At long last, we have arrived at Exes and Ohs. The chapter I've been most excited about adapting ever since I first watched it. Moxxie's heartbreaking backstory and the introduction of his piece of shit father, Crimson. It's a pretty safe bet that Lincoln will have one hell of a time when he meets his new grandpa, and then, I can get work on planning out the rest of season 2. Sit back and enjoy the ride, because this chapter is packed with intensity. What's more, I also saw the Casagrandes movie and it gave me loads of ideas!

I don't own Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss or the Loud House/Casagrandes.

All properties involved belong to their respective owners.

Enjoy!

"Is anyone looking?"

"Yer all clear, sweet pea."

"Okay, here goes everything."

Lincoln's magical prowess rested not only in the magical spells he memorized from the Ars Goetia grimoire, but in every new piece of magical artifact his royal mentor was generous enough to lend to him. In the time that he's been in Hell, it was a miracle that no other Hellborn or Sinner was able to sniff him out as a living human. Lincoln didn't want to push his luck, though, so he asked for something that would help him blend in, much like how Hellborn rely on human disguises. For the boy's case, Stolas gave his pupil a masquerade mask colored orange and had white accents.

The magical properties involved cast an illusion around the wearer that makes them appear to be anything they can think of. It requires the wear to focus hard on what they want to look like, so it may be tricker to handle compared to common human disguises that demons use. Anything to lessen risks. After he puts the mask on, his body is enveloped in orange lights. When the lights disappeared, Millie gasped at his new appearance.

As Lincoln's mind desired, he now had the appearance of an imp his age.

Like any other imp, his skin was deep red and also had the signature red/yellow eyes. The only thing unchanged was his white hair color, though the male black and white striped horns and tail most male imps have was a new addition.

His casual clothes also remained the same, as did his freckles. All in all, it was definitely convincing enough to present himself as a common imp. "Well, what do you think?" Since she was an imp herself, her opinion on the matter was paramount. Her long silence was hard to decipher, though. "Millie? Hello?"

…

…

…

…

….

A squeal was heard throughout Imp City.

Demon cat pets were disturbed from their sleep.

Glass windows ended up getting shattered.

All as a result of that single loud squealing that Millie let out in response to how her adoptive son looked like now.

"SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Lincoln liked to think he had gotten used to Millie's vice gripping hugs and built a pain tolerance for them. But, the spicy little imp assassin always manages to surprise him by making it seem like she's getting even stronger than she already was. "So…I guess this means it's a good look…..?" His voice was very grating.

"It is a fantastic look, honey!" Millie shook him in her embrace. "Why, you're practically like me and Moxxie rolled into one! Ah always knew our baby would look like this!"

"Thanks, Millie, but could you let go…..? I haven't learned how to replace lungs magically yet…..!"

"Oops! Sorry, baby!"

Lincoln took in as many deep breaths as he could, and to think he thought Lucy's surprise popping ups were enough to make him short of breath. "It's cool. Thanks again for letting me test this mask out while we're out shopping."

"Nothing ain't more important than mah baby's progress!"

"Speaking of progress, I still haven't figured out that pendant or what those masked guys' whole deal was." Lincoln truly wished to know who they were and why they prioritized his safety.

Millie took his hand. "You can worry about it come tomorrow. Now, let's roll! Hell needs to get a look at the newest cutest imp on the block!"

With Blitzo, Moxxie, and Loona still at the office, Lincoln offered to accompany the team's brawler to run a few errands. Millie was more than happy to let Lincoln tag along, nothing more greater than some quality mother-son bonding time. "By the way, Blitz looked like he was pretty busy? Everything okay?"

"Oh, Ah'm sure it ain't nothin' to worry about. He's just antsy about some call that's supposed to come today. Apparently, it's for a high paying gig." Millie opened the store entrance for Lincoln. "Now let's take a look see, yer daddy needs some more batter for his delicious souffles! Oh! Can't forget about the newest issue of Wrathful Death Matches Magazine! Always a good read! Hint, hint, sweetie!"

"Heh, I'll think about i-oof!" Lincoln bumped into someone, colliding with the floor as a result.

Millie knelt down to help while also glaring at whoever he bumped into. "Hey, jackass! What where yer-" She stopped when she saw him and in a moment, she couldn't believe her eyes.

He resembled a gray/greenish walking shark. His eyes were colored green and had a swirly almost hypno wheel design. He was clad in a dark jacket that was stylized with skeleton patterns, and even had a single bone act as a belt for his black pants. The shark guy's hair was styled way up, jel obviously having been used and wore a fedora hat.

It was no mistake.

The shark demon she was seeing was most definitely who she thought it was.

And damn it all, was she ever pissed.

The shark demon's eyes widened seeing Millie. "Hold the phone…Millie?! Is that you?!" He grinned. "Well, what do you know?! It's been a while, babe! Still a sexy little-"

"YOU SON OF A COCKSUCKING WHORE!" Miilie tackled him in a flash, pinning him under her furious strength. "MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT-ASS SON SLUTBOY!" She roared, strangling him until his face was blue.

"Whoa! Millie!" Lincoln was warned by Moxxie to not approach her when she's in a frenzy, but he'd rather not have security intervene. "Calm down!" He pulled her away.

"Haha….any longer and it would've been like old times…." The shark guy wheezed, standing back up.

"So, are you gonna explain who this guy is or?"

Millie calmed herself down to answer her baby. "This walking dickbag is Chaz. He's my…." She shudders in shame. "...ex."

"Wait? Like, ex-boyfriend?!" Lincoln gaped.

He honestly couldn't picture her with anyone that wasn't Moxxie and vice versa.

Chaz shrugged, an air of smugness over their shared history. "Ex-boyfriend. Ex lover. Ex best BDE-radiating gangster your poon ever had. Good times, am I right? And hey, you even got a kid now!" He said, noticing Lincoln. "...He's not mine, right?"

"Of course not, fish fucker! He's an imp!"

"Hey, can never be too careful. I mean, did you know that condoms only work 90 percent of time? Like, what the fuck? What's the fucking point of them, then? Good thing ole Chazzy here has an incredible pull out game, though, I don't need to tell you that Mills." He suggestively remarked to his old fling.

"Not in front of my baby!" Millie's hands went to Lincoln's ears. "And fer yer information, Ah got a new man now and he's sure as shit better than you ever were in everything!"

"That so? He into threesomes?"

If looks could kill, Millie's would massacre this entire store.

They should be thankful her son was there to placate her.

"What the hell are you even doin' here in Imp City?!" She snarled. "Figured you'd be sleepin' with the fishes by now."

"Just making a quick little stop. Got a big meeting down in Greed, but I don't wanna bore you with the details."

"Well, good! Now, if you'll excuse us-"

Chaz went and continued anyway. "But if you wanna know so badly, I recently made one fucking huge score! Raking in the dough and living the high life! Got myself a new pad for some night time fun for my huge dick to enjoy!" He boasted. "In case I didn't make it obvious, my life is fucking great! Gonna be nothing but smooth sailing and orgies from here on out!" Millie rolled her eyes. "Aw, don't be like that. You're not still pissed about that teensy little mistake, right?"

