Chapter Seven - Worst Case Scenario

*Contains one mid-level and one top-tier cuss word. Shield your eyes, children!*

Emerald was getting another cup of tea in lieu of lunch when she heard knocking at the front door. The Daemos were all up and about, already changed into their "human clothing" just in case there was another trip outside the apartment. A quick glance at Ava's closed door let her know the younger woman probably wasn't even up yet, so she started the kettle and went to answer.

Mrs. Oates stood there, holding an ancient-looking camera in her hands. "Oh, Emmy! I hope I didn't interrupt your work..."

"No, I was just taking a lunch break." Emerald stared openly at the machine. "Is that... a folding half-plate camera?"

"Yes. I never really got the hang of those modern cameras you youngsters like so much, so I just use this one. But it hasn't worked for a while, so I was hoping you could take a look at it when you have a chance."

"I can try, but I don't really know how much help I'll be."

Mrs. Oates smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you can figure it out. You do so much work with computers for your job, and you had all those years in the Air Force - "

"Okay, yeah, I'll see what I can do," Emerald interrupted, shifting uncomfortably.

Mrs. Oates shot her a sympathetic look as she handed over the camera. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I forgot you don't like to talk about that time."

"It's... it's okay, Mrs. Oates." Emerald forced out what she hoped was a friendly smile. "I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Of course. And here." The elder woman held out a small wad of cash. "I know it hasn't been easy helping Ava get on her feet, especially now that you have five extra 'guests' staying with you."

She took it, looking away as she blushed slightly. "You really don't have to do this, Mrs. Oates. I can manage on my own."

"Oh, I know you can Emmy." She patted Emerald's arm fondly. "Just let an old lady have her little indulgences, won't you?"

Her smile felt a little easier this time. "Okay. I'll try to get it done by this evening."

"Thank you, dear."

Emerald closed the door, hauling the camera into the living room and setting it up on its tripod near Ava's computer before going back to the laundry room to fetch her toolbag. The Daemos continued to ignore her as they usually did, instead busying themselves around the apartment. Pierce, Rhys, and Noi were all currently in the kitchen, sitting on the floor and trying to look like they weren't waiting for the water to boil so they could ask for some more of the "tea". Leif was having a staring contest with Johnny Cat on the couch, while Asch was scowling impatiently near Ava's bedroom door.

Emerald put the tools near the camera, then looked at her watch and sighed. "I should probably get Ava up."

* * * * *

Ava stared openly at the camera. "This... is a relic."

Apparently that was today's magic word for the Daemos, since they all immediately focused on the smaller human. "A relic?!" Rhys gasped as all three Daemos in the kitchen popped up like groundhogs.

"Is it powerful?!" Asch asked hungrily.

"Can it kill someone?!" Leif sounded positively homicidal.

"It's gonna kill me with how complicated this thing is gonna be to fix," Emerald sighed. She knew pretending Ava was an "all-powerful sorceress" was important to their survival, but being treated like a ghost in her own home was really starting to wear on the taller woman's nerves.

However, the tide seemed to be turning in her favor. Rhys stared at her, starry-eyed. "You can fix a relic?!"

"If I can figure how to manipulate Google search terms, yes." She sighed again. "Mrs. Oates brought this over and asked me to fix it for her. She's paid me a lot to fix it." Emerald turned to the camera and began poking around the sides, trying to see if she could find the manufacturer's plate to get an idea on where to start.

Ava took over the conversation. "She's probably going to use it to take pics of you guys, which I'm sure we could charge her for, since you guys live here and stuff... " she trailed off thoughtfully.

"Why does she want that?" Leif interrupted.

"Because in her stupid fantasy, she thinks you guys are our boyfriends and at this point, I'm tired of fighting her. She's old, you know, and close to... death? And I really like her, so if anyone asks, just tell them you're our boyfriends or whatever. It'll also keep Mrs. Oates asking us for stuff so we can earn money."

"It's funny: elder humans here don't seem to be as terrifying as Lady Grandma." Leif sounded simultaneously cocky and curious.

Emerald kept working, only vaguely aware of their conversation. There seemed to be some sort of argument about someone's grandmother who was actually named "Lady Grandma." It made her wonder about the naming conventions on Daemos and whether there was some sort of translation error occurring. She made a mental note to talk to Rhys about it later: of all the Daemos, he seemed to be the most educated.

