High School is Hell - Deception

Underdog

_ _

'The leader of the Deception Demons was known as the Underdog. All truths and all lies fed into him and he dispatched his troops to enforce some arbitrary laws that he had made up. Like the other kings of Hell, he was a monumental creature and a paragon of his kind. I sometimes wonder if the reason H2 brought us to the Ascent of Arrogance first was because some of these demon kings fed on their pride for being so powerful.'

Dante growled lightly as he set down his grandfather's book. He cast his frustrated gaze around the room for what felt like the hundredth time. Every inch of his body wanted to get out of Russ' house and find that newly emerged demon. He was itching for action. Although he wasn't sure if it was out of some demonic instinct or the memory of feasting on another demon's creations and the overwhelming arousal it brought. But for now he was stuck in Russ's house reading his grandfather's journal kept under lock and key with an added assortment of magical barriers made by the ex-guard dog of hell itself. So unfortunately that left his options for escape at nothing. As time went on his growing impatience left him incredibly on edge and he found himself looking over his shoulder at the slightest noise.

There was a reason he was confined, however; a point that Russ had made.

Anonymity was their greatest ally in this case. Having only changed recently, he and Flash were not able to fully hide their demonic presence. That meant that if they encountered the newly emerged demon, they were likely to get into a fight where a lot of bystanders could be caught in the crossfire. What was worse, the other demons out there were likely to have pieced together that a quake meant another demon had come along or at least someone like them. This could make them even harder to find if they knew that more demons were appearing. But it also presented potential opportunity for those other demons to try and take out the other competition. If they started to fight amongst one another, that meant they were going to just weaken each other with a greater opportunity for the hellhounds to take them down.

Dante had argued long and hard with Russ about the innocent bystanders that could be caught in the crossfire if a demon faced another demon but those people could be saved. If trio of humane hellhounds were caught in the crossfire and they lost, there would be no saving the people.

So he was forced to sit in his room, magical wards erected around the house to keep both the demons out and him and Flash in.

In essence... he was grounded.

Again, he could see the point that Russ made but he just sitting in his room, reading Virgil's journal...

Dante let out a low growl as he picked up the book again and turned the page back to the chapter he had been reading.

Thanks to his new body he didn't really need to sleep. But he couldn't lie down on the black altar. He sat up, knees bent and with the book resting on his lap. With every fibre of his being demanding action, he had shifted into his hellhound form. Thankfully he had gained some control over himself that kept him from getting hard so he didn't cream his grandfather's book.

Sighing, he turned the page and continued to read. He was up to the part where his grandfather had just lost the challenge to Underdog.

'And so, Underdog took us to the stockade. They say when you take away all the lies in the world, you will only be left with truth. But that is a lie. Sometimes, a lie becomes your reality and when you are deprived of it, you are only left hollow. At the stockade, mortals who had fallen into the Deception Dome were 'auctioned off'. By this, demons bought our lies so that we were only left with truth, the most valuable commodity in the Deception Dome. Why would they want our lies? Well, taken out of context and not revealed, a lie can become truth.

'I wasn't even the most highly prized there. As you know, I've generally been an honest man so I had very little lies to be auctioned. Russ, who has lived for hundreds of years, had many. Still, with what little I had to offer, my reality was torn apart. I won't go into details but suffice to say that there are little lies you tell yourself to get yourself going. They form the foundation of your life. When they are taken away, you are left with nothing. It feels like your legs have turned into water and he do not have the energy to stand up. The truths you hold onto is the little heartbeat that's barely keeping you alive but it is more of a burden than a curse. You're alive but without purpose.'

Dante frowned. "Huh?" Then he flicked his ear to the side. "My grandpa is just saying some weird shit. And you can come in, Flash."

His mate stepped inside, a large bucket of ice cream in his paws. It was a little cute how he had smeared some of the chocolate ice cream all over his muzzle. Hellhounds were made to devour negative emotions, after all, not a bucket of Bluebell's ice cream. Dante shuffled to one side of his bed to let Flash sit beside him. "And why are you eating ice cream of all things?"

"Guilt," Flash rumbled, scooping some more of the rocky road into his muzzle and lapping up the stray bit that had touched his nose but entirely missing the rest splattering the rest of his muzzle. "Apparently, when you go shopping you'll find a lot of shit infused into the stuff you buy." He held up the tub gesturing at the '99% fat free' label. "See this? It's bullshit. It ain't the fat that'll make you tubby. It's the sugar. All these flashy pictures and logos? All designed to get you to eat it and attract your attention."

Dante was impressed. "You got that from eating the emotions in the ice cream?"

"Naw. Just tasted like lies and guilt to me. I learned that from Coach Mitchell. When you start picking up on why advertisers do what they do, you can start resisting the temptation to buy that chocolate bar or splurging on ice cream. Thank god this just makes more cum." He scooped another spoonful into his muzzle. "Still tasted good on both accounts though." He dug into another spoon and held it out for Dante. "Want a bite?"

Sharing a bucket of ice cream in bed...

He wasn't sure if Flash was being romantic or just... bored. With a shrug, he opened his muzzle and let Flash spoon feed him some rocky road. The balance of sweet and bitterness was nice but he also got that energy from that one woman who picked up the tub, carried it halfway around the shopping centre then guiltily put it back because she was trying to watch her weight. He could also sense the greedy intention of the executives who approved the design as well as the pride of the ad designers when their labels were approved were faint but still there as well.

"So what's your grandpa telling you that's got you looking like a confused puppy?" Flash asked, his muzzle half full of ice cream.

"My grandpa is saying things like 'we tell ourselves little lies to keep going' and 'lies make up the foundation of our lives' and when you take it away, you can barely stand. That doesn't make sense!" He whacked the book with the back of his paw. "How is our lives built on lies?"

"Easy." Flash shrugged. "Hope"

"What?" he replied incredulously. "Hope is not a lie."

"Yeah it is." Flash swallowed his mouthful of ice cream before continuing. "If you go to school one day and your math teacher gives you a pop quiz, it's hope that keeps you answering even if you're bullshitting your way through most of it. When you run for that long pass even though you know you can't go for it, it's hope that keeps pushing you on. You're lying to yourself about what you can and can't do."

"That can't be true."

"I think it's what your grandpa is saying," Flash said, scooping more ice cream from the bucket.

Dante growled softly, refusing to see hope as a lie and just continued reading.

'I was stripped down to my most basic truths. I was lain bare and exposed to a horde of demons without any means of escape. It was bliss when Underdog finally took Russ and I from the stockade. Russ was taken away, just as barren as I was. I would later learn that, like me, he was filled with deception and lies until he too took the form a Deception Demon. For me, well Underdog had taken a liking to me. I think it was because he rather liked the idea of having one-upped the guy that had defeated seven other great demons, caused turmoil across Hell and was supposedly blessed by a No One.

'So there I was, nothing but truth wrapped in a weak, mortal shell. I was taken to Underdog's private chambers. They were surprisingly... pleasant. There were gossamer curtains everywhere of different shades and colours. Underdog told me that to him, it represented the fragility of both truth and lies. He took me onto his bed of velvety pillows and then... he made love to me. I admit, he was rough but to a barely empty shell like I was then, I didn't care. He whispered sweet flattery and promises of affection to me and while I didn't believe them at first, over the course of what felt like an eternity, they became my truth.

'His lies wrapped around the shining truth that held me together and became my entire being. Day by day, later upon layer of his lies seeped into me. I was broken and now he was rebuilding me. I don't think I even noticed when I first started slouching and dragging my knuckles. By the time I had fully taken on the form of a Deception Demon, I had come to believe that I had always been one and that I was Underdog's one and only lover. Which was the truth. Because you should always remember, my boy, that there is no stronger truth than love.'

Flash groaned loudly, the spoon sticking out of his muzzle. "Really? Your grandpa is going to spit some bullshit about love?"

"Hey, he and Russ love one another."

"Yeah, yeah," Flash rumbled, rolling his eyes. "I can feel it too, you know. That warm red glow that surrounds Russ every time we talk about Virgil? I see it. It smells really nice. Don't think I could stomach it though." He rested a big paw over his hard abdominals moulding his creamy white belly fur.

"Like warm chicken soup on a cold winter's day," Dante finished.

"Yeah. I know it's strong. I know what it is but come on. You can't tell me that 'true love conquers all'."

With a soft grunt, Dante returned to his reading, Flash peering over his shoulder.

'I don't think Underdog ever expected to fall in love with me. I don't think he ever considered himself capable of love. But the thing about a lie is that the longer you live it, the more likely you are to believe it. For the start of our relationship, Underdog just whispered 'I love you' into my ear and purposefully separated me from Russ in an attempt to ensure that I was wound around his finger. I believe that lie as I had nothing else to hold onto at the time. Indeed, I genuinely fell in love in him. But he, too, began to fall in love with me.

'However, love founded on a lie can be shattered just as easily as any mortal's foundations can be shattered when stripped of all their fantasies that they delude themselves with. My foundation was broken a second time when I met Russ again. I believe Underdog wanted to test me, test my devotion to him. I barely registered Russ and he barely registered me. But we still recognised each other, deep in our souls. Remember that tiny spark of truth that remained buried deep within those folds of lies? That spark was my love for Russ. I hadn't accepted it even before Underdog got to me.

'In the end, Underdog did me a favour. He no longer feared me going back to Russ and allowed me to see him freely. But the more we saw one another, the stronger the light of truth shone in our souls. It became like an overwhelming compulsion, a need to be with someone. He became the air I breathed, the blood in my veins and the lone star in the night sky, shining his faint light at me. Russ felt the same way and we just could not stop seeing each other. We snuck meeting where we could, enjoying the cloak and dagger routine until we finally decided to go all the way.

'That night, he and I started to become Soul Bound.'

"Soul Bound?" Dante asked.

"Russ told me that it's some demonic ritual," Flash explained. "You trade some part of your soul with another demon that you really care about. They became part of you and you of them. Kind of like marriage except _way_deeper."

Dante blinked in surprise. That sounded both incredible and a little frightening. "Wow..."

'We did not perform the full ritual as it was triggered purely accidentally. It would be years later before we eventually performed it fully. However, the realisation that my heart belonged to another and that same other desired me in the same way broke Underdog's spell on me and I remembered who I was. Russ recalled himself too. I believe we wept in relief as we held each other.

'But we needed to escape Underdog and both of us had an idea of how. Underdog was now under my spell and though I am not proud of what I did in shattering another's heart, I believe he was better for it as well. There is some benefit to having yourself stripped down and rebuilt in a lie, after all. You grow to appreciate that one light you held and Underdog had some light in him.

'On a casual trip to the stockade, Underdog was out to buy a few lies but he trusted me so implicitly that he never noticed that I had drugged his wine. He became quickly inebriated and almost delusional. It was a simple matter of bringing him up to the stockade and offered him up as one of the auctions. The crowd was stunned but when I commanded him to kneel and he obeyed, they realised that I held his leash. They instantly began bidding for his lies, stripping him down of his power. I took none of their money and left the Deception Dome with Russ.

'H2 would meet us outside the Dome but wouldn't let us leave. It only took a few more minutes before Underdog came rushing at us, screaming with tears in his eyes and looking like a shadow of his former self. He didn't even have the strength to kill us himself so he had to use a dagger. Seeing him like that, I almost felt like I should let him slay me. But H2 stopped him. The No One announced that I had won and Underdog had lost the challenge. The task was to convince him of a lie. And I had done that. Love can both be a great lie and a powerful truth. And Underdog... well, he chose to believe in the lie. And I... I chose the truth.

'And that, my boy, is how I obtained the Dagger of Deception.'

Flash let out a soft, thoughtful hum. "That... that kind of sounds depressing."

"It was one of Virgil's darker moments," Russ said from the door. Both boys jumped and turned towards their mentor. "He never again played with people's emotions on such a level as that. I like to think it taught him how _not_to use his powers." He waved a big hand absently through the air. "Demons take emotions from others but when we don't take away the stimulus that created those emotions in the first place, we're just stoking the fire. But as mortals made into demons, we can also inject emotions into others and sometimes we don't even know we're doing it."

The powerful hellhound gave the two a rueful smile. "Virgil understood from that day on just how much influence his mere presence could have. It's why he chose to live far away from the rest of town, why he only ever socialised with a few people at a time." Russ shut his eyes and sighed. Dante could see that velvety, warm red glow from around him, that glow of love.

"Anyway," Russ said, turning to leave. "I found a way to find where the quake came from and how to spy on the place without actually going there and to avoid detection."

Neither of the younger hellhounds spoke as a big, black bird suddenly swooped in from the hallway, landing firmly on Russ' shoulders. The creature was about as big as an eagle, resting its enormous talons easily on Russ' broad muscles. Its conical beak was serrated and it possessed a single eye resting squarely in the middle of its head.

"What the hell is that?" Flash asked, slowly rising from the bed.

Russ regarded the bird with a smile of pride. "A Starkraven. It's a magical construct that can allow a demon to see great distances and even spy on others."

"You made that thing?"

Russ nodded. On some silent cue, the Starkraven spread its enormous wings and leapt into the air. It circled around the room a few times before it dived towards a closed window. Before it struck the glass however, it immediately exploded into a shower of large black feathers. The storm of darkness easily passed through the mortal frame and reappeared on the other side. The demonic bird reformed and flew to the north, towards the source of the quake.

"That was cool," Dante admitted.

Russ sat down on the bed, occupying Dante's other side opposite to Flash. "Here's something cooler." With a wave of his hands and a few barely discernible words muttered, an angry, red tear of energy cut through the air in front of them. It quickly spread, forming a vague rectangle. Images flashed between the confines of the little portal. It was what the Starkraven was seeing as it flew over the treetops of Angelton to the source of the quakes.

"Demons don't... I dunno, use ravens to send messages to one another... do they?" Flash asked.

"You're thinking about that popular TV show with the incest, aren't you?" Russ chuckled. "No. Demons wouldn't trust such a crude means of communication. There are spells that can be used and if that is too taxing, one can always subjugate a lesser demon to carry the message for you. Starkravens are built for the express purpose spying."

As the Starkraven travelled, Dante grew curious about the idea of 'lesser demons'. "Do demons have a sort of ranking system? Like Pride is at the top, Jealousy afterwards or something?"

Russ gave Dante a puzzled stare. "Virgil didn't go over that in his memoirs? Huh." He lifted a finger. "You know how angels have their own ranking system, right?"

"Erm... No...?"

Russ sighed and shook his head. "Don't they teach you kids anything in school anymore?" He lay back against the bed, absently letting one arm drape around Dante's shoulders in a very familiar fashion. "There have always been nine levels of angels and though their names change over time, there are always nine."

"You're talking about the Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominions, Ophanim, Cherubim and then lastly the Seraphim, right?" Flash asked. The other two hellhounds gave him a surprised look. "What? Supernatural believer here, remember?"

"That's right," Russ said, clearly impressed. "In demons, we have the Sprites at the lowest, followed by the Familiars, Nephilim then there are your Malices, Grotesques, Fallen and lastly the Sins."

"Nephilim..." Flash mused, rubbing his chin absently. "Aren't they meant to be the children born from the union of angel and demon or angel and human and were cast down to hell for being abominations?"

Cerberus threw his head back and laughed softly. "You're taking the modern romanticised version of Nephilim. The ones in all those TV shows and videogames that are meant to be more powerful than either angel or demon and supposedly hunted and hated by both?" Russ shook his head. "Remember when you asked about how demons reproduce? Well, Nephilim are the result of when one species of demon spawns the child of another. They look like the spawner's species but can consume the energy that both parents' feed upon. Unfortunately, they are significantly weaker than both. Their bodies simply cannot consume both types at the same time and if they are conflicting emotions, they end up tearing them apart from the inside out. So they're ranked fairly low."

Dante regarded the book he held in his paws. "The demons that grandpa faced... where do they fit?"

"They were Sins by their definition," Russ replied. "Paragons of their species. The best of the best of their kind of demon. Those that were closest to them, their champions would be considered Fallen. Demons who attempt to gorge themselves on a particular emotion and simply cannot control their growth or become consumed by their hunger are the Grotesques because of how they look. The Malices are your average demon. When demons are young they start off as Familiars but as they grow, they eventually become Malices. Spirits aren't really demons but just bundles of stray emotions that have come together to form some semblance of intelligence and flitter about Hell. We have farms for Spirits where we breed them and then sell them like cattle."

"What do you know, Hell has its own economy," Dante chuckled. "What about the humans that get thrown in Hell?"

"They eventually get turned into demons. Depending on who finds them and how far that demon wants to feed off that guy, they might end up turning into a Familiar rank or eventually become a Malice."

"And... us...?" Dante ventured.

"We're outside of the ranking system," Russ grunted. "We have mortal souls." He gave Flash a small smile. "We're those half-breed you fantasise about but we favour our demonic halves." His eyes lit up as the scene in front of them changed from trees flying by to a large five storey structure shattered in pieces and with police cars and emergency services all around.

Flash leaned forward and frowned at the scene. "Isn't that that the Emerald Ring Hotel? That really posh resort place where all the tourists go during the holidays?"

Russ chortled as he watched the scene unfold. "Our mayor's own little tourist trap. Put all the outsiders in one place really far away from everyone else and give them all that they'll need over there so that they don't trash our nice town."

Dante scanned the crowd but it was impossible to tell what was going on. It looked like there were people fighting with the authorities. There was a wall of policemen and women desperately trying to keep a crowd back from the ruins of the hotel. He focused his eyes on the scene, trying to see the emotions swirling around in the area. Everything was red though different shades of it. The cops emitted a darker shade while the hotel staff and those staying at the hotel had brighter hues tinged with fear but fuelled by the white of anger.

"I can't tell what they're feeling..." he murmured softly. "It looks like they really hate the police or something but they're also angry..."

"The Belt of Hatred or the Necklace of Anger..." Russ mused. "Those two harmonise with one another fairly well. Hatred can turn into anger while anger can be fuelled by hatred." He narrowed his gaze. "It is difficult to tell... See anyone you recognise?"

The Starkraven had the uncanny ability to zoom in on the scene and it flitted from face to face, trying to find someone that any of them could recognise. A few guys from school that worked at the hotel they recognised but other than that...

"I don't see anyone..." Flash admitted.

"Whoever emerged will likely have fled anyway..." Russ murmured with a shake of his head. He then grunted and the image grew blurry. "Damn... I thought I had at least a few more minutes." The big man slouched slightly and Dante immediately gripped him in concern. "I'm alright. Really. Just..." With a wave of his hand, the little portal into what the Starkraven was seeing vanished.

"You spent too much of your power making the Starkraven and maintaining it," Dante said. "Russ, have you eaten?"

"Of course. We had dinner just a few hours ago."

Dante shook his head. "No. I mean_really_ eaten. Flash and I sort of nibbled on a few stray emotions at school and we had that big meal at Edward's but you..." His eyes widened in concern. "You haven't eaten anything like that in a while have you?"

Russ growled at him and gently pushed him away, slipping off the bed and staggering to his feet. "I don't need you lecturing me on how to live my life, pup. I'll be fine. I just need to grab a few eggs and I'll be fine."

Dante exchanged glances with Flash. His mate jumped to his feet and blocked any exit.

Russ narrowed his gaze at the big crimson hellhound. "I may not be at my best, pup, but I can still pin you to the ground and fuck you."

To his credit, Flash stood his ground, crossing his arms defiantly.

"We're just concerned about you, Russ," Dante said softly. "If there are demons around here, you can't afford to let yourself even grow weak for a second. I mean what if the wards around the house fail because you fall unconscious or something? You won't be able to protect us."

Russ gave him a frustrated stare. "Then what do you suggest."

Dante regarded his big, plump pectorals. He reached for his nipple and gave it a light squeeze. A droplet of white milk slivered out of the fleshy nub. He caught Russ licking his lips. "I got plenty to spare. Come on. Drink. You're protecting us. It's the least I could do."

The temptation was there. Russ' demonic instincts were begging him to drink and restore his reserves. Whatever was holding him back gave way to logic and he sighed. He began stripping off his clothes, tossing the collared shirt to the side. He crawled onto the bed next to Dante, his lips hovering just over Dante's nipple. He tentatively licked up the sweet, manly milk and shuddered as the rush of energy filled every vein and muscle in his body.

Russ began suckling on Dante's nipple, the bonding and the sheer pleasure Dante got from the gentle touch got his cock starting to rise from its sheath. There was some relief as well as some weight was lifted off his chest from the milk he gave to Russ. He was surprised when a second pair of lips curled around his other nipple and began draining the milk from there. Flash gave him a sly wink and proceeded to drain his mate.

Dante lay back in the bed, wrapping his arms around the two men he cared about the most in the world. Even as Russ' shape began to change beneath his fingertips, he just hummed in contentment as he continued to let the two hellhounds feed off him.

He was glad to have a purpose amongst his pack and he was definitely glad for the moment of closeness.

******

The events of the previous night was still fresh on Conway's mind not only because of what he had done to poor Paul but also because of the horrible feeling that another creature just like him had emerged into the world. The quake had occurred far enough from the school that the structural integrity wasn't threatened but close enough that even fewer students were in attendance. It was practically a ghost town and those few students that he passed along the hallways had the aura of frustration about them for being forced to attend class when in all likelihood, their teachers were taking the day off as well.

Conway sat in his chair, reading his emails and surfing the web on news of the quakes. It came as a surprise that the mayor claimed that the worst was over and what they felt was just an 'inconveniently placed aftershock'. Funding for repairs had apparently come in from the government and charities in other states were already sending money their way to help repair the damage but there was no extra help coming.

Not really that much of a surprise considering how Angelton was barely a dot on the map. He was honestly surprised the events had made it into national news.

He sipped his coffee, sugar this time and not that artificial sweetener. His balls gurgled as the hot liquid was immediately converted into more cum for him to spill. The previous night had been rather... tumultuous for both him and Paul. Neither of them dared move out of the warehouse lest they run into people heading to the site of the quake. Conway hadn't even noticed he had fallen asleep until he woke the following morning still in demon form. Paul was gone and he forced himself back into human shape before getting dressed and heading for his car.

Sadly, he didn't know Paul's address and just hoped the newly made demon didn't do anything brash. It was irresponsible of him to not go searching for the student that he had dragged into this mess but there was a myriad of emotions floating all around town that made it impossible to track anything. Kids were lying to their parents about the dangers of going out, parents were making up stories designed to keep their children within the confines of their house. Rumours and flat out lies were spewed from every angle making the suburbs look like it was covered in a thick, grey fog. Conway drooled at the sight of the feast before him and he just had to get away from there.

After a quick shower, he bolted to Angelton Boys' School to get to 'work'.

A knock came to his door and he looked up. "Come in."

To his surprise, a tall, handsome man came right out of a supermodel magazine and stepped into his office. Standing at an impressive 6'7'', Paul Torres looked nothing like the emaciated man that Conway had absorbed into his dick and then proceeded to 'birth' out as a new demon. A scraggy beard clung to his cheeks, the same colour as his dark brown hair but growing lighter to a faint grey closer to his cheekbones. His curly brown hair had odd grey roots like he had just dyed his hair. His forearms were decorated by thick veins and his chiselled chest stuck out through the thin, grey shirt he wore. What must've been a pair of pants that fit him perfectly well just yesterday was now a set of figure-hugging jeans that clung to his calves for dear life like they were begging him not to burst right out of them.

"Hey Coach!" Paul exclaimed happily, his voice a charming tenor. "You can't believe how fucking awesome this body is! I ran all the way here. I mean, seriously. I ran from my house in the suburbs here! That's, like, five miles!"

Conway hushed the excited teenager and told him to shut the door. The moment Paul did, he moved around his desk and wrapped his thick arms around the young man. "Fuck... I was so worried about you," he rumbled. He held Paul out at arm's length. "Where did you go? I woke up this morning and you weren't there!"

"I went back home last night," Paul explained. "Fred would've been looking for me. Well... at least I thought he would." The young demon snarled, his irises temporarily flashing red. "Asshole was passed out drunk on the couch. Didn't even see me come in. There I was, a big fucking demon and he didn't even wake up."

Conway just imagined that scene and felt a bolt of panic shoot through his body. "God Paul... what if he had woken up? What then? What would you have done?"

"I wouldn't forced him to tell me the truth."

"But you know the truth!"

"I needed to hear it from his lips!" Paul snapped. Realising that he was snarling at the man who had given him the greatest gift of his young life, Paul immediately softened his features and gave Conway an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I know the truth but I wanted him to know that I knew. I wanted him to know that the lie was over. That he spent that last seven fucking years lying to me for nothing."

"But you didn't?" Conway asked with some relief.

Paul averted his gaze. "Wasn't worth it. Asshole was passed out. Besides, he's still my brother. I guess my dad wanted him not to tell..."

Hearing those words of filled Conway with some more relief... and then dread. "Wait... you didn't come to school to get back at your old man, did you!?"

"What? No!" Paul shook his head and laughed. "Come on, Coach. You've been more of a dad to me in the past twenty-four hours than either of them has over my whole life."

"You're exaggerating."

"Just a little." Paul patted Conway's chest, his large hands bouncing off the coach's thick, armour-like pectorals. "And honestly, I need help trying to figure this shit out." He growled, a lewd smile crossing his features. Then he shook his head and took a step back away from Conway. "I couldn't sleep all night. Not that I wanted to. But I turned back into a human about four this morning. The house tasted a lot like a dinner I once had and I... I think I ate some of it. I felt myself changing and getting horny. I saw that a lot of that taste was coming from my brother and... and..." Paul groaned and shook his head. "Fuck, coach... I wanted to fuck my own brother..."

