On a dark, late night in Sinner City, silence plagued throughout the streets, where the whistle of the gentle breeze could be heard as well as the scattering feet of a demon cat chasing a skull rat. Once the vermin had been caught, the silence especially allowed for the crunching of the small creature's bones to be heard inside of the feline's mouth.

It was this reason alone that Barbed Wire absolutely loved the night time, where her worries were no longer relevant until the morning after. She could just snuggle up in her covers on her... admittedly, wonky mattress and rest her head back on her poufy pillows. Barb was just about ready for the magic of sleep to overtake her once more and bring her into a wonderland where nothing matters anymore.

Her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. God was about to take her away, but not literally. She was now on her way to sleep.

But then her eyes opened again at the sound of a dink. Barb sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes, wondering just who would be ruining her rest. After hearing the same dink again, she traced the source to be coming from her window which sat just over the headrest of her bed. Someone seemed to be throwing shit at her window.

Barbed Wire stood up on her mattress and opened the window, sticking her head outside and revealing to the world her very nasty bed head. She looked around for the perpetrator, not really seeing anybody nearby. That was until she looked directly downwards and found the bastard.

"Big Softie?!" Barb asked with shock.

"Barbed Wire?!" Softie returned the gesture. "I thought this was Sunset Shimmer's address."

"She gave you my address?! Why would she-?" Barb then stopped herself mid sentence as she realised that what he just said didn't sound too right. "Nah-nah-nah, hang on! What do you want with Sunset? At three in the fucking morning as well!"

"None ya business, that's what," Softie rudely answered. "What window is she at? It's very important I see her."

"Yeah, I'll bet it's really important!" The sarcasm oozed right out of Barb's mouth. "Get out of here already, before I deal with you myself!"

Her command seemed to have worked as Softie began walking away now. Although, instead of walking away from her block, Softie instead rounded the corner to the front of the block. Where the living room window is. Where Sunset is.

"Oh no you don't!" Barb scrambled off of her bed and quietly, yet also quickly, left her room and tip-toed her way over to the living room window, passing by a softly snoring Sunset Shimmer.

Before she could pull apart the blinds, however, there came more dinking sounds from the window. She had to give it to Softie, while he seems desperate, he's got a good aim.

Nevertheless, Barb opened the living room window and gave Big Softie an enraged look. "Will you just go the fuck away?!" she said with a silent, shouty voice. "She's trying to sleep right now!"

"You go away! This has nothing to do with you!" Softie retorted.

Barb growled at Big Softie, but was then pulled away from him as she heard a shuffling. Looking behind her, Barbed Wire found a sleepy Sunset rubbing her heavy eyes and yawning.

"Barb? Is that you?" Sunset asked with a tired voice. "What's with all the noise?"

With some quick thinking, Barb slammed the window shut and drew the blinds once more, looking at her roommate with an innocent smile. "It's nothing. Just go back to sleep now, 'kay?"

And at that moment, a large rock came flying through the window, smashing it to pieces with an extremely loud shattering sound, and causing Sunset to scream as a response at it. As the rock landed on the floor with a loud bang, it only barely missed Barb's head.

"What's going on?!" Sunset shouted, retreating on the side of the couch farthest from the window.

"Hey, Sunset! Yoo-hoo!" a voice called out from outside.

Sunset recognised that voice. She looked at Barb confusingly, and Barb returned with a nervous look as she tried to cover the window with her body.

"Who's outside, Barb?" Sunset asked.

"No one."

Sunset let out a sigh as she got up from the couch. Stopping directly in front of Barbed Wire, she looked at her directly into Barb's lying eyes and proceeded to lift Barb out of the way like a toy with her increased strength. Avoiding all of the broken glass, Sunset looked out to the streets below and was met with a stone that was slung directly at her forehead.

"Ow!!" Sunset reeled back in shock, clasping at the mark now formed in the centre of her forehead.

"Oh, shit! Sorry!" the voice called again.

A few seconds later, the pain disappeared and Sunset was able to look out the window again, but not before making sure it was safe this time. Her hunch was correct as she saw Big Softie down in the streets, cradling a large number of rocks in his arm.

"Big Softie? What are you doing here?" Sunset asked, accidentally pricking her finger by putting her hand on the broken window frame.

Softie dropped all of his rocks onto the ground, rolling away with a collective clattering sound. "I need your help. Can you come down?"

Sunset looked over to Barbed Wire who stood away from the window and the broken shards of glass on the floor, furiously shaking her head at her with a mad facial expression.

"I'll be right there," Sunset assured Softie as she left the window and began making her way to the front door.

Her efforts were immediate stopped, however, by Barb deciding to jump in front of the exit. "Hold the fuck up! There is no way I am letting you leave this house!"

"Why not?" Sunset wondered. "Big Softie's in trouble and, as his friend, I gotta go help him."

"Absolutely not!" Barb made a stopping gesture by waving her arms from her chest to being spread out either side of her. "Its great that your both buddies and all, but this would be the third time now that you've left the house alone. How can I know you're safe out there?"

Sunset placed a reassuring hand on Barb's shoulder. "I'll be fine. I've got my devil abilities, remember?" Despite the obvious fact, it didn't get rid of the worried, sad look on her friend's face. Clearly, it would take more than unpredictable powers to convince Barb that Sunset was capable of taking care of herself. It was then that she had an idea. "Why don't you come help too?" she offered.

Barb's eyes had gone wide at the offering. "What- Me? Help him?!" She pointed to herself and then to the broken window as she mentioned the both of her and Softie.

"Three's better than two, right?" Sunset said with a cute smile, tilting her head further to one side.

