Work Text:
Blitzø was driving the I.M.P. van, Moxxie and Millie in the back and a fearful Loona next to him. He was taking her for her Hellbees shot. Moxxie and Millie agreed to go with them considering Loona was overly violent with Blitzø when she wasn’t terrified, there was no telling what she would do today. And though it may not seem like it from Moxxie’s end, they really did care about Blitzø and knew that Loona could end up hurting him really badly today.
Blitzø’s phone lets out a bird ringtone, Stolas’ ringtone. “Oh, shit,” Blitzø huffs pulling out his phone. “Stolas! It's really not a good time, buddy.”
“I'm sorry it's a bad time yet again, Blitzy. But, umm...I seem to have found myself in a bit of a sitch. I'm tied to the back of a horse at the moment.”
Blitzø lets out a frustrated puff of air, “lucky bitch,” he’d rather be doing anything than taking Loona to the vet, considering how scared she was, but being on a horse sounded like heaven. As close to heaven as they could get in hell that is.
“Um, well, no. Rather unlucky. I seem to have been stolen by that little cowboy friend of yours.”
Blitzø’s eyes immediately widened in concern despite Stolas' unbothered tone. “Ohh, which one?” he asked nervously even though he only knows one cowboy. He was really hoping he was wrong.
“How many cowboy friends do you know?” Moxxie asked incredulously. He turned his attention to Stolas on the phone, “What does he look like, your highness?”
There was a moment of silence, “Umm...sexy?”
“That's Striker, sir!” Moxxie points out.
Had Blitzø not been so scared he would have laughed at Moxxies immediate answer to ‘sexy.’ “Oh, for fuck's sake! Can't you just get away? Aren't you powerful?” He snarks trying to sound unbothered. Millie was his best friend though and she heard the quiver in Blitzø’s voice.
“I believe he has bound me with blessed rope, which limits my ability to free myself, I'm afraid. So, I think you should come save me.”
Satan, he really didn’t realize how much danger he was in, did he? There had to be someone else he just couldn’t today. “Oh, shit. Stolas, I can't today, alright? I'm sorry. I-I'm literally on my way to take Loona in for her very important Hellbies s-h-o-t.” Blitzø glanced at his frightened adult daughter who could obviously spell. She was staring at him with wide eyes shaking. “It takes years to book an appointment at this place, it took five to get this one. So, you know- eh, and she's been doing a lot of field work. So, you know, she needs it.”
“Oh, ha, ha. Well, I do agree that is very important,” The royal said with a tone of understanding, “But, I-”
Stolas cut himself off and a second later a different voice came through, a familiar voice. “Don't worry about your lanky birdy...he's in good hands,” Striker laughs and in a second, it's like a switch flipped in him. Stolas really couldn’t get away; Striker was not someone to boost unless he was sure what he was doing would succeed.
Blitzø growled and crushed his phone in hand, “Gaaagh, damn it!” He shouts. He moves the clutch forward breaking the dash in the process and speeds down the highway forcing other cars to swerve to avoid him.
“Sir, let me and Moxxie handle this one,” Millie told him, giving Blitzø the chance to still take Loona to get her shot.
There was really no choice to be made though, “No!” All three of his companions jumped Loona, even snapping out of her frightened stupor, “supremacist dickhead is finally gonna get what's coming to him,” he growled. “Sorry Loonie, shots gonna have to wait,” Loonie looked at her father's darkening expression. She was instantly reminded of the night she went to beelzebubs party, Blitzø was in tatters after his fake date with Stolas, and in his drunken state he had confided in her how lonely he was even mumbling Stolas' name. The royal prick was important to him and her dad who annoyed the shit out of her but would do anything to make her happy deserved that royal asshole if he would take him. And she knew he would. “I have a piece of shit cowboy to kill.”
Loona smiled venomously, almost murderously, “fine by me dad.”
Blitzø was so distracted he didn’t fully register what she said but she was sure he would gush all over her later.
Moxxie and Millie shared a look, Blitzø was taking something seriously for once. It was only fair that they approached the situation the same way. Hopefully after this, their whole will-they won’t-they mess will be put to rest. “Stolas is in real shit this time. And knowing that guy's aesthetic, my money's that he's in Wrath,” Blitzø muttered, if only to make himself feel a little calmer and stop the trembling in his hands.
Blitzø glanced at the gas meter just as they got down to wrath, “God fucking damnit!” he shouted pulling up haphazardly parking next to a gas pump.
“I'll grab the gas. You three, go and see if anyone's seen Striker,” Blitzø grumbles.
Millie glances at Blitzø as she puts a hat on her husband, he needed to to calm down or he was going to get himself killed. The problem was Blitzø was so emotionally fucked that he couldnt process what he was feeling right now, and it was going to make him wreckless. She also knew that there was no calming him down until Stolas was safe.
