AN: Second to last chapter everyone. Next one ends the first book.
Disclaimer: I do not own Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel
OC's William "Billy" Bile, Sakura, Artemisia Menodora, and Roger Wolfenson aka The Gentleman belong to FleetlordAvatar, TheDragonSaver, Aurasoulyami, and DaemonQueen
Stella didn't know how long she had been waiting, but she could only focus on the attentive Imp who had rescued her. Kairi had been concentrating on the back entrance, keeping her guard up in case more of Gaap's guards arrived. Not once did she look at Stella as a threat or even address her, which was okay with the Goetia. She believed Kairi when she said she was helping her, yet the thing about third-party help was that it was unknown. If there was one thing that Stella learned in her long life, it was that the unknown players in a game were sometimes the most deadly.
Her attention on the Imp was then replaced with a focus on the elevator as the magical shield disappeared and the lights went on. Kairi snorted as she pulled out her silenced pistol. "About time."
She pressed the down button and motioned for Stella to follow. Once inside, Kairi said, "Let me handle the guards. You just stand here until the coast is clear."
Before the doors opened, Stella barely had time to say anything, and Kairi went into action. She slid on her knees and spun around to shoot the two guards guarding the elevator with perfect headshots before getting back on her feet. Stella barely registered what happened until she walked out to see where the elevator had taken them. It was a large water cavern big enough to fit what looked to be a set of transport ships. Some docks and containers were grouped on either end of the piers.
Outside of the two guards, there were a few others. Five were on the docks, and one was in some kind of crow's nest as a watch tower. Kariri was already in a firefight with the group as she cartwheeled over to a nearby box and fired a few times back. She then fired at a tall stack of loose boxes, which caused the top contents to fall on two of them, knocking them out. Kairi then pulled out a grenade and threw it over her shoulder towards the other three. They scattered, but all it did was cause a loud noise, revealing it as a fake grenade.
Kairi used this chance to leap out of her cover to engage in close quarters. For the first one, she jumped up, wrapped her legs around the neck, and spun around while bringing the body down while twisting her legs enough to break the neck. When they landed, she fired her remaining shots at a second one.
The third guard got up and aimed his machine gun, but Kairi drew a knife from a hidden holder on her leg and threw it faster than he could fire. It dug right into his arm, forcing him to drop the machine gun. Kairi then zipped forward, jumped onto the larger demon, took out the knife, and used it to slice his neck open before flipping off. Stella had to admit, she was quite the athlete. A shot from the watchtower reminded Kairi that she still needed to deal with one more obstacle.
Kairi flipped the knife in her hands before throwing it at the watchtower. Only it wasn't at the direction of the top, but one of the structures at the bottom. Both Stella and the watch guard were confused by this until they heard a beeping noise and the knife exploded, revealing it to also have a plastic explosive hidden inside of its grip.
With one of the foundations blown up, the rest quickly crumbled as the tower began to keel over. The guard only had time to scream in shock before it crashed, and his voice went silent. Stella, in awe, walked down to the pier as Kairi dusted her hands and smirked. "Impressed?"
Suddenly, one of the thought knocked out guards from earlier got up and aimed their gun. Without realizing it, Stella took the machine gun in her hand and fired. To her amazement, it was a perfect shot that saw his head jerk back and his blood paint the crates around him. Kairi blinked and whistled. "Nice shooting"
"Uh, thanks," Stella said as she looked at her machine gun in surprise. "I've never fired a gun before."
"Never dismiss Lady Luck," Kairi said with a smirk as she pointed to one of the smaller boats. "Go on."
"Huh?" Stella asked.
"Use the boat. Get out of here. You'll be safe," she said as she folded her arms. "It's a perfect way out, and Gaap's forces are too busy to notice you leave. The system has an automation process, so all you need to do is fill out the info, and it will sail to a safe location."
"What about you?" Stella asked.
