#modtime

   It was the same monotonous cycle, year in and year out.    Faceless exterminators, tall, lean, and mechanically deadly, would take out a few denizens or so once a year, regardless of what they were doing. It seemed like with each passing purge, more are attacked and lose whatever little they had left, after crossing over from Earth to the hellish world they'd been sent to. Sir Pentious knew it all too well.     He recalled a time when extermination wasn't even a thought. Sure, an unlucky soul would be destroyed every now and then, but that, he recalled, was often fueled by carelessness, not by social motives. With the coming of the twenty-first century however came an apparent lack of morality, faith, and forgiveness on Earth (at least, that's what some of the newer denizens would propose), and now the bleak, red world that the black and gold cobra was stuck in just felt overcrowded. Overflowing with humanoids and talking creatures alike, who never atoned and made amends for their past mistakes, the world around Sir Pentious grew increasingly uncivilized, chaotic, and, in his opinion, unintelligent.  Sir Pentious wouldn't allow it; not in this bloody dimension where destruction seemed to be the top priority in everyone's minds. If only it could learn from him. After all, the snake was a brilliant inventor, acclaimed and respected during his career on Earth. In the world he longed for again, gentlemen held doors open for ladies, and many were not inclined to be so destructive and reckless in good company. No one seemed to think much of these qualities the way Sir Pentious did. Even some of those who'd passed on from within his time period had given up a long time ago to try and maintain that sense of discipline that had been instilled in him since childhood. But the snake simply wouldn't. As long as his long slithering body was shaking, as long as the eyes on his tail and the blinking one on his hat still moved and pondered like he did, no matter what their prideful "Leader", his current Queen Lucine, or anyone else thought, he would no longer sit idly by, while his former world, basking in its title as being what he'd describe as "a beacon of civilization and culture," would completely disappear.  This very thinking led Sir Pentious down his road of villainy, a path as long and as winding as his serpentine tail. He knew it would be tricky; the very idea of trying to take over a city-a kingdom, in fact- was no easy task, but to take over one of this scale? It would be an experience for sure; perhaps an enjoyable one? On the night he had resolved to make these choices, the clever creature couldn't help but grin. He could only imagine what the heavenly hosts would think. Nevertheless, he would follow through with his claims. If he was going to be stuck here in a place he found quite awful, he was going to make it fit his standards.  He knew better than to try it alone. Even some of the most ambitious fellows he'd ever read up on, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Brutus of Rome; even fictional men, like King Claudius and Fagin the old pickpocket, had others, With that in his mind, it wasn't long before he found his own others in the form of the Egg Bois, a collection of talking eggs, who came to appreciate Sir Pentious. The broken cracks of their shells served as their eyes and mouths, and they too pulled off dark gray suits lined with long gold stripes like the cobra they now followed. They even matched their small golden eyes, full of enthusiasm and contentment, at being considered useful by someone at last.  Over the decades, Sir Pentious and the Egg Bois would conjure up very complex schemes to try and dismantle their monarch. Some schemes involved infiltrating a recently approved organization; for others, their approach included the growing influence of Pentious's side businesses. Though the growing population was helping his businesses grow in profit, the overwhelming crowds and cacophony did nothing to soothe the cobra. And apparently not even the one who first thought of those inconvenient killers. Though his small gang never did get far anyway, Sir Pentious was ambitious and incredibly determined. Even when the destructive exterminators came along to take the lives of their fellow citizens, Sir Pentious kept his focus; even when territorial genocide became a factor in this fallen kingdom he wanted. Especially when he was truthfully inconvenienced by the conception and birth of Lucine's daughter, Charlie, he wouldn't give in.        