"Hey, Mick."
The Sinner didn't know which baffled him most. The fact that the two Succubi he met in Imp City were both standing on the stage right in front of him and his two companions, or that one of them quickly called him out by name the second they stepped into view! Either way, it was an immediate cause for panic as far as he was concerned.
"Wha?… How?" he spurted out, barely able to even string a sentence together at first. "The fuck are you two doing here!?"
"We're working, what's your excuse!?" Coco retorted, her tone completely hushed as she brought her lips away from her mic for a moment.
"And is that a fucking Cherub!?" Apple added, her tone just as hushed as her girlfriend's.
Upon hearing the Succubus's question, Wimzy's eyes immediately shrank in horror.
"You can SEE me!?"
As surprising as that revelation was, however, it didn't take all that long for the trio to realize how much it made sense. Given that Coco and Apple were also denizens of Hell, it was highly unlikely they would be put under the same effects that Humans were, especially given their own abilities. As such, even if she could hide herself from the people of Earth, a Succubus could see her as clear as day.
"What the unholy hell are you doing hanging around with this ball of fluff!?" Apple gasped.
"Long story," Mick insisted, not really in the mood for big explanations at the moment.
Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of Coco clearing her throat.
"Guys! Never mind the chit-chat," she uttered through gritted teeth and a forced smile as she gestured her head towards the audience. "Everyone's watching!"
Hearing that, everyone turned their heads towards the crowd in front of the stage, who suddenly began to murmur in confusion as they wondered what the hell was going on. As much as Mick didn't want to admit it, neither he nor Linda seemed to be any better off even with the fake Stunt Show story.
"I don't suppose you would mind helping us get out of here, would you?" Linda asked politely, her blush intensifying as she tried to avert her eyes from such gorgeous bodies.
"Any bright ideas would be great," Mick added, swiftly starting to feel like a deer in headlights from all the staring he was receiving.
Scratching her chin for a brief moment, Coco suddenly snapped her fingers and smirked.
"No problem," she said before turning her head towards her girlfriend. "Babe, tell the DJ to start playing track 27."
"Got it, hun," Apple replied with a nod, having a rough idea of what Coco had in mind.
As soon as her girlfriend exited stage-right, the Succubus in the Afro quickly snapped her attention to the Demon/Angel trio.
"The Cherub can fall back," she instructed before pointing two fingers at Mick and Linda in particular. "And you two, try to at least pretend you're part of the show and follow our lead."
Despite not knowing what was going through Coco's head, Mick nonetheless spoke for everyone and gave the disguised Succubus an understanding nod.
"Understood," he said, allowing her to focus her attention back to the crowd.
"Well now, I hope you all enjoyed that little appetiser because the main course is about to begin!" she declared, causing the audience to once again roar with excitement. "Now, I know most of you are disappointed that Verosika herself couldn't make it today, but I hope two gorgeous members of her crew are enough to whet your appetite!"
Given the way that Coco was riling up the crowd with her voice and body alone, it was no wonder that she would be part of Verosika Mayday's crew, in fact one couldn't help but imagine that she and Apple could one day go solo and become headliners all on their own. Either way, between the catcalls and the howling, Mick, Linda and Wimzy couldn't help but wonder what the Succubus was plotting.
"That being said," she continued. "Allow us to satisfy your hunger with a special performance, sponsored by Asmodeum, the steamiest cologne this side of LA! Hit it!"
Suddenly loud upbeat music started to blast out from the speakers, much to the confusion of the Angel/ Demon trio.
"Wait, what's going on?" Linda blurted out, only for Apple to suddenly reappear and push her and Mick into certain positions on the stage while, at the same time, kicking the Mingeworthys' unconscious bodies off it.
"It's a musical number, cutie," she explained with a smirk. "And you two are our backup dancers."
"Backup dancers!?" Mick exclaimed. "Are you insane!?"
