Chapter 22: Western Energy
The cozy coffee shop 'Richest Cup Café' in the pride ring is abuzz with chatter and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Stolas nervously taps his fingers on the table, his dark eyes scanning the entrance every few seconds. Across from him, Stella sits calmly, a hint of apprehension hidden beneath her composed facade. Finally, the door swings open, and Andrealphus, Stella's brother, enters the scene.
"Stolas, Stella, nice to finally catch up. It's been too long." Andrealphus said with a strained smile
Stolas gives a curt nod in acknowledgment, his anxiety evident in his body language. Stella greets her brother with a warm smile, masking the tension that lingers.
"It's good to see you, Andrealphus. How have you been?" Stella said
Andrealphus slides into the chair opposite Stolas and Stella, observing the two carefully.
"I've been better. It seems there are some things going on behind my sister's back that I need to address." Andrealphus said as he narrowed his eyes at Stolas
Stolas shifts uncomfortably, his gaze avoiding direct eye contact.
"I assure you, Andrealphus, there's been a misunderstanding."
"Oh, I highly doubt that. I have to hear it from the press. How do you explain that?" Andrealphus said
Stella interjects, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of sadness.
"Andrealphus, please understand. Stolas and I have had a conversation recently. We both agreed to open our marriage, allowing us to see other people." Stella said
Andrealphus' brows furrow in a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"But how did you come to such a decision? It seems Stolas is hurting you by going on that date with an imp!" Andrealphus said baffled
Stella takes a deep breath, her voice unwavering.
"I appreciate your concern, brother. But this was a mutual decision. We believe in honesty and trust. Stolas has my consent to date whomever he chooses, just as he allowed me to date Octavia's boyfriend, Lobo who allowed me to join their harem." Stella said
Shock registers on Andrealphus' face, though he quickly conceals it, focusing on his hidden agenda.
"Is that so? Well, Stella, it appears your little arrangement has thrown a wrench into my plans, hasn't it? I was hoping to gain access to Stolas' inheritance by manipulating you." Andrealphus said
Stola's and Stella's eyes widen in realization, a mix of betrayal and hurt crossing their features.
"You've been after my inheritance all along? Using your own sister's to further your own selfish desires?" Stolas said angrily
Andrealphus remains calm, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.
"Oh, dear brother-in-law, I'm merely trying to secure our family's future. Wouldn't you agree that it's essential for our well-being?"
Stella glances between the two, her mind processing the new information. Suspicion begins to cloud her judgment.
"Andrealphus, I won't let you tear us apart. Stolas and I have our agreement, and I trust him explicitly. As for you, I suggest you evaluate your intentions. Your greed won't go unnoticed, brother." Stella said
Andrealphus' expression shifts, a frayed mask of frustration and fury threatening to shatter. But noticed Stiker coming so he smirked at the two.
The window breaks, revealing Striker posing on a table. He twirls two angelic revolvers in his hands. He fires one and the bullet hits the window near Stolas' and Stella's head.
They both transform into their shadow form and dodge the bullets. The bullets missed Andrealphus as he sipped on his drink as he smirked at their situation. Stolas and Stella
fly out toward the exit. Striker wraps Stolas in glowing white rope before he can escape.
Stolas falls to the ground in an alley, captured. As Stella tried to help Stolas she was also wrapped in the same white rope. Mr. Black form suddenly appears as he chuckles along with Striker.
"Oh, dear...this is worrisome." Stolas said as he and Stella were put on the back of Bombproof.
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The scene cuts to Blitzo driving the I.M.P. van, with Moxxie, Lily and Millie in the back. A fearful Loona who was sitting on Lobo's lap who was comforting her. Blitzo was driving the van to the Sloth Ring for Loona check up.
As they were driving Lobo's phone was ringing as he took his phone and noticed it was Stolas. As he answered it he put it on speaker.
"I'm sorry if it's a bad time yet again, Lobo. But, umm...It seems me and Stella are in a bit of a struggle. We are tied to the back of a horse at the moment." Stolas
"Pffttt...lucky bitch." Blitzo as he was a little jealous.
"Um, well, no. Rather unlucky. I seem to have been stolen by a little cowboy friend of yours." Stolas said
"Ohh, which one?" Blitzo
"How many cowboy friends do you know?" Moxxie asked Then he turned to Lobo's phone "What does he look like, your highness?"
Stolas glances up at Striker's grinning face as he rides his horse.
