Man, this story's really making it's way around. Glad you're all enjoying it.

First note- You might notice this is a biggun compared to the last two chapters. I'm not sure what happened, I felt a lot more spurs to write than usual. Before I knew it, the chapter got really damn long. I wasn't sure if I should split it up into parts. If y'all find this larger chapter too jarring, I can turn this one chapter into several. In any case, don't expect them to get big like this again for a while.

Secondly- Yep. Saw that finale. It's… definitely thrown me for a loop. I can say the Owl House story might be more disrupted than I thought. I also don't know what words mean- looking at what I've planned, I would definitely say that things aren't going to follow Owl House canon smoothly is far too much of an understatement. Be prepared, is what I say.

Finally- A small fact about comics Hellboy… he's not a government secret like in the movies. More on that next chapter. Just thought I'd mention that.

Chapter 3: On the Hunt

"There you go, kid! It's a human torture device, a show of disdain towards children. They make them play these silly, boring carnival games- like I'm talking so boring they don't even have one pair of teeth chomping at you- and reward them for their suffering by offering them this giant impossible to wield pen! Show this off to your friends and they'll be impressed by the potential sadism you possess."

"Whoa…."

"It's all yours, for twenty snails."

The little sucker throws the money onto my table, eyes filled with glee. "I've surely made a non-impulsive and satisfying purchase with three weeks allowance!" He shouts. I almost feel sorry for tricking the poor kid… nah. Just kidding. Not even a little sorry.

I gotta say, ever since Luz became my apprentice, business has been great! The real reasons why humans use these pieces of junk are way more outlandish than anything I could come up with. Well, most of the time anyway. Sometimes I do need to put a little spin on them. Like that giant pen- humans really don't care when they get those things. They just put them in their rooms, forget about 'em for weeks and then throw them away. But the tyke I just sold it to didn't know that. And what he and all my other customers don't know… puts a lot more snails in my pocket.

Still, I can't act like that's the only reason I keep Luz around. She's kinda growing on me. The kid's impulsive and has tunnel-vision at times, but she's got a fire in her and can be real clever when it counts. She reminds me of… well, me. Course the differences are, she has a harder time cheating and lying because it's "bad", and I actually had a bile gland to use magic. Even still… the fact that she managed to pull off the light spell is nothing small. I mean, it is for a citizen of the Boiling Isles. Even a child could learn a light spell. But a human? It shouldn't have even been possible. The kid's got more potential than I would've ever guessed. She might end up getting her staff after all…

Speaking of staffs, where the heck is Owlbert? I'm running low on stock. And he usually doesn't take this long. If he got distracted trying to flirt with one of those human's fake bird statues again… for Titan's sake, I keep telling him they won't come to life.

Luckily, thinking on him seems to have invoked his summoning. He crashes into my table, items flying everywhere. "Nice entrance." A wave of my fingers is all it takes to get everything back in place. "You know, for a staff that can fly faster than the speed of sound, you sure seem to be late a lot."

"Hoot!" He takes offense to that, but he's not the one running a business. "Hoot."

"What do you mean you almost picked up another hitchhiker? We picked that weird shack specifically because humans don't like going into creepy places!"

"Hoo!"

"Not a human? What are you saying?"

"Hoot."

"Looked like a demon?"

"Hoot."

"With a stone hand?"

"Hoot!"

"With its horns sawed off?!" What demon in their right mind would do that? No demon worth their hellfire would dare break off its horns. Maybe I need to be the one doing product runs from now on. Owlbert's clearly starting to lose it. "Did they make it through the door?" My palisman shakes its head. "Then who cares? It was probably one of those… cast-plyers Luz told us about. Just a human pretending to be a monster or demon. Regardless, they didn't make it through the portal, so we've got nothing to worry about."

"Hoot?"

"We'll worry about finding a new entryway later. Right now I'd like to see what wonderful garbage you've brought me…" Still, Owlbert's right to be concerned. Luz was one thing, but we can't start attracting humans in here all willy nilly. But man, was the one he described a real weirdo… by both human and monster standards. Glad I'll never have to meet that mess.

Gotta say, out of all the hiding places for monsters I've been to, this one's definitely the most grandiose. There's giant mouths and arms in various places, and people are walking by them like it's no big deal. The more normal parts of town give off a Transylvanian vibe. Medieval fantasy, at the very least. As for the people, there's no consistency… in shape or form. Some look like your typical demons and imps and other humanoids, but others go way off the rails. A big centipede with a human face, a centaur whose eyes are on his chest… the hell? I think I just saw a kid whose head was only an eye. Must pay a fortune in eye drops…

Nevermind. The main point is that with all these… "unique" individuals walking around, I don't stand out like a sore thumb. For once. Not that I get treated differently back home, but people do tend to see me coming a mile away. A big red guy with a rock hand isn't exactly Waldo when he's in a crowd. But here I can go about my business without the bad guys going back to their bosses for backup. Makes doing my work a lot easier. Well… sort of. The person I'm looking for might actually raise a few eyebrows. I haven't seen a single human here. That by itself is pretty normal. While there's plenty of supernatural attacks on people out there, the magical creatures that don't need to drink blood or steal souls tend to want to stay away from humans in general. Inviting them to their secret towns is out of the question.

Maybe that was obvious, but there are times when humans do manage to fit themselves into magic communities. I was kinda hoping there would be some here. Might've meant Luz wasn't in as much trouble as we thought.

I'm no detective, but I can still do a little investigating when I need to. I catch the name of this place as I walk through the streets, from passing conversations to various signs. Bonesborough. As far as I know, not a capital city or anything, but it is well known. Located in what's called "The Boiling Isles". Fun names. This place's founders sure had a sense of humor. Furthermore, this place is ruled over by an Emperor. Though nobody seems to talk much about him on an average day. Guess I'll have to do some reading later…

Beyond that, I don't get much in the way of useful information. I walk around town for some time, wandering aimlessly without a good place to start. I suppose I could start in some kind of bar or tavern. Find out what's the word around town about humans. The only issue I might run into is descriptions… a common thing is that monsters and demons don't bother to differentiate between humans.

Luckily, I have a workaround. I pull a picture out of my pocket- one that has a young girl with a smug look on her face. Camilia gave us a bunch of pictures like this so we could identify Luz by appearance. She'll stick out like a sore thumb now, but it does make it easier to ask around.

I get the attention of a bystander looking into a window of crystal balls, tapping his shoulder. "Hey. I'm new around town. Know where a guy can get a drink?"

