In this chapter, like I described in chapter 1 in the description is going to reveal the reasons Striker can come off as unlikeable. If he's going to sound like a bad father, of course people are going to portray him that way.
Chapter 5: Striker's Future
Moxxie's and Millie's house changed to a smokey background, making Striker cough.
"Hello?" he called, "Blitzo? Mox? Mildred? Jake? Kaitlin? Somebody?" Through the smoke, appeared three figures in black cloaks. "So, you must be the three Ghosts of Christmas Future Blitzo told me about?"
The three spirits nodded and ushered him to follow them.
"Who are you guys? Show yourselves, please."
The trio pulled off their hoods, revealing a familiar little boy, a tall female imp, and a short male imp.
Striker gasped, recognizing their faces. "You three?!"
"Of course, Striker," Moxxie sneered.
"Moxxie!"
"You almost had me killed earlier!"
"Which would have cost you your job!" Kaitlin reprimanded, "Thus, you didn't seem to care what happened to him. If I didn't know better, you seemed to enjoy reverting back to your old habits like the heartless jerk that you are."
"And you could get punished for it!" Jake added.
"Kaitlin? Jake? Is it true that you guys want to leave me?"
"Well, yeah, considering you went too far on hurting our feelings," Kaitlin stated coldly, "Which reminds me of a time when you raised your voice at Jake for no reason when it was Blitzo who went through your belongings, including the picture of your dead wife." (See Helluva Dad Vol 5: Mom)
"Really? You still can't let that go! Don't forget I helped you with your hangover, Jake."
"It still bothered us, Dad," Jake said, folding his arms and glaring at him.
"I get you had a bad day that day when Blitzo was taking care of Jake, who had a hangover, Striker, but that didn't give you any excuse to take your frustrations out on him and send him to his room for no reason without giving him an explanation, making him cry. You did NOT need to do any of that. He was right to tell you that yelling at Blitzo was uncalled for. You seriously fucked up."
"But I apologized. He's my son. I was there for him for the past nine years and I knew him all my life. I changed his diapers, held him when he cried and-"
"It doesn't matter!" Kaitlin cut him off, "You still didn't treat him like your son earlier nor did you treat me like your wife. Instead, you treated us like shit. Jake didn't exactly accept your apology, not that I blame him. What you did was unforgivable! Also, may I add that hiding the truth of your origins from your son forever can make you a coward? I know you think he'd blame himself for his mother's death, but you can't keep your past inside forever to cover your ass because it won't do you any good in the long run."
"Not to mention, you didn't seem to care if you were being hard on Jake, which explains how mad and hurt he was before you, Blitzo, and I got caught by the agents," Moxxie pointed out. "You ignored that. Thus, leaving him in tears with my Millie and Loona." (See Helluva Dad Vol 10: Truth Seekers)
"You want to start that again, Mox?"
"Moxxie's right, Striker. When you said to Blitzo he was the last one to give you a sermon on being a father, that tells me it makes you look like an asshole, who doesn't like to admit he's wrong and doesn't consider other people's feelings. You're making it sound like it's okay to be rude or get away with murder. You know what you do is wrong sometimes, but you just don't care just like kidnappers, rapists, murderers, liars, and so many more to list! I'm starting to think that you're the kind of father who's hiding a shitty attitude! Even when you guys got captured by those agents, there was still no signs of you changing after yelling at Jake nor did you apologize for being rude to him before the agents got you. If I were you, I wouldn't have an attitude when your friends and family are giving you advice." (See Helluva Dad Vol 10: Truth Seekers)
"Blitzo said my relationship with you is going to end up like Blitzo's relationship with Verosika Mayday, which I have a hard time believing."
"Yeah, considering you're selfish, arrogant, and insensitive, which makes you an unlikeable hypocrite. You can piss people off for doing that. We are soon to be an ex-married couple, anyway. I don't owe you a damn thing, Striker. If you're not sorry, then I'm not sorry. Verosika had a better reason to be mad, compared to Blitzo since he neglected her and pushed her away for pointless pursuits. I just can't bring myself to feel sorry for you because you make it so hard for me to do so. You and Blitzo are the same. The way you treat Jake sometimes is kind of the same way Blitzo treats Moxxie. At least, that's what I think."
"ME?!" Striker demanded.
"Yeah, because when things don't go your way, you expect us to clean up your mess, which is what you should be doing, but nope! You needlessly put us down and you don't seem to care, especially when we try to help you!" Jake exploded.
"But I do."
"No, you don't."
"Well, it's hard for us to believe that, Striker!" Kaitlin advanced herself on the cowboy imp. "You don't care about anyone, but yourself! You're a disgrace to being a father and you're just jealous because I treat Jake better than you do. Not only that, you force us to obey you, scaring us into doing so like we're victims of Stockholm Syndrome as well as expecting us to respect you out of fear! You knew what it was like to deal with it, yet you're uncaring enough to do that to us! I don't want to live that life nor do I want that for Jake because it's not healthy. Respect is earned, not given. So, you can't play the victim and say things like, 'I'm never wrong and it's never my fault!' Bull! Grow the hell up! You can't always have the last word in an argument, especially with Jake because sometimes, you need to be the bigger person and let that shit go, especially when Jake or anyone who is the opposite of you is right and wins! You can't always win and you need to accept you're wrong sometimes."
