Summary:
Lincoln is in a world of demons and things sure do happen.
If there was one thing that Blitzo hated more besides having to be called on the phone by the Goetian prince whose book he stole, Moxxie's constant griping, anyone looking at Loona, nobody taking him seriously, and just about everything else that'd make too long a list for someone to type, it was a huge problem. Things that completely affect current affairs in extremely monumental ways that it just pisses him off to no end, it could only be worse if there was no easy fix to that problem. Starting up an assassination company wasn't going to be a pretty job at all, he knew that, everyone knew that. For God's sake, the point of the business was killing humans on Earth to get enough monetary gain. But, he liked to think of himself as someone who can easily adapt to such a thing, as per his ginormous ego that constantly begs to be entertained.
There was a very simple system and routine:
Get hired by a Sinner or Sinners.
Use a spell book to go up to the land of the living.
Kill the target in often comedic and over the top fashion.
Get paid.
Rinse and repeat.
But, if someone would have told Blitzo that their newest job to hunt down and kill a substitute teacher would've resulted in the biggest complication in Hell for any imp or demon, he would've killed that someone right on the spot for even suggesting it in the first place. It'd be about the only thing that would've given him some relief, but nope, some white haired kid who almost became their target's latest victim just had to somehow wind up with them in their own headquarters, in the building they operate from, and actually in the plane of Hell.
If any of his old enemies from his very checkered past were here, they'd never let him hear the end of it.
"Blitz." Loona was the first of the IMP team to speak up after they realized the kid in front of them wasn't their imaginations going wild. "What. The. actual. FUCK?!" she basically roars, demanding an explanation.
Her loud voice made Lincoln wince as her growling and crude language didn't help ease up his current state of panic.
"Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady." Blitzo says with a warning finger.
"There is a kid here! A kid who's alive!" Loona adds, wanting all of them to see the severity of this situation. "Don't tell me you decided to kidnap little kids now! For shit's sake, I know you're from Hell, Blitz, but even for you this is too far!"
Blitzo holds his chest tightly with a hurt expression. "That hurts, Looney. That you think so less of me that I'd do something so horrible. Without even accusing Moxxie of being the cause of this fuck up, which he definitely is."
"Excuse me?! Moxxie boldly argued with his boss. "At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me remind you that you were the one who was holding the book and opened the portal! For once, sir, have the decency to own up to your own mistakes!"
"Hey, don't go thinking I won't dock your pay for backtalk, dickbreath!" Blitzo pokes his subordinate's chest threateningly.
"Money's hardly the issue right now!"
"Oh, so you're saying you don't mind? Well, glad we have an understanding for once."
"Boys!" Millies shout stopped her husband and boss's arguing from going any further to downright physical violence by gesturing to the shaking boy who darted his eyes to all four of the Hellborn creatures. "Quit with the shoutin'. You're upsettin' the poor thing." she held her hands and looked at Lincoln with concern all over her face.
It didn't sit well for her heart to see him like this, she didn't forget what he did for them before.
"Who gives a shit, Mills?" Blitzo callously said. "If anyone has any right to be upset, it's yours truly. A job like this was supposed to be simple, and now we got to deal with this crap?! Only in my life!"
Now was the time for Lincoln to finally say something and ask the questions that needed some answering if he was going to make some essence of sense out of all this. "Who-Who are you? What are you?"
"We're red leprechauns with pots of turds instead of gold that we keep at the end of a storm cloud." Blitzo deadpanned. "Weren't you paying attention before, kid? We're imps!"
"Sir!" Moxxie hushes him before taking a more gentle approach. "Listen, I realize that this is a bit overwhelming, but try to keep an open mind, okay?"
This one was surprisingly more civil than what Lincoln expected. "I-I..." Panicking will not help, so he made himself somewhat calm. "...Okay."
"Good." Moxxie smiled, walking to the slightly shorter kid but not by much. "Do you have a name?"
Lincoln was taught never to give his name to strangers, but he didn't know any other alternative. "Lincoln. Lincoln Loud."
"Well, Lincoln. My name is Moxxie." He pulls up Millie who happily waves. "This exquisite creature is my wife, Millie and the taller one's our employer, Blitzo and the hound's Loona." Lincoln looks at the aforementioned two. Blitzo had his arms crossed and just glared at him while Loona rolled her eyes in exasperation, already sensing that the kid will lose his shit any minute now. "Now, what was the last thing you remember?" Moxxie tugs his bowtie, trying to find some way to break to him in a calm manner.
"I-I was at my teacher's house." Lincoln's head was clear enough for him to remember. "He hit and did something." He holds a trembling hand, recalling that event, it was like something out of his worst nightmares. "Then there was that flash and now I'm here. Where am I?"
And there was the question that will turn his world upside down and Moxxie wasn't sure how else to put this. "Yes, well. There lies a bit of a conundrum, young man. Frankly, we're about as clueless as to how you're here, but here you are. In this place. Where we live. But not humans. Like you. Because, this is not a place you'd normally find humans." Wow, this was a lot harder than Moxxie thought. "A place where a general population of humans believe to be completely fictitious and goes against all manner of scientific-"
"For the love of-Welcome to fucking Hell, kid!" Loona tells with an aggravated yell.
Lincoln blinks twice. "...I beg your pardon?"
"Loona!" That was the exact opposite of how Moxxie wanted to go about it.
"You were beating around the bush for way too long, Moxxie!"
"This-This is Hell?" Lincoln asks, wanting to make sure. "Like literally Hell? Fire and brimstone Hell?"
"Oh, no, sweetheart." Millie chuckles. "Don't believe what they tell you in those propaganda books. After his majesty, Lucifer, took over, he did some remodeling here and there and now Hell's as homely as it can be." Sounds were then heard from outside, a loud explosion from a grenade, shooting that led to screams of terror, fighting, the tearing of skin, people cussing at each other while sensual sounding moans were also heard from the alleyways. "More or less."
Hell. Lincoln was in literal Hell. A place where those who have committed grave sins as penance for their acts, doomed to a fate of a longtime suffering upon their deaths. If this was Hell and he was there, then did that mean, was he...?
"Heh." The imps and the hellhound became confused when Lincoln began chuckling. "Okay. You got me, Luan!" he calls out the name of his prankster of an older sister, as if expecting her to jump out and have a good laugh at his expense. "I gotta admit. This might just be your best work yet. I mean, I don't know how you were able to get a teacher involved or where you managed to get such convincing costumes, but you did it. You outdid once again. Now get out here so I can be mad at you, we hug it out, and the same happens again weeks from now."
