Author Note— I apologize for the delay. Busy life and all and I decided to try and A.I Manga the first chapter and upload it on Patreon.
I'll probably polish up chapters as I go but I want honest opinions please.
Anyway, enjoy this chapter before the crossover start officially of Season 2.
Noctis let go of his drink once he calmed down from almost having a temper tantrum with Octavia smugly watching across the table.
"I'm a master at this game."
His eye twitched at that comment just as the tension in the lounge room was rising more heatedly than the fireplace with everyone in a circle watching the showdown happen. It had been four hours, four painstaking, humiliating, mind-breaking hours of him suffering the ultimate intelligence of a teenage goetia princess that was lazily watching him sweat and lose his cool with all the thinking he was doing to try and best her.
"Should've given him a better one." Angel whispered to Cherri, who had a smug grin about her for the bet she kept winning against Husk.
"I won't lose to you again." Noctis growled.
"Then take your best shot."
He picked a card in his hand finally and got to work with what strategy was left in his arsenal, terrified but hiding it when the entire board was littered with troops and demons of various bloodlines at Octavia's disposal.
"She's really good." Charlie whispered, holding her gaze on the two battling it out.
"Too good. She's beaten him six times." Vaggie whispered back. "And she's still got three territories to fill."
"Alright I think I get the game now." Noctis suddenly cackled with an edge of madness and slapped a card down that came to life. "I tap four hell crystals to summon a legion of hellhounds in my wrath district."
In an instant a shadowy pack of hellhounds came to life on the game board and howled to the amused but very unimpressed Octavia that yawned.
"And then I activate my wrath district to boost them with the Claws of Satan card, giving them a total of 100 attack."
"Oh not bad." Cherri whispered to Angel. "He's playing the distance game now."
"Smart, but not that smart." Octavia chirped little happy owl noises as she flipped over a black card in her greed district. "I activate the webs of Mammon to ensnare your hellhounds for two turns."
"No!" Noctis yelled, watching his last chance whimper magically in the illusion before Octavia laid a card on her field.
"Also I tap five hell crystals to activate the final sin—King Lucifer."
"Uh oh." Angel knew where this was going.
"I can't look." Charlie covered her eyes but still peeked as the territories came to life with all seven sins in their respective districts. It was the final stretch for the battle and Noctis was defenseless completely with his last monster ensnared.
"Now I activate the seven deadly sins." Octavia stated and watched her territories consume the last of Noctis' wrath district. "With all seven sins on the field I use this—" she laid one last black card down. "—And with that I play Hellish Decree which grants me supreme authority over all districts."
"DAMMIT!" Noctis yelled and slammed his head against the table, whining while Octavia took all the cards back and put them in their respective cases.
Husk was actually laughing at how Noctis lost so badly in a game he never played before. Even the former exorcists were invested and amused by their seraphim lord being outmatched by a teenager.
"Don't feel bad kid." He patted Noctis on the back, not that it helped. "She's a master at Hellaverse!"
"That was actually fun." Noctis genuinely laughed for the first time and it was something unheard of by the entire group when he hadn't done it in months. "Where can I get all this?"
"Is he sick?" Angel whispered to Cherri, but she just shrugged.
"There's a trade store in the greed district." Octavia answered and lit up at his interest in the game. "Do you want to go?"
"Yeah I'd love to but I'm broke." Noctis admitted, but doing so triggered a chain reaction of Charlie getting stared down by everyone, even Vaggie while he added, "I never got paid for working on the old hotel."
"Charlie….." Vaggie growled.
"I might have been caught up with everything before." Charlie said tentatively, giggling nervously while her friends glared with disapproval. "But he gets paid with kisses and hugs and love and—"
"And pussy." Cherri said for the fun of embarrassing the princess, and by god she did when it made Charlie turn redder than her suit and cover her face behind her hands.
"So let me get this straight," Husk started with a frustrated sigh, getting a small smile from Charlie in return. "The kid, back when he was supposedly human, has been working for free?"
"I didn't mean to forget." Charlie whined defensively, dragging her hands down her face.
As Octavia finished packing the entire game away she noticed beyond the gang starting to lecture the defeated Charlie that this actually didn't bother Noctis in the least bit. He was more focused on smiling and being happy when he sat there tending to Max and Chance after they came up to him for attention, and he just gave it while ignoring the arguing behind him.
