AN: Hey guys. Not gonna say much, but I hope you guys are enjoying the fic so far. Please remember to comment, fav, and share this story with people. The more support we get the more we'll be convinced that this is a good idea to make a series of.
Disclaimer: We do not own Helluva Boss. Leave It To Heaven univese and concept belongs to EMositeCC
In many ways, Los Angeles was the most ironic place on Earth - at least, from an Angel's perspective. Despite the name, the City of Angels was famous for being the land of drivebys, riots, fires, occasional floods or earthquakes, and soulless producers of terrible media. Viewed from a cynical eye, the city seemed more like a prototype of the Pride Ring of Hell.
Nevertheless, it was the place that H.O.P.E. needed to go.
No one noticed when, on a brick wall in a nondescript alley, glowing lines formed a circle, a star, and other strange symbols that had been forgotten by time. Before long, the lines opened up, forming a portal.
Blitzo, leading the way, stepped out first. "Alright, team! First thing's first, we've got to find where the youth ce- WOAH! " Unaware of his step, the Angel unexpectedly fell straight down into a dumpster.
"Blitz! You okay?" Millie asked, peeking out and jumping through the portal with her husband following after.
Their boss clawed his way to the rim of the dumpster, looking like he stepped into several smelly messes of food, waste, and other unexplained trash but looked relatively unharmed. "Oh, don't mind me, I just smeared myself on ye old paint." Moxxie and Millie pulled him out while levitating in the air and landed him onto pieces of cardboard. Blitzo sniffed the air. "Forest fire smoke, rotten veggies, puke, beer, and aged lube… Yep… This is definitely Los Angeles, alright."
"Where exactly are we?" Moxxie asked as his boss got back on his feet.
"Close to the street where Daniel died, so we should be pretty close to the center. Now, before we go any further…." Blitzo flew up to the edge of the portal. "You can close it up now, sweetie. I'll call you when we're done."
With a sigh, Loona gave a half-hearted wave. "See you later, Uncle Blitz." A moment later, the portal shrank, and the lines vanished.
After checking one last time that all their invisibility incantations were working, the trio turned to exit the alley and get a better idea of where they were. They entered a street where the buildings were mostly brick or concrete. On some of the walls were sprayed graffiti, right next to a dirty-looking sex shop with windows glowing in bright neon. The neighborhood they saw was like it had already gone through the apocalypse and barely managed to survive it. From the trash that tumbled by on the sidewalk to the cars that showed at least forty years of rust, it was like looking at the worst aspects of city life in America. Even the people who walked past the Angels looked hardened by the sheer misery in abundance.
That is, except for one place on the street corner. It was a modest building, its doors open, windows cleaned, and sign glowing overhead. It stood like an island of hope, its name shining like a beacon in a sea of despair: Second Chance Youth Center .
It was the place the angels were looking for. They hovered over to peer through the windows, and what they saw was a welcoming sight. In one corner was a line of people waiting for their turn for a hot meal to fill their bellies. Over in another corner, a teacher was helping some very young children to read. And by the back, a table where volunteers formed an assembly line to put together with care packages that included medical supplies, toothbrushes, blankets, and fresh clothes before handing them off to the people there who smiled in thanks. There was no exchange of currency or goods, though there was a place for those donating food or clothing in a separate building area. It was all done for the sake of making people's lives in the community better.
"There's so many in such a small building," Millie remarked in awe.
"And yet, look how great of a job they're doing." Moxxie smiled upon seeing a child being given a piece of cake that filled 'em with joy. "To think that a sliver of Heaven could be found in such a hopeless place, all because of one person's kindness."
"Yeah…" Blitzo nodded, taking note of a couple being given their care packages. One was a man that he presumed to have been homeless by the ripped clothes he had on, and the other a volunteer with an arm around him to no doubt give him comfort. Though his employees didn't notice it, that small scene alone made the Angel feel wistful. A reminder of a time when he was once in a similar situation.
"Hey! I think I see him!" Millie pointed out.
"Huh?" Blitzo said and blinked himself out of his thoughts.
"Zac, I think that's him over there!"
"I see him," Moxxie said, pointing with his finger.
At first, it was hard to see through the line for the soup kitchen. However, at the end of the line, Blitzo spotted him. Noticeably shorter than everyone else, Zac handed out clear plastic wrapped brownies and smiled at everyone who took them. Blitzo compared it to the picture in his mind, and this kid seems like a dead ringer. He was dark-skinned with short, curly hair. Over his green apron, he had on a gray hoodie and jeans. Most noticeable of all was the simple, tiny gold cross around his neck - similar to what his big brother had.
