Chapter 44. Dive.
Shred, Millie, and Moxxie entered the I.M.P. Lobby.
Jack greeted them at the receptionist's desk. "Hey, guys."
"Yo! What're you doing there?" Shred asked.
"Poch and Loona are taking the day off for Dad searching, squeezing in a date night."
"So you're gonna be the receptionist today?" Moxxie asked.
"Yeah, can't fight remember?"
"Well what if it's just angels you c-"
"Ima stop you there," Jack raised his hand to stop Moxxie, "Collin already asked that question. We did a test to see if I could at least still use Dust and my abilities and luckily I can, but we hadn't tried fighting. I asked Clark if I could tussle with him but he declined, he didn't want to risk it."
"He's an Ars, what's there to risk?" Shred wondered.
"He's an exiled Ars, no Divina Vasa plus his powers are weakened. Add in the fact that it's been a few years since he's used his magic, then he's considerably rusty."
"Yeah, I can see that being a risk. Has he found anything?"
"Nothing new and I ask Albest about his book, and there's something but nothing significant."
"What about Solis with the Dhorks?" Millie asked.
"Some new schematics for some eyeball thing. It apparently has a tracker and aim assist, along with x-rays."
"Is it green? Cause that stone face had a green eye didn't it?"
"Oh yeah," Shred snapped, "It did have a green eye!"
"But wait, you said these angels act on instinct right? That they don't have any actual thoughts or intelligence like regular people?" Moxxie questioned.
"I see where you're going. Why give something that doesn't think something that requires thinking."
"Stuff like that is definitely above their intellect level." Jack agreed.
"Think they were trained?" Millie asked.
"Trained?" Shred raised a brow, "They ain't dogs, Mils."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they can't be taught new things. They can follow orders right?"
"That's different. The orders given are simple ones like, disperse, stop, attack hold, that's pretty much it."
"That's all preprogrammed when they bathe in chaos right? Maybe they found a way to program something else?" Moxxie suggested.
"Not likely, the reason that's all preprogrammed is due to instinct. The angels are all taught to listen to those higher, it's like how kids are taught to listen to their parents or in this case cubs to the mother lion, if they try to implement any other kind of obedience spells it could mess with that instinct and further scramble the mind." Jack explained.
"Then what's the point of the…wait…didn't Stolas say that Medallion controlled him?"
"Yeah, he said it was a Demon connector when they corrupted it."
"But he did say it could be used to see through their eyes right? That means that eye tracker-"
"Could be suited for the one controlling it, I see what you mean. So I guess that means it ain't so out of place huh?" Shred admitted.
"How do you think they make it work?"
"No clue. Stolas says it's like a string and a puppet but like how does that work with all those attachments?"
"Separate puppet strings?" Millie shrugged.
"I like to think they got some mech pilot seats for this stuff. Y'know like Gundam."
"That…sounds cool honestly," Jack said. His phone buzzed. "Oh, that's boss." He checked the message. "He said he'll be here in like five minutes."
"Sweet, to the meeting room!" Millie announced.
"Rip some heads for me guys!"
"Hey, after this wanna try and fight me in the training grounds Blitzo got?" Shred suggested.
"Eh, don't wanna hurt you."
"Pft," Shred scoffed, bringing out his claws and scratching his thumb claw against the underside of the other ones, lighting them up in fire, "Bitch please!"
"New claws! Nice!"
"Courtesy of Gen and Dax. I'm gonna be lighting heads up baby!"
"Like Tenya's jacket?" Moxxie smirked.
Shred slouched. "You just had to bring that up huh? Anyways, you up for it Jack?"
"Hmm…I'll think on it," Jack responded.
Blitzo walked in. "Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late!"
"Hey boss," Jack pulled out the desk drawer, taking out some files, "got the clients right here!"
"Nice job!" He took the folders and checked them. "Oh nicely organized too."
"I also got your favorite boba, it's in the fridge."
"Oh ho ho if Loonies not careful, Nala might take her job."
"Ye- wait, what makes you think it was Nala?"
"She asked me yesterday about my favorite boba and you are," He waved the clientele files, "not this organized."
"...Fair enough." He wasn't even mad. "But I did help."
"I know," Blitzo patted him on the back, "good effort."
Octavia was in her room, reading a manga that Loona suggested to her, Manga being something Poch introduced her to which she aptly called him a weeb.
