AN: As a reminder, this entire series was planned before Season 1's episode 2. So Tilla is still Blitzo's older sister (that was suspected by the fandom) and Blitzo's father is not Cash Buckzo. Not to mention Blitzo being alive in the early 1900s with a longer life span. Regardless please enjoy and please help out at the TV Tropes Page for the Salvation Series: tvtropes pmwiki / pmwiki .php /Fanfic /SavingBlitzo
Disclaimer: I do not own Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel
Despite knowing that the company would be gone in a few months, Blitzo still wanted to ensure his assassins' skills were still sharp. Despite the misery they had brought him in the past, Hell was still a dangerous place, and anything could happen to you at any time. Skills like these had helped Blitzo stay alive for so long. However, it was clear that whatever trauma he was dealing with in his kidnapping hindered his abilities because his efforts to be the badass killer he was were ending up in failure. He was losing in sparring matches, and his gun shooting skills had turned to shit. Moxxie had said it was something about psychological impairment hindering his ability to get his brain and body to react, but Blitzo didn't care about the mumbo jumbo. He just wanted to make sure he wasn't weak.
Blitzo fired the last bullet from his pistol in his hand, an HP-SFS, but missed the target with a curse exiting his mouth not long after. Putting the gun down, he looked at the modified target range he and his team had set up using paper targets, a few wooden boards, and the stonewall of the palace gates behind it. "Three out of ten. That was terrible."
"It's not so bad, Blitz," Moxxie said for some encouragement, but Blitzo shook his head and put the gun away in the holder. "I mean, originally, you couldn't hit for crap, but this is an improvement after a few days."
"Maybe for a regular assassin, Mox, but I'm anything but," Blitzo grumbled as he folded his arms. "I've been an assassin for nearly a hundred years. Now I'm just a noob again because of some fucked outer alien demon god shit in my head."
Loona, finishing off her clip of a Glock G41, looked at her Dad and shook her head. "Relax, Dad. We don't need you at the office for anything regarding an emergency. We're handling things fine."
"Yeah, even I'm still able to kill. Even if I get stomach issues once in a while," Millie said, rubbing her stomach, which was slowly building up in mass. "Like last night? That was a nightmare."
"Yeah, I could smell it from my room," Loona winced in disgust. "Remind me to never get pregnant."
"Plus, with Grimbeak's help, we've been making a good killing of money for our forced retirement," Moxxie added with a smile. "I have to say, it's nice working actually killing people who deserve it instead of just any random person we get. It's kinda more satisfying."
"Metatron giving you guys any trouble?" Blitzo asked as the others all shivered in memory of the angel.
"No, we don't really talk to him," Moxxie answered as he began to put away the guns they had been using for practice. "We just send him a list of targets from the phone number Prince Stolas gave us and wait for a text saying which ones are good to go. Surprisingly, he doesn't take that many off."
"I still wanted to do that India job," Loona replied with a shrug.
"Why?" Millie asked.
"The request was funny. Smash a guy's head with an elephant's butt and take a photo of it. Would have been nice to post on my wall," Loona answered.
"I kinda it still strange that we're somewhat working with an angel," Blitzo replied as he leaned on one of the trees nearby the targeting range. "I mean, we've all had to worry about dying at the hands of those guys, but now we're kinda working with one. In a sense."
"Not to mention living with one," Moxxie pointed out as he nudged to the left to see Rachmiel and Octavia walking side by side and talking to each other.
"I still don't know what to think of him," Millie said with a shrug. "He's not that bad of a guy. A lot different from what I expected from an angel."
"Yeah, but he's still a square at times," Loona snorted. "There was a charity auction on the Greed Channel, and he was asking Octavia and me how he could donate to the cause."
"Don't tell me you didn't tell him that all those charities on the Greed Channel are scams," Moxxie chided with a roll of his eyes.
"No, but it didn't matter," Loona replied with a chuckle. "He realized halfway into the call he didn't have currency. Apparently, there is no money in Heaven."
