In the dead of night within the city's junkyard, all that could be heard were the frantic patters of running feet, accompanied by a near exhausted breath. A small child was giving it their all to stay far ahead of their chasers, at the cost of the runaway running on fumes. They held a satchel close to their body, keeping the contents inside as safe as possible, looking in all directions as they ran past, trying to find anywhere to lay low for just a minute.

Along the path, the small demon caught sight of a trashed car that wasn't buried within the hills of scrap. Luckily, it didn't sit beneath a light, so it barely stood out amongst the other piles. The runaway jumped into the car, all while making as little noise as possible. Peaking out the empty windscreen, the small demon watched as a group of dark silhouettes ran by.

"Where did that little shit go?!" one of them shouted.

"He can't have gone too far! Find him!" another commanded. With that, the group continued on in their search for the little demon.

Once he was confident that the coast was clear, the runaway demon stepped out of the car and went off in another direction. He found himself a place that seemed safe enough before finally taking the time to rest, sitting down on the ground, ready to reap the rewards of his heist.

The small demon lifted the satchel over his head and opened it, revealing a collection of delectable looking donuts! He grabbed one that tickled his fancy and was ready to indulge, only to the interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Turning around to where he came from, the boy was met with the group of demons. The smaller demon jumped up and tried to find a way around, but his pursuers seemed to block the only way out.

They approached the kid with threatening stares, practically looming over the smaller demon. The vulnerable child held up an arm to shield himself, preparing for the inevitable. But after a few seconds, he came to realise that nothing was happening. He lowered his arm to see that the lowly thugs were now looking up towards something, each of them shaking in their boots.

It was then that the child heard a growling coming from behind. He slowly turned around, only to be met with a large, indistinguishable creature hiding within the shadows of an abandoned shed. The child could only watch. Meanwhile, the demons held onto each other for safety.

Looking close, the child could see what looked to be a grotesque face. It leaned closer, drew in a breath and unleashed a monstrous roar! The wind from its mouth knocked everyone down to the ground, leaving the thugs with no other option than to scramble away, crying fear as they disappeared into the night.

With them gone, the monster ceased its outburst and looked down to the child. The small demon did not look in terror, or even remotely afraid. Instead, the little boy appeared to be amazed!

Over the edge of the Big Forbidden Apple's expansive crater, light began to crawl over the cliff and down into the city. The light would see its way through the window of a city centre apartment, landing on the face of a demon who, unfortunately, had her head facing the window.

Barbed Wire squinted as Hell's sun hurt her eyes, and she immediately turned the other way. The new day was here, and she could not be bothered with it right now.

Upon switching sides, Barb glanced at the bed laying parallel to hers, only to find it empty with the blanket folded at one of the corners near the pillow. If Sunset was already awake, then there was no doubt that Barb was expected to soon be as well, and yet, she still closed her eyes, wanting to make the most of the minutes she had left in her bed.

However, it was clear there were other plans for her, as Sunset walked into the spare bedroom, already fully dressed. "Come on, Barb. We've got to be ready for our first day," Sunset said, slightly nudging her sleeping friend's shoulder.

Barbed Wire gave it her all to ignore the poking, but Sunset was surely more persistent than Barb was patient, releasing a grunt as she finally lifted her head. "Okay, I'm up! I'm up."

Sunset smiled as she turned for the door. "There's hot water ready if you want a coffee."

So much for a lie in. Barb hardly had the energy to move her body yet, so she let herself fall onto the, thankfully, carpeted floor and picked herself up from there. Begrudgingly carrying herself into the kitchen with only a large t-shirt and shorts, Barb made herself a steaming cup and plopped onto a nearby chair, much less enthused than the others accompanying her.

She took a sip of her coffee and looked between Sunset and Fetch with half open eyes. "I don't know how you two can be so chipper in the mornings," she commented.

Fetch stirred a spoon in a mug of his own, sitting opposite to Barb. "When you're working in the capital of Heresy, you've got to be ready for anything. Speaking of, you ought to get ready. We leave soon."

Barb gave a confirming hum while gulping down more of her drink, feeling the caffeine energise her body. She then slid a hand up her shirt to scratch the side of her body, partially revealing her bandages, of which Fetch seemed to notice.

"I've been meaning to ask, Barb, what happened there?" the detective asked.

