Ava clutched her employment paperwork to her chest. She’d been standing in front of her new office for an inordinate amount of time, trying to convince herself to walk in. I can do this. I’m a good employee. They’ll love me on the team. She repeated those words to herself like a mantra, hoping that it would stick, giving her the courage to take her first steps in. It wasn’t like she had much of a rush – she was about 15 minutes early – but the angel had been told numerous times that the earlier you show up, the more eager you seem. And oh, she wanted to be seen as eager – eager to help, eager to improve, eager to devote herself to PurGATory Inc.

She’d been training at an internship for the past how-many-millennia, really refining her virtues and skills as an angel – chastity, goodwill, virtue. Ava wasn’t a religious angel, and she was certainly not a nun or in any high position of faith. But she held her values close to her chest, making them the pillars of her identity. When all else failed, and she was faced with the most pressing moral dilemma, Ava could fall upon her values, her rituals, her beliefs.

And she especially held those values closely as she walked into her new workplace.

Ava had wanted a job at the Bureau of Judgement for as long as she’d been an angel. She worked smaller jobs in the interim to build her resume and eventually reach this exact point. Ava didn’t necessarily have a fair chance - demons and devils had significantly more influence, power, and reputation in the Judgement industry. Even if angels were brought onto the teams, they were often delegated to cleaning or administrative roles. But Ava was determined, and though she had a high moral code, she didn’t consider herself a goody two shoes or a suck-up. 

She was determined damn it – perhaps a bit to a fault.