"You're not upset for being poor?" She asked curiously, and he shook his head.
"Nah, it's just money. Besides, I got all I need." He made it sound so simple while Max whined from the petting and Chance was playful nipping his other hand that ruffled his fur.
She couldn't believe how humble Noctis was being through the madness behind him but somehow it was as if the world didn't exist as big as made out to be. Here she was seeing a person she believed to have godlike power and yet so at peace with just his two little hellhounds, and one of them being the enemy before.
"Is this what it means to be human?" She asked, surprising him slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"This—" she gestured to him and the pups. "This thing you have going on when that one tries to kill you."
"I take it you're expecting a different outcome?" He asked curiously.
"Yep" She replied honestly. "I have lived in that stupid palace all my life." She complained, crossing her arms with jealousy. "All I see is nobles and royals torment or kill unfortunate demons. Yet here you are raising the same pup that was a monster who tried to kill you."
Noctis frowned as she said this and wondered what life has been like for this sweet girl. Was she that miserable? Does she have any friends besides himself and Loona? Was her family that messed up?
He shook his head to rid himself of those questions and reached over to take Octavia by her hand with a gentle rub of his thumb.
"Part being human is about doing for others what they can't." He told in a tone both wise and fatherly. "So if you need an escape, don't be afraid to call for me."
Octavia was surprised, but that was a clear understatement to the swelling emotions she never showed to anyone, not even her own family. Still she was not fully convinced when her childhood was filled with promise after promise and each one of them was broken with dismissal or simply lack of care.
Could she really put hope in this man? Could she finally have someone to rely on? Most importantly could she really have a friend that won't disappoint her?
"Promise?" She asked, braving through her own doubts.
Noctis smiled and nodded, holding himself to his own word while the arguing finally died down to one question that Alastor decided to ask for his own amusement from the balcony.
"Oh Noctis~"
"Huh?" Noctis looked up like the others to the radio demon shadowing the air around him. "Yes?"
"Are you sure you don't hold any resentment to everyone in here?" He asked playfully.
"Well no. Why do you ask?"
"Oh it's just so delightfully funny and tragic." Alastor said with his smile widening. "Here you are suffering through this entire time of adjusting in hell and discovering yourself and not one celebration has been made for you."
"What are you talking about?" Noctis asked, feeling the atmosphere shift.
Alastor acted coy with a twirl of his damaged microphone and said teasingly, "Well I can't remember anyone here asking or celebrating you on your birthday."
Everyone but Charlie was mildly shocked by that truth that made the overlord unhinge his sadistic smile and add when he saw Charlie's horror, "Must be so heartwrenching when everyone has such expectations of you but won't even honor the one day even Charlie makes sure to remember for others."
"His birthday….." Charlie felt she was going to pass out when she realized Alastor was not wrong at all. It had been over a year since Noctis' arrival and he never got a birthday.
Then again nobody ever asked.
"Indeed Charlie, how heartless of you all." Came Alastor's voice, ratter mocking when he appeared behind the group.
Everyone turned to Charlie knowing her behavior about celebrations and planning was the number one thing she always wanted immaculate, but right now she looked as if a fuse had blown in her head with how dangerous that eye twitch of hers.
"She's gonna blow." Angel whispered in warning while Vaggie tried to control the moment.
"Charlie, sweetie…" Even she wasn't sure how to handle this when her smile wasn't convincing. "A lot of stuff has been going on and we've been busy."
"I forgot his birthday." Charlie said weakly, her gaze locked onto the wall.
"Technically I never told anyone so it's okay." Noctis pointed out with caution in his tone, tucking Octavia behind with his wing. "Get behind me honey."
"Forgot his….."
"Charlie calm down." Vaggie enunciated.
"I forgot….."
"Here we go." Husk groaned before the explosion happened.
She looked to Noctis and quivered her lip as the dam of tears was ready to break when she mistakenly doubted herself to be a good mate.
"Charlie?" Noctis said with a hint of concern.
