AN: Surprised how quick it was to make this chapter. Happy Thanksgiving!
Disclaimer: I do not own Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel.
"You did what?!"
Loona winced as Blitzo's tone echoed across the safe house and maybe even beyond it despite the place being soundproof. Moxxie and Millie were also looking at her with disapproval. Yet there was also a hint of surprise, considering that Loona typically wasn't the type to give mercy to any of their targets. However, that was nothing compared to the rage-filled eyes of Loona's father, who glared at her with his teeth gritting. Blitzo was not happy when he learned that his daughter had let the imp she was supposed to kill back in the raid on the cell that assassinated Stolas get away with her life intact.
"Loona, I told you to kill that bitch! Not just because she was part of the group that killed Stolas but also because we couldn't leave behind any witnesses!" Blitzo shouted both in anger and disapproval.
"S-Sorry, but I couldn't help it!" Loona shouted as she crossed her arms and looked away. "She just looked so pathetic. She peed herself and...I don't know?! Maybe I just felt pity for her?"
"I'm surprised you even felt it in the first place," Moxxie said, which earned him a glare from the Hellhound.
"Look, I screwed up. I'm sorry," Loona replied, holding her paws up to cool her father down. "But it worked out! She gave us the information we needed to find Prince Gaap! The Black Diamond Opera House in the Sloth Ring in three days is where she said he would be. And we did confirm that he's going to be there, right?"
"Before you told us that you got this from that imp you spared," Blitzo pointed out.
"Come on, Blitz," Millie said as she got up and put her hand on her boss's shoulder. "You spared that little boy after killing his family. What's the difference between this and that? And if you say it's because she was involved in killing Stolas, even if all she did was tech support, do I need to remind you that you killed his parents, who were not involved in it, to get Kern to talk?"
Blitzo glared at Millie, who didn't flinch as he crossed his arms but stayed silent. Mostly because everyone knew she was right to point it out. After a brief moment of silence, Blitzo sighed and rubbed his temple. "Fine. Whatever. But don't disobey my orders again, Loona."
"Y-yeah, sure," Loona replied with relief.
"Anyway, this Black Diamond Opera House," Blitzo said, clapping his hands together and changing his tune like a coin flip. "What do we know about it?"
"Oh! I've always wanted to go there!" Moxxie proclaimed with stars in his eyes. An unsurprising response, considering the sharpshooter was a huge theater nerd. "It was invented in 1829 and is the largest open-air in Hell with the ability to house over fifteen hundred occupants. It has access to its own water source from the nearby lake to allow real-life water scene-based plays such as the Mermaid of Envy and H.M.S. Pinafore, which they used a real ship for, by the way. Hundreds of different lighting options made it possible to do the entire play of Colors of The Rings by Vakadov El'bman as it was originally intended to be and not the half-ass other attempts the others did because of cheapness. The cooking is fresh and served to you by your own personal provided servant with delightful tastings unlike anything experienced in an opera house. And it has a waiting list to attend for about six years unless you got serious connections."
Everyone just stared at Moxxie, who sat there smiling at his seat on the couch until he frowned and asked, "What?"
"You are such a nerd, you know that?" Blitzo asked with amusement as Moxxie rolled his eyes. "Okay, but besides the impressive rich people stuff, how is the security? Top Notch?"
"Top notch," Moxxie answered with a nod. "We're talking about Hell's most famous and richest demons that attend this place. Not only are they with their own security forces, but the opera has its own top-of-the-line trained Tengu security team."
"Tengu? As in those Japanese raven bodyguards that are like samurai?" Millie asked.
"Sorta," Moxie said while shrugging. "They've modernized over the years. So they use guns and proper body armor without all the ancient samurai stuff, but from what I know, they still keep their code of honor and discipline."
"Hmm," Blitzo rubbed his chin and began to pace. "This is going to be difficult. Do they have an imp staff?"
"Only the janitors," Moxxie replied, making Millie raise her eyebrow. Nervously, he rubbed the back of his head. "I had applied for a job there once or twice. It would have been worth it just to hear the sounds of the theater."
"Hellhounds?" Loona asked, wondering if she could get inside.
"I don't think there is discrimination against them," Moxxie said, but he shook his head. "But it would still stand out. Unless you were one of the guests' servants or bodyguards."
