This Earth was a strange one, housing the most extraordinary individuals to date. People who can shoot lasers out of their eyes and fly across the world in mere seconds, truly breathtaking

But when faced against such individuals with no powers of your own, there is no such thing as being "too careful"

That is why people like Rose Wilson trained every day, to keep up with the practical gods she often faced in her line of work

Robot parts were sent flying across the room as she swung with precise strikes, her mechanical foes fell apart with each hit they received

Even if she was the daughter of the world's greatest assassin and a threat herself, she wouldn't allow her confidence to get the best of her, not again

"Session completed, do you wish to try again?"

A robotic voice asked through a speaker, it was the AI in charge of the training room oversaw the training

Its voice echoed throughout the room as Rose stood victorious for the fifth time, wiping the sweat off her face and stretching a little

Rose: Bring it on

Computer: Confirmed, positioning

Through advanced magnetism, the robot parts flew back to each other once again to form a complete android

It took about fifteen seconds, but all the robots were standing once more and adopting a combat stance directed at Rose

Computer: Begining assault

The lights in the robots' eyes turned yellow as they began to swing at Rose, who caught the metal and swung it back to the android, sending it back before she kicked it while in the air

When she landed, she swung back to keep her foes at bay, then another hit from her staff, vertically to knock one of their heads and grabbing the torso to block an incoming attack

Then, an opponent wrapped their arms around her neck, but she instead turned around and made robots hit each other and jumped backwards to free herself from a robot's grip, popping its head with a swift movement

This action gave Rose enough space to move, and the enemy was about to make a move when suddenly, they stopped altogether due to a single command being spoken

"Pause"

The robots froze in place, leaving only a frustrated Rose instead. She turned to the door to find teammate and leader Tim Drake leaning there with a smile

Tim: Every time I see you train, I'm grateful these things repair themselves

This comment earned a chuckle from the girl as she lowered her guard by seeing a familiar face

Rose: Training is worthless if you don't give it your everything

She then grabbed a nearby bottle of water and drank from it before looking at her friend again

Rose: So, why did you interrupt the ass-kicking I was giving?

Tim: We're having a meeting in five, it's time to assign the missions

Her smug expression from her face vanished when he said that. Rose herself didn't take long to get ready, but she knew what the young man wanted her to do

Rose: And you want me to tell him?...

Her tone was subtle, not quite as confident this time. She got a nod as an answer

Tim: You know he listens to you

Rose sighed, knowing Tim spoke the truth. She placed the staff back in place and placed her small towel over her shoulders

Rose: I'm gonna need more than five

She took her leave shortly after. Her task, more than just gearing up, dared her to muster the strength to be a friend and lift the spirit of someone

For what it felt like months, the Titans have been missing a member. No maniacal villain or alien invasion did it,
no, it was heartbreak

This led him to be locked inside his own room, and sometimes escape to another reality to enjoy some time alone

But his friends decided that it was about time he got back on his feet and be a Titan, both for his and their sakes

And so, after taking a quick bath and getting in her uniform, the mercenary went to her friend's room. A sigh left her lips before she hesitantly knocked on the door

Rose: Hey, it's me. It's time to go

She failed spectacularly to add emotion to her words, but then again, she had no idea how to approach the situation

There was no response from the other side, something that, unfortunately, wasn't unusual

Yet, this time it was different, Rose needed to get him out of his room, and she was honestly feeling tired of having to beg just to get an answer

Rose: Listen! I respected your wish to be alone for like, a week! Work with me just once, alright?

Again, no answer, Rose's patience ran out. What happened? She had taken her friend to a bar and they talked just fine, so why choose this exaggerated exile?

She chose to put those thoughts aside as she sighed, stepping back to look at a small camera on the corner

Rose: Security override. User code 006

Computer: Confirmed, opening access...

Shortly after that, the door slid open to reveal a room that was completely dark, there was no telling what lied inside

...or at least until Rose flicked the lights on

The room had seen better days. Bookshelves had books missing, some candles were completely melt and even the sword that hung in the wall was not there

However, what was most alarming out of all this, was that the room was empty

Just where could the owner be?

