Chapter 19: Connected With Adopted
In the I.M.P Office, everything seems to be a normal work day, the same killing schedule, the same supply maintenance, and doing some of the paperwork. Everyone is actually in the office after the latest killing spree as they clean themselves up. Everything seems normal, however, there is one thing that is off today. Sitting on the couch, Blitz is sitting on the couch as he looks on his phone and let Mimmy sit on his lap. Blitz has been deep in thought about what happened at Loo Loo Land. More specifically, on what the Robotic Fizzarolli said to him.
She remembers the Robotic Fizzarolli saying to him., "'Well, I couldn't help but notice that you seem familiar to me. Almost like I've seen you from somewhere before,' 'Like I said, the memory in my database is a bit rusty, but I can tell you this, you have a strong resemblance that the real me knew. They even have the same heart mark on your forehead,' 'But if you like to know those Imps who might be your bio family, I suggest you talk to the 'Original Me.'' Robotic Fizz and begins laughing. 'I'll have to wish you good luck because his boss Ozzie in the Lust Ring might not make it easy.'"
Blitz sighs and mutters to himself, "I don't even know what he's saying is true."
"Who saying is true?" Millie's voice asks.
Blitz looks up to notice Millie looking at him.
"You okay Blitz? You seem distracted or something," Millie asks.
"I'm okay. I'm just thinking about a few things," Blitz answers.
Drew walks over, "Does it have anything to do with what the Robotic Fizzarolli said to you?"
"Yeah. I can't get what he told me out of my head," Blitz says, frustrated.
Soon, Mimmy wakes up as she stretches and lets out a yawn. She then climbs on Blitz's shoulders and licks his face.
"Why is your head up in the cloud with that robot? For all we know, that overgrown bucket of bolts could have been lying. To mess with your head," Randall says, annoyed.
"Maybe, but what if he's telling the truth?" Blitz replies.
Razor scratches under his chin, "Hmm, well, from what I remember, the Robotic Fizzarolli actually have quite a few memories from his past, so it's possible that there are some part of the original Fizzarolli's memories that were put in the robot."
"But how can we know for sure? From what the Robotic Fizzarolli said, only the Original Fizzarolli knows the truth, and said that he's with this Ozzie character," Blitz says.
That catches Drew off guard and says, "Whoa ho ho, there! Ozzie! Are you serious?"
"Uh, what? Is something wrong?" Blitz asks, concerned.
"Nothing wrong, but uh, well… It's kind of hard to explain. Berry and I know who Ozzie is. Not personally, but we know exactly who Robotic Fizzarolli is referring to," Drew says.
"Uh who?" Randall questions.
Berry sighs, "You know who, Asmodeus. The embodiment of Lust. Ruler of the Lust Ring. He owns Big Ozzie's Factory that manufactures those robotic clowns."
"Oh, right," Randall says with a grin on his face.
"The King of Lust? Really?" Blitz asks, surprised.
"Yeah. Remember, Berry and I used to live in the Lust Ring so we know it pretty well. You should also ask Stolas for some of the details too," Drew says.
"Stolas? What does he have to do with it?" Blitz asks.
"Well, Asmodeus is not only one of the Deadly Sinners of Hell, but he's also ranked King in the Ars Goetia hierarchy ladder. So, Stolas should know him," Berry explains.
"I guess that makes sense. Since basically high in Hell's hierarchy ladder, I suppose a lot of people know him. And since he's a royal, even Stolas wound know about him," Blitz says.
"That's correct. However, I don't think it's a good idea to see him or the original Fizzarolli, for now at least," Drew says.
"Why?" Blitz asks.
"Well, remember you're still new to Hell, and sure you were able to go to the Greed Ring, but Lust can be kind of, well, lively," Moxxie says.
"He clears his throat and says, "We also don't have the time to go, and it will be a good idea for you to have a little more time after the Loo Loo Land Incident."
Randall then wraps his arm around Blitz, "Plus, it will be very dangerous for you to go with your virginity still intact. The Lust Ring is a place where usually the Succubi, Incubi, and Sex fanatics either live or go to. They can smell a virgin from a mile away. You'll be a walking target."
Suddenly, Randalll receives a hard punch to his head and collapses on the ground. The one to throw the punch is Berry.