Everyone, even Max and Chance, leaned away when she dropped onto her knees and wailed to the highest her voice could pitch. Tears were not falling but cartoonishly gushing into puddles on the floor while Alastor was having himself a laugh. Of course his amusement was made into echoes when Vaggie tried to spin around and haymaker him but connected with nothing thanks to his shadows.
"I'M SORRY!"
"And the waterworks start with miss rainbows." Cherri commented out of pure annoyance.
Meanwhile at I.M.P.
Blitz screamed with unfiltered frustration at Loona and her unbearable tendency to break anything in view thanks to Carmilla. Millie and Moxxie were by all means amused by the hellhound showing her possessive side when she would rather be keeping an eye on Noctis.
"Someone's having serious withdrawals." Moxxie said wistfully, ducking from the printer that Loona threw with all intention of taking his head off.
Millie giggled at this and took her phone out to record when Blitz bravely leapt out of his office and tackled the snarling hellhound into a dangerous wrestling match.
"Loona you need to chill the fuck out!" Blitz ordered but met the snapping of her jaws, dodging just barely.
"Shut up! You don't understand what it's like!"
Blitz squeaked slightly as he found himself grabbed by the horns and thrown into a wall.
"She's really hung up on that boy." Millie joked with Moxxie, sidestepping from a random dagger Loona threw.
Moxxie tapped the handle of the blade and smiled at Millie playfully.
"Her aim is improving—" he ducked from the computer next. "But this is excessive for a hellhound that found her alpha."
"Bitch you don't get how possessive bitch hellhounds get when they have an alpha!" Blitz shouted before clawing the floor when Loona dragged him back by the tail to his office.
The door slammed shut and the overbearing imp couple were having laughs at hearing Blitz get pummeled inside his own office. Neither dared go in there when Loona was in this kind of mood, but at least the day was more interesting when Loona's desk phone rang behind them.
"Should we…." Moxxie wasn't even sure but thankfully Millie didn't care for the matter of professionalism. She picked it up and answered in a sweet voice.
"Hello, I.M.P. Who do you need dead?"
"Hello Vermin….." a familiar smooth and raspy southern accent replied with sly confidence.
Millie froze in place and all the playfulness left her body, unmistakable recognition of this foul demon that gave them trouble before.
"Striker." She growled, pointing at Moxxie to go get the others. "What the fuck are you doing calling here?"
"Guys we have a problem." Moxxie said after opening the door.
Loona froze in place with Blitz head in her mouth, ready to clamp down but ready to hear what Moxxie had to say when he never gets this serious unless it's bad.
"It better be good!" Blitz yelled, and Moxxie nodded frantically.
"It's Striker on the phone."
They both froze all aggression and moved like cockroaches, scattering to the phone while was already on the verge of letting herself go feral over just this one call.
"Is Blitz home?" Striker asked, chuckling with the background of a knife sharpening. "Thought I'd pick up on some info a little birdie told me."
Blitz snatched the phone from Millie and pressed it hard.
"What do you want daddy-fucker?"
"Blitz, how nice of you to answer considering our first encounter wasn't so civil."
"No shit. You tried to kill my meal ticket." Blitz snipped and snapped his fingers at Loona to come over and listen. "So what do you want cock-gobbler?"
"Oh just that some very influential demons told me you and your friends are high in the ranks with that new kid that killed Adam."
"Little birdie huh?" Blitz snapped his fingers again, pointing at a nearby notepad for Loona to use. "So you spying on us now?"
It was almost sickening to hear the southern imp laugh in the background.
"Oh I'm getting paid a lot to keep a close eye on that new friend of yours. And let me tell you, a lot of demons would love to add him to their...… collection."
Loona was ready to snap at that implication while Millie screamed into the phone, "YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON THE SWEET BOY AND I WILL SKIN YOU MYSELF!!!"
Striker laughed but directly for the raging imp, "I would love to see you try considering last time I had you both in a damn hole."
"You're barking up the wrong tree." Blitz warned, leaning against Loona's desk. "That kid—"
"How's your mutt handling being alone right now?" Striker interrupted.
That took Blitz by surprise and he hastily closed the window blinds thinking this wasn't a distant call.
"How did you know that—"
"I have my sources." Striker teased, followed by a whistle in the background. "Tell your mutt I said congrats on the alpha. Must be hard being away from him now that you know I'm around."
