Summary:
First assassination mission for Lincoln and things sure do happen.
Whenever a huge life changing event occurs in someone's otherwise comfortable life that affects that someone's negatively, they would like to believe that it was all but a dream. Some figment of their imagination brought on by their innermost fears and insecurities taking form inside their minds and it becomes far too much for them to bear, that they awake with alarm and that alarm is washed away by a sense of relief that it was never real in the first place and thus, forget all about it and move on with their lives. That way, there are less chances of it recurring once again and making life that much harder for that person and they can be free to become a healthy individual without any of the baggage from such troubling thoughts, but as reality loves to remind us, it doesn't really work that way, as one Lincoln Loud learned himself.
His eyes snapping opening in alarm, the young white haired boy that used to live normally as a suburban kid in an admittedly big family was greeted to a darkly lit room and saw once again that everything that happened wasn't all a dream. He mostly slept for most of the morning, instincts telling him that it was much safer that way, though the breakfast Millie made for him was pretty good. Rubbing his tired eyes, the little human took a look around his new room in this place.
The one supplied to him by his new eccentric imp demon boss, Blitzo.
Otherwise known as the head imp in charge of I.M.P.
The room definitely had a lot more space compared to the one back home since it used to be a linen closet before his turn to be born into the Loud family, but it wasn't what one would call homely. The lights barely worked and the only thing in there was a bed that had long reached past its expiration date, but he still managed to make it work somehow. Besides that, his new room is a cold, desolate dwelling that no one would want to sleep in unless they had no other choice. It actually made him sorta miss the linen closet.
Which in Lincoln's case, was quite literal.
He opened up a window, trying to see if there was some fresh air outside that can help ease things, but all he got were the sounds of fighting, cursing, smoking, beer breath, and...grunts that made him feel uncomfortable. "Hello, nightmare realm of eternal suffering." Lincoln greets, not enthusiastic.
"Why, hello there."
"Gah! Who?!"
Lincoln reels back at the human shaped fly demon perched on the window sill next to his. "Another rotten fucking day in this shithole, huh kid?" the fly said.
"Uh, I really wasn't talking to you." Lincoln agreed with the sentiment, but was not making conversation.
The fly demon nodded in understanding. "I know. I just haven't had a good greeting in so long." he gets a little emotional there, looking downcast. "Not since I ended up here after my wife caught me cheating with our daughter's piano teacher...for the fifth time in a row. Well, lesson learned. If you don't want to get hit by a car while chasing after her to explain yourself, respect the marriage."
"Kind of too late for that, don't you think?" Lincoln asked, not sure how that'd be much help now.
"Yeah." the fly Sinner nods. "But still words to live by, for the lucky ones still living up top, am I right, little bunny?"
"Bunny?" Lincoln repeated.
"Yeah, the white hair really gives you a bunny look." The fly prepares himself for his flight. "Whelp. I better be off, have a terrible one." He bids farewell to Lincoln and flaps his wings to fly away, then an elongated tongue sticks to him and he's pulled in by a frog demon with a fedora. The frog demon released him. "What the fuck, dude?!"
"Sorry, sorry. Not cool, I know. I-I'm just gonna leave."
Disturbed, Lincoln closes the window and shivers, then pulls a tuft of his hair. "So my hair helps me fit in here. Great." He celebrates in sarcasm. "Guess it's better than being mistaken for a short old man."
Lincoln slides his body down to the floor with a sigh and closes his eyes. Odd as it may seem, this wasn't even the weirdest wake ups he's had, nothing can beat Lisa trying to contain one of her wild experiments in her lab. Still, at least that was manageable, and he'd much rather face that again then what Hell throws at its residents' faces. Thinking of Lisa made his already dour mood even more depressing as he pulled out a picture, he printed it out and placed it in his pocket. It was the picture of him and his sisters, all the siblings were sitting on the stairs while the parents stood on different sides, the only thing he has of home and of his family after his phone got destroyed and gazing at it just made him miss them more than he already did.
But, it also drove him to bear with this situation until some solution to all this presents itself to him and he can go back home.
Someday. Somehow.
He hears a knock on the other side of his room's door. "Lincoln! You up, darling?" He recognized the voice as Millie.
"Yeah, Millie. Just need to get dressed." Lincoln called back, he half expected his mom to call him down for breakfast like she always did every morning, if only that really was her voice he heard.
He wanted to hear all of them again.
"Make sure to look your best, hon. This is your first day on the job!" Millie excitedly says before he heard her walk away.
That's right. His education is only up to middle school and he already has a job now, one where he doesn't get paid which is as sad as it sounds when you say it out loud. What makes it completely horrifying was that he was now under the employment of a crew of assassins that go to Earth to target humans who have been marked by those who have unfinished business with them.
Not really what Lincoln ever had in mind as his first job.
He can only imagine who the client was.
Inside Blitzo's office, the client was hidden by shadows. "I was a good person before it all went down. I was good my entire life..."
Blitzo rolled his eyes at that old line. This was a common gripe among the clients that come into the office and hire I.M.P for a new assignment, how even though they ended up going to Hell after death in the human world, they weren't completely bad people the whole time they were still alive. It's no surprise to find a drug addict or serial killer Sinner in Hell, but there are the really unlucky ones that become Sinner demons just because of one slip-up, one single indulgence in a sin that's actually understandable when one thought about it. As a result of that one mistake, it's eternal damnation for that someone, leaving them displeased and with heavy grievances.
As was the case for Mrs. Mayberry, today's client for Immediate Murder Professionals.
"When I was still alive and a human, I loved teaching more than anything. It gave my life purpose and frankly, what made it feel so fulfilling was hearing my students sing about it. Until that day. The day of my husband's birthday." A Sinner never forgets how things ended for them and she remembered the day of her death well enough for her to recant it to Blitzo. "I actually felt like a piece of shit wife for forgetting. My students figured I'd give Jarold a special video message." she scoffed. "If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have found out he was a disloyal asshole and I wouldn't have had to go home to him and his side bitch with a chainsaw and gun...when my students were still watching." The new Sinner closed her eyes in regret. She can only imagine how shook they were. "At that point, I felt like, might as well add suicide to my sin counter. You do everything right in life, play by all the rules and still get sent down here with all the damned Hitlers of the world. It's like a crap joke with an equally crappy punchline."
Mrs. Mayberry's death taught her that it doesn't take much to get into Hell, try to force yourself to be the most kindhearted empathetic person in the world all you want, it won't make a difference even if it's just one little slip-up to bar you from Heaven itself and deal with the bullshit of all the other Sinners and Hellborns that you're stuck with for all eternity. Her anger stemming from that harsh lesson is what made her reach out to the crew of assassins who, with any luck, will settle the unfinished business she has with those she wants dead on Earth.