"Yeah... I kind of figured that out last night..." Conway murmured guiltily. "The more we eat, the hornier we get and we just sort of... go wild." He levelled a firm gaze at Paul. "So we've got to keep this under control, got it? You can't just go around eating people's deceptions. Took me the entire weekend not to burst through my pants every time my neighbour lied to his wife about his poker game the previous night when he was really out banging some girl in town."

He moved towards his desk and beckoned Paul to sit down. As soon as they were both seated, he said, "We've got to keep this our secret, okay? We _cannot_turn anyone else."

"What?" Paul cried incredulously. "Why not?"

"Because it'll get out of control! These urges... they're too strong. Do you honestly think you can rein in anyone else if they go crazy and start fucking everyone in sight and turning them into their cocks?"

Paul regarded him sourly. "Look, you may not know this but when I got turned into your dick, I felt everything you felt. I know how awesome it felt to finally cum me out and I know all about my dad and brother because of that bond we had." He leaned forward. "And you've got to agree that it felt fucking amazing."

"It did," Conway admitted. "But it's also wrong. I mean... for fuck's sake, Paul, I turned you into my dick!"

"And I loved it!" He grinned and flexed his bicep, the gesture causing his shirt to strain. "And I love this! I've never felt better, coach! Shouldn't we be giving this to others? Shouldn't we be spreading this around?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. One of his students was willing to go around and spread this demonic corruption everywhere. They were demons. "No!"

Paul looked about to protest then he seemed to catch himself. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "You know what? You're right. I'm sorry. It's these damn urges. All I want to do is eat, fuck and make more demons so that I can stick my dick up their ass."

Relieved somewhat, Conway decided that the increased libido was likely because of puberty. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be a big Deception Demon while also going through the stages of becoming an adult. "Teenagers..." Conway laughed softly.

"Yeah..." Paul snickered. "But listen... You have to admit that there are a lot of people out there that need our help. I mean, just as I heading to school today, I saw a mother lying to her kid about where she got that new TV. She said she bought it from the store but she stole it from their neighbour!" He slammed his palms on the table. "We have an opportunity here, Coach. We can clean up Angelton."

Thinking of Tristian and his web of lies as well as the delusion that Ivan had crafted around himself, he couldn't help but agree. On the surface, Angelton seemed like such a nice, quiet, sleepy town but beneath it all, it had a black, corrupted heart. It was a foolish endeavour to fight their demonic urges. Last night was a testament to that. But perhaps they could turn it a golden opportunity.

"You're right," he rumbled. "We can make this place better. And we'll start with you."

Paul looked surprised by that. "Me?"

"You're still hung up about the lies your dad and brother fed you so we're going to clear the air with them. Tonight, you and I are going to -"

He didn't get to finish as the door to his office suddenly sprang open. Sam stepped in, brimming with a strange sense of grim determination and a tinge of sadness that Conway just couldn't understand. It didn't look like he had slept well at all and his usually well-styled hair was a mess. When he came in, his eyes widened, really showing off the bags beneath them.

"Conway... Erm... Coach Mitchell..." His eyes fell on Paul. "Mr. Torres. I wasn't expecting you at school today."

Paul gave Sam an easy smile. Part of being a Deception Demon was having the uncanny ability to lie very well. He was extremely convincing as he said, "It's still a school day, right Mr, Newman?"

That resolute aura around Sam faded, becoming thick with fear and greater sadness. But above it all, there was the desperate attempt to keep these emotions from bubbling to the surface and exposing himself.

"I can see you're busy," Sam murmured. "I'll just catch up with you later."

Something was clearly off and Conway didn't need to use his abilities to know that Sam was clutching something behind his back. He quickly told Paul that he could catch up with him later on in the day and hurried after his co-worker. It was very unlike Sam to be acting so... introverted. He also called Conway 'Superstar' not by his real name.

Did someone he know die or get hurt in the most recent earthquake?

"Sam!" he shouted, charging through the gymnasium. Sam was hurrying away, trying not to look like he was in desperate to get away from Conway with short, brusque steps but failing miserably. Conway used his speed to catch up with the man before he could break into a full run. He stepped in front of Sam, setting a hand on his shoulder. "What's -"

He never got to finish his question as Sam abruptly shoved a crucifix into his face.

"Be gone foul spawn of hell!" shouted his co-worker.

Conway was as surprised as anyone that the touch of the cross didn't burn his face or that demonic hellfire didn't suddenly spring from around him and drag him into the lower depths of the underworld. They waited a full minute before Sam jerked the wooden totem back and forth as if believing in the artefact's magical properties would somehow make it true.

"Sam, what the hell is this?" he demanded, pushing the crucifix aside.

"I saw you last night, Conway," Sam snarled. "I saw you turn... turn into that thing! You called it a Deception Demon!"

Sam had seen him. Those words took a second to sink in and his heart suddenly felt heavy like lead, every heartbeat faint as it pulsed against the thick walls. "How much... did you see...?"

"Everything," Sam sneered, his eyes filling with tears of fear. "I saw you practically rape Paul Torres and then... then... your dick..."

He had seen that.

"What? Did you use your demonic powers to create a copy or something?" Sam demanded. "Is that thing just... just your construct to help keep your secret!?"

But he hadn't seen the rest.

"No..." Conway began. "He... I mean, I -"

"I don't want to hear it!" Sam shouted, taking a step back. "You're a monster, Conway! How long have you been this thing!? Did you rise from the pits of hell and disguised yourself as a high school coach just so you could prey on unsuspecting kids!? How many of our students have your turned into your puppets!?"

Sam was growing hysterical. Conway had to find some way to calm him down.

"It's not like that! I -"

"Stay away from me!" Sam shouted. He tried to slip past Conway but the demon was much faster, much stronger.

Conway seized his co-worker's arm and pulled him back before he could slip away. There was no talking to Sam and he was still thinking of what to do when his instincts kicked in. He pulled Sam towards himself and pressed his lips against the slightly shorter man's. His tongue pushed between Sam's stunned lips, not only gently caressing Sam's own tongue but also pouring his own knowledge of the events that had transpired into the younger teacher.

The transformation, he two days of trials as he fought to control himself, encountering Ivan, learning of Tristian's lies and finally changing Paul and the orgasmic bliss that followed afterwards. Unbeknownst to either, the channels that carried this knowledge were filled with Conway's demonic essence and as they seemed into Sam, the math teacher began to change. But it was a willing change as some deep connection in his soul eagerly accepted the offered explanation. Sam's conscious mind couldn't quite comprehend the images before him but something inside of him kept him from immediately tearing away and running to the nearest priest.

Slowly, their lips parted and Conway was left in a bit of a daze. His cock was throbbing in shorts, a giant foot long member that was being tapped by Sam's own dick. It took a full second for both men to realise that they were rock hard and in each other's arms. Still, neither of them pulled away after the realisation.

"What... what was that...?" Sam asked.

"My... explanation, I think," Conway replied softly. "I'm still trying to figure this whole demon thing out. And I'm scared. I've lost control one too many times and just barely kept myself from doing something stupid. Hell, last night I did something... terrible. I'm just lucky it turned out so well."

"Lucky!?" Sam lowered his voice, suddenly afraid of anyone overhearing them. "Conway, you turned a student into a demon. How is that lucky?"

"He's still alive, isn't he?" Conway gestured towards the bleachers and they headed over, keeping close though they were no longer in a tight embrace. Sam needed to sit down but Conway remained standing. "I'm not happy about what happened. I just... Sorting through all those lies was just too tempting. And when he was part of me, I could see right through his lies. I know what happened... I know what he is now and I'll take responsibility for that. But I'm still a teacher. I'm going to make sure he makes the best of his new abilities instead of abusing them."

Sam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Fuck this is messed up... I can't believe you're an actual demon..." He ran his hand through his blonde hair. "Christ..." Then he looked up at Conway in fear, expecting the demon to burst in flames or cringe at the name. "So... how much should I believe from movies about exorcisms and hauntings?"

"I don't know," Conway replied with a shrug. "There isn't exactly a manual for this sort of thing." He looked at his co-worker gravely. "But I need you to keep this a secret, Sam. I'm still a good person inside. I know what I am but I'm not going to let that define who I am."

The math teacher's shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh. "You know what? Fine." He stood and pointed straight at Conway. "But you'll need my help. You need someone to rein you in and stop you from doing something stupid again. These are our students, for fuck's sake. You can't go around wagging your dick at them and taking all their lies away."

Relieved, Conway gave his friend a lopsided grin and said, "What? It's my magic wand. White stuff even comes out of the end."

"Not funny," Sam sneered.

"Alright, alright." Conway waved his friend down. "Look, school cuts out a lunch today. The mayor is really just using us like a census booth so we can account for all the kids. How about afterwards, we talk about this? Maybe over coffee down at the ice cream shop where Paul works?"

At the offer, Sam seemed to relax. "Sounds good."

******

Demon milk, unlike normal milk, kept indefinitely and Russ was a little grateful that he had collected some from Dante after the events at the Teller place for storage. He opened the fridge and took out a gallon bottle of the stuff. He had managed to stock twenty bottles and still remembered the rather queer look the 24 hour corner store clerk gave him when he asked for twenty empty milk bottles the night they had send Edward and his group to Hell. Dante was more than willing to give up the stuff. He was fit to burst and if Flash hadn't milked his mate, Russ was sure he'd have a lot of cleaning on the interior of his car.

The previous night had been somewhat... humiliating, however. With so many bottles, Russ could have easily gone downstairs, grabbed a bottle and restored himself. But Dante's offer of fresh milk from the source brought him back to the days of when he was with Virgil, adventuring across Angelton and the world, meeting angels, demons and other mythical creatures and sucking Virgil dry to replenish his own strength.

In many ways, Dante was a lot like Virgil. Curious, loyal and incredibly sexy. In others, he was different. Dante's curiosity was restrained to books and conversation while Virgil had always been a hound of action. He was the one that usually dragged a reluctant Russ out on some crazy adventure. But Dante made up for it in his intelligence. Should he ever go to Hell, he would no doubt be one of the most cunning demons in the land of the damned.

Russ shook his head as he downed the rest of the refreshing milk. He gasped and wiped his lips with the back of his arm. Another Starkraven was scanning the site of the most recent earthquake and this time, he had no intention of letting it fizzle out. The anger and hatred that had surrounded the hotel was concerning. It was often hard to discern the two emotions but from his experiences, he came to the conclusion that hatred offered direction while anger provided the firepower. From what he saw, all those masses were hating more than they were angry.

Hatred was a very powerful and subtle emotion, an incredibly manipulative emotion and devious to its core. He recalled with a sigh his trip to the Helm of Hatred with Virgil and H2. Another defining moment in his relationship with Virgil.

"You might want to close the fridge door."

He glanced over his shoulder as Dante and Flash entered the house, setting their school bags on the kitchen counter. "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"School let out early because the recent quake," Dante responded, sitting on a stool and taking out Virgil's memoirs. "Everyone got to go home at noon."

"How'd you get home?" Russ asked worriedly.

"Took the bus to town and then ran the rest of the way," Flash said. He stretched out his long, muscular legs. "Damn, a couple of miles at a full run is nothing now." The young sporty hellhound strode over to the fridge and took a bottle of milk. His tipped it towards his lips and as he drank, his hair began to thicken, fur starting to sprout up all over his face as he began to slip back into hellhound mode.

"You two really shouldn't be running around using your abilities like that," Russ chastised. "What if someone saw you?"

"Hardly anyone was on the streets," Flash replied, setting down the bottle. He slowly regained control of his shape, his fur sliding back beneath his tanned skin. His erection was still quite evident though. "Practically no one was at school. I heard people were skipping town as well."

"Most people won't leave," Russ rumbled. "They have roots here and a few earthquakes won't keep them out. They'll probably bunker down though. The hardware store will probably be booming with dozens of overprotective dads and concerned mothers buying all sorts of things to help 'secure their household'."

"And nothing they do will protect them from the real threat," Dante murmured miserably. He turned towards Russ, his eyes pleading. "Why can't we actively go hunting for these guys? A lot of people could get hurt or... wind up in the nuthouse like..."

His voice trailed off.

Demons could not alter memories directly but with enough clever manipulation, it was possible to convince people that what they saw was either a hallucination or a dream. Still. Some people clung onto the reality of demons and would not break. Those people were either sent to the exorcist or the mental asylum. So many people had gone 'insane' after Edward's takeover attempt but they would return to normality eventually. At least... as normal as anyone could get from suffering some degree of insanity.

"Have you heard of the Dancing Plague of 1518?" Russ asked, leaning absently against the kitchen counter.

"No..." Dante murmured.

"I have," Flash said, jumping onto the counter and planting his shapely rump on it. "Strasbourg, Alsace. July 1518. Numerous people just started dancing for days without rest and some people died from heart attack, stroke or exhaustion."

Russ found it funny that of all the people to be so in tune with the occult, it was the high school jock. "Right. That was caused by an Angel overreaching his boundaries. He spread his influence too far, too fast. Demons aren't the only ones that can cause harm to others by exposing themselves." He turned back to Dante. "Surely you've heard of the Salem Witch Trials?"

"Who hasn't?" Dante responded. "Angel too?"

"Demon. A Lust Demon got too close to a couple of girls, exposed himself to them and their bodies were thrown into fits of immeasurable pleasure that they became dependant on it. Soon they started calling 'witch' on every woman they could in an attempt to draw the demons attention. That one sent people into series of witch hunts that killed dozens of people. Then there was the 'Strawberries With Sugar virus' of 2006 where a Portuguese school was closed due to about 300 students exhibiting symptoms experienced by characters in a recent episode of the same name. Physical symptoms. That was an Angel of Inspiration that got a little out of control as well."

Russ leaned against the counter. "If a demon or angel exposes themselves to too many people at once and too quickly, it can lead similar cases. It's happened throughout all of history."

"More reason we should go out there and stop them!" Dante exclaimed. Some of Virgil's spark was shining through him and that filled Russ with a bit of pride and loneliness as well. "We've got nine other demons out there that could possibly cause a lot of harm!"

"There are twelve demons," Russ corrected. "The three of us are included in that number and by far, we are the most dangerous of them all."

"Us...?"

Russ pointed at himself. "None of us have defined emotions that we feed upon, remember? I used to feed on death. Imagine what would happen if my influence went haywire. People could literally just drop dead in the streets." He pointed at the two hellhounds in front of him. "And you two are at an even greater risk. If you both go all hellhound and engage another demon, you might inadvertently suck a random bystander dry, leaving them with only positive emotions. This will put them in a state of euphoria that could kill them. They'll die with smiles on their faces. Creepy, bug eyed, toothy smiles."

Flash shuddered and Dante sank back in his seat.

"Besides, you both need to consider what you will do after this is over," Russ said. "You're demons now, both of you. If you go around exposing your secret to people, they could blab and some religion might send its exorcists at you. Angels will be knocking on your door demanding you go to Hell and you'll never live normal lives again. Neither of you will be able to see your families again."

"Fine by me..." Flash muttered.

"Including your twin brother."

There, Flash deflated and rumbled in annoyance.

"Let's also remember that there are Dead Men," Russ said. "If they catch wind of too much demonic activity, they might come here and start killing off people on suspicion of being demons. It won't matter to them if they're thralls or willing demons. If they're corrupted, they're dead." He straightened and gently patted the kitchen counter. "So enough of this talk about rushing head long at the demons. We're smarter than that."

Dante stood up abruptly. "But we can't just sit here and do nothing either..." He turned to Russ. "Teach me magic."

Russ was surprised by the statement and Flash looked equally shocked. "You want to learn demonic magic?" He laughed softly and shrugged. "Sure, why the hell not? Your grandfather was better at it than I was despite my centuries of experience but I can teach you the basics."

"Hey! I wanna learn too!" Flash exclaimed, bouncing off the table. "Do I get to make Starkravens and stuff? Can I summon demonic hordes or do all sorts of crazy shit like that? Oh! Oh! Can I call down a meteor strike on someone!?"

Russ gave Flash a dubious look. "You're mixing up reality with your fantasy games again." He turned to the two with a smile. "First thing you've got to know about magic, everything you know about it is bullshit. Even those 'magic words' I mutter are bullshit. I just make them up because it helps me remember how to shape the energy that I'm using to do whatever it is that I want. Magic is all about shaping your power and directing it."

He straightened and rolled his shoulders. With a simple clap of his hands, the pans hiding in the cupboards suddenly flew out and hovered around him ominously. "The only reason why demons and angels are more adept at magic than most humans is because they tend to have excess energy. If a normal human tried it, they'd likely die from the attempt. Some humans might have a little more energy than others for whatever reason but they best they can do is a simple parlour trick. But have you ever noticed how it's really hard to get that last drop of toothpaste out of the tube in comparison to when the tube is full?"

"Every time," Flash said. "I just cut the tube open and scoop it out."

Russ made a mental note to ensure that he kept the scissors are far away from his bathroom as possible. "That's the same with humans. They have so little energy to spare that trying to squeeze it out of the tube takes a lot of effort. For us, we have larger reserves but it's not infinite. We need to recharge. But we recharge faster and easier than most humans."

Dante was beaming excitedly. "So we just got to think about what form we want our energy to take and it'll happen?"

Russ waved his hand through the air and the pots and pans flew back into their appropriate places. "Mostly. You also need absolute concentration. Any form of distraction can and will make the energies you're throwing around unstable and it might be catastrophic." He held up his left paw. "For the academics, there are three stages of magic. There's the Generation..." An orb of white light then suddenly sprung from his hand, the energy's surrounding it crackling between his fingers. "... where you gather your energy. Then there's the Conversion." He moved his hand horizontally through the air. The orb then began to lengthen, taking on a more defined shape until it looked like a small arrow. "That's where you change the energy into something else. Then lastly... there's the Execution where you direct those energies." The arrow then turned slightly before it whizzed off and embedded itself into the wall across the room. Dante and Flash both looked on in awe as the arrow quickly dissipated and Russ muttered another spell, causing the small hole that the arrow had made to disappear.

Flash was practically bouncing on the table. "Cool! Does that mean we get to control the elements? Oh! Oh! Do we have a specific elemental affinity or something? I bet I'm a Fire Type! I'd say Dante is Earth and you're probably Dark, right?"

Russ gave the boy an exasperated look. "Down boy." Flash visibly deflated. "There is no such thing as those bullshit 'elemental affinities'. Any demon worth his salt will know how to change their dark energies into anything they want. Some might favour creating fire or something like that but that's just a personal choice. There's no such thing as some sort of weird 'elemental strength/weakness chart' you see in videogames. A demon can throw fire at you and it will freeze you or they might shoot lightning at your face and it'll make a block of earth around your head. It's all about control and imagination."

He tapped the countertop with his finger, in deep thought. "I guess we can start with the basics. Just gathering your energy. One of the most critical techniques a demon can know is how to generate energy for magic as well taking more from around them or their victims to make sure they replace whatever they're losing." He let out a soft laugh. "Some of the world's greatest 'miracle workers' did this. Those people who could heal the sick, purify water and re-seed the land? All of them based off techniques taught to them by Angels."

Dante lifted an eyebrow, clearly curious about something. When he didn't voice it, Russ became curious.

"You want to say something, Dante?"

The young hellhound looked uncomfortable. "Well... I was just wonder about... erm... you know... erm..."

Russ got his meaning and beamed. He was wondering when this topic would come up. "Jesus Christ?"

Dante flinched. It took him a second to recover. "Wow... So we... uh... We don't burst into flames upon mentioning his name?"

"Of course not."

He ran a hand through his thick, black hair. "So... holy stuff won't burn us on contact? If we step into a church, God won't strike us down? If we get hit by Bibles, nothing happens?"

"You might actually get stronger," Russ snickered. When he got the confused looks from the two hellhounds, he laughed. "Oh come on. You both have to know that the Bible is actually just mortal man's attempt to write down the words of the divine in order to bring control to a vast empire, right? In fact, I have a _stack_of Bibles in my closet. They're like demonic power bars."

Flash looked very puzzled. "Seriously?"

"Of course! You'd never find a more sinful book than a Bible." He held up his fingers. "The Bible can make people excessively proud of their religion to the point where they alienate others and foster despair, hatred and anger. People deceive_others using the Bible, taking excerpts from it and making up bullshit about the end of the world. This deception can escalate to the point where people are just plain _slothful about progress and they tell themselves they don't need to do anything about their lives because God will do it for them. It can also be used to foster fear in people especially of Hell and the need for repentance while at the same time, avaricious_companies make _million over printing exactly the same story over and over again in different covers. There are even people within devout follower groups who become _jealous_of one another over their knowledge of the Bible." He threw his hands back. "That's basically the Ten Mortal Vices all in one tasty snack! It actually tastes like turkey."

"Turkey?"

"Yeah. Crispy outer coating and stuffed with filling."

Dante snickered. "Oh yeah? Well what about Lust? Tell me how the Bible fosters lust?"

Russ gave the young hellhound a pointed look. "Come on, Dante. How many people out in the world fantasise about 'dirty nuns' and 'kinky priests' are there?"

"Point taken."

It was strange but Russ found these conversations rather entertaining. It actually felt like he was raising two pups. Virgil had always wanted kids of his own but neither Russ nor him were really ever ready to go all the way in terms of demonic pregnancy. It was well within their capabilities but exactly how they were going to explain how Virgil would suddenly put on weight and then produce a child on the sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month since pregnancy would be a difficult task indeed. Not to mention demon children tended to be hungry all the time and they couldn't be sure what kind of demon they would produce.

But having Dante and Flash there with him... It was like he had adopted two teenaged hellhounds. Smart enough to be able to control themselves but still naïve enough that he had plenty to teach them and they were hanging on his every word, looking up to him like he was their father...

"Anyway," Russ said, clapping his big hands. "Enough about Bibles. Let's get to magic." He saw Dante opened his mouth to interrupt but he quickly cut him off with a sharp nod. "Jesus was really blessed by God. Mary, however, was the one who started the whole 'divine conception' thing. You see, God knew that the kid would either be ostracised for being born out of wedlock or would end up with a group of crazy stalkers following him around trying to steal his left sandal or something and claim it was divine. So he made him his Chosen One, but that eventually ended up going south in the end. So really, the whole affair turned into one of the biggest, longest and most convoluted cover-up stories for a one night stand ever made. It also was the equivalent of a condom commercial to all of the angels and demons out there."

When the two hellhounds gave him a puzzled stare, he said in a rather cheery voice, "Practice safe sex kids or your child will be stripped down and nailed to a piece of wood!"

******

There was a reason why Conway loved the coffee in Ice Cream Fundae. Predominantly being an ice cream store, they tended to make some of the sweetest coffees around and Conway loved his coffee sweet. Matched with his favourite banana split with an extra scoop of mint chocolate chip and he was in heaven. Though it was much better now that he had become a Deception Demon. The ice cream was advertised as fat free and that just screamed lies so it was even better for him. Though the taste of red wine steak mixing with the sweetness of the dish was a little bizarre, he quickly learned how to focus just on the ice cream he was shovelling into his mouth and not the dark emotions he was feeding his demonic half.

"Did you want some?" Conway asked, gesturing with his spoon at the half-finished dish.

Sam shook his head and offered a faint smile. "No thank you." He laughed softly. "I'm honestly surprised you're capable of eating that much and still look so good."

"Only happened a few days ago," he mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream. "But I don't think I even really eat it... Not really." Sam gave him a quizzical look even though the math teacher's body language was very defensive; arms crossed, sitting as far back from the Conway as possible and unable to meet his gaze for very long. In a lowered voice, he said, "I can feel it going straight to my... balls. Like it gets turned straight into my... my cum. I feel my balls swelling with each bite."

"And that... feels good...?"

Conway couldn't help but grin. "So fucking good..." He shovelled another spoonful into his mouth just as a second sundae arrived. Paul winked at him and simply said, 'On the house' before heading back behind the counter to play with his phone.

It was a wonder that the ice cream parlour was even open. Right after the schools had let people out, it had seen a rather big boom apparently but Conway and rest of the teaching staff were asked to stay behind for a staff meeting where the principal outlined to them the importance of keeping themselves safe and their responsibility to their kids both in and outside of the school but to ensure they didn't do anything that would compromise their professional integrity. A whole lot of mixed messages in Conway's opinion.

When they got to the ice cream shop, it was already empty and Paul was the only one manning the store. Even the owner and manager had gone back to their homes to protect themselves, leaving the one guy they decided was expendable to run the shop. Not that they really knew what Paul was capable of now.

"So... you were turned into a demon. You weren't born as one." It was a statement from Sam and not a question. "That dagger that you confiscated from Dante De Mont changed you. Have you spoken to him?"

"Haven't had the chance over the past few days," Conway responded, finishing off his first sundae and moving onto the next. "Football practice is out and I don't have him in any of my classes."

"I suppose that's fair..." Sam murmured softly. "And you're being truthful about your intentions to use your powers to help people?"

Conway swallowed another mouthful and nodded. "Of course I am. You know me, Sam. I'm not a bad guy. This is a lot to take in for everyone but I know I can make good on this. I won't go around sneaking into people's homes like I did with Tristian. I'm not going to scare kids either like I did with Ivan. I'm going to use these powers responsibly; where I can and where I find the most need."

"You won't go... hungry?"

He almost snorted out some ice cream from his nose. "Come on, Sam. Angelton may be a small town but it's still filled with enough lies to keep me fed until the sun explodes. Trust me, I'll be fine." He grinned brightly, showing off his unusually large lower canines. "In fact, I was just going to head over to Paul's place after his shift to deal with his family problems."

Sam looked concerned. "Family problems? Conway, you're his teacher. You shouldn't be interfering with private matters."

"Sam, his brother has been lying about his dad who is the school's janitor. Fred is abusing him at home and his father is so ashamed of being discharged from the military that he can't even face his son. Tell me that if you were in my shoes, you wouldn't do anything about that."