"Honestly, you're going to scare Blitz if you keep talking like that," Berry says, annoyed.
"Even though some of the shit Randall is spewing out is true," Loona replies.
Berry sighs, "Yeah. I suppose so."
"Still, we actually have a lot of humans to hill this week and some are specifically scheduled. We won't have time to go to Lust," Millie says.
"I suppose. Besides, I still need time to process what happened," Blitz says.
"Sounds like it would be for the best," Razor says.
"Anyway, we still got a lot of clients we need to kill so we should get going," Drew says.
Randall stands up as he rubs his head, "Yeah, but I'm tagging along with Razor this time."
"Alright then, I'll open the portals for you guys," Loona says.
Loona then opens three separate portals. Moxxie and Millie walk through one. Razor and Randall walk through the second portal. Lastly, Drew and Berry walk through the last portal. Soon, everyone but Loona and Blitz are in the office.
Blitz then turns to Loona who is typing on her phone and asks, "So, Loona, how are you doing?"
"Eh, fine I guess," Loona says.
Then asks, "You still feel uh, off about what happened?"
"Yeah. I still am, and it's been days since it happened, but I still can't get it out of my mind. I know you say that demons can be liars and crooks and all that, but what if the Robotic Fizzarolli is telling the truth, that I remember the Original Fizzarolli of someone he knows," Blitz says, and is deeply distressed and frustrated.
He then sighs and says, "It also makes me wonder if… if I actually have a family here."
Loona stops typing on her phone and turns to Blitz and with a sad expression on her face.
"I've always wondered where I come from, or where my birth family lives. After hearing what that robot said, it makes me wonder if I still have a family in Hell somewhere. And I wonder how I ended up on Earth and hidden in the log where my mother found me. I have so many questions and never been able to find an answer. Ever since what happened at Loo Loo Land, I feel that I might be able to find an answer. Who my family was and maybe how I ended up on earth," Blitz says.
Blitz blushes a bit and rubs the back of his head, "Sorry, I'm just rambling to myself about your problem, that you might not be interested in it."
"Actually, I'm kind of interested in myself. Well, besides the fact you ended up in the human world, because it is a mystery to all of us," Loona says, as she gets up from her chair and walks to the couch.
She sits next to Blitz and says, "But to be honest, I actually know how you feel about wanting to know who your birth family is, even though you already had a great family. I felt the same way when I was little."
"You did?" Blitz asks.
"Yeah. Like you, my dad actually found me when I was a baby," Loona says.
"I didn't know that," Blitz says, surprised.
"It's true," Loona says.
She thinks of it, and says, "Maybe this is something my dad can explain to you."
Moments later, Loona and Blitz walk into Sarge's office to ask him about the details.
Sarge chuckles and says, "Yes. It's true, like how your mother found you, I found Loona one day as well."
"How did it happen? If you don't mind me asking?" Blitz asks.
"I don't mind, it's no secret," Sarge says.
"That's true," Loona says.
"So, what happened?" Blitz asks.
Sarge thinks about it and says, "Well, it happened many years ago, it was actually a year after I started with my freelance assassin business. It was a rainy day when I was in the Gluttony Ring."
Flashback: Many Years Ago, Gluttony Ring
In the streets of the Gluttony Ring, Sarge is walking down the sidewalk after working. He has killed the target and has received the payment for killing the target.
Sarge then sighs and says, "What a long day. It took a lot longer for this mission to get done than I thought. At least I got the mission down and that's all what counts."
Sarge continues to walk down the streets of the Gluttony Ring and walks past an alley. As he is walking past it, he hears a strange sound.
"Huh? What's that?" Sarge asks himself.
Sarge walks into the alley and begins to look around. He then brings out his gun, in case it might seem thug or fucker planning on robbing him. Sarge continues to slowly walk down the alley until the noise gets louder and more clearly. Hearing the sound, Sarge realizes that it's the sound of a baby crying. Sarge puts his gun back in his pocket and walks towards the source of the sound. He slowly walks behind a dumpster and to his surprise, he sees a small cardboard box. He looks inside to seem like two blankets or one large blanket bundled in it. The source of the crying appears to be coming from the box and is moving. Sarge gently removes a bit of the blanket, and to his shock, he sees a Hellhound pup in the box, whimpering and crying.
"A Hellhound pup?! What's it doing here of all places?!" Sarge softly asks himself.