"Umm...snakey" Stolas said
Moxxie, Lily and Millie perked up at that description. Moxxie hissed "Striker" He said
Then Stella chimed in "And he also seems to be working with a mask wearing hunter" she said as Lobo growled since he knew who she was talking about.
"Oh, for fuck's sake! Can't y'all just get away? Aren't you powerful?" Blitzo asked
"I believe he has us bound with a blessed rope, which limits our ability to free ourselves, I'm afraid. Lobo, we would appreciate it if you can get us." Stolas said as his phone was suddenly taking by striker.
"Don't worry about your royals cunts… they're in good hands." Striker said as he crushes the phone and laughs
"Oh, shit. Are we in danger right now?" He said as he looked over at Stella
Lobo growls and switch places with Blitzo as he took over the driver seat. Loona whines at this. Suddenly they were at the St. An's Hospital. Lobo stops the car as he turned to Blitzo.
"Alright Blitz I'll take Millie, Moxxie and Lily with me while you handle Loona check up." Lobo said as Blitzo nodded.
"And knowing that guy's aesthetic, my money's that he's in Wrath." Blitzo said as pulls Loona out of the van and carries her over his head. Lobo teleport the van to Wrath to save Stolas and Stella.
"Come on, Loonie Toonie. Come on, this will be over lickety-split, alright?
Blitzo pushes the door open and drags Loona inside by her tail. Loona scratches at the floor, hesitant to go in.
"Christ on a stick! Of all the days for him to get his stupid feathered-ass kidnapped...I have waited five fucking years for this appointment! FUCK ME IN MY LITTLE RED HOLE!"
Blitzo glances over to a demon mother glaring at him. Her son is next to her on a leash.
"Hi. The fuck you looking at?" As he walk past the demon mother. Blitzo walks up to the desk toward a baphomet nurse.
"Heya, toots. I'm here for that S-H-O-T for my Loonie Toonie." He said as he nervously laughs
Loona growls from behind. A nearby poster shows a hound with a needle in its back that reads "Get yours today or else!"
"The what?" The baphomet nurse said
"Urgh." He grabs clipboard "The B-U-L-L shit that my daughter has to get every year that you M-O-T-H-E-R fuckers only allow us to schedule every five years. How the fuck you fuck up that bad, anyway, titty-haver?"
Blitzo writes down his name on the clipboard's paper.
"Oh, I can't spell." She said as Blitzo pushes the clipboard to her. "And I can't read, either." She said
"The fucking Hellbies shot you fucking re-allly can't say that word anymore. The appointment is under Blitzø." Blitzo said as he saw her name tag 'Muffy'
Muffy flips through a notebook full of appointments.
"Uhhhm... I don't see any Blitzo on the list." She said trying to find his name.
"With an "o", it's silent, you fucking re-" he said before getting cut offed
Muffy flips the notebook over and found his name. "OH! An "o" right here. Yep, yep! Blitzoooo, Blitzooo."
Blitzo's eye twitches and he seethes in anger.
"Yes, well. We will be ready for her in just a bit. Please take a seat, Mr. O." Muffy said
Blitzo reveals his pistol hidden in his shirt and the demon mother glares at him in suspicion. Blitzo chuckles nervously.
"Perf." Blitzo said as he walks over and takes a seat with his arms folded then glances at Loona who is whimpering in fear under three chairs.
"Oh, don't worry, Loonie. It's okay, it's just one little prick, you won't feel it." He said as he pat his daughter on the head.
"Ew, don't say that, it sounds vulgar." She said sounding disgusted
"Excuse me?" Blitzo before the demon mother turned her head away from him.
"Pervert!" She said as Blitzo had a deadpan look while Loona whined under the chair.
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The next scene cuts to Striker galloping on his horse with Stolas and Stella tied up behind him, as the cowboy's theme song begins.
He's galloping over the dusty plains
Even the cacti know his name
If you don't want to die, don't cross his path
The best assassin in the Ring of Wrath
He's Striker! He's Striker!
Sure-shootin', darn-tootin', his name is Striker
Gonna bring that bird back to his lair
With his magic rope and Western flair
He's very good at causing pain
And he loves to ride on the choo-choo-
Striker glares at the mariachi quartet imps before they can say "train".
Dirty-dealin', prince-stealin'
He's a villain, Striker!
He's fast and strong and tall and mean
The foulest imp you've ever seen
He'll break your bones to hear 'em crunch
He likes to eat pâté for lunch
He's Striker, hmm, ye-ye-yeah
He's Striker
The last imp extends the notes, much to Striker's annoyance.