"Oh, uh… let me think… uh, yes. The Terrorantula's Web is near here. Down the street, make a left before the Eldritch Pet store."

"Thanks. And while I got ya… you seen this girl around town?" I ask, flashing him the photo.

"Ew… no, I haven't seen whatever that is. Looks too stringy for my taste."

I bite back a grimace. "…Right. Thanks anyway."

"Hope you like our town, stranger. Oh!" He reaches into his pocket, and tosses me some… coins? "Some snails for your troubles." My… troubles?

…Is it the way I'm dressed?

You know, the upside of this place is that I don't stand out physically. Downside is, since I was raised by humans in a human environment, I might stand out in my behavior.

Like this tavern. I know what humans want to pick a fight and which are just drowning their sorrows, but since everyone in this town looks so different, I can't even begin to figure out the cliques in this place. Probably best to just stick to myself. If anyone does try to pick a fight with me, I'll throw 'em for a loop, no matter where their head is on their body.

The guy behind the bar is a giant spider of some kind with multiple mouths. Probably should've expected as much with the name. "Hey, Barkeep."

"Hmm?"

"News come through here often? I'm visiting and I need some information."

"Uh… yeah. We tend to get some real characters from around town. Don't know much I can offer you though."

"We'll see. Give me something light while you're at it. I'm on the job, so to speak." The thing nods. It hands me… some kind of drink. I'm a little hesitant to take a sip; I don't know what it'll do to me. But I have to blend in, so I take a quick swig while all his eyes are elsewhere.

Hmm. Not bad.

"Word has it… that there's a human walking around these parts. Thought you might have heard something about it."

"A human? …Eh… I've been hearing rumors, but no one talks about it too much. I did hear in the news that a human was sighted in Hexside school." All of his eyes are on me. "Why you asking?"

"Consider me a hunter of sorts. Someone's paying me big to get the human for them."

"Who'd want some boring human?"

"I don't ask questions, I just get paid."

"Fair enough." He goes back to cleaning various glasses. "Now, people all around town have been seeing that human from what I hear. I couldn't tell you exactly where she is. But I hear there's a place in the market that sells human garbage."

"Human garbage?"

"Scam artist, probably. Most sane folk know human crap ain't worth a single snail, but there's a lot of silver-tongued stall owners in that part of town. What baffles me is how they'd get their product… as far as I know, the Boiling Isles have been cut off from the human world for years. In any case, if anybody would have a human, it'd likely be that stall."

"Any idea where I might find it?"

"I'm sorry, no. I get my supplies from Hex-mart. I know curses and eyes of newts are usually fresher in the Harmers' market, but…"

"I get ya. Guess I'll just have to ask around." I finish off the drink. That guy gave me some of this town's currency, might as well use it.

"Ah, it's on the house friend. Titan knows you'll need all the money you can get…"

"Uh… thanks." Why do people in this town keep thinking I'm some kind of bum? Is it cause I smell like dry-roasted peanuts?

"Eda!" Ah, I was wondering when Luz would get back. The little rascal went somewhere with her new friends; she didn't say much other than they wanted to show her something. "You're not gonna believe this!"

"I probably will, but fire away, short stuff."

"Willow and Gus managed to get me a disguise so I can sneak into the school's Magic Fair!"

"Ah, the Magic Fair. Where all the nerdiest students come together to show off their projects… and where the snobs make their parents buy out the competition. I remember my Magic Fairs… they still can't clean my pranks off the walls, from what I hear. Wait… aren't you banned from Hexside?"

"Well… I am. But I managed to find a disguise!" She pulls out a mask. Looks like someone's face got sat on… "Or I made one anyway. It was either this, or… wear a mask from the other stalls that either wants to eat me or replace my face."

"Oh, come on, Luz. The risk of face eating and/or replacing is the fun part! Builds character." I inspect the mask. "Besides, this ain't gonna be fooling anybody."

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

"No, it won't." A wave of my finger, and the mask reconstructs to look far more convincing. "There. A little construction magic, plus a pinch of illusion, and it'll fool the pants off anyone."

"Wow! Thanks, Eda!" She stopped herself. "Um…"

"No, it will not try to eat your face. Go have fun, kid. Just try not to let them turn you into a nerd or anything."

"Woohoo! I already was a nerd!" She runs off. We'll have to train that out of her. Oh well, back to my garbage.

Wonder what I can get off this slinky thing… hey, maybe I can advertise it as a human intestine coated in metal.

I would keep going with that, but Owlbert starts going nuts. He's still locked onto the staff, but he's shaking like crazy. Better unscrew him and see what this is about… "What's got your feathers so ruffled Owlbert? Haven't seen you this shaky since I took you to the palisman vet…"

"Hoot!" He points his little wing out into the market. It takes me a moment to see what he's looking at, but I do see it. Way down the street, is a big fella with a trenchcoat of some kind. His skin is a burning red, and he's got this gritty face. But what really catches me off guard are his sawed down horn stumps, and his large stone right hand. No doubt about it, this is the fella that chased Owlbert.

I still don't understand what demon would willingly weather their horns like that. King goes on and on about how important a demon's horns are to them, and only accept horns being broken in intense battle. Says 'The only demons who do that are down on their luck and selling their horns for drink money'. He certainly looks the part. It has to be a human, I would think… but something about looking at this guy sets off alarms in my head. I don't like it.

Not important. What matters is some guy who attacked Owlbert managed to find his way here even after my portal closed. Which means business today is closing early. "Come on, Owlbert. We're closing up shop. We'll just have to come out early tomorrow." A few spell circles and my stand and product are formed into a bag, hanging off my staff. The portal is closed into a briefcase. Owlbert tries to get back on my staff. "Hang on. We don't want him recognizing you. Climb into my hair a moment. Once he's out of our hair… no pun intended, we'll make a break for it." He nods, and nestles himself into my hair, which I'm quick to cover up with a hood. "Now, let's just sneak out of the market-"

"Hey, hold on a sec, miss." I cringe internally. "I'm looking for a stall selling human junk. I was told it was down the street, around here. You know anything about it?"

I turn to face 'you-know-who' and… well damn. He's even bigger up close. If it were anyone else, they could cave under the pressure of this scary guy immediately. But I'm a pro… a true master of the lie. "Human junk stall? Sorry buddy, haven't seen it. They must've packed up for the day."

"This early in the morning?"

"Hey, I don't judge people's business practices. Maybe they're a late night stall."

"Uh huh… well then, before I let you go… you seen this girl?" He pulls out a small picture and places it up to my face.