His fellow educator groaned. "That's a loaded question..." With a sigh, Sam stood up and shook his head. "I still need to digest all of this. Do what you want, Conway."

Before Sam could slip out of his reach, Conway reached for him and held his hand tightly. "Sam, I really need you on board with this. I need someone to help me keep this under wraps."

"Your human cover-up while you go around being a superhero?" Sam muttered softly. "I'll give it some thought. I'm not going to tell anyone about this. Not like anyone would believe me anyway."

Conway let Sam slip out of his grip and watched his friend go.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Paul asked, taking up Sam's seat.

"No. He's one of the most honest guys I know and he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't tell anyone. I think he's just a little taken aback by all this. I know I am." He finished off his sundae quickly and got up, balls filled with demonic juices. "Come on, let's go see your brother."

Paul beamed and eagerly followed him out the door. The sun was already starting to set so it wouldn't be any problem for Paul to close up the shop. There was a bit of cleaning he had to do that went by much faster with Conway's help and then it was just a matter of locking the door and rolling down the shutters.

A quick trip in Conway's truck later, they were rolling up to the north-eastern side of town. If Angelton could have a 'ghetto' region, it was definitely the north-eastern suburbs. Heavily urbanised, the area consisted mostly of small, rundown houses that had generally fallen into disrepair as most of the people tended to congregate towards the west, towards the coast. Technically one of the youngest sections of the town, it was nonetheless the one that attracted the most crime and the less savoury individuals. Of course, in Angelton that normally mean kids who loitered, bands of grown men trying to be tough by smoking out doors and getting drunk and the occasional petty theft. Angelton was drug free apparently for years, at least according to the police reports.

When Conway stepped out of his truck, the air was thick with lies. Perhaps the police department's touting of being 'drug free' wasn't entirely true as he detected some illicit substances in the deception hovering around the streets. He detected the hints of a drug ring somewhere but couldn't track it, not yet. He made a mental note of it and followed Paul up the driveway of the Torres household.

The grass was terribly overgrown and there were empty buckets of KFC and beer bottles littering the front yard. The rusted, brown tow truck looked about a few more miles before falling to pieces and he could swear there were owls living in the rafters from what he could see between the broken tiles.

"How do you live in this place...?" Conway asked.

"Poorly," Paul growled. Grey fur was starting to sprout up all over his arms and his beard was starting to thicken. "Used to be that Fred gave a shit about this place. I used to mow the lawn every week but then the lawnmower hit a discarded beer bottle and nearly cut my leg off. Fred never got around to buying a new one."

"This is not a good place to spend your childhood."

"You're telling me." Paul flexed his hands, eyes filling with darkness and irises emitting a bright, red glow. "Come on. Fred's home. I want him released from this lie."

They stepped up to the door and Conway quickly placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You'll get your brother back, Paul."

"I know. Thanks Coach."

Paul reached for the doorknob, key in hand but before he even got within an inch of it, it was suddenly wrenched open. The stench of alcohol, body odour and piss hit Conway like a sack of bricks, overwhelming even the thick aromatic stench of the lies that emanated from Fred Torres. Conway tried not to throw up. The odour was that offensive.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Fred growled. His voice was gravelly and hoarse. Unlike his brother, Fred was overweight and had a constant slouch or perhaps he was just perpetually drunk. His brown eyes were half-closed with dark rings under his eyes. A thick, unkempt beard clung onto his face while his short but wild, curly hair was so greasy that it would've put fast food burgers to shame. Evidence of his youth of fitness showed in his arms which were still thick and strong but all his muscle was now covered in layers of fat that sagged and jiggled with every movement. His belly spearheaded the rest of his body, popping out from beneath his white singlet. He wasn't even wearing pants, exposing his flaccid dick barely visible beneath his belly.

"Did you skip out on your job?" Fred snarled. His big, hairy hand snapped out and seized Paul's collar. They were about the same height and Paul was much more impressive in muscle structure but years of abuse could not be wiped out in one glorious night of transformation. Paul let out a yelp as he was dragged forward helplessly by his older brother. "If you think I'm gonna feed your ass if you can't even pull your own weight -"

"Fred!" Conway snapped, catching the drunken twenty-six year old's attention. "You can't handle your brother that way."

Drunk and filled with a false sense of bravado, Fred stared at Conway, sizing him up. There was a flash of fear in his aura as he realised Conway was _much_bigger than he was but that faded into a delusion of strength. "And who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Conway Mitchell," he responded calmly. "I'm Paul's gym teacher."

"His teacher?" Fred spun back towards Paul, eyes blazing with fury. "What the fuck did you do now!?" He turned towards Conway long enough to say, "Whatever he broke, he'll pay for it. I ain't paying anything."

It was sad that this distance Fred had put between himself and his brother had become reality. On some level, Fred still cared for his brother but had convinced himself that any association with the school only brought painful memories and that included his own brother. It was a terrible lie to live and one that eventually became his truth.

"He didn't break anything," Conway said quickly. "Look, I just wanted to discuss a few things with you." He quickly glanced at Paul who gave him an affirmative nod. "With you both. If I could just come in..."

At least Fred wasn't drunk enough to refuse a teacher that was built like a tank. "Alright. Come in. But I ain't cleaning up shit."

Conway bit back any comments as he entered what could only be described as squalor. Bear bottles and cans were scattered all around the floor. There was a pile of them behind the door where they prevented the door from swinging completely open. Packets of potato chips lay scattered all over the place and there was even one hanging from an overhanging fan. Pieces of filthy clothing covered up whatever brief glimpses of the floor could be seen adding to the stench. He got a brief look at the kitchen and at the tower of dirty dishes that stood precariously in the sink. There was even a pot that had been rusted completely through sitting in the middle of the relatively clean kitchen counter on display like it was something to be proud of.

He couldn't imagine how Paul could live in such a place.

Without regard for his guest, Fred Torres just shuffled over to the lounge room and parked himself in the small couch barely big enough for him and another person. There was even a large groove where he constantly occupied the seat and the litter that surrounded him seemed to respect that and steer clear of the enormous ass-shaped crater. The TV was on, blaring on about the recent earthquakes, the flashing images and lights illuminating the otherwise dark lounge. He absently scratched his flaccid dick either forgetting he didn't have any pants on or just flat out not caring.

Conway stood awkwardly at the entrance to the lounge room while Fred ignored him, eyes glued onto the TV screen. He exchanged glances with Paul who just shook his head sadly and began to turn.

"Get me a beer you worthless piece of shit," Fred growled.

Paul let out a loud sigh and headed for the kitchen.

It was funny. The hostility Fred bore was based on a foundation of lies but it had become his truth to the point where he completely believed it. There were layers upon layers of dark emotions swirling on the surface but beneath the miasma was that simple lie that held it all together. If Conway could get to it, he was sure he could repair the bonds between these two men.

"Listen, Mr. Torres..." Conway began.

"I ain't no 'Mr. Torres," Fred growled. "That's my worthless old man."

A 'worthless old man' who went to war and made one mistake and was subsequently discharged.

Conway took a step closer, his big foot crushing a beer can underfoot. "Right. Well, Fred. Paul has been having trouble in class and I believe it has something to do with the fact that he rarely has time for homework."

"How's that my problem?"

The abrasive attitude was quickly getting on Conway's nerves but he remained true to his purpose and continued. He waded forward through the piles of trash, the mess and the storm of negative emotions acting like a physical barrier he had to push through.

"I believe the root cause of the issue is his inability to get home before the sun goes down because he is expecting someone to pick him up."

Fred shot him a piercing stare. "You're saying it's because of me he's flunking his classes?"

"I'm saying that if he were to perhaps get more time in a positive environment -"

"What are ya?" Fred snarled. "The gym teacher? Why the flying fuck do you give a shit about his grades, huh? He's fit. He's strong. Isn't that all you care about?"

There would've bene a time when he would've agreed with that statement, a long time ago, but a certain someone opened his eyes to the importance of education beyond physical fitness. "Take it from someone who knows," he said evenly. "The chances of anyone getting into the professional leagues in whatever sport are pretty slim even if you're the best. And even then a simple injury is enough to throw someone out of the running permanently. Even if you've got arms as thick as hams and a chest bodybuilders would die for, you're not going to get anywhere without an education."

Fred turned away, giving him a dismissive wave. "Whatever."

"Fred," Conway growled severely, taking another step forward. He was getting closer now, closer to the lie but the more he talked, the more hostility that Fred generated. That spark of grey light was receding further and further into Fred, falling farther out of reach. "Paul needs you to support him. He needs you to at least make and effort and be there to pick him up after school every day like any big brother should."

Fred shot him a piercing stare full of defiance and a lot of anger. It only strengthened the barrier around that glimmer of a lie deep within him, so far embedded into his very soul that it had become the centre of his being. A deception so deeply accepted that Fred took it as truth and chose to ignore all else.

"And who the fuck are you to tell me how to take care of my brother?" snarled the deadbeat. "He's old enough to take care of himself. He has a job. Fuck, it I weren't so nice, I'd have kicked him out ages ago."

Conway kept telling himself that this was all a defence mechanism but he couldn't help thinking that if he wasn't a Deception Demon, he would've kicked this guy's ass by now. "You haven't kicked Paul out because deep down you know you can't let him go. Not because of your father."

Fred's eyes widened. "The fuck you say?"

Now they were getting somewhere. Those few words cut deep into Fred, slashing through the haze of anger and malice and into the lie. Conway had a clear line to it and he took a step forward, confronting Fred physically but also getting closer to the source of the misery that had plagued the Torres family. "Paul knows that your dad made you promise not to tell him that he was dishonourably discharged from the military for blowing up his own foot and endangering others. He knows that he now works in the high school, watching Paul from a distance while sending you money to keep him in there."

For a second, Fred's resolve wavered but then he stood up, boldness rising in his chest despite the fact that he had no grounding for it whatsoever. Just another lie he was telling himself and with that bridge, Conway was able to get even closer to his soul. "What the fuck have you been filling his head with?" He puffed out his chest, revealing some muscle beneath all that fat. "And where the fuck do you get off telling me how to take care of _my_little brother."

That anger and resolute denial was starting to waver but as quickly as it cracked, it was starting to close up again. Conway couldn't let that happen; he couldn't let Fred steel himself again of he'd never get to the heart of the problem.

"I'm not the one that told him this," Conway said sternly. "He told me. But he cares about you too much to hurt you. You're in just as deep as he is and if you keep up this charade, you're only going to hurt him, push him away and wind up alone and destitute just like your father."

"I'm nothing like my old man!" Fred roared. He stormed forward and slammed his palms against Conway's chest in a vain attempt to push him away. The impact didn't even cause Conway to flinch. "You have no right to come into my home and telling me all this bullshit! Get out of my house!"

The walls of denial had been completely reinforced by pain and torment. Just by the faint tears welling up in the corners of Fred's eyes, it was clear that the great lie he had kept within him had come closer to the surface but somehow, Fred had kept it from bursting to the surface just barely. What little connection Conway had to that lie were immediately severed. Try as he might, he had no power over the thick barricade of anger, remorse and self-loathing that fed off the deception and grew stronger.

But he had to keep trying for Paul's sake.

There was one other thing he could try.

"Listen here," Conway said, seizing Fred's shoulder. "Your brother's entire future rests entirely on your ability to come forward with the truth. If you can't do that, you'd jeopardizing his ability to grow into a well-adjusted and healthy adult." The physical contact helped. He was much_closer to Fred's very essence and he could almost _taste the big bundle of deception but the thick walls of other negative emotions were keeping him from fully consuming it.

Fred tried to pull away but Conway's supernatural grip was firm.

"Let go of me, asshole!" He tried to wrench himself away. "I'm calling the cops!"

Conway pulled Fred back forcing the older Torres brother to slam right into his chest. He immediately pressed his lips against Fred's, pushing his tongue through the stunned mouth and delving deep into that lie. He grazed the surface and his eyelids fluttered at the incredible taste of the perfectly seasoned meal. It was only a small bite, barely a nibble, but just that little crack in the foundation caused the walls of negativity and denial around Fred to start crumbling.

Just that tiny morsel was enough to get Conway's cock filling with blood and need. His fingers closed around Fred's shoulder tighter, pulling the source of nourishment closer. The muscles beneath his already tautly stretched skin began to grow. The grey hairs on his knuckles grew thicker and thicker, becoming a mat of this fur on the back of his hand.

Fred's eyes squeezed shut as tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes. With what strength he could muster, Fred pushed himself away from Conway.

"What the fuck!?" he cried.

"Let go of the lie," Conway urged. "Just let me ease your soul."

For a moment, there was a flicker of acknowledgement in Fred's brown eyes but then they flashed with anger and confusion. "Get the fuck away from me, you freak!"

That ball of lies withdrew deeper into Fred, more and more layers of fury, confusion and disgust piling on top of it. Realising there was no other way to get to it now, Conway steeled himself for what he was about to do. Paul couldn't live in this house with Fred the way he was. The young demon needed a companion on the same level and Conway was sure he wouldn't be able to give that.

So... he had to make one.

And Fred needed to be absolved of his lie as well.

With a sigh, Conway balled his fist and sent it crashing against Fred's cheek. The older Torres brother went down on the couch with a loud whump, empty beer bottles and cans scattering all around him. It was a lucky coincidence that Fred was already without pants as that allowed Conway to merely remove his shorts and reveal his throbbing, twelve inch erection. That earlier taste had gotten Conway extremely hard and there was no part of him that objected to what he was about to do.

His big, strong hands already stretching and growing, Conway seized the downed man and mercilessly pushed his dick into the exposed, hairy ass. Thick streams of precum were already pouring out of the rapidly growing tip like an open faucet, preparing the way through into the hole. The moment the tip of his cock pushed into the tight ring of muscle, Conway felt a rush of energy the likes of which he had only felt once before and that was when he had transformed Paul into a Deception Demon.

He made immediate contact with the ball of deceit buried deep within Fred and immediately began drawing it into himself. It was an unbelievable feeling. Hot energies like molten lava poured deep into his cock, coursing through his veins and fuelling his transformation. At the same time, his dick eagerly pouring more and more of his thickening precum into the unwitting victim, making it easier for him to push himself deeper and deeper into the exposed hole.

For Fred, the sensation was both alien and painful. The throbbing rod pushing into his virgin ass as painful and made him cry out in horror. However, as the lies began unravelling, he also felt a great weight lift off his shoulders, a hollow emptiness taking the place of the falsehood he had convinced himself was his reality for so long. That emptiness was replaced by a flood of demonic essence that began corrupting him from the inside. Despite the alien sensation of being penetrated, he found his cock starting to rise and the heat of arousal flooding his body.

"Fuck!" Fred cried. He was not overcome by the demonic power just yet and desperately tried to wrench himself free. "Let me go you sick fucker!" He tried to pull himself free but Conway immediately shoved his head into the couch with one, powerful hand. A scream escaped from his lips as the big high school coach's dick pushed deep into his hole.

His soul momentarily recoiled from the demonic invasion but as weight of the years of lies was drawn into Conway and edifice of misery began to crumble, it rejoiced at the newfound freedom it felt. Chains that had bound Fred down loosened and even if the price of such a change was to be drawn deeper and deeper into the demon fucking him, his soul embraced it. His mind still continued to recoil and resist however.

Fred felt the big hand around his head change and shift, the fingers growing thicker and bigger and vicious claws creeping over the tips of the fingers to hover over the periphery of his vision. A deep rumbling and growling emanated from behind him and he could swear the dick in his ass was growing bigger by the second. He managed to twist his head around just enough to see Conway's chest expanding until it tore right through his already tightly fitting shirt. Fred let out a scream of terror as the big, grey demon emerged from the guise of the high school coach.

"Paul! Paul! Fuck! Help!" he cried.

He knew he had no right to be crying for help from the brother that he had abused and neglected for so long. The guilt that sprang up was something he hadn't felt for so long but it was fresh and raw in his soul. It was still tethered to the root cause of his actions, that lie he had to maintain. As the lie was sucked from his soul and deeper into Conway's cock, even that guilt began to fade.

Fred found himself being drawn further and further into Conway. His legs lifted off the ground, his shrinking and being drawn closer to Conway's body. The big demon's balls bulged, thickening into enormous, furry orbs. The more mass that Fred lost, the bigger the furry sac grew. The division between Fred's ass and Conway's dick began to blur as flesh melded. Fred's entire body grew harder and harder. He was lifted off the couch without any effort on his own part, his spine starting to bend upwards at an angle impossible for humans. The layers of fat all over his body gurgled loudly, the curves built from years of a sedentary lifestyle tightened into a stiff curve with his pale flesh obtaining a glossy black colouration.

"Hel - Gurk!" Conway's hot precum shot from those enormous basketball sized balls and through Fred's entire body. It came shooting out between Fred's lips, sending waves of warmth throughout his entire body. He held his hands over his lips, desperately trying to keep the fluids from pouring between his lips but it was like trying to hold back to ocean. It just kept pouring out in stronger and stronger bursts. At first, he didn't think he could breathe but for some reason, even with the constant flood, he was still very much alive. In fact, the heartbeat he felt didn't come from his chest but from the massively muscled muscle that was Conway's heart, each pulse reverberating through his entire body.

All his senses began to dull. He could smell the thick musk of the precum shooting from his lips but that soon began fade. His eyelids grew heavier and it became difficult to keep them open. Before the sounds of growling and huffing faded entirely into the throbbing of blood, he heard several heavy footsteps enter the lounge room.

Paul came into view, standing completely naked and with a massive foot long tool throbbing between his muscled legs. Fred didn't comprehend what was happening even as dark grey fur began sprouting all over Paul's body and his already impressive muscles began to grow bigger and bigger.

Knowing he had little time left, Paul spoke between thick gurgles of precum. "I'm sorry... I just... dad told me to... and I... I just couldn't..."

Paul pressed a finger against his lips, hushing him calmly. Right before his eyes, a thick black, leathery pad developed on the tip of the finger and a claw jutted out from the tip. "I know, bro. I know all about it." He pulled the finger away and gently cupped Paul's chin, tilting higher and helping reshape his brother's entire body into its ultimate shape. "Don't worry. It's all going to go away."

Fred's eyes bulged, momentarily resisting the change overcoming him as his brother pushed their lips together. A second burst of warmth flooded through his entire body, originating from the contact. Forgiveness emanated from Paul and that dissolved the last of the self-loathing and guilt that stained his soul leaving it pure and unstained. With the last hooks soul had on his body gone, it slipped deep away from his mortal frame and entered Conway, willingly feeding the titan that had brought this relief and joy back into his heart.

Joy erupted from deep within him. For the first time, he truly accepted the flood of precum shooting from Conway, allowing it to course through his body and shoot it out of between his lips. It was just as much from Conway's own excitement as his own. A soft moan left his lips and he leaned into the kiss, his entire body stretching and lengthening, his body tapering towards a point.

All strength left his arms, hanging from his rapidly dissolving shoulders like limp sausages. With ever pulsation of his entire body, the limbs shrank further and further into his darkening body. The definitions of his chest and torso fading into the shape of a big, thick, black dick. Thick veins crawled up from where his body connected with Conway's furry sheath, pumping blood all over his body. The hairs all over his body fell off in clumps, leaving his entire length completely hairless and primed as the black flesh covered his torso. His arms disappeared into the throbbing length, his shirt hanging loosely on his newly formed body.

Fred's eyes finally closed, his features stretching to a point with his lips forming the tip of a canine dick. There was a brief moment when his tongue lashed out between his lips. As Paul pulled away, he gently suckled on the length before it receded into the throbbing tip of Conway's new dick. The younger of the Torres brothers stripped off the soaked piece of clothing, licking his lips at the sight of the monstrous five foot member almost as thick as his own torso.

Conway's body shuddered the sheer amount of demonic energies he absorbed coursed throughout his veins. The strange scars expanded all over his back and torso. Bright grey light shone through body like hot brands pushing up against his skin from the inside. He growled loudly, his body expanding with the newfound strength. As it stood, his new, massive four foot dick was too big for him to carry so his body instinctively used all the energy he had consumed from Fred to add an extra foot to his height, muscles bunching and flexing as they added more and more mass.

He growled in frustration, he could feel the pressure of orgasm deep in his balls but he was not ready to let Fred out, not yet. Too soon and Fred would be left just an empty shell. And he didn't want that. Paul had taken hours to reform and absorb. But Fred was completely willing and with his soul so saturated with deception, there was very little to really rebuild save for a physical shell and the love, affection and loyalty that young man held. Conway desperately tried to keep all of those strong emotions together, keep that personality together. He wasn't sure how he had managed it with Paul, perhaps it was from his own wretched guilt, but he had managed to keep Paul together. But now, he had to actively fight the urge to cum while holding Fred together.

He wanted to make sure that Paul had a brother not a demon.

As the hot brands all over his body began to cool, leaving him with scars all over his body in stylised swirls and demonic runes, he fell back on his haunches, panting. Paul rumbled loudly, rubbing the enormous dick before him.

"W - W - Wait..." Conway rumbled, pushing Paul away. Paul gave him a puzzled look, already halfway through his own transformation. "Drive me to the warehouse..."

Paul, his own dick throbbing with need and already at an impressive fourteen inches and growing, frowned at him. "What? Why?"

"I can't cum here," Conway growled. "I'll blow the entire fucking house to bits."

The young demon licked his lips, his dick jerking in excitement. "That sounds awesome."

"No it isn't," Conway snarled, trying to get to his feet. His new strength helped and his posture allowed him to carry himself. He was starting to get used to carrying his weight on his knuckles like a gorilla. With his enormous dick slapping up against his chest, painfully erect, it was still somewhat difficult to move. He began moving towards the door, wondering if he'd fit through it at all. "We're keeping a low profile. We can't alert the neighbours."

"Everyone has already thrown in the towel on us," Paul rumbled, his form slowly shrinking back into his human guise. "But I suppose you're right. Let me throw on some clothes and -"

"Now!" Conway snarled. "Fuck..." He growled as precum began pouring out of the tip of his dick. Conscious of how powerful his seed was, he cupped the fluids in his paws and lapped it up. It was a perpetual cycle that made the need to orgasm all the stronger. "Your brother... Shit... He is fucking amazing..."

Even absorbed into his dick, Fred's soul was still feeding him with strength and his body couldn't metabolise it anymore so it was being converted straight into cum ready to explode from his balls as rich, demonic seed all too willing to spread his dark essence everywhere. Paul had just been a victim of the lies but as the source of the deception, Fred's essence was rich with food that the demon couldn't help but consume.

"I know," Paul rumbled, taking Conway's paw and pulling him towards the garage. "I just got a taste and fuck..." He shook his head, clearing it of the demonic need. Conway was glad the kid was keeping his head cool. "Come on. Through the garage. You can smash through the door there and I'll open the garage door."

It was a good plan and one that Conway agreed to. He easily broke through the doorway, his shoulders easily cleaving through the doorframe with ease. Paul hurried ahead and opened the garage door before immediately jumping into Conway's pickup truck. Conway hopped into the tray, his weight causing the entire vehicle to groan. His arms could still reach the ground even from where he lay on his back. Conway, folded his arms across his chest, his big paws sitting on his throbbing dick. Just that light contact made him groan, another burst of precum shooting from the tip of his dick and splashing his square muzzle.

"Go..." he moaned. "Go! Just go!"

Paul started the engine and easily pulled the truck out from the driveway. Conway wondered if this was what it felt to be a pregnant lady in labour whilst being rushed to the hospital. His balls were constantly clenching in an almost agonisingly painful sensation, precum shooting from his dick over and over again. Trying to hold it back in was agony and his entire body was quickly covered in sweat and he was panting between loud gulps of precum.

"Ooooh fuuuuck!" Conway roared. He could already feel Fred starting to reform in his balls. The weight was unnatural and every part of his body wanted to eject the strange object out of his dick. Fred's hands pressed up against the walls of his sack, searching for a way out. He reached down over his balls, pressing his paws against his furry sack against the hand there.

"Just... hold on!" he begged. "Fuck!"

Trees blocked out the night sky as they shot into the forests of Angelton. Away from anyone's earshot range, Conway arched his back and let out a deafening roar. The moment his tight, muscled ass slammed back against the tray of the truck, the vehicle jumped.

"Whoa! Whoa! Tone it back, coach!" Paul shouted from the driver's seat. "I can't drive ya if there's no car!"

Conway just growled, the rumble causing the entire cabin to quake threateningly. So much precum was pouring out of his dick that it was soaking into his fur and starting to pool in the tray. He was going to have trouble cleaning that up once he was done. His growl turned into a heavy grunt as Fred began rising out of his balls and slipping into his dick. It wasn't his fault. The guy's soul offered so much demonic energies that he was just being lifted out the container. Conway tried to focus the power into making his balls bigger but the sensation of his sack's walls stretching and growing only served to stimulate him more. He groaned as he was forced to sit his enormous sack onto his thick thighs but at least it gave him more time.

Sensing his desperation, Paul didn't bother parking the truck in the parking lot and just drove straight down the sandy path to the docks. The tires came to a screeching halt in front of the warehouse. Conway would've reprimanded him about wearing out the tires but decided to keep his muzzle shut. He lumbered out of the truck and hobbled towards the warehouse. Paul immediately dragged the doors open. Conway barely made it three steps in before he collapsed onto his paws and knees, muscles straining and veins popping all over his body.

"FUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Hot cum rushed out of his cock with the force of a firehose. Fred moved out from his balls and wiggled all the way up the length of his dick, adding to the amazing sensations of orgasm that hit the enormous demon. He let out another deafening roar as he felt Fred reaching up his dick, pushing his fingers out of the tip. The first finger that poke out was an overwhelming relief and a flood of pleasure that almost sent Conway into unconsciousness. The only thing that kept him from falling flat on the ground was the gallons of cum still backed up in his balls now pouring out slower due to the human within his cock.

