Archive of Our Own

Stolas is putting on makeup when he hears Blitz in the living room.

"Stolas, I'm finally home and I got a surprise for you!"

The owl is surprised, he didn't expect Blitz back so early. From what he had understood, the mission was supposed to run long and the imp would return late. He had actually hoped to be gone before his return and he would have left a simple note. Now, he will have to face Blitz and he knows the imp will definitely make a comment. He sighs, checks his makeup which he still needs to adjust a bit and answers simply:

"I'm in the bathroom, I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok, you'll see, I brought you something from our mission and I'm sure you're gonna like it," Blitz shouts, all excited, from the other side of the door.

After putting the final touch to his makeup, Stolas walks toward the door and takes a deep breath before opening it.

"Ah, there you are Stols, look what..." Blitz begins and turns around to face the owl while keeping the surprise hidden in his arms, behind his back, before cutting himself off abruptly. An awkward silence settles for a moment before the imp breaks it.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Blitz asks, terribly fearing the answer.

“Well, I am invited to a club by Verosika, if you really must know," Stolas answers simply, walking toward the door.

"Wait, what? You're going to a club dressed like that and with that skank? Is this a joke," Blitz exclaims.

"Yes, I do not see the problem, Blitz. And if you will excuse me, she must already be waiting for me downstairs."

"No, I forbid you from going to a club looking like that, especially with a bitch like her!" Blitz snaps, yelling.

"You forbid me! I hope you are joking, Blitz. What right do you have to decide if and with whom I can go out?" Stolas answers sharply, raising his voice as well.

"The right that I care about you. Look, I even brought you a plant from our mission to replace the ones you lost at the palace," Blitz answers, holding out the small pot to Stolas.

"Do not try to soften me up with a plant, Blitz. First of all, I am letting you know that this little plant is quite ridiculous compared to the ones I lost, as you say. And above all, you have absolutely no right to tell me what to do or not just because you supposedly care about me, do you hear me?" Stolas snaps back, still angry.

"You live under my roof and if I say you aren't going out, you gotta listen to me!" Blitz yells.

"Are you serious? Believe me, if I had the choice, I would not be living under your roof and I would not be sleeping on a simple, filthy couch," Stolas answers just as violently.

At those words, Blitz's heart skips a beat. A rage builds up inside him, trying to choke the pain that is starting to grow.

"Well, too bad for you, cause that's the case whether you like it or not, you got nowhere else to go! And besides, your outfit is way too provocative for a club, you look like a total tease! You want every demon in the club drooling all over you or what?" Blitz keeps shouting.

"And if that is what I want, it is none of your business! Furthermore, may I remind you because of whom I have nowhere else to go? If I had not saved your life, I would still have my palace, my powers, all my belongings and my daughter! So if I want to go out, I am going out and you have nothing to say about it, do you understand me?
And you know what, you can enjoy your couch tonight, cause I have no intention of coming home! Even if it is none of your business, I will tell you anyway, Verosika told me that the succubus I met at her party is also there and he asked to see me.
And you just have to accept it, whether you like it or not. I fully intend to have a wonderful evening and enjoy myself, do you hear me? And you can say or do nothing to stop me!" Stolas snaps back before opening the front door and walking out, slamming the door violently behind him.

Blitz feels a wild rage rising inside him, something he has never felt before. His breathing accelerates, his mind fogs up, preventing him from thinking and he throws the pot with the plant to the ground with all his strength. It shatters into pieces. Grinding his teeth, Blitz stares at the fragments and sees his reflection, a completely black silhouette with piercing red eyes. This vision of himself terrifies him and he snaps out of it, shaking his head, calming down instantly. Is he really this monster he just perceived...

Of course he is, what a question. His anger dissipates and makes way for the pain and sorrow he had buried. Tears well up in his eyes. He drops to the floor and takes his face in his hands, crying his eyes out. No matter the efforts he makes, it is not enough. He cannot hide what he is, he cannot put back together the pieces of what he broke in the past. Yet he tries, he really tries, but nothing works.

Blitz breaks down and lets go. With Loona out as well, he is alone in the apartment and he finally lets his sobs burst out. These tears that have been welling up almost daily but that he must hold back, his heart that is breaking more and more, piece by piece, after every argument with the owl. It has been two weeks.

Since their argument in the Envy ring where everything started and where, ever since, a new argument breaks out every day. Blitz knows that sometimes it is his fault, his temper taking over. But sometimes, and those are the most painful ones, Stolas lets out what is on his mind and it breaks Blitz more and more. The imp suffers from the vision the owl has of him now, and today all over again...

It is obvious that Stolas regrets saving his life. He regrets having to live with the imp, he hates having to sleep on a simple couch and having lost everything for a dead-end fling. And as soon as he gets the chance, he will leave the apartment, I.M.P and Blitz for good.

