《Bet Your Soul》


 Last Hand

    Joshua looked up from his cards, thick tail swaying behind him. "This reminds me of the old days."


    A wolven figure slapped down a card and took a new one to replace it. "Before we died?"


    A leering hyena chuckled, laughing in the unsettling way of his kind. "Let''s not bring that up. It''s not even fair. We played these how many times?" He leaned forward. "I''m all in."


    Josh cocked a brow. "Betting your soul?"


    The Hyena scowled at Joshua. "You know that ain''t funny, or something we can joke around down here in the warm hold of Hell." He waved aside at the screeching, howling abyss of a city outside. "I''ll bet the money I have and you''ll like it."


    "That''s good enough for me." The wolven figure tossed in his cards. "I fold."


    Joshua didn''t look too happy but he dropped his hand as well. "All right, Winny, you''ve got yourself a win."


    The last there, a female that looked almost human if not for her long feline tail. "Look at you, asking for things we don''t even have anymore." She flipped Josh the bird. "You already own that and you know it."


    The Hyena chuckled at her remark while Joshua''s brows rose. "Do you really think so? I mean... we were pretty tight before¡ª"


    "Before you died," the hyena finished. He crossed his arms over his chest with a self-important smirk. "And you claimed that last game. Damn you for winning that last hand." He scratched at the top of the table. "How did you manage that so perfectly?"


    "Stop teasing, Hank." Winny prodded at the then-named hyena. "We were all there, he didn''t cheat. He just got lucky, nothing else. Not like he plays that well." All of them laughed, except Josh.


    Joshua folded his arms. "Yeah yeah. I am your boss, technically." He rubbed behind his head. "You know I wouldn''t do anything with that. We''re friends, even down here. Uh, think of it as an insurance plan. Nobody else can snatch your soul if it''s already mine, right?"


    Hank rolled his eyes. "Let it go. If they want to sell their souls, let ''em sell to some other demon." The hyena patted his friend on the back. "Don''t worry about us. It ain''t fair to those who weren''t as good as you. Maybe next time, someone will come along and knock you from your high horse."


    Winny giggled, covering her mouth. "Didn''t you used to say that sort of thing all the time?"


    Josh paled faintly. "I''d never sell your souls! The idea..." Even if he knew those souls had a very real value, down in the pits of hell. Selling them off could secure his future for some time. "We''re together."


    The game continued into a new round, with each of them winning some, and losing others. They were all fairly mediocre, in the end, even if Joshua was a bit worse than the others. The otter had the worst poker face, grinning without meaning whenever he had a good hand. That his tail began to slap didn''t help his case.


    It seemed a harmless bet at first, but the pot grew until Winny tapped out. "Okay, I''m done for tonight. No more for me." There was grumbling, but they all stood up. None of them met Joshua''s eyes directly as they filtered out of his apartment.


    "Be sure to be on time tomorrow!" Josh called after them as he closed the door. He pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the frame and sighed. He fiddled with his cards, a royal flush. With a toss, he sent the cards to join the jumble on the table. "I can''t stay here." With restless energy, he pushed out and headed down to the street level to get the closest equivalent of fresh air hell could provide.


    The sound of crying caught Joshua''s attention as he walked through the city. It was not uncommon for the tortured to yell, scream, or beg mercy from their tormentors. But this noise sounded more familiar than that; almost like... sniffling. He moved in closer, glancing around the corner to see three small demons tormenting the little imps.


    "Hey, let him go, why don''t you?" Joshua called as he marched forward.


    The demons, the smallest of their varied ilk, looked up with a collective sneer. "Who''s asking?" demanded the largest of them, still a runt compared to most.


    Joshua glanced about a moment. "I am." But, as he said that, a brief flare washed out from him, thick with the power of the souls he had control over. Against any real mover, it would have been laughable. Against those tiny demons, they fled without another word, scattering in different directions.


    That left the imp behind, bruised and bloodied. "You okay?" Joshua leaned in and over for a better look. "I scared them off."


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    The imp rolled onto her back, heaving. "What''s-- You know, the catch? What do you want?" One eye was swollen shut, the other looked Joshua over with bright purple color. "You want sex? Is that it? Anything with a hole? I get that."


    Joshua cringed faintly. "I saw someone being mauled and came to help. You alright?"


    "No. I just got the shit kicked out of me." She slammed the ground with her better hand, still huffing for breath. "I''ve had better days." She pushed up slowly to her feet. "But, uh, thanks, I guess? I don''t owe you shit, so we''re clear."


    The otter nodded. "Sure, we''re clear. I wasn''t trying to help you out for payment. I mean--" He took a step back as she started to push up, stumbling a couple of times before he gave her space. "Those demons, were they-- Did they have a reason for that?" He had been in hell long enough to know there wasn''t always a reason.


    "Plenty of them." She dusted herself off. "But mostly I called their boss what he is and they didn''t like that." She spat out blood to the side. "Not one bit." It was only then that she took the time to examine Joshua beyond possibly ripping her off. "Huh, otter?" She shrugged. "You pick that?"


    "Not consciously." He reached back to play with his thick tail. "Just, uh, I think enough traits, you know? Playful, a bit of a doof." He shrugged with a smile. "Like swimming. And I can get stone serious when it''s time."


    "Noticed that." She started for the exit of the alley. "I''d ask your name but I don''t give a shit. I''m Katie. You look like the kind of dope that''d want to know."