At this point, Barb knows better than to assume that maybe Sunset won't dive into something she doesn't understand for once. No matter how she would plead or warn, her efforts would be ultimately worthless in the end. So what was the next best thing for her to do?

Barb gave an annoyed grunt. "Fine. But I'm only doing this for you. Not for him."

Sunset nodded in an understanding manner. "Right. So, do you want me to tell him to wait a minute longer for you to get dressed, or..."

Hearing that, Barb looked down at herself and realised that during the scene she was making, all she was wearing was a white tank top and panties.

With her bottom-half-less hoodie, her joggers and shoes back on, Barb and Sunset left the house together, with Big Softie standing in the middle of the road with rocks surrounding him.

"What's up, Big Softie?" Sunset asked, walking up to her friend.

"It's kinda a long story, but I'll tell you on the way there." Softie then began race-walking in the opposite direction, prompting for the girls to follow him. "Come on, we have to hurry!"

Barb and Sunset quickly exchanged glances before Sunset began jogging after Softie. Barb moaned once more as she figured this was how it was going to be and followed suit. Once they were both at Big Softie's side, Barb took it upon herself to say what they were both thinking.

"So, Softie, what's going on here?" she asked, glaring deeply into the bull demon's soul, or lack thereof. "Why'd you feel the need to drag us out here so late at night?"

"Barb, be nice," Sunset scolded, following up by softening her expression upon looking up to Softie. "But yeah, what is going on?"

"I've been thinking about what you told me, Sunset, and I decided to keep an eye out while at our gang's headquarters," Softie explained, never ceasing from looking straight ahead. "I overheard a call our boss was having. He was arguing with some buyers, saying how he's raising his prices or their peace treaty was done. Our gang supplied them with weapons. The buyers didn't take this too kindly and now they, along with my boss, are preparing to go at it. There's gonna be a gang war coming soon! It's happening all over again!"

"What?! Have you tried talking sense into your boss?" Sunset asked, not trying to hide her own fear when imagining the kind of battle that could rage out.

"I've tried everything! But there's just no reasoning with him when he's this angry! So, I decided that if there's no telling him to stop, we make him stop instead."

Barb rolled her eyes. "So, what you're saying is, 'I'm too scared to do it myself, so let me get a couple of demons to hide behind while they do my work'."

Sunset shot Barb a displeased glare. "Barb! What is with you?! Could you show a little concern, please?!"

"I'm not showing this piece of shit anything! He doesn't deserve it!" Barb began to raise her voice. She began to walk ahead of the other two. "I just want to get this over and done with."

Big Softie sighed. "Barb, you can't still be mad at me. That was a long time ago now."

Upon hearing that, Sunset's head flew between looking at Softie and Barb. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Do you two... have history?"

"You could say that," Softie answered. "We used to be friends-"

"We were never friends!" Barb turned back and shouted. "You made that very clear when you ditched me!"

Her curiosity had peaked now. This whole time, Sunset imagined that she was Barb's only ever friend. Come to think of it, Sunset wasn't sure how much she truly knew about her roommate. Anytime she ever asked Barb about herself, she always blew the question away, reinstating these rules of Hell Sunset was sure Barb had just made up. Perhaps today's the day she finds out about some juicy stories of the past from another source.

"What did you do?" Sunset silently asked Softie, leaning closer to him.

Big Softie briefly glanced down at Sunset, thinking over the worth of telling the story to her. It wasn't a moment of his afterlife he looked over with the most fondness, and he wasn't sure how his newest friend would feel after knowing he hurt her other friend.

"It's... not important," Big Softie came to the conclusion. "Besides, if we keep Barb waiting too long, she's probably gonna make it there before we do."

Big Softie and Sunset quickened their pace to catch up with Barbed Wire, who still stomped away with the same sour look on her face. Sunset placed her hand on her friend's shoulder as she caught up. As Barb saw her out of the corner of her eyes, a reassuring smile crept onto her face. Seeing Sunset care for her reminded her of why she decided to come in the first place. But as the hulking blue figure came into the other side of her vision, she was again reminded of the other reason she came, darkening her mood further.

"Hey," Sunset softly said to Barb. "Let's all just try to be a team, okay? It's just for one night."

Barb let out a long sigh, relieving herself of some of her anger. "Fine. I'll try to, for you." She tried to put Sunset at ease by forcing a big smile. It seemed to work as Sunset's face lightened and she walked further ahead with a calmer state of mind.

However, as soon as she was gone, Barb's smile immediately fell and her voice became darker. "Softie, you may have Sunset's trust, but I don't believe you for a single second."

"I want to change things because of Sunset. She sees that in me. Though, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything from you," Big Softie replied. "Maybe it's for the best that we don't see each other again after tonight."

"I agree." Barb held her hand out to Softie.

Big Softie stopped to look at Barb's hand before taking hold of it. They both shook and sealed the deal. But before Softie could let go, he was forcefully pulled Barbed Wire, getting to look directly into her fierce, horrifying eyes.

"But remember this, if you hurt her in any way, I will personally make sure that I am the last thing that you ever will see!" Barb promised coldly. She threw Softie's hand back towards him and took off once more. "You can count on it."

The trio continued their journey through the city, soon leading them towards a series of seemingly abandoned warehouses, redecorated by lots of scrap and junk to make it into more of a private base. Sunset looked over it all, feeling a sort of uneasiness to the eerie vibe it gave off. This must be the gangs' headquarters.

Big Softie took the demonesses through what seemed be a handmade, sturdy security door, placing them all in an enclosed space with the only thing on their way now being a gate with a number pad beside it. Barb and Sunset stood still while Softie went over to dial in the number code to let them through.

