NovaLight (Helluva Boss AU)

Chapter 15: Jury-Rigged

As Loona pulled up in front of Lucifer-Quinn, she knew this was going to be tough. The complex was surrounded by broken cars and cement blocks, a stark contrast to the well-kept neighborhood around it. She frowned, wondering how such a mess could exist in such a nice area. Parking her bike across the street, she was about to assess the situation when her phone buzzed. It was Millie.

"Just so you know, you're completely off the grid and in the dark," Millie said.

Loona sighed, looking at the complex. "Lucifer-Quinn. They had so much hope for this place. All it did was bring the mafia under one roof. Loyalty to your neighborhood just became loyalty to your apartment."

"What happens to everyone else?" Millie asked.

"They either got in line or got out. I'm going to look around, maybe I can find a way in," Loona replied, beginning her reconnaissance. She moved around the perimeter, avoiding the spotlights that lit up the building like a fortress. The place seemed impenetrable until she reached the back, where she spotted a barbed wire fence. Smiling, she lifted the wire and slipped inside.

She pulled her bandanna up and hid behind a stack of pallets, watching as two Skulls—members of the local gang—walked by, identifiable by their black bandannas with a white skull on them. Others stood around playing cards. As she crept closer to the building, she stumbled upon a group of Skulls cleaning assault rifles and RPGs. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"How the hell did they get military equipment?" she muttered.

Moving carefully, she found an unlocked door near the right tower of the apartments. Inside, a Skull was working at a bank of servers. Loona knocked him out with her baton and frowned at the servers, realizing they were key to the gang's operations. She called Millie.

"The Skulls have disabled the network around Lucifer-Quinn," she said.

"Why?" Millie asked.

"My guess is they're hiding something. Let me hack into the servers and see what I can find," Loona said, hanging up. As she worked on the servers, she noticed a CCTV feed showing two people in a heated discussion.

"So you do know where she is?" a voice said, unmistakably Crimson, the leader of the Skulls, dressed in a white tuxedo. The other person was Rex X, unfazed by Crimson's presence.

"Yes, she's searching for the files. My bet is she'll knock down the front door of this place and waltz right in," Rex X replied.

Loona's blood ran cold. She continued to watch.

"We'll send a hit squad, do a drive-by," Crimson suggested.

"You don't understand how dangerous she is. She'll kill your squad before you can pray to whoever you believe in," Rex X retorted, shaking her head.

"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?!" Crimson yelled.

"Send me," Rex X said.

Loona watched in horror as Crimson tried to belittle Rex X, only for her to break his hand and force him into submission. She knew she had to move quickly.

"Fuck," she whispered, backing away from the CCTV. Just then, a Skull walked in, engrossed in a crossword puzzle.

"Hey, what's a five-letter word for a pregnant dog?" he asked before spotting Loona. His eyes darted to the fire alarm, but Loona was quicker. She shot him in the head, dragging his body to a dumpster.

Loona peered out the door and saw more Skulls on alert. She knew she needed a distraction and spotted the fire alarm. Grimacing, she pulled it, setting off a cacophony of bells. Skulls swarmed toward her location. She grabbed her pistol, ready for the fight.

A Skull appeared, gun first. Loona disarmed him and used his body as a shield, advancing as more Skulls opened fire. She pushed forward, bullets whizzing past her, and made a break for the exit.

Suddenly, she was tackled, her head hitting a cinder block. Her vision blurred as she looked up to see Rex X.

"Found you," Rex X teased.

Loona kicked her off, trying to run, but a gunshot hit her back. She screamed, crawling away as Rex X approached.

"You really thought it was a good idea to come into Skull territory?" Rex X asked, stomping on her back and pressing a knife to her throat.

"Are you scared, Loona? Afraid of what happens after you die?" she taunted, punching Loona and making her face her.

"You're nothing but a pawn in a game you don't even know you're being played in," Rex X said. Loona, desperate, grabbed her phone and pressed the screen, plunging the compound into darkness.

It was enough. She kicked Rex X away and ran, ignoring the pain. She pulled out her pistol and fired, forcing Rex X to take cover. Loona sprinted toward the exit when a car pulled up, blocking her path. Skulls jumped out, guns aimed. Loona hacked a nearby breaker box, causing it to explode. The car erupted in flames, and she ran through the fire, collapsing on the street.

She patted out the flames on her clothes, mounted her bike, and sped away as fast as she could.

***

Loona stumbled into a public restroom, her steps shaky. She quickly took off her jacket and lifted her shirt slightly, revealing the wound in the mirror. The bullet had punched deep, leaving a gaping hole that dripped blood. She grimaced and grabbed a pair of pliers, digging into the wound. She screamed, yanking out the bullet and dropping it in the sink. Grabbing a lighter, she ripped off the doorknob from the bathroom door and heated it up. Biting down on her belt, she pressed the hot doorknob against the wound, screaming into the belt as the smell of charred fur and flesh filled the room.

She threw the doorknob in the trash and began wrapping a bandage around her belly, covering the wound. Each movement sent pain shooting up her back. She rummaged in her pocket, pulled out some painkillers, and took three to dull the pain. She then sighed and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

"Ow," she groaned as her phone rang. It was Millie. She answered and put the phone to her ear.

"Millie, it's done," she said, her voice strained.

"Thank god. Are you okay? You didn't respond back in a while," Millie said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm good. Are we connected?" Loona asked, feeling the painkillers starting to kick in.

"Yes, we can see inside Lucifer-Quinn now," Millie responded after a moment.

"Thank you, for all of this. You really pushed through," Loona said, resting her head against the wall.

"Hey, I can't resist a good adventure. So I guess we're done?" Millie asked.

"No, I'm just getting started. I need to get in there, find some answers, and get my dad back," Loona said determinedly.

"And once you get answers, what then?" Millie asked, her tone cautious.

"Then I find out who did this and make sure they answer for it. Every single person involved in Stolas's death," Loona growled. Silence followed. She frowned and looked at her phone, seeing that the call was still connected.

"You still there?" she asked.

"Yeah, I-I'm here. Okay, I'll see you soon," Millie said quickly, hanging up before Loona could respond.

Loona leaned back against the wall, trying to collect her thoughts. She needed to get moving. With a groan, she pushed herself up, wincing at the pain. She couldn't afford to rest yet. Her mission was far from over.