Over this period of time however, the more Sir Pentious and the Egg Bois failed, the more he began to feel that sense of lacking; as if somehow, having henchmen, his engineer's mind, and his never ending desire for power, were no longer enough. One day, as he silently watched his fellow citizens from his red, dark gray, and golden home, quietly noticing a recently deceased goth with big silver hair, ranting at what appeared to be a pink and cream colored spider creature with a smirk on his face, he suddenly considered something he hadn't before.  Perhaps the reason why he frequently failed to mold this cacophonous dimension to his liking was due to a lack of a co-conspirator. Someone he can exchange ideas with and show off his skills to. He looked over at the Egg Bois, seeing them pop open bottles of champagne after a long day of working. Sir Pentious frowned and quietly scoffed at them. They were suitable henchmen, he supposed, but certainly not partner material. He needed a quick-witted someone.    Or it could be that he was just overthinking things; most likely. For now though, he walked off from the scene, putting his thoughts away for awhile. "Bois, gather around!" he exclaimed, beckoning the Bois from all over their meeting room. It was a tall, glistening place with shining gold and pink windows, mismatched by deep grey walls. Each of the bois crowded near a red monitor perched on a pedestal, paired with two levers.   "Out of the way-out of the way," he said, as he pulled on the levers. "Tonight, the Captain of the Guard of our fearless 'leader' is visiting the Purge Messengers," he explained, pointing as a map of the Inferno appeared. He pointed to a small rectangle on the map, on completely opposite ends where the Royal Family's castle sat. "We've managed to find out that the Captain will be carrying the procedures for the purge commencing next week. Now, if we can drug or distract the Captain-or blow him up if possible- and get ahold of those plans, we can present ourselves to the population, and present this year's escape routes and how-to's! For a price of course; I could be the one to settle the chaos this year and keep people in one piece. People like to be looked after, you know. Everyone will look to me for guidance! More guidance, means more respect, which means more being 'hip', as some people say! And being 'hip', means more influence. And where does influence lead? Power! And with that power can quickly lead to-"     "Domination?" an Egg Bois asked. There was a sudden silence, as Sir Pentious practically stared him down with an annoyed scowl. The boi that spoke sank back down into his stance, and pointed his head down.   

 "DOMINATION!!" Sir Pentious replied, instantly rising his voice.  "YEAH!!!" the Egg Bois all cheered and clapped. The mouthy fumbled with his hands.  "Brilliant, Sir Pentious!"  "No one will stand a chance!"  The blinking hat on his head grinned as the serpent did. This, in particular, was a moment he looked forward to each day; his collection of minions appreciating him as the knowing eyes on his tail, clothes, and cobra hood looking at his face. It was a comforting thing; temporary, but comforting all the same.   ...

 The blood red sky loomed over Roxane, as she maneuvered from street lamp to street lamp, carrying a leather purse over her shoulders. She wanted to rub her back from the ache of a newly stitched patch of skin on her lower back, where her tail used to be. Regardless of the pain, the mongoose used her keen sense of smell to sense any followers; any who might've seen her swipe some loot just after her operation. Thankfully, there were none. Now that she was far away from the scenes of her crimes, she decided to simply walk down the sidewalk and try to relax. Walking near various creatures of different types, her head pointed towards a collection of televisions behind a window, all featuring a blonde haired demon with a smile too wide to be comforting.   "And finally, the Annual Purge is just five days away. I'd say 'hope and pray you don't die', but let's face it. We're already dead!" she announced with an oddly cheerful tone. "And as usual, we'll be presenting live coverage of the event, from our studio of course! I'm Katie Killjoy, for the 6 o'clock news," Roxane wrinkled her little black nose, more out of distaste. Leave it to crazy Killjoy and her coworkers to sit tight in their studio while the rest of their dimension had to run and hide.  "Ah, who am I kidding?" she thought to herself. "They've done it since the start of these stupid purges. Why change now?" After a quick growl of her stomach, she hurried past the televisions and down the street, holding her bag close, without trying look too suspicious. Warning posters, and demons indulging in various vices, from lust to wrath to gluttony, lined the sidewalks, and clumped themselves under streetlights, either ignoring her entirely or looking at her either with mean spirited ridicule or judgement. No matter, she always thought. She lightly stepped across the street and mumbled an 'excuse me', as she slipped by people. Most didn't bother with a response or even the turn of the head. She didn't care much these days. She hadn't known an entirely pleasant face since before the end of her life on Earth. Granted, she couldn't have expected anything better; not in this place. She pulled her hat a little further down onto her head, and glanced over her shoulder one last time, just to be safe.   Roxane only sped up her walk once she left the busy epicenter of downtown. As she pulled her large cap over her head, suburbs gradually took their places as she grew closer to her apartment complex. She happened upon a three story apartment building, dirty and sad looking, on the other end of suburbs, where the houses and strip centers sat near open fields and one solitary skyscraper, a secondary meeting place for employees of the Royal Family, Roxane had once been told.   The building was also littered with demons, partaking in smoking, drinking, screaming at each other, and throwing a punch or two. The latter of which took place just by her usual flight of stairs to get to her own little apartment. She rolled her eyes, but before she could use the flight of stairs on the other end of the building, she noticed something she found particularly odd.  A collection of talking ovals scurried from street corner to corner, whispering among each other as they crossed the streets. Roxane, tired as she was, could've sworn they were...no they couldn't be. She slipped behind the building and watched them giggle at each other about a joke she didn't quite catch.   They certainly did look like eggs, but surely they couldn't be...scrambled eggs sounded really nice right about now, she thought. She sank to her arms and knees and hid behind large, fallen debris, in hopes of getting a better look at them. Just as she suspected, they were four Egg Bois, with broken cracks for their mouths and eye sockets. The bois stopped at a corner a little close by the skyscraper, giving Roxane the chance she needed to get close enough to verify what these creatures were.    "There's just one thing I don't understand?" the first one asked, albeit grouchily.  "What's that, Curtis?" another, Martin, asked, sounding tired. Roxane watched them from behind and smirked a little. The more she looked at these eggs, however animate, the more she felt her hunger spike. Nasty little thoughts entered her head.   "Why exactly would the Big Man Downstairs get a random skyscraper built all the way out here in the trashy suburbs? Isn't he just begging for trouble?"  "Have you seen the demons around here?" another asked, trying to stay focused on looking out. "They're too busy smoking and drinking with their pals. No sensible crook from Downtown would bother doing business with a lazy gaggle of bums. Though I doubt they're worse than that Angel Dust-"  "Oh yeah, I can't stand that guy!" Curtis cried. "If that arachno-jerk ever shows up again, I oughta cave his head in! I'd go 'wham!'-" he cried, throwing a punch. "And a 'kerpow!'-, and a-ugh!"  There was a sudden quiet.   "...finally he shuts up," Martin whispered.       "Bois-" Sir Pentious whispered, as he appeared from the shadows and beckoned them. "Hello, Boss!" the third of them, Samuel, replied.   "How many times do I have to tell you bois, that you have to be quiet? Especially on these jobs?" he asked strictly. The eye on his hat practically glared at the trio. "Wait a minute..." Sir Pentious did a head count. "One, two, th-...are we missing someone?" The Eggs Bois looked around them. "Where's Curtis?" the fourth of them, Frederick, asked.  "Excellent question," Sir Pentious grumbled. "...well, it could still work with two...Frederick!"     "Boss?"   "Go find Curtis! I don't want anyone seeing him and getting suspicious," he ordered.     "Yes, sir!" Frederick replied before speeding away.  