    "I did." He rubbed behind his head, trailing behind her. "You alright? My apartment''s not far from here."


    "I thought you said you weren''t looking for sex." She sneered, face still disfigured from the fight she had handidly lost. "Dirty fucker."


    Joshua stopped where he was, ears folding back. "Not at all! Just offering medical stuff if you need it. You looked pretty banged up there." He held up both paws as if defending himself from her wrath. "Got clean water, bandages, a safe couch to crash on?"


    Katie scoffed. "There ain''t no such thing as a safe place in Hell, but I know of a place I can go." She pulled out a piece of paper and jotted down a quick note, sloppily drawn but clear.


    Joshua leaned in for a peek, just to get elbowed away. "Hey, that''s for me, thanks." She stuffed the writing away. "Whatever, I''m not getting rid of you, am I?"


    "Not forcing you." He pointed past her to the street. "If you want to go, go."


    "Wow." She rubbed over her bruised face, the swelling edging from its initial fury. "People like you either plan to take everything, or they''re huge suckers that are going to have everything taken away."


    "I''ve avoided both." He walked past her. "I''ll stop bothering you, have a good one." But he didn''t get far before he heard steps. He turned an ear, trained on those steps as they came up, and Katie matched his pace beside him. "Is there something I can do?"


    She kept her eyes ahead. "Yeah, hold your head up higher, so I have someplace to hide." Her eyes remained focused elsewhere. "I know we just met and all, but I trust you''re the kind of guy that doesn''t ditch people." She risked a glance, just in time for Joshua to return that look.


    He nodded, slipping an arm around her shoulders to bring her in. "Okay, this way then. I''ll try to keep the attention from you." He couldn''t help it, smiling a little goofily as he led her to his apartment building, then his apartment. "My casa es su casa!" He waved across the messy room.


    "What a shit hole." Not that she was saying no, wandering in. "Who were you playing with?" She was eyeing the scattered cards on the table.


    "Ah, friends." He sat down at the table. "You feel up to a game? I know you got roughed up a lot."


    "A game?" She scooped up the cards. "Your friends left you at a high point? Betting anything?" She wagged her brows up and down at that.


    Joshua chuckled. "Uh, just money."


    She riffled through the cards, clearly knowing her way around a deck. "You want to make it more interesting, we can." She tossed down the cards. "Get your ass over here."


    "What do you want to play?" He took a seat on the opposite side, setting the deck between them. "Poker? Blackjack?"


    "Classics." She leaned forward. "Of course, a little sugarcake like you would name the classics. Let''s play." She began to deal cards without saying which game. The number of cards implied blackjack was happening. "I got ten bucks. You could get ten bucks, if you win this game. You got ten to cover your side?"


    Joshua squinted at that. "Ten dollars? I figured, you know..."


    "Oh, that''s cute." She snorted. "No, you won''t get my soul, not for one game."


    "No! No, of course not." He rubbed at the back of one of his hands. "What do you take me for?"


    "Someone with a few souls to their name." She waved over Joshua. "Hard to hide that. It''s what got those demonlings to bugger the hell off. So, just so we''re clear, you''re not adding mine to your collection. Besides, I ain''t a sinner, idiot. I''m an imp." She winked at him.


    The otter glanced around as if worried he was being watched. "Not about that." His eyes drew back to her. "It''s not fair to put someone''s soul up in a bet. I did that before. It was a joke, until it wasn''t anymore."


    "You''re a funky little creature." She waved him closer, though. "Come here and show me those cards of yours. You better be planning to raise."


    Joshua held up a finger to indicate the wait. He placed a single card down and she gave him the replacement. He smiled at whatever it was he was looking at.


    "Damn it." She rolled her eyes at him. "That good?"


    "What? No." He did his best to adopt a poker face with dubious results.


    Katie tossed her hand down. "Fold. If you show me you have a bad hand after that, well, then you''re a better player than I thought." She propped her chin up on her hand. "So, why don''t you tell me more about how you died?"


    Joshua grinned. "Now, you''re the one being forward. We just met and you hop to that." He displayed his cards, two pairs.


    Katie nodded at the cards as she collected them up to resume shuffling. "Not bad. Seen better, but better than I had. Here." She fished out a bill and slapped it down.


    It was a five dollar bill.


    Joshua peered at it a moment, but accepted it. "The other five is credit against my losses."


    Katie rolled her eyes at the clarification, but agreed to that. "And now that you''re giving it out, you owe me the story behind your death." She began to deal once again.


    It would hardly be the last hand dealt on the floor of hell.

 Over Cards

    The gang filtered back in. They always did. They were a little surprised at Katie being there, but they each took their favorite chair anyway. Except Winny. She wanted to join the table, and there was Katie in her way. "Buzz off."


    "Shut the hell up, I was here first." She tossed a few coins onto the table. "We''re not done yet."


    Winny looked like she was about to do more than fuss when Joshua broke in, "Easy, easy! We''re all friends here, right?" All his friends that were not imps gave him a look. "She''s nice, and a good player. Katie, say hi."


    The female imp leaned back, eyes locked on the other woman. "Hi, bitch."


    Winny had to bite down, shaking. "That''s fine, Josh." She swallowed. "I don''t care." But she didn''t seem happy at all.


    Joshua took notice and squeezed Winny''s hand as he stood. "We''re all here for different reasons." That got a fresh set of looks. "But here, in this room, we''re friends. We play cards, we talk. No fighting." He clapped his hands together, all smiles. "And I haven''t broken everyone else''s streak. Want to go out?"