Now, here she was, meeting with Blitzo at I.M.P headquarters.
She didn't know what else to do, but all she did know was that there was no other road to travel than the one where her unfinished business needed to be settled by whomever was willing to do so on her behalf.
"After one measly massacre propelled by blind rage." She told him, while smoking. Blitzo listens, bored out of his mind and unsympathetic to Mrs. Mayberry's plight. "So, that's why I'm here. To get my revenge." She steps out of the shadows to reveal her demonic form that she took when she first arrived in Hell. She kept the body shape of her old human body and the outfit, only with a more devilish twist. Her skin was now violet colored with goat-like horns, hooves instead of feet, eyes red with yellow pupils, she bared yellow teeth and even her original hair color changed to white. She even had a tail that resembled an imp's and a pink shirt with a jewel.
"I mean, was she way hotter?" Blitzo asked, understanding if that was the main reason she got so pissed off to murder over it. Mrs. Mayberry's eyes glow, glaring at the imp for asking that. "I'm just saying I had a really hard time understanding the unprompted melodrama you just spat out at me, tits." He smirks, unfettered by her growing angry at him for making fun of her sob story. "See, I don't think you quite understand how we're operating down here in my company." he sits up to break it down for her. "See, we gladly carry out sinners' revenge on people still alive and if I'm right, the core cast of your sitcom of death are already there and are also in Hell with you. Boop." he pokes her nose.
"Not all. One's still up there." Mrs. Mayberry quietly clenches her clawed hand. "That man-stealing whore somehow survived, and now, she's got it made" Mrs. Mayberry saw this with her own two eyes. While she succeeded in killing her husband, the other woman, Martha, somehow lived through the murder attempt and has since been celebrated for her miraculous survival. "Surviving death was the best thing that could've ever happened to her! She got a big-ass check, is even adored by my old students and no one even bothers remembering how much of a slut she was! They see her as the brave hero who didn't lose her life at the hands of a psycho!" Recalling all of that made Mrs. Mayberry slam her fists down on Blitzo's desk furiously, creating cracks. "She is not a hero!" her voice echoed after that shout.
Blitzo leans back on his chair after she screamed it at his face. "Mm-hmm. Yeah, my thoughts exactly." he rapidly nods, now fearful that she'd go off and attack him.
"Goodr!"
Times like this called for pressing repeatedly on one of the buttons for specific emergencies.
In this case, it was a deranged client.
Blitzo was almost close to praying that one of his employees saw the emergency light and intervene in handling this crazy-ass bitch and making sure he didn't get himself wasted. After seeing that no one was coming to his rescue, Blitzo sighs in annoyance and decides to conclude their business together for now until the job's done. "Okay, fine. I get it. We hunt down this broad, finish what you couldn't and you pay us."
Calming down, Mrs. Mayberry got out another cigarette. "Your company any good?"
"Are you kidding? They're the best in the business." Not that he actually means that, it's just what guys like him say to offer fake assurance to the client. "We make all our targets shit their pants. Now, about our fee, it wouldn't be bad if we said we paid by the hour, did it?"
Speaking of his employees, they were in the common area, waiting for their boss to come forward with a new job and expecting their new coworker to join them after he gets ready. Lincoln never expected he'd get a job like this, but it was better than living on Hell's streets and that whole mess with Mickey Rogers proved he wasn't ready to tackle it alone, or if he ever will. "There he is!" Millie smiled as they saw him enter the room, clad in his suit. "You are looking dashing in that suit, sweetie!"
Chuckling bashfully, Lincoln thanks her for the compliment. "Thanks, Millie."
Even though she was a Hellborn, Millie was quite sweet and welcoming towards Lincoln, a trait he didn't expect to find in a demon. She was certainly violent and had a certain bloodlust, but had a soft spot for those she considers friends. In Lincoln's case, their experience together has made her act very maternal to him.
"Was the room to your liking?" Moxxie asks, hoping his sleeping arrangements were tolerable. "Millie and I would've offered you to stay with us at our apartment, but we can't really risk the landlord finding you."
"It's not bad. Could be better, but I can take what I can get." Lincoln shrugs. Moxxie was also good company, he had a bit more sense than the others, actually tried to think things through and liked to keep things orderly, traits that Lincoln found solidarity in.
"You better, twerp." Loona says with a frown. "I was going to use that room to store all the beer, so don't go whining about not having enough toys or games." She felt he should be grateful that she didn't take it by force.
Lincoln rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, Loona." The hellhound's rather short tempered attitude didn't resonate well with him, as she seemed to only be focused on her phone and basically tearing down on anyone, particularly Moxxie.
"You're just in time to see Moxxie practice a clean kill!" Millie excitedly taps. She nods towards Loona who groans and falls on the couch while holding up a photo of a normal human family, still on her phone. Lincoln curiously watched Moxxie load up a crossbow and aimed at the photo, but it became obvious that his hold on the weapon was wavering. Moxxie shook uncontrollably as he looked through the scope, seeing those smiling faces and just couldn't find it in him to shoot, a fact his wife picked up on. "Moxxie, stop shaking. You're gonna shoot the only Hellhound we can afford." she chided
"Wow. I feel very loved here." Loona sarcastically remarked.
"Just take a deep breath and let it out." Millie instructed.
Lincoln couldn't help but give in to the urge of interjecting. "Um, maybe you could use a photo that isn't a nice family?" He suggested, not understanding why they'd use that picture for practice.
"Exactly!" Moxxie nods, he's prepared to kill, but can't fathom targets being a whole family. "Under what circumstances would a human family need to be killed?" he asked, always wanting to find logic in executing someone.
Millie, however, didn't see what the big deal was. "If that's what the client wants, then what the hell?" she callously shrugs, which made Lincoln gape at her and shudder. Sure, he knew that they would've killed Mr. Stillman even if he wasn't a student murdering devil magic man, but to see them so casual about murder. As if it was a normal thing. He'd understand if it were a similarly deplorable person, but even if that was the case, he'd still think murder would be a little overkill for his liking.
His young mind can't fully process it.
At least Moxxie found some trouble with it, showing Lincoln wasn't alone. "A shitty dad would suffice. Or a mob family, it depends on the context. But to eradicate an entire innocent-or seemingly by the photo-upper middle class family bloodline? Seems needlessly excessive." Mindless murder may be part of the norm in Hell, but Moxxie likes to think that he has more class than that.