"FUCKING HEEEEEELLLL!" he roared and bucked his hips. A torrent of cum came squirting out of the tip, flooding the already corrupted warehouse floor. He hadn't noticed it before but ground had become covered in dense, grey sand the likes of nothing on the mortal plane. The sand eagerly gobbled up the fresh demonic seed and used it to spread further and further, seeping, covering more of the warehouse.

With another roar, Fred's hand emerged from his dick, desperately grasping for something to help him emerge from the throbbing dick that encased him. Paul immediately rushed to his brother's rescue, seizing the hand and pulling.

"Oooooooooh shiiiiiiiit!" Conway moaned as Fred was pulled out of him. A venerable river of cum poured out of his dick as more and more of the Torres brother emerged from his member. An arm emerged followed by a broad, chiselled shoulder and then Fred's head. The moment his torso started emerging, Conway felt a big rush of cum shooting form his balls. He didn't get time to shout out in warning as it rocketed Fred right out of his cock.

The two Torres brothers slammed into one another, collapsing onto the sand, covered completely in Conway's cum.

"Fred! Fred!" Paul begged, shaking his brother. "You okay?"

In reply, Fred opened his eyes, burning coals against a field of black. He let out an unholy roar as his entire body bulged spontaneously grew. He sat up, his naked, muscled rump hovering over Paul's dick. He flexed his arms, performing an impressive double bicep curl. All traces of fat had faded from the lean, muscular limbs and as he pumped them full of blood, they surged with new strength and size. Both his hands stretched out momentarily, forming a claw in the air before every finger and each of his palms erupted into two, gargantuan paws even bigger than Conway's. He clenched the paws into fists and the size translated into his forearms, enormous, corded muscles bulging out beneath his flesh and thick, grey fur tipped with brown spreading all over his limbs. The thick hairs wrapped were most prominent around the back of his forearms.

He let out another roar as he willingly speared himself on his younger brother's cock. Both men gasped as Fred started the vigorous rhythm of pumping Paul's dick into his ass. Overcome with the sensation, Paul's body reacted by bulging out and changing into his brutish, demonic form. He gripped his brother's waist eagerly, pushing his dick into Fred's ass in tandem with Fred lowering himself onto the growing prick with his powerful legs.

Fred's entire form bulged out, broad shoulders widening and his back broadening to form an impressive 'Y' shape covered in perfectly symmetrical mounds of muscle hidden beneath thick grey fur. His brown hair spread down the line of his spine, standing out in wild spikes. He grunted loudly as the same hairs spread all over his chest, forming a perfect cross-shaped pattern that stared from collar bone, down the cleft of his pecs, the underside of his pectorals and then to form a treasure trail between his rippling abdominals. It reached his crotch where his enormous two foot long dick grew and covered his balls and in a thick, brown bush. Though smaller compared to the rest of his upper body, his legs nonetheless became enormous tree trunks of muscle with the same thick brown fur covering his shins and even spreading over his feet.

Both met out lout a tremendous roar as their cocks erupted with seed, shooting out their corruptive demonic seed in joy as they were freed from the lies that had held them down for so long. Paul was eager to introduce his brother into the new demonic family and pumped him full of his seed but for Fred, he was a little overwhelmed by the experience and while he continued to metabolise some of the power, most of it came shooting out of his dick and onto the grey sands around them.

About six minutes later, Paul gave what he could without reverting back and Fred shot the last of his seed. Both demons let out a soft sigh, looking at one another's handsome features with affection and relief in their eyes. Fred swivelled his pointed ears around as Conway lumbered over to the two, still dwarfing them both. Driven mostly by instinct, Conway gently wrapped a paw around Fred's head and guided him towards his left nipple. Fred wrapped his lips around the fleshy nub and began suckling on the teat. He was greeted by a flush of warm, delicious fluids. His expended reserves of strength began to fill once more but at a far more steady rate in comparison to the hot seed that had pumped into his ass.

With an encouraging motion, he beckoned for Paul to join him and he brother pulled out of him only to latch onto Conway's left nipple. Conway let out a soft sigh as he poured the excess energy that Fred had given him into the two demons now under his care. He felt a strong familial bond with them and he smile with contentment knowing that he had done something good here.

All three demons settled for the night, the two smaller ones resting against Conway's chest as the bigger Deception Demon lay back against the boxing ring and closed his eyes, just enjoying the warmth of the two demons wrapped around him.

Though he had to admit... he did wish there was another certain someone that was with him sharing the moment.

******

"And what is this?"

Dante scrunched his face as he sniffed the vial offered to him. His eyes were blindfolded and he was in his human shape where his demonic abilities were a little more muted. However, he could still tell what sort of essence was offered to him. It was a bitter smelling aroma that tasted faintly like charcoal.

"Heartbreak," he responded. "That's heartbreak."

"Good," Russ said. Dante could hear his mentor searching for another vial which he then held up in front of Date and asked him to identify. "And this?"

All throughout the night, Dante had been training on how to use magic and he found he had a natural affinity for manipulating demonic energies. Russ reasoned that since he had developed those pectorals capable of providing unholy milk capable of restoring a demon's strength, he naturally had more control. He needed to be able to control where he put his energy whether it be in his muscles, his pecs or his balls. While he was still grasping some of the more basic spells, he was making more progress than Flash who was still having trouble identifying the individual types of emotions by their scent, taste and appearance.

"Pain," Dante rumbled, pushing the blood-smelling odour with a hint of lemony sourness away. "That's definitely pain."

"Right again. Last one."

The next scent was different... it was a strong salty taste but was also held a myriad of spices that reminded him of onions and maybe even a bit of chicken broth.

"Uh..." he began. "I... I don't know what that is... Is it... Guilt?"

Russ snickered. "It's actually your lunch. Tell me what you think." Dante suddenly found a spoonful of chicken in his mouth. He chewed a bit in confusion and was surprised to detect a hint of guilt, pain, fear and revulsion in the well-seasoned chicken breast that had a peculiar salty sauce added on it. "It's good. What is it?"

"Kung Pao chicken. Watch out. It burns late."

"What are you -?" Dante suddenly gasped as a strong spice hit him hard and he gasped, waving a hand over his tongue. Whatever chilli Russ had used, it was strong.

He heard his mentor laugh and offer him a glass. "Here, take it slow."

Dante wrenched the blindfold from his eyes and eagerly took the glass of water, downing half of it soothe his burning tastebuds. He squinted through his tears as Russ began packing the vials of concentrated essences. It came in a small, black box with each little section labelled for which emotion was which. Interesting, Russ also sorted them into positive and negative emotions. Dante focused his gaze on the box, noticing the negative emotions tended to be of darker hues while the positive were brighter. Like Pride was a deeper purple but humility was a more lavender colour.

He thanked Russ for the taste of the lunch that was sitting in a lunch box beside the desk. They sat in the library of Russ' house, dozens of books lining the walls. A special black curtain sat in front of a particular bookcase designed to stop the average person from accessing the demonic tomes beyond. Currently, the curtain was pulled back allowing Russ to put the box of essences back onto the shelf before shutting the curtain.

"How'd you manage to cook that while we were in here?" he asked.

"Telekinesis," answered Russ. "One of the abilities you'll eventually learn. Now, why don't you get ready for school?"

Dante frowned and check the time on the big grandfather clock sitting at the centre of the room. "It's only seven. School doesn't start for another two hours."

"I know. But I'm going to be dropping you two off at your parents' place. You've spent enough time here. Your fathers will be worried."

Having just tasted heartbreak, Dante was pretty sure he felt its bitter pang through his chest. "What? But -"

"You can still come over every night," Russ assured him. "But it'd be very strange for all parties it -"

Flash entered the library, a sweat towel over his broad shoulder that were highly defined even as a human. He had a phone in his hand. "Just called Flint. He's staying with a friend and Dick is crashing at a friends' place. Dad is in a mood because the house was smashed and then the Emerald Ring where he was staying got trashed."

Russ' eyes narrowed. "Your father was staying at the Emerald Ring?"

"I know," Flash responded, tossing the phone on a nearby sofa. "I was thinking the same thing. Flint didn't tell me where dad's gone because the asshole never done anyway. Dad just gave them a credit card, a hundred grand limit and told them to take care of themselves while he got someone to rebuild the house."

"That complicates things..." Russ rubbed his chin. "I'll go send out more Starkravens. Maybe I we can keep track of him. I hope he doesn't leave town. If he goes somewhere else, that'll make things even more difficult. It might attract Angels or Dead Men here..."

Flash let out a rumble. "He wouldn't go anywhere. He hates leaving things unfinished. One of the reasons he's never around. If something at work bugs him, he's not going to leave until it's done." He stretched, his big, sweat muscles flexing. "Anyway, is it okay if I stay here?"

Russ nodded. "Of course."

"That's not fair!" Dante exclaimed. "Why does he get to stay here and I don't?"

"Because your father isn't a colossal asshat." Russ glanced at Flash. "No offense." Flash indicated that none was taken. "Your dad must be worried about you by now and I'm sure he's found some place to stay. So come on, get dressed and let's get ready."

Dante huffed loudly, feeling like Russ was treating him like a child. He took a deep breath and then let it out in a loud breath. As he did so, his casual shirt and clothes began scattering into black feathers. The red fabric of his shirt just peeled away in the shape of a black feather, his crimson shorts scattering in very much the same fashion. Russ lifted an eyebrow as the same black feathers began to coalesce around Dante again into a more fitting, tight, black shirt with white sleeves and a pair of dark blue jeans.

"Shit... When did you learn how to do that?" Flash asked, striding over with a grin.

"Last night while I was practicing my magic," Dante replied smugly. He hoped that the display proved that he wasn't a child to be thrown into the care of his father but it seemed Russ was unmoved by the display and just took the lunch and headed towards the kitchen.

"Think you can whip me something up?" Flash asked, oblivious to Russ and Dante's little conflict. "Something warm? Today is meant to be cold."

"You're a hellhound," Dante replied with a laugh. "You're warmer than anyone else."

"Yeah but I don't want steam coming off me."

It was a fair point. Dante took a deep breath and then exhaled softly. Flash's tank top and gym shorts crumbled into black feathers and swirled around him once before reforming into shirt, blue hoodie and thick, blue sweat pants.

"Sweet," Flash said, beaming at his mate. Then his expression turned into one of concern. "You're not tired from that, are you?"

Dante shrugged absently. "Not really." He suddenly let out a soft 'eep' as Flash hooked an arm around his waist and pulled him close, their lips just inches away from one another.

"Well, just in case."

Their lips collided and Dante felt a rush of rich, demonic energies flood into him, refilling his reserves to the brim and more. His cock began to grow hard. The excess power had to go somewhere and he growled with lust. They broke the kiss just a moment later but Dante was already hard and he could feel Flash's dick pressing up against his own.

"We haven't really done anything together..." Flash murmured softly.

Dante just floated in Flash's strong, warm embrace for a moment before he realised exactly what his mate was insinuating. "Whoa!" he cried, pushing away. "Buy me dinner first!"

Flash smirked at him. "Alright. How's Saturday sound? Ken's?"

He went a little slack jawed at the name. "Ken's Bistro? As in that really popular, really suave place downtown? How can you afford that?"

Flash smirked and shrugged. "Hundred grand limit, remember?"

"When did you get the credit card from Flint?"

"I'll get it later this afternoon after school. I heard it's another half day anyway." He winked suggestively at Dante, making the younger hellhound blush. "So it's a date then." It wasn't a question and Dante could only nod numbly.

All thoughts of returning to his father's home were abandoned as Dante realised he had a date with Flash Goldman, the school's most popular guy. The ridiculousness of the idea swam in his head, dulling everything else. He went through the motions of picking up his books and bag and jumping into Russ' hybrid without any fuss, something that Russ noticed but didn't complain about.

Only when they reached Shaun's house and Dante was knocking on the front door did he realise where he was. He shook his head and reached for his keys. There was no issue in unlocking the door... but opening it was another matter. He shoved at it but it would not budge. Frowning, he shook the door a few times before banging on the frame.

"Dad? You in there? Dad?"

Worry began rising through his chest and he hurried towards the nearby window. The blinds were shut so he couldn't see beyond them. He glanced towards the hybrid where Russ and Flash were starting to emerge from the car, looking at him worriedly. Dante hurried back to the door and threw all his weight, supernatural and all, against the frame. The door sprang off its hinges but still barely moved a few inches away from its frame.

His eyes widened as the entire wooden frame splintered and shattered. A strange substance like white webbing carried the strands away revealing a horrible sight before him.

"RUSS! FLASH! GET OVER HERE!"

The other two hellhounds were by his side a second later, all of them staring through the door at the house.

"Oh fuck me..." Flash murmured.

"I've seen this before..." Russ murmured softly. "Only one demon uses this kind of... stuff..."

Dante reached out towards the thick, opaque webbing that lathered every corner of his house, forming pillars of white that connected the ceiling to the floor and formed bridges from one wall to the other. Furniture was shattered and hung suspended in the air by the very same webbing. There were holes in the wall that were patched by the same sticky goo-like substance.

"Don't touch that!" Russ snapped. "The moment you do, you'll be pulled in by the Avarice Demon."

"Avarice?" Dante croaked. He remembered his dad had been given the Jewel of Avarice. Had he... had he turned his own dad into a demon?

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Russ said. He turned his nose towards the air and sniffed. His eyes widened in alarm. "Fuck..."

"What is it?" Dante asked.

Russ was suddenly bolting towards the neighbouring house, leaping easily over the fence. He peered through the window. At first, he thought that he just couldn't see through the window because of white lace curtains but then he came to realise those were not curtains at all.

"This house has been hit!" he exclaimed.

"This one too!" Flash shouted from the house on the opposite side.

Dante spun and shot towards a house on the opposite street. He easily leapt up to the second floor balcony and peered through the closed windows. Beyond, there was a mess of webs and what looked like broken cocoons.

"Dad... what did you do...?"

******

Conway was feeling rather good about himself and he carried it even as he entered the teacher's lounge on what would be yet another half day. Again, parents were conservative about the safety of their kids especially since the most recent earthquake. He had already gone over his morning's schedule and knew that he would really only have a few classes before he would head home.

When the sun finally returned to Angelton, Conway had just finished feeding Fred and Paul and the three Deception Demons disengaged themselves from one another. The entire warehouse was now covered in the same grey sand that seemed to have appeared from their cum. It felt nice between his toes and against his fingers, warm and comforting just like the two demons curled around him. He could've lain there all day if he wanted, in his new home, if he wasn't concerned about what would come next.

Fred was used to his Deception Demon form and easily changed back into his human guise, now strong, lean and muscular just like how he had been years before his lie had driven him into depression. He told the two younger demons not to get frisky and go about their lives like they always did. Fred decided to call in 'sick' since no one really needed a tow truck and wanted to stay in the warehouse. Conway didn't object. Fred was still green to the whole demon thing and having him run around freely was a risk.

"Coffee, two sugars."

Conway turned and grinned broadly as Sam came up to him, holding up a hot mug of coffee.

"Real sugars this time," Sam said, wearing his easy grin. "Though I'm sure you could tell."

"Yeah," he responded, taking the coffee and taking a sip. "You're on board then?"

"I've always been on your team, Superstar," Sam responded. There was a flicker of something else beneath those words and Conway thought he saw a spark of deceit but he brushed that aside as just him imagining it. He was seeing too many lies recently. "So did you sort out things with Paul and his brother?"

Conway grinned broadly. "Absolutely. Fred Torres made up with his brother. Now he's on board as well."

"On..." Sam began worriedly. "Wait... as in on my level or..."

A sinking feeling began to fill Conway's heart. "Um... on Paul's level."

"You turned him into..." Sam glanced left and right, making sure the lounge was empty. He then pulled Conway to a corner just to be extra sure. "You turned him into a demon!?" he hissed harshly. "Why!?"

Conway fought for the words to justify his actions. "He was wrapped up in his own world of lies, something he couldn't escape. I tried taking it away from him but he just has this wall of... of... other things around him that wouldn't let me in."

"So what? Did you absorb him into your cock again?"

His cheeks began to burn. "Erm... no... I... uh... I fucked him... and he turned into my cock..."

"What!?" Sam's aura changed into one of rage and... was that jealousy? Heartbreak? "How could you?"

Conway wasn't sure how to read the myriad of colours flashing before him. It didn't speak of a man who was infuriated at a demon that had taken things too far or a man who had done something he shouldn't have.

"What are you angry about, Sam?" Conway asked softly, his brow furrowing. "Are you angry about me changing Fred into a demon... or that I fucked him?"

Sam's eyes widened and his face went still and unreadable. "Can't you tell?"

Conway tried to see through Sam's words, read that aura but just like the thick wall of emotions that Fred had, he was denied access. But he could see the glimmer of something deep within Sam's very soul that both confused him and sparked the faintest light of hope in his chest. He opened his mouth, about to ask something... when he realised that the grey steam coming out of his coffee mug was not just from evaporation.

"You've always gotten me coffee every morning ever since you came here," he said. "Why?"

Sam's lips quivered but they didn't move.

He didn't need his demonic sense to understand what this meant. He set down the mug, drawing Sam's eyes towards the tacky white porcelain cup with the words '#1 Coach' on it. That momentary distraction allowed Conway to close in and immediately press his lips against Sam's. His co-worker and fellow teacher melted in his arms. Sam's own hands curled around his broad frame, confirming his suspicions.

Sam broke the kiss first, letting out a soft sigh. "You're always my Superstar. You're my inspiration. You bring hope to these kids. You've taken care of them and encouraged them both physically and mentally. You're not one of those coaches you hear about that lets kids slip in grades just so that they can get great bodies. You push them to become well-rounded people."

He lifted his eyes towards Conway's. "It's why I'm okay with this thing. Why I was okay with you helping Paul... But..."

Conway understood.

"Why didn't you just tell me...?"

Sam laughed and gently pushed himself away, adjusting his glasses. "Would you believe because I was afraid of you rejecting me? I didn't know you were gay."

Conway laughed softly. "Honestly? I'd be lying if I told you I was."

Sam's shoulders sagged. "Oh... So you -" But he was cut off as Conway's strong arms wrapped around his waist.

"But you know what they say about the truth," Conway cooed into Sam's ear, gently nibbling on the lobe. "Most of the time, its sitting right in front of you."

Sam's heart fluttered in his chest and he leaned back into Conway's strong arms.

"What do you say we ditch this place?" Conway suggested with a sly smirk.

"Play hooky?" Sam snickered. "Aren't we a little old for that?"

"We can always lie about our age. No one else would know but us."

Sam made no other protests as he let Conway lead him out of the school discretely. They went to the rear of the grounds just before the large, red brick wall that separated them from the rest of the forest. Feeling somewhat romantic, Conway swept Sam off his feet and vaulted over the wall in one, powerful leap. To his credit, Sam didn't scream and just held on tightly for dear life. Even with the wind rushing past them, he wore a bright grin, his pure soul shining brightly through gloom that constantly hung over Angelton.

Conway landed easily on the other side of the fence and told Sam to climb onto his back. Showing just how nimble he was, Sam managed to swing himself around Conway to clutch onto his back without touching the ground. Beaming, Conway bolted down Old Keenman's Run at an incredible speed. Treacherous as the path was, his keen demon senses allowed him to shoot down the slope with ease, dodging between the trees and making the trip in just a few short minutes. He felt a sense of great elation that carried his feet down the path, an emotion that made him feel less like a demon and more... human.

"Wow..." Sam, exclaimed as he breathed in the crisp, sea air. "This is amazing!"

"It gets better," Conway said. He carried Sam towards the warehouse and pulled open the doors with one hand, revealing the big, sand-covered floor. He didn't even care that Fred was nowhere to be seen and trudged through the warm sands. He lowered Sam into the soft ground, hovering over him with a grin.

Their lips met one more time and Conway felt joy blossom in his heart. There was little to no deception to devour from Sam. The amazing man remained one of the most honest men he had ever met and that made the emotions and arousal he felt all the more special. This was how he felt and not just hunger brought on from his demonic side.

Sam's fingers gripped the edge of his shirt, slowly tugging at. Conway let his eyes close shut as he let the other man pull his shirt and singlet off. He heard Sam take a sharp breath upon seeing his chiselled chest and rippling abdominals. Sam's eyes were drawn particularly towards the nipples that sat atop each of abdominals. He ran his fingers over them, making Conway shiver with excitement as the sensitive nubs were stimulated.

"I can't believe how sexy you are..." Sam breathed.

For a moment, a flash of doubt entered Conway's mind. Was he just sexy _now_that he was a demon? Did Sam just fall for him recently?

As if sensing his thoughts, Sam said, "You know I did a lot of research about your career before we first met." His hands shifted down towards Conway's thigh. "Sucks that your knee injury kept you from hitting the pros." A soft laugh escaped his lips. "Though I don't know if I would've preferred being the distant fan jacking off to your pictures or being the co-worker in your arms right now."

Conway smiled and gently nuzzled Sam's neck, his tongue lapping at the flesh there. "I don't think I would've turned into a demon if I had gone pro... and I definitely would never have met you." Curious, he nibbled at Sam's ear as he said, "Were you always gay?"

Sam snickered and pushed him away slightly. "Look at me right now and tell me that you now know I'm a homo, you don't see any of the obvious signs."

"Well... I don't to play on stereotypes..." Conway muttered, trying not to smile. "But you are fit. Your good looking. Perfect skin. Cute smile. Perfect hair." He took Sam's hand and gently rubbed its back against his cheek. "Soft palms and perfectly cut nails..."

"Flatterer."

Sam pulled Conway towards him again, their lips meeting in a joyous union.

Here was a man that appealed to Conway as a human not as a demon. There was nothing about him that Conway could feed upon and over the past few days, he had accepted Conway despite being a demon. Sam was a constant reminder that he was still human and lifted his soul, strengthening it even against the powerful demonic taint.

There was also no denying the arousal both of them felt as their dicks pressed against one another's even through the fabric of their garments. Conway sat up, cradling Sam's slim waist between his legs and pulled off his shirt, revealing his powerful torso. Sam licked his lips and ran his hands over every hard bulge and iron-like mound. Conway in turn unbuttoned Sam's shirt, letting the fabric fall away as their lips met one more time. They both shuffled out of their remaining clothes, hard dicks throbbing against each other as they lay in the sand, their lips passionately locked in genuine affection.

Sam pulled away, panting. "Fuck..."

"I know... I want to as well," Conway muttered with a smile. He glanced down at his twelve inch prick. "But I don't want to hurt you..."

Sam gave him wry smile. "I can take it."

Shaking his head, Conway said, "I don't trust myself, Sam. I might go demon on you and..."

There was a flash of disappointment in the other man's eyes but he hid it with a bright smile. "Well, we can still jack each other off..."

Conway rolled off Sam, crouching on his hands and knees with his ass in the air. "Or..."

Sam's eyes bugged out. "A - A - Are you serious?"

"Come on," Conway replied with a wicked grin. "Tell me you haven't fantasised about fucking a guy with a bodybuilder's build."

Sam didn't even bother lying and staggered over, his legs wobbly and weak as he slowly processed what was happening. It was his wildest fantasies come true and there was no denying what he wanted. Still, he was sensible and when he said, "We need some lube," Conway's heart jumped to his throat with joy.

Conway regarded his dripping dick and smirked. He gave himself a few strokes, collecting quite a bit of precum in his hand. He rolled onto his back and beckoned Sam over. His perfect man fell on his knees in front of him. Conway rubbed his precum all over Sam's seven inch dick. The warmth that emanated from the throbbing member just radiated need.

"There," he said, rolling back on his belly. "Now you're ready."

Conway braced himself. He wasn't sure how the next few seconds would feel but he had seen how Fred had reacted and he prepared himself for the worst. Sam's cock pressed up against his butt cheeks, slowly smearing precum over his rear before slowly gliding into the offered hole. Conway growled as he was penetrated. There was some discomfort by the constant throbbing and warmth that emanated from the contact overpowered that all. His growl turned into a lusty moan and his entire body shuddered.

Driven by something far more powerful than their conscious minds or even instinct, both men fell into a rhythm as Sam shoved his dick into Conway. The coach's entire body shuddered with every thrust, his dick twitching with excitement. He had never felt closer to anyone before and more and more, he wanted Sam's dick to stay inside of him. That primal need triggered something in both men that neither of them ever expected.

Dark grey fur began sprouting all over Conway's body, his muscles shifting and flexing as they grew. He was too overcome but his desire to be with Sam that he didn't notice his entire body shifting and changing into his demonic shape. His spine cracked and stretched, his arms erupting with size and showering the sands with his sweat as every muscle grew.

As his ass starting to lift further off the ground with his growth, Sam was starting to find it difficult to keep up. Then his body began to change. It started with his feet. His toes thickened and grew, becoming topped with sharp, black claws that took the place of his toenails. He grew an impressive six shoe sizes before the changes started creeping up his calves, causing bone and muscle to stretch upwards and sidewards. His already lean physique morphed into something befitting a stunning sports star built for speed and strength in equal parts.

Sam thrust his dick harder and harder into Conway's ass, his cock reaching deeper and deeper into the emerging Deception Demon even as Conway grew bigger himself. Light grey fur, almost white in colour began springing from the tips of his toes, starting the race of the transformation a little late. It spread all over his feet and long, lean legs, hugging every muscle perfectly so that no matter what angle, every line, curve and hard shape was visible. He groaned loudly, tilting his head back as the growth reached his balls, causing them to blossom into enormous baseball sized orbs contained within a white-grey furry sack. Even though he was already fully erect as a human, as a demon, he still had more to grow. And grow he did as his cock stretched into its full two feet of length, buried deep within Conway whose body had been built just for the union.

