The Sin Hunter: Double or Nothing

A Joyous Reunion

In an alleyway behind the largest tower in Sloth, something distorted the spotless frame of silver and deep, neon blue. An ugly splotch of deep, crimson red splashed across the white frame, staining the edges black and an encrusted gold as something swished and swirled, hacking a blob of equally distorted, strangely solid substance onto the dusty gray floor of the alley. A slime-coated, tendril-ensnared hand crawled out of the blob, eventually dragging another arm behind it, then another, and one more, all four hauling their owner out into the shivering cold biome of aquatic ambience. As the salesman crawled to his lanky, wiry limbs, a hand reached skyward to fix his mask.

"Ugh...well, looks like the card worked. I made it, but now where did this blasted card spit me out in?" Shrap climbed to his well-glossed shoes, dusting his top hat while he fixed his tie and combed a hand through his bald scalp, keeping the last hand on his briefcase. "Oh, right," Shrap grumbled, stumbling out of the alley in a puzzled state, "forgot I don't have any blasted hair in this godforsaken crap sack. The beautiful luxury that I'll cherish once I get out of here again." Shrap whistled his casual tune, fastening his cuffs while he stepped out on the walkway, admiring the shimmering silver and gold city beneath the waves crashing above the glass dome. Shrap craned his abnormal neck to view the moonlight, gulping.

"Oh," he realized, adjusting his collar, "Sloth. The very best, totally Number One place I wanted to shoot out at." Shrap tucked his top hat low, pressing by a group of fashionably mechanical demons while he checked his watch, searching in truth for a reason to be occupied with something. 'This is...okay, this could be worse. Right, Shrap, it could always be-' Shrap told himself, mid thought, when he crashed into a crowd of scientists supporting a large crate of boxes. "Excuse us!" One of the scientists called out, to which they moved around the box to find nobody there. "Huh?" A muffled voice and a pair of goggles paused, "where'd he go?" 

As the scientists continued moving along the walkway scattered with cherry blossom petals and more artificial details, Shrap unwrapped himself from the lip of a street lamp, pausing to catch his breath and crack his back. "God, what a lifesaver! I miss being able to twist and jive like this." Shrap turned into a restaurant off of the crosswalk while hover cars and large trucks rolled through the road, closing the door into the cafe behind him. Walking by the front counter, Shrap tipped his hat with a trembling arm, stepping into the bathroom while ducking low to accommodate for the cramped space. Once inside, Shrap locked the door on a stall, turning toward the toilet. 

"Third from the right," he grumbled, ducking to inspect the pearl white tiles behind the porcelain bowl, then smashing his fist through the wall. To the Sinner's surprise, the wall gave through, revealing a fake tile and a crevice behind. Shrap dug in the dark corner for a duffel bag, dragging the compartment out. "Okay, let's see," Shrap muttered, digging as the door into the bathroom slid open. Panicking, Shrap twisted his lower torso about face, snapping to give the illusion of someone sitting down. It cracked and pressed on his ribs, but Shrap wasn't the least concerned about that at the moment. Reaching into the bag, Shrap pulled out a cell phone with a paper attached to the inside.

On the piece of paper were several phone numbers and contacts scribbled in pen beside each. Shrap flipped open the ancient cell, snapping the digits into the phone while he flipped himself around, sitting down on the toilet seat. Fingers rapped against the edge of his mask in anxious patterns as the line clicked. "Hello? Deck speaking." Someone's voice answered. Shrap gave a sigh of relief as the door to the bathroom closed. "Deck!" he exploded with volts of energy. "Deck, it's me, Shrap! I'm back!" There was a stunned silence from the other end. "You're...back? Wait, how, what's-" "No time to answer, little buddy! Say, you aren't busy right now, are you?" 

Deck tilted his gaze from a game of pool with Harley in the mall, mouthing the words, 'I'll be back. It's important,' to a very casual Harley, who continued straightening her aim. Deck spun away from the table, planting a hand on his hip while he moved toward a barstool. "Is this a prank? How do I know it's really you?" Shop rubbed the back of his scalp, struggling for an answer. "Wait! I got it!" As Deck ordered a glass of sherry with a small olive on the side and crisp green ice cubes, intrigued in his reaction by the answer, the line clicked again.

Shrap replied, "I owe you roughly thirty bucks from that night we got tangled in, god, what was that? Some girls, lotsa guns, man, it was-" "Ay ey! Okay, stop stop, I believe you!" Deck chuckled, nearly choking on his drink. "And that's thirty-TWO bucks, Mister Big Shot." Shrap laughed, his voice cackling through the receiver. "Whoo hoo! Aw, god, Deck, it's been too long, my friend! Good to hear from you again!" Deck turned his attention back to Harley, moving back toward the table as he set the phone on speaker. "Hey Shrap, I've got somebody here you might recall. I'm sure they'd like to talk again." Harley tilted her pincers to her husband, eyes widened. "Wait, did you say Shrap?" she asked.

The phone crackled with the ecstatic of the static tone. "Hiya Harley! Good to see you two lovebirds are making the most of your time!" Harley set her stick against the table, folding her arms over as she leaned on the table. "Hi Shrap! It's good to hear from you too! Where have you been?" Shrap rubbed the back of his neck, coughing. "It's uh, a bit of a long story. Say, could I trouble youth to come pick me up? I've found myself in a bit of a pickle." Deck slid trephine back his way, nodding. "For sure! Where are you now?" "Well, I got spat out in Sloth after using one of my business cards. I found Wrench's backup stash of supplies in case of an emergency." 

Deck motioned for Harley to start the car, tossing her the polished silver and gold keys, traced by a black outline. "You're in Sloth? Huh. Why'd you come back to Hell?" Shrap cleared his throat, this time the corners of his mask eyes twisting in panic. "Jack lost his sweetheart in the Living World! And I'm worried...worried he might be coming back to Hell to find her." Deck raised an eyebrow in shocked silence while Harley rushed for the elevators. "What? Why here? Isn't Jack a good egg, why'd his bride come down here?" Shrap waved a hand, striking his elbow against the stall wall. "There's-Ouch!-no time to explain! When can you get here?" Deck hopped away from the pool table, downing his sherry as he sprinted for the elevators.

"We're on our way! Meet us at the Terminal, and Harley can get you out of there in two shakes of a dealer's hand!" Shrap wiped sweat from his brow, chuckling. "God bless you, Deck. One of Hell's truly selfless demons, lemme say." Deck waved a hand, leaping from the railing as he slung his shield onto the hand rail, grinding down toward Harley in the lobby of the mall. "Ah, save it, bud! I'm on my way!"