If there was ever a specific day Octavia ever looked forward to now, it was definitely Sunday. Ever since they first had their talk in Octavia's little corner of the library, both she and Mick made it a somewhat official get together between them, where they could talk about their week, discuss their favourite pastimes, and even fawn over Snowflake, which the Kitsune Pup absolutely loved. It wasn't anything big or special, but regardless, Octavia enjoyed every second of it.
It had now been a month since they had first started their weekly rendezvous, and so far, neither of them appeared to have had any problems in regards to keeping their meetings private. Obviously, neither one of them wanted either of Octavia's parents finding out, Stolas, mainly because he would go full-on overprotective dad mode on them, and Stella, mostly because she'd probably use the situation as an excuse to skin Mick alive. Between the whole bathtub fiasco and Mick standing up to her on Buzz's behalf, Stella clearly didn't like the Cat Demon in the slightest, which was evident by the fact that she seemed to glare at him every time he entered the same room. Not only that, but she also refused to even acknowledge him by his name, always calling him "Cat" or "Peasant" or any other demeaning name she could think of. Mick didn't let it get to him, of course. After all, he knew if he took her bait, she could use it as an excuse to get rid of him, and Mick wasn't planning on giving her the satisfaction.
Feeling a little claustrophobic on this particular Sunday, Octavia and Mick decided to make a change in pace and had a little wander around the rest of the library, feeling confident enough that neither of them would be bothered by anyone who might come in. As they walked, Octavia couldn't help but point out some of her favourite books among the shelves. Given the way she went on about it, Mick could easily tell how passionate she was about reading, leading to making a comment about it that once again made her feel a little flustered. Of course, books weren't the only thing in the library. Now and then, the two of them would catch a glimpse of a painting or something in a display box, much like many other rooms of the house, each and every one of them being just as fascinating as the next.
"So have you found out which department you're being put in?" Octavia asked as the two of them rounded another corner, casually strolling among the books.
"No, for some reason everyone seems hesitant to make a decision," Mick answered, with a small shrug. "Does it usually take this long?"
"Not really," Octavia replied. "Most of the time, either my parents or Reginald makes the decision in about a week or two. Maybe there's something about you they just can't put their finger on?"
Mick couldn't help but ponder at that. In all honesty, he had wondered why he hasn't been put into an official position for quite some time now, and each day that passed where nothing was brought up only made him all the more curious. In fact, he was so lost in thought on the matter, he practically jumped out of his skin when he came across something horrifying when he and Octavia suddenly found themselves in the Demonic History section of the library
"AAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The moment he saw the twisted face staring back at him from behind a sheet of glass, the Cat Demon instantly stumbled back and fell flat on his ass, clutching his chest as he suddenly thought he was about to receive a heart attack. The moment Octavia saw the same face, however, all she felt was utter irritation.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, I told dad we needed to get rid of this thing!" she complained, offering Mick her hand to help him up.
Getting back to his feet, Mick could easily understand why Octavia would say such a thing. If he had to describe the stuffed head inside the display case with a single word, it would definitely be HIDEOUS! A large, furry head twice the size of his own, with white, glassy eyes, long, ram-like horns, and a mouth twisted into a disgusting grin, revealing at least two sets of teeth and a long, purple tongue. Needless to say, the mere sight of it made Mick's stomach turn.
"Okay, I realise that you're into taxidermy, but that is NOT what I would have expected," he commented, earning himself a roll of the Goetia Demon's eyes.
"It's not one of mine, I assure you," Octavia retorted, feeling somewhat insulted that Mick would even suggest such a thing.
"What the fuck is that thing, anyway?"
The moment that particular question left the Cat Demon's lips, a small sigh escaped Octavia's beak as she pointed to the small plaque just below the glass.
"THAT is the first Angel of Death… what's left of him, anyway," she declared, her tone so dulled it made her description sound completely rehearsed.
Hearing that, Mick followed Octavia's finger towards the bronze plaque, leaning in closer as he read the engraved words:
SAMAEL:
Angel of Death, idiot among idiots.
Neither the name nor the reason for the description had any meaning to the young Sinner, however once again, now that he's had a taste of information, his curiosity practically begged for him to know more.
"The FIRST Angel of Death?" he repeated. "You mean like an Exorcist?"
Shuddering at the very mention of those winged nightmares, the memory of what happened during The Extermination still fresh in her mind, Octavia tried desperately to push the memory down as she racked her brain for a suitable answer.
"Not exactly," she replied, scratching her head beneath her beanie. "Hold on a second."
At those words, the Goetia Demon began scanning the nearby shelves, looking for a certain volume that might help with her explanation. After a few minutes of searching, she eventually found what she was looking for.
"Ah, here we go!" she announced, pulling out one particular book and setting it on a nearby table. "Take a look at this."
Stepping over to the table, Mick saw that she had pulled out a black, leather-bound book with aged yellow pages, entitled: Tales of the Banished. From the looks of it, it appeared to be quite old but still well-kept and in decent condition. Flipping through a few pages, the Owl Demon found the one she was looking for and pointed out a specific image for her friend.
"Before the Exorcists ever came to be, there was only ONE Angel of Death," she explained, her face contorted with a mix of fascination and disgust. "Samael. A foul-tempered bastard and one of the biggest kissasses in all history."
