Hey!
That chapter ended up way longer than expected, I hope you don't mind!
Warnings: aggression, blood and injury
Chapter 2 - Up
"Via received a text from Stolas!" Loona yelled from her desk.
Blitz almost broke his office door on his way out, coming to a halt before his daughter with such force from his sprint that he let small holes with his hooves on the floor.
"When?! What did he say?"
"A few hours ago. She didn't read it right away since it was from an unknown number and she was with her mother at the time, but she's sure it's really him. Mainly says he's fine and safe, but won't say much more 'cause he fears the other Goetias are spying on Via's phone."
It was two days after Blitz was informed of Stolas' situation, and they were barely able to find a few hints of his whereabouts. Even when they did, they were always too late, so late that Blitz bothered to try and go investigate the place only the first two times. One of them, it was a written testimony that Loona had deemed fake, since she didn't pick up Stolas' scent, but she managed to find his trail on the other, and follow it to an alley where they quickly concluded he was hiding on Earth.
Honestly, they were already suspecting it, since there wasn't much on him despite so many demons being on the lookout, rewards now being offered by the Goetia family to anyone providing reliable public information of his location. It had reassured Blitz just a bit, since not many demons would be looking for him on Earth, and none of them knew what his human disguise looked like, but it also meant their only chance to speak to him was like everyone else: wait for someone to spot him and spread the information and try to rush there before the others, which was not that bad of a bet since they had the crystal, but still. Because with how old the scent was, even if Loona did pick up the smell of a forest in the human world made of a peculiar tree specie, some kind of conifer she was sure, she had no idea what tree exactly it was, and was pretty sure there were several forests of that kind of specie just in the US with how often they came across it during their hits.
They didn't have enough information to try to pinpoint his location, and if he was in a forest, then he was probably hiding away from the humans. But if he was back to texting his daughter, maybe they would try to meet somewhere. Either Blitz would ask Via if he could tag along, or at least transmit a message… No, it was better to just speak to Stolas in person. With how their last encounter went, he already doubted the owl would let them help with anything, be it in person or not, thought it couldn't hurt to ask Via to give Stolas his number, right?
Blitz's mind buzzed with the same thoughts that plagued him these past few days, wondering why he cared, why Stolas would accept body guarding from him of all people, if he ever would want to see him again, and so much more. He could just ignore the whole thing, now that he knew Stolas was safe. He was a fucking Goetia, he could handle himself, the videos were proof enough.
But… Stolas was too nice. Ironic, coming from the same imp who insulted him of being a pretentious and selfish rich asshole, among other things. But it was true. Blitz had watched the videos countless of times, understanding why Via was worried despite the fact Stolas walked away from these almost unharmed. Because for some reason, Stolas always seemed to wait last minute to use his powers, and even when he did, it wasn't the power display Blitz was sure he was capable of, even without his fancy book. But then, what was it? Was he weakened somehow? Saving his energy? Blitz didn't know, and really hoped it wasn't because of his rant about class differences on their last full moon, but he knew that was part of the reason so many demons were willing to go after Stolas: his attackers almost all walked away alive from their attempted assaults, and without many injuries too. Sure, they were unable to hurt Stolas, to restrain him, but like Blitz thought two days ago upon finding out about the bounty, it only took the demons with the right gear, and with Stolas' attitude, the former prince would be too slow to react if he was met with the right weapon, and then it would be too late.
The idea was absolutely terrifying to Blitz, even more than the emptiness in his chest since they last saw each other on the full moon. Because sure, the Goetia family had asked for Stolas to be captured, but they had only asked for him to be brought alive and without permanent injuries. Which meant, the bounty hunters could hurt him if they deemed it necessary, or just if their wanted to enact some kind of revenge on the way, and Blitz didn't want that. He was pretty sure Via didn't want that either.
"Did she answer him already? He probably asked her if she was alright?" Blitz pressed.
"Hey, calm the fuck down", Loona said while pushing his face away with her palm. "They probably have some daughter father talk to do, since Via yelled at him last time they saw each other. I didn't ask for details, but I already asked if they planned to meet as you wanted…"
"And?"
The hellhound grunted. She understood Blitz was on edge with the situation. She didn't understand everything, but it was obvious the bald imp cared about the former prince, and she kind of did too, even if just out of empathy for the owlet, but it was infuriating that Blitz wouldn't let her finish her sentence when she was about to give him the information he wanted.
"If you want an answer that bad, just let me speak!" She growled while sending a new text. "Via's speaking with him right now."
"Speaking? She can hear his voice?"
Loona lowered her phone to send him a deadpan stare.
"I swear you can be such a creep sometimes", she muttered. "Yes, they called each other. They're probably still on the line together, Via must be on speaker so she can still text me. She says he sounds fine, but doesn't want to meet yet, not until he can find a way to be sure the Goetia family won't interrupt. Still not sure why he wants to avoid them so bad… Ah, shit, her mother is calling her, guess she hung up."
"Wait! Fuck, can't you ask her to give him my number? Or she can give me his new number, I don't care!"
"Why not both?" She snorted. "I'll ask, but if her mother got a hold on her, maybe she won't be able to text back right away. Says it's not a fitting behavior for a princess to be stuck on her phone or some bullshit like that."
"Yeah, that fits these bird bitches", Blitz sighed, crossing his arms, tail lashing. "Well, tell me…"
"I know, I'll text you his number as soon as she gives… Ah, shit."
"What?"
Blitz had to resist the urge to jump on Loona's lap to get a look at her phone, but it was really hard once he noticed the frown on her face.
"She says he doesn't want you to have his new number."
Blitz's face dropped, his self-loathing already laughing at his face.
"What?! Why?"