The imp cannot stop his heavy sobbing anymore, groaning in pain through his tears, squeezing his chest in his arms and his tail around himself. He has lost the owl and he can do nothing to get him back. After all it is obvious, who could love someone like him? A prince falling in love with a simple imp, of course it is not possible and even less an imp like him whose mistakes are marked all over his skin. What Stolas saw in him was only the forbidden, the new, the danger and the excitement of owning something from outside the palace. A fling he imagined like in his books, knowing nothing else. Since the imp was his only contact with the outside world beyond the palace, he was not a servant, not a Goetia, not an employee and that is the only reason the owl certainly had eyes for him. Now that the whole of Hell is opening up to Stolas, of course he is going to look for and find better. Blitz knew it, it was too good to be true to have found someone who could love him. He was right, he should have never attached himself to Stolas, but he did it anyway and he broke everything out of fear of his own feelings when the owl opened up to him. He is going to die alone, he knows it and he knows it is what he deserves. To suffer for ruining the only chance he had with Stolas, even if it is obvious that even back then, it was only because the owl had no other choices available. He never truly loved Blitz, it was a mere illusion.

A sadness and a sorrow now mixing with those of his past. Everything comes rushing back, the systematic rejection from his father, the fire, the loss of his mother, of his sister, of his best friend. The years on the street after the circus, not knowing if he would survive another night. All the rejections and mistakes with his exes whom he never knew how to love. The words of Loona who judges him, not seeing him as her father, the reproaches. As if this final drop made everything overflow, everything Blitz had been forcing himself to keep quiet inside for years. The pain intensifies, worse than every gunshot wound he ever had, worse than the burns on his skin. The imp's chest is so painful, as if his heart is going to give out at any moment, too overwhelmed by emotions he can no longer manage, as if he is going to die right then and there, unable to bear this pain and this sorrow for one more second.

Then… All of a sudden, without warning, one last sob. He feels one last light go out inside him, the very last piece of his heart breaking and collapsing. One final tear rolls down his cheek before the apartment is cradled in darkness but now also in silence. His sobs have gone quiet.

Blitz's breathing returns to normal, as do his heartbeats. He stands up, lets his arms fall along his body and walks mechanically toward the beanbag that has been serving as his bed since Stolas's arrival. Suddenly he feels tired, as if his crying had cost him everything, had exhausted him and especially now he feels…

He drops onto the beanbag… No, actually he feels nothing at all anymore…

His chest feels empty, hollow. He no longer feels the sadness and intense pain from a few minutes ago, nor even the hope of being able to do something, nothing…

Everything around him also suddenly seems darker. Has the apartment always been so plunged in darkness? The colors around him seem dull, washed out… Never mind. He closes his eyes to sleep. Nothing matters anymore…

After a long moment of dreamless sleep, Blitz is awakened by the sound of his phone ringing. He picks it up and looks at the screen: "Stols".

He takes the call and places the phone near his ear, a simple, neutral "yeah" devoid of emotion to answer.

"Well, I expected more enthusiasm or at least more emotion. But whatever, I must have woken you up, let's say that's why. Listen, I got your bird. I nabbed him in a nightclub, it's not safe to let him go out like that unsupervised you know, things can happen to him.

So open your ears wide cause I'm not gonna repeat myself. We both still got scores to settle. Since last time, I've been dragging a shit reputation around because of you and I fully intend to fix that. And the prince I'm currently sitting on, it's the same, people blame me for not finishing my job. So here's what I'm offering: I'm giving you exactly 10 minutes and not a single one more to get over here and pick up your bird. After that deadline, I'm just gonna shoot him, got it? We're in the abandoned western warehouse, you better not be late!" Then the call hangs up.

Blitz stares at the screen. Shit…

"He is not coming. He has no reason to come save me," Stolas simply announces in a low voice. His heart in his chest is beating a thousand miles an hour though, terrified by what is going to happen to him, but he does not want to give in to panic or even cry. He is not going to give him that satisfaction.

The owl is tied up, lying on the floor and Striker is sitting on his chest.

"He's gonna come, that rodeo clown is gonna show up don't worry. But it's not gonna change much for you. I'm waiting for him with open arms to blast him and then it'll be your turn," the killer explains.

"Why wait to kill me? I am tied up and I cannot defend myself, so why not get it over with right now and why involve Blitz?" Stolas asks in a provocative tone.

Striker stands up and pulls out a blade that he places under Stolas's throat.

"Well now, you're in a hurry to die or what? But hey, we got a little time ahead of us, so I'm gonna explain it to you so you don't die completely stupid. First off, your fucking purse dog, you're the one who involved him. Sure, he got in my way when I tried to pop you during the festival the first time, but you're the one who really dragged him into all this by calling him for help when I kidnapped you. So if I kill him, it's your fault. And why am I keeping you alive for now? Just so you can see the damage a royal piece of shit like you has done. I'm gonna blast him and I'll make sure his corpse is the last thing you'll ever see!"

At those words, Stolas's heart breaks. What has he done? Suddenly he sincerely hopes that Blitz will not come. That in 10 minutes he will have a dagger in his chest but the imp will remain safe. Seeing Blitz die… He knows his heart will not need a dagger to stop, this simple sight will be enough.

"Well, I am going to disappoint you, but you will not have that pleasure. Blitz will not come. He did not come the first time, so why would he come now?"