Striker sighed, knowing she was right.
"Am I no good to you, Dad?" Jake asked angrily, "Because you seem to treat me like there's something wrong with me and that I'm stupid, but I'm not!"
His father took his feelings into consideration before asking, "So what happens in the future when you divorce me and take Jake with you? Will those events be changed?"
"Well, that's up to you." Kaitlin gestured towards a scene, where she and Jake have their bags packed.
"Kaitlin! Jake! We can talk about this!" Future Striker tried to reason with them.
"NO, DAD!" snapped an angry, hurt, and betrayed Jake from the future, "You're the murderer I'm forced to call father! I don't want to be around someone who hurts my feelings or my stepmom's!"
"Sometimes, I wonder why I even married you!" Future Kaitlin raged, "I'm divorcing you so I can treat Jake better compared to you!" Out of betrayal, she tossed the wedding ring he gave her in front of him. Then, she and Jake exited the house, slamming the door behind them. They placed their bags in the trunk of the I.M.P. van and Blitzo drove away with Kaitlin and Jake in the back seat.
Who the hell did I marry? Kaitlin from the future wondered to herself.
"When does this happen?" the now Striker asked.
"December 28th, 2021," Kaitlin from the present replied.
"The 28th? After Christmas?"
"Oh, what do you care about Christmas?"
Striker didn't answer that question. "What will happen to Mandy?"
Kaitlin, Moxxie, and Jake gestured towards the scene of future Moxxie, Millie, and Carrie mourning the death of Mandy.
"Mandy is the best little sister I could ever ask for," Carrie sobbed.
"You were kind to her, despite your terrible past," Millie said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "And she loved you for that."
"My poor youngest daughter," the present Moxxie said sadly with a sniffle.
Seeing the depressing scene, made Striker tear up a bit. "Oh, no, Mandy."
"This happened December 26th, 2021. Besides, you're no better than Stella and Bathory!" Kaitlin said icily.
The last comment hit a nerve, making Striker mad. "What did you say?"
"You heard me. You know which kind of people and characters you sound like? The ones who aren't nice to kids, lash out at their family and friends and hurt them, those who say things they regret, anyone who cuts people off of their freedom to save their own asses, overprotective individuals, arrogant and selfish people, murderers, kidnappers, abusers, and liars!"
Striker scoffed. "Name a few, bitch."
"Sherlock Holmes, Basil of Baker Street, Professor Ratigan, and Fidget from The Great Mouse Detective, Triton from The Little Mermaid, Simba from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Scar from The Lion King, Judge Claud Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in seasons 6 to 9 and My Little Pony: The Movie, the 2017 version, Carface from the All Dogs Go to Heaven trilogy, and too many more to list. Those are the kind of people you sound like and it pisses me off! Yeah, I said it! My freedom of speech!"
Striker stood there, stunned. "Wow. That was quite a list."
Kaitlin smirked. "You have no idea how long I've waited to say all of that!"
"That's it, we're leaving!" Striker growled, grabbing each of them by the hand.
"NO!" Jake yelled, releasing his hand and Kaitlin did the same.
Striker stopped to look at his son. "What did you say, kiddo?"
"Not until you tell us the real reason you hate Christmas."
"Just wait until Jake becomes a teenager and decides to move out when he turns eighteen! He's not going to live with you forever! Besides, you act like you know everything about Jake."
"I don't know everything about him."
"No, of course, you don't."
"You're not going anywhere, Strike," Blitzo said, blocking his view.
"Exactly," Riva said with hands on her hips.
"Don't mess with my parents," said Curly.
"Alright. Every one of you were lucky enough to celebrate Christmas, while I had to work for Bathory, who sexually assaulted me and emotionally abused me! Am I not allowed to have a good Christmas, while you guys are?"
Kaitlin was getting really sick of the cowboy's pathetic tantrums. "Striker, you're not making any sense! It's not Christmas that's holding you down, it's you and your jealousy that people got to celebrate Christmas! It's not all about you! So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Striker was also starting to lose patience with his friends, his wife, and son. "I hate you all! I'm through with all of you! I'm doing this on my own, living alone!" To Bombproof, he added, "Let's go, Bombproof!" He grabbed his horse by the reins and turned to leave.
"Fine! Good luck on your own, lone ranger!" Blitzo yelled back as he and the others watched him go.
"Besides, you're acting like a spoiled child, who should be lucky to even have friends and a family!" Kaitlin spat.
"Just like Blitzo, Striker," said Moxxie with his hands on his hips.
"No one messes with my Moxxie," Millie declared defiantly as she wrapped her arms around her husband.
Striker was then stopped by an illusion of Travers, his one hated enemy. "You can't do everything by yourself, Striker!" Travers taunted.
"You've had one job and that was killing that cheating husband of mine!" a vision of Stella shrieked. "You care too much and that makes you weak!"
