COMFORTABLE LIES || Stolas x Blitzø x Original Character (nb)

9. Murder Family - 1

Just a sharp pain at first. A quick prick, even.

It quickly turns into a deep burning. And I can smell the smoke around me, and it has a burning flesh taint to it. My flesh is burning. And it hurts. It hurts so much but somehow I don't have it in me to care. Somehow, this is better than getting hit day after day.

But still, it hurts too much so I have to gasp myself awake.

"FUCK!" I go to grab my right arm, my stomach plummeting as I just grasp air instead, my hand closing on nothing.

The pain just worsens, and I can feel my breathing quicken as I notice how half of my arm just isn't there.

"Jouno!!" My frantic eyes move to my side, where my best friend Blitzo is trying to snap me out of my panic. Blitzo? Why does that name feel wrong? ...where's Fizz?
"Jouno, do you know where you are?"

I look away from my best friend, feeling disoriented as I look at my surroundings. A dark, small room, close to an area that you can barely call a kitchen. There's only two doors, one clearly leads outside, wearing lots of safety locks; the other one leads to a single room, full of band posters.

Oh, right. This isn't Blitzo. The o is silent now, right?

"Blitzø." I rasp out, wincing at the sound of my hoarse voice and sitting up slowly, breathing in and out to level the pain of my right arm stump.

"...you okay now?" He says, frowning while looking at my pained expression before I shrug, trying to dismiss it.

"It's fine, just phantom pain. Guess it's worse 'cause of yesterday's beating." I chuckle humourlessly at the mention, placing my left hand on my right shoulder as a way to ground myself from the pain.

"...yeah, we should really talk about that." Blitzø says, sighing as he calms down a bit, visibly worried because of my outburst. I shake my head in confusion.

"Talk about what?"

"The fuck- you come in late at night, all bruised and bloody. You bandage yourself up with no help, then go to sleep right away. And you don't think I'd expect explanations?!" I roll my eyes at him, scoffing.

"I told you this could happen. That's just how Val is. What do you want me to say?"

"Well shit, I don't know, maybe explain where it went wrong? I could help you with a new contract -or you could get help from Moxxie, he's nerdy enough to do that-, or you could at least tell me what-"

"Wait, no, Blitzø it went fine. He signed the contract." I say, confused at his small freaking out. His eyes only widen at the mention, gesturing me up and down dumbfounded.

"This is what happens when it goes fine?!" He says with incredibility, and we both wipe our heads to the side as Loona's door opens as forcefully as always- or maybe even more.

"Why the fuck are you being so loud at- fucking shit you look awful." She stops in her tracks as she looks at me, ears pinning down a bit as she frowns.

When I finally got to the apartment last night, it was late enough for everyone to be asleep already. Blitzø was still surprisingly awake, sitting on the sofa while his tail flicked nervously nonstop. Loona, though, was fast asleep already, so she didn't see me come in.

"Oh well thank you Loona, good morning to you too." I smirk at her, and she rolls her eyes as she passes by the sofa, going straight to the kitchen and leaning on the counter while eyeing me.

"I'm guessing you're not going to the mission today, then?" She asks, and I instantly turn around to look at her dad with wide eyes.

"I can go?!"

"Yeah no the fuck you can't." He says strictly, shaking his head and doing a decisive motion with his hands.

I raise an eyebrow, unimpressed.

***

"I'm so excited you're goin' with us on your first ever mission!!" Millie chimes excitedly, taking my hand in hers with her eyes gleaming.

"I know! I hope I can do well enough!!" I say with a delighted smile, matching hers.

"Oh you absolutely will!" She assures me, just about to go for a knife to hand me so I can train a bit before leaving, but we're interrupted by muttered cussing.

"Ugh crumbs..." I look back towards Moxxie curiously, sitting on the sofa's arm as Loona's laying down on it, holding a picture up while scrolling through her phone. Moxxie shakes nervously, crossbow in hand as he tries focusing.

"Moxxie, stop shakin'! You're gonna shoot our only hellhound!" Millie frowns at her husband, with Loona huffing in response.

"Wow. I feel soooo loved here." She deadpans, and I chuckle slightly, going to take a knife while they're distracted.

"Just take a deep breath, and let it out!" Millie explains, demonstrating with an exaggerated breath. Finally Moxxie lowers his crossbow, trying to get his point across. I finally pick up the knife, examining it with a smile as I listen to their bickering.

"But... it's a family! Under what circumstances would we ever need to kill a human family?"

"I mean, if that's what the client wants." Millie shrugs at her husband's distress.

"Maybe like a shitty dad. Or a mob family. That's understandable." He says this with a stereotypical italian accent, doing a small motion with his hand and I smirk. Angel would be so offended by that; I should probably tease him like that next time.
"But to eradicate an entire innocent-seemingly, in this instance- upper middle class family bloodline?"

Loona sits up at the mention, looking at the picture thoughtfully before intervening, pointing to each of the family members on the picture as she talks.

"Hey! You don't know they're innocent! This kid probably sets dogs on fire, maybe this girl gets off to bullying Australian kids online, and this guy... This guy definitely watches." I throw the knife up, catching it as it flies back down.

"Exactly! Humans are full of secret nasties. It's why so many of them end up here."

"But-" Millie squishes Moxxie's cheeks, and I smile while looking at the cute display.

"Guilty and innocent aren't our business, Mox. Killin' who we're paid to is our business. Shoot the target." She kisses him tenderly, leaving him to aim.

"I just think it's a bit excessive, and we could be a bit more selective, is all." He tries to get his point across, but gets startled as Blitzø's office door opens with a loud slam.

"Guys! I want you to meet-" Our boss tries, but Moxxie accidentally shoots in stunned surprise.

The arrow then ricochets around the room, hitting a computer and making a startled Millie jump on Moxxie's arms. I smirk excitedly, taking my chance to shoot the knife directly towards the family picture, beating the arrow to it. I throw my hand up, jumping excitedly.

"Fuck yes! Right on time!" I cheer, but Millie has to place a hand on my head, forcing me to duck as the arrow is about to hit me. It hits the bottom of a huge tank with eels instead, making it stumble dangerously. Finally, the arrow flies towards the demon who was having a meeting with Blitzø, with him stopping it just before it hits her.

"...our newest client!" He tries to say cheerily, before the eel tank falls down, glass and water spilling on the floor before the eels burst with electricity, setting the room on fire. Blitzø throws the arrow to the table, making it stick as he fumes in anger while looking at the imp who shot it.
"Damn it, Moxxie! I just bought those eels!"