Loona had enough of this sappy moral bullshit, taking a look at the family for herself and making her own conclusions. "Hey, you don't know they're innocent." She argues, knowing full well that everybody in the world has skeletons in their closet and lists the ones the family may have. "This kid, for all you know, sets dogs on fire. His sister, she definitely has the face of someone who bullies Australian kids online. And this guy probably watches."
"Exactly. Humans have a lot of secret nasties. Everyone knows that's why so many come down here when they bite it." Millie explains, pointing out the root of Hell's overpopulation problem.
"How exactly would you know for sure?" Lincoln asks, questioning the point they're trying to make and a little offended. "Is it that hard to believe that there are humans with normal secrets, not horrible ones?"
Loona scoffs with arms crossed. "Right, and I bet you don't peep at your neighbor's window when she's changing?"
"What?! No!" Lincoln denied with a blush.
The hellhound receptionist stared at his insistent face with no sign of lying. "Seriously?" she tilted his head. "Huh. Okay, but I bet your room's filled with cigarettes you stole from some store." He gives her an aggravated glare which further astounds her. "Really? Not even like breaking some school windows, setting fire to trash cans, nothing?"
"Well, I once broke my dad's trophy by accident."
"Oh, come on, kid!" Loona threw her arms up in disappointment. "You're making yourself even more out of place here than before!"
Lincoln became even more confused. "So, it's a bad thing I don't have some dirty little secret?"
"It'd make you less...nice!" Loona countered, weirded out by the apparent maturity of a preteen.
"Okay, so Lincoln's an exception." Millie conceded, pinching his right cheek. "But, that's because he's a little gentleman!"
"Why is that so hard to understand?" Lincoln continued asking. "So, I'm not the kind of person with dark secrets. As if I'm the only one, there has to be more, right?"
"If there were, then maybe I wouldn't be looked at by horny Sinners 24/7." Just as Lincoln didn't respond well to Loona's attitude, she didn't respond well to Lincoln's idealism. "Wake up, runt. You're in a place where it's obvious every other human on Earth has a dark side that guarantees them a one way ticket here and deserves it. If you don't like random people dying, then just be okay with the type that has it coming. So, it's best to forget whatever bedtime story mommy and daddy told you."
"Now, Loona. Don't rush him. He needs to grow up in his own time. Getting into the swing of things always takes a little while." Millie rubs Lincoln's head one more time before getting back on topic. "The point, Mox, is that guilty and innocent aren't our business. Killing who we are paid to is our business. Choose a target." she cups his cheeks and gives him an encouraging kiss on the cheek.
Understanding their point of views, Moxxie still expressed hesitance. "I just think this is a bit excessive and we could be a bit more selective is all."
Blitzo barges into the room with Mrs. Mayberry. "Guys! Line up to meet-" His abrupt entrance startled Moxxie into pulling the trigger on accident, causing the arrow to ricochet around the room and they all followed its trail as it hit the laptop near Millie, causing her to jump into her husband's arms. Then, it shot through the photo Loona was holding, stunning her, and it skimmed past Lincoln's hair, making him scream, then dropped to the floor and found cover. The arrow hits the table holding up a water tank filled with eels and the tank starts to wobble dangerously. It almost hits Mrs. Mayberry, but Blitzo caught it with ease and a cocky grin. "-our newest client!" The tank falls down, spilling the electric eels. They charged up electricity, setting the entire room ablaze, to the alarm of those present. Except for Blitzo, who was more annoyed. "Dammit, Moxxie! I just bought those eels online!" he threw the arrow at him.
"Th-There's a fire department here, right?" Lincoln fearfully asked.
Apparently, fire departments are indeed a thing in Hell and while they were busy putting out the fire in the office, the I.M.P team and their client went outside to begin the job, Lincoln sat against the wall with Loona leaning on it next to him, glued to her phone. Blitzo bade farewell to Mrs. Mayberry who called for a taxi with Moxxie and Millie with him, imp firefighters exiting the building with the eels. "Bye and don't worry, we'll get that skank in less than twenty four hours or your first kill is free!"
Mrs. Mayberry narrowed her eyes, that fire show made her lose some confidence in these guys, but no one else was running business in settling old scores for Sinners. She then looked to Lincoln, and her glare softened into a concerned frown, seeing his depressed and worried expression and if she didn't know any better, she'd swear that he was still human.
By that point, the taxi had driven off.
"When was that implemented?" Moxxie asked, this being the first time he was hearing of it.
Blitzo grabs Moxxie's face with a kind smile and doe eyes. "Why when you set fire to my office in front of our client, you fucking dipshit!" He shouts angrily, pushing him away. "Now someone better say that fancy book is still intact!"
"You mean our only way up to the other side?" Loona rhetorically asked, pulling out the book from behind her. "Yeah. Got it."
Blitzo praises her the same way a proud father would. "And that's why you're my favorite daughter, Looney." he pulls out a doggy treat for her to nibble on. "You get a tasty treat now." he says, in a baby-talk voice.
Loona was more weirded out than thankful. "Please don't start." Seeing as she wasn't going to take it, Blitzo threw the treat in the air and caught it with his tongue, reminding Lincoln of this morning with the frog demon, disgusting both him and Loona. "You're so effing gross!"
"Stop it." Blitzo bashfully waves and not wanting to deal with more of his eccentric nature, Loona leaves. "My therapist gives me enough of that. Alright, intern! Time to work your stuff." he tossed the grimoire into Lincoln's hands and pulled him up, handing him the weapons bag. "This is where you get your feet wet! First job as a four-man group!"
"Wait, you're taking me with you?" Lincoln asked, not expecting it to be so soon. "Shouldn't you have me trained first or something?"
"A great point." Moxxie too voiced his disagreement in bringing Lincoln along. "All due respect, sir, but Lincoln is still far too green for this sort of work. I was actually thinking that Millie and I could handle preparing him both mentally and physically when we go on assignments. Other than that, he could just stay here with Loona."
"Maybe when you stop being an office burning asshole, I'll actually listen." Blitzo insulted, still angry over his now ruined office and the eels having to be taken away, he then patted Lincoln's shoulder. "And besides, the best teacher is experience. Like a mama bird pushing her baby chicks off the nest to see if they can fly on their own or plummet to the ground, allowing predators to gobble them up."
"...That doesn't inspire confidence at all, Blitzo." Lincoln dubiously said. His boss cleared his throat with a stern glare, making a sound of annoyance, Lincoln used the shortened version of his name that the imp is so insistent that everyone calls him. "Sorry. Blitz."