"Teensy?! You were fucking around behind my back!" Millie painfully reminded. "Let's go, hon." She pulls Lincoln, intending on keeping him away from her ex.

"Give me a call in case you and your new beau change your minds about the three-way!" Chaz hollered.

"Sooooooo…..you actually used to date that guy, huh?" Lincoln awkwardly surmised.

Millie groaned. "Lincoln, honey, your momma made a lot of bad calls before meeting Moxxie. Just make sure that you eep being a clever little fritter, and you won't hafta make the same one. Ah just….seeing that sleazy shark bastard again! I-I-GRRRH!" She once again was going into feral mode.

Lincoln sighed. "Hopefully, we won't have to run into him again anytime soon." Looking back, he saw Chaz leaning on the shelfs and then, entered two other sea life demons all wearing fancy suits and gesturing to Chaz to follow them. Outside, he was led into a 40's looking car and drove off.

A foreboding feeling crept up to Lincoln just then.

Instead of hoping, he felt the urge to pray to Satan to not run into the shark demon again.

Moxxie and Loona alone in the IMP room. Not a regular thing to happen at the company, Bltizo was there, too, just not at the table. He had retreated to his office after getting a call he was apparently waiting for. The little imp frankly had no clue how to make small talk with the hellhound who constantly makes digs at him at any given time. Especially ones about his supposed weight problems.

Perhaps now was the time to finally put a stop to those specific insults.

Clearing his throat, he broke the awkward silence. "Ya know! Me and Lincoln checked the scale today, and it said I lost a grand total of two pounds this week. Heh, heh, he was pretty impressed, you know."

Loona gave him an unconvinced look over.

…..But, if Lincoln were here…

Sighing, she replied. "Good on ya, Mox."

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I reiterate, I am not-wait, what?"

"Yeah. Good for you."

"You're-You're complimenting me?" Moxie felt like pinching himself.

Loona groaned, taking a break from her phone. "Don't get your panties in a twist, okay? Much as I want to say something way funnier and more true, I'm not really in the mood for you bitching."

"Oh. I, uh, I suppose that is rather considerate-ish of you. Thank you, Loona." Moxxie thought he'd never see the day where he actually said those words, but here he was.

The receptionist scoffed and ignored Moxxie.

But inside, getting thanked still felt good all the same.

Suddenly, someone came in and it was an imp child of all things.

"Hey, who the fuck-" Loona blinked and upon closer inspection, she recognized the clothes. "Wait, Linc? That you?"

"Of course it's-oh, the mask!" Lincoln quickly removed it, dispelling the illusion. "Moxxie, we got trouble and no, it's not about Michael Crawford dying up top! He's still alive!"

"Aw, thank Satan. May he continue living a long life." Moxxie closed his eyes.

"It's Millie! She's on the warpath!"

The imp's eyes opened. "Crumbs." He said, grimacing.

Millie kicked the door open, holding a coffee mug with her face on it that Lincoln poured for her in a futile attempt to get her to calm down. Her abrupt entrance caused the bust of Blitzo to shatter on the floor. She stomped her way to the table, actually shaking up the foundation, muttering angry curses. She throws the mug down, nearly spilling it on Loona. The feisty little imp pressed a button on the wall that brought in a cardboard human cutout that had painted target signs on its forehead, chest, and pants area. She threw a knife at the last one before lunging at it, shredding it like a rabid animal.

Moxxie glanced at an equally concerned Lincoln. "M-Millie, honey? Everything okay?"

His wife turned and hissed venomously. Fortunately, seeing both of her boys look worried about her state of mind managed to pull her back to the side of rationality. "I'm fine, it's just…Lincoln and Ah ran into my old ex."

Lincoln nodded to confirm this.

"Oh! …Oh….." Moxxie deflated a little.

A former suitor Millie dated before meeting him.

That's nice.

No reason to feel a little jealous.

"Don't worry, it was not a happy reunion." Lincoln patted his back, sensing Moxxie's feelings.

Millie climbed down from the cutout to further vent her frustrations. "Years after I dumped his sister fucking ass, and he still didn't find the decency to even seem sorry! He just went on and on about how he has money now, and a bright future, and a supposedly bigger cock!"

Now that got Moxxie to worry again. "Wait, what?"

"Don't ask." Lincoln begged, making a note to search for a memory erasing spell. "Just-Just please."

"Everytime I see his stupid face, I just wanna-GRAH!" Millie punched the cabinet hard enough to send it down, spilling all the pictures inside.

"Hey, come on, Millie. So what if that jerk claims he's doing good? If anything, you're doing way better than him!" Lincoln declared. "You have a partner that actually treats you well." Moxxie tugged his bowtie proudly. "A decent paying job, and…you also have me. I mean, no contest, right?"

Millie's eyes wept up and she started the waterworks. She hugs her boys with as much love as she could muster. "Oh, you're absolutely right, honey pie! You're worth all the money and cocks in all of hell!"

"...I'm…choosing to be flattered by that." Lincoln had heard weirder compliments, he's just content that her anger's gone.

"What the fuck is all this noise?!" Blitzo shouted, exiting his office. "I got a client on the phone and what did I say about breaking shit?!"

"Sorry, sir! I'll get this all cleaned-" Moxxie frantically went to pick up all the photos that had spilled from the cabinet, but froze after seeing one of them. "Uh, what is this?"

Lincoln tilted his head after looking over Moxxie's shoulder. "Are those horse costumes?"

"Research!" Blitzo snatched the photo away. "For science! Just hurry up and put it back correctly, okay? I alphabetize them and Linc, go sit in the corner until Moxxie's done."

"Why?"

"Corner!"

Lincoln grumbled and complied.

Blitzo returned to his office and continued his phone call. "Sorry about that. It's hard finding good help nowadays, know what I mean?"

The voice on the other end snickered snidely and then spoke in a suave, tone dipped in a load of condescension. "Believe me, I know the feeling."

It was weird.

Blitzo couldn't help but find the client's voice a little familiar. He sounded like Moxxie only with a lot more backbone. Of course, Blitzo didn't pay it much mind, all he cared for were the specifics of his request. "Just to make sure, you don't want us going to Earth at all for this job, right?"

"Correct. Screwing out in the humans' own hellhole will not be necessary. I'd like to meet you and your whole crew at my estate."

"So, you want us to kill someone already in Hell, huh?" A very unusual request. Sure, Blitzo has shed blood down here as much as he does topside, but that was ages ago. "Might be a problem, 'cause that ain't exactly our business no more."

"Want more info? Then we can talk about it when you're here. It pertains to a lucrative business venture that'll benefit all parties involved. Trust me, it'll be more than worth your time."