"Just finish fixing this relic!" Asch ordered impatiently. "I want to see how it works."

"God, could you just shut up?" the taller woman snapped, fixing the Daemos prince with a glare.

Ava stared at her. "Uh, Em? Are you sure you're okay? You've been super on edge today."

"Oh gee, could that have anything to do with the fact we now have five guys living with us that your parents know nothing about and will inevitably blame me for just because I'm supposed to be the 'responsible one,' even though no one here seems to listen to a single goddamn thing I say?!"

"It's like you said yesterday: it's okay to have friends who are guys. If we're careful, my parents will never find out they don't actually, you know, leave."

"Are you sure about that? Because I've been getting texts since last night from your Pop asking me about the 'horny guys' in your Instagram pictures!"

Now it was Ava's turn to look panicked. "What did you tell him?!"

"Nothing! I literally have not answered any of his texts because one: I've been super busy trying to get my work done and two: I had no idea what you wanted me to tell him, and you decided to sleep half the day away."

The two women stared at each other, neither willing to break the silence first. Finally, Ava caved. "Alright, it's not as bad as you think. I'll go text Pop and see if I can throw him off the trail. Just focus on fixing the camera for now. Okay?"

Emerald closed her eyes, taking a few shaky breaths. Eventually, she opened them again. "Okay. Why don't you go get dressed while I get started on this?" She looked around at the Daemos, her gaze settling on Rhys. "Would you like to take a look? It ain't gonna hurt ya'."

Like a child given free reign in a candy store, he practically leapt forward and began examining the camera. Ava barely managed to dodge him as she went to her bedroom to get dressed. "It's fascinating: there are so many runes inside of it."

"Those aren't runes: they're called gears and bolts and screws, among other things." Emerald opened her toolbag, pulling out a few small screwdrivers.

"What are those?"

"They hold stuff together and make things work, is the best way I can describe them." The woman watched him, noticing how he kept narrowing his eyes as he studied the device. "You squint a lot."

"Some things are hard for me to make out," he confessed.

"Hmm... " Emerald paused, thinking before she took off her glasses. "Do me a favor: try these on."

"What will they do?"

"They might help you see better, so you don't have to squint at everything. If they work, I have a second pair I can let you use."

Rhys gently took the glasses, staring at them in confusion. "How do they work?"

"Just put them on your face, like you've seen me do." The woman pantomimed what she usually did.

He carefully copied her, blinking in confusion once they were settled on his face. "M-my eyes... I can see better!"

Emerald nodded. "I thought that might be the case. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that you needed glasses. Wait here while I get you my back-up pair. They're a little older, but my prescription hasn't changed much so they should still work for you." She quickly returned, taking her original glasses back and placing the new pair on his face. "There you go."

Rhys knelt in front of her. "You may not have magic like Sorceress Ava, but you truly are a wise sage. I thank you for your assistance."

Emerald found herself blushing slightly. "Hey, come on, you don't need to do that. I'm just glad I was able to help." She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him to stand back up. "Just promise me you won't break those. I have contact lenses, but I really don't like wearing them if I don't have to."

He gave her a curious look as he got back to his feet. "What are those?"

"They're like glasses, but the lenses are much smaller and fit directly over your eyeball." She shuddered a little, before she noticed she still had her hand on Rhys's arm. She let go as if she'd been burned. "I don't really like having to put things near my eyes, so I prefer glasses.

"Ava chose that moment to return, dressed and ready to assist. "Oh, you gave Rhys your extra glasses?"

"It seems we have similar eyesight." Emerald gave her a sheepish grin, desperate to change the subject. "Ready to help me get this thing working again? I think I found the manufacturer's plate with all the info we'll need."

* * * * *

Andrew looked up at the apartment building with worry. "Maybe we should've called before we showed up. You know how antsy Emerald is when she gets unexpected visitors."

Devon scoffed. "Darling, you know our baby girl Ava secretly loves surprises! I'm sure Emerald will be fine with it."

"Ava faints when surprised. Besides, it sounds like your excuse to catch her off guard to see if she has this supposed boyfriend that you say you saw in her Instagram."

"No!" The flat stare from Andrew was enough to trip him up. "Maybe... look, this is our baby we're talking about. I texted Emerald the other day and haven't heard anything back. Then Ava texted me today denying she even had one, so that leads me to believe she's probably up there being held against her will to make an account in order to sell the weed or something!"

