Chapter 18: Katoche

The ominous ziggurat towered over the cityscape, casting its vast, oppressive shadow over the city of the damned. Demons marched up its endless steps by the thousand, a tortuous march that drew them closer and closer to their doom with dreadful slowness. Each one had been meticulously followed and observed until such a time where their value as witnesses reached its zenith. Now they would be interrogated, processed, and sent to the soul lathe, where the truth of their souls would be laid bare in a final, agonizing blaze of Hellish energy. The glowing pillars of liberated demonic essence lanced into the sky from dozens of places on the mighty structure.

They hadn't stopped blazing for months.

Deep within the Ducal palace, once such process was taking place.

Three battered imps stood lashed to a pole, their arms bound up behind the backs and over their heads as they were hung forward. Their mottled red and white skin was slick with sweat, the ones with hair found it matted, ruffled, soaked with perspiration as they heaved and panted.

"Well?" Blitzo sneered. "Let's hear it, Moxxie."

Moxxie glanced over at his employer, a long-suffering expression on his face. "What are you talking about, sir?"

"Oh, can the bullshit, Moxx! I know you're just snipping steel cables with your asshole, waiting to dig into me about how all this is my faAAAAUUUUUUUUU–"

Captain Gallia smirked as she unleashed a torrent of golden, demonic lighting upon the hapless imps, wracking their bodies with arcs of pure agony.

"–UUGHllt. I know you want to, so just do it already!"

"Alright, you want me to tear into you, sir? Well, alright then!" Moxxie took a deep breath. "You are a crude, perverted, unprofessional degenerate and your drawing skills are subpar! Further moOORRRAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Gallia electrified the trio, a hard, cruel smirk on her noticeably unmarred face. The imps jolted and writhed as their bodies were consumed by something beyond pain, beyond suffering, suffusing their very souls as arcs of energy danced over their rigid, galvanized forms.

"RRRRRGGGGOXxie! Don't bring up his artwork!" Millie broke in, her tone calm despite her ragged, choked panting. "That was uncalled for!"

"Excuse me?! Oh, he's just constantly talking about violating our marriage, putting us in danger, and insulting me to my face, but the second I clap back, I'm the bad guy!"

"Listen to your hoe, Moxx," Blitzo snickered. "I'm open to constructive criticism, but the second you start swinging below the belt, I just might swing back with some fire disses of my own!"

"Bring iiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!"

As the light flashed on Gallia's face, her smile slowly gave way to bemusement, the surges of tortuous energy faltering somewhat.

"YEEEEEEEEEou should be flattered I even bother with your boring-ass married life! I like to keep up to date on my employees' personal lives, like a good boss, but holy shit!" Blitzo spat. "Serenades, dinners, gang exterminations! Gawd! Don't you two ever fuck?! I know I said I wanted turn that hotdog into a sandwich, but that was before I found out you got the sex drive of a Shaker Panda, you pencil-dicked gremlin!"

Gallia desperately suppressed a laugh as she raised her hand to jolt them again.

"I'd say you should fuck through a bedsheet, but that'd remind you too much of your parents, wouldn't it?"

Captain Gallia snorted before turning away, her hand clapped over her mouth.

"Fucked up thing is, I didn't even have buy those cat costumes!" Blitzo exclaimed. "Why the fuck did you have those on hand? Do you have to dress up like a cat so it feels normal when Millie punches you in the face after three thrusts and a squirt?"

Gallia broke into stifled, sputtering snickers before giving up and loosing a hearty gale of laughter, slapping her knee with an electric crack. After a few seconds Gallia threw her head back and sighed, still smiling. She spun around a discharged a tremendous blast of pure torment into the her trussed up prey, their screams mingling into a hellish chorus of pain. Seconds passed as she held the blast, her beautiful face split by a savage, fanged smile. Only when the imps had no more breath with which to scream did she relent, allowing them to suck air in shrieking, sobbing gasps.

"Well, that was fun," said Gallia, clapping her hands together. "Thus concludes the orientation. I will go fetch Duke Sallos and we will conduct your interrogation proper. Any requests?"

"If you could go fuck yourself and your Duke, that'd be a real peach, Tits," Blitzo said, his tone dry and uninterested.

Gallia smirked and turned to leave when Blitzo whistled, drawing her attention back to him. "Oh hey, one more thing!"

"What?"