While they both waited, Sunset couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't too right. By the sound of the kind of business this gang did, she probably would have expected way more demons being here and a lot more noise, especially given the fact that she could see lights on beyond the gate.

To make sure her hunch was wrong, she used a new trick she found out about and blinked three times in rapid succession. She vision was now taken elsewhere, but she couldn't figure out where exactly. She could only see darkness. Sunset tried looking around from her new perspective and found her sights being on top of the walls that surrounded them. Down a hole in a dimly lit room, she saw herself, Barb and Softie still trying to open the door.

But why would her eyes take her here? It wasn't until Sunset finally heard a clicking sound that she realised. Sunset blinked three times once more and was brought back to her own eyes. She remained completely still with a look of horror on her face.

"Barb," she tried whispering to Barb, but her worried breaths almost made her speak louder than she wanted.

"What?" Barb asked, getting closer to Sunset to listen in better.

"Look. Up."

Barbed Wire complied and glanced upwards. It was almost completely pitch black, but among the darkness, she could very slightly see the silhouettes of figures. All it took was for one of these figures to slightly move for the light below to reflect on the metal object they were holding to blow their cover.

Barb gasped, sharing the same look of terror as Sunset.

This prompted one of the demons above to fire their weapon, sending a dart flying towards Sunset. Barb quickly intercepted the shot by jumping in front of her, sticking the dart directly into her left shoulder. She took the dart out of her, much to her discomfort, and looked it over. A tiny canister with a red tail on the end.

Before she could even turn around to show Sunset, Barb shortly lost all balance and fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Barb!" Sunset exclaimed worriedly. She got down by her side and picked Barb up from her shoulders. "Wake up! Barb! Please!" Her breathing became insanely quick, almost making it hard to breath and focus. However, she found the dart only centimetres away from Barb's sprawled out hand. A tranquilizer dart!

"Softie! Run! It's an ambush!" Sunset warned, the panic in her voice clear for all.

Big Softie turned around and looked down at Sunset with a face of despair. But he wasn't running away.

"Softie...?" A second dart was shot into the back of Sunset's neck.

"I'm sorry, Sunset," was the last thing Big Softie said before the effects of the tranquilizer took hold of Sunset too.

There was nothing but darkness. She was barely sure if she was awake, or alive. What was this place? Was this beyond the afterlife?

She tried to move, but her hands felt stuck, hanging directly above her head, and her feet were felt like they were fused together.

She tried to call out into the void, but her mouth was sealed shut. Her shouts were muffled, almost unable to create any sort of sound. Was this some kind of purgatory? Was she alone here?

Wait. She heard something. Footsteps. They sounded close, but she still couldn't see anything. She threw her head around more as the footsteps were getting closer.

"She's awake," a voice said.

They were directly in front of her. She stared forward into the black abyss where she heard the voice, feeling close to passing out with how fast her breath became.

Something suddenly crept onto the back of her head. She could her hair being pulled as something slid up and over her head. The light then returned to her, almost blinding her as it looked like the surface sun had shown once more onto her.

Soon enough, her vision adjusted to the new light, and she could finally see her surroundings. A demon was moving away from her with a thick, black blindfold in his hands. He stepped aside to reveal another demon who seemed to be analysing her thoroughly.

"So, this is the demoness you've been telling me about, hmm?" the new demon asked. He was a yellow lizard demon, wearing a business suit, walking with a cane, and she could spy a holster hidden under his jacket.

"She's the one, boss. The Devilitis demoness, as promised." Appearing from the door behind this lizard demon came... him. Big Softie. And this lizard demon... was his boss?!

Sunset tried to speak, forgetting that her mouth was forced shut.

The boss seemed to take notice of Sunset's efforts. "Oh, my apologies. Allow me." He reached a hand down to her face and quickly tore off the tape that sealed her mouth.

With a pained grunt and a burning sensation remaining on her face, Sunset breathed deeply through her free mouth, all while looking between Big Softie and his boss.

"Softie...? What... what's going on?" Sunset asked. "What about the gang war?"

Big Softie was about to answer, but his words were caught in his throat, and he looked away shamefully. His boss, however, began laughing maniacally at the sound of Sunset's question.

"Oh, is that what he told you? No, no, my dear. There is no gang war. In fact, our buyers are over the moon at the news that we can provide again," the boss explained happily.

"Provide...?" Sunset asked. "Softie, what is he talking about? You said the buyers were mad at the raised weapon prices."

Big Softie was still completely quiet.

"My, my, aren't you a slow one," the boss commented. "Read the room, girl! You've been deceived. We don't sell weapons. We sell Devilitis demons!"

They sold... No. No, it couldn't be. Why would Big Softie...? Why would he...?

"You... lied to us, Big Softie?" Sunset said with a betrayed look. "This whole time, it was all a set up?"

Big Softie clenched his fists as they remained at his sides. "Sunset, listen, I-" But he was then interrupted by the loud muffling from another side of the room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the muffling, and sitting against the wall was the bound Barbed Wire, with a blindfold covering her eyes and tape stuck across her lips. The boss raised his eyebrows at the sight of her.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," the boss said as, in unison, he removed the blindfold and tore the tape off of her face. "Barbed Wire!"

"You!" Barb hissed at the sight of the boss. She tried to throw her hands down, but found her efforts were futile as the chains trapped her hands above her head. Despite that, however, Barb continuously tried to break free, much to the boss' amusement.

"It's no use," the boss said, shaking his head. "Those chains are made from Satanium. The metal equivalent to the indestructible skin of a devil. Nothing is breaking free of them. Keep trying though, you might actually be able to scratch it."

Barbed Wire, blinded by her fury, kept at it, with rage fuelled grunts after every attempt to break the chains, all while the boss looked at her in the eyes with a shit-eating grin, not flinching once.

