Helluva Boss: The Better Boss

It's been a couple of days since we had came back from the harvest moon festival and everyone was starting to re-adjust after that nights events while continuing business as usual. 

Striker's angelic weapon, the one capable of killing even the most powerful beings in Hell was locked away in my office, but its presence lingered in my mind like a shadow. 

But bringing it on a mission like this would've been overkill—literally. Currently we where on Earth for an assassination mission, though this human world always felt off to me. being their in my last life made me see the distinct differences between each of them. This air was too thin, the colors too vibrant, and the constant hum of human activity grated on my ears, maybe in was just the different environment going from suberban to urban but it wasn't to my liking.

But tonight, it wasn't important. We were here to take out some jealous ex-girlfriend who'd gone off the deep end, threatening to expose her former lover's shady business dealings. Standard stuff, really. But something about it gnawed at me. Maybe it was the way the target's file it had that same desperate edge I used to see in the mirror back when I was still human or blitz had when I thought someone was leaving me.

"Sir, are you good?" Moxxie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was crouched beside me, his crossbow at the ready, his eyes scanning the dimly lit alleyway. Millie was a few feet ahead, her axe gleaming under the flickering streetlight. Loona who had been tired of just sitting at her desk wanted in on the mission this time and currently she had already opened the portal back to Hell, just for safety measures, her usual scowl replaced by a rare look of concentration as she monitored the grimoire.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, adjusting my grip on my pistol. "Just… stay sharp. This alley gives me the creeps."

Moxxie nodded, but I could tell he was itching to say something. Probably about how I'd been quieter than usual lately. Ever since we'd started tightening up our operations, the team had gotten closer. We were smoother, more efficient, and—dare I say it—almost professional. But that didn't mean I was ready to spill my guts to them about how the weight of my past still haunted me especially with a clearer mind than before. Not yet, anyway.

"Let's move," I said, gesturing toward the target's house shaped apartment building. "In and out. No mistakes."

We slipped through the shadows like ghosts, our movements synchronized from now months of practice. The building's security was laughable—a couple of cameras and a rusty lock that Millie picked with ease. But as we made our way up the fire escape, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched as I was observing our environment. Not by humans, but by something… else.

"Boss, you sure we're clear?" Moxxie whispered as we reached the target's floor.

"Positive," I lied, peering through the window. The apartment was dark, but I could make out the silhouette of our target pacing back and forth, phone pressed to her ear. Perfect. "Millie, you take point. Moxxie, cover the door. I'll handle the target."

Millie nodded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She loved this part—the thrill of the hunt. Me? I just wanted to ensure the team came out on top. As I slipped through the window, I couldn't help but think about how far we'd come. We were a well-oiled machine. But even machines had their weak points.

The target didn't even see me coming. One second, she was ranting into her phone; the next, she was staring down the barrel of my gun. Her eyes widened in terror.

"Sorry, sweetheart," I said, pulling the trigger. The shot was clean, precise. Just like we'd practiced. Now it was Millie's job to disp-

 the room erupted in chaos. Alarms blared, and the door burst open to reveal a pair of humans in black suits, their weapons trained on us. D.H.O.R.K.S. agents. Shit.

"Ambush, Move!" I shouted, tackling Moxxie to the ground as a net shot past us. Millie was already through the window but Loona hesitated, her eyes darting between me and the agents.

"Go we'll catch up!" I ordered, and she immediately took off following our new rules in place for assassination missions.

Loona disappeared into the night, her human disguise flickering as she sprinted down the fire escape. Millie was already gone, her axe no doubt ready to carve a path through anyone stupid enough to follow her.

That left the both of us, surrounded by agents. Not wasting anytime some threw a purple gas towards our direction that spreaded unusually quickly preparing for a take down with melee weapon. I feel groggy from the accidental inhalation and I could only assume moxxie was to as I could barely see him my eyes welling up from the mix of tear gas. The agents closed in, their weapons trained on us, and I knew we were in deep shit.

"You're not going anywhere, demon," one of them sneered, his voice dripping with self-righteousness. "We've finally caught you off guard. You're not getting away this time." He monologued.

I smirked, despite the situation. "Oh, you're way out of your league. But hey, if you're gonna kill us, at least give us a phone call first."

The agent's face twisted in anger, but before he could respond, I kicked a to into his legs, sending him stumbling. Moxxie, still half-conscious, managed to wriggle free from his restraints and lunged at the other agent, tackling him to the ground. It wasn't pretty, but it bought us a few seconds.

"Run!" I shouted, grabbing Moxxie by the arm and dragging him toward the now defenseless door, thanks to Millie. We burst into the hallway, but the agents were hot on our heels. The building was a maze of narrow corridors and flickering lights, and I could hear the agents shouting into their radios, calling for backup.

"Boss, we're surrounded!" Moxxie panted, his crossbow clutched tightly in his hands.

" I shot back, ducking into a stairwell. "We improvise. That's what we do best. All we need to do is hold out until 'you know what'. "

We raced down the stairs, but the agents were relentless. Tranquilizer darts whizzed past us, embedding themselves in the walls. One grazed my shoulder, and I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. I shook it off, forcing myself to focus. We couldn't afford to get caught—not by these humans, not by anyone.

As we reached the ground floor, I spotted a service exit and made a beeline for it. The door led to a narrow alley, and for a moment, I thought we were home free. But then I heard the unmistakable sound of boots hitting the pavement behind us. The agents had followed us outside.

"Moxxie, cover me!" I barked, pulling out my pistol and firing a few shots to keep the agents at bay. Moxxie nodded, his crossbow aimed and ready. He fired a bolt that struck one of the agents in the shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground. The other agent hesitated, giving us just enough time to make a break for it.