Before answering, Barb downed the rest of her mug in one go, letting off a satisfied sigh before looking to her old friend. "Remember Goliath?"

"The snake demon? Don't tell me he's still trying to become mayor."

"Even better, he actually did it! And he gave me this as a parting gift, all before he launched an invasion to take over all of Hell. Not to worry, though. He was brought to an end by none other than our lovely Sunset here."

Fetch's eyes widened as they drifted over to Sunset. "Did you kill him?"

Sunset spat out her own drink. "God, no! I knocked him down a peg or two, but I didn't kill him."

The detective's brow angled slightly up, slightly displeased by that answer. "So, what? You just let him go? What if he comes back?"

"Relax. He was taken away by these gargoyle looking guys. No way he's coming back," Sunset waved off.

"Still though, you ran the risk of him endangering people's lives again. If I had the power you do, I'd ensure the safety of the people by any means necessary."

Sunset was left without a response. It was clear the two did not have the same ideals. Seeing that he was the one to finish things, Fetch tossed his cup in the sink and went to grab his jacket. "Alright. Get ready, you two. We've got a call for an investigation."

The two demonesses then quickly finished up what they needed before heading out, ready to begin their first day as investigators!

The team travelled the city in Fetch's cruiser, the detective in the driver's seat with Barb and Sunset taking in the Big Forbidden Apple as they passed by.

"So, what's the task today?" Barbed Wire asked.

"There's been reports of a strange creature sighted somewhere within the city's junkyard. No one knows what it is or where it came from, but it's reported to likely be a threat," Fetch explained, not taking his eyes off the road.

"And what do we do when we find it?" Sunset now asked.

"If it's got the brains for talking, we'll see if we can get a what and why out of it. Then... I don't know, probably find some way to get it out of there if it's compliant." The car was quiet once more. While everyone was in their own zone, Fetch felt his eyes briefly glancing to Barb's friend sitting in the back.

He was unsure of her place in this. She was talked up to have some might, yet Fetch felt a sense of worry. Not by what she might do, but what she might not be able to do. Fetch was forced wave the thought away, however, as he neared their destination.

Fetch pulled over onto the side of the road. Everyone looked toward the side they parked on, finding a broken metal gate, leading into the city's mountainous junkyard. One by one, they exited the car and took their place by the door.

"Welcoming," Barbed Wire remarked.

"This place was abandoned years ago, and since then, it became the home of thugs and crooks alike. So, we ought to stick close while going through here," Fetch said, stepping towards the entrance. "Understood?" The demonesses nodded and followed the detective inside.

The three stepped inside the monster's lair. The area was topped with tall hills of old, useless metals and trash, with only thin paths separating each pile. Despite this, the junkyard was hardly shy of places to go. Everyone aimlessly wandered about, keeping their eyes out for something, anything, out of the ordinary.

Heads turned constantly to even the faintest sound of a tin can rolling across the ground. No matter where they looked, there was always a dread that something was hiding behind them, even with the morning light.

Suddenly, a scampering could be heard coming from behind. At the same time, all three demons turned to where they heard it, and found nothing.

But with Barb's back now opened, something small and agile came swooping by, and swiped Barb's wallet right out of her back pocket. Luckily, the robbed demon was quick to notice, and began to give chase to the thief, the rest following behind.

"Hey! Give that back, you little bastard!" Barb yelled.

She followed the scoundrel all throughout the junkyard. The little guy was quick on his feet, but not faster than Barb. She found herself slowly catching up to the thief, keeping an arm out front to grab onto him. But just as the small demon was nearly within her reach, he suddenly turned into a thin alleyway of trash. It set Barb back a bit, but she still gave chase.

Eventually, they entered an enclosed area, where the kid had no other choice but to stop. A confident smirk crossed Barb's face; this was her chance!

She came to a stop mere feet away from the thieving demon. He turned out to just be a kid, barely even half the size of Barb. Still though, she wasn't just going to let something like this slide. Without hesitation, Barb snatched her wallet back from the tiny thief.

"I'll give you this, you're fast, kid, but you ever pull some shit like that with me again, I'll become the reason you don't sleep at night," she casually threatened.

It was then that another pair of footsteps approached them. Sunset and Fetch finally caught up.

"It's about time, guys! Don't worry, I got my wallet back." Barb waved the small, brown pouch in her hand.