"So," Millie turned to Blitzo, "what's the plan?"
"Well, first we gotta find out where he lives so we can try to talk to him. We follow him over to make sure he stays out of harm's way."
Zac handed out the last brownie before turning to the others handing out food. He said something they couldn't hear, but it was evident by the way he was hanging up his apron that he was leaving. They waved at him - as if saying that they'd see him later - as Zac rushed over towards a backroom.
H.O.P.E. went around the building in the direction Zac might exit from, an alley on the side where there was a door. As they got there, Zac was exiting through the door, but he wasn't alone. There were two people there waiting for him. They looked like they were in their mid-twenties and wore matching black hoodies. A ring with a skull with two guns by the sides were on their left pinkies. This alarmed the Angels, as these were the tattle-tale signs of Daniel's old gang from the information he gave them. Upon spotting who was there, Zac tried to run for it, but was quickly caught by his hood.
"Yo, why you running?" one of the black-hooded gangsters asked.
"Let go!" Zac screamed, struggling to get his hood out of the grip of his stalker. "Let go of me!"
"Dude, chill," the other said, raising his hands, "we just wanna talk is all."
"I said let go!"
The gangster holding onto Zac's hood spun him around and pushed him up against the wall. "How about we make this quick? Are you done playing at the kiddie place?"
"It's not a kiddie-"
"Okay. Are you done being a pussy then?" asked the other as he got up close to Zac's face. "Ya know, dude, you can't just avoid us forever. When are ya gonna grow up and start hanging with the big boys?"
"I don't want anything to do with you guys!" Zac tried to push them away, but they didn't budge. "Look, I just wanna go home."
"So you can run to cry to mommy?" the first one said, chuckling. "Nuh-uh, you ain't going anywhere unless we get a straight answer from ya."
"Leave me alone!"
"Is that a yes?" the other gangster asked as he took out a switchblade from his pocket. "Or no?" Pressing a button, a sharp, pointy knife popped out , Zac's fearful expression reflecting on the cold steel.
"Sir," Millie turned to Blitzo with worry, "we've got to do something and fast."
"Human disguises, now!" Blitzo ordered. Their invisibility was dropped, and they quickly enveloped themselves in human forms. The default disguises they always fall back on were designed to make their appearance seem as unassuming as possible. Since they started using them, they chose their masks to help blend themselves in a crowd. One where they came off as neither threatening nor noticeable. But in this case, they had to be noticed to save Zac.
As soon as his transformation was complete, Blitzo yelled, "Hey! Knock it off!"
The three humans turned their heads, only to look baffled by what they saw. They saw three tourists come out of nowhere and wondered if they'd gone to the wrong city based on their dress-up: Moxxie had on a white T-shirt with a pair of cargo shorts and a camera around his neck. Millie had on the same but wore a blue sun hat. And Blitzo, whenever he went into his human form, always has on what could be described as the world's ugliest Hawaiian shirt of blue and white that was covered in tikis and short pants.
"You seeing this?" the knife-wielding gangster asked as he put his weapon behind his back.
The first gangster let go of Zac and started laughing, "Yo! Look at the retarded clown with the shirt," he pointed at Blitzo's shirt. "Hey man, where'd you get that? A landfill?"
"Hey, this came straight from O'ahu," Blitzo said, pointing at his eye-straining shirt while glancing at Zac. Zac looked back at him where Blitzo, subtly, nodded his head to the side to get out. "I paid two-hundred bucks for this."
"Dude, you got gypped," the other gangster laughed. "Those tikis look like a rejected Mickey Mouse sketch."
While the gangsters were laughing and cracking one joke after another, Zac, as quietly as he could, stepped away towards a fence lined with trash cans.
"Hey, leave him alone!" Moxxie stepped in. "Don't you hooligans have someplace to be, like school?"
"Hooligans? Dude, did he-?" The other gangster laughed, then looked to the first to see if he heard it too. "Yo, are y'all like from the fifties or something? Or are you folks just fucking stupid?"
Millie growled upon hearing this. "Listen, Mister Notorious B-I-G wannabes!" She started to march with her fists raised, but Moxxie held her back. "Y'all think you're so high and mighty because nobody has given you a good spanking-"
"Millie!"
"No, let 'er try!" the first gangster hollered. "I wanna see if shortcake could do anything."
"Why, you little!" Millie tried to lunge at them, but her husband and Blitzo held her back once more. While they held her back, Moxxie and Blitzo eyed Zac, who had climbed over the trashcans and jumped over the fence to run away.