"Dunno, says she's gonna stop texting him for a while so her mother doesn't find out. Same for us I guess. And yes, I'll still tell you if I find anything. By the way, he went to Hell again this morning, probably to get his new phone, there's a few pictures of him. Looks like he tried to disguise himself, but well, his tail is kinda recognizable…"
Out of habit, Blitz took a look at the pictures she showed him. At first, he didn't think much of it. He could only see his back, and Stolas tried to hide his features, but he never wore shoes, and his talon-like feet were recognizable too, as were his tail feathers as Loona pointed out.
Hiding his face oddly wasn't that common in Hell, so the hood was a good compromise, and hiding the heart shaped facial disc with make up was a good idea, but it wasn't what struck Blitz the most as he watched the new picture showing the owl's face. No, it was his expression and body language.
He wasn't just trying not to be seen. Of course, the hood was hiding his features, but Blitz was sure he looked almost afraid of something, almost panicked, despite no one being after him from what he could see. There was one hand holding the side of the hood to hide his face with, the other to his chest as if he was trying to comfort or ground himself. His distress was even more obvious when Blitz realized he could see his white pupils on the picture were he turned from something on a store front.
He couldn't not know about the bounty on his head, not after the first kidnapping attempt where you could clearly hear the demons explain why they were after him, so it wasn't it. Did he see someone he recognized? Had a sudden realization? Just met with someone who gave him bad news? Or was he afraid to get caught despite his assurance when directly confronted?
Whatever it was, Blitz had to find out. He needed this fucking talk, he needed to make sure Stolas was alright. He didn't really know why, but he just did.
It had taken three tries to finally finish the lunch he cooked. Well, it may be seen as a way to make up for the missed breakfast, and a kind of snack, but still. Stolas knew his diet has been disastrous these past few days, and even weeks if he was being completely honest, but for his stomach to have become that small?
Though, now that he thought about it… The egg growing probably wasn't helping, even if it was barely visible from the outside.
At least, Stolas didn't have any more nausea. Between the anxiety and pregnancy, he was never quite sure what to expect when it came to eating, and he would probably need something for that, but like many things, that would have to wait.
Stolas wasn't as bad a cook as most people would expect a Prince of Hell to be. He didn't know many recipes, but the ones he knew he mastered well, for it was almost always for Via and there was no greater joy than seeing his owlet appreciate the food he was preparing just for her. But it didn't mean he was ready for the task of having to deal with his own meals everyday, every time of the day. He was vaguely aware of the need to eat balanced meals, and he would need to somehow refresh his memory of what to eat and what to avoid during his pregnancy, all of this being an ordeal on his own, but it wasn't all.
No, the most ridiculous has been washing the dishes. For his second meal, he had walked in the kitchen and blinked in surprise at the unclean plates in the sink, until he felt like slapping his forehead with his palm, because of course he needed to do it himself, there was no servant to do it after him anymore.
It wasn't even that hard to do, really. Stolas loved to learn new things, and he wasn't the kind of person to think doing house chores was degrading, unlike many Goetias. Internet had plenty information enough for him to grasp the gist of it quickly, it was just that… With everything going on, now was really the last time for being motivated to learn to do new things, and adding new things on his to do list. To do list that he was probably going to write down pretty soon, on his phone so he wouldn't risk forgetting it here.
Still, he had to do it. It even kind of helped ground him, to stop thinking for a bit, or at least slow down his thoughts. Once everything was clean, he decided to collect the feathers he left in the house, because it was a long and arduous task and he knew it would only get worse if he waited too long to do it. He already made the mistake once on his first day and wasn't about to do it again.
Once it was done, he decided to go out to freshen up a bit. Sure, the place had a shower, but he didn't want to deal with cleaning his feathers here. Preening in the forest would be far easier, he could just let everything on the ground and it would blend in on his own. He doubted any bird living nearby had his feather color, but who would be here to notice? Even if the humans were to come back to their house, it was unlikely that they would come across his feathers out there, and realize they were unusual.
Also, it gave him an excuse to take a small walk, and it was a great help in calming him down. He missed his garden, but this place had its own charm, despite being filled with almost only one tree specie, and a few smaller plants or trees here and there.
He returned to the watering place he had spotted on his first day, and stripped here, taking slowly and thoroughly care of his feather with the preening oil he managed to get his hands on. It was oddly relaxing, and he let out several long breaths while doing it, almost like sighs, as he worked his feathers masterfully. That way, he should loose less feathers inside, at least he hoped. He didn't preen as thoroughly these past days, by lack of time or just will, but he knew he had to do better.
There were so many things he needed to do better, for the life growing inside him. He was already starting, but some of the things on the mental list he made himself still scared him, the main problematic point being: how to handle the medical check-ups. There was no way he could bypass those, and he needed a professional to confirm his pregnancy, or he knew he wouldn't be able to process the fact completely. For as much as he was sure of himself, there was always a doubt in the back of his head, and he didn't want to use that doubt to sabotage his egg's chances for life. He was already messed up enough himself, no need to drag an innocent into this.
Still, he felt a bit better once he was back in the house, calmer, more relaxed, ready to face the upcoming challenges… Until his phone buzzed with an answer from Via.
He took out his phone with shaking hands, a mix of excitement and dread pooling in his guts as he opened his text messages to read the answer, sitting down beforehand.
Then he put down his phone on the table and laid back on the chair with a long breath out to release all the tension he has been holding concerning Via since she lashed out at him.
She wasn't mad. She had answered him, she was fine, she wasn't mad at him, and she was even worried. He wasn't hoping for so much, but it was a good surprise, for once.
Not that he felt like he deserved it, but it truly felt like he was a little less hollow, like a part of himself was back, and he was grateful his daughter was still there. He was feeling warm, on the verge of crying again, and had to take a few minutes to compose himself before he could begin to think of a response.
A new text came in before he even had the phone in his hands, and he unlocked the screen in a worried hurry, before blinking as Via was simply asking if she could call him.
Oh… Surely, it would be easier to just talk, right? He wasn't completely sure, but he quickly wiped out the tears on his cheeks before replying a quick agreement.