    Hank raised his paw, holding out his empty cup. "You''re sweet talking. I''m going to miss your ass, so I need a drink."


    Katie glared at Hank. "Are you sleeping with him?"


    A round of groans. The Hyena growled as he stood, "None of your business."


    Josh colored as he sank back into his seat. "Let''s have some fun, okay?"


    Katie laid her cards down. "Fold." She glared at Joshua. "I don''t understand you. You''re their lord, their boss! You literally have their souls in your hand. But you treat them like some chums."


    "Because they''re chums." He pressed his cheek against Winny''s. "We''re all stuck here, and the only way I can get through it is by having some friends. Even if I could break out of hell, I wouldn''t do it alone." He winked at Hank. "Wouldn''t leave anyone behind."


    Katie scoffed. "Whatever. I''ll beat you one day." She threw down a single coin. "Give me my card, I''m not paying you tonight."


    The game grew more intense, with Winny joining them on a big, tattered, pillow. Cards flew and coins exchanged hands. Some went all in, others folded, while the middle ground tried to find out if their cards could stand the test.


    And, of course, Hank went out with only beer.


    "Man, you''d think this whole ''twice-dead'' thing meant I didn''t need to breathe." He laughed. "I wish it did." He propped himself up in the doorway of the apartment as he took a long drag of beer. "You''re a nice one, Josh. We''ve known each other for a bit. Know where I am?"


    Joshua eyed the hyena as he fished out another beer from his bag. "Somewhere nicer than here?"


    "When I visit." He saluted and headed out.


    The others were heading out, leaving Joshua alone with Katie. The imp smirked at Joshua. "I don''t think you know what you have. Besides the whole ''actually mostly functional family'' thing, which is nice and all, but your power is better than that."


    He held his head in his hands, still staring down at his cards. "Power isn''t the most important thing."


    "In Hell?" She slapped him upside the back of the head. "It''s the only thing. Fucking Christ on a neon-lighted stick, you''re here for a reason. Don''t you have a shred of ambition?"


    "It was an accident, and a dumb one at that." Josh folded his arms. "Anyway, thanks for playing. It was really nice meeting someone new."


    "Are you kicking me out? Fuck, figures. All nice rides come to an end." She threw up her hands. "I can see myself out."


    "I didn''t say that!" He whipped out a hand, grabbing Katie by the very back of her shirt just barely. "Look, you don''t have a lot of other places to go, I get the feeling. Hang out, if you want."


    She tugged from his hand. "Why should I? This is just one more weird stop. You''re some super powerful demon or angel or something that got trapped in Hell and decided to live with regular imps?" She raised a brow. "Or you''re a pervy little sinner that''s got his feet way in deep in places he doesn''t understand. Which is it?"


    "Neither. Not that way. Not at all. But... can we not do this here?" He waved around the apartment. "Look around, it''s a mess. Let''s go to the park."


    She put her hands on her hips. "Wow. Wow! Are you that new? The parks around here are not better than here, let me just assure you. This place is practically a palace compared to every park I''ve seen. Unless your thing is dead bodies, people going nuts on drugs they mighta never really had, or other debaucheries people think are better with grass under their ass."


    "Where else then? There has to be somewhere nice." He rubbed his throat. "At least for walking, maybe."


    She sneered, crossing her arms. "Just what do you take me for? Some sort of tour guide? I''m no tourist attraction. Hell, I''m an imp. I''m used goods, and there''s a reason nobody wants me."


    "Right, then." Joshua picked up the scattered cards on the table, collecting them into the pile. "I''ve gotten some nice things used." He gently set his fuzzy hand on Katie''s smooth one. "They just need to be treated right and they''re just as good, in the end."


    Katie ripped her hand away with an appalled face. "What do you mean? Do you have some ''use an imp like a blowup doll'' kink? Because that shit is sick, and--"


    "Stop." Joshua lifted his hand at last, catching his breath. "Stop making everything about sex. I''m talking to talk to you about you, as a person. I don''t give a damn where you''ve been, or who you''ve been with. You''re still you. You''re still..." He faltered, leaning back. "I didn''t mean that."


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    Katie grabbed the chair she had been sitting in, her tail wrapping around one of the legs. "What do you mean, fuzzyboy?"


    He pressed his paws together. "Look, I know we just met. But you''re cool. I just mean, you''re cool. And I''d like to hang out some more. We could even get some drinks. But we''re already at my house, so..." He rubbed behind his head. "Here we are."


    The imp grunted. "Good point. Why the hell not?" She heaved the chair into her arms, marching for the kitchen with it. She casually climbed on it, using it to reach the top shelves where she began taking things out. "You sit there, fuzzyboy. I''m making dinner. You can tell me how much it sucks ass only after you''ve tried a bite."


    Joshua did as he was told, taking a seat at the table with the rest of the cards. His thoughts ran wild at what this strange new friendship could possibly become, but he pushed those down. Instead, he nudged the cards aside, cleaning things off so it was more of a dining table instead of a gaming one. "Do imps just not have friends? Friend friend, friends because they like each other friends."


    Katie snickered. "How can you tell me not to jump to sex, and then immediately make assumptions about love? Damn. For a horny thing, you''re kind of dense. Not like the real, demonic kind of dense. That''s something else. But the thick-skulled, male-human kind of dense."