After the other gangster calmed down, he told them, "Look y'all, you should really get out of here. This is no place for tourists."
While he said this, the other gangster noticed that Zac was gone. "Hey, where did the brat go?"
"He left while you were laughing at us," Blitzo said with a frown. "That kid didn't do anything wrong, so why not leave him alone?"
Realizing what just happened, the other gangster pulled the knife from his back, "Oh, you son of a…" before he could finish, he spotted a police car driving by. Turning to the other, he told him, "Let's get out of here. The kid's probably run home by now."
"Hey, aren't you gonna leave him alone?" Moxxie asked.
"Stay out of it. This ain't your problem." With that, the gangsters exited the same way Zac did.
Millie clenched her fists. "Those arrogant, self-centered…."
Blitzo put a hand on her shoulder, "I know, Millie." He narrowed his eyes as they climbed over the fence. "That… was strike one." Turning to his employees, he dropped his human disguise, "C'mon, we still got to follow Zac home."
Even though they were soured by the unpleasant encounter, the married couple nodded and changed out of their human forms. After reactivating their invisibility, they ascended to the air to find Zac, which didn't take them long. They saw him running through the streets, and the three Angels flew silently behind.
Why couldn't everyone just leave him alone?
That was the question that Zac asked himself as he hurried back to his home. Things had already been bad enough since Daniel's passing. Just when things were finally going well with his older brother getting out of jail, having a change of heart, and making a genuine effort to make things better, he was gone. He was taken away from everyone, including his family, making everything even more of a mess.
It was just Daniel's passing that was hard - but how the whole world seemed to react to it. The neighborhood felt as if the world had just ended. Daniel's old gang seemed to grow in confidence every day since his death.
And his parents… Zac didn't know if they were moving on or in denial because they put everything now on the community center. And nothing else.
Three blocks from the center, among a row of small brick two-story homes, Zac went up to one where he jumped over the trinkets, long burned-out candles, and pictures of his brother on a step of the stoop to get to the front door. Pulling the metal screen door open and pushing the wooden door closed, all that Zac wanted was to go to his room to try to forget about his encounter with the gangsters. Yet, before he could go up the stairs, he heard a voice yell out from the kitchen.
"Zac! Zac, is that you?" his mother asked.
Zac went around the stairs with an annoyed grunt and marched straight towards the kitchen. His mom took a tray of brownies out of the oven with her back turned to him. She had stopped wearing her dark mourning clothes not long after the funeral and started wearing outfits with more color. Currently, she had a flowing shirt with a peacock design over her blue jeans. She seemed to resume wearing her wigs on her head - this time a dark one with blue highlights to go with her shirt. If this were any other time, Zac wouldn't have thought much of it, as it was something that his mother wore for as long as he remembered.
However, to be back to normal so soon, especially after Daniel's death? It still didn't feel right to him.
When his mother closed up the oven, Zac asked, "What're the brownies for?"
"Don't you remember?" she asked, placing the tray on the stove. "The dessert social is down at the center tonight. We're supposed to bring something sweet over, so I'm bringing these. Now," she clapped her hands and turned around with a smile, "before we go, be sure to put on something nice. And your dad will be coming over-"
"I'm not going."
His mother raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Mom, I don't want to go tonight."
"No, you are going," Zac's mother said firmly.
"I've already been there today. There's no need for me to be going there again," Zac muttered while glaring downward.
She folded her arms. "Still no excuse, and don't use that tone on me."
"What tone?" Zac asked impatiently.
"That, right there. You talking back so dismissively, after all, your brother has-"
"Mom, stop!" Zac banged his fist against the door frame.
"... Did you just yell at me?"
"So what?"
"Zac, that was uncalled for."
"Uncalled for?" Zac said in disbelief. "Mom, Daniel has been gone for like, what? About a week, and you and dad have suddenly been acting as if the drive-by didn't happen at all! It's like suddenly you stopped caring."
"That isn't true."
"Oh really? How long did it take you to go from bawling your eyes out to baking brownies? Maybe you forgot that Daniel isn't gonna come home, but I haven't!"
It was a statement that made his mother feel like she was slapped across the face. "Alright, that's it, Zac, you're grounded."
"For what, speaking my mind?"
"Room." She pointed upstairs. "Now!"
"But-"
"You are not allowed to leave your room until we go to the social tonight. After that, you are not allowed to go out for two weeks."
"C'mon, I was-"
"Wanna make it three?" she firmly stated. "Upstairs, now!"