Peering down at the page, Mick was quite surprised to see how the Angel of Death was depicted. Though they both had the same name, the image of the page and the stuffed head in the display case couldn't be more different from each other. Instead of a furry beast with horns, the image on the page depicted a figure that somewhat resembles one of the Exorcists, complete with their feathered wings, glowing halo and a flaming sword. However, this winged figure also had several differences, the body was only lightly armoured, showing off a well-toned muscular body, along with a flow of shoulder-length hair, spiked gauntlets and a smug-looking smirk etched across his face. Even though it was only an image on paper, Mick still couldn't help but sneer at him.
"Interesting change in appearance," he commented sarcastically, clearing his throat as another question began to form in his mind. "So how did he end up in a display case down here in Hell?"
Hearing that, Octavia once again scratched her head. Normally she wouldn't have to explain such a story to anyone since it wasn't a common subject of conversation even among Hellish Nobility, however, after giving it some thought, she saw no harm in indulging Mick's curiosity.
"Well, if you believe the stories, back in the old days, God was vengeful and hot-tempered, more than likely still scorned from the whole Garden of Edan fiasco, BUT rather than get his hands dirty, he outsourced the job of unleashing his wrath to his Angel of Death, Samael," she explained, pointing a finger towards the image in the book. "Pretty much every major disaster from the Old Testament? All the result of Samael's influence. Sodom and Gomorrah, the Great Flood that Noah and his family survived, all Samael's work."
"So... he did the last Plague of Egypt too?" Mick asked, his mind already reeling over what Octavia was telling him.
The Goetia Demon couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Last?" she repeated. "The psycho did all TEN. Anyways after the guy wiped out all the firstborns of Egypt, God suddenly started to feel sympathy for those he had unleashed his wrath upon. Samael, of course, wasn't all too happy about that. After unleashing so many horrors on God's behalf, he basically became drunk with power, and God feeling sympathy would obviously threaten his line of work."
"I would imagine so," Mick commented, getting a rough idea of how such a scenario would affect someone like that.
"So, after Moses and his people crossed the Red Sea and walked into the desert, Samael began concocting a plan," Octavia continued. "When Moses climbed up Mount Sinai, Samael paid a small visit to Hell, where he met with his old friend Mammon."
Hearing that particular name, Mick's eyes snapped wide open with shock. Whether one was a Hellborn or Sinner, everyone in Hell knew the identity of such a Demon.
"The King of the Greed Ring?" he asked, making doubly sure he heard the Owl Demon right, earning himself a small nod.
"Turns out the pair of them were quite close before he and the others were banished to Hell all those millennia ago," Octavia elaborated. "In any case, after a little bribery, Samael had Mammon visit the Israelites while God and Moses were distracted so he could stir up trouble, leading to that whole Golden Calf bullshit. And of course, we both know how that turned out."
Mick nodded his head at that. One didn't need to be religious to know that particular story.
"At first God was none the wiser about Samael's part in all of it," Octavia continued. "But then one day, Samael and his friend Azrael went out for a couple of drinks, and after many rounds, Samael got so drunk, he spilt everything to his friend, who of course ratted him out to God. Understandably furious, God attempted to remove Samael from his position as punishment. I don't know exactly what happened, but here's what I understand… Samael gives God the whole "you can't fire me, I quit" speech, calls him an asshole to his face and gives him the finger. Which, of course, pissed God off so much he banished Samael down here to Hell with the rest of the damned."
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but stifle a small laugh. Knowing that one of the highest-ranking Angels in Heaven was banished to Hell because of his own arrogance seemed almost too poetic for words. He could only imagine the look on the smug bastard's face when he changed into the monstrosity he was now.
"Fuck," he muttered, trying his best to recompose himself as he turned back towards the head in the display case. "So how did he end up here in your library?"
"As a gift from Lucifer," Octavia replied with a casual shrug, closing the book and placing it back upon the nearby shelf. "My dad told me about it. Apparently, after spending a couple of centuries down here, the idiot went completely berserk and tried to convince the Head Honcho to restart his rebellion against Heaven. Didn't work obviously, so the guy just ended up rushing into the streets like a lunatic… and then the annual Extermination started."
The moment she uttered the last part of that sentence, Octavia instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, a look of anxiety washing across her face as, once again, the memories of that day came flooding back. Seeing the state Octavia now found herself in, Mick couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt washing over him. It may not have been intentional, but still, he felt somewhat responsible for Octavia recalling such a painful memory.
"You okay?" he asked, placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder.
As surprised as she was to see someone other than her father genuinely try to comfort her, Octavia nonetheless appreciated the gesture as she wiped away a tear before it had the chance to stream down her face.
"Yeah… yeah, I'll be fine," she answered honestly, straightening herself out, trying to save face with a forced smile. "You know? I'll bet the dumbfuck thought the Angels were coming back to take him home. But apparently, he was one of the first to get his head lopped off, and by his former friend no less."
Once again, Mick found himself completely shocked.
"Azrael?" he asked despite already knowing the answer.
"Mhm," Octavia replied with a nod of her head. "If I remember right, he ended up being Samael's replacement as the Angel of Death after he was kicked out of Heaven… and then he formed the Exorcists when Hell started to become too populated."
