A bit shorter than usual, but biggest of thanks to Snow_Punk on AO3 for beta reading this for me. His stories are fantastic, go give 'em a read if you're hungry for more Helltaker stories!

...

Ollie's mind was a whirlpool of shrieking. Wind blowing, glass breaking, an endless cacophony. Snarling and barking, howls and screeches. The sound of animals fighting.

Outside of his skull, in that crowded living room, the ambience was just the opposite.

Silence. A profound disquiet born of the disbelief, at the words of an angel.

A whimper from Modeus. An exasperated exhale from Justice, or maybe one of disappointment. The silence was broken.

And when Ollie lost his balance, stumbling into the counter a foot behind him and knocking a glass from it, the silence was broken further.

The scattered glass nicked his heel. He hadn't noticed.

His head and heart pound for a few seconds, until he gets himself under control. His chest hurts, as though someone was squeezing his heart in their hand. His hands tremble as he grips the countertop. Brows furrowed, and eyes cast down at the floor, Ollie sets himself straight.

This was her choice. He shouldn't be surprised. Nobody should.

"Okay."

His word is the first uttered, and as such, garners all attention on him.

Though he waits for a response with his eyes locked onto the space between his feet, nothing comes. No argument, no counterpoints, no shouting. When his gaze turns back upwards, the state of the demons varies from heartbreak to indifference, and a few in between.

Modeus. Poor Modeus, who spent hours... educating Azazel on the sin of Lust. She covers her face with bright-red sweater sleeves, shaking as Taker pulls her in for a hug. His uncle looks just as forlorn as him.

Justice's mood is a bit dour, too. Though not to the extent of Modeus, she hangs her head, shaking it from side to side.

Cerberus is sharing a group hug between her three bodies, all comforting each other as they clasp their eyes closed. Holding back tears, or trying to shut out the reality of the situation? Ollie supposes he'll never know.

Judgement's lips are tugged downward into a prominent frown. At least she isn't crying.

Malina, who he hadn't noticed holding her arm around his shoulders and staring into his eyes the entire ordeal, looks none too pleased. Maybe she liked Azazel more than she let on? Or maybe she's just upset at Ollie's state. His eyes burn and his vision distorts, obfuscated by the welling tears. He sucks his snot back in his nose, just as he angrily wipes the tears from his eyes. Damned tears.

He was upset, but damn if he was going to lay onto the already piss-poor mood.

All Lucifer can offer is a non-committal shrug. He supposes he can't be entirely mad at her. She's older than dirt, and twice as filthy. She's seen more than he'll ever imagine.

She did what she could.

Even Pandemonica isn't all too upset about it. But she's the sadistic demon. His brow wrinkles just a hair, annoyed with how little she cares. But even with how nonchalant she is, his annoyance at her evaporates when his gaze finally makes its way to Zdrada.

That smile.

That lazy smile on that smoke-loving fuck face.

His blood boils quickly, but cools down quicker when Malina squeezes his arm. The look on Malina's face tells him it's not worth it.

He wasn't going to let his anger get the best of him. Or his sadness.

Steeling himself, he pulls from Malina's comfort, nodding to her as subtly as he can manage.

If he'd had a dollar for every limp he's gotten today, he'd have two dollars. It isn't a lot, and on second thought, it wasn't as weird as it would normally be considering present company.

Paired with his limp, the approach to Azazel is a bit shaky. With no small measure of will does he wrap his arms around Azazel, which is returned immediately.

Just as soon as he realized he has a new family, he was losing a close member of it. The thought almost brings Ollie back to tears, but he clings to his composure. Even still, the pain in his chest persists, and he breaks contact. Though his throat constricts a little under the weight of his feelings, he chokes out a few words.

"Love you, Azzy. I'll miss ya'. Stay safe out there." He turns his back to her, plodding over to the couch and taking a seat. "Y'got a heart of gold. Don't let 'em take it from ya'."

'Real fucking original, Ollie. Your last words to Azazel weren't even your own.' His mind scolds derisively. The tone with which he reprimands himself is scathing. What a sorry damned sight he must make. The weight of the couch shifts, and he doesn't need to look to see who it is. Who else but his guardian demon, right?

"Are you ever going to come back? You're welcome to visit anytime, you know." Taker grunts, running his hand through Modeus' hair. Her face is smothered in Taker's chest, hiding what Ollie is sure is a mountain of tears.

"I... don't think Heaven will permit that. But thank you, Mr. Taker." Azazel does her best to keep her words brief, her tone one of poorly modulated professionalism.