"I need to wait for my backup so we can rescue our target. This was the only location where we could properly insert ourselves," Kairi said with a smirk. "Don't worry about me; worry about yourself."
Stella hesitated for some reason. This was her chance to finally get out of here and put as much distance between her and Gaap as possible. But something was holding her back. She stood there in silence before knowing why. "I can't leave."
"Why not?" Kairi asked, eyebrow raised.
"...Because everyone out there is fighting to stop Prince Gaap. Not just to save me, but also to avenge my husband," Princess Stella sighed. "There was a long time ago...when Stolas and I cared for each other, maybe not as wife and husband but as parents and friends. That little time we spent together, I saw the real him, and deep down, I knew he was a good person, but I let my bitterness and loss ruin any chance of friendship. Regardless of our personal issues, he is also my daughter's father, and I want to help her avenge him."
She then smirked. "Plus, Blitz is risking everything with the odds against him. If I can help in some way..."
Kairi just stared at her before shrugging. "Hey, if you want to do that? Then go ahead. I won't stop you. Though I don't know how you're going to help."
"Oh, I think I know a way," Stella said as she returned to the elevator. "If Gaap is as obsessed with me as I think he is? Then I know how I can help."
Once he got word that all targets were down, Blitzo ordered the robotic Space Marines to press forward. Billie was on his way with more gear as Blitzo hurried forward. Whatever remaining forces that Prince Gaap had at his disposal were now centered on making sure none of them came forward.
Blitzo growled and quickly calculated how long this would take. Even with reinforcements, it was clear that such a breakthrough to the main manor would take too long. Stella's life was still in danger, plus they still needed to stop Gaap. If he escaped the island then all of this would be for naught.
An army can't get through quickly enough, but an assassin can, Blitzo thought as he called his team. "Guys, I'm going to go after Gaap solo."
"What?! Sir, that's a bad idea! You don't know what Gaap has planned, and taking on him alone is-"
"I don't have a choice, Mox! I need to keep that asshole grounded on the island! So I'm going in hot," Blitzo said as he hurried over to a supply depot the marines had made and began to load up.
He selected a modified Famas with tactical stock, extended ammo, foregrip, and a slightly shorter barrel with tiny runes designed to add an anti-magic kick to the bullets. Next, he got a Kel-Tec KSG 12GA Bullpup Shotgun with three barrels for triple fun and a foregrip for a faster reload speed. And two pistols. One was a FN FNX-45 with iron sights and a special grip that allowed the pistol to return to your hand if it was lost by snapping your fingers. The other was a black-coated Desert Eagle made of specially modified Damascus steel. Every kind of demon had one weakness; for Goetia, it was Damascus Steel. Anything even coated with it weakened them and their magic.
"Are you sure about this?" Roger asked on the line.
"When have I never been sure of anything?" Blitzo asked as he continued to get grenades, knives, and extra ammo.
"I can think of five things at the top of my head," Loona muttered on the radio.
Once he loaded himself with a few other times, he spoke to the others. "Look, I'll be fine. You all focus on getting back here and meeting up with me."
"Just don't get yourself killed, Blitz," Artemis said on the line.
"Relax," Blitzo said as he loaded his assault rifle and grinned. "This is what I do for a living.
How is this happening?
That was all Prince Gaap, watching from his personal office, could think of as he stared at his personal island, his fortress, one he had spent years and money putting effort into making invincible. He had done things even the most cold-blooded of demons would find questionable. He went so far as to kidnap an Angel of Fate and experiment on them to turn them into his personal prediction machine. He had every type of soldier test his forces, from mercenaries to the Legions of Hell. Countless trained demons, magical defenses, the best equipment, monsters, and even architects to make this place his personal Eden. All of it just so he could finally have the happiness he had been craving for centuries.
And now it was falling apart.
Because of one.
Bloody.
Fucking.
IMP!
