Two chapters today! And these two are the big heart-hitting ones, so I figured doubled the tears. By the way, if you need to go back to a more warmer chapter for either one before continuing on, feel free to.
It was early in the morning around the manor, Blitz and Stolas had a little late-night sex session but they weren't as rough as usual. "Hon, you know I love you but is the book that important for the farm thing you're going to? I've got fifteen new clients waiting for heads to roll." Blitz complained.
"Blitzy, the harvest moon is a very special occasion. It's been my annual duty to showcase it in the Ring of Wrath. It's celebrated by a very charming little festival with the locals." Stolas answered.
Blitz remembered that Millie and Moxxie were from Wrath but he was reluctant to join the festival with Stolas. Though Stolas stated that he was offering a work-free day of fun since the festival was the same every year and he was safe. He told Blitz that Kara was going to be there at the festival. "I thought sinners couldn't leave Pride," Blitz stated.
"She has a royal pass. No one knows how she got one. But she goes to the Wrath Ring for the festival every year and does a little show." Stolas answered.
"Well, if you promise that this isn't some fuck-fest. It does sound like it'll be a blast in a half." Blitz stated.
And so, Blitz called up Moxxie and Millie if they wanted to join him and his family at the Harvest Moon Festival. Moxxie wasn't excited to go to Wrath but Millie was excited to return to her home ring. Blitz insisted that he'd have the twins with him and Barb in case something happened. After a long drive, the gang was in Wrath and had arrived at the Rough 'N Tumbleweed Ranch, MIllie's home. Her parents were waiting for them; Millie jumped out of the car excitedly and hugged her parents. She thanked them for letting her and her friend stay for the festival. Although, when Moxxie went over to talk to them, their expressions changed.
Millie's parents never liked Moxxie, mostly because they thought he was just a weak little imp. Barb helped Blitz get the twins out of the car while Loona and Octavia came out of the back seat. "I still can't believe you talked Dad into letting me come along," Octavia said to Blitz.
"Yeah, sure. By the way, if Stolas asks, it was your aunt's idea." Blitz whispered into Octavia's ear.
"Oh yeah! You all haven't met my boss, Blitz, and children. Also our newest collage Barbie Wire." Millie said.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet the sperm and egg factory that popped out this little gem of an assassin. You two raised a sturdy bitch!" Blitz said to Millie's parents.
Millie's mother Lin was eyeing the little ones and gushing over how adorable the twins were. She asked Blitz if she could hold one of them. Blitz didn't seem to mind; he handed Helia to Lin and she was just loving holding the little one. Soon, they met Millie's parent's new farm hand, Striker, who got under Moxxie's skin. He was impressed with how Blitz started his own business. Millie's father suggested that the two of them should enter the Pain Games which was a competition for the festival. Millie grumbled, wishing she could play too but was banned from the competition after the last one.
"Y'know, she can also cheer for me," Moxxie said.
That made Millie's father, Joe laugh. "Sorry, boy. But, I don't think sensitive, thespian types would last very long in the games."
"I was born here, too! I have some fight in me!" Moxxie stated.
Striker then challenged Moxxie to help him wrangle one of the hogs in the pen for dinner. Moxxie was confident in doing the task until Striker handed him a rope and a knife. "Bullets can't pierce the shell. You gotta get the knife underneath and pry yourself an openin'." Striker explained.
Moxxie gulped, and then he climbed into the pen. Millie wanted to talk her husband out of it but Blitz and Barb wanted to see the show. He nervously walks forward, knife in hand. Moxxie leaps forward and wraps the rope around the hog's neck. He moves the knife down and it strikes harmlessly against the hog's hide. The hog roars and runs around, trying to buck Moxxie off. "Fuck yeah, Moxxie! Ride it, Moxxie! Make it that bitch you won't call back in the morning!" Blitz shouted.
Loona grinned at Octavia then the girls pulled out their phones and started recording Moxxie on the hog. "Send me the link later," Barb whispered to her nieces.
Striker then sprung into action; he leaps in the pen and pushes Moxxie out of the way. Striker twirls the dagger in his hand and lifts it in the air with a smug grin. He brings down the knife and slaughters the hog. Striker stands over Moxxie with the dead hog on his shoulder, his spade tail rattling like a snake. "Don't worry, little one...You never stood a chance."
When it was time for the festival, Moxxie made up his mind to enter the Pain Games with Blitz. Millie and the others were in the audience, watching the games. Blitz and Striker were tied for first place but Striker was in for a surprise. Wally Wackford announced that Blitz and Striker will have the choice to join the special guest for the ending performance. Blitz turned it down but Striker agreed to the duet. But when Wally introduced who the singer was, Striker's face went pale. Kara came onto the stage, ready to sing until her eyes fell on Striker. Her rage bubbled up inside but she held it back and then turned to Striker and handed him the mic.
"We doing this or not." Kara bluntly stated.
Striker took the mic and even pulled out his guitar and the two started to perform.
Striker:
Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back
And I bet you got no idea you're going way too fast
You're trying not to think about what went wrong
Trying not to stop 'til you get where you goin'
You're trying to stay awake so I bet you turn on the radio
And the song goes
Kara:
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh, baby
Striker:
The highway won't hold you tonight
The highway don't know you're alive
The highway don't care if you're all alone
But I do, I do
The highway won't dry your tears
The highway don't need you here
The highway don't care if you're coming home
But I do, I do
Millie, Moxxie, Barb, and the kids were watching the show in the bleachers. Blitz came over to them with a slice of cheese on a stick. Barb looked at him with a disturbed look, "Seriously? You're still eating that?" Barb questioned.
