Finally coming at you with the next chapter! And boy did this one have an interesting journey!
It was originally gonig to be a lot longer, and contain a whole bunch of other scenes, like a suspect rundown and an entirely different ending, to set up to the next chapter. But after a lot of thinking and looking over what I had, and all the stuff I wanted to include, I thought perhaps it would be more focused, if I simplified it and moved some stuff to the next few chapters.
This does however make the prologue feel a little out of place, given who the focus characters end up being. I do try to have the prologue tie into the chapter in some way, and while it still kinda does, I think it would've a lot better had the chapter remained as I intended. I even considered completely rewriting the prologue to better match it, but ultimately decided to go with this one for a few reasons I'll explain later.
Either way, I hope you guys enjoy it.
Also hey. We just hit 100k words! Yay!
On the topmost floor of her castle estate, a lone Goetia was standing by the balcony, looking at the sky with a forlorn expression. So far her only source of company was the small glass of red wine, that she would take the occasional drink of. All the while the sound of music and the latest meaningless gossip raged on downstairs.
There was a lively gala being thrown in her honor downstairs, a celebration for her efforts in killing and capturing the last of the furies. And though Marchosias had insisted on a more low-key affair, with just her and a select member of guests, Lucifer and the other sins had been so pleased, that they insisted on a going all out. Meaning now her home was filled to the brim with royal bastards, most of whom the marchioness barely tolerated or didn't even know. This high-up was the only place where she could escape the worst of it. So far the only silver lining had been Beelzebub crashing the party, quickly taking it over, much to the annoyance of the more stuffy Goetias.
But even that, did very little to improve the marchioness' mood. War, murder, and a daughter being orphaned were never things to be celebrated; even if the furies had been a sadistic, bloodthirsty brood of demons.
Finishing her drink, she looked up at the starless red sky of Pride, the only source of light being the singular white spot next to the pentagram moon. The sealed-off entry to Heaven, guarded by eternal, vigilant angels barring anyone from entering. It just stood up there glowing, as if to taunt the demons and sinners of a better world, forever out of reach.
Marie would often spend her nights, looking at her old home, wondering what her parents were doing; and if they still bothered to think about her. What she wouldn't give for just a moment back in Heaven. Just to tell them how sorry she was; and what a horrible mistake she had made. To once more return to the life of a simple Dominion angel, assisting the cherubs with their lives, rather than that of a warrior leading armies to keep Hell safe from whatever tyrant was threatening upheaval that day.
"How fondly loves the home-sick heart, To ponder o'er the past, And pines for scenes then far apart, To dwell—to die at last; Though richer vales, and balmier gales, May tempt the wanderer's stay, His heart will long to be among, Some scenes far, far away."
The child-like singing voice alerted the marchioness to a familiar presence. Marie turned to spot the first welcomed face in a while. It was Phenex, looking more like an overworked scientist than a member of hell's royalty, with the wrinkled lab coat and baggy pants. She was currently in her female form, the genderfluid Marchioness greeting her with a warm smile.
"Hmm, that's a good one," complimented Marie just as warmly, as she turned to greet her fellow Marquis with a friendly smile. "Did you just come up with that Phen?"
"Been working on a few like them for a while now. Satan knows I need some way to destress myself, in between making all those elixirs and potions for Belphegor," the phoenix let out an exhausted chuckle, as she joined her friend by the balcony. "But right now, I just thought you could use some more tolerable company."
Marchosias let out a long exhausted groan in response, which got Phenex chuckling. "After the Hell of a week I've had, I believe I've had my fill of any kind of company for the rest of the year. Perhaps even the next." Despite her exhaustion, Marie managed to remain happy next to the phoenix. "But thank you anyway."
Phenex smiled back, letting out a tired chuckle afterward. "Enjoy the peace while it lasts. I imagine our schedule's going to be much more packed, now that the furies are finally dead. And good riddance too." The marchioness sounded relieved by the news. "Are you still planning on that trip to Gluttony?"
Marie nodded. "I've already scheduled a meeting with Queen Beelzebub due for next week. Of course it took me a whole 'girl's night out' just to get her to listen to me," the marchioness cringed a little, as she still remembered their first meeting. She had not expected the Queen of Gluttony to be such a wild, bubbly party animal; far too much so for her liking. "But, she does seem to be passionate about the work. I'm confident that together, we can manage great things for the hounds in Gluttony."
"You always did have a soft spot for the lower ranked. Glad to see that hasn't changed here," said Phen with a warm smile, remembering better times in Heaven. How they'd often meet in-between Marie duties as a Dominion and her grueling schedule as a Throne.
"Of course, we can't let Hell change us too much can we?" Marchosias let out a small chuckle, as she teased her good friend: "After all, just because you're no longer a Throne, that hasn't stopped your writing, now has it? Heaven knows without you, half of Hell wouldn't be as educated as it is now if you didn't keep pestering them with your latest poems."
Phen let out a long groan in response: "Oh the days I prefer the burning eye-ball covered wheels. Honestly, half of these people wouldn't know the difference between a gloria and haiku if it stabbed them with the Sword of Michael itself." Marchosias let out a hearty laugh at that one, Phenex eventually chuckling amused shortly after. A comfortable silence fell before the phoenix then frowned uneasily. "So, do you know what'll happen to Tisiphone's daughter?"
"I've talked to Lucifer," Marchosias answered, frowning sadly at the thought of the young girl, who she had helped orphan. "He assured me that Tilphousia will be spared."
A disappointed sigh escaped Phen. "I was worried they'd do that." The phoenix frowned coldly the more she thought about the demon. "You ask me, we'd all be better off if they just killed her. One less Fury and blasted hellborn to worry about."
"How can you say that Phen?" Marie asked, shocked by her friends' callous words. As much as she loved her friend, Phenex's disgust of the hellborn still disappointed her, even after all this time. "She's only a child, Phenex. You can't blame her for the sins of her mothers."
"I know, I know, but what happens when she becomes an adult?" Phenex argued. "I doubt she'll grow up to be a loving, forgiving person, after what you took from her. How do you know, if she won't try to return the favor one day?"
"I'll cross that bridge should it ever be built," sighed the winged wolf tiredly, gently gripping her right arm covered in bandages from two freshly gained scars. "Now please, just let it go."
Phenex seemed to still have more to say, but one look at her friend's discomfort was enough for her to let it slide. "Well, at least we can agree, things will be easier now with the Kindly Ones gone," she said hopefully, trying to change the topic. "No more chaos from winged demons dragging sinners to who knows where, and picking fights with the hellborn. With them gone, things are finally looking up for once."
"Are they?" asked Marchosias somberly, thinking back to the fierce battle. And all the broken bodies of the expandable hellborn legions, who had been sacrificed so that she and her Goetian brethren could defeat the Furies. "I lost several of my best men in that fight. Good innocent people paid there lives for this, and were rewarded with next ot nothing. Now I'll have to go see their families tomorrow, tell them the news, and give them compensation and belongings, and try to explain to their children, why their parents will never come home again."
