Liam woke with a dull ache in his head, remnants of last night's drinking still lingering in his senses. Groaning, he turned to his right—and suddenly, his headache didn't matter anymore.
There, lying beside him, was Zatanna. Her face was peaceful, strands of her dark hair falling across her soft features, her breathing slow and steady. The golden morning light coming through the window made her look almost unreal—like something out of a dream.
"Don't get excited," Sparda's voice echoed in Liam's head. "This is just a dream. I replaced it with those nightmares so you could forget that she pegged you last night."
Liam's eye twitched as Sparda erupted into laughter.
"Congratulations, kid. You're no longer a virgin—you're a damn sex offender. You took advantage of a drunk girl. How does it feel? Because it sickens me just being around you."
Liam rubbed his temple and exhaled. "Your wife falls under this category too, then, because no sane woman would have agreed to marry you."
Sparda scoffed. "Oh, so we're bringing up my wife now?"
Liam ignored him, focusing back on Zatanna. As if sensing his gaze, her long lashes fluttered, and her sapphire eyes slowly opened.
She blinked, still half-asleep, and for a moment, she just looked at him. Liam raised his hand, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
"Morning…" she murmured, her cheeks warming slightly.
Liam smirked. "Morning."
Sparda gagged. "Disgusting. You two sound like a cheap romance novel."
Zatanna stretched and let out a small sigh, a soft smile forming on her lips. "Well… that was one hell of a night."
Liam chuckled. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to fight for my life, drink enough to kill a horse, and end up here… but I guess surprises are fun."
She rolled her eyes. "I meant us, dumbass."
Liam's smirk widened. "Oh, that part. Yeah, not bad."
Zatanna smirked back. "Not bad?"
Liam feigned deep thought. "Yeah, I'd say a solid… seven out of ten. Could use some improvements."
Zatanna's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
Before she could smack him, Liam chuckled. "Relax, Zee. It was amazing."
She hummed in satisfaction, then rested her head against the pillow again. "I don't regret it, if that's what you're wondering."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Well, that makes one of us."
She gave him a sharp glare, but he only grinned.
Sparda couldn't keep quiet. "Damn. She regretted it so much it put her into shock."
Liam rolled his eyes. "You know, I had a dream about your family last night. And I have to say… your wife was fine as hell."
Sparda's voice immediately sharpened. "Watch it."
"If Zatanna doesn't return soon, I might start jerking off to that memory—while holding the necklace, of course."
"Do it, you monkey. I dare you."
Before Liam could fire back, the door suddenly swung open.
Lucifer strolled in, completely unfazed by the situation.
Liam sighed, still lying in bed. "I know you own the building, but can you at least knock?"
Lucifer smirked. "I gave you one evening off, not two days. Time to get back to work."
He glanced over at Zatanna, who was now fully dressed and slipping on her boots. "Oh, and since the girl is gone, I expect twice the productivity from you."
Liam groaned. "You're actually the devil."
Lucifer grinned. "Yes, yes, I am."
Zatanna chuckled, leaning down to kiss Liam one last time. "Try not to get yourself killed while I'm gone."
"No promises," Liam muttered.
As she left, Lucifer clapped his hands together. "Alright, lover boy. Let's get moving. I have a few demons I need dealt with, and unfortunately, you're still alive to do it."
Liam sighed, dragging himself out of bed. "Great. Back to the usual."
Sparda hummed. "Don't worry. We'll always have last night's memories."
Liam growled. "Shut up, Sparda."
Sparda cackled.
Liam barely had time to wake up properly before Lucifer started talking in his usual unimpressed tone.
"Because you love to do half the job, some of Orabos' demons escaped, and his cultists are gathering them."
Liam blinked, still groggy. "What?"
Lucifer sighed dramatically. "You could have finished the job, but you're so lazy you're putting me behind schedule. And now that Zatanna is gone, you'll have to deal with this shit alone."
Liam rubbed his temple. "Right… because it's my fault demons scatter when their boss dies."
Sparda snorted. "He does have a point, kid. You really left loose ends. Sloppy work. Not very 'cold and calculated' of you."
Liam sighed. "You done?"
"Not even close," Lucifer continued. "Before that, go talk to the receptionist. She has some jobs for you."