Conway gasped. The need to be one with Sam was fulfilled halfway and the last parts was just pressing up against his ass in the shape of a hard knot throbbing against the walls of his ass. He didn't even think it strange as Sam managed to hold onto him even with his enormous demonic body. Only when he felt Sam's large hand wrap around his dick did he feel something was wrong. He felt the leathery paw pads rubbing against his flesh, the enormous limb sliding up and down his thick black dick with ease, fingers curling around the mass with little effort.

"S - S - Sam...!?" he groaned but the ritual was almost complete. His words died in his throat as an incredible sensation filled him. The power of his soul erupted in the form of a brilliant, grey light springing from his lips and eyes. He groaned, trying to keep it in but he couldn't resist and arched his back, eyes and muzzle wide open.

Behind him Sam was overcome with the demonic powers and arched his back in the same way. The white light of his soul sprang out of his own eyes and lips. His entire form began to reshape itself. His arms already long and powerful, his torso quickly followed to better accommodate his new stance. Shoulder exploded with size and muscle, designed to better support his weight. His traps and deltoids sprang up, rising to meet his neck and give him ta hunched posture similar to Conway's. His jaw jutted forward, a brutish under bite with large lower canines that jutted out from his lips ever so slightly. His features morphed into that of a canine's, his muzzle longer and slimmer than Conway's even as his ears folded back as flaps just like his mate's.

The light springing from deep within him started to change colour. With the two in perfect sync, their souls made contact and found a perfect match in one another. Sam's soul reached out and willingly gave some of himself to Conway, sharing all his memories and feelings from all his years of existence freely. Conway's essence did that same, the two powers crossing the bridge and filling the void in each other from the exchange. Sam's soul turned a greyer colour and in turn, Conway's became just a little brighter.

The Soul Binding complete, both demons let out a euphoric roar. Conway's cock erupted first, shooting precious demon seed all over the grey sand beneath him. Sam was unprepared for the incredible orgasm befitting his new demonic form and when the first blast erupted, his thrust hard enough into Conway that his knot popped into place. That feeling of finally being complete sent Conway's cock shooting yet another titanic blast that knocked both demons onto their back. Sam held onto Conway's dick tightly as they rolled onto the sand, his own member shooting his precious cum deep into his soulmate.

Their bodies quivered in unison as they continued to orgasm over and over again, their souls celebrating their union. With neither of them able to control the demonic energies swirling about them, the raw power of their souls spread their demonic taint further and further. More and more grey sand began pooling into the gymnasium. The walls took on a strange grey marble appearance with every inch of the floor covered in at least two feet of thick, grey sand. The grey sand seemed to take on a consciousness of its own and shot through the windows, forming an arch that snaked through the air and pooled into the adjacent warehouses. There, they filled the concrete grounds with more demonic taint, surging and thrusting with the rhythm of the two demons' powerful orgasms. Even as the neighbouring warehouses were filled with the grey sand, the demons still had more to offer and the sand continued to spill into the other warehouses.

Two souls bound were much stronger than an individual soul, after all.

After a full ten minutes, both demons came down from their sexual high, panting heavily. The glow shooting from their eyes and muzzles faded and Conway could see again. It wasn't that he was blinded, just that all his focus was on the incredible sensations he felt within himself and deep in his soul.

"Sam..." he murmured weakly.

A furry muzzle brushed against his neck and he glanced over at the handsome square muzzle decorated by a cool blonde chinstrap beard. It was funny that Sam's glasses somehow managed to remain on his muzzle, sitting on the tip of and slightly askew. No doubt the demon had no need of them anymore.

"Hey..." Sam rumbled softly.

Conway's heart sank at the sight of the demon. "Fuck..."

But as his soul began to fill with guilt, another strange power began to pull it back up out of the sea of depression. Sam's soul.

"Don't you feel it, Superstar?" Sam whispered softly, nuzzling his lovingly. "This isn't a bad thing... We're in this together." He gently kissed Conway's lips. "You and me."

He did feel it. He felt the strong sense of morality and justice from Sam, that honesty and humanity that would keep his soul afloat. When Conway closed his eyes and opened them again, his eyes no longer glowed with a searing red... but were instead a dazzling cornflower blue that matched Sam's. Though they were still set against a field of black, they no longer burned like angry coals.

"I love you," he whispered.

Sam didn't need to respond. His soul whispered the answer.

"Holy shit!"

Their moment was interrupted and both demons sat up, Conway groaning as the motion caused Sam's cock to jostle within him. A short distance away, hanging from the rafters, were two other Deception Demons, Fred and Paul. They both looked a frightened. Their cocks were only partially erect.

The two demons dropped from the ceiling, landing with a heavy _whump_on the ground and causing the sand around them to swirl around.

"Shit coach!" Paul laughed. "What the hell was that? You almost blew up the fucking warehouse! And look! You shot 'sand' into the other warehouses too!"

Conway took in the damage he and Sam had done and groaned loudly. "Shit..."

"These places are abandoned anyway," Fred rumbled, crossing his massive arms but still grinning broadly. "You don't need to worry. Might give us more room for the others."

"Others?" Sam asked. "There are others?" He glanced at Conway but he sensed the confusion from his soul mate as well.

"Yeah!" Paul exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "I mean, look at what just the you two did! Imagine what would happen if we got more people to jump in! We could spread our sand all over Angelton!"

"No!" Conway shouted in alarm. With a grimace, he pulled himself off Sam's cock. He felt a squirt of cum as a parting gift form his soul mate and quivered. "Listen to me," he growled, pointing at the two demons. "Sam and I... We have something special. Just like you two. We're not going to turn anyone else into demons!"

Paul looked both heartbroken and angry. "What!? Why do you get to turn other people into demons and we don't!?"

"Because we aren't demons!" he barked. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam and smiled. "We're people. We aren't going to go around spreading this 'curse' because it feels good." Turning back to the Torres brothers, he said, "We're going to be responsible with these powers. We're going to help people with their lies not change them into demons for it."

"But what about the others that you already touched!? Can't we -"

"No! You aren't going to push Ivan_or_ Tristian any more than I already have! Got that!?"

Paul scowled and retreated, bowing his head.

"Good," snarled Conway. "Now get back to school. You're not meant to be skipping class."

The two demons turned and left the warehouse, looking dejected and beaten... like their alpha had just whipped their butts.

Conway felt strong arms wrap around his shoulders, a muzzle nuzzling him affectionately.

"I love it when you're all alpha male," Sam snickered. "Don't think they'll be any trouble?"

Conway considered the question. Paul had suggested the same thing when he first transformed but he hadn't changed or attacked Fred when given the chance. All bark and no bite. And Fred was just happy to be with his brother; he wouldn't do anything to jeopardise that happiness. "Nah. They're good kids." With a grin, he kissed Sam playfully. "So... what do you say we put that new body to the test, eh?"

As the two demons within the warehouse proceeded to explore one another's bodies all over again, the two leaving exchanged dark looks.

Never before had Conway Mitchell ever made such a grievous error in judgement than that day when he had assumed Paul and Fred would not try to push their demonic limits. They both left the warehouse seething with resentment. Knowing full well that their alpha was much stronger than they were now that Conway had bound his soul with Sam, they could not go against Conway's wishes without putting themselves at risk. They had been there when Conway and Sam had filled most of the warehouse and more with the grey sand.

Fred didn't even need to ask if they were going to take those words from Conway.

"Who are Ivan and Tristian?" he rumbled.

Paul knew exactly what his older brother was thinking and grinned broadly. "I dunno about Ivan but if I had to guess about 'Tristian', I think he means Tristian Ramez. He's one of the few openly gay guys in school."

"Why'd he go after someone who is so honest?"

Paul shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me but I passed Ramez the other day and he oozed lies. I swear I could've dragged him into a storage closet or something and fucked him there and then." Paul shuddered, a growl rippling from his throat.

"Storage closet..." Fred's eyes narrowed and a wicked grin crossed his features. "Hey, I know someone else that might want in on this fun."

And with that, the two demons immediately bolted back towards Angelton Boy's High School as Fred outlined his plan.

---

Truth

_ _

'The leader of the Deception Demons was known as the Underdog. All truths and all lies fed into him and he dispatched his troops to enforce some arbitrary laws that he had made up. Like the other kings of Hell, he was a monumental creature and a paragon of his kind. I sometimes wonder if the reason H2 brought us to the Ascent of Arrogance first was because some of these demon kings fed on their pride for being so powerful.'

---

Gilbert Torres hobbled through the empty hallways of Angelton High. It was one of those cold days where his limbs were acting up especially his left leg. People claimed that even after having their limbs amputated they still had the sensation of the limb being there. The same could be said with Gilbert. He looked at the leg, the prosthetics hidden beneath the blue jumpsuit he wore. Even though everything below the knee was gone and replaced with metal and plastic, he could still feel his toes curling and shivering beneath his heavy work boots.

It felt like a storm was coming. There was a deep ache in his in his bones both phantom and real like every cell in his body wanted him to turn tail and run, to bury himself beneath the sheets of covers and cower until whatever it was passed. But he was running from enough things these days.

So he just rolled his mop and bucket towards the custodial closet. School was out and it was just one in the afternoon. Everyone was still gripped by the scare of the recent earthquakes and Gil couldn't blame them. So many quakes so quickly. Though damage was moderate, dozens of people were left homeless and there were even rumours of people going crazy and being institutionalised. Everyone was afraid that their small, sleepy town was on the verge of a riot and anarchy.

Gil sighed heavily as he unlocked the closet and pushed his mop and bucket inside. He really should clean up the dirty water but at the moment, he was in no mood to be a perfectionist at his job. Worry gnawed at his heart over his two sons whom he barely saw these days as he ran from his shame. There were days when he would send long letters to Fred with the money he sent every month. Fred would reply with his own concerns. But then the letters grew shorter and shorter until he just sent the money without a word.

Every now and then he would pass Paul in the hallway. He stopped freezing a while back. Paul didn't recognise him. And how could he? In all likelihood, Paul's oldest memory of Gil Torres was of this tall, barrel chested man with a buzz cut, clean shaven and wearing an easy grin with his chiselled, square jaw. Gil had lost a lot of weight since then, a shadow of his former self and now whore a thick, brown-grey beard that hid some of that strong jawline.

With a resigned sigh, he closed the closet door.

He didn't notice his eldest son standing beside him until he turned.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, leaping back in surprise. He held a hand over his chest, trying to still his rapidly beating heart. "Fred! I didn't see you there." At the very least his son had turned out well. Fred had his strong chiselled jaw but was certainly a lot hairier than he was. Fred's strong build and massive forearms ensure that he had to wear short sleeved shirts which revealed the thick matt of fur on his forearms.

"Sorry about that, dad," Fred rumbled, his voice reverberating through Gil's entire soul.

"What are you doing here?" Gilbert asked. "How'd you even get in? The school is closed."

"Paul let me in. We hung out in one of the classrooms until everyone was gone."

"Paul...?" Gil's heart sank. "Is he -"

A voice came from behind him. "Right here, dad."

Gil spun, eyes wide as he looked upon the handsome visage of his son, barely clothed in just a black singlet and a pair of boxer shorts. He choked slightly at the sight of the obvious erection that Paul sported, his massive dick straining the dark fabric and a wet, musky patch outlining the tip. He turned back around towards Fred, horrified that the truth had been revealed.

"You told him!? Why!?"

A hand gripped Gil's shoulder and turned him back around.

"So that I could meet you, dad," Paul responded, a benevolent smile on his features. He took a deep breath and his eyelids fluttered in a strange way. Gil could swear his son's dick jumped in joy and that wet stain grew bigger. "It's time we put this lie behind us and became a family again, dad."

He was unware but both Paul and Fred began feeding off the thick aura of deception that hung around him. Unlike Paul who had been cloaked in someone else's lies or Fred who used the deceit as a foundation for other emotions, Gil wore his deception on the surface and it made up his very being. As the two demons fed on it, he felt the weight of years of shame fading.

"Paul... I..." he began. He made to turn around to face Fred but Paul gripped his shoulder, preventing him from moving. Had he turned, he would've noticed Fred taking off his clothes and his body starting to change and shift.

"Dad," Paul said calmly, "I get it. You were ashamed of what happened. But that doesn't matter. We can be a family now. No more lies."

Gil managed a shaky smile. Ordinarily, he should've been opposed to the idea, he should've been running in the opposite in direction. He has spent years telling himself he could never face his sons again with each year adding to the shame and weight of his lie. But now, with all those years being drained away by the two demons, he only felt at peace.

"I'm so sorry..." Gil murmured, tears welling up in his eyes. "I never meant to hurt either of you. I just - Gurk!"

His body suddenly went stiff as a powerful, hot spear shot right through his overalls and shoved up right into his ass. Hot precum poured into him, somewhat smoothening the invasion but still making him cry out in alarm. Only then Paul allowed him to glance over his shoulder at the enormous brute of a demon looming behind him. He caught Fred's transformation just in time to watch his eldest son's face turning into strong, canine features wearing a big, toothy grin.

"Wh - wh - what...!?" he gasped as another inch of that enormous dick pushed into him.

"Like I said, dad," Paul said evenly, taking off his singlet just as his chiselled began to grow and stretch, his arms lengthening and filling with even more muscle that it caused the veins all over his arms to surge out and press up against his flesh. "No more lies. And we're going to be a family now."

Gil turned back towards his son, eyes wide. Enormous paws gripped his shoulders and pushed him towards Paul's dick mercilessly. He didn't get to make another cry of protest as a large, growing dick was shoved into his mouth, molten demonic precum pouring down his throat. He looked into his son's eyes, pleading for an explanation.

But he only saw two, bright red eyes staring back at him.

******

Dante was barely capable of clearing the sticky webs of avarice that covered the interior of his house. He only managed to draw the greedy essence from the front hallway. Russ and Flash had to take over, burning and draining the dark essence away in some desperate search for Shaun. As they cleared away the webbing, there were clear signs of struggle but much to his relief, Russ noted that there weren't any cocoons which he suspected was how the demon made more thralls.

He asked why they hadn't sensed the creation of these thralls like they had felt with Edward. Russ wasn't sure either. Perhaps the webbing somehow concealed the energies or muted its signal. Either way, there were no cocoons in the house and while that filled Dante with some relief, it also filled him with dread.

Sitting on the back porch, looking at his enormous, black paws, Dante couldn't help but feel helpless. All this power and he couldn't even save his own dad. A heavy sob rose from his chest and while he tried to choke it down, it came out as a ragged sound like a dog's last dying breath. He buried his muzzle in his paws. A warm paw wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Russ thinks your dad wasn't the one that caused this," Flash whispered softly, nuzzling Dante softly, his red fur soft against Dante's neck. "He's been sniffing around and after we cleared the place up, he can't detect your dad's scent anywhere. He's been running some magical traces too. Your dad may not have been here for at least the past few days."

Dante lifted his eyes, hope in his green eyes.

"Russ tried calling him too," Flash said sombrely. "No response."

"Then we got to find him!"

Flash nodded. "Yeah, we do. If this is an Avarice Demon that's after him, then he's probably hunting your dad right now."

There was some hope yet and Dante stood up, steeling himself. He could just imagine some sort of bizarre spider creature chasing his scared and injured dad through the forests of Angelton. His mind refused to even picture Shaun getting wrapped up in a cocoon only to later emerge with a heavily muscled canine upper half and a lower body consisting of a spider's thorax, spewing sticky webbing everywhere.

"I'm not going to let anyone get my dad." he said firmly.

Flash stood to meet him, wrapping his strong arms around the slightly smaller Hellhound. "No one is, babe. I promise you." He held his mate out, peering into those glistening green eyes. "But you got to keep cool. Just like Coach Mitchell always says. Out in the field, things get crazy and a lot of things are happening. You got to keep your cool or you'll screw up."

Dante was itching for action and every fibre of his being wanted to being wanted to be running down the streets searching for his Shaun. He would have willingly scoured the entire country for his dad if that was what it took. But Flash was right. He still recalled the many traps that he had fallen for with Edward and his fellow Pride Demons. If they were dealing with some sort of demon whose specialty was trapping people in webs, then he couldn't afford to be reckless.

Still, he had to ask, "So what do we do?"

"Make a Lodestone Map," Russ answered, emerging from the house. Six Starkravens fluttered out of the house beside him, perching themselves on potted plants or on the fence around him. Each of them had a differently coloured gem in their beaks. "Come on, I'll explain on the way back to the house."

Dante nodded numbly as the Starkravens took flight, heading off in different directions. It was an effort to change back into a human but he managed to compress his hulking Hellhound form back into his human shape. He used his magic to clothe himself once more and even gave Flash some clothes as well in the shape of a slimming, tough looking black jacket on top of a his white tank top and black pants.

Once in Russ' car, Cerberus began to explain.

"Lodestone Maps is basically a grid over a map that allows you to determine the distribution of emotions across a certain area." Russ waved a big hand over his shoulder. "Each of those Starkravens has a Lodestone, one for each of the six primary elements."

"Oh! Oh!" Flash exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "You mean, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Light and Darkness?"

Russ gave him a lifted eyebrow through the rear view mirror. "Light and darkness? How the hell do you hit people with 'light' or 'darkness' for that matter? Besides, fire emits light and darkness is just the absence of light." He growled softly. "Damn kids and their stupid videogames..." Shaking his head, he said, "But you got the first right. The other two elements are Positive and Negative. And no, they aren't like the charges of an electrical polarity. They're more like the power of Heaven and the might of Hell."

Flash rumbled softly at being reprimanded and sat back in the seat, arms crossed. Dante appreciated his enthusiasm and rested a hand over his thigh. Flash immediately relaxed and gave him a smile.

"Those six stones will help mark the edges of our Map," Russ said, pulling the car towards the thick forests around his home. "Once we can determine where the strongest emotions are, we might be able to track these demons better."

"Why didn't we do this in the first place?" Dante asked. "Could've helped Edward..."

"I'm not sure how it'll help now," answered Russ glumly as he pulled into the driveway. "Lodestone Maps get every emotion there is. And if you've walked through the streets lately, you'll know there's a lot of fear, hatred and anger in the air. I doubt all of it could've been caused by a demon either." He beckoned them into the house where they immediately headed towards the library. "People are scared because of the earthquakes, angry at the administration for doing nothing and these unsure times forces old hatreds to rise. People do crazy things when they're stressed."

Flash nudged Dante with an elbow making the latter roll his eyes.

At the library, Russ headed towards a large table at the centre of the room and waved his hand. Black hellfire sprang to life across the table, quickly scorching a map of Angelton all over the lacquered wood. With a nod, six different gems appeared in the air over the map, each cut to the shape of sharp octahedrons; an emerald, sapphire, ruby, topaz, diamond and a bit of onyx. All six stones slowly glided across the map, following a set path. Each one followed the path of the Starkraven that carried its twin gem.

Far over the skies of Angelton, the Starkravens nestled themselves at the limits of the town, finding little places to settle their stones. Most set their gems within trees or buried them into the ground. One that had to nail the stone onto the underside of the pier to keep it away from prying eyes. Their job done, the Starkravens dissolved into a flurry of black feathers.

Back in the library, the six stones shot towards the points in the map where their partner stones were set. Russ closed his eyes and began to chant softly. Using the rest of the demonic energy he had obtained from consuming the Avarice Demon's webbing in the De Mont house alone, he reached through the stones in front of him to the stones on the rest of the small township. Manipulating the power in a practiced manner, he created a detailed distribution of essences all over the map.

To Dante and Flash, it appeared as if differently coloured clouds suddenly appeared over sections of the map, swirling and roiling brightly.

"Whoa..." Flash murmured, eyes wide. "That is so cool."

Russ opened his eyes and offered the two a wry smile. "See?" he said miserably. "This is why I said I didn't think we'd have much luck."

Most of the map was covered in a cloud of white, blue with large splotches of black and red amongst them. Anger and fear dominated most of it with the small islands of despair and hatred dispersed amongst them. The yellow of avarice was barely visible here and there but it only came as flashes that vanished seconds after it appeared. A lone green island of jealousy hung around the centre of town around where the gymnasium was if Dante read the map correctly though he didn't think that was too odd. Nothing else stood out except perhaps the large grey spot of deception at Angel's Kiss Beach.

Russ shook his head as he looked through the map. "I'm going to try something... Give me a second." His brow knotted as he tried to focus more power through the Lodestone Map. He had it in excess after helping clean out the street of demonic taint but it was still a strain to try and get the map to show the souls emitting the emotions. He growled as thousands of white dots began springing up all over the map. He could only sustain it for a second before it began drawing on too much strength and he had to release the spell. The colour clouds and the pinpricks of light vanished.

His shoulders sagged and he slumped into a sofa nearby. "Sorry... I can't maintain the Map. Usually a group of six demons can keep something like this running."

Dante dissolved his clothing in a dance of black feathers. He grunted as his body shifted into his hellhound form. Russ regarded him with a look up confusion as the younger hellhound sat on his lap and offered him his chest. A faint blush touched Russ' cheeks but nonetheless wrapped his lips around Dante's left nipple and began to drink the precious demonic juices to maintain his strength.

Dante bit back a groan. He would never get used to the incredible sensation of someone feeding off him. He tried not to get too hard by focusing on the task at hand.

"We can check the places where dad would go. Maybe he's at work. Or maybe at the shelter with the other people who were hit hard by the quakes. The car wasn't in the garage so he had the time to get in the car, open the garage door, drive out and get the door to close again."

"Good... um... thinking... yeah," Flash rumbled. He was clearly aroused by the feeding scene before him and subsequently adjusted himself. "We should... um..." A soft growl left his lips, his red hair already starting to crawl down his cheeks and jaw. "Dude, can you not do that without at least offering me some? Seriously..."

Dante gave his mate an exasperated look. "Russ needs it more."

"Yeah but..."

Russ pulled his lips away and gently pushed Dante back. "Thank you..." he rumbled. "And you're right, Dante. We need to check where your father frequents. He could be anywhere but if there's an Avarice Demon hunting him, he -"

Suddenly, all three hellhounds felt the same jolt of energy shoot through them; a powerful wave of demonic energies that caused all three to turn towards the north. They all knew what that odd sensation was.

"Someone just made a thrall..." Flash muttered.

"Not just one," Russ added, rising. "A lot. Definitely more than three..." He hurried towards the Lodestone Map and immediately activated it again on its first level.

They were in luck. The burst of dark energies had yet to be consumed by the mortal-generated auras but it was quickly fading. But it was definitely not what he was expecting.

"Grey...?" Flash asked. "Isn't that... Deception?"

Dante felt a bit of shaky relief. It wasn't the yellow of avarice so that meant that his father hadn't been turned into a thrall... or at least his dad hadn't made one... But that begged the question...

"Not all demons come out explosively like that... do they?" he asked softly.

Russ shook his head grimly. "No. They might have more control over the transformation and they might consume a soul in a more controlled manner. They might even make a mortal into a demon in a fashion that it doesn't cause such a burst of energy."

"So that could still mean..."

Dante didn't want to finish that sentence. Just thinking that Shaun could've been thrown into a cocoon and slowly being turned into a terrible wolf-spider creature and with no way of knowing where he was or how save him... He suddenly felt cold. Both of the hellhounds beside him wrapped their arms around him, Russ settling his chin against Dante's chest while Flash nuzzled him tenderly.

They stood there, just holding Dante in their warm embrace for a good long five minutes.

"We need to stop those demons..." Russ said softly.

It killed Dante knowing that he couldn't focus on saving his father. He so desperately wanted to find Shaun but... He also had a responsibility to Angelton. He was the one that unleashed this plague of demons on the world.

It was his responsibility to save it.

******

Ivan stood in the clearing like he had done for the past few days, desperate to meet that beast once more that had both stolen his sense of wonder and fantasy but also opened his eyes to a world greater than himself. When that creature had left him on the forest floor, prone, exposed and without his fantasies to escape to, he was afraid.

But then, he came to a startling conclusion.

The supernatural was very real.

Why would he need to escape to a fantasy land when that very same world of wonder existed around him but he just didn't see it?

"Ivan, dude," Andrew groaned. "Are we going to do this or not?"

He didn't want to enter this magical world alone and had convinced his LARP friend to come with him every day to the same clearing in full gear. They had done a few scenarios but he just couldn't get into the world of make believe anymore. It just felt empty to him. He went through the motions but the excitement he felt, that feeling of actually being in the ravaged lands of Carden or the angelic cities of the Platinum City just... it just wasn't there anymore. He was faced only with cruel, bitter reality.

"Y - Yeah..." Ivan stammered, jostling his Rexard costume and hefting the large pretend sword he had. "Let's do this!"

His friends gave him a pointed stare.

Today, Timothy was playing the role of Halseth the Doom Lord and even from across the clearing, his exasperated stare was visible. "'Let's do this?' Really? Is that how Rexard speaks?"

Ivan struggled to remember that character, how he spoke and his mannerisms. "I -"

"You don't need to keep pretending, boys."

The deep, booming voice both sent Ivan's heart soaring and froze it in the ice of anticipation.

Could it be?

After days of searching, could that beast finally have returned to take him from this crushing reality?

A thick, grey mist began rolling in from the woods like a mist. It came in from all corners, creeping in and closing in around them. Andrew, Davies and Rodney all spun, their personas of brave, strong warriors instantly fading as they began looking around wildly for the source of the voice. They still held their toys like they were real weapons and backed away from the mist as it encroached upon them.

A heavy, warm breath caressed the back of Ivan's neck. Then there was a big, long sniff and nearly lifted Ivan off his feet.

"You're different from the others," rumbled the beast. "You're devoid of all deception... You would've be Ivan, would you?"

He turned around, eyes wide. The beast before him was similar to first one he had encountered but different, looking much more brutish than the predecessor and with darker, nearly black fur. There were also large crests of down brown fur on his chest, forearms and calves as well as a long, spikey brown mane.