"...That could be our ticket in," Blitzo said as realization hit him. "In fact...I think I know someone who could be of help here."
"Who?"
"Stella," Blitzo said as a familiar look appeared on their boss's mind. One that spoke of how he was already planning six ideas and chaos to follow. "She hates Prince Gaap. And I trust her to help us out with this."
"Wait, you trust Princess Stella?" Loona asked in surprise. "This is the same bitch who-"
"Don't call her that," Blitzo replied so sharply that Loona instantly shut her mouth. "Don't bad mouth her. We came to an understanding, and I think I understand her better."
The three employees of I.M.P. all looked at each other with confusion but decided not to bring it up. Clearing her throat, Millie then pointed out something that was overlooked. "You know, if Loona's new source of information is correct, it's not just gonna be Prince Gaap that's going to be at that fancy opera. From what it sounds like, he's going to be with others, and they might have some big fancy get-together."
"You mean he might be recruiting for the revolutionists?" Moxxie theorized.
"Why not? Sloth is neutral, and since most of these people going to the opera are going to be hoity-toity folk, it would make sense to have them talk in private," Millie said while grinning. "We could even expose their faces and send them to the royal's side so they could do something about it if they live in other rings outside Sloth. Or take out a few of them ourselves and get paid for it. After all, we'll need our own income without relying on Octavia's money."
Blitzo rubbed his chin before nodding in agreement. "Mills, you make a good point, but remember that Prince Gaap is the main target. I'd rather avoid hitting his island if we can help it avoid this NORN system. But if we cannot get to him, we can foil his plan to get more nobles onto his side before striking him. So if we can get him at the opera, I say we go for it."
Blitzo turned to his favorite imp couple and asked, "That is if you two are still on board."
"We talked about it, and we still are Blitz," Moxxie answered with a smile. "I got nothing left but Millie to lose, and she wants to keep going."
"Even if we're going to be involved in a civil war?" Blitzo asked his knife-wielding psychopath.
"My brothers are volunteering to be part of the militia in our area of Wrath," Millie replied with a sigh, yet she was smirking. "Ma and Pa raised us to be patriots, and my brothers want to fight for their realm. I can't stand by while they're fighting for their lives, so I'm in."
Smiling warmly, Blitzo nodded his head in thanks before getting serious again. "Alright, here's the plan. I'm going to go meet with Octavia and Stella. I'll see what their thoughts are on this plan and if we can get their assistance. Millie? I want you to check what we got for gear, including weapons and ammo. We only got three days to do this, so we'll have to hold off on getting anything fancy or expensive for now. Loona? I'm still angry at what you've done, so consider cleaning and checking our guns and gear as your punishment. I want them all sparkling when I get back. Moxxie? Since you know more about this Black Diamond Opera House than any of us, you check the floor layout of the place and see what would be good entrances and exits for us. Hidden tunnels and passageways would be useful, so look for those in any blueprints you can find online."
"You got it, Boss," Moxxie replied with a salute as he walked over to the laptop to get started.
"Come on, Loona," Millie said, motioning to the Hellhound. "You can help me out while getting the oil and rags."
"Fine," Loona muttered as she reluctantly followed.
Blitzo sighed as she took out his cell phone and dialed the Gotiea household. He waited for a few minutes before Octavia picked up on the other end, but there was a shock and nervous tick to her tone. "Hello?"
"Octavia? It's me. Listen, I'm heading over to talk to you and your mother about something," Blitzo said.
"O-Okay, I have...something to talk to you about as well," Octavia muttered on the other end, which made Blitzo raise an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?" Blitzo asked.
"It's hard to explain. Just get over here as soon as you can."
Lucifer was getting old. Of course, considering he was born near the start of creation itself, he was probably one of the oldest beings in existence. The only ones as old as the Morningstar were his brothers, and the only one older than all was their father, if old was even a word to describe him. Regardless, Lucifer had finally felt like he had reached a point where he had lived through too much shit to deal with anymore. And yet, it was not all the events of the past that had finally made him feel like this.
It wasn't after the First War where he and his armies defeated Satan, the King of Hell at the time.
It wasn't when he failed to rebel against his father and was punished by being sent to Hell.
