Chapter 26

This is a fanfiction based on Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, and the fanfiction Loona the Caretaker. All OC rights belong to their original creators and owners. The characters of Loona the Caretaker belong to MetalBrony823. Slade OC belongs to Blurey08. Kyorichi OC belongs to ninjashin11, and the characters of Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel belong to VivziePop. I own nothing. This is pure fanfiction just for fun.

Everyone had pensive looks on their faces the moment she asked for Cody. Their eyes shifted back and forth between Cherri and each other. Cody stepped forward, and even though Loona tried to stop him, Slade held his arm out to stop her.

"I am. I'm Cody. Sir Cody Laurent," Cody stated.

Cherri Bomb scanned him from head to toe. She had a serious look on her face.

"So . . . you're him. You're the one everyone's talking about. You're the one that killed Valentino, right?" Cherri asked.

"Yes, that was me. I killed him."

There was a long moment of silence before Cherri marched in front of him. Her sudden movement got everyone on edge. Some, like Millie, Moxxie, Blitzo, Shadow, Kimi, Slade, Kyo, and Loona, had a hand reaching for a gun or a weapon. The rest had their muscles flexing, ready to respond.

"Do you have any idea what that monster did to Angel for years?! I. Have. Spent. Years building up my power so I could go head-to-head with that bastard. So, I could make him suffer for every sin HE EVER MADE. So, that could free Angel Dust and hundreds of poor souls just like him! So that I could get revenge! AND YOU MADE HIM SUFFER FOR WHAT HE DID AND THEN SOME MORE!" Cherri yelled with deep anger in her voice.

Her shouting got everyone to point guns at her and draw blades. They were about to spring into action to pull Cody away from Cherri and apprehend her, but Cody held his hand up, telling them to stop as he turned back to Cherri. The anger on Cherri's face slowly vanished as tears built up in her eye.

"I. fucking . . . love you," Cherri uttered before kissing Cody's face and squeezing him in for a tight hug.

Cody hugged her back while patting her back as she began to sob.

"Oh, it's . . . it's okay. It's all right," Cody assured.

Charlie and Vaggie went over to comfort Cherri as everyone slowly put away their weapons. Millie brought some tissues for Cherri as they sat in the living room. Moxxie brought her some water.

"Sorry to crash your party. I just . . . I needed to see you. I had to see the person that delivered that beautiful death to that fucking monster," Cherri said.

"I understand. Valentino hurt a lot of people in messed up ways," Cody replied.

"Honey, you don't know the half of it. I don't know how Angel was about to put up with him for decades."

"Speaking of Angel, where is he?" Vaggie questioned.

"Vaggie," Charlie stopped her girlfriend.

Cherri sighed, "I don't know. He's probably hiding up on the surface somewhere. If he were here in Hell, I'd know by now."

"When's the last time you saw him?" Blitzo asked.

"About ten days before the Battle of the Bands that Cody won. He left in a hurry with Husk, but Angel called me a day after the concert. He warned me that Valentino was going after Cody," Cherri explained.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What?!" Loona exclaimed.

"Say what?!" Millie & Moxxie added.

"Yeah! I was gonna warn you guys and Cody, but that snake asshole Pentious got me in a trap, and it was a real bitch to get out of it. By the time I busted out, you had already killed Valentino," Cherri explained.

"Hold on; Angel knew that Valentino was going after Cody? How?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know. He didn't say. The phone call was brief, and the number didn't exist anymore when I tried to call him back. So, he probably destroyed his phone. He's covering his tracks, or Husk is."

"Maybe Valentino told him, you know, as a move to get him to come back to him at Porn Studios," Vaggie suggested.

Verosika nodded in agreement, "Yeah, maybe Valentino threatened to kill Cody if he didn't return. Although, why threaten to kill Cody and not Charlie and Vaggie?"

"Maybe it's because they're protected by the Radio Demon . . . and probably because he didn't want to mess with Lucifer and Lilith either," Wally suggested.

"Hold on, when you saw Angel Dust did he have a magic book that looked like this?" Octavia asked while bringing up her phone, showing a picture of the Grimm's magic book.

"Uh, yeah, he did. He had a book that looked just like that," Cherri answered.

Via turned to her father and Cody, "Angel and Husk are being protected by the Grimms."

"That's why no one can find them," Stolas said, rubbing his chin.

Cherri looked around at everyone, confused, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing? He is safe, right?"

"Maybe. Maybe the Grimms know about all this and are trying to help. Maybe they're trying to smuggle Angel and Husk into Heaven," Loona theorized.

"There's no way of knowing for certain," Vaggie said.

"Is there a way to reach out to these Grimms? Like, send a message?" Kyo questioned.

"There may be a way in the magic book that Grimms use. I'm still reading it. It's quite complex," Octavia answered.

"If the I.S.N.A. are after Cody, then the Grimms should know about it by now. Which means they should've reached out to us already," Slade stated.

"Unless things are really heated, and they're trying to keep a low profile," Vortex suggested.