I… what? That's Luz. As in, my apprentice. The human. Why does he have Luz's picture? More importantly, why is he looking for her? Did she get in some kind of trouble? He did come from the human realm apparently… but why was he there? Was he searching for her then too?

…I gotta find Luz. "Sorry stranger, never seen her. Humans don't really come around here. Now, I'm a little busy, so I'll leave you to your search…"

"I never said anything about her being human."

…Aw nuts.

He starts advancing towards me slowly. "Now, I'd appreciate if you'd actually be cooperative and tell me what you know. Where is she?"

Damn. I panicked when I saw her photo. Usually I'm better at keeping track of my lies like that. Alright Eda, think, improvise… "Well darn. You're craftier than you look. Alright, fine. I have seen her. She usually wanders around the market this time of day."

"Why? Who brought her here?"

"Some powerful witch from the rich neighborhood. Likes to flaunt off things they found." There you go, Eda. Back on track. "Guess that human girl was one of them."

"Really." He's not asking. Darn, he might not be buying it. But I just need his attention off me for a moment… an illusion might work, but with him so close, he might interrupt me before I can pull it off. "You know… I really don't like it when people try to feed me a load of crap. So I'm gonna ask you again. What do you know about the girl?"

"Look, I've only seen her." I glance around the market, hoping for something else to cause a scene. Wait… are those…? Oh man, for once in my life, I'm really happy to see the guards. "Not much I can tell you beyond that. Now will you get out of my face?"

"Not happening." He reaches for something in his coat.

"Well, I guess I've got no other choice then… THANK YOU SO MUCH, OLD FRIEND!" He gives off a confused and annoyed look. Just wait, you thick fist for brains… "IT'S REALLY NICE TO CATCH UP WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ME AND MY ABILITIES AND MOST PERSONAL SECRETS! ME, EDA THE OWL LADY!"

"What the hell are you- OOF!" While he gets tackled by one guard, I manage to avoid the other. Those big brutes never could catch me. Finally, I get the chance to escape. "Come on, Owlbert! We've got to go find Luz." He hops out of my hair and on to my staff, and we take flight, speeding through the sky and away from the market. "But first, a quick stop to the house… King should be there, and I need to give Hooty very explicit instructions…"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"You are hereby under arrest for fraternizing with a criminal!"

"Criminal? What?!"

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law! Choosing to keep quiet is not much better however, as we will use a mind worm to suck out your memories!"

"Get… off!" One swing of my regular arm knocks the guard holding me clean out. The other two don't take kindly to that.

"Get him! Don't let him escape!"

"Oh, I'm not going to escape." I grab the second guard by the face and slam him straight into the ground. It cracks from the force. Third guy's not looking so confident now.

"Uh… maybe w-we can let you off with a w-w-warning for now."

I grab him by the scruff of his outfit. "Why did you attack me?"

"Y-you were fraternizing with a criminal! We heard her say-"

"She was pawning you off on me, you morons!" But that's news. That woman really did know something if she was trying to distract me like that. And if she's a criminal, then these guards will definitely have information on her. "Tell you what, cone head. Today's you're lucky day. I'm looking for something that lady has, and I'll be all too happy to catch her for you in the process. Just tell me where I can find her, and keep your guards out of my way."

"R-right!" I drop him, and he scrambles to get up. "But… wait… you don't know who she is?"

"I'm from out of town. Humor me." I clench my stone hand as a warning.

He quickly searches through his bags, pulling out a large poster… a wanted poster. "Her name is Eda Clawthorne, alias The Owl Lady. She is an incredibly powerful witch who relies on wild magic. She has been evading capture for some time now." I grab the poster from him and look it over.

"What was she doing in the market then?"

"She… has a stall. She sells human garbage right under our noses. Even when we find her, she always manages to get away."

"Human garbage…" Then she was the stall owner. But how did she know I was coming? She's never met me before, and there was no proof I was with the guards. Something's not adding up… unless… I managed to spot her flying away. She was flying on some kind of staff… and on the head of it was something with wings. I couldn't tell for certain; she was too far away to see that well. But if that owl from before belonged to her… well, only one way to find out. "Hey," I wave the picture again. "You ever seen this girl with her?"

His eyes widen. "Yes! I have! The Owl Lady brought her to steal an item from our prison, the Conformatorium. Something that belonged to her pet. Only a human can go through the barrier. She then went on to assault the warden and help several prisoners escape."

"And since then?"

"Guards have reported seeing the girl with her. Sometimes out on her own, searching for items in the market. We assume Eda has taken to using the human as a servant."

The poster is crumpling from my grasp. That hag kidnapped her… just so she could have an errand girl?! …That does it. I see her again, I'll knock her head clean off. I turn back to the guard. "You guys at least now what rock she goes crawling under?"

"We do. She lives in a house on the outskirts. We tried many times to get into it… but her house demon is too strong for us."

House demon? So she's got a security system. Luckily for me, I've got the perfect breaking and entering tool. "Point me in right direction, and you'll have an owl lady by the end of the day."

"Th…thank you. And for the record, I apologize for assuming you were in league with the owl lady. We figured you were probably desperate…"

"Look, just don't… desperate? What do you mean desperate?"

"Uh… well… you seemed down on your luck. With what you did to your horns and all…"

"My horns? What do you mean my-" Wait. My horns. That I don't have.

…

Great. So I do look like a bum. Guess I stand out more than I thought I did.

"Yes… yes! My minion, you are almost complete! Just one more… there!"

Ah yes. Francois, one of my army's many captains, has been given the opportunity to evolve. His floppy ears already struck terror into my enemies… but now, with this, no one will stand up to him! …Except me, of course.

"Yes, with this… A BOWTIE!" I shout to the heavens, holding him up high. "The classiness of this bowtie is already too much for anyone to handle! Combined with your floppy ears… you'll surely become the general of my army, Francois."

I'm interrupted from my preparations by the door slamming open. Hooty gives a grunt of pain. "Hoot! Ouch! Well gee, Eda, no need to be forceful." Eda? That's weird. She's never back from the market this soon.

"Quiet, Hooty. I don't have time. King? King!"

"Over here, Eda. The heck are you doing back here?"

"I ran into some trouble in the market. I just came here to let you know."

"Pfft. You always run into trouble at the market. What's so special this time?" I mean, Eda only gets like this when… "…Was it an ex-boyfriend?"