"Trust us, okay!?" Apple retorted, rushing over to stand beside her girlfriend at centre stage. "Just relax and let our music do the rest!"
Left with no other choice, all Mick and Linda could do was do as Apple instructed, while Wimzy managed to slip away unnoticed by the audience and watch from the side. Before they knew it, Coco and Apple once again brought their microphones to their lips and let out the first few notes of their song.
Coco:
One way or another, I'm gonna find ya,
I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya,
One way or another, I'm gonna win ya,
I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya,
One way or another, I'm gonna see ya,
I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya
One day, maybe real soon, I'm gonna meet ya,
I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya,
Coco and Apple:
And when the sun has gone down,
I'll tear off my satin gown,
Then we'll play arooooooooooound,
As it turned out, the power of a Succubus' voice was nothing to joke about. While most Succubi could only hypnotize a single Human into acting on their most carnal desires, the occasionally more powerful ones like Verosika Mayday could make an entire audience go into a wild, steamy orgy all on her own with only one song. But should two or more Succubi sing in tandem, their voices' hypnotic effect could even affect their fellow Demons even though they would be immune to them otherwise, so much so in fact they basically become puppets on a string… as Mick and Linda would quickly find out that day.
"Woah!" Mick exclaimed, his arm suddenly jolting upward as if it were acting on its own. "What's happening!?"
"Miiiiiiiiiiick?" Linda uttered nervously as she too felt her limbs suddenly move of their own accord.
It took a moment to realize it, but it appeared that Coco and Apple's music appeared to be controlling them into performing a small dance routine moving in sync with the two Succubi in front of them. So THIS was what Apple meant!? Alas, regardless of how they found themselves in this situation, all the two Demons could do was play along as the lead performers started up the next verse.
"Sing it, babe!" Coco cried out, causing her girlfriend to giggle before she sang.
Apple:
One way or another, we're gonna find ya,
We're gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya,
One way or another we're gonna grab ya,
Coco:
I'll snatch ya!
Apple:
I'll catch ya!
Coco and Apple:
One way or another we're gonna miss ya
I'm gonna hug ya, I'll kiss ya,
One day,
Apple:
Maybe next week!
Coco and Apple:
We're gonna wreck ya,
Coco:
And then we'll beg ya,
Apple:
I'll peg ya!
"Now dance, my precious little dorks!" Coco cried out, "Dance till the break of dawn!"
The instant Coco yelled those words, the entire crowd roared with excitement, all of them enthralled with the hypnotic music as they found themselves playing to her command and started dancing around like fools. Watching all of this from behind the two Succubi, Mick and Linda could only stare in awe as the audience succumbed to their will. Even Wimzy found herself flabbergasted as she watched from the sidelines. Granted, she had heard of a Succubus's power before, but to see it in person was another thing entirely.
Coco and Apple:
And like a cat in the night,
We'll stalk you by moonlight,
Don't fret, we don't biiiiiiiiiiiiiite,
Apple:
(Not unless you want us to!)
Suddenly, Mick and Linda's arms fell limp as Apple and Coco's magical hold over them left their bodies. Looking over towards the two disguised Succubi, Mick suddenly noticed Apple gesturing her head towards the right side of the stage. With everyone else too enthralled with the music, now was the perfect time to escape.
"Let's go!" Mick hushfully exclaimed, once again picking Linda up over his shoulder before rushing off the stage, grabbing Wimzy by the arm as he ran for the nearest exit.
With the trio swiftly disappearing from sight, Coco and Apple smiled as they brought their song to its close.
Coco and Apple:
One way or another, we're gonna find ya,
We're gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya
One way or another, we're gonna snag ya,
Coco:
I'm gonna bag ya,
Apple:
I'll shag ya!
Coco, Apple and the Audience:
One way or another, we're gonna meet ya,
Yeah, we're gonna greet ya, eat ya, then we'll treat ya!
One way, maybe right now, no more debatin', it's aggravatin',
Ozzie's waitin', sayin',
One way or another!