Screaming angrily, Gaap fired lighting into a family portrait before his eyes burned with magical hellfire. One fucking Imp. Stolas's fucking love. "Even in fucking death, you ruin me, you bastard! Taking my love! Taking my dream job! YOU GODDAMN FEATHERED CUNT OF A FAGGOT! I WISH I FUCKING KILLED YOU LIKE I KILLED YOUR FUCKING SPAWN!"
Taking a few deep breaths, Prince Gaap marched over to his scotch collection and ripped the nearest bottle open to drink half the contents. "Who would have fucking thought that one Imp would do so much damage? Well, one Imp and a bunch of inferiors like him. I should have fucking had them all assassinated the moment they killed Killjoy and Valentino."
He would make them all pay when this was done. He would go after all their families and tear them apart. Gaap would also see to it that Princess Octavia joined her father as well. Stella's memories would be modified so she would forget about anything but Gaap. He would make her what she was meant to be—his wife—his perfect wife. They would have children of their own and live happily ever after. Forget about the Civil War or the Big Hand or anything of that.
"All that matters is what I've worked hard for! Nothing else!" He screamed as he threw the bottle against the wall. "I have sacrificed, killed, and paid too much for it."
Gaap rubbed his face and took a small but deep breath to calm himself. "Okay. What do we do now?"
The reports were clear. Electric power around the island was damaged. Only his manor had any juice, thanks to a backup generator. His magical defenses were gone, as was his Helldrake, but at least the airships stopped firing for now. Most of his forces were forced to now gather in one area to defend his home, but it wouldn't last forever. Escape was an option. His plane might be gone, but he still had the ships below. He could take Stella and leave.
"Only they would find me first," Gaap cursed. The five were beyond his power, and they would easily track him down and end him for not keeping his end of the bargain to use his NORN system for their work. And he was not going to leave without that either. He worked too hard on it. "I have to make my stand here."
He grabbed his blood-red guarded rapier with a silver handle and held it tight. "I suppose what they say is true. If you want something done right? You need to do it yourself."
At long last, the meeting had begun. Octavia had to admit that when it came to grandness and size, The Goetia Family did not spare a single cent to make it beyond wonder. The Great Council Hall was one of the largest rooms that she had ever been in. Even the Sin Lords Grand Council did not even come close to the size of the place.
72 large stages designed for each of the 72 houses whose levels were based on the placement of their family title: Presidents, Knights, Earls/Countess, Marquises/Marchioness, Princes/Princes, Duke/Duchess, and Kings/Queens. The lowest belonged to President Valac, while the highest belonged to King Baal, the First House and the leader of the entire Goetia Family. Each stage was designed to fit their house's character, legacy, and needs with their proud family symbol on the platforms. As for the outer design, it was like looking at a dome of gold and silver that showed the history of the Goetia from their early days of division to their unity under Lucifer. Almost as if it was a Cathedral to their unholy legacy. The only exception was Prince Gaap, who was not in attendance.
Octavia stood on a glowing purple starlight platform with moving images of twilight and constellations. Her burning red house symbol was proudly displayed for all to see. Despite being part of the upper crust of the family houses, she was still new to the entire Goetia Family as a head. Thus, she was technically seen as weak but with potential. After all, her father might have been seen as a disgrace by many, but he was personally picked as a magical advisor to Lucifer himself. Regardless of his tastes in romance and how he behaved himself, Prince Stolas was spoken with some respect and fear of his power. It was sometimes hard for Octavia to imagine the goofy, nerdy, and embarrassing father she knew who loved her dearly as a cold and ruthless political force that could turn you into stone.
Each of the family heads prepared themselves for what would be a long meeting. While they were technically related to each other in one way or another, none of them fully trusted the other. Rarely did they see each other with affection. The average best you could hope for was to consider each other "allies" rather than friends or family. Still, you had those you could trust, such as Octavia to Phenex, who gazed up at her from his platform.