"It'll be fine, Lincoln." Millie assures with a head pat. "You're the rookie, all you have to do is carry our weapons and work that book magic when things get rough. Leave the killing to us." She holds a chalk for him to draw. Still reluctant, Lincoln sighs and uses the chalk to draw a pentagram circle and after reading from the book, a portal to the human world opens. Not using it for offensive or defensive means this time gave Lincoln a moment to look at awe that he literally just performed magic, like real genuine magic. Nothing like those parlor tricks he practices, but the actual thing and for the first time in a while, he actually felt good.
Moxxie moves to go in first, but Blitzo pushes him back to the face. "Now let's go lick some ass!" he declares, fired up.
"The correct phrase is kick some ass, Blitz." Millie corrected, walking through first.
"Really? Mine's better." Blitzo followed.
"Aw, fuck. He never listens to me." Moxxie sighed in aggravation.
Lincoln stared at the portal for what seemed like forever, this will be the first time he's been in the human ever since all the craziness that resulted in him being in Hell. Questions went through his head like if they'd be somewhere in Michigan or some far off place outside the country and if possible, could he see his family again?
He shakes his head, knowing that wasn't an option.
This may be a taste of Earth, but his time there will only be temporary.
Breathing deeply, Lincoln steps through and he feels the familiar feeling of being on Earth. He saw that they were at a lakeside house, secluded from other parts. The sunset looked so beautiful and the feeling of being here on Earth, Lincoln remembered how much he missed it, looking at Hell's sky wasn't the same as Earth's. "No dillydallying, crew!" He followed his coworkers through the fence and hid below the window, Blitzo looked through it and identified the target. "That's gotta be her." he chuckles darkly. "This is too easy. Moxxie, do you want this one?"
Pleasantly surprised, Moxxie wanted to make sure. "Who? Me?"
"Yeah, this one's simple enough for a even a first timer. And Lincoln, you could stand to learn from your senior coworkers at work." Blitzo gestured them both to take a look for themselves and both faces frown when they see the target, Martha, rub noses with her husband with their son and daughter present, ready to eat dinner. "Just a happy mother, fresh from the hospital, having dinner." Moxxie's hesitance made Bltizo decided to bag the kill himself, taking a sniper rifle from the bag. "You snooze you lose, Mox. And I've got you now, bitch."
Before he could shoot her, Moxxie stopped him. "Wait, are we actually killing a family just like that?!" he asked in dismay.
"Don't be a puss. We were hired to just kill the mother." Blitzo positions his rifle, going for a clean headshot. "Which will ruin this family."
Moxxie sees Lincoln's fretful face, the boy already witnessed Hell's usual deviancy and seeing more of it on Earth may further damage him and Moxxie wasn't in the mood for that. "But...hold on, hold on. Maybe we can discuss this more" He lifts the sniper up, but Blitzo had already pulled the trigger, shooting through the window and striking a mirror instead.
Back outside, Blitzo fumed at the anxiously breathing Moxxie, upset over him messing up his shot. "What the fuck was all that, Moxxie?! That was a perfect shot!"
Letting out a stressed out croack, Moxxie got on his knees and covered his face. "I'm sorry! They all just seemed so wholesome and happy!" he defended, tears in his eyes and made a puppy whimper. "I panicked!
Blitzo facepalmed at Moxxies naive reason. "Oh, who the fuck is even really innocent, Moxxie? From the moment of birth, we're all already gross parasites leeching off our momma's tits." he pessimistically told his hesitant employee, intent on getting Moxxie to stop seeing things in black and white. "Get the fuck over yourself, you baby dick prune and act like an assassin!" he furiously shouted at Moxxie's face.
"Hey, leave him alone! One mistake she made shouldn't be enough to kill her!" Lincoln got in-between them to defend Moxxie and glared at Blitzo, taking a stand. "So he doesn't want to leave a man, a widower, or kids without a mom. What's so wrong about that, huh?!"
"What's wrong is that line of thinking like his isn't good for business, you little smartass!" Blitzo met Lincoln's glare with his. "Or are you gonna hit me with some of that innocent bullshit too? How killing is all wrong and we shouldn't do it. Yadda, yadda, yadda. You thought that teacher was a decent guy and look how that turned out! So, are you sure you still believe that?"
Lincoln flinched at the mention of Stillman, shaking a little. "At least I don't keep expecting the worst out of everyone else! I know you're from Hell and all, but I'm from here and I know plenty of people who aren't anything like a murderer or a thief or whatever!"
"Why? Because you trust them and that they love you?" Blitzo spat in disgust. "Here's a life lesson, stuff like that will only land you in shit because you're not grown up enough to see the true side of the world and I can bet that will happen the longer you keep it up while rolling with us! You're tied to Hell, remember? So get that through your little mind!"
Clenching his teeth, Lincoln exploded at Blitzo's face, pent up anger over his situation coming forth. It was a rare angry side of Lincoln that's hardly ever shown. "You're talking like I wanted this to happen! As if I'd ever wish to be almost sacrificed then trapped in Hell! Now I'm back on Earth, and I can't even go back home to my family without getting pulled back! But, you know what? It'd be better than this!"
"Oh? Then please, go on, pal." Blitzo pointed to the exit of the fence. "Go ahead and leave, tell all your precious loved ones about what happened to you and then zap! You're back in Hell. They definitely won't lose their shit over it."
His sarcastic comments made Lincoln even angrier. Of course he thought about leaving the first chance he got, but he hates that Blitzo's right that he can't do so without making things worse for his family if he tells them all about Hell. He can only imagine how messed up they already are about his absence, that certainly wouldn't put their spirits at ease. Lincoln wanted to further argue with the boss of I.M.P, but all talks came to a screeching halt when a bullet went through the wall and got Blitzo's arm. "Oh, my god!" Lincoln and Moxxie gape in shock.
"Aah! That's a new whole!" Blitzo shouted in pain. "Scatter, now!"
Blitzo grabs Lincoln's arm and jumps out of the bushes with Millie. Moxxie lingered a bit to hide when the wall became destroyed after Martha and Ralphie shot at the same time, they both sprinted out to hunt for their new prey. He peers out of the bushes and moves to follow his wife and coworkers, but is grabbed by the tail by one of the children and knocked unconscious.
Ralphie chased after Millie, firing several rounds at her. She flipped and jumped to avoid the shots until diving into the lake at the docks, Ralphie stopped firing and looked through the water. "Where'd you go, little critter? Y'all can't hide long from me." Millie poked her head out from the water from underneath the dock, holding a knife with her teeth. She jumps through the dock, breaking through the wood and lands, holding the knife. Ralphie swings a glass bottle at her, but she runs behind him to evade. Millie jumps, aiming to dive her knife downwards with both hands, but is hit across the face by Ralphie's bottle and struggles to get back up.