However, her friends looked to be at a loss for words. They just stared right at her, standing completely frozen.

"What? I just said it's all good."

Sunset slowly held her hand out, pointing a finger beyond where Barb stood. "...Behind you," she said.

Confused, Barb turned and looked into a shoddily build shed. Inside sat what she initially assumed was a pile of muck and trash, but then she realised that the pile was moving.

The big blob began to rise. Frail arms stretched out from either side. A pair of small, misaligned eyes opened from the tiny head on top, while a massive mouth appeared at the bottom. It appeared that they had found their monster. A deep growl escaped its disgusting, slimy mouth before letting loose a massive roar towards the trio.

The three shielded themselves from the creature's assault of slobber. Once it was finished, they opened their eyes and found the kid standing by the monster, looking in shock.

The tiny demon stomped on the ground. "How are you not running away?! Aren't you scared of him eating you?!" he yelled.

Barb just scoffed. "Yeah, right. Unfortunately, we're no stranger to the strange, kid."

"You three should not be here. Leave immediately," the creature spoke with a voice so low, it could nearly make the ground rumble.

"So, you can talk. Sorry, but no can do," Fetch said, stepping forward. He took out his badge and held it up. "Detective Fetch of the BFA Police Department. If you will, I'd like to ask a few questions."

Before the creature could answer, the boy stepped out in front. "And why should he do anything for you?! Don't listen to them, buddy! They're probably some more bad guys!"

The creature held up a tiny hand. "Easy now, the Runt. Let's hear what they want."

Barb couldn't help but snigger at the name. "The 'Runt'?"

"Yeah! You got a problem with that, you old hag?" the Runt commented.

The small one's words seemed to strike a nerve, as Barbed Wire quickly marched over to him. "What was that, you little shit?! I'll fucking-"

"Barb, calm down," Sunset intervened, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. Barb looked between her and the Runt, taking a moment to regain her composure before deciding the kid wasn't worth the effort.

When all was said and done, Fetch continued. "How about we start with some easy ones? Who are you? What are you?"

"I... I'm afraid I have forgotten my name. But my friend here refers to me as 'the Blob.' I was just a demon, much like you all, until one night, when I was attacked and taken by hooded demons."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up at the sound of hooded demons. "Where did they take you?" Fetch asked.

The Blob closed his eyes as he tried to look back. "It's a bit foggy. All I remember is waking up with my hands and legs tied together, surrounded by many more demons, wearing the same robes. And to my side, there were other demons tied up too. There was a tall man at the front, saying how our worthless lives will soon, finally, have meaning. They locked us up like animals. I don't remember why they wanted us, but we all knew we were surely not going to live for much longer. But one of us managed to bust out, letting everyone free with him. It was a brutal escape, and everyone who ran were caught again, and I was hit with a curse that slowly turned me into this," the Blob finished.

"You're a Devilitis demon," Sunset announced.

"I don't know what we were, but I'd no doubt we were there for the same reason."

While the Blob told his story, Fetch noted down every important detail he could catch. He still held his pencil on his pad, waiting for anything else, but the large demon was quiet. "Is that it? Do you remember where you ended up when you escaped?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. When I got out, I quickly went into hiding before the curse rendered my legs useless. This place is as far as I got, and I've hidden here since, with my memory slowly slipping more and more away. But there is a way you might be able to help my memory..."

"And what's that?"

"A group of thieves have stolen something that is very vital to me. I ask that you help us get it back."

Sunset and Barb didn't react much to the offer. However, Fetch was dumbfounded, and he wore it all on his face. The detective closed his notes with an audible slap before he spun around to make his leave. The other two then grabbed his arms and pulled him back in.

"Where are you going?" Barb asked.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you actually believe this... thing?" Fetch replied. "Get him his shit and suddenly he has his memory back? What part of that isn't shady to you two?"

"Even so, it's the only lead on the Betrayed we've got right now. There's a chance that, if we do this, it really will help him out, which in turn will help us out!" Sunset said optimistically. "Don't you think we should take that chance?"

Fetch just stared at her as if she was an idiot, then turned to Barb. "How do you stomach her cheeriness?"

Barb raised her shoulders. "It takes some getting used to-" She was then met with a fierce glare from Sunset. "...but you learn to love it."

