Chapter Text
Chantelle’s Nice and Spice was a sweet little boutique located downtown Lust Ring, in one of the richer parts of town. Blitz had never been, but he couldn’t refuse the glowing review Fizz gave it, nor could he turn down a shopping spree, especially after Ozzie made the comment that he looked like ‘Little Bo Pimp’s that lost his hos. After a fit of laughter, Fizz agreed to buy him an outfit that he’d have last say on.
“What about this?” Fizz said. His bubbly tone really suited the soft magenta shirt and dark blue bell bottom pants he was wearing. Somehow, he managed to find a cockscomb hat to match his outfit.
There was a soft jingle, when he spun on the balls of his robotic feet, to show off a very nice vest and button up combo. A royal plum colored shirt with a black vest. Pressed into the felt leather were ivy and vines; surprisingly tasteful.
“Not bad, definitely piques my pimp status.” Blitz mused.
Fizz scoffed and shifted up behind him, holding the shirt and vest up over his torso to compare in the mirror. It went with his skin tone surprisingly well, complimenting the white of his horns and the scars on his face. Overall, not a bad fit.
“Handsome.” Fizz giggled.
“I’m allowed to roll up my sleeves, right?” Blitz said, noticing that the cuffs would be a bit tight on his large arms.
Fizzy glared at his reflection, “I mean, I guess. I can always pay to have them shaped to fit, though.”
“They do that here?”
“This shirt is four hundred dollars, I’m sure they’d suck your dick if it would help them make the sale.” Fizz laughed.
Blitz choked on his coffee. Fizz was able to move the shirt and vest from the splash zone just in time, lest they get stained.
“This shirt cost four hundred-”
“Shh.”
The larger imp dropped his voice, but not the subject, “Dollars? As your friend, I cannot let you buy me this shirt.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
“Ozzie is,” Fizz giggled, tearing away.
Blitz began to give chase, but it was a short run. Fizz slammed hard into something unmoving. He'd thought it might be a pillar because of how unmovable it was, but there were no pillars in this section of the store. He’d been there enough to know better.
Fumbling back, Fizz backed into Blitz. Wrapping his arms around the clown and pulling him behind him for safety, when Blitz recognized the person who Fizz had run into. The pale face, red wing cut was shaped perfectly, along with his wide unwavering smile. Neat suit of reds and blacks, as Blitz remembered, but something else entered the equation. The room had gone cold in his presence. The mirrors around the boutique frosted up and everything except he and Fizzy had slowed to a halt. He’d known that Overlords possessed powers, but nothing like this.
“Ah, there you are.” Alastor stated, his vocoder voice reverberating in a hypnotic fashion.
“Who the hell are you?” Fizz asked, leaning hard on Blitz for a better look.
“Ah, I see my reputation has failed to precede me. I’ll have to repair that.” He twirled his cane, tucking it beneath his arm before offering a gloved hand. “The Radio Demon or Alastor if you like, at your service.”
Fizz jerked his hand away, “Blitz, w-why is the Radio Demon here?”
Blitz turned back to him, a sheepish look on his face, “It’s complicated.”
“Not as complicated as it seems, Mr. Fizzarolli. He shook on a deal; a favor for a favor, and I’m here to collect my end of the bargain.” Alastor said smugly. “There, we’re all caught up.
“You made a deal with an Overlord? Why the hell would you do a stupid thing like that?” Fizz glowered at Blitz, his eyes trembling with rage.
“If you’d listen, I can explain.” Blitz said.
“Well, I’m all ears…”
“My my my, it seems to me like your little Chihuahua is getting far too big for his leash, may I suggest putting him back in his yard, where he belongs.” Alastor stated, his head twitching subtly until it turned sideways. His stare growing long a hollow red.
All around him, Blitz could feel something creeping in from every angle. The soft whispers of hundreds of souls uttered their warning and they were growing louder the closer Alastor got. With it, the chill in the air grew more robust, drawing a visual breath from Blitz’s chattering teeth.