Blitzo silently snorted as he listened, he could pick up on the client's sneaky wording. "Ooh, how ominous. As long as the pay's good, then whatever. What's the address?"

"Oh, no need. I took the liberty of handling the transportation myself."

When the client hung up, Blitzo's eyes widened at the sight of a helicopter that flew right by his window.

"Um, Blitz?"

Rushing out after hearing Lincoln, he and all of I.M.P stared out, not expecting the purple aircraft that was right outside their office. "The fuck is this?!" Blitzo asked as they huddled around the glass.

A hook was shot out from the helicopter's belly and planted into the wall.

Pulling back, it and a big part of the building was pulled right off, making everyone step back.

Millie and Loona shielded Lincoln from some debris.

No one was harmed, but Blitzo was livid that once again, his property got damaged. "Satan's ass crack! Enough with the wall coming down bullshit! The fucking door is right fucking there!" The winds that blew into the office carried the stacked photos M&M collected and they scattered down to the streets. "MY RESEARCH!" He bemoaned.

All that time in that special…'convention', wasted.

Lincoln suddenly felt really sorry for the imp kids below that caught those photos.

The copter came closer and a metal floor came out to connect to the office's new larger space. The pilot stepped out. "Immediate Muder Professionals?! Right this way, if you please!" He gestures them to come on board

Lincoln quickly placed the disguise mask on again.

If they were going out, then now was the perfect chance to use his new look more.

"Sir?!" The married imps had their weapons drawn, already having a bad feeling about this. "Explanation, please?!" Moxxie implored.

"Put it back in your pants, M&M." Blitzo ordered, stepping over to the other floor. "Just some fancy schmuck-fuck from Greed who wants to do business."

The five of them carefully walked together as the wind coming from the turbines made it hard to see. "If I may, sir, I don't think this is a good idea!" Moxxie voiced.

Lincoln, as always, agreed. "Yeah, you remember that feeling I had about Striker? Starting to feel it again!"

"Oh, it'll be fine! Now, get your asses moving."

"Great." Loona droned on. "Gonna be another day of shit hitting the fan."

Once entering, Millie tried putting her seatbelt on only to see that all seatbelts had been torn away. "Excuse me, is this thing safe?! There's a child on board!" She sharply said to the pilots.

"Don't worry, ma'am! We're professionals!" One confidently stated right before busting through another part of the building.

Angry Blitz makes his return.

"Fucking hell! I'm putting that on your boss's tab! Just letting you know!"Lincoln recalled the last time he was in the Greed Ring.

It was when he went to Loo Loo Land, the day he met Octavia for the very first time. The only silver lining to what transpired that day. Before, he traveled there by company van, and now, he was in a concerningly unsafe helicopter that entered through a hangar at the ring elevator. A means for air vehicles to traverse to the other rings.

The disguised boy looks out the window to get a view of the sights.

It looked like Loo-Loo Land was still undergoing repairs, but then, he got a view of the rest of Greed. Various imps were slaving away in shoddy toxic factories, carrying heavy bags and dumping toxic wastes into the waters. Like the other Rings Lincoln's been to, the one representing Greed had its own unique style. Stores that had unfair prices, pickpockets stealing wallets, and robberies were being committed in broad daylight. It was an honest to Satan cesspool that Lincoln would watch in movies or read in comics.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are inbound for our destination, Notamafiatown!" The pilot announced. "Where there is absolutely no mafia in sight! It's mafia-free!"

The sights of imps stabbing tied up ones and then shooting them contradicted that claim, though.

"Ugh, I never did like this place." Moxxie cringed, hating the fact that he had to return to this damned place.

"Oh, yeah. This is your old stomping grounds, right, Mox?" Blitzo recalled.

"Wait, I thought you were from Wrath like Millie?" Lincoln brought up, confused.

"I was born in Wrath, but unfortunately, I was forced to move here by the time I learned how to walk." Moxxie clarified, then pointed to a specific area that was all too familiar for him. "In fact, I was brought up right over there. Swore I'd never come back, and…..and…." He trailed off as a horrifying realization set in. This street. These landmarks. He recognized all of them. It was all near that place."W-Wait, wh-where are we going-wha-?" His legs trembled. "Blitz, who did you say this meeting was with?"

Blitzo shrugged. "Not sure. Some rich somebody or other who wants to discuss biz at his place. Although, I gotta tell ya, he sounded a lot like you, but ballsier."

Moxxie's pupils shrunk.

His fears were confirmed.

The client was him.

"Oh, no!" Moxxie went pale as the copter landed and he saw where they were. It was a luxurious estate that could only be afforded by some pretty high class individuals. To Moxxie, it was a place that brought back memories he tried so hard to forget. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Moxxie? What's wrong?"

"You're white as a ghost, baby."

Lincoln and Millie's worries went unanswered as they stepped out, but Moxxie shook in fear, feeling inclined to stay in the copter until Blitzo forced him out.

Millie held her hubby's hand to calm him down while Lincoln rubbed his back.

"There he is!" The owner of the estate who also happened to be the client exclaimed. He was an adult male imp dressed in an expensive suit and fedora with a gold tooth among his teeth. Looking closely, it could be said that he looked shockingly similar to Moxxie. Just as Blitzo stated, the voice was even a dead ringer. Accompanying him were two larger shark demons. "There's my boy! Get the hell over here and give your daddy a hug!"

"Daddy?!" Blitzo, Loona, Millie, and Lincoln repeated, looking between Moxxie and the other imp.

Said imp coldly glared. "Only my son calls me that….unless you pay me!" He cackled, walking over for a proper reunion.

Moxxie knew there was no turning back, so he made the introductions. "Guys. um." He coughed to clear his throat. "This is my father, Crimson. Sir, this is my boss, Blitz and his daughter/receptionist, Loona." He gulped, dreading the next introductions. "A-And this is-"

"Millie!" She saw how nervous Moxxie was, so she took over. Plus, she wanted to make a good first impression on her father-in-law. "I'm his wife!"

Crimson raised a brow at that, but kept his thoughts about that to himself, showing a front of accommodation. "And what a beautiful wife you are." He graciously kisses her hand. "Mox, where've you been hiding this pretty little thing? I didn't even get a wedding invite."

"I'm sure he would've introduced us…..eventually." Millie can't help but feel Moxxie would've done the opposite.

"Oh, I'm sure." Crimson's eyes then casted over to Lincoln. "And who's this little fella?"

"Why, that's-"

"Our intern!" Moxxie cut Millie off, sweating. "That's Lincoln! The new intern! A recent hire, that's all!"

His insistence on leaving it as just that caused even more concern for his family.

"Intern, you say? At his age?" Crimson mused, shaking the kid's hands. "Must be one hell of a hard worker, then. I can respect that."

"Uh, thank you, sir."

Guess Lincoln will have to hold off on calling him 'grandpa' for now.

"So, Blitz was it. With the silent O?" Crimson pulled Blitzo along, slinging an arm around him. "Heard a lot of good things about you and your work."

