Chapter five. Fear.
Loona walked up to the front door if Pochs place. She was nervous due to what happened earlier but still gave his door a ring. He opened up. "Uh...hi." She said nervously.
"H-hi." he said, equally nervous. "I uh, I got everything ready, got a pizza too."
"Cool." She walked in and went for his couch. There were two boxes of pizza that said "Marco's pizzeria" and a stack of napkins next to it along with two bottles of two liter sodas, one pepsi, the other sprite.
Poch walked up to her with two large cups. "They're both peperoni. That ok?
"Yeah that's fine." she said, taking a napkin then taking a slice from the first box.
"Sweet." Poch grabbed his remote and navigated Netflix, going to where JoJo was. He hit play on the second part of the Hanged Man episode.
"...you think Avdol's actually dead?" Loona said, trying to sound more curious than concerned. She wouldn't admit it but she actually liked that character.
"Seems so."
"Seems so? Meaning he's alive?"
"Nah."
"Damnit."
Twelve episodes later
"You lying bastard!" Loona laughed as soon as she saw Avdol alive.
"I didn't lie." Poch smiled.
"You said he died!"
"I said it seemed like he died."
"Hah! Dick."
"Nyah!" he stuck his tongue out to her, earning a chuckle from her.
Her phone rang. "Hang on." She took out her phone and saw it was Blitzø. "Oh god damnit." She hit answer. "What?...I'm at Poch's….now?...can you give me like...ten minutes….well we havent even finished this episode yet….whyd you get that stupid lock anyway?...fine, just make a gate for me….what do you mean you thought I had it?...you made it!...ugh great how am I supposed to get home?...you know what, i'll just stay here for tonight….I wouldn't have to if you kept up with shit….what? Why?..." Loona groaned before handing Poch the phone. "Here."
Poch took it, curious as to what was going on. "Uh, hello?"
"Listen here, Pocho! My little Loony's gonna stay there for the night, but I want no funny business, you hear me!"
"Got ya."
"Alright, sleep well!" he hung up.
"Hard to read that guy sometimes." He handed the phone back. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah, Blitzø got this new lock and it's an automatic thing, yada yada, I'm gonna have to stay here tonight."
"Oh."
"I-if that's ok with you, I uh, realised I didn't ask first." She said nervously
"It's fine, I got a guest bed." He grabbed the remote. "I'll show it to ya when you're ready to sleep. Continue?"
"Yeah!"
Four episodes later
Loona yawned. "Man, that's some loyalty, killing yourself like that."
"I know right. It's getting pretty late, wanna call it quits there?" Poch asked
"Yeah, why not. Where's this guest bed?" She said getting up and stretching.
Poch took the pizza boxes and threw them away in his trash can. "Follow me." He led her down the hallway to the first doors that stood in front of each other. He pointed to the one on the left. "Here it is. It's got a bathroom with a shower if you wanna wash up in the morning." He said opening the door for her. The room had a queen sized bed with yellow covers, a large brown drawer, a walk in closet, and black carpets.
"Thanks." She walked in and looked around the room.
"Any requests for breakfast?"
"Whatever you make is fine."
"Ok. Sleep well." Poch closed the door as he left.
Loona stretched and got into the bed. It was quite comfy, getting under the covers. She took out her phone and saw that she didn't have much battery. "Hey Poch!" She called to the hellhound.
A blue portal opened up next to Loona and Poch's head came out. "Yea?"
"Mind going to I.M.P. and grabbing my charger?"
"Sure. Brb." He brought his head back in.
Loona waited for a few minutes before another blue portal opened up beside her and his hand came out with her charger. "Here." He said.
"Thanks." She took the charger and plugged it in and his hand disappeared into the portal. She yawned and scrolled through her social feed for a bit before sleeping.
Loona softly snored in the bed. Her nose picked up a scent and she softly woke up to it. She got up, sniffing the alluring aroma, getting off the bed and tracking it. She walked into the kitchen and spotted Poch standing on a stool in front of the stove, rolling up a pancake onto a plate. He had headphones in and turned off the stove, grabbing the plate along with another and hopping off the stool, heading to the counter, setting the plates there. He turned and saw Loona at the hallway entrance.
"Mornin." He said to her, unplugging his ears. "I made breakfast." He grabbed the syrup out of the fridge, along with two forks and knives, and headed to the seat near the counter where he set the food.
"Yeah, I smelt it. What'd you make?" She asked, taking the seat next to him.
"Panlette." Poch answered, sitting down.
"What?"
