SLAYER AND HERA KICK ASS AND CHEW BUBBLEGUM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY GUM

It didn't take too long for them to run into trouble. Not even ten minutes had pass since they left the city limits and they were already surrounded by a viscous leather-cladded group. All of them had smirks on their faces, although some of those smirks seemed to disappear when they caught sight of the armored terror that stood besides her. This wasn't in the plan. Their whiny and annoying leader said that she was alone. but of course like most things he ran his mouth off about, he was dead wrong.

No such thing as a easy payday. 

Some of them wondered if her literal knight in disturbing armor was actually the Slayer they heard about around town.

Slayer sighed and Hera took a deep breath and exhale to calm her frayed nerves.

There was bulllshittery afoot.

 Most of them wearing leather jackets and carried various weapons, some of them clearly not from this realm. Hera couldn't help but feel angry. She didn't have time to deal with them! 

The area was practically abandoned besides all the empty and half-shattered beer bottles and pilfered cigars litter that was ingrained into the dirt, considering they were close to Wallopa, there was no hope of a guard intervening. 

But no there was something else that was bothering her too about their attires but she didn't have time to focus on that.

"Please we don't want any trouble, leave us alone." Hera said as politely as possible given the situation.

"I don't know, didn't he say there would be two. The quote on quote abomination and her slutty succubus lover?" A human male asked, wearing a eyepatch.

"Yeah i hear you, little girl thinks she smart hiring some muscle. She don't know who we are. I almost pity the little girl." The Orc pronounced with a smug grin.

"Don't worry young lady, we were tasked to get you to our whiny leader alive, if not a bit bruised. You'll understand don't you?" A dwarf asked, he was wearing a wool jacket with the symbol of the gang messily sewn in. They kinda ran out of money for custom-made leather jackets.

Hera gritted her teeth, her anger flaring. Her left eye twitching and she clenched her fist.

Slayer took a look at the gang of fools, surrounding him and the angel-demon hybrid. He sighed and placed his sword in his scabbard. He didn't need it.

There was a tense silence. Hera stood at the ready, while it was true she did drop out of Eizengartze Academy, it didn't mean she stopped her studies. especially when it came to Arcadia.

The one with the eyepatch charged at the two with a metal bat with rusted spikes sticking out of it. By the way electricity dance around the bat she knew it was enchanted. Hera said a spell under her breath.

"AllBire." She uttered as she raised her hand, her hand glowed a fiery bright red as a medium-sized fireball erupted from it and into the chest of the charging human as he was thrown back, knocking over three members of the gang. Slayer was surprised, she clearly wasn't aiming to kill as AllBire was a move specifically meant to repulse attackers back. He remember when a old friend of his told him this while they were on a mission.

The man was screaming as his chest was on fire, melting away at his skin as he frantically stop and roll repeatedly. Dropping his electrified bat.

"Or was that Esluper ria?" He thought to himself as he grabbed the hand of another human that had a mace that was going to bash him in the head and breaks her wrist severely before grabbing her by the collar and slamming her into the ground so hard, cracks begin to form.

"I had a freshly sharpened pencil in my back pocket, oh gods why!" She screamed in pure pain as she coughed up blood.

The rest of them went rushing in.

"Get down!" He told Hera who nodded and crouched. Slayer grabbed the throat of a orc who was just flabbergasted and in a seamless motion swung him in a circle over and over again with surprising speed, knocking over ever single thug that came into the vicinity. Hera was absolutely floored by this show of strength, Orcs are well known to weigh around 500 pounds or more. She suspected that this Slayer might have been blessed by a God.

"Or maybe the armor is magically enchanted to boost his strength?" She theorized, still not entirely sure if there was a body in there. The Slayer still held the orc in his hands, gripping the throat and slowly choking the life out of the Orc. He positioned the Orc in front of Hera suddenly as the sound of gun-fire rang through the air. About seven rounds hit the Orc's leather jacket that was custom made to fit him and he would screamed out in pain if not for his air circulation being cut of by the very second. 

The Slayer charges to the exiled forest nymph wearing a counterfeit skull half-mask she brought who frantically emptied their ammo into the Slayer as the bullets just collapses in on itself as it hit the armor, He threw the Orc into her, his head hitting her in the face, breaking her nose. And The Orc fell on top of her, passed out.

There was still a few conscious stragglers, some of them rightfully scared of what they just witnessed. Not the drunken Dalisken Assassin that quietly rushed toward the duo thanks in part to the shadow-dust infused boots which wasn't easy to steal mind you.

"Niartser." Hera said calmly, pointing her finger behind her.

Of course, her years at Eizengarte had sharpened her senses as well.

"Guess that academy wasn't so worthless." Hera thought bitterly with a smile.

The assassin stopped in his tracks. Slayer turn around and stare the Dalisken down. He slammed the orc head-first on the skull of the assassin, a sickening crack was heard. Hera winced at the sound, even if her father was a demon swordsman doesn't mean she was any more used to violence. She remembered that night when she saved Furiosa from her tormentor and was horrified by what she did. She remember the way Furiosa looked at her and she couldn't blame her for having that reaction. Her sheer rage taking over all her senses and turning her into a raging beast. 