With that final word, the audience once again roared with excitement, many of them feeling either surprisingly horny or in a state of euphoria. In any case, it was clear that the little "stunt show" they had just witnessed, appeared to be merely a speck of a memory that they would soon forget in favour of Coco and Apple's song. The only ones who didn't share in the enthusiasm were the two semi-unconscious losers at the foot of the stage.
"Eeeeeghh, dear?" Lord Mingeworthy groaned, rubbing his throbbing head beneath his wig.
"Yes, darling?" his wife uttered, being no less dazed than her husband.
"I want to go back to Clamville,"
A short while later, Mick, Linda and Wimzy burst through one of the side doors of the Convention Center and found themselves rushing into what appeared to be a surprisingly clean alley for L.A. Taking a moment to catch their breath, all three of them couldn't help but vent after everything they have just been through.
"Man, that was so intense!" Wimzy exclaimed.
"That's easy for YOU to say," Linda pointed out, stretching out her back a little after enduring that enforced dance number. "Never thought I could be so flexible."
"I guess must be what the rats of Hamelin felt when the Pied Piper came to town," Mick added, readjusting his neck just to make sure it didn't spin around again. "Dance number aside, are you sure you're alright, Liddy? You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, I'm alright," Linda insisted, though hardly able to hide how much she was trembling after everything she had just been through. "Just a little shaken up is all."
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh.
"Good," he said, smiling beneath his mask. "Glad to hear that. To be honest, I was half expecting you to dive into the nearest trash can and refuse to come out."
Considering the fact that she and Mick met each other after she refused to come out of a cardboard box, Linda couldn't blame him for thinking such a thing. Nevertheless, she was unable to keep herself from smirking at his remark.
"Had I been the same Imp from when you first met me, that likely would have been the case," she admitted. "But after everything we've been through, I like to think I've grown a LITTLE backbone since then. Hell, compared to the duck-faced asshole, those Brits were morons beyond belief."
"I'm not so sure that they were even British," Wimzy commented. "I mean I've seen more convincing outfits at a costume party… a low-budget costume party.
…
"Pfffffffffthahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Unable to help herself, Linda found herself a moment of relief in the form of incredulous laughter. After the ridiculousness of everything she had been through, laughing somehow felt like the most natural response to Wimzy's joke. After a moment, she eventually calmed herself down enough to give the Cherub a genuine look of gratitude and admiration.
"Hey, um… Thank you," she said, catching Wimzy off guard with her words alone. "For saving my life I mean."
Hearing that, Wimzy could only give the disguised Imp a bashful smile, unsure of what words she could possibly respond with. However, that wasn't to say that Mick didn't have a few words.
"Yeah, thanks Wimzy," he added, his tone actually filled with gratitude for the Angel's deed. "I'll admit it… you're alright."
…
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Before the two of them even had a chance to blink, Wimzy suddenly squealed like an excited schoolgirl and tackled the two Demons into a bone-crushing hug.
"BESTIES!" she cried out, feeling the biggest rush of her life after hearing Mick finally acknowledge her with respect.
"Yep!" the Cat Demon choked out, unable to fathom how someone so small could be so strong as the Cherub's little arms began to crush his spine. "She's a hugger, alright!"
"Can't… breathe!" Linda added, her face turning slightly blue around the same time she swore she heard one of her ribs cracking.
BAM!
It was only upon the sound of the door suddenly being kicked open that Wimzy released the two from her embrace before all three of them snapped and saw Coco and Apple joining them in the alley. Given the sour looks on their faces, Mick could tell that this wasn't going to be a fun conversation.
"Okay, what the fuck is going on!?" Coco snapped, focusing her attention on Mick in particular.
"You owe us an explanation, Cat-boy!" Apple added, pointing an accusing finger at Mick's masked face.
"Nice to see you girls again too," Mick replied with a sigh and a deadpan expression beneath said mask. "How'd you know it was me?"