    He squinted at that. "The old human kind of dense. Yeah, I know that very well." He rolled a hand at her, though he could only see her waving tail around the corner. "I''m asking questions, not assuming. Tell me, and I''ll know."


    There was a click of metal from the next room over. "You''re going to try some soup, the only thing I know how to cook that doesn''t have any meat in it. Not a lot of fresh vegetables down here."


    "I noticed that." Josh rubbed behind his head. "So, about friends?"


    "Rare." He could hear the fire starting, burning under something that slowly began to smell good. "But happens. Shoot, a few imps even find what you could call true love. Most just get horny and blow off steam, the end."


    The otter rubbed his chest at the comment about true love. "Huh. That''s neat. Well, we can start slow and see how we do. A meal or two. I''ll teach you a game without betting souls, and we can see if we get along."


    Katie peeked out from the kitchen. "Are you asking me to date you?"


    Joshua dropped the deck of cards he had been fiddling with. "I don''t know?" He gasped. "Is that what dating means here?"


    The imp sighed heavily. "Sometimes it does." She ducked back into the kitchen. Something squealed in there, then a splashing sound. Despite that, the smells just got better. "You are a crazy otter, just so you know."


    He frowned. "A lot of ''sinners'' seem to become animals. What does it mean?"


    "I''m not the master of souls." She emerged, carrying the pot in mitted hands. "It''s a reflection of who you are, about all I know. You''re a doofus." She slammed the pot down on the table. "And you look it."


    He tilted his head to one side. "Why are you so angry?"


    "Life sucks, I hate you, get over it." She dragged a ladle through the broth, which began to bubble out of the container. She poured out a bowl to shove at Joshua, and one for herself. "I''m still trying to figure out your angle. You sure you don''t just want some sweet imp ass? I swear, that''d be a lot easier to grasp."


    "Nope. Just looking for a friend." He smiled as he leaned forward. "To be honest, it''s hard to trust people after a while in hell. But you''re interesting!"


    She scowled at him, slamming down her bowl. "Interesting, right." She picked at her teeth with a fork she found laying there, her eyes wandering over Josh''s apartment. "Damn, you''ve lived here longer than I expected." She nodded to the worn corners of the furniture, the scratched tabletops. "Looks like someone actually lives here, even. Most of us just sleep, eat, and go. Only an asshole tries to pretend they still have it together after the long drop to the bottom of Hell."


    Joshua didn''t miss a beat. "What do you do when you''re not crashing in my house?"


    Katie set her fork down. "Surviving. Getting my soft parts kicked or punched sometimes." She rolled her eyes. "You met me in one of those. Look. Look." She cradled her head in her hands. "You soft-ass son of a bitch, you need someone to watch your ass, since you sure as hell aren''t doing it." She patted her chest. "And that someone is me. You don''t mind being kept safe, do you? No fucking way. It''s heaven for you."


    Joshua colored brightly. "It''s not like that."


    "I don''t care if it gets you hard or not." Katie leaned forward. "You need someone to tell it to you straight, and lead you on. I don''t mind free food and a safe place to crash. We both win!"


    The otter choked down some of the soup. It was good, a savory mix of mushrooms and root veggies in a thick broth. He caught his breath slowly, clearing his throat before he answered, "How does that make you different from everyone else that uses me?"


    She shrugged, palms up. "For one, we''re setting things right from the start. You know what I want. I know what you want. We keep to our side of things, nothing to worry about. But that''s the other side, you get that right?" She reached for him, only to catch herself. Her hand returned to her own bowl, circling the edge as she continued, "I can''t just be some cute little waif for you to fix."


    Joshua squirmed in place. "Is it wrong to want to help?"


    She flicked his wet nose lightly. "When they tell you to fuck off, yes, it''s annoying. Now, are we going to go in as partners, or should I fuck off and find something else to do? Your choice, I''ll find something."


    "No, it''s just... what if I wanted something else?" He flushed a little as he spoke. "I mean, it''s nice having friends, but..."


    Katie laughed as if cheered up. "So it is a sex thing. Lord almighty, thank you. That is so much easier to grasp. Look, if you want that, you shoulda just said so from the start. What''s your kink? Pain, humiliation, beating, breeding, getting beat?"


    "It''s not about sex!" He hid behind his tail. "I was hoping for something romantic, you know?"


    Katie folded her arms. "Romance is a big fancy word for foreplay. You know, that thing before sex?"


    The otter rubbed under his muzzle. "I thought we were talking about a relationship."


    "Look." She leaned forward enough to use her elbows as props. "You have a boyfriend, and a girlfriend it looked like. Why are you even sniffing around an imp anyway if you just want another buddy?"


    "I''m not. Not just a buddy." He lowered his ears. "Sorry, I guess you didn''t know. None of them, uh..." He rubbed behind his neck. "Wanted anything serious." Joshua let out a tense laugh. "We''re all buddies, nothing more than that, even to hell and back."


    Her brows shot up. "You were a polyamorous couple?"


    Joshua froze a moment. "N-no! Different times." He worried his fingers together. "I was finding myself, okay? Look, you seem nice."


    "Come off it." She thumped the table. "I have not put off that many ''I am so nice'' vibes today." She prodded Joshua in the chest. "I''m just trying to be forward with you about the situation. And if you''re not being forward with me, then I don''t see a problem with just leaving, do you?"