Rose found herself conflicted in her emotions. She was worried, but in a way, she was happy to know there was nobody there

That's when a new source of light came in, one that was just enough to illuminate the small area. It was a portal, and on the other side of it was... Sweden?

But what mattered was who stepped out of said portal, that familiar sight of shinny black shoes, grey vest and f/colored tie carefully hugging the neck

Yes, Rose was looking at you

With a sword on your back, a couple scratches and sore eyes, managed to spot this figure in the room

You: Oh. Allo, Rose

Instead of giving you an answer, she ran straight for you, embracing you in a tight hug that made you drop your weapon

Rose: You're back!

You: Well, yeah, Sweden had a bit of a plague. I had to go

Rose: You know what I mean

She answered without looking. Yes, she was relieved, even happy to see you step out of misery and do something like you used to, Titan or not

Seeing her reaction, it provoked something on you, discarding that sarcasm of yours just for a brief moment of sincerity

You: I...yeah, I think I'm back

You returned the hug for a brief moment before ending. Now with your hands on Rose's shoulders, you moved to the next topic

You: So, what can I do for you?

That's when the tone of the conversation changed to the elephant in the room, never easy to address

Rose: Well, Tim sent me to look for you

Knowing what that meant, you let go of your friend, but also gaining a slight feeling of anxiety

You: Oh...but I don't know if I'm ready yet

The girl gave your shoulder a playful punch, making you look at her

Rose: C'mon, you just got rid of a plague using a sword, I think you can handle this. Besides, I won't let out of my sight

No answer came from you, a paralyzing fear threatened to return. That's when you heard your name being called

Rose: Here, sit with me

She was on the edge of your bed tapping a spot next to her and reluctantly, you complied

You: I just don't get it, I can lift curses and vanish demons just fine but...this feels impossible for some reason

Rose: It's okay, Y/N, it's okay to have emotions. You're not weak just because you got 'em

You: They're bloody stressful

The way you sighed it made her chuckle

Rose: Yeah, they are, but they also help us grow. What happened to you was unfortunate, but wasn't it nice to open up in the first place?

You: Well...

As much as you hated to admit it, she had a point. Your crush on Rachel certainly met a sour end, but while they lasted, the emotions were so warm and sweet

And that was something that you hadn't experience in, well, never

Rose: You found someone who could actually gain your interest when you didn't even know if you'd like it here. If that happened, there's a chance it could happen again

You: And by going with you I'll suddenly meet the love of my life and answer to all my problems?

While you stated that in a joking, sarcastic way, there was some anger hidden in that. By personal experience you knew life was much more demanding than that

Rose: But! This time with someone who can return what you feel, Y/N

Something buzzed, it was something in her pocket. Once she read the message, she stood up, but not discarding the conversation in the slightest

Rose: But you won't know that if you don't allow yourself to be, especially by using this room as your batcave

You couldn't help but laugh at that statement, especially given the current state of your room

Rose: 'Sides, this line of work is so bizarre, you might actually find your next wife while she tries to kill you

You shared a laugh at how weird, but true that statement was. Certainly, your routine had nothing of ordinary, nor your relationships

Rose: I'll be in the briefing room, if you feel up for the challenge, you know what to do

She gave you a smile before leaving the room, thus giving you some time to think about what she just said

It would have been so easy to just open a portal and flee the scene, but the look on her face, so full of hope...

Truth to be told, you didn't want to see Rachel or Garfield at all, the others weren't much of a problem but having to explain where have you been and why you acted so differently would have been

But you would be needed eventually, better to have the team dynamic restored by then, right? For the sake of the world

Who knows? Maybe you'll find something to burn along the way

Oh, what the hell...

Sighing, you snapped your fingers so that your appearance would return to its clean state before standing up and walking out of your room

"Fine, time for them capes and thights"

The Briefing room

Rose entered the area, with the door closing behind her. In the room, were three other people

The speedster Wally West, the charming alien princess Koriand'r and of course, the team's leader, Tim Drake

All three of them were discussing something when the mercenary entered the area

Tim: Rose, how did it go?