"No problem." The man assures. Ollie knows that his uncle never cries, but given the circumstances none would blame him. Even though Azazel was never part of the harem per se, she was still a part of the household. The house wouldn't be the same without her.

Modeus breaks free of Taker's embrace with a thrash, throwing herself at Azazel's feet. She begs Azazel to stay. To reconsider her choice. No coherent words can be made out through the tears, however. Zdrada huffs, walking to the door with her pack of cigarettes already fished from her pocket. "Whatever, you guys are bumming me out. Lemme know when she's gone."

"You fuck-!" Ollie begins to rise from his spot on the couch, but the hands of Malina pull him back down. Though Zdrada stops for a moment, she resumes her strut to the backyard with indifference. "That fucking wretched cunt." Ollie seethes quietly, face buried in his arm.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay, dear? You may fall, but it could prove an interesting subject to study?" Lucifer offers, sauntering toward the Angel. Azazel considers her words, but shrugs them off.

"To what end? All the research I do is in the interest of Heaven. There would be no point." The angel refuses. As much as Ollie wants to stop Lucifer from trying to convince her, he wants to convince Azazel as well. He can bring himself to do neither.

"She's right." Judgement chimes in, getting between Lucifer and Azazel. "It's her choice. We should respect that." Taking care not to hurt Modeus with her claws, she gently pries Modeus from the angel's legs, leading her to the couch and taking a seat with her across from Ollie and Malina. He eyes Modeus with pity. Ollie was forlorn too, that he would not deny. But Modeus was really taking this hard. This was the first time Ollie had seen a softer side to Judgement. He packs it in to think about later. He can only focus on so much at once.

"I'll be sad to see you go, girl. Maybe next time me and Luci have to go up to Heaven for a meeting, we can grab lunch?" Justice offers.

"It's always a possibility, Miss Justice." Azazel smiles wearily. Taking her suitcase in her hand, she addresses all present. "I'll miss you all so much. I hope we can meet again, some day." She takes the time to make her way around the living room, giving each person an embrace. Except Pandemonica of course, but she never seemed the type for hugs. Though it takes her a little longer with Modeus refusing to let go, she eventually gets to Ollie and Malina. Pulling them both into a hug, she whispers something in Malina's ear, though Ollie can't quite make it out. "You two are perfect for each other. Keep him safe, for me."

Malina says nothing, but Ollie and Azazel can feel her head bob as she nods. His teeth bite the inside of his lip. A hint of copper touches his tongue.

Azazel walks to the middle of the room, and gives one last look to the others. "I love you all. I'll see you all again someday." She claims resolutely, tone full of conviction.

Without fanfare, she disappears in a flash.

It's now the dam breaks. And it isn't exactly pretty.

Modeus' wails multiply, as does Judgement's grip on the poor girl. Justice takes her spot beside Modeus as well, comforting her. During all the commotion, it seems Pandemonica already made her escape back to her office. No doubt to continue her work. Taker embraces Lucifer, seeming none too pleased at the situation, himself. If Ollie squints, he's sure he could almost make out Lucifer's wrinkled brow. Ollie places a hand on Malina's thigh, issuing a quiet thanks as he approaches his uncle.

Pulling the much larger man into a one-armed hug, he mutters to him. "I'm sure everything'll be okay, right? Azazel will be fine."

"I know, kid. Still, I'll miss her. We all will." Taker sighs, glasses sliding down his nose. Hurriedly, he pushes them back up to his eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, course. It sucks, but... well, it was her choice at the end of the day. I can't fault her for making a tough call." Ollie sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Taker hums in agreeance, and the conversation dies with a whimper.

His emotions die down, not because he's gotten over it, not by a long shot.

He's tired. A bit numb. Fuck it, it was too early in the day for this.

Aimlessly, Ollie ambles around the living room. Not entirely sure where to go, or what to do, he slips on his shoes and coat. "I'm... I'm gonna get some fresh air." He announces, nodding to Malina. He doesn't bother to regard the others, and with a sigh he walks out the front door.

Immediately, the cold air pierces his clothes. Like daggers, the frigid air jabs at his bare skin with every gust of wind, irritating his wet eyes. Cracking his shoulders with a shrug as he walks around the side of the house, he sees Zdrada leaning on the fence.

'Ugh, I could use a smoke...' He thinks wearily. Even the voice in his head is tired. His capacity for drama wasn't as high as it should be, considering how much happens in this house.