He had barely steeled himself, thinking of what he could share and couldn't yet, not out of distrust but simply out of caution, that his phone was ringing, with the ringtone he had set just for her, despite her contact being the only one.
He lost no time picking up, the joy of his daughter willingly speaking to him again overflowing everything else for a moment.
"Hello, starfire?"
"Dad! You're really okay? I'm so sorry I yelled at you after the trial! I know it was shitty, it wasn't your fault, it was mum and uncle, but I was just so frustrated they didn't listen to me and didn't withdrew their accusations…"
"Hey hey, Via, it's okay. None of what happened is your fault, and it was a lot to take in for you. I'm simply glad you were able to forgive me so quickly."
"But dad, I yelled at you! I should have helped you find a solution! If I hadn't left you, maybe you wouldn't have been attacked, and…"
"Now now, I handled it, didn't I? Wait… How do you know about that?" Stolas suddenly froze at the idea that his daughter got wind of the attacks on him.
"People recorded it and posted the videos online. That's why I already knew your phone was broken. I know they can't hurt you, but what if one of them can get their hands on blessed weapons? Dad, it already happened to you!"
"I'll be fine my owlet, don't worry. The Goetia family aren't desperate to the point of supplying such dangerous things to people who could use these against them, and they aren't easy to acquire otherwise."
"You can't know that! Please dad, promise me you'll be more careful, okay? They're all thinking you're an easy target because you're not fighting back. Please, next time you need something in town, just tell me! I'll handle it, okay? I'll ask for our servants to get it for you, I know they won't betray us, and I can probably help you find a better place! Where are you staying at now? Can… Can you tell me?"
Stolas had never heard his daughter speak so fast before, and even though the circumstances were far from great, he couldn't help the soft smile spreading on his face as the worry in her voice was replaced by will.
"I'm so sorry my owlet, I can't let you know where I am staying right now. Trust me, I would love to see you again too, but with the stunt your mother just pulled, I would rather keep my distances with the Goetia family for now. If… It is okay with you? If won't be for too long, just for me to get some things in order, then I'm sure we will be able to find a way to meet without them knowing!"
"It's fine dad, I can survive, now that we can text again. I get it, I don't know what they're playing at but I don't like it either. Mom got what she wanted but she's still mad for some reason, and I'm tired of trying to argue with her…"
"Don't, Via, please. Put yourself first, you shouldn't involve yourself in our silly quarrels. Are you truly doing ok?"
"Yes, don't worry, I'm fine! I'm not losing hope of another trial to overrun the last. Vassago said it was possible, if he can get a hold on you, and Asmodeus also said he would have helped sooner, had he found out before the trial ended. I'm staying with mum right now, but I'm not letting her home, since I have the palace for myself, and I know she would only destroy your plants and throw away your books! Don't worry dad, we can arrange things, I'm sure!"
Stolas had no word to describe the warmth that spread within him, new tears falling down. Oh, how much he loved his sweet daughter, how glad he was that she was still here, in his life, willing to help him out despite everything he was putting her through. He couldn't be more proud.
"I will think about it, I guess a new trial is a possibility, but I would have to prepare it better this time. Your mother caught me off guard, it won't happen again."
It wasn't like he didn't know she was likely to pull a stunt like that, or rather Andrealphus was, but he had too much on his mind already with the divorce, and then with Blitz. He wasn't sure who he could trust, but Asmodeus had helped him out with the crystal, and Vassago wasn't in Andrealphus and Stella's friends circle, so it may be worth a try.
"I'll give your their number, that way you can contact them when you're ready, ok?" Via suggested. "I think I'm hearing mum in the corridor, I'll hang up soon, but… Ah yes, before I go, Blitz wanted your new number, is it okay?"
Stolas' mind went blank for a second, until Via's hesitant voice brought him back, reminding him they didn't have much time left on the phone.
"Don't… Don't give him my number for now, please. We'll... We'll talk about this later, alright? Take care starfire."
"You too dad! I'll text you to let you know when mum isn't nearby!"
With that, the call ended, and the owl's mind was buzzing with too many thoughts again.
He should be focusing on the possibility to have his title and house back, but with how everything happened, he wasn't exactly jumping at the idea. But most of all, he was confused about that last thing Octavia told him.
Blitz. Blitz had contacted her, and asked for his new number. Why? He… Surely he wasn't mad to the point of going after the bounty on his head, right? But then again, if it wasn't for that, why would he want his number? If something was wrong with the crystal, he would have called or texted weeks ago. Maybe not right after the full moon but surely soon after, and he could probably ask Asmodeus himself. Stolas knew from the Sin that Blitz had made up with Fizz, his former friend, Asmodeus' partner. That was the reason his request for the crystal had finally been accepted, despite the initial rejection.
There was a part of Stolas who desperately wanted to know what Blitz could possibly want, but the other was way too scared of the answer. Was it because he had new complaints about everything that has been wrong with their deal? Oh no, maybe he was worried about what Stolas told the Goetias about him during the trial? No, probably not, Via would have been able to reassure him on that part.
He didn't know, and couldn't ask Via for more information. Of course Stella had to arrive at this point of the conversation, leaving Stolas with a new anxiety bubbling, until he finally managed to push it back.
It was fine. He was fine. His daughter was reachable again, she had damn good ideas to solve this mess, and they may have reliable allies. He would need to check this out, but he couldn't help but feel hopeful. He had to. If he wanted to keep the egg, and give this new child a fair chance, he had to secure everything at best he could, because the Goetia family wouldn't like it, and they were bound to find out at some point. Be it in weeks, months or years.
Still… He couldn't remove the imp of his mind, as he added the contact information Via gave him for Asmodeus and Vassago. He hesitated for a minute before finally adding Blitz, since Via also gave him his number.