Sir Pentious hid the remaining bois, including himself, at the sound of footsteps, clacking on the pavement. Slipping towards the side of the skyscraper, Sir Pentious and Samuel peeked over the corner and found a well dressed demons wearing many medals approaching the sliding doors of the skyscraper, looking very smug. He was a very handsome gentleman, very humanoid in appearance, with long flowing dark hair. His eyes were a flaming red, and around his chest was a satchel; one that Sir Pentious stared at intently. "There he is, bois. Captain Mermeoth, one of the original Fallen Angels from before the Creation of Man. They say he was there the moment the Princess's father first proposed his rebellion."  "He looks awfully impressive, Boss," Samuel replied.  "Yes, but not for long," Sir Pentious told him with a grin.  "Get ready to distract him."    "Yes, sir!" Martin agreed.  "And Samuel, take your place on the other side of the building. Wait for the moment I nod my head. Trigger the bombs, and it'll send them to his knees. Then, when he's preoccupied, grab the plans. He always keeps them in that satchel of his. You boys ready?"  "Right!" Samuel replied.     Martin was silent.       "Martin?" Sir Pentious looked behind him and Samuel. The hat's eye widened in shock. Samuel looked left and right. "Where did he go??" the boi asked. Sir Pentious's face was thrown left and right, and his face expressed a look of confusion, frustration, and maybe even a little worry.     "What is going on here?!" he demanded.     "HELP!! HELP!!!!"     "That sounds like Martin!" Samuel cried. Sir Pentious hummed in suspicion. His hat glared a cold dagger. ...     "HELP-HELP-HELP!!"   "Shut up, dude, huh?" Roxane snapped. Wrapped up in her arms were three squirming egg bois, kicking their feet and struggling. Using her paws as well as she could, she gathered a collection of trash and a pan, and attempted to start a fire on the opposite side of the street parallel to the skyscraper. Hiding in an alleyway, she kept her eyes open and alert, should any particular cobras show up. "Shh-shh, sorry, fellas, nothing personal. I'm a mongoose, you're some eggs, and I'm starving. Don't be so sore about it."  "NO, YOU CRAZY BROAD! LET. US. GO!" Curtis cried.  "WAAAHHH I WANT SIR PENTIOUS!" Martin wailed. Roxane rolled her eyes as she tried to light up a match and make a fire. When the matchstick was lit, she flung it into the trash and watched the flame flare up. "There we go! Now, bois, try to relax. This will only take a-OW!"   Roxane felt a clawed hand grasp her bare shoulder and turn her around. Sir Pentious clutched her skin with a terrible glare on his face and hat. 

 "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING??!!" Roxane jumped, causing the bois to fall from her arms.   "HOORAY! The Boss has come to save us!" Curtis cheered.  "YAHOOOO!" the other bois cried. They crowded around Sir Pentious and beamed at him. "We love you, Sir Pentious!"     "Yes, yes, yes-" he said, putting them all behind him. Roxane couldn't help but smirk as she pushed herself away from him.   "Aw, the big bad Egg Dad protecting his sons." The cobra's muscles tensed up at such a response.   "Sons?! Who do you think you are, snatching my henchmen, young woman?" Roxane frowned at him. "Well, that can happen, when you're wandering around Hell, stuffed full of mischievous demons." Her smile was bold, and filled with sharp pearly whites. Sir Pentious curled his fingers in, taken aback a little by her courage. The mongoose seemed pleased at her apparently unexpected sass.  "That may be, my dear, but you don't just simply steal a man's minions, Hell or no Hell," he snarled. Roxane squared her shoulders a little, in preparation for a fight.   "Well, I-" She pushed away her bag, causing it to tip over. Sir Pentious briefly noticed some of the items inside; two brown and black wallets, a bag of chips, a crowbar, and a debit card with a masculine name etched in it. "Perhaps, this isn't your first theft, is it, my mongoose?" he asked, with an arched eyebrow. Roxane tied her hair up just in case.   "You clever cobra, you," she replied, not frowning for a second. "Thanks," he replied arrogantly. His tail nudged Curtis to snatch her bag. "Hey!!" she exclaimed as Sir Pentious took the bag and looked through it with an evil smirk on his face. "I can't stay long, but I'm interested in your repertoire. Let me see," he opened up the wallets and found ID cards that clearly didn't match her face. "Two hundred Hell Credits, a crowbar-useful for thefts, I will admit-a bag of salt and oil, and...Garrett Kane," he grinned at her, upon reading the payment card. "You don't look like a Garrett Kane."  

