Welcome to Deadline! I want to give a head's up that while I will try to update once or twice a week, I may be late, so just remember that! I don't have internet at home, so it's harder updating than I would like. Hope you enjoy!

Bill Cipher drifted along lazily in the vast emptiness surrounding him. For being a demon who specialized in dreamscapes, his wasn't anything to shake a stick at. Well, only if you ignored the multiple screens that lined the theoretical walls, showing various people from one sleepy little town in particular. Some would call it "stalking", while he called it "important collection of information". But that did not stop him from jumping when he felt a clammy hand touch his triangular form. The demon's surprise faded when he recognized it as another of his species.

"Hey... you." Bill looked over the intruder. While the dream demon had changed his form over time into his infamous yellow triangle, this one had retained its original appearance. Dark rags, that were imaginably once robes, covered the figure with only black eyes staring back. Bill removed his top hat and gave the silk a dusting. "Well, I gotta give you credit for finding the place. Now whaddiya need, I got things to do. I'm busy," he said, turning back towards the screens.

The demon's voice was gruff and low. "He wants to see you."

Bill's eye widened and color drained from his figure. He paused for a moment, letting its words seep in. He finally straightened his shoulders. "So, are you just gonna stand there or what?" he growled, knowing this kind of facade would never work on him. The imp moved to the side to reveal a tear in his dreamscape, a dark corridor stretched beyond. Heat blasted from the fissure, and with reluctance, Bill convinced himself to float through. Soon afterward, the crack sewed itself back up, and the messenger dissipated.

The isosceles monster looked about himself, a grimace fixed on his face. The walls were lined with cell doors, and the smell of gore made the air heavy. Wails and pleas accompanied mangled hands grasping towards him for help, but Bill kept his eye fixed forward. He passed several demons along his path, and he could hear them all whispering amongst themselves. A few even had the guts to catcall at him.

"Well, looks like triangle man is back!"

"Is he going where I think he is?"

"If so, he is screwed over, that's sure."

"We might just have a new one to throw into the Pits, eh?"

Bill blocked out their words. The hallway was dank, and quite dim. Only the occasional torch and distant pit of fire lit his way. After what seemed to be an eternity, he came across two ebony french doors. Before he could even knock, a voice bellowed from inside, "William." Bill cringed at the name. Far too formal, he thought. He hesitantly grabbed hold of a sticky handle and gave it a tug.

He faced nothingness. The room was essentially a black hole, a void. Nothing was around for as far as the eye could see except a small stool, a desk, and a grand office chair with its back turned. Bill closed the door behind him as softly as he could. The chair spun around, and in its seat sat what appeared to be an angel, but something was off. Its covered face seemed to grin, and the hands that poked out from the white robes were crippled and burnt. And its voice was the sweetest thing you could imagine. Too sweet to be real.

"Cipher, good to see you, welcome back. You enjoy your time away from work? How was it? Please, sit down," he said, sweeping a hand to the lowly stool. Bill let his eye give the Morning Star a leery glace before he took to hovering above his seat.

"Eh, good to see you too, Lucy." Bill could sense a scowl from underneath the drapes. The all seeing eye continued, "Ah, it was, you know, I got to see some sights. Meet some people."

The pseudo seraph rose its head above Bill in a dominant manner. "It's pronounced Lucifer, thank you."

Bill shook his head, trying to reattain his normal air of pretentiousness. "Oh, you people, you're all so uptight with the proper names. Lucy is so much more fitting."

The king of Hell slammed an angry fist into the desk, causing Bill to jump. The force from the impact shook the robes around the ex-angel's face down, revealing the unholy, burnt remnants of an unidentifiable face. "Don't play arrogance with me, fool! You have a single duty to your king, and that is to recruit my Army. We need as many as we can get to ensure my victory and my rightful place over ruler of all Creation." He put his face inches away from the inferior demon's. Death was on his breath.

"You are yet to claim a solitary soul for me, you worthless piece of scum."

Bill turned his head away from the verbal onslaught. "You're already self-anointed prince, isn't that enough for one eon?"

With a deep breath, the Devil sat himself back down in his throne with his nose pinched. "You know what?" he began, his calming veneer once again in place. "I'll make a deal with you. You just love those, am I right?"

Bill's eye widened. Any deal with Satan was sure to end him. A black finger gestured at him. "I'll give you exactly one year to claim a soul for the good of the Army. And after that I'll let you go about your business." He forcefully grabbed Bill by the arm. Intense heat surrounded the two and the cavern filled with blood-curdling screams. Bill gave a fearful look down at the Pits before having Lucifer whisper to him, "But if you fail, you can join them for the rest of eternity."

Bill was tossed to the ground. He gave a nervous cough before giving his bow tie a tug, a cocky expression on his face. "That's it? This'll almost be too easy!" He was interrupted with a waggled finger.

"Uh uh uh," Satan softly said. "Like all your deals, there's also a catch. And this one's quite the doozy."

The world around Bill fell apart. His vision was impaired, and incoherent sounds and jeering laughter came from all sides. He felt like he was slowly imploding and his form was being stretched and contorted in unnatural ways. He caught one final whisper before he fell unconscious.

"You will be human."