It hadn't changed, Stolas could have added it himself by memory, but it was the push he needed to save the contact. But it wasn't enough to send a text himself. He knew he was a coward, and this egg, it was Blitz's too, but…
He had to make sure first, that he was pregnant and he wasn't being delirious because of the stress and exhaustion, then make sure this egg was fine and could some day hatch. There was also the question of if it was viable, but Stolas didn't think he could lay non-viable eggs. Better be safe than sorry either way, he shouldn't get his hopes too high yet. Only once this first step was complete, he would worry about sharing the news with Via, and… Maybe, Blitz.
For now, he shouldn't stress himself with the imp. He didn't want to look back at his broken and still bleeding heart. His daughter needed him, that egg needed him. He needed to get moving, get out of his lethargy, and get that check-up as soon as he could. If Via was back in the picture, maybe she could help him contact a physician that could be trusted.
He didn't remember who had helped Stella during her pregnancy, it was so long ago and he wasn't the one pregnant at the time. He mostly remembered the rants, screams and insults his ex-wife threw back then, but that wasn't exactly helping, and… Oh dear, the next symptoms awaiting him probably weren't going to be funny to navigate through either.
Stolas shook his head as he tried to calm himself once more. He may not know any specialist in the area that most interested him, but he still knew some trustworthy physicians. That was still a good start. Now, was it too late to pay them a visit or not…
"I count on your discretion, you know what will happen otherwise."
"No need to threaten me further, I know, and I trust your word your highness!"
Stolas sighed, his demeanor loosing his stiffness as he finally looked aside.
"I'm not…"
"You are. It's not just a title you know. Plus, you will probably have it back at some point. Look how desperate they are to find you! I must admit they have strange ways to do it, and they wouldn't be too pleased with your pregnancy if they knew, but oh well, I'm sure they all have their own little dirty secrets."
The physician definitely wasn't too phased by the presence of a Goetia on the run in her consulting room. Stolas didn't remember her ever behaving so casually, but it wasn't so bad, per say. He was acting like usual out of habit, but has lessened his walls during the check-up. Hard not to, with the news he was given, and she already knew him and his mental health issues, which helped. It was one of the reasons he chose to go meet her instead of someone he didn't know, even if she wasn't the right specialist. At least she knew who to go to who could also be trusted.
He had done a bit more of a number on said colleague, to be sure nothing would leave this room, and he may have gone a bit overboard. But at least he was sure the message was engraved in the demon's mind, though when he would get out of his stupor, Stolas wasn't sure.
"I suppose I should go. Thank you again for receiving me on such… Short notice."
She snorted.
"Yes, well, I guess it's a bit complicated in your situation to book an appointment! As for the payment, no worries, I trust you to come back once things are better. Meanwhile, don't hesitate to drop by like today. You can portal in the storage room over there, I'm the only one who goes there and you can open it from the inside. But please text me before you do so."
Stolas' hand went to his mouth, eyes widening.
"Oh, sorry, the payment! How much…"
"I said no need, don't worry! The hospital overcharge Goetias's bills anyway, we are fine! You can collect your medicine on the counter on the first floor on your way out, I already asked for everything you needed."
"Thank you, really! Did you… Only ask for pregnancy related drugs, or is there a way to have a new bottle of Happy Pills?"
She made a face.
"Ah, yes, your antidepressants… I am truly sorry, I know how much you need these, especially in your current situation, but if you truly want to give this baby the best start in life, I would recommend to stop for the time being. I need to see what you can take instead that would be less dangerous for the egg. I will work on the matter with my colleague as soon as possible… Once he's back with us."
Both demons looked at the third person in the room, still slumped on a chair with a scared expression, eyes unfocused. He had effectively ran a simple test to confirm Stolas was indeed pregnant with an egg, confirmed there was a high chance it was viable given the timing, though he couldn't be completely sure given the unusual aspects of the pregnancy, ran a couple other tests to check the owl's general health, but the demon's nervousness and frequent looks toward the door, like if he was expecting bounty hunters to rush in at any point, had prompted Stolas to make sure the physician-patient privilege wouldn't be overlooked.
"Sorry about that…" Stolas began, starting to feel like he had overdone it a bit. The instinct to protect his son to be child was already something he had a hard time keeping in check. He had hardly managed during the whole examination, so letting it out just after to intimidate the one who had been near his belly the entire time… Well, he may need to work on his self-control a bit more from now on.
"Oh no no, no worries! He's good at his job, but it was best to show him what you are capable of, or else I'm not sure either he'd have kept his mouth shut."
Stolas nodded and his gaze came back on her.
"If you don't mind me asking… Why are you so willing to help me out? Even if I am able to repay you later, I'm certainly more trouble than it's worth."
The physician answered him with a bright smile.
"I like your attitude. I know I shouldn't say that to a demon of your rank - don't give me the "I lost my title" bullshit again, you know what I mean - but I appreciate that you are willing to engage with lower demons like that. Not everyone thinks that way, I am aware, but luckily for you, I'm not everyone!"
Stolas answered with a shy smile and thanked her again, before finally taking his leave.
It was weird, how she was treating him like before, but at the same time, seemed more open. It was weird, but in a good way, and it was making him think… Until Blitz's harsh words were back in the front of his mind, and he grimaced, choosing to put all that aside for now.
He was already making his way toward the lower floor in the elevator on pure habit when he realized he forgot to ask his physician if she could grab the medicine bag for him. So much for staying inconspicuous, but ah, well, he supposed it was unlikely for bounty hunters to be expecting him in such a place.
Still, there were people with him, who either stared at him or tried to pretend they hadn't seen him. He sighed, trying to refrain his instinct to intimidate again. The urge seemed stronger now that he indulged in it once, but it was getting harder to refrain when he heard the click of a camera.
He immediately spotted the demon who was trying to discretely take his picture, and levitated the phone out of his hands. The culprit gasped, fear suddenly all over his face.