With a deep inhale, a long exhale, and a straightened posture, she walked in, unknowing her infectious smile would see its last days.

~~~

Ava wasn’t sure what she expected walking in, but she couldn’t say it was anything close to an angel running away crying as a horde of demons wandered behind her, cackling with torches and pitchforks at the ready. The angel – the target – had her dress ripped, mascara streaking, panting as she was chased out of the door and far, far away.

The scene happened so quickly that Ava didn’t even consider leaving. If her logical mind had suggested the probably very good idea, her level of stun and shock eliminated it.

What in god’s name…

Ava shook her head. If that angel was being punished and bullied so mercilessly, surely she deserved it… right? If Ava even entertained the possibility that wasn’t the case, she swore her entire being would collapse on her. She knew it was wrong to ignore someone in need, but–

“Oh, you the new girl?” Ava was nearly startled out of her skin as one of the demons previously chasing the angel away set her eyes on a potential new target. No, no, that would be jumping to conclusions – innocent until proven guilty, she reminded herself. “My name’s Lochlin. Your name’s, uh… Ava, right?”

“Mhmm! Nice to meet you, Lochlin,” Ava said, slipping easily into her high pitched innocent voice, masking any doubt she might have had – or still have. “I’m supposed to be assigned to, umm… I think her name was Domini? Right?”

Ava could have sworn Lochlin blinked a bit too hard, her face tense up imperceptibly. “O-oh, yeah! Domini! I know where her team is. Right this way, I’ll show you.”

“Thanks!” Ava kept her voice cheerful as the demon motioned for her to follow. She tried to get her apparent nervousness out of her mind, but it lingered. Did Domini have some kind of reputation? Ava tried to keep her suspicions to herself – and well, tried to temper her suspicions in general – as they walked down the seemingly endless office.

The office definitely was majority devil. Most of them waved to Lochlin, but when Ava nervously waved back, they simply gave her a weird look. ‘You don’t belong here’, is what their faces told Ava. However, some of them looked a bit too intense. Like they were hungry. Starving, even. Maybe they skipped breakfast or something?

“Here we are,” Lochlin finally stopped at a grand door, covered with ornate black leather and what looked like real, legitimate rubies. Ava had a feeling she should be getting ‘evil supervillain lady’ vibes from it, and compounded with her other sinking feelings since arriving, a thought of leaving now creeped into her brain. But before she could act on that, Lochlin knocked on the door with clear intention and called out, “Domini! I brought your new angel! She’s super excited to start!”

Ava would say ‘super nervous’ at this point, but at least Lochlin described her politely. She didn’t know why Lochlin had to specify why she was an angel, though…

“Ah, I was expecting her.” A deep, sultry voice called from the other side of the door. Ava heard high heels clacking closer and closer, before throwing the door open. 

If Ava was on the fence about running before seeing Domini, oh lord she was definitely eyeing the exit once she saw Domini. Domini’s work uniform was… well, to put it kindly, it showed more skin than clothes. Her pants were so low that Ava could clearly see her succubus tattoo, lightly glowing on and off. Domini stood tall, damn tall – even if she wasn’t wearing high heels, she could look down at Ava like an ant easily. Her neon pink hair draped down her shoulders all the way to her waist, giant curls organizing it neatly.

Shit. Ava shouldn’t be staring as much. She cleared her throat and started, “Hello, Domini! My name is Ava. I’m your new Project Manager. I’m looking forward to–”

“Lochlin? You may leave.” Domini cut through Ava’s introduction as if she wasn’t listening. Lochlin curtsied in response.

“Certainly! Enjoy your first day, Ava.”

“Th-thanks…!” Ava turned to look at her. For a split second, she saw Lochlin’s smile twist into a smirk, her eyes glowering at Ava. 

She didn’t want to start trouble on day one. But she couldn’t stop herself from asking: What was wrong with everyone here? Was Ava the crazy one for thinking this was so, so weird?

“Ava, how lovely to have you.” Domini’s greeting was kind, but the intent behind her voice was not. “Come, we’ll begin your onboarding in my office.”

“Oh, uh, tha–”

Once again, Domini didn’t wait, and she interrupted Ava as if she barely noticed or cared that Ava was speaking. Maybe Ava wasn’t speaking loud enough? It was a ridiculous thought, but maybe Domini was having trouble hearing her. Being so, so much taller and everything.

Domini grabbed Ava’s wrist, and pulled her into her office, all but throwing her inside with all her weight. Ow, damn, she didn’t need to be so rough! Her hand was so tough and strong, especially compared to Ava’s, that it felt like Domini could snap Ava’s wrist like a twig. 

This knocked Ava off her feet. She stood up wearily, dusting off her work pants and dress shirt. Domini walked by her, offering no help. She sat down at her massive desk, nonchalantly picking up some papers and tapping them on the table into a neat pile. “I’ve reviewed your resume, and your qualifications are most in line with my team. We’re looking forward to having you.”

That was the singular kindest thing Domini had said to Ava, and even so, her smile was anything but. Smiles were typically warm and sunny, but Domini’s grin made Ava shiver like an ice cold winter day. Ava didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but… was she eyeing Ava up and down? What for?

“T-thanks!” Ava bowed her head, trying to get the conversation back into her favor. “I’m looking forward to working with your team too. This has been my dream job, and I’m so, so incredibly honored.”

“Your dream job, you say…” Domini mused, putting a hand to her chin. “Looks like you had a ton of experience. Would you say your years of employment were all building up to this sort of position?”

Ava nodded eagerly. “Yes! It’s been my dream. All my education and past employment, um, I picked them all with the goal of getting here one day. Um, is there a reason you ask…?”

“Oh, no, not at all.” Domini dismissed the clarification request. “Simple curiosity, and perhaps a test to see just how dedicated you are.”

Just how dedicated? Why did Domini feel the need to interrogate her like this? She should have gotten all the answers from her resume, right…? Every single second she spent here, another red flag raised. The possibility of all of her work ending up here, only to give up on day one, made her stomach sink. She was going to tough it out for that day at least. And if things just kept getting worse… Ava didn’t want to think about it.

“I can assure you I’m very dedicated,” Ava affirmed, puffing her chest out to look more powerful than she actually was. “Do I have a cubicle? If so, I’d love to get set up for the day.”

It was harder to hold her optimistic voice together, and it accidentally cracked, but who could blame her? Domini smiled sinisterly, leaning over and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “But of course. Wouldn’t want to keep our most dedicated employee, after all. Leave my office and take a right. Someone there should be able to help you out.”

“Thank you, Domini.” Ava was about to leave, being stopped once again at the door.

“Ah, Ava? Do feel free to call me Mistress.”

Ava didn’t know how to react to that. She just made direct eye contact with Domini. She wanted her to call her boss Mistress? None of this was normal. None of this was normal, right?

“Oh, don’t give me that look. Everyone calls me that. You’ll see.”

They did? Well, if it was normal, Ava certainly didn’t want to stick out or go against the current. But was that really true? “R…right. Thanks.” 

Without lingering or waiting to be corrected, Ava darted out of the office, took a sharp right, and tried to ignore the anxious pounding in her chest and nervous bile rising up.

~~~

Ava’s light-speed heartbeat calmed down. After a few hours. Thankfully, the office was mercifully quiet, sans interruptions, with all the employees minding their own business. She even got some polite smiles from fellow co-workers. And – Ava hated being relieved about this – Domini didn’t show her face in her office. Compared to her first hour or so in the job, everyone seemed resoundingly normal. Maybe it was some weird hazing ritual? And after Ava tolerated enough, they’d drop the act and welcome her in earnest?

She didn’t know. So she just kept to herself, quietly making emergency exit plans in the back of her brain.

The orientation training videos and way-too-easy ‘quizzes’ took up the first half of her day. Which was fine – it was a nice distraction, and Ava did admit she knew almost nothing that had been covered. She was about to finish another course, before a coworker lightly knocked on her cubicle wall. Ava jumped, screamed a bit, and whipped around to the source. “O-oh, sorry! I didn’t see you there. Can I help you?”

“Don’t worry about it,” the employee said in a carefree way. “We were just going to eat lunch together. Was wondering if you wanted to join us? If you’re not drowning in those boring-ass orientation videos, that is!”

“Oh! Sure!” That single invitation was the best thing to happen to Ava all day. To be fair, the bar was kind of on the ground. “I’ll be right over. Um, thanks for the invite, it means a lot.”