"You'll regret this! You all will!" Barb seethed. "When I get out of here-!"

"Oh, cry me a river, Wire," the boss sassed, turning away from her. "If you're smart, maybe you'll prove yourself useful again. That is if I don't decide to get rid of you."

This only made Barb even more angry. "HEY! DON'T FUCKING TURN AWAY FROM ME! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!!"

The boss sighed, annoyed. "Her voice exhausts me. Take care of her, please."

The boss' accompanying goon nodded and proceeded to whack Barbed Wire across the head with a metal rod, knocking her out cold in a single swing.

"Barb!" Sunset cried, tears falling free from her eyes. "You're a monster!"

"I'm a business man. I sell the real monsters that hide in the shadows, devil freak." Before leaving the room, the boss looked to the goon. "I've to go make a call with the buyer. I want you to stand guard outside the door. Softie, you come with me."

As the boss left, Big Softie followed, but he then stopped as he heard Sunset beginning to cry.

"You lied to me," she said in-between sobs.

"...I had to." Big Softie closed the door behind him, leaving Sunset and the unconscious Barbed Wire alone and chained.

"No, you didn't," Sunset said silently to herself.

Big Softie dared not to look back at the door as he closed it, but it was profoundly difficult to walk away from it. That look. That damn look she gave him.

'She really did trust me, huh,' thought Big Softie. All went according to plan, but it felt like something didn't work. Either that, or something wasn't supposed to work.

"Softie," the boss called, pulling Big Softie out of his head. "My office. Now."

Big Softie finally stepped away from the door, however, he made the mistake of looking back at it, saddening him further. He followed his boss through the halls. The lights were all barely working, the carpets were torn and dirty and many parts of the wall had been punched through. Many gang members hung around each and every corner, either doing drugs or fighting one another. It wasn't the most stable environment to say the least, but they were all a team. Softie knew that, at least.

Eventually, the boss and Softie came across a door with a plaque stuck on the front of it. There was nothing engraved on it, but everyone knew that this was the boss' office. The boss opened it to reveal a mostly empty room, save for the desk and chairs that sat directly in the middle, and had, clearly, the best lights throughout the entire building. Something that a few goons were a bit jealous of.

The boss, with his scales changing to green, took his seat on the other side of the desk on his large, black leather swivel chair, while Big Softie just stood behind the shitty, small, plastic chairs, not wanting to risk breaking one of them.

"I must say, Big Softie, that I am very proud of you tonight," the boss began to speak. "You've really pulled through and actually managed to score us another Devilitis demon. I was beginning to think we drained this city dry of them."

Big Softie waved a hand towards his boss, all while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. "Ah, well, y'know. I do try my best to provide in any way I can."

"And what a job you've done! Not just the Devilitis demoness, but also the infamous Barbed Wire!" the boss praised. "Ah, the look on that girl's face was hysterical! She really believed you about that gang war story. I gotta ask, how did you gain her trust the way you did?"

"It's a long story. All I can say, really, is that I got her out of a difficult situation, she then found me, we talked a bit, and then she trusted me enough to tell me where she lived if I ever needed help," Softie explained, counting on his fat fingers the steps that led to the conclusion.

The boss looked in awe. "Wow. Befriending her so that she would follow you here herself. Devious, Softie! Dev-i-ous!" He wagged one of his scaly claws at Softie's efforts.

Softie laughed his boss' praises off, but it suddenly occurred to him. The events that happened that night. It all happened before he found out about Sunset's condition. Everything they talked out, everything Softie came to feel, it was all real.

He stopped fighting her before he knew. He told her his story before he knew. He joined her made up gang before he knew. And this was how he repaid her kindness? At the moment, his boss believed that becoming her friend was all part of the ruse, but Softie wasn't going to let him know that was not the case at all.

But what did it matter anymore anyway? Even Sunset probably believes that it was all a lie, so it's not like he could possibly get her trust back now. Now, he just had to follow along with what happens, the only thing he's good at.

"Just wow. You've done very good tonight, Softie. We'll talk again later, but now I need to make that call," the boss concluded the conversation, picking up the phone that sat on his desk and facing the window that sat behind him. "Run along now. Do as you please."

Big Softie complied with his boss and left him be. He began to close the door, but the sound of the boss talking caused him to stop, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Hello! Good to hear from you again!" the boss greeted enthusiastically. "It's certainly been a while, but I've got good news. We've managed to secure another Devilitis demon!"

There was a pause in his speech. Softie figured that the buyer took a turn to speak, but what were they saying?

"Price is as usual. I plan on sending a chopper with the package to you soon. It should arrive a few hours after dawn." He left a pause, presumably to let the caller speak now. "Yes, I suspect your little one will be very happy have a new snack after all this time. Send her my regards."

'A new snack'? What the hell did that mean? What had the boss been doing this whole time with the Devilitis demons? Realising the situation at hand, Softie audibly gasped, immediately following by slapping his hand over his mouth. He heard a shifting sound coming from inside the office and, in a frantic panic, shut the door and ran off, making thunderous stomps as he went.

Inside the office, the boss looked to the door in confusion as he heard the hard footsteps quickly getting further away. He gave an upset sigh and pinched the bridge of his lizard nose, scales now changing to red. "I'll call you back." The boss hung up the phone.

Sunset remained with her head held low, lost in thought. With eyes puffy from the tears, and messy hair covering her face. She was lost, unable to think of what to do now.

Now having regained consciousness, Barbed Wire continuously tugged on her chains, trying to break free of the unbreakable bonds. With her head throbbing with pain, she dropped herself against the wall, trying to catch her breath before trying again.