"I - I - I'm Ivan Griegor..." he stammered. "You're not the s - s - same guy..."

Fred grinned broadly through his lower canines. "No. But I'm here to help you, little guy."

"Ivan! Get away from him!" Rodney shouted.

"There's no escape, guys."

The second deep, resonating voice came from another direction and Ivan spun in time to see another large shame emerge from the mist, this one smaller than the one before him and possessing a lighter coat and a not so prominent under bite. His fur was also much more compact, outlining every muscle on his body. There was also a dizzying array of scars on his chest that almost looked like demonic symbols.

"These guys look really tasty."

The third face made Ivan jump in surprise. The biggest of the demons emerged from the mist, catching the three humans in a triangle. The huge monster had to at least be ten feet tall hunched, no doubt taller if he stood at full height. Most of his fur was a light grey save for his forearms and calves which were a black colouration. His wild, brown hair hung over his shoulders with two enormous horns jutting from just behind his ears, each one at least the length of his muzzle. The beast was simply brimming with muscles, all of them were, but this specimen was simply the biggest.

Ivan's mouth went dry as he felt the hairy demon behind him lower his muzzle against his cheek and let out a soft breath.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" rumbled Fred. "You want to enter this world. You want to leave this game of make believe and make it a reality."

"Yes..." Ivan stammered.

"Ivan!" Timothy shouted.

"No escape kids," chuckled Gil. He took a deep breath, his enormous chest puffing out before he suddenly exhaled. A thick, abrasive cloud of grey sand erupted from his lips, sweeping over the four friends. They all cried out in shock before starting to splutter. Ivan took a step forward but held back from truly rushing to their aid.

The sand ate through the elaborate costumes. Large colourful pauldrons dissolved into the sand. Long billowing capes turned into dust and helms and armour vanished, exposing the bare flesh of the teenagers beneath.

Controlled by Gil's mental will, the sand swept upwards and swooped down towards Ivan. The young man spread his arms wide, a deluded grin on his face as he embraced the wash of grit willingly. He felt the few bits of clothing he already wore leave his body, leaving him pure and exposed to be taken in by the great demon before him. As the last bits of the warm sand flew away, he turned away, smiling brightly at the tremendous monster before him.

"Take me..." he begged.

"No! Ivan!" shouted Andrew. He suddenly let out a scream as a massive paw seized his shoulder and pulled him towards an enormous, throbbing cock. Thick precum splashed all over his face, causing him to splutter and also get instantly hard. He tried to immediately pull away but Paul just laughed and pressed him closer towards his cock. Whether he realised it or not, his exposed flesh began melding with Paul's dick.

The poor young man let out a scream as the enormous two foot long black dick pressing up against his chest began melding with his flesh. Warmth spread throughout his entire body and before he knew what was happening, precum was squirting out between his lip and every part of his body began stiff with arousal, not only his but Paul's. He reached out desperately for the others, trying to pull himself free of the demon but he was permanently bonded to the creature and as much as he tried to tug himself away, the more of his body was drawn into the monster.

"Hel - hurk!" his arms suddenly went limp and he hung off Paul like a stiff branch on a massive oak.

Timothy was closest and he only managed a step away before Paul seized him and pressed his body against Andrew's. Paul laughed as he forced the two to kiss. Hot precum erupted from Andrew's form and straight into Timothy's. The darkening flesh around Andy began to spread into Timothy, merging with the second victim. Driven by unholy power, Timothy's legs curled around his transforming friend, adding to the incredible girth. He choked on the first blast of precum but as the second passed, he began to eagerly drink it in.

On the other side of the field, Gil pulled the remaining two young men against his dick. Rodney was the unlucky victim to first touch that ebony spire, guided by Gil's mighty paw. The enormous demon laughed as he sat back on his haunches and watched the young man slowly get drawn further and further into his dick. Rodney had tried to pull away but his right hand remained rooted into Gil's dick. He stared at his limb in horror as it was drawn further and further into the thick, veiny mass, every inch that he lost, Gil gained. He screamed for Davies' help and his friend, loyal to the end, seized his remaining arm and tried to pull him away.

But it was a futile effort. With a loud, lusty grunt, Gil's sucked Rodney closer into himself, his cock eagerly drawing Rodney closer up to his shoulder. Tears welled up in Rodney's eyes as he tried to fight the urges that were welling up inside of him as he became consumed by the demonic energies that were flooding through him. His cock became painfully erect, spewing cum over and over again and squeezing his humanity out of his body.

Davies realised he was never going to save his friend and tried to pull him free. He let go of Rodney's arm but Rodney would not let go of him. His eyes widened in horror as his friend's eyes glazed over and with lust and dragged him towards the throbbing member. He begged for Rodney to let him go but Rodney was no longer in control of his own body. A bright glow began shining through his chest, the glow of his soul. It lay trapped there, unable to escape as his legs were dragged into Gil's waiting cock. It almost tried to pull away, squirming towards his opposite shoulder but there was no escape for the massively glowing member. The light of his soul faded quickly into the darkness of Gil's dick, the enormous demon letting out a loud, lusty roar as the rush of power filled him.

"What's... happened to them...?" Ivan asked. He felt Fred's cock press up against his spine. He could feel the warmth from the member filling him, lifting him off the ground and easing the weight of reality from his soul. The same glow erupted from his chest and looked down to see his chest illuminated by the orb buried at the core of his being.

"We're bringing them into our world," rumbled Fred.

Twin glows of light erupted from both Timothy and Andrew as their souls were dragged down into Paul's body, their bodies becoming useless. Andrew arched his back, pulling his lips away from Timothy as his lips became the tip for Paul's dick. Timothy pressed his head against Andrew's chest, helping to form the girth of the enormous cock.

Davies stopped weeping as his soul was dragged out of his body and deep into Gil, his body falling limp and slowly being absorbed into the monster of a cock that the gargantuan demon sported.

"Any regrets?" Fred rumbled.

Ivan could feel himself fading into thraldom, losing himself to the demon and his master. A soft smile touched his lips as a thick black vein crawled up his chest, pulling him deeper into the dick. With no opposition, Fred easily absorbed the young man but not before Ivan whispered a single word.

"No."

******

Conway was sitting on the same ridge where he first transformed, Sam in his arms, when the burst of demonic energy hit him. Both of them still in their demonic forms, the two immediately stood up and turned in the direction of the school. They exchanged glances.

"What was that?" Sam exclaimed.

"I'm not sure..." Conway began. Something felt wrong and he could sense it was coming from the warehouse. He closed his eyes, trying to focus his senses on the familiar taste of deception in the air. He opened them a second later, wide in horror. "Oh shit..."

"What!?" Sam demanded but he didn't get answer.

Conway immediately bolted down the path, running on all fours. Sam caught up with him easily, his mate being built far more for speed than he was. As they drew closer to the beach, even Sam could sense the disturbance in the serenity of the demon-infested land. Right before their eyes, the multiple warehouses that had been infested by their sand and seed began to merge. Their walls just collided with one another, interlocking and becoming a single, broad building with a single door.

Throwing all caution into the wind, Conway burst through the front door just in time to see the enormous arena rise from the ground around him. He gawked while enormous chiselled pillars made of the same grey marble erupted from the ground around them, stands reminiscent of the Coliseum shot out of the ground leaving a large, broad battle grounds filled with grey sands before them. Highest seat of the arena, sitting in the podium, was Fred, a huge cock between his legs and the enormous cannon pointed towards the air.

Fred let out a tremendous roar. Grey demonic seed erupted from the tip of his big, black cock. A large glob shot out followed by a constant stream of seed that came down like torrential rains. Conway pushed Sam back to protect him from the corruptive shower. His eyes where focused on the silhouette of the human covered in cum that lay landed in the sands. The form began to stir, slowly rising and revealing burning red eyes set on a familiar face.

"Ivan...?" Conway whispered, his eyes wide in horror.

Ivan suddenly threw his head back, letting out a roar, nothing as earthshattering as Fred's but still one that shook Conway's soul to the core. Ivan's form bulged, the skinny kid that deluded himself into a fantasy land fading into the tremendous, muscular form a Deception Demon.

"What have you done!?" Conway roared.

But his cry was drowned out by a second roar. He could see a second geyser of cum erupt from just beyond the arena walls, another two orbs of would-be demons shooting into the sky. This time, the two human shapes changed in mid, letting out triumphant cries as they embraced their newfound demonhood. The shower of cum, however, began to dissolve into sand, swirling constantly beyond the boundaries of the arena to form an immense sand storm within the confines of the combined warehouse.

Conway tried to let out another shout but then he heard a third cry that just sent his heart sinking. Before the sandstorm could get too big, he saw what looked like enormous grey _trees_rising from far beyond the storm. That final show of demonic power was enough for him. Fred, Paul and whoever else was in there with them had him outnumbered and outgunned.

He pulled Sam back, grabbing his soul mate by the scruff and bolting away from the warehouse, his eyes wide in horror. He didn't stop running until he was halfway up the path, back in the forests and on his way to Angelton.

"Conway! Stop!"

It was Sam's fifteenth demand for attention and it finally got through. He ground to a halt and stared at the blonde Deception Demon, eyes wide.

"I'm new to this whole thing," Sam said. "But what the fuck just happened back there? Was that Fred Torres? And... did he just give birth to new demons?"

Conway shook his head in horror, just lost for words. How could he explain what he saw? What he felt? Fred had grown in power twenty fold and those were two new demons... demons created from people. And he heard two other roars... that meant that other people had...

A loud screech made him freeze and he spun towards the sound. Too late did he realise that he was standing in the middle of the road in full demon form for all to see. The white hybrid that came to a skidding halt was filled with wide eyes and as the doors opened, he just froze like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding sixteen wheeler.

He was even more surprised when Dante De Mont and Flash Goldman emerged from the hybrid along with a large, brutish man dressed in a rather casual shirt and jeans.

"This is going to be easier than I thought!" Flash growled. His eyes suddenly flashed into a bright green, an inky blackness creeping in from the corners. His muscles began to bunch, thick red fur sprouting from his skin. The same was happening to Dante only black fur was starting to spread all over his body and his clothes were starting to dissipate in a shower of black feathers.

Conway's brain caught up with what was happening but his instincts were still one step ahead.

"Flash!? Dante!? You too!?"

The two hellhounds balked, their transformations stalling as they stared at the two demons in front of them.

"It's me! Conway Mitchell!"

They exchanged glances and then turned back to Conway. In unison, they cried, "Coach Mitchell!?"

"What is going on here!?" Sam demanded.

Russ stepped in between the two parties, his brown eyes narrowed at Conway, searching them. Then he glanced towards Sam and a faint smile touched his lips. "Well I'll be... You two are Soul Bound."

"What?" Sam asked. "What does that even mean?"

"It's the demonic equivalent of marriage," Russ answered with a warm smile. "You've exchanged parts of your souls with one another and have grown stronger for it. At the same time, it seems the experience has somewhat restored or perhaps maintained your humanity."

"They're demons!" Dante exclaimed.

"Look at their eyes. They aren't red." Russ searched them and then looked past them at the beach. "You aren't the ones that made thralls... are you?"

Conway relaxed slightly. It seemed that he was in the presence of someone with more experience. "You better tell us what you know." He exchanged glances with Sam. "And you better tell us what you know too. But not here. Not with the others just around the corner."

Russ nodded. "Alright. I have a place."

******

Tristian had just been dropped off by Brad from Angelton Grammar's football team at his 'job' though these days, spending time with Jessie Collins was more a hobby than a job. Jessie still paid him but it was for the chores he did around the house and not the sex. Something told him that Collins would _never_treat him like that.

He waved at Brad as the strong, powerful jock drove away. Being close to someone so big and muscly just reminded him all too much of Sergeant Collins. A reason why he always let Leon drive him home. It was like that little tease before orgasm.

Now it was time for his main meal.

He hefted his back over his shoulder and stepped up towards the porch. He had just managed to knock once when a big, thick arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Hey there kiddo!"

Given the size of the arm, he thought it was Collins but his Sergeant was never so... informal. He turned in surprise at the big, tall, muscular man standing beside him. His chiselled square jaw sent Tristian's loins on fire and his body brimming with muscle was almost too much for Tristian. Add to that the fact that all the man wore was a dark olive green vest and a pair of camouflage pants and it was like Heaven had sent him a sexy angel.

"Um... do I know you?"

"No," the man said. "But I know the guy who lives here."

The door sprang open and Sergeant Collins stood there, a cigar between his lips and a big grin on his face. That grin immediately faded when he saw the man with his arm around Tristian.

"Torres..."

"Hey there Sarge!" Torres said, giving the man a salute.

Collins' eyes went down towards the newcomer's leg and his frown deepened. "I heard you blew off your own leg... You were dishonourably discharged."

"And I heard you were quietly discharged because you liked stroking your privates," Torres replied.

Tristian suddenly felt like he was caught between two titans and was about to be crushed. He could sense the animosity oozing out of his real boyfriend and the antagonistic cockiness emanating from Torres.

"What do you want?" growled Collins.

"Some fun," Torres said. He suddenly slipped away from Tristian and somehow managed to push past the wall of muscle that was Collins. Even the former sergeant was surprised at the towering man's strength. Both Tristian and his older boyfriend were stunned when Torres pulled off his vest and threw it aside. "So, how are we doing this?"

"Wait, what the fuck!?" Collins roared. "You can't just come in here, strip down and demand sex!"

"Who is this guy?" Tristian asked.

"Some asshole from back in my military days. I was his drill sergeant. Cocky bastard and kept talking about his kids. Got discharged after he stepped on a mine on purpose to prove a point and blew off his own leg and injured several others." Again, Collins frowned. "Last I heard, he lost everything below the knee."

Torres turned towards them and brazenly stripped off his pants revealing his heavily muscled legs. It looked like he shaved his legs and to great effect. Ever teardrop shaped iron cord was visible, the sun reflecting off his smooth, creamy skin to highlight every curve, bulge and valley. Tristian's eyes went wide as his eyes travelled up from the delicious quads to the man's crotch where an impressive foot-long dick stood semi-erect and balls to match. He decided that making a 'going commando' comment wasn't in good taste.

"As you can see," Torres said cockily, "rumours of my loss of limbs have been extremely exaggerated." He turned around, showing off perfectly shaped ass. "Well, are we going to do this or what?"

Collins took a deep breath, taking a deep puff from his cigar and then letting out a large plume of smoke. "I don't care who you think you are, Torres. You don't get to come in here and just flaunt your ass around thinking you'll get some. That's public indecency and some might call it sexual assault!"

"Right, of course." Torres placed his big hands on his hips, showing off his perfectly chiselled back. Tristian tried not to let his mouth water at the sight of those enormous traps. "And when the cops come running, no one is going to suspect that you've been fucking the guy that's been helping you around the house for the past few months."

The burly sergeant began to shake in fury. "You cocky fucker..."

Tristian felt his heart sink as he glanced from the two military men, both titans of muscle and both causing belly twist into knots and his balls to ache with need. "Let's just... do it..."

Collins gave him a startled stare. "What!? We can't negotiate with assholes like him! He's endangered other soldiers! He was kicked out for a reason!"

"Are you sure it wasn't just the same reason as you?" Tristian whispered quietly. "Maybe that whole 'blowing off his leg' thing was just a cover because he..."

"Likes it up the ass?" Torres finished, grinning broadly over his shoulder. "Yeah, Sarge. Add it all up. Where's my prosthetic leg? Where are the battle scars?" For emphasis he began stretching, showing off his immense quads and hamstrings, his calves bulging like beautiful heart-shaped lumps sitting behind his calves. "One good fuck is that it'll take to buy my silence."

Collins' big hands balled into fists. "Silence for what, maggot?" he growled. "There's nothing going on here."

The intruding muscle man just turned back towards them, his fourteen inch cock fully erect and dripping precum lewdly. "So you mean to tell me that the little cocoa striptease you're protecting isn't lying to two other guys to protect his little secret? That if my sons tell them that he's just been leading them on as a smokescreen to protect his true_relationship with the old former military sergeant he's been working for _everyday which usually ends in a steamy fuck session that'd all just be a lie?"

The cold grip of fear wrapped around Tristian's heart. As much as really didn't feel much for either Brad or Daniel he still did worry about standing in town. Would he be known as the town slut? The town's resident cheater? He still had a full year of school left and he very much doubted he'd survive high school if word ever got out before he graduated.

He and Collins had made plans after all. Tristian was going to use the excuse that he was going out of state to some far off college to break it off with Daniel and Brad. That would take him far away from prying eyes and safely in Collins' arms. They'd be together at last in peace. He'd go to college, work on a degree, earn some money with a part time job while Collins supported them with the money he got from the military.

But now...

"Okay," he said softly. "Okay... let's do this."

"What!?" Collins bellowed. "You can't be serious! Tristian..." There was something that Collins wanted to say but... he just couldn't verbalise it. Tristian knew what it was but he understood the hesitation of the big, tough former-military man to keep softer emotions in check.

"One fuck," Tristian said, lifting a finger. "One fuck and then you leave me and the Sergeant alone forever."

Gilbert Torres grinned. "You have my word."

Tristian was still somewhat hesitant and he certainly didn't like being blackmailed but for the moment, he had no choice. He cautiously strode into the rear bedroom, leading Gilbert into what Tristian had come to know as the love nest. The idea of having someone else in his private sanctuary disgusted him but in order to keep his secret, he had no choice.

He dropped his bag at the door and began stripping off, trying not to look at the extremely sexy Gilbert who stood there watching him with a predatory gaze. It shamed him that he was already hard and fretted over what would happen next. When he felt Gilbert's warm hands on his shoulders he froze.

"You're tasty," Gilbert rumbled, running his tongue along Tristian's neck. The intruder's cock pressed up against Tristian's but cheeks. "I can't wait to stick my cock in you."

Collins suddenly grabbed Gilbert's shoulder and pulled him back. "Not without some rubber, asshole."

For a moment, there was a bit of frustration in Gilbert's eyes but then he turned it into a smile and wrapped his arms sensually around Collins' broad frame. "You don't use rubber, do you?" Just like with Tristian, Gilbert gently lapped at Collins' neck, suckling at the taut, vascular flesh there.

"He trusts me," Collins rumbled. "You I don't trust."

Gilbert gave an exaggerated sigh and pulled away. "Fine. Where's your lube?"

Tristian held back a sigh of relief as and gave Collins a small smile. Naturally, his boyfriend didn't reply in any kind. His stoicism was what attracted him to the former sergeant in the first place. As Gilbert prepared himself, Tristian crawled onto the bed, resting on his hands and knees. He did not want to see Gilbert's face while he was fucked.

At least the intruder didn't give him any grief over the position. He could feel the massive man's weight fall on the bed as he positioned himself behind him, those enormous legs gently cradling Tristian's thighs. A warm finger rubbed some lube into Tristian's hole, making him grimace. Collins was in no way small and he had stretched Tristian wide open for months but getting someone else in him... it would be a trial.

Little did poor Tristian know that Gilbert had already started twisting the two to his desires. Those supposedly innocent little pecks had drawn much of the deception from his two victims and he replaced it with his own dark energies. In full sight of Collins, Gilbert made a show of stretching out the extra large condom but then setting it aside away from Tristian's gaze. He winked at Collins who just stared stoically, unsure why he wasn't stopping the cocky man from fucking his boyfriend.

Gilbert was too hungry too be subtle and he shoved his big dick right into Tristian. The contact immediately allowed him to bridge the gap straight into Tristian's soul; wrapped in so much deception that it was making Gilbert salivate. But his buffet was not quite prepared just yet. As he began to thrust his hips over and over into Tristian, eliciting lusty moans from the teenager, he gave Collins a suggesting wink from over his shoulder. He even went so far as to push a slick finger into his own ass, inviting Collins in.

Driven and drawn by demonic powers. Collins stripped off his already scant clothing. His already hard dick was primed and ready. Even without lube, he pushed himself deep into Gilbert, the force of the thrust sending waves of pleasure through both his former recruit and into his current lover. The transfer of energy was more than just physical. His very essence, his soul drew closer and closer to the disguised Deception Demon.

Grinning, Gilbert rode Tristian's ass while letting Collins set the pace. The illusion of control was the net that brought Collins closer and closer to his power. At the same time, the depth of Tristian's lies had long damned him to the demon's power. Too lost in lust to notice what was happening to them, Tristian and Collins began to change.

Tristian's moans were interrupted by loud, guttural gurgling. Within moment, thick blocks of precum was shooting out between his lips and his eyes had rolled back into his head in pleasure. His entire body was too easily consumed by Gilbert who grinned broadly as his own body began shifting and changing. He wrapped his mighty arms around the young teenager, thick hairs spreading all over his body to form his pelt. He sank his teeth into Tristian's shoulder, bringing a loud groan from the high school student and a sudden eruption of something big, black and pointed from between the teenager's lips. The tip of the throbbing dick poured constantly thickening precum into the bed, Tristian's body constantly being converted into the big, hot, throbbing length.

At the same time, Gilbert could feel his furry ass merging with Collins' groin. The big sergeant behind him was similarly lost in the moment, now fully his to mould and control. If there was something the demon learned when he had been transformed, it was that he loved being someone's dick and he knew he was going to thoroughly enjoy merging with the hard ass that had kicked him around back in boot camp. He let out a moan as well as his thick, grey fur began spreading up Collins' body, snaking its way throughout the impressive muscle structure and quickly changing the human shape into that of an incredible, Deception Demon. Nowhere near as big as he was but still very impressive.

Gilbert grinned as a pair of horns began springing from Collins' temples. Such growths would be a signature of his brand of Deception Demon. As much as he wanted to moment to last, he was impatient for that wonderful sensation of his entire body throbbing with need and he egged the transformation on faster. His furry arms began melding with Tristian's form, adding mass to the already thick, black dick the young teenager was becoming. He could feel his body losing much of its definition as he and Tristian became one, or rather that he consumed Tristian in his own depraved desires.

The young teenager's soul was lost in the swirls of his more powerful, demonic soul and though it tried to thrash and break free, it was slowly being torn apart and replaced with thick, grey demonic energies. Tristian's body was his and as the second ticked by, Gilbert transformed both him and the lean form into a thick, pulsing black dick with Gilbert being the grey furry sheath that withdrew to reveal the entire massive, five foot, throbbing member.

He lifted his legs and pressed his feet against Collins' balls. The contact immediately caused his flesh to meld with the orbs, funnelling his mass into them. Collins groaned and lost what little resistances he had left as his balls swelled to the size of bowling balls. His entire body convulsed, grey fur sweeping all over his body, muscles exploding with new size and strength while his mind was rewritten to fit the fragment of the soul that Gilbert would allow him to keep.

His enormous hands transformed into huge, skull-crushing paws, arms lengthening to become as long as his entire body even as it added an extra two feet in height to put him at an incredible eight and a half feet tall. A loud grunt escaped his lips as his lats and traps erupted, forming a discernible hunch in his posture. His centre of gravity shifted not only because of the enormous tool that he swung between his legs but also as his posture changed. His hands seized the huge, throbbing dick in desperate need to release even as his soul was entirely consumed a hungry Gilbert.

Within moments, the three men were gone, replaced only by a single, enormous Deception Demon.

The creature grunted, controlled entirely by Conway.

With a devilish smile on his face, the demon turned, sensing that Gilbert's sons were already working over both Daniel and Brad. As tempting as it was to blow his load there and then and release his master and mate, it would be so much more pleasurable to return to their base of operations where he and the other Deception Demons could properly be... introduced.

"Master...?" he rumbled.

Gilbert's thoughts urged him to take his time getting to the warehouses.

His master loved being his cock, after all.

******

"... and that's where you found us," Conway finished with a sigh, his big paws shaking. He was still somewhat uneasy about drinking the milk of his water boy but downing the cool, sweet fluids helped calm his nerves. It also filled him with strength... strength that he knew he would need in whatever was coming next.

Dante, looking so much tougher as a true hellhound, turned to Russ in confusion. "I thought anyone turned into a demon by another demon would be subservient to that demon?"

Russ shook his head grimly. "Thralls are subservient. But true demons only ally themselves with other demons for their own gains. The reason why Paul and his brother only followed Conway was likely because Conway was still much stronger than them." He scratched his cheek absently, the only human in the large den filled with hellhounds and demons. "Seems they found a way to circumvent your authority..."

"What have they done...?" Sam asked, clearly concerned. He rested his head on Conway's lap, his soul mate absently scratching him behind the ear.

Russ looked gravely towards the north. "Created thralls." He let out a rumble from his big chest. "For all intents and purposes, they've consumed the soul of a mortal and filled the void with their own dark essences. Some fragment of a soul was left inside to give them some semblance of free will but they are undeniably bound to the demon that made them now. Utterly loyal. As a result, the master demons become much stronger." His brown eyes switched back to the two Deception Demons. "They're stronger now. Likely as strong as you two. But with the three of us I'm sure we can subdue them before they cause more damage."

Suddenly, all five of the demons went rigid. Another powerful blast of demonic energy washed over them, turning Russ' expression sour.

"Aaand there goes my assessment..." Russ rumbled. He slowly got up from his big sofa, rolling his shoulders. "I sense another four thralls have been made. Strong ones too."

Flash punched his fists, cracking his knuckles ominously. "Then we gotta stop them now before they make more thralls!"

"What are you planning to do with them?" Conway asked worriedly.

The three hellhounds exchanged glances.

Russ reached towards the black box sitting beside his sofa. "This box is a replica of the one that the artefacts that began this mess were contained in. It's now a portal straight to Hell." He ran his hand over the lid thoughtfully. "Their souls have willingly accepted the transformation into a demon and we can't turn them back into normal humans. The thralls can be saved. Souls will eventually repair themselves and the thralls will go back to living normal lives but the demons..."