"How the fuck do they buy shit then?" Blitzo asked, trying to wrap his head around such a concept. Money was practically a necessity not just in Hell but on Earth.
"It just gets made without the green bucks," Loona replied. "Apparently, everything is provided for you with no charge. You can get it whenever you want and whenever you want, provided it's not something forbidden, but even those have to be really extreme."
"...What kind of Marxist bullshit is that?" Blitzo asked in disbelief.
Before they could continue the conversation any further, Octavia and Rachmiel had arrived, with the former waving to them. "Hey, guys. How was target practice?"
"Lousy," Blitzo grumbled as he looked down at his target dummy. "I'm still a terrible shot despite having once hit a target nine hundred yards with a pistol in 1982."
"Well, your emotional state has your mind and body out of balance," Rachmiel explained with a sympathetic smile. "The more we heal your mind, the more balanced you will be, and not only will your old skills be able to return to you in time, but you'll also be seeing an improvement as we develop a healthier mindset for you."
"Don't you find it ironic that you're helping a demon which kills people despite being a doctor who heals them?" Millie asked with a smirk.
Sighing, Rachmiel rubbed the back of his head. "The irony is not lost on me. I can assure you."
Loona then walked over to the caladrius angel and pointed to the target range. "Hey, Feathers? Want to take a shot?"
"Huh? Oh, well," Rachmiel shrugged, "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I need to get used to the gun my brother gave me anyway."
"What gun?" Blitzo asked before Rachmiel reached into his pocket and pulled out a pure heavenly-made gun that made everyone's eyes widen. "Holy shit! What is that?!"
"I've never seen an angel weapon like that before," Moxxie replied, which really got everyone's attention as he knew more about angel weapons than any of them combined.
"Oh, that's because this is a prototype. Hasn't been put out on the market yet. It's called the Bishop's Cross MK 2.0," Rachmiel said as he showed it to the group, who were all eying it with interest. "My brother managed to get one for me to use in Hell, just in case. Personally, I don't like guns, but I figured he was right about me needing to defend myself. Not from you guys, of course. Any other demon outside the household might want to come after me for any reason."
"Oooh," Millie's eyes sparkled as she looked at the pistol with awe. Fingers ready, she asked, "Can I try it out?"
"I don't recommend it," Rachmiel warned with a nervous smirk. "It's designed to be used by angels only. Any demon who uses this will get fried and become a pile of ashes."
Moxxie quickly grabbed his wife by the tail and dragged her away from the gun as she pouted about the unfairness of it all. Rachmiel, turning the safety off, positioned himself at the target range's barrier. After a few seconds, he lifted the gun and fired shot after shot, with the gunfire sounding more akin to a combined effect of a laser and rail gun instead of the usual gunpowder-like product one would hear. The demons watched as fifteen shots were fired in semi-auto, with only three missing their target. The ones that did all were chest shots, with two landing on the head.
When he was done with the clip, Rachmiel put the safety back on and smiled. "What do you think?"
"Shit, that was pretty good," Loona replied with surprise before looking at Rachmiel with suspension. "And here I thought you wouldn't be a good shot."
"Trust me, I wasn't at first," Rachmiel laughed nervously as he reloaded the gun. "I was so scared of holding my first weapon I nearly peed myself when it fired and got knocked down on my butt. My brother was able to help me get better. He thought us going to the gun ranges all the time would help us bond. While I am not a big fan of guns, it was still nice to do stuff with him. Especially since he was so much older than me by like four hundred years."
"Nice to see I'm not the only one who had to deal with long-lived relatives," Octavia said with amusement. "Is your brother Special Forces?"
"Yeah, but not an exorcist. He's a Squad Commander for the Hell Jumpers," Rachmiel answered.
"That doesn't sound like a name you would hear for Heaven's army group," Moxxie pointed out.
"Well, the name is exactly what it sounds like," Rachmiel explained. "They're soldiers fired into Hell via missile capsules that land and cause an explosion in the surrounding area to wipe out any forces in front of them. After which, they exit the capsules, and then their main purpose is to pretty much destroy anything in front of them with heavy weapons and armor. Pure destruction of anything demonic, be it buildings, beings, or more."