"You do know, you don't have to, right?" Phen asked, imaging the pain and grief that would cause Marie; on top of the stress she was likely already dealing with. "King Paimon probably has a whole section dedicated to the task."
"Yes, I'm aware," Marie answered with an unreadable expression. "I want to. It's the least I can do."
The phoenix shrugged. "I suppose so. I just hope for your sake most of them weren't from that wretched hive Greed. I swear, most of the demons down there are as bad as sinners," She cringed in disgust at the mention of the Sin, relieved that he wasn't here now, trying to milk whatever cents he could make out of the tragedy.
"That's just because Mammon encourages their vices so he can line up his pockets," Marie protested angrily, feeling herself getting heated over the matter. "They're not all that bad, Phen; None of the hellborn are. Most of them are just trying to get by, no different from the many lower angels in Heaven."
Phenex let out a crude laugh at that. "HAH! Hellborn being like angels. That would be the fucking day. Perhaps on the same day, King Paimon gets a vasectomy," she joked, hoping it would lighten the mood. But one look at her friend's angered face made her regret her words. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't-I was just, I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm Sorry," she apologized, regretting her words a bit. Marie let out a deep exhale and turned away from her, anger eventually cooling down.
After that, the two marchioness were content with simply stargazing in silence. They look at the empty red sky, the various demons down below and occasionally at the gateway to Heaven, up in the sky. Marie frown turned melancholic. "Do you ever think we could go up there again?" she asked. "Maybe if we try to do some good here, that might get Heaven's attention? Might make them reconsider their punishment?"
"I hope so," Phenex muttered, a visible sneer of disgust beginning to emerge. "I'm so fucking done with this shithole."
Marie didn't speak, but couldn't help but agree with her friend on that one. She had tried to make the best of her horrible situation, but this place wasn't home. And she didn't think it ever could be.
"Aaah, I thought I'd find you here my ravishing warrior…" another voice announced, as they entered the room. Both turned to greet the newcomer, who was holding a filled-up wine glass in each hand.
He was a leopard, a few feet smaller than Marchosias. Dressed in a fine white suit that exposed his sandy yellow shirt and black bow, he looked like he was ready for a royal ball. His fur was a dark yellow upfront, with cream spots on his chest and nose, and a darker shade on the back, with a black line separating the two colors. And despite having glowing red eyes and long pointed ears, the cat's most noticeable features were the black wings on his back and the extra set of eyesball on his neck; along with the black spots covering his body. Finally, he wore a small but golden crown between his ears, signifying his royal origin. Even without all of those obvious elements, Marie could easily recognize Prince Sitri, from his usual playful smirk.
Marie returned it, grateful to see the only other person she tolerated at this party. "Sorry if I kept you waiting, Sitri. Too many people downstairs for my liking. Not to mention King Paimon breathing down my neck."
The prince chuckled at that before he leaned in for a surprise kiss; one Marie returned. The couple parted after a few seconds, as the cheetah purred. "Well, not to worry anymore my dear; you're in much better company now. And a good drink too." He handed her one of the wine glasses, which Marie happily accepted.
"Right, good to see you too, Prince Sitri," Phen greeted cordially, though a bit irritated that her alone time with Marchosias was being cut short. "Though, I thought you'd be busy convincing Lord Asmodeus about setting up shop down in Lust still."
The prince frowned at the mention, letting out a disappointed breath. "Yes, I was not expecting him to be this finicky about expanding the Love Potion trade further. It's so unlike him. Don't know what's gotten into the Prince recently…" Indeed, Marie had noticed the Sin of Lust had gotten less exploitative with his vices. Bee too, to a lesser extent. The Marchioness took a large sip of her wine glass, as Sitri smirked back to Phenex. "But, what about you? I thought you were too busy with whatever project you've got going on. And making sure it doesn't blow up in your face for once."
The phoenix rolled her eyes, not amused by his joke. "I know this must be a surprise to you, but I DO have a life outside of work," she muttered irrate. "Besides, I thought I could use a break before I get swamped with work now that the war's over. I'm already in talks with President Marbas, about manufacturing a new vaccine for Hellbies-"
"As interesting as that sounds Phenex, I was actually hoping to talk to my beloved for a moment or two? Privately preferably; could you kindly give Marchosias and me the room?" Sitri asked without turning towards the phoenix, focusing squarely on his girlfriend. "I'm sure there are plenty of guests downstairs, who'd enjoy listening to your latest endeavor."
Phenex was taken aback by the prince's request; as was Marchosias. "Well, Phenex and I were just having a moment together," said the marchioness, not wanting to lose her friend. "If you could just wait a few minutes dear, I'd-"
Sitri insisted, looking his girlfriend in the eyes as he approached. "You can talk to Phenex, afterward my darling. The night is still young, and I wish to spend this night with the woman I love." He placed an arm around the winged wolf's shoulder. "Surely that's not too much to ask?" The winged wolf looking conflicted on the matter. She took another sip, hoping it would ease her mind a bit.
"I…Phenex would that be alright with you?" Marchosias asked her friend, taking her boyfriend's side, though trying to be gentle about it. "We can talk afterward, I promise."
The Phoenix seemed annoyed at the sudden request, opening her mouth as if to refute, but ultimately closed it and did as asked. "I'll be outside if you need me," said Phenex before leaving the two of them. Marchosias frowned, feeling a bit guilty.
"Don't worry about her, my dear. She'll be fine," Sitri tried to assure her.
"I hope so…" mumbled Marie, as she took another drink from her glass.
Sitri let out a dismissive tsk. "Honestly, you worry entirely too much, Marchosias. Ever since that whole mess with the furies, you've been so serious and moody about every thing, no matter how unimportant. Thank the Infernal Pits that mess is over, and you're finally back with me." The Prince beamed with a bright smile, as he wrapped his arms around the Marchioness, planting a long kiss on her lips. Despite the surprise, Marie recovered and returned the gesture in kind. The two enjoyed their embrace for what felt like hours before the wolf finally separated. "Oh, I have missed you so much, mi amore. I feared the worst with each day that passed."
"I'm sorry, Sitri. I did try to writing as often as I could, but the war kept most of my focus," said the marchioness with a regretful frown. "And sometimes it was difficult enough to write anything at all…"
"I know, and I do appreciate the letters, but sadly they utterly pale in comparison to you in the flesh. But on the bright side, I must say you in person again, has made you look all the more beautiful and tantanlizing now." The prince let out a soft purr that sounded like lustful chuckle, as he leaned against Marchosias' neck, making the normally stoic marchioness blush beet red. She tried to push him off, but Sitri just laughed in amusement and moved to grab her hand. "And now that you're finally back in Pride where you belong, we'll have plenty of time to make up for it. Let's have dinner tomorrow; over by that Middle Eastern place we love so much. You can come to my palace afterward, for a splash in my pool. In fact, why don't you spend a few months at my palace, once this is all finally over? You are FAR overdue a bit of peace, and it's been far too long since I've had you all to myself."
