As he sat contemplating how to build his mind-reading machine, Dr. Flug couldn't help but touch his face. Yes, it still stung. The slap hurt so much to the point that the slightest amount of pressure brought his eyes to a shimmery state.

A regular slap is planned. You know you're gonna slap someone, prior to even seeing them. A bitch slap usually results from someone pissing you off at the exact moment, so it tends to be a lot quicker and it stings more, hence being more powerful.

Yet what had Black Hat in such a bitchy mood?

Sure, retaliating against his boss and offending him played a part; a cause that brought him to that effect. Yet, as unprofessional as it may be, the young employee had done this before... and often. Not the raising of his voice (he would have already been buried 6 ft under years ago), but calling out his boss of his unfair ways.

And I never called him 'inhuman' before.

While replaying the series of events in his head, he could have sworn to see a strike of confusion in Black Hat's eyes when he heard the word, as if he was trying to mentally debate the fact. And this definitely was greatly displayed in the garden, where Black Hat was a bit too reserved than normal. His old self came back, sure, after Dr. Flug's disruption, but it held a more lethal character a few hours ago.

Black Hat never harmed him physically. It was always verbal and sometimes mental abuse, but never physical.

Flug decided to let the revelation sink in for a bit, distracted when finally solving the equation that'd determined the type of power the machine needed. Flug then decided, then and there, that he had to further observe Black Hat to come up with a logical reason for his boss's behavior. Besides, the scientist generally cared.

 If he ever had the time that is...  

"Wait."

And then it hit him.

Looking down at the blueprint in his hands, he smiled for the first time that day. Puzzle pieces were coming together and his confidence soared.

"You, my friend, could come in handy."

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

As the scientist happily started to tinker with his plan, a certain demon fell asleep, head on his desk upon the paperwork he needed to send out to clients regarding the order of the freeze ray. His mouth was slightly open, drool creating a puddle the paperwork tried to clean. He couldn't sleep the night prior and was absolutely exhausted.

A boss always deserved to sleep and that is what Black Hat struggled with. He would always appear to him and lingered there for as long as he could remember. Today was the day he snapped. That didn't happen.

Oh, it didn't? Then explain it Black Hat. What did you intend to teach through-

You're not supposed to be here.

...

And I could say the same to you.

These types of nightmares were the usual, pitch-black background with the occasional gleam of a light guiding him. Sometimes, if he were lucky, Black Hat would be able to make out a silhouette. It wasn't anything new as he's seen it many times before. 

This stops now! I don't have the time for this!

And you had the time to seek out my assistance with your little power trip? I must admit, it was nothing out of the ordinary but you still haven't paid me back.

And my soul was not enough?

Hardly.

Black Hat was then hit to the ground from behind. The thudding on the back of his head was prominent. Two strong arms picked him up, restraining him as he squirmed, and tossed him against a metal wall. With a painful groan from the fallen, and being unable to move with a force deliberately holding the eldrich down, the man decides it was time to end it.

It's amusing really. How do you think the doctor felt after you did that?

...

Oh, now don't be shy Lord Black Hat. I have just the method for today! 

Black Hat already saw the ax appear, as well as the two men from before. And before he could blink, one of the men took a swing. 

It wasn't anything he felt before, decapitation that is. He was a being with enough power to be able to heal wounds at an abnormal pace. It wasn't frequent for Black Hat to feel much physical pain but that wasn't the case as he lost most of his weight to being separated from his body. Black Hat was suffering a slow death yet his eyes were kept open in order to observe the amputation of his form. 

Who's more inhuman now?

...

It wasn't the demon with tears that already formed. 

(666 words lmao)