Ducking around the corner of the house, he peers at the Bitch Demon. He debates internally if approaching her for a cigarette is worth the trouble or not. After a solid minute of gnawing on his lip and arguing in favor of walking away, he decides against his best judgement to try his luck.

Damn his indecisiveness. What's the worst that could happen, really?

And so he rounds the corner, ears burning from the bitter wind, and cold air running across his face. Even if she weren't a demon, which he assumed made her hearing better than a normal person considering all the other capabilities demons had, there's no way she doesn't hear his feet shuffling across the crunchy, frosted grass. Either way, she hasn't made any move to address him.

The closer he gets, he realizes she doesn't have the usual cigarette hanging from her hands or lips. She doesn't acknowledge his presence as he leans on the fence next to her.

"She's gone." He intones.

"Cool." Zdrada mutters. "What do you want?"

"Figured I'd let you know." He shrugs. "You seemed happy to see her go."

"I'm not." She admits, quietly. She seems a bit down, uncharacteristically so. "I just couldn't deal with how depressing it was in there. Hate seeing everyone so mopey."

Ollie'd act as surprised as he feels, were he not so worn out right now. All he can really do is hang his head, peering into the woods down the cliff face. "Yeah, well, sorry for yelling at you, I guess."

"Don't be." She fishes the pack from her back pocket, catching his eye. "What're you starin' at? Should I tell Malinka you're staring at my ass?"

"I'm not staring at yer ass, you lush. Lemme get a cig." He asks, holding his hand out.

"Pfft, sure. Knock yourself out, dude." She obliges, sticking a cigarette between his fingers and lighting it. She pulls an extra for herself, lighting it and burning a third of it in a single drag.

"Thanks."

The wind howls through the pines below, branches gently swaying with the breeze. As Ollie stands there in what is a shockingly civil moment with Zdrada, his eyes linger on the dark clouds above. Little snowflakes begin to float from the sky, peppering the landscape of the woods with frozen tears.

The first snow of the season.

Ollie shifts uncomfortably in his jacket, one foot warm and bloodied, and the other freezing.

"So, you and Malinka, huh?"

"Huh?"

"You and my baby sis. Knew it the moment you two started hanging out almost every damn night." She explains.

"Ah. That." He puffs on the cigarette, barely a stub at this point. The heat stings his fingers. His lungs itch. "Yeah. She's cool."

"Just cool?" Zdrada cocks an eyebrow. He notices the glint of a new, silver piercing in her brow.

"Well, yeah. What else's there to say? I ain't gotta explain myself to you." He defends.

"Whatever, dude. I was just asking." Zdrada snorts, blowing a cloud of smoke that wafts past his face. The smell is acrid, almost akin to sulfur. He scrunches his nose, leaning away from the cloud.

Sigh. "Look, I'm not sure what you expected me to do. Pour my heart out? Explain how head-over-heels I am? You haven't given me much reason to like you, let alone spill my guts to you." He explains.

"I was just making conversation, nerd. It isn't that deep." The Bitch Demon shrugs. Her barb doesn't go unindulged. "I was just making conversation."

"See that? That right there? That's exactly why I don't trust you."

Zdrada quirks an eyebrow, as if she hadn't even realized the jab she made. "Every time you talk to me- Hell, to anyone- it's always an insult. Even when you left the room, you couldn't help but be a bitch about it."

"I'm the Bitch Demon, man. That's what everyone calls me. What else do you expect?" She shoots back.

"...Fair point." Ollie shrugs, taking a drag from the dart. The cold wind makes the cig shorter with every gust. Better to hit it while he's got it. "Look, maybe I'd be inclined to actually tell you stuff if we weren't pretty much enemies. But that's the precedent that's been set. You maim me, I get pissed off, you taunt me. That's how shit is between us. At first I thought we got off on the wrong hand, but that's just how you are. Doesn't mean I have to be okay with it." He shrugs, staring at the tobacco as it ebbs away in the breeze.

"What do you mean enemies?" She drags. "We literally live under the same roof."

"I mean enemies. Or like, I dunno, I wouldn't say rivals. That'd imply we're competing for something. We're just always at each other's throat. At least we are every time we're forced to interact." He elaborates. He brings his cigarette to his mouth to take another drag. As the smoke fills his lungs in lieu of air, he begins to feel dizzy. The headrush assuages his bad mood, if only slightly. "I don't want to be enemies. Really, I don't. I don't want to have to hate someone I live with. I hate it. But when you do the things you do, and cause me harm, I can't help but feel the way I do. I mean, what else am I supposed to assume when you rough me up? That we're best friends? All it makes me think is that you want me dead, or something."

