Roxy and Loona's Romantic Revenge

"Come on, Moxxie, be brave, try to get back on your hooves," Millie said with a smile, encouraging her wheelchair-sitting husband. "I don't know, honey. The doctors told me not to exert myself too much," the imp said uncertainly, glancing apprehensively at the floor. "What if the bones break again?" "They won't, because you are so strong. And your bones are rock hard," Millie muttered, stepping closer and hugging him, which made Moxxie moan painfully. "Oh, I'm sorry. Anyway, don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Just take a couple of steps and you'll sit right back down." "All right, I'll try it for you," said Moxxie, and, taking a deep breath, he gripped the armrests with his hands, and then on trembling legs began to climb up. "That's it, just a little bit more! Come on, you're doing great!" The demoness whispered excitedly as she watched him. Moxxie looked at Millie hesitantly, not quite sure he was ready to do it, but then he pulled himself together and left the chair completely. "Yay! You made it!" Millie shouted cheerfully, snuggling gently against him and kissing his cheek. "Did I do it? I do it! Yes! I did it! I did it! I'm on my hooves again!" The imp exclaimed happily, hugging her back and dancing merrily. "See? I told you that you could do it," Millie said. "You're so strong." "You're right! I am strong! And I don't need this damn chair anymore! From now on I won't use it anymore, and I'll start walking on my own! Just like old times..." Moxxie exclaimed triumphantly. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M TALKING HERE?!" suddenly interrupted them Blitz, who was sitting at his desk, and when the spouses had quieted down a little, put the phone to his ear again. "Yes, I know this folio is very valuable, Stolas, and I can't buy another one in a bookshop, but are you sure you didn't leave a couple of photocopies at home?" He said excitedly, on the telephone with Prince Goetic. "I'm afraid not. And besides, what do I need them for? You understand my charming long-dick imp, that no copy can release magic and only the original book has sufficient power to do the spells written therein," Stolas replied. "Why do you need it? You haven't lost it, have you? It is a very priceless book, and it was given to me by my father, one of the most powerful hell lords, who would be very angry if he knew that his possessions had disappeared without a trace." "What? No, no, of course not. What do you take me for, Stolas? I always take care of that fancy little book and make sure it's all right," said Blitz, fixing the collar around his neck with excitement. "Let's just imagine for a second that my beloved daughter Loonie decided to go for a walk and accidentally took this book with her. Now, if all these amazing and unlikely events suddenly happened, how would I be able to find my daughter?" "Oh, I'm afraid only by finding another, incredibly rare and very valuable grimoire that one of the nine hell lords has," Stolas told him. "Shit," Blitz cursed in a whisper. "But I don't think any of them would condescend to let a small, albeit very sexy imp use such a rare artifact. Especially if he knew that one of those books was already missing," the prince continued. "Yes, I got that," Blitz said irritably. "Since you want to find your daughter so badly, I suppose I could help you find her, if you do something for me. Well, you know what I mean?" Stolas said playfully. "Oh, in the name of all the vile and disgusting things that is in our hell, Stolas! Are you really going to blackmail me and try to trade my peace of mind for a chance to put your feathery ass on my face?" The imp snapped. "That's right, my incredibly intuitive little devil. And since I can help you in this difficult matter and turn a blind eye to the loss of such a rare book, you will have to do me..." Stolas then began to list such explicit and vulgar sentences, complete with all sorts of lewd details, that Blitz squeamishly put the phone on the desk away from him and stared at it like a snake that was about to bite him. "Wow, boss!" Moxxie said when he heard some of the words. "Yeah, we'll definitely have to try some of that," Millie added, listening with interest to the prince's speech. "Hey, fuck off!" Blitz shouted at them. "This is a private call! And anyway, I'm not interested in your witticisms now, I have to save..." Suddenly a portal opened in the wall in front of them. "You know, fuck it all! Loona is back, and so is your precious grimoire, Stolas. So do your own perverted bullshit, I've got work to do, bye-bye," Blitz said, and quickly turned off the phone. "Lonnie, darling, you're home at last!" He said cheerfully, taking a step toward the portal. "So, how did it go? You and our client managed to... um..." He paused in surprise when he saw the horrible condition in which the hellhound had returned to them. Her fur was stained with soot and dirt, and her clothes were torn in a couple of places. And that's not to mention the many bruises and cuts she had on her body. "Yeah, it was fucking awesome," she replied, stepping forward and stepping on the hooves of the Moxxie standing next to her. "Ouch! My legs!" He yelled, falling into his wheelchair and rubbing his bruises quickly. "Oh, sorry, fatty, I didn't see you," said the hound with a smirk, shaking some of the dust and dirt off and letting go of Roxy, who looked no less tired and exhausted. "Loonie, what happened?" Blitz asked. "It's all right, we did the job, the client is happy, I'm just a little tired and I don't want to talk about it now," Loona said briefly, putting the wrinkled grimoire on her desk and sitting down next to it. "By the way, I'm taking the day off tomorrow." "A day off? But-but what..." the imp tried to argue. "I said a day off!" The hellhound barked. "Okay, if you say so," he nodded, frightened, and glanced over at Roxy as she passed him. "And how about..." "I'll bring the rest of the payment tomorrow. After I get some rest," she said, falling exhaustedly onto Loona's desk and closing her eyes. "And half of it will be mine," Loona added, pulling out a finished bottle of bourbon from the desk. "But, Lonnie, I thought we were going to..." Blitz wanted to interject again. "Mine!" Shouted the hellhound. "Yes, right. That's exactly what I was going to suggest. After all, you've been such a good girl that you deserve some pocket money," Blitz hastily agreed. "That's right," Loona nodded. "And now our client and I would like to be alone for a while." "Of course, we'll leave you two alone," said the imp, rubbing the back of his head, and, grabbing the handles of the wheelchair, quickly wheeled Moxxie out into the corridor. Millie followed them out. "Finally some peace and quiet," Loona said, taking a few sips and handing