"How heavy are we talking about in terms of armor and weapons?" Blitzo asked with a nervous twitch to it.
Rachmiel thought about it for a minute before answering. "You know those Spartans in Halo?"
"...Shit," Blitzo replied before rubbing his face. "Mox? Mils? Loona? Maximum protection on this guy. He so much as gets a scratch, I'm going to throw you to the angry armored angel bird first while I run for the hills."
"I'm sure he wouldn't do that," Rachmiel nervously said with a "maybe" muttering under his breath. "Anyway, I came here looking for you because I figured it was best to continue where we left off."
"Oh, right," Blitzo muttered before he sighed and stretched his arms. "I guess it's time to go back to my mind. But this time, the landing should be one where I don't have a heart attack."
"I promise it will be," Rachmiel assured.
"Good, because if it's not, I'll ask Loona here to eat you," Blitzo pointed to her daughter, who grinned and showed her many sharp teeth.
Laughing nervously, Rachmiel said, "N-Nice joke there, Blitz."
"Who says he's kidding?" Loona whispered with a smirk as Rachmiel gulped.
Thankfully, the landing was not a disaster, and Blitzo found himself landing on the solid platform of his inner soul realm without a single scratch on him. Floating down on his wings, Rachmiel sighed in relief before the two gazed at the multiple floating starlike orbs that were all reflections of Blitzo's memories. Raising his hands, Rachmiel summoned the ones they were going to look at today. The familiar web-like structure from last time appeared, with the sickly corrupted one in the middle still making Blitzo feel like running whenever he looked at it.
Seeing the discomfort, Rachmiel put his hand on the imp's shoulder for reassurance. Blitzo took a few deep breaths before nodding. "Okay, I'm ready. So we're going to be looking at childhood memories. Good ones, though, right?"
"Yes and no," Rachmiel explained. "We are going to be looking at your childhood memories, but the memories will be whatever is necessary for us to build the simularas and eventually confront the corrupted memories. They are the ones that are most connected and tied to it. Whether they are happy or sad or other emotions is irreverent. You need to see as many of them as possible."
Blitzo bit his lip. He already knew what the corrupted memory was. The one night that changed him forever: The death of his entire family. Deep down, he never wanted to see it again, but he already knew there was no going back now and took comfort in knowing that it would be some time before he would have to confront it. "Alright, I guess we can start now."
"Alright then," Rachmiel said as he summoned the first orb, which levitated to Blitzo. Thankfully, it was a happy-colored one. He touched it, and a portal soon opened before them. Taking a deep breath, Blitzo walked inside it with Rachmiel behind him.
The first thing that Blitz saw made him nearly drop his jaw by what he was seeing. It was a familiar setting in which he had practically lived all his early years: The Big Top. The area where all the greatest shows and acts were performed in front of the audience. It wasn't show time, there was nobody in the crowds, and it was clearly daytime thanks to the sun rays beaming down through the colorful tent. A few imps were practicing their performances, like juggling, acrobatics, or practicing a few lines for the show. But the main focus Blitzo had was on the trapeze center in the middle of the ring. Blitzo saw his younger self, around eight or nine by this point in time, wearing a red leotard with a demonic wing design on the back in black while beside him was his father, in a similar uniform, but also two others.
"Barbie. Tilla." Blitzo whispered in awe and yet sorrow upon seeing them.
"Your siblings?" Rachmiel asked, nodding to them.
"My twin and older sister," Blitzo answered with a gulp as he wiped the misty water from his eyes.
Tilla was in her early teens around this time, and she was already developing into a beautiful woman. She had small black horns for an imp and a skinny neck, but her face was like that of an attractive young woman that any female would be envious of at her age. Her long yet slightly spiked black hair shone in the sunlight, but nothing was brighter than her smile as she helped Barbie Wire put on her shoes for upcoming practice.