  Roxane lunged for the bag, before Sir Pentious slipped out of the way, tripping her with his tail. His hat beamed with malicious pleasure before Roxane grabbed on his arm and tugged him to the ground. The Egg Bois huddled together, gasping and worried. The mongoose pinned him to the ground, giggling with mild ridicule. "You know that the mongoose is your natural enemy, right?" She clenched her fist up and sent it sailing down towards his face. However, the serpent grabbed it, as his hat fell off and rolled away from him. His mouth and eyes widened with a deafening hiss, as he sat up, jerking her back. He pinned her to the wall, holding her by her wrists.  "The Laws of the Earth don't apply in Hell, my dear."  Roxane's chest heaved up and down as she briefly analyzed her situation. His clawed fingers pressed down on her skin, but strangely enough, not too deep that it drew blood. Looking at him and all of his eyes falling on her, she felt wouldn't break, not in front of this slithering creature. "I'll give you that," she breathed, still smirking. "Sir Pentious...right?"  The snake was silent, not expecting her to utter his name.     "You're in one of those gangs that are always fighting for terf. I saw you throw a grenade at a girl once. Tall woman, long blonde ponytail, one red eye?"   "You know Cherri?" he hissed distastefully.   "I know of Cherri, and her buddy, Angel Dust," she explained. She noticed the scowl on his face, his grip staying as tight as possible. "I'm impressed. Yes, she and Angel were plotting to take my side of town for the millionth time. Can't say, I approve."    "I don't blame you. If someone were trying to steal my apartment, I wouldn't receive them well either. If you've gotta steal, you gotta be sneaky about it."  Sir Pentious hummed. "And smart about it."    "Exactly," Roxane replied. "I saw you throw it at her, the night I pickpocketed some Hell Credits from an aristocrat, one of those old school Fallen Angels from waaayyy back when."     "You stole from a Fallen Angel? How?" he asked in a low, doubtful tone. Roxane chuckled. "I'm too quick. I've been at this since 1980. I used it to buy that purse of mine; a nice deep one to hold aallll my treasures," she replied, almost flirting. She winked at him, causing another flicker of doubt in him. "I see. I wish I'd caught that Cherri even more so now. You'd have seen how great a shot I am."  "I believe you," she assured him. They stared at each other for quite awhile. The Egg Bois weren't sure what to make them both. This random mongoose girl keeping her cool and teasing the Boss, like he was a common demon. Yet, the Boss just stands there, keeping her pinned by her bare shoulders, no thanks to her loose gold colored sweater. Yet, he does nothing. No hitting, no venomous bites, not even an apparent scratch to the skin under her thin layer of fur; all there seemed to be as they teased each other were snarky smiles and subtle pink tints to their cheeks. Even his hat seemed a little confused.   “Nice hat, cobra,” she replied with a grin. Neither Sir Pentious nor the Hat seemed to expect this, but the latter was plenty flattered.    “Yours isn’t so bad itself.”   Sir Pentious began to question himself. His reluctance to retaliate or say anything more, baffled even him. For a moment, all he did was stare, before he shook his head and held out her bag with his tail.  "I think...I'm beginning to like you, Miss..."  "Roxane; now what are you doing out here anyway?" she asked in a gentle tone that surprised even her.      "And that's how I lost my dog, Scruffy!"     Roxane, Sir Pentious, and remaining Egg Bois, looked around the corner and saw Samuel trying to talk to a very impatient looking Mermeoth. Sir Pentious grinned. "Perfect! Martin, get over there and hurry to the bombs," he whispered to Martin. "Yes, sir!" Martin replied. 

 "Bombs?!" Roxane asked. Sir Pentious shushed her.    "Can I go get the satchel, Boss?" Curtis asked in a redemptive tone.  "No! You've been too careless lately. Frederick, you go get it," Sir Pentious snapped. Curtis shrugged lowly. Frederick saluted and took a ready stance.  Samuel could see Martin creep behind Mermeoth. His heart skipped a beat when the captain turned his head for just a brief moment, only for Samuel to remind him of a rabies shot this 'Scruffy' had. Martin sprinted towards the other side of the street, parallel to the right side of the skyscaper. Sir Pentious watched Martin, who made eye contact with him once he made it to a long winding wire extending from the building. Roxane saw the grin on his face as he picked up his hat and brushed it off. Roxane noticed it blink at her for a moment, before Sir Pentious gave him the signal.       One head nod was all he needed.     Huge spheres of fire and smoke exploded from the ground, causing Mermeoth to stumble and Samuel to try and reach for the demon's satchel. His lack of grace caused him to fall over. "WOAH-OOF!! I-I'VE FALLEN! HELP! I CAN'T GET UP!!! HELP!!!!" he cried. Sir Pentious groaned and was about to enter the scene before Roxane sped towards the rubble from behind him.  Sir Pentious reached his tail inside in hopes of reaching for the satchel without detection. Instead, he caught Martin. When he retracted the tip of his tail, he hovered it, allowing the egg boi to dangle.     "Phew! Gee, thanks, Boss!"     "You idiot!!! Where's the satchel? And where's that-"  Roxane staggered from the collection of fire and ash, with the Captain's satchel over her shoulder. Looking exhausted, but nonetheless determined, Sir Pentious really stared at her, shocked and perhaps even a little in awe. The flames from behind her gave her a bold, yet regal appearance as she wearily stepped towards him. Her hair flew around her thin face and the fire matched her bright, brilliant red and orange eyes. He couldn’t look away from them. 

