coming up! Ha, it's good to have you back, bouncer boy!"

 

-----

 

"You think they'll get home alright?"

Cobalt winced as his father's words bounced off his eardrums like the report of a thunderclap. It was almost the middle of the night, his head was pounding, his stomach was churning, and he felt about ready to keel over. Somehow one drink turned into almost half a dozen, and the reunion of Brass' old friends devolved into an absolute madhouse. He dimly remembered Lorenzo Suyas - the man who tried to kill him on more than one occasion - trying to get the Incubus to dance with him to some of the music Dassie put on. Eventually the barkeep was forced to call cabs for everyone; even Viola, who despite her best efforts almost passed out in the bathrooms. Brass seemed to be the only unaffected by the alcohol, despite having drank the most.

"They'll be fine, Dad," he responded, rubbing his eyes as he pushed his father deeper into the Brimstone Nature Park.

One silver lining to having spent so long in Bloody Hell was that most of the town had packed up and gone to bed. The minor rioting caused by Brass' announcements had finally died down, though the damage left in their wake was extensive, and would probably take quite some time to repair.

Still, Cobalt had to keep on track. He needed to introduce his father to Alison and the rest; aside from Lilith, he had the most experience with Devils. It was a longshot, but perhaps he would be able to help formulate some kind of plan to help defend the town against further attack. With Lilith's tactical knowhow, Alison's genius and - hopefully - the Alpha Corps' varied skills, maybe Brimstone wouldn't be doomed to fall to the Devils.

In a strange way, it perturbed him that he hadn't seen any more Devils since Epsilon. Perhaps they were planning something big. Perhaps they lost interest. The lack of answers was excruciating.

"So, this friend of yours... How're they managin' to keep two Devils locked up?" Brass asked, peering back at his son.

"Alison is... well, she's kind of a savant. Odd in most ways, but exceptionally talented in others. She's made these devices that keep their magic suppressed, and built a special room to keep them contained."

"Damn. This girl must be one Hell of an engineer. I'd say she could even teach me a trick or two, heh!"

He jabbed a thumb at himself.

"I've been known to do some jury-riggin' in my spare time. Someone had to keep Ol' Joss runnin', and it wasn't gonna be your mom, I'll tell you that much."

"That's great, Dad," Cobalt murmured absentmindedly, struggling to walk in a straight line as he pushed the wheelchair along.

Peering back, Brass looked him up and down, taking note of the dim glow in his veins as his body processed the alcohol.

"How're you handlin' it?" he asked in a softer tone of voice.

"Handling what?"

"Bein' an Incubus."

Cobalt shrugged his shoulders.

"I followed Gramma's advice, found some raw meat. It seems to do the trick."

"Mm. Want my advice; try jerky. Or raw eggs."

"Raw eggs?"

"Yup. Can't get sick if they burn up before they hit your colon."

Laughing at his own joke, Brass pounded a fist against the armrest of his wheelchair.

"Oh, it's been too long. I oughta set aside a day to do some trainin' with you," he murmured, gazing up as they passed through a copse of trees.

"What kind of training?" his son asked, swerving around a stubborn tree root.

"Just some self-defense stuff I picked up over the years. Maybe a trick or two to handle all the weird Incubus stuff too. You feel the burnin' in your guts, right?"

Cobalt nodded somberly.

"Yeah, it's a pain in the ass. But if you know what to do, you can use it to your advantage. Old Oni trick used to manage anger; make it a weapon rather than a problem."

He thought back to his conflict with Beta, when the Incubus first started tapping into his body's martial potential. He had a brief taste of it; when that scorching pain suddenly became a burning focus, honing his capabilities to a razor edge. It sounded promising, and being able to do that on command would be a welcome boon.

But Brass' words also reminded him of what happened in the Undercroft's Punishment Chamber, when the flame burned black and cold. Heat so great it numbed him to pain and drove him to almost kill Cherry.

The potential benefits of Incupsychosis were great, but its drawbacks were extensive.

"Let's... just think about putting one foot in front of the other. You're still getting settled in."

"I ain't senile, son. I ain't even fifty. Body might be busted to Damnation but my brain sure ain't. I'll see if I can convince Vio to let me borrow the Rowdy Boys' old hangout. Last I remembered it was a pretty good trainin' ring."

It seemed Brass' enthusiasm outweighed his common sense sometimes. Given both of his parents' impulsiveness, it was a wonder that Cobalt had any patience at all.