She hated that feeling. And yet...

"I can't help but feel satisfied at the same time." She thought somberly.

They took a look at the bodies laid on the ground, they were still alive, Hera hoped they were at least.

"Somebody was expecting us." Slayer said, more to himself. Hera checked some of the bodies, all of them was wearing the same insignia. Whether it was a tattoo, a emblem on a jacket, or literally carved into their face. The symbol was of a pair of wings attached to a worm-riddled skull with a broken halo atop of it.

"That is one overly designed logo." Hera thought to herself, she look at the name that was etched onto the skull on the back of the jacket. "Spawns of Retribution."

Hera took one more look at the logo and had a realization.

She had seen this logo before. Her former tormentor Sazael had the same logo on his breast pocket. Her eyes hardened, she had no clue what happened to him after he was expelled and subsequently jailed for attempted murder of her friend Furiosa. If he was still in this group or even still alive. She remember the gang back then was just more of a posse that Sazael surrounded himself with to make himself seem important.

"Just lackeys that couldn't think for themselves. Propelled by their mutual hatred of my race. Idiots." Hera bitterly thought some more as she took away some of their weapons, the enchanted baseball bat with nails that Hera theorized was taken from a different realm and the Shadow-Dust Infused boots will come in handy later. She took the boots as well.

It was around junior year they moved into more serious crimes such as blackmailing her friend. They also begin getting into smuggling items from other realms. Dangerous but rewarding. Not to mention strong arming local small businesses.

"I heard a rumor that they got involved with someone known as the Boss. I remembered Devilla talking about this Boss." Hera thought as she remembered the conversation.

"So this Boss or as you call him Lafarius still have your blood correct?" Devilla asked of the man with short and spiky blonde hair and a freshly clean shaven face, his eyes purple like his mother who watched over time itself. He was wearing a stylish white jacket and underneath it a blue shirt with a large glowing lighting bolt logo on it. He could only nod, a half-smile on his face as Devilla was in deep thoughts by the looks of it.

"As far as i know, yeah." Zylon responded.

"Well first things first, congrats on your new relationship! considering you already on a first name basis, and not only that! You blood-bonded with this strong and strapping man!" Devilla teased Zylon with a wicked grin as she leaned back in her plush chair.

Zylon flipped her off, he couldn't help but smiled. Hera shakes her head amusedly, Leave it to Devilla to cut the tension. Hera remembers she was looking over a possible case involving a teacher and a wealthy business-man in Glory,IL. 

"I ain't into breaking up relationships, i ain't Apollo." Zylon said, being reminded of The Boss's wife, The beautiful and deadly Swano Loxtia. And not to forget Devilla's mother Aphros, The first Goddess of Love cheating on Malakai with Devilla's father Apollo, the God of Music and Light.

"That my father you're talking about." Devilla reminded sweetly with a icy glare while her smile never left her face. Hera felt her heart dropped. Everyone in the room felt their blood turn to ice.

Zylon glared right back. His violet eyes seemingly glowing.

They both broke out into laughter.

"Yeah, but still. So back on topic. He answering to someone else?" Zylon clarified. 

Devilla nodded, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"The question is who? His whole organization is made up of a lot of different businesses and gangs. There rumors his reach extends further into the other realms. All of them bringing wealth and power to him. Now we can easily kill him, that not a question. It the consequences that will fall if he does die by our hands. I have a feeling our sweet and submissive Boss might have a contingency in place, and it might involve his little Master too." Devilla uttered, a wry smile on her face as Hera was a little unnerved by how The Goddess of Love can easily talk about ending someone's life.

"But was Sazael still with this group?" Hera wondered.

The Slayer took out his sword and was about to stab the only one still conscious. The Dwarf was stumbling back, blood leaking from his mouth as he clutched his broken ribs. Hera stopped him by getting in front of the armored warrior. Her green eyes one of concern and fear, sensing the killing intent that the Slayer had. He stood there, wondering why was she stopping him?

"We can still get information from him." Hera explained slowly, she didn't want anymore blood spilled. Slayer didn't say anything, he just roughly grabbed the conscious man and abruptly picked him up.

"What do you know?" Slayer asked of the man who was put his hands up trying to placate the monster before him.

"Please don't kill me and i tell you everything i swear to all the Gods that are in this realm." He said as he coughed up more blood.

Hera approached with her hands glowing a soft white.

"Listen this may hurt. "

"Oh god no please, don't-" He pleaded again.

"I'm sorry for scaring you! I'm just going to mend your ribs." Hera told him gently with a smile. 

"Oh. I'm sorry for over-reacting there. It just-it been a rough day."

Slayer nodded and then turn the person around so that he was facing Hera who slowly placed her hands on his ribs. Within about a minute he was healed.

"Ah much better. Ok i don't know too much. Only that the warehouse he told you to go to is a trap." He explained nonchalantly like he was talking about the news.

Hera nodded, swallowing her rage.