"Really? What kind of shit has Moxxie been spreading about me?!" Blitzo demanded, shouting at his employee. "I'll fucking kill you, Moxxie! Don't you fucking test me!"

"No, no! From all over Hell. Looks like you're making a mighty fine name for yourself here, kid." Crimson praised.

"Huh. That so?" Blitzo smirked. "Well, figured it was about time folks recognized my talent."

"Hahahaha!" Crimson playfully punched his shoulder and Blitzo followed him into the mansion. "I like your attitude, pal! Hope you're all hungry, we put together a fabulous dinner for ya."

Moxxie felt like running.

He wanted to take his wife, their son, their boss, and even Loona away from this place as soon as possible.

Why?

Why did he have to meet his father again?!

After all this time!

He thought he was free!

"Baby. Why haven't I met your pa before?" Millie asked. There was now way Moxxie was ashamed of her, so why, indeed?

"And how come you just said I was the intern?" Lincoln added.

"What? You got some embarrassing secret? Not really a big deal, we already know all of them." Loona pressed.

"Uh, i-it's-it just never really-I was hoping that-"

"Hey, you four! Move it before it gets cold." Crimson said, a little too forcefully for their liking.

Sighing in resignation, Moxxie obeyed. "Let's just talk about it later." He held both Millie and Lincoln's hand as they walked through the entrance.

With them inside, Crimson dropped his charming smile into a stern glower.

He turned around, snapping his fingers and ordered his men to close the door.

The Knolastname estate was exactly how Moxxie remembered it. Cold and stenched with the air of ruthlessness. In different circumstances, the interior would be very welcoming, once one ignores all the trophies on the wall. Succubi wings, imp horns, Hellhound collars, Shark demon teeth, they were all remains of demons that had the unfortunate luck of making a man like crimson upset. "So, Blitz, have you always been in the hitman game?" He asked, pouring a glass of wine for his son's boss.

"Not always." Blitzo replied. "Before that, I had a long stint in the circus."

"Showbusiness! Hey, pretty good money in that!" Crimson praised. "By the way, my boy called the er, furry broad there your daughter and you apparently gave her a spot at your company? Sure she got the chops for it? Assassin work can be too much for someone of her…..frailness."

Loona bristled.

"Well, actually she's adopted, but that doesn't make her any less my kid. And for the record, she does a fucking good job every day!" Blitzo gave a loving look at Loona and she turned away to hide her little smile.

"Eh, I'm more of the type that knows not to forget about my own blood, but to each his own I guess." Crimson took out a cigar. "I guess I can't really blame ya for involving her in your business. Now that takes real dedication, only real loyal children would go that far and not be a total disappointment. Unfortunately, I've seen plenty of that…."

Moxie flinched at his words, his father didn't look his way and he didn't have to.

Those words were clearly directed at him.

His old man, showing that fatherly 'affection' the way he always did.

"Why did you want us here, sir?" Moxxie asked, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "Y-You only call people for important matters."

"Now, Moxxie, I raised you better than that." Crimson snidely reprimanded, smoking the cigar. "Business always comes after dinner. Besides, I'm still waiting for another special guest."

That special guest kicked the door open in a partying mood. "WHOO-HOO! What is up, party people?!"

"CHAZ?!" M&M and their son exclaimed before backspacing. "Wait, what…?"

"Honey, you know him?!" Moxxie absolutely didn't see this coming. "A-And Lincoln?! How in Satan's name do you also know him?!"

"Remember Millie's ex that we ran into?" Lincoln pointed at Chaz.

"Hot damn! Not everyday that I have two big sex reunions!" The shark demon's arms wrapped the two imps in a tight hug. "How lucky am I~?"

"Mox, did-did you date him, too?!" Millie shockingly asked.

Loona blinked before laughing her mouth off. "PFFTHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my god! This is just so fucking amazing!" She takes Blitzo's wine glass. "I am so glad I didn't miss this!"

Chaz chuckled, also finding this hilarious. "Ha, yeah, it's no big deal. But half the people in a room I'm in are usually ones I boned before-"

"Are you fucking shitting me right now?!" Blitzo was thoroughly the most angered out of everyone. "Someone's already fucked both of you?!"

Moxxie and his wife wormed out of their ex's embrace. "It was a long time ago full of many poorly made choices."

"Ah, and yet, I still remember it like it was yesterday!" Chaz sighed in nostalgia. "You, a fledgling mafioso following in your pop's footsteps and me! The incredibly dashing and sexy hired muscle!" He flexes his arms. "It was like, written in the stars or some corny shit like that!"

Blitzo and Loona looked at each other and shared a laugh. "Seriously? This guy in the mafia?" Loona nudged a perturbed Moxxie.

"Right? That is….." Blitzo's laughing was halted by Lincoln who motioned him and Loona to take a look around.

The mounted demon body parts were thought to be just a weird unique aesthetic choice, until they saw the pictures of Crimson shaking hands with men that appeared to hate doing so, the fancy decor that common imps couldn't afford to have, and the family portrait that had Crimson sitting in a big chair. If that wasn't enough to convince them, then another of Crimson's goons came in, carrying a bloody body bag.

Heck, the rest had rifles armed and ready.

"...Oh, shit. You're being for real right now." Blitzo gaped.

Loona shook her head. "Motherfucker, Moxxie was cool the whole time?!"

"Why is this the first time Ah'm hearin' about this?" Millie desperately asked.

Lincoln blinked. "Not even Millie knew?!"

"I-I don't really like talking about this part of my old life, but-" Moxie looked at his father. The bossman was expecting him to give his friends the whole story. There was no running away from his past now. "The first time I met Chaz was when I was inducted into the family." He began in a very dramatic fashion. "It was a role I had been preparing for as long as I could remember. Our eyes met from across the room and there was just something about him. Something that was…magnetic!" He clutched his chest. "In the turf wars, he was the only one to assist me!" Moxxie proclaimed, recanting the memory of love flourishing in the battlefield. "Soon, it was a tidal wave of late night visits accompanied by blunt, yet, meaningful messages! And of course his…..tender handling of my weaponry. And how I could forget him drawing me like one of his Lust lovers." Moxxie wiped away a tear. "It's been eighty four years…."

"Isn't that from that boat movie?" Blitzo pointed out.

Lincoln snapped his fingers. "I knew that sounded familiar!" It was the first romance movie she and Bobby watched after becoming a couple.

"Did any of that stuff actually happen?" It sounded way far fetched for Millie to believe. Especially the Titanic references.

"Oh, yeaaaaaah~ Mmm~." Chaz licked his lips at certain memories of his own. "Though, you sorta skipped over the real jizz covered parts, Moxxo!"

Moxxie's eye twitched as he recalled the last time he saw his ex-boyfriend. How can anyone forget the day their heart was broken? "Anyway, things changed when we went on a heist together in one of Mammon's banks. Both Chaz and the money I was hauling were able to make it out. As for me, my leg got stuck in the trap doors and just when I thought Chaz would have helped me, he just ran away!" He hissed at the now sheepish aquatic demon. "I was thrown into jail the very next minute and it just so happens, that's where I met Blitz and well, the rest is history."