the bottle to Roxy. "Here you go." "Thank you, I've always wondered what draws people to this stuff," Roxy said while grabbing the bottle and taking one big gulp of the liquor before coughing loudly. "Oh God, it's disgusting! You enjoy this crap!" "No. But it makes the world so much brighter and less disgusting," said the hellhound, taking the bourbon and drinking it again. "Oh, yeah, that's good booze. Especially after a mission like that." "Yeah, you're right," Roxy said, feeling the warmth coursing through her veins as she took it and drank it all down. "It's good stuff. Oops, sorry I drank it all." "Don't worry, I have plenty more," Loona said as she opened the desk and pulled out a new bottle. "Well..." Roxy said after a short silence, watching her drinking companion. "What are you planning to do now?" "I don't know," the hellhound shrugged. "At first I wanted to go home and curl up in bed. But since you helped us through another terrible financial crisis with your mission, and saved me from having to spend the night on the street cuddling with these losers, I now owe you a favor, and I think it's high time we get out of here. Do you mind? "No. I'm new here anyway, and I don't know anything yet," agreed the she-wolf. "Where will we go?" "Let's go to a club or a pub," Loona suggested. "There are a couple of places around here where we could have a good time." "That sounds interesting. I could use some rest after this adventure," Roxy said as she got to her feet and smoothed out her disheveled hair. "Well, let's go, then." "Not so fast. Let me change first," said Loona, looking down at her red tank top. "Because even though your clothes look good on me, I'd like to be myself again." "I see," the she-wolf nodded in agreement. The hellhound stood up, too, and ran her hand over the paint on her belly. "And I need a shower," she added, and then looked at Roxy. "So do you, by the way." "Why? I'm not supposed to shower. And I don't sweat," said the she-wolf. "You didn't sweat before, when you were you, but now you're in hell, and you have a real, infernal equivalent of flesh and blood that can sweat, bleed and stink." The Hellhound chuckled quietly. "Not to mention the biological processes you'll have to get used to, too." "What biological processes?" Roxy looked wary. "You'll find out soon enough. When the bourbon begs to be let out," Loona giggled. "But before that happens, come with me to the shower and I'll help you figure it out." Taking the she-wolf by the hand, she led her toward the back rooms, where they had a recreation room and a bathroom with a shower.

***

"So this is hell?" Roxy said when half an hour later they were walking down one of the darkening streets of the underworld. All sorts of demons and cursed souls were scurrying by, and the lights of countless neon signs belonging to nightclubs and bars loomed ahead of them. "Yeah, one of its neighborhoods, to be exact. You and I are in Imp City, which is located in the Pride Ring and closely adjacent to the border of the Wrath Ring. Which means that two deadly sins intersect here, and we get a lot of whacked-out maniacs and murderers who end up here for all kinds of muckraking, torture, and torture of their victims," Loona nodded. "So you've got a good chance of meeting your Vanessa and her little brat here." "What a crazy place," the she-wolf sniggered as she looked at a demon's body hanging from a pole by its neck. "Though, to tell you the truth, this is not how I imagined hell to be." "Really? And how did you imagine it? The hound inquired. Wait, let me guess, like a place where there are cauldrons and braziers, and fat and sweaty imps with pitchforks and knives walk around and torture the sinful souls that come here?" "Kind of," Roxy answered. "When I worked at the pizza place, I used to watch movies at night. Comedies, action movies, and, of course, horrors that portrayed hell like that. Here, however, it's very different and more like... an ordinary city, albeit a dirty one." "So this is the city where demons and sinners live," Loona confirmed. "And since all sinners come to us from above, the environment is just the same. All the houses, streets and institutions are built exactly as in their world. But roasters and cauldrons can only be found in tourist areas, where they are photographed by visitors coming to us from other rings of hell." "Got it. I'll never believe Hollywood again" Roxy lamented. "Yeah. And they can put you in the boiler if you unwisely accept an offer from the studio that made "Helltown"," the hellhound pulled out her phone and showed her companion an icon on the menu. "They often walk the streets and offer naive souls a chance to earn some money. So if you see that logo on someone's clothes, don't take any deals, no matter how tempting they might be." Loona grimaced. "And above all, beware of the freakish dandy in the crimson jacket who occasionally walks around here with a microphone." "Who's that?" The she-wolf asked. "Everyone calls him Radio Demon. Though he doesn't look that scary on the outside, believe me, he's a real psychopath. They say he was a common sinner in the past, but that didn't stop him from killing a good half of the ancient lords of hell, whose tortures and tormented screams he broadcast live on the radio." "Wow, so even sinners can be in charge here?" Roxy whistled. "Of course, if you have the power, you can cut off all hell. Which, by the way, has happened more than once in the past." "And? So evil didn't go away after that?" The she-wolf was astonished. "I thought killing all the demons would make the world a better place." "Nah, that only happens in the movies. In reality, it's not like that. And no matter how many imps, demons, and overlords you kill, you'll just reduce their numbers. And even if by some miracle you manage to multiply all nine rings of hell by zero, the cursed souls won't just disappear or stop coming. And sooner or later one of them will be stronger and finish you off, and then everything will start all over again." At that moment, somewhere above them, shots rang out and cannons rumbled, accompanied by loud shouts and curses. "Why do you think we have armed confrontations and shootings every day?" Upon hearing this, Loona asked. "Every idiot here thinks he's Satan himself and tries to grab him a piece of hell, sure in themselves that they'll succeed." A strange airship, decorated with gears and laser cannons, flew over their heads, shooting at the winged beasts hovering near it. "And if he can do it sometimes, some other demons come along and take his place," the hellhound said, watching the battle indifferently. "So if you don't want to get into one of those meat grinders, be careful. We don't care about casualties." And, grabbing Roxy by the shoulders, she moved her out of the way of the collapsed roasted monster that was shot down which now resembled a deep-fried chicken. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind," the she-wolf said, stepping aside with Loona to avoid the falling pieces of the airship. The girls continued walking through the cramped streets of Imp City, turning off into various alleys and squares now and then to avoid another showdown between the warring demons. As they walked, Loona periodically told her companion about the various landmarks as they passed through. "And here we have Beelzebub Square, also called Lovers' Park. But be careful, it has that name because you often run into psychos who like to rob and rape their victims here," the hellhound said, pointing her finger at the small square drowning in shadows. "Nice," the she-wolf hummed. "And this is Screaming Victims Lane," Loona continued as they entered a small square surrounded by tall gothic houses, with living gargoyles sitting on the roofs, watching with interest as the girls walked below. "Let me guess, it was named after a lot of random passersby who were killed here," Roxy surmised. "Right?" "Nope, not even close," Loona shook her head. "Truth be told, no one's ever been murdered in this alley before." "Haven't they? Then why was it called that?" The she-wolf asked. "Because of me," the hellhound replied with a chuckle. "Because of you?" Roxy was astonished. "Yeah, you'll see," Loona added dimly, as she continued walking forward until a knife-wielding, pumped-up imp suddenly jumped out from around the corner and blocked their path. "Hey, sweethearts, what's your hurry down this dark and unsafe street?" He said in a satisfied tone, staring lustfully at the girls' butts and breasts. "Didn't you know this is Bloody Vultures territory, and there's a toll to get through? And if you don't want me to mess with your soft pelts, you'd better take your panties off so I can..." But he didn't have time to finish. Loona came closer, and kicked him in the balls, without stopping. The imp immediately dropped the knife and grabbed his crotch, letting out a loud and painful scream that lit up the windows of the neighboring houses. "Ah, I see now," Roxy grinned, watching as Loona picked up the knife and bent it effortlessly with her fingers. "They never fucking learn," the hellhound sighed, grabbing the imp by the throat and lifting him off the ground. "How many times do I have to tell you lustful idiots that I don't like to be pestered?" "Well, I... I..." the imp gasped with difficulty. "Do I have to rip off every cum brained moron on the block's balls to get you off my back?" She snarled angrily, grabbing him between the legs and pulling him down with force. "Should I start with you?" The imp sobbed hysterically as he continued to dangle in her arms. "Please don't hurt me, I won't do it anymore," he pleaded, choking on his tears. "Oh yes, you won't," said Loona with a hard smile. "But one of your half-brained friends will, when you tell him you've been beaten by a hound. And, like you, he'll hang around, waiting for a chance to get even with me, until he's in my claws, holding on to his broken balls." "I swear it won't happen again, I won't say anything to anyone, and I'll tell everyone to stay away from this place," he promised, still clutching his free hand to his long-suffering prick. "Yeah, right. If I had one soul every time I heard that, I'd have moved to Satan's palace and eaten the finest sacrificial meat there," Loona growled like a predator, baring her fangs and bringing his neck to her teeth. The imp closed his eyes fearfully. But the hound didn't kill him, and, after scaring him some more with her menacing hot breath, threw him back against the wall. "All right, consider me convinced. Besides, I'm not in the mood to spill anyone's blood today. I've had more than enough of the fights I've had at work, so you're free to go." "Yeah, sure, why would you want to spill the blood of a pathetic loser like me?" The imp hurriedly interjected, rubbing his neck and crawling back carefully. "But be warned, if you or any of your buddies want to do it again, I won't be so nice anymore, and I'll chew you all up, you hear me?" Loona asked, scrutinizing her sharp, varnished claws. "Yes, yes, I hear you" the imp said, and the girls moved on, stepping over him calmly. "And you believe him?" Roxy asked. "Nah, I bet he'll run back to his buddies as soon as we're out of here and figure out how to get back at me with them," Loona said with a chuckle. "But then... why did you let him go?" The she-wolf asked. "Why? So I could keep de-stressing here and beat the shit out of these cocksuckers," the hellhound replied. "And the name of the lane needs to be maintained. I don't want it renamed Vomit Yard again." "I see," the she-wolf smiled as they left the square and headed up the big street, toward the glowing lights of the joints and bars. "And then, even if I kill him and his whole gang too, in a couple of days there will be another one in that place, who will start bothering me again. And I'm kind of too lazy to reeducate them." "I agree. Yeah, life in hell ain't easy." "Yeah, especially near the Wrath Ring, where there live the scariest maniacs who just want to fight and spill blood." She lowered her voice a little, and then added a little more quietly: "Especially when it comes to person like me." "Like you?" Roxy asked again. "I mean hellhounds. We're not exactly welcome here," Loona explained. "What? Really?" The she-wolf shot back incredulously. "Does anyone have the sense to turn on big, tough, heavily padded bullies like that?" "Yeah, a good half of the locals here. We may be cool to you, the cursed soul, but to the rest of hell, we're the lowest creatures in the underworld, and few treat us better than stray beasts." She grinned sadly. "Ha, even the imps think we're worth wiping their hooves with, not to mention the demons and the lords. They can shoot us, or cut us up, or kill us, and then hang our heads on the wall as trophies, which is what they do from time to time," she added, frowning. "So be careful. You look like a hound, and you might be hunted, too." "They won't. I'm not going to let some pathetic little shit humiliate me!" Roxy clenched her fists and exclaimed. "And rightly so. Demons or lords, no one has the right to hurt us," Loona encouraged her, stopping in front of the big brick building. "Well, here we are. A perfect place to drink and hang out," she said, nodding at the oblique flashing sign that showed a hellhound drinking beer from a barrel that had been badly crumpled by his own hands. Underneath the sign was a sign that read, «The Drunken Dog». "Yeah, that's a promising name," Roxy said, looking at him critically. "But it's fair here. They've got booze and a dance floor, and no one's