    Joshua was silent a moment before a sigh escaped him. "Alright. Alright. When I saw you being beat up like that, it reminded me, of things, of myself, of other people I know. If I can offer something better, I want to. If we get along, even better. I want to try that, if you have room for that, um, kind of thing?"


    Katie cocked a brow at him. "Been awhile since you''ve had to ask for a date, huh? You need to work on that pitch. Here, let me help. How about this, you promise to not treat me like a kid, or like I''m made of glass, and I''ll let you take me out to nice places whenever I want. Deal?"


    The otter brightened at that, holding out his hand. "Deal."


    "And we''ll have lots of fun." She met his hand with her own, the two giving a firm shake on the matter. "Deal is a deal. Deals can mean a lot, down here. They can also mean nothing. Depends on the collateral, and who''s involved. Whatever." She hopped down to the floor, tail flicking behind her. "I can see why you need to protect that big soft heart of yours. Better me than some other whore." She marched to the door of the apartment, waving for Josh. "Coming? I got some shopping to do and I''m bored of your little place already."


    "You can''t shop for yourself?" He moved to follow, tail wagging behind him. "And yeah, let''s go!"

 Getting Serious

    There was this big clocktower that did only one thing, well, technically, two things. Joshua was looking at it, rubbing behind his head. "You''ve been here a lot longer than me." He looked to Katie near him on the sidewalk. "What exactly is that?"


    Katie craned her head back to get a good look. "Shit." She glanced away and back at Josh. "That''s when the next attack''s coming, and time''s running out."


    Joshua looked up at it again as it clicked away. "It''s still, like, days away, right?"


    "Uh, hours now." She leaned against the building as she turned toward Josh. "On the bright side, for me, they usually focus way more on sinners, like you, and less on imps, like me." She flicked her tail. "Still, sucks. You were a cushy place to crash for a little while." She winked. "You''re lucky you''re cute."


    "Thanks." He watched the seconds ticking away, a sour mood beginning to creep over him. "I think."


    "Hey, you''re the one that asked what that meant." She pushed off the wall. "Now, if it was me, I''d be less worried about me." She frowned with thought. "That came out wrong. You." She pointed at Josh directly. "You have souls. You''re a step up. You''re down on their list. Your friends though? A1 beef waiting to be chomped."


    "Then we have to move. Get away from here. Come on." He turned and began to walk quickly. "The sooner we''re gone, the better."


    Katie giggled at the idea. "Oh, now that''s the attitude you should have." She broke into a jog to match his determined fast walking. "But running won''t get you far, otter boy. They have wings, and magic. There isn''t too far you could go they couldn''t catch up with."


    He stumbled slightly as he walked, his steps growing erratic. "Yeah, well, I don''t see anyone else thinking up some brilliant solution. We got to go."


    "Where?" Katie was grinning. She flashed her sharp teeth. "When it comes down to these times, you have two options really. One." She thrust out a finger. "You let them kill who they kill and hope it''s nobody you care about. Two." She thrust her second finger out. "You fight any of them that gets close to something you care about." She licked that finger. "Bloody work, but effective if you win."


    Josh put his hands at his hips. "What''s three?"


    "You get enough backers that they decide attacking you and yours ain''t worth the time." Katie shrugged with a snort. "Not enough time to really think about that. Maybe the next go-around?"


    The otter groaned. "You don''t even sound that worried, Katie!"


    "And you sound like a little bitch." She caught his tail with her foot, knocking him to the ground. "Get over it." She leaned in and kissed on on the top of the head. "You are cute when you panic though, not gonna lie."


    He swatted her away, scrambling to his feet. "Well, I''m not giving up on my friends. I literally went to hell for them. No way I''m just sitting back and letting them get hurt."


    She brought her hands together. "Sounds like you wanna fight." Her tone heavily implied she was alright with that option. "But doing it with your bare hands sounds like a shitty idea. I know a guy that can help."


    "Really?" Josh smoothed the fur on his head down, still ruffled from falling on his face. "Do you think he will?"


    "Who knows?" She whipped him on the side. "How much you got to trade?" Her cocky expression fell as Josh looked confused. "C''mon! I know you''re packing something. If nothing else, you have the literal souls of a few chums of yours to barter with. Out with it."


    Joshua blushed as he looked away. "I, uh, I do. But, I mean, we''re friends! I don''t want to trade souls with you. I want you to have them because I give them to you."


    Katie stared at him for a long moment before she started laughing. "Oh man, you are a sucker!" She slapped him on the back hard enough to make him sway. "Do not offer me souls casually like that. Oh, wow." She wiped her teary eyes. "Wow. I''m at least mostly sure you said that wrong. Either way, if you won''t trade souls, your only option is learning how to use the ones you got."


    The otter nodded in response to that. "That, uh, sounds great, Katie. Thanks. Where do we go?"


    She shook her head as she took hold of Joshua''s paw. "Fucking hell. I don''t have any of those, and you think I know how to do this? Look, c''mon." She tugged him along, stomping down the street. "I know some people at least. They''ll show you the basics."


    "Like, magic stuff?" Josh bounded after her, paws slapping loudly as they went. "I can''t say that I ever learned that sort of thing on Earth. Well, except the fire spell, but I think that''s because the toaster was on the fritz."


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    "Was that a joke? Ain''t the time." She half-threw and half-yanked him into the door of a building. "Knock, like you fucking mean it, and you better, or they won''t answer the thing."


