[3rd POV]
(The night before)
Power was starving.
This was a disaster.
A tragedy.
A crime against nature itself.
The Blood Fiend crept down the stairs of the new house like a thief entering a royal treasury. Each step was careful, slow, exaggerated. Her bare feet barely made a sound against the wood.
Her stomach growled, but that was beyond her control really.
She froze immediately and carefully looked around the house.
No witnesses.
Good.
The new house was still very unfamiliar to Power, and that was the problem. The previous house was perfect really; it sucked that it got blown into pieces.
She knew exactly where the snacks were in that apartment. She knew the cabinet where Denji hid his bread, as if she wanted that. But more importantly, she knew the drawer where Aki kept meat to thaw for breakfast.
That house always had the meat and milk disappear mysteriously. Meat for her, milk for Meowy.
But this house? Power had no clue.
After she reached the kitchen, Power began searching for food. She opened every cabinet, silently of course. She opened every drawer, silently of course. She opened the fridge that still had yet to have a lock.
Jackpot.
Too slow Aki, you can't stop her now!!
But no, the fridge was empty too.
There was still no food in the new house.
"This house is unlivable," was Power's conclusion.
But her midnight appetite would not just give up at empty cupboards and fridge. So she got on all fours, pressed her nose on the ground and began searching for any life.
A cockroach would do really.
She needed something.
As she continued sniffing like a dog, she eventually found something interesting.
Meat and warm blood underneath it.
Yes!!
Power carefully analyzed her meal. Five perfect toes, looked soft and very delicate in the way they reddened a bit from merely standing on the ground. The toes looked clean too, almost transparent and neatly trimmed.
Itadakimas.
"Ouch," Power's eyes snapped upwards where the sound came.
"That hurts you know," Reze said, looking down at Power biting her toes.
Maybe it was because she was still sleepy or too hungry. Power spat out the toe immediately. The feet curled their toes lightly, like a butterfly taking their first flap. The small bite mark healed back into perfect condition.
"How dare you treat me like this!! The President!!" Power said, aghast and quickly rubbed her lips.
Although she liked what she tasted, she wouldn't accept such humiliation.
This was Denji's fault!!
"Are you hungry?" Reze asked with a tilted head. She was wearing a loose shirt that belonged to Jin and black panties.
"No,"
"I heard your stomach growl though,"
"Nope, you didn't."
"Then what were you doing?"
"I was investigating the house!! I heard a murder took place here not long ago and the case was never solved. As the smartest and the wisest detective Devil, I am in the middle of solving the case,"
For the record, Power didn't even breathe before she lied.
"It's almost like you breathe lies," Reze said, "You shouldn't though. Lying is not good. What if no one believes you when you tell the truth?"
"What would you know spy bitch?"
"I should know," Reze smiled.
...
"Whatever, who cares," Power shrugged, "What are you doing here at night anyway?"
She had just received information from her handlers. A quite fortunate one she might add. It was the first time she really liked her assigned mission.
"Well.." Reze trailed, "I am investigating a crime. You see, there was a murder-"
"At least make up your own lie!!" Power accused.
If she was bad for lying, what would a liar stealing lies be?
Reze only chuckled softly, trying not to wake anyone.
"You're weird," Power said with a huff.
"Am I?" Reze asked, "Maybe,"
Reze looked towards the transparent and bulletproof glass door. She saw her reflection and among anything, she focused on the smile on her face.
She smiled a lot these days.
Maybe she smiled more these few days than she ever did in her life.
Even if Jin didn't love her as she did, she was just glad to be among his family. She was happy to be surrounded by so many brutally honest and true people. Yes, even Power.
"Power," Reze asked, turning back to her, "What would you do if someone you love is in danger?"
"You mean what if I am in danger?"
"No," Reze said, "I mean someone like Denji. You two are like brothers and sisters,"
"I don't care about Denji!! That fool. He can die in a ditch for all I care," Power said with a huff.
"Don't say that, I know you don't mean it," Reze said, "Here, take this for an example. Suppose someone stole Denji's heart. Like they beat him up and ripped his heart right out of his chest,"
Reze made the gesture of grabbing.
"What will you do? Can you save him?"
Power thought for a moment, imagining the scenario.