Loona couldn't help but comment. "That sounds like a standard sitcom pattern."
"Luan?" Lincoln called again, a bit more desperate this time. "That's your cue. Get on with the incredibly lame pun already. You can even bring Mr. Cocoanuts."
Blitzo shakes his head pitifully at the kid's obvious denial. "Kid. This ain't some pranking game show. This is Hell and you're in it. So fucking deal already."
"No." Lincoln shakes his head, still in denial over what was said. "No. That can't be true. If that were true, then that would mean I'm...dead." he almost threw up when he said that. "I can't be dead. I still feel so alive. There's also no way I'm in Hell if I am dead. I'm not a bad person." He insisted. Sure, he's had moments he's not particularly proud of, but none bad enough to condemn him to Hell.
Loona scoffs and sarcastically agrees. "Sure you're not, squirt. Don't piss yourself just yet. From the looks of it, you're not dead."
"How do you know for sure?"
"'Cause you still look human for one thing." Blitzo checked to make sure by pressing his fingers to Lincoln's forearm after holding it up and felt a sign of life. "Yep. That's a pulse, alright. Shit, this was not how the job was supposed to go. All in favor of dropping the squirt off at a mental asylum and be done with it?"
Moxxie saw a lot of issues with that idea and decided to address the illogical ones, rather than the morally questionable ones. "Now hold on, sir. Using the book is what caused this. Whose to say it won't make things worse?"
"If you have a better idea, then let's hear it." Blitzo opened the floor for Moxxie to share his own plan but just as the imp was about to, Blitzo interrupted just to show he didn't want to hear it at all. "What's that? You can't think of any? I am so shocked. Don't worry, though, that's what the boss is here for. You just stand there and look like a dumbass as per the norm." Moxxie fumed at him with steam coming out of his ears.
"But, Blitz. Moxxie's right." Millie told him, supporting her love. "Maybe we should just slow down a bit. We might end up doing more harm than good."
"Fucking damn it! What is this? Nark on Blitz's brilliant ideas Day?!" Blitzo demanded, not taking kindly to all this insubordination. Moxxie continued to glare at him while Millie looked to the taller with pleading eyes while Loona mostly stayed apathetic to this problem, she nonetheless looked expectantly at her adoptive father and shouts in resignation. "Fine! Company meeting! Let's go! Kid, you stay here!"
"My name is Lincoln."
"Don't give a shit. Touch anything and just see what happens!" Blitzo warned white haired boy before taking his employees to the conference room and all Lincoln could do was stand there perplexed and understandably freaked out beyond measure.
After Blitzo slams the door hard, Lincoln wasted no time in getting his phone out and tried calling his mother. "Come on, come on!" He silently implored for an answer but got no response and he saw that cell phone service here was very poor. "Of course the service here stinks! This really is Hell!" He grabs his white hair and paces around, mind severely fragile over these turn of events. "This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" No matter how many times he repeated that sentence, this was indeed real.
He was actually in Hell where demons roam and many sins are committed with no way to communicate with any of his loved ones and no way of getting back home until he notices the grimoire that Blitzo irresponsibly left on the table. From what little managed to make sense of, that object was used to get those three imps to Earth and back down to Hell and a plan came to mind.
It was a risk, but what other option does he have?
I.M.P was by no means a stable work environment, which made sense seeing as all the employees are from Hell. But whether or not it's on Earth or in Hell, all struggling companies that are still up and coming are bound to hit a lot of bumps in the road and how they deal with those bumps defines their work ethic as a company. "Okay, team. Since everyone suddenly seems to think it's okay to just rebel against your boss despite all the good things I've done for you such as giving you two a job." He looks to the other imps. "And putting a roof over your head." That one was for Loona. "Let's hear what you assholes got cooking up since apparently, I'm too much of a dumbass."
Moxxie miraculously kept his patience. "Sir. This is an uncharted territory we're treading. A human that's still living in Hell is not only unheard of, it should be impossible and yet, there he stands in the next room. This isn't something that can be dealt with so easily."
"He's right, boss man." Millie nods. "Besides, we can't just leave the poor little sweet potato hung out to dry. Not after what he did for us."
"What did he do for us?" Blitzo squinted his eyes as he couldn't recall anything like that happening. "Speak clearly, Millie. You're making as little sense as your walking sex toy."
"Don't y'all remember?" Millie asks and clarifies what she means. "That mean old teacher was ready to make rugs out of all our red imp asses until that little gentleman swooped in an dropped a fucking clock on that man."
Loona looked up from her phone, initially uninterested until she heard that little tidbit. "That shrimp knocked down a clock on some old fart?" She lightly smirked, feeling the tiniest bit impressed. "Hmm. Not bad."
Blitzo wasn't as much. "Big whoop. If it'd been me, I would've dropped a piano on the bastard. Can never go wrong with the classics." He advises with a wink. "Plus, it's not like he really did it to save us, he was just pissed at the target for almost adding him to his list of dead students. Not saying I don't respect that, but it's not enough to make go all nice-nice on him. Not how I roll."
At this point, Loona decided to add her own two scents into this topic. Not that she cared, she just feels the sooner they resolve this the sooner she could go back to her phone and TV with uninterrupted peace. "In that case, I hope you enjoy getting in neck deep shit with the higher ups." She knew Blitzo and the only way to get him to do something he doesn't like, it's to point out how it'd affect him. "Try and think for once, Blitz. If it were a Sinner kid, that'd be no issue. But one that's here and didn't bite the dust? We'd all be fucked in a lot of ways if certain demons find out."
"...That's actually an excellent point, Loona." Moxxie said, hardly believing that he just admitted that.
Loona replied very rudely. "Oh, well you can just choke on your wife's jizz, Moxxie."
His eye twitched. "Either way, she is right, sir. Making off with a Goetian prince's grimoire and using it for illegal access to Earth is punishable enough and while I don't think there's a rule against living humans in Hell, it is nonetheless risky to the already fragile balance of things and if we're blamed for it, then this company will go under before it could even lift off from the ground."
Blitzo's eyes widened in alarm when he realized the problems this would cause for him, Loona, Moxxie and Mille. Well, mostly for him and Loona too, obviously. Immediate Murder Professionals is to be his way of finally making it big after years of endless failure, it's why he abandoned his former profession as a circus clown in that crappy knock off theme park, under the shadow of that damn robot clown. Being in Hell, he had to go through very low means to get where he is, and he was damned if he was just going to let it get fucked up because of one lousy unexpected turn of events. He didn't go through all that degrading mess just to face more trouble.