Of course, both Succubi practically glared at him as if he had just asked the stupidest of questions upon hearing that.
"Please, we've seen your videos, Mick," Coco pointed out. "We know what your fire looks like."
"Plus we can smell your fur,"
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but sniff his arm to validate what his fellow Demons chose to point out. Regardless of that, however, he was more annoyed that once again his Crazy Cat/Fireclaw videos have once again come back to bite him in the ass! So much so, that he was already secretly planning certain "punishments" for the one who posted that first damn video. Either way, the jig was up and now Mick and Linda had two Succubi to tend to on top of everything else they've been through today.
"Now how the FUCK are you up here!?"Apple practically demanded, she and her girlfriend losing more patience by the second. "More to the point, how do you even HAVE a Human disguise!?"
"Yeah, this shouldn't even be possible," Coco added. "Ya know? Given that you're a Sinner!"
Given that these two were Hellborn denizens of Hell who frequently visited the Living World for their work, it was no surprise that they would be so familiar with the ins and outs of how the process worked. And with an unregistered Imp and a Sinner walking around on Earth when they shouldn't be, their outrage was understandable.
"We, uh…" Linda tried to say, trying desperately to find the right words that wouldn't get anyone else in trouble. If these two found out about the Succubi who helped them reach the Living World, who knows how much trouble they could get into?
At that moment, however, a look of realization washed over Coco's face.
"Wait… did you use an Asmodean Crystal!?" she asked.
Seeing no point in trying to hide it, Mick and Linda let out a small sigh and reached into their pockets, revealing both the choker stud and the bell in their possession. Upon seeing these items, both Coco and Apple's eyes shrank in horror.
"Fuck, Mick!" Coco exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how reckless that is!? We gotta get you both back to Hell before-
"Wait, Coco!" Apple suddenly interrupted. "Look… they're both disguised, aren't they?"
Coco, of course, rolled her eyes at such a dumb question.
"Well, obviously!" she snapped. "But, they…"
It was at that moment, that Coco's words failed in her throat as a sudden realization that her girlfriend seemingly beat her to washed over her.
"Mick… how many Crystals do you guys have?" she asked, much to Linda's confusion.
"W-we only have the two," she answered.
"And they're… BOTH still working?" Apple asked, only adding to Linda's confusion.
"Well… yeah, why wouldn't they?"
The instant those words left Linda's mouth, both Coco and Apple were left completely flabbergasted. Of course, neither of them was more confused than Wimzy was as she watched the whole exchange, her existence seemingly being ignored by the two Succubi in place of their confusion.
"Why would- Are you serious!?" Coco eventually exclaimed, snapping out of her momentary stupor. "If it was THAT easy for a Sinner to use an Asmodean Crystal, don't you think most of them would be trying to get one to escape Hell before the Extermination every year!? There are precautions in place to prevent shit like that!"
Being unfamiliar with the full extent of the power and legislations of the Crystals, hearing such a thing come out of Coco's mouth was certainly shocking news for the young Imp, who could only give Mick a mild look of panic that was responded with unease from the Sinner.
"P-precautions?" Linda repeated, feeling an uncomfortable knot in her stomach.
"Yeah, your Crystal shouldn't even be WORKING right now," Apple elaborated. "So how the fuck are you managing to pull this off!?"
Obviously, neither Mick nor Linda could form the right words that would satisfy the Succubus's question. After all, it's not like either of them did anything special outside of what Dominique and Desiree had instructed them before they even opened the portal. But given their tone, Apple and Coco might as well believe that the two Demons somehow managed to accomplish both a miracle and an atrocity simultaneously.
"Guess it's just my natural dumb luck?" Mick eventually said with an awkward shrug.
Of course, that only made the glares coming from the two Succubi intensify, neither of them was in the mood for jokes. Wimzy, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a little intrigued as she watched the exchange. She may not know precisely why the two women were so upset, but after hearing about the Asmodean Crystals, she seemed rather fascinating… that is until the conversation suddenly took a different turn.