"Easy Loona." Moxxie said gently, trying to ease the bristling fury of the hellhound as she clawed her own desk.
"Tell her I said I'll be keeping watch. After all, my client wants me to keep a damn good eye on the divine beast."
Blitz didn't need to think long or hard after the call cut to a dial tone. He knew better than anyone in the office that the situation just got way more complicated with Striker now in the loop and waiting to make a move for whoever that wanted Noctis.
"There's others that want to collect him?" Millie questioned and that only made Loona punch Moxxie into a wall and roar.
"OVER MY DEAD FUCKING BODY!"
"Okay, time to make a call." Blitz ignored the groaning Moxxie stuck in the wall and pulled out his own phone. He speed dialed the one demon he really didn't like and grinned behind all intentions of his own rather than for sake of protecting Noctis.
"Who you calling?" Millie growled while prying Moxxie free.
"The biggest bitch in charge." He commented before hearing the call answer. "Hey you old bag, got a problem."
"Who is this?" Carmilla asked sharply, making him groan over her lack of memory.
"Oh for fuck sake….." he vexed quietly and lost his temper. "IT IS BLITZ! THE IMP THAT HELPED KEEP YOUR CUCKOLD BASTARD SON SAFE!"
"Oh…..you….what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Blitz laughed into the phone and ignored Loona prowling him over his phone. "Well how about you still owe me a lot of money and ALSO YOUR BABY BOY IS NOW TARGETED BY A FUCKING HITMAN GETTING PAID TO WATCH AND OBSERVE BECAUSE SOME RICH ASSHOLES WANT TO COLLECT HIM!!!"
"Yeah bitch!" Loona snapped before getting pushed back by her nose.
"Explain now and send your hellhound." Carmilla ordered.
Back with The Hazbin Gang
"Pick any one of them you want!" Charlie said selflessly, preening with a mild taste of madness in her twitching smile and gesturing to the display case.
Noctis gulped at the expensive display case as they heard Vaggie yelling at the technician and turned to see Charlie still smiling unnaturally while Octavia was looking over the items as well.
"Poor girl has serious issues." Angel told flatly to Husk, who nodded in agreement as they sat in the customer waiting room.
"Here, get this one." Cherri encouraged and forcefully leaned Noctis over with a grab of his shoulder. "It's got everything."
"Even good vibrations?" Angel insinuated and earned a punch to the arm by Vaggie.
"Knock it off. Octavia is here!"
"Why are we here again?" Noctis asked
"For the birthday missed baby. So while you pick out a phone, is it alright if I talk to Vaggie in private?" Charlie asked questioningly, trying to not come off as unstable.
"I guess it's okay." He said cautiously and stepped back when Charlie zoomed into the next room with Vaggie.
"Is she always freaking out?" Octavia asked, grimacing on the inside when the see-through glass door showed Vaggie helping Charlie breathe into a bag.
Noctis shrugged and began to pick from the assortment as he walked alongside Octavia, adjusting Max in one arm and Chance on his shoulders while the lesser demons around were watching with definite interest.
"So what's wrong with Charlie, Noctis?" Octavia asked, gesturing for him to take a gander at a flip phone in the back display.
Noctis eyed the phone but shook his head on it and made sure his disinterest showed when he shook his head.
"Well in the beginning, before the whole reincarnation ordeal, Charlie and Vaggie claimed me and I spent most of my time with them. However, we never went on dates or went out, and she never paid me, and now she's freaking out because my birthday was four months ago."
Octavia's eyes seemed to widen at this revelation, having never heard of a relationship where a triad didn't participate in dates or simple privacy for the three of them. It definitely didn't help that Charlie was bawling again when she heard through the glass office.
"Over your birthday? Well she can be a lot less dramatic about not celebrating it."
"Tell that to her." He mumbled and looked back with her to see Vaggie grimacing with her arms crossed while covered in tears.
"I AM THE WORST MATE EVER!" Charlie cried.
Husk, Angel and Cherri looked away and whistled a tune, pretending to not know the princess.
"Well if I had to guess I'd say she will dehydrate before being less dramatic." Octavia joked.
