Despite the tension that gripped at every fiber of my being, I felt calm. The inevitable had finally come home to roost, and as much as I could no longer ignore it or shove it to the back of my mind - I was glad things were now in motion. A thought I’d surely grow to regret in time, but we’d see how long I’d live, first.

The apprehensive silence in the basement was soon broken as I grunted and gripped at my left wrist. A burning pain that felt as though my bone had turned into molten rock.

“Go time,” I seethed.

Pearl’s sword flashed through the air, flickering amber light around the gray walls as her attack split the portal device two ways. It fizzed and filled the area with a terrible smell like burned ozone. Revolver in my hand, I put a few shots into the stacked technology, sending shards of glass and circuits boards to the ground.

Rodney and David stepped out of the time-out room, the Blank’s hand still holding his ear, but now his eyes were red and watery. The realization that the Org had been holding back some of his memories and active thoughts. But more than that. Understanding that the Org had told Gunther to kill his mother, that they had him kidnapped to see how I’d react. Every struggle and hardship just a game to them.

“Fuck ‘em up, Eric,” he said.

I nodded, understanding it all. Pearl grabbed my arm gently. It was time.

“Look out for each other. Stay alive.” I gave them one last tip of my hat, before pink illuminated us.

Vertigo and then we were in the Mids. A darkened room with a single bed and a cupboard, but little else. The filter of amber light pooling through the thin curtains added some dramatic flair to the occasion.

“How’s your arm now?” Pearl immediately brought me in for a hug.

“Sore and throbbing, but not so painful anymore.” I put my arms around her.

She sighed into my shoulder. “We’ve come so far… you better not fucking die on me, Eric Redd.”

“Shame I didn’t have more time to empower as a demon - might have earned myself a true name.”

“Doesn’t work like that, but the thought comforts me.” She moved back to look me in the face, her pearlescent eyes full of concern.

“We’re in Pinkjade now, right? Just have to knock door-to-door until we find the Org.”

Pearl withdrew from me and went over to the window to peek through the side of the curtain. “Easier said than done. It depends on how dead Makkari and the Org want you.”

That almost went without saying. Knowing I was the Last Lantern not only made me the prime enemy for both of them, but also… “Ah. You’re saying they could turn the whole city against me?”

Before she could answer, a pulse of energy vibrated through the room. Turning towards the door, my revolver lowered as a swirl of mist began to appear. With a tearing noise, Wight formed back into his usual bird-like appearance.

[Fuuuck me, that was unpleasant.]

“Successful, though?” I stepped over and held out a hand so he could right himself.

[Oh, yes. You should have seen their faces when my vessel shattered. At least, before their skin started to melt away.]

Pearl moved from the window, her arms now crossed. “I’ll assume the higher-ups know what you did. Do they have a way of tracking you? Did you find out anything about their location? Does this change anything about your power or memories?”

[Yes.]

“To which?”

[I know in which direction the Org lies, but little else. They will now send all Hunters against you, as well as any demon they get the chance to. I have the same freedom and power as any Mids demon, but am still restricted by the vessel in Eric.]

I nodded. “So you can break this one now and be properly free?”

[That would not be good. For either of us. Trust me on this, Eric.]

He didn’t need to tell me twice. It was easy to imagine that once his full power was released, it could potentially damage or be fatal for me.

//Come in Eric. Visual and audio connected, but weak.

“Loud and clear, Rods. Ready for this?”

//Not at all, but I’ll do my best.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Pearl tilted her head. “Huh, I can hear him now. This soul bonding thing is pretty useful.”

Much better than just some tax benefits, I had to agree. Other than the teleportation, I hadn’t had a chance to get to grips with what the power increase had truly done for me. With how life liked to beat me down, I was pretty sure I’d have ways of finding out very shortly.

“So the plan,” I started, “is to head in the direction of the Org, until we find something that looks like the main building… and just pelt it with everything we have until the cockroaches scurry out? And then kill them, I guess?”

“Nice to know the fate of the mortal plane is on your decisive shoulders.” Pearl grinned. “That is the gist of it, however. No doubt it won’t be so simple in practice.”

I clucked my tongue. “With us three? Can you imagine what they’d need to throw at us?”

[Yes. We should stop inviting doom upon ourselves and get moving.]

Another point for the partially untethered unknown entity who was my pact demon. Not really having much to do in this rather plain room of a house we probably now owned, we exited onto a landing, went down two sets of stairs, and came to the door that would allow us to exit into Pinkjade.

//Too many demons for me to give anything useful… nobody close that’s hostile, though.

“The group of Highers running this shitshow will have enough sway to prop us up as notorious criminals - wanted dead or fucking dead.” Pearl paused at the door to look between us. “I’d be surprised if they haven’t already… so there’s not much chance of us sneaking across the city.”