"No." She places her stall bag down. "Some big red guy with a stone hand. For some reason, he was looking for Luz. And he was setting off all kinds of danger vibes for me." She picks up a few of her non-magic items and stuffs them into her hair. "I need to go look for Luz. Whatever this knucklehead wants from her is anybody's guess, but it can't be good. In the meantime, I need you to stay here, King. No garbage pillaging, no minion searching, don't even step onto the front lawn. Stay inside. As for you, Hooty, make sure to keep anyone but me, King, and Luz out. And if you see the big red fella… go nuts on him."

"Caaaaaan do! Hooty hoot!"

"Jeez, Eda. You're acting like Emperor Belos himself might show up. Do you even know if he uses magic?"

"Look, in any other instance, I'd laugh this off. But the kid can't handle herself like I can. She only knows a light spell. Until she's back in the house, I'm treating this more seriously than I usually do."

"Isn't she at that Magic fair at Hexisde? Aren't you both banned from there?"

"I gave her a disguise, but it's certainly going to be harder for me to wander into there. Harder… but nowhere near challenging." She puts a pair of sunglasses on, a smirk growing wide on her face. "I'll be back soon." And with that, she flies off, gone as fast as she arrived.

Wow. Eda usually never gets like this. Even when her third ex-boyfriend came back around… and that guy had thirteen heads. And one of them wouldn't stop tipping his hat…

Whatever. Honestly, I feel like Eda's overreacting. Like I said before, if it were Belos himself, then I'd understand, but a big muscle guy? Eda can fight those kinds of guys off in her sleep. Oh well. Nothing much I can do about it. Might as well go back to upgrading my minions.

Now then, Bartholomew… your large eyes and terrifyingly fluffy tail are already weapons of mass destruction… but none of my accessor- I mean, improvements, really match with them. Wait! I know!

Let me see if nothing ate it yet… ah ha! On the far end of clearing, where the forest begins! A deep red flower, one that looks really prett- dah, I mean, it's an ancient flower of fire, granting the wielder immeasurable power. With that, Bartholomew's power could match Francois! All the while creating a fierce rivalry in the name of impressing me! Only for them to gradually go from bitter rivals to best of friends! It's perfect…

I got to get it before it something happens to it. Just open the window up here, and…

"HOOOTY TIME! Eda told you not to leave, King!" Oh right. The most annoying door ornament in the world. Also, the being with the worst sense of personal space.

"I'm just running down to get that flower of fire over there." I push him away from my face. "Besides, what's the problem just walking a few steps away from the house? Even if Eda's new boyfriend is after them, no one on the Isles is dumb enough to attack the house itself."

"Don't care! I'm feeling particularly strict today! I'm a wild card!" He says, twisting and curling like he usually does.

"Ugh!" I hate it when Hooty's daily whims start getting in the way. Still, he might be strong, but he's an idiot. "How strict are you feeling today?"

"Specifically strict!"

I can work with that. "Well, you know… Eda only said not to leave here… and here is relative. And if you carried me over to the flower, I technically wouldn't be stepping on the front lawn. So whaddya say, Hooty? How about you help me get that flower in a way that technically doesn't break Eda's rules?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-H'OKAY!" Ha! Dummy. He gets low so I can climb on his head, and begins to stretch towards the flower. Just a little closer… a little closer… my army's almost complete… got it! And look at that! No big brute dude in sight. Nothing to worry abo-

"GAH!" Something picks me up by the scruff of my neck. I hate that! "Who dares attempt to indignify me-"

…Uh oh.

"I dare." The big red guy says. As in, the big red guy Eda warned us about while also telling me to stay in the house for safety but I decided to go out anyway because I didn't think he would come here but now he's here holding me by the scruff of my neck because he's actually crazy enough to attack the house… yeah, that guy. "You're pretty photogenic, you know." He's got a rolled up paper in his hands. Must be the wanted poster.

"Y-y-yeah. I uh, look good from all angles."

"Not for much longer if you don't tell me what I want to know." He tosses me up slightly just so he can catch me by the tail.

"Gah! Stop! This is not the way people usually demonhandle me and I think I prefer the other way!"

"Where's your master?"

"Master?! I am the King of Demons, leader of a great army! She is by no means my mast-AHHH!" He pinches my good horn with his stone hand.

"You gonna tell me or are you gonna speechify? Cause I don't like it when creeps like you waste my time. I think it'll be spent better finding out whether this bone thing is something you wear… or if it's part of your face." He tugs on my horn slightly.

"NO! It's my face! It's my face!"

"Then talk! Before I find out for myself."

"Well, you see, she didn't tell me before she left, but uh, H-H-Hooty might know! Isn't that right, Hooty? …Hooty?" Come on, Hooty, that's your cue! What on earth is he doing?!

…I don't believe it. "Hooty… WHY ARE YOUR EYES CLOSED?!"

"You were stepping on them, so I had to close them. Lovely conversation you're having! Who's your new friend? Hoot hoot!"

Luckily, Hooty's idiocy even has the stranger stupefied. Which gives me only one chance…. "OPEN YOUR EYES, YOU MORON!"

"H'okay!" He says. One of these days, Hooty…

…

…

…

"HOOT!" After saying nothing for like, ten seconds, Hooty rockets forward suddenly, plowing into the guy and forcing him to drop me. Better late than never, said NO ONE EVER! Whatever. At least he'll chase this guy off now.

Hooty plows him right into a tree. The guy must be tough though, cause he doesn't seem all that winded. He swipes Hooty away from him with his stone arm. Hooty responds using himself as a giant whip, hitting the guy over and over. Every time he swipes at Hooty, he only gets whiff of air. Like I said, Hooty's an idiot, but he's strong.

"Stay still you freaky snake-owl hybrid!"

Now seems like a perfect time to gloat. "Ha! Serves you right for threatening me! And who are you calling a freak? Coming from the guy that actually sawed his horns off!"

"Get a different hairstyle from everybody else, and suddenly they won't stop talking about it…" He mutters, before having his feet swept out from under him. Hooty proceeds to barrel into the ground, before coming back out underneath the guy, flinging him up.

What happens next nearly makes me hop out of my fur. When the guy lands, he pulls out some kind of metal object. In a moment, something starts blasting out of the thing towards Hooty… and consequently towards me. I jump in surprise as a something hits the ground next to me. Hooty gets hit in his face, but it doesn't seem to do too much.

"Gotta be kidding me…" He mutters.

"OUCH! My face! Stop doing that! I have sensitive skin!" Hooty shouts. News to me.

Hooty appears to have enough of this guy, so with a swift move, he coils around the guy and constricts, keeping him from moving.