"Lovin' the makeover, sis. Bit'a foundation, some power, covered that cut right up!" Blitzo smirked and winked at her. "Oh, by the way, orange is their best flavor."

Gallia snarled and raised her hand to incinerate the smart-mouthed imp but relented, a cruel smile spreading across her face. "Good to see you've still got some fire left in you, imp. The Duke will take immense satisfaction in stomping that out of you. By the time we're through, you'll be begging for the soul lathe!"

"Careful, you're makin' me hard again!" Blitzo called out as she left, grinning like a loon.

The door swung shut with an echoing 'bang', the various locking mechanisms within whirred and clicked. Blitzo's smile vanished as he stooped forward and vomited on the floor, heaving and retching before falling forward, hanging limply from the stake, trembling.

"Blitzo?" Millie said, her voice wavering and hoarse. "Blitzo, are you okay?"

He said nothing, not moving, not even his breathing could be heard as he dangled limply from the chains.

"Oh, Satan!" Millie moaned. "Moxxie! Is he…?"

"Sir, say something!" Moxxie cried. "Sir! Sir, I'm not done with you! Your pretensions to musical theater are offensive at best! You hear me? Your dad was right! You… sir? Sir! Blitzo, you stand back up and yell at me! Don't you give up on us now!"

"…I'm sorry," the battered imp whimpered, tears and sweat dripping down his pale-red cheeks. "T-this is all my f-fault. I'm s-sorry, M&M, I just wanted to…"

"It's okay, Blitzo, we–"

"No! It's not okay!" Blitzo snarled, jangling the chains. "We are so fucked it's not even funny! And all because I forced us to go on that fucking stupid mission! I coulda just let Angie and his gang use the book and get fucking killed and we'd have been just as rich! What was I thinking?! But hey, as you're always saying, Moxx, thinking isn't exactly my strong-suit! Fuck! How could I have even thought we'd make it in this business? How could I think I'd be worth anything more than scum between a crackwhore's flaps?! How could I think I'd be worth anything more than… me? I had a stupid, stupid dream and now you two are paying the price for it… I'm so sorry. You two, Hell, everyone I've ever known would have been better off if my Mom had just opted for a handy instead."

Silence hung in the air as Blitzo slumped forward again. Only the ragged coughs and pants of the chained prisoners could be heard, despair hanging in the air, heavy and smothering. Moxxie blinked as he felt something prod his side. He looked down to see Millie's tail poking at him. He craned his neck over to look at his wife, she was looking at him, the eye that wasn't swollen shut was glancing meaningfully at their despondent boss, her eyebrows arched up. Moxxie blinked in surprise, shooting her a questioning look. Millie smirked and nodded, winking (blinking) at him.

"Sir? Sir!" He said, reaching over and tapping Blitzo on the shoulder. "I have something to tell you, sir!"

"What is it, Moxx?" Blitzo muttered. "You gonna tell me my cooking sucks, too?"

"No! W-well, uh, you see, sir, uh, a little while ago Millie and were talking and, um, well, see, she–w-we decided that, uh, maybe–"

"This ain't your wife's dick, Moxx!" Blitzo said, annoyed. "Spit it out!"

Moxxie tried in vain to articulate when Millie broke in. "Three-way."

Blitzo blinked, his brow furrowing as his eyes slowly widened. He got his feet under him again and stood up, glancing over his shoulder to Millie. "Come again?"

"Three-way," she repeated, smiling.

Blitzo snapped around to look at Moxxie, who nodded, a small smile on his face. "You're pulling my dick!"

"Not yet, sir."

Blitzo stared ahead, eyes wide with shock, a huge, leering grin spread across his face. Blitzo loosed a high, hearty laugh and pulled himself up straight with the chains. "Fuck that spiky cum-dump! Fuck Uncle Sally! And double-fist-fuck with a barbwire glove Lucifer and the horse he rode in on! We're surviving this and we're gonna burn this piece-of-shit pyramid down and fuck on the ashes!"

The door hissed and clicked before swinging open, revealing Captain Gallia. She stepped through and, rendering a salute, stepped off to the side, revealing a huge, towering shape behind her. The massive demon stepped into view, his muscular form clad in an exquisitely fitted creosote-black three-piece suit. He locked his eyes on Blitzo, orange-within-red lights glowing out from under his tall, proud brow, on which blazed two flaming eyebrows.