As the leopard moved his hand upwards to her shoulder, it was almost enough to make Marie reconsider. It had felt like an eternity since they were together. And after all this time, that sounded SO good. "…Actually, I was thinking of moving to Gluttony for a few months." Marie shook those thoughts away, as she moved out of his grip and gave him a look, requesting him to stop. "I've already bought a private summer home there."
Sitri looked at her in confusion, an irritated almost disgusted sneer forming at the development. "Gluttony? That overgrown rainforest? Why the fuck would you want to spend your time, in an unruly, savage place like that?"
"Gluttony's not too bad once you get used to the heat and eternal day. And because, I want to help the hellhounds," Marchosias answered. "I've seen how awful they have it, and I want to do my part in improving their conditions."
"Hahahahahaha!" Sitri let out a loud, almost mocking laugh in response to that. "Oh, and here I thought you didn't have a funny bone, in that overly serious body of yours. I mean, you, wasting your time on some stupid dogs? HA! That's a good one."
Marchosias frowned, hurt, disappointed that even her boyfriend wasn't taking this seriously. "I'm not joking, Sitri," she snapped, shooting him a serious glare. "I've spoken with Beelezbub; she's agreed to meet with me for a possible collaboration. Perhaps a charity for the hounds, still unable to find work in other rings. Or a donation for the ones who lost family to the furies. We're still working out the details."
The prince's good humor faded with that, as a noticeable frown replaced it. "Oh, I see." The winged cat gave her an apologetic look. "Well forgive my previous laugh, darling, but why waste your efforts on them? They're just lowly dogs." He purred innocently.
"Sitri, not you too," Marchosias cried out, frustrated. "I've already heard enough of that talk from the rest of Hell, even Phenex at times; I don't need it from you too."
"Well, perhaps she has a good point on that front," Sitri shrugged, causing his partner to roll her eyes. The prince tried to explain his stance: "I'm just saying. They already have a queen to take care of them. And besides, even if politics were your strong suit, I doubt anyone of those hounds would accept help from some random Ars Goetia Marchioness; more likely they'd just think you're patronizing them. I'd hate to see you make an utter fool of yourself like that. Especially after everything you've already been through."
Marchosias shifted a bit, wondering if her boyfriend could be right. If this was really just a waste of her efforts. "I…" She shook her head, trying to remove any growing doubt she had. Marie glared insistently at her boyfriend, her yellow eyes glowing a bit, as she put her drink by the ledge. "I've already promised Beelzebub I'd see her this week, I can't go back on that now. But, I'll come to see you once it's all over, or you could join me there?" Her glare loosened as she finished, hoping her boyfriend would at least consider it.
Sitri looked disgusted by the idea but relented on the matter. "I suppose I can't stop you there," The prince sighed disappointed, though he still looked displeased over the ordeal. "Hopefully, you'll do well enough with the Queen. Just remember my offer's always open, should you change your mind, my dear. You know you're always welcome wherever I am."
Marchosias didn't answer, her mood soured a little from all the talking. The exact thing she had been trying to avoid coming up here.
"Now won't you join us downstairs?" Sitri requested with a grin, extending out his hand and motioning back towards the dance hall. "This is your party after all. And you could use something to cheer you up, after all the dreariness right now."
Marie didn't even glance at it, feeling much too tired for much of anything at that rate. "Actually, I'm not in the mood for festivities right now. I'll probably just retire for the night-"
Sitri dismissed that with a playful snort, as he insisted. "You can go to sleep when it's late, my love; I'll even join you." Gently he craned her head to face his, as he purred flirtingly. "The night's still young, and it wouldn't do to have the guest of honor herself not being present. And I was so hoping we could dance some more. It had been so long after all."
"I…" She took another sip of wine. The wolf didn't want to be down there again, but she supposed Sitri deserved at least one dance. "Alright, but only a for few minutes."
"That's the spirit darling. And don't worry, I'll never leave your side, no matter what."
He led her out of the room and back down the dance hall, past Phenex who had been waiting outside. There the two danced late into the night, with the rest of the Goetia looking at them with either admiration, envy, or contempt. Marie felt miserable through the whole thing, and hated having all those eyes looking right at her. But she tolerated it, sure that she and her boyfriend could make the most of this dull night.
At least, she could enjoy the night with him by her side.
Deep within the isolated rainforests of the eternal mornings of Gluttony, it was hard to find any hint of civilization. The only real trace of life was the few species of wild fauna, the many honey-collecting bees buzzing about, and the seemingly endless amount of flora; many of which were powerful enough to devour any hapless creature that might've entered their path.
But that did not mean the total absence of people living there. For within the wild, untamed jungles there was a decently small clearing, wherein lay the second home of a certain Ars Goetia Marchioness.
And it was just outside of this hidden sanctuary, that a large blue portal opened up, right in front of the gates as two cars drove through it. The first was a large black limo, followed by an unwashed and bumpy van, both stopping at the mansion's entrance. Alphonse the butler emerged from the limo's driver's seat and dutifully opened the door for his master. Meanwhile, the passengers in the van were less graceful, all trudged out looking tired and worn out, with the former hellhound looking particularly ragged.
The gates opened and everyone walked inside. They were greeted by Captain Halley, standing there poised and ready for orders. "My lady," she greeted with a professional nod and a small smile.
Despite the long day, Marie greeted her with a nod. "Captain Halley. Thank you for coming here so quickly. Is the safehouse secure?"
"We've got about 40 percent of the guards on here, patrolling the area and making sure no one's spying and nobody gets in without an invitation. I left the rest at your main manor, just to ensure things don't look too out of the ordinary," confirmed the captain, indicating to the various hounds guarding the premises, many of whom greeted Marie.
"Good to know. Return to your post captain, I'll find you if there's any trouble," Marchosias commanded seriously.
The captain confirmed with a nod and got ready to leave when she noticed Loona slowly walking through the gates with her team. She frowned, looking almost nostalgic as she leaned in towards Marie, quietly whispering. "You think she'd let me talk to her? Just for a minute?"
The marchioness frowned as well, noticing how longingly her captain seemed to look at her daughter. She sighed and shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea right now," Marie looked back at her daughter, who glared venomously at her in return. "D-Luna has already been through enough as it is. Maybe wait til tomorrow, and see if she's ready." The Captain looked disappointed by the news but didn't try to push the matter. She simply nodded and wandered back inside the safe house.
Once she was gone, Marchosias turned back to the worn party of hellborn, cleared her throat, and said: "Right. Now that we have arrived, it's time for our first order of business…sleep."