Punching at a wall, Zac turned around and marched upstairs, where each footstep was loud enough for his mother to hear. And as his feet pounded each step, he quickly concluded that this was probably the second-worst day of his life. First the gang, now this. He was in no mood for any surprises whatsoever. Zac was already two-hundred percent done with today, and all he wanted was to be left forever alone.
For a brief moment when he reached the doorknob to his room, he thought that at long last, he could be left in peace. Instead, the universe seemed not only to deny this simple request, but to invade his space as well. Just as soon as he opened the door, Zac's entire room was bathed in impossibly white light.
"The Hell?" Zac asked aloud.
"Oh no, quite the opposite really… uh, hey, Moxxie? Could you turn down the heavenly light a little?" Upon this being said, the room's brightness dimmed significantly, allowing Zac to see that his room was occupied by three people. Although "people" wasn't the right word; they were hovering above the floor, and they had wings with halos.
The tallest one waved at him. "That's better! So, where was I? Oh yeah," Blitzo cleared his throat. "Greetings Zac! And before you ask, yes, we are indeed one hundred percent genuine Angels, and we are here for yo-"
"Nope!" Zac immediately shut the door and retreated into the bathroom on his left.
Blitzo blinked. "Uh… okay wow… that's a new one."
"What?" Millie asked with a snort. "Didn't think he'd immediately reject us?"
"Not that. He took it worse than I thought." Blitzo frowned. "I mean, he left before we could even fully introduce ourselves. Maybe we should go check on him." Going through the door, they floated towards the bathroom door. "Zac? Are you in there?"
" Look, whoever you are, go away! " Zac told them from behind the wooden door.
"Listen," Millie knocked on the door, "we really are Angels from Heaven, and we just wanna talk."
" How about bothering someone else? Preferably somebody who's about to jump off a bridge. Y'all can show him what life would be like if he's never been born. "
"Just listen to us for a minute," Moxxie said. "It's important."
" I don't care! Just leave me alone! "
Millie gave a low whistle. "This kid's got an attitude on 'em."
Humming, Moxxie rubbed his chin thoughtfully until he got an idea. "Millie? Sir? Can I have a moment alone with him?"
"Why?" Blitzo questioned.
"Just trust me on this one, sir. Give me some time to talk to him. I'll need some space for it."
Weighing his choices, Blitzo told him that he'd give him a try, so he and Millie drifted through the ceiling. However, Millie kissed her husband's cheek before she left him alone. "Call us if something goes wrong."
Promising that he would, Moxxie turned back to Zac's bedroom.
Zac wondered if he was hallucinating, or if he'd somehow accidentally taken some of that stuff his brother's old gang offered him once. Because he was still in disbelief over the idea that Angels were in his room right this very second. Zac wouldn't deny that Angels existed, even if recent events had made him very angry with God right now. But why would they even come before him, and why now of all times?
Clearing his face with water, Zac sighed and closed his eyes, hoping that if he just stayed silent, his delusions would leave him. That was, until he heard the sound of a guitar playing outside of his door, along with lyrics that he didn't understand. Admittedly, it sounded quite beautiful. Alluring, even. Curious, he slowly reached for the doorknob until he paused and wondered if this was some kind of trick the Angels (or his mind, for that matter) were trying to pull on him. However, he couldn't resist, and Zac slowly opened the door.
The short male Angel Zac had seen earlier was on his bed playing an acoustic guitar. He calmly stroked the strings and sang in a tone that would make his church's choir envious seven times over. Slowly, Zac walked out and came face to face with the Angel, who opened his eyes and smiled at him before ending his playing. "Liked it?"
"... It wasn't bad," Zac answered before crossing his arms. "But what the heck were you speaking? Latin?"
"Enochian," Moxxie answered before he snapped his fingers, his guitar disappearing in a flash of light. "It's the language of the Angels up in Heaven. Few humans ever hear it, but whenever they do it, it's the most memorable thing they ever hear."
"... Are you real?" Zac asked as he slowly sat on the bed. "I'm not hallucinating, am I? Or dying? Or having some kind of weird mental breakdown?"
Leaning forward, Moxxie allowed one of his wings to extend and poked a surprised Zac with it. "Go ahead. Touch it. You can even pull on them if you want. Despite what you might think, these things are quite sturdy."
Zac slowly lifted his hand and pressed his fingers on the wingtip before his eyes widened in shock. It was real. One hundred and ten percent real. He touched the feathers a bit more before slowly backing away. "Holy shit, this isn't fake?"
"Language. And yes, this is real. My friends and I are Angels from Heaven," Moxxie explained with a smile. "We're here to help you with your problems about Daniel's death.'