'Weeb or not, this is actually a pretty good read.' She thought. The Manga she was reading was JoJo's bizarre adventure. Reading it made her consider watching the actual show, thinking of asking the hellhound what site to watch it on. "Maybe I should ask her what site they use…Oh no, the weebness is affecting me." She shook her head and kept reading.
"OctaviaI" Stella called out.
"Ugh." With a slouch and a roll of her eyes, she got up and went to the origin of her mother's voice. "Yes?" She asked unenthusiastically.
"There you are," Stella replied, looking over her and scrunching. "Ugh, you really should change that wardrobe."
"Did you need something, Mom?"
"Here." She handed her daughter a black envelope.
"What's this?"
"It's an invite, to what, I don't know." She said, uninterested.
"Hm." Octavia opened the envelope and red smoke emitted from the folded paper. It mildly surprised her, having seen this type of mail but not ever receiving one for herself.
A magical display of a pigeon showed itself and began to speak, bowing to the owlet. "Dearest Octavia, you have been formally invited to the Bermuda Coliseum for the celebration of the coronation of Duke Corron." A picture of the Bermuda Triangle showed up behind the pigeon before morphing into an old-style colosseum. "You are allowed to come alone or bring a guest. The event entails several battles between warriors for sport, a battle of conquest between Monarch Estia and Luch, and an open challenge from Duke Kline. There's an open buffet and you're allowed to reserve any seat or table you wish in the velvet room. We hope to see you there." The imagery collapsed in along with the smoke, swirling into a sheet of paper that held the owl and some details about the event.
Octavia took the paper. "An invite to the Bermuda Coliseum?"
Stella smiled, beaming with joy. "Oh, how wonderful! You got your first formal invite and to the Coliseum!"
"Yeah…" She said, not sharing the excitement, but did have some interest. "Never been to one."
"Oh, it's spectacular! The events were Lesser Demon's battle for our amusement and the Conquest battles between royals are amazing! A testament of true royalty, unlike your shame of a father."
Stolas walked in. "I heard that." He said, annoyed.
"Oh," Stella deflated, "You're here."
"Who exactly sent you this invitation I wonder, my little owlet?" Stolas asked while approaching them and examining the flier in his daughter's hands.
"No clue but it does look interesting, I'm allowed to invite someone too," Octavia answered.
"Hm," With a skeptical look, he asked her: "Planning to bring Dundy aren't you?"
Octavia rolled her eyes while Stella scoffed.
"You mean that owl ruffian? He's not suitable as a guest." Stella said.
Octavia found annoyance in that and rebutted. "Well he IS the one of the few that are able to fight the angels, so I say that gives him a pass."
That sent a sting to Stella's ego, remembering the day she tried to fight those monsters, remembering her weakness and how easily Jack and Poch defeated one. "Don't…bring that up."
Stolas smirked. "She's right though. Does it hurt knowing you're useless compared to them?"
She growled and glared at him. "You are just as powerless!"
"And I'm ok with admitting that. Not insecure like you." He said, haughtily.
With a grind of her beak, she retorted: "And yet you can't admit to your own embarrassment to cheating on your own wife with an IMP!"
"Hah, I was ashamed at first before I realized you can't really cheat on a faulty relationship!"
"Faulty!? If anything you were the faulty one!"
"Hah! You're one to talk!"
"Oh, am I!?"
Octavia sighed, walking away before things were thrown and broken, going to her phone, and messaging someone. Once she got a response, she activated her T-watch, opening a gateway to I.M.P. "Hey, Jack." She greeted the Imp Exterminator.
"Hey Tia," Jack waved, "parents fighting again?"
"Yep."
He rose and led her to the office. "I'll get the book for ya."
"Thanks."
"Elina's?"
"Mhm." She nodded.
"What's that by the way?" He pointed to the paper she held.
"An invite to a celebration at the Bermuda Colosseum."
"Bermuda?" Jack questioned, opening the safe. "As in…Bermuda Triangle!?"
"Yep."
"Isn't that in the human world?"
"Yeah, but the Bermuda was created by a war between angels and demons, you know."
"Wait, legit?" He was writing out the circle when he asked.
"Yeah, the clash of spells and such made it what it is now. A place of urban legends that turn out to be true."
"Then…what happens to all those disappeared people?"