He's Striker, he-
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'M TRYIN' TO DO MY FUCKING JOB! YOU COMIN' IN HERE SINGING ABOUT ME FOR THE MILLIONTH FUCKING TIME! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE, YOU FREAKS!" He said as the terrified mariachi imps quietly ride away in the cart.
"How does one get their own theme song?" Stolas said as Stella rolled her eyes.
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Back to Blitzo in the waiting room.
"Soooo, nice weather we're having, huh?" Blitzo said trying to break the ice.
The boy points to Blitzo "Look, mommy! They let fire toads in here!" He said as Blitzo growled
"The fuck did you just call me?" Blitzo said
"It's not polite to call them that to their face, honey. Wait until we're in the car." Blitzo said
"You got a problem with me, cunt?" He said as the mother recoiled in shock
"There is a child present, you filthy Wrathian!" She said
"Oh, I am not from Wrath, bitch. Also, my kid's here, too, and I don't think she would appreciate you calling her father..."things."" He said as he pointed to Loona
Mother then turns to Muffy "Is there any way we can reschedule for a time when less of the unemployed rabble are out?" She asked
"Oh, please. I bet the hardest work you've ever done is convincing your husband that little shit's his." Blitzo points to the boy whose eyes start to water.
"Oh, yeah? And what do you do that's so important?" She asked
"Me? Oh, I kill people. How does a two for one special sound, whore?" Blitzo pulls out his flintlock pistol and points it at her.
"Mr. O, the doc will see your hound now." Muffy called out
Blitzo strangles the mother and the boy with his arm and then shoves them to the floor. He brushes off his suit and carries Loona into the room, blowing a raspberry behind him.
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"Hold on, you two. I'm coming for you." Lobo said as he drove the van at high-speed down the desert rode as Millie sat next to him. Moxxie and Lily sat back checking their weapons.
Just as he musters a glimmer of hope, an alarm blares from the dashboard, indicating the van's fuel tank is dangerously low.
"Grr. You've got to be fucking kidding me." Lobo said as Millie stroked his fur to calm him down.
For a moment, frustration clouds his usually stoic expression. He pulls over to a nearby gas station, his senses heightened by the urgency of the situation.
As he steps out of the van putting gas in, a subtle unease washes over him, causing his fur to stand on end. Moxxie and Lily went around and asked the locals if they had seen Stiker pass by.
'Something's not right. I can't feel their energy or catch their scent. It must be something that is hiding them from my senses.' Lobo thought
Panic tightens around his chest like a vise. Lobo paces back and forth, desperately racking his brain for a solution. "Dammit only if I have something that has Striker scent then I can track them." Lobo said
Millie's eyes widen with sudden realization as she remembers something important. "Lobo! Wait! I think I've got something that might help!"
She jumps over the back seat and rummages through a pile of discarded items. Moments later, she emerges triumphantly, with the knife that she and Lily stabbed Striker with.
"This knife still has some of Striker blood on it. We can use this to track him and get Stolas and Stella back." Millie said as she handed Lobo the knife. Lobo sniffed the knife and then he was able to see Striker scent trail leading to a mountain.
"Millie, I love you so much." Lobo said as he kissed Millie as she giggled then Lobo turned to Moxxie and Lily and called them over. "Moxxie, Lily let go. I picked up Striker scent. Let go." Lobo said as the couple ran to the van and everybody got in as Lobo sped down the road.
"Don't worry Stolas, Stella I will save you both." Lobo said
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The scene cuts back to Striker's hideout where he's tied up Stolas and Stella upside down on some railroad tracks. Stolas opens his eyes and spots Striker nearby using a whetstone to sharpen a Blessed Knife.
"So, who paid you for this, hmm? Wouldn't a holy bullet have sufficed? Or can you not afford those?" Stolas said
"I was paid to give you the real royal treatment; this guy really hates your guts." Striker said as Stolas and Stella wonder who hired him and that hunter.
"Do you even know how many people hate us?" *looks around* "So. Train tracks? Really? Seems a bit clichéd, doesn't it?" Stolas said
"It's a classic." Striker said as he shrugged his shoulder
"Is the giant statue of yourself also a 'classic' or...?" Stella said
The camera shifts up to a statue in front of Striker that has him grinning with a giant erection.