Thank the Titan… this guy was a complete nutjob. Still, Eda was so worried… and yet here the guy is, wrapped up like a present. "Well, well, well. Guess Eda got worked up over nothing. We'll have to tell her how we handled this 'big bad dude' when she gets back." With some… embellishing on my part, of course. "Oh, I know! Let's throw him into the ocean, Hooty! …Hooty?"

Hooty's got this strained look on his face. Is he… struggling? "Hooty's… having trouble…" I look to his victim. Sure enough, he's forcing Hooty's coils open. Before I know it, he bursts out… and he looks mad.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!" He picks up a large branch from nearby. "I am not getting beat up by a doorknob with feathers!" A quick swipe, and Hooty gets smacked across the face. He tries to fling himself at the guy again, but this time he's ready for him. With one swing of his stone fist, Hooty's given a clean punch.

Unfortunately, for both of us, that seems to do it. Hooty recoils and retracts all the way back to the front door. I'm quick to follow him, not wanting to get caught by this guy again. "Hooty? Hooty! Speak to me!"

"Hooty no feel good…"

"Come on, Hooty, this is no time for a nap! He's coming!" I nervously look from him to the guy. The red guy's got a small boulder in his arm now. Is he…?

"Knock knock." He says, reeling it back.

As cowardly as it would feel, now might be a good time to move. I scramble away. I can feel the wind from the thrown boulder as it slams straight into the front door. Hooty is knocked from his hinges completely. "HOOOOT!"

I make it to the bushes. Luckily, the guy seems more interested in the house right now, as he makes his way inside… but this is bad. This guy might be worse than even Eda thought. And she said he's not even looking for her…

He's looking for… oh no.

I gotta find Luz.

That was dumb. If Abe and Liz ever find out I almost got my ass kicked by a bird wreath, they'll never let me hear the end of it. Best to keep this one to myself. The little guy got away, but I have an immovable witness with me to make up for it. For now, I should see if the kid's here in this house…

The house is what I'd typically imagine from any witch. A good number of unknown ingredients and magical objects. My search doesn't bring up much beyond that. I find a giant owl's nest, which does make me a little worried. I don't want to find a giant pellet with human bones in it.

The last room is important, though. I find a sleeping bag. Nothing but a sleeping bag and a small amount of her belongings. And a picture of her with her mother… poor kid must be only barely keep from losing it by looking at this thing.

Good news is, she's coming home today.

Bad news is, she's not here. The witch must've taken her somewhere. I make my way back to the talking doorbell. "Listen up, bird brain."

"THat'S wHaT I Am…" He says in a daze.

"I'd like to know where your master is… now you already know how hard I hit… so you better tell me the right answer."

"hOoOt… He-…HeXside… schooooo…." He trails off, going unconscious. But I caught that. Same thing the bartender said. Hexside… why there? Is she going for backup?

I won't figure it out standing here, of course. But if that's where she's going… I might as well take the opportunity to school her.

…Hmm. Glad I didn't say that out loud. Lines like that'll get you a bad reputation...

"Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!" I dash around, taking in all the students' stands. "There's so many projects! 'The applications of Newt Tails', 'The Effects of Transmutation on Flesh', 'Kraken Soda Volcanoes'? It's all so amazing!"

"Easy, Luz." Willow pulls me back by my shoulders. "Eda may have given you a disguise, but Bump might still be able to figure out it's you. Probably best not to draw too much attention to yourself."

"Right, sorry. I'm just getting magic overload. So many projects, so little time!" Still, I thought willow would be all over this… "Didn't you make a project, Willow?"

"Well, I was going to… but Amity's still fuming over the abomination incident. Considering she also joined the fair, I thought it be best to steer clear for now."

"Speaking of which…" My other new friend, Gus, pipes up. "Blight at twelve o'clock!"

"Whuh?"

"Straight ahead!" Sure enough, Amity was walking down the path, several batwinged monster mouths carrying her project behind her. From what I could glimpse, something about the study of better renewable wand energy sources.

"Quick," Willow pulled us over to the side. "Act natural!"

We pretended to converse, to the best of our ability. Gus and Willow started up something about school lunch policy and whether or not they should have to fight their food. But I don't know anything about that! What if Amity looks over here and sees me not saying anything? She was watching us a lot during the abomination thing… apparently. Oh shoot! I didn't realize, but I was staring at her the whole time I was thinking all that! She just caught me looking at her! I quickly looked away, but… aw man, she must know something's weird now! Quick, improvise!

"AND SO I SAY TO HIM, QUIT 'GOBLIN' EVERYTHING DOWN!"

Maybe not that… the whole aisle is staring at me now… and Amity most definitely suspects something, cause she's walking right over.

"What are you doing here, Willow?"

"Oh, Amity, just… checking out the projects with some friends."

"Friends, hmm? I recognize shorty over there. ("Hey!") But who is this? I don't remember them going to our school."

"O-oh, her? She's just… visiting from another school. Bloodwell. We were showing her around so she wouldn't feel out of place."

"Oh really? And what's your name?" She stared me down, right into my soul.

"G…Goblita?"

"Uh huh… and what exactly interested you enough to come here, Guh Goblita?"

"Uh… goblin… stuff?" Oh, please buy it…

"…Hmm. Fine, that checks out." Wait, it does? "But I'm keeping my eyes on you…" She did the whole 'point at my eyes then point at you' thing before leaving.

I feel a sigh of relief come from my mouth. "That was too close…"

"Man, it's a good thing everyone knew Goblarry was doing a project on Goblin engineering today." Gus stated matter-of-factly. "That was some quick thinking, Luz."

More like panicked thinking, but yeah, it worked out nicely. "So where to first?"

"Well, there's a presentation on utilizing weaponized pet cuteness we thought you'd might like."

"Oh! You didn't tell me there was a cuteness stall! I should've brought Kin-wah!"

I didn't have much time to react before being pulled in between two stalls. Considering this is the Boiling Isles, the first thing that came to my head was "scary monster". So, I did what I thought was appropriate.

"MMMMMMMMPPHH" I scream out through a closed mouth

"Luz. Luz! Take it easy, it's just me." I stop at the sound of Eda's voice and peer up. "Jeez, kid, if that was your best defensive tactic, maybe I need to start training you more in fighting than spellcasting…"

She finally lets me go. But why is she here? She didn't really have any interest coming to this event. Maybe she's pulling a prank? But most importantly… "What was that all about?"