"Pancake omelette. It's basically a mixture of both pancake and omelette. Give it a try." He grabbed the syrup and added it to his rolled up pancake.
"Hm." Loona took her utensils and cut up a piece of her Panlette. She noticed the melted cheese made a few strands while being pulled. She took a bite. She tasted fried eggs, melted cheese, sausage, bacon, and some seasoning. It was good. "Not bad."
"Thanks." He handed her the syrup bottle and cringed. "Ow!"
"You ok?" She asked, concerned.
"I'm alright." He set the syrup next to her, rubbing his sides. "Believe it or not, I've been through worse, besides, Jack patched me up."
"Yeah, I saw." Loona blushed after saying that.
Poch blushed as well. "Yeah, sorry about that."
"It's fine, let's just….not talk about it."
"I'm fine with that. Let's eat up before Blitzø blows up the phone."
"Good idea. That reminds me, some people were taking pics of you and the others and posted them on social media."
"I know, Jack told me last night before I went to bed. It's kinda surprising considering we never got seen during The Purge."
"The Purge?"
Poch widened his eyes, releasing he said something he shouldn't have. "Uh, yeah, it's a...another version of The Cleansing."
"There are other versions?" Loona's phone rang. It was Blitzø again. "Oh great."
"Lets not take longer than we should." Poch said, secretly glad Blitzø called.
Loona walked through the gate that was made for her.
"Loony!" Blitzø yelled, running up to Loona to give her a hug.
Loona stuck out her hand, pushing back against the imp, looking at him irritatedly.
"He sure is affectionate." Poch mentioned, sitting across Jack at the meeting table.
"You have no idea." Loona commented.
"So, what's our assignment bossman? I'm ready to rip some heads!" Jack said.
"Hardly a day after the Cleansing and already ready to get to work! That's why I like ya Jack!" Blitzø commented.
"Thank you!"
"Anyways, we got a job that I want you to come with us for!"
"Really?"
"Yep! It's a big list this one sucker wants us to take, but he paid damn well so we're gonna take it with some exterminator action!"
"Sounds like fun! Lets rip it u-"
"WAIT!" Someone yelled.
"The hell?" Blitzø said with confusion
From the outside window came a tall red imp with black horns, a doctor's coat, and a head mirror. As soon as he crashed in Poch and Jack got the weapons ready and into a battle stance, with Poch cringing slightly. Moxie jumped back and Loona was growling at the imp that came in out of nowhere.
The imp got up. "Wait a minute, and hear my spiel!"
"You're paying for that window." Blitzø said.
"What ya want doc!?" Jack said.
"I am Doctor Henry, a doctor that has a thing for dramatics!" The imp known as Henry said.
"Ok, cool. Why the window?" Poch asked, sheathing his daggers.
"I couldn't find the door."
"What? It's literally got a sign over it!"
"No, I meant the door to this building."
"H-how?"
"That's beside the point! I must hire you!"
"We kinda already got something going." Moxie told him.
"Aht! Shut up Mox!" Blitzø hushed. "We'll gladly have our second exterminator take care of this! Right Poch?"
"I guess. As long as it's nothing strenuous, I still gotta recover some." Poch said.
"It isn't, I assure you! You see, I harvested organs from the freshly dead at my hospital and sold them at the black market. Here's the thing, I didn't do it alone."
"You had a partner?" Millie asked.
"Not exactly, more like someone I had a mutual agreement with. We both harvested organs, but that greedy bastard stabbed me in the back so he could have all the money for himself!"
"I bet you ten bucks he thought of it first." Poch whispered to Loona.
"Nah, can't be that cliche." Loona whispered.
"Worst part. I was gonna do that!" Henry said.
"Nevermind, I owe ya ten."
"This sounds easy. Just one guy at a hospital." Poch said.
"An abandoned hospital!" Henry told him.
"What?"
"You didn't think we did it in the same place they died did you? Especially a place where we could get caught? We had them transferred to a secluded place to harvest in secrecy before bringing them back unnoticed."
"Ugh this is some horror movie shit, where is it?"
"You mean you'll do it?"
"WE'LL do it, since he's still injured." Loona stated.
"Someone cares." Millie said teasingly.
"Wha- Shut up!" Loona growled.
"Oh thank you!" Henry said, shaking Loona's hand. "Both of you!" he then shook Poch's. "Here," he reached into his jacket, "I can reward you both with a tetanus shot!" He pulled out a needle, with green liquid.
"AH!" Poch's eyes widened in fear, he took a step back and sliced the syringe in half with his dagger. He panted as the tip fell off and rolled away. Everyone looked at him with shock except for Jack, who looked at him with concern.