Andrew chuckled. "You're just mad she didn't follow you back."

"That's beside the point! Look, I've seen it before: first, she denies she's doing anything bad. Then the next thing you know, she's using her rent money to buy a trailer and go out in the middle of the desert to - "

"You just described Breaking Bad."

"It could happen!"

"Do I have to cancel the Netflix subscription again? Because every time you get invested in a show, you get paranoid it's secretly happening under your nose, then I get paranoid that you may be right."

"Because I usually am! Just think about it: Jake told us Ava hadn't paid her half of the rent this month, and we just paid it for her like we usually do. Plus, she hasn't had a job in a while, so maybe Emerald started to get desperate and - "

"I think you're overthinking this too much. Let's just go talk to them and - "

"No, wait... what if Ava - " Devon gasped in horror. " - is making videos?!"

"What, YouTube videos?" Andrew scoffed. "Please. There's no way Emerald would let her do that in the apartment. Besides, our baby wouldn't sink that low to - "

"No. I mean, when I found the account, I saw a lot of... guys on the account, and she deleted the pictures, and - "

A look of horror crossed Andrew's face as he got caught up in his husband's paranoia. "Ava! We're coming, pumpkin!"

* * * * *

"And... fixed!" Emerald stretched, trying to work the knot out of her back from bending over the camera for so long.

"Cool! Let me see!" Noi began to rush forward.

"Don't touch it!" The taller woman paused, realizing her tone of voice. "Sorry, but this particular type of camera uses glass plates instead of film. It's stupidly easy to ruin the photo before you even get a chance to take it. Just... leave it alone."

"I'm really interested to get our camera taken by this camera," Rhys added.

Ava snorted. "It's called a 'photo', and you know what? I... kinda wanna take a picture, too." She giggled. "I mean, we gotta test it before we give it back, right?"

"Can we all do a camera together?" Noi asked.

Asch puffed up aggressively. "Only one person can fit into the camera and it's going to be me!"

"No, my camera got the most 'likes' last time!" Leif countered.

"Calm down," Emerald spoke up, trying to rein everyone in. "You can all take a photo together. Just don't touch the camera: I'm not sure if Mrs. Oates has any spare photo plates in her apartment."

Ava scanned the room for the best place to take the picture. "Here, let's all pick up the couch on this side real quick and - "

Before she could even finish her sentence, Noi lifted the couch and held it over his head with one arm. "Where to?"

"W-wow," she stuttered in awe. "You're strong."

"Oh please, any of us can do that," Asch scoffed.

"Can you move it over there, Noi?" Emerald pointed to the area opposite where the couch had originally sat. "The light from the window won't reflect off Rhys's new glasses, but it'll give you guys some good lighting."

"You're not going to join us?" Ava asked as the smallest Daemos complied with the request.

She shook her head. "This type of camera doesn't come with a remote exposure button long enough to reach all the way over there. The only way you're getting a picture with all of you is if I stand back here and take it myself."

Soon enough, everyone was in position. Or at least, as close as they were going to be. Only Ava sat on the couch, the Daemos lined up along the back behind her. "You guys can sit with me, you know."

"No way, that bed is too soft," Leif complained.

Asch glared at him. "I was the one who had to sleep on it."

"The floor was better to sleep on," Noi chimed in.

"Sitting was better, though," Rhys argued.

"I prefer to stand," Pierce muttered.

"Okay, you guys don't like the couch. I get it." Emerald sighed, exasperated. "Just look pretty and smile." She bent down, carefully centering the camera lens. "Say 'Cheese'." Almost at the exact same moment she clicked the shutter, she heard the front doors of the apartment burst open.

"Pumpkin!" Andrew cried out behind her.

"Dad! Pop! This isn't what it looks like!" Ava screamed in panic.

Emerald backed up against wall near the fireplace, trying to fold the camera tripod as she did so. After all that work, she was damned if she was going to let it get damaged now. It was also about the only thing she could control at the moment, and she clung to it like a lifeline.

"Get away from our baby!" Andrew growled, staring down the Daemos.

"You demons! She's our sweet innocent baby girl!" Devon leapt forward, suffocating Ava in a protective hug. "Do you not have a sense of moral responsibility?!"

"We aren't demons, we're Daemos!" Leif shouted back indignantly.

