Chapter Text
Carrying Captain Castle on his back while flying was definitely a pain in Husk's ass, but it had to be done - besides, Imp City wasn't too far away, and that was where the meeting was going to take place for whatever reason. Almost as if he could read the cat demon's thoughts, the half-skeleton spoke up.
"It's avoided by most, and nobody that matters would hear us - it's just low-rank imps and homeless hordes. ... How many of them are guys like us, you reckon?"
Husk didn't want to answer that.
Soon enough, they had landed before a decrepit little hole in the wall - the flickering neon sign near the door read 'Shax's Shack'. According to the coordinates in the message, this is it. Pushing past the door and walking through the corridors, they eventually reached a set of guards standing watch - both stoic as could be. From behind dark shades, they spotted Husk and Castle before speaking in unison.
"The Gipper awaits you, men." As soon as the words left their mouths, they pushed the doors behind them open and let the duo cross.
---
Before them was a long table, and at the furthest end sat a bull demon in a well-pressed suit. Also seated were a wolf demon in a pair of chinos, a headband and an 'Avenged Sevenfold' shirt who seemed like he'd want to be anywhere but here, a chicken demon wearing a letterman jacket with what seems like a tape-deck in his throat, and... a large cardboard box with nobody seated on it. Did- did it just move? No, probably just a hallucination.
"Gentlemen, please take a seat, if you will." The warm, grandfatherly voice came through, and despite some reticence (especially from Castle), the two joined the assembled men at the table.
"I've called you here because our very way of life is threatened. Two men are planning something... far beyond what any of us can afford. Hundreds would die in horrible pain-" Before he could finish, the wolf spoke up.
"Cut the shit already, Reagan. What's it matter down here, huh? 'sides, ain't it a good thing that we get rid of some of the damned?" Hearing that voice again made Husk shoot up from his seat, rage in his eyes.
"Woods, you fuckin' piece of shit!" He tried to throw himself across the table to pounce on Woods, but quicker than any of them could notice, the cardboard box was flung into the air and a scarred snake demon in army-issue camouflage tossed himself at Husk, coiling around him to try and neutralise him.
Meanwhile, the wolf shook his head and shrugged. "Look, it sucks but I needed to say something like that to make sure you weren't completely drunk off your ass, kid."
"Hrngh... you could have- gone a little less intense though, you know?" The snake growled at him, before giving a slap to the side of Husk's head. "Calm down!"
The chicken demon looked to the bull who summoned them before a pre-recorded voice left his beak. "Proceed."
"I'll keep it brief, then." Producing a folder from under the table, Gipper slid it across the table where the wolf opened it up, extracting two pictures: one of a Brandt's bat-esque demon in a rather dapper hat and coat, and one of a koi demon in a white suit. Both pictures bore a word inked in red in the edges of the frame - 'Fene' and 'Nishikigoi', respectively.
"These two plan on unleashing untold chaos and destruction... our very language could become our cause of death if their plans succeed. So I called upon all of you."
A look towards the wolf. "Recon."
To the chicken. "Jacket."
To the snake. "Vic."
To Castle. "Rook."
And finally, to Husk. "And you, Husk."
"You five are some of the very best America's armed forces have ever seen, and are the only ones who stand between the status quo and a mess that even Lucifer himself wouldn't be able to withstand. I know you won't fail us."
---
A few minutes later, the five left Shax's Shack with the information bouncing around in their brains.
Husk was the first to speak up. "Tell me again why we're listenin' to some... fuckin' California governor?"
Woods raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Guessing you died too early to know that Reagan became president in the 80s." Hearing that, Husk kind of wished he had a mouthful of booze so he could do a spit-take.
"Fucking what?"
The snake slithered past, peeking around a corner. "There's a car there. We can take it, seems abandonned."
The other vets joined him, piling up in a Scooby Stack to see... an 6000 SUX. Woods was the first to vocalise his thoughts. "I guess that fuckin' thing'll do. Goes real fast and it's got real shitty gas mileage. We won't be needin' it for long, so it's alright."
Climbing inside, Woods took the wheel and Castle took the passenger's seat while Vic, Jacket and Husk all huddled in the back.
Driving out of Imp City and passing by a homeless man cradling a shotgun, the group realised as they entered Pentagram City that... they should probably think of a plan of attack here.