“What’s happening?” Fizz squeaked, his breath manifested as a huff in the cold air.
“That’s enough!” Blitz snapped.
The air returned to normal and the voices stopped, but the Radio Demon remained. His statuesque figure looming over them like a dark tower. His red eyes glowed benignly, but Blitz knew better than to let his guard down at this point.
“Oh, I was just having a bit of fun. A jibe at your friend’s expense, nothing more.” Alastor chortled. “Now, onto business, if you will. I’m a very busy individual and I’m sure you want to get back to…whatever you’re doing here.” Again, Alastor tucked his cane away and offered his hand to Blitz. “I’m officially calling in my favor, imp.”
“I figured so. What’s the job?” Blitz asked.
“You can’t do this,” Fizz whispered, gripping the taller imp by the collar of his jacket.
“I have to, Fizz. He held up his end of the bargain, now I need to hold up mine.” Blitz urged, plucking Fizz’s hands from his collar, holding them.
“Aw, lover’s spats are so bittersweet, but oh so necessary. How else are you to know each other’s boundaries? As touching as this is, can we please move this along?” Alastor stated with no emotional tone in his vocoded voice.
Blitz nodded, “Alright, what do you want?”
“The job is a simple one. A ‘friend’ of mine has resurfaced after a long sabbatical and I need you to-”
“Kill him?” Blitz said.
“Oh please, nothing so savage. You imps are all the same, stab first, stab second, stab third and when everyone’s dead, sort out the details.” He said with a mocking grin, punctuating it with an equally smug laugh. “All I need you to do is distract him and I’ll handle the rest.”
Blitz tried to ignore the condescending tone in his voice, but he was intrigued by the guidelines of the deal. “That’s all you need me to do, distract this guy?”
“That’s all. I’m sure you can handle that.”
“There’s gotta be something more to this, Blitz.” Fizz whispered in his ear.
Blitz shot him a look, pursing his lips before he said something rude. With a stiff nod, he turned back to Alastor. “I’m good at distractions. When do we start?”
“Now, actually.” Alastor snatched up Blitz’s open hand and shook it hard.
The Lust Ring rumbled deep within its essence and Blitz felt the pull from somewhere far away. As if he weighed nothing, his body was hefted from the floor and tugged through a portal. Tumbling end over end in the engulfing darkness, he was sent into a dizzying haze. Soon, he discovered he wasn’t alone.
Fizz cried out from somewhere behind him. Blitz tumbled himself in midair, catching a glimpse of the clown’s brightly colored shirt. It’s what allowed him to snatch the smaller imp, pulling him tightly as his robotic arms wrapped them both up multiple times for safety.
When they came out on the other side, Blitz hit first, cushioning Fizz’s fall. The two of them tumbling plainfully across the icy cold stone floor. When he settled, he felt Fizz’s weight atop him, soothing him some.
“You okay,” he grunted painfully.
“No, I’m fucking not.” Fizz said, giving Blitz’s chest a painful slap before he got up. “You stupid asshole. Why would you make a deal with a goddamn Overlord and somehow you managed to get me wrapped up in it too. Just fucking great?”
Blitz slowly got up, stretching his back, rewarded by a sharp pop. He grunted. “I’m sorry, okay. I wouldn’t have made the deal with him if I didn’t have to.”
“What could have possibly possessed you to do it?”
Blitz took a ragged breath and sighed out just as sharply, “Something happened to Loonie and I wanted to make it better, okay. This wasn’t part of my plan.”
“It never is. I just wish-”
There was a low rumbling cough from the darkness around them. Blitz and Fizz collided again, hugging each other as they looked around the great black chamber that they hadn’t noticed until this moment. They were surrounded on all sides by cold marble that felt more like a mausoleum than a chamber of any making. If they were still in Hell, it was hard to get a read as to where they could be.