"I advise you not to try this again. Understood?"
He was back in full regal attitude, a hint of threat in his voice as the light dimmed slightly. The demon frantically nodded, voice lost, and Stolas deleted the picture before giving the phone back.
He intended for only the physician to see him, and therefore hadn't masked his features nor his face. At least the bump wasn't visible, his outfit was more casual than his regalia, but stiff fancier than most people around him, and his simple height was making him easy to spot. Stolas didn't feel comfortable staying for too long, not wanting to test his luck. He was trying to be careful, but he feared someone had already snapped a picture without him noticing.
The faster he was done, the better. Despite not being used to grab his own medicine, he quickly found the right counter, and the demon working here handed him the bag seemingly without recognizing him, with a sleepy attitude typical of Sloth demons, which was a relief. He really hoped what he came to retrieve wouldn't be leaked. He couldn't even pretend it was for his Happy Pills, almost no one knew about those, but it would still be a better cover story than the truth if needed.
Stolas was able to magic the bag away on the spot, but decided to portal himself in a more deserted area of the hospital, to make sure no one would be able to see through it. The last thing he needed was for people to know about his current hideout on top of his visit to the hospital.
He was on his way toward a zone he knew wouldn't be crowded, since it was usually reserved for high status demons, when a hellborn deliberately walked in the middle of the way, one demon at each of his side to better block the path.
"Going somewhere already?" He asked with a knowing grin, arms crossed.
Stolas suppressed a groan and just eyed the demon speaking menacingly. His attire and attitude alone yelled "bounty hunter" to anyone looking, and his fellows weren't much better, two imps with leather clothes and way too many knifes, style between bikers and cow boys.
"Please, don't make me wreak havoc in a hospital."
"You don't need to. Just come with us! Aren't you curious as to why your family wants to see you again after throwing you out?"
Stolas rolled his eyes with a sigh and decided that a portal to the stars would do to escape the situation quickly. Ignoring the hellborns before him, the owl raised his hand to start tearing reality.
The growing smirk of the demon before him, a tall incubus, suddenly alerted Stolas that he was probably missing something, when pain suddenly exploded at the back of his skull.
Stolas hissed angrily, his magic dissipating in the air as he stumbled until he was able to lay against a wall, panting and struggling to stay upright.
There was laugher in front of him, and he tried to raise his head only to hiss again at the pain in his neck, vision obscured by the blood seeping from the wound. Claws took his arms to cross them behind his back, and he felt his wrists being tied together. He tried to struggle, to move forward, but the pain in his head was too intense, his mind too dizzy to be able to resist effectively, and the demon behind him had a good grip on him.
"Who would have thought Goetias' head are as fragile as any demon's?" The incubus snickered while approaching.
"Are you kidding? Any other demon would be dead, or at least unconscious!" Growled a voice behind, and a quick side glance confirmed the owl that his attacker was a tall hellhound, not unlike some of his own security staff from the palace.
He suddenly froze when he got a glimpse of what the hound was using to tie him up. He recognized that glow, typical of blessed rope, and tried to escape with renewed energy.
"Hey, no no no, you're not going anywhere!"
The incubus had approached with the two imps, and the one who seemed to be the leader, or at least the loud-mouth of the lot, gripped the owl to keep him immobile while the one in his back finished restraining him.
Stolas was too dazed to speak, and he knew it wouldn't help him anyway, so he tried to wriggle his hands free while walking away from the wall, despite his balance still being extremely unstable.
"Hey, stop fucking moving!" The hellhound didn't let go of his wrists but had to stop what he was doing to make sure he wouldn't let go of his prey.
The incubus wasn't as strong as his colleague, and was smaller than Stolas, and therefore followed the owl without losing his grip, eyes wide, until one of the imps came on the side to stop Stolas' movements.
"Satan's balls, here I thought it would be fine once he's out of his powers!"
The incubus stepped away once there was an imp on each side to hold Stolas in place. He took a slow breath in while the hound resumed his task and Stolas had no other choice but stop his struggles, legs weak, mind fuzzy and vision blurry.
Even with just his hands in rope, Stolas couldn't access his magic, no matter how hard he tried. His demonic form wouldn't come out, though he couldn't remember if it could be dangerous for his egg or not.
That was a problem for later. First, he had to get out of here. He couldn't let himself be caught, not like this. The Goetia family would never let him keep this egg, and there was no way they wouldn't notice. He had to return to them on his own terms if he wanted to be back to normal, but he couldn't think nor see right, and they were too many around him. Whatever the hound had struck him with, Stolas doubted it was simply his fits, for it would have never done so much damage. He knew what it was like to take a punch, thanks to Striker, and it wasn't anything like that.
Suddenly, the hound behind him let go of his wrists to grip his arms.
"Done! Let's go before others show up to steal our catch!"
Trusting the hound's strength, the other demons let go, but Stolas firmly held his ground when the hound tried to force him to move forward.
"Fucking… Come on, move you fucking prick!"
The hold on his arms was downright painful, but Stolas couldn't register it in the middle of everything else. He just knew that he wasn't going with them. Why exactly, he didn't remember, it was getting hard to think, but it was important, of that he was sure.
A new pain erupted on his chest and he gasped, trying to open his eyes to see what the incubus was doing.
Then he realized he was aiming a new punch at his stomach.
Using the tight hold the hellhound had on him, Stolas used both his feet to push the demon away before he could land his hit. Before he could use the effect of surprise to break free, he felt claws pull at the feathers around the wound on his head, and he yelped.
"Will you behave for a bit? I'll have to strike you again on the head to knock you out if you keep going. We're supposed to deliver you alive, but I bet they'd still have use of your corpse."
"I don't think you can kill him with hits that aren't from a blessed weapon", one of the imps informed him.
"Good!"
Before the hound could carry out his threat, the incubus was back on his feet, and he was fuming.