Sunset was left having to listen to the chains constantly clatter with every pull. Having about enough of hearing Barb trying and failing, she spoke with a low, croaky voice.

"Please stop."

Her demand fell on deaf ears. Barb kept trying, heaving and grunting at every pull.

"Barb, stop it."

But again, Barb seemed to completely ignore her, not ceasing from her attempts of escaping.

Sunset had now reached her limit. Scrunching up her face as the irritating jingling never ended. "Stop it, Barb!" she exploded.

Only now did Barb finally stop, looking at Sunset intensely with a dried blood stain on one side of her face and her chest constantly falling and raising with her heavy breaths. She looked as angry as Sunset, yet she seemed be fuelled by a different rage.

But Sunset didn't stop. "There's no use in trying anymore. It's over. We've been beaten. It's best to just accept it now."

"What?" Barb barely managed to say from her hard breaths. She struggled to pull herself further up so she can look Sunset in the eye better. "The Sunset I know would never give up so easily. No matter how bad things came to be, you've managed to pull through and remain strong. You've managed to do so much-"

"No! You're wrong. All I've ever done is just make things worse for everyone I meet!" Sunset's lip began to tremble. "The bar fight, the election, and now my Devilitis! No matter what I do, all I do is cause trouble! And now look at us. Because of me, we're hostages with no way of escaping!"

Barb's heart sank at her words. Hearing her friend accepting defeat like this, despite always having such a fiery spirit at almost every waking moment. She didn't want to believe that this was how it came to be, but not even Barbed Wire was sure about how they were both going to get out of this.

Suddenly, both of their heads turned towards the sound of a turning lock. The door was swung open, bringing light back into the room. From the door revealed the heavy breathing figure of Big Softie, with a set of keys in his hand and a pair of unconscious bodies hanging outside on the floor.

At that moment, Barbed Wire growled as it seemed all of her anger returned to her. "What the fuck are you doing back here?! Get lost, you traitorous shitbag!"

Big Softie chose to ignore her and knelt down in front of Sunset. "Please, you have to listen to me-"

"Why should I listen to you?!" Sunset said with a dark tone, avoiding any possible eye contact with the blue bull demon. "Everything you've done, taking advantage of my kindness just for the gain of yourself! Leading me on to believe that some demons can change, and then throwing everything I ever believed right back at me! Was anything you told me back then even true?! Or was it all just part of your elaborate scheme?!

Big Softie found it hard to collect any words at all. "I-It... It wasn't at first. I did think we could be... friends."

"You lie!" Barb hissed. "All you care about is pleasing your piece of shit boss! Even abandoning those who say anything against him! You're no different from then, Softie!"

Sunset looked to Barb and then back to Big Softie. She remembered back when they were outside. Softie refused to say what happened back then, but why? "What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

Big Softie's eyes widened at the question. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sounds came out. His heart refused to tell the only other person who had trusted him.

"Tell her the truth!" Barb commanded fiercely. "Or I will!"

Seeing no way out this time, Big Softie finally dropped his defences, closing his eyes to avoid the pairs that watched him intensely. "Okay. You deserve the truth. Shortly after I joined the team, I was told I was already being sent on a mission alongside a very experienced member."

"Who were they?" Sunset asked.

"Me," Barbed Wire interrupted. "I used to be a strong, trusted pawn in this shithole, and the day we met, he was tasked to be backup on my mission."

Big Softie nodded in confirmation. "We were tasked with infiltrating a warehouse for new weapons and ammunition. However, the odds were stacked against us, and we barely got out alive. The boss was disappointed, especially with me. But Barb stuck out for me, telling him how great of a team we both made. After that, we always worked together, even after a bad first impression, we really became a great team down the line." He suddenly stopped, showing physical hesitancy to continue on.

Sunset filled the silence. "But...?"

Barb groaned loudly at Softie's incompetence. "For fucks sake, Softie! But then, I found out about the boss' part in the disappearances of innocent demons. Softie was the first demon I told, and you know what he said to me?"

Sunset watched in amazement, yet also horror. She shook her head in response.

"Do you remember, Big Softie?" Barb asked.

He did, and it pained him every time he had to think about it.

A younger Barbed Wire stood in front of a younger Big Softie. She had managed to pull him aside into an empty of others room. Barb looked panicked. Softie had never seen his partner this way before.

"Barb. Hey, it's okay, calm down," Softie reassured. "Tell me what happened."

Barb took a deep breath, attempting to put herself at ease before she spoke. "I just heard the boss on the phone to someone. He was talking about the delivery of demons. He's the one behind all the disappearances!"

Big Softie did a double-take upon hearing this. "Wait, what?! A-Are you sure?"

"I just heard him in his office. He plans on shipping them out tonight! We have to stop him!"

A door suddenly opened. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Disappointing, Barbed Wire."

Barb gasped and quickly turned around. There was the boss, with his scales turned red, with a few armed goons standing by his sides.

"Not only is it incredibly rude of you to spy on me while I'm in a call, but now I hear that you are plotting against me. You truly break my heart, dear."

Barb scoffed. "Cut the bullshit! Why are you selling innocent demons?!"

The boss laughed maniacally at his goon's question. "Innocent demons? Now, who told you that?" His face then turned stern. "The demons we send away are scoundrels and menaces! Taking what they want, from whom they want, when they want! We're performing a public service by sending these demons to face the justice they deserve!"

"This is not part of the code!" Barb retorted. "We only strike back if an enemy strikes first! You're just sending demons to their doom because you're scared!"

"I'm not scared of anything. It's all just part of business. We manage to rid the streets of these demons, and in turn, we collect a great amount from the buyer."