"Alright. No shots then."
"Just," he sheathed the dagger, "tell us the place."
"Yes, of course."
Poch and Loona walked out the gate to the abandoned clinic. It had loose lights, broken and missing tiles, mold, dust, and webs everywhere.
"Yep. Horror movie." Poch commented.
"Uh-huh." Loona said, kinda flatly.
"You ok?"
"Yeah just...never pegged you as a guy afraid of needles."
"Heh...wish it was a fear." he said under his breath.
"Huh?"
"Nothing, let's just...find the guy." Poch took the lead, walking through the hallways. Loona followed but was a bit skeptical of the hellhound.
They came across a multitude of rooms, looking through them and only finding old worn out rooms.
"Geez. This place needs renovating." Poch said.
"Surprised those guys are even able to do work here with how broken down it is here." Loona stated. The next room they saw had a strap-in chair in the middle. "Found the dentist office." Loona joked. She looked over at Poch and saw the brown Hellhound shaking, one hand gripping the door frame with alot of force, clawing into it, his eyes wide, and looking at the chair like he was deathly afraid. "Poch?" Loona said heavy with concern. He didn't answer and she reached out to him. "Poch!" She tapped his shoulder
Poch yelped and jumped back from her touch.
"Whoa, easy dude." She said to him,
Poch took a breath. "S-sorry."
"You ok?"
"I'm fine."
"Im not so-"
They heard the sound of a saw go off down the corridor.
"That's gotta be our target! Let's go!" Poch said, rushing off.
"Wait!" Loona said, running after him.
They made it to the end and pushed past the doors. At a table on the end was a tall man with green hair, a lab coat, a surgeon mask, and a head mirror. He was holding a bloody saw and had blood on him himself. He looked back and saw Poch and Loona. "Who the-!? Dogs!? In my clinic!?" He said to them.
"That must be the guy. This should be easy for you, right?" Loona said. She heard heavy, shaky breathing and looked to her right to see Poch hyperventilating. "Poch?"
"Talking dogs...standing on two feet…" The man said, revving up his saw.
"Poch?" Loona said a little fearfully.
"Possibly,"
"Poch, you gotta move, he's got a fucking saw!"
"With organs,"
"Dude!?" Loona took a few steps back.
"To remove!"
"Shit!"
"GRRR!" Poch growled, gaining the attention of the two. His lips pulled back, baring his fangs, his fur raised on his back, he crouched down, getting on all fours as his eyes became more feral. He snarled at the man. As he looked at him, he saw someone else, someone he hated. He foamed at the mouth as his eyes went crazier.
"What's wrong, doggy?" Was what Poch heard from the figure he envisioned the man as.
"RRAGH!" Poch barked. He darted toward the man and lunged at him before he could swing his saw down. He brought his teeth to him, snarling and growling before barking viciously in his face, instilling a dreadful fear into the man.
"N-nice doggy….I-I-I was joking, honest! I won't harvest your-"
Poch cut him off by raising a fist up and slamming it into the man's face. He raised his other fist and did the same, drawing blood. He started pummeling the man's face, each punch causing blood to splatter out.
Loona watched as Poch brutally assaulted their target. She was afraid of what she was seeing, it looked like a savage wild and ferocious animal was in front of her.
Poch crashed both fists down two times, crushing the man's nose in, before grabbing the man's head and pulling his neck out. Poch leaned his head back, opened his jaws wide, and bit down into the man's neck, pulling back to tear out his neck flesh. The man gasped for air as he spat out his red fluid and it filled his lungs. Poch bit in again, ripping out more, and again, digging further in to tear out more of his meat. He was already dead by the third time, but Poch kept tearing. By the sixth time, Poch stopped, looking at the corpse below him, panting as his senses returned. He slowly got up and looked back, tasting blood in his mouth among other things. He saw Loona looking at him, afraid. He didn't say anything and just walked past her into the Hallway.
Loona heasitnely walked to the corpse, taking out her phone. The client wanted a picture. She took it. It was a good one but not a pleasant one. She was about to send it to Blitzø, but stopped herself, looking back to where Poch left. She exited the room. "Poch?...dude?" she called out, walking down the halls. She found him in one of the nearest rooms, against the wall hugging his knees in a fetal position, shivering. She walked up and sat next to him. "...Hey."
"...hey." He responded, lowly.
"...you….you ok?"
"..."
"What happened there….whyd you...get so crazy?"
"..."
"Like, I get a fear of needles, but thats-"
"I don't have a fear of needles."