“Kill all demons, then.”

[Kill all demons.]

Pearl rolled her eyes. “Keep it in your pants, the both of you. The closer we can get without attracting attention, the better.”

Ego was one thing, but she was right. No doubt the Org had a few cards up their sleeves and would be anticipating someone trying to stop them. Now that our intentions were clear, they’d be loading whatever weaponry they had to point our way. Would be foolish for us to get tied up in fighting vigilantes and mercenaries while the bigger fish got away. Fun, but foolish.

She opened the door, and we were bathed in light. I stepped out, half expecting to be attacked immediately - maybe an explosion or something to start off our day. Or end our day? It had already been a tiring one.

A residential area, a row of small houses along our side of the road, and built up apartments on the other. Narrowing my eyes, I could see movement through some of the windows, but nothing that looked like a threat. To our left was the city proper - skyscrapers and large billboards that were a blur from this distance. On the right was more housing before it faded away to the plain wastes of the outskirts of the Mids.

“Someplace near the rim seemed safe,” Pearl explained, as we followed Wight’s lead closer to the center of the city. “Plus, there’s only so much I can do on short notice.”

I nodded. “You know, for a city of Lust, I kind of expected more… overt debauchery.”

“Complaining that there aren’t enough tits and dongs assailing your innocent eyes?”

Although I pulled a face, one glance at her told me she was just pulling my leg. How strange that I was now married again, and to a demon, of all things. My life had been a rollercoaster ever since she had appeared in my dingy apartment and dangled a carrot in front of me.

“You ever thought we’d be this, after you first met me?”

Pearl tilted her head and walked a little closer to me. “Not as such. I knew there was something special about you, of course. Should we live more than ten minutes, you’ll find that being soul-bound actually has a way of… reverberating back through time.”

Being drawn together because eventually we would become one sounded like too much for my overtired brain to try to comprehend. We weren’t fated to be together, but by staying on the path and following the breadcrumbs the future had been laying out, we had sealed the deal and become what we were now.

I smiled. “Perhaps if we get through this, we can relive some of those first meetings?”

“Oh? Do things a little differently?” She sighed and shook her head. “Lovely thoughts, dear. You need to be thinking with the other head right now, though. For now, we are battle partners. Anything softer will have to wait until we know who will continue to exist once the dust settles.”

“Understood.” Seemed a little unfair, even if she was right. More the fool us if we were caught kissing while a sniper got an easy double-kill. Instead, I turned my attention to my pact demon. “What happens to you if I die now?”

[Uncertain. Either I could be banished from Hell, or I will be set free to become my true self.]

My eyes narrowed at him. “Banished? Do you know something more about what you are, Wight?”

He paused as we waited to cross a junction. Some strange approximation of a motor vehicle trundled across the road. I didn’t feel it necessary to point out that it looked rather phallic.

[The truth does not change anything. Only complicates matters.]

Pearl raised an eyebrow as we walked across the street. “You’re not like… an angel, though? I had some money on that.”

[The answer is not a simple yes or no Pearl. Much the same as Eric not being entirely human, I am not entirely… something.]

“I’m still giddy that you can use my name properly.” She grinned and cast her eyes across the next set of buildings we had to pass.

For me, his vagueness was a point of discomfort. Just because I had the compounded powers of demons, the divine, and eldritch beings… well, I didn’t feel any less of a human for it. He was a mixture too, that much was evident - and we only got to see the demon portion of him due to how the Org has captured and bound him to this pact.

As much as I wanted him to be… himself, I was somewhat nervous about that reveal. Maybe another ripple from the future? Part of me felt that we would be finding out rather soon and it wouldn’t be good. Although, it could as easily be how exposed and… watched I currently felt.

“Quiet here,” I murmured.

Pearl scoured the surrounding buildings. “Keep calm, but we’re definitely about to get our hands dirty.”

“Didn’t even get two blocks.” I sighed and my hand hung beside my holster.

//Nothing immediately hostile, but the presence of demonic energy around you is increasing.

//Also, Hunter approaching left side - must be rooftops.

Our eyes went up. How foolish. There were only a handful of Hunters up in the Mids - and now there would be one fewer.

Just as I was about to burst my wings out and fly up to meet them, Pearl grabbed my arm and dragged us both into the closest doorway. Her foot went out and kicked it in, and we entered.

“Better we don’t make a spectacle of this,” she said, closing the door behind us before readying up her rifle.

Wight pumped his shotgun, and my revolver spun into my grip.

//Above you and approaching, demons are filtering your way too.

With a grin, I turned to look at the stairwell. “Let’s go get warmed up, then.”