And once again, Octavia's face twisted with anxiety, and once again Mick felt guilty for forcing her to recall such an awful event. Unable to bear seeing her in such a state any longer, he quickly tried to change the subject again.
"Look….um, let's talk about something else, eh?" he said awkwardly. "If you want to, of course."
Seeing Mick in such a nervous way, Octavia once again couldn't help but chuckle at his goofiness.
"Yeah… yeah, okay," she uttered, once again straightening herself out.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Mick inwardly thanked his luck that his suggestion seemed to have worked. Deciding to move away from the display case in hopes of avoiding the subject of Angels again, he then quickly ushered Octavia further into the bookshelves.
"Hey uh… thanks by the way," the Goetia Demon suddenly spoke up, catching Mick by surprise.
"For what?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"For caring,"
Hearing those words and seeing her smile, Mick was once again thankful that he had a mask on, otherwise, Octavia would have seen his face violently blush. However, the Goetia Princess didn't need to see the blush to know that Mick felt a little awkward after hearing that, so she too thought it best to try and change the subject.
"SO… I keep hearing good things from the kitchen staff," she said, picking out a subject at random. "I take it you're a decent cook?"
"Oh... well when one lives alone, one can't live on cheap microwave meals all the time, can they?" Mick replied, allowing a small joke to escape as he played along.
"Oh, how horrible for you!" Octavia retorted playfully before the pair of them burst out laughing.
As the two of them continued on through the library, the sore subject of the Extermination slowly faded into obscurity. Neither one of them may have known when or even if they would ever get over what happened that day, but at the very least the two of them would be there to support the other… little did they know, however, someone else had been in the library at that very same moment, someone who had listened to their conversation from the opposite side of the nearest shelf, a small frown etched across their face as they slammed shut their copy of Imps in the Sheets.
The next week seemed to fly by in a flash after that. As Mick once again woke up to the blaring sound of the morning alarm, he found himself groaning with exhaustion, thanking his lucky stars that tomorrow was his next day off. After rolling up a quick joint from his ever-growing marijuana wallpaper, the Cat Demon let out a heavy sigh and followed the same routine he had been using every Saturday. After begrudgingly waking up at 5:30 in the morning, both he and Buzz head over to the shower rooms to get cleaned up, always making sure to watch each other's backs in case Jewel tries to sneak over to the men's side or switch the signs around for the umpteenth time. After getting cleaned and dressed in their work attire, all the staff members would gather in the kitchens to grab a quick breakfast from the Chef before each of them went off to their specific duties around the house. Mick of course had to stay back until he was assigned to a specific department by one of the others, the schedule of which varies depending on the specific day. Today, much like every other Saturday since working here, he was to tend the plants stationed around the front of the house with Buzz.
For the last month, he and the Imp had been able to work quite well. In fact, Buzz had been a lot calmer among his peers as of late, undoubtedly due to the fact Mick had been letting him smoke his fill of the weed. Turns out that despite trying joints to calm himself down before, none of them even compared to the strength of the stems Mick used, and since he was an Imp, he felt the effects a lot more than a Sinner can. Needless to say, Buzz's psychotic episodes were now becoming less frequent, something which the other staff members were certainly quick to notice but chose not to say anything in case it might have been a fluke. In any case, as the two of them travelled up the servant's elevator towards the front entrance, both Mick and Buzz were actually looking forward to their morning shift. Surprisingly enough, the two of them had been able to make quite the duo, both during and off work. In fact, the more they hung out after their respective shifts, the more they grew to like each other. Buzz even turned out to be quite the card player.
As the elevator doors opened up, all of a sudden, both the Imp and the Sinner's ears rang with the loud screeching of familiar voices belonging to their employers.
"I can't believe you slept with an Imp!" they heard Stella scream "In our fucking bed!"
"It was unexpected!" they heard Stolas retort. "I didn't have time to go to a motel!"
"A motel!? Like A fucking Plebian!?"
Cringing at the sound of the argument, both Buzz and Mick gulped with unease. Bad enough the two of them argued regularly, but the both of them were so loud the entire house was forced to hear. If anything, the soundproofing between the Servant's Quarters and the rest of the house was more for the staff's benefit than the Goetias. Having heard the pair of them argue for days, Mick once again began to feel sorry for Octavia for having to put up with this. If he had parents who acted like this, he'd be in a bad mood all the time too.
"Oof, sounds like a bad one this morning," Buzz commented, turning towards Mick with his hand clenched into a fist. "Shoot for it?"
Buzz was, of course, talking about the decision of who gets to walk into the lion's den and ask the head of the house for the day's gardening schedule. While most days were pretty much the same, there were some special tasks that Stolas would come up with the previous evening, and as such, it was the duty of the Gardener to talk to his employer first thing in the morning and ask if there were to be any changes to the schedule because of it. Normally Buzz would do this himself, however much like anyone else, he didn't really feel like jumping in when two high-ranking Demons were moments away from trying to stab each other. As such, he couldn't help but smile in delight whenever Mick had the morning shift with him, because that usually meant he got to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to see which unlucky Demon was going to brave the task. Sadly, luck was not on Mick's side today.
"Rock beats scissors," Buzz declared with a smug grin. "All yours."