"Not while I'm still standing and killing!" Blitzo's fist slammed the table, now treating the matter with less impulsiveness.
"That's the spirit, Blitz!" Millie smiled.
Blitzo already had an idea. "Mills, go fetch the kid!" Saluting, Millie hops off her chair. "Now, if all goes well, this will work out just-"
"He's gone!"
Or not.
"What the hell?!" Blitzo yells as they all saw that the room that previously had a human kid in it was devoid of such a thing. "Where the fuck did he go?! Moxxie, I told you to watch him!"
"No, you didn't!"
"I know, I just need an excuse to vent my frustrations out on you!"
Loona's eyes widened when she saw another thing that was absent. "Not the only thing gone." Seeing what she was talking about, it became apparent that the spell book was also not there.
"He took the book?! Does he have any clue how much I risked to get it?!" Blitzo grabbed his horns, screaming out his anger. "We need that thing!"
The door was slightly open and Millie looked out. "He couldn't have gotten far. What was he thinking? Going out into Hell on his own?"
"The boy must be desperate." Moxxie reasoned. "I'd be too in his position."
"Who gives a flying rat's ass?! M&M, you two go prep up the van!" Blitzo ordered then addressed his adopted daughter. "Loonie, we're gonna need that nose of yours."
"And what will you do?"
Blitzo grimaced, looking at his phone. "I'm gonna have to make a call. Which'll probably be misinterpreted as a booty call."
Lincoln Loud was a clever preteen.
A lot more pragmatic and an avid thinker than most kids his age. It can be said that the frequent chaos of living in such a big family like his forced him to make millions of plans in order to survive both mentally and physically. Much as he loves his family dearly, it's not always so perfect, so the logical action was to prepare for such chaos, it's what earned him the moniker of the man with the plan, even though most of the plans go off the rails fairly quick once they're executed. But no amount of planning and creating contingencies could have ever prepared the sole son of the Louds for the chaos that is the plane of Hell itself.
The Louds were never what one would call a religious family, even though the parents have had a total of eleven children. The really young ones like Lana for example, like to at least believe in the idea of a higher power watching over them as she sometimes prays for the safety of her numerous pets whenever they're away from home. Lisa only ever believed in what's proven by science as it uses actual logic and reasoning to make sense of things, never once buying into such beliefs out of the sake for science itself, the total opposite of Lynn and her wild superstitions. Then there's Lucy and her fascination with all things relating to the occult and would probably love all this.
Lincoln, however, wasn't feeling any love for his current setting.
Thinking it over, it was probably a huge mistake to leave the IMP building with the grimoire into a new unfamiliar land of unknowns, but he wasn't sure if he was even safe there. He barely knew the imps and the hellhound and wasn't sure if they were even going to help at all, this could very well be a problem he can only solve on his own.
If he can survive Imp City, that is.
Even by Hell's standards, Imp City was about the lowest place anyone could ever have the misfortune of living in. Due to imps being at the bottom of Hell's society, the city itself served as a place for imps with no place to call home. Forced to live in the streets or otherwise get jobs in servitude for the more important demons. Besides imps, other species of Hellborn also reside such as hellhounds and of course, the more distinct Sinners, like the one getting into a fistfight with the fat imp.
"Hey, fatso!" The Sinner in a well groomed business suit that looked like a porcupine shouted before upper-cutting the fat imp. "Did you steal my damn wallet?!"
"Go to Heaven! Your own fault for leaving it at the counter!" The fat imp returned with his own fist.
"Beelzejuice for sale!" A vendor announced, selling actual flasks at a stand. "Pure unrefined drinks from Gluttony!"
A passing female imp stopped to test a drink out then promptly spits it out. "This shit is a knockoff!" She proceeds to pull out a switch blade and chases after the fleeing con artist before stabbing him.
Lincoln cringed as he watched all of this unfold, it was happening right in front of him and everyone treated it like it was normal. He screamed lightly when the driver of the car he was hiding behind grunted after getting punched by a hyena lady demon smoking outside. "Hey! What the hell?! I got enough money, skank!" The imp inside the vehicle yelled.
"I know counterfeit bull crap when I see it, asshole!" she shouted back.
"I'm in a nightmare." Lincoln said breathlessly, trying to find another place to hide. He was fully intent on getting out of this nightmare as soon as possible and this book was the key.
He flipped through the pages, trying to find anything that can help him, but he couldn't make heads or tails of the thing, how he wished Lucy was here right now. This was more her speed than his or anyone else in the family. Growing more aggravated, Lincoln turns more pages at a rapid pace, silently wishing to understand one page.
He blinked when he stops at one page, one that he could understand. The strange part was that he understood it while it wasn't written in English, it was still in the Satanic writing as the rest and yet, he could somehow understand every lick of it. Even more unknown to him, was this his eyes glowed red and subconsciously mouthed a phrase out and after the book did a little light show, a stream of fire shot out, making Lincoln duck and see it strike a lamp post. It fell down, leading to a car colliding into it.
"Son of a bitch!" A towering anthropomorphic bull demon emerged and was not happy by what happened to his ride. "This is a brand new car! One of the few good things I have since I arrived in this shithole! Who did this?! Who?!" Not one demon was standing up to confess to this misdeed, but he did spot Lincoln in the alleyway. "You!"
"Oh, boy!" Lincoln made a dash for the fire escape, but the bull demon had already made his way and grabbed the boy by the shirt.
Growling, the bull demon looked him over. "What? You a new arrival who hasn't gotten his horns yet? Or were you not killed enough?" He chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, I'll fix that."
Lincoln gulped as terror swelled up inside.
"God damnit. How hard is it to find one living human in Hell?"
Nothing just won't come easy for Blitzo so far, as forces beyond his twisted comprehension seem to keep wanting to make things more difficult for him with Lincoln going off on his own and taking their sole means of going up to the living world. An assassin imp could only go so far without killing in order to act out on the anger that builds up as a result.
"Hell is still a big place, sir." A thought came to Moxxie and it filled him with dread. "I rather not fear the worst."
"Loona. Picked anything up, yet?" Millie asked the receptionist.
"I would if you'd quit it with the bitching, Millie." Loona used a single strand of Lincoln's hair to hone into his specific scent. "Kind of thought the scent would be messed up by the white hair dye, but it's actually pretty clear. I think that must be natural snow locks on his head."