"From what I've learned they were affected differently by the lingering magic, someone even turned into the Loch Ness monster."
"No way!"
"Yep. The center is safe though so a Colosseum was made there since it's an area of battle and such."
"That's cool. Can I go?" Jack had finished up the portal.
"I can bring a guess but I think it's plus one." She looked apologetically at him.
"Ah, and you wanna ask Dundy out huh?"
She blushed at the notion of it being a date. "O-out? It's just a formal invite, not like it could be a date or anything!"
"I wasn't saying it was." He smirked.
She deadpanned, realizing the trap she walked into. "Fuck you." With a grumble, she walked through the portal.
"Hehehe," Jack chuckled, closing the gate and placing the book away. He reached to turn off the light but paused. Behind him, he could feel a presence, someone's eyes being on his being. "Huh!?" With a swift turn, he looked back, witnessing nothing but his shadow. "..." He shook his head and walked back to the reception desk, thinking nothing of it.
Elina was placing her dishes in the sink when Octavia came in.
"Hello dear!" Elina greeted.
"Hey, Elina. Whachhya got there?" Octavia pointed to the pan of chili with green flakes, leaning on the counter.
"Ah, I made some green flake chili for the ladies of my old wrestling team. We're meeting up for some volleyball in the afternoon. Want to try?"
"Sure."
Elina got a small bottle of milk before grabbing a fork and going to Octavia, scooping up some of her chilies to feed to the Demon Owlette. "Here."
Octavia took the bit and after a few bites her face heated up, her eyes widened and watered, and she cringed in major discomfort. "Oh, satan!" She quickly took the bottle of milk and chugged it down, cooling her mouth and making an exhausted gasp.
Elina bellowed out in laughter. "Ahahahaha! Spicy isn't it!"
"Yeah…whoa…that's super spicy."
"What if I told you…this is mild for me and my team?"
"I'd be both unsurprised yet fearful."
"Haha! Y'know when Dundy first tried this, I swear he was gonna breathe fire!"
"I can imagine," Octavia giggled, "he can't handle spicy things."
"He got that from his father. Derek tried to put on a brave face but nothing could hide those tears."
"You dare him to try more while he was trying to look brave?"
"Of course! I gave the Armer Dummkopf indigestion more than a few times before he dropped the facade!"
"Armer dummkopf means….foolish…human?"
"Close. It means poor fool."
"Ah," She snapped, "verdammt."
"You got that word down." She chuckled. "By the way, what's that?" She pointed to the flier Octavia set on the counter.
"Oh, this? It's a formal invite to this celebration in the Bermuda Colosseum."
"Oh, a colosseum! Like that movie Gladiator!"
"Yeah, I'm allowed to bring a guest, though seeing as it's demon-related I can't bring you, sorry wish I could."
"Oh, that's alright, besides I'm sure you were reserving that invite for my son." She smirked.
With a small tint of pink to her cheeks and a smile on her beak, she confirmed. "I…Might have."
"Need some help?"
"No, it's fine, I can ask myself. It's just a formal celebration, not like it's a date."
"True but it could be prep for when you actually ask for one."
"Getting… a little ahead aren't we?" She shyly said at the prospect.
"Sometimes you gotta think a little ahead," Elina told her with a pat on her head. Scooping up another forkful of chili, she offered a bite. "Want some more?"
"I'm…." She backed away, timidly, "good, I actually don't want to breathe fire."
"Here we are!" Tania announced. She had taken Poch and Loona to a cafe that was near a circus.
"A cafe?" Poch said.
"A cafe, near a circus! Perfect after-dive date spot location!"
"That's a mouthful."
"Won't it be…weird doing this in public?" Loona asked.
"Whaddya mean?" Tania asked.
"Well if based on what Poch tells me, we're gonna get the weird eye if we're just sitting there touching heads."
"No worries, this place is slow at this time so barely anyone's gonna pay us any attention. Plus it won't take long, trust me."
"If you say so, but one thing." She approached.
"Yeah?" Tania's collar was grabbed and she was brought face to face with a snarling Loona. "EEP!"
"If you kiss him, I swear to Satan, I will RIP. YOUR. TONGUE. OUT. Got it?"
"Mhm." Tania fearfully nodded.
"Good." She let go, going back to a calm demeanor.
"A-anyways," Tania backed up, trying to keep her own composure, "shall we?" They had a seat, Tania sitting next to the two instead of across. "Ok so in order for you to be there when I dive, I need you to place your hands on his forehead."