The entirety of I.M.P. all exhaled and cried in utter relief at the order, the request sounding like a heavenly gift after all they had been through in just one day. Even Blitzo agreed with a loud: "Fuck me, I'm not going to do anything else for the next billion years after tonight!" He turned to Alphonse, still dutifully standing by the car. "Yo, Alfred, take me to your softest bed right the fuck now!"
"Please, don't address my servant like that again," requested Marie sternly, before turning back to the butler. "Alphonse, please be so kind as to escort Luna and her family to the guest rooms."
"With pleasure, my lady." The humble butler bowed and turned to the hellborn. "This way please, to the guest rooms. Do not worry about the luggage, the staff will tend to them soon enough." Sure enough, a pair of small imps emerged to pick up some of the suitcases, Blitzo & co. had brought, nearly buckling over under the sheer weight of all the guns and ammo.
The group all followed Alphonse, as the butler lead them to the rooms. The hellborn foursome took little interest in the interiors of the Marchioness' summer house. They were mostly used to it by now, having visited Stolas' keep a few times. And after all the excitement from earlier, they were all more interested in sleep than any marveling.
They were eventually led to a hallway filled with empty guest rooms; doors so far apart that one could almost mistake them for miniature apartments. Millie & Moxxie took the one closest, while Blitzo picked the room directly opposite.
"And will you two be sleeping in the same room? Or separate?" Alphonse asked the imp and Loona, both quickly responding.
"Same."/"Separate."
Blitzo blinked in surprise at his daughter's request. The imp figured she'd possibly want him close by, in case of another assassination attempt. He opened his mouth to argue, but after a long pause,instead just muttered: "I mean, separate. Still, try to keep em close to each other, alright?"
Alphonse nodded gracefully, and escorted Loona to her room, right next to her father. Right before she entered, she heard her dad call out. "Loonie?" Even though the half-hound didn't turn to face him, she could already sense he was looking at her with concern. Blitzo struggled to form anymore words. His mind was racing with things he wanted to say; after all their talk at home had been gutted thanks to the bomb, and now she had nearly died again shortly after. They had promised to talk more, and he really wanted to keep that. But ultimately, he simply asked: "You know you can talk to me right? Anytime you want?"
His daughter didn't even turn to face him, but he could sense her frown was twitching just a bit. Eventually, Loona just let out a small, tired: "Sure." And went inside, closing the door behind her.
"You okay there B?" Blitzo turned to find Millie standing outside her own room, shooting him a concerned frown along with her husband.
Blitzo shifted a bit uncomfortably but still tried to smile. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just fucking tired is all."
Neither imp looked convinced but decided against arguing any further. "Okay. But if you need us for anything, you'll let me & Millie know, right?" Moxxie asked.
"Yeah, sure thing," their boss sighed before he closed the door, giving the couple a halfhearted wave.
The pair looked at each other in concern, disappointed to see what seemed like a good start fading away so quickly. They made a note to check on him the next day, before entering their own room for some much-needed sleep. They fell asleep pretty quickly in each other's embrace.
Blitzo tired himself out, looking at old photos on his phone. A few times he tried to text Stolas only to delete his messages.
Loona meanwhile, spent most of the night crying by the door. From exhaustion, stress, fear, a great number of things, which all came flooding in at once, now that the day had finally caught up with her. Today had been a serious contender for the worst day of her life, and things were not looking up at all. She wanted to scream, curse and destroy something, but she had long since been drained of the energy to do anything but cry.
Knock-Knock-Knock
The gentle taps on her door briefly broke Loona out of her stupor. She considered ignoring it, but eventually got up, dried her eyes, and peeked through.
Standing there was Marchosias, and already Loona regretted her decision. She went to slam the door shut, but the marchioness was faster; her hand grabbing it before it could close.
"W-wait, WAIT!" Marie cried out, as she fought against her daughter, still trying to push it closed. "Just…just let me say this…please."
Loona struggled a while longer, but when Marie refused to budge, she gave up. "Make it quick," ordered the hound, keeping the door open, just a bit to see the marchioness' face.
"I…I just wanted to say…I…I'm…I'm s-" Marie struggled to form words, opening her mouth before closing it, looking conflicted. Loona stood there, surprised by her own patience as she let her mother speak. The winged wolf finally said: "My room is on the other side of the hall; only about a 5-minute distance. If you ever need me for something-"
SLAM!
Loona slammed the door before the marchioness could even finish.
Defeated, Marchosias walked back to her room, cursing herself for not being able to say two simple words. She passed by Captain Halley phasing out any words she tried to say, not allowing herself to cry until she was alone. A few minutes later, she fell asleep in her large, empty bed. Her only company being a half-empty bottle of wine, by her desk.
Despite the previous day being a hectic mess, everyone at I.M.P. slept peacefully that night. And mercifully enough, they weren't awoken from their brief respites until 10 in the morning. Even then, Moxxie wished they could have slept longer, wanting nothing more than to bask in the warmth and glow of his beloved wife, on the softest mattress in all of Hell. Unfortunately, the gentle but still annoying knock at the door had other ideas.
"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Knolastname," Alphonse greeted warmly from behind the door. "Apologies for waking you up, but Marchosias wished to inform you all that breakfast will be starting in an hour. Feel free to get yourselves washed and dressed, and I shall escort you all to the master kitchen."
The couple grumbled an unintelligible response but still rose from their heavenly bed a few seconds later. They quickly cleaned up, shared a very relaxing shower, and then got dressed.
The couple stepped outside, where Alphonse was politely waiting for them. Along with Blitzo who was impatiently tapping his foot. "Jeez, took you two long enough," he muttered, annoyed, turning to the hellhound butler. "I swear there better be some damn good cheese at breakfast Alfred, 'cause I don't appreciate being woken up this fucking early."
Moxxie rolled his eyes; only his boss would consider 10 am to be too early. Alphonse gracefully ignored the misnaming, and politely bowed: "I'm sure we'll find something for you. Now, right this way, everyone."
They all followed the hellhound's lead until Millie noticed someone was missing from their group. "Hold up, we ain't gonna wait for Loona to get here?" She asked, innocently.
Alphonse cringed a bit at the question, answering regretfully: "I'm afraid Loona insisted on staying in her room for the time being. I'm sure she won't mind if we start without her."
The answer left the couple worried. They turned towards Blitzo; their boss having a clearly annoyed frown. "And how about you?" Millie asked in concern. "You feelin' better today?"
Blitzo snorted in response: "I'll feel better, once I put a bullet in the heads and dicks of every shitheel who tried to kill my daughter." The answer didn't ease them at all. Moxxie opened to ask again and if he perhaps wanted to talk later, only for his boss to cut him off. "Though fuck knows some have way decent grub wouldn't hurt right about now. How much closer to the food Al?"
"Right this door, actually sir," answered Alphonse politely, though even his patience was being tested by the imp's attitude, indicating to a pair of closed doors.
"Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the Master Kitchen." He turned the knob and opened the door.
The imps' mouths watered at the display. A buffet of breakfast food, unlike anything they could've imagined. Breads of any kind, meats from mammals or birds, eggs boiled, scrambled or omelet, stacks of pancakes and waffles, various sliced fruits, and a wide variety of breakfast cereals. And anything to drink from water and milk to juice and coffee. It was almost enough to make grown men weep. And of course, plenty of cheese.
Even Blitzo couldn't deny how delicious the spread looked.
"Ah, good morning everyone," greeted Marchosias, from one of the tables, as she emptied a large cup of coffee. Took the gang a moment to get used to the tall marchioness, walking beside them so casually.
"Oh, good morning your… highness? Majesty? Marchionessness?" Moxxie seemed unsure what to call the Ars Goetian wolf. "Which would you prefer?"
Marie chuckled amused. "Marchosias is fine. Or Marie for short. I get enough royal titles, whenever I'm visiting the other nobility."
"Well then, good to see you Marie," Millie greeted cheerfully, as she walked over to the buffet. "Didn't expect you, to be up so early."
"Actually, I've been awake since 6 am," corrected the marchioness as she accepted a refill Alphonse. "Just got off the phone from Stolas. No update from the assassin, but he and Octavia are recovering from the attack."
Blitzo's good mood died out, at the mention of the prince. He cringed with guilt as he recalled their last meeting. The imp had been unable to give Stolas a proper goodbye, before he left, still feeling guilty over what happened to Octavia. The imp did his best to ignore his feelings, as he began filling his plate with every fattening item he could find. His coworkers joined them soon enough, leading to a quiet peaceful breakfast.
The peace lasted for 10 minutes before Blitzo finally broke the silence. The tall imp scarfed down a platter of pancakes, covered with shredded cheese and hot sauce, much to the disgust of Marchosias, before turning to his team. "Alright, now let's get down to the brass task! We've got places to be, fuckers to kill and assholes to torture! And the sooner we murderize these assassin scumbags, the sooner we can leave," he said, throwing a not-so-subtle jab at the marchioness, who just rolled her eyes and sipped at her drink. "So, where are we going first?"
"First, we're going to figure out who's hiring the assassins to begin with," answered Marie calmly, as she placed her cup down. "And that won't happen until tomorrow. Maybe a day extra to check if Stolas managed to get anything."
Blitzo was not pleased with the answer. "WHAT?!"
The marchioness cringed from the sudden outburst, then sternly explained: "After all that's happened, I thought perhaps you all could use some time to get better acclimated and relax for a bit." Moxxie and Millie seemed quite content with the reasoning. After how hectic things had been, they welcomed any excuse for relaxation. Especially in a luxury mansion like this. "I'll, of course, be looking over the possible leads and-"
"FUCK THAT NOISE!" Blitzo exclaimed, slamming his fists against the table, sending silverware flying. "Those assholes are still out there, and until they're all roasting in the depths of Phlegethon, I don't intend to relax for a fucking nanosecond!"
"And where exactly, would we go looking eh?" Asked Marchosias with a pointed look. . "We still don't have any idea who's behind all of this, let alone where they might be hiding. And it's going to take me at least a few hours to narrow down some answers."
Blitzo just spat in dismissal at that. "Narrow, schmarrow, bullshit! Just give me the whole list and me and my team will have each sucker bleeding through holes, they didn't even know they had."
"Oh yes, brilliant strategy. Randomly, kill anyone remotely suspicious, and loudly broadcast to all of Hell, what we're doing and where we are!" Marchosias' voice was dripping with sarcasm, as she glared at the imp, clearly exhausted by all of this. "Need I remind you, we picked his place as our stronghold so that they wouldn't find us? Right now, the assassins think we could be anywhere in the 7 Rings. The last thing we need is to draw more attention, to whomever is out looking for us."
The pair continued to silently glare at each other in defiance, neither wanting to step down from the argument; Blitzo mostly out of sheer stubbornness. "Uhum, if I might interject there for a moment," Millie then chimed in, with a honey-sweet smile hoping to ease the tension. "Ah think my husband and I would appreciate a day or two of restin', before diving into the case. As would Loona ah'm sure, what with the two assassinations attempts she just had to live through and all?"
The mention of his daughter, caused the imp to stir and falter. Looking over at his coworkers, both giving him looks, begging him to just stand down, he reluctantly relented. "Grrrr, alright fine!" Blitzo stormed back to his seat, angrily sitting down and giving the marchioness the coldest side eye he could manage. "We'll take the day off. And tomorrow if we feel up to it. But don't expect me to be happy about it!
Marchosias replied with a deadpanned: "Somehow, I think I can live with that. Until then, you're free to relax here and enjoy my summer home with your friends and my-our-with Luna." At the mention of her daughter, the marchioness frowned worryingly, as she noticed her daughter still wasn't here. "Speaking of, is everything alright with her Alphonse? I would've hoped she'd at least join us for breakfast."
"My sincerest apologies my lady," sighed Alphonse with a disappointed look. "I tried to wake up Ms. Loona for breakfast but she was…less than receptive to my wake up call. Incidentally, I'm afraid you'll have to replace the vanity mirror, in the upper right guest room."
"…I see," Marie fought back a sigh, at the unfortunate news. Blitzo shifted a bit as well at the announcement. "Well, make sure to save something for her, in case she changes her mind."
As she said that however, Millie got an idea. Leaning toward Moxxie, she whispered her plan into his ear. The imp looked a bit cautious at first, but quickly grew amicable with the idea, giving his wife a nod. "Moxxie and I could go check on her if y'all like," Millie suggested suddenly. "Maybe bring her some food, if she's feeling a little hangry."
"Yeah, maybe a familiar face might be what she needs right now. Perhaps we could even convince her to come down and join us." Moxxie added, seemingly in full support of the idea.
Blitzo however looked a bit skeptical at this, the imp about to rise up from his seat. "Well, in that case, why don't you let me handle that Moxx? You know, being her real parent and all; the one who did most of the raising." Blitzo gave Marie the dirtiest of sly smirks, with the marchioness doing her best to ignore him, fighting back a twitching frown and growing flame.
"No need for that sir," Moxxie assured Blitzo beckoning him to sit down. "And besides, we still need to talk to her about that thing. You know, from around two weeks ago?" The imp shot his boss a knowing look, hoping he would catch on.
Thankfully, it seemed the imp did, as he nodded and reluctantly sat down. "Right, good idea. You guys do that."
Marchosias nodded in approval of the idea. "Very good, feel free to grab her a tray of what she'd like and tell her of the plans."
"Will do, ma'am!" Millie grabbed a plate and began filling it with things she knew Loona liked; which were mostly pieces of greasy bacon. Moxxie poured a large glass of OJ, as his boss leaned over to him from his seat.
