Achieving Heaven Through Hell Part 3: Only the Results

Chapter 10: Enantiodromia

Chapter 10: Enantiodromia

The bell on the office door jingled as it swung open and shut. Loona didn't bother looking up, internally bracing for an onslaught of dumbass noise the Dipshit Duet was about throw her way. Blitzo really hadn't done her any favors by flaking on this mission.

Whatever.

She thumbed through her contacts, her newest posts to instagram were blowing up, as usual, and she had a duty to like all the comments by the usual suspects, maybe string some simps along, post yet another 'fuck work' pic. Between that and her actual work, today was shaping up to be real busy.

"Excuse me," said a deep, rumbling voice above her. "Is Blitzo in?"

Loona didn't look up. "No."

There was a pause. "...Do you know when he'll be back?"

"No." Loona thumbed through one of her friend's instagram, smirking at the rather fetch creature she was grinding on at the club. 'Nice. Like. Send pix bich'

"Can you take a message?" God, this dipshit didn't let up.

"No."

A hand swung into view and a massive finger tapped the top of her phone. The plastic blanched and cracked as the screen clouded over like old glass. The phone creaked and groaned, decaying away before her very eyes. Loona growled and shot to her feet, her snarl and glare faltering as her neck craned up, and up, and up. Standing before her, stooping under the 10 foot ceiling, was Grand Duke Sallos.

"Honestly, social media has got to be one of Lucifer's more insidious creations," said Sallos. "Don't care for it, myself."

"Uh."

"Do shut up, dear," he said, airily, setting his hands down on her desk as he leaned forward, the wood groaning under his immense weight, his aura crushing her down into her chair. "Now, listen and listen closely. Are you listening?"

Loona said nothing, her eyes like red dinnerplates as her ears laid flat, disappearing into her voluminous hair which was standing on end, the smell of ozone in the office was nauseating as the huge demon's titanic might just barely made itself known.

"I'm going to kill your dad." Sallos said, his tone chipper and amiable. "I'm going to hunt him down and kill him. But not before I torture him. He has information I need, and I'll have it. I'll strip away his mind like tearing pages from a book, and when naught but a husk remains, I'll chop off his head, put it on a spike, and deliver it to my cousin, as a..." he slapped his wrist, a light, effete movement that reported with a sound not unlike a shotgun blast. "Slap on the wrist, for allowing this farce to occur. Your co-workers, too. Perhaps I'll send all their heads, like a bouquet."

Loona said nothing, tears welling up in her eyes as he glared down at her.

He reached out and grabbed her chin, the fur and skin where he touched browned and blackened before turning grey and ashen. "I'd kill you too, if I thought you knew anything. Or if anyone important would care. But alas, blessed be the ignorant and ignominious."

He released her, her fur and skin instantly reverting to their former state.

"I want you to tell your dad, that imp. Tell him I'm coming, and soon. I want him to run, I want him to fight. So that I might yet derive some sort of pleasure from the godforsaken mission." Sallos stood up as straight as he could under the low ceiling, a placid smile on his face. "Understood?"