"What?"
"I don't have a fear of needles."
"Bullshit! What was that then? Acting?" Loona confronted, not believing him.
"No it's...it's a trauma."
"Trauma?"
"..." Poch pulled his head up, looking down. "Remember how I told you that….I lost my ability of...choice?"
"Yeah?"
"...How do you think I lost it?"
"Well...with needles?"
"It was drugs."
"What!?"
"I was strapped in a chair and pumped full of all sorts of toxins, all in large volumes. It made me...easier to control…"
"I… i didn't kn-"
"It wasn't just that. While drugged I was trained to follow commands and not think. I was also placed on a table where my pain resistance was tested."
"You don't mean…"
"Yep….exactly like that table in that room. I was cut into, beaten by blunt objects, and stabbed….all till I cried in pain. If I cried early, they made it rougher, telling me to get better at feeling pain."
"Damn…."
"So no...I don't have a fear of needles...I just wish I did." Poch stood up. "I'm gonna head home and take a quick wash. Can you get home on your own?"
"Uh, yeah, I can text Blitzø to open a gate for me."
"If he can't just message me and I'll do it."
"Sure."
Poch opened his blue gate. "...sorry for what you saw." He said before leaving.
Loona looked in the direction of where Poch left before looking down at her phone, looking at the picture she took. She thought about how savage Poch was when killing the target, how scared he looked after it. She could only imagine what he went through for that kinda drama. She sent the image and a message to Blitzø saying she's ready to come back.
Loona walked through and was greeted by Solis and his girlfriend Shelly.
"Welcome back!" Shelly greeted.
"Yo." Solis said.
"Why are you two here? Where's Blitzø?" Loona asked.
"They're still out, Jack texted us to open the gate for you after we texted him that we came." Solis told her.
"Oh."
"Where's Pocherello?" Shelly asked.
"He uh...he left for home to wash up."
"Things get a little bloody?" Solis asked.
"Guess you could say that. He kinda went a little...crazy at the clinic."
"Clinic? Uh-oh, was there like some sort of strap-in chair?"
"Yeah."
"And a table in the middle of the room with belts? Like it's an operation room?" Shelly wondered.
"How'd you guess?"
"This has happened before. I guess Poch took this thinking he could get over it."
"Hun, you ok if Poch sits in my lap when he gets back? He's gonna need some comfort." Shelly asked Solis.
"I don't mind, but weren't we gonna talk to Dundy when he got here?"
"Oh right!" Shelly facepalmed. "Gah and he's almost here."
"What are you-" Loona was about to question.
"Poch has this thing where he likes to sit on a girl's lap. It's like a comfort thing, especially when he's down. It's kinda cute but he sometimes does it subconsciously." Solis explained.
"Really? That explains something."
"Solis sometimes lets him sit on me but only if he needs it." Shelly said.
"He's a good friend so I know he wouldn't do it to try and get between us." Solis commented.
"Think Dundy can hold off for him?"
"Maybe, but this info is important ain't it? And he can't stay for long."
"Shot, you're right."
"...i'll do it." Loona said.
"Really!?"
"Yeah...I could pay him back for letting me stay at his place for the night."
"Thanks Loona!" Shelly tightly hugged Loona.
"Too tight hun, she cant breath." Solis told her.
"Oh, woops!" She let go and Loona was able to breathe again. Her phone buzzed and she checked it. "Dundy's at the roof."
"Alright, let's roll. Thanks again Loona." Solis said, leaving along with his girl.
"Yeah." Loona waved them off. She sat on the couch, waiting for Poch.
A few minutes passed and Pochs signature red gate opened up in the room. Poch came out, walking in somberly. He spotted Loona on the couch. "Oh, hey." Poch greeted.
"H-hey." Loona greeted back.
"Where's the others?"
"Not back yet."
"Ah. How'd you get back then?"
"Solis and Shelly."
"And they are?"
"Roof."
"That makes sense. Probably training or something."
"Something like that, I heard Dundy was there too."
"Cool." Poch twiddled his thumbs, feeling a bit awkward himself, especially since Loona saw what he did. "So uh….did I.."
"What?"
"...nothing." He looked away from her.
Loona looked at him, he kinda squirmed in his spot. She sighed. "Come here." She outstretched her arms.
"Huh?"
"Come here."
Poch reluctantly came up to her. He was surprised when she grabbed him, pulled him up, and set him in her lap. "Wha?"
"Just this once, you can sit here." She said, blushing and pulling him onto her.
"O-ok….thanks."
"Don't mention, seriously, never mention this."