"His Excellency Grand Duke Sallos, Prime Peacekeeper of the Inner Circle, Defender of Decorum, Lord of–" Captain Gallia announced, only to fall silent when the Duke raised his hand.

"Thank you, Gallia," Sallos said, smiling graciously at her. "They don't care."

"You got that right, Uncle Sally!" Blitzo said, grinning. "So, who's going first? I know how you royals love to slobber on imp dick, but I think your thorny-horny bitch there wants to break this stallion in!"

Sallos chuckled as Gallia snarled and started forward, talons ready to tear. "Impudent, disrespectful–!"

"Now, now, Gallia," Sallos said, setting a hand on her shoulder. "It's quite alright. Stolas has thoroughly disabused this imp of any notion of grace and dignity inherent to the aristocracy."

"Words words words FUCK!" Blitzo scoffed. "You're even worse than Stolas! Hey, look, if you're a switch like him, you gotta give me a chance to limber up some. From what I can see, we're talkin', what, and Atlas 4XL? At least let me do some squats and toe-touches first."

Gallia was across the room in a flash, her armored, articulated hand around Blitzo's throat as she lifted him off the ground. "I will flay the impudence out of you one brittle bone, one strip of flesh, one nerve at a time you vulgar piece of ring-scraping filth!"

Blitzo winced and sputtered. Upon seeing the fine, almost imperceptible sheen of sweat on the powerful demoness' brow another, knowing smile crawling across his face. "You seem a touch flush, pin-cushion… is your 'make-up' wearing off already?"

"Captain?" Sallos said, his somewhat concerned at her outburst. "Are you feeling alright?"

Gallia dropped Blitzo roughly and made her way back over to her Duke. "I'm fine, Your Excellency. My patience for these creatures has been exhausted, however."

"Hm." Sallos set a massive hand down on her shoulder. "You've done well today, Captain. Get some rest. I'll see to these vermin."

"Your Excellency, I–" She looked up and saw the gentle, understanding smile on his otherwise severe, reserved face, a slight blush forming in her cheeks. "Y-yes. By your command, Your Excellency."

The flustered, agitated demoness showed herself out, the door clanging behind her with a now-familiar chorus of clicks and hisses as it locked. Duke Sallos sighed and shook his head, a warm, amused smile on his face. "She works so hard. The best there is at what she does."

"We noticed," said Millie, her tone flat.

"Ah… just as well I sent her away." Sallos made his way over to his helpless prey, his smile now much less warm, the air going cold as his aura flared. "I've been having a very bad day and this right here is a fine opportunity for me to vent. This is something I really don't want her to see."

"Our suffering will be legendary, huh, big guy?" Blitzo said, unimpressed. "Even in Hell?"

Sallos smiled, his massive hands extending towards them, his eyes glowing as he bared his teeth. "Something like that."

"Moonchild, what were you thinking?!" Charlie snapped.

Moonchild examined his feet, fidgeting, when Diavolo clapped him on the back of the head. "Stand up straight, look her in the eye."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't mumble!"

"Diavolo," said Charlie, her tone even despite the clear irritation on her face. "I would like to speak to Moonchild in private. Is there any way you could, I don't know, leave?"

Diavolo shook his head. "I am unable to move more than a few meters from him."

Charlie sighed and massaged her temples. "Then go as far as you can, please. And try not to eavesdrop."

Diavolo nodded and backed away. "Of course, Charlotte."

Charlie grimaced at his respectful tone, stepping in close to Moonchild, whispering. "Okay, what's going on? He's not trying to kill me."

"I told you," Moonchild whispered, glancing at his phantom double as he examined a painting on the wall. "He's willing to cooperate. We talked, I think I got through to him."

"Oh, clearly," said Charlie, gesturing at the shattered bedside table. "Looks like you made some major progress. You should have put him back the second he showed you he was still dangerous! In fact, you should do that right now, while he's distracted!"

"But Charlie!" Moonchild exclaimed, lowering his voice when he saw Diavolo glance at them over his shoulder. "Okay, I'll put him away for now. But bottling him up can't be healthy!"

Charlie sighed and rubbed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Moonie… why were you trying to talk to him in the first place? Why didn't you come see me, first? We could have done this together!"

"We're doing that now?" Moonchild offered, an apologetic smile on his face.