Noctis went to went laugh but perked up when a hand touched his shoulder and it was very unfamiliar to his body. Even the scent was knew to him when he never smelled cologne on a demon before. He turned his head but listened to Max and Chance growling when Angel Dust nudged Husk and Cherri to see who this hybrid demon was.
"Finding what you need partner?" The demon asked.
"Uh….yeah…" Noctis felt his skin crawl but played it cool when this new demon appeared to be an employee. "And you are?"
"Name's Striker." He chuckled, rattling his tail. "I'm here because shifts have switched and techno told me you need help."
"At 10:00 in the morning?" Octavia questioned the smiling imp hybrid, nobody knowing the body stuffed in a locker room in the back.
"He had some family business to handle so I'm filling in."
"Right." Octavia drawled but played it cool. "Anyway, my friend can't decide on a phone and—"
"Can't decide?" Striker chuckled, adjusting his white shirt. "We have more in the back."
Noctis sighed at Striker while Angel Dust, Husk and Cherri watched quietly with an unmistakable sense of deception in the store when Techno mentioned nothing earlier about leaving soon.
"Well according to Techno he said there was no extras in the back and that all displays are what you guys have."
"Oh don't believe that asshole." Striker laughed cooly before slapping Noctis on the back. "He's always hiding the good stuff for himself."
"Something's wrong." Angel whispered to Husk, who nodded with cards already in his hands.
"Yeah, this guy reeks of demon blood."
"Should we step in?" Cherri whispered before Charlie alarmed everyone with her return.
"Okay. Okay. Okay." Said Princess inhaled deeply while fanning her eyes. "I'm okay now. Vaggie calmed me down."
"Yeah...whoopee." Vaggie said flatly with her hair ruined in tears.
Composed enough, Charlie found her place back at Noctis' side and took Max.
"Oh, is he here to help?"
"Ah , the lovely princess." Striker took a bow to her, begrudgingly but maintaining his facade. "I was just about to take his majesty to the back to show him our newer models."
"I thought you said they were extras?" Noctis pointed out.
"That as well."
"So maybe you can help Noctis pick one out?" Charlie suggested and nudged her mate to Striker. "I'm sure you have something."
"Of course." Striker assured and gestured to the back room. "I'll handle his—"
Suddenly the room lit up with headlights and the sound of a car horn. Everyone looked in time before Angel, Husk and Cherri leapt out of the way of a very furious Loona screaming at the top of her lungs as she rammed the van through the display windows.
"What the fuck!?" Everyone yelled and Noctis took both Charlie and Octavia out of the van's vicinity with a spin of his wings.
"FUCK YOU!"
Striker barely out of the way in time and bolted behind Noctis before things got any heavier when Loona didn't even process what she did.
"Loona?" Noctis was surprised and uncertain if a relationship with her was now a good thing when she kicked the door open and bare both her teeth and a shotgun.
"Where is he!? I'll kill the fucker!"
"Good job loony….." Blitz said and stumbled out with Moxxie, seeing stars from the head impact. "Sick….them…..baby….."
"I'm gonna throw up." Moxxie whined before dumping the contents of his stomach on a frozen technician.
"Loona are you insane!?" Charlie scolded after shaking off her nerves.
Loona sniffed the air and snapped her gaze at Noctis while Millie jumped out the back with her axe in hand and the same bloody intention.
"Get away from him!" Loona snarled and pointed the shotgun. "Move babe!"
Noctis was confused and defenseless of the hellhound now pointing a loaded weapon at him. He was too worried to look back and see Chance had ducked behind the store counter from all the commotion.
"Loona you're scaring me. Put the gun down and—"
"It's not you!" Millie interrupted and pointed at Striker. "It's for that guy!"
"What guy? I don't—" Noctis froze again at the feeling of cold angelic steel pressed to his neck, listening to sound of a rattlesnake's rattle behind him and a sinister chuckle.
"Gonna have to do this the fun way." Striker snickered.
"Sir what are you doing?!" Charlie yelled and tried to step forward but stopped herself when striker climbed Noctis and hugged him like a koala, tipping the blade closer to his throat.
"Anybody who makes a move and I'll bleed this royal shit like a fish!"