Meanwhile, Barbie Wire was obviously Blitzo's twin as both had the same facial features save for the more feminine type eyes that one had. She was also slightly shorter, with her horns being a different color, pure black with small white stripes as opposed to Blitzo's equally black and white striped one. Another feature was how Barbie Wire's head was more round while Blitz's was more pointy. Yet they both share the same excited smile with each other before their father clapped his hands, getting all three of his children's attention.
"Alright, children, this is the day you've been waiting for. The chance to show me that you three are ready to do your own act," Blitz's father said as he put his hands behind his back and started pacing in front of them. "Now, your mother and I never got to do our own activities until we were much older than you, but you three have talent and teamwork that I've never seen before. While I am reluctant to think of you three as prepared for such an event, Tilla believes you are, and I trust her judgment. You must show me this act with no mistakes. Not a single one. You do this? And I'll let you have your own act after tonight's show."
"Your father would take the word of his oldest daughter that seriously? At her age?" Rachmiel asked curiously.
"Tilla was always responsible and polite," Blitzo replied with a warm look on his face. "She took the role of caretaker and mother figure for Barbie and me since Mom died giving birth to us. She was even more mature than some adults. Everyone thought she was so dependent and trustworthy that she was treated more like an adult than a teenager."
Younger Blitzo then raised his hand. "Will we be practicing with or without a net?"
"With a net," Blitzo's father assured him before getting narrowed eyes. "I am willing to trust you guys with your own act, but none of you will do any netless performance until you are eighteen. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," The three children all answered simultaneously.
"Good. Now get your show ready. I'll be watching," Blitzo's father said before leaving to watch from the stands.
Younger Blitzo and Barbie Wire looked at each other with nervous expressions before Tilla placed her hands on the younger siblings and smiled warmly at them. "It's okay to be nervous, but I promise this will work out."
"But what if we screw up? Or what if it's not good enough?" Barbie Wire asked, whimpering. "We worked really hard on this."
"Yeah, I don't want all this to be for nothing," Younger Blitzo replied.
Kneeling to their eyes level, Tilla said, "Listen. Whether we succeeded or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we tried, and I'm proud of you two for accomplishing so much with this. If we don't get Father's approval, we'll work twice as hard to try again next time. But I want you two to focus on giving the best performance possible. Don't worry about success or failure. Focus on accomplishment first and then the results later. Okay?"
"Okay, Tilla!" Both twins said simultaneously with a nod as their confidence easily increased thanks to her words.
"Great, now let's get to work," Tilla said as the two cheered before racing for the ladders that would take them to the platforms above.
Everyone in the tent soon stopped working to get a look at the new performance that the younger imps were presenting. Their father sat on the benches of the stands, arms folded and looking passive like a stone in his expression. Once the safety net was up, and all final checks were prepared, the show began. The acrobatics performed was terrific for those so young, especially the twins who worked in such perfect unison that it was like seeing a mirror copy of them. Tilla was no slouch to her flipping and bar catching as she flew through the air like a bird in flight.
There were claps from the makeshift audience, who gasped and cheered with each successful stunt. Rachmiel himself was among them despite not being really there and clapped when something awe-inspiring happened, such as when Barbie Wire landed on her sister's shoulders after a double flip onto the balcony she was on. Meanwhile, Blitzo just looked at it while lost in the feelings he was getting from this memory. Deep down, a part of him wanted to go up there and perform again. To hold the handlebars while feeling the wind in his air. To release himself and let the hands of fate itself grab hold of him as he twirled to the other side while waiting for the next handlebars to arrive or a hand to grab him from falling. His heart beating frequently as the rush of the crowd's voices pumped his spirit up. It was such an old and forgotten feeling that it nearly made him cry.
What made him cry was seeing him and his sisters have such a joyful time together. Blitzo, back then and now, could never imagine performing like this with anyone else but his family. They were everything to him back then, and to try and change that was unthinkable.
This is why when that day happened, it ruined him to the dark path he followed, causing more misery in the long run.