It wasn't when Jesus Christ entered Hell, became untouchable, and freed all the souls worthy of Heaven while forcing him to concede to an agreement to redeem human souls.
It wasn't the numerous times he had to fight war after war against those seeking to overthrow him, especially against those he once called friends.
And it wasn't all the times his schemes, mind games, and strategies to try and damn all of humanity over his father failed most of the time. Even when he did get a victory, it did little to change things in the end.
No, it was when he became a father.
The moment she was born, Charlie changed everything. Lucifer denied it at first, but looking back now, it was clear that having a little girl had drastically changed his behavior and actions. He became more casual in his attitude while treating others less like they were beneath him and more like they were actual subjects under his rule, provided they didn't piss him off. He smiled a lot more, especially when his daughter tried to make him happy with a crayon drawing or telling him what she had learned in school. Looking into her bright, wonder-filled eyes reminded Lucifer a lot of himself in his youth. So optimistic and driven to experience life to the fullest. It made him feel both happy and sad at the same time.
Lucifer also found himself becoming more caring, thanks to his daughter. Sure, he cared about Lilith, but she understood him better than most, and he could get away with being nicer around her. Plus, he loved her. Even the devil could fall in love after all. But Charlie had opened parts of Lucifer's heart that he had shut for so long that it was hard to believe he had them in the first place.
Even as she grew up, exposed to the crueler natures of life and faults of her world, Charlie did not once waiver in her beliefs and convictions of a better tomorrow. Lucifer always hoped that it wouldn't break her too much when reality finally hit her hard. Yet despite the numerous times such events happened, Charlie never lost her optimism. No matter how many times Hell pushed her down, she got back up. And, deep down, Lucifer was proud of that.
However, that led to issues down the line. Charlie's lack of a vindictive nature or desire to prove her strength had made her a mockery among the nobility. This all came to a head when she expressed her desire to focus on stopping the Exterminations. By that time, many demons of Hell had accepted the Exterminations and thought redemption was lost at this point. Some even saw it as a pointless attempt, and it only further lowered Charlie's status in the eyes of all of Hell.
The agreement between Heaven and Hell to ensure that humanity could be saved one day was that Hell would help sinners find salvation by exposing them to the suffering of their terrible choices. By accepting their fault, struggling against temptation, and genuinely seeking redemption for their sins, they could get another chance at salvation. Lucifer had only agreed to this because he had no other choice, Christ had him by the ropes, and he decided to avoid losing everything.
At first, this is what Hell had done for nearly fifteen hundred years, but things got out of hand as time passed. Overlords began appearing and were just as corrupting to their own kind as they were to humanity. There were also numerous wars and conflicts from those who still hadn't accepted his rightful rule over them. Finally, he, and many others, honestly just stopped caring. Ruling in Hell for so long, he only focused on ensuring he was secure in his throne and nothing else mattered.
When the overpopulation crisis was becoming an issue, and Heaven was demanding he focus on their agreement of him redeeming the souls of the damned, Lucifer told them to fuck off. That was when they started the yearly slaughters, but this did little to hinder or bother Lucifer. It kept the population low, and he ensured many of his enemies died during those events. If numerous waves of his people had to die for Hell to continue the way it was (with him in control), so be it.
Yet, Charlie didn't agree with him. In fact, they outright fought over his lack of effort to stop the Exterminations. One fight went too far, and Charlie outright stated she would do something and started her hotel. Naturally, Lucifer had no faith in it. The concept was poor in planning and execution. His daughter expected too much with so little. Her more sheltered upbringing had been a hindrance to it from the very start.
And yet, she continued to try over and over again.
Until she did it.
Charlie had redeemed a soul in Hell. From one soul came another. Then more and more. Until hotels were being made in every corner of Hell with sinners and demons rushing to find salvation.
Lucifer never liked to admit that he was wrong, but he did that day. And he also felt something very familiar to him: pride. But this time, it was not in himself but in his daughter. And as she continued to grow, spread her influence, and redeemed soul after soul, it became clear to Lucifer that his little girl was becoming a woman. An actual future queen with a vision for Hell beyond all expectations. Lucifer had always ruled by respect and fear with a mix of hatred. He felt it was the only way to lead things in the underworld. However, Charlie did something he never ruled by in his entire time as King of Hell.
She ruled with love.
And they loved her in return.