    Joshua pressed his paws to the door, a dull wood that could have used some repair and polish. The structure itself didn''t look as if it were in better shape. He banged his fists on the door and it rattled under his strength.


    "Hold on a damn moment," replied a rough voice. "Give me a second." Something fell over heavily, metal clattering beyond the door. Then came footsteps that grew louder before a tiny hatch at eye level opened, revealing a red face covered in scales and horns. The face gave Josh a look over before its eyes fixed on Katie. "What''s the deal with this?"


    Katie shrugged. "I''m not the customer." She hiked a thumb at Josh. "He''s got a death wish and he wants to make it flashy."


    "Does he?" The slit closed. Some smaller metal things clinked and chunked swiftly before the door swung open, slowed by the junk on the ground. "Then come in. Already died once, what''s a second time between friends, eh?"


    Joshua smiled at that as he stepped past the threshold into the dusty, dim room. "Thanks for this." He followed Katie further inside, looking around at the items scattered everywhere. Racks and shelves held bottles, boxes, books, and more, all in some sort of disorganized order. "What is this place?"


    "Magic emporium." The large demon standing in the center of the room tossed back his long, blue hair. "It''s not really, but that''s what I''m calling it for now." He glared at Joshua intently a moment. "Hm, yeah, you got a touch." He made a gesture as if slamming a door and the door behind them slapped shut with a bang. "Not often I see sinners this fresh looking with so many souls around their fingers. Talent."


    Joshua chuckled and rubbed one hand with the other. "Not my talent."


    "Your possession. Doesn''t matter much why." He held up a clawed hand of his own, shrieking faces swirling around the fingers. "Souls have power, and you have some. She dragged you here to learn something about it, I assume. Otherwise, you''re fucking wasting my time and I want you the fuck out before I finish this sentence."


    But Joshua and Katie were still there by the end of that, Josh a little nervous, and Katie rather amused. "See? That''s what you need." The imp gave Josh a gentle push. "Some good, hard motivation. I mean, we''d be having more fun than this if we just ran, but, yeah, he has things he wants to protect, and they aren''t even me."


    The demon roughly shoved Katie aside. "Who would sacrifice shit to save your ass?" His eyes were on Josh squarely. "You got something worth protecting? What from? Some other little punk giving you trouble?" He growled deeply. "Weak shit."


    "The angelic exterminators." The otter drew himself up, pulling his shoulders back. "They''re coming and they''re going to hurt my friends."


    The demon''s mouth split in a wide grin. "Wow, straight to the serious G O D squad? I love it." He slammed Katie''s back. "I forgive you, this time. You brought something worth the time. But they''re coming in hours. We need fucking days, months preferably, for you to learn a damn thing. You''re a bit late, little otter."


    "I know, but I''m here, and I''m not leaving without being able to protect my friends!" Joshua jabbed a finger at the demon. "I just need to know a little something so I can hold them off, keep them at bay, not win, just keep them away."


    "Desperation." The demon snuffed deeply at Joshua''s scent. "Delicious. Mmm. We could make this easy. Give me just one of those little tasty souls and I''ll give you what you need to ward them off, this time. Easy as that." He held out a hand. "Deal?"


    Joshua hesitated only a moment. "No. No deals. I need to earn the protection, not pay for it. I want to be better than that."


    "Okay, fine, then." He crossed his arms with a chortle. "I''m Amundian, by the way. I''ll be teaching you to shout that, as that''s the safe word." Without warning, Amundian slugged Joshua across the face, sending the otter spiraling through the air and landing among the junk. "You''ll need to fight better than that, otter boy."


    Katie hopped back over the junk, curling her tail around a pole as she leaned back to watch. "Don''t kill the guy."


    "He already died once." Amundian brought both hands down in a punishing haymaker that sent metal bits flying, but the Joshua was already rolling away back to his feet. "A second time won''t kill him. Focus, and win, or admit you were wasting everyone''s damned time."


    Joshua growled, ears pinned back as he threw his whole weight into a tackle, bearing Amundian to the ground. Amundian slipped away, raking claws over Joshua''s back, leaving gashes that sizzled slightly. "That''s more like it," he laughed out, the fight truly begun.


    They met, parried, and tore into one another with increasing ferocity. The more they clashed, the more Joshua faintly glimmered.


    Katie whistled appreciatively at the match. "Now you''re looking like you have something."


    But Joshua didn''t reply, instead parrying a sharp punch to the side and leaning in with an uppercut that landed with a flash of Winny''s face at the point of impact, as if he had struck with her somehow.


    Amundian staggered back with a laugh, spitting out some blood. "There, there you go. Now you''ve put your damn toe in it. Maybe you''ll survive, or not. At least you''ll put on a mighty fine show for everyone lucky enough to watch your sorry ass get tore up." He bared his teeth as he began to circle around the otter. "I''m going to take a lot more than a fucking punch to go down."


    Katie looked away from the fight as her phone buzzed. She dug it out quickly and held it up to her ear. "Yellow? I''m a little¡ªWhat? No way. No way!" She threw the phone to the ground, adding it to the junk littering the room. "Damn it all!"


    Joshua glanced at her, but his attention was mostly on Amundian. "Is it time?"


    Katie sighed. "Yeah, it is, and I need you to get your ass up and go now. We wasted our time, we gotta run, or we''re all going to die." She blew a kiss at Amundian. "Get your agressive kink out on the angels if you''re feeling it."


