Wanna hear something scary?
"Afternoon Joe, Sallie" Joe turned to the voice of their neighbor as he and his daughter got out of the truck, having come to town on a supply run. Sallie May stretched once she was standing, giving a grunt when she felt and heard a pop. She loved farm work, but damn could it age a demon.
Joe gave him a nod in return "afternoon Ron, how's the family?"
"Doin good" Ron replied, tipping his hat "been wondrin if that son-in-law of yours is gonna be at the flea market again this weekend." Joe hummed, Millie and her husband had moved in with them two and a half years ago. They'd refused to talk about it at first, the only explanation Millie offered was they were giving up assassination, but it was clear from their demeaner something terrible had happened.
Once they did get the story, well…the family did their best not to bring it up.
Since then, Moxxie had been selling homemade baked goods at the flea market to contribute to the family. Fine by them, it wasn't like he could do much around the farm anyway, aside from some light gardening. Actually, they had no qualms with Moxxie cooking in general and for three reasons.
One, a man should know how to feed himself.
Two, it was a life-or-death situation anytime Millie tried to cook unsupervised.
Three, and they hated to admit it, but his cooking was delicious.
So no, they weren't going to complain about the boy's cooking, especially not when he usually made a killing at the flea market. Pun intended. "Usually is, I take you got a request?" Joe asked as they began making their way to the shops.
"My boy and his daughter love them pity flower things."
"Petit fours" Sallie May corrected him, glancing at the two men as they stared at her "what? That's what they're call. They aint easy to make though, so don't hold your breath, but we'll mention it." Ron nodded in thanks and went on his way.
"How'd you know all that?" Joe asked with an arched brow. It wasn't like Sallie May couldn't cook, but she was more practical and didn't bother with the fancy stuff like Moxxie did…even if it was one of the best things he'd ever tasted.
Sallie May shrugged lazily "hung out with him while my knee was messed up" she answered simply, looking at her nails "we chatted, taught me some fancy stuff, not bad company when he's not being weird." The two had been spending more time together since he and Millie moved in, got along better too, actually. True, she still messed with him plenty, but that was just who she was. Plus, she liked getting a reaction out of her sister.
"Shit, heads up" she suddenly hissed, hiding behind her hand.
Joe followed her gaze and sighed aggressively "damn" he cursed under his breath. There was some overly glammed-up, middle aged Succubus with a bad boob job yelling into a megaphone, two other demons standing nearby trying to hand out fliers to whoever got close enough.
"Stop the Forsaken! Their next target could be you!" She screeched, nearly knocking out old man Gibbus with her sign. It was decorated with a crudely drawn masked and muzzled face with a big, red X painted across. The Father and daughter did their best to avoid making eye contact, quiet a few Imps were. Most just outright yelled at her to shut up, but they went ignored.
As they got closer, they kept their heads low and picked up the pace, they did not want to get dragged into this. Sadly, they didn't do a good enough job going unnoticed, as a flier was suddenly thrusted in their faces "join the cause!" The demon cried "end the Forsaken!"
"Nope" Sallie May replied bluntly, shoving them out of the way without stopping.
That proved to be a mistake, as the lead Succubus was immediately in front of her. "Do you think this is a joke?!" She practically shrieked, making the Imp wonder why she was even using a megaphone in the first place, she was loud enough without it "we need to destroy them before they destroy Hell!" She spat.
Sallie May growled as she wiped the spit off her cheek. "Okay one, its Hell" she snapped, fantastic, she was officially a part of this. Might as well give her two cents if they wanted it so bad "this place gets destroyed on a daily basis. You're giving them way too much credit."
"Even if they did destroy completely it, who'd know the difference in some areas?" Joe snarked.
"Two" she counted off on her fingers as she spoke "no one even knows what they want! If anything!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, damn it, it was too hot for this Karen and her crap "three, there's no proof any of those stories are true. None I've found anyway."
"Not true, there are videos!" One of the demons with the bitch called out.
"Do you know how easy it is to fake a video like that? Humans do it all the damn time!" She reminded them "seriously, I've lost count of how many found footage videos of demon activity the Sins have debunked this past month alone."
"It doesn't matter if they're true or not!" The Succubus shrieked "the simple fact they are is a threat!"
"THAT DOSENT EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE!" Some passerby yelled in disbelief.