"Just tell us when you managed to get a bite." Blitzo rubbed his aching temple as he drove the company van. "I need to be hammered when this is over."
"I wonder exactly what he plans to do with the book." Moxxie tapped his chin. "He must have pieced together that it's used to open a portal to Earth."
"No doy, Moxxie. He only saw us do it at the target's home." Blitzo shook his head at the absurdity of it all. "Not like it'll do him any good. Unless he practiced in the demon arts like that teacher, the best that book will do for him is being a paperweight." He reached down to get his phone out and tried going for the number again, only to keep hearing the machine with that constant beeping. "Come on. I call for a change and that prick is ghosting me?" He was so preoccupied with the phone call he kept failing to make, that he was oblivious to the random imps he struck.
Loona's eyes lit up a little and shouts. "Pull over!"
Her announcement made Blitzo force the van into a full stop at the nearest sidewalk. The gothic hellhound jumped out and got on all fours, her nose going into overdrive as she crawled, sensing that Lincoln was somewhere near here with M&M following her. Blitzo remained in the van, trying one more time to reach the number he dialed. "I swear, if he went and found a new imp he might just go after that one instead of me." He wouldn't have to break his phone and have Loona drink it this time as well.
Still, much as he loathes to say it, Blitzo needs the assistance of Stolas of the Goetia family.
Even in an unruly world like Hell, there is a hierarchy system among the many demons that inhabit it in order for there to be some level of a pecking order in a land of deviancy. There was the king himself, Lucifer, whom not only rules over all of Hell but also rules the top ring of Pride, it's he who reigns as top dog of Hell and makes sure everyone knows it, hardly caring for his subjects' well being, unlike his daughter, but that's a different story, just know she and her mother are next on the list. Below the royal family are a diverse number of high-class demons such as the other Seven Deadly Sins, rulers of one of the rings, then. Can't forget about those powerful Overlords, proving themselves to be dangerous and powerful enough to rule certain parts of Hell.
In this fancy mansion live demons of the Ars Goetia, they go below the Sins but above the Overlords and are included in Hell's royalty. Stolas, a tall elegant owl demon with two pairs of narrowed eyes with no pupils or irises is a well known Goetian Prince of Hell. He was held in his esteem, commanding legions of demons and had numerous responsibilities.
Being one of Hell's big wigs earned him a really cushy lifestyle with only one major problem.
"An imp! Of all things!"
That being an angered wife, shouting insults and jeers at the owl demon she was forced to marry.
"Stella. You're blowing this all out of proportion."
Stolas' wife, Stella, another avian demon, didn't want to hear excuses from her husband, much too angry to give him a chance. "Oh, am I?! So, I should be glad you actually like a little imp's little thing?!"
That insult made Stolas chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't say 'little'."
"AGH!" Stella kicked a nearby imp servant aside, making various plates fall to the ground. "I'm guessing I should expect calls from any incubus or hellhound looking for round two then!"
"Excuse me?" Stolas snorts in disgust. "Do you see me as someone who just offers himself out to just anyone?!"
"If you thought a fucking imp was good enough, then why not?!" Stella countered. "I can see the headlines now at 666 News: Asshole Goetia lets imp into his bed and heart! Can you imagine how ruined this will make us?! You've single handedly made this family into a laughing stock!"
And there was the main issue here. Stella hardly cared about their marriage, but being of Hell's royalty sets a certain standard all those involved need to follow if they are to be respected and feared by their peers. That meant treating lower demons as lower lifeforms was encouraged, anything less would result in ridicule and embarrassment and to Stella, nothing could shame them more. It was a slap to the face and she won't let him hear the end of it.
He truly wanted to tell her off, saying the lack of love on her end in the marriage played a part. But, he didn't want their spat to escalate any further than it needed to be.
"If that's how you feel, then please, feel free to leave whenever you want." Stolas challenged. "Since my mere presence is obviously too much for you to bear."
"Maybe that's what I should've done in the first place!" Not wanting to see his face right now, Stella leaves in a huff, slamming the door very hard for the mansion's workers to hear.
Sighting tiredly, Stolas walks to the only other bedroom here. One that belonged to the one thing he treasured from the union between Stolas and Stella and who's undoubtedly having the worst time as a result of the schism between her parents and as a father, he feels the need to check to see the extent of the damage. "Octavia? Can you hear me?" Her silence was an expected response. "Listen. Mommy and daddy are having it out and well, if you have any concerns, you can come to me. You know that, right?" More silence from his only daughter, making him feel even horrible. "Right then. Just know I'll still be here if you're willing to talk." He leaves the locked door, not hearing the light sniffling sound coming from inside.
With all this family drama, Stolas truly needed comfort right now.
The house phone suddenly rang once again, he had been too busy dealing with his disgruntled wife to attend to it, and with no one else present, he answered.
"Pick up. Pick up. Pick the fuck up already!" His employees were far away from the van by now and he didn't want to lag behind because a rich privileged owl was too lazy to pick up the phone. Blitzo found it a little humiliating that he had to call him this time, unlike before. "Stolas. It's me."
"Blitzy? Well, what a very welcomed surprise~." Blitzo cringed at the flirtatious tone of the royal's voice. "It's not often I get a call from you, my incorrigible imp. Miss me, already?"
"Oh, yeah. Like a growth the doctors think might be cancerous." Bltzo straight up insulted without remorse, but this didn't offend Stolas at all.
"Mmmm. You know just what to say to brighten my mood. It's been so hectic in my humble abode that I don't know how else to relieve of all this stress, but now that you're calling, I know how it can be much better."
Blitzo quickly told him the call was for a different matter. "This ain't a fucking booty call!" He rubs his head to calm his already painful headache. "Look, my team and I had an easy enough job, but things sort of went really bad and well bottom line, I need you to come into my office later to handle a potentially big problem."
"Oooh. Planning on introducing me to your workers? Moving fast now aren't we?"
"Believe me, I wouldn't even introduce you to my family." Blitzo glowers at that. "There's a problem I have right now and when that problem's taken care of, I'll call again to give you the full story and get your feathered ass over here. I'm only calling now to give you a heads up."
"My. How considerate of you. Now, I'm all curious about what your little problem is."
Blitzo's hairbrained, but not stupid enough to tell Stolas that he lost his book. Him being the Goetian demon's favorite partner won't be enough to spare him from his wrath, at least that's what Blitzo believed.