"Hey, yeah! Now that sounds familiar!" Blitzo nodded. "I had the top bunk, obviously, and it was way back when Looney still had a babysitter! Ah, she was willing to work for cheap pay. Wasn't long before you and her met, right MIlls? …..Millie?"

Rather than answer Blitzo, Millie was growling dangerously at Chaz after Moxxie's story was finished. She had plenty enough reason to hate the bastard already, hearing how he burned her true love just added more fury to her fire. Chaz tugged his collar, attempting to save a little face. "W-Well, like you said, that was like, a long time ago!"

"Millie….keep it together….." Lincoln cautioned, already knowing what came next.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Millie roared, lunging at him with a knife.

"AH! Crazy-ass bitch!" Chaz cowardly hid behind Crimson's chair, to the boss's annoyance.

The feral Wrath imp had to be held back by the combined effort of all her co-workers. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Cool your jets there!" Crimson put his hands up.

"You're dead! You are dead, y'hear?!" Millie ranted. "I'll cut yer boys off and feed 'em to ya until you choke!"

"He's not worth it, Millie!" Lincoln shouted in all the chaos. "I mean, I get it, but just calm down!"

"Yeah, listen to your son!" Chaz's comment caught Crimson's ears.

"Wait, who's son?"

"Hers. You know, that kid there." Chaz pointed at a frozen Lincoln. "She said she and Mox adopted him or whatever. Larry, right?"

Crimson slowly turned to stare directly into his son's eyes, wanting an explanation. "Moxxie. Care to explain?"

"Erm, w-well, being the youngest among us, see, it's a long story-" Moxxie squirmed under Crimson's scrutinizing gaze and relents. "Okay, I admit it, we may have been omitting another thing about Lincoln. Millie and I have been caring for him, as if he were our own."

"Which he is!" Millie exclaimed.

"Yeah, so, surprise?" Moxxie wiggled his hands.

Now, cue the very tense silence.

"Are you telling me…..I'm a grandpa?!" Crimson shouted in a wide smile. "Mox, ya old so and so! This calls for celebration! Hey, Margarite! Bring out the good scotch! The family just got bigger!"

Everyone was soon gathered at the large dinner table. Lincoln tapped his fingers on it as Moxxie tried to clear things up on why he chose to not inform Crimson of their newfound familial bond. "Okay, the reason why I didn't inform you is because, well, I figured you'd be displeased considering Lincoln's more or less adopted, so I wasn't sure if that would mean anything to you, sir."

"Oh, Moxxie. You really know how to break your old man's heart." Crimson shook his head and addressed his silent right hand man. "Kid thinks so little of his old man. Damn shame, huh?"

"You literally said that you prefer blood relations moments ago."

"And that's in the past. Now, I like to think of myself as more open-minded and hey, when you think about it, it makes sense that you had to adopt a kid instead of pumping one out." A few of his men chuckled at that.

"Welp, this just keeps getting more and more uncomfortable." Blitzo remarked, playing with his food. "Not to mention, very off track."

Crimson nodded. "Right, right. I suppose you wanna know why you're here."

"I know it's for a hit, I'm just lost on the little detail of it being a hit here in Hell. Killing fuckers on Earth is our thing, we usually kill local fuckers during off hours just for shits and giggles. Mostly the giggles. So, if you wanna do business with us, then-"

"My business isn't with I.M.P. My business is with Moxxie."

"Me?!" The imp in question said out of fear..

"Yeah, kid. I summoned your little upstart outfit to be sure you'd show because," Crimson rolled his eyes in annoyance. "we're bringing Chaz here into the family." He nodded at the waving shark.

"What?! Since when can just anyone join the family and of all people, why him?"

"Come on, Mox. You had responsibilities around here that I had to pick up after you took off." Crimson told him bitterly. "Now, Chaz is gonna lighten the load."

"Still, why him? You always hated his guts." Moxxie recalled.

Crimson shrugged that off. "Hate's a strong word, I mean, did it really look like I hated him?"

"You always called him a friendless horse-fucker and blamed him for and I quote, 'seducing me into a sissy lifestyle'."

Lincoln frowned at that.

He sure wasn't forming a good opinion of his adoptive grandfather. Especially when he thought about Clyde's dads, Luna, and Sam, knowing they also wouldn't think highly.

"Yeah, well, I was wrong, okay?" Nobody believed Crimson, it looked like he was making himself look good to convince his son. "You've been gone a long time, Mox. A man can change and so can Chazzy here."

"For sure! I've done a lot of growth, matured like a boss, and recently, came into millions!" Chaz cheered for himself, Lincoln subtly noticed how he looked a little forceful when saying that and Chaz darted his eyes. "But, you know. Mostly the mature thing."

"Ah, I got the gist. The horseless friend-fucker over here gets a little moolah and somehow, that's worth wasting our time over?" Blitzo surmised, thinking he should've let Crimson go to voicemail.

"What can I say? I'm the whole package." Chaz wiggled his eyebrows. "If you know what I mean."

I.M.P stared deadpanned at him.

"I got a pretty big dick." Chaz added.

Loona cringed and said to M&M. "Jeez, I know I've said you two have fucking low standards, but this is just….wow."

"Will someone just explain what does any of this bull have to do with Moxxie?" Millie asked.

She'd rather not have to be in the same room as her ex any longer.

"Tomorrow, we're having a special ceremony." Crimson wiped his mouth. "Moxxie here is going to officially release his holdings. When that's done, kiddo, you can get back to ignoring your family to your heart's content." He condescendingly said to make Moxxie shrink in his seat.

"Well, isn't that your own fault?"

Crimson stopped drinking and his eyes landed on the person who said that.

Lincoln.

"Excuse me?"

Lincoln coughed on his fist. "I mean, did you or anyone else in the family even try to reach out to him after he got out of jail? Or even break him out?"

Crimson raised a brow. "Sonny, if you were raised right, you'd know better than to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Except for when it involves his pa!" Millie countered. "Ever think maybe Mox wouldn't ignore y'all if ya didn't force him to rub elbows with a no-good shark toothed fuck face!" She bared her teeth at her smirking ex, only for him to squirm when she brought her knife out as a warning.

"Hey, look, everybody just relax. I know tensions have been high tonight." Crimson didn't want anything to disturb the special occasion, not when he's so close. "Say, why don't you stick around here and get some rest? We'll have the ceremony tomorrow and then you're free to leave. I have your rooms all prepared. Alessio if you'd please." He motioned his right hand-man, Alessio, another fish type demon, to take the guests away.

Millie was gonna speak her mind some more, until Moxxie cut her off. "Yes, sir." He meekly obeyed.

"...Mox?"

"Please, let's just play along for now." Moxxie told her, taking both her and Lincoln by their hands and arms.