"You know what!? I don't think I even WANT to know," Coco eventually exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "At least that way we can have plausible deniability if and when the shit hits the fan… What I DO want to know is how the unholy Hell you ended up getting mixed up with a fucking CHERUB!?"
Seeing Coco's finger suddenly pointing at her, right between the eyes, Wimzy was understandably startled. However, that quickly faded the moment she saw Coco and Apple giving her a suspicious glare.
"Wow… rude much," she commented, giving Coco a deadpan stare as she hovered closer to Mick.
Knowing full well how awkward this exchange was going to get, Mick easily let out a small groan in frustration as he stepped in between the Cherub and the two Succubi.
"Right, girls, this is Wimzy," he said, gesturing towards the Angel before doing the same for his fellow Demons. "Wimzy, this is Coco and Apple, some friends of mine from… down under."
Pausing for a second to register what the Cat Demon just said, a look of realization suddenly washed over Wimzy's face.
"Oooooooooooh!" she let out. "So THAT's why you can still see me!"
Given her illusion was mostly meant to keep her out of sight from Humans, it was no wonder that other Demons would be immune to the effects like Mick and Linda were.
"Well… we're waiting for an explanation, Mick," Coco uttered, crossing her arms as she rapidly began losing her patience.
At those words, a defeated sigh finally escaped Mick's lip.
"It's… complicated?" he answered awkwardly, unsure of how he should word his next response.
"Then give us the abridged version," Apple all but demanded as a retort.
Seeing no other way out of this conversation, Mick gave Linda and Wimzy a small glance, who in turn looked at each other before giving the Sinner a silent nod. At that moment, Mick knew that he and the others agreed. After bailing them out of their situation, the least Mick and Linda could do was tell Coco and Apple the truth… albeit omitting certain incriminating details.
"Alright," he eventually said with another defeated sigh. "It's like this…"
And so began Mick and Linda's small story of how and why they were in the Living World, starting from their arrival to meeting Wimzy, all the way to how they ended up in the Convention Center. Of course, as they had promised, they didn't give the names of the Succubi who rightfully owned the Asmodian Crystals, claiming that they stole them while they were left unattended. Not that Coco and Apple fully believed them on that detail, however, given the suspicious faces they gave. Thankfully they both didn't press the issue, seemingly understanding the two not wanting to get their fellow conspirators into trouble. In any case, it didn't stop them from fully grasping the more important details of the story.
"… So long story short, Linda and I are still looking for Octavia, and Wimzy here is helping us out," Mick eventually concluded, summarizing the whole scenario for the two Succubi. "I know the whole thing sounds ridiculous, but I swear it's the truth."
"Given the fact that you literally stole a hang-glider to save my life when we first met, I think ridiculous is basically normal for you," Apple commented with a smirk.
"Wait, what?" Wimzy uttered with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll tell you about it later," Linda whispered in her ear.
Coco, on the other hand, was still pinching the bridge of her nose, still trying to process everything she had just heard.
"So… you two came all the way up here just to find your lost friend," she said. "You knew there would be risks, but you came up here anyway… she must be one lucky girl."
"Why?" Linda asked curiously, only for Coco to smirk back.
"If anyone had friends like you, who wouldn't be?" she retorted with a small wink.
Hearing that, Linda couldn't help but bashfully blush again. After all, if a lovely lady gave a compliment like that followed by a playful wink, who wouldn't?
"I'm still a little confused though," Apple pointed out. "Why would an Angel be so willing to help out a Demon? Shouldn't you be judging everyone high up in a candy cloud or something?"
Obviously, Mick had also omitted the backstory Wimzy had shared with him earlier while telling the two Succubi what had occurred. Given how personal it was, he sure as hell wasn't going to spill the beans, especially since he felt such details were irrelevant. Regardless, that didn't stop Wimzy herself from giving Apple a suitable answer.