Despite his burgeoning headache and the slight nausea he felt, Cobalt pressed on through the Brimstone Nature Park, idly nodding along to Brass' excited ramblings until they reached the lake. The older Incubus launched into an anecdote about having visited this spot at some point in the past, but he was barely listened. Trying to maneuver the chair around the shore and behind the waterfall took up more of a precedent in his mind.

"Woah. Your buddy lives in a cave?" Brass asked incredulously as they finally managed to squeeze into the entranceway of Alison's lab.

"In a manner of speaking," Cobalt replied, locating the door.

Plugging in the entrance code, they began the long descent into the Titch's domain.

Since Cobalt had last been there, the entire underground complex had changed drastically. Riles' influence was evident; from the scribbled doodles on the various worktables and benches, to the half-completed art projects littering every available corner, to the massive half-finished mural on the largest wall at the far end of the main chamber. Riles Titch teetered atop a set of makeshift scaffolding, dressed in shabby overalls and absolutely drenched in paint. They had dyed their hair again since Cobalt first met them; gone was the kaleidoscope of colour, replaced instead by a more muted blue, much like his own hair. As Brass looked around in slackjawed amazement, Cobalt cleared his throat in an attempt at drawing the human artist's attention. They didn't answer, however.

They were wearing headphones, and if the vigourous strokes of their paintbrush were anything to go by, they were deep in the zone.

"The Hell is that...?" Brass breathed, pulling a face.

"That's Riles, one of my friends. They're a human."

"Human? Shit. Ain't never seen one of them in the flesh before. Thought they were supposed to be pink."

"I think it varies by individual."

"Well ain't that somethin'."

Summoned by the sound of his arrival, Cobalt heard the sound of hurried footsteps from a nearby hallway. Alison - somehow dressed shabbier than usual - stumbled into the main laboratory, power tools practically spilling out of her coat pockets.

"Oh, Bluebell, good timing! I was just putting together some flatpacks for Riles' room, wanna help me-?"

The scientist froze upon noticing the two Incubi in her presence. She slowly looked from one to the other, eyes wide. Brass in turn looked confused, unsure of how to react in the presence of a human.

"... Huh?" she murmured.

Behind them, the sound of cracking echoed through the lab as Rile's scaffolding abruptly gave way, causing the other Titch sibling to plummet straight through it in a shower of paint and turpentine, screaming all the while. Thankfully, the harness they wore kept them from dashing themselves off the floor. It went taut and suspended them safely from a hook in the ceiling. Upside-down.

They stared at Cobalt and Brass.

"Huh?" the young artist said, glancing over to their sister.

"Oh, enough of this," Lilith grunted irritably.

The Devil ejected herself from Cobalt's mind, landing neatly before the group in a crouched roll. Rising to her full height, she planted her hands on her hips and regarded them all with a stern eye.

"Let's just get to business, huh?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Slowly - ever so slowly - the two humans gawked at her, taking a fair few seconds to process what just happened. Eventually, they looked at one another and let loose with their unified conclusion;

"HUH?!"

 

-----

 

It took a while to get introductions out of the way.

Most of it was spent trying to calm Alison down after the sudden reveal of Lilith. Apparently, hiding the fact she existed was near the top of the list of "best friend no-nos" as she put it, and at one point she started crying at the prospect that she was being replaced by a Devil. It took the combined efforts of Cobalt, Riles and even Lilith herself to get her stop blubbering, whereupon she immediately turned her attention to Brass. She was much more cordial with his father, and took the news of her cure's unexpected success quite well. She did keep asking him to provide the samples that Cobalt had simply refused to, and worse still was that Brass agreed. As for Riles, they didn't seem to know what the Hell was going on; they sat at the table, watching the proceedings with wide, bewildered eyes, occasionally asking questions that went more or less ignored.

"Okay," Alison breathed, sitting back down at her spot by the pool table-turned-dining-table, "run this all back by me, bluebell."

Cobalt nodded and clasped his hands.

"Right. As you know, Devils have been attacking Brimstone periodically."

"Sorry, what?" Riles asked in an alarmed tone, only to be shushed by their sister.

"We have two of them captured here and the other two have been, ah... dealt with. However, I have it on good authority that they won't stop there," the Incubus continued, nodding to Lilith.

She was leaning back in her chair, picking something out of her teeth as she sat with her feet up on the table.

"They're backed into a corner down in Damnation. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. Sending the Alpha Corps was like tenderising the meat. If I know Devil military tactics - and I damn near came up with half of them - then it won't be long before they send the main force in with carving knives," she explained, sounding none-too-bothered by the news.