We ran through the alley, our footsteps echoing off the brick walls. I could hear the agents shouting behind us, but they were falling further and further behind. Finally, we reached a dead end. Shit.

"Boss, what now?" Moxxie asked, his voice tinged with panic.

I glanced around, my mind racing. Then I spotted it—a manhole cover. "Down there," I said, pointing. 

Moxxie didn't argue. Together, we eventually pried the cover off the ground. but it was to late by then agents from out of nowhere flooded the scene aimed and seconds away from firing catching us in our most vulnerable still lifting the cover due to our collective fatigue.

Just as the agents closed in, two figures stepped forward from the crowd. One was a tall, wiry man with a sharp jawline and a perpetual smirk etched into his face. His black suit was immaculate, save for a small pin on his lapel that read Agent One. The other was a shorter, stockier woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her eyes were cold and smile dangerous, and her suit bore a similar pin that read Agent Two. They looked like the kind of people who took their jobs way too seriously—and had the egos to match.

"Well, well," Agent One said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "The infamous demons. We've been tracking your little murder spree for quite some time. You've been the nuisance, you know. Always slipping through our fingers. But not this time."

(introduce agents one and two while describing their appearances have them monologue about how difficult it was to track them and have millie and loona's portal pop right above the two taking them away and leaving behind a bag of grenades.)

Back at I.M.P. headquarters, the team was waiting for us. Millie was pacing back and forth, her axe still in hand, while Loona sat at her desk, her usual scowl firmly back in place. They both looked up as we walked in, relief flooding their faces.

"Boss! Moxxie!" Millie exclaimed, rushing over to hug her husband. "We thought you were done for!"

"We're harder to kill than that," I said, though my voice lacked its usual bravado. "But those agents… they're getting smarter. We need to be more careful."

Loona snorted. "No shit. You guys were sloppy out there."

I shot her a glare, but I couldn't argue. She was right. We'd gotten cocky, and it almost cost us everything. As I sat down at my desk, my eyes drifted to the locked drawer where Striker's weapon was hidden. Its presence was a constant reminder of the stakes we were playing with. If humans like those agents ever got their hands on something like that… well, let's just say Hell wouldn't be the only place in trouble.

"Alright, team," I said, clapping my hands to get their attention. "We've got work to do. Let's make sure tonight doesn't happen again."

They nodded, their expressions serious. We were a team, and we'd gotten through worse. But as I looked around the room, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get harder from here. And if we weren't ready… well, let's just say I didn't want to find out what happened next.

Agent Two stepped forward, her arms crossed. "You've been leaving quite the trail of lost bodies and blood behind. Random targets, no clear pattern. It's been… frustrating, to say the least. But we finally figured it out. You're not random. You're hired killers. And tonight, we're putting an end to your little operation."

"Let me give you my Yelp review first. Two stars—terrible customer service, and the decor is way too human." I spoke up, tired of their rambling.

Agent One's scowl deepened, and he took a step closer. "You think you're funny, don't you? But let's see how funny you are when we're done with you. We've got a whole facility just waiting to crack you open and figure out what makes you demons tick."

Agent Two smirked, pulling out a small device from her pocket. "And don't think your little friends can save you. We've got this whole area locked down. No one's getting in or out."

A loud whoosh filled the air, and a swirling portal of crimson light appeared directly above us. The agents froze, their weapons wavering as they stared up at the anomaly, apparently they've never caught our portal on camera. Before anyone could react, two figures dropped through the portal—Millie and Loona.

Millie landed with a battle cry, her axe already swinging. She took out two agents in one fluid motion, their tranquilizer guns clattering to the ground. Loona, in her human disguise, was right behind her, her claws extended and her eyes blazing with fury. She grabbed another agent by the collar and tossed him into a dumpster like he weighed nothing.

"Boss! Moxxie!" Millie shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Get in the portal!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed Moxxie by the arm and dragged him toward the portal, which was now hovering just above the ground. The agents were in disarray, shouting orders and scrambling to regroup, but Millie and Loona were holding them off with brutal efficiency.

As we reached the portal, Loona tossed a small bag toward the agents, our last resort when it came to situations this deadly. It landed with a clatter, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then the bag exploded, sending a cascade of grenades rolling across the ground. The agents barely had time to react before the grenades went off, filling the alley with smoke and debris.

"Go!" Loona barked, shoving me and Moxxie through the portal. Millie followed close behind, her axe still dripping with blood and guts. Loona was the last one through, and as the portal closed behind us, I caught a glimpse of the agents lying on the ground under some rubble, unsure if they had survived.

-----------------------

Back at I.M.P. headquarters, the team collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Millie was grinning from ear to ear, clearly thrilled with how the rescue had gone. Loona looked annoyed, but there was a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Moxxie was still shaking, his crossbow clutched tightly in his hands.

"Well," I said, breaking the silence. "That could've gone worse."

Millie laughed, leaning on her axe. "Worse? Boss, we just took out a whole squad of D.H.O.R.K.S. agents! That was awesome!"

Loona rolled her eyes. "Yeah, awesome. Except for the part where you two almost got caught. Again."

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Hey, we're fine, aren't we? Besides, it's not like they can track us here."

Moxxie finally spoke up, his voice trembling. "But… what if they do? Those agents, they're not like the others. They're specifically after us, what if they figure out how to get to us?"

I walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, Mox. We've been through worse. And if those humans think they can take us down, they've got another thing coming."

But as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that Moxxie was right. Those agents were different. But I knew better. Without funding those guys wouldn't stand a chance with no backing it shouldn't be to big of an issue even if they somehow tracked us down again.

'We'll just have to see what happens next.'