It was then that Lucifer knew that his time was ending. It was still a long way from now, but it made him realize that Hell was better off with Charlie as their Queen in the long run. He still couldn't accept that God had defeated him all those years ago. And yet, he was fine accepting defeat against his daughter.
It had been Charlie who had convinced him to talk to his brothers to renegotiate the Extermination situation. He agreed, but only because he felt she earned the right. He wondered what his brothers would think of their niece. Fifteen minutes after the meeting, she had them eating out of the palm of her hands. Any other demon, especially Lucifer, would have used such a relationship to their advantage, but Charlie wasn't like that. She sought a fair deal and expressed a desire for peace between Heaven and Hell in the long run. Charlie even said this in front of her father, yet he said nothing.
He knew his daughter would never continue his war against Heaven despite his wishes. Charlie finally confronted him about it, and their conversation echoed in his mind.
"Dad, what do you have to gain from it anymore? You rule your own kingdom, and it's been millions of years. Even you know it's pointless to continue something that no longer has any meaning. You have a family, you have subjects, and you get to rule as you always wanted. Don't you think you have enough? What would war with Heaven ever be worth anymore? Aren't you just tired of it? Can you even remember why you rebelled in the first place?"
That last one had hit him hard.
He honestly couldn't remember.
Lucifer tried to remember why he rebelled in the first place, but looking back now, he was utterly blank. All he remembered was being so angry with his father that he just wanted to lash out at him. He may have done the lashing out a bit too much in the end. And yet, what really was the point anymore? Especially when it was clear that Charlie, the Anti-Christ whom he had planned to continue his work in his name, had decided to go her own path regardless of his wishes.
Like father like daughter in a way.
And so he finally decided to end his feud with Heaven. Not outright officially, but he did agree to a ceasefire on all fronts for the moment. True peace was not something that came in a single day; it would be hundreds of years before anything could be widely accepted by all. But Lucifer was finally ready to make the first steps as he and his brothers talked. He made it clear that despite his agreement to seek a more peaceful situation between Heaven and Hell, he would not cozy up to his brothers, much less his father, any time soon. Some wounds didn't heal overnight, especially ones that have lasted nearly an eternity. Yet, to his surprise, his brothers were alright in being patient.
"We waited millions of years. We can wait a bit more."
Lucifer didn't say anything regarding that, but it was clear his brothers were tired of the fighting as well.
If you were to ask Lucifer even two hundred years ago if he would be doing such a thing, he'd kill you instantly for even thinking about it. And yet he did it because Charlie had changed him. In ways, he was still trying to fully understand.
"Always the surprise, aren't you? My little hellspawn?" Lucifer whispered as he sat across from his daughter's sleeping form in the palace's private hospital. Her chest slowly moved up and down as he focused entirely on her peaceful expression. The Angelic Energy Pulse had taken a lot out of her, and it would be at least a month until she fully recovered. It was designed to have a more severe effect on stronger demons than the weaker ones, hence why the commoners in that situation were not feeling the side effects longer.
It felt like the entire world was changing around him. Half of Hell had declared war on him because of his support for her daughter's efforts to change Hell. His daughter had been attacked multiple times. Friends Lucifer trusted had been killed in the past few days or betrayed him by joining the enemies that had united against him. All because they believed he had lost touch.
In hindsight, he should have seen this coming. He knew his daughter had enemies, and he spent years hearing about the high ranks of Hell complaining or praising her in various ways. Lucifer felt he had failed to counter this before all of this started. Worse, he felt like he failed as a father.
So he would make them all regret it as the King of Hell and as a father.
Hundreds of thousands were now dead from his orders to find the traitors in his capital. The entire city was still soaked in blood after his purge. That alone made it clear he was not losing his touch. He had already prepared plans to send his legions into several major operations that would see his opponents' rings bleed like festering wounds wrapped in barbed wire. He was planning to personally join the battlefield and show them why Satan feared him during the First War. Already his assassins were poised to strike his former Ring Lord's families and friends to make them feel the same pain he was feeling.
All of this, however, could be put on hold just to see his daughter's well-being. If only for a short while.
The sound of the door opening made Lucifer narrow his eyes, but he continued to focus on his daughter. "I said I didn't want to be disturbed."