"Hey, appreciate you doing this and all, but you really think she'll even listen to either of you? You saw how on edge she's been recently," Blitzo asked, a bit cautiously about the couple's chances with his daughter.
Moxxie gave him a weak shrug in return. "We won't know until we give it a try. Satan knows we owe Loona this much at least," he muttered the last part, eyes shifting with regret as he got the glass and tried to look confident for his boss' sake. "We'll be as patient as possible. Maybe even see if she'll be willing to talk with you again."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I appreciate it anyway, Moxx," Blitzo tried to dismiss, but Moxxie could tell his boss was thankful for the gesture. Joining his wife, who was holding a plate filled with fatty and meaty foods, Moxxie could've sworn he noticed his boss mouthing: "Good luck."
It didn't take long for the couple to find Loona's room. After a pause, Millie gently knocked on the door and asked: "Loonie, sweetie. You in there?" Loona answered by throwing something made of glass at the nearby wall, Moxxie cringing at the sound of the shattering. "Moxx and I brought you some breakfast. Plenty of bacon, just as you like it."
After a long pause, the sound of loud footsteps eventually approached the door, giving the couple some hope they could talk it out. When the door opened, a fluffy hand reached out, grabbed the tray, and before either Millie or Moxxie could even open their mouths, slammed the entrance right at their faces. The two imps blinked at the response, then with a pause, Millie shrugged and opened the door.
Inside the fabulous bedroom, Loona sat on the bed, scarfing down her meal getting crumbs, grease, and juice all over the fine silk linens. Moxxie almost compared her to a wild animal, but given recent events, he restrained himself and just tried to ignore the mess, as he and Millie approached her.
"…Sooooo, how have you been feeling since…the whole…you know…Goetia thing?" Moxxie's attempts to talk to Loona were so painfully awkward, that even he could feel himself cringing with every word. Thankfully, no one mocked him for it, Loona being more focused on finishing her meal, to even notice they were there.
"Didn't say you assholes could come in," the hellhound eventually said once she cleaned her plate, without bothering to look at the two imps.
"R-right," the male imp stuttered a bit nervously. "Well, we just…we thought we'd check on you after everything that happened yesterday. And let you know that Marie's giving us the day off, before we start looking for the assassins."
"Great. Got it. Thanks. Get out," Loona dismissed coldly, shoving the remains of the food into her mouth like a hungry animal.
Moxxie almost did as she requested, the imp sensing she was in no mood for talking. But Millie didn't want to give up so quickly. "Well, actually we also wanted to talk to you for a bit," she then added, frowning regretfully as she stepped forward. "There's somethin' we thought we should tell you. Somethin' we should've told you a long time ago."
"Not interested, get out. Now." Loona downed her juice in one gulp, then got out of bed, retreating to a nearby table to look at her phone. Moxxie turned to his wife, unsure how to proceed, with Millie giving him an encouraging look, motioning him to go for it. So, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Look Loona, we've been thinking about how we treated you, over the last few years," Moxxie began, looking remorseful as he thought back to their times together, stretching as far back as their first meeting. Millie too was looking incredibly guilty. "And we both realize now that we made a lot of mistakes during our time together."
Loona scoffed but otherwise didn't react, the imps taking it as a tentative permit to go on. "The way I always criticized you at work, calling you lazy, unprofessional, and a lot of other things, was wrong of me. I had meant it as constructive feedback, but looking back, I realize it was going a bit too far at times, with the name-calling and the dismissal of the work you did back then. Sure it wasn't always perfect, but that doesn't mean you did nothing. You're not a replaceable or lousy member of our team, and I'm sorry that I treated you like that."
"And I'm sorry too," Millie added, a sad frown emerging on her face. "I treated you more like a company pet than a real member. Always referring to you as Blitz's hellhound, along with my other names. I didn't realize I rarely called you by name, until now. And Satan damn it! I feel disgusted with myself! I should've known calling you those things was hurtin' yah, especially with some of the crap I've been called all my life, and yet…I'm no better than any of 'em." She looked especially guilt-ridden at the last one, hugging herself in shame as how damn hypocritcial she had been all this time.
Both of them looked deeply ashamed of themselves. Loona didn't seem to react, her expression not changing a bit since she started looking at her phone. "We fucked up. But we wanna make it up to you, however we can." Moxxie said sincerely as he stepped forward. "We're really sorry Loona. We're so sorry for everything."
The hellhound scoffed. "No, your fucking not."
The imps had expected such a reaction, but it still hurt. "No really, Loona, we're being serious," Moxxie insisted honestly. "We never should've said those things to you. Or treated you as if you were some kind of easily replaceable burden. Millie and I are sorry for what we did, honest."
"Oh please," Loona snorted out in contempt, finally putting her phone down as she looked at the couple. The hound scowled at both with unimpressed and bitter eyes. "You assholes are just saying that because suddenly I'm important! That and cause my home and world view fucking blew up."
Moxxie & Millie flinched at the accusation, a little confused by where this was suddenly coming from. "What? Loona, you know that ain't true; you've always been important," insisted Millie, not liking where this was going.
Loona let out a sardonic laugh in response, as she rose up her seat. She had always looked down upon the couple, but now the vast difference of height was so much more noticeable. "Yeah, because I'm the dumb dog, who opens up your portals so you can keep your jobs, right? Otherwise, I apparently can't even do one thing right." Moxxie shifted uncomfortably, clearly hurt at having his own words thrown back at him. "Don't act like that's the only thing you two ever thought I was good at. You both made that perfectly clear just about every day of work. Hah, I'm willing to bet that if I weren't Blitz's adopted kid, you would've demanded I'd be replaced the first day."
"No! No, of course not!" Moxxie tried to deny the harsh claim, but deep down she was right. Loathed as he was to admit it, there had been days he wished the hellhound would've been kicked to the curb; even believing her father's nepotism was the only reason she was still around. It made him sick to realize.
"Loona, you can't honestly believe that crap right?" Millie asked shocked.
"Sure, I can," Loona answered bitterly, taking a step forward as she drilled into their eyes. "I mean, would we even be having this conversation right now, if everything you knew about me hadn't flipped completely over? If you two lovey-dopey dipshits hadn't started feeling sorry for me?"
The imp's long pause was answer enough, for the former hellhound, who cut them off before they could even answer.
"Yeah, I thought so. I'm not stupid; I know what you two really think about me. I've known since we've met that you think I'm nothing but a lazy, cranky nuisance," She glared venomously at Moxxie, who flinched at looked away. "And the boss' grouchy attack dog." She then turned to Millie, who was flipping between guilt and now anger. "A selfish teen, not worthy of your respect. Just the boss' hellhound!"