She gazed upward towards Duke Buné's platform, and he took a moment to nod to her. He thankfully had agreed to the trial period to allow Octavia to get to know his son, Harius, which sealed the deal for him to be on their side of the discussions. Octavia knew nothing about Harius and hoped she wasn't making a mistake in doing this. But sometimes, you need to make a sacrifice for the greater good.
Even if it made your insides turn.
All was then quiet as a flare of power made everyone focus upwards to the highest of the platforms where King Baal stood ready. He was the tallest and one of the biggest demons here. A giant demon who had three heads. One looked like the skull of a human with glowing purple eyes. The second was a green toad with yellow eyes who looked around quietly. The third of an orange cat with sinister red eyes that smirked and hissed. His entire body was held in a large dark black and violet cloak that covered his whole being, yet wisps of his eternal and powerful darkness could be seen seeping out of it. His body was said to have hundreds of shadows and legs that could tear you apart before you even realized what had happened.
His voice echoed across the room as he spoke in a kingly yet shadowy voice. "Today, we, the Heads of the Ancient and Noble House of the Goetia Family, have come together to discuss our future in the upcoming Civil War in Hell. While we have had such wars before, this one we know will change everything that is to come."
His three heads around. "Some of us here wish to be loyal servants to the Crown that has ruled us for countless millennia. The Royal Family might face civil war, but Lucifer is still the strongest among us and the one to whom we pledged our loyalty. Yet some believe he has grown weak, and the time for us to rise to our freedom and restore our old glory has come. Thus, some would seek us to aid the rebels."
More than one Head moved and glared at each other.
"Others believe that this is a fight between the Fallen Angels. That this is not our fight. Lucifer and his former comrades fighting each other are indeed more focused on the aspect of whether or not to agree to...peace with Heaven due to the success of the Hazbin Hotel Program. Unlike us, they are not originally from Hell. Some even believe we must hold until they are weakened and then strive to rule Hell ourselves. Or to even restore our Principalities and establish neutral states of power."
All was quiet as everyone knew what this meeting could result in. A change of power in Hell.
"As is custom. All shall have their say. Starting from the lowest houses to the higher houses," King Baal continued. "You will each have ten minutes maximum to do so. After that, we shall debate until we come to a conclusion via a vote. As the charter states, each house carries a certain vote based on rank. President and Knight-ranked families are one vote. Earls are three. Marquis are five. Princes are eight. Dukes are ten. And Kings are fifteen. A proposal must have sixty-five percent of the vote for the house to be united. However, seeing as we are short of one Prince...the vote count shall be lower than usual for fairness."
Many eyes turned to the platform where Prince Gaap would typically be. If a Head was absent, their points and votes would be forfeited. Usually, that process's total number of votes was five hundred and twenty-four points. You needed three hundred and forty-one points to pass so that the house was united. And they had to do it. They were all magically bound.
However, with Gaap occupied, the total vote numbers were five hundred and sixteen, which meant that three hundred and thirty-six votes were needed for one side to win.
"If no proposal is passed, then the house will not be united and each is free to do what they wish," King Baal said. "Now, let us begin."
Princess Octavia took a deep breath and prepared herself as President Valac began his speech.
Meanwhile, at the manor's outside front lawn gates, two Imp guards were debating on what to do.
"I'm telling you! We need to get out of here! Not only is the NORN system down, but they also took down the power and the magical access that Prince Gaap uses! I say we head to the boats, take one, and make for Sloth!" One said.
"We're gonna pull through! Prince Gaap has never lost a battle against any invader on his island, and we won't lose now!" The other growled.
"Well, how the fuck is he going to take on those airships? Or that army we got out there?! And if the word on the radios is right, these assassins are tearing through us!"
"One stupid assassin will not be enough to take us all out! We're the best of the best! The top guards of the manor! And we-"
The honking of an oncoming truck made them pause and turn to the sealed doors, where one of them opened the peak viewing door to see what was going on. His eyes widened upon seeing a jeep filled with C4, mines, and grenades coming right toward them.