Barely convinced, Fetch shook himself free of Sunset and Barb's grasp with a sigh. He put his hands in his pockets. "Whatever. You two can play fetch if you really want, but I don't buy it."

"So, what? You're just leaving us here?" Barb asked.

"I'll be back, I promise, but I'm not gonna waste my time when I could do something actually beneficial to this case. Be careful around here, alright?" Without waiting, Fetch finally left the sight, leaving the demonesses with the boy and monster, only able to watch as he grew further and further away.

"Do you think he noticed the pun he made a second ago?" Sunset asked Barb.

"Honestly, I was really hoping he would bring it up," Barb replied. Their attention was then turned back to the Blob, who smiled with his giant, grotesque mouth. "Alright, Blobby, where can we find these punks?"

"They are located in one of the far corners of the junkyard. The Runt can show you the way, as long as you promise to keep him safe," the Blob requested.

The Runt's face turned unhappy. He stood in front of his friend with disappointed eyes. "Oh, come on! I'd be better off just doing it myself. Don't make me work with these two randos!" he complained.

"I'll say. Sunset and I don't need any dead weight holding us down, especially a snotty little brat like you," Barb said as she played with the child's cheeks. The Runt waved her away and rubbed where it turned a darker shade of red. He threw up a middle finger her way while sticking his tongue out. Barb did the same.

But then Sunset stepped in the way of the two's bitterness and tried to retain a more positive presence by kneeling down to the Runt's level with a smile. "Please excuse my friend. We really would appreciate if you'd help us. And we promise, we won't let anything happen to him," she said, turning her eyes up to the Blob.

The Blob gave a humm. "I feel you have a strong aura. I trust you'll come back safe."

Begrudgingly, the boy began to walk, gesturing for Barb and Sunset to follow behind him. The Runt took them through the rest of the junkyard, making unhesitated turns like he knew the place like the back of his hand.

"Sure you know where you're going, kid?" Barb asked.

"This ain't the first time I've have to deal with this lot. I've had time to learn," the Runt replied. The three came up to a broken fence, acting as a door into a dark den made entirely of scrap. The Runt lifted the corner of the fence, opening a gap wide enough for them to crawl through. "This is their hideout, so the place will be packed with demons. As soon as we go in, you two have to do exactly as I say. Got it?"

Sunset nodded. Barb didn't want to. They all crawled inside, with the Runt carefully closing the fence behind him. The tunnel was lit up by only barely functional lanterns, acting as their one guide through the dark hideout.

The Runt hung behind Barb. His eye couldn't help but have an interest in the square that sat inside her back pocket. Figuring that she was distracted for now, the Runt carefully snuck his hand inside, slipping out Barb's wallet. But as soon as it was free, his wrist was swiftly grabbed by Barbed Wire, who lifted up the tiny offender.

"Don't even think about it," she whispered through clenched teeth. She took her wallet back for the second time and placed the boy down. "Let's go. I've a feeling we shouldn't stick around."

The Runt shook his hurting wrist and walked ahead of the girls. They began approaching what looked to be an exit. "Relax. We're here," he announced.

They all stepped out of the tunnel and back into natural light. They were met with a square, concrete building with walls of shattered windows. On the side was a conveyer belt with cubes of compacted rubbish sitting on it, leading into the building through an open wall.

The trio hung out by the edge of the tunnel. "So, how are we getting in there?" Sunset asked.

"The place looks deserted. We should just storm it!" Barb added.

"Don't be so sure. Look." The Runt pointed up to the windows. Looking close, Sunset and Barb could see demons peaking out. "They ain't moving anytime soon, and as soon as they see us, the whole building's getting alerted."

"Don't suppose you've got a plan then?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Now, listen closely..."

Patrolling demons wandered back and forth the windows of the factory, keeping their base guarded from any foe, should they ever even have one. A snore was what it was. While resting his head on an arm, one guard glanced out the window for anything exciting. Junk. Junk. More junk. A pair of demonesses walking up to the base. Oh, and more junk. The guard went back to his usual nothing.

Then suddenly, his head whipped back around and he watched as, yes, two completely random girls just waltzed right to their front door. The scouting demon ran to the other side of his platform and shouted to the whole factory below him, "We got some intruders in this bitch! Right outside!"