“No sweat,” the coworker waved her hand dismissively. “We’ve all been the new person before. No need to be so nervous. See you soon, then.”

She walked away, joining a gaggle of other workers.

Ava, with a rejuvenated spirit, eagerly packed her things, grabbed her lunch, and made her way to the breakroom. The smile she’d been forcing came naturally to her, finally. She entered the break room, seeing about half a dozen other employees – and no Domini, thank goodness. Ava smiled serenely, walking up to see if she could find a free chair. Without expecting it, the tip of her shoe bumped into something. “Oops, sorry – um…”

Looking down, she saw the last thing she expected. A dog bowl, one that seemed fastened to the ground. That was weird enough. What made it doubly weird was the cushion in front of it, and what made it triply weird was the fact a handful of the snacks being shared around were placed neatly in the bowl. Almost like a charcuterie board. “U-uh, is someone’s dog…”

Ava’s question was cut off before she could finish asking. And once again, her hopes for a friendly workplace environment were dashed. “Oh, you can kneel there,” the employee who invited her said, holding back snide laughter.

“...Huh?” Ava’s smile faltered. She held it up nervously, meeting everyone’s eyes, looking for a friend. Someone to stand up for her. Someone to get her out of there. Someone to treat her with even a shred of dignity. A fraction of a shred. A fraction of a fraction of a shred.

Nothing. Everyone looked at her with the same cold eyes, the same mean-spirited smile, the same labored pants, exhilarated to see some suffering. To see Ava’s suffering.

At the bare minimum, she wouldn’t have to see anyone’s eyes.

Holding back tears, she lowered herself to the floor, resting her knees on the cushion. She took bites of the snacks and said nothing, letting people laugh and engage in regular conversation next to her. Above her.

A spark lit in Ava’s brain.

Surely not all teams were like this. Surely she wouldn’t have to suffer in humiliation like this ever again.

~~~

Ava didn’t think anyone would try talking to her again. But the next time someone did, it was none other than Domini, catching her in the scandalous act of going to the CEO’s office to request an assignment change.

“Oh, Ava dear! How is your first day going?”

Ava gulped. She didn’t try to fake a smile anymore. The only thing she strained herself enough to do was maintain a neutral face. “I… I don’t think this is the right fit. So I’m going to request an assignment change. I uh, know that your team is all surely really nice and, and yeah this was my dream job, but - I don’t, um, I don’t think…”

Domini leaned against the door of the CEO’s office, barring Ava’s entry. She grinned down at her with the same sadistic look.

Ava narrowed her eyes, ready to make her stand. “Please let me enter.”

“No.”

“Let me enter,” she said more firmly, enunciating every single syllable.

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand, angeltoy?”

Angeltoy.

She didn’t just call Ava that. Ava had never been called that; actually, she didn’t even know if that was an actual word. But the meaning of it was clear enough without need of clarification. That single phrase made her mind snap in half.

“I… I see. If that’s your decision, then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Ava turned around to leave the office. But once again, she was stopped in her tracks when Domini grabbed her wrist. Neither of them said anything. Not for a while.

“Let. Me. Go,” Ava demanded.

“You said you were dedicated, didn’t you? I was so excited to see that dedication in motion. But here you are, giving up, before day 1 is even over. Talk to me, angeltoy. Tell your Mistress what’s wrong.”

Ava had enough. Screw the idyllic life she’d been working up to. If this was what it would be like, day to day, she was more than thrilled to throw those dreams away. “Your workplace is incredibly toxic. You told me to call you Mistress, and call me ‘angeltoy’, like you own me. You don’t. No one owns me. The only one who owns me is myself. Second, my coworkers just made me eat out of a dog bowl! How is that not harassment?!”

When Domini didn’t answer, Ava took that as her cue. There wasn’t any saving this hellhole. “I should have left,” Ava murmured, “when I saw that other angel being chased out.”

“Ah, Serena! What a wonderful employee. Shame she had such a low tolerance. I would have loved to keep her around a bit longer.”

“A low tolerance for workplace harassment?” Ava sneered with a hatred she didn’t even know she was capable of. “A low tolerance for being treated like a doormat? Like a dog? Like your property? If that’s low tolerance, then I have no tolerance at all. Goodbye, and for the love of everything holy, let me go.”

She tried to walk away. Tried to. But despite expecting Domini to let go of her grasp, she was held firmly in place. Ava began trying to shake Domini off of her, more and more anger showing in her expression. But the difference in strength was just too vast with no bridge to save the angel. Held by Domini’s strong hand, Ava’s wrist could be snapped like a twig if the demon wanted it.

“You wouldn’t want your family to see those pictures, would you?”

Ava froze, all the furious blood that flushed her cheeks draining instantly. Pictures? What pictures?

She whipped around and saw Domini holding up some polaroids. Horrifying, terrifying polaroids. The photos hid Domini’s cruel smile, drinking Ava’s terror like a cold drink on a hot summer day. The star of the secret photoshoot featured none other than Ava, being degraded as she ate from the dog food bowl, and taking abhorrent upskirt shots while she did so. Not only that, but even while she was working at her desk, multiple photos had scribbles over them, labeling Ava as a fleshlight, a plaything, a fucktoy, all sorts of colorful and disturbing language. Ava had to stop herself from reversing the lunch she was so ‘generously’ given.

“Beautiful, aren’t you? My girls did such a good job capturing your glow.”

“You… you won’t get away with this! You have to realize how terrible this is!”

“Oh, I do.” Domini stuffed away the polaroids, finally letting go of Ava’s hand. But Ava didn’t dart to the exit – she didn’t have a chance to as Domini slammed her palm against the wall behind Ava, pinning her there, keeping her as her prisoner. In a more literal way, at least. “Of course I know how horrible this is. That’s what makes this so much fun. Watching you squirm is…” the succubus licked her lips. “Ah, I know you’ll be a great replacement for Serena. Believe you me.”

“Believe I will not,” Ava hissed. “I won’t be replacing anyone, since I’m leaving.”

Domini shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She pulled out the polaroids again, admiring them like a set of vintage playing cards. “Ah, I wonder what your mother, Evelyn, will think of this one? Oh, and your brother Adonis will get such a kick out of this one, I’m sure.” Ava’s face paled. She already knew her family members by name. She… she researched Ava. Well, of course she had to do a background check on her. But no. This was different. This was stalking. Stalking, a crime that Domini was eagerly admitting to.

“Oh, and before you run off and tell someone, know that I’ll know. And I’ll know that’s my cue to share these bad girls around. So. Still interested in leaving?”

Ava’s flesh burned. Boiled. Seared off her organs. She couldn’t believe this was happening. All that work… and of her life… and this is what it led to. Once Domini had finished pinning Ava to the wall, Ava didn’t have the strength left in her to even stand. She fell. Tumbled. Crumpled to the floor like a used tissue. She couldn’t even lift her head up to meet Domini’s eyes.

The words felt like acid coming out, but she forced herself. “Yes. I’ll stay.”

“Good girl. Oh, but so close – yes, what?”

Ava wasn’t stupid. Immediately she knew what Domini wanted. Throwing dignity and self-respect to the wind, she replied obediently, seeing Domini walk away with a sense of accomplishment–

“Yes, Mistress.”