A biker gang pulled up nearby, “Hey, queer boy! You stealin' my hat?” One shouted at Moxxie.
“What?”
“Same hat.”
Moxxie looked up for a second, “Oh, sorry. My wife just put this hat on my head. You know, because it was...hot...outside…”
The biker gets into Moxxie's face, “Saaame. Haaat,” he hisses.
Moxxie sighed as he saw the three circling him, “So, we're doing this, huh?”
Loona comes up behind one biting down on his arm and ripping it off with ease, “No we’re not.” She growled, “Not today,” her thoughts were flooded with images of what would happen to her father and Via if Stolas died.
The biker screams but Loona bites down on his juggler silencing him. Moxxie jumps on the back of another advancing towards Loona and stabs him repeatedly. One grabs Loona from behind, she growls backing him into the van and slammed him against the door repeatedly. Blitzø fumbled for his gun, but his trembling hands made it almost impossible to aim and not hit Loona. She didn’t need his help he quickly found, she reached back grabbing the gun off his waist and shot the biker in the head freeing herself. Loona caught her father's look, “What?”
He grinned for the first time today, “I am so damn proud of you,” he said sincerely.
Loona knew her father couldn't handle any more emotional beat downs today, “I learned from the best assassin in pride,” the man under her groaned so she shot him again. Blitzø smiled at her, if everything turned out okay today, he would buy her anything she asked for.
Millie spots a very small mariachi band, “Howdy, boys! Y'all seen this motherfucker riding around here?” She showed the band a drawing of Striker firing a gun. The quartet starts to sing but she cuts them off. “No, NO! No singing! Just a yes or no, please.”
Thankfully they are not offended, and one answers her easily, “Yeah, he lives out by the Badman Lands, in the old train tunnel near the mine shafts. Very outlaw aesthetic, ya can't miss it.”
“Thank you, kindly,” Millie smiled at the tiny imps. “Come on, guys! We got a lead!” They all scramble back into the van, Blitzø forgetting to pull out the gas pump making the whole station go up in flames.
~~~
Striker circled a beaten and bloodied Stolas, “Well, this has been fun, but every good thing has to come to an end. Shame you won't see your kid again.”
Stolas hissed angrily through the pain, “Don't you dare breathe a word about my daughter.”
Striker laughed, “Ohh. Finally hit a nerve, huh?
“I swear, if you go near her, I will destroy you.”
The assassin stabbed Stolas in the shoulder again, “Big talk. But, just that. Any last words, Goetia?”
Weakly he breathed out, “Blitzø will-”
“That rodeo clown told you he ain't coming; Nobody is coming.”
Striker's phone rang but before he even got the chance to answer it, the imp van came rolling down the hill of his hideout. The van landed right side up and the door opened, before it was even open all the way a gunshot ran out shooting the dagger out of strikers' hand, “Hey daddy fucker!” a familiar voice screamed. “Get the fuck away from my bird dipshit!” Blitzø jumped out of the car with Loona on his heels.
“We got striker sir, you get the prince,” Moxxie insists.
Blitzø looks at Strikers, recovering from his shock with clear animosity decorating his features, “Stolas is in the line of fire,” Millie reminded him crawling on top of the van, “and you're so angry you can’t shoot straight.”
He cursed under his breath, he hated when they’re right, he ran towards stolas ducking another flying dagger from Striker. Stolas' vision was fading in and out; he was in so much pain, but a part of him could help but be delighted that Blitzø actually showed up for him, not that he would have blamed him if he didn’t, he would have put Via first as well.
Striker pulls out two revolvers, Millie attacks him with a longsword from behind; Striker takes the sword and Millie charges with a katana while Moxxie attacks with two revolvers of his own. Loona grabs a shot gun out of the back of the van and takes aim. All four fight to a standstill and the long sword breaks, with the tip landing in the boombox. Striker looks slightly surprised by the song it switches to, but quickly disregards it as Moxxie and Millie double team him with an axe, Millie slicing his revolvers in halves just narrowly missing him.
Blitzø rushes to Stolas working to untie him, “ah satan,” he whispered under his breath seeing the wound gushing black blood.
“Blitzø,” Stolas smiles weakly.
Blitzø gave him a strained smile hoping to offer some comfort even if he felt none himself. “Hey don’t talk, everything is gonna be fine. We’re gonna get you out of here.” As soon as he was untied Blitzø took one of Stolas’ hands in his.
Striker lassos a rock slamming it against Loona, a bullet buried itself in his shoulder. He groaned in pain and looked to the source, “Stay away from my daughter dickwad!” with Stolas in hand his gun steadied enough for him to take the shot and hit Striker instead of any of his companions. Before he could advance on Blitzø Millie aims with her axes making him sidestep her. Her axe gets embedded in the floor Loona shoots at Striker who lassoed himself up catching a stalagmite and slams it down throwing the three away.