Everybody headed for the doors until Crimson spoke one more time. "A moment, Moxxie. Stick around. We still have plenty to talk about."

Some quality father and son time.

How Moxxie didn't miss those.

Millie and Lincoln wanted to stand by him, but he reassured them. "This'll only be a second, you two." He surprised Luna when he spoke to her next. "Loona. Make sure everyone's watching out for each other."

"Uh…..okay?"

Moxxie putting his faith in her

The surprises just keep piling up.

Alessio closed the door.

Now, it was only a father and his estranged son.

Moxxie supposed it was naive of him to think he'd be purely free of his father continuing to influence his life. Meeting Blitzo in that cell was the best thing to ever happen to him, it put him on the path to forming a family of his own. I.M.P has its troubles and he didn't mind, it was a step up from this mansion.

The syndicate.

And of course, a step up from Crimson.

Not that he'd actually say that out loud.

Working up that kind of courage was always hard for Moxxie.

Father and son stared at each other in silence, the only sound in the room was the flickering of the green flames in the fireplace.

Crimson breaks the silence through a very angered and commanding question. "So. You think you're too good for this family, now?"

"What? I don't-"

"Come here."

"Sir, if you just-"

"Come. Here." Crimson beckoned again warningly.

Moxxie shivered as he walked across the room. "I just don't understand why I'm-"

SMACK!

The gun expert fell to the floor after his father backhanded him hard.

Now, this was the father he truly remembered, not the polite charismatic businessman facade he put up when it suits him.

"You think you can just walk away from this family and never come back?!" Crimson roared, glowering down at Moxxie. "You thought I'd just forget?! That I'd let it slide?! Well, you're dead wrong, Mox!" He pulls Moxxie back up by the collar. "Matter of fact, the only thing you are right about is that your obnoxious piss-stain ex can't be made! Not unless he marries in!"

"Marries?!" To Moxxie, the very prospect was as likely as Asmodeus going abstinent. "Who would even want to-"

"Who the Heaven do you think?!" Crimson retorted, taking a seat. "This family needs his money and frankly, it's about damn time your pathetic ass was useful for somethin'!"

Himself?

Crimson expects Moxxie to marry that guy.

"Sir, I-I'm already married! I just can't-"

"You think I give a shit about your stupid beard?!"

"Beard?! It's not like that at all!"

"Oh, quit the whole closet shit, already! I even went through the trouble to make the house more to your kind's liking." Crimson revealed the secret buttons in his chair's arms and pushed just one.

"...Wha-What do you think I'm into?!" Moxxie exclaimed after getting a load of the special surprises that Crimson had hidden around the room.

"What? This is the kinda crap gays like, right?" Crimson obliviously asked.

Moxxie rubbed his aching temples. "Okay, first off, dad, I'm bisexual."

"Yeah. Gay."

Satan, this guy took close-mindedness to a whole new tier.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Moxxie sighed, and slapped away one of the surprises. "Secondly, I can't think of a single person of any sexuality who'd enjoy this!"

Staying true to form, Blitzo proved him wrong. "Ha! There're dildos on the wall! Now, that's fucking hilarious!"

"Lincoln, ya didn't see anythin'! Just look at the darkness of mah palms!" Millie screeched.

"See, this is the moment where shit's about to hit the fan any minute now." Loona deadpanned.

Why must Moxxie be cursed with Blitzo as a boss?

Crimson grabbed his chin to make Moxxie stare into his eyes. "Look at me, kid! One way or another, you're gonna do what I fucking say! Don't even think about crossing me! You, of all people, know what happens when people cross me!"

Moxxie sweated and couldn't break free from Crimson's hold.

The defenseless imp was reliving his entire childhood. A coldhearted father who was disappointed how soft his son had turned out no matter how much he tried toughening up. The kid did end up knowing how to shoot a gun, but anything beyond that was halted by the protectiveness of a loving mother. Always getting in the father's way, always telling him he was being too hard. Her audacity had made Crimson reach his boiling point and removed the mother's influence…..permanently. From then on, the child lived under his thumb, being forced to commit many horrid acts the mother didn't want him participating in and had to always follow a simple rule. Never cross Crimson.

Unless he risks a watery grave.

…Like his mother.

"Now, get to bed, Moxxie!" Crimson ordered, pushing him away. "You've got a big day, tomorrow!"

"Y-Yes, sir…." Moxxie fearfully nodded.

"One more thing, Mox." In case his son still had rebellious thoughts, the boss gave his son a warning he knew would keep Moxxie docile. "If you ever talk back to me again. Then you, that pretty little thing, and your little rat you took off from whatever shithole street he came from will be going back to Pride in boxes!"

Moxxie backed up slowly until he made it to the floor. "I-I understand, sir….!" He had to find the doorknob. Fast! Moxxie left the office as swiftly as he could.

Crimson narrowed his eyes.

This whole Chaz deal needed to go off without a hitch. "Alessio!" His bodyguard entered.

"What is it, sir?"

"How's the kid doing? The one my damn son brought?"

"Unsettled, boss. I don't think he trusts you."

Alessio was one of the few men Crimson trusts to be frank with him and his keen observation skills proved valuable to him. So, his so-called 'grandson' doesn't have it in him to trust grandpa, eh? "Right." He pressed a button to retract all the 'presents'. Fixing his tie, Crimson walked out his office to look for the boy. Apparently, he was still downstairs, looking over some of the family heirlooms.

Good.

Least he didn't wander off.

"Hey there, buddy boy!"

Lincoln felt a chill as he replied. "Oh, uh, h-hi, Mr. Crimson."

"Hey, the fuck is with this Mr. bull, huh?" Crimson chuckled, messing up Lincoln's hair a little too roughly. "Just call me grandpa!"

"If-If you say so." Lincoln noticed Moxxie looking at them, shaking like a leaf as if he were scared something bad was about to happen. "Um, so, what did you and Moxxie talk about?"

"Ah, we were just catchin' up. Heh, all this time, and he's barely changed one bit. To think there was a time where I actually thought he'd live up to his name!" He laughed.

"Uh-huh…." A little too insulting for Lincoln to ignore.

"Anyways, come here, kid. Figured I'd show you more of the family estate."

Lincoln's shoulder was in Crimson's grasp very tightly and Moxxie felt so helpless and weak as he stood by and watched things unfold. Every fiber in his being was demanding that he get Lincoln away from that man at all costs. He wasn't safe, none of them were safe as long as crimson kept them here. But, the inner fear of his own father prevented Moxxie from making a move and he hated himself for it.

Why?

Why did this have to happen?

He was finally free of Crimson, yet, not it's all the same as it was.

The threatening gleam of his father's eyes and poor little Moxxie, powerless to resist him.

Albert.

Leonard.

And up until recently, Joe.

Three grandpas in Lincoln's life that he can honestly say he was grateful to have. They were kind, good to talk to, fun in their own respective ways, and had that energy about that made him comfortable to be around.