Too winded to fight any further, Millie faints.
The last thing she saw before going dark was Ralphie's sick grin and the cloudy sky spiraling red and the last thing on her mind was her husband.
Speaking of Moxxie, he had been taken by the children to their bedroom and slowly regained consciousness. Gasping, the white haired imp saw that he was restrained to a chair at a table. He saw the children stare at him with red eyes and devious sharp grins form on their faces, unnerving him. "Oh. Well hello, little ones. Aren't you cute?" he nervously said, trying to appease them.
Both kids turned up the already high enough creepy factor by speaking in unison. "We love it when we have a new critter to play with."
Confused, Moxxie took a look at his surroundings illuminated by a red light to show him what their definition of playing meant. Every corner of the room was decorated with human remains, genuine proof that Blitzo was right about these humans. They were remorseless killers hiding in secret, increasing Moxxie's intense fear. This family was nowhere near the supposedly innocent levels Moxxie assumed they were at first glance. Not even Mayberry could've known, or she would've added that when she hired them. These people were demons in their own right, a mess of a family that put up the masquerade of a nice normal wholesome family, as Moxxie could clearly realize with his own two eyes of dread and horrified expression.
Because of his hesitation, he and his coworkers that included his wife and a more innocent human boy were all at risk of suffering at their hands.
Now fully aware of the mess his own weakness got them all in, the now guilt rotten imp had this to say. "Oh dear,...crumbs."
By Lincoln's count, this would be the second time in his young life that was running away from gunfire. Like before during the imps' first attempt at Mr. Stillman's life, it happened much too fast. His legs kept running, following the instinct to get away from there if he had any hope of getting out of this alive and he followed that feeling, even if it was pain on his legs. With every shot, he heard more ringing in his ears, wondering how those who wielded such violent weapons could stand the sound of them. "Pick up the pace, kid!" Blitzo tells him, hearing Martha's sinister laugh. They slide down a hill and catch their breaths at the bottom.
"I know you're hurtin' little devil." Martha called in a sing-song voice of glee.
Panicking, Blitzo hides himself and Lincoln behind a tree. "Stay quiet!" he hisses to his young employee who was panting heavily with wide eyes.
"Are-Are you okay...?!"
Blitzo's black blood had left a trail on the ground.
Once more, Martha's depraved voice rang through the voice. "I promise I can make that pain go real quick." They can see Martha's silhouette walking through the words, looking for them. "Just come let Mama Martha put a bullet in your pretty little skill!"
"Fuck, this bitch is bat-shit crazy!" It's not often that even Blitzo feels a sense of fear. "I thought she was just some chronic two-timing slut, but she and her fam are packing serious firepower! We are charging Mayberry double for this!"
"It's-It's not her fault." Lincoln said in-between breaths, trying to make sense of this. This wasn't the same woman he saw through the window, this crazy woman that's fine with killing so easily was a far cry from her. It's like she's a whole different person, just like with...Mr. Stillman. Both appeared to be good ordinary people, but then they revealed their true nature. What's buried underneath those masks of deceit. Lincoln didn't want to believe there could be other people like that teacher. "She almost got killed. She's only defending herself and her family. That's all..."
"For shit's sake, Lincoln. Don't go defending the bitch who's trying to kill us!" Blitzo tells him, his arm starting to feel better now but now damning that idealism of Lincoln's.
"It has to be the reason...It has to be the reason..." Lincoln repeated. People like Stillman shouldn't be more common than he assumed that he'd encounter another so soon.
"Couldn't help but notice you little things have your own young'un with you." Martha cackled. "Don't be so afraid, sweet thing. We make sure to treat the dessert course with utmost care."
"...Huh?" Lincoln was momentarily confused by that statement.
"Flesh like yours needs to be savored, makes the taste all the more delicious like all the rest." Martha continued voicing her family's attention with the only other human clear.
Blitzo shakes his head, understanding clearly. "Motherfucker, they're cannibals. That tears it, we're charging triple."
A hand shot up to Lincoln's mouth to suppress his urge to lose his lunch on the grass, that would alert Martha to where they are. "Blitz..." he groaned.
Wincing, Blitzo knew there was only one course of action, but he did not like it. "Here." he gives the grimoire to Lincoln. "Take it and run! Go back to the office, or that family you keep crying about or whatever! I don't give a shit! Just get the fuck out of dodge while you still can! It's what I'd do!"
"What?" Lincoln looked at the book then at Blitzo. "But, what about you?"
"I'm gonna finish this job." Blitzo answers, making sure Martha didn't see them. "I can't do that and make sure a whiny little brat doesn't get killed at the same time. Now go!" Struck silent, Lincoln's leg made small steps before sprinting into a full on run, just as Blitzo instructed. With him gone, Blitzo thought of ways for him to get out of this, preferably his whole team with him. Those thoughts were interrupted when his phone screamed out. His surprise coupled with the current danger to his life made him almost drop it. "Damn it!" he cursed and caught it to answer, already knowing who was calling. "Stolas! You really have bad timing!" he said through angered whispers.
"Oh, but when isn't it a bad time, Blitzy?" Stolas playfully complained like a spoiled child. How he enjoys playing this little game with the imp that stole his heart.
"What do you want now?!" Blitzo asked.
"Firstly, I am curious to hear young Lincoln Loud's current state." Stolas began, being more civil for once.
"...Oh." Blitzo was not more surprised than angry. "Here I thought this was another case of you coming onto me."
Stolas giggled at his joking tone. "I promise you, Blitzy, there'll be time for that later. But for now, seeing as I'm the only other being in Hell that knows of the existence of its current sole human denizen, I think it prudent to inform me of how he's been progressing. So let me say again, how is the boy?"
"Erm...he's doing great. A bit rough around the edges, but what kid isn't, am I right? Nothing a good crushing of the dreams can't fix, like to think that's the one of the few good lessons my dad ever taught me."
There was clear insincerity in his associate's tone, all of Hell's residents have mastered the art of lying and deceiving others, but Stolas was not so gullible to fall for it. In fact, he was almost insulted that Blitzo thought he would, he ought to know better than to do that. Whatever his intentions were, Stolad didn't feel the need to address them so he decided to at least humor the imp as there were other matters that needed to be brought up. "Good to hear, I suppose. What of the boy's magic?"
"Eh, better than some stage magician but wouldn't say he's at your level."
"On that, we can agree. Although, perhaps with time..." Time wasn't the only thing that Lincoln would require. What the human boy would really need was an instructor of some sort.
"Hello? Stolas? You still there?"