"Peachy," Mick grumbled, making his way towards the source of the argument as Buzz headed in the opposite direction.
As he continued on, passing by multitudes of potted plants stationed across the corridor, Mick was dreading every second that brought him closer towards the kitchen. It wasn't really the argument itself that he feared, but rather Stella's wrath should he get in the way of it. After the last time Mick stood up to her, the Goetia Demon was more than willing to follow through with her numerous threats against him… however Mick never got the chance to enter the room.
"… all your useless, shitty plants!"
Mere moments before he entered the kitchen, the last thing Mick encountered before suddenly blacking out was Stella's shrill screams and a large flower pot smashing into his face.
When the Cat Demon had finally managed to come to, he once again found himself laying on his back AND face down on the floor. Staggering back to his feet with a bit of difficulty, he irritably lifted his hands to either side of his head.
"Ugh… Damn this fucking neck!" he snapped, gripping his head firmly before giving it a good, hard twist, spinning back into place with a small snap.
His mind still somewhat spinning from the experience, Mick tried to recollect himself as he wondered how long he had been knocked out for. Since he had woken up in the same place he had collapsed, it couldn't have been that long. He was in the middle of thinking it over, when all of a sudden, a familiar voice snapped him back to reality.
"Ah, Michael, just who I was looking for,"
Cringing as he quickly turned around and tilted his head up to face his employer, a wave of embarrassment instantly washed over the Cat Demon. How long had Stolas been standing there? Worse, did he see him literally sleeping on the job just as he arrived? All questions he hoped had answers that didn't put his job in jeopardy.
"Y-you were looking for me, sir?" he asked nervously, mentally praying that whatever it was Stolas needed, it wasn't something horrible.
"Yes, I was hoping you would deliver a package for me today," Stolas replied with a smile, much to Mick's relief and surprise.
"A… package, sir?" Mick asked, raising a confused eyebrow beneath his mask.
"Yes," Stolas replied, his smile never once leaving his face. "I understand it's a little out of place from your usual duties, but my daughter and I have plans for the day and unfortunately I remembered that I also have something I need delivered as quickly as possible."
Now that Mick took a second glance at his employer's towering visage, he did notice that Stolas had indeed prepared to go somewhere today… somewhere a little outside of the normal high-society judging from the choice of casual wear. Instead of his lavish robes and hat topped with a golden crown, Stolas was instead garbed in a pair of red knee-length shorts and a white t-shirt with a strange skull/apple pattern on the front. And Octavia was going with him? Needless to say, the whole situation certainly piqued his interest. However, those types of questions would have to wait until later.
"An urgent matter is it, sir?" Mick asked, hoping to clarify a few details before he had to perform this newest task.
"Well, maybe not in the traditional sense," Stolas admitted, twiddling his fingers in a flamboyant manner. "But the postal service is a little too slow for my liking, and I would rather this package be delivered by someone I know to be capable."
Mick couldn't help but smile at that.
"One is glad to be of service, sir," he declared, giving the Demon Prince a respectful bow as he relished at how much Stolas seemed to trust him even if it is only a little bit.
At those words, Stolas's smile widened greatly.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, putting a hand into his shorts pocket and pulling out a small folded piece of paper. "Now, here's the address of where you need to go. Reginald will give you the package on the way out."
Graciously accepting the slip of paper, Mick wasted no time in opening it up and reading its contents, however the moment he did, he found his eyes snapped wide open in shock.
"IMP CITY!?" he blurted out, quickly straightening himself out in embarrassment after realising how unprofessional he had sounded. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, sir, but I'm not sure I can travel that far."
Stolas tapped his chin in thought upon hearing that.
"Ah yes, you did say you don't drive, didn't you?" he muttered, recalling what the Cat Demon said during his abrupt interview when the two of them first met. "Tell you what, I'll have the new Chauffeur take you to the train station and you can make your way from there. Sound reasonable?"
As much as he would have liked to have protested, Mick knew that he couldn't refuse a direct request from one of the royals, especially since this particular one was the one who hired him in the first place.
"Understood sir," he finally said with a heavy sigh.
With that final word, the Goetia Prince smiled in delight. Meanwhile, Mick couldn't help but mentally groan, knowing the job he had just resigned himself to, knowing his luck, it would assuredly come with its fair share of problems.
A short while later, Mick eventually found himself standing in the main foyer wearing a set of casual clothes which consisted of a simple pair of pre-torn jeans and a grey hoodie. He would have already left by now had he simply kept wearing his uniform, however, both he and Stolas agreed that it would be more suitable for Mick to wear everyday attire when venturing out of the house. At present, he was only waiting to collect the package from Reginald, who had yet to arrive, and then he would be on his way. Soon enough, however, he suddenly heard the faint sound of a car horn coming from outside the front door. At that moment, both Stolas and Octavia came strolling into the foyer, the former having a large smile on his face while the latter looked like she was just about ready to jump off a cliff.
"Well, we're off!" Stolas declared, practically giddy with excitement as he made his way to the door. "Come along, my Owlette."
At those words, Octavia, all dressed in her usual attire, let out a low agitated groan, something which Mick was certainly quick to notice.
"Hey… you okay?" he whispered, making sure his voice was low enough to be missed by her father as Octavia walked by him.