"The fact that you didn't sense it was me tells how troubled you are by what has happened."
Lucifer quickly sat up, and his black wings flared out as he looked ready for trouble, but he quickly forced himself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "Sorry. Instincts."
"Considering we haven't talked alone together since you fell, I suppose that's natural," the visitor said as he walked into the room.
Humans had weird ideas of how angels and demons looked or behaved when there wasn't much of a difference between them in reality. When most people think of Michael the Archangel, they imagine a tall and powerful man dressed in silver steel armor of pure light with a warrior's robe and sword by his side. Such a thing did exist in Michael's armory, but the Archangel of Justice could wear simple clothing if he wished.
Michael's choices in this meeting were an oversized black sweater with a silver cross design showing wings in the center as a diamond star in between the cross sparkled like a light in the darkness. His jeans were gray, and his boots were standard black, yet the rest of him was otherworldly, as expected. His large pure white wings, opposite Lucifer's black ones, rested on his back while a glowing golden halo shined bright above his head. Beautiful long black hair extended past his shoulders that seemed almost ethereal, especially with his chalk-white skin. His bright blue eyes were like living stars that glowed in the aether of space nebulas, which only increased the handsomeness he was known for.
The two stared at each other silently, yet the tenseness was thick in the air. Gazing eye to eye, the two brothers merely stood there while letting the hostile and warning feeling leave the room before the two refocused on the one being both cared about despite their rocky relationship. Micheal stepped forward, slowly putting his hand in Charlie's before squeezing it. "How is she?"
"She needs rest, but she'll be okay," Lucifer replied, turning away to glance at his brother. "Just you?"
"The others wanted to come, but I felt it was best to avoid having all seven Archangels descending to Hell. That would cause panic. You have enough problems as it is," Micheal replied with a shrug. "They still give their sympathies and wish to do something to help her."
"You want to help? Find the asshole in Dad's Happy Land that did this and send them to me so I can skin them alive, burn their wings, and melt that halo they have into something I can shove into their ass," Lucifer growled as his eyes flashed pure red for a minute. "How did you even lose on one of your AEPs?"
"We don't know," Micheal replied before turning to his brother with a severe frown. "But I intend to find out. I am not against you blaming us for having a role in this. It was carelessness on our part, and I accept that blame. But I assure you we want peace between us to continue, Brother."
"What does the Old Man want? No, wait, let me guess. He's worried that I can't keep my house in order," Lucifer grumbled, rolling his eyes as he walked away from his daughter towards the window. He glared up into the sky, where Heaven could be seen in the distance.
"He wants to help you," Micheal said with a sigh. "But I already know what your answer is."
"Good, tell him to stay out of my affairs," Lucifer replied, sharply turning to his brother. "This is Hell's affair only. Heaven and Earth aren't involved in this, so there is no need for Dad to come in here and shove his weight around like he always does."
"We are just as affected by this as you are," Micheal stated as he walked towards his brother until he was inches away from his face. "If there is a leak in our military and intelligence departments, then we need to know who they are working for, what they have done so far, and what swayed them to do this. Not to mention you have half of Hell after your guts, including some of your former comrades from your rebellion. We risk them seeking to restart the war against us. The last thing we all want is to start Armageddon."
"I'll deal with them," Lucifer vowed as he pushed Micheal away while summoning dark flames into his hand. "Whatever our relationship was, it doesn't matter. I will not take kindly to traitors who think they can handle this realm better than me, especially when I am the only one keeping this place from falling into chaos. Friends they might have been once, but this is Hell. Friendships can turn into rivalries with the drop of a hat."
He then turned to Micheal and sneered. "But you don't care about that. You just care about your precious, redeemed souls. It's just a bunch of demons killing each other. Heaven will be safe and protected as always. So what does it matter?"
"It matters because our father is concerned about your safety," Micheal answered, which made Lucifer pause. "Is he concerned about the peace breaking? Yes. Is he worried about the slowing down of redeemed souls? Very much so. But do you know what he's worried about most? His son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter may end up dead by the end."
Putting his hand on Lucifer's shoulder, Micheal turned him around and looked at his brother with something that Lucifer hadn't seen directed at him for quite some time: concern.