Wally: Not good by the looks of it

Rose: Have some faith, Wall

The confident way she said that insinuated her success, something that Tim took for granted before returning to the task at hand

Tim: Kori, the moment you spot something, report it to the nearest station, we'll come to your aid as soon as possible

Kori: Understood

She nodded and took the communicator given to her and proceeded to walk out of the room once she had her mission assigned. As she turned around to leave, she gave Rose a kind smile, one that she returned

Not long after her departure, however, a cheerful scream (synonym) could be heard from the other side of the door, putting everyone on high alert

"Y/N! You are back!"

Intrigued by this, the Titans opened the doors to find an awfully wholesome scene:

Kori floating, holding you into a tight, loving hug

Needless to say, this brought a smile to their faces

Kori: It's so good to see you again!

Her tone was reminiscent of that of a child, it was honestly hard not to smile

You: Right back at you, Kori

She put you back down shortly after, her hands were still placed on your shoulders, and her smile was present as well

Kori: Have you decided to end your self-imposed exile?

There was no right answer to that, especially once you spotted the other three teenagers, and Rose in particular, was smirking

You: I'm...still deciding

That's when the white-haired stepped in to help you explain yourself, a much appreciated gesture

Rose: Yeah, I convinced him to come with me on a "test' mission, we'll see if he's ready to get back

She took a step back after that, thinking about the vague answer she was given, but her positive attitude remained

Kori: Well, I hope the results are as enlightening as you expect them to be

And with that same smile, she proceeded to walk away to her own mission, leaving you quite confused, but seeing as other Titans were already inside the room, you chose to continue

Honestly, the place looked less populated than you remembered, but you still got reactions to your arrival

Wally: So... Y/N's back!

Sensing the pattern with the other two people who gave you a hug, a smug comment on it was inevitable

You: Don't tell, you're going for a hug too

You were then punched in the shoulder by Rose herself, who was smirking

Rose: Just ignore him

Wally: We're just glad to see you back on your feet

You answered that by nodding, not making too much of it either

You: So, where is everyone?

Tim: Cyborg and Superboy were called to assist in the repair of a research station in Antarctica

Wally: Raven and BB are investigating Atlantis at the request of our friend Garth

The mention of their name was quite irritating, but something you tried to ignore...for now, of course

Tim: As you can tell, Kori just left, but she'll will patrol the atmosphere in search of potential threats

Rose: What about you two?

Wally: We'll mount guard inthe Hall of Justice, y'know, to make sure there's nobody trying to take advantage of it

You: So that leaves Rose and me doing?...

Tim: It's your turn to look out for the city today

Wally: It's like you said it, a "test" mission

The leader approached you with a softer gaze

Tim: We understand you had some... emotional complications

Taking pitty out of someone wasn't something particularly pleasant, so you went for a more direct approach even if you weren't precisely sure about it

You: A sodding green kid beat me to it, yeah. Who else knows about it?

They were caught off guard by your attitude, quickly understanding they didn't need to be so "gentle"

Tim: Just us, nobody else needs to know about it

Wally: Right...Kinda our fault for not telling you that, but we'd appreciate it if you don't accidentally unleash a demon on us

He got his shoulder punched by Rose, who frowned at that comment. She sure was physical today

Rose: Rude

You: Nah, I get it. Would do the same in your place

The former Robin then put a hand on your shoulder, much more confident in his approach

Tim: Glad we understand each other. Do report anything unusual

He got not more than a nod from you, deciding to take your leave once allowed to. Soon after this, the room housed only the vigilante and the speedster

Tim: Well...that was something

A sigh accompanied that statement, the place sure felt tense after that interaction. It was already difficult for you to trust someone, but now? It felt like all the progress you had made just vanished

Wally: Dude, genuine question here

Tim looked back at his friend, asking him to proceed

Wally: Your judgement barely fails, do you think he's ready?

Tim: Y/N is a capable man, but a bit impulsive I think giving him something to direct his emotions will help him much more than trying to talk it out. He reminds me of Jason in that regard

Wally: Huh, I never thought about it...Plus he has Rose as his babysitter. Let's just hope he won't make a mess while patrolling

Timothy couldn't help but chuckle at the truth behind that

"Remains to be seen"

Manhattan, 12:43 p.m

From little noise to a factory of it, the sound of cars driving through and the chatter of people passing by became the new ambiance as your surroundings had changed

"You know, Rose. This ain't what I had in mind for patrolling"

You said before taking a sip from the cup of tea you ordered

Currently, you were sitting outside a restaurant, with an umbrella keeping you from being directly under the sun. While it was refreshing, it was just as confusing

Rose: What's wrong with some tea and coffee?