"Well, you changed your tune. To think that before, you kept repeating he was gonna show up and he never showed his face. Instead he sent his two morons to do the job for him. Why the sudden shift? Now that you're just a fallen tyrant, you think he's got no reason to come anymore, huh? You got nothing left to force him to be your personal toy, is that it? And yet I bet you he's gonna show up, even after the way you treat him like dirt when he seems to have taken you in, seems to be taking care of you and giving you the miserable little he has. Even in the mud, you blue-bloods of crap can't help but look down on the ones you consider inferior, right? You can't help but take everything he's got. How do you do it? Do you repeat to him every day that without you he'd be dead, that he owes you his shitty life? Tell me!" Striker snaps, the blade still under Stolas's throat and his eyes staring at the owl.

"Of course not! I would never do such a thing, I would never look down on Blitz, you know nothing about…" Then Stolas lets out a muffled sound of pain. Striker is now squeezing his throat with his hand.

"Don't tell me stories! I saw you two a few days ago when I was tracking you. It's impossible to miss how much you abuse him, it's written all over his face and anyone can see it. And tonight is proof enough! Parading yourself around in a club for everyone to see while he stays home like a good obedient dog. You're right, if he's smart he won't come, that way he'll finally be rid of you, but from what I've seen he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed." Striker releases Stolas's throat and sits back down on the owl's chest.

Stolas coughs and tries to catch his breath and understand what Striker is telling him. No, these are just lies to throw him off. Sure, he and Blitz have been having almost daily arguments lately, but he doesn't abuse him, does he? He could never hurt his imp, never.

"You know, I'm thinking about something," Striker starts again, staring at his blade. "Last time I wanted to keep your eyes as trophies, but we got interrupted. I'm thinking you don't need all four of them to see when I blast that other loudmouth, right?" Striker wears a threatening smirk, turns around and places the blade under one of the owl's eyes. The owl remains frozen in terror.

But before he can do anything, the sound of a portal opening rings out and Blitz steps out, his gun in hand aimed right at the killer.

"Hands off. You aren't touching a single one of his feathers, you hear me, or I'm putting a bullet right between your eyes!" Blitz threatens.

Striker stands up and positions himself in front of the owl and glares at Blitz. He grinds his teeth and throws a look of pure contempt at Stolas before turning his eyes back toward the imp threatening him with a weapon.

"So you did come. Damn, look at your face, that bird of ill omen really managed to take everything from you and yet you come to save him? If I blast him you'll have a weight off your shoulders, it won't change the fact that I'm gonna kill you for the rest of it but at least you'll be relieved for a second before you croak."

Stolas does not understand. Blitz looks completely normal, what is Striker implying?

"I said hands off. Get away from him," Blitz answers coldly.

"As stupid as I remember, that's what happens when you spend too much time being a brainless toy for cheap royals," Striker snaps back.

Then a gunshot rings out. Blitz fired, but Striker avoided the bullet and pulls out his own revolver and shoots at the imp who starts running in his direction. Blitz takes cover behind a box to avoid the bullet, he prepares to shoot back but immediately lowers his weapon. Striker has pulled Stolas up and holds him in front of him like a shield, preventing Blitz from using his firearm.

"So what, you aren't shooting anymore? Looks like I could find a use for this pest after all. I'm gonna kill you and then I'll take care of him. I'm gonna pluck him feather by feather, stab him through and through until he agonizes, cause that's all a piece of shit like him deserves, a slow and painful death!" Striker yells.

Blitz suddenly feels a rage resurfacing. He tries to hold it back, but it boils inside him, seemingly the only real feeling he has left. But for now, he still manages to control himself.

The imp has no choice, he must get even closer. He rushes toward a closer box, Striker shoots at him but misses once again. He looks up and smiles, the imp is right under one of his traps. With his tail, he picks up a remote that is on the ground next to him and presses the button. Suddenly a loud thud echoes. Blitz looks around and lifts his eyes just in time to realize a huge box is falling on him. In the nick of time, he dives forward to avoid it, losing his gun in the fall. He is now unarmed at Striker's feet, who aims his weapon at his head. The imp looks up and sees both the terrified gaze of Stolas staring at him, tied up and held by Striker, and the killer's face looking down at him. The killer is ready to pull the trigger when Stolas snaps out of it and squirms, hitting Striker with his body. The demon and the owl both fall backward. The firearm also slips out of Striker's hand. Pissed off, the killer pulls out his blade and is about to stab Stolas:

"Fuck, I'm gonna kill you first anyway, asshole!"

Stolas closes his eyes, but the blow does not come. He feels a few drops fall on his face. Striker's momentum was stopped by Blitz who threw himself forward to intervene. The dagger stabs through the imp's hand, which he used to stop Striker dead in his tracks. Stolas has his eyes wide open, especially when he catches his gaze...

"I said hands off, asshole," Blitz growls, tightening his hand around the blade and pulling himself up slightly, his head still low, fighting Striker who is now trying to stab him. Then he headbutts Striker with insane violence, knocking him backward. Growls so vicious echo through the room, paralyzing Stolas with fear. What is...

Striker lifts his head, having landed next to his pistol. He grabs it and aims it at the imp who glares at him and pulls the blade out of his hand.

"Oh shit, you gotta be kidding me…" Striker says before firing. Blitz dodges the bullet and throws himself savagely at Striker with the blade.