Andrew pulled out his phone. "I'm calling the police."

"Andrew, Devon, please let me explain!" Emerald cried out desperately. This was literally the worst way for the two men to find their daughter.

Devon glared at her. "How dare you make her resort to this! I understand you military types have a looser sense of morals, but I would have thought you'd have the decency to leave Ava out of your depraved scheme!"

"I-I-I... "

"This is what we get for expecting someone like you to look after our baby girl! If you were short on money, all you had to do was ask instead of pimping out our daughter!"

Emerald found herself unable to form a response. She'd had a feeling Devon wasn't entirely comfortable with the current living arrangement, but to accuse her of selling Ava to strangers...

Ava was trying her hardest to direct the focus away from Emerald. "It's not like that, Pop! I - "

Asch glared at the two men, summoning a fireball. "Let my prisoners go, or I'll - "

"Did he just... " Devon trailed off.

" - create fire?" Andrew finished for him, dropping his phone in shock.

"Oh no," Emerald murmured. "Leif, knock them out!"

The former assassin was quick to comply... perhaps too quick. In addition to laying out Andrew and Devon, he dropped Ava as well.

"Why did you hit Ava?!" She sounded hysterical.

"You said 'them'!"

"Perhaps she misspoke," Rhys interjected. "She looks rather petrified."

"Oh God oh God oh Jesus fucking Christ!" Emerald stared down at the unconscious bodies, her breathing ragged. She retreated until her back hit the wall by Ava's room, sliding down until she was sitting. She dropped the camera to the floor as she curled up, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs and hugging them like an anaconda. "How am I going to fix this I can't fix this there's no way they're going to believe anything I say I am in so much trouble - "

Emerald stopped short, her breathing turning into rapid, squeaky gasps as she began to shake.

Pierce had an idea about what was happening to her. Once again, it was something he had seen in soldiers back on Daemos. He acted instinctually, kneeling down in front of her and trying to get the woman to meet his eyes. "Emerald," he called softly, gently grasping her shoulder.

She didn't appear to hear him, her chest hitching with each breath.

"Leif, wake Ava. I think she is the only one who can calm Emerald now."Rhys nodded, motioning for the former assassin to follow the instructions as he stepped closer. "Pierce, do you know what is happening?"

"I believe she is panicking because those two humans saw us."

Leif quickly awakened Ava, who coughed harshly as she sat up. "Wha... what happened? What the hell - "

"No time. Fix Emerald."

"Fix Em... " Ava gasped when she saw the older woman lying on her side, practically folding herself in half as Pierce tried to sit her up. "Oh shit!" She slid over, nudging the large Daemos to the side. "Sit behind her, give her something solid to focus on."

Pierce complied, maneuvering his large frame into the small space between Emerald and the wall. He sat and stretched his legs out on either side of her, then placed his hand on her shoulder while he waited for direction from Ava.

Meanwhile, Ava sat in front of Emerald. She carefully put her hands on the sides of the woman's face, trying to get her to make eye contact. "Hey, Em? I know it feels really good to curl up into a gaspy ball right now, but I need you to try to straighten up. Can you do that for me?"

Emerald shook her head, gasping.

Ava sighed, looking at Pierce. "Can you straighten her out? She'll breathe better if you can get her sitting up."

"Okay." Pierce pulled Emerald's upper body out of the curly ball, holding her upright against his chest with his left arm. His right hand pushed down on her thighs, straightening her legs. Emerald made a small pain noise in response.

"I know, I know," Ava soothed, stroking the woman's cheek with her thumb. "Try and slow your breathing. Stop being a gaspy girl and be Em again."

Gradually, Emerald began to calm down. She kept her eyes on Ava, aware of Pierce's solid presence behind her as she struggled to control her breathing. As her breath returned, she began babbling out apologies. "sorrypleasedon'tbemadI'msosorry - "

"Hey, it's okay." Ava gave her a small smile, putting on a brave face even though she felt just as panicked at the moment. "Why don't we have Pierce take you to calm down for a while, and I'll have the others help me get my parents outside. I'll do the same thing we did with Jake when he came in here, and everything will work out. Sound good?"

The taller woman gave a tiny nod. She was still breathing a bit fast, but it wasn't as gaspy and would have to do for now.