~~~

Ava would rather have bathed in a bath of lava than return the next day. Regardless, there she was, at the company doors. Her eyes void of life, she mindlessly scanned her ID badge in. Small talk was beyond these people. And apparently, so was keeping their gossip out of earshot. Gods, the least they could do was talk about Ava behind her back.

Like a lamb to the slaughter, she slogged off to her desk. Her lifeless eyes were glued to the floor, and when she got to her chair, it felt like her very soul was melting into it. Unknowing what her so-called coworkers do to her belongings, she hid it under the desk – no, too visible. In a cabinet. Yeah. Much better. It wasn’t locked, but it was better than nothing.

Ava didn’t know how much worse things were going to get. But she could just disconnect from her struggles at work. All she needed to do was play the part of obedient corporate drone, then the second she got home she could shed that costume and brainstorm how the fuck to get out of this pickle.

There was no way Ava could have guessed that her dream job could lead to an office of nightmares. It wasn’t like she heard any rumors or industry news of this area of employment being so gory, so abusive, so filled with debauchery.

Did Ava deserve this? Was this some kind of divine punishment? If she did, she’d have taken the punishment. But she didn’t think she did anything to warrant this level of hell. She really didn’t.

A reminder set off on her computer, cutting off Ava’s train of thought. It was probably for the best, but all it did was set her thoughts on a worse path.

> Full-Team Meeting - Meeting Room 18C

The angel sighed. Deeply and exhaustedly. But hiding in her cubicle would only lead to a worse fate. Whatever Ava decided, at every turn, a worse outcome awaited her on either side.

Still, she waited until most people would be in the meeting before going in herself. As close to the meeting time as physically possible. The harder she made it to be a target, the faster they’d all grow bored with her. Clutching her notebook to her chest, Ava walked in.

Ava sat at the corner of the desk, trying to blend in as best as she could. Even while keeping her eyes on her notebook, she could feel the weight of everyone’s gazes on her. The second she walked in, she locked eyes with Domini, who narrowed hers as a cunning smirk graced her face. She immediately averted her eyes, paying brief attention to the series of boxes laid out to her sides. Two, four, six… twelve. That was the number of people in their teams. They were all identical, too. 

Maybe they were getting new laptops? Ava wanted to hope it was something innocuous, but she feared the despair that accompanied said hope. 

“Thank you all for being here,” Domini began, commanding everyone’s attention. “First off, I want to give a warm welcome to our new team member, Ava. If you have not introduced yourself yet, I would suggest doing so.”

A series of polite claps echoed around Ava. Normally, she would have felt flattered by the gesture, but they had shown their cards – their true colors – far too soon for that. Ava merely nodded, giving a quiet “thank you, all,” while avoiding eye contact. And yet, Domini’s eyes were locked on her.