"Got it." He laid back on her. The two of them sat there for a good minute before Poch broke the silence. "...Be honest...did I scare you?"
"...Honestly….a little, yeah."
"Thought so."
"But like...I get it...you had a traumatic experience so you just...went a little crazy."
"...I saw him in that man…"
"Huh?"
"My old caretaker….I envisioned that man as him….I saw his face and heard his voice, and that's why I went so crazy."
Loona didn't say anything, only listened.
"As soon as the client said it was an old clinic, I knew I should've just switched with Jack, but i thought...maybe it could help me get over it….but it only helped remind me that...he's still got a hold on me, that he's still in the back of my mind no matter how hard I tried to push him away." Poch gripped his fist. "Two years, and he's still there! I just want to move on!" He growled. He untensed and leaned back. "...I'm scared...that maybe..I never will….that maybe he'll haunt me for all my life."
"...or maybe," She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug, "it just takes some more time. It doesn't sound like an easy one to get over so you can't just give up and allow him to get to you like that."
"...you're right...thanks."
"No problem."
"Mind if I sit here for a bit longer."
"You get five minutes," Loona smirked, "maybe a few seconds more."
"Thanks."
fifteen minutes later.
Poch fell asleep against Loona. She was on her phone but would sometimes look down on him, smiling without trying too. She heard Blitzø and the others talking and they were coming to the door. She quickly pushed him off her before the door opened.
"Gyah!" Poch exclaimed, face planting.
"Hey guys!" Jack greeted.
"Hey." Loona greeted trying to hide her blush.
"Ouch." Poch said, getting up.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Jack asked.
"He, uh," Loona tried to find the words.
"Fell asleep." Poch said.
"Oh, well, mind coming out here for a bit. Shelly wants to talk."
"Sure." Poch walked out the room.
Loona sighed, thankful Jack didn't find out about Poch on her.
Jack walked up to her with a smug grin.
"What?" she asked.
Jack took out his phone and showed her a picture. It was a photo taken from the window of Loona hugging Poch on her lap. Loona turned red at the sight.
"Shelly and Solis took a pic and sent it to only me by the way, so Blitzø doesn't know. Just thought I'd show it." Jack left, leaving a red Loona behind.
Poch walked by Blitzø and Moxxie drying off paint on their bodies. "What happened to you guys?" Poch asked.
"Don't. ask." Moxie grouched.
"Ok? Boss, where's Shelly and Solis?"
"Meeting room." Blitzø answered.
"Thanks." He went for the room and saw Solis and Shelly sitting next to each other. Shelly was leaning on Solis, taking a nap.
"Hey Poch." Solis greeted.
"Hey, you guys wanted to see me?"
"Yeah though I guess I'll do the talking since she's napping."
"You over feed her again?"
"You make it sound like I got control over that?"
"You do, just stop cooking so good."
"Hah, like I can control even that!" Solis laughed along with Poch.
"So, what's up." Poch took a seat.
"Dundy chatted with us this morning."
"Something wrong?"
"No, things are fine, it's just...well The Purge is happening tomorrow."
"And?"
"And Dundy's gonna be in it."
"What!? Is he crazy!? The exterminator corps thinks we're dead, him showing up is gonna throw things off!"
"Relax. He's gonna be with Jared."
"Still, that's cutting it close. Why is he over there?"
"He thinks that early Cleansing happened because of the Purge ending sooner."
"We don't know enough to jump to that conclusion."
"He actually got some intel to prove otherwise. Some exterminators claimed they saw angels leave before it ended. Dundy went to investigate with his own eyes."
"I see. Wouldn't it have been better if I went because of my blades?"
"It's cause of your blades that you're not going. He's using a new experimental spacial reader and your portal making butt would throw it off."
"Damn."
"He does want you guys to be ready just in case they do cross over."
"Got it. Does Jack know?"
"Yeah. Shelly, you, Jack, Dundy, and me are the only ones who know, for obvious reasons."
"We should at least warn the others if a Cleansing comes early."
"Yeah but we don't know for sure and even then they'd grow suspicious of you."
"True, but still, I don't want them getting hurt."
Solis smiled, knowing how caring Poch can be. "Tell you what. Since I'm not an exterminator, I can just tell them I heard something online. Sound good?"
"Thanks."
"No problem...so,"
"Hm?"
"How was Loonas lap?"
Poch's cheeks turned pink. "Oh would you look at the time, gotta go!" he cut up a red gate and jumped in.
Solis couldn't help but laugh out loud, almost startling Shelly awake.
End.
Next chapter. Bonds