Liam let out a long breath. "Good morning to you too."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least you've got manners, so I won't be kicking you today." He smirked. "Tomorrow? Different story. Now get dressed and get to work."
Liam got up, barely registering the conversation as his mind wandered back to Zatanna. The bed still smelled faintly like her, and last night replayed in his head like a broken record.
Sparda, of course, wasn't going to let him live it down. "Pathetic. You're sighing like some lovesick schoolboy. Where's the ruthless bastard I trained?"
Liam ignored him as he got dressed and made his way downstairs.
Half-Assed Work & A Whole Lot of Thinking
The receptionist, a demon woman with red horns and a constant unimpressed look, barely glanced up from her paperwork.
"Morning, Liam. Got some jobs for you."
Liam nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Lay it on me."
She handed him a list. "First job—some possessed kid ran off. Family's freaked out, wants him back in one piece."
Liam tensed. "Possessed kid?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, they tried to get some priest to exorcise him, but the demon inside bailed—with the kid's body."
Liam sighed, already dreading it. "What else?"
She checked the list. "Some rogue hellhounds are tearing up the industrial district. Either leash them or put them down."
Liam rubbed his face. "Right. What else?"
She smirked. "Final one's easy. Some idiot made a demon deal and now wants to back out. Go 'convince' him that's not happening."
Liam exhaled. "Alright. Let's get this over with."
Sparda chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Let's 'get this over with' while you mope like a little bitch the entire time."
Job 1: The Missing Kid
Liam tracked the kid to an abandoned subway station, the air thick with sulfur and old blood. He could feel the demon's presence before he even saw it.
The kid, no older than twelve, sat on the edge of the platform, swinging his legs. But his eyes weren't his own—they glowed an eerie yellow, and his grin was all sharp teeth.
"Well, well," the demon inside the boy purred. "Took you long enough."
Liam sighed. "Look, I don't want to hurt the kid, so let's not do this the hard way."
The demon laughed. "Oh? You're one of those sentimental types? How adorable."
Sparda groaned. "God, you are pathetic. Just rip the bastard out."
Liam ignored him. "Let him go, and I won't turn you into a stain on the tracks."
The demon hummed. "Tempting. But no."
The air crackled as the kid's body tensed, his tiny hands forming hellish sigils in the air. Before Liam could react, a blast of raw demonic energy slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.
By the time he recovered, the kid was gone.
Liam cursed under his breath.
Sparda sighed. "See? This is what happens when you go soft. You should've shot him in the leg."
Liam clenched his jaw. "I'm not shooting a damn kid."
"Well, now you've got a kidnapped kid and a loose demon. Great job, Romeo."
Job 2: The Hellhound Problem
The industrial district was trashed. Scrap metal and burning wreckage littered the streets, and deep claw marks tore through the pavement.
Liam rolled his shoulders. "Alright, where are you, mutts?"
A low, guttural growl answered him.
Two massive hellhounds emerged from the shadows, their fur a mix of obsidian and fire. Their glowing red eyes locked onto him, and drool sizzled as it dripped onto the ground.
Liam sighed. "Sit."
They lunged.
Liam dodged, flipping backward as one of them barely missed his face. He landed on his feet, drawing Satanus and firing a round straight into the second hellhound's leg.
It yelped but didn't go down. Instead, it got angrier.
Sparda cackled. "You really thought one shot would do it? Oh, kid, you're off your game."
Liam gritted his teeth. "Shut up."
The first hound lunged again. This time, Liam ducked low, drawing Blaze and shoving the barrel right under its jaw.
"Bad dog."
He pulled the trigger.
The hellhound's head snapped back as it crumpled to the ground.
The second one hesitated.
Liam cracked his neck. "Wanna test me too?"
It whined, then bolted.
Sparda whistled. "Huh. Even demons know when they're dealing with a sad, heartbroken bastard."
Liam rolled his eyes and moved on.
Job 3: The Idiot with a Demon Contract
The guy was a mess. Sweating, pacing, mumbling under his breath. When Liam walked into his apartment, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"You—you're the guy they sent?"
Liam nodded. "Yep. Here to tell you that breaking your deal isn't happening."