The killer stops the imp, both struggling. They exchange punches, headbutts and kicks. The fight is brutal, but Blitz cannot manage to stab Striker and Striker cannot manage to get the blade out of his opponent's hands. The two demons fight with all their might, Striker letting out "Fuck!" and "Damn it!" every now and then, while Blitz does nothing but growl. His eyes fixed on Striker, sharp teeth exposed and long strings of saliva stretching from his mouth with every snarl, as if the imp were consumed by pure rage.

During their fight, they move further and further away from Stolas who turned around to stare, his eyes wide with terror. More terrified by the state Blitz seems to be in than by the fight itself. What is happening to his imp?

Striker feels Blitz gaining more and more ground, the blade getting closer and closer to him. He looks around frantically. They are right under another trap, another box above them. It is dangerous but he has no choice. With any luck, the box will crash right next to them and the shock will separate them and he will be able to get back on top of the situation. He kept the remote in his tail and presses the corresponding button and the box is released from the hooks. Blitz is completely cut off from his surroundings, completely swallowed by the rage and the fight that he does not realize a box is about to flatten them. Just as Striker hoped, the box crashes a few centimeters away from them, exploding into pieces as it hits the ground. The impact throws both demons back. With both crates having fallen, the wooden floor seems to have weakened. Striker gets up and feels the wood creaking under his feet. He runs to take cover and grab his weapons before Blitz can jump him again.

The imp also pulls himself up halfway, the blade having slipped away in the violence of the crash. He searches for Striker and when he finds him, he lets out an unmatched animalistic growl and rushes at him on all fours, even leaping onto a beam and launching himself with his back legs to gain momentum.

Stolas can no longer see the two demons, the box having propelled them further into an adjacent room. He tries desperately to pull himself up but cannot manage to do it. Until, all of a sudden, he feels a hand and hears someone speaking to him:

"I am here, Your Highness, do not worry. I am going to free you from these ropes and get you out of here."

Stolas turns his head to look at Moxxie, who grabs a blade to free him.

"Moxxie? How..." Stolas begins.

"After the call, Blitz teleported straight to our place and explained the situation to me. I checked the surroundings to make sure no accomplice was around and I tried to defuse some traps, but it wasn't entirely possible. I am supposed to get you out while Blitz deals with Striker and come help him once you are safe," Moxxie explains while freeing Stolas from his ropes.

"Blitz! Moxxie, what is happening to Blitz?" Stolas asks in a panic.

"He is fighting Striker, Your Highness. Come quickly, I must get you out, we can talk later," the imp replies, then he helps Stolas stand up before grabbing his hand and running toward the stairs.

They go down one floor and run across it to reach the stairs at the other end. Above, a massive racket can be heard. The fight seems to be getting more and more vicious, then gunshots ring out. It seems that one of them has gotten his hands back on a firearm. More and more shots echo.

"We have to go help Blitz, we cannot leave him alone with Striker!" Stolas alarms, still pulled by Moxxie.

The creaking of the floorboards from the level above that they just left is getting louder and louder.

"I must put you in safety first and then I will come back to help Blitz. Quick, Your High…" Moxxie is cut off by a new crash.

Striker has dropped another box, but this time a metal one, which smashes through the already weakened floor, passing a few centimeters in front of Stolas and Moxxie, also piercing the floor right before them. Stolas feels like the scene is happening in slow motion. Moxxie pushes the owl out of the way just in time so the box does not hit them. The boxis followed by two bodies falling right behind it. Striker first, he is completely covered in splinters, bruises and blood. He has a terrified look and clenched teeth, staring up at Blitz who is on top of him, holding him firmly with one hand, his other hand up in the air above his head, fingers splayed out and ready to pierce the killer with his claws. His gaze is fiery red, he shows his fangs and lets out a growl that makes the walls shake even more. Their fall before Stolas's eyes lasts only a brief moment, but it is enough for the owl to notice his scratches, the wounds on his body, the blood and especially, once again, the imp's scarlet eyes, along with a look of pure rage filling the imp's face. The latter does not seem to care about falling down two levels, his eyes are locked onto his target, everything around him has vanished.

Stolas's heart stopped at the sight of Blitz in this state again. He is snapped out of his shock by Moxxie:

"By Satan this can't be happening, shit, shit, shit! We need to get out ASAP, Your Highness, this whole place is gonna collapse at this rate!"

The imp grabs the owl's hand again and pulls him to go around the hole and head toward the stairs. They feel the floorboard giving out more and more under their feet, they need to hurry.

"Moxxie, what is happening to Blitz? Please, explain!" the owl throws out, out of breath from the running.

"He is in a state of uncontrolled rage, Your Highness! Hurry up, we have to get out, everything is collapsing!"

He pulls the owl down the stairs. Once at the bottom, they have to run back all the way in the direction they just came from to reach the exit. Clearly, the architect of this building had planned to make demons run in every direction, having amused himself by placing the stairs at the exact opposite end from floor to floor and the exit/entrance obviously too. No wonder the building was abandoned and nobody else moved in. Plus it's made of wood, who even builds with wood anymore?