Brass frowned.

"Well. Fuck. That ain't good," he murmured, scratching his chin.

"You've fought Devils before, right Mr. Trayer?" Alison asked, leaning forward.

He nodded slowly.

"Just the one, and I wouldn't say it was a flawless victory. Still, I picked up a few tricks. I ever mention the mirror thing?" he asked, glancing back at Cobalt.

"Mirror thing?"

"Yeah, somethin' I learned years ago. Almost by accident, actually. Get a mirror, inscribe some weird Tongues mumbo-jumbo onto it and bam; brand new anti-Devil ward."

Lilith snorted.

"That's ridiculous," she scoffed.

"You'd think so, but it works, I'm tellin' you. Somethin' about those mirrors fucks with Devil magic and makes their horns hurt like Hell. Can't stand to be near 'em."

Cobalt's eyes widened.

"The cave!" he suddenly gasped, snapping his fingers.

His father gawked at him.

"You been there?"

"Yeah, Alison sent me there to get something! There were mirrors all over the walls, all inscribed with the same passages in Tongues!"

"Heh, if they're still there then that saves us the trouble of makin' more," Brass said with a grin, leaning back in his wheelchair, "so all we gotta do is gather and set 'em up somewhere defensible, should the worst happen."

"Can't say I believe these anti-Devil wards will work, but if there's one thing I know, it's how to defend an entrenched position. Cobalt's carted me all over this fucking town these past few months, and nowhere comes close to that school of yours," Lilith piped, nodding to her host.

He cocked his head.

"B.I.D.?" he asked.

"Yup. High ground, high walls, minimal points of ingress. Stonework's solid too. Might need to set up a few blockades here and there, but you could make a decent last stand should you need to."

Brass nodded enthusiastically. It seemed the matters of tactical planning and general chaos prediction agreed with him. Seriously, who the Hell did Cobalt get his rational way of thinking from?

"Hell yeah! Set the wards up along the perimeter, and B.I.D.'ll be the perfect fallback point should things fuck up proper!"

Clasping her hands, Alison leaned back in her seat and thought for a few moments before slowly nodding her head.

"Mm. Okay. I get it. One question."

"What?"

"Why do you need me?"

"Easy," Lilith sighed, standing up.

She hooked a thumb over her shoulder at the hall leading deeper into Alison's compound.

"You got something we need. A pair of perfectly good soldiers."

Alison's eyes went wide as the colour drained from Cobalt's face.

"You... want me to let them out? After everything you guys did to capture them?" she asked incredulously.

"Keep the collars and horn locks on, but yeah. I know those two. They're not too stupid to realise they can still come out on top."

The human looked over at Cobalt with concerned - almost scared - eyes, but he just swallowed the unease building in his throat and gave her a shaky nod. Producing a remote from her coat, she excused herself from the table and disappeared down the tunnel. A great deal of whirring and clanking echoed from within before she returned with both Devils in tow. Delta looked absolutely miserable, though Gamma appeared as stoic as ever. They took their places at the head of the table.

"Am ah goin' crazy down here, or am ah seein' two Incubi right now?" Delta asked, drawing a line between Brass and Cobalt.

"Doesn't matter. Gamma. Delta. Stand to attention," Lilith commanded, adopting an authorative pose as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Gamma immediately leaped to attention, but it took a swift elbow in the ribs to get her fellow prisoner of war to follow suit.

"As the second-in-command of the Alpha Corps, I hereby strip you both of your titles and discharge you from our ranks."

"Ya what?!" her underling cried, nearly tripping over himself.

Lilith raised a hand.

"You are no longer tied to the service of our lost Pandemonium, nor our home of Dis. Furthermore, Alpha's orders no longer hold any sway over you. Delta. Gamma. Your names are no more."

He fell to his knees. His companion frowned and patted his shoulder with an indexless hand.

"Our names... Ome..." he breathed, looking distraught.

Lilith shook her head.

"The same applies for me. I rejected the name Omega a long time ago. Call me Lilith from here on out," she stated in a matter of fact tone, though Cobalt could hear the waver in her voice when she mentioned her own name.

The Devil formerly called Gamma looked up, eyes filled with uncertainty.

"... I can't remember my former name..." she mumbled quietly.

"Then choose a new one. That's what I did."

Sitting back down, Lilith leaned forward and steepled her fingers like a general at a war table.

"Down to brass tacks, then."