“She’ll be a valuable asset to us, so make sure to treat her kindly.” Ava had to hold back a scoff. Treat her kindly? What, like her boss and coworkers were examples of goodwill and charity? But she bit her tongue almost hard enough to draw blood, as she nodded slowly. “As much as I’d love for Ava to introduce herself, we have plenty to go over, so introductions will have to wait. That said, I’d love to spend the next quarter working on building unity across our team.”

Ava didn’t necessarily mind not getting to introduce herself. It may have been a blessing in disguise. Or maybe people just didn’t care about her name, and more cared for the ‘entertainment’ she provided them.

“I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you in on such short notice; and I'm also certain you will enjoy what I have to show you.” Ava raised an eyebrow imperceptibly. She was beyond certain herself that she was *not* going to enjoy whatever torture Domini was no doubt going to subject her to.

And Ava was right.

“Take a box and pass the stack next to you, if you please. Our new angel has her own box, though.” Of course Ava did! Wow, what a surprise. It would have been insulting, how transparently evil they were, if they did not hold Ava's future essentially in the palm of their hands. “So please give the one with gold foil on top to her.”

A murmur of affirmatives went around the room. Ava said nothing. Her face was stone cold, watching others open the boxes. When she saw people pulling out matching uniforms, Ava had a gut feeling that she knew what was coming. And when her turn came, her fears were proven right once more.

She gingerly ripped off the gold foil tape with her sharpened fingernails. Ava pulled out the uniform - her special uniform - and had to hold back a furious groan. Whereas people got generally modest button-up one pieces, all in matching shades of red and gray, Ava’s uniform barely counted as clothes at all. The skin it’d cover was minimal, and the shiny rust color would no doubt attract eyes to Ava’s most sensitive regions.

“I want everyone to wear them at this evening’s company event,” Domini continued, looking at each and all of her employees with admiration. Save for Ava, whose look was more of a hungry gaze than how one woman looked to a friend. “We have to show our team unity, after all!”

Once again, everyone agreed eagerly. Ava silently stuffed the uniform into her bag. 

“You’ll come to the company event this evening, won’t you, Ava dear?”

Ava clenched her fists, trying to hold back her tears. She wouldn’t cry. There was no way in heaven or hell she would show her feelings for these ghouls. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“Yes, what?”

Ava’s face burned. It must have turned all bright red. After a moment of hesitation, with Ava feeling her teeth emotionally ripped out, she replied quietly, “yes, Mistress.”

A chorus of coos, cheers, and whistles followed. Surely Ava wouldn’t be treated like a plaything in front of everyone. Surely someone would see something was terribly wrong. Surely. Surely.

~~~

Ava couldn't ever say she liked company events, per se. Truth be told, she never liked parties as a whole. They were loud; alcohol made her friends obnoxious; and she just usually preferred to be doing literally anything else. Here, though, she didn't have much of a choice than to attend.

After all, Ava feared what would have come to her if she didn't.

Everyone else was getting along just fine. Understandably, she elected to avoid her team. Ava had spent more than enough time with them to know their true intentions. They were her colleagues, and she was stuck with them, but that didn't mean she had to be friendly with them. And yet, when she tried to go to chat with anyone else, they gave her weird looks, ranging from confused to bewildered to curious to ravenous. Was it just normal for people to act so weird? So predatory? In all her research about the position, about the industry, she couldn't say she ever expected this sort of environment.

Maybe Ava was just stupid. She didn't know anymore. She didn't know!

After a while, she realized she wasn't going to meet new people. Or at least, not people who were interested in getting to know her as a person. But she couldn't just up and leave. Standing in the corner, Ava just watched the company. She watched as people fell into increasingly deranged behavior, letting the alcohol get the best of them, and becoming utter nuisances.

She shouldn’t have been jealous. And yet, here she was. At the very least, her colleagues were being nuisances together. But Ava was in the corner, standing stock still, trying to hold back tears. It didn’t matter if she was in the worst workplace imaginable. If she had even just one true friend, she’d feel better about it all.

Damn it all. She was about to break, to start crying, to become an unhinged mess herself. Looking around, past the crowd of so-called coworkers, she found a single stall bathroom. A perfect place to gather herself, and even better, get away from her horde of tormenters.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Ava finally got a place in the bathroom. But just before she was about to lock the door – and start refreshing herself – it opened once more, and someone walked in after her.

It was the same person who greeted her on her first day. The person who led her to her dog bowl lunch. Ava narrowed her eyes. She really didn’t want to deal with anything else, anymore than she needed to.

“Occupied, I’ll be right out,” Ava hissed.

“Oh, yeah I know it’s occupied. And it’ll stay that way,” the coworker replied with a devious look on her face.

Ava sighed longsufferingly. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it, then–”

But she was stopped, the employee standing in front of the door. She smirked down at Ava, and her demon tail twitched in… happiness? Excitement? Ava sure didn’t know. And she wasn’t about to stay and find out.

At least, she hoped she wasn’t. But it looks like other plans had been made for her.

“No, don’t worry, you just have to stay riiiight there.”

“No, I don’t! Let me–”

However Ava was going to protest didn’t matter. Because the next thing she saw was utter darkness as a large, heavy cylindrical object slammed against her head. She lost consciousness, collapsing to the floor. Was someone behind her the whole time? What were they going to do with her?

Questions rampaged in Ava’s brain as her consciousness faded into nothingness. And the last thing she heard was–

“Let’s tie her up here. Here, I brought some rope.”