"... Unless you can bring him back, there isn't anything to discuss," Zac muttered as he leaned against the wall next to his bed and curled his feet in. "My brother's dead. End of story."
"Yes, and I'm sorry you lost him. He's a good man," Moxxie said as he sat up straighter. "That's why we're here. To help you and your family with his passing. He wants to make sure that-"
"Look, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I just want to be left alone," Zac said as he got up from his bed and paced around. "I've got enough problems in my life already, okay? I got a bunch of psychos who want me to join them, even though I know they killed my brother, and if I don't do what they say, they might come after my parents next. Meanwhile, those so-called parents like to think that everything's going to go back to normal even though their son is dead!"
"Don't you think they're just moving on?" Moxxie asked, sitting up straight. "Or maybe that this is their way of grieving for him? From what it sounds like, they're trying to honor him and keep his memory alive."
"With what, that stupid community center?" Zac grumbled as he folded his arms and stared at the ground. "The whole thing is stupid. It's not going to magically fix this f'd up city."
"Maybe not, but it's changed some lives for the better, and sometimes that's all that's needed to make things change overall." Moxxie got up and walked over to Zac. "Your parents are doing their best. I know that it seems like they don't care, but they do. Daniel made his life about that center, and they think the best way of remembering him might be to help out. And they want what's best for you as well. I mean, you do miss Daniel, right?"
"Of course, I do!" Zac said before closing his eyes and sighed. "But everyone's acting like life is going to be normal again! How can it?! And my parents don't understand that! They never understand me! I bet you don't understand that!"
Moxxie couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, which widened Zac's eyes. Covering his face, Moxxie shook his head and smiled. "Oh, believe me. I understand that a lot more than you think. My parents and I don't always understand each other either. I still think they don't, even after all these years."
"Wait, you actually have parents?" Zac asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought all you angels were made from God or popped out of the clouds or something?"
"No, we reproduce just like you humans. The only Angels created by God from nothing were the first generation; every other generation has either been saved souls or children born in Heaven," Moxxie answered before clearing his throat. "Anyway, I do know what it's like to have a difficult relationship with your parents. Despite what you might think, we Angels do have issues amongst ourselves in Heaven."
"Like what?" Zac asked, slowly sitting down on his computer chair.
"Well, before I joined my boss's organization, I used to be a singer in the Heavenly Choir. Our job is to inspire the good in others and give them the courage and faith they need in the darkest of times. All those warm feelings you get before doing something brave or noble? That's us encouraging you."
"But do people actually hear you?" Zac asked, tilting his head.
"No, it's mostly the harmonic energy that they feel emanating from our combined voices. Very few humans in all of history have ever heard the Choir," Moxxie answered, shaking his head. "My family's been part of that Choir since the start of creation itself. However, I did something that my parents disapproved of."
"What was that?"
"I quit."
***3 and 1/2 Years Ago***
"You what?!"
Moxxie couldn't help but wince upon hearing his parents shout in surprise. The two of them were staring at him with wide eyes and open jaws. Being singers themselves, they had powerful voices of their own. He couldn't blame them, since he had just announced his resignation from the Heavenly Choir. He was the first in his entire family to ever do so. For generations, his bloodline had been part of the Choir and groomed their children to follow in their footsteps. And while Moxxie did enjoy his time there, he felt it was time for him to leave.
"I resigned," Moxxie said with a quiet tone to help ease the shock more to his parents. "I've decided I want to change my career, and I've been given permission to leave."
This didn't ease his parents' emotions, making him even more nervous. Moxxie's father, Matthias, had always been the most vocal and proud of his son's talents, calling him a chip off the old block. Well, in more ways than one. Moxxie took most of his features from his father to the point that you could put the two side by side and only tell the difference between them with three things. One, Moxxie's father was three feet higher than him. Two, Matthias was also purple-skinned, unlike Moxxie, who he took after his mother's blue skin in that regard. And three, no freckles. Another feature from his mother. Said mother, Molly, on the other hand, was about Moxxie's height and had long blonde hair but the most gentle of eyes. Eyes that she claimed had stolen his father's heart the day they met.
Staking out of his stupor, Matthias glared at his son and growled. "Moxxie, what in God's Holy Kingdom are you thinking?! Quitting the Heavenly Choir like that?! We spent years preparing you for this role, and not long after joining it, you want to leave?! Why?! It's a great honor to be singing in the Heavenly Choir! You just don't join willy nilly! They only take the best!"