The performance finally ended when Blitzo and Barbie both did a triple spin into the arms of Tilla as she hung from her tail and carried them to the other side of the platform, where they soon landed, and she joined them seconds later before posing with them. Everyone was cheering save for their father as he continued to stay the same throughout the entire act.
Once the kids had come down, the three waited for their father to say or do anything. Finally, he stood up and clapped a few times as a slight smirk decorated his lips. "Well done."
Despite it being two words, it was clear that this was like climbing a mountain to the three as their eyes lit up like stars.
"I'll see the Ringmaster about organizing a time when you three can perform. Good work," Their father said before making his way to the exit, as the three siblings soon jumped for joy and hugged each other.
The two soul walkers found themselves back in the black void of Blitzo's soul as the imp sighed in relief. "Heh, I almost forgot what it was like to be part of the circus. I mean, I remember doing all the acts, but it's another thing to see it. Especially when it's you that's up there."
"You three did a great job," Rachmiel complimented. "You got your dad's approval and made him proud."
"Honestly, I wasn't concerned about making Dad proud," Blitzo admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was more focused on making Tilla proud. Barbie and I had always wanted to do our own act, and Tilla helped us all the way. She encouraged us to keep going when it seemed like we weren't going to achieve success. Fixed us up if we got too injured. She even sacrificed her free time to help us until it became the three of us doing the act instead of just me and Barb. Getting Dad's approval for it all was great, but knowing we had done it with our big sister was the better part of it all."
"You really loved her, huh?" Rachmiel whispered with respect before chuckling. "I guess that's one thing you and I have in common. We both wanted to make our big siblings proud."
Seeing Blitzo raise an eyebrow out of curiosity, Rachmiel continued, "I told you how bad I was at shooting when my brother introduced me to it, right? Tezal encouraged me to keep trying at it and was always patient. It took me seven months to finally hit the targets properly and another four to get my first bullseye. But every time I struggled, Tezal would walk me through it and teach me everything he knew. I might not have been a lover of guns and fighting like he was, but I admired how much he was willing to put effort and time into teaching me. Learning to be a good shot was more for proving that he wasn't wasting his time on me than defending myself. Now the two of us go to the firing range with smiles on our beaks, and it seems like we just grow closer with each shot."
"...Big siblings are pretty cool, huh?" Blitzo asked.
"Yeah, they are," Rachmiel agreed with a grin before turning back to the web. "Shall we look at another memory?"
"Sure," Blitzo said before noticing one that was red, blue, and white. "That's an interesting color. What is that? The American orb?"
"Well, white means happy. Blue means sad. Red is a mix of both anger and violence. So it's a memory that has all of those combined," Rachmiel answered.
"Well, now I'm curious. Let's do that one," Blitzo suggested as he took the orb, opened the portal, and walked side by side with his angelic doctor.
"Okay," Blitzo said with a raised eyebrow as the scene before them appeared in an alley of a city designed like the 1910s. "Of all the things I was expecting, it was not seeing my ass get kicked."
Blitzo and Rachmiel winced as Younger Blitzo, the same age as they last saw him, was getting punched in the face by another older imp while his buddies were holding Blitzo by the arm or watching with amusement. The one doing the hitting was about three or four years older than Blitzo with cropped black hair, wearing dark blue overall jeans and a white shirt with a brown cap on his head. The older imp just continued to hit the black and blued Younger Blitzo, who was doing his best to keep the tears from falling down his face but obviously failing.
"Ring any bells?" Rachmiel asked.
"No, not re-"
Blitzo then froze upon hearing a voice cry, "Please just stop it! It's my fault! Just let Blitzo go!"
Snapping his head around, Blitzo felt his jaw drop upon seeing another imp kid dressed in a green and red striped outfit with a clown nose on his face. He was the tiniest imp there and looked practically toddlerish despite Blitzo knowing he was the same age as himself. Those vast and innocent baby-like eyes were nothing like the wild and mature eyes that Blitzo occasionally saw around the various advertisements of Hell. "Fizzarolli..."
Rachmiel turned around, saw the sobbing little imp, and asked, "Whose he?"