Loona did so, placing her palm on her boyfriend's head. "Like this?"
"Yeah. That way you'll be taken too."
"Alright…" She placed her other hand on his mouth.
"Hm?" Poch rose a brow.
"I'm not gonna kiss him," Tania sighed, "You made that threat aptly clear."
"Just making sure," Loona stated.
"Fine. Let's just do this." She bent down and touched her head against Loona's hand and Poch's head, initiating the dive.
All four arrived at the mindscape that is the connected world, Loona taking in her surroundings.
"Huh…Yeah, this is weird." Loona stated.
"Right?" Shivarna agreed.
"C'mon c'mon!" Tania waved at the statue of Kenji, ushering them to approach. "Ok, since we have a guest this time, it's gonna be a bit different."
"Different how?" Poch asked.
"Well, your shadow demon can go with you since you're connected and all, but with her, it'll be different. I can't go in since I like the tunnel, but she can just…"
"What?"
"She's gonna look a little different."
"Different how?"
"Uh…You'll see." She skittishly chuckled, reaching out for them. "Just hold her hand and take mine."
They looked at each other curiously before looking back at Tania, holding hands and taking hers.
The area they came in was a grassy plain on top of a hill. There was a white void along the edge and atop the hill was a single grave.
"Is that a grave?" Poch said.
"This place seem familiar to you?" Loona asked.
"Yeah it do-" He turned to look at her but didn't see her. "Huh? Loona?" He looked around.
"Ye-...oh shit."
"What?" He heard her close by but couldn't see her. "Where are you?"
"Um…right next to you but…"
"I can't see you."
"Uh…found her," Shivarna spoke up, looking down.
"You did? Where?"
He pointed down. "There."
"Hm?" Poch looked down and saw his girlfriend but different. She was chibified, much smaller than him, able to be placed on his head if he wanted. "...Snrk." He snickered, his mouth curling and his cheeks puffing.
"Don't you dare laugh!" Loona glared.
"Pfft…I won't…I just…" He was trying to hold it in and failing badly, covering his mouth and tearing up slightly. "Gimme a sec.
"Hmmmm." She groaned, blushing in embarrassment.
"Tiny Loona." Shivarna poked, giving his user an even harder time holding his laughter.
"Shivarna!" She smacked his hand.
Poch breathed with a shaky breath, trying to calm down. "Ok…Ok…I'm good…Ho boy."
"Let's just go." She huffed.
"Right." He picked her up.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't want my chibi girlfriend being left behind." He smirked.
"I'll scratch you." She glared.
"With those tiny claws?"
"Poch."
"You do look cute like this though." He placed a kiss on her forehead.
She couldn't keep up her scowl after that kiss even though she tried. "Oh shut up." She laughed.
Poch laid her on top of his head. "Comfy?"
"Yep."
"Sweet." He walked forward to the grave. "So Tania, what's this one?"
"I'm sensing…dread," Tania answered.
"Dread huh? Probably has something to do with this grave then." As he got closer, he started to recognize the structure. "Wait…"
Loona recognized it as well. "Isn't that…"
"Celis's grave." Shivarna finished.
Poch knelt in front of the headstone. "But why? I already moved on from this, so I shouldn't be dreading this."
"Uh, Poch." Loona tapped his head.
"What's up?"
"Someones here." She pointed to the side.
"Who coul-" Once he looked to his side, he froze, recognizing the man that was depressingly looking at the grave. "D-dad!?"
"..." Kenji didn't respond.
"Wh- how- what are you-?" Confusion raddled his mind.
"Poch, that's not actually your dad!" Tania spoke.
"It's not!? Then who is-?"
"He's dead…" Kenji spoke.
"What?"
"...Ralsin…my boy…he's dead."
"..." He got up, approaching his father with sorrow. "I'm….I'm sorry."
"...You did this…"
"Huh?" Suddenly his neck was grabbed by Kenji, "GRAHG!"
"YOU DID THIS!" Kenji yelled, tightly choking Poch.
Poch grabbed onto his dad's wrists, trying to pull them off but was unable to. Loona snarled and leaped at him, trying to bite his face only to phase throw him, Shivarna swinging his claws and getting the same result.
Aiming for his ankle, Loona tried to sink her fangs in, only to bite through him. "The hell!?
