Chapter 8

Vengence is Mine

-x-

Blitzø crouched on the roof of the factory with Millie. He had abandoned his typical outfit for full black tactical attire and blackened over his facial scar. He was hyper focused and ready to move.

"Millie, when I give the signal, kill the power to the entire grid."

"You got it" Millie held a small remote device in one hand and her axe in the other.

Blitzø tapped the mic on his earbud.

"Moxxie, when we're done here we're gonna burn this place to the ground."

"Yes, Sir" Moxxie answered through his own device.

Blitzø strapped a blessed knife securely to his leg and made sure his pistol was loaded with blessed ammo. He snaked his way through the opened skylight and accross the ceiling beams. It was a moonless night and the only light in the building came from the hanging lamps directed above the cherubs work table. He crouched in the ceiling like a panther awaiting its prey.

The cherubs entered the room bickering.

"I dont care how you feel," Keenie complained. "We have to get these last crates for the Envy ring completed today!"

"I'm just saying if you would help we'd be done alot faster." argued Cletus.

Striker walked through the front door, saddlebags thrown over one shoulder.

"Striker! You're early." Keenie accepted the bags being handed off to her. "We were just getting started."

"Then start. I dont want to be here all night." He replied.

Colin and Cletus each grabbed a weapon and headed to the table. They sat down and began their typical process. Nothing happened. Colin glanced sideways at Cletus who sat staring at the knife, confused. They repeated the process with the same results. Cletus began hyperventilating. Blitzø sneered happily from the rafters. He would have Stolas send a gift basket to that Michael guy.

"Keenie, get over here!" demanded Colin.

"What! I'm busy." Keenie was nailing closed a crate of previously blessed weapons.

"Keenie, we NEED to speak with you." Colin said firmly.

Keenie hammered the last nail home and dropped the hammer on top of the crate.

"What is your problem?" Keenie flew over with a huff.

"The blessings aren't attaching." wispered Cletus.

"Not attach..." Keenie lowered her voice. "what are you talking about?" She demanded.

"Watch." Colin placed hands on the knife and wispered the verses. Nothing.

"What the Fluff!" Keenie squeaked.

"They found us out, that's what the Fluff!!" Cletus quietly raged. "That jerk Michael found the error!! Ohhh, we're gonna die! We're gonna die!! If Striker doesn't kill us Crimson will!!"

"Shut up! Cletus, put the knives away and head to the back, Colin grab the dust and follow Cletus. I'll distract Striker and meet you out front. No one is gonna kill us today!"

The cherubs began executing their plan. Above the show Blitzø spoke quietly into his mic.

Cleatus and Colin snuck through the eerie darkness of the old factory heading for the back entrance. A figure in a navy blue pinstripe suit and low set black hat greeted the cherubs as they opened the door. A glowing, carmine crafted, blessing tipped rifle barrell held level at their heads stopped them short.

"I got a tip that you were stripped of your heavenly abilities and were gonna try to steal from me. I am disappointed to find this true."

"Crimson!! You've got it wrong. That psyco imp you hired was trying to get us to fill an unmarked box for a shipment not cleared for release." Colin lied.

"Keenie told us to escape out this door and call you!" Cletus added.

"Izzat a fact. Funny thing, I dont see a phone on either of you. Unfortunately, I think Im gonna have to terminate your employment with the company."

Piff-piff-piff-piff!!

Both cherubs dropped to the ground, their dull honey colored blood creating trails in the dust.

The mobster stepped over the bodies and headed toward the main room. He reloaded and centered the last cherub in his sights.

"Ready?" He said into a mic.

"Ready." Answered the voice from the other side.

Piff-piff!!

Keenie fell from the air like a hunted bird and hit the floor with a thump. Golden blood splattered Strikers face and mixed with his own black blood on his jacket sleeve. The gunman had managed to kill the last cherub while sending a warning to the Cowboy from Wrath.

"WHAT THE FUCK! I was doing my job! Why are you here anyway!

"Just doing mine..." A set of red eyes and freckles looked up from under the wide black fedora, a feral smile on the face.

"YOU!!!" Striker took a step back in shock at seeing Moxxie.

A black and red blur dropped from the ceiling and the lights went out.

Striker screamed as a blade found purchase is his left shoulder and cut through.

"Thought you'd get the best of me did you?" Blitzø growled near Striker's horn then in a flash was gone.

Striker knew that voice! He drew his gun and aimed blindly. How was it suddenly so dark? Even his snake eyes with their thermal receptors couldn't percieve anything in the room. His tail rattled in anger.

Blitzø reappeared and Striker dropped his pistol as another deep cut opened up accross his right arm.

"Think your so much better than everyone else?" the irate demon hissed. Striker felt a rush of air as Blitzo dashed by again.

From the darkness of the roof Millie watched as a faintly glowing red blur moved like lightening around its target.

"Your just a sad little worm, with a sad little dick." A deep gash split accross Striker's leg, dropping him to the ground.

The squall that was Blitzø passed again leaving a shallow cut on Strikers face and blowing his hat off into the inky unknown.

Blitzø circled back and stopped in front of Striker revealing to him a bloody knife with dimly visible scrollwork. He crouched down and grabbed Strikers face with his free hand. Striker shuddered as Blitzo kissed him hard on the mouth, knowing he had just been marked for death.

"Nobody fucks with my family." Striker felt the words reverberate in his horns. Blitzø grabbed a fistfull of Strikers hair, lifted his head and smiled demonically, baring his teeth "also, I'm keeping your horse." Blitzø slid the blade cleanly accross Striker's throat. Blood ran from the opened space and pooled on the floor. The last thing the snake saw in this life were Blitzø's posessed eyes.

Blitzo watched the life leave from Striker's eyes, then dropped the body.

-x-

Moxxie slowly looked out from behind a wall of crates and watched, stunned. Blitzø was a typhoon of rage! He glowed blood red in the darkness and moved so fast that Striker never had any real chance of escape. He watched as Blitzø kissed Striker, knowing the implications of the mob code. The glowing demon stood, holding Strikers limp body by the hair, with blurred patterns burned in the floor under his feet. The entire interaction had taken place inside this circle. In one smooth movement Blitzo ended Strikers existence and the aura surrounding him slowly dissipated.

Blitzø panted and came back to himself. He was swaying as he tapped his mic. " Mills, your timing was perfect."

He looked up at Moxxie as the lights blinked back on. "Moxx, you outdid yourself."

" Blitzø, are you okay?"

Blitzø was unsteady on his feet. His eyes kept fading in and out of focus. He was exhausted and covered in Striker's dark blood.

"Of Course." He tossed the knife away. He bent down, took Strikers phone from his lifeless body and tucked it in his own pocket. he stood back up and stumbled forward. "Hey, Moxx? Can..you..ride?" Blitzø passed out.

-x-

"Your Majesty, Ive never seen anything like it. He glowed blood red but Striker couldnt see him. He moved so fast he was just a blurr. I did get a picture of the pattern that was burned into the floor before Millie and I set fire to everything."

Moxxie pulled up an image from his phone to share with Stolas. Stolas stared at it with slitted eyes. "Please send that to me."He asked Moxxie. "I should like to study it further"

"Of Course, your Highness."

"Thank you, do you little ones mind staying with him for a moment? There's a book from the other room that I need."

"No problem your Majesty" Millie replied.

Stolas stepped out of the room and opened the image of the markings on the floor. He studied it for a moment, zooming in and inspecting the detail. "Remarkable!" Stolas said to himself.

He continued down the corridor to the Grand Library. He opened the towering double doors and went in.