The two run toward the exit and pass next to the metal crate which left quite a mess, having smashed into furniture, boxes or Lucifer knows what, but all around there is a shambles with mountains of wood everywhere.

"We have to check if Blitz is okay after his fall, Moxxie. Stop pulling me, we must help Blitz!" Stolas begs.

"Afterward, Your Highness! You must be put in safety first, that's the mission Blitz gave me and I fully intend to stick to it," Moxxie answers, not letting go of the owl's hand and continuing to run while trying to dodge the rubble.

When, all of a sudden, between the wooden boards in front of them, stands Striker, Blitz's pistol in hand.

"Oh fuck, no! You aren't getting away like that, I'm gonna kill you two too!"

Moxxie positions himself in front of Stolas to protect him, ready to draw his own weapon, when, from under another pile of debris behind the killer, Blitz comes out. Striker startles and turns, shooting at the imp, hitting him in the shoulder, but it does not even seem to slow Blitz down as he grabs the demon by the tail and throws him with all his might against a beam that cracks. The demon lets out a cry of pain and Blitz a growl before lunges at him and giving him another headbutt with his horns, narrowly avoided by the demon. But this delivers the final blow to the beam which splits in two and what is left of the upper floors begins to fall more and more. Panicking, Striker shoots at Blitz once more as Blitz leaps onto him like a wild animal, knocking him to the ground again. The boards and wood fall on top of them. Stolas cannot look away from Blitz, from his imp showing such a state of rage and anger that he could never have believed real. He feels Moxxie pulling him once again toward the exit. They must hurry, the whole building is collapsing.

Stolas does not look away from Blitz. He sees the imp clawing between the wood and blood spurting. The imp does not stop until Stolas loses sight of him, masked by a piece of floor falling and cutting off his view.

He and Moxxie reach the exit just in time to see the building collapse.

"No, Blitz!" Stolas screams. He tries to rush forward but Moxxie stops him.

"Moxxie let me go, we have to help Blitz," the owl screams.

"We cannot, Your Highness," Moxxie replies, raising his voice as well but without aggression.

Stolas freezes and looks at Moxxie, he realizes the imp's eyes are filled with tears and that he too has tears running down his cheeks. How long have they been crying?

"Moxxie…"

"We cannot, Your Highness. The building is collapsing but besides, Blitz is in a state where getting close could… He is no longer in his right mind, Your Highness," Moxxie tries to explain, his voice starting to break.

Stolas stares toward the imp then at the building which continues to collapse with a monstrous racket.

"What is this state, Moxxie?" Stolas asks, his heart heavy, fearing what Moxxie is about to tell him.

"The state of uncontrolled rage," Moxxie begins before taking a deep breath to try and pull himself together. He is still standing in front of Stolas, fearing the owl might start running toward the danger once more.

"It is a state of pure anger, rage in its most complete form. It rarely happens but if an imp loses control of his anger because he is pushed to his extremes for one reason or another, he can enter this state. When it happens in fight specifically, it is like a last chance to survive. In this state, the imp can no longer think straight. His only thought is to kill his opponent or opponents and nothing else, completely tuning out his surroundings. In this state, he feels neither pain, fear or any other feeling, not even fatigue. All of his energy is used for the fight and because of this his strength is also increased. If we get too close to Blitz in this state, it is not impossible that he might take us as targets as well. Fury being the only thing present in his mind. This state puts imps in an uncontrollable rage. Blitz already being naturally quite uncontrollable and hot-tempered, I cannot imagine the ferocity he is in right now. Clearly, Striker stood no chance," Moxxie explains to him as best as he can.

"Can nothing be done for him to return to his normal state?" Stolas asks, his gaze still fixed toward the building and more specifically toward the exit, hoping to see Blitz coming toward them.

"At this stage, no. There are several levels and Blitz is clearly in the last one and there is nothing we can do. Either he calms down on his own once Striker is dead, or…"

"Or what, Moxxie?"

"Or he must be stopped by force to prevent him from doing more damage, because it means he will no longer know how to leave this stage and he is a danger to all residents of Hell."

Stolas's heart skips a beat upon hearing Moxxie's words. He isn't saying that…

Then Moxxie draws his firearm and turns his back to Stolas, still standing in front of him but now also staring at the building's exit, his eyes full of tears. The racket of the collapse seems to have stopped, the roof completely gave way along with the interior floors most likely, leaving only the four walls of the building standing.

"But if he is injured, Moxxie, if he came to his senses and is now trapped in the debris, we cannot just wait here!" Stolas begins, his gaze still frozen on the door.

"It is risky, Your Highness, but… but if we don't see him come out within five minutes, I will go take a look," Moxxie answers.

"If he is buried under the rubble, we cannot wait! Imagine if he is agonizing, we must…" Stolas tries to insist before cutting himself off as he sees a shadow stepping out, stumbling. It's Blitz! Stolas does not think and runs in his direction, followed closely by Moxxie.

"Your Highness, wait!" he cries out, but Stolas pays no attention to it.

His imp is still alive, he is injured and he needs help. A few paces in front of the building, Blitz drops to his knees, his legs no longer having the strength to carry him. His whole body hurts terribly, he is exhausted like never before. His heart seems to struggle with every beat, his breathing is heavy and he does not even have the strength to lift his arms, every single muscle in his body being at its limit and painful. On his knees, he closes his eyes, lacking the energy to keep them open.