"Well, I dunno… I just like these guys, I guess," she said, much to Coco and Apple's surprise.
Given the lack of strain on Wimzy's throat, Mick and Linda knew in an instant that her Honesty Crest wasn't hurting her. In other words, her words were 100% the truth, giving Linda cause to smile in awe and Mick to nod his head in respect. Alas, the sweet moment had to end as soon as Coco let out yet another sigh.
"Alright, I'll admit what you guys are doing is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard," she pointed out before her face turned serious. "But regardless of the circumstances, you know you can't stay here, right Mick? You may have been lucky so far but if you stay up here in the Human World for much longer, someone IS going to find out about it.
"And they sure as fuck won't be as friendly as we are, I'll tell you that much," Apple added.
As much as Mick and Linda wanted to deny it, the two Succubi did have a good point. Between all the bullshit they've been through today, and the fact that the sun was already starting to go down, it was pretty clear that the pair of them had been on Earth for WAY too long. As such, the urgency of their mission has all but skyrocketed as soon as that realization hit home.
"We appreciate the concern, girls, but we're not going anywhere until we know Octavia is safe," Mick stated firmly. "Regardless of how long it takes, we NEED to find her."
Linda, however, could only let out a solemn sigh at such a declaration.
"I feel the same way, Mick, but this whole Convention thing has set us back by ages," she pointed out. "After all of this, we're practically back at square one."
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
While Mick and Linda continued to talk amongst themselves, a light buzz suddenly came from Apple's back pocket, causing her to sheepishly pull out her Hellphone.
"Sorry," she said to her girlfriend. "Forgot to turn off my Sinstagram."
Opening up the app on her phone, Apple turned her back to the conversation for a brief moment to check her notifications to quickly change her settings. The moment she saw the image on the screen, however, she found herself pausing for a second.
"Hey, cool pic," she said aloud.
It may have seemed irrelevant and it may have just been for the briefest of seconds, but as soon as those words left Apple's mouth, Mick's attention was then brought to her general direction. Upon seeing the image on the Succubus's Hellphone, a small gasp escaped his throat.
"Babe, I love you, but you really need to cut back on social media," Coco commented with a roll of her eyes, only to receive a small raspberry from her girlfriend as a result.
"Oh, boo you," she retorted, "There is nothing wrong with- HEY!"
Faster than one could blink, Mick suddenly snatched the Hellphone from Apple's hand and took a closer look, giving his eyes cause to go wide with shock.
"Oh sweet Lucifer below…" he uttered, much to Linda and Wimzy's confusion.
"What is it, Mick?" the Cherub asked curiously.
"Look!" Mick exclaimed, showing the two the image on the screen.
The moment she saw it, Linda also gasped in shock. There, clear as crystal was Octavia! To be specific, it was a selfie photo that showed Octavia standing in front of a large gothic fountain with dozens of birds in the background. Needless to say, the sight of her alive and well filled both Mick and Linda's hearts with joy and relief.
"So this is Octavia, huh?" Wimzy asked with a light smirk. "No wonder you guys like her so much, she's totes adorbs!"
"Hey!" Apple suddenly blurted out, understandably ticked off. "Could I get my phone back, please?"
"The Hell's up with you guys?" Coco added, raising a confused eyebrow,
Mick, however, was too elated to even care about the glares he was getting and began scrolling through the images of Octavia's Sinstagram page. To his further surprise, all the images on display showed that she had been taking pictures of all the places she had been to since she had first arrived in LA.
"Unbelievable," Mick uttered, finding himself completely dumbfounded. "She's been leaving a breadcrumb trail and we didn't even know it!"
"Okay, I have GOT to get myself a phone after all this!" Linda exclaimed, feeling stupid for not having such a device sooner.