Being around Crimson set off many alarms.

The guy seemed cordial and charming, but Lincoln's seen enough mob movies with Lola to know how dangerous someone like him can be. Another tell was how terrified Moxxie was at their reunion. Hell has introduced to many concepts he's only heard stories about, an abusive parent was unfortunately more common than he cared to admit. "And right here I like to call my collage of investments." Framed photos of Crimson standing at the grand openings of various businesses. "It takes a lot of hard work to make your mark in Hell, kid. Now, I don't think myself as a charitable man, but I found it important to lend a hand to all these hardworkin' folks….for a good price."

"Price?"

"Of course. After all, they were settin' up joints on my turf. See, in order for this family to prosper, for anything to prosper, you gotta have a lotta dough. In return for lettin' them set up on my turf, it's only fair that I get a share of the profits they make each year, plus, while under my protection, it protects from the more dangerous sort." Crimson's little lesson didn't sound good at all to Lincoln.

"...What happens if they don't wanna pay?"

Crimson blinked, and cackled gleefully. "Hahaha, oh, trust me, I make damn sure that they wanna pay." Crimson took one photo off the wall. Fat Mike's Butchery always made the best roast beef, up until last year and the big guy was always quite the card. Up until last year. "If they don't, well, them's the breaks, kiddo." He dumps the photo in the trash, making Lincoln narrow his eyes. Crimson's eyebrow went up. "Hey, I'm only spittin' facts here. You thought I got to where I am now for playin' it soft? Listen, you got something you want?"

"Huh?"

"A want. A need. Everyone has one and even little imps like you should know that one crucial key is needed. Money" Crimson confidently strolled to him and slung an arm around the shoulder. "Think about it. It's simple math. To get anywhere, you gotta rake in all that sweet, sweet moolah. Without it, you're not even worth more than the shit on the ground. The real good part is using it to get anything you want."

"Anything…..?"

Crimson's smirk grew wider.

"That's right, buddy. Anything."

What Lincoln wanted above all else was to break his curse.

Return home.

Being the adoptive grandson of a mob boss may yield certain resources that can make that dream a reality.

Just waiting around for new leads wasn't cutting it anymore.

He needed a way out right now…..

This sudden sense of wanting made his eyes lightly glow yellow, a sign of the Greed Ring starting to influence him. It was similar to all those times he coveted things before, only more demanding. The only downside was…..that people could get hurt and the greedy feeling went away as quick as it arrived. "But, what if there's a better way? I mean, just because it's effective, doesn't mean it's all there is, right? Money isn't always everything."

Crimson must have misheard him.

There was no way this kid said that and actually meant it.

More importantly, it sounded almost defiant.

Lincoln felt another chill as Crimson now looked down at him, and the stern disappointed frown was unnerving. "Kid, are you questioning me?"

"I was just-"

"Quiet."

"But-"

"Did I fucking stutter?" Crimson sneered, shutting the kid up. Sighing, Crimson pinched the middle of his face. "That little disgrace I have to call a son. I see he's gotten to youss. Or maybe you got that beedin' heart whatever sappy bullshit your birth folks taught ya before Mox thought I'd let his little pity adoption fly!" He harshly shouted. Lincoln took a lot of steps back once Crimson advanced. "Just because he adopted your ass don't mean shit unless you prove you're worth being a part of this family! If not, then here's what happens!"

A snap of his fingers and in came more of his Loan Shark subordinates carrying a lanky imp, throwing him to the ground much to Lincoln's shock.

The poor bastard had seen better days.

His clothes were in tatters and one of his horns had been torn off, the right eye was swollen and there was black blood leaking out of his mouth of missing teeth. Coughing out blood, he weakly craned his head to the leering Crimson. "B-Boss….?!"

"Lou, my boy! Don't look so hot." Crimson crouched and cupped his chin. "See, I was wondering why you haven't been around the joint lately. If you recall, I specifically called for you. Weeks ago. You haven't been hiding, have you?"

"N-No, sir!" Lou denied, squirming under the gaze of his boss. "S-Some important business came up and-"

"Important business, you say? More important than me? The man who's the sole reason you went from faceless good to being one of top guys? Now why in Hell is that, hm?" Crimson nodded at a Loan Shark and he tossed a folder of pictures that had Lou meeting a group of other mobster demons at night. "Is it because Allessio caught you trading envelopes to Big Impling's boys, the rat bastard who's been muscling in on my territory? Now, I don't mean to sound paranoid, but ya gotta admit. This don't paint a pretty picture. Now, I'm gonna give you one chance. If you're actually trading away secrets to a competitor just so you could switch over to his outfit, then just come out and say it. Or you could lie and tell me I'm wrong." He squeezed the cheeks harder. "Admit to your mistake or tell me, the boss, the man who's always right, that I'm actually in the wrong. What's it gonna be?"

Both options had very grim outcomes.

Crimson was expecting him to make a choice.

Staying silent may very well lead to an even worse fate.

The answer was obvious.

"Y-Yes, I did trade off secrets!" Lou cried. "It's just-things haven't been going well around here, ya know? At least money wise a-and I got bills to pay! You understand, right?! Big Impling offered a sweet-ass deal! I-I had to!"

Crimson removed his cigar and breathed smoke in Lou's face to throw him into a coughing fit.

"I understand."

"...Huh?"

"I get it, kid. We're going through tough times. Don't you worry, though. Come tomorrow, you won't need to beg for pocket change from two bit hacks like Impling. Here, I got ya.." Crimson surprisingly Lou up, dusting off his shoulders. "Boy, Hammy really did a number, didn't he? Need anything? Want an aspirin?"

"N-No, boss….I'm good…." Lou was beyond confused, usually, he'd-

WHACK!

And there it was.

Crimson smacked across Lou's face with a crowbar he had Hammy give him. As if Lou wasn't bloodied enough, Crimson had to up the ante by striking the rebs, then the legs, and the back. Two hits, three hits, four hits, the number of times Crimson bludgeoned him kept increasing. Lincoln moved to intervene and was held back by Crimson's men. "You still good, ya lousy fuck?!" Crimson screamed, still going at it. Lou gasped weak groans that only furthered the beating. "What was that?! I couldn't hear ya over your whiny bitchin! Ragh!" One more swing before Crimson took a reprieve. Lou's face was even worse than before, suffering a severe concussion in the head and couldn't stand back up. Tossing the blood stained crowbar aside, Crimson pointed at the brutalized Lou for Lincoln to see. "See, boy?! See what disrespect gets ya?! Him, those ungrateful fuckers refusing to pay, they all gotta learn to get in line and this is the only way how! Now, get this waste of space outta here! I'll be continuin' my lesson later!"

Lou was dragged away, leaving a bloody trail.

Lincoln stared agape, horrified by the display. "You-You didn't have to do that-!"