Sallie May groaned, perfect, they were starting to draw a crowd. Okay, she was ending this conversation now, if only for her sanity's sake "okay how's this for a reason why we want nothing to do with your bullshit!" She hissed, really wishing she'd brought a knife "I know for a fact your groups founder ruined my sister and brother-in-law's life! So why, in Satan's name, would I want anything to do with your desperate attempt to feel self-righteous and justify your worthless lives?!" She didn't even wait for a response, just marched away with her snickering Father close behind.
"Look we feel for what's happening in the other rings, really" Joe continued, looking back at the hag with a smirk "but those guys never come to Wrath, so its none of our business what…" he trailed off as a beaten down truck came tearing into town, nearly taking out a few Imps in the process. One couple barely got out of the way before it toppled over, the Imps inside unfazed as they barreled out in a panic.
"WE SAW THEM! WE SAW THE FORSKEN!" One of them screamed hysterically.
"THEY WERE HERE IN WRATH!" The other cried, sounding like even he couldn't believe the words leaving his mouth.
The town went dead silent, the bitch sneered smugly in satisfaction but went unnoticed. Everyone was too focused of the growing feeling of horror in their very souls.
"Oh shit…" Sallie May mumbled weakly.
The mysterious group known as the Forsaken had seemingly appeared overnight.
No one knew where they came from or who they were, all anyone knew was wherever they went, death and destruction were left in their wake. There was no rhyme, reason, or connection among who they killed or what they destroyed as far as anyone could tell. They possessed and claimed no territory, had no connections with any overlords, royals, or the Sins. They didn't even wield weapons.
They just appeared at random, then vanished as quickly as they arrived. Leaving only the remains of whatever or whoever got in their way.
Those who'd gotten a glimpse and lived to tell the tale described eight demons. Five Imps, an Incubus, a shark demon, and what was believed to be a Succubus/Imp hybrid. They all wore black cat-suits with long sleeves, pant legs, and hoods. The clothing overtop varied from each individual, all a greyish black. Their faces covered by black masks with large, dark silver lenses over their eyes. Their mouths covered by metal muzzles with sharp tooth smiles painted on.
It was said they could do things they shouldn't be able to, especially the Imps. The stories about their supposed abilities were endless and, quite frankly, unsettling. It was almost reminiscent of the old stories of the ancient eldritch abominations from the earliest known days of Heaven and Hell.
It was rumored their power could rival that of the Ars Goetia.
Maybe even the Sins themselves.
Then there was the…change…
Many claimed to have gotten footage, but just as many doubted their authenticity. Most couldn't believe what they were seeing was real, and even fewer wanted to.
According to the records, the Forsaken started making appearances after the last extermination. No one believed that was a coincidence for a single reason.
Archangel.
The group's leader.
Archangel was rumored to be twice as powerful as all eight combined. No one knew who he was, there was some doubts he even existed. That he'd been made up by either the mass hysteria or the Forsaken themselves.
All anyone knew was according to the stories, during the last extermination, Archangel had single handedly killed thirteen Exorcists.
The sinners and those unfortunate enough to be stuck in Pride still talked about it. Everything was business as usual when a strange sound priced the air, described as animalistic yet ghostly, causing a ring wide blackout and bringing the Exorcists to a halt. The only light after that was described as some kind of crackles of ultra violet lightning coming from a location that had yet to be pin pointed.
As quickly as it happened, the Exorcists fled back to Heaven. Cutting the bloodshed short for the first time.
No one had seen Archangel in person as far as they knew. A few demons claimed they had, or at the very least, they saw a ninth member.
He was an Imp if the descriptions of his horns and tail were any indication. He never spoke, but was somehow understood by the others. He never appeared to do anything, but still left a sea of carnage. That wasn't enough proof he was Archangel necessarily, just because only eight members had been accounted for, didn't mean there couldn't be more.
What did raise suspicion was the others behavior around him. The Forsaken were said to go still in his presents, as if awaiting a command. Furthermore, while no one had ever heard him utter a sound, they always seemed to know when said command was given.
However he did it or for whatever reason, they obeyed him.
The Sins were endlessly assuring everyone they were investigating and had the situation under control, but everyone could see they were just as lost and anxious as everyone else.
Even Lucifer was staring to sweat.
Whether or not the stories were true, there was no doubt Archangel and the Forsaken had all of Hell on edge and were spreading a sense of downright fear that hadn't been experienced in some time, and it was looking like things would get worse before they got better.
Question was…how much worse?
What was going to happen if…when the Forsaken…when Archangel…decided they were done playing?