"It's an I.M.P matter." Blitzo says, denying him any information. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Are you sure of that, Blitzy? Considering it's my book that you use to make your little field trips to the mortal world possible, I like to think whatever happens with your little excursions is my business."
It's not only just feathers and an imp up there in his head like Blitzo thought.
"Look, we're not even on Earth right now. Just normal office hijinks." Blitzo claims through a forced smile. "Either come to the building or find another imp to treat as a breathing doll."
"How you wound me, Blitzy. Thinking I'd go to another imp besides you. No, if there's any imp in all of Hell that's good enough for me. It's you." Blitzo rolled his eyes, knowing what was about to happen. "No one else can-"
"Just get over here!" Blitzo rolled down the window and threw his phone out, then shot it. Blitzo sorely wished he could deaf right now, and frankly, Blitzo had half a mind to buy new phones with stronger cases. He should've just hung up on him and his head collapsed on the steering wheel. "Fucking hell. Why do I always end up with crazy freaks in my already fucked up life. It isn't even as bad when I was with her back in the old days." His face contorted in bitterness at the mere thought of that old flame of his, remembering how things ended between them. "At least I'll never have to see that bitch again. Living in a building that'll never under no circumstance have her or any of her fellow whores. Last thing I need is to see Vero-"
"Blitz!" Millie called from a distance. "Loona's got something! Come on, boss!"
Lincoln struggles to get free from the chains that the bull demon had a few of his guys use to restrain after taking him to a rundown warehouse where similar bull demons resided. The spell book was on the floor near him and the leader of these bull demons stood menacingly over him with seething rage and ill intent. "Gotta say, it's been a while since a new arrival turned out to be a little shit. So, kid. What was it? Got into daddy's liquor stash and fucked your kidneys up? Or maybe you took a wrong turn on your bike and got run over?" Chuckling, the bull demon held up Lincoln's phone and crushed it with his strong hand.
The chains were too strong, so Lincoln tried pleading with him. "Look. What happened to your car; that was an accident! I just want to get home!"
"Haven't you figured it out yet? This is your home now!" The bull demon tells the boy sadistically. "When you make it to Hell, that proves not only were you not good enough for Heaven, but you're stuck here, forever. Same with me and all my pals."
"But that's just it! I don't belong here! I'm not even a demon!"
One bull demon goon scratches his head as he considers this excellent point. "That's true, boss. Ain't see a horn on him and he doesn't even smell like he's one of us Sinners."
"You expect me to believe a kid's hair could be that white?" The Bull Demon didn't listen, nor did he honestly care. "Demon or not, this little fucker messed up my ride and no one crosses Bull Stomp!"
"...Who?" Lincoln asked, head tilted in confusion.
Mickey's anger shifted into shock as he didn't expect Lincoln to be ignorant of the bull demon he accidentally ran afoul with in his first few minutes in Hell. "Bull Stomp? You know, Scourge of the year?" He still got nothing but clueless confusion from Lincoln, not familiar at all with the name or of the importance of it. "I was killed during a big shootout with a lot of cops and my buddies here fought with me? None of this rings any bells?
"Not really, no."
"Are you serious?" The bull's anger came back with a bit more force. "Son of a bitch! You telling me there wasn't like some big documentary on my life?! Why did I did what I did?! Nothing?!" A head shake from Lincoln confirmed his fears.
"Eh, to be fair, man. We weren't that infamous." One of his men reasoned.
"We only ever spend most of our time at those bullfights."
Another nodded. "Yeah, let's be real here. It's not like we'd be infamous enough to get one of those documentaries or something."
"Or one of those movies." A third chuckled. "Although, I would've loved to see them try and find the right face to copy my face...you now, before the whole demon thing."
"Shut up! All of you!" The bull demon hardly cared about his ruined car now, the information that barely left a mark during his time alive is now what was really starting to set him off. The one thing that determines your standing in Hell, is how threatening and influential you can be. He planned on using whatever notoriety he had as a human as a stepping stone, but that failed. But then, he remembers the book the kid used to total his car, the one that shot out a fire from its pages. "Say, doesn't this belong to those rich owl assholes?"
The goon next to him confirmed this. "Yeah, I think so. Stealing from the Goetians. Now that takes balls."
"But, I didn't steal it!" Lincoln screams, but then corrects himself when he realizes that statement was kind of accurate. "Well, I did steal it. But not from the Goetians you're talking about!"
The bull demon chuckles, already looking at a new means of making himself a big deal in Hell. "No? Then this fancy looking book must belong to some other pompous asses. Either way, I'm sure I can put it to better use. With this baby, I could work myself all the way up to Overlord status." He practically drooled at the prospect, knowing how much sway those guys have over Hell.
"What do we do with the kid?"
Scoffing, the bull demon callously orders his men to do what most would when they have someone of no use. "Ah, hell if I care. Do whatever you want. I gotta see what makes this book tick."
He walked away with the book in-hand and his fellow bulls grinned as they armed themselves with firearms and looked threateningly at the scared child who could only shake in fear as they prepared to end his life. It seemed as if this was really it for Lincoln and if the boy had any regrets, it was not being able to see his family one last time. Screams were let out, but not belonging to Lincoln, it was the bulls after the wall broke apart when a van rammed in, one with the I.M.P crew inside. "Honey, I'm home!" Blitzo cheekily greets, getting out with his crew each armed and ready for a brawl with their own weapons.
"The fuck?! What do you imps want?!" The bull demon demanded.
"You got something that belongs to us." Blitzo motions to the grimoire in his hands. "Now, give us and the kid too, I guess, and we won't have to litter the ground with your damn horns."
Rather than comply, they all laughed at Blitzo's audacity. "You think three little imps and a damn hound are enough to scare me? Boys, waste them first!"
Shooting at some imps wasn't anything new for these bull demons, the fact that they're a lot more fragile compared to most Hellborn demons made it easier for them. These imps, however, were not so easily kill-able having their own experience in killing others through their other jobs to the human world after being hired. Blitzo fired with two dual pistols while Moxxie provided cover fire with his rifle to cover for Millie and Loona when they ran over to Lincoln's position and he feared that they didn't take too kindly to him stealing the book. But, he was surprised when with great strength, both broke the chains that were holding him.
"You okay, dear?" Millie asks.
"Uh...yeah. Thanks." Lincoln didn't really know what else to say.
"Save your thanks when we're out of this shitstorm, kid!" Loona barked, pulling him away from the ensuing battle going on.