"Maybe you should re-evaluate your situation dicklicker." Millie suggested, grinning from ear to ear when everyone got into action. "But you've got a lot of shit pointed at you."
Striker didn't take into account that Noctis' group would be heavily armed, especially Angel Dust with all four guns pointed and a scowl that would make the most sinister of demons reconsider their actions.
"You better let our boy go." Angel advised, his tone low and dangerous. "Or your little ass is getting mantled in my room."
"How did you even find me?" Striker asked, making Blitz laugh.
"Hellhound sense of smell, dumbass." He mocked the hitman. "And nothing is more dangerous than a pissed off hellhound when her alpha is threatened."
"What is going!?" Charlie yelled as she and Octavia were pulled away by Vaggie.
"It's actually a simple matter." Blitz smiled knowingly and cocked the hammer of his pistol. "Dicksniff here is a hitman that gets paid to kill royals. And it just so happens some rich assholes want to collect Noctis."
"Collect him?" Octavia questioned quietly.
"No offense princess—" Striker chuckled to Charlie to maintain his calm demeanor, feeding on the tension he made. "But a demon princess shouldn't be affiliating with angelic trash."
Rage formed in Charlie's eyes, finally understanding the full extent of the situation. She had interpreted the situation as something that could be talked through.
"Take your hands off my mate right now."
Striker chuckled darkly and tightened his grip on Noctis by the jugular, pressing his control of the situation.
"Sorry princess but my client wants him very badly."
"Guys put the weapons down." Noctis ordered very calmly with a smile, confusing every one of his friends. "I've got this."
He earned confused looks and immediate defiance when they followed Loona's lead of tightening their circle around Striker. Yet through it all Noctis was eerily unfazed by being a hostage when earlier he was scared by Loona pointing a gun.
"The only thing you're getting is a cage." Striker whispered.
"What do we do?" Cherri whispered to Husk.
"I don't know because we aren't sure if an angel blade is like an archangel blade to a divine beast." Husk replied, referring to Michael stabbing the boy.
"Guys—" Noctis laughed at their concern. "It's fine."
"Are you stupid or something!?" Striker growled and nicked the boy, drawing a few drops of blood. "I have an angel blade at your fucking throat!"
Noctis winced at the nicking from said blade but didn't lose his cocky smile even when his life was in danger. In fact he chuckled some more and started turning the entire situation into a horror movie with how his defiance was making even Loona shake and lose her aim.
"No, I just have something you don't."
"And what's that?"
"This." Noctis snapped his fingers and Striker disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear disheveled and confused on the top of Blitz' van.
There was a short silence of gawks around the store when his friends remembered that little trick from when he fought he Lyoria. The first to respond was Blitz rolling over and laughing to the point of tears.
"HOLY SHIT I FORGOT HE COULD DO THAT!"
"What the fuck?" Striker said to himself.
"GET HIM!" Moxxie screamed.
Chaos ensued with gunfire erupting from every demon, then explosions, and finally Vaggie and Millie giving chase with spear and axe during Striker's escape through the busted window.
The streets of hell became a representation of a gang war with it one sided after Striker Tucker behind a car for coverage. He barely leaned around and took out a pistol to throw off Millie and Vaggie.
He had no choice to make an escape when cars could be heard roaring up the road behind him. He barely glanced back and saw the 'C' on the limousine pulling up with multiple SUV's behind.
"Fuck, they got her involved."
"No escape this time, bitch!" Millie laughed from behind a mailbox, ducking when shots were returned.
Striker had no time left to use and took out some unconventional methods of his own. He tossed a pair of canisters and watched the smoke go up before running into a nearby alley for a quick escape.
"Well that was interesting." Noctis commented, still inside the store and casually picking up a phone off the floor. "Oh sweet, this one has a built in keyboard that slides out."
The limousine came to a screeching halt after Millie and Vaggie hurried back to the store, and Carmilla came out with Clara and Odette holding guns of their own.
"Where is he!?" The overlord screamed, her eyes burning red with fury after her crew parked and surrounded the store. "Surround the entire block!"
"Mom?"
"About damn time!" Blitz complained to the demoness but was ignored and pushed aside.