"You don't think they really saw the Forsaken, do you?" Millie asked, poking her food as the family ate dinner. There'd been an emergency meeting called after what happened, where the two Imps shared their tale. They'd gone into great detail about the massacre they'd witness best they could in their shock. Needless to say, the entire town was on edge, probably the entire ring by now "you don't think they're really in Wrath now…do you?"
Joe sighed, shaking his head "I don't know Millie. If it was just Tucker runnin his mouth, I wouldn't give it another thought, but if Jimmy's backing him up…?" He didn't want to admit he was rattled. Till now, most reported spotting's had been mainly in Pride, Greed, or Lust. That's not to say Gluttony hadn't experienced its fair share, and sightings in Sloth and Envy had been on the rise recently, but they never came to Wrath.
Until now.
Millie bit her lip, try as she might, she couldn't hide her apprehension. She hated to admit it, but the stories and gossip had been getting to her. She'd been able to brush them off originally, but they gotten harder for her to ignore as they became more frequent.
Sure, she loved violence as much as the next demon, probably more, but this was too much. How can she protect her family if they're in Wrath now? No one knew what might set them off, what if one of her loved ones somehow landed on their radar, or found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Her brothers were currently scattered around the ring. Her Mother spent two hours contacting them to warn them after they got home, but their assurance that they were okay and would do their best to stay safe brought her little assurance.
A gentle hand covered hers, guiding her attention to Moxxie's warm smile. "It'll be okay Millie" he assured her best he could "you're the toughest demon I know, you'd never go down without a fight. And neither would anyone else in your family."
Millie smiled at her husband's kind words "you think so Moxxie?"
"Absolutely, why I bet if you guys came head-to-head with them, they'd back down out of respect after seeing what you're capable of. You'll see, we'll be okay, I promise" Moxxie smiled confidently, making his wife's smile grow. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, it wasn't enough to put her at ease, but it did make her feel a little better.
Even if they both knew he was making a promise he couldn't keep.
"Demons who kill without reason can't be reasoned with" Joe said bluntly. As much as wanted to comfort his daughter, he didn't want her relying on false hope. Being naïve was just not a luxury they could afford. Especially not in these uncertain times.
"I don't think this was without reason" Moxxie said casually, his attention on his food. "Mr. Tucker said they had a message for the anonymous employer those bandits wanted to sell him too" he reminded them. Moxxies in-laws stared at him, even Millie was looking at her husband stunned. Usually, whenever the Forsaken came up in conversation, Moxxie always remained quiet. Any attempts to get his opinion were only met with a shrug and quiet 'I don't know.' This was the most vocal he'd ever been, maybe he was more shaken up then he was letting on.
"And why would that matter to them?" Lin asked, trying to see if they could keep him going.
Moxxie shrugged "I don't know" he mumbled. Guess not.
"Assuming you're right" Sallie May began "I wonder what the guy did to piss em off?" She swallowed a mouth full of casserole, carefully considering her next words "maybe…and just throwing it out there but…maybe we could try getting in contact with…you know…that old boss of yours for extra security?"
Millie and Moxxie both froze, their eyes on their food, but their gaze far away. Sallie May immediately regretted opening her mouth "…I get where your commin from sis" Millie spoke up after a moment of silence, her voice thick with emotions "but I…I don't think Blitz would help us…I doubt he'd even answer our call."
Her family frowned sadly, the last thing they wanted was to upset either of them further. "Well…hey" Sallie May said with a weak grin, she'd been the one to open the wound, darn it, she was gonna do what she could to fix it. "I know I only met the guy once, but he seemed like a tough, crazy son of a bitch. I'm sure wherever he is, he's safe" she said with as much confidence as she could "I mean, he did win the Pain Games."
That got a smile out of the couple, a small one, but a victory no less. "Thanks sis" Millie said softly, her voice cracking slightly. After that, the family settled into an uncomfortable silence as they finished their meal. Their minds dwelling on the uncertain future before them.
They'd all gone to bed earlier then unusual that night. Despite her fears, Millie had managed to fall asleep quick enough. Moxxie however, still lay awake, practically fighting off sleep. He couldn't sleep, not yet, not until…
A notification sound from his phone caught his attention. There it was. Shielding his eyes from the light, he read the new text.
MissMayStone: are you guys still up?
With ease, Moxxie carefully and quietly snuck out of bed and out of the house without waking anyone. If nothing else, a lifetime with Crimson taught him how to be as silent as the dead. He took a few steps away from the house for good measure, staying in the light for the feeling of security, before looking at his phone. Turning down the volume, he replayed random parts of the recording he'd secretly taken of the town meeting.