Seeing as they were already dead, the bull demons were hard to take down, but the same can be said for the imps as the one thing that can permanently erase a demon were the angelic weapons wielded by the Exorcists during Extermination Day. Good thing they managed to get such items and now, they have the perfect chance to use them. Other bull demons brandished spear weapons that made Moxxie gasp in alarm as the weapons used by those nightmarish angels were all too familiar to the common demon. "They have angelic weapons!"
"Oh, shit!" Blitxo grimaced, narrowly dodging a spear thrown at him.
Weapons like those must have been left over after the Extermination Day.
This required Millie's penchant for getting up close and personal with her opponents, fitting for her role as the team's bruiser. To combat their spears, Millie smacked one's face with her huge hammer and picked up the spear. Spinning it in her hands, she plunged it to the back of the bull herself, the erasing process began and it ceased the demon. "Ooh, I like this!" Pole-vaulting herself across, Millie erased more and more bull demons with the spear, turning the tables on them.
"Millie! Hand me one of those!" Catching a spear of his own, Blitzo used it in tandem with his flintlock pistol, having expressed a desire to use one of these things on his old enemies to get rid of them for good. Even Loona joined in on the fight, taking on the job of making sure no harm comes to Lincoln by fighting them all off with a rusty pipe. "Be careful, Loonie! It's much safer in the van!"
Loona growled at his overprotective coddling. "I can take care of myself just fine, Blitz!" She showed this by backhanding one, then twisting his arm around forcefully to disarm him and bump him against the wall.
Bltzo wiped away a proud tear at her fighting other demons. "That's my Looney Tooney." He looked at Mickey who tried to get away with the grimoire and if he loses that, he loses his red ass. "Damn it! What's this bastard's deal?! Why does he want that fucking book?!"
"He said he wants to be a big name here!" Lincoln answers, having heard Mickey's ambitions. "He's said gonna use it to become something called an Overlord."
"Him? An Overlord? Great, we're dealing with bulls spitting out their own crap." Blitzo chortles. "Prideful asshole's gonna get himself into trouble."
"Pot calling the kettle black, anyone?" Moxxie couldn't help but remark.
Pride. If Lincoln's learned anything is that pride can be used against someone to cause their own downfall and such a strategy would be a sound one for right this second. "Hey!" Lincoln's call made Mickey stop in his tracks. "You want to use a book to be some big shot? What? You can't do well enough on your own, so you decide to steal from others?"
The bull demon snorted out smoke. "The fuck did you say?!"
Blitzo picked up on what Lincoln was trying to do and riling some poor sucker up to make him screw up was a good plan to him. "Kid's got a point. Being an Overlord is aiming pretty high, and using outside sources to do it? I mean, taking a shortcut will only make you look like a massive pussy, you know that, right?" His enemy's eye twitches and charges at them with the angelic spear in hand, Blitzo blocks with his own and aims his flintlock pistol right at weak spots, making the lead bull yell and drop the spell book which flipped over to some pages. Lincoln quickly runs to pick it up and more bull demons rush over to assist their leader. His eyes landed on the pages and they flashed red again, speaking in the demonic tongue and a blue colored force field formed around them that deflected the bullets off it back to the bulls.
The I.M.P team remained silent, until Loona shouted out. "...Okay, what the shit was that?!"
"Did-Did he use the book?" Millie asks, looking at Lincoln.
"He also spoke in the ancient tongue." Moxxie adds, perplexed. "But very few know or even speak of it anymore."
Blitzo would've given his own opinion on this, but looked at the injured Mickey on the floor and picked up the angelic spears with his two hands after forgoing his now empty pistol. "You can't do this to me!" Despite the pain, the bull demon was damned if he was going to get killed by freaking imps, but alas, it was indeed the fate that was in store for him. "Don't you know who I am?!"
The boss of I.M.P chuckles. "Nope. And honestly, who gives a shit?" With the two spears, he struck down the Sinner using the two spears, ending the bull's afterlife. His gaze went to all that remained of his forces, who became fearful of this deadly band of assassins, especially the manic grin Blitzo was giving them, itching to drop more demon bodies.
Knowing not to push their luck, the bull demons ran or to be more accurate, limped away due to their injuries. Discarding the spears, Blitzo approached Lincoln with a heavy glare and the poor kid suppressed a gulp. "You!" Blitzo points. "You steal the book. Piss off some Sinners and drag us along for the ride! That...is amazing!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" Lincoln did a double take. "Excuse me?"
"Now, I was pretty pissed off that you took off with the book that's very much needed for our business but lucky for you, killing that shit stain was enough for me to let out my anger." Blitzo says, but didn't let Lincoln be relieved just yet. "Don't think that means you're off the hook, buddy boy. Because, right now, we need to get our asses back to HQ."
"Wait, hold on." Despite his fear, Lincoln was still cautious to trust them. "Why should I trust you?"
"A very good question that's admittedly legitimate. But really, little man. Would you rather take your chances out here then back at our building? If you think this was bad. You've seen nothing yet."
Lincoln considered his options, and came to understand that Blitzo made a very compelling argument. Barely less than an hour in Hell and he already nearly lost his life to a short tempered bull and his cohorts. Just as he thought before, going out into an unfamiliar place with so many unknown was just a recipe for trouble and yet, he foolishly went on to leave anyway, almost paying the price for it in the process. It may not be ideal, but sticking with these guys may not be the worst thing that could happen.
Not like there were any other choices.
It was amazing that the van was still able to drive despite plowing straight through a wall, even more so with Blitzo's rather destructive driving, and they managed to make it back to the building where I.M.P HQ was, though they had to discard the angelic weapons. No need to get busted for possessing those. Blitzo instructed his employees to watch over in case he tries another stunt at leaving even though he's learned his lesson, suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. Lincoln sat on a seat apprehensively as they waited for Blitzo to come in, having said that he called in some assistance. The sole human in Hell looked to Millie who smiled brightly, Moxxie kept a professional stance, and Loona just looked at her phone.
Weirdly, he was reminded of Lori during her phase when she was aloof to everything around her.
Only, with this Hellhound, it was taken up a notch.
"So, uh, thanks." Lincoln said, rubbing his arm awkwardly. "For saving me back there and I guess also for that whole mess with Mr. Stillman." He frowned at the mention of that guy.
"Don't read too much into it, kid." Loona replies coldly, not looking for any praise for something that wasn't even done out of the goodness of their hearts. "You getting wasted would've spelled big trouble for us and that grandpa these two bitches killed with Blitz was a target. It was all just a job."