"So we're just going to exile them to hell!?" Sam shouted.

"Hold on," Russ said. "Hell isn't some burning world of torment like you may believe." He made a face and grimaced. "Okay, so maybe some of it is but only those parts where people who like that kind of stuff go." He set the box back down. "It's a plane where those people who indulge in the baser parts of the mortal psyche go after death. Just like Heaven is for those people who are charitable, gentle and just ascend to after they leave this mortal realm, Hell is a sanctuary for those who favour the opposite side of the spectrum."

"And what about those that don't believe, huh?" Sam was baring his fangs. "What about those who like to live in moderation of both? Not too much evil, not too good. Just people trying to live their life? What about people who don't believe in God?"

The legendary hellhound rolled his eyes. "Belief doesn't come to play into judgement anymore. Not after the Big Guy realised that mortals were using belief to extort others. It doesn't matter if you believe in God, Buddha, Mohammed or Cthulhu. Just be the person you want to be and you'll be judged on that."

Sam's blue eyes flashed with frustration and a bit of rage as well. "That didn't answer my question."

Conway regarded his soul mate warily. "Sam... are you... are you an atheist?"

A grimace left the brighter coloured Deception Demon. "Kind of hard to claim that now that I'm a demon but... Yeah... I am."

Russ leaned back in his big couch and let out a soft sigh. "Look. Whether you like it or not, your soul will favour one side or the other. It's very rare that the judges can't decide on something or someone. Those that do fall directly in the middle, however, are handed over to the experts."

Conway flicked his ears towards Russ. "What experts?"

"The No Ones," Russ rumbled with disgust. "And even then, you'll probably get a grab bag of which No One gets assigned to your case. You'll be lucky to get one of the good ones like maybe F6 the Patriarch or A11 the Ascended. L4 will take care of you if you don't mind being mothered. Be prepared to go through hell if you get V10, D8 or god knows, H2." Russ clawed at his armrests. "For the best results, I'd recommend T13, S-Zero, I5 or W7. They're nice and neutral."

"What about their boss?" Dante asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. "You mentioned him before? R2-D2?"

"R_3_," Russ grumbled, running a hand down his face. "Most powerful of them all and will make you work for your happily ever after..." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You'd think after going through one lifetime is enough but no..." Shaking his head free of those thoughts he brought them back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, there is a court of seven judges that preside over every soul. Three from Heaven, three from Hell and one from the mortal realm, mostly one of the mediums scattered all over the place. It's very rare that they can't come to an agreement."

"Wait a second..." Dante inclined his head to the side in a look of typical canine confusion. "Are you telling me that even after death, demons and angels _still_have jury duty?"

Russ frowned at him. "Well... Yes, I suppose."

There was a collective groan from all the demons before Russ and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or join them. Was an afterlife version of jury duty really that terrible? Not that either Flash or Dante would've been called to it and there were so few cases that needed it in Angelton that he sincerely doubted that Conway or Sam had been called. He remembered the few cases that he had presided over. They were actually quite enthralling especially as he learned more and more about a person throughout their life.

"So what gives us the right to play the judge, jury and executioner?" Sam mumbled softly. "If it takes seven people to judge one soul, what gives us the right to condemn these guys to Hell even after what they've done?"

Russ set a paw over the box securely. "It's not a matter of us judging them. It's us protecting everyone else from a fate worse than death."

"They're basically mind controlling people to become their slaves," Flash explained grimly. "And you saw what they were doing to your warehouse. They're creating a hell on earth. If we don't stop them, all of Angelton is going to turn into their devil's playground! Then the angels will get involved! And demon hunters! And if things get out of hand..."

"Exactly," Russ said with a grim nod. "We need to do this. We need to send them to Hell so they can be themselves. They clearly like being Deception Demons so why not put them somewhere they can be demons without dragging down and damaging other innocent souls?"

Sam was still clearly uncomfortable with the decision. Conway gripped his big paw, reassuring him. It didn't sit well with the coach either. His poor judgement and lack of control was what turned Paul and Fred into demons and Ivan... He wasn't sure how or why Ivan had succumbed to the demonic taint or how the Torres brothers had tracked him down but somehow, he knew it was his fault. He just felt it in his gut.

An idea came to his mind, just a simple thought but it rang with a hint of redemption and justice.

"Are we all agreed then?" Russ asked, rising from his seat. "No more objections?"

The hellhounds shook their head but turned towards the two Deception Demons to search for their answer. Conway locked gazes with Sam, the connection between their souls strong enough that Conway could brush his thoughts lightly against his soul mate's. He felt a responding touch, filled with fear and guilt but one that firmly gripped at that bond between them, unwilling to let it go.

"Yeah, we're ready," Conway responded.

"Good. Then let's go before they start hunting down more people. Take some time to get ready." Russ gave him a rueful smile. "Have some more milk. Meet me out at the garage in thirty minutes."

Flash and Dante immediately leapt to their feet and headed to different parts of the house. It looked like Flash went to the back while Dante headed for a nearby room. From the brief look Conway got past the door, it was a library of sorts.

He held onto Sam tightly. He could feel his soul mate's heartbeat whether it was through the connection they held or just the closeness of their hug, it didn't matter. It was a soothing rhythm despite the hurried pace.

They just sat in the den for a good long while before, on some unspoken command, they pulled away from another and rose. Conway and Sam followed Flash's scent through the large house into the gymnasium. There, he watched his star quarterback pumping over four hundred and fifty pounds of weight with little effort on the bench press.

"Damn," he chuckled softly. "I kind of which you had this strength back out in the field... at least before all this happened."

Flash grinned at him and started pumping the bar with just one arm.

"Now you're just showing off."

"Little bit," said the crimson hellhound. Flash set the bar back easily and sat up. Though he was soaking in sweat, he was still brimming with energy. There was no distinct aura around him. There was a bit of pride mixed with fear but also worry. Strange brighter colours that Conway couldn't identify were also flitting around him. Was that... hope? Kindness? Empathy? His demonic vision was not accustomed to seeing such positive emotions.

"You're really looking good, coach," Flash said, wiping his neck with a towel. "Not only in your body. Don't think I've ever seen you happier."

Conway regarded Sam with a smile. "Never thought I'd be gay. But when you find that special someone..."

"Yeah..." Flash murmured softly.

"So you and De Mont...?"

Flash scratched at the black, swirling tattoos all over his chest. "The necklace he wears and these tats apparently bind us together. I don't think it's as strong as what you two have. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out my feelings." He gave Conway a lopsided smile. "He's really cute, though."

Conway snickered. "You both are."

"You make a cute couple," agreed Sam. "Some advice from when I was growing up from one openly gay man to someone trying to figure themselves out." He cleared his throat theatrically. "Just like people don't like it when you boast about which girl you fuck or when the overly religious shove their beliefs down your throat, don't go pushing your sexuality into the faces of others. If people ask, answer honestly. Don't be ashamed of who you are. But don't be so proud of it either as to antagonise anyone."

"Trust me. I know something about pride." Flash starched his broad, muscular back, black flames spewing from between his lips. "Fought Dante's best friend not too long ago. Turned into a Pride Demon. Would've spread all over town if we didn't stop him."

"And what happened to him?" Conway asked. "Have you made contact?"

Flash shook his head sadly. "Sorry coach. Don't think you want to ask the guy you threw into Hell how they're doing either."

It was a fair point and one that made Conway ponder. Flash sat back on the bench and continued to pump some iron, ending the conversation.

Conway turned and padded through the house to where Dante was. The vast library smelled of musty tomes and mothballs but that didn't seem to bother the big, black hellhound who was poring over a large, black book while fingering the wolf-head amulet on his neck. When the hellhound's ears flicked at their approach, Conway knew Dante had noticed them.

"I'm really sorry this happened, Coach," Dante said softly. "I didn't mean to turn you into a demon..."

A smile crossed Conway's features as Sam nuzzled him lovingly. "I don't regret it. If you hadn't, I never would've known how Sam felt."

Dante shut the book in his paws and smiled at them both. "I'm really glad you two met. That's at least something good that came out of all of this." Dante's eyes went to the strange marks all over Conway's body.

"The dagger gave me these," Conway said, running his paw over the initial scar that was shaped like the very same weapon. "Turned into this." He absently licked Sam's neck making his soul mate rumble. "Seems Deception Demons of our kind get them everywhere. Sam's is on his chest. I think the marks over the others must've spread by now... The stronger you get, the more scars appear."

"We'll keep that in mind," Dante said. He let out a soft laugh and set the book back in the shelves. "I don't think grandpa ever had to deal with this when he went to Hell."

"So Virgil really did go to Hell and he brought these artefacts with him," Sam murmured. "I only attended one of his parties once. The room always seemed so... lively whenever he entered. He exuded positivity... but I guess that was just him drawing all the negativity into himself. He always made people so... happy."

"That was grandpa..."

Russ knocked on the door. "Come on guys. Time to go."

Conway nodded but not before turning back towards Dante with a smile. "Don't be like him, Dante. Be your own man."

Russ led them to the big black van that he used for transporting the demons around. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just starting to dim thanks to the perpetual gloom over Angelton. Still, it was bright enough for people to notice the four big demons running around towards the beach. Somehow, the van managed to hold up against the combined weight of the four battle ready demons. Conway felt a little... naked in that Dante and Flash wore some articles of clothing. Flash had a cool black leather jacket over his chiselled frame even though he wore nothing else. Dante had a red singlet over his chest and a pair of similarly coloured biker's shorts, his package bulging out rather lewdly.

For the better part of an hour, they sat in silence as Russ drove them all the way from his home, through Angelton itself and then towards Angel Kiss Beach. The closer they drew to the warehouse, the more Conway could feel the wild aura of deception in the air. The demons were flaunting their power or just couldn't control the strength they now possessed. Even through the walls of the van, Conway could smell it and it started to get his cock to rise. Sam was having trouble controlling himself as well and blushed heavily beneath his light grey fur as his big, black cock began to spring from his sheath and drool precum all over the van's floor.

He was not prepared for what the beachfront actually looked like.

Dante pulled open the van doors and Conway choked back some shock. The warehouses had disappeared. In their place was a tremendous grey marble arena reminiscent of the Coliseum. It took up the entire beachfront, the wooden pier having long since vanished into its folds. The trees leading up the slope to the school had been twisted and transformed as well. The once proud trunks had their bark turned into a concrete grey, their leaves looking like they were made of steel and their canopy rising up above even those of their uncorrupted brothers standing higher up the slope. Grey sand covered their roots leading easily down towards the vast beach just behind the arena where a sandstorm raged, oddly remaining within the confines of the forest and the arena without spreading over either.

"Paul... Fred..." Conway murmured miserably. "What have you done...?"

"We should sneak in around the back," Flash suggested, cracking his knuckles ominously. "Catch them by surprise."

"No," Russ said. "We're dealing with Deception Demons, remember? That means if we try to be clever and deceive them, they'll know and use it against us." He nodded towards the broad, open doors of the arena. "Best way to deal with Deception Demons is with the truth."

Dante recalled the tale his grandfather had told of how he tried to trick Underdog and how that led to his incarceration. Only true love, a single undeniable truth shared between himself and Russ, ultimately brought the great demon down. Taking a deep breath, he led the way towards the arena, Flash right beside him and Russ looming behind them both. Conway and Sam were just behind them.

They entered a broad tunnel big enough to fit all five of them standing shoulder to shoulder through to the arena grounds itself. It came as a surprise that they heard the roar of a crowd screaming in their ears as they emerged from onto an arena of grey sand. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were in the stands of the huge, grey area. All of them were naked, all of them men and all of them were cheering. Some were wantonly jerking one another off while they threw roses and even coins down onto the sands.

The arena itself had to be as wide as a football field and perfectly circular. The sky was the same gloomy grey as Angelton but it took a strange artificial colour to it like the sun's warm, golden rays were being filtered through tinted glass. It left the entire arena in a greyish overlay. The air itself was heavy with the mixed scent of deception.

"Strong enough that he managed to create one hell of an illusion..." Russ rumbled, rolling his shoulders as he stripped off his clothes. His body cracked and his muscles flexed, Cerberus emerging from the statuesque human. He tilted his muzzle towards the large skybox equivalent of the arena, an open air podium where a big, hairy Deception Demon in a large, lavished throne.

"Welcome to my Arena of Lies!" Fred exclaimed, gesturing at the vast arena before him. The crowd's cheers died down as they waited for their master's introduction. He grinned down at Conway, bright, red eyes flashing. "You brought reinforcements, coach."

There was a flash of curiosity in Fred's eyes as he regarded the three different hellhounds standing beside Conway and Sam. Definitely not Deception Demons. But he showed no signs of worry. It was hard to read his aura entirely as there was only a thick layer of deception around him like a shell. It seemed that he had mastered that aspect quite well.

"You can still stop this, Fred!" Conway shouted, stepping in front of the others. "You know this isn't right!"

"Right?" Fred laughed, throwing his head back. "Do you want to know what wasn't right? You forcing Ivan to leave behind his delusions just so that you could fool yourself into playing the superhero."

On cue, a tremendous roar erupted from somewhere behind Fred. A big, grey blur can shooting out from behind him, leaping over the perched Deception Demon and landing heavily with a whump in front of the gathered hellhounds. Conway's eyes widened as he recognised the familiar bare leather straps and armour that left the massive chiselled chest exposed.

"Meet Rexard," Fred exclaimed. "You took away Ivan's fantasy land. I gave it back to him."

Rexard - Ivan - let out another roar, his enormous muscled body rising to an impressive ten foot height. He reached behind his back for a long, thick blade and brought it crashing down to the ground. Nothing in his eyes revealed the glimmer of imagination and personality that Conway remembered when he had taken the delusion from the young man playing make believe by himself in the woods.

"Ivan..." Conway began.

"My name is Rexard!" the Deception Demon roared, rising to his full height and spreading his arms wide. The crowd erupted into a roar. "I am the champion of this arena! I am my master's greatest warrior! His blade and right hand!" He turned towards the pulvinar and bowed, his muscled back losing no definition even with the motion. Rexard turned back towards them, the laurel glistening on his brow. "All shall fall before my might and blade!"

Conway hesitated. Could he truly hurt this poor young man that he had damned in a moment where he had been overconfident with his powers? Ivan was only in this situation because he though he understood what he could do...

"Don't let his 'personality' fool you," Russ rumbled, stepping forward in his mighty hellhound form. Black lightning tinged with red crackled around him. "The soul sitting within that hulking shell is only a fragment of the whole, the part that the demon decided to maintain just so that the body and mind didn't crumble into nothingness."

Nodding firmly, Conway crouched slightly, readying himself for battle. Sam did the same to his left while Russ loomed to his right. Black flames lashed out angrily just beside Russ heralding Flash's readiness. Dante stood beside Sam, his fingers twitching.

Fred clucked his tongue. "Five against one? That ain't fair." He clapped his big paws.

A big, grey shape emerged from the shadows behind him, clad in a mockery of football gear. The creature looked even bigger than Rexard but even more of a brute. His lower canines were about as thick as beer cans forcing his lower jaw to jut out so far from the rest of his face that it was his most prominent feature. He couldn't even wear a traditional football helmet anymore; the face guards had to be removed and the general shape of the helmet had to be modified to fit his elongated muzzle.

"Who the hell is that?" Sam asked.

Conway knew. "I think... I think that's Brad... He's some guy that Tristian Ramez was..." His eyes widened. "No..." Rage burned deep inside of him. "You fucker! You went after Tristian too!?"

Fred smirked and waved his enormous paw. Brad vaulted over the pulvinars and landed heavily beside Rexard, his titanic weight caught the sand to shake beneath their feet. He towered over all of them, a juggernaut of all Deception Demons. Conway's anger was cracked by hesitation. Even with the five of them, Rexard and Brad were two very strong demons. He could feel their power emanating from their titanic bodies like waves of heat that singed his fur.

Strangely, Russ didn't seem too worried and even went so far as to let out a short laugh.

"You really don't get what it means to be a Deception Demon, do you?" Cerberus asked.

"And you do?" Fred sneered.

"Actually, I spent about a year and a half as one in Hell once." He jerked his chin at the two huge creatures before him. "You've thrown your best cards on the table straight away. You're just throwing your weight around and not even bothering with any sort of subtly." His deep, brown eyes, almost black, turned towards the arena. "You've spent all of your energy making this lavished, extravagant stage with this roaring crowd and high walls. I was actually worried that this was all a front for something. And I'm right."

Russ pointed an accusing finger at Fred. "It's all just bluster to hide the fact that you've no backup plan, nothing else in reserve! It just shows how immature you are for a demon! A true Deception Demon would've spent time biding his time, hiding away and gathering power without all of this! But you couldn't control all that power, could you? You just got drunk on the power that first Thrall gave you and didn't even consider saving it for later. You just blew it all on this shit."

The legendary hellhound crossed his arms smugly. "Bring it on, asshole. You'll see just how easily you fall."

Fred snarled stood from his throat. He balled his fists and brought them slamming against the balcony of the pulvinar. A trumpeting roar rose from his throat, heralding the start of the match. The illusionary crowd matched his roar and both Rexard and Brad charged.

Conway immediately made to intercept Rexard, Sam right beside him. Rexard swung at him with that mighty sword and he leapt into the air, using his demonic strength to throw his titanic frame higher than was possible. Sam, built to be faster than he was, slammed his shoulder into Rexard's chest. The impact let out a thunderous boom. But Rexard remained standing, perhaps being pushed back just an inch.

"Uh-oh..." Sam muttered.

Rexard smirked at him and seized his neck, lifting him into the air. "You shall fall before Rexard!"

Conway balled his fists. "Hey! Rexard!" The champion jerked his head upwards. "What goes up -"

WHAM!

He slammed his fists into the titan's back, the impact sending Rexard into the sand and forcing him to let go of Sam.

"Must go down," Conway finished.

But Rexard was far from out. He seized the ankles of both the demons and yanked them off their feet. Sam and Conway were thrown upside-down as the champion stood up, lifting them off the ground with ease.

"The mighty Rexard will not fall so easily!"

WHAM!

Conway took a second to process what had just happened because he could've sworn_that an enormous black _bird the size of an eagle just came out of nowhere and collided with Rexard's face, erupting into a shower of razor-sharp black feathers. Rexard let out a roar and instinctively clawed at his face, dropping Conway and Sam. Three more birds struck Rexard's chest, pushing the demon back with loud grunts.

"Drain away his power!" Dante shouted. He flung his paws twice at Rexard and then another two times in Brad's direction. Those black birds came barrelling out of his palms, striking the demons they were aimed at.

Even when Brad tried to swipe at the projectiles, they abruptly twisted away from his thick arms to strike him elsewhere. The former football player found himself engaged with Flash. Driven only by instinct and some guidance from Fred, Brad could only lunge at the smirking crimson hellhound. Flash easily dodged past the sloppy swipe and brought his fist, covered in black flames, slamming straight into Brad's face. The football helmet shattered gloriously and the enormous Deception Demon went down with one punch.

"Don't fuck with the Hellhounds," Flash rumbled, cracking his knuckles ominously. He then stormed over and seized the back of Brad's head. He wrapped his muzzle around the other demon's. Black flames surrounded them both but where Flash was unaffected, Brad's body began to wither and writhe as all his demonic power was burned away by the hellfire and drained by Flash's kiss. With every ounce of strength that Flash drained from Brad, he used the very same power to burn away the rest of Brad's form.

With the dual assaults on his dark integrity, Brad's shape easily and quickly reverted. His long, muscular legs shrank back, near-black fur fading into smooth, ebony skin. Bulging muscles hidden by thick fur shrank, all the demonic strength and corruption sucked from their veins. Within seconds, Brad slumped onto the ground, naked save for the disproportionately heavy football upper armour he wore.

Taking inspiration from the scene, Conway threw himself at Rexard and sank his big fangs into his first victim's shoulders. The direct contact with the demon was enough to grant him direct access to Rexard's demonic reserves. It saddened him to realise that Russ had been right about the thrall. There was barely anything of Ivan left, just a faint persona that was wrapped in a dense ball of corruptive, vile power.

He mentally promised that he would save Ivan and began drawing upon the strength. There was a lot to take in and within just a few moments, he was starting to feel full, his cock rumbling into erection. The need to ejaculate was interrupted by Rexard's huge paw on his scruff. Rexard tried to pull him off but Conway dug his claws against the warrior, refusing to let go.

Sam suddenly slammed into Rexard's right thigh, throwing his entire weight into the blow and sending all three of them crashing to the ground. Sam's bigger fangs sank into Rexard's flesh, draining at the vital demonic energies. The great champion of the Arena of Lies roared, his cries quickly losing their demonic qualities. His twisted, canine features began to fade back into the young man who had played pretend in the woods with his friends.

Rexard faded... and all that was left was Ivan.

Conway pulled his fangs from Ivan's shoulder, spending some of his demonic energy to patch up the wounds. Sam did the same and they both grunted as their cocks were now both erect.

"Fuuuuuuck me..." Sam rumbled. "This feels so good..."

"I know..." Conway muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it isn't over."

They both turned to Fred who stood furiously at his balcony.

Throughout the entire fight, Russ had remained standing where he was, arms folded and unmoving. Only now that the two 'champions' had been defeated did Russ move, lowering his arms. Black lightning danced between his fingertips as he lifted one of his paws towards Fred.

"You know the best way to beat a Deception Demon?" He grinned. "With the truth."

Conway's heart suddenly leapt to his chest. "No!" He threw himself at Russ, knocking the big hellhound to the ground just as a bolt of lightning jumped from his fingertips. There was a loud electrical zap and an ensuing crackle. The pulvinar cracked and began to shatter but Fred was otherwise unharmed. The Deception Demon snarled and turned, running towards the depths of the arena.

"What are you doing!?" Russ snarled, throwing Conway off.

"You were going to kill him!"

"That wouldn't have done more than stun him! We agreed that we'd send them to Hell, not kill them!"

Conway bared his fangs at the hellhound. "Well excuse me for not taking a full-blown demon for their word!"

"I was a fucking demi-god before I became a demon you self-righteous bastard!" Russ jabbed a thumb against his big, plump chest. "That meant I was half-fucking-angel!"

"A lot of fucking good that did you seeing as your soul mate is now dead!" The moment the words came out of his muzzle, Conway instantly regretted them. It was a low blow and he knew he would never be able to live with himself if something ever happened to Sam. "Russ... I'm -"

Russ' expression darkened and he turned away from Conway without a word. He instead turned his gaze towards Flash and Dante. "Come on. He can't have gone far. Dante, get some Starkravens scouring the place. Flash, get these two kids out of here before something else happens."

Flash lifted his gaze and his muzzle dropped open. "Erm... little too late for that, Russ..."

Conway turned to where Flash was looking and he too widened his gaze in shock.

The tremendous sandstorm that was swirling just beyond the arena began encroaching upon them. Whipping winds began tearing right through the structure of the coliseum. The audience began fading into the sands, their master no longer spending the energy to maintain them.

Driven by instinct, Conway immediately went towards Sam, wrapping his soul mate in his arms and protecting him with his body as the sand engulfed them all. The storm carried the tiny little particles against them with such force that it was like being peppered by tiny little daggers. He was forced to keep his eyes shut.

"Fuck! What is this!?" Sam shouted.

"Another demon!" came Russ' reply, barely audible in the howling winds. Even then, his laugh was audible. "He's trying to blind and deafen us. Cut off all our senses. It's a trick amateur Deception Demons resort to when desperate. If you can't see, smell or hear and every inch of your body is being assaulted by pain, how else are you going to track your prey or know where your enemy is?"

"Then what do we do?"

The answer came in the form of an enormous dome of black flames that suddenly sprang up around them. Flash stood at the centre of the dome, arms raised and the same hellfire lashing out from between his fangs.

"Bring it on!" shouted the quarterback, fleshing his biceps.

******

Gil's lips curled back in a snarl. Despite the heavy storm he had created, the five demons had somehow managed to keep themselves from being completely consumed. He and his demons could see clearly through the raging storm and it was with this supernatural sight that he could see his eldest son trotting towards him through the Deserts of Deceit.

"Fuckers caught me off guard," Fred growled, casting a vicious stare over his shoulder. "One of them throws exploding birds and the other shoots black fire. The other guy, looks to be the leader, throws lightning. The coach and his boyfriend are there too."

Gil turned towards his son with a comforting smile. He rested a paw on Fred's shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't worry. We'll stall them. Get to your brother. He's setting up shop back there." He pulled Fred into a long loving kiss, one that Fred eagerly returned. Fred willingly gave him some of the power he still had in store.

When they broke the kiss, Fred said, "Give them hell, dad."

"Don't worry, son," he answered with a vicious grin. "Once they step into the False Forest, they're ours."

Fred smirked and loped off to the forest to find Paul.

In the meantime, Gil turned back towards the Desert of Deceit, his four utterly loyal men hovering beside him.

"Go," he barked.

"That's your order?" Sarge joked. "Go? What are you? Some fuckin' supervillain?"

"Don't make me fuck you, Collins," he playfully sneered.

"Last I remember, I fucked you and turned you into my dick!"

"After I had my dick in your boyfriend's ass and we both turned into your prick." Gil was getting hard just remembering it and he licked his lips at the memory. He particularly enjoyed the feeling of controlling the Sargent Jessie Collins as his permanently erect, black, canine cock. He gave the orders and the subservient Collins followed to the letter.

"Fuck, you're making me hard chief," Rod snickered, groping his furry crotch through his military fatigues. "Can we all be part of Sarge's prick? Bet he could take us all."

Davies wrapped his arm around Rod's broad shoulders, their desert camo vests fluttering in the wind, the only garment they wore apart from their pants. "The chief could take us both. No bet there."