He then searches as he turns his head in different directions, "I wonder where its parents are, or if it even had parents."
Sarge then gently takes the little Hellhound pup, wrapped in a blanket, in his arms and begins to gently rock her.
"There, there little one. No need to cry," Sarge softly says.
He mutters, "I never had to deal with this kind of stuff growing up."
Soon, the Hellhound pup stops crying and slowly sniffles and whimpers.
"There you go. No need for tears," Sarge says.
He then looks around and says to the baby, "I can't simply leave you here. Come on, I'll take you back to my place to get you something to eat."
With that, Sarge leaves the alley and the box behind. He continues to gently rock the little Hellhound pup as it's surprisingly getting comfortable.
Time has passed, and Sarge reaches his apartment building. Of course, Sarge decides to buy a few things from the store first. During the time, Sarge has cleaned the little hellhound, changed its diaper, put on some warm clothes, and is able to feed the little Hellhound a bottle. Now Sarge is sitting on the small couch with the little Hellhound in his left arm and helping her hold the bottle with his right hand. Sarge chuckles and gently takes the bottle to see the little Hellhound drinking pretty fast. On that note, Sarge finds out the little Hellhound is actually a baby girl.
He gently takes the bottle and then gently feeds her again, "Easy little lady. You don't need to drink so fast. Slow is the best way to go."
The little baby Hellhound continues to drink the milk until she is all full. Sarge taks the bottle and places it on the small table in front of him. The little Hellhound hiccups a bit in response. Sarge chuckles with a grin and gently pats the baby on her back, causing her to burp a bit.
"You sure are a hungry little girl, aren't you?" Sarge replies.
Soon, the little baby lets out a little yawn and is starting to get very sleepy being rocked in Sarge's arms.
"And a sleepy little Hellhound as well," Sarge says.
Sarge then gets up from the couch and walks into his bedroom. It's a simple one bedroom with a few pillows and a blanket on it. He then gently lays the baby on the bed and puts two pillows on each side of the baby so she doesn't fall off the bed. He then grabs another pillow, places it on the bed, and lies down himself. Soon, the little baby Hellhound falls asleep.
Sarge calmy smiles and says, "You sure are a sweet little Hellhound." and gently rubs the top of the little Hellhound's head.
He then begins to think of it and says, "Hmm, you know, as much as it's nice to be living alone and being independent, it can get kind of lonely without someone around to be with." He then gently smiles and says, "Maybe some company would be nice. It will be nice if you can stay with me."
The little Hellhound lets out a yawn and wags her tail a little.
Then something else comes to mind in concern, "But, with my work, and the apartment is kind of small, would I be able to handle taking care of a child. Although, I can't just leave you, now that I've found you."
He then sighs and says, "I'll have to give myself time to think on whether to keep you or take you to the shelter so they can find you a home."
Soon, Sarge yawns and says, "Goodnight little one."
With that, Sarge begins to fall asleep in his bed for the night. Well, as night as Hell is."
Flashback Ends:
"So you didn't adopt Loona right away?" Blitz asks.
"Well, the living conditions that you and I have were very different. During the time, I'm barely able to get by when I started my hitman business, which was difficult because there were plenty of assassins in Hell, so in order to have good business, you need to toughen up your skills and have reputations with making many kills as possible," Sarge explains.
"I remember you telling me about it when I was a kid, but it makes me admire you a lot on how much you did for both of us, because we were barely able to live in a one room apartment," Loona says.
"So then, what made you decide on adopting Loona?" Blitz asks.
"Well, I've decided to take care of Loona for a couple of weeks, feeding her, bathing her, and also keeping a close eye on her. And I guess, over time, I've gotten very attached to her. Then one day, I reached my decision, with the help of a couple of pals I used to hang out with," Sarge explains.
Flashback:
One afternoon, Sarge is sitting on the couch as he holds the little baby and feeds her with the bottle. Once she's done, the little baby Hellhound falls asleep in Sarge's arms.
"There you go. All fed," Sarge says to himself.
Then Sarge lays the baby on the floor on a comfortable blanket with a pillow. Then gently tucks her in with the other small blanket. Just then, Sarge hears a knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Sarge wonders.