Striker kicks Moxxie down and pins Millie to a rock with her axe just barely missing decapitating her all together. He notices Moxxie still moving and lassos a nearby stalagmite and slams it into Moxxie's back.
Blitzø curses, he gathers his surroundings and decides to put some of his circus training to work, “I’ll be right back I promise.” He assures Stolas. He was able to use a rope to bungee himself up onto the tattered train tracks and used some of his ole tumbling skills to get across them skillfully and without falling.
Striker knees on top of striker taking his neck in hand, “Oh, I remember how easy you are to choke the life out of, little one.”
Moxxie struggles the see's Blitzø out of the corner of his eye drop down behind Striker's statue, he just had to get the cowboy closer. “Ohhhh, harder,” he moans weakly. Striker immediately gets up, disgusted. Moxxie kicks Striker his legs out from under him and lassos Striker by the neck, spinning him around and throwing him to the ground towards the statue. “You cowboy piece of shit!”
Blitzø pushes his back against the wall kicking out with his legs Loona frees Millie and uses the axe to cut the bottom of the statue making it easier to move and fall on top of the snake-like imp. But when the dust cleared all that was left of Striker was a pinned piece of cloth. “Fuck,” Moxxie whispered.
“Blitzø!” Millie yelled from Stolas' side.
“Shit! God fucking damn it!” He rushes to the prince's side, “Help me get him into the van!” Loona noticed a phone ringing, Striker's phone. She saw the contact labeled Stella Goatia. She snarled and took the phone with them.
They got Stolas into the back, Moxxie driving, disobeying traffic laws in that would, under normal circumstances, get him arrested in all seven rings. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Blitzø was clutching Stolas hand the whole way to sloth. Muttering under his breath that he would be fine.
The phone rang again, “one of you give me your phone.”
Millie pulled out hers, “why?”
Lonna snatched it, “Because Octavia loves her parents, and something tells me that she's not gonna believe me without proof.”
She set Millie's phone to record and answered Striker's phone. “Finally! You better not have killed the fucker yet; I need him alive. Bring Stolas to us and I’ll pay you double.'' After a short back and forth with Stella find out at the last minute that it was someone else on the phone. Loona had the proof she needed to show Octavia and the police.
They made it to the hospital in Sloth where Loona was supposed to get her Hellbees shot that day. Moxxie had already called ahead to the moment they stopped the van door was thrown open and doctors ran over with a stretcher ripping Stolas out of Blitzø grasp. Reporters and cameras all around.
Blitzø knew trying to get in now would be in vain, they were treating him, but that didn't help ease the panic that was still overflowing in him. He got back in the driver's seat with Millie and Moxxie filing in the back and Loona next to him but found that couldn’t start the car. His hands were shaking, and he couldn’t steady his breathing. Millie took the keys and guided Blitzø into the back seat next to her husband who coached him through his panic attack.
When Blitzø is stable again all he can manage to do for the time being is text Stolas.
GIT BEVVER SWOON :(
THANK YOU, BLITZ, THAT MEANS A LOT. I MIGHT BE HERE FOR A WHILE, IF YOU EVER WANT TO VISIT.💜
Blitzø bites his nail before texting back
TAT WUOD B GRATE.
~~~
The next day Blitzø is at the hospital as early as he could be giving Loona and M&M the day off to work. “Just let me in, he said he wanted me there asshole!” he yelled at the receptionist.
“With all due respect sir for all I know you could have falsified those texts,” the man argues back.
“Check the number then! It's the same one on his contact sheet.”
“Im sorry sir I can’t-”
“Let him in,” the youngest Goatia said, coming around the corner, “Dads been whining about him all day.”
Blitzø eyes widened, “Octavia.”
Octavia closes the distance between them and envelopes the imp in a hug, “Thank you for saving him.”
He starts to tear up but pushes them away, “just doing my job sweetie.”
She shook her head, “You didn't have to help him, but you did. Thank you.” She pulls away, drying her tears and leads Blitzø to her father's room.
It was silent for a while, “I told Loona to call you last night.”
Octavia nodded, “She did, much better than hearing about it from the news even if I had to learn my mother was a psychopath that way.”
“I’m sorry about that, kid.”
“It's not your fault.” They stopped at a door, “he’s right though there, I'm gonna go get us all something to eat.”
Octavia left without another word and Blitzø was left to face the aftermath of the day before. He sighed and shakily opened the door. Stolas turned to the door putting on a brave face expecting his daughter. “Blitzø!”
He tried to sit up, Blitzø rushed forward, “hey don’t strain yourself.”
He fumbled with the remote for the bed and slowly sat Stolas up himself, “you came,” he mumbled surprised.
“Of course I did, I was worried as all heaven last night.”
The bird smiled softly, “Thank you.”
