Helluva Boss: New Workers

Chapter 16: A deal gone wrong

????: Something troubling you? I've seen that look plenty of times around these parts.

Tai just looks at the guy and just sighs, and pulls the closest chair towards him.

Tai: You want to hear my tale of how I ended up drinking my sorrows away?

????: I have nothing better to do, haven't had much to do in a long time.

The Mysterious Demon grabs the chair and sits down which he then listens to Tai's predicament.

1 hour later

After Tai explained his predicament to the man, he smiled and understood the problem.

????: Well, I can see where you're coming from, my friend. It is a dog-eat-dog world down here. Weakness makes life all the more difficult when in Hell.

Tai nodded and then took another swig of his drink.

Tai: You have no idea. I mean, my wife is scared for my life. We have a kid, and the fact that I end up in the hospital most of the time, life is getting rough, and I want to find a better place for them to live. Fuck, the pride ring is getting worse every day with new sinners coming.

????: Well, the first piece of advice I can give you is to stay silent and keep your head down. If you don't start anything and only worry about those close to you, then everything should be fine, more or less.

Tai: I had to leave my partner behind on a job when some fucked people tried to capture us. I had to leave my friend behind to get back up. How bad do you think that is?

The tall demon smiled as the beer two at the bar blew a fuse before spraying beer everywhere, except for where the demon was sitting.

????: Well, it depends. Did anyone die?

Tai shook his head no.

????: Well, then there seems to be no major problem! If your partner survived, there is really nothing to be upset about, correct?

Tai: No, but I just don't want to feel useless. I felt useless when my sister was in a coma from a drug overdose. I felt useless when the woman I love left me because she thought I would leave her because of my child. I felt useless when my own friend had sex with me when I was drunk. I am tired of being useless!

Tai said as cracks formed on the bar.

????: Is that so? Well, there are ways to obtain power, sometimes it's easier than one might think. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Vega.

Tai: Names Tai, and yeah, I know, but the big power is the king himself, and I highly doubt he'd give me powers.

Vega: Well, I'm not the king by any means, but I could give you power if you'd like.

Tai's eyes widened, and he looked at Vega very surprised and then put up his defenses.

Tai: Okay, I may not be that smart, but a deal in hell is something not to be taken lightly. What you are offering could lead to good fortune or tragedy.

Vega laughed as cracks appeared on the walls of the bar. Unfortunately, the table also broke clean in half.

Vega: Good fortune? There's no such thing down here! So my question to you is, what do you have to lose?

Vega then offered his left hand to Tai as he waited. Tai then looks at Vega's hand, thinking about the choice to have power or not, but for some reason, he starts hearing the conversation he heard earlier. Which started to make Tai mad, making him growl, and without a second thought, Tai shook Vega's hand, who just smiled wickedly.