"Yes. And isn't this guy great?" Blitz stated.
"False," Moxxie stated.
"It's gonna be nice workin' with him."
"Working with him...? What?!" Moxxie shouted.
"Yeah! I asked him if he wanted to join I.M.P." Blitz answered.
Moxxie tries to argue with Blitz but Millie told him that he had enough and that they can just go back to the house. So he and Millie left in the middle of the performance.
Kara:
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, oh baby
Both:
The highway won't hold you tonight
The highway don't know you're alive
The highway don't care if you're all alone
But I do, I do
The highway won't dry your tears
The highway don't need you here
The highway don't care if you're coming home
But I do, I do
When the performance ended, both Kara and Striker walked off the stage. Once they were alone, Kara punched Striker in the face. "Melody…"
"Oh don't act so surprised, you bastard!" Kara shouted.
"Come now, darling."
"No. You lost the right to call me that when you sold me to Overlord Nessa."
"I regret that day. I'm sorry." Striker apologised.
But Kara refused to believe him, "Why are you here? I know you, Striker. What job are you on?"
"You honestly think I'm here for money?"
"Well, you've used me for bait so…"
"I'm serious, Kara. I've changed. Maybe we can…"
"Don't. Striker. I have someone else. And they are far better than you."
Kara stormed off without even looking back at Striker. Back at the house, Moxxie was about to join Millie and her family outside but that was when he noticed an eerie glow coming from Striker's room. He peeked inside and saw that Striker had a genuine carmine-crafted blessing-tipped rifle. Striker was by the door as Moxxie turned around. "Shit! W- Why do you have this... mister?! You are aware this kind of weapon can kill..."
"Demon royalty?" Striker finished.
Striker then tried to silence Moxxie but Millie heard the fight and she tried to save Moxxie. But Striker overpowered both of them and locked them in the cellar. Back at the festival, Blitz, Loona, Octavia, and the twins were on the stage with Stolas as he prepared to show the imps of wrath the harvest moon. "My dear commoners of the Ring of Wrath! I, Stolas of the Ars Goetia, hereby curse this year's harvest with the glow of the true Harvest Moon!"
The clouds swirl as Stolas creates a portal. The portal reveals a glowing orange full moon in the sky. The crowd oohs in wonder. Meanwhile in a small cabin just a few feet away from the stage, Striker prepared himself to fire his weapon at Stolas. Suddenly he was tackled to the ground and a knife was held at his throat. "I fuckin knew you were up to no good."
Striker shoved the person off him only to find that it was Kara. "I thought you left!" Striker stated.
"You'd really think I would leave knowing my ex is here on a bounty? Who hired you to kill Stolas?"
Striker chuckled, "I thought you were better than all those corrupt overlords. But you are the same as those we killed."
"I'm nothing like them! I use my status and power to help sinners. Stolas has done nothing to you!"
Striker attacked Kara and the two of them wrestled for a bit. Kara ordered Striker to tell her who hired him. But he refused to spill anything about the person. Striker then grabbed the gun and aimed it at Kara. "You're going to kill me?" Kara asked.
"It's my job," Striker stated.
"Well then…" Kara dropped her knife, "Go ahead. Shoot me."
Striker aimed the gun at her; he was about to pull the trigger but he couldn't. Looking into Kara's eyes, he remembered all those nights with her, those jobs they did together, it was all coming back to him. The door swung up as Moxxie showed up. Striker threw the gun and leaped out the window, he vanished without a trace. Kara returned to Pride and then locked herself in her room. She opened a drawer on her nightstand and then pulled out every letter that Striker sent her over the years.
Kara:
I saved every letter you wrote me
From the moment I read them
I knew you were mine
You said you were mine
I thought you were mine
She remembered the night she told Carmella of Striker.
Do you know what Carmella said
When we saw your first letter arrive?
She said
"Be careful with that one, love
He will do what it takes to survive."
You and your words flooded my senses
Your sentences left me defenseless
You built me palaces out of paragraphs
You built cathedrals
I'm re-reading the letters you wrote me
I'm searching and scanning for answers
In every line
For some kind of sign
And when you were mine
The world seemed to
Burn
Burn
She then remembered that day when Striker tricked her into signing her soul to Nessa.
You ratted me out to them
You told this demon how you brought
A sinner to the club
In clearing your name, you have ruined my life
Do you know what Carmella said
When she heard what you'd done?
She said
"You have fallen for an Icarus
He has flown too close to the sun."
You and your words, obsessed with your legacy...
Your sentences border on senseless
And you are paranoid in every paragraph
How they perceive you
You, you, you…
Kara couldn't take the pain anymore. She gathered all her letters from Striker and then she grabbed a lighter. She had tears in her eyes.
I'm erasing myself from the narrative
Let all of Hell wonder how Kara
Reacted when you broke her heart
You have torn it all apart
I am watching it
She lit the letters on fire and tossed them into a trash bucket.
Burn
Watching it burn
Hell has no right to my heart
Hell has no place in our bed
They don't get to know what I said
I'm burning the memories
Burning the letters that might have redeemed you
You forfeit all rights to my heart
You forfeit the place in our bed
You sleep in your office instead
With only the memories
Of when you were mine
I hope that you burn
Striker was in a motel on a phone call with his employer. "I failed to kill the target at the festival. But don't worry, ma'am. It won't happen again." he said.
"It better not! I want this prick dead! I don't care who you have to go through! MAKE IT HAPPEN!" the employer screamed.