The guy paled. "But—I didn't know it would cost that much!"
Liam smirked. "Yeah, that's how deals work."
Sparda sighed. "I swear, humans are the dumbest species sometimes."
The man grabbed Liam's sleeve. "Please! There has to be something—"
Liam shoved him off. "Look, I don't make the rules. Either pay up or accept your fate."
The guy started sobbing.
Sparda groaned. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Just put him out of his misery."
Liam sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'll talk to the higher-ups. But if they say no, you're screwed."
The man nodded desperately.
As Liam left, Sparda snickered. "Soft and distracted. I'm so disappointed."
Liam was back at the club when Lucifer approached, arms crossed.
"You've cost me money today, Liam."
Liam frowned. "What?"
"You let a demon run off with a kid, spared a hellhound, and negotiated with an idiot who should've been left to rot. You're slacking."
Sparda laughed hard. "Ohhh, he nailed it. You're a damn mess, kid."
Liam scowled. "That's not—"
"It is the problem." Lucifer smirked. "You've got it bad, kid."
Sparda snickered. "Man, you really are down bad. I bet if she showed up right now, you'd turn into a blushing idiot."
Liam rubbed his face. "Alright. Fine. What do you want me to do?"
Lucifer leaned in. "Go let off some steam before you bankrupt me."
Liam exhaled. "Yeah… yeah, alright."
Sparda chuckled. "This is gonna be fun."
The night air was thick with the stench of blood and burning flesh. Liam stepped through the ruined remains of the cult's hideout, his new gauntlets—once Orabos—glowing with dark energy. The demons that had escaped before now cowered before him, their bodies trembling as they realized there was no salvation left.
A few cultists, draped in tattered robes, fell to their knees. One of them, an old man with hollow eyes, clasped his hands together.
"Please… we only wished to serve the higher order. We meant no—"
Before he could finish, Liam's fist, encased in the demonic gauntlets, smashed into his skull. Bone cracked, blood sprayed, and the man collapsed in a heap.
Sparda's voice echoed in Liam's head. "You're going a bit too hard, don't you think? Not that I mind, but damn, kid."
Liam exhaled, shaking the blood off his hands. "They knew what they were doing."
More cultists tried to run. Liam didn't let them. With a flick of his wrist, the gauntlets pulsed with dark energy, sending shockwaves through the room. The blast sent bodies flying, slamming them against walls and shattering bones on impact.
The remaining demons snarled, baring their jagged teeth as they lunged toward him. Liam welcomed the challenge. He moved like a phantom, weaving between their attacks. His fists tore through their flesh, each strike carrying the weight of Orabos' power.
One demon, larger than the others, rushed him with a jagged blade. Liam caught the weapon mid-swing with his gauntlets, the steel shattering like glass. He grabbed the demon's throat, lifted it off the ground, and crushed its windpipe with a sickening crack.
Sparda whistled. "Damn, if you fought like this all the time, I'd almost be proud."
Liam didn't respond. His breathing was steady, his mind blank. He didn't feel anger. He didn't feel remorse. It was just another job.
The last cultist, a young man—barely out of his teens—fell backward, scrambling to escape. "P-please… I didn't—"
Liam took a step forward.
Sparda's voice turned sharp. "Liam."
The hesitation was brief, but it was enough. The cultist used the moment to throw a smoke bomb, and before Liam could react, the bastard was gone.
Sparda sighed. "See? That's what happens when you hesitate. You're getting sloppy."
Liam clenched his fists. The bodies around him were cooling. The mission was done.
Or so he thought.
As he turned to leave, Sparda's voice suddenly screamed in his head.
"RUN. NOW."
Liam's instincts flared, and without questioning, he bolted. His boots pounded against the cracked pavement, weaving through the alleyways of the ruined district. The night felt heavier, the air charged with something unnatural.
Then, the world darkened.
A black portal tore open before him, swirling with abyssal energy. From its depths, figures emerged—six of them. But it was the one at the center who held his attention.
A young woman, clad in a black cloak, her violet eyes glowing under the dim light. Her presence was suffocating, thick with power.
Raven.
She stared at him with a gaze colder than death itself.
"Didn't think you could run forever, did you?"