"So all the weakness talk and everything else was just bullshit to bait demons into showing up?" Crowley asked calmly while walking further into the apartment. "Honestly, I'm disappointed. I expected something a bit more sophisticated."
The second he moved closer—
Henry moved.
One moment he was sitting on the chair.
The next he was directly in front of Bela.
Blue and gold energy burst across his right arm before condensing instantly into a spear-shaped blade. Henry drove it forward in a violent thrust toward seemingly empty air beside the wall.
A loud screech echoed through the room.
Something invisible slammed backward hard enough to crack part of the drywall before vanishing again.
Henry's eyes narrowed slightly while listening.
Heartbeat.
Heavy breathing.
A hellhound.
"Keep your mutt away from my people," Henry said coldly while staring toward the empty space where the creature had moved. "Otherwise I'll turn it into dog sashimi."
For a brief second the room stayed tense.
Then Crowley casually lifted a hand.
"Hmmm. Dear, come back," he said lazily.
The invisible presence retreated immediately after the command.
Crowley sat down calmly in the nearby chair like none of that had bothered him at all, though his eyes lingered briefly on the glowing weapon in Henry's hand.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "that's certainly new."
His gaze shifted toward the cracked wall and damaged floor where the attack had landed.
"Most people can't even perceive hellhounds," Crowley added. "You, meanwhile, nearly filleted one before introductions were finished."
"So," Crowley said while adjusting his cuffs calmly, "tell me something. Did you actually have a plan here, or were you simply stupid enough to bait half of Hell for fun?" He glanced toward Henry with mild annoyance.
"Because if it's the second option, please don't repeat it. I appreciate clever minds. Suicidal idiots are exhausting."
Henry let out a quiet scoff. "I did have a plan," he replied. "But that went straight into the drain the moment you showed up."
And that part was true.
Crowley was dangerous for a reason. Unlike most demons who relied on brute force or arrogance, Crowley actually thought things through. That made him significantly harder to manipulate.
Crowley gave a small shrug. "Well," he said smoothly, "that sounds very much like your problem rather than mine."
Then his expression shifted slightly.
"And do you know why I'm currently tolerating this conversation instead of simply having demons storm the building?" he asked casually.
"Because the second I give the word, this entire apartment fills with enough demons to bury you alive." His eyes flicked briefly toward Bela. "Even you can't fight forever."
Bela stayed silent beside Henry now, tension slowly returning to the room.
Henry, meanwhile, looked more curious than worried.
"Wow," he said with a faint smile, "Hell actually has that many demons available?"
Crowley stared at him for a second like he'd missed the point entirely.
"No," he replied dryly. "You're special, darling. We mobilized everyone."
Henry stayed relaxed despite the threat hanging in the air around them.
Then he looked directly at Crowley.
"Fine," he said calmly. "Then let's make a contract."
Crowley blinked once.
"...A contract?" he repeated slowly, sounding genuinely confused now. "Why exactly would I make a deal with you?"
Henry leaned back slightly against the couch. "What if I kill Lilith?"
The room went quiet for a moment after that.
Bela immediately looked toward Henry like he had finally lost his mind completely.
Crowley, meanwhile, stared at him with unreadable eyes.
Because unlike most demons blindly loyal to Lilith out of fear, Crowley was different. He liked structure. Order. Stability.
Lilith?
Lilith was chaos wrapped in power.
She ruled Hell more like a violent storm than a leader.
"Hmmm," Crowley said carefully while swirling the drink in his hand again. "And why exactly would I want my queen dead?"
Henry gave him a look that clearly said he wasn't buying the act.
"Your response already answers that question," he replied calmly. "If you were truly loyal, this apartment would already be full of demons trying to rip me apart."
Crowley didn't deny it.
Because Henry was right.
Any ordinary demon would have jumped at the opportunity instantly. Crowley instead chose to sit down and negotiate.
That alone said enough.
Henry continued while watching him carefully. "You don't like Lilith because she's unstable. Unpredictable. And rulers like that are bad for business."
A faint smile slowly appeared on Crowley's face despite himself.
"Ah," Crowley said softly. "There it is. I was wondering when you'd stop pretending to be merely violent and start sounding intelligent."
Then, to Bela's surprise, Crowley suddenly appeared directly in front of Henry instead of across the room.
The movement was instant.
He leaned slightly closer, studying Henry's face carefully now like he was trying to pry open his skull and inspect whatever was inside.
"How exactly did you figure that out?" Crowley asked quietly. "Is there actually a brain hidden somewhere underneath all the reckless nonsense?"
Henry looked completely unbothered by the sudden closeness. "Well," he replied casually, "I have my ways."
Crowley narrowed his eyes slightly.
Henry continued anyway.
"So," he said, "do we have a deal or not? I kill Lilith, and things go back to normal." He gestured lightly with one hand. "You have an entire planet to work with. Humans everywhere making stupid choices every day. It's not like Hell's gonna run out of contracts."
Crowley gave a quiet hum while considering it.
Henry wasn't wrong.
Lilith created chaos even inside Hell itself. Crossroads deals had become harder to manage lately because demons were constantly getting redirected toward her personal obsessions.
Business suffered under bad leadership.
That actually earned a small laugh from Crowley.
"So," the demon king asked finally, "what exactly do you want in return?"
"The method for making Colt bullets," Henry answered immediately. "And Bela's contract."
Crowley's expression shifted slightly at that.
"Hmmm. No," he said after a moment. "Terrible deal for me. I'm giving up two valuable things in exchange for one very dangerous gamble."
Henry frowned faintly while Crowley continued.
"Sweeten the pot," Crowley said smoothly. "Perhaps your soul."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Crowley smiled slightly as if he had expected that.
"Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully. "Then how about this instead?" He tilted his head slightly. "A condition."
Henry stayed silent.
"You will never attempt to kill me," Crowley said calmly. "If you break that agreement…" A faint dangerous smile appeared on his face. "Your soul belongs to Hell permanently."
*****
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