Loona's angry rant came to a brief end as she bitterly laughed at the two of them. "But now? I'm more than just the dog. I'm the daughter of a fucking Ars Goetia, I'm royalty, a princess." She said the word with loathing in her voice, as she began marching towards the imps. Moxxie & Millie instinctively walking backwards as she continued to stare daggers at them. "You know; someone whose opinion actually matters to arrogant shits like you. Now all of a sudden you two pricks are here kissing my ass and showering me with weak apologies; acting like you've always cared about me, and see me as an equal, and all that fake horseshit!"
Her eyes began welling up as she continued to glare at the imps, now unable to say anything, and loudly shouted: "Fuck off both of you! I know what you two assholes think of me, so stop pretending to care about me, just cause I had a shitty week already!" The hound finally stopped, slowly taking breaths as her voice grew hoarse. She had said her piece, and so she turned from the couple, both looking and feeling like shit. Moxxie especially looked seemed shamed by the end of it. "Last thing I want is you two lying to me."
"Yeah, well yah didn't exactly do anythin' to prove us wrong, yah hotheaded layabout." The words left Millie's mouth before she could stop them.
Millie's loud furious snap surprised both Loona & Moxxie. Moxx in particular was taken aback by his wife's complete turnaround from what they were trying to do. "Millie!" He cried out panicking, his distress forgotten, as he reached out to calm her. "What are you doing? This is not the right-"
"NO! This needs to be said, alright?" Millie shoved his hand off her as she turned back to Loona, the already pissed-off hound now on the verge of snapping again. But this time, the imp matched the hound's fury.
"Yeah, we were hard on you; ah admit it! A whole lot of the things we did and said weren't fair to yah…but don't act like your paws are any cleaner than ours!" Millie shouted. "Yah constantly bully my husband, shamin' his weight and stealin' his lunches. Heck, yah let that ass Striker get away, by takin' your sweet ass time getting up there! You're fuckin' lucky Moxx & your daddy weren't in any trouble, otherwise yah may as well have helped to kill'em then! Fuck, half the time, it's hard to tell if yah even care about any of us, with how cold and short you are to most of the folks you meet. And don't even get me fuckin started, on the times you've hit my husband for no reasons other than fun!"
For the first time since they talked, Loona looked a loss for words. The imp's blunt points had managed to hit through her angry armour, with the Striker comment hitting particularly close to home. But Millie was too lost in her rage to notice and continued: "Yah want our respect? Yah wanna be treated all equal and fair and crap? Well, maybe it's about time you tried treating the rest of us with some of that respect too! Instead of just sulking about all day, looking at your phone 24/7, raiding the booze cabinet, and lashing out at us over every single thing! Cause frankly, at that point, you ain't got no one to blame but yourself, you BITCH!"
Millie's rant finally came to an end, her boiling rage dying down allowing her to think again. And fully realize what she had done. Bit by bit her rage died down and then turned to regret and horror, as she noticed the hound's reaction. She looked hurt, sad, ashamed, and most of all angry. "Shit, Loon-"
"Get out!" She threw the dirty plate at them, both dodging as it shattered against the wall. "I don't wanna hear from you two self-righteous assholes right now. Or Ever! Get out! OUT!"
The imps had little choice but to obey, as the former hound looked about ready to tear the room apart. Defeated, they could only listen from the other side as the hound began tearing up her temporary room. Millie looked particularly devastated by it, her last words to the hound still echoing in her mind.
"Ah fucked it all up, didn't ah?" sighed Millie, her voice sounding close to cracking.
"Not one of our best moments," Moxxie couldn't deny, though he still tried to comfort her with a hug, feeling miserable himself. "But, to be frank, it would be a wonder if she'd even listen to us, without the outburst."
"How did this whole mess get started Moxx?" Millie asked her husband, a somber look on her face as is she was struggling to recall a distant memory. "Why did we keep this…dumb rivalry with Loona going for so long?"
"…honestly, I can't even remember who started it nowadays," Moxxie admitted, feeling incredibly guilty at the realization. He thought back to the first time he had met her, it was shortly after escaping prison with Blitzo. Even back then they hadn't hit it off well, and at the time, Moxxie was sure it was because of something she had done. But not he was starting to question that. He wondered if perhaps, he had said or done thing to annoy her first. It was all a blur, and that only made him feel worse. "But there's no way we should've let it go on like this. Not for this long."
A few minutes later, both of them returned to the kitchen, their sad expressions, being answer enough to how their talk had went. Neither of them had much of an appetite afterward.
The rest of the day went by with little excitement. Loona refused to leave her room, Blitzo & Marchosias kept getting on their nerves and the imp couple did their best to move on from their tussle with Loona. Thankfully, the large mansion had more than enough distractions, to keep their minds off things. In particular, the hot, soothing bubble bath in their room was very helpful in making the rest of the day a lot more relaxing. And the gym. Millie got a lot of stress relief from the gym.
It wasn't until the late evening, shortly before retiring to their bed, that the couple heard a knock on their door. Moxxie went to open it, finding Marchosias standing out. "Might I come in?"
The imps looked surprised by the surprise visit, but quickly welcomed her in. Marie gave them a thankful nod, before closing the door behind her. "S-so, what brings you here, your hi-Ms. Marchosias?" Moxxie asked a bit too cordially.
"Firstly, I wish to thank both of you, for talking with my daughter this morning," said Marie warmly, giving them a small nod.
"Oh, well uh, you're very welcome your highness," said Millie warmly, before deflating. "Even if it didn't do a lot of good."
"Honestly, I think we just made things worse. It's going to take a miracle to get through to her at this point," Moxxie admitted, looking away in shame. Marchosias fought back her own worried frown.
"Nevertheless, I am thankful for the effort." She then began looking guilty, as she moved onto the next subject. "Secondly, I would like to apologise again for attacking you, during our first first encounter. I didn't mean to wound you, but I lost control of myself. I am very sorry."
"Hey now, that's all water under the bridge," assured Millie sweetly. "Ah mean, who hasn't gone on a murderous rampage, to get back a family member. Heck, I've had at least four of those."
Marie couldn't help but chuckle a bit at them. "You are too kind madam." Her good mood dropped after that, the winged wolf turning somber as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "Though, I'm afraid my last reason for this sudden visit is a much more…dire one."
The imp couple frowned confused, wondering if they had something to upset her. Millie had destroyed about half of the punching bags afterall.
Marchosias quickly shot down those suspicions. "Rest assured, it has nothing to do with you or your family. But, I'm afraid to tell you, that there's a very likely chance that a spy is amongst my servants."
The news caught both of them in shock. "WHAT?!" Moxxie cried out, sounding also panicked by the reveal, while Millie began growling menacingly at the thought; likely about to cut through every member of staff at that moment. "H-how can you be so sure about that?" asked Moxx, once he managed to calm down.
Marie answered: "I had my suspicious once my daughter's apartment was destroyed. I prayed it was all just a coincidence that they had somehow managed to track her down on their own, likely from watching the news or the like. But my suspicions were confirmed, once the assassin followed her to Stolas' mansion. Almost an hour after she arrived, and I found out about the explosion, there was someone waiting to shoot her down." She bawled her hands into tight fists as she finished, imagining that she was snapping the assassin's throat at the very instant. Whatever Stolas was doing to the hitman, it was far too good.