Tears could almost be seen forming in Carmilla's eyes as she remembered wholeheartedly power meant nothing when it was still her child. Her raw intensity to hold him, her maternal need to protect him, she poured it all into one hug that could be bone crushing for most.
"I won't let anyone have you."
Noctis didn't understand the situation but remained still in the arms of his adopted mother when she forcefully pressed his head into her shoulder. Her hands dug into his muscles, tracing memory of their form in her grasp while the gang collected themselves.
"Mom I'm okay." He whispered but her attention was drawn by Max in Charlie's arms still and Chance poking out of cover.
"Come here boys." She said lovingly and whistled, surprising even Noctis. "Come to nana."
It didn't take long for the boys to get free and make it over to Carmilla who showed more concern in her eyes than she would let on. She clenched her jaw and hated how easily her family was in danger.
"I won't lose my boys." She whispered, holding both pups and Noctis in her arms.
"Charlie you okay?" Vaggie asked after she touched said princess on the arm to break her attention from the destruction of the store.
There was no words to the self-doubt running in Charlie's body when she looked around to the tech store in ruins and the actual staff having already made their quick getaway, save for the one Striker killed earlier in order to impersonate. She looked as if her entire day went upside down with how a simple adventure to buy a phone for the man she loved turned into all this chaos.
"Charlie?" Vaggie enunciated and found the princess in tears, choking up loudly.
"Uh….your highness….." Moxxie tapped Noctis on the hip and pointed to the demoness, worriedly.
All of the noise and surrounding guards of Carmilla's were drowned out immediately when Noctis glanced to Charlie and saw her on the verge of a breakdown again. He pulled away from Carmilla and instantly flew over to hug the princess tightly, starting his princess before she pressed herself to his chest and cried quietly.
"You deserve better than all this. Why can't I just give one normal day?" She asked against his shirt.
Noctis chuckled at the self-pity of her thoughts and hugged her tightly smiling as everyone gathered outside to Carmilla.
"In all honesty I would've been just fine with cash and no birthday." He confessed sheepishly.
"What? How can you not want a day where it's about you?" Charlie asked bewilderedly.
"Because I'm pretty sick of the spotlight being on me." He laughed so warmly it stopped her tears. "I mean come on, since day one it's been nothing but chaos about me."
"Here here." Husk agreed with a raise of his flask.
"See? Even Husk agrees and he usually goes his own way."
Charlie found herself to be strangely familiar to this side of Noctis before everything changed and for some reason in that moment she saw the man that was just human. Except it wasn't fear, or anxiety, or overthinking like she has been for months. She felt more at peace from the old days of just being mates who ran her hotel together.
"Can we go back to being where I'm still your handyman?" Asked Noctis, ignoring the yelled orders from Carmilla with her guards.
Charlie snapped out of her trance and realized that he was staring right at Noctis from his old self. Said princess merely smiled and nodded with encouragement.
"I miss when it was that simple but we can definitely try."
"I guess today is over." Octavia asked directly to Carmilla who just got her nerves in control.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well all this." Octavia gestures to the destruction and was less than pleased with today. "It was fun until….."
"Until that imp attacked." Carmilla sighed knowingly the sufferings of Octavia. "Yes it is over considering this new development."
"Yeah." Octavia sighed in agreement and kicked a broken piece of flooring. "I wanted us to go to the trade store."
"Trade store?" Carmilla was intrigued by that.
"Yeah, the trade store where they have everything. I wanted to show him the Hellaverse card section because he likes playing the game."
Carmilla pondered this, her overlord thinking conflicted with her maternal instincts about Noctis still being out and about but still enticed by the idea of having her hand in a territory she doesn't own.
"They have everything?" She asked cautiously, and Octavia nodded. "Including weapons."
"Actually they pawn weapons too. A lot of them have your emblem."
"I'm not sure if this is a good idea but perhaps a little indulgence of my own could benefit everyone." Carmilla explained confusedly before hearing a motorcycle in the distance.
Everyone but the helluva gang looked confused at this but Noctis looked intrigued enough to step outside and take flight after separating from Charlie. Despite all voices of protest he planned to research as much as he could about anything that involved the hybrid imp that cut him.
"GET YOUR ASS BACK DOWN HERE NOW!!!" Loona screamed.