going to be prejudiced against the likes of us," Loona said. "If you want pretentiousness and fancy names, you can go down to Lusty Ring, where every place has that sweet, luscious smell of lying and debauchery about it." "No, I don't think so. I prefer simpler places," the she-wolf winked. "So this bar will do for me." "All right! Then let's go, and get drunk out of our minds! I'm buying!" Loona waved as she approached the slightly rusted door of the bar, which bore a large sign that read «Admission only for hellhounds. Imps and cursed souls, get the fuck out of here!» "Um, what about..." Roxy tried to ask, when she saw it. "Forget it, you obviously don't look like a cursed soul," the hound brushed the door open and stepped with her companion inside a tight, cigarette-smoking corridor, at the end of which was the entrance to a bar where loud rock 'n' roll music was playing. The place itself was somewhere between a cheap bar and a sectarian club: there were dirty tables and chairs everywhere, worn and cracked, and light was provided by sparse bulbs, many of which flickered on and off periodically. Faded pentagram posters and caged speakers hung on the walls, and in the center were pool tables, where a couple of dogs and their girlfriends played, trash and broken teeth scattered everywhere underfoot. From there, the sound of drunken customers falling asleep on the floor was repeatedly heard. After passing a couple of heavily armed and muscular dogs at the entrance, the girls walked further and found themselves in a semi-darkened room, where, as Loona had promised, there was a dance floor and a bar, and some moderately clean tables at which the hellhounds sat, sipping their drinks or having arm wrestling contests, trying to outmaneuver each other with their arms. "It's nice," the she-wolf said sarcastically as she watched two drunken girls being hauled up on the shoulders of a security guard and dumped in the common hallway, near the garbage bags. "Yeah, this place is awesome. Five stars on the list of favorite places for hellhounds," Loona elbowed her and took her hand and led her to the bar. "Five stars? I can't even begin to imagine what a one-star establishment looks like," Roxy snorted, watching as one of the male dogs at the table relaxed his leg and took a dump right on the floor. When she reached the counter, Loona jumped onto a tall, cracked stool and waved at the bartender, a sturdy Doberman with a wrinkled nose and gray hair. "Hey, Rudy, how are you?" She asked. "Hey, Loona! Not so bad. And you, I see, are free already?" He asked in a friendly tone, taking out a couple of mugs from under the counter and wiping them with a cloth. "Yeah, what a day I've had. I was on a mission in the human world today, chasing after an overzealous psychopath who nearly got me killed. I've been chasing her," answered Loona. "I can hardly stand on my feet." "Okay, so no small sizes," the bartender nodded as he took out the five-liter mugs and pulled out the larger ones. "Oh yes, how well you know me," Loona winked. "But tonight, I'd like to drink something stronger. Say, absinthe." "No problem, I have just the one you like," said Rudy, pulling out a large bottle of green drink and shot glasses from under the counter. "And who is your companion?" He asked as he looked at Roxy. "That? My new friend I met at work," she introduced the she-wolf. "Friend? Do you have a friend?" The bartender responded incredulously. "Yeah, I'm Roxy, nice to meet you," she nodded back. "Likewise," said Rudy as he filled their shot glasses and walked over to them, sniffing the air a couple of times. "By the way, what is that smell? Is it a cursed soul I can smell here?" He squinted his eyes at Roxy, who looked away, frightened. "A cursed soul? Here? Has your nose gone completely out of joint?" Loona suddenly interceded for her. "Did you really think a sinner could come into your bar?" "Sure, why not?" Rudy asked. "Because you can see sinners a mile away and they look more like imps than us," Loona said. "That's true. Well, don't be so hard on me, I'm not young anymore, I could be wrong," he said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Is that all? Or can I get you anything else?" "Not yet, but it's a long night, so don't be far away," Loona said, handing him a fifty soul bill. "Heh, it's a deal," he said, and as he took the money he went to the other end of the counter to serve some more drink orders. "Phew, I thought I was going to be thrown out. Thanks for covering for me," Roxy thanked her as he left. "It's nothing, I just don't want to be drunk alone tonight," said Loona. "And Rudy's nose wasn't what it used to be. So it wasn't hard to fool him." "What about them?" She-wolf asked, nodding at the other guests. "Don't worry; a lot of them are sitting here after hard and thankless work. They don't give a fuck what you are or what you smell like," the hound reassured her. "So stop panicking," she added, raising her glass. "Well, here's to a successful revenge and to saving our rathole!" "To revenge!" Roxy encouraged her and then added sadly: "Which I almost ruined. I hope you're not mad at me?" "What? Mad? No, it's bullshit," the Loona shook her head. "You just got a little touchy when you saw the touching scene with the mother and her son. That happens to everybody." "Does it?" She-wolf smiled. "Even you?" "Yeah, it's happened a couple of times. Who's not without sin," the hellhound grinned. "Now stop fucking around and let's drink. Absinthe should be inside, not outside." And they struck their shot glasses together and quickly emptied them. "Ooh, that burns shit!" The she-wolf banged her fist on the counter and cursed. "Here, you'll feel better," the hound said, motioning to her with a bowl of snacks that looked like dog bones. "Yes, thank you," Roxy said as she quickly ate a couple of them. "It really did feel better." "Well, let's have another round," Loona said, filling the shot glasses again. "Okay, then, here's to no more bad days in your work," Roxy suggested. "Yeah, thanks. And that Blitz does well," the hound added, taking another shot of absinthe with the she-wolf. "Ugh, that makes me feel so much better and more fun right away," she said, exhaling loudly. "Yeah, this drink is a lot stronger than the one we've been drinking," Roxy said with a hand to her head. "Of course, it's absinthe, which is 90% pure alcohol. So I wouldn't advise you to smoke it. You might catch fire," said Loona with a wink. "So what? So, we're in hell, we don't mind fire," said Roxy. "He-he, right," the hound grinned, taking the bottle again. They had a couple more drinks before they stopped for a while and leaned against the bar and decided to have a little chat. "So, when did you give in to your feelings?" Roxy asked, rolling her fingers over her shot glass. "What?" "Loona didn't understand. "You said you've had feelings, too," the she-wolf explained. "What were those feelings?" "Well, I suppose you could say that," Loona said, looking away embarrassed. "But it was a little different. I was in love." "Oh yes, with whom?" Roxy asked with a smile. "With your boss Blitz?" "What? No! Because he and I aren't that close, he's... well…" the hound began confused. "Yes?" said Roxy with interest. "He's my father," Loona finished, and then she took a bottle in her hand and took a couple of long sips. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," she-wolf said guiltily. "I didn't know an imp could have a daughter hellhound." "Don't be a fool, he's not my natural father, he adopted me. So, technically, I'm not related to him. Well, not technically," Loona said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Still, he obviously loves you. You remember how thoughtful he was when he talked to you on the phone?" Roxy smirked, remembering that sweet talk during their escape down the trap corridor. "Shut up!" Loona glared at her angrily. "Come on, don't be so sulky, there's nothing wrong with being loved," Roxy said in a conciliatory tone, to which the hound only snorted disapprovingly. "So this is the moment when you succumbed to your feelings?" After a moment or two the she-wolf decided to ask a question. "No, not really, it was something else," said Loona hesitantly. "But I don't want to talk about it." "Well, then don't. Let's just drink," suggested Roxy, pouring them some more absinthe. They paused again after a few drinks, and the she-wolf made another attempt to make her talk. "So, do you come here after work?" She asked. "Yeah, every night," Loona, who was visibly intoxicated, confirmed, licking the cookie crumbs off her lips. "I drink and relax, and then I go home, drunk out of my mind." "And you're always hanging out with your friends, aren't you?" Roxy continued the conversation, who, unlike her, had decided to have her last drink and was now holding it in her hand. At these words, Loona flinched and frowned slightly. "Um, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Roxy asked, noticing this. "No, it's all right," the hellhound immediately brushed her off. "I just don't have that many friends." She took a few more long sips from the bottle. "Or rather, there aren't any at all. Millie, Moxxie, and Blitz, that's who I know," she added as she put the empty bottle aside. "The rest are buddies at best, and that's a stretch." "Oh, come on," Roxy snorted, who was starting to feel a little woozy from the alcohol. "Such a tough and belligerent hound and doesn't have a friend or two?" "Nope, no one. There were all sorts of horny cunts who wanted to fuck me, but I quickly taught them what happens to those who put their slippery dicks up my ass. Fucking freaks!" She grabbed Roxy's shot glass and drank it in a gulp. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I brought it up," the she-wolf apologized. "Aw, forget it! It's all bullshit! It's just the way of our world, where all men want only one thing from us," said Loona with an awkward wave of her hand (and knocked over a bowl of snacks), and with a rattle slammed it on the counter added: "There was, however, one dog I had a crush on. He works for a rich and famous porn star, and we happened to run into him when Blitz and his owner were fighting over a parking space." And she started describing the guy she liked. "Big strong arms, pumped up torso, manly eyes, daring clothes," she said with a slight blush on her cheeks. "In a word, a dream. He even invited me to a party once." "Yeah? What happened there?" Asked the she-wolf. "Ha, nothing! He was busy! And by the Mistress of Gluttony herself!" Loona exclaimed, stealthily pulling out a bottle of vermouth from under the counter and opening it. "Hey, what are you doing?" Roxy asked when she saw it. "Don't worry, I'll pay for it later," the hound promised, pouring its contents into a used beer mug and draining it immediately, before wiping her mouth with her top and continuing: "Of course, when I found that out, I decided not to give up so easily." She handed the bottle to Roxy. "Did you fight for him?" Roxy suggested, taking a sip of vermouth, too. "Yes, I did! I was sure I could win him over if I could prove that I was a more desirable bitch than she was. So I followed him around, complimented him, hinted at him, and once took him to the most expensive restaurant in the Ring of Gluttony. Ha, one meal there is like buying a premium car." "What about him?" asked the she-wolf. "What about him? He was quiet the whole evening, and when I asked him what the matter was, he suddenly took... he said everything that he thought about me. He called me selfish, an asshole who only cared about herself. And he said I'd never loved anyone and would always be alone." She snatched the bottle from Roxy and drank it in one long gulp, then threw it on the floor. "Bastard!" The hound exclaimed, falling on the counter. "Yeah, what kind of an asshole would say that to a girl?" Roxy tried to back her up. "He doesn't know anything about you." "No, he was right, I am. I'm an evil, selfish bitch, and always have been," Loona shook her head and then suddenly burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. "Now, now, Loona," said the she-wolf, putting her arm around her. "If you ask me, I don't think you're selfish." "No, I am. Because I've never been loved," cried the hound. "I was always alone, especially when I wandered these dirty and dangerous streets. I was an orphan and never had any family until Blitz took me in." "That's right. You've been able to depend on yourself all your life, and you're not used to trusting anybody. You're not selfish, Loona, just very careful," Roxy said. "You're right, I am careful. Because if I trust someone and open my heart to them, sooner or later they'll betray me and break it," Loona said lazily with her finger in front of her. "That's why it's so much easier for me to shut myself off from everyone and hate them. At least that way I'll never get stabbed in the heart." "But you'll never be happy," said the she-wolf. "If you continue to drive everyone away from you and be afraid, even if you live in hell, you will always be alone." "So this is my fate," sighed the hound. "No, it isn't! You shouldn't think like that, in the world there will always be those who love you and are ready to sincerely support you." "Who?" Loona muttered incredulously. "Your foster father, who loves you even if you are mean." "Blitz? Come on, he doesn't want me, he just..." "What? Took you home with him, nurtured you, provided for you and cared for you in every way, even though, in your own words, no one around here gives a damn about hellhounds. If that's