“Did you hear that?” Blitz asked.
“Don’t change the subject-”
“I’m not changing the subject, but if you haven’t noticed we could be in danger right now.” Blitz whisper shouted at Fizz.
“Goddamn right we’re in danger. As soon as we’re not, you’re going to spill your fucking guts. You hear me?” Fizz snapped.
“How is it you’ve come to my house?” A deep voice rumbled through the frozen space, echoing on forever.
Fizz and Blitz both let out a sharp cry, huddling closer together as they snatched around looking for the source of the voice.
Their answer came, when a dull blue ember lit the top of ornate cane, showing them a figure clad in a dark blue suit with silver embroidery along the hems. A wide brimmed hat haloed his head, casting a dark shadow over his long beaked face. Dull blue eyes glowed from beneath the shadowy vale.
At a second glance, Blitz recognized his raven-like features. “Holy shit,” he gasped.
“Far from it, I’m afraid.” The tall bird let out a loose raspy chuckle.
“What is it?” Fizz squeaked.”
“Not an it, he’s a Goetia.” Blitz whispered with some authority.
“Ah, wrong again, I was but no longer.” He said, aloofly. “Now I’m outcast.”
“How is that even possible?” Blitz’s tone reeked of his skepticism.
There was a strained jovialness in his posture, one that said he’d not spoken to anyone in a long time and was struggling to figure out how to broach such a social interaction.
When he spoke his voice trembled excitedly. “I once walked the Goetian Court, but once I melded my demon birthright with Overlord powers. There had never been a rule in existence that stated the contrary, yet I was shunned and cast aside for my assumption. My home burned, wife and children wiped out as heretics. I was spared from death; quite a cruel tidings, I assure you. Then they exiled me for the rest of my immortal life.”
“Your home was burned and your family slaughtered because you mixed some magic?” Fizz asked, coarsely.
“To put it bluntly, yes, see now that you walk among their tombstones,” he said, casting a weak hand before him.
Dim fire light tickled the sconces bolted into the marble. The dull blue firelight rose up, illuminating the entire chamber in a cold, unfeeling light. Dozens of stone-still marble sarcophagi lined the walls of the chamber. Only a few feet and a few pillars separated them from touching. Each bore a polished silver placard at the base, meticulously polished to keep the words crystal clear. If no one was to remain to remember them, this fallen Goetia would.
When the light behind him came up, growing from the two silver candelabras, they shone upon a large sarcophagus. His hand rested on the black and white speckled stone affectionately. Blitz could only assume it was his wife, who was laid to rest within.
Fizz clutched Blitz tightly, “We should go.” He whispered loudly. “Getting the fuck out of here would be good.”
“Not until I’ve done what I came to do.” Blitz said, shaking Fizz off and stepping forward.
“Ah, I might have known.” The figure said, as if he knew what was coming next. “An accord it is then; you’ve come for the gift that Mephisto can offer you?” He asked, slipping his hat from his head, laying it to rest on the cold marble behind him.
“Mephisto?” Fizz asked before he could stop himself.
“Tis my name and what am I to call the two of you?” He asked cordially.
“He’s Blitz and I’m Fizz -er Fizzarolli, you might have heard of me.” He said.
“I have not, but rest assured the problem is not of your making but mine own. I’ve dwelled here in the dark alone for a long while. Tis safer that way, me thinkst.” He said with a simple smile, while putting his weight onto his cane.
“Safer, why?” Blitz asked.
“My Overlord gift, of course. Tis much sought after by those who would use it for ill.” Mephisto explained.
Even with the evidence offered, Blitz couldn’t figure out what the creature could possibly be offering. He was going to have to fake this until he could figure it out.
“That’s right. It’s why I’m here, after all.” He said. “For the sake of my friend here, please explain it to him. I’d appreciate it.”
