"Hey, Nurse, what are you doing?" Iris questioned from Neo's office door as Nyx rifled through his desk.

"I'm looking for some weird pill things Maeze gave me."

Iris crossed her arms. "Didn't take you for a druggie."

"Iris! You aren't being helpful right now, so go away."

The other woman sighed before stalking into the empty room.

Nyx grunted as she lifted more weird papers. "It's the only way he'll let me come with him to Tunrida's Hel. They make me invulnerable."

"I thought you were already immortal."

Nyx gave her a pointed look. "That isn't the same thing." If she couldn't get hurt or die, Neo might consider her an asset to the Demon army and let her come along to free Emry.

Iris rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall as the small green pills appeared in the back of his bottom drawer.

"Yes! I found them!" Pocketing them, she put everything back the way it was and ushered Iris from the room, quickly smoothing down her dishevelled clothes and hair.

Iris clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "You better hurry up. Neo's preparing the Demons as we speak."

"What?" Nyx pulled her hair back in a quick braid and slid on her combat boots that sat outside their bedroom door. She thought she had more time, but Neo worked fast. When he told her he planned to storm Hel, she didn't realise he meant right now. Maeze's curved blades sat comfortably against her hip, and she inhaled sharply.

"Shit."

"What are you even doing when you get there?"

She grunted as she shrugged on her thick kevlar jacket. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet, Iris. Probably just save Emry and get out of there."

"You think Tunrida's just gonna let you all go? It's gonna be a slaughter." Iris pulled a face and stared at Nyx's frowning face.

"Why are you being so negative right now," Nyx hissed.

"Realistic," she hissed right back.

Nyx stormed towards the main stairwell, stopping for a quick bite before she ended up fighting on an empty stomach. He won't go without saying goodbye. She felt sure of that fact as she chowed down on some cold leftovers.

When she turned to approach the stairs, Iris blocked her path, raising her hands placatingly. "Hear me out?"

Nyx crossed her arms and nodded. "Out with it then."

"Why can't you just kill Tunrida and get a better ruler who isn't a total fuckwīt?"

The whir of the electrical appliances flooded Nyx's ears, and she frowned, thinking Iris' words over. It's not a bad idea. But what about Micah?

"I'll have to get through a stupidly powerful fallen angel to even get to her," she said, pushing past the woman's wispy frame.

"Just think about it, Nyx," she called after. "Be careful!"

Nyx spun and ran over to her for a quick hug before drawing a deep breath. "I will," she promised.

Running down the stairs, she followed the sound of thundering footsteps and inhuman growls. A'ren and Ruz met her at the bottom of the stairs and whined as she darted past.

We come too?

"Stay here, babies. I don't want you getting hurt!" she yelled behind her before pushing through the doors.

Her face smashed into a solid body, and she looked up with a half-smile, half-grimace. Neo looked unimpressed.

"We'll be back soon, Nyx."

"Nah, uh," she said, shaking her head and pulling out the two neon pills. "I've got these so that I can come with you."

Before he could react, she stuffed them in her mouth and swallowed, trying to make enough spit to swallow them dry. "Eh, yuck," she spat.

"Those could have been anything, Nyx. You're a medical professional; you should know better than to take someone else's medication."

She froze. He wasn't wrong.

"I know what it is, and it will make me useful now. I can't get hurt or die. What more could you hope for?"

Neo scoffed, turning to look at his swarm of demons.

"You're lucky those weren't my other pills," he said cryptically. "Stay close to Maezikeen or me. Understand?"

She refrained from jumping up and down or throwing herself into his arms. "Yes!" she squeaked.

He seemed to be fighting a smile as he turned towards his legion. "Move out!" he boomed.

Nyx trailed beside Neo, but his strides seemed impossible to match. Hold up!

She started jogging but soon got tired, the distance between her and the demons increasing.

A yipping at her feet made her gasp, but the sight of Ruz and A'ren sent a beaming smile across her face. Ruz lowered himself so she could scramble on his back, and she held on tight until they caught up.

Neo looked over at her with a slight smirk. His pride was evident to her. She blushed, averting her eyes before her thoughts spiralled.

As they approached a small hillock in the blackened landscape, a portal rose, looming like an evil eye. Neo stalked to the front of the crowd, and Ruz followed suit, consequently putting Nyx at the front too. She felt the scowls of the Demons as she passed but decided to keep her gaze locked forward. These demons are helping me; the least I can do is not antagonise them.

She watched as Neo spun to face his Demons, his eyes completely black. "Te e whyek aj'jek iaj ut. Me' vekai o vek."

His demons growled their confirmations as the translation sent chills through Nyx. You know what we're here for. Don't fūck it up.

She gulped, dismounting Ruz and kissed his forehead. "Stay here this time. I mean it."