~~~

Ava woke up to a nightmare. Sort of. When she awoke, she was still in complete darkness, unable to speak, but not due to lack of consciousness. A blackout eyeband was all but stapled to her head, and her mouth was stuffed with rags coated in god knew what. 

A terrifying, surreal and yet so real nightmare. She thought she was hallucinating, but the pain was too real.

Her hands were bound to the rail on the wall by deceptively soft rope. Her legs, spread wide by a metal rod and ankle cuffs. And her body, once again, being mercilessly violated. Judging from how many… unknown, warm, sticky liquid was flowing down her legs… Judging from how sore her sacred parts were… this had been going on for a while. 

Ava didn’t know how long she was there. But she knew she was, without a doubt, in the bottom layer of hell.

“Ah, f-fuck, she woke up,” an unknown voice grunted in between thrusts. Thrusts growing in intensity. Thrusts that mercilessly split her apart. Ava shook her head and sobbed, her entire body convulsing in horror, in disgust, in terror, in fury.

Another voice spoke up. Another stranger, presumably one ready to use her body as well. “Finish using her and I’ll grab Sydice to knock her out again. Oh, but I want to use her while she’s awake.”

Ava shook her head. No. No, this couldn’t… this was wrong. All of this was wrong. If they cared about her pain – haha, what a good joke. They didn’t. Of course not. If they did, it was only so they could get more gratification from it.

The thrusts slowed, but dug deeper into Ava’s body. And then more fluid exploded in her. Cum. Ava was a virgin, and hadn’t even been kissed before, but she knew viscerally that she was reduced to a mere cumdump. Her name, her ambitions, nothing about her mattered other than her ability to hold cum in her.

Finally, the cock exited her with a pornographic squelch. After a moment of shuffling, she felt a sharpie draw a small line on her leg.

“Hell yeah, that’s ten,” the exhausted – but satisfied – voice said, standing up. Ava sobbed uncontrollably. 

Ava heard another zip, and then her torment started again as another shaft entered her almost immediately, an even larger rod than the last. Ten people. Ten people had used her as a sex toy. Ten people out of who knew how many. And no one wanted to help her. Obviously. If they did, it would only ruin people’s fun. In a way, Ava was glad. She didn’t want anyone to suffer just to protect her.

Everyone here, though… every person who had fucked her, who was going to fuck her… every bystander… she would unleash hell onto them. They deserved nothing less.

It took three more rounds before Ava was knocked out again. And honestly, she was grateful for it.