Then, all of a sudden, he feels two arms embracing him and his face against he doesn't really know what, something warm, soft… perhaps feathers. Everything hurts him so badly that he struggles to recognize and realize exactly what is happening. He hears a voice.

"Oh Blitz you made it out my darling, you scared me so much! Is Striker dead? Are you hurt? Does it hurt anywhere? Tell me something please? Blitz, can you hear me?"

The imp hears but cannot manage to answer, completely exhausted.

"Sir! Sir! How are you? Open your eyes!"

Blitz forces himself and cracks his eyes open slightly to briefly see a blurry Moxxie standing next to him and Stolas, then his eyelids become heavy again and he closes his eyes.

"He came to, what a relief," Moxxie says while putting away his weapon.

"Blitz, are you hurt? Say something please," Stolas alarms.

Feeling Stolas's insistence, the imp forces himself to say a simple little sentence, so faint it could almost have gone unnoticed: "He won't ever be able to hurt you again."

Stolas freezes upon hearing the imp's incredibly fragile voice in his arms. It is obvious that uttering these few words was difficult, but instead of telling them where he is hurt, Blitz preferred to confirm that they were no longer in danger, that Striker was no longer a threat. Stolas's heart squeezes.

"We must take him to the hospital!" the owl exclaims.

"No, we will wait an eternity before they do anything. We must go home first so I can check his condition and his wounds and if needed we will go to the hospital," Moxxie answers Stolas before continuing: "Sir, do you think you can open a portal?"

Blitz listens. As an answer, he tries to lift his arm but after not even a miserable centimeter, it falls back down along his body. Moxxie understands, his boss is completely out of strength, impossible to move on his own.

"I am going to help you, Sir." Then he lifts Blitz's arm with one hand, and with the sleeve of his other arm he wipes the blood off the crystal, hoping it belongs to Striker and that, under this blood, the imp is not severely injured. Then he rubs the crystal and a portal opens.

"Your Highness, I think you will have to carry him, he won't be able to walk on his own," Moxxie explains.

Stolas acquiesces and delicately takes the imp in his arms, snuggling him against his chest. Blitz lets it happen, he has no strength for anything anyway.

The small group goes through the portal and arrives in the imp's apartment.

"Bring him into the bathroom Your Highness, place him in the bathtub, I will take care of the rest," Moxxie orders, opening the bathroom door and heading toward the cabinet under the sink. He opens it and pulls out a box with bandages and everything needed to treat Blitz.

"Do you have any dragon flower roots?" Moxxie asks.

Stolas delicately settles Blitz before answering:

"I do not know, I have never seen Blitz take any. If he has any, it must be in the kitchen."

"Can you go look Your Highness and if you find any, prepare a tea with it?" Moxxie asks while approaching the bathtub and starting to remove Blitz's gloves.

Stolas acquiesces and goes to search the kitchen. These roots serve as an energizing booster for imps, but he has never seen Blitz take any. Then again, it must be said that Blitz is normally a ball of energy that doesn't really need a booster. Stolas opens all the cabinets and pulls out all the pots and boxes he can find. He blames himself terribly, not only for their argument, but he realizes that he has been living here for a while now and he never even took the trouble to see what was in the kitchen, always letting Blitz handle all the meals. Perhaps Striker was right about certain things. Even though he works at I.M.P., at the apartment he lets Blitz handle everything and lets himself be served by the imp. He isn't even able to know what Blitz has in the kitchen and where everything is located. Tears start running again but he ignores them, he must search through everything to find these roots.

After emptying all the cabinets, opening all the pots and boxes, Stolas found nothing. He heads toward the bathroom to inform Moxxie, but the latter comes out right then with a small box in hand and holds it out to Stolas.

"I found them Your Highness. Blitz doesn't keep them in the kitchen, but in his first aid kit it seems. Here, can you prepare the tea and bring it to us please?"

Stolas takes the small box and heads back to the kitchen without saying a word. Moxxie, for his part, goes back into the bathroom.

Stolas boils water and puts a few roots into a cup. At least that much, he knows how to do. But guilt begins to eat away at him. It seems obvious all of a sudden that Blitz doesn't keep this in the kitchen. He doesn't consume it because he never needs it. If he needs it, it’s days like today when he is injured and so it makes sense that he considers it a remedy or a medicine and stored it in his first aid kit alongside the painkillers. Fortunately Moxxie found them. Besides, fortunately too that Moxxie knew exactly where to find Blitz's first aid kit, because even that, Stolas would have been unable to tell.

Once the tea is ready, he knocks on the bathroom door. Moxxie opens it and takes the cup while thanking him and closes the door to continue taking care of Blitz. Stolas would like to go in, to see what state Blitz is in, but it’s better that he lets Moxxie handle it. The owl would only be in the way, unable to help in any way. With a heavy heart, he heads toward the kitchen and begins to put back in place everything he pulled out.

After finishing this task, he walks toward the couch and notices on the floor the small plant that Blitz brought him. The flowerpot shattered into a thousand pieces.

