Barbie Wire emerged from the shadows of the alleyway, her crimson eyes narrowed with irritation as she clutched the Asmodean Crystal in her pocket. The chilly breeze whipped through the trash-strewn streets, carrying with it the acrid stench of despair and regret—much like the scent that followed her wherever she went. She had just lost Counselor Jimmy, her latest pawn in the twisted game she played with the humans. The counselor had been a reliable source of chaos, feeding her the souls of the desperate and lost that she so craved. Now, thanks to that blasted Blitzo and his interfering friend, she was out of a job and a junkie. The betrayal stung almost as much as the hunger for power gnawing at her insides.

With a furious snarl, she kicked a can across the pavement, watching it clatter against the bricks before rolling into the murky puddle that mirrored her mood.

This is all his fault... she muttered, the human language feeling strange and coarse on her forked tongue. If it weren't for that traitorous twin of mine, I'd still have my claws in that pathetic excuse for a man.

The rage grew within her, her fists clenching and unclenching as she thought of Blitzo's smug face. She had to find someone new, someone equally as malleable and desperate. Someone who wouldn't ask questions, who wouldn't try to outsmart her. Someone who was ripe for the picking.