Striker got pissed off and threw the whetstone "Are you seriously judging me right now?" Striker said
"I'm just impressed you seem to want to suck your own dick this badly." Stolas said
"Look. Not every ring is some fancy-ass city, with some fancy-ass mansion, that only fancy-ass royals get to live in." He advances towards the royals "Some of us have hard lives to live. And some of us have everything we care about taken away by fuckers like you."
"I have no- AAAGH!" Stolas yelled in pain
Striker stabs Stolas in the shoulder with the knife and then cuts him down.
"YOU. Don't get to talk over me!" He slaps Stolas with his tail "I don't have to listen to your bullshit!" jams his foot into Stolas's shoulder wound "All you royals ever do is try to talk over us!"
Stolas tries to petrify Striker, but the rope prevents his powers from working.
"Don't bother trying to use your little eye trick on me; those ropes ain't gonna let you do anything. Got somethin' to say about that? Your Highness?" steps on Stolas's open wound once again
"You do realize that if you kill us Lobo will find a way to kill you slowly and painfully for what you do to us." Stella said as Striker used his tail to slap her leaving a bruise on her cheek.
Striker then grabs Stolas's ankle and Striker lifts up his foot and stomp on Stolas's leg and breaks it.
Stolas grunts but doesn't show any pain. "Blitzo handles me rougher than that in bed; nice try."
Put off by this, Striker stabs Stolas in the leg.
"Blitzy's knife is bigger... and hits sooooo much deeper." Stolas
Striker getting fed up "Being a smartass hmm? 'Cause, once I split your neck open and let you choke on your own blue blood, you won't be worth any more than the tombstone you'll be buried under."
"Blitzy says far more dirtier things to me with much sharper objects at my throat."
Angered with Stolas' refusal to give in, Striker throws him to the ground and storms away to sulk. Stolas rolls next to Stella as they stare at each other.
"Don't worry Stolas. Lobo will save us I have no doubt about." Stella said as Stolas nodded his head.
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Back at St. An's Hospital, Blitzo and Loona are inside the doctor's office.
"Welcome, Bingo. And this must be Tuna." The doctor said
"Loona, yeah. And you can hurry up, please; she isn't a fan of shots. So, let's make this quick for all our sake." Blitzo said
"Oho! Come, now; it can't be that bad. I see hellhounds every day; there hasn't been one that has caused any issues."
The doctor pulls out a comically oversized syringe; Loona immediately growls and lunges at him. Blitzo quickly grabs the doctor and gets him out of the way. Loona howls soon after.
"Yep, right there. Told you, dipshit." Blitzo said
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Andrealphus Mansion
Andrealphus sits behind an white ornate desk, adorned with his white grimoire. Opposite him, Riser sat with a wicked grin playing on his face.
"Riser, I must know. Did you send Striker to eliminate Stolas?"
Riser's grin widens, a glint of malevolence flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed, Andrealphus. It was I who dispatched Striker to deal with Stolas. The fool dared to get in the middle of my and Octavia's love. But fear not, once he is dealt with, my sights will be set on Lobo."
Andrealphus leans forward, placing his hand under chin.
"Are you aiming to usurp me? It was not your place to send Striker after Stolas without my knowledge or consent!"
Riser, seemingly unfazed by Andrealphus' display of anger, raises an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Oh, how the mighty Andrealphus trembles with rage. No, I do not seek to usurp you. But I thought our goals aligned. Stolas has grown too powerful, too influential. Eliminating him would serve the greater purpose of our cause." Riser said
Andrealphus leans back in his chair, his expression turning contemplative.
"I understand your reasoning, Riser. But your methods are reckless. We need not draw unnecessary attention to our plans. We must be cautious. Stolas and Stella now know of my true intentions."
Riser smirks, crossing his arms defiantly.
"Cautious? Our strength lies in our ability to strike fear into the hearts of mortals and our own kind. We should not be timid like the rest of these spineless demons. This is how we maintain our dominance." Riser said
Andrealphus sizes up Riser, his eyes narrowing with an intense gaze.
"Riser. It is my experience, my cunning that has contributed to our successes. Before you challenge me further, know your place. Now call Striker off." Andrealphus said
Riser's grin falters for a moment, a flicker of doubt momentarily flashing across his face. But his arrogance quickly resurfaces.
"Very well, Andrealphus I will call off Striker. On one condition you must find powerful individuals and artifacts for me to kill Lobo." Riser said
"Very well Riser." Andrealphus said as Riser called Striker.
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Back at Striker's hideout, he throws Stolas and Stella down while circling them. Stolas is panting and whimpering in pain. Stella struggled against the rope.