"Apologies, my mind went somewhere else." Stolas got to the second thing he wanted to talk about. "Moving on, the other matter I wish to address is the one pertaining to us following up on our last little conversation regarding my grimoire."
Blitzo had no clue that his angry disgusted face appeared on a bubble. "What did you call me?"
Chuckling in amusement, Stolas pops the bubble and clarifies. "My book, Blitzy. The one I use for my job that I let you use so you can do yours?"
The very same book that most of Hell's elite wouldn't lend to just anyone, let alone of the demons ranked lower than them.
Being on the phone while a deranged cannibal woman was hunting him down on Earth was a very stupid thing for someone to do, but when it was Stolas, Blitzo had no choice but to listen to whatever he had to tell him. Hearing a rifle clicking, Blitzo quickly moves out of the way just as a bullet flies through the tree that the imp was moments before. "I can hear you in the forest, darling!" Martha declares, reloading to shoot again.
"Shit, dammit!" Blitzo runs again, still on the phone.
"Anywho, I've been thinking. I don't mind permitting you access to the mortal realm less than legally, but I do the book back to fulfill my duties. I was thinking, what if we worked out some sort of exchange? Favors for favors?" Blitzo listens to his suggestion, still running from more gunfire. "Doesn't that sound...enticing to you?" the owl demon in a low, seductive voice, eagerly waiting to hear what Blitzo had to say and clearly hoping he'd hear him out.
"Learn to stop using your fancy ass rich people talk, okay?" Blitzo demands, seeing that it was dragging on the phone call. "I'm trying to concentrate on not getting fucked in my A!, so get to the fucking point" A bullet blasted a hole in the tree he was hiding behind, making him freeze.
Stolas obliged him. "Then let me keep it simple. Once a month, on the full moon, you return my grimoire, followed by a night of passionate fornication." Blitzo couldn't believe Stolas called just for that. "And you keep it the rest of the time, hmm? Sound fair to you, my little imp?"
Blitzo had to admit, it was a fair deal. Stolas could've done worse by demanding his own cut of the profit his team makes like most high-class demons would've and he couldn't risk losing the key object that makes their business even possible in the first place, and Stolas won't stop the call until he got an answer. Plus, Blitzo had to due to] with Martha still gunning for him. "Fine, god!"
Stolas was happy to hear this. "Oh, Blitzy. I'm so glad. You've made me the happiest goetia I cannot wait to-"
Blitzo cringed in disgust, thinking he'll have to purchase some noise cancelling apps or maybe screen his phone calls. Having his phone on speaker was a huge mistake considering he was being hunted down by a crazy gun wielding woman. His phone was knocked out of his hands by Martha's gun and was pinned to the tree by the butt of it. As Blitzo feared, Martha followed the sound of him making the call.
"Gotcha!" Martha looked Blitzo over. "So, you're a little devil, huh? Come to drag me and my kin to Hell? Well, not today, Satan! Gonna send y'all back where you came from!" she presses the gun harder with a heated glare. "But first, where's that little young'un?"
Lincoln had run as fast as he could, he was never the athletic type like Lynn, but when the need to get out of danger arose, his legs kicked into high gear no matter how painful it was. He stopped to catch his breath, then proceeded to push bushes out of the way and poked his head in with gurgling sounds, and who could blame him? All of this was too much for anyone of any age to handle. "This is insane!" he coughed out, getting the horrid taste out of his mouth. "I don't want this! I don't want any of this! I just want to go home!" he moaned in despair. The boy looks up into the sky, if there was a Hell full of devils, then there had to be a Heaven with a God and if he truly cared, he'd get the boy out of this.
He silently prayed, but no miracle came, he was still in this nightmare and anger grew. His soul may have been linked to Hell, but he wasn't like the others, and yet, God did nothing to correct this.
Lincoln Loud was on his own.
"Oh, sweetie!" Eyes widening, Lincoln sat still after hearing Martha's call. "My hubby and I rounded up two of these nasty critters, so now it's your turn! When we're done, it'll be like you're part of the family when you're inside our bellies!"
Suppressing a flinch, Lincoln ordered his body to continue staying perfectly still as even though he was scared shitless, when in a jam, his mind swelled with options for him to ensure his survival. He wasn't physically capable of taking her and Ralphie on and he could only run for so long until his legs stopped working, but he did have a magic book of spells. Quietly opening it, his eyes glowed red again and mutters a spell that would give him an opening to escape soon.
Martha continued her search until she heard some rustling as a shadow moved past her. Firing one round, she saw what looked like Lincoln having tripped and fallen. "Got you!" Suddenly, Lincoln just faded away, shocking and confusing her. Another rustle was heard and she tackled Lincoln who was hiding inside it, only for him to disappear like before. All around her, multiple Lincolns appeared and she shot multiple rounds at them, but the bullets phased right through them and just faded away out of existence, aggravating her.
"Illusion spell." Blitzo deduced, momentarily impressed. "Not bad, kid Not bad at all."
"Fuck this shit! We'll find him after we're done with you little devils!" In a huff, Martha walks away with her captive, unaware that Lincoln had ran past her in all the confusion.
This was his chance to leave now that Martha stopped pursuing him for now. But that would mean possibly leaving Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie to die at the hands of these monsters. They were demons from Hell, they only saved him by pure accident and yet, they still took him in, even though there was nothing in it for most of them, they nonetheless offered him sanctuary, or whatever passes for sanctuary in Hell. Moxxie and Millie, they both treated him well and while Blitzo was mostly selfish, he still gave Lincoln a chance to escape. If he were to just leave them, then that would only prove Blitzo right about most humans and regardless of whether or not it was for selfish reasons, Lincoln couldn't ignore what they've done for him.
Mind made up and holding the book tightly, Lincoln ran.
Not to get away, but to go back to the house.
Moxxie was struggling to break free from the tight rope that restrained him to the kids' chair, but it was done real tight and it would take a lot of strength to undo it, he just needed to summon enough. He looks up and then sees fire being lit outside and he gasps with dread, understanding that his coworkers must have been captured and were now preparing to be sacrificed. "No! Millie!" With his beloved wife's life on the line, Moxxie had now more reason to free himself and when he saw the girl pull a knife out, he glared with determination. Raising the knife, the girl was ready to kill only to be knocked to the ground when Moxxie pushed the chair back, allowing Moxxie to take her knife and cut the rope.
The boy had his gun ready and then the window was broken by an invisible force. His firearm was magically lifted up into the air and was struck by red dust that made him go dizzy and pass out.