Barbed Wire grunted. She wasn't planning on leaving without a fight, and it seemed that the time was now. "Well, we're not gonna stand for this! Big Softie and me, we'll stop you! Right, partner?" She turned to Softie, holding up a hand for him to take and stand alongside her.

But he just stood there, remaining quiet and looking very sorry.

"Big Softie...?" Barb lowered her hand, a bad feeling forming in her stomach.

The boss hummed, crossing his arms and keeping an arrogant smile on his face. "Well, well, well. It seems that your 'partner' is having some doubts. Why don't we let him speak for himself, hmm?"

"You... you have my back, right?" Barb's voice saddened the longer Softie kept silent.

He didn't even give his partner the time to look her in the eye. Softie remained still, rubbing his arm slowly. Eventually, he let out a regretful sigh and started walking to the other side of the room, where the boss stood. "I'm sorry, Barb," he said.

"W-What...?" Barb's voice trembled. "What are you doing?"

"He made his decision, Barbed Wire, and the smart one at that. He doesn't wish to become an enemy to our family like you," the boss said for Big Softie. "I think it's only best you leave, and never return!"

"But... we were partners..." Her eyes began to water.

Softie nodded in response. "Here, we were partners. But you don't want to be here anymore, so we are no longer partners. I believe in the boss, and I'll stand by him if others try to oppose him."

His words tore through Barb's heart like a million poisonous daggers. She was left alone, beginning to cry, and rage consuming her.

"Fine!" she cried. "You want to stand behind that double-crossing bastard, then you're my enemy too!" Barb ran to the window, using a nearby chair to break it open. She stood on the edge, getting one final look of her ex-partner with red eyes. "If I ever see you again...!" But she couldn't finish that threat. Just before the floodgates were released, she escaped through the window and ran fast and far.

With Barbed Wire now gone, the boss and his goons turned to leave, getting back to the work at hand. As the boss passed, he patted Softie's huge back. "You did the right thing, son," he told him.

Big Softie didn't respond. He was left stunned after the events that just unfolded. Did he make the right decision? He wasn't exactly sure, now. But he decided that it was what it was, and followed the boss, the man he put his most faith in.

"...and to this day, I still think about back then, and sometimes wish it played out differently," Big Softie finished telling Sunset. "I betrayed Barb's trust back then, and now I've done it to you."

Sunset was outraged. The wide eyes, twitching lip on her face gave Softie all he needed to now what she was thinking.

"Barb was right," Sunset said silently, slowly shaking her head. She didn't even want to hold it back anymore. She didn’t even care. "You're nothing but a traitor."

Big Softie held his head low. "I'm sorry. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but maybe I can give you a way out." He showed Barb and Sunset the set of keys that he had stolen.

"Why the change of heart?" Barb spat, not believing a word he was saying. "I thought you were okay with her being sent away."

"I just heard him on the phone. The boss lied to us all! That 'justice' that he said then, it wasn't true! He sends Deviltis demons to their deaths!"

"What?!" Sunset and Barb both exclaimed in unison.

Softie quickly nodded. "I only went through with it because I thought you would at least be safe. I would've never done it if I knew about this. I know I don't deserve your trust, but if you're willing to give me one last chance, I can get us all out of here. Then you'll never have to see me again. I won't bother you both anymore. Deal?"

It was hard to tell if he was just lying to them again. He had tricked her good last time, but looking at him now, the sweat running down his face, the frantic movements and the worried expression. He looked sincere, or at least, more sincere. It was going to be a long shot, and an especially big risk, but if it was the only chance they had, then perhaps it was going to be a worthwhile one.

Realising now that she was holding her breath, Sunset gave a long sigh, looking back to Softie with determined eyes. "Okay," she nodded.

Big Softie proceeded to then open the locks of Sunset's shackles holding her hands and feet. She finally stood up again after what felt like forever, stretching her limbs and finally brushing away the hair that clung to her face. Softie then went to do Barb's chains; however, he was more hesitant at first. With a shaky hand, he unlocked Barb, who stood up and stretched herself. Once she was finished, she immediately punched Big Softie on the arm, sending him flying across the room and crashing into some shelves, the contents falling on top of him.

A smirk formed across Barb's face. "That was for backstabbing Sunset," she said, flexing her fingers. She and Sunset went over to Softie and pulled him up off the floor.

The trio set out, trying to find a way out of the building. Big Softie let them all, being the one to ensure the place was empty and dragging Barb and Sunset around different bends and corners. Had their be any other option, they would have most certainly taken that, but now it was left all to Big Softie to help them out. Did they still trust him? Not even a little bit, but perhaps without him, they might be dead already.

They were taken around another corner, but Big Softie immediately froze up, holding an arm out to block Sunset and Barb's path.

"What are you doing?!" Barb whispered harshly.

Big Softie pointed round the bend with his thumb. "There's a couple of guys round there. Keep absolutely quiet. I know another way out."

There was another path directly ahead, and next to the guarded hall. With the guards' backs turned, Softie, Barb and Sunset slowly walked past the opening, holding their breaths as they went. They couldn't help but listen in on the conversation the goons were having.

"You know what I was thinkin', bruh? What's with all these devil names?" one of the goons asked casually. "Satanium. Devilitis."

"What you saying?" the other goon asked, squinting his eyes to his partner.

"I don't know. Find it kinda weird. Their not even good puns, either."

The other goon lightly laughed at the thought. "It is kinda weird. Deviltanium-"

"It's Satanium," the first goon corrected.

"...Is it?"

"I... I'm not sure anymore... Fuck man, that's gonna annoy me now!"