Needless to say, Mick shared Linda's feelings on the matter. Had Stolas's outburst not destroyed his own Hellphone, they probably would have known about Octavia's Sinstagram posts MUCH sooner than they did. Well, either way, this proved to be the much-needed break the trio needed. NOW they had a solid lead!
"Wimzy!" Mick addressed the Angel, showing her the latest image that was posted. "Do you know this fountain?"
"Oh, I know it alright!" she replied with a beaming smile. "Heck, that place is only a block from here!"
"Then let's get going," Mick declared, sharing in the Cherub's smile as he tossed the phone back over to Apple, who in turn fumbled a little before she actually caught it. "Thanks for everything, girls!"
"Hey, wait!" Coco tried to declare, only for her words to fall upon deaf ears.
Before Coco and Apple could even begin to let out a word of protest, Mick and Linda followed Wimzy out of the alley and all three of them suddenly disappeared behind the corner, leaving the pair of them completely dumbfounded before a light smirk appeared on Apple's face.
"Good luck, little kittens,"
To say Octavia was becoming more and more discouraged was a complete understatement. After hours of aimlessly wandering around the streets of LA, she had made little to no progress in her goal. In fact, the only thing she HAD managed to accomplish was getting a few great photos of the most notable places she came across since coming to the Living World, the most recent of which being this awesome-looking fountain. Now the sun was almost down and she and Snowflake were nowhere close to seeing the meteor shower any time soon. There was one last place she could try though. A last hope of sorts. An observatory just a couple of streets away from where she was that she had heard about from a couple of passersby during her wandering. If this place turned out to be a dud, then this whole escapade was a total waste.
"You doing okay, Snowy?" she spoke up, tilting her head towards her bag.
In response, a tired-looking Snowflake popped her head out and let out a small whine, clearly exasperated by her multiple failed attempts to convince Octavia to go home. Taking note of how the little fox was behaving, Octavia could only let out a small sigh.
"Come on, girl," she said. "I know today hasn't been ideal, but we can still make it work… right?"
However, the small glare Snowflake gave her in response was a clear indication that she wasn't at all convinced. In fact, Octavia was even starting to doubt her own words given how close it was to being nighttime… perhaps coming up here WAS a mistake after all. Suddenly, Snowflake's ears perked up before she suddenly dove back into the bag. Looking up ahead, Octavia instantly understood why.
"Hi!" said a guy handing out flyers to anyone he passed by. A guy with a bowl haircut that literally made him look like a giant dick in Octavia's opinion. "Alex Rimmer, upcoming movie producer. Are you by any chance interested in being in a movie… preferably for free?"
Of course, given her current mood, the Goetia Princess only had one thing to say to such an offer.
"Fuck. Off."
Mr. Rimmer, however, didn't seem at all intimidated by the Demon's glare. In fact, he merely scoffed at it and simply kept on walking.
"Okay, whatever bitch," he said, not even giving Octavia so much as a second glance. "Your loss."
As soon as the man walked a fair distance away from her, Octavia once again found herself letting out what felt like the hundredth aggravated groan today.
"Fucking weirdo," she commented, feeling like she was about to have an aneurysm.
Between the rude people, smelly streets and continuous amount of bad luck, Octavia was definitely regretting her choice to steal her father's book and come here to this realm. If she wanted to experience all of that, she might as well have just stayed in Hell. At this point, she even began to wonder whether it was even worth staying up here. No! She couldn't think like that! Not when there was still one place left to try.
Once again poking herself out of the bag, Snowflake could only shake her head in exasperation; there was only so much of Octavia's stubbornness she could take in a single day. Suddenly the Kitsune pup's ears once again perked up as a certain smell hanging off the breeze practically hit her in the face. Lifting her nose in the air, she took a few deep whiffs of the area, allowing her to pick up something… familiar… Daddy!
Her eyes lit up with hope and excitement, the two-tailed fox couldn't help but smirk to herself as a devious plan began to form in her head. If SHE couldn't convince Octavia to go home… she was going to have to bring her to someone who WILL. Before Octavia could even move to stop her, Snowflake leapt out of Octavia's bag and bolted down the street.