Sarge then walks towards the door and opens it to reveal two demons. One is a muscular dark gray fur Hellhound. He is wearing a white shirt with a black skull, and black pants. He is also wearing spiked wristbands and a spiked collar around his neck.
The second demon is a short Imp. He has one short horn, and the right horn is broken off. He is wearing a red shirt with a long sleeve, dark blue jeans, and brown boots. He is also wearing a cap.
"Hey Sargent, how's it hanging?" The short Imp says with a tooth grin.
"Doing fine, Manny. You too, Rick," Sarge says.
The Hellhound, Rick says, "Glad to see you're going well, man. We were just about to ask if you want to come with us for a little drink."
"Sorry guys, but I kind of got my hands a little full," Sarge says.
"With what?" Manny asks.
"Follow me, but be quiet," Sarge whispers.
Manny and Rick enter the house, and Sarge closes the door. Then Sarge escorts them to the living room and shows his pals his reason. Of course, to their surprise, they see the little Hellhound pup sleeping in the living room.
"A Hellhound pup?" Manny asks, surprised.
"Yeah. I found her in Gluttony after an assignment a couple of weeks ago. She's been staying with me since I found her," Sarge answers.
"Well, ain't she a cute little girl," Rick says.
"Yeah. She kind of is," Sarge says.
Then Rick asks, "So did you adopt her?"
"Actually, I'm not even sure," Sarge answers.
"Why not?" Manny asks.
"Well, taking care of a baby is a big responsibility, even Hellhounds. I had to feed her, bathe her, and watch her over, and if she got sick, I needed to take her to the doctor, and maybe send her to school or teach her myself. I just don't know if I can provide for her," Sarge says.
"I think you'll be fine. You said that you've been watching her," Manny says.
"Yes. Even though I had to take her to my work. And I've learned the hard way that it's not a good idea to take a baby on a hitman job, so I'll need to have someone watching her," Sarge says.
"Hmm, I see what you mean, but if anyone can make it work, it's you, Sarge," Rick says.
"And how do you figure that?" Sarge questions, and crosses his arms with a frown.
"Well, you've already been able to handle difficult situations, even life threatening ones," Manny says with a grin.
Sarge rolls his eyes, "Yeah. Like that will be helpful, Manny."
"It's actually kind of true. Besides, I had three kids at home with my wife, and I managed to make it work with my job," Rick says.
"I suppose, but you have a wife who can help," Sarge says.
"And you got me to help. Besides, you don't want to leave the kid alone do you? I can tell you've grown attached to her," Rick says.
Sarge then looks at Loona who is still sleeping on the floor with a blanket on her.
Sarge sighs and says, "I suppose you're right. I've got attached to her. And I think… I think I know more than that, I want to keep her."
"Well then, since it's been decided, I assumed you've already got a name," Rick says.
Sarge then calmly says, "Loona… her name is Loona."
Flashback:
"And after that I've adopted Loona and we've been living together ever since. Of course, I've asked Rick to help me watch her with his wif and kids once in a while. They all had a good time together. Of course, being an assassin was not easy," Sarge says.
Then turns to Loona, "And there are times when Loona questions about where she comes from or her family is, but she knows that I'm the father she raised her to be the tough girl she is now."
"Dad's right. Sure we have our arguments and mess ups, but I know how much dad cares about me. The point is, whether you find your birth family or not, it's good to remember the relationship you have with your adopted family, even though they can't be with you anymore. You may or may not like what you find out. However, it's good to remember the family and friends you have now. It's good to keep that in mind," Loona adds.
Blitz smiles and says, "Thanks guys, I think I needed to hear that."
"It's no trouble. We'll find a way to meet up with the Original Fizzarolli someday, you may or may not like what you learn, but no matter what, don't forget about the friends and family who've been with you the longest," Sarge explains.
Blitz nods his head, "Right. All keep that in mind."
Then look at his bracelet, "Besides, I'll never forget the love and kindness my family gave me over the years, even when they're gone now."
"Yeah. It's good to know you still have those who still care, and now you got us to help," Loona says.
Blitz smiles and happily nods his head in reply.
Then Loona whispers to Blitz, "But, don't tell anyone about this, especially Randall. I don't want that overgrown lizard making fun of me if he hears this."
"My lips are sealed," Blitz says.
Then the two give each other a fistbump, as a way to agree to keep the conversation a secret.