"Well, the heart pumps blood right? I can help him live even if someone takes his heart. I will just have to pump the blood for him, like a heart," she said.
Reze blinked, genuinely surprised, "I'm surprised you know that!!"
"Of course I know!! I've eaten countless animals, even humans. I know their anatomatomatomaly," she said, not even knowing how to speak the word correctly.
"I'll count on you then," Reze said.
"What?"
"To save him when someone takes his heart,"
Power eyed Reze suspiciously, "Are you trying to take Denji's heart or something?"
"No, but just in case. Maybe tonight someone will sneak into his bed and steal his heart," she said. Although in a joking tone, she was considering it.
But the uneven breath that came from Jin's room made her hesitate. Jin was trying his best to sleep, drowning out all his senses and the screams of his inner Devils in the process so he didn't hear this conversation.
"Or tomorrow," Reze said.
"You make no sense at all," Power said.
Reze then brought out her secret weapon.
A beef jerky!!
"....."
"Gimme that!!" Power lunged forward like a rabid dog.
Reze dodged and caught her on her panties, giving her an uncomfortable lift in the process.
"This is yours, but I want you to do something," she said, gently laying down the Blood Fiend on the ground.
"What?"
"I will give you this jerky, in return, you will help Denji in case he ever faces such danger," Reze said.
"Okay sure," Power said, reaching for the jerky but Reze just brought it higher and out of her reach.
"It's a contract," she said.
"It's not even that serious. Just gimme!!"
"A contract," Reze repeated.
"Yes! It's a contract!" Power said in the end.
A contract was formed.
Usually, Hybrids don't form contracts because they were already strong enough and didn't have anything to offer.
Contracts were about an exchange of value. A hybrid's limbs or tissue were not valuable at all because they could heal. While a normal person could form a strong contract by sacrificing that.
Even lifespan was useless because hybrids were immortal. So basically hybrids didn't really have anything to offer other than what they possessed.
The keyword being possessed. No, they couldn't sacrifice others either because the person needs to be in their possession, like the power of the Doll Devil or be their children or something.
But still, how can a contract be formed with just a jerky?
The answer was value.
A jerky was nothing special but Power put great value on that, especially since she was hungry and the house had nothing else.
Also, for Power, saving Denji was nothing since she would do it anyway, even without a contract but for Reze, it meant a lot.
Equal exchange.
A contract.
Even when Devil Hunters sacrificed a part of themselves. They give their flesh most of the time, part of themselves they care about. For the Devils, they give power, which was part of them like how a body part was to a human.
Equal exchange.
And yes, Devils were most evil by nature and love to see human suffer.
It was also why Jin struggled a bit when forming a contract with Aki. Equality was hard when it was not between two sides but one side. Denji wanted an advantage for Aki as much Aki wanted it for himself; they were like on the same side. Figuring that part out was tricky.
Jin wanted Aki's safety too much, while Aki wanted power too much. But in the end, the contract was something beyond favorable. Aki could get the power to literally summon part of Jin and Jin assured ultimate safety for Aki as he would become an immortal subordinate even if he died.
Although the subordination part was due to Jin's greedy and possessive nature.
When Aki offered a limb or a lifespan, Jin didn't want that at all like how Aki wanted Jin's powers and help. Kinda like that.
It needs to be equal exchange.
"Do you have more?" Power asked after literally inhaling the jerky.
Reze smiled, "I'll give it to you if you agree to skip work tomorrow and do nothing,"
"I can't do that, Jin will scold me,"
"I'm his girlfriend, I will tell him about it?"
"Really what do I have to do?"
"Just stay out of trouble, hide and maybe go around the city to sightsee," she said.
If Power went to work with a Public Safety Commision, she might be targeted. What would she save Denji if she was targetted and died first? Or wasn't there because she was busing saving her own lives?
"Deal," Power said fast.
Reze smiled and gave her the few extra sticks she had.
..
..
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[3rd POV]
BOOOOOOOM!!!!!
Reze reached the battlefield. Aki was on the asphalt, his lower half was literally missing. Denji was in the corner, laying in a crater on the wall of a building.
Reze engaged with Quanxi for a few minutes.