"Listen dude, I get what you're saying. It's just who I am, though. I don't want to kill you. Not only would Malinka never forgive me, but Taker would never fuck me again."

"Well- ok, lot to unpack there. So the reason you explicitly don't want to kill me is because no dick from my uncle? I- I didn't need to hear that first off, second off, I'm pretty sure he'd get rid of you. Like, send you back to Hell. And second off, when do you care about whether or not Mal forgives you?" Ollie can't believe what he's hearing. Not just the part the fact that Zdrada bases the value of human life on whether or not it'll deny her the dick, but the fact that she cares for her sister's opinion.

"I was kidding, shit-for-brains." Zdrada groans. "Look, Malinka is my sister. Even if we fight all the time, and even if we strangle each other occasionally, she's my sister. Of course I give a fuck what she thinks. I love her."

"Tch, got a funny way of showing it..." He scoffs. "But still, you gotta admit that deciding to not kill me because you want my uncle to keep banging you is fucked up. You're a demon, you're not supposed to be a paragon of morality. But I'm starting to think you hate me, or something."

"If I hated you I wouldn't have let you have one of my smokes, shitass."

"AHAH- SHITASS?!" Ollie giggles, descending into a coughing fit. Cigarettes and a sore throat are a bad mix, as it turns out.

"Yeah, shitass. Look, my point is I don't hate you. You might be a sensitive little bitch sometimes, but if you make my sister happy then I don't really give a damn." She shrugs, leaning her back against the fence, resulting in a faint creak.

Pounding on his chest a few times, his coughing fit winds down. He manages to suck in a few breaths, cold air stinging his throat all the more. He huffs, resting a foot on the fence.

"Well..." He grabs the crook of his neck. "I love her, y'know? She loves me, I think. I hope. So she says. Not that I doubt her, of course." He explains, awkwardly.

"Pfft. Okay." She snorts. "The two biggest dorks in the house. Who woulda' guessed?"

Ollie considers her words. They irk him to no end, but he can't find the energy to get mad, right now. Not even a tad annoyed. "I'm not gonna respond to that."

The snow finally falls on them, lightly dusting their hair and clothes.

"Huh. Figured that would get you going."

"It would. But right now, I don't think anything is gonna get me riled up. Just don't have it in me." He tilts his head back, blowing a cloud of hot air. He watches it dissipate against the grey sky. He watches the tide of the lake. Crashing waves landing against each other. "Better luck next time."

"Man, you really are a bummer."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Get angry? Start a fight? I'd lose anyways. I'm already in a bad mood, your ribbing has gotten really old at this point. Stale."

"Are you saying I don't know how to get on your nerves?" She accuses.

"Of all the people who get on my nerves, you're at the top of the list, Z. Don't you worry." He flicks the butt of the cigarette off the cliff, watching at it bounces off the rocks and down to the forest floor. "Ech. I need a fucking shower. Thanks for the butt, Z."

"Maybe you can pull Malinka in there and scrub the gamer gunk off of her." She jabs.

The only response he can think of is to laugh.

"Hahah! Yeah, sure. I'll do that. And hey, listen. I want to be friends. Really, I do. As long as you can manage to refrain from almost killing me, I'll call us even."

He nods to her, taking note of the slight uptick at the edge of her lips. He pulls out his phone, taking a deep breath of fresh cold air as he plods to the front door. It's a short walk, one spurred on just a bit by the cold still cutting through his jacket. It's strange, but his mood is just a tad better. Blessings came in the strangest forms. Sometimes even a demon who maimed you on a bi-monthly basis.

With his eyes cast downwards at his phone, he just barely notices the ground around him lightening up with sunlight. It's almost like the clouds blew apart.

Just like the grass around him, his moods lightens. If only just a bit, of course. He stops in place, casting his eyes to the clouds. There's a circle where the clouds have dissipated, bright light shining through. He shields his eyes from what he thinks is the sun.

"Man, the sun sure is bright toda-" WHAM!

Ollie's sentence is cut short with a crash, throwing him against the side of the house. He can't feel anything but the throbbing in his skull, laying on the grass slumped against the vinyl siding. A warm trickle runs down his chin, and down his ears. 'What happened?' His vision swims, eyes darting all over for a sign to tell him what's going on. Muffled shouts meet his ears, but who it is and what they're saying is lost on him. It's as though someone dunked him underwater.

As his vision darkens and his consciousness dwindles, the searing pain in his chest grows in leaps and bounds. With every second spent and every breath taken his lungs erupt in agony.

'What happened?'