Shivarna attempted to grab Kenji but his hands went through him. "We can't touch him!"
"GRRRNG!" Poch struggled to breathe.
"YOU DID THIS…YOU KILLED HIM…YOUR OWN BROTHER!"
"Tania, we can't touch him! What do we do!?" Loona desperately asked.
"You can't do anything," Tania responded.
"What!?"
"Poch has to do this himself."
"He's CHOKING him! Take us out!"
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!? WHY!? AND DON'T EVEN TRY TO SHIFT THE BLAME, THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Kenji yelled, squeezing harder.
"I can't take you out," Tania said.
"What!?" Loona looked up with raging eyes. "Tania take us out right now or I SWEAR to satan im gonna-"
"You're right!" Poch yelled, surprising everyone there. It was hard for him to speak but he kept going. "It is my fault…I may have been tricked but…it was my fault for going with it all…I know that!"
"Then you mu-" Kenji was about to continue.
"But he never hated me!"
"What?" His grip loosened somewhat.
"Celis…Ralsin never hated me…after everything he never hated me even a little…" Poch let go, tears welling in his eyes. "He had every right to…but he didn't…he should've but…he was the one who said he was sorry…I killed him…your own son…so you have every right to scorn me…I've accepted that…im…" He looked up at his dad with sorrow, tears rolling down his cheeks, "I'm sorry, Dad."
"...You killed my son."
"I know…"
"...But…" He let go, "you're my son too," pulling back, his rage went away, "and really…I have no right to ridicule you."
"Dad?"
"...I could've done something too….especially since…I had every chance to do something for you boys but…I stood back."
"Stood back?" Poch grew confused by his words.
"..." He embraced his son with a hug. "You don't have to be sorry…I'm the one who has to regret…Poch."
"What…what did you call me?" He was stunned by the fact that he used his new name.
"Son…" Kenji backed away, "find me." As he said that one of his eyes turned blood red.
"What the-!?" The color shift surprised him and before he could question anything further the world began to collapse.
"Block clear! Pulling out!" Tania shouted.
They awakened in the thread world with a gasp, Loona quick to embrace Poch.
"You ok!?" She asked, checking his neck.
"I'm fine, really." Poch smiled at her.
"Oh thank fuck." She sighed in relief
"Yeah but…" He looked at Tania. "Why'd he call me Poch? That was something made from my memory isn't it?"
"That…I don't know. Your dad never knew you as Poch, so even though it's a mental blockage, the fact that he was constructed based on your memory means he should've called you Arnello." Tania unsurely said, "It could've been some feedback cause of Loona being there…but one thing is for sure, that wasn't just some memory imagery, that was actually your dad."
"It was!?"
"Yeah. The connections got stronger and in that moment, his real thoughts came in. Did you see any changes in him, something physical? Cause that usually happens when connected."
"Well…"
"Poch?"
"His eye…one of them changed red for some reason."
"It changed?"
"That's…hm…maybe he's gotten bloodshot eyes recently?"
"It didn't look bloodshot…I don't know, the world collapsed right after."
"Huh…alright. Let's get out of here, we made good progress today." She smiled.
"Have fun!" Tania waved the two hounds off as they went to the circus.
Poch and Loona waved back before continuing. Rubbing his head, he made a small groan.
"You ok?" Loona asked.
"I'm fine, a little dizzy though," Poch answered.
"Wanna cancel and just head home?"
"No," He smiled at her, "I'm fine, just…confused."
"About what he said? About staying back?"
"Yeah, I'm just…wondering what he meant by that. I've got so many questions and just…never enough answers." He said exhaustively.
She placed her arms around him, looking at him compassionately. "You sure you wanna go to the circus? We can just chill at the hotel."
"Nah, it's fine. I'd like a date with my non-chibified girlfriend."
"Shut up." She chuckled.
"Though I guess you kinda know how I feel."
"A little," She petted his head, "but you're still my shorty."
"Heh." He took her hands, "C'mon, Tania said the trapezist is pretty good." He pulled her along and she happily followed.
A man in a coat walked up to the door in the backstage area of a concert. The door had a star on it that said "Verosika."
The man smiled. "Before the performance can begin," He pulled out a whitish golden arrow, "one must bring the audience." He stabbed the arrow right into the star.
End.
Next Chapter. Fixing things.