Once again, his heart squeezes. He goes to look for a bowl and kneels before the small plant and tries to pick up the soil with his bare hands, removing all the small pieces of broken pot. He puts the soil and the plant into the bowl, repurposed into a makeshift flowerpot. He contemplates this poor little plant. Tears well up in his eyes once more. Blitz brought him this plant from Earth, he gave him a gift despite these weeks of fighting. The imp tried everything to fix things and Stolas simply rejected his gift, on top of throwing in his face that it wasn't enough, that the imp's efforts were insignificant. He looks around him, this tiny apartment, the little that Blitz owns and that he had to work hard to have. Without hesitating, he shared everything with the owl even giving him his couch to sleep on, forcing himself to spend his nights on a simple beanbag. Stolas's tears turn into crying that he tries as best as he can to muffle so that Moxxie and Blitz don't hear him… But Striker was right. Despite his downfall, Stolas remained a privileged prince, taking everything from the imp without even saying thank you a single time. Stolas cries his eyes out and squeezes the bowl with the small plant against his chest.

After a long moment Stolas manages to pull himself together. He places the bowl on the kitchen table and goes to get the dustpan he discovered under the kitchen sink earlier. He sweeps up the rest of the soil and the pieces of pot to throw them in the trash, then he sits at the kitchen table, contemplating this small green plant and he waits for Moxxie to come out or call him to carry Blitz.

But after what feels like an eternity to him, the bathroom door opens and Moxxie comes out, holding Blitz by the arm. Stolas straightens up immediately, his heart on the edge of the abyss seeing his imp covered in bandages and walking with so much difficulty. So chétif, as if with every step his legs could give out on him. Moxxie guides Blitz toward the couch, but the imp resists:

"No, that's Stolas's bed, I sleep over there in the corner."

Stolas's heart squeezes once again and he must intervene: "It’s okay Blitz, you'll be more comfortable on the couch. Rest, I don't need it."

The imp gives in and lies down, replying softly:

"Yeah that's true I forgot, you don't wanna spend the night here. Sorry."

Stolas's heart stops. "No Blitz, that is not what I meant!"

"It's nothing, you can go back to your party Stolas, I'm gonna sleep a bit. Take my phone and if there's a problem call Moxxie, he'll come get me and we'll manage. Go have fun," Blitz continues in a low, almost automatic voice before immediately sinking into a deep sleep right after.

Moxxie covers him with a blanket and heads toward Stolas who is frozen, having taken a blow like a dagger straight to the heart. He covers his beak which is starting to tremble with one hand and the tears come back once more.

"How can he believe that I would go out after all this and leave him alone here?" Stolas asks.

"Do not pay attention Your Highness. He is extenuated and does not know what he is saying. But here. Take his phone and call me if there is anything."

"Should we not take him to the hospital?"

"I do not think it is necessary nor even useful. He is certainly injured but nothing truly vital. He simply needs a lot of rest and I think a few root teas will also do him the greatest good to recover his energy. I will leave you, but as I said, if there is anything Your Highness do not hesitate to call," on those words Moxxie heads toward the door and goes out, closing it softly behind him.

Stolas approaches Blitz who is sleeping deeply. He sits on the floor near the couch and gently strokes his face before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I am staying by your side my darling, sleep and rest you need it terribly, I am going to watch over you," the owl utters softly. He watches Blitz sleep for a good moment before feeling fatigue take him as well. He heads toward the other end of the couch. Still sitting on the floor, he crosses his arms on the armrest opposite Blitz and rests his head there to sleep as well.

After three or four hours Stolas wakes up from a noise. He opens his eyes and sees that Blitz is no longer lying on the couch and he discovers light coming from under the bathroom door. After a moment he sees the imp come back out, his head low and his feet still dragging, returning toward the couch.

"Blitz," the owl simply says.

The imp then lifts his head and looks at Stolas. He hadn't noticed him at the other end of the couch. Stolas looks at his imp, something is wrong… until it hits him like an overwhelming certainty. A wave of panic takes the owl who immediately stands up to go toward Blitz.

"Oh I didn't notice you, I'm gonna sleep at my place, I'll leave you the couch," Blitz says in a tone similar to earlier, completely automatic and tired.

Stolas takes the imp's face in his hands and lowers himself to his level before Blitz has time to take another step. The owl stares at him, plunging his gaze into the imp's.

"Blitz what is happening to your eyes? Is something wrong?" Stolas alarms.

"I don't know what you're talking about Stols, I'm just tired and wanna sleep that's all," the imp simply answers.

"Your eyes Blitz they are, they are…" the owl begins, overwhelmed by fear.

"They're fine Stolas, they're normal, let me through so I can go to bed please, I'm just so…" Blitz answers once again, cutting himself off mid-sentence, his eyes closing and falling back into a deep sleep.

Stolas catches him from falling forward. He takes him and lays him on the couch before covering him up and grabbing the phone in a panic. He dials Moxxie's number.

After two rings the imp answers: "What is happening Your Highness, is there a problem?"

"Yes Moxxie, it's Blitz!" Stolas alarms.

"What is wrong with him? Explain to me Your Highness."