Charlie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, well. It is what it is. You think you can keep him under control going forward?"

"That's just it," said Moonchild, gesturing at his other half. "I'm not controlling him. All I'm doing is, uh, keeping him sane, I guess? Lucid, anyway."

"And how, exactly, are you doing that?"

"Well… I'm just sorta…" Moonchild paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "…Repressing his traumatic memories."

Charlie fixed him with an icy stare, her lips a tight line on her face. "Cheese and rice, Moonie!"

"I know, I know! It was all I could think to do! It's not a permanent solution, but it'll work long enough for you and I to figure one out! Charlie, I know this isn't the best time, with the Duke and all that, but I think he can be a big help! He's powerful, more powerful than me, and if he wants to be part of the program, he could–"

"Enough." Charlie raised her hand and shook her head. "Moonie, I understand why you did what you did, and I know you want to help but… now is not the time for experimental therapy! But… if you think you can keep him calm, then I guess I can… try and help him. But the second it seems like he's going to hurt anyone, you recall him, you understand?"

Moonchild smiled and nodded. "Yes, Charlie! Thank you!"

"Great!" Charlie said, turning to face Diavolo. "I assume you heard all that."

He nodded. "I am most appreciative of this chance you've given me, Charlotte. I'll not disappoint you."

"Hmph." Charlie walked over to him, jabbing a finger in his face. "While I'm happy you've decided to behave and I'm looking forward to helping you, I'll say this right now: you are not to harm anyone in this hotel for any reason. Violence of any kind will absolutely not be tolerated. You've used up your first two chances, so the first sign of trouble, Moonie calls you back. And if you try any funny business, I'll sort you out myself. We clear?"

Diavolo smiled, the admiration clear in his voice. "Crystal."

"Good." Charlie blew out a breath and set her hands on her hips. "Now, the others are setting up the party favors, I should go help. Moonie, meet us downstairs in five minutes? Diavolo, just… yeah."

"See you there, Charlie!" Moonchild said.

"Of course, Charlotte."

Charlie's eyes narrowed at the placid ghost-like creature. "…Right. See you there."

With that, Charlie showed herself out. Diavolo watched her leave, a small smile on his face. He looked over to see Moonchild smiling at him, waggling his eyebrows.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anyth–"

"Shut up."

Octavia was waiting outside in the hallway when Moonchild exited his room. She offered him a wan smile, which he brushed off with a scoff.

"Moonie!" She called out after him as he set off down the hall. "Hey!"

"You called Charlie on me?" He said, irritation clear in his voice.

"You accidentally made your psychotic alter-ego manifest as a wraith!" Octavia said. "Sorry if I wanted some back-up!"

Moonchild sighed and nodded, turning to her. "I know, I know… I just wanted to talk to him, reach out, maybe…"

Octavia studied his face, after all these years of confiding in him, she'd only just recently began to pick up on his tells. The Moonchild she knew for most of their friendship was at once incapable of lying to others but a master at concealing his deepest thoughts. Since coming to this Hotel, he'd become more… open. At the very least less adept at bottling away what was inside. Right now, her friend seemed annoyed, irritated. Not with her, not really, but with himself. A curious blend of frustrated and helpless, like whenever her father tried to use anything more complicated than a pocket calculator.

"Moonie. Why did you try to contact him? Why now?"

Moonchild turned to her, frustration and irritation giving way to sadness and more than a little fear.

"Oh, Via…" He rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering into her ear. "I won't let anything happen to you…"

Octavia opened her mouth to push the issue but, after a moment's hesitation, simply smiled and returned the hug, closing her eyes as she nestled into him. For a few moments they were silent, Octavia felt the hot sting of tears as they spilled down Moonchild's cheek.

"It's okay, Moonie. It's going to be oka–" She opened her eyes and was met with the cold, scowling face of Diavolo, his eyes glaring pits of cold, green malice. "…Hey, Moonie?"

"Yes, Via?"

"Can you, uh, switch this guy off or something?"

"Uhh… I think?" Moonchild pulled away from her and turned to his other self. "Hey, D, I forgot to ask, do you want to come to the party?"

"'D'?" Diavolo sneered, indignant, folding his arms across his chest as he shook his head. "If I didn't live your curdled brain, I'd ask if you were being serious."

"Right, right."

The wraith shimmered and vanished in a pulse of energy, his sour aura dissipating as he was called back into Moonchild's subconscious.