    "Fuck you." He sank down into the trash sullenly. "Good luck with those friends of yours. Come back if the angels don''t ultra murder you."


    Joshua twirled towards the door, rushing with Katie. "Thanks! Be safe, okay?" But no reply came as he barreled out onto the road filled with screams of terror. The sky was full of angry flying figures, and death was already seeping into the ground everywhere more than usual. "Oh man..."


    Katie pointed back towards Josh''s apartment. "You want to save them? We gotta go!"

 Divine Might

    Angels came down in righteous arcs, stabbing, slicing and eradicating any sinner they could get their hands on. Bodies littered the ground, but a fair few were still fighting, and several more had fled. It was all a frenzied blur to Joshua as he watched people being murdered left and right.


    He clenched his fists, glowing with the power he had just earned. "Time to get serious."


    "Time to get us, and your friends, to safety, moron." Katie ducked beneath a slicing spear. "Or we''ll all be dead!" She dodged the next blow and slugged the angel in the face, making a break for it while it was stunned. "Come on, come on! Move, you shit!"


    "Sorry! Christ." He shoved the angel with a sudden angry burst of energy, sending them tumbling across the street. "Oops?" There wasn''t time to ponder it, so he scrambled after Katie, narrowly avoiding getting skewered. "Are we going the right way?"


    She led the charge through the city streets, ducking past attacks and leaping over fallen sinners. "Yeah, yeah, just get your ass in gear." She grabbed a pole and swung sharply into a building. "Your place, oh man." She hopped over the bodies in the hallway. "Angels are already here."


    "You''re shitting me!" Joshua swore, but didn''t stop moving, leaping up the stairs, four at a time.


    The first angel he saw, he screamed with an animalistic fury that didn''t match his adorably pudgy form. His fist erupted with the power he had only just discovered and he slammed it into the angel, causing the holy messenger to fly backwards, slamming into the opposite wall, and crumpling to the ground. "Guys! I''m coming!"


    Katie popped her head up behind Joshua. "Damn, otter boy, you coulda told me you were holding out."


    "I wasn''t. It was all that training." He rushed down the hall, his clothes smoking from the energy that coursed through him. "I can feel them, uh, my friends, in here." He thumped his chest. "That means they''re alive." He ducked back, narrowly avoiding a sword that cut a few hairs free of his chest and sliced his shirt.


    With an angry growl, he pounced the angel and began beating them into the ground with senseless cries. "No!" He jumped up at a sound, reaching for the doorknob to his apartment, only for it to be cut off. "Hank? Winny?"


    He kicked in the door, seeing them being crowded by two other angels. The angels looked back at the opening door. "Lookie there," taunted one with a smirk on their mask. "More sinners, come for execution."


    Hank glared at the angels, but his lip curled to one side, almost a smile. "Knew you''d find some way to help out."


    "It''ll be over quick." Joshua drove a knee into the angel in front of him, forcing them back, but doing little real damage. "One way or the other."


    Winny flipped from her place, claws first, sinking them deep into an angel''s neck, dragging them to the ground. "Die, bastard!" The angel howled and wailed as it squirmed in their grip, still breathing despite the horrible gash in their neck.


    They would have recovered, but Joshua found them first, stomping them with feet that flared with images of Winny with every smashing thud that crushed bones and flesh both. "Leave my friends alone!" The second angel took to flight, his wings sweeping Hank and Winny back with a powerful gust.


    The angel descended with a fierce war cry, sword flashing. "You have the honor of dying in the name of God! For all of Heaven!"


    Joshua caught it mid-swing, blood seeping down his hand. He winced and fell back with a hiss of pain, but he had stopped the strike. "H-honor?" He fumbled a leg forward, then the other, pushing up with a renewed surge of adrenaline. "What, what honor?" He clenched his bloody hands, raising them up in defiance. "I''ve seen the carpet of bodies you''re leaving behind, helpless, sinners or not, cut down by the dozens. You call that honor?!" He snarled as he let out a bestial roar, grabbing the angel by the head. "I call that genocide!" He hauled them to the floor with a yell.


    There was a sickening crunch as their skull impacted on the wood floor, and things became quiet, nothing moving but his friends, new and old.


    Hank shook his head. "You don''t gotta convince me. I hate all of ''em."


    Winny raced forward, tears in her eyes as she squeezed Joshua. "I didn''t want to say anything, but we''re doomed."


    Joshua held her close. "It''s okay. We''re together. We''re okay. That''s what matters." He released her to have a look outside. "Oh, um." Most of the angels he could see were flying upwards towards some portal in the sky. The great purge was ending, if only for a year.


    Katie climbed over the mess to get into the room with a laugh. "Damn. Good work. I never got into the action, but that doesn''t seem like something you can mess up on." She clicked her tongue and fired two finger guns at Joshua. "Check you out."


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    Joshua was barely listening to her as he pulled Winny and Hank into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you two are okay!" He nearly jumped as Katie joined in the embrace, adding a back massage for good measure.


    Hank gently pat Joshua on the back, a clear question on his face. "What was all that? How''d you rip through them when we could barely make them flinch?"


    "Oh." The otter''s tail lashed nervously. "I guess it''s all the souls. They''re helping me?" He rubbed behind his head. "I didn''t do anything. I just... wanted you two to be okay." He hugged Winny tighter, leaning against Hank.