"Oh, shi-"
BOOM!
The entire front entrance exploded in a burning cataclysmic fire that echoed throughout the manor. Numerous alerts were sent out as a figure slowly emerged from the fire with a grin on his face.
"Honey. I'm home!" said Blitzo before rushing forward with his Famas ready. Setting to burst mode, he fired at the fire three guards he saw coming from the security station before heading there first. Sliding inside, he shot two more figures who were still arming up before pressing against the wall outside the main room to avoid a shotgun blast.
Rolling inside, Blitzo fired a few more shots to take down the first of the five guards inside before ducking for cover behind a desk. While bullets riddled it, he noticed that it had a gap at the bottom and got down low to see a pair of feet not far from him. Taking out his FN FNX-45, he fired under the table to hit the paws of a screaming hellcat who fell and was shut up by a third shot which hit the head.
He dropped his Famas for his pistol and ran around the desks as cover. Rolling, sliding, and jumping, Blitzo was constantly on the move as he fired shot after shot. The guards tried to shoot him, but he was too fast, thanks to his lean frame and circus training. With each failed attempt, they got shorter and shorter in number until only one was left. Screaming in rage, a lion-looking demon with a unicorn horn charged forward, shooting his entire clip until Blitzo stood up, smirking from his latest hiding spot.
The guard aimed his rifle, but there was nothing but clicks.
"Gotta keep track of your bullets, buddy," Blitzo said before he shot him in the face. Grabbing his Famas, he looked out the window to see a squad of heavily armed guards coming in his direction that looked more geared up than a SWAT team. "Great..."
Once they were in place, they aimed their high-powered assault rifles and fired. Blitzo cursed as he jumped away from the window and winced when he saw that they were firing bullets infused with magical plasma. He helped and ducked as the bullets started going through the windows. The group continued to fire until they had the entire place written on them. Their commander, a tall goat-looking demon with wings, signaled to form up and advance.
Making their way to the door, they opened it up and swept the area. They saw the dead bodies of their comrades on the floor with blood everywhere, but also a motionless Imp who was face down. One of them turned him over, revealing his entire chest covered in red, eyes half-open, and tongue sticking out.
"I think we got-" His sentence was interrupted when Blitzo slammed a hidden knife in his mouth and jammed it right through his neck.
Grabbing the heavy assault rifle from the dead guard, he then kicked the dead body into a group of three who were knocked back. Kicking himself back and sliding on the blood, Blitzo fired the plasma-armed rifle at the tactical team, killing three of them, but the others took over in time. He dropped the gun and made for the window while diving out of it, which confused the others until one of them noticed three grenades with a smiley drawn on them that didn't have their pins on.
"Son of a-"
Another explosion rocked the manor as Blitzo ducked from the broken rumble and ran forward while taking out his Kel-Tec KSG 12GA Bullpup Shotgun with triple barrels. One of the doors inside the manor opened up only for its occupant, a guard in a suit, to get a chest full of angel steel buckshot that knocked him back inside. Pumping the shotgun, Blitzo swept the area and fired two more shots at two guards who were turning the corner to provide backup.
This process would proceed for the following two rooms. Sweep the area, kill whoever there was, and continue on. The guards did their best, but they only booked a one-way ticket to oblivion. When he got to what appeared to be the main living room, Blitzo started to reload his gun until an invisible force picked him up and threw him against the wall. Gripping his neck, he felt something choking him as he was lifted off his feet.
"You are quite an annoying little vermin."
He looked up and saw Prince Gaap slowly descending the nearby stairs with his red glowing hand held out. His sneering look was that of someone with nothing but contempt for the Imp. "You just couldn't fucking... LEAVE IT ALONE!"
He tossed Blitzo with his power by moving his arm and letting Blitzo get slammed hard telepathically into a glass coffee table.