Striker covered his ears, growling, wishing he'd never hear from her again.
"Why, hello, my little peach," Bathory, the Blood Countess teased, smiling wickedly. "You missed me?"
Suddenly, cuffs from the chains wrapped around Striker's neck and wrists and she pulled him towards her and stroked his chin.
"You see what happens when you push everyone away, including me?" Jake demanded, "I've had enough and if this continues, Kaitlin and I will leave with you having a lonely life all to yourself!"
At that moment, Striker realized there was no point in arguing with his son, knowing he was right.
"And you will never ever hurt us or control us again!" Kaitlin said venomously.
Travers, Bathory, and Stella began to laugh and ridicule the cowboy imp, who steeled himself from the cruel laughter, but then he sighed as he lowered his head in shame. He was angry and ashamed. Angry, mostly at himself, because he had gone too far with his meanness towards Moxxie, Kaitlin, Jake, Blitzo, and everyone else around him. Ashamed because him yelling at Kaitlin and Jake before, reminded them of the day Jake had his first hangover.
"Stop it!" Striker pleaded.
"No, YOU," Moxxie, Kaitlin, and Jake said in unison.
The words coming from the citizens of Hell echoed against the cowboy, who watched his future-self get killed by exterminators:
"Ha! I'm glad Striker isn't my father. Even if he was, I would've killed myself or I would've killed him."
"If he were my husband, I would divorce him for his poor attitude towards me and my kid."
"If he so much as mistreats me and my child, I would hire an assassin to kill that worthless prick or I'll kill him myself."
"He doesn't deserve to be a father."
"You're the worst father/husband ever!"
"Everyone hates you!"
"I'm glad he's out of my life because he really hurt me."
"What he did was unforgivable and inexcusable!"
"He's toxic!"
"He's a monster!"
"Freak!"
"Loser!"
"Liar!"
"Coward!"
"Traitor!"
"He's better off on his own, anyway because of his moods and he can have things done his way."
Then Striker saw an angry silhouette of Jane with her hands to her hips. "I hope you're happy, Clayton," she said angrily.
An exterminator grinned evilly at him as his feathers covered up the poor cowboy imp, whose only defense was screaming.
The visions had disappeared and Striker fell to his knees as he broke down in tears.
"Jake, I'm sorry if me... blaming you for... looking through my... personal items, including... a picture of your mother... and me being tough on you... before getting caught by... agents are still affecting you. Oh, and Kaitlin, I'm sorry... that you still... feel that way. I don't blame you for wanting a divorce. You've been so kind to me and I haven't been appreciating it lately." To both of them, he added, "I had no excuse and I should've known better. I understand if neither of you want to live with me anymore. I should've been nicer to you." (See Helluva Dad Vol 5: Mom and Helluva Dad Vol 10: Truth Seekers)
"If you want us to keep living with you," Jake told his father firmly, "Then don't take your frustrations out on us, don't blame us for things that aren't our faults, don't hide the truth from us, and don't do anything to kill and hurt our friends. Otherwise, we'll be gone."
"And you'll have yourself to blame," Kaitlin added, just as firm as Jake and Striker nodded to both of them in acknowledgement.
Striker sniffled and told Jake, Kaitlin, and the others about Charlie showing him what his past was like with his mother, Amelia, his deceased wife, Jane, and the terrible things Bathory had done to him. After that, he gave in to a crying spell again. "My Christmases were spent in loneliness after my mother's death before Jake came into my life. I wish I could appreciate my time with all of you, but I let my emotions get the best of me." To Moxxie, he added, "Sorry, Moxxie for being a shit to you earlier and strangling you. I wish I could've handled the situation differently. You were right, I should've taken my wife's and son's concerns seriously as well as considering your statement on me being hard on poor Jake."
Moxxie took Striker's apology into consideration before he finally replied, "Well, it's Christmas. So, would you like to sign my daughter's cast tomorrow?"
Finally, Striker stopped crying. "Sure thing. One father to another." Turning to Blitzo, he said, "Oh, and Blitzo, I should have taken in what you said when you remembered how I treated Jake those past few months as well as leaving him teary-eyed."
"Indeed. He helped us get out, remember?" Blitzo recalled.
"And he was so badass beating the hell out of those agents," Loona said, without looking at her phone.
"And not a scratch was on your blessed rifle," Millie added.
Striker smiled. "He gets those skills from me. Oh, I'm sorry I said I hated all of you earlier."
"You're forgiven, Striker."
"Like father, like son," Kaitlin mused, "Let's go home."
But Striker had a better idea. "Hmm...how about we spend Christmas at Blitzo's, instead?"
"Blitzo's house?" Jake asked if he heard correctly.
Striker winked at his son.
A silhouette of Jane, smiled and turned into her regular form. "I'm proud of you, Clayton," she whispered.
AN: I know I went too far in this chapter, but I felt better writing it and Striker learned his lesson.
Travers, Bathory, Jake, Amelia, and Jane belong to LadyAnaconda.
Mandy, Curly, and Riva belong to JamieTheFandomGirl.