Sunny looks around, her face hardening as she walks up to one of the metal doors. Without hesitation, she punches a hole through it, peering inside. Her eyes widen, and her expression twists in anger. Inside, a man is chained to the wall, his body weak and bruised.
"These people are being kept here as food," she growls, her voice low and furious.
Luna cautiously approaches Sunny, attempting to ease the tension with a forced smile. "Uh, Sunny, what are we going to do?" she asks nervously.
Sunny's anger flares, her fists trembling. "Partner… we kill every single fucking monster here. These people are being treated like cattle."
Luna, caught off guard by Sunny's intense rage, awkwardly nods. "Oh, I see. So... how?" she asks hesitantly.
Sunny doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she unleashes her fury on the door, punching several more holes into it. The metal buckles under her strength, leaving a jagged mess.
Luna watches, slowly nodding in understanding. "Got it!" she says, raising a thumbs-up in response.
Before either of them can continue, two men with rifles appear at the end of the hallway. They raise their weapons, pointing them directly at Sunny and Luna.
"Put your—" they begin, but the words barely leave their mouths. In an instant, Sunny is on them. Moving faster than Luna can even blink, she knocks both men out cold with precise strikes.
Luna stares at the unconscious guards, her jaw slightly agape. "Well... that was fast," she mutters. Sunny doesn't respond. Instead, she steps over the fallen men, her eyes blazing with determination.
Sunny begins heading toward the stairs. "Let's go, partner. We'll come back here when the Priest Corps arrives, alright?"
Luna simply nods, quickly running to join her. Together, they begin ascending the stairs. The climb is a silent one. Sunny's mind races with conflicting thoughts. She wants nothing more than to go back down there and end it all, but she knows she can't—especially if sticking around puts Luna in danger. She needs to regroup with the others and bring the full team back to handle this properly.
Still, the thought gnaws at her. Security is bound to tighten after this, and while Sunny is confident she could clear the place out herself, there's no way to get the victims out without drawing too much attention. Calling the police is another option, but she can't be sure whether they're in league with the monsters. And then there's the bigger question weighing on her:
What the hell is Sanctum doing? How have they not caught wind of all of this?
Her fists clench as they near the top of the stairs. The organization she's trusted to monitor and eliminate threats like this is either slipping up or intentionally ignoring what's happening. Neither option sits well with her. She glances at Luna, who looks more focused now, and sighs.
"We'll make this right," she mutters under her breath.
They make it to the top, and Sunny pulls the lever to open the vending machines. She storms out of the casino with a furious look on her face, her aura practically radiating anger. As she marches down the street, a strange presence appears beside her—a floating red mist.
Luna stares at the mist as it begins to form a sinister, smiley face.
"Hello," the mist says, its voice echoing eerily. "I left an imprint on you, Miss Luna." The smile on its misty face widens unnaturally. "I want to watch your journey, that's all."
Luna looks at the mist with a mix of fear and confusion. "Please go away," she says, her voice trembling.
The mist shakes its form, as if shaking its head. "No, I don't think I will. I don't want to interfere—I simply want to observe. So, don't bore me."
Luna's eye twitches in frustration and fear as the mist suddenly fades away. Shaking off her unease, she quickly runs to catch up with Sunny, who's still storming ahead.
"Sunny," Luna says nervously, "you haven't made any deals with a devil, have you?"
Sunny stops in her tracks and looks at Luna seriously. "You haven't either, have you?"
Luna rapidly shakes her head. "No! I haven't!"
"Good," Sunny replies. "You smell like a devil, though."
Luna's eyes widen in shock. "How can you tell?"
Sunny sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Training in Asia with Buddhist monks taught me how to sniff out devils and demons."
Now embarrassed, Luna fidgets. "So, um... if one was following me, what should I do?"
Sunny pulls a rosary out of her pocket and gently places it around Luna's neck. "Alright, hun, just wear this. When the Priest Corps shows up, tell one of the priests that you'd like to repent. They'll take care of it."
Luna nods, clutching the rosary tightly, her expression a mixture of anxiety and gratitude.