“Ah, engaging upon a quest even when he knows not what he seeks. That’s an adventurous heart if ever I heard one. Just as my late wife had been.” He chortled comfortably, a long smile spreading out along his beak. “In your past, have you ever faltered, fallen, or failed so egregiously that you anguish to change it?”
“Yeah, everyone has.” Blitz said.
“Well, I can offer up a chance to fix it all.” Mephisto said.
Like a sideshow magician, he tumbled his hand producing a glowing crystal pressed between his middle finger and thumb. It was a glistening blue hourglass. Blitz’s eyes went wide when he saw it. Fizz watched as the lanky imp’s fingers twitched as if he may take a chance and snatch it away from the old man.
“Blitz, no.” Fizz whispered.
The taller imp cleared his throat, “And with that, anyone can go back and change anything in time and it’ll just stay that way?”
“For better or worse, yes, that’s right.” Mephisto said.
Blitz turned back to Fizz, his eyes wide. It may have been over a decade since the two of them had spent much time together, but the clown wasn’t fooled. He knew exactly what was going through Blitz’s head.
Fizz gritted his teeth and took a step forward, “You’d better not be thinking what I think you’re thinking.”
“Fizz, don’t you get it? This could be a chance to-”
“Fuck that,” Fizz snapped, poking him hard in the chest. “Does it suck that your mom died, that we lost the circus, that I was maimed? Yeah, but I’m happy with how things turned out and look how far you’ve come. This kinda of trick isn’t a fix, it’s an eraser to undo a mistake. Who’s to say if you don’t end up fucking things up even more.”
“Your friend speaks the truth.” Mephisto crooned.
“There’s no fucking way it could end up worst, Fizz.” Blitz yelled, his voice tearing through the chamber.
“Yeah and you could be wrong – things could always end up worse.” Fizz pleaded.
“No, you’re wrong,” Blitz snapped, he lurched for Mephisto’s outstretched hand, snatching the hourglass up.
“Blitz?” Fizz said, his voice trembling as the large chamber around them trembled. “What have you done?”
“The right thing.” Blitz said.
A bright light engulfed Blitz, pulling him away into some ethereal realm that wasn’t Earth, Heaven, or Hell. It was just a shimmering web of consciousness. Somewhere far away, he heard his name screamed from the lungs of Fizz. Blitz tensed up, a twist in his stomach. Hearing him so upset hurt but it really was for the best. What he was doing was for him…for them.
All sound disappeared from around him, only the heartbeat of existence echoed the eternity. At first he was alone, but then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, startling him. The hourglass slipped from his fingers, but landed firmly in Mephisto’s hand.
“Careful not to lose such a precious gift. It is nary replaceable.” He uttered sagely, pressing it back into Blitz’s palm. “Now, the journey you’re about to undertake will not be an easy one.”
“Spare me. I just want to know how to change my fate.” Blitz narrowed his eyes.
“Very well.” Mephisto smiled. “Hold the hourglass to your forehead and seek out the time in your memory. You will be teleported to that precise moment. Repair the fracture and then call upon me and I shall bring you back to this plane to witness the fix or fallout.”
“It’s that easy, huh?”
“If you say so, but mark my words. Five times; you can repair your past for better or worse. The fifth time shall paint your present and future. Choose wisely, for fate is a fickle mistress and she always has the final say.”
“Blah blah blah, old man, I won’t need five chances. I just need one to fix all my fuck ups, then my life’ll be perfect.” Blitz said, looking at the hourglass, a covetous smile coming to his lips. “At last, my happy ending.”
“Suit yourself,” Mephisto said with a wave of his hand. “Go beyond the veil and succeed where you may.”
Blitz nodded. He raised the hourglass to his forehead, feeling the cold crystal tingling against his sweaty skin. Closing his eyes, the thought entered his mind. The exact moment that his life changed for the worse.
A bright light engulfed him and he stepped through a portal into the dingy air of the Greed Ring. The smell of popcorn ripe in the air, along with the song of the circus and the chatter of his people. He was home.