She answered, repeating the action with her own drink. Rose herself wasn't wearing her unifomr, instead she wore civilian clothing and sunglasses

You: Absolutely nothing, I just thought we'd be-

Rose: Brooding over some gargoyle while monologuing?

The girl looked at you while those words left her mouth with a smile. It took you a bit to answer, but she had summed it up so perfectly it was comical

You: Well, yeah

The mercenary couldn't contain the laugh, just the idea of it seemed too much like another hero, not at all what you would do

Rose: I thought you'd appreciate the smooth transition to the city

After drinking a bit more from your cup, you gave her a nod

You: I... I do, thanks

She just gave you a smile. The ambient itself was calm, but a hint of awkwardness still lurked around

You could tell she was trying to avoid the biggest topic, mainly because you already talked about it in a bar before disappearing from their radar, but her face suggested she was still a little bit worried

So after giving it some thought, you decided to go for a different approach, same topic, but it would also get you some much needed answers

You: Hey Rose, answer me something, will you?

The mercenary let out a "hmm", a brief gesture to push the conversation

You: I was gone for only a week, why are you all acting like that?

Rose gave you a sympathetic smile at first, as if she knew something you didn't, and in this case, it seemed obvious. However, she too struggled on how to begin her answer, that's when an idea came to mind

Rose: Remember what I told you when you almost got yourself killed?

You: How could I forget that? That tin can owes me a rematch

You could tell she appreciated you following along, but she was quick to dismiss it

Rose: You got injured while trying to save the guys and the mission at the same time...all by yourself. You literally passed out from exhaustion

Recalling the memories was unpleasant enough, but your patience wasn't all that great either

You: Where are you going with this?

Rose: You might not accept it, but we really care about you

That particular comment got an angry response from you

You: Even if one of you is to blame?

Rose: Is he, though?

Words came form her mouth in such a calm way, it was baffling

Rose: Yes, we should have just told you that she had a boyfriend, or Raven herself should have, but how could we if you don't even say "good morning?"

It was hard to keep eye contact with the girl after that, you were still angry, but there was no denying the truth she brought up. Then, you felt a hand reaching out to yours, making you return your attention to her

Rose: We care about you, Y/N, we really do but we won't be able to help if you don't let us. I'm not saying you have to just trust all of us but...baby steps, alright? One crisis at the time

It was clear that Rose knew what she was talking about, there's no telling how much she had to work to gain the Titan's trust, especially given her family's history with the team and yes, while it hurt to witness the revelation of Rachel being taken, there wasn't much blame to go around

Hell, only your family knew and that's because you knew them for years. Maybe, if you gave the team a chance to be more than just an entertaining way to kill time, a reward or two could come out of it...

No word came from you for a solid minute, and when it did, it wasn't even a word, but a sigh. Your friend was about to speak, when you made an attempt to steer tha conversation away from the topic while simultaneously put in practice what you had been told

You: ...So, what did I miss?

This took her off-guard, acknowledging your decision and more importantly, supporting it. Rose finished her beverage as she thought about it a while, that gesture alone said a lot

Rose: Well... About two small-scale alien invasions, three attempts to blow up an entire block of the city and one game night

You: Somehow, I feel that the game night was the biggest threat

This time, both of you laughed at this, unknowingly lightening the mood of, well, everything

Rose: It was, Victor and Wally can get a bit competitive sometimes

You smirked at her, implying that she too was ambitious when it came to facing others in a challenge. The white-haired girl noticed this and chuckled as a response

Rose: Fine, you got me

You: Maybe if-

CRASH!!