"Sorry, kid, just needed to get you out of sight. Things got dicey in the market today, and for some reason it's revolving around you."

"Me? But I haven't gotten into trouble today… yet." Probably best to answer that way. Honestly, I expected some kind of hijinks that would involve me losing my disguise and being chased all around the fair field.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I've been with Willow and Gus, and they've been keeping me away from Bump and Amity."

"Then you haven't met a big red-skinned, stone armed guy with missing horns?"

"Uh… no?" Not that I know of… but why does that sound familiar?

"Well regardless, that kind of guy's after you. Sorry kid, we're gonna have to cut your fun times short today."

"Aww…" And here I was looking forward to all the magic…

"Oh, don't worry about it too much. The Covention's coming up anyways, and that makes this look like a baby class show and tell. Not that I'd advise going to Covention, but I know you'll want to, and you'd probably learn about it one way or another."

"Oooooh, now I'm definitely excited again!"

"You can get excited in the Owl House. Come on, hop on the staff and we'll get out of here. Once I know who this guy is and what he's capable of, maybe you'll get to go to the Covention. But for now, you're staying in the safety of the house."

I take a seat on Owlbert. Hopefully Eda can help me send a message to Willow and Gus about why I left so suddenly. Man, I think I actually would've preferred the shenanigans coming from Amity or my disguise.

"Eda! EDA!" The familiar squealy voice of King catches both of our attention, stopping us before we can make it off the ground.

"King?" Eda actually seems a little upset. "I told him to stay in the house…"

The two of us peer out from our little alley, searching for King. Down the street, he's quickly scuffling around, almost like a scared lost child.

"He's gonna get us caught…" Eda lifts her staff, as if she's about to throw a spear. "Get him out of the open." With a swift throw, Owlbert zooms by King and picks him, boomeranging back to us. "King! I know it's kind of our group dynamic to be rebellious to everyone, even each other, but when I said stay in the house I meant it!"

It takes King a second to regain his bearings. "I know, I know! And I did! M…mostly. But that guy you warned us about showed up at the house! He attacked!"

"What?!"

"Hooty fended him off for a while, but the guy was really strong! H-he had this metal thing that shot other metal, and he hit him… hit him with a branch, and a rock, and he… he threatened to pull my face off! It was as if he was as tough as your owl beast thing!" Hearing King get so scared about this guy prompts me to pull him into a hug.

I noticed Eda's hands clenching up right away. "Damn it…" That's the first time I've heard her curse. Er, non-magic curse, I mean. "I should've been there. Hooty and I would've sent him running with his tail between his legs… King, take Luz back to the Owl House."

"But it's-"

"I know, it's trashed. But that guy's been making a beeline for Luz. He has to be on his way here… or maybe he already is here. I'm going to go confront him, and make sure he stops following us for the time being. Then, once I get back to the house, we can start fortifying. Attack my house, threaten my friend, try to take my student… he's about to find out why I'm the most powerful witch on the Isles."

People probably think it's strange how different the magical realms are to ours. I tend to think it's strange how similar they actually are. Might as well be looking at a science fair… guess I should be glad they didn't call it a 'silence' fair or anything. Those puns were getting on my nerves.

Still haven't connected the pieces since I got here. For all accounts and purposes, this is like any other school… normal students just trying to get an education. Did she come here so she could have meat shields and cannon fodder?

I don't like it. I feel like I'm missing something here. Info that's dancing just out of reach, something that'll bite me in the ass sooner or later. Did she really just kidnap the girl for a servant? Or is there something more going on here?

All these questions aren't helped by a fruitless search. Thought finding the girl here would be like looking for an apple among oranges, but I haven't seen even a sign of her. Hope the witch didn't change routes. I'm getting tired of this chase as is. Even the picture isn't helping.

I get knocked out of my thoughts by a shove. Some pint-size triple eyed brat didn't even have the decency to say "excuse me".

"Watch it, geezer."

"Cute kid…" I say with every bit of dry sarcasm.

"They get real vicious at that age. I should know."

…Figures. She musta been waiting for me. I turn my attention to the Owl Lady, smugly looking at me from a few feet away. "Hey there, pellet witch." I light myself a cigarette. If we're really gonna get into this, I'll need a smoke.

"That's Owl Lady to you, tomato face."

"Only my pals call me that. To you, it's Hellboy."

"Oh, what's the matter, not Hellish enough to be a man?"

"I've got enough self-respect to not care."

"No sense of self-preservation though, since you've been antagonizing the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles."

"Think you misspelled "cockiest". Besides, if you're so powerful, how come you been running from me all day?"

"Because it would be a waste of my time to trounce you. I've got better things to do than teach a hornless idiot that he shouldn't mess with me… but then you attacked my house, my friend King, and you're trying to take my human…"

"Your human? That's a laugh…" We share a glare. "Listen, Lady… I'm tired, you're ugly… and neither of us are getting any younger. How about we end this already?"

"Excuse you, I am clearly an eleven out of ten. But sure, I agree. So tell you what… you leave this town and never show your face to me again, and I'll agree to not vaporize you on the spot."

"Better offer. You give me the girl, and I won't completely ruin your face with the beating I'll give you." I take the cigarette from my mouth. "Might wanna take me up on that."

"Not happening, you hornless freak. She's staying with me."

Again with the horns. "Well, in that case," I flick the cigarette in her direction. "Let's do this."

Our staredown lasts a while. Both of us are waiting for the other to make a move. And we know it.

All of the sudden, Owl Lady slams her staff on the ground… a blast of smoke comes forward, covering my sight. I dash forward to where I know she was, hoping she didn't take the chance to run. All I get is more smoke. Great.

The hell's that rumbling noise?

A giant owl face comes bursting into view. "JEEZ!" I barely have time to jump out of the way before several smaller ones come from the ground, darting towards me. They're slower than the bird door though, at it takes a few second to smash each one.

The attack clears up the smoke, but I haven't spotted her yet. By now, people are running away, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. She knows where I am though and feels fine taking pot shots at me. I feel myself be struck by bolts of fire. I can take hits like that just fine. Fire's no big deal. But I'd really like to figure out where she's shooting me from.

I spot her on one of the top of the stands. That smug look is still on her face. I take out my gun and fire on her, knowing she probably thinks I can only punch people. She doesn't seem too surprised. Must've been informed by her little friend. What does catch her off guard is when my gun blasts off her hand.

Unfortunately, she's got another trick up her sleeve. I see her hand still move after I blast it- looks like I didn't damage it too badly- it draws a circle in the air, while the main body itself shoots more fire bolts at me. I do my best to weave through them.