"Do you really think our father doesn't worry about you? That some of us don't worry about you? Lucifer, you might have fallen from grace and done many terrible things, but none of us have ever forgotten that you are still our family. You are still my brother. And while you and I might have our differences, ones that may never be fully healed, I don't want to see you and your family suffer at the hands of those who seek to do everything in their power to destroy you. Because this is something big, Lucifer. We can all sense it. There is more at work to this than just overthrowing your position as king."
Lucifer blinked a few times before closing his eyes and turning away. "What? Are you saying you forgive me for all the shit I've done?"
"No, not really. You've done so much horrible crap to everyone that it would take millions of years to even come close to full forgiveness," Micheal admitted with a shrug. "But I'm still willing to give you a chance. Father has always been willing to give you a chance. For all the problems you cause, Lucifer, Father has never stopped loving you. Even if you continue to disappoint him. So why not just swallow that pride for once and let us help you?"
Lucifer walked over to his daughter's bedside and knelt down. Slowly, he removed some of her hair from her face and shook his head. "It's complicated, Micheal. I believe you when you say you want to help, but I cannot take it. Or else it will prove my enemies right about everything."
"If this is about that stupid pride-"
"Pride is everything to a demon," Lucifer stated as he gripped his hands. "The whole reason this is happening is that the other side thinks I'm sucking Heaven's cock too much and have become weak for that. I need to win this on my own power without you guys interfering too much, or else they will only appear right, even if I win. It's not just a military victory I need here, Michael. It's also a symbolic one. And this is something only I can do."
His shoulders relaxed a bit more, but then he turned to his brother and asked gently, "But there is something I would like you to do."
"Yes?" Michael asked.
"...Tell Dad I'll be fine," Lucifer said as he sharply turned around and refocused on his daughter. "He doesn't need to worry about me. I'm grown up enough to deal with my own problems."
Michael just stood there in silence before sighing. "Fine. You really are a stubborn asshole, you know that?"
"I remember you being just as stubborn as me. Or have you finally got that spear out of your asshole?" Lucifer asked with a grin.
"Fuck you," Michael replied before making for the door. He opened it and was about to leave before he paused and turned around. "Go kick their ass, Brother."
"Don't I always?" Lucifer asked.
"I don't know. Whose got the higher score?" Michael teased before leaving.
Huffing, Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Only by one, you jackass..."
When Blitzo arrived at the Goetia Palace, he had to go through four different checkpoints from Octavia's Legions to ensure that he was not only cleared to pass but wasn't carrying anything dangerous. It took them a while to get out all the hidden weapons he had on him before they allowed him to pass. A servant quickly ushered him towards Octavia's office, where both princesses were waiting for him. Once Blitzo passed through the front door, Octavia used her magic to seal the doors shut and put up a sound barrier around the room.
"I take it that I'm about to hear something dangerous, serious, or both?" Blitzo asked, undisturbed by the actions taken before him.
Octavia sighed and grabbed what appeared to be a journal on her desk before presenting it to Blitzo. "Sorry I kept this hidden from you, but I was still trying to make heads or tails of this. It's...It's Dad's journal. He kept it hidden in his office, and I found it not long after he died."
Curious, Blitzo took the book and opened it up. He frowned after reading a few pages. "Either my dyslexia is getting worse, or Stolas wrote nonsense."
"It's written in ciphers. Different ones, to be exact," Octavia explained as she flipped the pages. "Whatever Dad was writing, it must have been serious because he wrote multiple types of ciphers for various pages. Mom's helped me figure out some of them, and I've done a few on my own, but save for a few pages, they aren't significant or don't make sense regardless."
"What about the ones that do make sense?" Blitzo asked.
"That's the part that got our attention," Stella said, leaning on the desk with a heavy frown. "From what we know, Stolas was working on a soul-based ritual project with a special lover of his. Someone I don't recognize even though I knew most of Stolas's past lovers during our marriage, but this was no simple meet and fuck. This person Stolas was talking about was very close to him."
Blitzo's thoughts then turned to what Valentino told him before blowing up his ass. "I think...I think I know..." The girls looked at him as Blitzo looked downward while trying to ignore the funny feeling in his heart. "I recently learned that, before he had me, Stolas had a lover he was quite close to. He was...an angel."
"What?!" Octavia and Stella both shouted in surprise before looking at each other. The latter raised her hands up in defense. "Don't look at me! I didn't even know or suspect such a thing was happening!"