Every other demon in the factory scrambled into position, grabbing their weapons and hanging by the front door. Then, the scout went back to the window and poked himself fully out to face the intruders.

"Freeze, bitchasses! State your business right now!" he shouted down.

The intruding demonesses stood their ground, one of which pointed up with one hand, with the other resting on her hip. "You guys have got something we want, and we're here to take it!" Sunset proclaimed proudly. "Come quietly, and maybe things don't have to get ugly!"

Only then did the factory doors fly open, revealing a dozen more demons wielding pipes, crowbars, golf clubs and spiked baseball bats.

"You and what army?" the scout asked.

The trespassers froze in place, with Sunset's finger falling in shame. Seeing that they were completely outmatched and out of their heads, Sunset and Barb raised their arms in surrender.

In no time, they were surrounded, with a couple holding their arms behind them. Their captors nudged them forward, guiding them into the factory, all while every other demon stood their place around, preventing any way of escape.

The inside of the factory appeared run down, yet still functional, with a plethora of garbage cubes used to keep the building standing. All of the machinery were at work on more and more of the metal bricks. Sunset and Barb were brought to the centre of the facility, a more cleared out area with more cubes used to hold the crew's gear. They were pushed down to their knees before a demon that looked no more imposing than the rest of the goons.

He appeared as a short, slender weasel, who spun the tip of a dagger on his finger. Even kneeling down, he was around Sunset and Barb's height. He gave a low snicker. "Youse girlies got some nerve tryin' ta storm our base," he said with a snarly voice. He then held his dagger close to the invaders' faces. "So, tell me, what brings ya here, hmm?"

"Just an old fashioned trade. If you point us to your leader, I bet we can settle things maturely," Sunset said, looking past her oppressor's knife.

"Ya talkin' to him already," the leader, apparently, replied. He gave Sunset a glare.

There was silence for a moment. Neither side made another move, but it could be seen that both intruders' lips were twitching. They were clearly giving it their all to suppress any and all laughter. The boss still stood his ground, leaning higher and higher over the two until they couldn't take it any more. Finally, the two fell into a fit of giggles, much to everyone's confusion.

The leader then rushed over and poked the tip of his dagger on Sunset's neck. "And just what's so funny, hmm?!"

The girl's, however, could barely calm themselves down. "Sorry! Sorry! It's nothing. I swear, we're really scared," Sunset said.

"Just don't ask us to kneel before you. You make it hard enough already," Barb added, only for them both to break into full hysterics. Even some of the others around them couldn't help but give a laugh of their own.

The boss was furious now! He grabbed Sunset by the hair and stuck his face in hers, pushing his blade further into her chest as a warning. Everyone promptly stopped laughing. "If it's a death sentence ya wanted, ya could've just said!"

It was then that a distant clattering was heard. Everyone turned to the back of the factory, only to find the Runt, still as a statue, with a plastic bag in hand and rusty tools now on the floor.

The boss looked between the girls and the kid. He put the pieces together in his head, causing him to laugh as he stood between the three raiders. "So, ya think ya real smart, huh, the Cunt? Distracting me with two bimbos has gotta be ya weakest plan yet. But how's about you give that bag to me? Now," he demanded.

"It's the Runt, and fat chance! You had no right stealing this!" the Runt shouted back. "We're taking this back, so why don't you just fuck off?!"

"Or what, ya little bastard? You don't got that monster of yours to hide behind no more. I've got the control now! So, either you give back my loot, or I kill your friends! Starting with this one!" The boss pointed his blade towards Barbed Wire. The goon standing behind her raised a crowbar to her head.

"Eh," the Runt shrugged. Barb's mouth fell open in disgust.

"...Starting with this one!" The boss switched over to Sunset.

"No, don't!" The Runt held a hand out to try and stop the criminals.

"The stash, Runt!" The leader held his hand out with a demanding gesture. Despite his threats, the Runt held the bag closer to him, hiding it from everyone else. The mastermind was left with only one option. "Do it," he signaled his underlings.

A demon next to Sunset slowly raised a spiked bat over her head, only to bring it back down with the force of a falling boulder, smashing against the top of the girl's head.

However, once the bat made contact, it was reduced to mere splinters, leaving only the piece that the demon was holding. Sunset turned to her attacker with a pitch black stare, showing that her skin had turned hard as stone. Without wasting another moment, Sunset broke free of the captor that held her down, to then brush aside every other demon close to her with ease, freeing Barb in the process.