"Wait, Snowy where are you-" the Goetia Princess tried to call out, only for her voice to fall upon deaf ears. "ARGH! Snowflake, get back here!"
Her initial goal quickly put aside, Octavia immediately gave chase and followed the little fox away from her intended direction. If anything ever happened to Snowflake on her watch, she would NEVER be able to forgive herself. After about a minute of running, the little fox suddenly turned and rushed into a large parking lot outside what appeared to be a movie-themed restaurant. As the smell of smoked meat and seasonings wafted through her nostrils, Octavia suddenly gasped upon realizing that she had suddenly lost sight of Snowflake, causing her to pull at her beanie in panic.
"Snowy!" she called out, peeking under one of the parked cars in search of the Kitsune pup. "Snowy? Where are you, girl?"
As she continued to search, taking a look under each car that she passed, all of a sudden two shadows loomed over her beneath the light of the recently ignited flood light. Turning her head, she grimaced upon seeing two unsightly, unshaken men wearing white cook uniforms, one with curly ginger hair and one slightly huskier with longer black hair that was practically oozing kitchen grease. More than likely these were two of the employees from the restaurant popping out for a smoke break, and judging from the animalistic smirks on their faces, Octavia knew immediately that they didn't have good intentions now that she was within their sights.
"Well, well, lookie-loo, dude," the greasy-haired one said, his breath stinking of cigarette smoke. "It's some skinny Comic Con freak out past her bedtime."
"Wanna have a good time, lassy?" added the ginger one, causing Octavia to immediately tense up.
"Oh… fuck me," she uttered, much to the two cooks' amusement.
"That's the idea, sweetheart," chuckled the greasy-haired one, taking a step closer to the Goetia Princess.
Needless to say, Octavia was both repulsed and uneasy as the two men edged closer to her, forcing her to take a step back for each step they took forward. Before she even realized it, she had found herself backing into a large white delivery van with a logo depicting a chicken in a bucket. With nowhere else to go, and the two men closing the gap, her options were really starting to become limited. Finally, she made her choice of action.
"Yeah… no!" she declared, before suddenly thrusting her leg forward.
CRACK!
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUGGH!"
One swift kick to the balls and the greasy-haired man was instantly on the ground, clutching his groin with tears in his eyes and giving Octavia the chance she needed to make her escape. As often as she needed to be saved these last few months, there was no way she was going to be the damsel in distress this time. Immediately breaking into a run, Octavia tried to make her way to the nearby street. However, while one man was down for the count, his ginger friend quickly broke out of his stupor to suddenly grab Octavia by the back of her shirt and shove her back into the back of the van.
"Oh no you don't, bitch!" he snarled, readying his fist to throw a punch. "You're gonna pay for that!"
However, even as Octavia snapped her eyes shut and awaited the inevitable, the punch never came due to a sudden intervention, courtesy of the flaming hand gripping the back of the man's neck.
"Nice try, dickhole!"
Recognising that voice almost immediately, Octavia's eyes snapped wide open. At that moment, she saw the man suddenly get thrown to the side by a hand shrouded in familiar blue flames, sending him flying into the back windshield of a nearby convertible. Gazing upon her saviour, the Goetia's jaw practically hit the ground in shock. He may have been wearing a different mask and he may lack his signature tail, but between his flames, his voice and the fact that Snowflake was perched upon his shoulder like a faithful ferret, there was only one person it could be.
"Mick!?"
Upon hearing the sound of his name, the disguised Sinner immediately took Octavia by the hand and pulled her away.
"Let's go!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Apologies for the delay – Due to a prescheduled camping trip, I was unplugged from the internet for the last couple of days. Nonetheless, I appreciate your patience, so thank you.
The Featured Song: A Parody of "One Way or Another" - Sung by Blondie