"Dad was making love to an angel?! That's forbidden! Even if they are two guys and couldn't produce a Nephilim child!" Octavia pointed out before looking like she was about to collapse on her rear end. "I mean, I know Dad didn't have a grudge against Heaven or anything like other demons. Hell, he even supported Princess Charlie with her Hazbin Hotel system. But to actually fall in love with an angel? That's..."
"I know. I'm still processing it as well," Blitzo replied before sighing. "What was this project? Something about souls?"
"Well, it turns out we just found out a major revelation about Hell that I'm not sure we're the only ones who know or not," Stella replied grimly. "It turns out...that demons don't permanently die at all. Even if they are done in by holy powers or angelic steel."
"W-Wait, what?" Blitzo asked, eyes widened as his arms fell entirely straight in shock. "B-B-But that's always been how it is! Even the most powerful demons would be permanently dead, unable to reincarnate or regenerate back to life after being killed by Heaven's power. I should know! I've been doing that for years with angel steel weapons!"
"Well, not according to Dad," Octavia said as she pointed to an entry in the journal and showed it to Blitzo, who began reading it closely. "According to him, the soul of a demon isn't fully destroyed. Some essence of it becomes one with Hell and retains some sentience mixed in with all the other souls inside it. We've always known our essences return to Hell upon a permanent death. Still, it was always assumed they just disappear into nothingness shortly after, or their energy is absorbed by Hell before nothingness. But we still have some kind of existence, if barely."
"Meaning that there really is always something after death," Stella stated. "Even for us demons."
Blitzo continued to read the entry for a few more minutes before pausing. He slowly pointed to the page, and his eyes went wide. "Wait a minute. This entry says that Stolas had the means to revive even someone from perma-death back to life."
"He...mentions it, yes," Octavia whispered with hesitation.
"Does...Does that mean we can..."
"I don't know," Octavia whispered as she took a deep breath. "Assuming Dad even achieved such a feat, we would still need to figure out how he did it and if it doesn't leave anything worse. Not to mention the amount of trouble we could get involved with if we did this or attempted to."
"Who gives a shit about trouble!" Blitzo shouted as he slammed the book shut and growled. "If we can bring Stolas back-"
"Let's not jump to conclusions!" Stella shouted, getting their attention as she took a deep breath. "I know we all would like to bring Stolas back, but we know nothing about this process or even if there is a means to do it. Stolas could have failed for all we know. He might not have even left anything in his journal on how to do this ritual, or he may have left clues. We do not know. What we know is that we are holding onto information that would see even Lucifer himself tear down this palace to get access. This information is dangerous, and I advise caution going forward. We should still unlock what is in the book, but until we know more, we will not assume or do anything. Regardless of our feelings."
Both Octavia and Blitzo were quiet before slowly nodding, although it was clear that neither was happy with the idea of putting this on the back burner for now. Taking back the journal, Octavia turned to Blitzo and asked, "You said you had to talk to us about something?"
"Yeah, we found a chance to get Prince Gaap," Blitzo said, forcing himself to talk about something else instead of the journal and the possibility of seeing his lover open his eyes one more time.
He would even say he was tempted to take it for himself and find a means to unlock the secrets of it just for a chance to see if the ritual talked about was true. However, he knew it would be wrong to take it from Octavia. He might have been Stolas's lover, but she was his daughter, and that triumphed over whatever right he had.
"What is it?" Stella asked as her tone turned steely upon hearing of her former childhood friend.
"It turns out Prince Gaap is going to be meeting with a bunch of nobles at the Black Diamond Opera House in the Sloth Ring in a few days," Blitzo explained. "Most likely, he's going to be on a recruiting drive. We're still working on a plan to get inside, but I figured it would be easier to get in with your help. Have you been there?"
"A few times, yes," Stella admitted with a nod. "It's quite nice. Practically one of the few things the Sloth Ring even has that's worth visiting."
"Great, 'cause I got a plan for this, and I need you to help out with it, Stella," Blitzo said as he turned to the swan demoness. "Think of it as a way to avenge your son."
"You already have my attention," Stella stated as she fully sat up. "What's the plan."
"Here's what we're gonna do..." Blitzo said as he talked about his idea to the two.