"Does 'D' stand for 'dickhead'?" Octavia grumbled.

"He can still hear you," Moonchild mumbled.

"Suppose it could also stand for 'douche'."

The event room buzzed with activity. Niffty was darting about the room so fast she appeared to be in a dozen places at once, adding flairs to decorations, rearranging cutlery, and straightening table clothes. Husk busily set about mixing drinks and setting up bottles, having drawn upon the considerable stores he had stashed all over the Happy Hotel. Charlie and Vaggie directed Angel and the goats as they hung banners and ribbons all over. Alastor snapped his fingers and summoned a full sound system as a five-piece band appeared on a dais stage peopled by ghostly, monstrous apparitions.

Angel sat cross-legged by the door, idly puffing on a cigarette as he watched the others run hither-thither. The door opened behind him and in walked Moonchild and his frumpy little girlfriend. He supposed that wasn't fair, but he also noticed he and Husk had been spending precious little time with their favorite sucker-fish since Frowny Feathers had shown up! Something he aimed to change.

"Moonie!" Angel cheered, stepping forward and pulling the robust sea-demon into a many armed embrace. "Been a while! Where ya been?"

"Uh, healing?" Moonchild said, returning the hug. "Sorry, Angel, I just realized, I've been ditching you guys a lot, huh?"

"Ya just realized?" Angel snorted. "Alls ya been doin' the past few days is skip out wit' ya girlfriend, leavin' ya bros high and dry! We's gotta rectify this situation, dontcha think?"

Moonchild chuckled and nodded, patting Angel on the shoulder. "I suppose. Via?"

Octavia smiled softly and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at Vaggie, Niffty and Charlie. "I've got birds aplenty to nest with. Have your guy-time."

"Thanks, Via, I really–urk!" Moonchild said, just before he was yanked away by the spider-demon, smiling graciously at her over his shoulder.

Octavia sighed as he was pulled away and turned to see Charlie waving her over, gesturing at a space at the table, drinks in hand. 'Least I could do for you…'

"Tss!" Blitzo hissed as the burning liquid scalded his tongue.

"Are you alright?" Sallos said, pouring a fresh cup of tea for Millie from a delicate blue and white china teapot.

"Yeah, yeah, it's still a bit hot," said Blitzo, blowing the steam from the cup. "Didn't mean to interrupt your venting. Go on."

"Right, right, where was I?" Sallos said as he finished pouring Millie's cup. "Biscuit?"

"Lucifer just appeared in your office," said Millie, holding out her china plate. "And please, thank you."

"Ah, yes. So, I was getting ready to mark the three of you for death as per the Decree, hoping to get it done and over with before any of Stolas' enemies could rally and kill Octavia when Lucifer shows up." Sallos shook his head and sighed. "Without getting into too many details, he edited the Decree that all but specifically named Octavia as the target."

"No!" Moxxie said, aghast. "I mean, I know he's, well, Lucifer, but isn't that a little, uh, needlessly cruel?"

"'Welcome to Hell,' he says." Sallos sighed as he sat back in his chair. "And now I have to kill my favorite niece and alienate my favorite cousins, because if I don't…"

"Morax will," Blitzo said, sipping the tea. "And if Stolas' pillow-talk about the fucker is true…"

"Indeed. To cap it all off, now Via's claimed sanctuary with Princess Charlotte," Sallos groaned. "So tomorrow I'm going to be knocking down the door of Lucifer's flesh and blood to fight her for the right to butcher a girl I love my like own child."

"Sounds like ya done pissed Lucy off, that's for sure!" Blitzo said, his tongue snapping out and scooping up a biscuit from the ornate platinum tray.

Sallos blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Sally!" Blitzo threw his hands up. "Think about it! Abner Cadaver's been in Hell for, what, months now? You know who took it, you know who has it, so where is it, huh?"

Sallos's flaming brows knit together in consternation, his eyes glaring into his cup of tea. "That's not…"

"Oh, so it's just a coincidence that he formulated this punishment to be just as horrible for you as it is for Stolas, huh? Yeah, no, there's no way Lucifer would be that creatively dickish!"