"I figure as much." Hera said with a forced smile as the dwarf nervously stepped back from the woman. Sensing the wrathful aura from her.

"And wait one more thing." He said with a smile.

"What?"

"NOW VARNAS!-" He screamed as he went to run.

"Niartser!" She said pointing her hand behind her and she turn to see the Dalisken Elf from before, his head cracked open, his skull showing a little through the spilt open scalp, blood pouring down his face as his dagger was just inches from Hera's neck. It was quite disturbing. She carefully took the dagger out of his hands and place it in her belt. 

She then placed a hand on his trembling chest and utter a simple spell.

"Rebmuls light"

With that his eyes closed and he fell over to the ground. She healed him only a little. Much to the Slayer's annoyance.

There was a sickening snap that made it way to her ears.

She slowly turn to see The Slayer dropping the dwarf, his head twisted around like a bottle cap.

"That was a foolish mistake." He said looking at the body with no sense of remorse.

"I-" Hera started.

"I'm referring to you too." The Slayer said without any anger.

"W-what do you mean? Healing him? He did give me some valuable information." Hera said quickly as she averted her gaze from the gruesome sight.

"You are too trusting. You had him right where you wanted, in pain and unable to do anything to stop it. You could have gotten more information from him if you haven't healed him." He told her honestly. 

"WE COULD HAVE GOT MORE INFORMATION FROM HIM IF YOU HAVEN'T SNAPPED HIS NECK!!!" Hera screamed, her face contorted in rage. She caught herself, and try to take deep breaths but they all came out shallow.

"I can't keep letting my emotions get the best of me." She quietly thought in her head and she did breathing exercises.

The Slayer just scoffs.

"Well some of them are still alive, let ask one of them. They're bound to have some information." He said as he look at the still barely breathing bodies of their attackers.

Hera sighed and got on her knees and prayed, pray for these poor victims of circumstances that she didn't understand. She would like to think that some of them could have been her friends.

"I could've ended up like them if things was different." Hera thought. Slayer look away from the sight, not because he was disgusted, it was because her actions reminded him of someone he cherished dearly. 

Once Hera done she hears grunting and looks at the forest nymph with a crushed in nose, blood leaking over her mouth.

Hera walks to her. "Excuse me, we're not going to hurt you! We just need some more information and it would be really appreciative if you can give us some valuable details about who the leader of this group is and why did they target my friend." Hera stated calmly as the forest nymph just sighed, halfway out from the Orc, she looks toward the slayer and got terrified and decided to say fuck it.

"Yeah the leader is some snot-nosed brat named Sazael, you're Hera correct?" Questioned the forest nymph. 

Hera nodded, her expression betrayed not one emotion. 

"He so frustrating, all he does is whine and whine. Like oh boo hoo, you lost your inheritance and now working with us low-lives because of that blonde whore. His words, not mine. Um, No offense." The Woman said, cringing a little.

Hera rubbed her temples. A visible vein on her forehead.

"None taken." It was a curt reply from the woman who was once mocked as a abomination.

The Slayer was curious.

"Sazael? I'm guessing this is a lifetime enemy of yours?" He asked as he look around the makeshift battlefield, making sure all dangers to them was gone.

She sighed.

"I wouldn't say lifetime, but he is my enemy. He was my tormentor back in Eizengarte Academy, him and his little gang back then would insult and harass me, making me miserable was one of their past times. That stopped once i met Furiosa." Hera recited, the smile returning to her face along with a faint blush.

"That explains that, You got him expelled and that basically ruined the bastard's life so he enacting his petty vengeance." Slayer said as he lifted the orc off the woman who was drenched in his black blood. She thanked the two and ran off like crazy, tripping over her own feet before disappearing into the local woods.

"Everyone! Take this as your opportunity to change your ways and live peaceful lives!" Hera announced with good intentions.

"Or die for all i care." The Slayer said after her, earning himself a glare from the servant of Devilla, he wasn't impressed. But he couldn't help but be amused by her attitude and optimism. 

Hera held the bat in her hands, and continued on her way.

"Where to next?" The Slayer inquired.

"We need to meet up with Furiosa." She told him.

"Ah, i imagine you will want to check in on her and make sure she alright. From what i can gather, this Sazael is just wrathful enough to order a assassin for her exclusively. Maybe this group was nothing more than a distraction for us as the real assassin is on their way to Furiosa as we speak." The Slayer said, theorizing to himself. Not being ignorant of Hera's worsening mental state, but just throwing out a very real hypothetical.

Hera felt fear seize her heart and darted off, the enchanted baseball bat in her hand.

"Wow you really must enjoy torturing that poor girl." A deranged female voice said in his head.

The Slayer said nothing and follows Hera.

"Fine, ignore me then. Just remember, you're mine forever, i mean you already the made promise long ago. Right?" the voice continued as The Slayer quicken his pace.

"I also thought you be interested to know i have nothing to do with that attack in Holten. I know, surprising right?" 

The Slayer tilted his head, leisurely keeping his pace with the panicked woman in love with a soul devourer.