Target?
Job?
All this was hard to figure out, so Lincoln inquired some more. "Wait. What exactly do you guys do?"
"Oh, we're assassins, hon." Millie answers, still as cheerful as she can be.
Lincoln recoiled in shock. "Assassins? Like hired to kill assassins?"
"That is the general definition of the profession, Lincoln." Moxxie confirms and provides more details. "Though, it's more complex like that. We here at Immediate Murder Professionals are hired by human souls condemned to Hell who wish for those they blame for their deaths seeing it as them being cheated out of their lives on Earth. The teacher, Mr. Vincent Stillman was our most recent target having personally killed the client that hired us in the first place."
"So, you were just there to kill someone?" Even though Lincoln was grateful that it resulted in him not being killed, it greatly unnerved that the "rescue" turned out to be an assassination. "But, you killed him because he murdered his student, right?"
"True." Millie nods. "But, that was just for this job, sweetie and we got paid. He could've just been a normal teacher actually trying to mold young minds into productive members of society and we'd still kill him. Never discriminate against your targets." she says all sage-like. "But helping you out was worth it. Now, we're square for you saving our own skin from that bat shit crazy teacher with that grandfather clock."
It just came to Lincoln that he did indeed do that to Stillman, but unlike them, he didn't revel in it. "I didn't want to kill him!" Lincoln denied. "I was just angry..." Horror and guilt formed inside the boy.
"Don't worry. Our boss was the one that killed him. You just made it easier for him." Millie simplified in an attempt to comfort him.
"Honey, I don't think that's helping." Moxxie shakes his head, understanding where Lincoln was coming from.
Blitzo walks in with urgency. "Okay, now I need you all to level with me here. I invited a special guest here, so don't do any stupid shit that can make me look bad. Looking your way, Mox." He stands aside to allow the guest to enter and crouching down to let himself in, the guest was revealed to be Stolas himself dressed in his regal attire to present himself as royalty.
Moxxie fell off his seat. "P-Prince Stolas?!" One of Hell's royalty being in the workplace was not something he had expected to happen, but given that a living human boy was in their presence, it wouldn't have been the weirdest part. "Welcome, sir-highness-majesty-"
"Damn it, Moxxie! What did I just say about not doing stupid shit?" Blitzo chided.
"My, my. Such an impish little dwelling, Blitzy." Stolas giggles, taking in the room.
"Don't make yourself too comfortable." Blitzo warned him. "This is not a social call, I just need you to confirm some things."
Stolas playfully pouts and leaned down to cup Blitzo's chin with a talon finger. "Now, Blitzy. Are you saying you don'y wish to pick up where we left off last time? You're hurting my feelings"
Loona gagged. She held her stomach and regretted having a breakfast burrito. "Gross! Blitz, please tell me you didn't bring him here to get busy right in front of us! There's a fucking kid here!"
"Of course not, Loona!" Blitzo may not be a textbook case of someone with morals, but even he had lines he wouldn't cross. "I called him here to solve our little problem. Which is him." he nods to Lincoln who froze when all attention was drawn to him.
Stolas took a few steps and closely inspected him. "So, this is the child of whom you spoke of." he surmises then sniffs and gasps a little in slight surprise. "My word, he truly is still alive."
Lincoln didn't really know what to do except stay frozen as this owl demon oozed off a very intimidating presence that demanded respect and could very well do him harm like Mickey if set off. Then, he gathered that he was apparently of royal stature and as to not seem disrespectful, he bowed with sweat pouring down his head. "Uh, nice to meet you, sir."
"Decent manners." Stolas notes with approval. "Don't see that from most mortal younglings nowadays."
Though nervous, Lincoln couldn't help but ask. "Uh, are you like the king of this place?" he timidly asks.
Now that was a question that Stolas didn't expect and he laughs jovially in amusement. "
And a flatterer as well, apparently. Kind of you to ask, child, but no. While I am a rather important figure in Hell, I'm afraid I'm not powerful enough to rival him." the prince feigned disappointment. "Enough about that. You, my dear boy, are what's truly noteworthy right now. It is my understanding that you were nearly a victim of a demonic ritual, is that correct?" Seeing Lincoln nod, Stolas hummed in deep thought, when Blitzo gave him the details, he did some research to make sure.
"So, how bad is this?" Moxxie carefully asks.
"From Blitz's own testimony, it is painfully obvious that it was of the sacrificial variety." Stolas became exasperated. "I've seen it all before. Humans make deals with devils where they are granted a certain reward in return for their services to said devils. In this case, that nasty teacher would curse the souls of his own students, making their souls tied to Hell so that upon their deaths, they are condemned here, regardless of their actions. As payment for his efforts, the teacher's youth his replenished, allowing him to continue roaming the living world until the time comes for another sacrifice."
Lincoln listens with apt horror, finding out that he wasn't even the first person to suffer that experience. Mr. Stillman seemed so nice and welcoming, one would never think that he was capable of such crimes. It also broke his heart, thinking of the other poor souls that came before him, their young lives coming to an abrupt end without warning. What was even more terrifying was that if things had gone differently, he wouldn't have been the last of Stillman's victims, much as he hates to even think it, it's probably a good thing that man is gone, at least hopefully. "Is he somewhere here?"
"Ha!" This human child was certainly good for a laugh and after a hectic day at his mansion, Stolas needed it. "No need to be concerned, boy. Because he seemed to have failed in the killing part of the deal, his mortal soul is now doomed to be forever lost in-between. Unable to ascend to Heaven or come down here."
"So, I can still go home, right?" Lincoln asked, wanting this to end.
Stolas was ready to answer, but he considered one thing. Blitzo told him that he and his team interfered just as Stillman was going to kill the child and that part came after the more crucial step of the ritual. "Child, just to be certain, did these little imps' unintended rescue come before or after the man finished the incantation."
Lincon wondered why that was relevant, but answered. "After. Why?"
"Oh." The four eyes were wide and his expression turned quite grave. "Oh, dear."
"What?" Lincoln didn't like that tone and the others listened intently.
"Child, I'm afraid you can't fully return to the living world."
It was told bluntly, but it was a harsh truth that Lincoln needed to hear and face and just like that all color drained from his face, becoming pale and suddenly found it hard to breathe. "W-What...?"
