Chapter: 2
A week later
"Shut the fuck up!!"
I groaned as Luna's shout jolted me awake. Slipping out of bed, I stretched, my rose-gold hair falling messily over my face. I made my way to the reception area, the room I'd made with my powers still feeling cozy despite its hellish surroundings. As I entered, I saw Luna hunched over her phone behind the desk, glaring at the screen.
"What are you cursing about now?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Luna looked up from her phone and shot me a deadpan stare, her usual scowl in place.
I chuckled softly and walked over to her, leaning on the desk. "So, what are you looking at?" I asked, peering over her shoulder.
"Nothing much, just scrolling through Sinstergram," she replied, her tone dripping with her usual disinterest.
"Oh wha-" my words were cut off when Blitzo barged into the room with Moxxie and Millie behind him,
Blitzo swaggered in with his usual over-the-top flair, Moxxie and Millie trailing behind. "Oi, pretty boy!" he called out, his voice loud and grating as usual.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What now, Blitzo?" I replied.
In under a week in hell I had grown an unnatural dislike for the imp but he was entertaining at the very least.
Blitzo leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, a smug grin plastered on his face. "We got another job, and you're tagging along this time. Can't have you freeloading forever, you know?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Freeloading?" I said with a chuckle.
"Blitzo," I started, as holy lightning began crackling around my body, the energy tingling in the air, "I think you've forgotten something very important." I paused, letting the electricity dance around my fingers. "The only reason you're still alive is because of my mercy."
Blitzo's grin faltered as his eyes darted to the holy lightning, clearly recalling how our last encounter had gone. Moxxie and Millie exchanged worried glances, the memory still fresh for them too.
"A-alright, alright! No need to get all zappy on us," Blitzo stammered, raising his hands defensively. "I was just messin' with ya, pretty boy. Jeez, don't you know how to take a joke?"
I let the lightning dissipate, the air settling as the brimstone scent returned. "Humor's not really your strong suit, Blitzo," I said dryly. "Now, what do you really want?"
Before Blitzo could answer, the front door swung open, revealing Stolas, his regal aura filling the room. Beside him stood a teenage owl demoness with dark feathers and an unmistakable scowl—Octavia.
"Ah, Victor! There you are," Stolas exclaimed, his face lighting up at the sight of me. "I've been meaning to introduce you to my daughter."
Octavia gave me a once-over, her expression one of boredom mixed with mild curiosity. "So, you're the human everyone's been talking about," she said, her tone dripping with teenage indifference.
I smiled politely. "Guilty as charged. Victor Grey, at your service."
She crossed her arms, giving me a skeptical look. "You don't look all that special."
"Octavia!" Stolas gently reprimanded her. "Manners, please."
I chuckled, waving it off. "It's fine, Stolas. I get that a lot." I turned back to Octavia. "To be fair, I don't feel all that special either."
She raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued just a bit. "Then how did a human like you end up in Hell?"
"Long story," I replied, glancing at Blitzo. "Let's just say it involved your dad, his impish business partner, and a small… misunderstanding."
Blitzo scoffed from behind me. "Small misunderstanding? You tried to kill us!"
I smirked. "Correction: you tried to kill me. I merely defended myself."
Octavia's expression shifted slightly, her intrigue growing.
"So, Stolas," I said, turning my attention to him, "what brings you here?"
Stolas gave me a bright smile. "I've hired Blitzy and his crew to be bodyguards for me and Octavia. We're heading to Loo Loo Land today."
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Blitzo. "You're doing bodyguard jobs now?"
Blitzo rolled his eyes and groaned. "Look, I don't do bodyguard work, alright? But Stolas is paying a hefty sum, and I ain't turning down easy money." He smirked again. "Plus, the prince here has got deep pockets."
I shook my head with a sigh. "Of course."
"so Victor are you coming with?" Stolas asked
I raised a brow at the offer but shrugged. "Sure. I have nothing better to do."
Stolas beamed at my response, clapping his hands together in delight. "Wonderful! It'll be nice to have some extra company, especially someone as intriguing as you, Victor."