A loud noise violently disturbed the scene, the sound of a car out of control. Both of you looked at the source to find a truck rampaging through the streets and in a matter of seconds, plans were already being dispatched

Yu: I'll stop it, you get them out

Rose nodded and without thinking it twice, you jumped into the fray to stop this unwelcomed obstacle. You teleported six meters in front of the car and raised a hand and chanted your next action

You: "Prohibere movere"

With that, the street under the vehicle's wheels began to lose it's solid state, morphing into a sticky trail of pavement strong enough to force the truck into a stop before it reached you

Your partner had already made her way into the vehicle and got a little boy from the inside. He was as scared as one could be in such a mess

Rose: Shh, its alright. You're safe now

Once that was dealt with, you approached the driver's side to confront whoever was behind this reckless act, but were suddenly met with the potent stench of sulfur coming from the vehicle

You: Bloody hell...

Using a napkin to cover your mouth and nose, you used magic to swiftly dissipate the hodor, thus allowing you to investigate the scene, now with strong suspicion

When finally inspected, the rotting corpse of a woman could be found driving, with the seatbelt still on

You sighed as you took a step back. Rose gave you a confused look, and you answered by moving your head side to side with a hint of sadness before returning your attention to the crime scene

There were no signs of outer intervention, the car was as good as new. No signs of unusual substances could be sensed, so she was not poisoned either

What could be sensed, however, was the intervention of something, or someone else. Perhaps her decay was accelerated by some "foreign" presence...Plus it had the gruesome calling card of a demon, there wasn't much room for a theory other than a curse

Your partner on the other hand was trying her best to soothe the child in front of her

Rose: It's alright, we're here to help

The young boy was starting to calm down after hearing her reassuring words

Rose: I'm Rose, what's your name?

Kid: C-Cody

She smiled at this progress, relieved that he was so cooperative. Normally kids would cry a lot more than that

Rose: That's a nice name. Can you tell me what happened?

She was kneeling to meet the crying kid's height when you approached them

You: There's no need for that

The Titan looked at you waiting for your next move. While taken off-guard by this, she trusted your judgement

Once close enough, you offered Cody a hand as you spoke to him

You: Do you want us to take you home, little one?

Cody: B-But what about my mom?

He tried to look at the truck behind you, but you subtly blocked the view

Y/N: First we have to take you somewhere safe, you know where you live in?

The kid nodded and took your hand, you focused on reading him and soon enough discovered where the child lived. With your other hand, you opened a portal and in the other side was a house

Together with Rose, you walked into the portal, that close shortly after. You leaned down and softly asked a favor from him

You: Can you tell your dad we need to talk to him?

He agreed and walked towards the house, leaving you with the mercenary, who was aching for some information

Rose: So, what the hell is going on?

You: The kid's mum got cursed, literally rotted while driving

She didn't know what was worse, what you said or how calm you did it

Rose: Are you sure about that?

You: No signs of foreign organisms in her body and a strong smell of sulfur. I wish it could be something else

At first, she was surprised by how quickly you pieced together the evidence, but then she remembered that you've doing this for the same time she's been a mercenary, maybe even longer

Rose: Alright, so what's next?

You: We need to find out who could possibly hate this woman so damn much to curse her like that, catch that bastard and hopefully reverse the spell

Rose: So there's a way to save the woman?

You: Theoretically, but don't take my word for it just yet

A squeaking noise caught your attention, the man at the door had to be Cody's father. Needless to say, he wanted an explanation for why two strange teenagers just brought his kid home

???: Excuse me kids, do you mind telling me who even are you and what are you doing with my kid?

Rose approached him calmly, almost as if dictated by some protocol because as a Titan, it probably was

Rose: Mr Thompson, my name is Rose Wilson, this is Y/N Constantine

She motioned at you briefly as she mentioned you, then returned to look at him with her communicator out as if it were some sort of badge

Rose: We're part of the Teen Titans, we were on patrol when we spotted a vehicle out of control

You: We got your kid out of it and he led us here, we brought him before anything else happened

Mr. Thompson: And what about Melody?

The flashing memory of the corpse came into memory, a pained expression gave enough of an answer

You: Believe me, it's something we have to discuss in private, sir

Not much was required to convince the man. He asked Cody to wait in his room and not to dare step outside while the conversation took place. The thing is, how do you even explain something as a curse for someone who believes they saw that in a movie?

While sitting in the couch, with Rose on the armrest, you tried your best to bring the situation smoothly to the husband

Rose: You see, sir, your wife fell victim of something that's not under usual

Mr. Thompson: What do you mean?