"Everything was going to be perfect. I had everything prepared," Gaap said as he continued his descent. "And then, like a cockroach, you had to crawl in and RUIN EVERYTHING !"
Another wave of his hand, this time upward, and Blitzo yelped as he was forced up against the ceiling before he was released and fell to the floor hard. Moaning, the Imp assassin tried to get up, but another telekinetic push had him hit a nearby couch and flip over it with the furniture.
"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this? How much time did I put into this?! How much money?! Do you even have any idea how long it will take to fix any of this shit?! DO YOU?!"
Blitzo popped out from behind the couch and fired his pistol at the prince, who quickly pulled out his rapier and sliced the bullets in two before they could even touch him. He then forced Blitzo towards him with another telekinetic pull, with the Imp facing him inches apart. "No, you do not. You couldn't even think or care about what I have to say, right?"
"No shit," Blitzo said, but all this did was get him pushed magically again. This time, into a glass cabinet filled with wine glasses. He winced as some of the glass entered his back, but he shook it off when Gaap reached the end of the stairs and rubbed his nose.
"Why are you doing this? For Stolas? Was his bird cock that important to you? Or are you delusional in thinking this will mean anything? He is dead. Gone. Forever. You will never fuck him again in whatever sick and perverted means you liked doing. So why even risk your entire life and the lives of so many to kill those who are infinitely more powerful than you?!"
There was a moment of silence, and then Blitzo laughed. Prince Gaap looked confused as Blitzo laughed and laughed. He slowly got up and dusted himself off. Clearing his throat, Blitzo smirked at him. "It's hilarious. You do this entire whole operation. The island. The NORN system. The mini-army. All just so you can bang a girl you have been in love with for centuries. And yet you find it hard to believe that I'm doing this because I loved Stolas, and you took him away from me? You're such a fucking egotistical asshole."
Gaap said nothing but continued to glare.
"I'm not a nice guy. I've done a lot of terrible things. But if there is one thing I value more than anything, it's the people I love. Friends. Family. Lovers. They're the reason I continue day and night with who I am. Stolas was the first person in a long time that won my heart, and I could never fully admit it until I lost him. All because I was unsure how to go through with this feeling," Blitzo sighed as he looked at his hand. "I used him, and yet instead of being angry at me, he just made a deal with me. A means for us to spend time. I hated him at first, thinking he was some rich prick who wanted his rocks rolled and shined, but over time he began to change. Asking to hang out, know about my day, and all those other crazy things that happened as time passed. It soon didn't matter about the book. What matters is us. And I began to feel happy with him."
A tear dripped down his eyes as he thought of every special moment with that dumb prince. His laughter. His smile. His caring words. And even the tender touches.
"I should have told him I loved him. I wanted us to be a legitimate couple. That I wanted...something more," Blitzo whispered before he glared at Gaap. "And you took that away from me. You took whatever we could have had away from me. A future. A good future. You took maybe the only noble I've ever really come to see the worth of such a title all because you're a jealous piece of shit who doesn't know the meaning of the fucking word no."
Reaching down, he picked up his pistol and held it firm. "So I'm going to kill you. I'll kill every fucking member of the ones who you back. I'm going to kill you all until it's done, and even if it takes me the rest of my life, I will see your world burn just like you did to me. To Octavia. To Stella. To all of us touched by Stolas."
The two stared at each other for a long time before Gaap slowly pulled out his rapier. "Do you really think a pathetic Imp like you is going to stand against a Prince of the Goetia Family like me? I, who have lived hundreds of your lives, master greater magics than you can dream and trained in combat to fight angels themselves. Do you really see yourself coming out of this alive?"
"Maybe? Maybe not. But I am going to try," Blizo said as he raised his gun.
"Then let me do you a favor and send you to Stolas."
"Bring it, you pompous asshole."
Neither moved at first, but Blitzo fired a shot and ran as the chase continued.