Octavia, on the other hand, just sighed. "Great. More people."
I chuckled softly and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way."
As we gathered our things and prepared to head out, I could feel the tension between Blitzo and Stolas. There was something off about their dynamic—Blitzo's exaggerated disinterest, Stolas's overeagerness. I made a mental note to ask Luna about it later.
The journey to Loo Loo Land was filled with awkward silence. Stolas, seated beside me in the van, couldn't stop beaming, clearly excited about the trip, while Blitzo kept grumbling to himself behind the wheel. Moxxie and Millie were wedged in the backseat, quietly bickering about something trivial as usual, and Octavia… well, she had her headphones on, staring out the window with an air of disinterest.
Luna, who had somehow been roped into joining, sat beside me, scrolling through her phone. She looked just as annoyed as Octavia, her face reflecting the 'I didn't sign up for this' vibe.
"So, what's so special about Loo Loo Land?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Stolas immediately perked up. "Ah, it's a nostalgic place for me and Octavia! We used to go there when she was younger. It's… well, not quite what it used to be, but it's still full of charm."
Octavia rolled her eyes without looking up from her music. "Yeah, charm. If you like overpriced junk and creepy mascots."
Luna snorted in agreement. "Sounds like my kind of place."
I chuckled at Luna's sarcasm, while Stolas remained blissfully optimistic.
When we finally arrived at the run-down theme park, it was exactly as Octavia and Luna had described: shabby, with cracked attractions, fading signs, and mascots that looked like they'd seen better days. The massive sign, "Loo Loo Land," flickered with missing neon lights, and the place reeked of greasy carnival food and bad decisions.
Blitzo jumped out of the van, immediately scanning the area. "Alright, everyone stick close! We don't want any accidents today… except for Moxxie, who can trip over himself for all I care."
Moxxie glared at him. "Very professional."
Millie laughed and playfully nudged her husband. "Come on, Mox. We'll make the best of it."
We all entered the park, and it didn't take long to see what Octavia meant about the place. The animatronics were rusted and moved stiffly, and the park's mascot, Loo Loo, looked more menacing than welcoming. The imp employees barely made eye contact, clearly bored out of their minds.
"So, this place is owned by Mammon?" I asked, looking around at the peeling posters and rundown rides.
"Yeah," Blitzo replied, hands stuffed in his coat pockets. "He ripped off Lucifer's Lu Lu World and threw this mess together. It's basically a glorified scam, but hey, demons love this crap."
"Sounds about right," I muttered.
We walked deeper into the park, passing by suspiciously dangerous-looking rides and rigged game stalls. Stolas was cheerfully pointing out attractions to Octavia, who remained unimpressed. I stuck close to Luna, who seemed to be mirroring Octavia's 'why am I here' attitude.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked, trying to make small talk.
Luna shrugged. "Survive the day without losing my mind, I guess."
"I'll try to make that easier for you," I said with a small grin.
Millie and Moxxie wandered off through the park, with Millie excitedly reminiscing about her childhood visits to Loo Loo Land. As they passed a gift shop, she eagerly pointed out the overpriced cups, while Moxxie muttered about the expense.
Meanwhile, I stayed close to Stolas and Octavia, who was still glaring around the park as if it were the most boring place in all of Hell. Stolas, on the other hand, was positively beaming, clearly thrilled to be spending time with his daughter—even if she didn't seem too thrilled in return.
Luna stuck by my side, her usual bored expression masking any hint of enthusiasm. "This place reeks," she muttered, flicking her phone screen as we passed by an animatronic clown that looked like it would fall apart if someone sneezed on it.
"You're not wrong," I replied. "I guess it's what passes for fun in Hell."
Stolas overheard us and gave a cheerful laugh. "Oh, come now! Loo Loo Land might be a little... rough around the edges, but it holds a certain charm."
Octavia scoffed. "Sure, Dad. If 'charm' means cheap and creepy."
I exchanged a glance with Luna, both of us smirking at Octavia's sarcasm. At least the two of them had something in common.