You: A voodoo curse, basically

You were already preparing your declarations on how magic is real and its many uses, when you saw the man sighing out loud with his hands on his head

Mr. Thompson: I knew this would happen...

Now it was you two who were confused at his reaction, that's not usually how people respond...at all

Rose: ...Mr. Thompson?

It took him a couple minutes to regain his composure, but he looked at you when he could

Mr. Thompson: There's this guy at my wife's work that was obsessed with her. He always creeped me out, I thought one day he would cast a hex on us or something but never said anything because who does that, right?

You: Him, apparently

Rose: Where did your wife work?

Mr. Thompson: She was in charge of a Queen Industries facility in here

The man sighed once again, fearing so much to be right about this predicament. Not the most common reaction, it wasn't illogical by any means

Mr. Thompson: Voodoo magic, I can't believe it...

Rose began to investigate something, probably addresses and the employee list

Rose: What is his name?

You: Wait, are you sure it was him and you're not just accusing him because of his weirdness?

Of course this guy was the right way to go, but you needed to test Mr. Thompson by his reaction. The fact that he began to doubt his own theory made you think of how unlikely it is for him to actually be the guilty one

...besides, you were reading his soul, which wasn't all that difficult

Mr. Thompson: Melody made a few enemies when she got promoted, Margaret Johnson, Timothy Parker... she knew how to handle them...all except this Carlton fellow

Rose: James Carlton?

She asked already looking for information on her device, also writing down the names

Mr. Thompson: Yes, Melody called me after she picked Cody up from school. She mentioned having some sort of argument with that man, but didn't mention why

Your partner then showed him the image of the employee, his repulsed reaction said more than enough. You had your suspects

You: Alright, you stay here and make sure the kid does too, we'll go ahead and have a few words with this man

You stood up from the couch, Rose following suit

Mr. Thompson: How do I know he won't curse us while you're away?

You stopped walking when he said that

You: ...Do you have any salt?

He pointed at the kitchen, you walked there and began pouring it around the living room and outside Cody's room. Once complete, you touched it and chanted something that slowly made the salt disappear

You: I'll bring your wife back, just keep yourselves out of trouble, alright, mate?

He nodded and you smiled in agreement, opening the door to let yourselves out of the house. With her device still on hand, Rose proceeded to talk while you unwrapped a candy in your pocket

Rose: Well, we got three suspects so far. If we're quick we'll find the first two within the hour

She then looked at you already opening the portal, surprised when she caught you in middle of the act

Rose:... You're going after Carlton, aren't you?

You: I got a feeling he's got something, even if he's not the actual murderer

Rose: Let's... let's just check the other two first, real quick

You: Why?

Rose: Just want to make sure we're after the right guy before wrecking things up

You: Fair enough

With that, you closed the portal and instead opened another one. This one led to an apartment

You motioned your partner to go ahead, she did shortly after and you followed suit, closing the portal behind you

Now, you were standing in front of a door, but there was something wrong, it was already open and...what was that smell?

Before you opened the door, you looked at Rose

You: Be prepared, something's wrong here

Rose: On it

She drew a handgun from a hidden holster to deal with whatever lied on the other side.

You opened the door fully, Rose took aim while you prepared a fireball, but as soon as you saw the place, your jaw basically dropped

The furniture was destroyed, windows broken and blood splatters everywhere and in the middle of everything, a body impaled with a wooden stick

Rose: What the fuck happened here?...

You walked into the scene, carefully analyzing the room in search of any details and sure enough, you found claw marks deep enough to see through them

There was also a small scorched area on the corner of the room, either something appeared there or vanished

Rose: The ID matches, it's Timothy Parker. Looks like he's been dead for about two hours

You: And nobody bothered to report the poor bastard...

She saw you tracing the claw marks on the wall and put her device away

Rose: What do you got?

You: Someone summoned a savage demon, one brutal enough to cause this literal bloodbath

Rose: And where is it?