The answer he got, however, wasn't very comforting.
"Don't ask," she sighed. "Just… just don't,"
From that tone alone, Mick knew in an instant that wherever Octavia and her father were heading today, she was NOT looking forward to it. Without another word, both Goetia Demons headed out, allowing Mick to catch a glimpse of a black van parked just outside before the two closed the door behind them.
With the two of them gone, Mick was once again left alone in the foyer. However once again he wouldn't stay that way for long. Not two minutes after the two Goetia Demons closed the door, Reginald came gliding into the foyer carrying a small cardboard box under his arm. The closer the Imp got to the Cat Demon, the more Mick began to notice how badly injured Reginald appeared to be. Sporting two back eyes and a broken horn on top of all his other bruises, Reginald could only have gotten these injuries by getting into the middle of Stella and Stolas's argument earlier.
"The package," he stated, his voice heavily slurred from his swollen cheek as he handed the box over to Mick.
"Thanks," Mick replied, unable to take his eyes off Reginald's injuries. "… Do I even want to know?"
As he had come to expect, the Butler provided no answer and instead responded to Mick's question with a heavy sigh before walking away, either to get his injuries tended to or more likely back to work as if nothing had happened.
"Ooookay then," Mick muttered, deciding to ignore that little moment of awkwardness and instead made his way towards the front door. The sooner he can get this package delivered, the better.
Stepping out into the courtyard, Mick quickly scanned the area to see if he could spot his ride. According to Stolas, the new Chauffeur should be waiting for him somewhere nearby. After a few seconds, he eventually spotted the limo parked just a few yards away, the driver of said limo currently leaning up against the hood smoking a cigarette. She was a tall, slender Hellhound with a nice figure, bluish-grey fur, a dark flow of hair tied into a ponytail, and was garbed in a slightly tattered suit, complete with a purple buttoned shirt and black tie. The only thing that would have made the look more on point, would be if she was wearing a driver's cap to go with it.
Letting out a small breath, Mick walked straight over towards the Hellhound with a confident gleam in his eye… only for it to quickly fade once he saw how intimidating the Hellhound was up close. Given the number of piercings she had, the ripped-up ear, and the black eyeshadow, she looked more like a street thug than a Chauffeur. And since Mick wasn't exactly the tallest of Demons, he easily lacked in comparison in terms of height.
"The fuck are you staring at?" the Hellhound suddenly demanded in a high raspy voice, instantly startling Mick in an instant.
Quickly realising that he had indeed been looking at her without saying anything, Mick almost tripped over his own feet in surprise.
"Nothing!" he blurted out, unable to think of anything else that wouldn't make him sound any less rude. "Sorry Miss."
The moment he said those words, however, the Hellhound let out a groan along with a roll of her eyes.
"Okay, let's get one thing clear," she said, tapping out her cigarette before flicking it away. "I don't go for any of that Miss or Madame bullshit. The name's Jessie, alright?"
Mick couldn't help but gulp at that. Clearly, this woman was NOT one to be trifled with.
"Noted," he replied, not wanting to chance pushing Jessie's temper any more than he already has. "Sorry again."
"Right then, get in," Jessie then instructed, choosing not to beat around the bush any longer. "Front seat if you please."
About a minute later, Mick found himself in the passenger seat next to Jessie, who was currently drumming her fingers up against the steering wheel with a faint itch of impatience. Having only seen the back of the limo before now, Mick had to admit the driver's side of the divider looked just as nice as the other. With red leather seats, a mahogany dashboard, and one of the most high-tech GPS systems Mick had ever seen. Sure enough, this was definitely a limo fit for royalty.
"Alright, so the boss man wants me to take you somewhere," Jessie spoke up with next to no tact as she readjusted her seat for what felt like the third time today. "Where would that be exactly?"
Quickly realising that Jessie was a professional Hellhound without an off switch, Mick thought it best to not waste any of her time and decided to get straight to the point, trying his best to force down any anxiety he might have been feeling at that time.
"Train station," he answered simply. "Plus if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be there as quickly as possible so… why are you looking at me like that?"
It was only after he turned his head back over towards the chauffeur that Mick noticed the look of shock etched across her face as she stared back at him.
"You want me… to go fast, do you?" she asked, making sure she heard him correctly.
Mick couldn't tell for sure, but he could have sworn he heard the smallest hint of… excitement in her voice, almost as if the Hellhound was begging him to give her the answer she wanted. Unable to fathom what else to say, Mick gave her the only answer that came to mind.
"Um… yes?"
He had no idea how much he would come to regret saying that.
"Hold on,"
"WOOHOO!"
He should have known by the way Jessie gave such an excited grin that things would turn out like this! Once again, Mick found himself in the presence of a certified lunatic! Only this time, she had Mick's life in the palm of her hand since some idiot thought it was a good idea to give this woman a fucking driver's license!
The moment she drove the limo off the grounds of the Goetia Mansion, Jessie instantly slammed her foot against the pedal and took off down the street at an insane speed! After that, it was a speeding nightmare filled with a blur of screeching tires, smashed up trash cans and screaming pedestrians, all of whom Mick swore Jessie was TRYING to hit! In a nutshell, this Hellhound was the very definition of SPEED DEMON!