"Yeah, maybe it's too risky for them to send a message. We don't know a whole lot about the I.S.N.A. except that they're trained and are packing heat. However, we don't know how large their organization is, what resources they got, or what connections they have. For all we know, they may have the feds in their pockets," Loraine agreed.

"If that's the case, then we got a real challenge on our hands," Shadow said.

Cody stood up, "Well, we don't won't know anything for certain until we gather more clues. For now, let's wait and keep doing what we're doing. Cherri, would you like something to eat while you're here?"

"That's kind of you, sweetheart, but I'm good. I would like something to drink, though. You got any liquor in here?" Cherri said, looking around.

"Actually, no, Verosika's clean and trying to stay that way. So, we got water, soda, and sparkling water. No alcohol," Blitzo answered.

"That's no fun, but respect on staying clean. Anyway, I'll have a soda."

Cody handed her a soda, and they chatted for a while. Loona and Octavia filled Slade and Kyo in on everything. They didn't seem too surprised, but it was enough to raise their eyebrows.

"I don't want to be a stick in the mud, but have you and Blitzo talked about Cody's education? Because of the I.S.N.A., he can't go back to his old school. So, what are you going to do?" Vortex asked.

"I talked to King Purson about that. He thinks it's best to either have Cody be educated by private tutors or go to Hell School like Charlie did," Loona answered.

"Is that a good idea? Hell School is big, with lots of students. Any one of them could be VVV sympathizers. They could try to hurt Cody in some way," Slade said.

"After everything that's happened, you really think someone would mess with Cody? With his powers, he could level mountains without breaking a sweat. Plus, Cody's got powerful friends, and he's a knight of the Black Kingdom. Getting on his bad side is getting on King Purson's bad side," Vaggie explained.

Verosika let out a heavy sigh, "Well . . . what's Hell School like? I didn't go there."

"It's not so bad there. Most of it is pretty cool, but it's like any other school. Some kids there are nice, and some aren't. I don't think Cody's got anything to worry about if he goes there," Charlie said.

"I still want Cody to have a normal life or at least some aspects of a normal life . . . to be treated like a normal person," Loona said.

Vaggie sighed, "Yeah, but that's the thing, Loona. Cody's not a normal person. He's an incredibly gifted person. He's special in a very unique way. He was already famous before he had powers. He was a rockstar – he's still a rockstar."

"Yeah, but he won't get any friends if he goes with the private tutors' option. If he goes to Hell School, he can interact with other students and make friends," Loona explained.

Moxxie nodded in agreement, "Actually, that's a valid point. On the surface, Cody has all his human school friends. Here in Hell, he doesn't have any friends his age. Maybe going to Hell School can benefit him, even if he's a human among demons."

"Cody's a famous person, so if he goes there as a student, his presence will draw many eyes. In fact, most students will be fighting each other to be his friend," Millie said.

"Let's forget we need to take in what Cody wants," Wally reminded everyone.

Cody looked up as all eyes were on him.

"Cody. Do you want to go to Hell School?" Loona asked.

Cody glanced at everyone before answering, "Yes. I would like to make friends my age, but if I go there and that endangers other kids' lives, then have me in private tutoring. I don't want other kids to get killed because of me."

"I doubt the VVV would try anything. The sons and daughters of demon nobles and royalty go there as well. You won't be the only famous kid there. They mess with you or the other kids, that'll provoke the wrath of not only their parents but of Lilith, and believe me, you do not want her for an enemy," Stolas said.

"Then it's settled. I'll tell King Purson, and we can arrange the time schedule of when he can attend school while fulfilling his duty as a knight," Loona said.

After a while, everyone headed home. While Blitzo and Cody were washing dishes and cleaning everything up, Loona grabbed Slade's arm to get his attention.

"You want a smoke before you head home?" Loona asked.

"Yeah, sure," Slade answered.

They went around to the side of the house and leaned against the wall under a white LED light. Loona pulled out two Black & Mild cigars with wooden tips and lit them. They both inhaled together before blowing out big puffs of smoke.

"Nice lighter," Slade said.

"Thanks. Cody gave it to me," Loona replied, looking at the torch lighter.

"He's a good kid. You should be proud."

"I am. I am . . . so proud to have him in my life. I love him so much . . . and that's why I'm terrified of what's going to happen to him."

Slade inhaled his cigar and blew both out of his mouth and nose, saying, "I wouldn't worry too much about that. He's powerful, and he has many allies."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about what all this will do to him in the end, what kind of person he'll turn into," Loona said before inhaling her cigar.

Slade thought for a long while before speaking.

Slade explained, "When I became a sniper, my first kill was this old man. He was driving a truck full of explosives at a marine convoy. So, I shot him in the face. His truck swerved and tipped over, setting off the bombs . . . that's a real war story. There are never any good war stories like the movies where it's all grace and glory. That's all Hollywood bullshit. I thought to myself, 'That's it, Slade. You just shot somebody in the face. You're not you anymore. You're never going to be you again.' But then I woke up the next morning, washed my face, and looked at myself in the mirror . . . and I saw me. I was still me. I realized that that was me all along. I just didn't know it.