As we continued through the park, Blitzo took up his 'professional' bodyguard position, which mainly consisted of him bouncing between trying to look tough and shoving his face full of carnival snacks. I could sense the underlying tension between him and Stolas. The way Stolas kept stealing glances at Blitzo while the imp pretended not to notice was almost amusing. Almost.
"So, you ever been to a place like this before?" Luna asked, breaking the awkward silence.
I shook my head. "Nope. Nothing like this in Heaven, and certainly nothing this... weird back on Earth."
Luna snorted. "Yeah, I figured. You don't strike me as a theme park kind of guy."
Before I could reply, Blitzo hollered from up ahead, waving us toward the circus tent. "Hey, you slowpokes! Come on, we're gonna check out the circus show!"
Stolas perked up even more at the mention of the circus. "Oh, that'll be delightful! Octavia, remember when we—"
"No, Dad," she cut him off with a groan. "I hated it then, and I hate it now."
Undeterred, Stolas clapped his hands. "Well, perhaps you'll enjoy it more this time!"
The circus tent loomed ahead, looking more run-down up close, and as we entered, I noticed several imps lurking around. Something about their movements seemed... off. I glanced over at Luna, who was already eyeing them with suspicion.
"Bodyguards, huh?" I muttered to her as we took our seats.
"Looks like we're gonna earn our pay today," Luna replied, leaning back in her seat but keeping a close watch on the imps.
The lights dimmed, and the robotic clown, Robo Fizz, took center stage with a menacing grin. His voice echoed through the tent as he began his speech, rattling off about how Loo Loo Land was legally distinct from Lu Lu World. I felt a strange sense of unease creep up my spine, and by the look on Octavia's face, she wasn't exactly thrilled either.
Stolas, however, clapped enthusiastically, and his excitement only grew as the clown launched into a cheesy song. Blitzo, meanwhile, was fuming beside me, muttering something under his breath about Fizzarolli.
"You know him." I asked
"Yeah." was his response
I chuckled silently at his reaction as it was quite amusing. I sliently glanced behind me watching some Imps trying to sneak up on us I sighed contemplating what to do. I could use holy lightning but I am unsure if regular demons could tell them apart and thats not something I want to risk.
'hmm what to do? ooh I know.'
I raised my hand towards the Imps in a crushing motion and there bodies suddenly compressed into tiny balls as the space around them compacted. I had let one of them slip by so that Blitzo could at least earn his paycheck. Robo Fizz has finished his song. Much to Octavia's embarrassment, Stolas enthusiastically applauds the show when Blitzo shoots the Imp before it can attack Stolas. Stolas compliments Blitzo's aim, causing Octavia to storm out of the tent, and Stolas follows her.
I looked over to Luna then asked. "Wanna follow them?"
"Sure It's better than staying here."
we got up and silently followed after Stolas and Octavia killing any imps that attempted to follow Stolas. Stolas continued to look for Octavia, who tells him to leave her alone as she enters the carnival Fun House. Stolas enters after her. I stooped at the entrance and stopped Luna as well.
"Why are stopping?" she asked
"Let them talk it out." was my response.
then an expolsion caught our attention turning around we finally realized that the park was burning.
"You have got to be joking." Luna said
"We left him alone for five minutes." I muttered. "Nope not my problem."
"Agreed."
Octavia and Stolas exit the Fun House an Imp jumps down from the ceiling and draws a knife, but Stolas turns it to stone with a glare.
"leaving?" I asked
"Yes we are." Stolas replied
"Good."
Walking past Blitzo's ongoing fight with Robo Fizz and the other robots which Luna and I didn't even bat an eye to, to the parking lot Stolas asks Octavia what she wants to do now.
"Can we visit Stylish Occult, it's a store that sells weird taxidermy." Octavia asked
Her answer confused him slightly but he agrees none the less.
"You know not so bad at times." Octavia said
the park explodes behind us, propelling Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie through the air, where they land near the group.
Noticing there presence I looked over to luna. "Should we help them?"
"No."
"Thought so."
chapter 2: End