Once she forced herself to calm down, Marie continued. "I doubt whoever these bastards are, would be able to figure out both of her locations this quickly, without any help, hence my theory. Someone, on the inside, is working against me. Likely tipping off the assassins, about Luna's location and acquaintances. And who knows what else."
Both of the imps didn't know what to say. It was a lot to take in but, they couldn't deny her reasoning. Two assassination attempts in one day? So close to each other and conveniently at the right spot? How would they have known Loona's location, unless they knew where she was headed? They couldn't fault the marchioness for thinking that. "Why are you only telling us this?" Moxxie asked, a bit suspicious. "Isn't this a development, best shared with the entire team?"
"It is," Marie agreed, a frustrated moan escaping her. "Unfortunately, my daughter refuses to give me the time of day. And your boss…well, if he's this on edge now, I dread to think what he'd be like after he finds out. The last thing we need is more tension amongst us; so I'll wait to tell them until things have cooled down a bit. Hopefully, that shouldn't take any longer than a few days. And I doubt the assassins will try anything, so soon again."
"Yeah, that I can totally understand," Moxxie nodded in agreement with Millie soon doing the same, both already imagining how Blitzo would react, to the news.
"So, whatcha want us to do with this new info?" Millie asked, already getting out her ax as a savage grin formed. "Want us to hunt down and fuck over the prick?"
"Nothing."
Both imps deflated a bit after that, Millie looking particularly ticked off. "Aww come on, seriously?" She cried out in outrage. "You get us all hyped up and excited with that tease, and just shatter it all like that?"
Marie gave her an apologetic, if weirded out, glance. "I'm…sorry, but as I said, it's still only a theory, and I've made sure to only pick the most loyal of my staff to accompany me here. The rest of them believe I'm on a diplomatic mission in Envy. I'm already looking into ways of possibly exposing the spy, but I'd rather not drag anyone else on the case, due to possible suspicion," answered the marchioness sternly. "For the time being, just try to be on guard, and if you notice anything suspicious, inform me or Captain Halley. Can you do that?"
"As you wish, ma'am," said Moxxie with a firm, understanding nod. "Anything else?"
"Well, we'll likely begin going down the suspects tomorrow after breakfast. Hopefully, Stolas should be done interrogating the assassin by then. And…please, just try to be there for my daughter. I understand the morning went poorly but she needs someone right now." With that she stood up from her seat and gave them a small smile and a farewell nod. "Other than that, you are free to enjoy your time here however you like. If there's anything you need, do not hesitate to ask for it."
Marie closed the door behind her, leaving the imps to reel in the big reveal. Once she was sure the marchioness was out of hearing range, Millie let out a long tired groan. "She couldn't have waited til mornin' to drop that bomb on us? Satan damn it, I'll be lucky if I fall asleep."
Moxxie didn't hear her though; the big news had caused the little guy to have a bit of a mindstorm. A million ideas and suspects raced in his head, as the imp suddenly felt a newfound call for action. "We gotta do something!"
His wife fought back a moan, as she realized what was coming up. "Moxxie…The lady JUST said we didn't have to do anything."
"She trusted us with this information Millie! We have a responsibility to use it for something," argued Moxxie instantly, already gathering nearby paper and string. "What if the traitor followed us here into this summerhouse? Maybe they're already collaborating with the assassins on another hint, mapping out potential weak points and targets, lulling us into a false sense of security before they strike! If there's even the slightest chance that they-"
The imp was shushed by Millie shoving her finger into his mouth, giving him a deadpanned glare. "Moxx, ah love you, but the last thing we need right now is for you to let this get into your head, and make things more unnecessarily complicated again." She gave her husband a look, silently referencing one very particular incident. That was enough to shut Moxxie down. "Marie's got people already takin' care of it, and if she wants our help she'll ask. Now please, will you drop this thing?"
Reluctantly, and disappointedly, Moxx nodded. "Alright honey, I will."
Millie looked relieved at that. "Good. Now if yah don't mind, ah think ah'll turn in early tonight. Been a long day and all." She gave her husband a gentle peck on the lip, before making ready for bed, Moxxie eyeing her happily as he soon joined her.
It wasn't long before night fell, and most everyone went to sleep, many of them preparing for the day ahead. But while Millie happily retired to her bed, Moxxie stayed up late into the night, unable to sleep as ideas began forming in his mind. Despite his wife's request, Moxx just couldn't let go of the idea. So instead, he was standing over a table, getting photos of various people inside the summer home, and using drawings as substitutes for those he couldn't get. He used whatever piece of string he could find, as the imp slowly began connecting them all.
"Alrighty Moxxie, so we've got ourselves a potential spy. Either they're back at the main mansion or in this very house," the imp muttered to himself, as he examined the board, making full plans to check every servant and guard in the building, down to Captain Halley. to get his answers, as a determined, mad grin began to form. "The only big question is…who?"
And that's the end of that.
Tensions are still high, there might be a spy amongt Marie's ranks and most importantly, we've met two new faces from Marie's past. Marquis/Marchioness Phenex and Prince Sitri.
So like I said, this chapter was going to include a lot more scenes, before I simplified it and made it into a sorta-M&M centric chapter.
While they were originally going to be side characters in here, due to the heavy focus on Blitzo, Loona & Marie, I felt that was doing them a diservice. So, I'm giving them a subplot, of trying to hunt down the supposed spy.
Like I said, I picked the prologue that I did, even if it might not be the best match to it, for a few reasons. The first is because I wanted to highlight more of Marie's past before Hunter & Loona, as well as establish a few characters as soon as possible, as they'll become more important later down the road.
But, the big reasons, was I wanted to introduce my take on Phenex & Sitri before the show did. I've had these versions of the characters planned for years, and their roles are so important to how I want the rest of the story to go, that I couldn't imagine replacing them for anyone else. So when the Season 2 trailer dropped, revealing we're going to see more of the Ars Goetia, including one that is a dead ringer for Prince Sitri, I knew I had to introduce my versions of them ASAP, before they made their debut in the show itself, and very likely made the ones I had envision completely outdated.
I knew it was likely a matter of time, before Helluva Boss would use them in some way. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they have Marquis Marchosias appear and look/act completely different from how I imagined them. Maybe I might include some aspects of those versions, if I like them enough, but that's not a promise. And hopefully, all of you who are reading this post-Season 2, can forgive me for writing Marchosias, Phenex, Sitri and any other Goetia who'll pop up completely out of character. Just pretend that this Marie is just the sister of that Marchosias, or this Sitri is actually the real Sitri's bitch brother Bitru or something.
Either way, thank you all so much for reading! See you when I see you.