Moving away from that hallway now, the trio continued to tread lightly. There didn't seem to be as many gang members around this section, so they were left free to hurry and find the exit. The girls were amazed at how Big Softie managed to know this place so well. Every hall looked nearly identical to the last, especially with how oddly empty everywhere was. Barb made sure she kept a close eye on their supposed guide to freedom.

At the turn of another corner, Big Softie's face lightened up. "It's this way. We're almost free!" The trio ran down one final hall. This was it now. They were home free.

A collection of clicks was heard as they all headed for the exit. Before the door they were aiming for stood a collection of goons, holding semi-automatic weapons in their direction, and in the centre of them all was the boss, scales changing to the harshest red Barb and Softie had ever seen.

The boss shook his head. "Disappointing, Big Softie. Extremely disappointing. And here I was starting to think you had finally begun to prove your worth."

"B-Boss?! I-I... I can explain!" Big Softie stuttered.

"No need. I think it's quite clear what is happening." The boss shifted the left side of his jacket, revealing a revolver within his holster.

"Holy shit. Get down!"

Big Softie grabbed the girls and ducked behind a large crate. The goons followed up by commencing fire. The room was completely lit ablaze, with bullets spraying all across the walls, causing the walls to crack and crumble to dust on the floor, and the box that the trio took cover behind. Their ears were tightly covered, suppressing the sound of the storm of firepower rapidly striking.

"Sir, we can't penetrate the box!" one goon announced.

The boss looked to him in confusion. "What- Okay. One: you're going to kill our package if you don't stop firing all willy-nilly! Two: what is in those boxes?"

"Sir, it's our shipment of Satanium."

"Oh my fucking God," the boss sighed in annoyance. "Why are these by the exit and not in storage?! What incompetent fool did I hire to do that job?!"

The room fell into an awkward silence. The goons looked between one another, and the trio were left unsure of what to do.

The boss cleared his throat and calmed himself down. "My apologies, Devilitis demoness. Clearly, there's something to be established in amongst our members. We mean you no more harm, however, we cannot let you or your companions escape. I highly advise you give up immediately before I actually do give the command." He glared at his underlings. "Surrender immediately."

"What are we gonna do?! We're trapped here!" Barb whispered.

"What can we do?" Big Softie rhetorically asked. "I don't see a way out of this. The boss is never gonna stop unless he gets what he wants!"

An idea sparked in Sunset's head. It was a risky plan, hell, it was completely stupid and might not even work. But if she played her cards right, maybe, just maybe, everyone has a shot of living through the rest of this. Closing her eyes, Sunset raised her arms up high and could be seen by the boss and his guards. While Big Softie and Barbed Wire were still trying to figure out what to do, Sunset slowly stood up and walked away from the box, making herself completely vulnerable.

Barb quickly realised Sunset revealing herself and reached out to her, staying below the top of the crate. "Sunset? Where are you going?! Come back!"

"It's okay. I have a plan," Sunset reassured her friend, now turning directly towards the boss with a look of boldness. "I surrender, but first, I'd like to make a deal with you... mob boss." She wasn't entirely sure what to call him.

The boss had a look of interest. "Ah, a deal you say? Well, I am all ears, Devilitis demoness. What is it you wish to propose?"

"I give myself to you, and in return, I want you to let Barbed Wire and Big Softie free, and for you to never bother them again."

"Oh, is that all? Well, it's certainly a small price to pay for someone of your capabilities, but I accept your offer." The boss held a hand out for Sunset to shake, making the deal official.

Just as Sunset was about to make her move, she was suddenly stopped by Big Softie jumping in front of her. "No!" he shouted.

"What are you doing, Big Softie?" the boss asked, a dissatisfied tone now appearing in his voice.

"I won't let you take her! I know what you do with these Devilitis demons and I'm not gonna stand for it any longer!"

"My dear Big Softie, may I remind you that this is exactly what led to Barbed Wire's expulsion? Turning against her own family and defying her higher up! You don't plan on following the same path as her, do you?"

"I don't care!" Big Softie yelled. "For so many years, I've been kissing your ass, trying to find a way to provide something, anything, for this gang, just to make myself feel like I was finally worth something. But when I met Sunset Shimmer, she opened my eyes and showed me that there's a better world out there, and I was too blind to see it at first. But no more!

"I don't know what I can do for this world anymore, but I know that one thing I can do is protect the only demon that ever believed in me, and if I must die for her to be safe, then so be it!"

"Big Softie..." Sunset said quietly, completely taken aback by Big Softie's words.

"As you wish," the boss replied. "Let's finish this." He took the revolver sitting at his side and aimed it directly at Big Softie, his claw placing itself over the trigger.

"No!" Sunset cried. She felt her devil strength coursing through her arms, and in the blink of an eye, she pushed Big Softie out of the way of the boss' shot, leaving her to be the only target left. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Sunset prepared herself for the inevitable outcome of her actions. She may have failed her quest of escaping Hell one day, but at least she knows that she managed to make some kind of change to someone's life while she was here. That all made it seem almost worth it. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

The bullet reached its target, and a loud thump was heard as a body hit the ground. Barbed Wire immediately looked over her shelter, heart dropping at the thought of her friend's corpse laying on the ground, but what she did see caused her heart to skip a beat. A body did lay on the ground, but it wasn't Sunset's. By the boss' side laid the body of one of his goons with a hole in his face.

"What?!" the boss wondered. He looked towards what the bullet should have hit, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

Sunset remained standing, radiating some kind of red aura. There's was a visible hole in the stomach of her t-shirt, but no bullet wound. As she stood, Sunset could feel something happening to her body, spreading from where the bullet should have hit. She felt... safe. She felt protected. She felt impenetrable.

"No, it... It can't be," the boss said in disbelief.