Shaking the worries from her mind, she stepped past Neo into the swirling abyss and disappeared. At the last second, she sucked a lungful of air and let the whirlwind take her for a ride. Opening her eyes, she nearly gasped, seeing the spinning vortex of colours and dark shapes obscuring her vision. The distance to Hel felt much longer than the other portals she had used. When her boots finally crunched on the frostbitten earth, she gasped, dropping to her knees. Warm hands captured her arms and pulled her to her feet instantly. Withholding a smile, she looked up at Neo and nodded. Thank you.

You're welcome. Be careful, my love.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, blood whooshing through her ears as his words reached her. The whipping winds were a good cover for her flushed cheeks.

The walk continued for miles, the horde behind her occasionally hissing or whining. Nyx felt an eerie presence down her spine, the shivers only amplified by the crowd breathing in unison at her back. Their collective breaths felt orchestrated while Nyx puffed like a dragon sporadically.

A sudden barreling figure appeared behind a pile of snow, and Nyx grinned. "Moja! We're here to help Emry!"

I did not expect you to return, she purred, eyeing the swarm of Demons behind Nyx.

Another three cats rounded the mound and sat in front of Nyx on their haunches. She could feel a thousand beady eyes gawking at her back.

"How far to the pit?" she queried.

Half a day's walk, Moja said. Less if you climb on my back.

Nyx looked from Moja to Neo and blew a cloud of air from her windbitten lips. "Can you keep up?"

His wicked grin responded, and he unfurled his wings. He looked to Moja and raised his brow. "Can you?"

She snarled and let Nyx climb up, burying her fists in her mane. Then, she turned and sprinted without warning pulling a giddy exclamation from Nyx.

I like him, Moja hummed, digging her large paws into the snowy tundra. Nyx smiled and buried her face behind the leopard's head.

"Me too, Moja. Me too."

*

The wall spanned from horizon to horizon, its doorways guarded by hundreds of armed Demons. Nyx swallowed her fear as Mojo growled beneath her, and Neo shouted, "Yo ka!" Find them.

"Who's them?" Nyx whispered to herself while gripping the snow leopard tighter as she sprinted, closing the distance between the two demon hordes. The faceless demons of Hel shuddered in anticipation, and Nyx thought she would pass out when Neo flew by her side. "Leave the fighting to us. Just find him and run. Whatever you do, don't kill anyone."

Nyx nodded, remembering her 'Nephalem curse' before he disappeared into the clouds preparing an aerial attack.

Hold on! Moja hissed, leaping straight over the wall and skittering across the frozen bricks on the other side. She cleared the main army, and her companions followed suit, tearing the remaining monsters in half. Nyx felt the pills kicking in as she held on for dear life; Moja quick turned in a maze of corridors, searching for her Prince.

I smell him, the beast snarled, turning again towards a grating covering the earth. Before they could reach the pit, a sharp pain hit her side, sending her flying off the cat and across the icy bricks. She looked down and almost screamed, seeing a blade protruding but remembered her invulnerability. Moja growled and spun before Nyx shook her head, urging her away. 

It's fine! This is the one time you can pull it out and not die. Just yank. She pumped herself up as she clenched the hilt and tore the steel from the bone. Coughing up a bit of blood, she looked up, spotting moss-green eyes and grime-laden blonde curls. The snow leopards slinked in the shadows, observing the intruder with disgust.

"Ah, Jesus."

"Not quite," Micah quipped, sauntering over with Tunrida's sword in his hand, the tip dragging across the ice.

Nyx jumped to her feet, pushing her fist into the slowly closing wound and grasped Maeze's blade on her hip discreetly. Now coated in her blood, she hoped it would be exceptionally potent. But I can't kill him, or it will trigger a killing spree. Shit...

She thought about summoning Maeze or Neo but thought better of it. They were probably busy with their own fights.

"You walked right into our hands again," Micah tutted. "I thought you were smart."

Her lip curled as she backed away from him. "I have help this time."

"No child. You brought the army we need dead. You sped everything up for us." He laughed, lifting the sword and placing the blade in his opposite palm. "Though you are still too much of a nuisance for us to leave alive. At least in the traditional sense." He stroked the blade and hummed. "I can't wait to feel your power beneath my hands."

Nyx almost puked in her mouth as a tent formed in his pants.

"Ew," she said aloud, forming a massive cloud of mist as she breathed out. Behind his shoulder, she spotted a familiar face sporting a delicious grin. 

Maezikeen? She averted her eyes from the visitor, but Micah had already noticed. He remained still, but his wide grin sent ice into Nyx's heart. Turning the blade in his hand, he let it swing at his side before twisting the sharp point backwards toward her approaching form. Without a second to think, Nyx screamed and let her blade fly.