not love, then I don't know what is." Loona said nothing to her, continuing to stare blankly ahead. "And then, you shouldn't have to worry about what some husky loser said. You're a strong, determined, and charming girl, and if he didn't have the sense to realize that, then he's not worthy of even looking at you, let alone loving you. He doesn't deserve it." Roxy took another bottle, this time of gin, from under the counter and began to drink it. "Hey, what are you doing?" Loona smiled faintly, repeating what the she-wolf had said a few minutes ago. "Don't worry, I'll pay for it later," Roxy said in her own words. "That's right," the hound chuckled, and then rose and hugged her. "Thank you, Roxy. No one has ever said such kind and good words to me before. No one but you and Blitz. You seem to be the only ones who really appreciate me. I'm... I'm so sorry that I reproached him every time he tried to help." And she burst into tears again. "It's all right. You can still apologize to him. I'm sure he'll understand," Roxy said, stroking her disheveled hair. "And you," Loona added. "I was rude to you a lot, even though we barely know each other. And yet you still support me. You... you..." She lifted her tear-stained eyes for a moment and looked into Roxy's eyes. "You're my best friend in the world." "And you're mine, Loona," the she-wolf said, hugging her again. They sat like that for a few minutes as they continued to snuggle into each other, but then their touching moment was suddenly interrupted by the creak of the front door pulling away. The hellhound raised her eyes and immediately lowered them again, clutching even harder to the wolf's shoulder. "Loona, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Roxy asked. "Shh, don't say my name," the hound asked. "Huh? Why not?" The she-wolf didn't understand. "He's here," Loona said in a whisper. "Who is?" "The man I told you about. Vortex," the hound answered, one eye ajar. Roxy turned her head carefully to see the crowd of dogs and their girlfriends, laughing and talking about something, heading toward the bar. They were being led by a big, pumped-up male with a scar over his eye, dressed in a leather vest and jeans. "No, no, he's coming to us. Roxy, let's get out of here, quick," Loona asked. "Sure, let's go," the she-wolf agreed and was about to rise with the hound, but the company, led by Vortex, was quicker and reached the counter first. "Hey, Rudy, pour me and my friends a pint of your strongest beer!" He said loudly as he stood near the girls. "It's my lucky day. Verosika scammed some rich dickhead from the Ring of Greed out of a lot of dough and gave me a lot of credit for batting his guard's eye out." "You got it, Vortex," the bartender said, heading for a large, Satanic-symbol-laden keg. The dog nodded contentedly, and leaned against the bar and looked around. "Wow, who do I see! Hello, Loona," he said, noticing the hound's back. "Uh, yes, hello, Vortex," Loona said with goose bumps as she turned toward him. "It's been a while." "Yes, it has," the dog agreed. "Since that bad night at the Ring of Gluttony." "Yeah," Loona said, blushing, not daring to look him in the eye. "Look, I know I was a little abrupt that night. But I hope you don't hold it against me. I just wanted to point out your mistakes," he continued in a slightly presumptuous tone. "Well, yes, in a way," she whispered quietly, a little sober from her nerves. "Besides, it wouldn't have worked out between us anyway. I have a powerful girl who is more discreet and thoughtful than you are. So I advise you to get smart and start working on your character. If you don't, no one will ever love you, and you'll spend the rest of your life alone." "Maybe," Loona nodded, sobbing, while her friends, who were standing next to Vortex, openly mocked her. "So let's pretend none of this ever happened and just be friends," Vortex finished, turning away from her and adding snidely, "But what kind of friends could you have?" And, laughing, he took a mug of beer and continued his conversation with his buddies. "Let's get out of here, please," Loona whispered in despair, barely able to hold back her tears. Roxy looked at her, humiliated, miserable, and utterly broken, and her anger boiled up inside her. "Not yet," she growled, and then she stepped away from Loona and headed toward the Vortex. "I'm going to say something to that bastard first." "Roxy, don't. I..." the hound tried to stop her, but she jerked her arm back, grabbed the dog by the shoulder, and jerked him back toward her, causing him to spill beer all over himself and his pals. "Now you listen to me, you pretentious and arrogant high-flyer! You have no idea what Loona has been through! You've spent your whole life under the feet of a rich bimbo, while Loona had to survive and fight for her life! And you have the nerve to teach her anything?! You, you cowardly mama's puppy?! You're disgusting!" "What? Who the fuck are you?" Vortex said, stunned, putting his empty mug on the counter. "Huh, another cursed soul by the smell of it," grinned one of his mates, who hadn't been touched by the beer wave. "I'm the one who, unlike you, has good eyesight and can see what a beautiful and lovely hound you insulted, you fucking cunt!" Roxy swore, then took a deep breath and added: "Also, I'm the one who gave you those scars on your body." "What scars?" Vortex asked one of the most unfortunate questions of the situation. "These scars!" The she-wolf shouted, grabbed the mug from the counter and hurled it at his head in a fury, knocking the dog backwards into the crowd of his friends, some of whom tumbled like pins. "Well, who is next?" Roxy said, tossing aside the shard of glass handle and turning to the dogs, which were frozen in a fucking stupor. "Who else is itching to get their asses kicked by a cursed soul?" There was a pause. "You fucking punk-ass bitch!" One of them shrieked lunging at her with claws outstretched. "I'll tear you to shreds!" Roxy braced herself for the blow, but a bat suddenly came out of nowhere and landed on the brawler's face, smashing it like a fresh tomato. The dog flew back, falling on Vortex, who tried to get up. The others, along with Roxy, looked in the direction the blow had come from, and saw Loona there, peering at her foes with predatory eyes, swinging her blood-covered bat. "Yes, it's a good thing Rudy always keeps it under the bar," she said, taking a couple of nonchalant swings. "Now, I get the feeling we've got a big conflict brewing here that's bound to end in a lot of broken bones and mutilation." "Oh, no, not again! Loona, don't you dare!" The bartender tried to intervene. "And while I really respect you and your place, Rudy, and would not want to make a mess here, these assholes just pissed me off," smiled the hound angrily. "So there's nothing left for me and my friend to do but..." "Damn it!" Rudy exclaimed, realizing what was coming, and ducking quickly behind the counter. "Fuck this place up!!!" Loona screamed, swinging her bat at the Vortex's gang. With a couple of swings, the two of them immediately flew into the nearest tables, knocking the dishes off their backs and pouring liquor all over the nonparticipating customers. "Yes! A pointless parody of The Dukes of Hazzard!" Roxy shouted, swooping down on the other dog and rolling it across the bar, grabbing it by the pecs. "Oh, fuck, I hate days like this," Rudy said sadly as he climbed out and walked over to the curtain hanging on the wall. Pulling it aside, he uncovered a small blackboard that read: "Fuck this place up," and a list of names, with Loona's name at the very top. Taking a deep breath, he put a line next to it. The ninth one in a row. Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the bar was heating up. Vortex's henchmen, recovering from their first beating, were on their feet; grabbing anything they could get their hands on from the counter and the other tables. "I'll beat you bitches so bad you won't be able to stand up!" Yelled one of them, the biggest and ugliest, and, wielding a cue, tried to hit Roxy. But the girl, like lightning, easily dodged him, and as soon as the dog missed again, quickly grabbed the cue and with a swing hit him in the nose. "Ha, the lightning reflexes of a robot, sucker," grinned the she-wolf, twirling her newly acquired weapon in her hands and already attacking with it. While she vigorously wielded the cue and kept away angry dogs, Loona ran along the rack and pounded with her bat anyone who dared to attack her. And there were quite a few of them, and among them were not only Vortex's friends, but left-behind customers who were furious about being pelted with beer or simply decided to get into a brawl, as is often the case in such fights. One of them, a big burly dog with broad shoulders, picked up a bottle from the table and tried to smash it against the hound's head, but Loona easily evaded all his clumsy advances, and the dog, trying to reach her, only maimed a couple of gaping losers who were close by. On the third strike the bottle broke, and the foe tossed it aside and attacked Loona with his fists. The hound hit him a couple of times with the bat, but neither his pumped up body nor his empty, crinkle-free head even shook when the blows came at them. Then Loona stepped back and, waiting for the burly dog to get closer slammed him squarely into the balls. He whimpered painfully and settled to the floor, clutching his crotch. "Yeah, always works," Loona grinned, lunging at the next big foe that dared come at her. Roxy was fighting beside her at the same time. She had broken the cue on the back of one of Vortex's cronies, and thanks to her quick reflexes she had successfully fought off anyone who tried to approach her. One of them even fancied himself a Kung Fu master and swung his legs around to kick her in the head. However, all his attempts ended in a deafening failure, after which he lost one or two teeth. At first he wanted to kick the she-wolf in the stomach. Roxy grabbed his leg and punched him in the jaw. "Ugh!" He spat out the tooth he'd and tried to throw a spinning kick. Roxy fought off the attack with her hand and punched him in the jaw again. "Ugh!" He spat out two more teeth and lunged at her, furious, but slipped on someone else's vomit and landed squarely in the wolf's clutches. "No, not in the teeth!" He cried out fearfully, seeing that he was about to get his ass kicked again. But she grinned shortly, sending him crashing into the nearest wall, next to which he spat out three more teeth. "Roxy! I need your help!" At that moment Loona cried out, four big dogs and two feisty bitches pressed against her. The hound had been whisking them away with her bat, but clearly she couldn't hold them back much longer. "I'm on my way!" Roxy yelled, jumping on the bar and falling on top of them in flight. Four of the attackers tumbled to the floor, and a fifth, a skinny hound, was struck across the face by the bat and flown to a nearby table which collapsed under her weight. "Quick, hop in me! Let's play doubles!" Loona suggested, and Roxy jumped in and clenched her fists. "Come on, you work from above, I'll work from below!" The hound commanded, and the two girls began beating the enemies who tried to rise. Roxy with her hands and Loona with her feet. "Yes! Yes! We're the perfect beating machine!" The hound yelled, throwing everyone in different directions. "We are death itself!" Roxy added with her lips. "You rabid bitches, I'll tear your throats out!" At that moment Vortex exclaimed, lunging at them with his hands against the wall. "That's it, Loona, I'll beat hell out of you," he said, clutching her neck. "And no one's going to bat an eye." "Yeah, fuck you, donkey face. You're about to lose something," Roxy told him, and then mentally said: "Punch him in the gut!" Loona did as she said, causing Vortex to loosen his grip and step back, and then Roxy immediately did the splits. "That's the crowning touch from Jim Carrey for you!" The she-wolf exclaimed, and with robotic speed she began to deliver frequent and powerful blows to his crotch, finishing with a final crushing attack that left a sad memory in the place of Vortex's long-suffering balls. "Ta-da!" Roxy said, straightening up and immediately stepping out of Loona's body onto the moaning dog. "And something from me, lest you forget what happens when you hit a nice girl like Loona," she added, twisting one of her legs. Vortex closed his eyes in horror, but the she-wolf grinned merrily, tapped him lightly on the nose, grabbed him by the chest, and sent him behind the counter, right into the large and beautifully ornamented mirror. "Well, that's a shame. He'll be in trouble for seven years now," Roxy remarked. "Which will seem like nothing compared to what you just did," Loona laughed. "Now let us finish off those who haven't realized that it's time to go," she nodded, pointing to the few dogs who had survived the fight, the ones with chains and bottles in their hands. "I don't mind. But I think there's too many," Loona said thoughtfully. "Do you think we can manage it?" "Ha, you betcha, because, as my friend Monty used to say: "The more enemies, the easier it is to beat them!" Roxy declared smugly. "Quick, grab that table!" The girls ran over to the big pool table and, picking it up, rushed at the crowd like a battering ram, sweeping them away and finishing them off with kicks. After a little more work with their fists, they easily pacified the rest of the disgruntled customers and were soon left alone in the bar. Those of the dogs who were still on their feet ran