Big Softie, now seeing an opening, retreated back behind the crate with Barbed Wire. "What’s going on?" he asked his ex-partner.

"I don't know! Maybe it's a... devil thing..." Barb gasped at the realisation, flashing back to something that the boss once said, 'The metal equivalent to the indestructible skin of a devil.' She looked back to Sunset in amazement. "She has..."

"Devil skin!" the boss finished.

Around Sunset's body, she could feel her skin morphing into something new. The flesh being replaced with something that felt like stone. It went to her hands, spreading down to her feet, and finally, covering the entirety of her face. She was now completely shielded. Knowing this, she began slowly approaching the boss.

The boss jumped back behind his remaining goons in a state of panic. "F-F-Fire!" he commanded.

The goons nervously followed their boss' command and began firing their weapons at Sunset. However, despite their efforts, she was completely unphased by the projectiles. The bullets bounced off of her body, sending them all back to whence they came and taking the goons down one by one until only the boss remained.

The boss clumsily took his revolver out again and shot another bullet, leaving the chamber with only four more bullets. It did nothing to stop the Devilitis demoness. He shot again, leaving three. Nothing. Two. No luck. One. Not even a scratch.

His hands shook as he held the gun, his scales now changing to purple. He only had one more bullet left, yet no others could even harm Sunset. Taking one final chance, the boss closed his eyes and fired again. This time, the bullet reflected off of Sunset and was sent directly into the boss' shoulder. He fell to the ground in an agonising cry.

Sunset stood over the boss' pathetic body. He looked up at the terrifying demoness with fear.

"W-what kind of a demon are you?" he asked through the pain.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, bitch!" And with that, she raised a fist and punched the boss' daylights out.

The trio finally left the hideout, all of them now being tired, slumped over, sweaty messes. Sunset's skin returned to normal, and wherever the bullets hit her body now made her itch. As they came back into the streets, the light began to appear over the city, daybreak was here. Sunset had work today, but for the sake of herself, she might just skip it and sleep.

"We did it! We survived!" Softie cheered, using whatever oxygen was left in his lungs.

"We wouldn't have been in danger if it weren't for you," Barb threw back his way, hastily throwing a finger at him. "But... I guess you did save us in the end."

"I guess that means you aren't gonna hit me then."

Barb shrugged. "Meh. Too tired right now. I'll get you back next time I see you."

Big Softie smirked. "Well... I guess that means that this is it. I'm free now."

"What will you do next, Big Softie?" Sunset asked.

"Hmm. I don't know. For now, it's probably best I lay low for now, but the first thing, I think, to do is that we... y'know. Say goodbye."

A sad look crossed Sunset's face. "Will we... will we ever see each other again?"

Softie shrugged. "Who knows. We might, but it most likely won't be anytime soon-" He was interrupted by Sunset suddenly jumping onto the hunk of a demon, bringing him into an embrace.

"Thank you, Big Softie," she said softly.

The bull demon was left dumbfounded. He could feel a small tear forming in the corner of his eye. He returned the gesture to Sunset, wrapping his arms around her too. "No. Thank you, Sunset. You made this lost, miserable bastard finally feel like something."

Barb just watched them both from afar. She wasn't really the one to show too much affection, but with an annoyed sigh, she walked over to Big Softie and patted him on his fat arm, as she couldn't reach his shoulder. "I guess you've earned a little bit of trust, or some shit."

Big Softie gave his old friend a smile. "Thank you, Barbed Wire."

A small blush formed on Barb's face, which she tried to quickly hide by crossing her arms and pouting. "W-Whatever."

After a moment to hug and give their goodbyes, the girls and Big Softie proceeded to go their separate ways. Barb and Sunset headed back to their apartment, while Softie was going to his handmade shack under the highway. It was a long night for the three of them, and it would be an unforgettable one at that, but once the pain and fighting had finally come to an end, each of them could all leave being confident with something. Big Softie was confident that he could change for the better, all for his new friend. Barb could leave knowing that she could put part of her past behind her and the gang would be severely wounded for a long time to come. And finally, Sunset had regained the confidence that maybe, just maybe, she did have the power to make a change for the better of the city. She did it with Big Softie, so maybe she could try bring Barb out a little more if she was persistent enough. Who was to know? There may be an answer to an untold question.

A goon had brought the boss back to his office and had bandaged up his wound. The boss sat at his desk once more, heavily breathing and hissing at the sharp pains in his shoulder. Beyond his desk, the goon that helped him awaited a further command.

"Leave me. I have a private call to make," he told the goon.

The goon nodded and swiftly made their exit, closing the door over behind them, leaving the boss alone. He reached over to his phone and dialled in a number, bringing the phone up to his ear once the ringing had commenced.

He could hear the phone on the other side being picked up. "Bold of you to call again. Where is our package?"

The boss laughed nervously. "Ha-ha! You see, it's a funny story, the Devilitis demoness may have... well, escaped, and is running free in the city again."

He could hear the caller sigh. "That is certainly unfortunate. However, all is not lost," the caller said.

"Y-You're not mad?" the boss asked.

"No, no. For you see, this may be a blessing in disguise. If this Devilitis demoness had managed to escape from you, then she must be very powerful. So perhaps, with that power, one day we'll find her falling before us herself. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father Betrayed." The caller then hung up the phone.

What a ride, and what an occasion too! As this chapter finally goes live, it will be almost one year since I posted the first chapter! I would have waited until the real anniversary, but I'm impatient, so here it is now. Too celebrate this momentous occasion, I think it's time I finally showed you all...

Two letters in the currently unknown volume title! I give to you an 'E' and an 'F'!

Don't worry, more will be revealed soon...