    Winny began to peer at Joshua. "I appreciate the help." She pushed him back. "Souls? Explanations. We all need them." She looked past Joshua to Katie, who was already poking and searching the fallen angels. "You know about this?"


    "Yeah, he has souls and they have powers." She held up the blade of the slain angel, then tapped it to their face. "These sell for good money. Be sure to pick ''em all up."


    Joshua slowly walked to the kitchen, abandoning his clutching hug at last. "I''m glad you''re all okay." He poured himself a tall glass of water as sirens played outside, the crisis winding down. "So, remember, I kinda have all your souls?" He smiled nervously. "Sorry?"


    The trio stared at Joshua before Hank guffawed. "Damn. So that''s it. The reason you''re so weird, even by hell standards." He wiped his eyes as he chuckled. "You''re not one of us, are you?"


    Joshua drew back at that. "Of course I am! I''m your friend, Josh! Card buddy!" He rushed to the table, letting the class clatter to the ground behind him. He grabbed a handful of cards, wielding them almost as a shield. "We play every week?"


    "I know." Hank let his hands drop to the table. "But you''re also not." He raised a finger to thump Joshua in the chest. "You own us. Smiling and friendly Josh. Dopey Josh."


    "Hey..."


    Winny snickered softly. "He''s not wrong, but here we are, with our souls¡ª" She put her hands on her chest. "¡ªin your hands." She spread them towards Joshua. "More literally than I thought. Look, if I had to pick someone around to have a punch when we needed, you''d be in the top three at least."


    Katie turned around in the middle of hacking apart the corpse with a stolen blade. "Aww, that''s so nice. I don''t believe you at all, but that''s so sweet. He''s mine." She tossed the weapon onto a small pile of other things she''d found to sell. "You had him for, what, so many years on Earth, then you got with that jerk." She pointed at Hank. "Yeah, Josh is available, and this ass is his." She hiked a thumb at her own rump. "Calling dibs."


    "Look, it''s not like that." Joshua picked up his chair and set it on a patch of less bloodied floor. "I just, you know, I want to keep you all safe, as friends." He flumped down onto the chair with a sigh, only to find Katie climbed up onto his lap, firing a deadly set of bedroom eyes at him.


    "Stop that." He tried to divert the situation with tickles instead, which did get her laughing. It was nice even, hearing the gentle sounds of laughter instead of the course noises of her usual foul mouthed diatribes. "You''re a friend."


    "This is why you died a virgin." Katie slid down to her feet. "I figured, otter, you were a furry or something. Those are usually freaky in bed. Nope, you''re one of the cute fuzzballs that doesn''t even know what sex is. Figures." She crossed her arms, eyes on the wall as she pouted. "Well, if that''s how it''s going to be, I''ll just have to keep finding more and more of an excuse to just, you know, stick around, until you start begging for some of this." She patted her rear with a playful wiggle of the hips.


    Joshua nodded slowly, just to catch up with a jerk. "Hey!" But he didn''t angrily order her to leave, a fact she noticed with a snicker. Instead, he looked to his other friends. "I won''t let you get hurt. Why the hell do they allow this?!"


    Hank snorted at the question. "It''s hell. It''s amazing we aren''t all enjoying spa day in lava baths every day. Once a year jumpscares are light compared to that."


    "I, for one, look forward to it." Winny paced about the room with her hands on her hips. "It gives me something to work on, something to distract from..." She shuddered visibly.


    Josh caught the hesitation. "Winny? What are you doing when you''re not here, playing some cards?"


    She scowled at that. "Surviving." Her eyes looked towards the ceiling. "I used to have dreams, you know, even after it all. Even after death, I was a happy person." She shook her head. "But Hell has a habit of reminding you just how fucked you and everyone around you really is." Her claws came out to drag lightly across the wall, drawing thin lines into the already ruined surface. "If only you had a spare soul, I''d take it."


    Joshua slumped in his chair. "I have a few." He scratched at his cheek. "I don''t know how to pass them though? They''re not like coins." He held out his hands, but could see nothing too obvious about it. "I just know I have them. I also know I care about you guys. I don''t want you doing things that get you hurt."


    Katie groaned, rubbing her face. "Ugh, this is why you''re a virgin."


    Winny barked a laugh. "You keep saying that." She raised a brow at the imp. "You that eager to fix that for him?"


    "If he let me." Katie shrugged. "Wouldn''t be the first time I took a cock in either end to get in a better position, and he''s adorable enough to probably stick around afterwards."


    Joshua leaned against his knees. "Okay, wait, really, just stop." He let out a breath to calm himself. "Can we focus on how we just almost died, again? The first time was more than enough, thanks." He rubbed his arms, remembering the chill that had seized him. "And we''re all still alive." He let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank heavens for that."


    Katie stuck her tongue out. "It''s Hell. Nothing about this place is heaven. And, technically, I''m alive, and you''re not." She snickered at the others in the room. "Bunch of dead sinners."


    Joshua slowly raised a paw to wave at the others. "But we''re okay." He pointed at himself. "I feel alive, right now." He hopped to his feet, tail swaying. "I''m fuzzier than I used to be." He twirled in place with a little laugh. "I''m okay with that. I still have my friends. Life''s worth living. Isn''t that all you need?"


    He faced the others with a bright smile. Winny broke the growing silence by punching Joshua on the shoulder. "You shouldn''t give sappy speeches while you''re still splattered with the blood of angels. It''s trippy."

 Come Faithful

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