"Well, I just feel like I want to do more than just sing, Dad!" Moxxie said, spreading his arms out. "I know the Choir has an important job and all, but I feel like I can do more than just sing how great God is all the time. I want to physically be involved and help humans find their salvation. I want to comfort those in grief, heal those sick, and protect those facing evil. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with what the Choir does, but it's just not for me! I want to do more!"
"Son, you're doing fine!" Molly said, taking his hands into his own. "Don't tell me you want to get involved in human affairs. You know how dangerous and… and… uncontrollable humans can be! Especially these days!"
"Mom, I don't think humans are as bad as you and Dad believe," Moxxie replied as he rolled his eyes. While his parents weren't precisely Old Testament followers like some extremist Angels, they'd had a very dim view of humanity ever since the turn of the century. "I know they've had problems the last few decades, but that's even more of a reason for me to help out."
"No son of mine is going to break family tradition and join some pointless crusade to save people who don't want to be saved," Matthias grumbled before shaking his head. "Honestly, I still wonder how we haven't had the Second Coming at this point."
"Funny, wasn't that the exact argument they made before Jesus went-"
"That was different! Back during a time when they could listen! But now… it's pointless to go down-"
"Dad, I have a life of my own. I can choose what I want to do," Moxxie argued, glaring at his dad. "I don't have to do what you want!"
"We just want what's best for you, son," Molly said, trying to be diplomatic.
"Yeah, but I also want what's best for me," Moxxie said, pointing to himself. "Look, I've already resigned. It's too late to change that."
"I can get you back in easily," Matthias said, rubbing his chin. "We'll just say you had a change of heart and-"
"Dad, I've already applied for a new job," Moxxie replied, making his parents wide-eyed again. "It's for this new company called H.O.P.E. that helps souls in Purgatory find peace and-"
"Purgatory?! You're going to demean yourself to a place like that?!" Matthias shouted in horror and anger. "Son, those are humans who weren't worthy enough to get to Heaven! Not to mention Purgatory allows those filthy demons permission to enter and do business there! Why in the Holy Ghost's name would you want to work there?"
"Because the company sounds like a good cause! Helping people trying to get into Heaven by helping finish whatever unfinished business they left behind on Earth? It sounds like I could really make a difference for people, deceased and alive. The CEO, Blitz, says that he has the means to get into the human world without using the gates and has permission to do so! I already talked to him, and he sounds like a good man," Moxxie argued.
"Blitz?" Molly rubbed her chin in deep thought. "Isn't he the one that-"
"Yeah, I know him too," Matthias said, frowning. "They say he's not right in the head after what happened to him. Considering that he was in Hell for a full year, I wouldn't be surprised if he lost some of his sanity."
"He's a bit… quirky, but overall, he's a good man. At least, the people I've asked say so," Moxxie said with a heavy sigh. "Look, I've made my decision, and I'm not going to back down from it. You can either support me or not, but I would like the support of my parents..."
Matthias just huffed and walked out of the living room, which was a clear answer to Moxxie. Moxxie solemnly looked down as his mother slowly picked his head up and smiled softly at him. "I'll talk to him, sweetie. I don't personally agree with this either, but… you are your own man."
"Thanks, Mom," Moxxie whispered before kissing her on the cheek. "Will Dad come around?"
"Just give it time, sweetie. Just give it time."
***1 Year Later***
Moxxie looked outside his office, where he saw the rest of the company's employees getting ready to head out to dinner. After a successful mission in convincing their client's husband not to kill himself to join her (especially since it would condemn his soul), Blitzo had decided to treat everyone to a celebratory barbecue outside in the parking lot. He felt his heart melt upon seeing his girlfriend, Millie, laughing as Loona was chasing her obsessed love interest, Collin, around the parking lot while Blitzo and the other Cherubs were taking bets on how long the sheep would last. Apparently, the record was an hour and sixteen minutes. Joining this company had proven to be the best thing he had ever done. He had a good boss, a lovely girlfriend, and he felt like he was making a real difference in the lives of humans both in Purgatory and Heaven.
Only if everyone saw it that way, Moxxie thought with a heavy sigh. Despite it being a year, he hadn't spoken to his father since he left for H.O.P.E. His mother and some other relatives had still remained in contact, but it was heartbreaking to know that his own father was still angry.
He was about to head out and join the others when his phone rang. Deciding to answer it, he picked it up and said, "Holy Ordained Problem Enders! Moxxie speaking! How can we help you?"
"... Hello, son."
Moxxie felt his throat dry up and froze upon hearing a familiar voice for the first time in months. "D-Dad? I… I wasn't expecting..."