It was the only mercy they showed her.

~~~

Ava didn’t care if Domini released the blackmail she had on her. She didn’t care what her family or friends would say. She didn’t care if it followed her for the rest of her life, to the grave, to the afterlife, to all of her next lives. She didn’t care. None of this was worth protecting her dignity – after all, her coworkers had done nothing but rip Ava’s dignity away from her. The shreds of her respect she had left to cover herself barely covered her aching, violated genitalia. 

They had taken everything from her. She had nothing left. And that included her ability to give a damn anymore.

Within 48 hours, she had undergone the most drastic change in personality she could imagine. Fuck, she didn’t know why her younger self was so naive, so enthusiastic, so excited to join this hellhole of an industry. Whoever the angel she was before starting her new job, Ava didn’t know her anymore.

As her last resort, she went above everyone and reached out to the CEO. It was drastic. It was more than she really needed to do. After all, leaving would have ended her troubles in a much less dramatic way. 

But she didn’t care.

Surprisingly, the CEO had a spot for her the next day, first thing. It was perfect. Ava had hope. She had hope, even if she knew that was a mistake.

“Thank you for coming in, Miss Ava,” the CEO spoke calmly, in a dignified yet amiable voice. Mrs. Sofie Hellguard – considered a celebrity in some circles, and one Ava looked up to for ages. This woman was the image of the industry Ava had dreamed of being in for so long. And she knew it, too – she was absolutely stunning in photos and in real life. Her suits were immaculately ironed. Her large curls must have been put together for hours each day. She commanded respect in appearance, in voice, in presence, and with good reason. Were this any other situation, Ava would rejoice at the mere idea of meeting her. She would have spent hours herself preparing her appearance to make herself look good in front of someone she considered a hero.

But not now. Her eyes were dead. Her body was slack, exhausted from the night before. Her spirit was a mere flickering light. She didn’t have excitement in her.

“I appreciate you meeting with me,” Ava said, using the last reserves of her energy to sound… not miserable. Cordial. Appreciative. “I know your schedule is packed, so it means a lot that you cleared your schedule for me.”

“Of course. What sort of leader would I be if I simply disregarded an employee’s request for an emergency meeting?” She sounded so nice, so kind, so warm, so receptive. Normally, the formerly naive Ava would have fallen for it hook, line and sinker. 

But now it was different. Now Ava was different.

“Now. What do you want to talk about?” Sofie asked, making intense, unwavering, fiery eye contact. Ava took a deep breath and began to explain.

“I'm being bullied... no, abused by my team,” she said in a soft voice, slowly finding her courage. “I just joined and — I've been dreaming of working in this industry! All my life! So, I was so happy when I was brought on, but...” Ava wiped a tear off her face with the inside of her palm. Her wings twitched as the tears began to flow down her face. “But they've been awful to me since I walked in. This goes beyond workplace bullying or even harrassment. They made me eat out of a dog bowl! Then they put me in a skimpy outfit, locked me in the bathroom and had me... had me...!” She had to hold back the bile in her throat as it threatened to explode. Ava couldn't finish that sentence. She was too sickened by the cruel, horrible, degrading things she was made to do. 

It was wrong. It was all wrong. None of it was supposed to be like this...!

Sofie looked at her with shared sadness and empathy, leaning in to listen further. “I am so, so sorry, Ava,” she said softly, reaching out to hold Ava's hand. The angel hesitated, but eventually reached out her hands to hold onto the CEO's tightly. Tighter than she expected herself to. “I can't believe anyone in my company is treating you like this. You're so beautiful, Ava - a pretty thing like you shouldn't be crying over my employees.”

The compliments to Ava's appearance sounded weird. They sure made her feel weird. But it was the least of her concerns at that point, and it barely fazed her in comparison.

They were innocent compliments. At least, that's what Ava thought.

A knock happened upon the door, making Ava's heart beat faster, her breathing shallow, her skin crawl —

“Please come in,” Sofie said, confusing Ava beyond belief. What? Didn't she say she cleared her schedule? Why would someone be there? She wasn't... she wasn't lying to Ava, right? Why would she? Sofie was on Ava's side. She was. Ava had to keep telling herself that, because if the CEO wasn't, if she was putting up a front, Ava would have no one on her side, she'd truly be alone, and she couldn't handle that thought, she couldn't. It couldn't be real. It couldn't.

But…

When Domini opened the door and walked in, a smug grin plastered across her face. Ava gasped sharply, her face contorting in confusion, terror, and humiliation. What was she doing there? Why was she invading her meeting? Did she find out somehow? Ava thought she was subtle, but—

Then Ava looked back and saw Sofie's empathetic face had twisted, taking off the mask she had been pulling off so well. Of course. Of course she was a part of this masquerade. Her mask just happened to be more refined and convincing than everyone else's.

“Oh, Ava, how fun to see you here!” Domini cooed, her voice sickly sweet, her true intentions betraying that kind smile. “Our team had so, so much fun with you. You were such a good worktoy. Wouldn't you agree, Sofie?”

Sofie smiled, folding her hands, her eyes locking dead straight onto Ava. Now she no longer had to hide. She no longer had to pretend to be on Ava's side. And Ava felt so, so moronic for falling for it again.

“Yes, I heard great satisfaction from that event. It was our most popping employee party to date. I must thank you for your important role in making it a success, Ava.” Every word that came out of her mouth sounded kind and warm, but Ava now knew the lies it hid.

Perhaps she deserved this. Or maybe this was finally the point where Ava should have realized that she was stupid. Beyond stupid. This workplace was a mousetrap Ava just kept walking into. Despite the gory ways she was emotionally and spiritually maimed, murdered, snuffed out, she kept trying to get the treat.

She kept falling for it.

“But it seems our new employee forgot her company uniform at home, no?” Sofie raised her hand — Ava flinched — and softly petted Ava's hair. Hair she spent hours trying to wash out cum, fluids, alcohol, and saliva. She wished she didn’t, now. She wished so desperately to drag her tormenters into pseudo-hell with her.

Who was this new Ava? Was she even the same person? No. Ava would never wish ill upon someone. So the only rational explanation was that Ava was dead, and whoever took her place was a total stranger.

“Indeed,” Domini added, smirking down at Ava. “Seems we'll have to correct that behavior. Luckily, I know just the way how.”

Her hands reached out. Ava, paralyzed, could only watch as her sweater jacket was torn off of her, the buttons coming apart in the process. She supposed that made sense, in a twisted way. Not only because it wasn't part of her assigned 'uniform', but because she knew better than to expect compassion and kindness from her workplace.

At least, she did now.

And yet, old habits died hard. Ava struggled to get out of Domini's vicegrip, but before she could do anything, another iron grip tugged her hair.

“You're not going somewhere, are you?” the older woman chuckled, “The day has only just started. And it's not like you have any paid time off you can use.”

“Don't worry, sweet angeltoy,” Domini chuckled, “we'll make you feel all better. All you have to do is exactly what we tell you to.”

Exactly what they say. Something in Ava's mind clicked. Or... rather, fell completely out of place, leading to her whole world collapsing. Why was she struggling in the first place? Why did she resist? The more she did so, the worse she suffered. It was so obvious. The only person to blame for Ava's pain was herself. She knew better than to not follow orders.

At least she had her superiors to remind her.

“Ah, before I forget...”

Domini pulled out a shockingly high-tech camera and aimed the lens at Ava. “Smile for the camera,” she commanded, and Ava finally knew better than to not comply. A horrific, twisted smile crawled across her lips. “Aw, how cute! Make a peace sign too, won't you?” She did. “And tell me how much you love it here.”

“I love it here,” Ava moaned. “I want to work here forever.”

“Good angeltoy,” Domini replied, continuing to tear off her clothes. Eventually, Ava was down to her underwear - a plain set of gray panties and bra, with no discernable features.

“Eugh, look at how boring her outfit is,” Sofie fake-gagged.

“I'm sorry,” Ava whimpered.

“Call me 'Madam'.”

“I'm sorry, Madam,” Ava instantly corrected herself with speed.

“Better. And don't apologize. Instead, promise to wear your uniform tomorrow. And the day after. And the week after. Forever. And if you can't, at least wear something cute. Something you'd put on a show in. No?”

“Okay, Mada– ahh!” Ava was cut off as her pants came undone. Domini ripped them off, then picked up Ava’s body and leaned her against the desk. She covered the notes Sofie was writing down during their meeting. In her last moments before giving herself completely over to these two demon women, she wondered what she was actually writing. It didn’t really matter, though. None of Ava’s thoughts or concerns mattered in the end.

As Domini’s horse shaped and sized strap-on began splitting her apart in two, as her eyes rolled back to see Sofie, the wicked CEO undid her trousers. Her demoncock sprung forward, its musk and massive size directly in Ava’s face.

“Open wide,” Sofie ordered in that sickly sweet voice. Ava complied. She had no reason not to, anymore.

Even as she was mercilessly fucked by two hot women with total control over her, she had never felt so alone. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