By the time the limo had finally slowed down and parked just outside the train station, almost everyone nearby was fleeing for their lives. Inside the limo, while Jessie was leaning up against the driver's window, smoking a fresh cigarette as her face flushed with satisfaction as if she had achieved a strong orgasm, Mick, on the other hand, looked like he was about to suffer a fatal heart attack!
Clutching the package in one hand and digging his claws into the seat with the other, the Cat Demon had no idea how he was able to survive such an experience. Though his mask may have hidden it, Mick's face was contorted with utter panic, meanwhile, his claws were currently stuck in the leather of his seat after leaving several other slashes in the rest of it. When he was finally able to rip his seatbelt off and pull himself free, Mick burst out of the passenger door and started embracing the sidewalk at his feet.
"LAND!" he cried. "Solid Land!"
He didn't care about any bystanders who may have seen him at that moment, Mick was just ecstatic to still be in one piece! If the fact that Jessie drove like a lunatic wasn't bad enough, the Hellhound clearly showed no signs of regret as she flicked away her cigarette and started up the limo again.
"Thanks for the go-ahead, mate!" she called out with a toothy grin before tossing Mick a small business card through the window. "Call me when you need a pickup!"
And just like that, the limo was driven away, leaving Mick alone outside the train station.
"Note to self," he muttered, looking down at the business card with a look of horror still plastered beneath his mask. "WALK back to the house at any cost!"
Deciding to put the whole experience behind him for the time being, Mick thought it best to keep moving forward and make his delivery post-haste. Hurrying over to the nearby ticket booth, he purchased a two-way ticket for the next train to Imp City, which as luck would have it, was only 10 minutes away. Stepping out onto the correct platform, the Cat Demon couldn't help but take a look around. Having never been to the station before now, he couldn't help but feel curious. At first glance, it didn't look much different from any other train station he had been to when he was alive. In fact, the only differences were the numerous splashes of graffiti, the amount of garbage littering all over the place, and of course, the vast number of Hellborns and other Sinners waiting for their respective trains. After a few minutes of waiting, clutching Stolas's package tight in case of any opportunistic muggers lurking about, Mick finally heard the announcement he was listening for on the nearby speakers.
"Express Train from Pentagram to Imp City now arriving at Platform 6!"
The moment he heard that, Mick stepped forward to see a large, rusty passenger train pull into view. As soon as the doors slid open, he quickly jumped on along with several other Demons, most of whom were Imps and other Hellborns. Pressing through the crowd until he eventually found an empty compartment, Mick slid open the doors and took a seat on one of the blood-red seats, letting out a heavy sigh as he rested the package in his lap and gazed out the window. As he sat there watching the other Demons go about their business on the other side of the glass, Mick allowed himself to finally relax after going through such a manic drive on the way over. He wasn't sure if this train would be a comfortable ride, but at the very least it should be better than having Jessie behind the wheel. Suddenly, Mick's attention was caught by the sound of an automated voice coming from the speaker above his head.
"Welcome to the Imp City Express," it said. "Estimated travel time is 25 minutes."
Mick couldn't help but smile at that. He may not have known how fast this train was, but at least he knew it wouldn't be that long of a trip. At that moment, the Cat Demon felt himself jerking back into his seat as the train suddenly pulled out of the station. As he watched the scenes of tall buildings and busy roads zoom by the window, Mick found himself almost completely lost in thought. What would Imp City be like? He had never actually been there before, so he couldn't really compare it to anything just yet. From what he heard from some of the other staff members that it was somehow worse off than what Pentagram City was. Though when Mick asked why, he never really got a clear answer from any of the Imps, including Buzz. If he had to guess, it was probably because none of them felt comfortable talking about it.
As streets and roads began to quickly disappear from view, Mick found himself surprised to see how much the scenery changed within a span of 2 minutes. Where there were once vast towers and shops, was now a labyrinth of sharp jagged rocks as tall as mountains, all of them weaving around steaming lava pits that filled the air with sulphur and brimstone. If he hadn't been living in Pentagram City for so long, Mick would say that THIS was what Hell should have looked like. All of a sudden Mick was snapped back to reality when he heard the sliding door of the compartment open up. Snapping his head around, he found himself gasping upon seeing a familiar face.
"Mick?"
Sure enough, there was no mistaking neither his voice nor his massive pompadour. The moment he saw his old friend, Mick grinned wide from beneath his mask.
"Johnny!?" he exclaimed, quickly getting to his feet to greet the Snake Demon with a happy handshake. "Hey man, what the hell are you doing here?"
Seeing the Cat Demon greet him with such gusto, Johnny couldn't help but grin himself.
"I could ask you the same question," he retorted. "How've you been?"
"I'm good," Mick replied. "Come on in. Sit down."
Feeling no need to argue, Johnny gladly complied with the Cat Demon's request and took a seat on the chair opposite him. Leaning back into the seat with a small sigh, the Greaser wasted no time in inquiring about the situation of his former co-worker.
"So how's life living with royalty?" he asked. "New job must be a massive upgrade from the Peppermint Puss, eh?"
Mick couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Oh yeah, I went from Busboy to Errand Boy," he answered sarcastically. "In the last month, I must have had more near-misses to being 'double-dead' than I care to count."
Johnny didn't know whether Mick was actually joking or if he was being dead serious, but either way, his description of the job didn't sound all that pleasant.