"Oh that fucker. You want to play? Very well, we'll play! As you said, he won't die as long as we use regular weapons, and I'm sure it won't hurt him permanently either, so…"
He smirked as he took out one of his knifes to stab one of Stolas' legs with. The owl flinched, but otherwise didn't move, the hound still having a hold of his head feathers.
"Now, you're gonna come with us like a good boy, alright?"
Stolas wasn't processing much of what was being said, lost between dizziness, worry and pain, when one of the imps suddenly looked out of the windows.
"Oh fuck, the people outside saw us! I bet someone filmed and there's already other bounty hunters on the way. Come on, we gotta move!"
"Shit, that fucking owl, slowing us down…" Grumbled the incubus.
The hellhound forced him forward again, and this time Stolas obeyed, unable to do much in his current state, desperately trying to clear his mind to have a better understanding of the situation and his possible ways out.
But the almost hit on his stomach… It had freed all the protective instincts he was trying to push down, and the beast inside him wasn't happy. It wanted to get out, to eradicate the ones who dared to threated his egg, to destroy them, to tear them to shreds…
As Stolas was dragged to follow the almost running group, slowed down by the wound in his thigh, he realized the rope around his wrists was already coming loose. Was the hound too distracted by his struggles to properly finish his knot?
Whatever the reason, he wasn't going to let go of this opportunity, taking advantage of the fact his kidnappers were too worried of possible rivals to pay him attention as long as he was following, the hound quickly deciding to carry him on his shoulder instead to go faster. He didn't really mind where they were going, barely noticing they were still inside the hospital, as he was focusing on undoing the ropes on his wrists.
"Blitz! Stolas was attacked again! But this time it's serious, I think they managed to get him."
"What?! Fuck!"
The only reason he didn't break his office door on his way out was because they were just back from a hit and he hadn't closed it yet. It didn't prevent him from pushing it out of his way as he yelled out orders to Millie and Moxxie on his way to his daughter.
"M&M, grab back your weapons! Loona, how long?"
"It was five minutes ago, and it was live, if he hurry we may still make it in time, if we're lucky there were other bounty hunters in the area who slowed them down before they could flee."
"They better! Where?"
"Sloth, the same hospital you took me…"
"Got it! Any more precise location?"
The hellhound turned her phone toward their boss.
"That's their last location, I'll track them from there."
Blitz froze as the video played, showing a dazed Stolas, blood flowing from his head, hands behind his back tied with what he quickly confirmed was blessed rope as he was dragged toward the left, and his spines raised as he noticed another wound on his leg, but the demons who had captured him didn't seem to mind as they started fleeing while the video cut.
The assassin checked his pistol one last time as Loona stood up to join the other employees.
"Ok, everyone ready? Let's go!"
He knew he had missed the beginning of the video, but he didn't care. He couldn't afford to lose time seeing how Stolas got himself in that situation, what mattered was to find him here and now, before they could put him in a car and drive away.
The crystal glowed as it opened a portal in the corridor the video played in minutes ago, and they all stepped out, ready to fight, Loona and Blitz already following the corridor in the direction they knew the group took.
"Loona, I let you lead!"
"On it!"
She didn't need to slow down to follow the scent, and even the imps would have guessed where to go with the blood drops on the ground, but it only put Blitz more on edge, his hold on his weapon tightening as he hoped they would be fast enough, until Loona broke down a door and they all froze after entering together.
They were in a kind of delivery area, not for patients but supplies, and the whole place was packed with demons, obviously all bounty hunters fighting for the same prey.
Or rather, that was what they were doing when they were all turned to stone.
Blitz couldn't help the impressed whistle as he walked between frozen demons, admiring the poses, imitated by the others, until he realized something.
"Where's Stolas?"
They all looked around the room, but couldn't find a single demon resembling a Goetia, even among the ones turned to stone.
"Shit, he didn't freeze them all to get captured again, did he?!"
"At least those ones are dead", snickered Loona as the noticed the statues of the demons who initially attacked Stolas.
Blitz followed her gaze and his eyes widened at the blood on the wall near them, matching the height of Stolas' head. The hellhound who was holding him on the video was standing before that spot, like if he was defending it before be was frozen like everyone else, and his accomplices were nearby too, trying to hold their ground. One of them was already down when he was frozen, and there were a few bullets holes in the wall near the hellhound, at least one of them having grazed him, and Blitz's tail lashed upon realizing at least one bullet didn't land far from the owl either.
"Oh, look!" Millie exclaimed as she pointed at blessed rope on the ground where Stolas has been. "I bet he was able to free himself! Surely thanks to all the practice he had in bed with our dear boss!"
She cast a teasing smile Blitz's way, and he laughed it off.
"Ha! I'm always the one to free him, he wouldn't dare do it himself!"
"Sir, we don't need to know, and I think there is more pressing matters…"
Moxxie's attempt at refocusing the group on the right subject was cut off by Loona, who had already started following the new trail from the wall to another door. Quickly, they all followed her, walking behind expect for Blitz, who couldn't help but walk next to her, trying and failing to keep the worry out of his features.
"So, is he okay? He didn't, like, collapse after freezing the whole room or something and got grabbed by another group who arrived after the others like us?"
"No, he fled on his own, but…"
"But what?"
The hellhound shook her head and cast Blitz an annoyed glance.
"Let me focus on the scent, moron, or else maybe someone else will find him before us!"
That effectively shut Blitz up. Smiling, Loona sniffed again, following the smell in a new corridor, royally ignoring anyone they met on the way.
But there was indeed something weird in Stolas' smell. She hadn't noticed it days ago, when it was an old scent, nor did she pay attention moments ago, when they were in a hurry. But now that the situation seemed a bit less desperate, she couldn't help but wonder what that strange smell meant. It was almost like…
No, that was probably not it. Maybe just the medical stuff messing with the smells here. Plus, it was covered by a bunch of pheromones, some of them she had trouble identifying. If she was to put a name to it, she would say Stolas was pissed, but… It wasn't really it either.