Gil snickered, enjoying the friendly banter between his troops. This was his kind of military. He fantasised about spreading his gift through the ranks of the army. He was sure his country would be grateful. Weren't there always rumours about some super soldier project or another? What better super soldier than demons?

His grin only broadened when he gave a silent command that sent his troops scattering all over the desert, circling around the group of demons slowly making their way towards the False Forest. It was five on five. An even match. Now it was just a matter of separating them all... Gil took a deep breath, aiming his muzzle towards the group shielded by the black dome of fire. He suddenly exhaled, a tunnel of grey sand launching from his jaws like a beam of iron flakes.

Flash never saw it coming. Deafened by the wailing of the winds, there was no way he could've detected the attack. One moment, he was maintaining the dome of hellfire. The next, he was being thrown off his feet by a blast of sand, pulled clear away from the rest of his team. The hellfire shield instantly faded around Dante and the rest, exposing them to the wailing storm.

The only though flying through Flash's mind was thoughts of his mate even as he hit the ground hard and pain exploded across his back. He growled, hellfire springing from his paws and jaws. The surprised cries of his mate and father-figure cut through the roar of the storm. Sounds of a fight quickly followed; the sound of Dante's exploding birds and Russ' crackling dark lightning.

Even with a tonne of sand on top of him, Flash was able to squirm out from beneath the weight. He had just gotten his right arm free when -

WHAM!

An immense weight collided with him, pinning both his arms down while the bulk of the weight fell on his chest and legs.

It was another Deception Demon but one of the biggest he had seen, even bigger than Brad. The guy had mostly near-white grey fur save for the black 'gloves' he had around his paws and feet. There was also a pair of enormous horns that jutted out from behind his ears. He leaned down, his square muzzle peeling back into a grin as he regarded Flash's mostly nude form.

"Well, look what we have here," rumbled Gil.

Flash realised he wasn't just dealing with another thrall. This was a true demon and his might matched his status. He tried to pull himself free but the demon's grip was like a vice. He couldn't move! The enormous monster had both his wrists pinned.

A long, wet tongue lapped at Flash's cheek.

"Oooh! What's this?" rumbled Gil, his red eyes gleaming. "You got your mate that water boy job? Out of pity is it? No..." The demon sampled Flash's aura once more. For Flash's part, it felt like someone was invading his mind, penetrating him and leaving his soul exposed. "You were genuinely curious about him, eh? You first saw him at one of his grandfather's parties when you and your family were invited." Gil grinned broadly. "Love at first sight but too much of a chicken to do anything about it."

"You shut up!" Flash roared.

"You can't lie to me, Flash," laughed the demon, leaning down towards him, their noses almost an inch from one another. "You keep telling yourself you weren't gay but you couldn't keep that little water boy out of your head, could you? Always offering you refreshment when you needed it like he could read your mind. Never saying more than few words with you. That elusive little sprite that made you both curious and want him all the more."

"Fuck you!"

Gil's eyes widened. "Maybe you will."

Grey sand suddenly came swarming in around Gil, shrouding his features. Right before Flash's eyes, the brutish features of the Deception Demon reshaped into a handsome muzzle, perked, cute ears. Colour bled into the grey, turning black save for the bright green of his eyes.

"Come on Flash," the pseudo-Dante taunted. "Didn't you love it when I was in you? When we first transformed? You loved it but you keep telling yourself that you're not ready even though you want it bad. What will make it better? Do you want to be in me? Will that help?"

The same grey sand began seeping all over Gil's body, reshaping his form into the guise of Dante De Mont as a hellhound. Flash didn't even struggle against the immense grip of the demon on top of him. His cheeks burned just as his loins began to fill with blood and his cock began rising from his sheath.

Gil lowered his muzzle towards Flash's ears, lips pulling back in a smile and his voice echoing with Dante's alluring tenor. "Come in me, Flash. Give me everything you have."

Flash gasped as he felt his erect dick press up against the ready hold of Dante. There was really only one reason why he kept working out these days and that was to draw blood away from the very same throbbing organ that was inching closer and closer to entering Gil. Every moment he spent around Dante was agony. He finally had some time with Dante but all he could do was talk shop about demons...

... though he did have that date on Saturday...

Flash snarled. "Get the fuck away from me!" he bellowed.

Gil froze in surprise as black flames suddenly erupted from Flash's muzzle and collided with is face. The Deception Demon let out a pained cry as he staggered back, desperately trying to douse the flames eating away at his disguise. No longer restraining Flash, he left him exposed for the hellhound to slam both paws against his chest and sent him flying in a burst of hellfire.

Flash jumped to his feet and let out bellowing roar. He took a deep breath before unleashing a stream of black flames from his lips. A jet of inky fire spread all over the Desert of Deceit, eating away at the sands and burning away the constant storm. A wall of flame fifty feet tall sprang up from Flash's paws and with a roar, he sent it rushing forward at a rapid advance.

The Deception Demons engaged with their targets never stood a chance.

The moment that they saw the wall of dark flames advancing, they tried to flee but their prey immediately realised what was happening and held them down. The hellfire had no effect on Flash's allies but for the thralls, they had their souls and bodies cleansed of Gil's terrible taint. They screamed as the demon was burned away and they were left nude, human and unconscious, falling upon the golden sands of Angel Kiss Beach.

Weariness and exhaustion hit Flash hard and he slumped to his knees, panting heavily. It had been such a long while since he had this tired. His eyelids were actually starting to fall shut. The world was growing dark, his breathing shallow.

"Dante..." he whispered softly.

Then, warm liquid trickled into his muzzle, a familiar salty-sweet taste that instantly injected his muscles with energy. He immediately latched onto the fleshy nub pressed up against his lips and drew more of the precious ambrosia form the source. As strength returned to him, his eyelids fluttered open and he found himself looking at the angelic features of his mate, regarding him worried.

"Thank god..." Dante sighed, his face breaking into a smile.

Then it twisted into a snarl and he yanked Flash off before -

WHAM!

Delivering a powerful punch to his cheek.

"Don't ever do something that stupid again!" Dante roared, shaking the ground beneath his feet. "You could've killed yourself! And what would've happened if it didn't work! You would've been left exposed!"

Flash rubbed his jaw. It hurt... but for some reason, it felt good as well. Not in a sexual way but... he felt Dante's rage... and concern at the same time. "Sorry..." he muttered numbly.

"Sorry!? Sorry!?" Dante exclaimed, throwing his paws into the air. "You're just a moron! The situation wasn't _that_desperate that you had to go kamikaze on us!"

"The big demon guy had me pinned..." Flash murmured. "And I couldn't see you guys..."

"So?" Dante demanded. "I still have my magic. Coach and Sam are just as strong as any thrall, even stronger, and Russ was kicking the big guy's ass! We were winning! What did he do to you? Try to fuck you and make you his dick?"

So Dante didn't see what happened.

Flash opened his muzzle to go with Dante's assumption but...

"He disguised himself as you and tried to get me to fuck him," Flash admitted. "That pissed me off. I'm not going to fuck some crappy substitute. I want the real thing."

Dante's eyes widened and his anger instantly faded.

"Oh..." Somehow, his blush shone through his black fur. "Okay then..."

******

Gil scowled as his beautiful Desert of Deceit was completely burned away by the tremendous onslaught of black flames. These hellhounds were much_stronger than he had given them credit for. Strange though that they weren't holding back. It was some latent power within them. Something even _they were unaware of. It was something... otherworldly. Something that defied the strength of demons.

The sight of Angel Kiss beach as it had been formerly sickened him.

It looks so... perfect when it had just adorned by his grey sand and Fred's amazing coliseum. Now, only the False Forest stood. He growled and turned, swinging from branch to branch using his long, beefy arms to carry his immense weight through the forest. Within moments, he found his two sons who were gathered with their two remaining thralls, Andrew and Timothy.

He smirked when he saw them.

"Everything is ready then?" he rumbled.

"They won't know what hit them," Paul responded with a devious grin. He licked his lips. "I can't wait to turn one of them into my cock. With them under our power, we'll be unstoppable."

An alien voice cut through their conversation.

"Unstoppable against whom, exactly?"

All the demons turned towards the strange white haired man with yellow eyes suddenly standing in between them all. They all took a startled step back.

"Who the fuck are you!?" Fred shouted.

"You can call me Havoc. Havoc Mors." The man turned his odd yellow eyes towards Fred. "Conquest. That is truly what you're after here? The base desire to find as many people as possible to turn into your penises and transform them into your thralls, growing ever stronger until you've turned every single person on this planet into your mindless slaves."

"What's wrong with that?" Paul snarled. "Do you think you can stop us?"

"No. I don't think I can." Havoc gave him a piercing stare that froze the young demon in his place. "I know I can." Suddenly, big red belts sprang up from the ground and seized all the demons around him. They pulled each of the demons towards the ground, pinning them unceremoniously and restraining them. Despite all their gathered strength, they couldn't fight against what just appeared to be normal strips of leather.

"Do you want to know why no one pantheon has ever completely taken over the entire planet? Or perhaps why there is no one single strand of belief that rules unopposed across the world?" Havoc asked. "It's because mortals ultimately have an unquenchable sense of free will. This will gives birth to various emotions, a full spectrum in fact. Trying to inundate the world with a single emotion like deception will ultimately only lead to you all starving."

Havoc folded his arms behind his back. "Demons ultimately need mortals to continue interacting with one another in order to become stronger. What you three are doing is ultimately self-destructive. Back in Hell, Deception Demons didn't have a realm that was populated just by their own species. They had other demons living in their Deception Dome because they knew they couldn't survive on each other's lies alone. When you could tell when a person is lying and they could do the same to you, how would you ever feed? So they had other demons mill about, feeding of _their_lies. The demons sold truths, trying to rip off others for profit while the Deception Demons policed the trades, growing fat on the opportunistic environment they had created."

The No One took several steps away from the ring of restrained demons before turning to them all. "Your desire to spread your corruption all over the world, while appealing in some respects, will ultimately only lead to your own slow, painful deaths. Heaven wouldn't interfere because they know sooner or later, you'll just starve yourselves out." Havoc shook his head sadly. "You've all approached being a Deception Demon the wrong way. You favoured more the 'demon' aspect than the taking to heart the 'deception' half. I do hope you carry this lesson well when you go to Hell."

"You're sending us to Hell!?" Paul shouted.

"I could. Like I said. I know I can stop you." Havoc lifted a finger and clicked his fingers. The belts suddenly released them, sinking back into the grey sands beneath their feet ominously. "But I won't. Just remember..." He pointed towards the sky. "The greatest lies are those that you don't know exist."

The odd man turned and walked off, disappearing behind a tree.

The Deception Demons exchanged worried and puzzled glances but they couldn't spent too much time to dwell on the odd appearance of the mysterious entity. They could hear the voices of the approaching hellhounds and it was time to move.

A short distance away, Sam peered up at the towering edifices of the grey trees around them. "So I don't suppose you can just burn this place to the ground like you did with that desert, can you?"

Flash shook his head glumly. "I'm not at full strength. Half tank at most..."

He glanced over at Dante who was taking deep, long breaths. His mate was slowly consuming the demonic energies around them to replenish his own stores of power. Though he could consume a lot of energy in a short time, it left him and anyone feeding off him vulnerable if he became too full. Waiting at the edge of the forest would've put the rest of Angelton at risk. They had the Torres family on the run now. If they didn't press their advantage, they would lose it.

"I could offer you some of my power," Conway rumbled. He gestured at his own nipples. "I fed Paul and Fred once before..."

"No offense, coach," Flash laughed nervously. "But that'd just be weird."

"So says the guy that's been feeding off his boyfriend's nipples."

"Touché..." Flash rubbed the back of his neck with a weary grin. "But I guess this is all the more reason that we need to be careful."

Suddenly, he caught some movement from the corner of his eyes and he was instantly on edge, black flames springing up from around his paws. Leaves rustled above them and just as he looked up, he caught the faintest flicker of a shadow above their heads.

"Well," Russ chuckled softly. "Look who's finally taking being a Deception Demon to heart... Hiding in the shadows is still pretty cowardly."

"Who's hiding!?"

A big, hairy figure suddenly came barrelling out from out behind a nearby tree, colliding with Russ and knocking the wind out of the big hellhound. Fred snarled viciously, fangs bared. Russ let out a ferocious roar and black lightning danced from around his body, leaping towards Fred. The Deception Demon's body went rigid and he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. Despite that, he still managed to smash his fist against Russ' face, putting a stop to the flow of dark electricity for a brief moment while Russ was stunned.

Flash lifted his paw, ready to throw a fireball to help but then he felt a big paw wrap around it entirely. He turned in shock as Gil gave him a vicious grin.

"Hello again, pup."

Flash cried out in shock as he was lifted into the air and thrown back to the ground like a ragdoll.

"Flash!" Dante shouted. He readied a spell but then froze as a Deception Demon he didn't recognise suddenly collided with Sam. Conway seemed to recognise him, shouting 'Paul' as the two went down in a tangle.

Dante took a step forward but then a big paw seized his shoulder and spun him around. He found himself staring at Fred's brutish features, confused before a big fist consumed his vision. Pain flashed before his eyes and the soft sand caught him. Before all the stars could even vanish in his vision, that same big paw seized his shirt and lifted him off the ground. The elevation put him at a good vantage point to see Fred still engaging Russ.

"What...?" he croaked.

Suddenly, there was a pain that erupted from his rear, the intrusion both alien and at the same time pleasurable. The Fred holding him laughed and forcibly speared him on the invading dick. Dante in turn felt a foreign presence brush up against his very soul. A second pair of arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him up close to the demon holding him.

Paul, the real Paul, licked Dante's neck in a predatory manner. "Go on. Scream for me."

Dante suddenly felt all the power in his body start to fade, bleeding into the cock inside of him and feeding Paul. The Deception Demon groaned as the immeasurable power of a No One-created demon flooded him.

"Oh yes! Oh fuck yes!" Paul roared.

"Dante! No!" Flash screamed but Gil pinned him to the ground, forcing him to watch.

A rush of warmth spread throughout all of Dante's body, lulling him into a sense of security and ecstasy. Every fibre of his being knew that the pleasure he felt was not his own but that of Paul's taking over his body but with every powerful throb, he felt more and more of his body giving in to the Deception Demon's strength. His dick sprang into erection just as his legs fell limp, slowly being drawn into his body. A thick vein rose up from his waist, creeping up his abdomen and just stopping short of his neck. There, it pumped warm fluids up his throat and sent a burst of precum shooting out from between his lips.

"No!" Conway screamed. "Paul! Don't!" The Fred that had first caught Dante off guard moved to intercept him, leaving Dante and the true Paul alone.

"Yeah..." Paul cooed, running his large paws all over Dante's body. The tingling sensation of those fingers ran throughout both of them, drawing them closer and closer to completely merging. Dante desperately tried to seize the Deception Demon's paws, trying to swat them away but he felt the strength draining from his limbs.

Much to his horror, his chiselled abdominals began fading. His jet-black fur began meshing together, individual strands merging to become the slick, smooth flesh of a big demon dick. His pectorals shuddered and narrowed, slowly pulling his arms towards them while his head was being forced to point upwards. Precum continued to drools from between his lips and his breathing became laboured, panic being replaced by the rush of arousal from Paul.

"You're mine now..." Paul rumbled.

Dante ran through his mind, looking for some way... some_thing_ to escape his situation. Was there a spell he could use? Something body part that hadn't merged with Paul yet to be used against his foe? Maybe he could kick himself and somehow injure his captor?

He tried thrashing, his legs desperately swinging from side to side but with every twitch, he could feel the overwhelming strength of Paul's arousal flooding to him. He was stimulating both himself and Paul. His feet scraped against the floor, shrinking inch by inch as they were drawn more and more into Paul's growing balls. He let out a cry of terror, broken by a burst of precum, as he felt Paul's huge testicles consume his entire lower body leaving only his thick, erect upper torso which was quickly transforming into a long, tube of meat built for the demon's pleasure.

Thinking was getting harder and harder. His mind was being invaded by Paul's desire for power and to cum. Bit by bit, his soul was leaving his body, sliding further and further towards the Deception Demon, ready to leave his physical form as nothing more than an extension of Paul's will.

He let out one last gurgle as his head lost all their canine features, ears folding into the tapering tip of a pointed cock and a triumphant blast of precum shooting from his lips; the very orifice where he would emerge from as a demon.

Dante De Mont was reduced to nothing more than Paul Torres' enormous, five foot, black dick.

"Ha!" shouted Paul, rising to his feet, one paw seizing his dick in triumph. The other arm was flexed, pumping his fist into the air. "I now have him! All his power is mine!"

"Dante!" Flash cried, tears flowing from his cheeks. "No! Fuck!" He growled and clenched his fists, black flames rising between his fingers. Gil smashed a foot against his paw, making him cry out in pain.

"None of that now..." rumbled the big Deception Demon.

Russ could only stare in horror. "Virgil... I failed you..."

Conway released the thrall he had between his jaws, eyes wide. "Dante... no..." The thrall's lashed at out at him but before his claws could make contact, a big, furry body collided with the demon, sending the two crashing to the ground. Sam was instantly by his side, both of them exchanging terrified stares.

"I will rule this world!" Paul roared, stroking his dick. Then his confidence suddenly wavered and he blinked several times. His eyes turned towards his free paw, the one thrust into the air. It seemed frozen there. The entire limb suddenly seized up, his paw unclenching with fingers twitching madly. Then black feathers began springing from the tips of his fingers, swarming madly around his paw in a dizzying storm.

"Wait... What!? What's going on!?"

Paul stood paralysed, completely unable to move as the swarm of black feathers swept all the way down his arm, sweeping all around him and obscuring him from view. He screamed, let out cries of horror until it all abruptly cut off. The column of black plumes continued to swirl in front of the stunned demons, a faint sound like the fluttering of a thousand wings emanating from the scene.

The feathers suddenly stopped their dizzying orbit and -

Whoosh!

A pair of enormous, black wings suddenly unfurled from their core.

Flash's jaw dropped open in shock as he traced the tip of those glorious, onyx wings to where they sprang from the muscled back of his mate. Every detail of Dante's form was perfect down to the handsome, jaw, the jet-black hair, the horns and even the pendant wrapped around his neck like a choker.

Dante slowly opened his eyes, regarding the limp, unconscious human form lying in his arms. His bright, green orbs shone like the first star of night.

Slowly, Paul cracked his eyes open, looking all too human and weak. "What... what did you...?"

"The only time a Deception Demon is most vulnerable is when they think they've won," answered Dante grimly. You absorbed my body but not my soul. You let me into your body and while you were busy gloating, it got beneath your skin and controlled the flow of your energy. I made it my own." He gave Paul a dark smile. "I think you put it best when you said, 'All his power is now mine'."

Paul's eyes managed to widen for one last brief instant before they shut in exhausted. A soft, "No..." slipped between his lips.

"Let him go!"

Gil and the true Fred came rushing straight at Dante. The hellhounds two wings erupted into a maelstrom of black feathers, flying straight towards the two and sweeping them straight off their feet. They were thrown against the trees with enough force to shatter the trunks of four trunks each before finally coming to a halt.

Now wingless, Dante shot a piercing stare at the two remaining thralls, both of their physical features altered to look like either Fred or Paul. Now in control of Paul's demonic energies, recalled the power towards himself. The bodies of the thralls evaporated into dark plumes, dissipating into the air and leaving the unconscious bodies of Andrew and Timothy human.

Dante barely managed to set Paul down before he was suddenly engulfed in a pair of huge, crimson arms.

"Fuck! You scared the hell out of me!" Flash wept, burying his muzzle into Dante's neck. "If I don't get to burn a whole beach down, you do not get to do that!"

Dante couldn't think up of a witty retort and just wrapped his arms around Flash, leaning into the taller hellhound's chest.

******

Russ shut the lid of the box.

"It's done," he rumbled softly. He looked up at the remnants of the False Forest with a sigh. "Even with those three in Hell, it'll still take some time to fix this place up. Not to mention make excuses for their disappearances and what happened to all the guys that were affected by them." He ran a paw through his hair. "At least it'll be easier to explain than a whole lacrosse team going insane..."

Turning towards the other hellhounds, he couldn't help but smile.

Flash and Dante really had come a long way from the newly created pups that had come to his doorstep looking for help. Flash especially. Perhaps this encounter with Deception Demons had taught him the value of truth. At least he was now holding Dante's hand constantly. Their relationship was stronger than Virgil and Russ' after their second demon.

And Dante... More and more he was growing to remind Russ of Virgil. Perhaps not in the same adventurous, extroverted, social kind of way but in his bravery, ingenuity and kindness. And his aptitude with magic. He was definitely very strong with the arcane arts and now with Paul's reserves added to his own, he would be an even more formidable demon.

Then there was Conway and Sam.

Looking at the two made him frown.

Not because of the way they had turned out... but in the way they were looking at one another with a strange smile on their features. They had come to a decision and he knew it was something that he wouldn't like.

He headed towards them, keeping his features still.

"I wanted to thank both of you for your assistance today," Russ rumbled. "Without either of you, I think we would've been out matched."

"You could've handled it without us," Sam laughed softly. "You three did all the work. We just held off the grunts." He gave Dante and Flash a thumbs up. "Good work boys. You'll make fine protectors of Angelton."

Russ bit his lower lip. "You -"

"We made our decision," Conway interrupted, lifting his paw with a smile. "Please, send us to Hell."

"What!?" Flash exclaimed. Followed by a, "Why!?" from Dante.

"I have to agree with my two... erm... pups," Russ said. "It would be far harder to explain the disappearance of two fully grown teachers who have little to now relationships towards one another at least in public. We could say that the Torres family were finally reunited and decided to leave town to live a normal life together. Everyone else we can make easier excuses for. You two though..."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," Conway said. "But this is a matter of responsibility." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I made Paul and Fred into the demons that they are. I caused this mess. I need to take responsibility for them. They're going to be lost in Hell. They'll need someone to set them straight. At least as 'straight' as we can be."

Sam nudged him as they both chuckled.

That argument already won over Dante and Flash knew there would be nothing he could say to convince his coach otherwise.

"We could really use an expert lie sniffer around here," Russ grunted. "We could use your help in finding the other demons. Seriously, just call a town meeting, ask 'Who here is a demon?' and let you two go to town. We'd save this place easily in a few days."

Sam inclined his head to the side with a grin. "Yeah but demons do things the easy way. It's their whole thing, isn't it? Offer an easy solution at the cost of a soul. Heroes don't do that."

Russ hated that those words had been used against him and just remained silent.

"Please..." Conway begged. "I need to make it up to them."

Russ shut his eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "Fine... Doesn't mean I like it."

"And here I thought you didn't like me," laughed the coach. He lumbered forward and rested a paw against Russ' shoulder. "And I'm sorry about that comment back in the Arena about you losing your soul mate. It was out of line."

"It's alright. You spoke out of anger. I understand."

Conway gave him a smile and then pulled him closer to a whisper. "But just between you and me, piece of advice. Leave behind what you lost and look at what you have right in front of you. What you find might surprise you. I know I was surprised."

He gave a suggestive nod towards Dante and Flash, just a little inclination of his head, before he stepped back and wrapped his arms around Sam. The two Deception Demons gave the hellhound one last smile and a wave...

... before Russ opened the box.

******

Daniel was the last.

The last of his master's thralls.

He was the contingency plan.

Paul was smart. Even before the other demons had come and started invading their lands, he had sent Daniel out after being converted to start looking for ways to bring his master back whatever the cost. He had been there when he saw his master and his family get dragged into that box. He now knew what he had to do.

Get that box back and unlock its secrets.

But first, he needed to gather his strength.

Find more people to make into demons. Make an army. Get strong enough to take the box by force! He couldn't do that here in Angelton. Not with those three powerful hellhounds snooping around. Get out of town, use his powers to get money and get more followers.

That was the plan.

The plan Paul has set for him.

He needed to get some supplies first. With the stolen car from his neighbour, Danieldrove towards the nearest convenience store, the smallest one near the edge of town. It would be the least likely place anyone would look and by the time anyone did report him or his stolen car, he'd be long gone.

He hurried inside, feeling so... weak as a human especially with the heavy coat and beanie he wore. How he wished he was a demon again, running free and with his master. The time they had spent together was so sort but he already missed Paul... missed the rest of his pack.

Mortal food held no appeal to him but all the lies plastered on the 'no-fat' food would sustain him long enough until he got to the next town and started feeding in full. He threw a tub of yogurt, chips and even a box of cereal and some milk on the counter. The guy working the register was a little strange. Angelton was always gloomy so he was unsure why the guy would be wearing a pair of silver wraparound sunglasses. At least he had some sense of style since the hair at his temples were coloured gold.

"Watching your weight there?" asked the man, tapping the numbers on the cashier.

"Sort of," rumbled Daniel. "Can you hurry it up? I'm in a rush."

"Skipping town? I don't have to call the cops, do I?"

"Don't you fucking dare," he snarled.

"Nothing illegal?" He gave the man a stare and the guy, 'Jacob' by his name tag, just shrugged. "Sorry. Just gotta be up front with these sorts of things. Honesty is the best policy."

Daniel just growled and tapped his foot impatiently as Jacob tapped in the last item.

"Huh," said the lowly convenience store worker.

"What now?" Daniel snarled.

"Your total. It comes to six dollars and sixty-six cents."

"Yeah? So?"

"666, dude," Jacob laughed. "You know. The Number of the Beast. Satan. The Devil. Hell."

Daniel tried not to flinch. "Must be a coincidence."

Jacob smiled and slowly lowered his sunglasses.

There Daniel did flinch.

He found himself staring at a pair of striking sapphire blue eyes but the irises were different. They were shaped like eight pointed stars.

"Yeah," Jacob said, a knowing smirk on his face. "A coincidence."