Stolas continues. "Yes. I'm afraid it's true. While your life was saved, your soul, however, wasn't prevented from being linked to Hell. Now, I'm not saying you can't just go back up to Earth as you're not a departed soul, but I'm afraid you would only be there for a limited time before you are pulled back down here. As far as I can say, you are confined here to Hell. When Blitzo opened a portal with my book, it sensed this and thus dragged you along as well."
Silence followed soon after. Lincoln now knows that taking the book and trying to use it to go back to Earth really was a pointless endeavor for he is trapped here in Hell, for what seems to be forever. That means he can never go back home, he could never see his family or his friends ever again, not without having to be forced back to literal Hell. He lost all feeling his legs as they were weakening and collapsed down on one knee, Millie kneels down and wraps her arms around him, looking just as distraught, sharing a look with her husband who felt the same. Even Loona looked at Lincoln with a sad frown, he was a lost child here in Hell now, with no family to look out for him and no friends to support him.
He had no idea how much she could relate.
As for Blitzo, sympathy wasn't his major strength but seeing the kid at his lowest with nothing was something that was all too familiar with the imp. "...I guess that might explain how he was able to pull off some spells with that book of yours." he meant it to be in a joking nature, but it came off more bitter.
Stolas tilted his head. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah. Pipsqueak tried opening a portal back to Earth here." Blitzo lied. "Ended up shooting a door down, eyes glowed red and spoke in a dead language."
"Is that so?" Stolas rubbed his chin, intrigued. "There are spells in there that can be casted through incantations of ancient dialects. This seems to be further proof." The prince is at a level where he can cast magic with only a wave of the hand.
Blitzo takes another look at Lincoln and sees he was close to tears. "Mills, take him to that one empty room we have." He couldn't think straight with the oncoming waterworks. "So, you're gonna take him off our hands, then? Maybe stick him in a foster home?"
"Sir!" Moxxie exclaimed, aghast.
"We're an assassination business, not a babysitting service." Blitzo crossed his arms as Millie came back, also not liking that idea.
"I'm afraid this doesn't fall into my authority, Blitzy." Stolas stoically informs. "Never before has there been a living human in Hell, one being so in such circumstances. I dare say not even Lucifer himself could possibly have an answer, not that he'd care enough to bother. Though, as a precaution, it'd be in your best interest to not let others higher up the ladder know of this. Since you lot were the ones he came here with, I believe it falls to you to care for the child."
"What?!" Blitzo shouts, not believing this.
Millie gasps, stars in her eyes. "We get to adopt him?!
"He's not exactly an orphan, Millie." Moxxie corrects.
"Hold the cheering!" Blizo looks up to Stolas hotly. "How can we be sure you won't rat us out to your fellow big wigs."
Stolas boops him on the forehead. "Why, Blitzy. Like Hell I'd ever do such a thing to you, my darling.. Notice I haven't demanded my book back, but we will have to discuss that later. Until then, my sweet big dicked Blitzy." He walks off with a haughty strut, leaving the office.
"This can't be happening." Blitzo really wished this was just a dream brought on by drugs.
"Come on, Blitz. This is your fuck-up. Wouldn't be the first time you took in a stray. " Loona reminded him. She didn't like the idea of a snotty kid here, but he didn't seem all that bad at first glance. She knows from personal experience how tough it can be being alone in Hell.
Not a pretty sight.
Blitzo facepalmed with a sigh. He wasn't in the market to bring in a human boy into his workplace and Lincoln wasn't even hired on as an official employee of his company. His eyes widened at that, seeing as they were now responsible for looking after him and remembering how he managed to put that book to good use.
Maybe there is a way to make this work in Blitzo's favor.
Blitzo enters the room where he sees Lincoln sitting on the floor, hugging his legs and head crying into his knees. He hadn't moved from that spot since he was taken into the room and one could hardly blame him. Cursed to be in Hell with all manner of demons and dangerous individuals, most that had no qualms with threatening the life of a child just for kicks. He didn't care how crazy it is in the Loud house, nor did he care of other downsides to his life, it was still his own life, one he wanted to back to. Listening to Luna's jams, hearing jokes from Luan despite how corny they were, helping Leni with her designs, playing with Lynn when she wasn't so rowdy, making poems for Lucy, making Lisa her favorite sandwiches, having fun with the twins, tucking Lily in, eating his dad's foods, reading his mom's novels, and video chatting with Lori and Ronnie Anne.
He wanted it all back.
But now, that was impossible.
All he had was sadness and despair.
"You know, we've been meaning to get some new furniture for this room." Blitzo says, walking in. "The manager that leased the office off to us didn't tell us about this, but I think it'd make a nice extra room." Lincoln continued wallowing, making Blitzo get right to it. "Okay, look, kid. I'm not good at giving the whole comfort thing. But, look, you ought to be grateful that we put our necks out to make sure you didn't get yourself killed. You think you're the only one suffering? I can feel my head splitting open from this fucking headache." His sternness didn't bring any comfort. "But, that doesn't mean you can't make the most of this. You're in Hell. So, what? Might be premature, but given time, you would've ended up here eventually like all the rest. At least with them, they don't whine about it. They pick themselves up and make an effort to make sure their afterlife isn't as shitty as their lives as humans. Now, what are you going to do?"
Lincoln understood Blitzo was challenging him to end his little pity party, but what could he possibly do? He was still just a kid. He didn't understand a lick of Hell. Although, that didn't mean he shouldn't try to. Get a good lay down on how things work here, see all the angles and maybe see if anything can be done to get him out of here. Lincoln can spend the rest of his days in Hell crying his eyes out, or he's always done when in a pinch, adapt and learn as everything goes along.
For better or worse, he was stuck with these demons.
The white haired boy looks up, wiping away his tears and faces Blitzo. "What happens now?"
"Now." Blitzo grinned. "We get you dressed."
Minutes later, the rest of I.M.P sat in the office and turned their heads when Blitzo made an announcement. "Valued employees! It is my distinct pleasure to welcome our newest member to our little family! Say hello to Immediate Murder Professionals' official unpaid intern/trainee!" He spreaded an arm towards Lincoln who was given new attire. It was the same uniformed suit as the one Blitzo and Moxxie wore but made to fit Lincoln with an orange tie and he was holding the grimoire, too.
Millie squealed, instantly hugging Lincoln. "Welcome to the family, sweetie!"
"That's right. Let's bring it in, people." Blitzo pulled Moxxie and Loona into a group hug. "This is a new beginning and boy, things sure will happen!"
All Lincoln could do was make an audible gulp. "Happy to be included." He said with uncertainty.