"Oof, sorry man," he said, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Meh, it's cool," Mick replied, giving his shoulders an indifferent shrug, having gotten used to the state of the job ages ago. "Anyways, what brings you here? Can't imagine you of all people have any business in Imp City"
That was a good point. More often than not, Sinners rarely went to Imp City unless they had a specific reason. Mick didn't know why, but most of them were of the shared mindset that Imps and other Hellborns were as beneath them as they were to Hellish Nobility. Such as life in the Pride Ring it would seem.
"Oh, I'm picking up some stuff from this shop I found in the paper," Johnny answered, a small grin slowly creeping up his face. "I'm finally going to do it, man."
At those words, Mick was instantly taken aback. He knew of only one reason why Johnny would look so giddy.
"You mean…?" he stated, earning himself a small nod.
"That's right," the Snake Demon confirmed excitedly. "I'm asking Desiree out later tonight after her shift! Even got her this fancy blue rose from that flower shop back in Pentagram City."
His grin never once leaving his face, Johnny reached into the inner pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a small, thin box covered in black paper and a silver ribbon. Taking off the top, he showed Mick the gorgeous rose that rested in a bed of pink velvet on the inside. With petals as blue as freshly cut sapphires, and a strong stem plucked off all thorns and tied off with a lavender ribbon, this flower looked like it would be a lovely gift for any lady.
"That's great, man!" Mick exclaimed, retracting his gaze from the rose and looking back up at the Snake Demon. "Good for you!"
Johnny couldn't help but put on a smug grin at that.
"Yep. I was as cool as can be buying this thing," he bragged. "Spared no expense either."
Flashback - A Few Hours Earlier:
With a light ring of the doorbell, Johnny pushed his way into the florist's, a prideful smile upon his face as he walked over to an elderly Demon with the face of a Venus Flytrap.
"Hello, my good man," he greeted. "I would like to make a purchase of your finest flowers."
"What kind of flowers are you looking for, sir?" the Flytrap Demon asked.
"Oh, you know, nice, romantic flowers...?" Johnny answered awkwardly. "Not dead ones...?"
All eight of the florist's eyes gave him a deadpan stare at that.
"Well, we have some lovely blue roses that are 60 Souls a dozen," he suggested, gesturing towards the bunches of shimmering blue flowers behind him.
…
"One please..."
Seeing the proud smile on Johnny's face, Mick couldn't help but feel somewhat flabbergasted as to how he could feel such pride after telling him how much of a cheapskate he was at the time.
"How romantic," he commented sarcastically, causing the Greaser to give him an annoyed pout.
"Okay, what about you?" the Snake Demon retorted. "Why're you heading over there?"
"Oh, I'm out on a job actually," Mick explained, tapping a hand over the package on his lap. "Gotta deliver something for my new boss."
Hearing that, Johnny couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.
"Ah yes, the Goetia Prince of Hell," he stated, his face twisting his curiosity as he leaned in a little closer. "For real, man, what's he like?"
In all honesty, Mick wasn't surprised to hear such a question, to be frank, that would have been the first thing anyone would ask if they had found out that someone they knew worked for any kind of celebrity, much less Demon Royalty.
"Honestly… he's not that bad," he eventually said after thinking over his answer. "A little on the eccentric side… plus a little creepy with some of his other habits."
Mick couldn't help but grimace upon saying that, remembering a specific point in time where he actually caught a strange Imp sneaking out of Stolas's bedroom as he turned a corner. Undoubtedly that must have been the cause of this morning's argument if what he heard was any indication. Giving off another toothy smile, Johnny decided to press a little further.
"And… the Princess?" he asked, his curiosity begging to know more.
"What about her?" Mick replied, his tone subtly growing a little more defensive upon his friend's mention of Octavia for some reason.
Johnny couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at that.
"Oh, I don't know, you two looked pretty chummy at the bar," he commented, flickering his forked tongue in amusement. "Figured you two must have gotten pretty close at this point."
The moment those particular words left Johnny's mouth, Mick once again found himself gladdened by the fact he was wearing a mask, otherwise, Johnny would have seen the Cat Demon bare his teeth at that remark.
"THAT, my friend, would be none of your business!" he stated, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible.
He didn't know WHY he was feeling so defensive, but for some reason, when Johnny brought Octavia up into the conversation, it almost felt… instinctive to come to her defence, even if the Snake Demon didn't mean anything by it. However, now that the moment had passed, Mick now wished desperately to have a change in subject to avoid any more awkwardness. Luckily, said change decided to take form in a sudden opening of the compartment door…
"Why hello there,"
… unfortunately, the Demon on the other side of it wasn't someone he would have chosen to bring into the conversation.
"Oh, sweet Lucifer, what are YOU doing here!?" Mick exclaimed, jumping back in his seat as a familiar-looking Imp Maid came strolling into the compartment.
The moment Jewel came into view, Mick knew instantly that there was going to be trouble. The Imp may have been a professional when she was on duty, but outside of work hours… Let's just say that there is a strong reason why Mick feels the need to lock the bedroom door at night. Whenever she isn't simply staring at the seat of his pants with a hungry look in her eyes, Mick swore that Jewel was always trying to cop a feel every time he turned around! Even now, she had the same lecherous look in her eyes as she took a seat next to Johnny, switching her gaze between him and Mick as she scanned them both with an interested grin.