A finger was pointed to the corner

You: Usually, when a demon appears it scorches the ground beneath it. The same happens when it vanishes

You: So that means it disappeared when it was done

Rose: Someone must have sent it, specifically to get in, kill her and leave, like a standard assassination contract

After such chilling words, your attention then shifted to the mercenary by giving her a weird look

Rose: Hey, I didn't start out as a saint, remember?

You: Well...your theory's solid either way. Someone summoned this demon to feast on poor Timothy here and left as soon as it was done

You: Should we get to the-

A beeping sound came from your partner's pocket, it was her small pad

Rose: Hold on

She unlocked it and began to navigate through the information she had just received

Rose: I set this thing up to alert me if any news came up with the name of the next suspect and...oh my God...

You: What?

Rose: Margaret's building suffered from a huge fire, it says everyone in that floor died within seconds

There was a hint of anger in your surprised reaction

You: When did this happen?

Rose: It was on today's news in the morning, but the confirmed list of casualties has just been announced

She put the gadget down to gave you a concerned look

Rose: That's two out of three

A sharp sigh left your lips as a portal was being open once again

You: Okay, that does it, that bloody bastard's getting what he deserves

She stopped you by holding your wrist

Rose: What are you doing?

You: Let's piece together the evidence, shall we, luv?

She let go of you and took a step back, eager to hear your analysis

You: Okay, so Thompson gave us three names

Rose: And a three of them were known enemies of Melody

You: But two of them were killed off with anticipation, but Melody herself was cursed

Rose: Leaving only the creepiest suspect, who by now we know might have used magic to get rid of all of them, but why?

You: The husband mentioned that Melody got into a fight with him a few minutes before her death. I think she found out what he did and got disgusted by it

Rose: But he couldn't allow her to just leave, so he got rid of her too

You: Bingo

And so, with a swift gesture of your hand, you finished the portal you were making

You: You convinced now, luv?

Rose just loaded her handgun before following you into the portal. The journey through it felt different, though, as if there was something else waiting for you, something dark

Once out of the gateway, you were now in a poorly treated house. Trash was on the floor, pests were roaming and even some windows were boarded

But the worst part about it was the hint of red surrounding everything, definitely adding to the unsettling atmosphere

Rose: Modest guy...

Carefully, you two walked into the living room, where a sound could be heard. You peaked in and found a disgusting view:

It was Carlton, but with a pentagram drawn by blood, candles were surrounding a small pile of fingers and even a voodoo doll. However, there were also a couple demons in the room

That's as guilty as it gets

You asked Rose to hand her weapon, you chanted something on it so it's bullets could deal the damage required for this next encounter

You: I'm going in, if you hear things go south, guns blazing

She nodded in confirmation. You stood up, sighed one last time and casually walked into the main room, snapping your fingers so that the fire from the candles would die

Carlton: What the-

Demon: It's him

They adopted an aggressive stand when they spotted you, Carlton himself stood up and picked a knife

You: Been busy, Carlton?

Carlton: W-Who are you!?

You: The one guy that saw through your bullshit, those were no accidents nor surprise murders

The man narrowed his eyes with his grip on the knife tightening

Carlton: It's to late to stop it

You: I'm not here to save them, Carl

Your hand glew red and the demons remained immobile as you lashed out at the man, grabbing him by the collar of the shirt

You: I'm here to avenge them

This comment sparked something on him, a rage of his own

Carlton: Avenge them? They were monsters!

You: Melody wasn't, she had a family, you selfish prick

Carlton: I got them off her back and she didn't appreciate it!

You threw him back, ruining some fo the candles on the floor

You: Not when you condem theirs souls to hell, mate

He growled at this comment, stabbing the knife at the wooden floor and suddenly, the barrier keeping the monsters from moving had banished

When you looked back at this, Carlton kicked you back, getting you closer to the beasts to make his escape

The monster went in for a bite when suddenly, a bullet went through its jaw

Rose: Get the guy, I'll handle them!