"Come on! We're getting out of here!" Sunset called to the Runt.

But she was quickly met with the leader's dagger in front of her eyes once more. The small weasel was seething. "Oh, no ya don't! Ya don't just walk into my base and leave scot-free! I will end you right here! I will do it right now! You stand no chance against m-!" He was suddenly interrupted by a heavy shopping bag colliding with the side of his head, instantly sending him to the floor.

The Runt, standing directly behind where the boss once stood, slung the bag over his shoulder with a confident smirk. "Okay. Let's go," he said.

As simple as things seemed, the remaining minions were still there, and they all gathered by the front door to prevent the trio from escaping. The powered-up Sunset wasn't threatened, however. She rushed ahead and cleared the path by shoving the crowd to either side of the factory, some of which knocking over some of the stacks of cubes that kept the building standing.

With the team stepping out into safety, the enemy base began to fall in on itself. By the time they made it back to the tunnel, the entire front half of the factory was rubble. The mission was nothing short of a success. The team ventured back the way they came. Having faced the kingpin of this dump, everyone was certainly more confident when wandering through.

Sunset gave a relieved sigh. "Don't know about you guys, but I wasn't sure if we'd make it out of that one," she said, putting her hands behind her head.

"Is that a fact?" Barb asked.

"Pfft! Nah. Talk about all bark and no bite."

"And it was all thanks to my plan, remember," the Runt confidently spoke up, pointing a thumb towards himself.

Seeing the boy's arrogance, Barbed Wire snuck up beside him and stuck a foot out, tripping the Runt up. By hopping around, he narrowly avoided greeting the ground. "Is that the same plan that let yourself get caught, Clumsy?" Barb pointed out.

"It worked out, didn't it?!" The Runt yelled. "Had it not been for me, you'd have had your head beaten flat."

"By turning their attention onto Sunset?"

"Exactly! Letting her set about them by breaking that bat over her!"

Not willing to lie to themselves, the girl's became quiet. They were impressed by the Runt's intuition to think ahead. That is, until Sunset realised something.

"But I never told you that I could do that," Sunset said.

That finally shut the boy up. A stupid blush formed, causing him to turn away from Sunset and Barb, making his embarrassment all the more obvious. "W-well, we still did it! The Blob will have his goods back and all will be fine again."

Barbed Wire cocked her head to the side. "So, how does a little guy like you find yourself with a demon like the Blob? Is he a close relative? An old friend?" Barb pondered her options.

"No, actually. Well, yes, he's my friend, but it hasn't been for long. A while back, I was running from some of those guys, and they cornered me at the Blob's shed. I was sure he was about to eat me, but he scared them off and saved me. So, I've been by his side since. I know, I don't look like much, but he protected me, so I owe it to protect him," the Runt explained.

Barb raised her eyebrows in surprise. She couldn't help but let her eyes drift towards Sunset, who was also interested in the boy's story. A wave of guilt suddenly overcame her, forcing her to wipe her face with her sleeve to rid herself of it. "Heh, guess there's a good side to you after all, shrimp," Barb commented with a grin.

"So, what is in the bag that was so important?" Sunset asked.

"You had us go through all that for fucking candles?!" Barb shouted at the Blob.

"Scented candles," the Blob added.

"Oh, I'm sorry! So, since we just risked our necks for your scented candles, how about you tell us more about the Betrayed? I think that's a pretty small ask at this point."

There was silence between the pairs. The Blob didn't look to be ready to give answers of any kind. Meanwhile, the Runt set up all of the candles around the Blob and lit their stems. The smell of garbage and waste was quickly covered by the scent of fresh green apples.

The Runt put out his match, turning to see the girl's still standing there, waiting for an answer. "You've served your purpose. You can leave now," he said.

"What? But you promised you'd help us!" Sunset said.

"I have already helped in every way I can. Now, leave. You'll bring more unwanted attention staying here too long," the Blob replied.

Barb stormed up to the monster and stared him in his high up eyes. "Oh-ho, no. We made a deal, so it's high time you hold up your end of the bargain!"

"So, it was a sham the whole time, huh?" someone suddenly said from the hideout's entrance. All eyes moved to the back of the area, and they were greeted by the return of Fetch with a folder in his hand. He passed Barb and Sunset, standing in front of the junkyard's monster.