away, the rest, writhing and moaning in pain, rolled around on the floor, along with Vortex, who would definitely not be going to work in the next few days. "Well, Loona, you let off some steam, I hope?" Rudy looked up from behind the counter. "I think so, but I'm not sure I did," the hound said, panting loudly. "But I did enjoy it. Yeah, sorry about the mess. Here's a little compensation." And she handed him some hundred soul bills. "Oh, it's nothing. Why do you think I insure this place all the time? I've made so much money from the fights alone that I'll soon be building a palace in the Ring of Greed," grinned the bartender, taking the money with a bow. At that moment, the police sirens sounded somewhere on the street. "I think you should leave now, though," Rudy remarked, nodding at the door. "You know how the local peacemakers are about cursed souls and hounds." "Yes, you're right, we should leave," Loona agreed, rushing with Roxy to the exit. "See you around, Rudy!" She said one last time. "See you. Just try not to make such a mess here next time," the bartender asked. "No promises," the hellhound replied, and she and Roxy left the bar, running quickly through the darkened streets as far as possible from the approaching sound of sirens. "Oh, what a day we've had," Loona said as they passed several houses, stopping at one of them and leaning against the wall. "Yeah, first a mess in the human world, then a bar fight," Roxy said. "I bet you haven't had an adventure like that in a long time." "A long time, that's true," the hound nodded. "Still, I'm not upset. It was the best day of my life. Fighting that mad bitch, escaping the death trap, and now the revenge on Vortex. Oh, how invigorating!" Loona looked at Roxy with a smile. "Thanks for sticking up for me, by the way. That was awesome. I've wanted that for a long time, to have someone support me. Not to rebuke me, not to ask silly questions, and not to guide me, but just to pick me up and support me. I... I really appreciate it." "Come on, it's not hard for me to do this for my best friend, and then..." The she-wolf said embarrassedly, but then the siren suddenly sounded next to them. "Quick, let's hide!" Grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her against the trash can, Loona said. A rusty, spiked patrol car drove past them on the next street. "Phew, that was close," the hound said from around the corner. "I'd hate to see you get held up. Those fucking leggies don't take kindly to cursed souls." She sighed softly. "Neither do the hounds. So you and me, we'd better get going." "Yeah, sure, but you'd better let me go first, wouldn't you?" Blushing, Roxy suggested, nodding at Loona's hands, which had accidentally slipped down and were now resting on something softer and more sensitive than her shoulders. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I just heard the siren and thought that... that..." said the hound, slowly removing her fingers from the she-wolf's breasts and involuntarily touching her body. To the strong belly, the beautiful and strong arms that had so dashingly beat the shit out of the scum that had humiliated her, and had saved her from death more than once when they were in the human world. Loona lifted her head and looked into Roxy's eyes. Into her sweet, full of unpretentious sympathy, delightful yellow eyes. "What's the matter?" Noticing the way she was looking at her, the she-wolf asked. "Is there something wrong with my face?" "No, there isn't. It's beautiful," the hellhound whispered, and then, without knowing why, she pressed her face against Roxy's and kissed her softly. The she-wolf rounded her eyes in surprise and looked at the hound incomprehensibly. But Loona didn't think to stop. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing, but she still continued to kiss her friend, who was one of the few who showed her compassion and sincere love. Then her tongue greedily parted Roxy's lips and crawled inside, where it began to slowly stroke the walls of her mouth, occasionally touching the she-wolf's warm tongue. In the back of her mind, Loona was afraid that Roxy was going to push her away or move her tongue away. But the she-wolf didn't resist her in any way and just stood still, allowing Loona to finish this audacious kiss, after which her eyelids began to close and a light blush appeared on her cheeks. Loona perked up and reached forward and wrapped her arms around Roxy's neck. The she-wolf responded in kind, gently wrapping her arms around her waist. The girls pressed even tighter together and continued kissing with redoubled vigor, their long tongues flicking from one mouth to the other and licking the thin, leathery lips. Finally, after a couple of minutes, or maybe longer, the kissing stopped. There was thunder outside. A downpour came down. "I'm sorry I did it so suddenly," Loona said in a quiet, embarrassed voice. "I don't know what came over me. It's just that you've done so much for me today, and I... I feel like I've lost my head. But I understand if you're not a lesbian and don't want me to…" But before she could finish, she had a wolf's finger on her lips. "Shh, slow down. I liked it, and I liked it a lot. So don't worry about it. As for the lesbian thing, it's not a big deal to me, since I used to be a robot and didn't think much about things like orientation and gender of partner." She gently touched the hound's cheek. "So I don't care if you're a girl. I just want to be there for you. I want to experience that sweet feeling in my mouth again and return the same," Roxy finished, sticking her tongue out and running it over Loona's nose, which gave her a feverish feeling. "Well, cool," the hellhound said, blushing. "So you won't mind if we..." "Become more than just friends?" Roxy said with a smile. "Kind of," Loona said, embarrassed. "Sure," she-wolf giggled. "I want that. I want to be your girlfriend." "Great! Well then," said the hound, looking up at the sky, which was covered by dense leaden clouds. "Maybe we should get out of here, huh? Somewhere where it's not so wet?" "Sure, where would we go? To Wally Wackford's factory, where I live now, it's a long way," said Roxy. "Don't worry about it. You can sleep over at my place if you like. I live close by," said Loona, blushing again. "What about your father?" She-wolf asked. "He won't be in today. Blitz said he wanted to attend some business startup convention and he won't be back until tomorrow morning. So we could spend that time together. You and me." "Okay, Loona, I'll do it," Roxy answered, taking her hand. "Take me back to your place." "All right... um... honey," the hellhound replied with a smile, and, snuggling against her girlfriend's shoulder, walked with her through the dark streets of hell toward the nearby apartment buildings.