He shook his head, “Don’t thank me. It was purely selfish, I don't know what I would do on full moons without you around,” he jokes. Stolas heard the amused tone in his voice and laughed, a real laugh. “But really I probably would have lost my fucking mind had something worse happened.” Blitzø took Stolas' hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the backs of his knuckles.
“Well let’s just be glad it didn’t,” Stolas, ever the positive bird said.
Blitzø huffed, “I knew it, I knew something like this would happen. I fuck up everyone.”
Stolas tilted his head, a small action that made Blitzø heart race, “Whatever do you mean darling?”
Blitzø swallowed hard, “When I was 19, I screwed up bad. So badly that it cost me, my best friend, my sister. My mom died that day because of me.” his voice was thick with emotion, he had to push through and get it all out now or he would never tell anyone. “I caused a fire, it’s the reason Fizzarolli’s arms and legs are robotic, it killed my mom and my sister never wants to speak to me again, and frankly I don’t blame her.” Stolas whipped away Blitzø tears, “I screwed up Veroskia, that was my fault, I’ll admit. The point is, you, Millie, Moxxie and Loona are all I have left,” he gently takes hold of the prince's arms. “And now you got hurt too.”
Stolas ran his hand up Blitzø arm and splayed across his back running his fingers in between his spikes, “What happened to be today would have happened whether I knew you or not, my ex-wife is a cunt,” he snarled just enough to make Blitzø laugh and him smile. “And while I don't know much about the situation you have with Fizzarolli and what happened to you mother, I can assume it wasn’t purposeful.” Blitzø shook his head, “then you have nothing to fear my dear,” he said, reaching up to cup one of the imps' cheeks in his hand. Blitzø sat down on the chair next to the bed and nuzzled forward into the demon prince. Holding his own hand over his. “I do have to ask though,” amusement crept into his voice. “My bird?” Stolas smiled and raised his eyebrow cheekily; he wanted to get Blitzø to laugh.
Blitzø slapped his forehead with his free hand, “You were poisoned and bleeding out, but you remember that” he was pretending to be annoyed but he was really laughing just like intended.
“Why of course I do, it was quite enticing,” he said, dropping his voice into a seductive tone. “I guess I really did get my knight in shining armor.
“More like an imp with severe panic, I was fuck useless, I couldn’t even shoot straight.”
“Well there's a lot of things you can’t do straight Blitzy,” Blitzø had never been more thankful for the bird's twisted sense of humor.
Octavia came back a little while later, balancing three trays in her hands, Blitzø grabbed one from her, setting it in front of Stolas and then took the second with a thank you to Octavia. The three ate and laughed together for the rest of the day, Stolas even offered to pull some strings so Blitzø didn’t have to wait another five years for another availability to open up for Loonas Hellbees shot. They all enjoyed one another's company until visiting hours were over.
Since Octavia was only 17 she couldn’t stay, princess or not, but she didn't want to leave her father alone. “I can stay with him,” Blitzø insisted, shocking both owls, “I can have Loona come pick you up so you’re not alone either.”
She nodded, “thanks Blitzø.” She was more than happy for the company. She also knew Loona was manic and wouldn't let her mother near her or the house.
An hour later Loona had come to get Octavia and Blitzø and Stolas were alone again. “You didn’t have to stay dear.”
“Yeah I did, I’m not leaving your side until you're out of here,” Blitzø insisted, taking a seat on the bed next to him. He hesitantly reached out and took hold of Stolas bruised cheek. He sighed, “You scared the shit out of me. I’m gonna kill that cowboy son of a bitch. I should have gotten there sooner. I’m so sorry.”
Stolas saw and heard the regret and remorse in Blitzø tone, “You have nothing to apologize for darling. You did all you could.”
He shook his head, “I should have done more. You shouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
Stolas pulled Blitzø down to rest his horns on his good shoulder, “You did amazing, I am alive because of you. Thank you darling, I am indebted to you.”
Blitzø nuzzled into Stolas, he took a chance and placed a chaste kiss to his neck. The bird blushed, resisting the urge to shiver in pleasure. “When you get out of here can we try this for real?”
Stolas’ heart swelled but he didn't dare let himself hope, “what dear?”
“You, me. This. Us. I wanna try for real, if that's okay,” Blitzø slurred as he nodded off. He didn't get a wink of sleep the night before.
The owl nestled into the imp, “nothing would make me happier.” Blitzø gave him a sleepy smile. Stolas ran and hand along his horns, “Sleep dearest, I’ll still be here when you awake, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good cause I wanna keep you,” his words were almost indistinguishable as he fell into the void of sleep, but Stolas heard them, and they set his heart ablaze. This was a new chapter, and something told him that despite the injuries he shouldn’t have been able to sustain, despite Striker and Stella still out there, and despite the absolute shit storm of reporters he's going to have to face when he gets out of here, all would be well.