"He woke up for a moment before falling back asleep and his eyes are completely dull. He has no light left in his gaze!"

A silence settles for a moment before Moxxie replies softly: "But they aren't red like earlier right?"

"No no, they are as usual, yellow, but how can I put it… It looks like they are washed out, extinguished. Normally he has bright eyes with a glow and now nothing at all!" Stolas continues to panic.

Moxxie does not answer, which makes Stolas's anxiety rise, until he faintly hears Millie on the other end of the phone.

"What's going on Moxxie? Is there a problem? Who's that on the phone?"

"It's Stolas."

"Is there a problem with Blitz?"

"Blitz woke up for a moment and he seems to have realized the state of his eyes…"

"So he really hadn't noticed it before?"

"It doesn't seem so."

Stolas listens to the slightly muffled conversation of the two imps, surely thinking that the owl hears nothing. But what do they mean, the state of Blitz's eyes and what should he have noticed earlier? Striker too was saying that something was marked on Blitz's face, which didn't go unnoticed and seeing him step out of the portal he seems to have also directly noted something. Could it be that… no Stolas would have noticed it, no!?

After a short moment Millie's voice pulls him from his thoughts.

"Stolas are you still there, can you hear me? Stolas."

"Yes yes, Millie I, I… I am completely lost," the owl confesses, his heart heavy and his gaze turned toward Blitz who is sleeping on the couch.

"OK, it's alright Stolas. Just tell me, since when have Blitz's eyes been dull?" Millie asks.

"I do not know, I saw it just now when he woke up. Is it a side effect of his state from earlier or from his extreme exhaustion?"

Millie does not answer right away, he hears Moxxie saying something on the other end of the line but doesn't understand. Then Millie resumes.

"No, big guy, it's not because of the fight with Striker. Blitz has…" Millie pauses. "Blitz already had a dull gaze when he came to get Moxxie to come get you."

"What? But how so, is he sick?" Stolas alarms.

"No… Stolas, you know what the light in imps' eyes means, right?" Millie inquires in a soft voice without judgment.

Stolas does not answer because he is ashamed to admit it, but no he does not know. He noticed that the gaze of imps could be brighter than that of other demons. But all creatures of Hell have glowing eyes, imps being no exception. He did not know that the glow can simply disappear and even less what that is supposed to mean.

"You didn't notice these past few weeks?" Millie continues, getting no answer from the owl.

"Noticed what Millie? I do not see what everyone is talking about. Tell me clearly what is happening with Blitz!" Stolas insists.

Another moment of silence settles before Millie spills the beans.

"OK so listen. Blitz's eyes started to lose their glow bit by bit about two weeks ago. It started after your return from the Envy ring. And almost every day his gaze faded more and more, until being completely extinguished earlier when he came to get Moxxie," Millie explains.

"What? No I… I hadn't noticed! And why didn't you say or do anything to help him if you noticed this and what does it mean?" Stolas asks, totally distraught by this revelation. How did he, of all people, fail to notice when he is the one living with the imp?

"We spoke to Blitz directly when we noticed it and even several times seeing that it was getting worse. But his answer was always the same. We had to keep it to ourselves and not talk to you about it. Especially if you really didn't seem to notice it, we shouldn't tell you anything," Millie continues, still in a soft but now slightly embarrassed voice.

"Why tell me nothing? What do I have to do with all this?" the owl asks.

Neither Millie nor Moxxie knows what or how to answer.

"Millie, Moxxie, tell me what is going on! What do I have to do with Blitz's glow and why weren't you supposed to talk to me about it?" Stolas insists, this time in a tone slightly sharper than intended.

“Your Highness," Moxxie begins, having seemingly taken the phone back, "I think it is best if you first read up on what this means for an imp and then, if you wish, you can call us back. But I think you need to take some time to understand."

Stolas looks at the phone and does not know what to think of all this.

"Alright," the owl answers simply before hanging up. He continues to look at Blitz before grabbing the pack of cigarettes and goes onto the balcony for a moment.

He lights the cigarette and begins to smoke while looking at the phone in his hands. He goes to the search engine and types. He feels anxious as he clicks the search button then comes across different articles explaining what Stolas is looking for. He begins to read while continuing to smoke. After two more cigarettes and several sites consulted and read, he puts his face in one of his hands and begins to cry his eyes out, the sun slowly beginning to rise.

After a moment he wipes away his tears and returns inside the apartment. He sits down once more near Blitz who is still fast asleep. He strokes his face with one hand. The imp continues to sleep soundly then Stolas whispers softly to him under the first rays of the sun:

"I promise you my darling that when you wake up everything will change. I am not only going to take care of you until you are fully recovered, but I am also going to do everything I can to help you with the daily chores. I am no longer going to be a burden to you, but the roommate you deserve. And also and above all I am going to give you back the glow in your eyes my love. That light which always attracted me so much, I blame myself for turning away from you to the point of not even noticing what I was taking from you and how much I was making you suffer, but that will change I promise you. No matter how long it takes me, I promise you that you will win back your light and then, at that moment, maybe we can start all over again together. I love you Blitz, I am sorry for hiding it from you and for showing it to you in the worst possible way, too blinded by my own situation. But I love you still and forever my darling."