"Saturday happens to be MY day off, big boy," she explained, answering the Cat Demon's question, "And I happened to be running some personal errands today. Need to pick up a few things and visit some family in Imp City."
That would explain Jewel's choice of attire. Instead of her usual Maid uniform, the Imp was now wearing a black tank top that allowed her to display the entirety of the snake tattoo on her right arm, a pair of pre-torn jean shorts, and a pair of high-heel sandals. Given her choice of clothing, it would seem that this Imp was hoping to show as much skin as her surroundings would allow. Knowing her, she'd probably try to walk around in a bikini if she had the option. Noticing how odd Mick was acting, Johnny couldn't help but feel a little curious as to what was getting him so spooked.
"What's the big deal, Mick?" he asked, only to receive a shake of the Cat Demon's head in response.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," he replied. He sure as hell wasn't going to tell him that he was almost raped by this woman before his first day.
Choosing to ignore Mick's trembling, Jewel scooched a little closer to Johnny, causing the Snake Demon to feel a little uncomfortable.
"So, Mick…" she said, her fluttering eyes fixed on the Snake Demon's face as she looked up at him. "Who's your friend?"
"I'm a little curious myself," Johnny added, still having no clue who this Imp was.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Mick thought that it would be pointless to hold off in introductions at this point.
"Johnny, this is Jewel. Jewel, Johnny," he said, gesturing to each of them respectfully. "Johnny and I used to work together before I started working for Prince Stolas."
Jewel's grin instantly grew upon hearing that.
"Oh? Well, isn't that a nice coincidence," she said in a somewhat flirtatious manner. "Your former co-worker meeting your current co-worker. What a small underworld this is."
"Uh… yeah, nice," Johnny replied, shifting his eyes in every other direction to avoid looking down Jewel's top due to the Imp deliberately bending forward.
Quickly putting the pieces together in his head, Johnny eventually figured out why Mick was so startled when this Imp walked in. If this was what she was like all the time, then he was going to have to watch what he says next.
"So, Johnny… Do you have a girlfriend?"
And then she decides to throw a titanic curveball into the mix! Why would she ask something like that out of the blue!? At least that's the question Johnny had going through his head. Mick, on the other hand, had to resist the urge to smack himself in the forehead for not expecting her to ask sooner.
"No, but he's working on it," he quickly said, much to Johnny's relief and gratitude. "In fact, he's asking a dear friend of ours out later today."
Mouthing the words "thank you" to the Cat Demon, Johnny thought he might have just dodged a bullet… at least at first.
"Oh… pity," Jewel commented, putting on a playful pout. "Well, he is quite the catch, so I can't say I'm surprised."
The moment the Imp said the words, Johnny's scaly face turned as red as a tomato due to a mix of flattery and embarrassment.
"Oh… why thank you," he said, awkwardly trying to avoid her gaze.
After that, the whole compartment fell into silence. Not having anything else to say, Jewel decided to simply sit back in her seat and read what Mick could only assume was a Porn Magazine that she had with her. Meanwhile, Mick and Johnny could only look at each other uncomfortably as each of them wondered how they ended up in such an awkward situation. At that moment, the train made a slow turn, filling the railway towards a small tunnel carved into a small mountain, causing all the passengers on the train to experience a brief few moments of darkness. The moment the train left the tunnel, and light filled the compartment once more, Johnny suddenly found himself startled by the feeling of something brushing against his knee.
"Excuse me!" he exclaimed, snapping his head in Jewel's direction.
Looking down at the Snake Demon's knee, Mick rolled his eyes upon seeing Jewel's hand resting upon it. Meanwhile, Jewel herself seemed to be so much invested in her magazine that she didn't even notice what she was doing… at least that's what she would later claim.
"Oop, sorry," she giggled, quickly removing her hand.
Needless to say, Mick knew in an instant that Jewel wasn't as innocent as she was pretending to be. What's more, it was obvious that she wouldn't keep such an act up for long. Soon enough, the train passed through a second tunnel, once again shrouding everyone in darkness for a few moments. When light flooded the compartment again, Johnny once again found himself in an awkward position… due to Jewel seductively trying to massage his shoulders!
"What the hell!?" he exclaimed, somewhat terrified that he didn't notice her sooner.
"You're so tense," Jewel purred, ignoring the Snake Demon's outburst.
"Hey, watch the hands, lady!" Johnny retorted, quickly shaking the Imp's hands off him.
Alas, the worst was yet to come.
"Uh oh," Mick gasped, his eyes wide open with horror as his gaze suddenly fixated on the window.
"What?" Johnny whimpered, not liking Mick's frightened tone one bit.
"BIG tunnel,"
The moment those two words left The Cat Demon's mouth, Johnny's once again contorted with panic and plastered itself against the glass as he shot straight to the window. Sure enough, drawing closer with each passing second, was the biggest tunnel yet… one which will shroud the train in darkness for at least 2 minutes! Mere moments later the train passed through… and Jewel's predatory smile widened beyond belief.
"Mick is that you!?"
"Don't touch me there!"
"Pucker up, boys! It's hammer time!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"