"Well, this has been fun, but every good thing has to come to an end. Shame you won't see your kid again."
"Don't you dare breathe a word about my daughter." Stolas said
"Ohh. Finally hit a nerve, huh?"
"I swear, if you go near her, I will destroy you." Stella said
Striker stabs Stolas in the shoulder again and uses his tail to grab another knife to stab her shoulder as she lets out a whimper. "Big talk. But, just that. Any last words, Goetias?"
"Lobo will sav-" Stolas said before Striker cuts him off
"That fucking flea bag will not save you. By the time he gets here you both are already dead." Striker said
As Striker raises the knifes up to stab Stolas and Stella through the heart, he hears his phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Change of plans, Striker. I need those two above for now." The male voice said
Striker looks annoyed and shifts his gaze between the wounds on Stolas and Stella and his knife. Stolas tried to speak but Striker used his tail to cover Stella's mouth and used his hand to cover Stolas.
"I'm kinda in the middle of killing them." Stiker said
"Well, stop it. We need him alive to get some affairs in order. I'll pay you more to spare him and bring him to us." The male voice
Striker groans in annoyance "Yes, Sir."
Striker growls and smashes his phone against a rock.
"Well, good news for you, Feathers. My boss said he doesn't want you dead any more. But, he didn't say what condition you had to be in."
He grabs Stolas and hovers his knife near the prince's eyes.
"I think these reds might be a pretty trophy; can't have you seeing me again, can we?"
A car horn is heard in the distance; Striker gets up and growls while looking for the source. Parts of the cavern ceiling begin to give way and the I.M.P van breaks through, tumbling down an embankment and as the van comes to a rest, the door opens with Moxxie aiming a rifle at Striker.
The latter dodges several bullets and throws his knife into the rifle, causing another bullet to ricochet around the cavern and strike a nearby boom box that begins playing.
As Striker pulls out two revolvers, Lily attacks him with a longsword from behind; Striker tries to take the sword and Millie charges with a katana while Moxxie attacks as well with two revolvers of his own. All four fight to a standstill and a rock falls on top of the boombox. Striker is surprised by the song it switches to, but quickly disregards it as Moxxie, Lily and Millie triple team him.
Lobo tries to untie Stella and Stolas from the holy ropes as Stella notices the hunter appeared behind him.
"Lobo behind you" Stella yelled out as Lobo looked behind him as Mr. Black speared Lobo as the two tumbled over the cliff as they fell on a platform surrounded by lava. Lobo and Mr. Black circle each other waiting for the other to start.
The scene switches several times between Striker fighting Moxxie, Lily and Millie. Blitzo and the Doc trying to give Loona her shot. Lobo and Mr. Black dueling it out. The doctor ends up getting slammed into a bin of used needles, screaming in pain while Striker kicks Moxxie down and pins Millie to a rock with her axe. He notices Lily still moving and lassos a nearby stalagmite and slams it into Lily's back.
As Striker goes in for the kill, Loona is pinned to the ground by Blitzo who motions to Dr. Somna to give her the shot. The doctor hurriedly sticks the shot in Loona's rear, causing her to howl in pain and rage, and bucks Blitzo off her, creating a small crater on the clinic floor.
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The platform was surrounded by molten lava. Lobo stared at Mr. Black. As Mr. Black body was obscured by a dark cloak, Black had already pulled out a broadsword from his back and was ready for battle.
Lobo responded in kind, summoned his scythe. The two warriors stayed still, eyeing each other silently, as if daring the other one to make a move. Then they burst in speed as they began exchanging blows as sparks were created from their sword play.
Black took the initiative, his shoulder gun springing to life with a healthy spray of bullets. Lobo was quick on the defensive, dodging each shot with acrobatic grace. As he dodged and weaved, Lobo began to close in, looking for a way to end the fight quickly. He quickly noticed a huge stalagmite in the center of the platform and a plan began to form.
Using his immense telekinetic powers, Lobo ripped apart the footing of the stalagmite and launched it like a missile to Black. A large explosion followed as the stalagmite smashed against Black's shoulder gun, destroying it. With no more ranged option available, Black and Lobo resumed the sword fight.
The fight raged, the clashing of steel surrounding them in a visible aura. Black was good, but Lobo had the skill and the power. He began pushing Black to the edge of the platform, forcing him closer and closer to the edge.
Suddenly, Black shouted out, and a mighty burst of light filled the area. Lobo was temporarily blinded and staggered around, desperately trying to regain his vision. By the time he was back in full control, Black was gone.