Noctis did not hear anyone yelling, not even Vaggie when she took to the air to chase him back down but was helpless to the speed he displayed. He rose over Pentagram City and barely gandered at the streets below before diving to the motorcycle sound.
Suddenly he slammed down to the broken road, blocks away from his group and promptly stood there with his arms crossed and his head tilted to the imp hybrid coming to a screeching halt.
"Well he's not the sharpest looking moron." He said to no one in particular.
After about ten seconds of the two just staring down on opposite intentions, Striker took out both revolvers and cocked the hammers.
Noctis raised an eyebrow to the weapons but for some strange reason he didn't feel fear or any sense of danger that two loaded revolvers were pointed at him. Not even those instincts he didn't understand were screaming to him. He was just calm and collected and staring down the hitman like he was nothing.
"You can try but it won't work."
Striker was surprised by Noctis' bold statement and even smirked at the standoff, rattling his tail to the enjoyment.
"You ain't like any other royal I've offed." He chuckled darkly.
"Well I prefer not being royal." Noctis responded and dropped his posture. "So who are you and tell me why I shouldn't kill you?"
"Ballsy ain't ya?" Striker started to laugh but Noctis was unfazed by it. "You have no idea the money I'm getting paid to observe and catch your glowing ass."
Noctis remained silent while Striker stepped off his bike and bowed mockingly with his hat off.
"The name is Striker and you are my main target."
Noctis only shrugged and walked past Striker, surprising him again when he said, "Okay, we'll do the speed limit."
"What? That's it?"
"That's it." Noctis spreaded his wings but stopped from taking off. "But one thing."
Striker was bewildered as is by this short confrontation with the reincarnated angel. He was ready for a fight or even a good scuffle in order to get paid the rest of his money. However, his rattler had stopped and a deep shiver of his skin crawled from head to toe when Noctis glanced over his shoulder and beamed an eerie magic that was oddly not completely holy but also reeking something darker—as if the demonic side resonated.
"I don't care if you come after me but if you touch anyone I care about—" he cracked an unnatural smile, vibrating a hiss from his throat. "I'll make sure to feed you personally to Alastor, on a hot skillet."
Striker didn't react to that threat but deep down he felt underneath the excitement of a good hunt that this boy was not bluffing.
Noctis left that hanging in the air and took off to the skies once more to leave Striker in the humiliation of various demons on the streets seeing him realize he had a bead of sweat fall off his chin.
As he got back to the chaos, Charlie and Vaggie were the first to swarm his personal space and used their bond to materialize the shackles that bound their wrists, grounding the man faster than he wanted.
"Hey!"
"Did you not hear us?" Charlie scolded him just before Loona could be heard sprinting to them.
Noctis cocked his eyebrow again but paled after seeing the hellhound run on all fours with a look that could kill. This led to him to flapping his wings again to make a great escape but Charlie and Vaggie both smirked and used the bond to keep him grounded with etheral chains that formed.
"Uh oh…." He gulped, but his heart raced more when he looked past Loona to see right behind her was the last demon he wanted to piss off.
"NOCTIS CARMINE!"
"Oh crap!"
Noctis tried again but was powerless to the bond and helplessly held with his feet planted to the ground and his heart racing the fastest its ever done, even faster than when he fought Michael.
Husk just rolled his eyes but followed the others to the commotion only to see Loona and Carmilla tackled Noctis to the floor and commenced to either beating or scolding him while Charlie and Vaggie watched with knowing grins he shouldn't have taken off like that.
"Not the brightest is he?" Cherri asked, watching the man be straddled by the overlord and slapped repeatedly for his defiance.
"No, still working on them brains." Angel commented.
Meanwhile…
"I've got a good assessment of the guy." Striker said quietly over the phone, peeking over his shoulders every minute or so.
"And?"
"It ain't gonna be easy getting him away, but it looks like he has some attachment to the kid."
"I can work with that, darling. Anything else?"
"Yeah he's a cocky bastard. He wasn't even fazed by the guns and even threatened me before taking off."
"He let you go?" The voice chuckled with a background of owl noises. "Just keep your distance for now. First thing will be to break apart his little family so that he's drawn to the first hands that extend to him."
"Understood. And Stolas?"
"We have time, darling."