Moxxie looked outside and saw that Lincoln had arrived, with the grimoire in hand. "Lincoln!" Moxxie smiled in relief. "Thank goodness you're okay!"
"Same to you, Moxxie." Lincoln smiled back, having deduced that Moxxie had to have been taken by the kids and kept in their room.
These people were indeed monsters, ones that he actually tried to defend.
Somehow, that made him feel worse.
Moxxie picks up one of the family's rifles. "Let's go save our team." He tells the boy, finally taking this job the way an assassin should, jumping down next to Lincoln.
Both quickly raced into the forest, following the red symbols hanging from the branches and the lit up torches set up in rows, hoping that they weren't too late.
The full moon was out tonight and it shone down on the site of the Satanist sacrifice that was about to occur. After being captured, Blitzo and Millie were tied to a stake decorated with spikes on top and couldn't free themselves. All they can do is see Ralphie laugh while pouring down gasoline on the ground under their feet. Nearby, a grinning Martha holds a torch in her left hand, waiting for her husband to be finished with the preparations so she can do her part in the ritual of burning the two imps alive to pacify the devil. That way, she and her family will continue to go about their business of not just adultery, but also eating and killing anyone they come across.
"I had a fucking shot, it was supposed to be an easy job." Blitzo growls angrily, pinning this all on his employee's weakness. "God dammit to heaven, Moxxie!"
"What happened to Lincoln?" Millie asked in concern.
"Who knows?" Blitzo shrugs. "Probably miles from here by now."
Martha begins by saying an ode to the being they worship. "Hear me, Satan! We return your nasty filthy creatures back to the pits of Hell!" A nervous Millie and a defiant Blitzo were helpess in their state. "May your root of all evil remain honored as we continue thy work!" With a grunt, she tosses the torch under the two imps, igniting the gasoline. Martha laughs evilly as the fire rises up to consume both Hellborn demons and she was ready to enjoy the sight of their burning hides and the sounds of their screams of agony.
Just one little problem.
Both remained unharmed.
"Yeah, that's not exactly how it works, babe." Blitzo explained blankly. "Fire doesn't really hurt us. We could fake it if that'll get your dick hard." He and Millie smirked smugly at her.
"Really? Shit." Martha had to admit, she now felt silly for putting this whole thing together. "Then, I'll just shoot you in your smartass mouth!" she decides, pointing her rifle at them.
"That is more effective." Blitzo confirms.
Millie glares at him. "Blitz! Not helping!"
Martha cackles in glee, ready to kill these demons and they close their eyes to accept their fate. Millie regrets not being able to see Moxxie again and Blitzo, his list of regrets is a long one. Martha's itchy finger was ready to press the trigger, unaware of Moxxie standing behind her, aiming at the back of her head. Millie and Blitzo heard a gunshot, but both still lived. They opened their eyes to see Martha fall forward and her gun melted on the grass. The ones who came to their timely rescue were Moxxie and Lincoln, managing to arrive just in time with the latter using a spell to dispose of the gun, leaving the former to shoot through Martha's eye from behind.
"Moxxie! Lincoln!" Millie grinned in gratitude.
Despite being saved, Blitzo lets Moxxie know that this wasn't enough to make up for his earlier blunder. "A rescue won't save your god damn paycheck for this one, Mox!" Moxxie runs over and unties the rope to free them, making Blitzo fall down. The married couple happily embraced, rubbing their heads against one another in relief that the other was safe and sound. Ralphie felt actual fear after seeing the sacrifice interrupted and backed up away, tripping over Martha and quickly fled the scene. "Go ahead and worry about each other! I'm fine!" Blitzo sarcastically shouted, then saw a hand stretched out for him to grab.
That hand belonged to Lincoln. "Let me help you." the boy told him, looking a bit stoic.
Staring at the limb, Blitzo grabs it and is supported upwards by Lincoln and Moxxie. "You stuck around." he notes. "Why?" the former circus performer asked in genuine confusion.
Lincoln answered the best he could. "I don't leave my friends behind." he says, looking at Moxxie and Millie who smile in response. "Got a problem with that?"
Dryly chuckling, Blitzo rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, kid. At least you're loyal to those you owe."
"Come here, you!" Millie pulls Lincoln in for a tight hug. "You deserve a special snack when we get back, little hero!"
Moxxie then apologizes for accidentally causing these chain of events to happen. "Sir, please, I'm so sorry. You're right, I did compromise our objective and that put us all in harm's way." He didn't want his wife, or Lincoln, or even Blitzo to pay for his own mistakes. "It won't happen again. Honest to Satan."
"Apology accepted, valued employee!" Blitzo assured, hugging Moxxie this time. But he only did that to set the record straight that he won't be so lenient if the shorter imp screws up another job in the future. "But if you ever think about pulling a stunt like this again, I will fuck you and your wife." he threatened in a low voice before switching to a more pleasant setting after pushing a fearful Moxxie away as Millie celebrates with a cheer. "Alrighty, folks! Job well done! Now let's get off! Open up that portal, intern. I gotta call Loona to let her know the job's done."
"Just give me a moment." Moxxie said, knowing that Ralphie was no doubt back in his home after running like a little bitch. "I left something at the house."
"Don't waste time." Blitzo ordered and finally found his extra phone. "Loona! Get ready for us to come home, dear!"
"Moxxie?" Lincoln calls, curious of his intentions. "What are you going to do?"
Putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, Moxxie smiled. "Don't worry about it. Just wait with Millie, okay?" Seeing Lincoln nod, Moxxie runs to the direction of the house, passing by Blitzo's discarded phone which still had Stolas on the other line, unaware that Blitzo lost the phone a while ago and was largely ignored when Moxxie ran by it. "...Jelly Sandwhiches..." Moxxie reached the house where Ralphie gathered his kids in his arms just Moxxie burst in, aiming his shotgun, giving them a taste of their own medicine of feeling helpless.
"Don't move!" Moxxie orders.
"Looks like you got us, little guy. So, what's your next move? Kill us?" Ralphie challenged, holding his scared kids close.
"I should. You people are fucking monsters and this is coming from an imp who was born in Hell!" Moxxie felt the world would be better off without blights like this murderous family on it and yet, didn't feel he had the right to pass judgment onto them. There were already other people for that. "But, you should have a chance at life and a purpose. Look at your children. They have futures that don't have to involve all this! You are going to face your crimes justly." Even though he was a psychopathic cannibal, Moxxie wanted Ralphie to do right by his kids for once, so he picks up a remote, mistaking it for a phone. "Your earthly authorities shall be notified and they will make sure you are dealt with, fairly." Blitzo would disagree, but Moxxie didn't give a damn. "I am handling this my own way." Pressing a button, he accidentally turned on the TV and he saw his error. "Oh, shit. Do you have a phone to dial 911?"