"...My childhood friend and...my first lover," Blitzo answered as he closed his eyes, feeling a familiar heartache growing in his chest. Many times he had seen the famous clown performer advertised due to being one of the biggest showmen and comedians in the pentagram. A rare thing for an imp, but when you were the ongoing lover of a Ring Lord (publically just for lust but rumored to be romantic) with his full backing, you practically had it made.
Fizzarolli had been many things to Blitzo, but he was another regret he had added to his list to never confront again. Especially since he had broken Fizzarolli's heart and abandoned him when he needed him most on that day.
"If he's your friend, why isn't he here supporting you?" Rachmiel asked before frowning sympathetically. "Unless he died?"
"No, he's alive," Blitzo muttered with a heavy sigh. "But..."
"You know Blitzo? I'm glad you left me all those years ago when we lost everything. Because I at least can look at myself in the mirror and still see myself, but stronger and better. You? I look into your eyes and see a shell of a man looking for an excuse to just die. I guess it wasn't worth it after all? Was it?"
"...we're not friends anymore...and it's all my fault," Blitzo whispered before turning away to no longer focus on Fizzarolli. Had he known that he was going to appear, Blitzo would have prepared himself better, but, in hindsight, he should have known he would come up in his memories. He had been so focused on his family that he had forgotten the one other imp in his life which had held such importance in his early years. Did I do that out of regret or because I have moved on from him?
The sound of the hitting finally stopped as the imps holding Younger Blitzo dropped him and let him rest on his knees as the main bully spat on the ground. "You wanna run by me that again you carnie freak?"
"All I...All I asked was for you..." Younger Blitzo spat blood out and winced. "To apologize..."
"Apologize to some two-tailed rat-faced gypsy like you and your friend? Forgetaboutit," the imp bully snorted before he knelt down and pushed him further into the pavement. "Freaks like you are nothin'. A bunch of nobodies who dance around like monkeys asking for treats while eating your own feces. And I ain't letting some dirty rat punk like you bump into me and demand an apology because you don't know your place, freak."
"You bumped into-" A kick to the face knocked Blitzo down again, and he started sobbing.
"Blitzo!" Fizzarolli shouted in horror as his best friend continued to weep.
"Aww, look at the little baby crying. Want to cry home to your mama? Or is she too busy screwing an elephant like the whore that she is?" The imp bully asked, which made him and the rest of his gang laugh.
"Don't call my mother a whore, you fucker!" The imp bully looked to the left to see who said that before getting a trash can top right in the face. Everyone looked down the alley to see a very pissed-off Barbie Wire, dressed in a white and pink striped shirt, growling as she clenched her fists. "Let my brother and Fizzarolli go, or I will smash your balls like grapes!"
"Bitch!" The imp bully shouted as he covered his bleeding nose. "I'll kill you for that, you carnie whore!"
"Oh yeah?!" Barbie shouted with a grin before whistling and pointing upward.
The imp kids looked up and saw a bunch of other imp children, all dressed as clowns, looking down at them with rotten fruits, rocks, and bags of animal dung from the pen houses. Seeing as they were outnumbered, the imp bullies began to panic and look around for a way to escape, but before they could do so, Barbie shouted, "Bombard them!"
The children all cheered and began throwing their messy arsenal at the city imps, who screamed and yelped as they got splattered with rotten bananas, animal poop, and pebbles shot from slingshots. Some were unfortunate to get it in their mouths, while others slipped and fell on their backs only to get water balloons and pee-filled balloons thrown at them while they were down. Barbie Wire, rushing down the alley, cartwheeled and flipped to avoid getting hit, even doing a pirouette over a downed bully before reaching her stunned brother. Grinning, she grabbed his arm and dragged him down to Fizzarolli, who quickly got up when the two of them were near him.
"Retreat!" Barbie Wire shouted as she dragged her brother and their friend out of the alley and down the street, much to the confusion of the adults in the area. Their fellow carnie kids soon abandoned their posts while the cursing city bullies tried to chase after them but kept slipping on the waste around them.