I run towards her, wanting to close the distance- it's obvious she wants to keep this a ranged fight. I get up close and it'll be a bad time for her. She seems to know, cause I get tripped up by a sudden by a rope with a mind of its own.

Doesn't take me too long to rip it off, but it's long enough for her to grab her hand… and reattach it to herself. Well, that's perfect. She's like a lego or something…

Can't let it slow me down. She seemingly sinks into the ground right as I get to the stall. Really hate this game of hide and seek.

I don't have to spend too much time waiting for her to show. This time I feel a shock- lightning feels like. That does hurt worse. This time she's up in the air, floating. A stronger blast of lightning hits me, flinging me into several of the stands. Gonna feel that one tomorrow. But this is a good opportunity. She floats lower, thinking she's got me. I pull myself up with a nearby wheelbarrow full of some kind of vegetable. Right as she prepares another spell, I throw the thing at her, knocking her out of the sky. She lands some good yards away. Better close the distance while I can.

She's tougher than I thought she'd be. She jumps up, and slams her staff again. I'm seeing double now… scratch that, about twenty of her. They start whizzing around me, taunting me. I try to hit one, but my fist goes right through, dissipating it. Illusions, no doubt. Looks like they go away if I disrupt em.

But I can't go swinging my fists wildly. That's probably what she wants. I keep my pistol at the ready.

"Sleep tight." I whirl around to find her right behind me, just as she hits me with some kind of spell.

SLEEP

The word rings in my head. A sleep spell, huh? Too bad for you, snaggletooth. I'm not feeling all too tired.

That finally takes the smile off her face. I might not know all that much about her, but she doesn't know everything about me either. In my coat, I have charms and talismans collected from all over the world to protect against magic. In particular to this case, I've got charms that ward off sleep spells. One too many sneaky bastards use it as an escape plan, and they used to hit me a lot.

Still, I've been feeling some of these hits. I've learned recently that they don't always completely protect me. And this witch's attacks have hurt me a few times. I guess I should be glad the anti-sleep charms were potent enough… or that her sleep spell wasn't as strong as her others.

I throw a punch, but she's still got enough sense to fight. She throws up a force field of some kind up, but it cracks with my first punch. Another swing and it shatters. Should've paid attention to her staff though, she's got some spell prepared. She aims it at me point blank, and my instincts tell me to dodge. Just a tad too late though, and I feel a cold sensation wash over a large part of my body.

My body's encased in ice… a freezing spell. Getting bad flashbacks to Marrakesh… My stone arm's stuck, at least enough to not have good leverage. My other's free though. Still strong, but it could take a few punches more to shatter the ice.

Owl Lady starts walking up to me. "Well, I'll admit. You're one tough fella. Caught me off guard a few times even. Not easy to do when you don't use magic, especially against me. But I think this fight's over. Probably should've slept when you had the chance. Now I gotta give you a nap the hard way."

Better think fast, or this might hurt. I check to see if there's anything around me. No, it's all too far. Anything on me? I got one pocket on my coat completely free. Only one chance then… she's charging up some kind of spell, and I don't want to find out what it is.

My luck must be turning around.

I pull the pin from the grenade with my mouth and toss the thing in front of me. "I don't think it's gonna be my naptime." She seems to realize the threat and throws another shield up.

I'm not out of this yet.

The explosion rocks the ground, causing me to fall over. I look back and see smoke billowing up from where the fight was going on. "Eda…"

"She can take that guy no problem, Luz. Come on, we got to go! We're almost off the schoolyard!"

"We… we can't just leave her with that guy!"

"Luz, I don't mean to be cruel, but I'm a small guy, and you only know a light spell. Neither of us are in a position to help her. Also- he's after you!"

"I know, but I… I just…"

"Luz, Eda will be fine. She's gotten out of worse scrapes before. You have to trust her. Now come on!"

As much as I hate leaving her, King's right. Reluctantly, I start running, but can't keep my eyes off of the smokestack…

Probably should've actually been looking forward. "OOF!" I say, before falling flat on my butt.

"UNNH!... Watch it, nitwit! Oh, it's you…" Who said that? Wait, why can't I see?!

"AHH! King, I've gone blind!"

"What are you… wait a minute…" A flash of light shines on me as I feel the mask pulled off of me. I'm very relieved to see again…

Only to find Amity is the first thing I see. "WAH!"

"I knew it! I knew there was something wrong with you! You're Willow's "abomination"!"

"Uh… I can explain!" Before I can, I hear the fighting from behind us… is it getting closer?

"Can we do this some other time?" King asks.

Amity ignores him, but I'm starting to drown out the talking too. "Explain what, exactly? How you're obviously trying to sneak into the school to cause trouble again? Is this all your doing?!" I stare closer at the fairground. Surely, I wasn't mishearing… "Are you even listening to me?!"

It happens in a moment. I see the stalls in front of me start smashing and flying aside. I instinctively fling myself against Amity, sending us both to the ground. "WATCH OUT!"

We hit the ground, and I can feel the wind and some rubble hit my back- it's small but it stings a little. The rest of it lands over us. I can tell from the impact it makes that it would've hurt. I stare at it a moment, amazed at close we were to injury.

"Get off of me!" Amity tosses me aside. Her face is all red for some reason… did she get hit?

I turn back to find out what caused that explosion of wood. Thankfully, it's Eda. But she has a shield up, and is breathing deeply and is sweating. The shield's looking very cracked… "Who hits people with statues?! That's just rude…"

"Eda!"

"Kid? I told you to head home!"

"I…" I don't have time to answer her. A shadow looms in the dust in front of her… but she's focused on me. "EDA! LOOK OUT!"

Eda's too late to dodge. A giant fist smashes through her shield and into her, not only sending her flying away, but in pieces. Her parts hit the ground in front of me. "Eda! Are you okay?!"

"Ohhhh…" She's knocked out.

"Huh… guess I really did knock her head clean off." I look up to the figure in the dust… who is now staring right at me. "Hang on a sec…"

"Oh boy…"

"HIYAH!" I hear King yell at the top of his lungs. "RUN!" He shouts at me, before charging at the stranger. He simply catches King and throws him off to the side weakly.

Amity doesn't seem to know what to do. She's frozen in fear. Eda and King are out of commission… but… he's looking for me, right? He only wants me?

I bolt, making a mad dash for anywhere but here.

"Hey! Stop!" The guy shouts.