"I'm sorry," Matthias said, which made Moxxie go silent. "About everything. I… I acted out of line, and… I've been a bad father for not speaking to you ever since you left. Your mother… she's told me about what you are doing and… well… I may not fully approve of it… but I'm proud of you."
"D-Dad," Moxxie whispered as tears began to form in his eyes. "I… I… Thank you..."
"Listen, why don't you come over to the house this weekend, and we'll talk? Just father and son. You can even bring your girlfriend so she can meet the family."
"Y-yeah sounds great. I'll see you in the afternoon. I… I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Moxxie."
***Present Day***
"So, things worked out between us. I mean, my Dad still wishes I was back in the Choir, and he has his issues with humans, but we cleared most of the air after a good long talk," Moxxie said to a silent and emotionless Zac, but it was clear from his eyes he was thinking hard about what the angel was saying. "Maybe that's just what you and your family need to do. Have a nice long talk about what's happened. Lay it on the table. All the pain, sorrow, and what you feel deep inside. That way, you can move on."
"... What if you don't want to move on?" Zac bitterly whispered, which made Moxxie pause and blink. "What if you don't deserve to move on? Because I sure as hell don't!"
"Zac?" Moxxie asked, but before he could say anything else, the human rushed out of his room. "Zac! Wait!"
Blitzo and Millie were shocked to see Zac, tears in his eyes, running out of the house with Moxxie crying out his name. Blitzo rushed over to his employee and asked, "Mox, what did you do this time?"
"Sir, I swear, I didn't do anything wrong!" Moxxie quickly said. "He said something about not wanting or deserving to move on from Daniel's death, and then he just started running."
Blitzo looked over to where Zac was retreating and sighed. "Come on, let's follow him."
Zac kept running. He didn't care where he was going. All he wanted was to somehow lose those damn Angels that wouldn't leave him alone. Zac did what he could to get him off his trail. From going out the back door, climbing over a fence into an alleyway, crossing a street despite the oncoming traffic, squeezing past dumpsters, the homeless, a maze of graffiti, and even a construction site. He wasn't keeping track of where he was going - just so that when he looked over his shoulder, he wouldn't see them.
" Zac! Wait! Listen to us! "
But despite all his efforts, despite his lungs feeling like they were going to burst, there they were. The three Angels weren't too far behind, closing in like birds of prey. No matter what he did, from unexpectedly changing direction to tossing something down in hopes to slow them down, nothing worked. They either went a little higher to see where he went or flew right through walls like ghosts.
"We're trying to help you!"
Zac told himself that he needed to keep running. Even when his breath was huffing, he kept going; when his throat was bone dry and crackling, he kept going; when his heart threatened to go on strike if he went faster, he kept going; even when his legs buckled and pleaded for rest, he kept going. He couldn't stop as much as he wanted to.
"Please, Zac, just hear us out!"
And the worst part was that, judging by the people who passed by and never so much as glanced at the Angels, Zac knew that nobody was going to help him. After all, how could he not come off as crazy when it was clear nobody could see or hear those three Angels chasing him? There wasn't anything he could do except keep going, and going, and going.
For all he knew, he could have been running in circles for miles. He went down a familiar street, then underneath a fence with a loose board before he turned down an alley he didn't recognize - all the while hoping that he wouldn't run into a deaden-
"Hey yo! There you are!"
Zac's hood was grabbed, and he felt his legs give way. Landing on his back in a cold, murky puddle, he looked up to find himself surrounded by black hoodies and mocking laughter. He never realized that he came across his brother's old gang in all of his running.
Some of them picked him up by the zipper.
"Zac, right? Man, we were just talking about ya!" In his squirming, Zac was suddenly overcome with fear of who was speaking to him. He was the only one in the gang to wear a dark hellish red with a spade tattoo on his bald forehead. Zac knew instantly who this was. Though his face may seem friendly, and his tone of voice lively and deep, he remembered what his brother had called him - the Grinning Demon. The new leader of the gang after his brother left them. "Hey yo, Zac, long time no see - how's it been?"
Zac tried to step back, but he slammed himself into a brick wall.
"Just, ain't it the mother of coincidences, right?" The gang leader laughed. "Here we are, wondering if ya gonna finally man up and be in the gang, and suddenly, there you are!"
"Get the hell away from me!"
"Take it easy, man." The gangster in red held up his hands. "The only thing we want is an answer - I mean, the guys had been asking ya for a while now, and you ain't given us straight about joining us or not. I mean," he laughed again, "it's kinda insane not to, ya know? You're Diablo's brother-"
"Daniel, and why would I join? Y'all killed him."