They finally arrived before a door whose sign said it was a storage room.
"He's here?"
"Yup. Alone. We'll keep a look out for other bounty hunters, but Blitz? Be careful. Smells like Stolas is on edge, and he really looked stunned on the video."
"Do you think he has a concussion?" Moxxie asked, worried.
"Goetias can have concussions?" Millie asked back, surprised.
"Shut up, give me some space!" Blitz shushed them.
He wasn't really sure if he was doing the right thing. He thought Stolas was being too nice, and suddenly he froze a whole ass room of demons. Did something happen to change his behavior so drastically, was he confused from the shock, or was it something else? Either way, he probably wasn't the person Stolas wanted the most to see right now, but he couldn't exactly call Octavia for help, so he could only walk in and hope it would be fine.
First, he knocked lightly, speaking just loud enough for the person inside the room to hear.
"Hey, Stolas? It's Blitz. I'm gonna open the door, ok? Don't turn me to stone please."
It was weird to ask that. Somehow, he never thought Stolas would do such a thing, or he would probably have on their last full moon, but this was another situation, so, better be safe than sorry, he guessed.
He heard a snort, probably from Loona, but choose to ignore it as he slowly opened the door and walked inside, not fully closing behind him.
He didn't know why, but he had a feeling he should let a way out. If Stolas was able to free himself, he should have left by portal already. The fact he hadn't, and choose to flee to hide in a room, was actually a tad worrying, and his worry only worsened when Blitz suddenly spotted the owl in the shadows of the room, hidden between shelves and the wall.
"Stolas?"
The red of his eyes made him easy to spot in the dark, but it wasn't dark enough to miss the blood that ran down his face, nor his posture, all curled up on himself in a corner. Blitz's presence wasn't exactly discreet, between his words and the sound of his hooves on the tiled floor, and yet, it looked like Stolas still hadn't acknowledged his presence.
The imp advanced with careful steps, and it's only as he was nearing the Goetia that he realized he was hooting, face down, almost as if he was looking at something, be it at his feet or on his lap, Blitz couldn't tell with his lack of pupils. His knees were up to his chest, and his arms protectively hugging his middle, and it made him frown. He hadn't spotted that much blood on the way, nor in the room, so Stolas probably wasn't hurt more, especially if he managed to get there on his own so quickly, but there was something really unusual about his attitude. His hoots were not ones he had ever heard before either, those sounded… Calming? But for who? Was Stolas trying to calm himself? If so, what the fuck happened exactly in that room for him to react that way? Could the hit to the head really be an explanation on his own? The assassin was more than doubtful.
"Hey, Stolas? You, uh, you in there?"
Stolas' head slightly moved toward him, feathers starting to fluff up, but Blitz was positive it wasn't out of some kind of sexual excitation like it usually was. Since his whole body had tensed, and he still looked out of it, the assassin was more betting on a defensive reaction, and he'd rather not push things further.
"Wow, calm down, I promise I'm not here to hurt you! I came with IMP to protect you, alright? To… Ah, fuck. Oh, well, you're not gonna remember this anyway, right? I'm sorry how our last conversation played out. Please don't hate me. We can talk things out, right? I'll do some body guarding until you're safe from your stupid family, who are really jerks by the way, and maybe we can…"
"Hem, sir?"
Blitz resisted the urge to turn too quickly toward the door, knowing Stolas was probably watching him even if he didn't seem like it.
"What?! I'm kinda busy."
"We will be all soon busy if we don't move, there's bounty hunters around and some of them have hellhounds in their team, they're closing up."
"Fuck. Ok, let's move back to IMP, if… Stolas, you're fine if I carry you? It's an emergency, to take you somewhere safe, ok?"
He had turned back to watch the owl, who seemed to relax at his words. Taking that as confirmation, the assassin quickly opened the portal to IMP's headquarters and told the others to get in the room and lock after them before he turned back toward Stolas.
The owl had shrunk on himself when his employees entered, and only seemed to get smaller when the door was closed and locked. Blitz still wasn't past how unnerving it was to see the former prince act that way, but he also knew he didn't have more than a few seconds, maybe minutes at most, before there were people trying to break down the door, and it certainly wouldn't help settle him at all.
"Go ahead, I'll follow", he ordered his team who was waiting by the door, probably intending to stand guard until he was gone, but if he had read Stolas' body language right, he would be more relaxed once they were all away.
They nodded, and indeed, as soon as the last demon crossed the portal, Stolas relaxed again. Slowly, carefully, Blitz approached to pick him up, and finally stepped inside the lobby, closing the portal just as voices and shouts started to reach the room they were locked in.
He sit the owl on the couch, while the others watched with worry.
"Is he alright? Maybe we should have stayed in the hospital, so he could see someone", started Moxxie.
"Oh yeah, like if the bounty hunters would have stopped going after his ass while he was doing his check-up!" Blitz replied.
"Well, the prince was there for a reason, right?" Millie pointed out, and that made Blitz pause.
Stolas knew he was wanted, he wouldn't show up in a hospital of all places if he didn't have a good reason for that. But what could be the reason?
"You're right, but I hope he was leaving when he got attacked, because now's a bit late for another visit, so… Let's clean and put away our weapons so we can head home! Loona, you watched the whole video? He wasn't hurt with a blessed weapon, right?"
Blitz approached his daughter who was back at his desk while the couple started taking care of the weapons. She was already back on her phone, and the imp got a glimpse of her screen.
"You're texting someone?"
"Yeah, reassuring Via, she saw the video and tried to call her father but he wasn't answering. Since she knows we're on the look out… I just told her we got Stolas and he'll call back later, once we're sure he's safe. Sounds good?"