Rachmiel and Blitzo had watched this all, with the former looking surprised and the latter laughing his tail off. "Oh, man! I may have forgotten this, but this is so Barbie Wire!"
"She planned all that?" Rachmiel asked as the scene before them began to change by transitioning as if it was suddenly made of water.
"Yeah, Barbie was always the more outgoing girl between us," Blitzo answered with a sigh. "Practically made friends with everyone, and all the kids loved her because she was daring. I was...kinda shy as a kid."
"I kinda find that hard to believe, no offense," Rachmiel said.
"Nah, none taken. I...changed a lot from when I was a kid," Blitzo replied as the scene began to reform itself among them.
It was just about nighttime, outside of the resting area where the circus was camped. Far beyond the tents and roaring fires where dinner and games were being held, along with some music that sounded like the combination of a violin and an accordion. However, away from it all was a lonely little imp curled up with his arms against his chest as he looked down at the grass while the distant city lay before him. Younger Blitzo was silently sobbing with multiple band-aids on his face and some tissue paper in his nostrils. Seeing himself look down and weak made Blitzo want to look away, but he couldn't.
A few minutes later, a figure walked up to him and sat down next to Younger Bltizo. "Hey, bro."
"Hey, Barb," Younger Blitzo whimpered.
"Feeling better?" Barbie asked.
"No," Younger Blitzo answered before shaking his head. "I hate it..."
"Hate what?" Barbie asked.
"Being weak!" Blitzo shouted as he stood up and stomped on the grass. "I was completely beaten up like a kitten. I didn't stand a chance, and Fizzy was getting hurt and..." Lowering his head, he sighed, "And you saved me."
"To be fair, I saw that I wasn't going to be enough to help you, so I rounded all the other kids enjoying our day in the city to help you," Barbie pointed out as she got up and smiled at her brother. "Blitzo, you're not weak."
"Come on, Barbie! I am!" Blitzo shouted as he turned to his sister with fury. "I've never won a fight. I cry a lot. And even Dad sometimes says I need to act more like a man. I let those stupid bullies beat me up, and all I did was cry like a bitch."
"Come on, Blitzo. You were outnumbered, and those jerks were bigger and older. You don't have to feel bad," Barbie said before putting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, what are we?"
"Um, twins?"
"Exactly! Twins! We're meant to do everything together! You and I are like two in one! The other half that we both need to feel complete!" Barbie replied with a grin. "You and I are each other's strength. You may think you're weak, but I don't think you are. In fact, you're the kindest and gentlest imp I know. You are the one I trust with everything to help me get through the day. It's us against the world, and we will always be there for each other!"
"R-Really?" Younger Blitzo asked, wiping away a few tears as he smiled at his sister.
"Always!" Barbie said as she held her hand up. "Together forever?"
"Together forever!" Younger Blitzo promised as they gripped hands and laughed.
"Together forever," Blitzo whispered as he looked at the same hand that made such a promise. He continued to look at it even after the scene ended, and they were being taken back to the inner workings of his soul.
He gripped it and felt tears ready to come out, but he held them back. The truth was that promise didn't work out. They were never together forever.
Barbie Wire had died. As did Tilla and Father. And if Blitzo was being honest, a part of him died that night.
He failed to keep his promise.
He wasn't strong enough.
I wonder, Blitzo thought as he clutched his hand. Would she still think I'm strong after everything?
"...You know, just because they are gone doesn't mean a promise still can't be held," Rachmiel said, which got Blitzo's attention. Smiling warmly, the angel said, "That promise you made to your sister can still be held. Because just because they are gone in body doesn't mean they are gone in spirit. Inside of you, she resides, and you can find strength through her memory."
"...I don't know," Blitzo whispered, closing his eyes. "What if your weakness led to those you love dying?"
"Depends if you really are to blame or not," Rachmiel whispered with a sigh as he folded his arms. "Are you really to blame for whatever happened to your family?"
"...Let's just continue."
And so they did.