"Pierce, can you take Em to her room and stay in there with her? She shouldn't be alone right now. Shut the door and I'll tell my parents she's busy with work or something so you two won't be disturbed for a while."

"Okay." The large Daemos stood, lifting Emerald up in his arms in one fluid motion.

"W-wait!" She looked desperately at Ava. "Are... are you s-sure you - ?"

"Yes, just go!"

Pierce moved quickly down the hall, disappearing into Emerald's room as he closed the door behind him.

As soon as they were out of sight, Ava's calm facade fell away. She turned back to the remaining guys. "Quick, help me get them outside the door!" Once Andrew and Devon were in the hallway, she closed the front doors of the apartment. "Pleasepleaseplease, let this work a second time!" She glanced back at the Daemos. "You guys need to get out of here, now! If my parents see me with you guys after that, they won't believe what I'm about to tell - I mean, they'll kill you! They're just way too powerful: you've angered them!"

As the Daemos ran in panic towards their portal, Ava called after them. "Take the camera and hide it!"

* * * * *

Pierce looked around Emerald's bedroom, trying to decide where the best place for her to rest would be. Her bed seemed a bit too obvious: if he lay her down, she might try curling back up and he didn't want her to get hurt again. Speaking of which...

"Are you okay?" he whispered, keenly aware they needed to be quiet. "I did not mean to hurt you earlier."

"I'm... fine," she gasped, still trying to come down from the remnants of her panic attack.

"Where would you like to go?"

"... bed is... fine."

As Pierce began to lower her onto the mattress, he was surprised to feel her tighten her grip on his neck. "What is wrong?"

"D-don't... don't let go..."

He hesitated for only a moment before sitting on her bed, his back centered on the headboard. As before, he splayed his legs out straight on either side of Emerald, sitting her upright between them. He carefully wrapped his arms loosely around her waist to give her a focal point, leaving her arms free.

"Wha-what?" The woman looked down in confusion. "Are you...?"

"I will sit here," the Daemos whispered. "But we must be quiet."

Emerald carefully leaned back against him, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing. Surprisingly, it was easier this time. She felt Pierce behind her, his own breathing deep and steady. As she slowed her breaths to match his, she found herself feeling better.

Tentatively, Pierce reached up one hand and gently stroked her hair. Just as before, he felt her tense briefly before relaxing. After a few moments, she actually began to lean into his touch. "You and Ava seem to enjoy when I do this," he observed quietly.

She chuckled without humor. "I think we're both a bit touch starved these days."

They settled into a comfortable silence, until Noi's voice rang out from the hallway. "I'm her boyfriend!"

* * * * *

Devon gasped in delighted awe. "My baby has a...!"

"Pumpkin... " Andrew broke out in a wide grin. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?!"

Devon approached Noi, his face a beacon of joy. "You have no idea! I was so worried about our baby. She had a hard time making friends in school and I - "

"You're oversharing again, dear... "

"Dad, Pop, uhm..." Ava trailed off and gave a nervous laugh as they both stared at her. 'Oh no. If I tell them otherwise, Noi will take things literally and ask me why I'm telling them something different! And my dads aren't stupid: they'll catch on!' "Yeah. He's my... boyfriend."

"Well, when were you going to introduce us?" He laughed easily, holding out his hand. "I'm Andrew. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Devon! We're Ava's parents."

"You... both?" Noi stared in confusion at the two men.

"Uh, yes... " Andrew lowered his hand, his earlier laugh sounding a bit apprehensive.

"I have two dads, Noi."

"Really? How is that... is that why you're so strong?"

"Darling, he thinks we raised a strong baby!"

"Well, it looks like my husband's taken a liking to you," Andrew chuckled.

Noi gasped happily. "Ava, your parents like me! But do they fear me?" he whispered under his breath.

"What?"

Ava laughed nervously. "Hahaha, he's so cute! Hahaha... "

"Hey, uh, how about we all go out for pizza?" Andrew suggested, shifting the topic with a practiced easy.

"That's a great idea!"

"Um, I... uh." Ava stuttered, trying to stall. 'There's no way Em is feeling well enough to even see my parents yet, let alone go out with them in public!'

"Come on, pumpkin. We'll go to your favorite pizza place... on us... ""My favorite?! 'Oh no, it'll be even more suspicious if I turn them down, especially after they offered to pay!' "Uh... sure! Just give me a moment to freshen up, alright?"