I can't slow down. I can hear hooves behind me… cloven hooves? No. Can't focus on that. Gotta move. I've got to get him as far from Eda and King and Amity…

I run a few blocks, making twist and turns the whole way. I make a few last sharp turns, before I notice an empty stall. I jump inside and try to stay quiet.

At first, I don't hear anything. I'm left alone with my thoughts. But then, I see a shadow in the light. It moves every now and then. He's checking all the stalls… It's not long before his figure emerges in the doorway.

Lo siento, mami…

The figure moves through the entrance towards me. Eda was right… he was big. And I don't have anything to protect me! Oh, this is bad…

"There you are. Been looking all over for you."

W-what does he want with me? Oh no… are humans a delicacy to guys like him? I do my best to try and scooch away, but the only thing I feel is wall behind me.

"Hey, whoa now. It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm on your side."

On my side? Why would the big scary guy be on my side? He kneels down, and I can finally see him clearly.

"Are you hurt? Any bruises or scrapes?"

I… I don't believe my eyes.

My terror turns into utter excitement. I feel my jaw widen on its own. Of course he would be here to help. He's… he's…

"Sorry if I frightened you or anything. The name's-"

"¡DIOS MIO, ERES HELLBOY!"

"Uh… yeah. That's me."

"Soy un gran admirador, he leído todos tus cómics y he visto todas tus películas. ¡Tengo muchas preguntas! ¿Con cuántos gorilas cyborg has luchado? ¿Cuál es el monstruo más espeluznante que has visto? ¿Alguna vez saliste con un hombre lobo? ¡¿ME DAS TU AUTÓGRAFO?!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, kid!"

"Sorry! I just got really excited. You have no idea, I've heard all about your adventures with the BPRD. The Tunisian Mirage, The Sword of Storms, The Zombies of Brazil! I've just love your comics!"

"Those things never get the eyes right…"

"The only thing I love more is 'Good Witch Azura'. In fact, I wrote a crossover fanfic between the two of you online! It only has like, thirty reviews… but I'm very proud of it!"

"Look, I'm flattered and all, but we need to focus. Are you okay? Can you walk?"

"Oh? Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Good. So your kidnapper hasn't done any weird spells to you. As far as I can tell… Get ready to move, kid. We wanna get you home in one piece."

"Huh? What do you-"

"Luz! …Luz! Answer me!"

"Eda!" She's okay!

"Damn. Tough hag… don't worry, kid. Stay here for now, while I go have a talk with your would-be master."

"Um… okay?" What on earth did he mean by that? Wait… maybe he's here to help us with the guy that's trying to find me!

…Wait a sec… if Eda was fighting Hellboy…

"Then you haven't met a red-skinned, stone armed big guy with missing horns?"

And Hellboy wants to save me from someone he thinks already kidnapped me…

"Stay here for now, while I go have a talk with your would-be master."

…Uh oh.

I rush outside. The two of them are already at it again, smashing through nearby buildings. King must've helped Eda put herself back together…

"You stay away from Luz!" She fires a lightning bolt at Hellboy.

Hellboy blocks it with his stone hand, all the while he fires his gun at her. "That's my line, hag!"

"Hag?! I'm in my forties, you asshole!" Oof. Another curse from Eda as she slams the ground with her staff. A tree-like arm bursts from the ground and tries to squash Hellboy.

"Coulda fooled me!" He says, cracking it apart as he meets it with his own fist.

On the one hand, it's pretty awesome seeing my mentor and my hero-idol go at it in a glorious fight. But on the other hand, I really need to stop this before either of them gets hurt. Eda's looking exhausted, and she could succumb to her curse if she uses too much more. And the BPRD can't lose Hellboy… "HEY! EDA! HELLBOY! PLEASE, STOP! YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT ANYMORE!"

It's no use. They're going at it so hard, they can't hear me. What can I do? If I get in the middle of it, I could get hurt, completely defeating the purpose of both. And all I know is a light spell…

A… a light spell. A very shiny light spell.

I grab a nearby stick from the ground and begin drawing. I need to complete it before they take the fight somewhere else. "Luz! There you are!" King rushes up to me as I'm almost done. "Come on, we got to go!"

"No! I know how to stop this fight! I just need to complete this glyph!" I go back to drawing.

"Are you nuts?! That won't do anything to him!"

"I'm not trying to hurt him!"

"What?!"

"Just trust me!" I finish the circle. If this doesn't do it, I might have to get involved. I slam down my hands as hard as I can…

The surface of the ground is sucked into the orb of light that emerges. I turn to the two fighting. I've gotten the attention of both. It's now or never.

"Please! Please, stop fighting!" I turn to Eda. "He's not here to hurt me! He helps people!"

"What?! Wait, do you… know him?!"

"Yes… well, not really… I can tell you when we get back to the house." I then turn to Hellboy. "Thank you, Hellboy… but I wasn't kidnapped. I… I chose to stay here myself."

He looks shocked. "…You're gonna have to explain that one to me, kid."

"I will… to both of you." I sigh in relief. King climbs onto my shoulder, probably also confused.

Man, what a day this has been.

Hoo! That one was a doozy to write.

Sorry folks, I tried to do Hooty justice, but I don't think he'd beat Hellboy at the end of the day. He's faced weirder and worse.

Eda on the other hand… well, she would put up a far better fight.

THAT BEING SAID- My advice, follow Stan Lee's word on the matter, and don't worry too much about who would logically beat who. Do what makes sense, but also what makes the story interesting. Another thing I've learned is to make sure both sides of a crossover are treated with the same level of respect. You don't want one side looking better than the other. It's why I had some technicalities in their fight, and why neither truly won.

Some review responses I wanted to touch on in particular-

Dragobluejay1- 1. Too early to say. 2. Spoilers.

awsomerebel55- Not quite repelling with a cross, eh?

dirtrevor- Uh... no.

Guest- Yeah, I have no idea how I screwed that up. I changed it for the AO3 because it didn't match the continuity, but forgot to do it for the version. Bwah bwah. Fixed it, though.

Drake D Hero- We're almost on the same wavelength. I did consider a bar confrontation, but there was already plenty of action going on. Felt unnecessary.

Helljumper206- Glad I was as accurate to Owl House as I was Hellboy.

zapper990- I ain't fizzling yet. I'm sizzling! ... I'm so sorry.

icedshadows- Is that haiku? Some of the syllables don't match... Thanks though, man. Appreciate it.

Give me the word, all you birds! I love to hear feedback, whether you need to learn me a few things or just like the story, I keep an open ear. See you next time!