The two exit the casino without issue, much to their surprise. As they head toward the RV, they spot Jamal and JJ waiting outside—and both look like they've been in a fight. JJ's clothes are torn in multiple places, and Jamal's clothes are singed around the edges.
"Fucking wendigos," they both mutter in unison.
JJ throws his arms up in frustration. "How on God's good green earth did they let a family of wendigos take over a casino strip in Vegas? Whoever's running Sanctum—I'm gonna rip 'em a new one!" he shouts.
They all board the RV, and Jamal hands JJ a few shopping bags. "Me and Luna went ahead and bought you some new clothes. We hope they fit!"
JJ looks genuinely surprised and smiles. "Oh, uh, thank you."
Sunny suddenly feels her phone vibrating and answers it. "Hello?" she says, her tone sharp.
She listens, nodding a few times. "I see... Okay, sounds good."
Sunny glances at the others while continuing her phone conversation. "Yeah, I was able to confirm there was a devil there. I couldn't gauge its rank exactly, but I'd definitely say it was an A or higher. As for the wendigos, the one I fought was somewhere between C++ and B+, but there's bound to be a few A ranks in the pack. The pack leader is definitely at least an A++, maybe even an S-."
Sunny nods again. "Alright, y'all will be here by tomorrow? Sounds good." She hangs up the phone with a sigh of relief before turning to the group. "Alright, folks, I'm gonna make some dinner for everyone."
JJ heads off to the bathroom to change out of his torn-up clothes, and Jamal makes his way to the back of the RV, pulling the curtains closed to change as well. Meanwhile, Luna sits at the table, fidgeting with the rosary hanging around her neck.
"This rosary looks really pretty," Luna remarks, her voice soft.
Sunny glances over and smiles at the sight. "Well, it was my grandmother's. It's been in my family for quite some time."
Luna sways her head gently from side to side, running her fingers over the beads. Sunny's smile widens. "It looks good on you, partner!"
Luna blushes lightly, smiling back. "Oh, thank you! Uh, so what are you cooking?"
Sunny chuckles, turning her attention to the stovetop. "Well, partner, I'm frying up some pork chops, then I'll whip up some mashed potatoes, maybe add some beans and corn on the side."
Luna's mouth waters at the smell wafting through the RV. "That sounds amazing," she says, her excitement evident.
Sunny smiles softly as the comforting aroma of dinner fills the RV. About fifteen minutes later, JJ steps out of the bathroom, freshly cleaned up and sporting a new set of clothes. "Alright, these new clothes fit like a glove," he says, plopping down at the table with a satisfied grin.
Noticing the rosary around Luna's neck, he raises an eyebrow. "Huh? You religious, Luna?"
Luna shakes her head quickly. "No, not really."
JJ nods thoughtfully. "I see. Well, I'm glad the priest corp is coming. I'd like to go to confession."
Luna tilts her head curiously. "Uh, confession? What do you need to confess?"
JJ shakes his head with a small smile. "No offense, but that's none of your business. You're not supposed to talk about what you confess—it's meant to be between you, the priest, and God."
Luna blinks in surprise, her curiosity replaced by a sheepish expression. "Oh, I see. Sor—"
JJ cuts her off gently. "You don't need to apologize, Luna. You haven't done anything wrong."
Hearing those words, Luna smiles softly. "Sorry, I guess I just… grew up always being at fault for everything. I always felt like I did everything wrong."
JJ places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Luna, from what I can tell, you're a good kid. I haven't seen you hunt yet, but I can already tell you're talented at it. Sounds like you might've had a rough home life, though. Don't keep your emotions bottled up. Talk to people you trust. I promise it'll make you feel better."
Luna's smile widens, her cheeks tinged with a hint of warmth. "Thanks. It's really nice to hear that!"
Just then, Jamal steps out from the back, fully dressed and ready to join the group. He slides into a seat at the table, his stomach growling in anticipation. "Alright, let's eat. I'm starving!"
Sunny sets the food on the table, her smile growing as she sees her team finally settling down for a good meal after the long day.