"Th-they came out of freaking shadow's- they were the shadows! Just like in the stories-!"
"-Freaken half-breed bitch tore his head off like she was picking apples-!"
"-They were like beasts! Ripped those guys to shreds with their bare hands-!"
Moxxie paused the recording, staring at his phone. He glanced back at the house, he hated going behind his wife's back, but the less she knew about this the better. It was the only way to keep her safe. With a deep breath, he closed the recording and brought up the private message thread.
Starry/Eyed: still up.
!GetWacky!: ditto.
Host-with-the-most: me too.
Possum_ofthe_oprea: I'm here.
MissMayStone: sorry to text you all so late.
Host-with-the-most: it's cool.
Possum_ofthe_oprea: you guys hear the recording?
Starry/Eyed: yeah, I got it.
!GetWacky!: so, they're in Wrath now? Is it just me or have they been more active lately?
MissMayStone: it's not just you, something's up.
Possum_ofthe_oprea: your right, this doesn't feel as random as demons have assumed.
Host-with-the-most: the guys in your recording said one was delivering a message.
Starry/Eyed: from the big man himself no less.
Possum_ofthe_oprea: I picked up on that too.
!GetWacky!: so those guys were targeted specifically?
MissMayStone: sounds like it.
Starry/Eyed: what are the odds the others might've been too?
Possum_ofthe_oprea: and if they were, were they connected to the same employer?
Host-with-the-most: I bet at least a few were.
!GetWacky!: I'll take that bet.
MissMayStone: if we could find out who this anonymous employer is, maybe we could get something on them.
Starry/Eyed: I can try and find something, can't make promises, but I'll try.
Host-with-the-most: same here.
!GetWacky!: I might be able to do some snooping.
MissMayStone: Any chance you can get more from those guys, Possum? Maybe smack that bigoted bastard while you're at it?
Possum_ofthe_oprea: I'll see what I can do.
With that, they bid each other goodnight and logged out. Moxxie resumed staring at his phone, lost in thought, before bringing up his photo gallery. Going through his album collection, he stopped at one and opened it. There was only one photo, the rest had long been backed up and a few printed out, and were thus deleted from his phone.
All but one.
It was the selfie from his first I.M.P. mission.
Blitzo had ambushed him and taken it on his phone, then sent it to him to, in his words, commemorate the day. Their faces were squished together, Blitzo was smiling widely while Moxxie's was a combination of shock, confusion, and embarrassment. He hadn't been used to the other Imp back then, hadn't yet developed an exasperation for his antics and lack of boundaries.
Now he'd give anything to catch Blitzo spying on him and Millie.
What was Blitzo doing right now? Was he safe?
He wished he knew what happened to him after he and Millie had so stupidly quit. They'd tried to find him, tried to fix the mess they'd made, but to no avail. Even now, they kept an ear out for any news on him, but there'd been nothing.
It was like he'd just…vanished.
Moxxie was almost tempted to ask the others if they might know anything about Blitzo. Maybe one of them had seen him?
No, that wasn't the point of this. Moxxie sighed as he ran his hand down his face. He must've replayed that accursed day in his head over a million times by now. By the time they knew the truth, their office was being used by someone else, Blitzo's apartment was vacant, and his cell number was no longer in service. He wished he'd reached out sooner, wished he'd listened, wished he'd taken Blitzos word for once like he'd asked them too just that one time.
He wished he could take it all back, then at least he'd know Blitzo was safe. Maybe then they could face these terrifying times together, maybe…
…It was getting late; he'd done what he'd needed.
Looking up at the sky, Moxxie took a deep breath and made his way back inside as silently as he left. Paying no mind to the shadows in the distance. If he'd noticed them shifting in unnatural ways, he just blamed it on exhaustion and lingering emotional turmoil.
What else would it be?
Two! Two stories updated before the end of the year! Ah, ah, ah!
(Oof that was a bad impression.)
I feel like this update was faster then usual, but what can I say, that Mammon episode motivated me. Sorry if the text convo's wrong, I've never written one before.
I'm a little worried, I had some issues when I uploaded the first chapter and Second Staff's second chapter. The site would claim they didn't exist at random, but it seems to have stopped now. I was having other issues with the website overall at the time as well, certain pages wouldn't come up, so that could've been it too.
My sibling LPFanfic said it might've been the F-bombs and violence. It's a Helluva Boss fanfic, I don't know what they expected. Also doesn't explain why Second Staff' had the same issue.
I should really get an AO3 account, if only as a backup.
Well fingers crossed, and see you all in the next year!