The Sin Hunter: Double or Nothing

Alarming News Update

After Crow had been given back his clothes and personal items, Crow adjusted his watch while the rest of his team joined the Plague Infector outside the hospital. It wasn't raining in the Medical District of Pride, and a few stars shone in the sky above, reflecting in a puddle by the curbside. Doctor Harold Richmond sighed, wiping a bit of nacho from his lips. 'And to think' Crow chuckled, turning to face the edge of a small wave pool across the street, 'I really had a heart attack. Good thing I can't die, otherwise that'd be a fair bit more terrifying.'

As footsteps approached from the hospital behind him, Crow turned around, popping his collar as Satan and Deck both rushed to embrace him. "Well, good news. The doctors said we should be okay as long as I don't go doing anything crazy for a few months," Crow laughed, extending his own arms out, and the group came together in a neat manner, like a very successful project. "What an entrance you made, huh?" Crow chuckled, tilting his beak around the group to Shrap.

Shrap stepped back as the group disassembled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm sorry for that, Crow. Shouldn't have scared you so bad." The Plague Infector laughed, combing a hand beneath his top hat with a smirk. "Oh, don't worry too much about that. You made me remember that time still has its toll on all of us." Deck patted Crow on his shoulder, turning to face Shrap. "Speaking of time," Deck continued, "Shrap, you never explained to us why you came back to Hell. Or, for that matter, even how you got back here."

Everyone turned to face Shrap as the salesman chuckled, removing his own hat. While Crow crossed his arms behind his back, Satan approached from the right, wrapping her arm under his. "I'm sorry, I have to go." Crow nodded, resting his forehead against the deep red beauty of the Queen of Envy. "It's okay, I get it. Get outta here before anybody sees you stomping around with a crew of peasants." Satan laughed softly, wrapping her arms around the Plague Infector's shoulders. "You know that if things were different, I'd spend every day with you and your group."

Crow nodded, and the two shared one more kiss before Satan pulled her hood over her horns, waving goodbye to the team. As the much taller imp hurried away to a gold sports car by the corner of the street, Shrap wrung his hands, his mask curving downward. "Okay, so you won't believe what's happening in the Living World right now." Crow stepped forward, crossing his arms in front of his poncho. "Well, we're not going anywhere, bud. Spill that teapot." Shrap nodded, setting his briefcase on the ground before clearing his throat.

"So basically," Shrap began, "I learned that Jack's wife died and now he's super sad so he's in New York to try and find out what happened to her and I think Cynthia's with him so I tried to use Hell as a gateway to hop from Germany to New York but now I'm here after giving my best friend a heart attack so now we-" "Wait wait wait! Slow down, take a breather, man!" Deck cut through, waving his hands to ward off the breathless Sinner. Shrap removed a handkerchief from his pocket square, dabbing his mask. "Whew! Got all that out." Crow tapped his foot on the pavement, turning to Harley.

"So if Jack's in New York now, and he's investigating the death of a loved one, maybe he'll come looking down here?" Harley raised the space where eyebrows could have been in shock. "Down here? Why would she come down to Hell?" Deck shrugged, sitting against a lamppost. "I dunno," he muttered, but Shrap stepped in offering his perspective. "Well now, my dear friends, let's not forget how pitch perfect you have to abide by the rules to get into Heaven. Jack's very special mistress likely didn't jump in before the new laws were instituted." At the mention of new rules, Deck turned with a concerned expression.

As a demon, he was overcrowded in his world already. But having more people crowding his world would be a problem. "Wait, what did you say about new rules?" Shrap turned, shaking his mask as he handed Deck a clipboard filled with papers. "I extracted that from a shady guy in Sloth, must've been a high roller by the way he dressed. But he had a whole lotta content regarding the new laws and updates that, I guess, were going to Morpheus at some point." Deck flipped through the papers, sharing some of the documents with Harley. Crow stepped forward to speak with Shrap. "Somebody's causing trouble. We need to contact Jack and Cynthia now."

Shrap tossed his hat to the wind, catching it as if it were a baseball. "Well, I wish I could, Crow. But the problem is, we're in Hell now. It's not like I can just click my heels and wave a wand to leave." Crow snapped his fingers, pointing to his friend. "Okay then. But how did you get down here in the first place?" Shrap brightened at the question, digging into his briefcase. "Oh yeah! I used one of my special company cards. But that's a one way ticket from the Living to the Dead." Crow grinned, taking one of the cards for himself. "But isn't there also a time limit on how long you can stay in Hell after you go back to the Living World?"

Shrap scratched his chin, eyes narrowing. "Umm..." he droned, puzzled by the question. Crow grumbled, rolling his goggles like eyeballs. "What I'm saying is, do you go back to the Living World after the time on that card is up?" Shrap nodded, oblivious to the true meaning. "Well duh. It's company policy." There was an awkward silence as Crow waited for his boss to realize the meaning of his statement. As if lightning had struck and thunder had shaken the Sinner, Shrap leapt into the air, his mask shaking in jolting vibrations. "WAIT A SECOND!" He shouted, landing and shaking the arms of the Plague Infector.

Crow jostled back and forth, laughing while Deck and Harley made their way toward the excitement. "Shrap crowed into the air like a wild rooster, stretching his arms out in wiggling strips. "OH, BABY!! We have a way back to the Living World!" Crow set himself down on the curb, motioning a hand to Deck and Harley. "Hold it! We gotta figure out who's going up above and who's staying down here before we make any huge decisions." Harley nodded, placing a hand on Crow's shoulder. "He's right. We can't get back to Hell unless one of us has an anchor to pull everybody back once we've finished." Crow turned to face Harley, surprised. "Right you are. Let's discuss that before we go making any more plans."