The other gangsters ohh'ed as if they were one. However, the gangster in red chuckled, with his grin getting a little wider. "Now, that's special coming from you, with the big balls to say that in front of us." Not letting down his near demonic smile, Grinning Demon pulled out a gun, but didn't aim it at Zac. Instead, he let the barrel touch the wall by his head. "Diablo… had it coming. The man created the gang, did whatever we wanted - even went to jail for us - then suddenly… he pussed out. He betrayed us and then does all this charity shit where he's taking away our chances for keeping things as they are. So that left me to pick up the pieces.
"But… having you in? Why, shit… It'd be like having the gang back together. Oh, and don't worry, we'll have you be untouchable - like one of our own, ya know? That, and you can do any goddamn thing you want! Rob a store that charged ya extra for being black, shank a homeless guy, have any damn ass you want - and you'll never get caught. Hell, the police used to be afraid of us, but now… we don't have the teeth to give that bite. But to have you in-"
" Leave him alone! " came a loud voice that Zac could have sworn was a crack of thunder. He and everyone else turned to look where that sudden outburst came from. And though what everyone else saw were three tourists, Zac immediately realized that he had seen these three before. Though their forms were different, he recognized them as the Angels following him but in human disguises.
"Hey, it's that weirdo with the ugly shirt!" one of the gangsters called out.
Blitzo looked down and grumbled. "Okay, seriously? What's wrong with my Hawaiian shirt? Why is everyone saying that it looks-"
"It looks like the tikis are shitting on each other." This got a laugh out of the gang.
Millie stepped forward. "Leave the kid alone. He didn't do anything to y'all."
"Hey," Grinning Demon turned his attention from Zac to Millie, "who's the pretty little hoe in the hat?"
"My wife," Moxxie got in front of her before she could lunge at them. "What do you all think you're doing with Zac?"
"Who, him?" Grinning Demon asked while he thumbed at him. "Nothing, we're just having a talk. But y'all shouldn't be here. It's dangerous on this side of town."
"Well, he needs to get to the center," Blitzo said to them while crossing his arms. "Just leave him alone, or we're calling the police."
The gang exploded in laughter.
"Yo man," Grinning Demon said, stepping up to about a few feet from Blitzo and cocking his gun. "Y'all are hilarious, but you ain't callin' nobody."
Blitzo's gaze narrowed, and he stepped towards the gangster to the point where the pistol was just a few inches short from his head. "I know we don't look like much, but threatening any of us is a serious mistake. Let Zac go, and nobody here will have to go to a hospital."
"Ain't that so?" the Grinning Demon asked as he and the other gangsters pulled out guns, knives, brass-knuckles, garrott-wire, and baseball bats with nails hammered through. "Not if any of us put ya into the morgue first."
Moxxie stepped back while reaching into his pockets while looking at Blitzo, who had his fist clenched and his teeth-gritting, waiting for an order.
Millie was mere seconds away from pulling out her hidden weapons to slice these arrogant souls into the next millennium.
Bitzo's rage was rising with every passing second - if any of these gangsters said one more word, he would override everything and authorize a heavenly smackdown.
"Stop! Stop!" Zac screamed as loud as he could, getting everyone's attention. "I'll do it. Just put your guns away!"
The Grinning Demon looked over to Zac, surprised but pleased. H.O.P.E., however, was stunned by this, yet, it was clear on Zac's face and voice that he was afraid.
"No shit?" the Grinning Demon asked. He waved to the other gangsters to put their weapons away when he nodded. "About damn time. We'll initiate you later tonight."
"Sure, whatever," Zac said, eying the angles where he tilted his head subtly as if to say, ' Get out now. ' "Just… let me go get ready."
"No problem, first let us take care… where did they go?" Despite the Angels swapping back to their original forms, no one but Zac could see them. Where they saw an empty alley, Zac saw a near irate Millie, a disappointed Moxxie, and Blitzo, whose expression seemed unreadable.
The gang let Zac go, and he went past the Angels who looked on as he left.
"We… We failed…" Moxxie said dejectedly. "We've failed the mission."
Blitzo raised his hand. "Hold on… something about this doesn't add up."
"I'd say it doesn't!" Millie interjected. "Zac did the one thing we've been trying to get him not to do!"
"Not willingly; did any of you notice how afraid he was back there? I think there might be more to this than we're seeing."
"But what do we do now, sir?" Moxxie asked.
Thinking for a moment, Blitzo told them, "Let me go talk to him. In the meantime, keep an eye on this gang. It's vital now more than ever that we should keep them separate until everything's fixed. I'll come to find you when I'm done."
With that said, Blitzo spread his wings and began to follow Zac.