She commanded in such a serious tone, you immediately got up and ran out of the living room in pursue of Carlton, who ran upstairs

As you pursued him, hands began to appear from the ground in an attempt to slow you down but were burned immediately after they tried. You ran upstairs and found the stairs to the attic folding back up

Carlton blocked the entrance with a heavy box and crawled back into a safe spot, leaning on a wooden pillar to regain his breath after being chased around. A deep breath gave him a sense of security

But then, the floor was trashed by an enchanted sword flying upwards, nailing itself to the ceiling and making a hole along the way

A small blaze forced Carlton to step back as you aggressively entered the scene once again. Terrified of it, he began to throw anything he could find at you

You: You sicken me, Carlton, you really do

Blocking or dodging everything he threw, you made your way to him once again

You: Love is one thing, but this, this is beyond obsession

You kicked him through a bunch of boxes, making him fall backwards

You: And besides, gushing over someone doesn't mean...

That's when it hit you

That's when the parallel was drawn

This man, as sick as he was, tried to gain the heart of someone, but she was already taken, despite trying to make her life easier, she just wouldn't abandon her loved ones like that

You: That they'll like you back...

The sudden burst of rage was dying at a surprising rate at this revelation. Who would have thought that chasing a lunatic around would give you a life lesson?

Carlton: I-I could have made her love me!

His comments helped reignited the flame, but this time, with more of a judgement in mind. One last time, you picked him up by the collar of his shirt

You: She had a bloody family

The man spat on your face in a desperate attempt to be brave

Carlton: So? The kid can rot in hell for all I care!

Enraged, you threw him back yet again, cleaning the spit from your face

You: He won't set a foot there. You, on the other hand...

The same reddish glow that immobilized the monsters before had now taken over Carlton's body, keeping him from moving and even talk

When he looked at you, he saw both your hands up in a certain position, eyes closed as you chanting something

You: Gone, gone, the ravages of age...

A portal teared open, its edges reassembling the aspect of fire and from the other side, three silhouettes could be seen

You: ...With the demons three let's show them rage!

The hellish pits from behind the portal gave a good illumination, giving Carlton a chance to see who stood in front of him and sure enough, it was three demons

Abnegazar: My my, look who it is boys, our favorite human!

They approached you in a friendly way, almost like they were family and in a way, they were

Rath: Y/N my boy, how the hell are you?

Asked another one while wrapping his arm around your shoulders

Hearing their voices made you smile, but the hatred didn't leave

You: I'm fine, mate, but I'm afraid I didn't summon you to chat

Ghast: Of course you didn't, just look at the gift you brought for us!

The third demon added, sitting on top of the terrified Carlton

Abnegazar: Yeess...this one stinks of death and deception. What a great addition!

Rath: You always have the greatest gifts, kid

You: This one ain't free, guys

Ghast: Sounds fair, name your price!

You took a moment to consider this. You wouldn't be able to save every soul lost to this incident, you only had the opportunity to bring one back in exchange of the one you were offering

Fortunately, there wasn't much of a contest

You: I want Melody Thompson back

The demons looked at each other for e moment, nodded and then went back to you

Abnegazar: You got yourself a deal, Y/N. Rath, go fetch the lass!

The other beast went into the portal and was quick enough to bring an unconscious woman in his arms, placing her gently on the floor.

Carlton's eyes went wide with shock at this sudden sight, everything he had worked for gone like that, but more importantly, he got a peek at the real Hell he was messing with

And was absolutely horrified by it

Rath: You're lucky, this one was heading to purgatory instead, we managed to get her before she arrived

You: Thanks, mate. You can take your sinner with you

Ghast placed the immobile man over his shoulder and turned back, entering the portal

Abnegazar: Always a pleasure to see you, kid

They waved their goodbyes, returning to the land of the damned and thus, ending this whole mess

Carrying the now safe body of Melody in your arms, you walked down from the attic to meet with a barely scratched Rose, who was just as surprised to see the woman

Rose: Is she...

You: She'll be fine, we just need to get her home

Rose: And what about Carlton?

You:...dealt with

She noticed the tiny struggle in your voice, making her doubt what you did, but at this point, it was better than hand him to the cops

Especially when he's already facing punishment

Through a portal, you reunited the Thompson family, giving them their space as you both left the house. However, as soon as you did, you both collapsed on the grass nearby

Rose: Why is it always crazy shit when I'm with you?...

She asked with exhaustion, making you chuckle

You: C'mon, you missed it

The mercenary couldn't hold back the laughter at this, smile and everything

Rose: Yeah...

"I think I did"