Loona stood there silently, staring at Slade while slowly exhaling smoke.

"The point I'm making is no matter what happens, Cody will always be Cody. Who he is and what this will do will definitely change him. He's gonna see things that no one should see, and he will do things he won't be proud of. He'll be hardened and maybe even cold . . . but he's still going to be Cody, your boy. What he needs is the people who love him. He needs to know that he's not alone. Believe me, going through so much alone . . . it really cuts you deep," Slade stated.

Loona nodded, "You're right. I'll be there for him, no matter what."

Slade wanted to say something but was hesitant until he finally said, "You can count on me as well. I don't know where we are as far as you and me . . . but I want you to know, if you need me, if you need me to be there for Cody and the others, you can count on me. I won't leave you again."

Loona turned to him, and her eyes were watery from his words.

"Thank you, Slade," Loona said.

Slade looked back at her before smoking the last of his cigar. As he began to walk away to head home, Loona grabbed his arm. He turned to face her.

"Slade, I . . . I-I want to start over—you and me. I want to start over," Loona said.

Slade's eyes widened before he sighed, looking down.

He started, "Loona, I—"

"I don't want to dwell over the past. What's in the past is done, Slade. You need to stop seeing the bad in you and look at the good. That's something Cody taught me," Loona stated.

Slade raised his head and looked back at her.

"Cody loves me. He sees good things in me that even I didn't know I had. You have those things too. Slade . . . we're allowed to be happy. I felt shitty for a long time, but then I found someone special, and I don't feel shitty anymore. That can happen to you too. I want that to happen to you. I think we can be something," Loona explained.

Slade blinked a few times, "What? Like a family? You, me, and Cody?"

Loona nodded, "Yes, I think it could work. Can you at least give it a try?"

Slade thought for a long while before slowly nodding, "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Let's give it a shot. Maybe it can work this time. We're older and . . . I was gonna say wiser, but I'm many things, but wise isn't one of them. We're . . . not as stupid as when we were teenagers."

Loona pulled him in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek. She smiled at Slade, and he gave a soft smile back.

Meanwhile, Blitzo and Cody were finishing the dishes in the house.

"Cody, you got a minute?" Blitzo asked.

"What's up?" Cody replied.

"A lot's happened to you these past few months."

"Yeah, you're not wrong there."

Blitzo shook his head, "A lot of shit happened to someone who doesn't deserve any of this dark shit. Valentino, the VVV, Hell's Civil War, the corruption in Heaven, your powers, the Grimms, and the I.S.N.A. It's all connected."

Cody looked up at him, "It is?"

"Think about it. Imp City wasn't exactly a place with a low crime rate, but that street where the Blood Burger was, was a really quiet part of town. A crime boss like Valentino shouldn't have had any business being there. And yet he shows up out of nowhere at the Blood Burger to kill you. Why? How did he know that you would be there? Hmm? And your angelic powers conveniently awaken just in time to save everyone by killing that bastard."

Cody titled his head, "Where are you going with this?"

Blitzo finished wiping the counters and whipped the towel on his shoulder like a bartender, "All this bloodshed, from Valentino to the other Overlords to the war, it's a lot. However, in the midst of all this chaos, I can't help but shake the feeling that for somebody, somewhere, this is all going according to plan."

"What do you mean?"

"Demon nobles and royalty have hated most Overlords for years but didn't do anything even though they were itching for a fight. Now they finally got the war that they always talked about and wanted. So now, they can finally wipe out these shitstains on their 'perfect world' canvas. Remove some thorns in their sides, and squash some bugs. That must be so convenient for them, and all it took was to nearly ruin a boy's life. And this I.S.N.A., what the fuck do they want with you? Huh? Don't you find it a tad bit strange that they're looking for you now? Right after you discovered your powers?"

Cody stood there with a blank stare as his mind thought over all of it as those words sank in. Everything that happened, from his parents' death, killing Valentino, the Civil War, I.S.N.A., the Grimms, and the corruption of Heaven, none of it was a coincidence. It was connected somehow, but if so, then who's pulling the strings?

Cody slowly nodded, "I see the point you're making . . . but if what you're saying is true, then whose behind all this? Everything is going according to plan, but for who?"

Blitzo scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know, but someone does. We need to find out who," Blitzo said.

"Okay, look, Loona and I will be summoned to King Dantalion for our first mission on the main assault on Slaughtersburg and Bloodhill. I don't know how long that'll take or how it'll turn out, but in the meantime, focus on your company, Blitzo. You got a ton of clients waiting for heads to roll and a lot of new faces that need to know the ropes of I.M.P. We take things one step at a time. We take down the VVV one Overlord, one territory, one town at a time," Cody explained.

Blitzo nodded as he placed his hand on Cody's shoulder.

"You just be safe and keep my daughter safe. I can't lose you two," Blitzo said.

"You won't."

Blitzo pulled Cody in for a hug, and he hugged him back.