Ralphie jerked his thumb behind him. "Try the kitchen."
Moxxie waves the remote around. "Then what's this?" he asked.
"Our new universal remote." Ralphie gazed down at his kids with love. "Got it just for the kids."
"Aww, that's very sweet." Moxxie praised.
Lincoln, Millie, and Blitzo waited by the portal back to Hell and the white haired boy saw the imp. "He's back." he informs his coworkers.
"There he is. Have a good wank-off session, Moxxie, buddy?" Blitzo remarked, miffed at Moxxie for making him wait.
"Huh?" Moxxie quizzically asked.
Blitzo continued to make fun of him. "Look, I don't care where you come in the living world. Just come to your job on time, right?" he told Moxxie several times, relishing in his employee's annoyance then pinching the cheek hard before skipping into the portal. "See you at the office!"
Millie approaches Moxxie with a hand on his face, knowing this mission was hard for him. "You doing alright there, sweetie?"
"Much better now, honey." Moxxie replied. "I think I just needed a minute to process."
"You have a very good heart, honey." Millie points to his chest and nuzzles him affectionately. "Just a fuzzy little head." Both traits never bothered her, they're why she loves him so damn much, evident by her pecking a kiss on his lips. "And Lincoln, how about you?"
Out of all of them, it can be said that this job was especially taxing on Lincoln the most. He was put through a real mental ringer, the kind that'd leave most kids his age a huge mess. "I'm not really sure." Lincoln answers honestly. "I'm glad we're all okay, but I still can't believe all this happened. People like her, like Stillman..." the sacrifice brought up some bad memories for him. "...how can I deal with it?"
The married imps understood that this experience messed up his world view and psyche in possible irreversible ways, but even so, it touched them that through it all, he found it in him to save them in the end. So they were intent to return that rare act of true kindness from a human. "By being the same you." Millie says for him. "You're nothing like her or him, or others like them and that is what makes you special, Lincoln." She kisses his forehead softly and he looks away with a smile, sniffling a bit. Holding his hand, she guides him through the portal.
Moxxie was about to go, until he heard police sirens.
Turning around, he saw a whole squad surround the house. "Open fire, boys!" a missile fired from a helicopter and it went through the roof, engulfing the house in a fiery inferno, the exact opposite of what he expected. Moxxie starred in shocked silence until he was hit in the face by something flung from the explosion, it was the torn head of the little girl's teddy bear.
What remained of this family of murderers was wiped out as a result of Moxxie's action.
Stunned, Moxxie's neck is grabbed by Blitzo and is pulled through the portal.
As a way of celebrating a successful job. Everyone, including Mrs. Mayberry, was in the office where a victory cake was prepared for the celebration of another job well done. Even though his arm was in a sling, Blitzo joined in all the laughs and cheers except for Moxxie who sat with a distressed expression and Lincoln just ate some cake with Loona and Mrs. Mayberry. "You see, my little Mox-Mox! We did it! Oh, Moxxie!" Millie jovially hugs him.
"Raise your cups for another mission accomplished! And Moxxie here finally learned not to fuck up." Blitzo praised. "Also, props to you, Lincoln. You really proved your mettle, you know as far as interns go. You also didn't piss yourself on the job, so good on you!"
"Um...thanks, I guess." Lincoln really wasn't looking for any praise.
"Just remember today's important lesson; that killing people isn't that big a deal if they try to kill you back and/or eat you." Millie states.
Mrs. Mayberry becomes disturbed at that morale. "That's messed up logic." Then again, it worked out for her so she just passed it off. "Still, I paid for it!"
Everyone except Moxxie and Lincoln laugh.
"Yeah. Fuck that crazy family!"
Finishing his cake, Lincoln walks away, not really in the partying mood. He was about ready to call it in for today, he might not be able to sleep, but some rest is very needed. "Hey." he stops in his tracks and turns around to see Mrs. Mayberry. "You okay?"
"Y-Yeah. Just going to my room."
Frowning, Mrs. Mayberry abandons her plate and kneels down to his level. "You're not like me, are you?" That was more of a statement than a question, but it was nonetheless true.
"What?" Lincoln tried to save face. "H-How can you be sure?"
"The white hair threw me off a bit. But, you don't see a Sinner that looks as alive as you do, kid." Mrs. Mayberry had a rough ending, but had a stellar history as an sympathetic teacher. "I won't pry on how you got here, but I bet you're all confused, not sure about all this." she gestures to the office.
"You...wouldn't be wrong."
"Demons like me are always that way when we first arrive." Mrs. Mayberry didn't know why she was doing this, she left her life as a teacher behind the day she took her own life, but the sight of this lost child connected with whatever remained of the person she once was. "There's probably a library in this city. Has all the information you'll need to understand how things work around here. Wanting it is up to you. You got a name?"
"...Lincoln."
Mrs. Mayberry ruffles his hair and leaves. "Stay safe here, Lincoln. If you need me, I'll be at Pentagram City. Might be something there for me."
She didn't know it, but that lady was one of the few Sinners in Hell that didn't try to harm or freak out Lincoln. Her actions left her here, but she committed a generous act, even if it was a light one and that spoke volumes to Lincoln. "Hey, kid." Lincoln sees Loona walking to him. "About to hit the hay?"
"Yeah, why?"
Loona closes her eyes and walks off. "Follow me."
"Wha-"
"Just fucking do it!"
Not wanting to argue any further, Lincoln complied. He followed all the way up top at the roof of the building and she motions him to join her in staring up into the sky. Suddenly, when Lincoln ignores all of Hell's other surroundings, he finds himself entranced by the red sky and the giant mass that hovered over all its residents. "I come up here to think." Loona says. "Instead of brooding like some angsty brat because of what goes on topside, just stop here and look at the sky and I won't have to deal with that. Calms me down when I'm pissed off." Which is always.
Lincoln had to admit, there was something weirdly comforting about it. "Loona. Thanks. I mean it."
Rolling her eyes, Loona was prepared to reply with another witty remark, only to stop when she gazed at his grateful smile and tearful eyes. She's been looked at with contempt and lust, but has only ever been looked at like that by one other person and. Her adoptive father. She never imagined such eyes on a human and for some reason, she felt warm in her chest. "Uh, whatever, Lincoln." she averts his gazing with a stubborn frown. "Just don't cry like a little bitch, okay? Weird kid." she grumbled and left hotly, though she said that with a light smile.
Lincoln watches her go, then looks back at the sky. "Huh...pretty..."