~~~

Ava walked back after the meeting, blood, cum, and Ava’s own arousal still trickling out of her unprotected cunt as a sickening paste. She was completely hollow inside. Whatever existed of her soul in the past now only existed for other people’s pleasure, their stress relief.

She didn’t matter anymore.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Ava slogged back to her desk. She collapsed in her chair. Fluids stained the leather underneath, marking that space as undeniably Ava’s, where coworkers and friends could find her and use her to their hearts' content.

Her eyes felt like anvils. Her mind, stuffed with cotton. Her ears, full of noise. Her self, filled entirely with depression, instability, and tears. And yet, she didn’t cry. If she was able to cry, she was out of tears. She didn’t even feel sad anymore. Surrender? That was too chaste, too virtuous, of a value to describe exactly how Ava felt. She was entirely resigned to her fate.

Her boss didn’t earn her surrender. But she had it all the same.

Domini walked over to Ava’s desk. Ava moved her tired body to face her boss, using all of remaining energy to address her properly. That was all her energy was for, now, and forever. “Yes, Mistress?”

“Good morning, angeltoy,” Domini cooed, petting her hair gently. “Would you mind signing this?”

A piece of paper slid onto her desk. Ava looked at it, but she didn’t read it. Whatever it was, it only ensured more torment. She had no escape. She didn’t even care to try anymore; the more she tried, the more she’d get hurt.

Numbly, she took a pen, silently signed the (presumable) ownership contract, and handed it back to Domini. The demon took it and grinned, before taking her own pen and signing it herself. Whatever Ava signed didn’t matter. Her body wasn’t hers anymore.

And then that theory was confirmed. Ava suddenly felt a gut-churning pain in her lower halo. Her eyes went wide and teared up, and she doubled over in pain. Pain, heat, fire boiled her body as she collapsed to the floor and writhed in agony. She was screaming. At least, Ava thought. Was she? Normally when someone screamed someone would come over to help. But nobody came. Ava was alone, with her owner, writhing in terror and excruciating pain on the floor.

Then, it stopped. But something felt off. Terribly off. Her crotch… some kind of object was…

Ava realized what had happened when Domini ripped off the lower part of her uniform. Her vagina and pussy were still there – obviously. Violated, bruised, destroyed, but existent. Where else were people going to use her as a cumdump?

But she also had an angeldick. A rock solid one, already leaking with her own pre. The pain had disappeared. Dried tears coated Ava’s temples in a thin veil. Through the periphery of her exhausted eyes, she saw Domini lick her lips, staring directly at her cock. She began to undress her bottom, simply discarding them to the floor beside her. She lowered herself onto Ava, grabbing her cock and angling it towards her own entrance.

As she began to ride Ava’s exhausted body like the toy it was, forcefully eliciting pornographic moans and grunts from Ava, Domini moaned into her ear–

“I figured I’d give you the best of both worlds,” she teased. “Are you grateful, angeltoy?”

As Ava was brutally violated once again, her identity torn to shreds, she cried out–

“Yes, Mistress. Thank you, Mistress.”

And that’s how the angel fell.