  She was beautiful. 

  The mongoose stopped at the feeling of something behind her. Sir Pentious extended his tail at the sight of a clawed hand reaching out from behind her. Roxane lifted her fists to fight. After a hard punch to Captain Mermeoth's face (at which even the cobra himself had to smirk a little), Roxane's ankle was tugged away by his tail, causing her to be fall away, back to the alley where Sir Pentious stood. He grabbed both her purse and the Captain's satchel and took her away from the scene. The Egg Bois followed him.  The collection of demons hurried from alleyway to alleyway, until they were far enough from the wreckage for Roxane to struggle in his grip and rip her hand away. "Let go of me!" she whispered. She shook her hand to help ease away his tight, though strangely warm grip.  "There," she breathed in and out, tired from running. He briefly glanced at her, a little dumbfounded, before reaching inside. His smile spread from side to side as he pulled out what looked like a one hundred page document covered in tiny words, blue prints, and maps detailing the entirety of the Inferno and the best places to hide from the purging creatures. The Egg Bois climbed on top of each other, forming a ladder of sorts, with Curtis on the bottom and Samuel on top. He and Roxane looked over Sir Pentious's shoulder and 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the overflow of information. The cobra looked over at Roxane and quietly pondered her. She was quick on her feet, evidently smart, and extremely capable, and the strangest part about it was, he didn't necessarily disapprove of her taking a look. 

   Sirens suddenly rang at them, causing Sir Pentious to grab the bois and Roxane and bolt away as fast as he could, leaving a ranting Captain of the Guard.

  ...

   In the days following the annual purge, Roxane walked cautiously towards Sir Pentious's home, making sure she wasn't being followed. The bruises and scratches from wearing shorts during her initial conflict with the serpent were all nearly healed, now that the dust had settled. In time, people came out of their homes and gave into the same vices they'd fallen for in the past. Some let their hands wander upon the bodies of others, other stuffed their faces with food and drink, and a few spewed blatant falsehoods.   "Oh yeah, you should've seen it. I smashed 'em and I ripped those purgers to pieces. No demon killer can sneak up on me and get off scott free!"   Roxane softly scoffed.     "I will admit; it was really neat of Sir Pentious to tell people where to go and how to prep for the invasion," a pink and yellow demon woman with one eye piped up. Roxane smiled as she turned towards his house. "Sounds like his plan is working," she thought.     She dashed to the front door of his two story home. Though she knew she could walk right in, she knocked on the door anyway, quickly parting her feet and extending her arms. When the doors opened, an Egg Bois holding a shotgun answered. "Y-Yes?" he asked.   "YIPES!"     "Ooh lunch!" Roxane replied, almost teasing. She lunged for the boi, who kicked his legs around at her firm hands on his egg shell. "Oh no not again!" he cried. "Save me, Boss! Save me!!"     "Roxane," Sir Pentious replied, standing in the foyer with his arms folded. Roxane dangled him over her open mouth before looking at an annoyed cobra.  "Drop him."       The mongoose groaned and dropped the egg, who dashed behind the snake, holding his tail from behind him.   "That's right, egg. Scramble to your Boss!" Roxane replied with a facetious wink. The boi trembled, and Sir Pentious rolled his eyes. "Matthew, go find the others. See if they need anything."    "Yes, yes, of course!" the boi replied, hurrying towards the meeting hall. Sir Pentious curved an eyebrow at her, as she put her hands behind her back, appearing innocent.   "Now, don't you start with that little smirk, silly mongoose," he warned, as she winked at him. She walked up to him, looking pleased at the smile trying to grow on his lips. He took her up the stairs to a door in the hallway, which he opened to reveal a gold and dark gray colored office.   "Close the door behind you, if you please," Sir Pentious replied.   "Oh, sure," she replied as he slithered past his blinking hat on his rack. It watched Roxane as she briefly glanced at it. Once she sat down in front of his desk, it grinned at him. Sir Pentious noticed and squinted at it, causing it to give him a knowing look.    "So, Roxane-" he began, as she put her hands in her lap.  "Mmh-hmm?"    "I can safely say that my purge plan is working just about as well as I hoped it would. I heard on the radio that even our good friend, the Captain, had a less than pleasant experience during the actual conflict," Sir Pentious replied with a diabolical grin. Roxane chuckled at a beam she found rather amusing.    "I think so too. I heard someone compliment you on the way here,” she pointed out.      "Good, good, I had deduced that someone would. While I've got you-" Sir Pentious replied, beckoning her to lean forward, with his finger. She did so, and emphasized her ear with her own to listen in. "-though I've got a jump start of popularity going around, I need you to do me a favor."    "Might as well; I've done a few for you already," Roxane replied in a teasing tone. Normally, Sir Pentious wouldn't have approved, but at this point, he expected it.   "And I've done a couple for you, don't forget! I had hoped that you appreciated hiding here during the purge as an expression of my...thanks, I suppose," he replied. The hat grinned at him, at which he stared it down. Roxane nodded. "I did, thank you, and I appreciate you letting me get out and get some nice warm air after those creeps left," she returned. A mild blush almost flared up before he turned his head around. "Of course; I mean, it wouldn't have been very gentlemanly of me to keep a relatively new acquaintance of mine cooped up here in the aftermath of the worst inconvenience I get all year. In fact, now that the worst is over for the year, I have a job for you."     "Aah, good, the commission you promised," Roxane reminded him.       "If you succeed of course. Task first, payment second; that was our deal."        "Fine, fine," she admitted.  The cobra smirked as he handed her a map of Katie Killjoy's television studio and dressing room, plus a picture of a light pink, ovular pill. "Last night, one of my bois," he said this with a hint of aggravation. "-lost a very powerful sedative I asked him to pick up and present to me. I had intended on planting it in Angel Dust's regular drug intake. My boi's partner saw Killjoy's co-anchor, Tom, pick it up and take it to the studio before he could grab it. It's not a lethal drug, but it can put its consumer in a powerful sleep. It would give me more than enough time to surround his gang, overtake them, and claim his terf. But before I can do that, I need to take back that sedative and any footage their cameras may have of it. Knowing Killjoy, her crew are probably working on a big story about it right now. This is where you come in: I want you to sneak into the station, find the sedative, and bring it and any footage her cameras may have picked up of it. Better yet, if you find any, bring the cameras to me. A good dismantling should do the trick."  Roxane nodded and hummed, as he explained his story, and placed her hand on the desk.   "Consider it done, and don't forget: 20 credits/hour, starting as soon as you send me out."     "If you succeed."     "I think I will. I'm a quick, tough lady, sir," she explained, flexing an arm muscle. She tapped her fist to his cheek, causing him to lose control of that light pink blush to his cheeks. Her gentle fist on his skin helped him feel strangely warm before he cleared his throat. "Yes, well, if I were you, I'd get going. Your commission starts now. Don't die on the way back and hands off my bois."   "Alright, alright," she said. She walked towards the door, and spared him one last glance, before she smiled. “Oh and Sir Pentious?” He looked up at her.     "Thanks."

 With that, she was gone. The snake's muscles stiffened, before he noticed his hat grinning at him. He loosened them and flexed his jacket.