"Perfect Loonie! Better not worry her for now. So, about the video…"
"Just a sec… Here, I sent you the link, but no, he wasn't hurt by anything angelic, just some… Heavy… Something. I don't remember what it was, but I guess he'll heal fine on his own!"
Blitz sighed in reassurance and turned back to the owl… Only to find the couch empty.
"The fuck?!"
"On the left, moron."
Blitz blinked, and leaned to see the left of the couch.
Indeed, Stolas was stuck here, in the corner between the couch, wall and furniture, still curled up so small Blitz hadn't noticed him immediately despite his feet poking out from behind the side of the couch.
"Oh. Ok, I doubt we'll have any more sinner today, but I'll carry him to my office, guess he'll be less stressed to wait here."
"If you say so." Loona answered, sounding bored.
Blitz approached the owl slowly again, frowning when he noticed Stolas' arms were still firmly around his middle. Something really wasn't right.
"Hey buddy, you're not hurt, right? Let me check…"
His hands had barely neared the ones around his stomach that Stolas suddenly chittered menacingly, beak clicking. Blitz backed up.
"Ok ok, I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Do you want to go somewhere more quiet? With less people?"
Stolas had stiffened at first, but relaxed as Blitz spoke, and the imp took that as confirmation. He moved even more slowly to take the owl in his arms, afraid it would be misinterpreted as another attempt to check what he was gripping so tightly - maybe he was protecting an object? - but Stolas seemed to understand context, for he let Blitz carry him to his office and settle him in another corner, where he let out a hoot that sounded… Content?
The assassin rubbed his head and straightened back up, not really knowing what to do with Stolas in that state.
"Okay, so… Wait here for a bit, okay? I'll be next door if you need me, just, er, squeak or something, alright? We're closing off real quick, then we're gonna go more somewhere safe, got it?"
Stolas blinked, and Blitz took that as his cue to leave, doubting he'd get much more out of the owl.
But still, it was worrying. How long was he going to stay like that? More importantly, where could they take him? Sure, there was his flat, but it wasn't great, for many reasons, and…
His tail got stiff like a stick when his phone suddenly rang, and he couldn't help the aggressive "What?!" that naturally got out as he accepted the call.
"Wow, I really hope that's not how you greet your clients!" Fizz answered. "Don't you have a ringtone for me or something?"
Blitz blinked before rubbing his face with his hand.
"Oh, sorry Fizz, I didn't wait long enough to recognize the tone, and I was kinda busy…"
"Please tell me you're back from rescuing your prince."
He blinked.
"Wait. How do you know?"
A long sigh answered him, and Fizz sounded… Relieved.
"Fuck, I'm glad to hear that! I didn't know, I just saw the new assault video on Stolas, and I know you were watching these closely, and well, it was kinda now or never to get him before his family, from the looks of it."
Blitz grimaced.
"Yes and no, actually. He froze all the bounty hunters by himself, but was too stunned to escape afterward, hence how we found him. The problem is, he's still out of it, and I'm kinda worried. Can't you ask your boyfriend how long it takes for Goetias to heal from a concussion?"
"Fuck, he's still dazed? I mean, I guess he did take a pretty serious hit, with how bloody his head was. I didn't watch much, but I saw they had blessed rope and… Hold on." Fizz's voice became more distant as he was obviously answering to someone on his side, and Blitz was pretty sure he recognized Asmodeus' voice. "Yeah babe, they found him, but Blitz says he hasn't recovered from the hit to his head yet and is kinda worried… What? Oh, yeah, that's a good idea, I'll ask!" Suddenly Fizz's voice was louder again. "Hey, Ozz just told me, you could bring your prince over with the crystal! You know, the living room we spent the afternoon in last time? Just come here, Ozz can help treat Stolas and keep him safe until he's ready to face those jerks who put the fucking bounty on his head in the first place."
Blitz's gaze lit up.
"Really?! Oh thanks Fizz, you're saving me! I'll head there as soon as I can."
"As soon as you're ready, we'll be there!"
The assassin hang up, feeling like a whole weight was suddenly off his chest. It wasn't perfect, but he felt better to not be alone when Stolas would finally snap out of it, still very much unsure of the former prince's reaction once he would see him. It hadn't been too bad until now, and some part of him wanted to think Stolas had somewhat recognized him and trusted him, but the other was quick to dismiss the idea, pointing out it was more likely that an imp alone wasn't enough be considered a threat, compared to three of them and a hellhound all at once.
Turning to the others, he was about to speak when he was met with three pair of eyes on him.
"What? What are you waiting for, don't you have things to do?"
"We're almost done, but sir, you can leave without us, go treat his highness and make sure he's safe."
"He's right Blitz, we'll be fine on our own, just go talk things out with your prince!"
"I'll drive them home, then I'll probably head out", Loona finished, already back to typing on her phone.
That was pretty much what he was about to ask them, but it took him one or two more seconds to shake off the surprise.
"Oh, well, I'm glad you finally learned how to take good initiatives! Well done today gang, see you later!"
"See you Monday boss!"
Monday? Oh yeah, today was Friday! Blitz shook his head, and decided to grab a glass of water for the owl before they left. Surely it couldn't hurt, right?
Well, glass… More like paper cup, but that was the same, right? Blitz looked around one last time to make sure he wasn't forgetting something important, waved at the others with a special attention to his daughter before he stepped back into his office, taking a look at the owl still seemingly lost in thoughts as he hesitantly made his way toward him.
"Hey, Stolas, we're going somewhere safe! No more moving around after that, I promise! Do you, uh, wanna maybe drink a bit before we go?"
He held out the glass to Stolas hopefully, almost expecting no reaction at all, when the owl slowly lifted his head to look at him, blinked, and slowly, surprise painted the heart shaped face as a low and trembling voice rose.
"Blitz…?"
09/06/2024
Only one chapter left! No promise on when it will be ready, but I'm working on it. See you!