Andrew and Devon exited the apartment to wait in the hallway, talking quietly. "Do you think we made a good first impression?" the latter asked worriedly.

"I hope so."

* * * * *

Ava practically broke down Emerald's door, Noi right on her heels. "Okay, I know you're not feeling well right now, but do you think you could pull it together long enough to come to dinner with me and - " All words died on her lips as she stared at the scene in front of her.

Pierce and Emerald were sitting on the side of the bed, the latter doubled over holding her stomach with both arms. She appeared to be shaking.

"Oh my God, Em!" Ava felt like she teleported to the woman's side, falling heavily on her knees. "What's wrong? Are you okay?!"

"She has been like this ever since we heard Noi say he was your boyfriend," Pierce explained, looking concerned. He hand rested on Emerald's back, where he could feel her convulsing lightly.

Suddenly, the older woman threw back her head and barked out a loud laugh. Everyone stared at her in stunned disbelief, the two Daemos looking slightly frightened.

"Were... were you trying to keep yourself from laughing this whole time?!" Ava started blushing.

"I'm... I'm sorry... " Emerald hiccuped, more giggles spilling out. "It's just... of all the Daemos who could've... met your parents first... it was the adorable little cinnamon bun!" Another wave of laughter erupted.

Noi looked sadly offended. "You... you don't fear me?"

"Sweetie, you live with me. I've seen the silly little ways all of you Daemos interact with our world. Except for the first two days when all of us were getting used to each other, it's actually been kinda nice having you guys here." She met Ava's eyes, her expression sobering quickly. "... well, up until today."

Ava sighed. "I know, I know. We'll talk about it later. But for now... " She grabbed Emerald's hand, trying to pull her to her feet. "We need to go tell the other guys what's happening, so you two need to come with us."

* * * * *

"What is going on?!" Asch growled impatiently.

Rhys looked concerned. "Noi was probably killed. Ava did say her parents were powerful."

Ava, Noi, Emerald, and Pierce all chose that moment to come through the portal. "Okay, here's the deal," the former announced. "My parents want to take Noi and I out to eat on a date, or something. I need you guys to hide his horns."

"A date?" Asch sounded oddly curious.

"Yes. It's a sacred ritual where... one, uh, judges if they wanna... be with that person."

"What does that mean?" Pierce asked.

A look of understanding passed over Rhys. "Wait... like courting with Noi?!"

"WHAT?!" Asch looked positively indignant.

Now it was Ava's turn to look confused. "What's that mean?"

"Prisoners, leave!" the Daemos prince ordered. "We need to talk."

Leif made a move as if to grab Ava, but Emerald blocked him. "We're perfectly capable of walking ourselves out," the latter said, fixed him with a glare. "C'mon, Ava. I can fill you in on what 'courting' means."

Once the human women were gone, Rhys rushed forward and hid Noi's horns before leveling a serious look at him. "Noi, I can't believe we're trusting you with this, but you need to listen. This. Is. Important. If you can get married to Ava, then we can get the humans to give us their magic."

"R-really?"

"Lady Bish married into our family and gave us her magic." Asch seemed thoughtful. "It must work the same here as well."

"You need to win the approval of her parents, but also you cannot tell any of them about Daemos. Her parents seem wise: they may know about our world. We cannot risk that."

"So what do I do?!"

"Don't screw it up!" Asch shouted.

"It should be me getting a chance at Ava!" Leif interjected.

"Watch your tongue, you - "

"Stop it now!" Rhys commanded. "Noi, if this mission is successful, we can possibly go home with the magic we need. Just listen to Ava and do not tell them anything about us."

"Right!" Nodding, Noi rejoined Ava and Emerald outside the portal.

... well, Ava at least. "What happened?"

"Huh? Um, heh-heh, n-n-nothing! I - "

"Noi, listen: this is gonna be weird. Em's not coming with us. She said it'd be awkward after all that stuff my Pop said to her, which she can't confront him about because we agreed to... not talk about it." She sighed. "She also said she had some work to finish, and that it'd go a lot smoother if we just - "

"C'mon, pumpkin!" Devon called from the front door.

"Ah, shoot! Just... follow my lead."

Meanwhile, the other Daemos were already having doubts about the smallest Daemos's ability to complete his mission.

"Come," Asch commanded. "We're not letting Noi ruin this... "