"Nice," Brass chuckled, giving her a wink.

The Devil ignored him. Reaching across the table, she grabbed one of the documents scattered around and snatched a pen out of Riles' hand, much to their annoyance.

"If Alpha is planning an attack on B.I.D., then I can only think of one conceivable place it'll be from, and that's Tempered Bastion 31-3, deep beneath the town," Lilith explained, swiftly drawing a detailed map of Brimstone.

Her attention to detail and her memory was surprising acute. As she marked out the many streets and avenues, she swiftly drew a circle around Brimestone's centre.

"It'll be under here. Now, those things were built to last, but what wasn't was the ferrohaem supplies. Judging by how the machinery was still running when me and Cobalt were down there, I'd wager that place is running on fumes. So it'll take them a long time to get it set up, at the very least. That gives us time to plan a counter-offensive."

"How long?" Cobalt asked, peering at the map.

"A month or two if we're lucky. A few weeks if we're not."

She pointed at the two Devils with the pen.

"Can't exactly rush the place until we're certain, so that's where you two come in. You're both some of the best scouts I've ever had the pleasure of serving with, so I have full confidence that you'll find a way to keep track of Alpha's progress should he show up down there. Furthermore-"

"Dallas."

"Huh?"

Looking up from the map, everyone turned to see the Devil shock-trooper standing with his jaw set firm and his red eyes staring resolutely at Lilith.

"Ah... Ah want mah name t'be Dallas," he said.

"... Like the town in Texas?" Alison asked, cocking her head.

"Ah don't know what a Texas is. Ah just... like how it sounds."

Taking a deep breath, Lilith nodded slowly before turning to the sniper. She was staring straight at the floor, a deep frown on her face.

"What about you?" she asked in a soft tone of voice.

"... Don't know..."

"What about Gail?"

Everyone turned to look at Riles, who had been conspicuously quiet throughout the entire meeting. They had unfolded a large banner in front of them, and had been hard at work with writing something on it.

"I- I mean, I think it's nice," they added, shying away from everyone's gazes.

Slowly, the Devil nodded as she stared at the human. Cobalt noticed an odd softness in her gaze. Was she...?

"... Gail... yes, it's... it's perfect..."

Taking a deep breath, Lilith set her pen down and took a deep breath.

"Dallas and Gail. Good names as any."

Her former subordinates nodded as they awkwardly sat down at the table. With a nod from the one-eyed Devil, Alison reached over and undid the shock collars around their necks.

"We'll do what we can, Ome. S- Sorry, Lilith," Dallas said, giving her a nod.

"That's what I like to hear. We've got a lot of planning to do, and a lot of intel to gather."

Standing up, Lilith regarded the entire table with her steely gaze.

"You all know the chances of us surviving this are a million to one, right?"

"Lilith..." Cobalt grumbled, furrowing his brow.

"Easy, kid. That doesn't mean I don't think we have a shot. Two humans, a pair of Incubi and three Devils, no weapons, barely any intelligence and an entire town full of helpless civvies. Not a great shot, but a shot nonetheless."

"Lilith! Come on!"

"Alright, alright. Let's just hope for the best and go down fighting if we gotta."

"Now you're talkin' my language!" Brass cried, raising a fist.

At the end of the table, Riles raised a hand.

"Hey? Hey guys? Uh, if you're finished, I have a question," they called.

Lilith folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that question be?"

"What should we call ourselves?"

The Devil's single eye widened.

"Come again?"

"Our group name, you know? Every organisation should have one."

"Uh..."

Lilith sighed and shrugged.

"Tell you what; you come up with one."

"Perfect! Already did!"

Kicking out their chair, Riles gathered the banner up and dramatically unfolded it, revealing a stylishly-detailed collection of letters, all combining to form two prominent words:

DEVILBANE PACT

"What do you think?!" the asked excitedly.

Cobalt forced on a smile. They were clearly trying their best to seem useful, but a name like that was a little... presumptuous. Lilith wasn't wrong; they didn't have much chance against the Devils, at least not without significant backing. But the Brimstone military would need concrete evidence of an imminent attack, and it was already preoccupied with scouring the entire city-state for signs of any more Devils. The police were their next best shot, but Calvin Srenth only had so much leeway; red tape kept the Chief of Police's hands tied most of the time, from what he heard back at Bloody Hell. There were also the Sulfur Bloods, but... well... he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

The Incubus sighed.

"It's great, Riles. Devilbane Pact it is."