As Lobo sheathed his sword and looked around, the reality of the situation became very clear; Berserker had escaped. Lobo howled in anger as he was denied of his kill again. Lobo jumps back to where the others were.
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Striker sees Moxxie reaching for his pistol "Oh, I remember how easy you are to choke the life out of, little one."
"Ohhhh, harder." Moxxie said
Striker immediately gets up, disgusted. Moxxie then kicks Striker's legs out from under him and lassos Striker by the neck, spinning him around and throwing him to the ground.
"You cowboy piece of shit!" Moxxie said
As Striker aims a revolver at Moxxie, Millie and Lily frees themselves and strikes the base of his statue with their weapons. Striker looks up to see it falling towards him; he tries to move out of the way, but the statue lands on top of him. As Moxxie approaches it, the smoke clears to see that Striker is gone.
Moxxie was upset that Striker got away.
He looks towards Millie and Lily and sees them next to an unconscious Stolas and Stella.
As Moxxie was about to untie them Lobo landed next to him as Lobo saw the bloody body's of Stolas and Stella.
"Oh no no." Lobo said as he cut off the rope from Stolas and Stella's body he noticed their wounds were not healing. So he tried to heal them with his magic but nothing was working.
"Dammit. Alright you three help me get them in the van and I'll drive them to Sloth." Lobo said as he carried Stella while the imps carried Stolas to the van. Lobo pulled out his phone and called somebody. As the phone was ringing somebody picked up.
"Mhmm Lobo what do you need, you know my sleeping schedule. So what happened now?" The female voice said
"Belle, Stolas and Stella are hurt and my and their healing is not working. I need your help please." Lobo said as Belle let out a gasp
"Alright I'll meet you at St. An's Hospital." Belle said as she hung up and Lobo used his teleportation to take them to Sloth.
As he made it to the hospital the staff brought out the stretchers and loaded Stolas and Stella on them as Lobo went with them.
As a group of reporters stand outside St. An's, Blitzo and Loona emerge with the former being beaten up and scratched and the latter with a cone around her neck and holding a lollipop. Moxxie, Lily and Millie standing next to the van.
A horde of medical personnel and reporters trample Blitzo as they rush by him as they two stretchers rolled over him. Then more reporters trample over him as Moxxie comes and helps Blitzo up.
"Sir, are you alright?" Moxxie said
"Oh, peachy. Yeah, no. Today has been wonderful;" points to the hospital doors "what the fuck was THAT about?" Blitzo said
"Stolas and Stella got hurt badly." Millie said
"Stolas got what? How?... He can get hurt?" Blitzo said as he was worried for them. He knows they were powerful but he never saw them get hurt like this. Shaking his head he went to the van with the group as he drove them back to the Pride Ring.
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Stolas slowly awakens, his eyes fluttering open. He finds himself in a sterile hospital room, the faint smell of disinfectant hanging in the air. As his grogginess retreats, memories come rushing back to him.
He glances around the room, taking in his surroundings. A wave of relief washes over him when he notices Stella in the bed next to his. Tubes and wires attach her to various monitors and machines, indicating she's in critical condition. Concern etches deep lines on Stolas' forehead.
With a sharp intake of breath, Stolas turns his attention to the chair positioned between both beds. Lobo rests soundly, head tilted to the side. Even in slumber, his quiet strength emanates through the room.
Stella, who was awake and observing Stolas' awakening, carefully whispers.
"Stolas, you're awake. How do you feel?" Stella asked
Stolas blinks a few times, his gaze shifting from Lobo to Stella. Realization dawns on him, and he manages a faint smile.
"I'm getting better, Stella. How long have we been here?" Stolas said
Stella's voice is barely audible, yet filled with concern.
"Nine hours… It's been a long day. Octavia is here. She went to the cafeteria to get some food." Stella said
Stolas widens his eyes, startled by the amount of time that has passed. Nevertheless, he lets out a breath and relaxes back into the hospital bed.
"Nine hours… I can't believe it. But it's good to be awake. How did we end up here?" Stolas said
Stella, her voice laced with gratitude, explains.
"It was Lobo, Stolas. He saved us, along with those imps that worked with him, and it was his quick thinking that got us here." Stella
Stolas gazes over at his faithful wolf companion, a renewed appreciation shining in his eyes. He reaches out a hand, gently stroking Lobo's fur.
"Thank you, my friend. You've always been there for us, haven't you?" Stolas said before he fell back to sleep.