"And what have you come back for?" the Blob asked.

"I knew your ask for help was bull from the start, but learning you've had memory issues gave me an idea, so I went to get something that would help for sure," Fetch explained.

"And what would that be?"

Fetch held up the folder, filled with a stack of papers. "This is the current collection of missing demon files, all of which are either known to be involved with the Betrayed, or have been diagnosed with Devilitis. I'll read to you every name, and if any of them sound familiar, I want you to buzz it."

The Blob was quiet for a moment. "You... have my name?"

"I do, and I'll only give you it if you tell me more on the Betrayed. No bullshit. We have a deal?"

The Blob grumbled, closing his eyes as he made his decision. He opened them again and look the detective straight in the eye. "It's a deal."

Fetch opened the file across his hands and turned to the first page. Barbed Wire, Sunset Shimmer and the Runt stood by as Fetch read every name across every page. A gap was left after each case file for the Blob to answer, but he was yet to give anything, so Fetch pressed on.

The detective was soon nearing the end of the collection. He made sure to give extra time for the last few for if, by some miracle, the Blob recognised it.

"Amulet Charm," Fetch read.

"No, detective," the Blob replied.

"Swift Leap."

"No."

"Forest Daydreamer."

The Blob shook his head. Fetch lifted the next page over, giving a heavy sigh as he realised there were no more files after this. "Okay, big guy, this is the last one. Azure Wayfarer."

The creature dug as deep into his own mind as possible. Any flash of memory he would have, the Blob tried to retrieve anything that could be useful. There was a brief glimmer of something, it was so familiar, but it would be just out of his reach. Unfortunately, the Blob would only come up with the same nothing as ever. He looked to Fetch with a sad look. "I'm sorry, detective."

Fetch then defeatedly closed over the folder. "Thank you for your time," he said before turning away to leave. Sunset and Barb followed behind him.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get much, Fetch," Sunset said.

"That's alright. It was more than I've gotten in months. We'll figure something else out," Fetch responded.

The junkyard duo watched as their visitors left. The Runt couldn't be more pleased to finally be rid of them, but the Blob felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to help more, especially since they were willing to help him with his memory. Before they were gone for good, the Blob searched his mind once more. He kept the last name at the front of his mind, hoping that something, anything, would finally come to him. He could see a demon standing in front of him on a dark night. The Blob could see him shaking his hand, giving his farewells. The Blob could read his lips mouthing his name. He did had something!

"Detective!" the Blob called out. The trio stopped in their tracks and spun around. "I remember something."

Detective Fetch scrambled to get his notes and pen out of his pocket, nearly dropping them in doing so. He walked up to the cursed demon with his pen ready to write.

And so, the Blob pressed on, "It's not my name, but I know of Azure Wayfarer. It's still coming back to me, but Azure Wayfarer was the demon who helped us escaped those Betrayed demons' lair. Azure and I were the only ones who got out. I was hit with a curse, but it hadn't taken effect just yet. Before we parted ways, he told me where he was going."

"And where was that?" Fetch asked.

"Someplace he said no demon would dare go near. A place on the far side of the city. But I'm afraid that's all I remember," the Blob finished.

Fetch closed over his notebook with a smile on his muzzle. "You've done more than I could have asked for. Thanks for your help."

"We're sorry we couldn't help you remember your name," Sunset said.

"That is okay. You all have done so much already. I bid you farewell, and good luck on your investigation. Be sure you take down the demons who did this to me!"

"We will, we promise. Stay safe, and you stay out of trouble," Sunset targeted towards the Runt, who responded by crossing his arms and turning away. And then, the trio finally began to make their leave.

The three left the junkyard with more than they could have anticipated. What was meant to be an investigation of a disturbance in the city turned out to be a push towards finding the Betrayed. They had a new plan now, and it was to find this Azure Wayfarer and ask him some questions. Everyone was satisfied with the progress they made, but that would quickly be interrupted as Barbed Wire noticed that something wasn't right. She felt around her back pocket, and her breath was caught in her throat when she realised that her wallet was missing!

She let loose a horrible shout as she ran back inside the junkyard. "That fucking RUNT!"

Author's Note

Won't even lie, this chapter went through some hell. Should be smoother from here on out though.