Department Of Paranormal Entities (D.O.P.E)

The car screeched softly as Samuel pulled over to the side of the road, squinting through the windshield. The engine clicked into silence, but their confusion was louder than ever.

"Uh... this is it?" Samuel leaned forward, double-checking the GPS on his phone. "This is the shared location, right? You sure Uncle Agent Vick didn't send us the wrong pin?"

Danny looked up from his own screen and frowned. "Bro, I triple-checked it. This is the spot."

The two of them stepped out, staring ahead like they'd been personally insulted by architecture. In front of them stood a plain old three-story department store. A faded sign read: X Store "We have everything you need!"

Danny scratched his head. "I think he wrongly pinned X store instead of X Division."

Samuel shook his head. "These old people and their tech lag. And he calls himself an agent."

"Should I call him?" Danny asked.

"Hold on, bro. I think I wanna grab some new boxers. Maybe a black tie. Imagine us in suits like Men in Black. Damn, we'd look cool." Samuel was clearly spiraling into another fantasy.

The moment Danny heard that, his demeanor changed. He toke out black sunglass from his pocket. Wear it. "Agent K, are you ready?" Danny said dramatically, already walking toward the store. "Let's get that black tie."

"Hey, I wanna be Will Smith!" Samuel jogged after him.

As they stepped into the store, Hell's Order suddenly echoed in both their minds: "Warning! Demon detected in nearby vicinity."

They froze mid-step.

"Hell's Order, full report!" Samuel demanded sharply.

Danny, already trained by yesterday's disaster, pulled a small bottle from his pocket, pinched some Himalayan salt, swallowed it, and handed it to Samuel. He followed suit.

Hell's Order updated with a glowing mental map:

Demon Category 2 detected at Second Floor

________________________________________

The Mocking Demon (The Impersonator)

Appearance: Mimics loved ones but always slightly off. Dead eyes, twisted smiles.

Behavior: gaslight victims before possess them and consuming thier souls and thier loved ones.

Vibe: Manipulative trickster feeding on guilt.

Weakness: Strong floral scents, loud music, cats.

__________________________________________

"Where the hell are we gonna get a cat?" Danny asked.

Meow.

They both turned.

A small box of three kittens sat curled together beside a cardboard donation bin.

Danny blinked. "Is this divine intervention or lazy writing?"

Samuel smirked. "Welcome to Walaysia. Land of stray cats and kind aunties."

"But we're not using kittens for demon hunting!" Danny dropped to his knees, shielding the box with his arms like a bodyguard.

"If there are kittens, there's a mom."

"Hell's Order, scan for adult cat!" Samuel commanded.

"Should the system monitor the demon or search for adult cat?" the system replied.

"Screw it. Monitor the demon," Samuel snapped.

"You monster. I won't allowed you to use kittens is," Danny muttered, rubbing a kitten's head.

Samuel shakes his head. Take a deep breath and command.

"You go find perfume. I'll watch the demon."

Samuel moved cautiously toward the second floor, eyes sharp. The scent of old air filled his nose as the overhead fans creaked slowly. He spotted the demon quickly disguised as a towering store employee, stacking instant noodles with robotic precision.

"Gotcha," Samuel muttered.

"Why are you whispering?" Danny's voice buzzed in his head.

"Did you find perfume?"

"Nope but something better! Found detergent. Rose scented. Floor cleaner aisle. Smells like nuclear grandma garden."

"Perfect."

Danny met Samuel, bottle in hand. The demon sniffed the air, paused, and turned slowly. Dead eyes. Wrong smile.

Danny cracked open the bottle. Samuel's bracelet glowed as he started the Sin Binding chant.

The demon lunged.

Too late.

Black runes lit beneath its feet. The demon screeched as Samuel's spell locked him in place. Danny dumped the cleaner over him. The scent hit the demon like acid. His skin turned blotchy red, foaming at the mouth, twisting in agony.

"I'm gonna skin you alive, Hell Enfocers!" it roared.

"Be Cleanse your demon!" Danny yelled, emotional and hyped. "Suffer in rose rage, I'm cleansing the world from Demon with Hell Cleaner!"

Samuel summoned the Hell's Gate with his usual chant. Runes flared. Just as the demon's screams reached a crescendo—

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

Agent Vick's voice boomed across the floor like thunder.

Samuel froze mid-incantation. Half way summoned hell's gate vanish back in this air.

Danny dropped the cleaner.

Agent Vick was marching through the chaos, eyes wide, nostrils flaring. "Why are you guys playing with detergent?!"

"Uncle Vick....uh, I mean Agent Vick! That's a demon!" Samuel shouted. "Let us banish him first!"

"STOP. We know that. He is Agent Rex!"

"A DEMON IS AN AGENT?!" they both yelled.

Vick rushed to the twitching body of Agent Rex, whose soaked figure trembled on the floor, red rash-covered and foaming at the mouth. Agent Vick pull out his walkie talkie and requested for help. "Second floor. Need help! Urgent! James, Nick both of you come here A.S.A.P!" He quickly help Agent Rex to sit up and reliaze his arm cant be lifted and he is brick of going unconscious and his body still twitching. "Do something two of you. Help him" He snapped at the panicking boys.

Samuel chant release within his mind and release the sin binders. Then he asked "Hell's Order, can we save him?"

"Be specific. The host or the demon?"

"The demon."

"Saving demon initiates system failure. WARNING. Do not save demon. WARNING. Self-destruct mode. WARNING—"

"Okay okay, jeez."

"Just analyze his condition."

"Host body is rejecting demon. Fragrance poisoning + Sin Binder weakening. Banishment recommended."

Danny was pacing in circles. "This is bad. Real bad."

"Let's get him to the bathroom! Wash him! Remove the scent!" Samuel shouted.

Suddenly, Samuel screamed and collapsed. His body jolted violently, like he'd grabbed a lightning rod.

"WHAT NOW?!" Danny panicked.

"Hell's Order Enforcer attempted demon aid. Punishment initiated."

Agent Vick knelt down. "Samuel!" He touched him.

ZAP.

Agent Vick flew backward, landing on his back, twitching violently.

Danny rushed forward but was intercepted by a flying kick to the chest from a new agent just arriving.

"GET DOWN! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR ATTACKING OUR X-STORE EMPLOYEES!"

Danny crashed into a display shelf. One shelf toppled into another. A chain reaction of destruction began.

Shelves collapsed. Perfume bottles exploded. Cans rolled. Plastic mannequins were decapitated mid-fall.

By the time it ended, the floor looked like a post-apocalyptic supermarket scene.

A kitten hopped onto the fallen shelf… and meowed.

Judging them all.

To be continue.