It was both to fool Makima who she was sure was spying and also to wait for the Blood Fiend to reach the chaos.
And after Power reached the battlefield, Reze stopped.
"Hm?" Quanxi tilted her head when the opponent suddenly stopped fighting.
"I am a spy working for the Soviets," she said suddenly, "I think we have the same goal,"
"Huh? Then what was all that for?" Quanxi asked, confused as she healed her wounds. She got a feeling that the enemy was going easy on her. Guess she was right.
"Makima was watching," she said.
"Were you the one who threw the Pig Devil into hell?" Reze asked.
"Huh? No, I didn't even know that happened," Quanxi said.
Reze stared at her for a while before simply moving away and going towards the fallen Denji.
Throwing Jin to Hell was not something she knew. She only know an attack was going to happen the next day and was given an objective to do in the chaos.
She was worried, but just a little. She had faith in Jin and he was strong. No doubt his scent alone would scare off majority of Devils in hell.
But she needed to finish this soon so that she could find a way to bring him back.
Reze took Denji's heart, pulling it right out from his chest. Then she turned towards Power who had reached the battlefield and gave a small nod.
The contract could be felt right then.
So instead of even attacking, Power rushed towards Denji's body.
In the meantime, Reze went back to Quanxi.
"This is what you wanted right?" Reze said, passing the heart to her.
"I guess?" Quanxi said. Her main goal was to be a distraction. This was really just a secondary goal since the Doll Devil was the one actually tasked with the mission.
"Then let's go," Reze said, exploding on her spot and heading towards the Headquarters where Makima was.
Quanxi followed, leaving Aki, Denji and Power to themselves.
....
(Present time)
"Come on!! Form a contract with me!! I will give you a new heart!!" Power said, her hands plunged at the cavity on Denji's chest.
"No way, just let me die!! I will never become your slave!!" Denji barked back. "And I doubt you can even do that,"
Power could only growl, already having a contract that bound her to keep Denji alive.
"The hell you mean? The heart is like super important for blood you know," Power said.
And in the midst of their bickering, Princi appeared. She came swinging on her web and stuck horizontally on the side of a building.
"Huh? HEY!! Lady from our division!! Can help me before this dumbass kills me!!" Denji yelled.
"Who are you calling a dumbass!!" Power said, slowly pumping blood around Denji's body.
"Augau," Denji was more stupid immediately.
"Hahaha, you can't even speak!! Haha, this is hilarious!!" Power said, enjoying her newfound power over Denji.
Princi took one look at the stupid duo then focused elsewhere. She quickly found Aki lying in his pool of blood.
He already had legs now, but the bone could still be seen as it was in the middle of healing with his minor healing factor.
Princi took a leap and landed beside Aki.
"Princi, switch with me,"
And under Aki's confused eyes, the Spider Devil's body tore open and Makima emerged like a butterfly from a cocoon.
"Miss Makima!!!" Aki yelled seeing the absolutely devastating state she was in.
Makima couldn't even be upright and fell on the spot.
"Aki..." she spoke, her voice low but clear.
"Summon Jin," she said.
Aki was shocked, "I can't. I need to know the name of the enemies and be near their vicinity. The one who attacked us already got away!!"
"Is that so.." Makima said.
"Yes, the contract is like feeding Jin. I need to know what, or who I am feeding to him. I can't just summon him without that anchor,"
"I guess there is no other choice," Makima whispered, desperate.
She was running out of hope.
And she only saw one way out.
She couldn't think of another way in that moment and in that state.
"Aki...." Makima said.
"I am the Control Devil,"
"Wha-?"
"I am the Control Devil," she repeated.
"Summon Jin,"
"Let him consume me,"
"It's the only way. Or else I will die and so will everyone else."
"Miss Makima,"
"Do it," she said.
Makima's once fierce and hypnotic eyes lose their shine. After facing the ancient Primal Fear, this was her state.
She failed.
She had lost control.
And she only had one last hope.
Aki pushed himself up, moving legs that shouldn't move yet. He grits his teeth, bearing through the pain that felt like his legs were on fire.
And so, sitting in front of Makima's laying body, he made the cursed sign.
With his trembling fingers, he made the image of a pig.
..
..
[IMAGE]
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