"That would explain the edit…" Sallos muttered, horrified. "You were the original target, Blitzo, to punish Stolas but keep Octavia safe. He must have sensed me trying to weasel my way out of it…"

"Yeah, so, excuse me, Your Excellency," Moxxie said, hesitant. "Why are we still being tortured and executed if Octavia is the de facto target of the Decree? Are we being punished for stealing the Corpse? We were paid and provided a service, according to Lucifer's law, our actions were legal."

"Oh, that." Sallos sipped his tea, setting down the cup. "I can see where the confusion arises. You are right, of course, your actions were perfectly legal. This isn't a punitive measure on your behalf, but an official interrogation. You three possess knowledge of the interior of the Vault, witnessed its defenses, security measures, wardings, and anti-demonic countermeasures. It is a matter of some interest for us to know the exact extent of the mortal's capacity to resist our forces. Unfortunately, the process by which we extract the information is invariably fatal."

"So, why not just interrogate La Squadra?" Millie said. "They know way more than we do about the whole thing!"

"True, true," Sallos conceded. "But they're rich and powerful Overlords now. They pledged generous donations of money and service to the Inner Circle and forged all the right allegiances. Furthermore killing them for essentially being too successful and cutthroat would have unfortunate implications to the community at large. You three, on the other hand, know much more than you give yourself credit for and are, not to put too fine a point on it… imps."

Moxxie deflated, staring into his tea. "Oh."

"Sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize," Blitzo said, dipping a cookie in his tea. "It's nothing personal, right? Besides, you seem to be just as fucking pissed with the whole situation as us."

Sallos set his cup down, leaning back in his chair. "You have a peculiar sort of perceptiveness, Blitzo. I'm going to regret killing you."

"Thanks, I think?"

"It seems to me like you're unhappy with your job," said Millie. "And the whole environment comes across as really toxic and draining. Have you considered finding another line of work?"

"Oh, yes, I'll just resign!" Sallos scoffed. "And do what, exactly?"

"Well…" Moxxie said, scratching his head. "What do you like to do? What brings you satisfaction? Millie and I went into the assassination business because we're good at it and working together to pull off a job is deeply fulfilling for us."

"That's right!" Millie said, wrapping her tail around Moxxie's. "Rather than try and fit a job, we found a job that fit us. If you're unhappy here, you should just resign, let Lucifer find someone who'd suit it better."

"I mean, think about it," said Blitzo. "You seem like a pretty peaceful guy when you're not on the job, and you're a caring, big-hearted fella. Who would hate being a peacekeeper in Hell more that you? And yet here you are!"

"I do what I am bid by Lucifer, for the good of Hell itself," Sallos said, without much conviction.

"Another indicator that maybe your boss is kind of literally the biggest asshole in all of creation," Blitzo scoffed, punching Sallos on the shoulder. "If your boss is so dedicated to making you as miserable as possible, I think that maybe it might be time to start handing out resumes. Hey, I mean, we're hiring! Drop us a line when you sort your shit out."

Sallos chuckled and smiled, patting Blitzo on the back. "As absurd as that is on so many levels… thank you, Blitzo. All of you, in fact, thanks for listening. You've given me much to think about."

"Aw, hey, don't mention it, Sally!" Blitzo chuckled warmly. "What're friends for? Say, while we're on the subject of friends…"

"You three will still be sent to the soul lathe and have your memories extracted." Sallos said, flatly.

"Shit. Well, blame a guy for trying."

"But… in the morning. Menus will be provided for your final dinner and breakfast." Sallos got to his feet and made for the door, opening it before turning back, winking. "Oh, and I'll see to it that your 'sleep' tonight is uninterrupted."

Blitzo grinned and waved. "See ya, Sally! I hope you sort your shit out!"

The shut with a whir and click. Blitzo picked up the polished platinum tray and examined his reflection, picking a flax seed from his teeth. Something shifted in the mirror, a dark shape in the background moved, shifted, and was gone an instant later. Blitzo blinked and glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing but the dark corner of the cell. He turned back to the tray and scratched his head.

His reflection winked at him.

A small smile pulled at the sides of his mouth, spreading across his face in a toothy grin. He angled the reflection over his shoulder, fixing Moxxie and Millie with a leer. "So… we got a night to kill. Who's down for some board games? Clue™? Life™? Monopoly™?"

Moxxie and Millie grinned at one another before leaping at their boss, toppling him over onto the drab, dingy mattress.

"Whoop! Looks like you two'd rather play Taboo™!"