"I had every right! 'Cause around here, my word is fucking law!" Crimson tightly grabbed the collar of Lincoln's shirt. "Now, here's what's gonna happen. No matter what Mox may say or feel, you are not to interfere with the family business! I already talked to him about it, I just find sending two messages makes things more clearer. So, do you understand?"

A kid like Lincoln was expected to flinch and shrink in terror.

Part of the boy really felt it…but the other part was a different matter.

Crimson was trying to threaten the boy, yet the mobster had no clue what he was provoking.

The stirring demon within was insulted that this unfair imp was trying to force his compliance. Lincoln surprised and slightly impressed Crimson when his fearful expression morphed into a bold, almost threatening, glare that matched his.

Moxxie prevented an escalation by opening the door.

"Dad? Is Lincoln he-" Moxxie gasped, seeing the blood on the floor and Crimson's men holding his kid back. "What in Satan's name is going on?!" He hurriedly pulled Lincoln away.

"Easy there, Moxxie. Was just showing the tyke how grandad rolls. Go on. Get him out'a here, I think I made my point. To both of you."

That was one of his father's orders Moxxie was willing to follow.

One glare was shared between grandfather and grandson before the door was closed.

"Moxxie! We need to leave!"

"I know."

"Like, right now!"

"I know."

"Your dad is insane!"

"I know! Satan damn it, I know!" Moxxie could only imagine what Crimson made Lincoln witnessed. That tactic was done numerous times on Moxxie to "toughen him up", all it did succeed were childhood nightmares. "Believe me, the last thing I ever wanted was for you and Millie to meet my father! The problem is….we can't do anything."

"What?! Like hell we can't!" Lincoln argued hotly. "Come on, we've gotten out of worse than this!"

"Lincoln, the usual tomfoolery our company partakes in might as well be vacations compared to that-that bastard!" Moxxie's hand went through his white hair in a fret. "L-Look, for now, don't worry about it! This is my problem! I-If there is a way out, I can find it myself!" Moxxie barely believed his own words, but he needed to comfort Lincoln somehow.

"Hello? Man with a plan? We can even get Millie in on this!"

"Lincoln! Please!" Breathing deeply, Moxxie kept imploring. "People like Crimson don't have any sense of mercy! Cross him and he'll make sure you regret it! He doesn't even care if it's me, his own fucking son! No one's spared! ….But if I can somehow get you and Millie spared, even Blitz and Loona, then that's good enough for me…."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lincoln didn't like the sound of the way he spoke.

Moxxie shut his eyes and looked away.

"I wish I could tell you…." Both went up the stairs where Millie had been waiting for them. Alessio motioned Moxxie to enter a separate bedroom than the one Millie thought they'd be sharing.

An act that didn't sit well for the female imp. "Wait, why aren't we in the same-"

"Crimson's orders." Alessio stoically explained. "All guests shall sleep in different rooms for tonight."

"Why? Moxie!" Millie held her love's hands, also noticing Lincoln being very troubled.

"It's just one night, Milly…it's okay."

Millie doubted that very much.

"Is it really? Just what is goin' on here, Mox?"

"Everything's fine." Moxxie sadly wrapped both his wife and their son in his arms. "Neither of you have to worry about anything."

"You know you can tell me anything….right?" She's never seen her hubby look so hopeless before.

As if he just gave up on life altogether.

"...Yes. Like I said, everything's fine, my dad was just being….my dad." Lying to his own wife made Moxxie sick. At least he was truthful about Crimson even though she didn't have the full picture.

"We're partners, Mox. A family." Millie reminded him/

"That's exactly why I'm telling you it'll be alright." He kisses her hand. "It'll all be over, tomorrow. Promise."

"...Okay." Millie gave him a good night kiss on the lips before the three separated. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Both of you." Moxxie rubbed Lincoln's hair. "Goodnight."

Lincoln lingered after opening his door.

Was there truly nothing that can be done?

He went in, grabbing his head and crouching down.

"Shit."

Another fine mess.

Outside, Moxxie glumly entered his own bedroom…and saw various pictures of Chaz all over. "What the-?! Fucking why?!"

All residents of the Knolastname mansion were sound asleep.

Or to put it more accurately, most were sound asleep.

A select few were too worried about tomorrow to properly get some rest. For example, Lincoln just stared at the ceiling. How the hell is he able to sleep after the day of meeting Moxxie's father led to unsavory prospects for the next day.

Crimson wasn't winning any father or grandfather of the year awards anytime soon.

That much he was certain.

Even when he did try to get to sleep, he'd be snapped awake by some weird music originating from Moxxie's room and of all things, Chaz was singing? Either love was truly blind or his imp parents were on some really effective drugs when they dated him. The music stopped at least….and then, came the even stranger sounds from where Blitzo was.

"CHILL THE FUCK OUT!"

Lincoln sat up from the bed. "Yeah, there's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight."

"DAMN IT, I TOLD YOU NOT THAT HOLE!"

Oh, well.

Now, he had the perfect excuse to commence Operation Find Out Whatever Crimson's Up To And Get I.M.P The Heck Out Of Here.

Coming up with shorter operation names was even harder in Hell.

Phase of the operation, investigate Chaz.

He was the guest of honor, after all and whatever secrets he was keeping, if it can offer a way out for the I.M.P family, then Lincoln's gonna find it. Quietly opening the door, Lincoln saw no guards keeping watch.

A good sign.

It was still paramount to watch himself.

Back downstairs, Lincoln looked around having memorized the stops Crimson took him to during his tour. His flashlight phone shone on whatever's a possible clue, here's hoping all that time reading Ace Savvy and David Steele will pay off. He caught a very special photograph, it was of Moxxie as a young little imp child being carried in the arms of the same female imp he spotted in the family portrait.

This was Moxxie's mother.

She was so….beautiful.

Her dark hair, that western styled dress and loving smile as she held her precious child.

"...Grandma.…."

Why wasn't she around?

"Christ on a stick, that is some high proceed MILF."

"Ah!" Lincoln jumped, turning around to see his boss. "Blitz?! What are you doing….and why are you wearing Chazz's jacket? And what happened to your pants?" Not that Lincoln's one to judge someone going full boxers.

It's just that Blitzo's reasons may not be the same as his.

"Was doing boss shit, and why I'm here is the same as you, intern. You got a bad feeling about that fucker, Chazz, too, huh? You're in good company. Ain't no way someone that bad in the sack managed to score two hotties like your parents!"

"...Huh?"

"Now, follow me! Got the keys to that horseless friend-fucker's car!" Blitzo spun them in his fingers.

Lincoln looked at the photo again and figured Moxxie deserved to have one good memento of his past.

To hide it, he opens a small portal and places it on the office desk in the other end.

Lincoln and Blitzo quietly walked outside to the parking lot, the latter pressing the keys continuously until the car they were looking for honked.

And honked it did.

The keys unlocked the door and they looked around for anything useful.

Lincoln opened up the glove compartment. "Whoa look at this!" Eviction notices, electric bills, overdue renewals, etcetera. "Now, why would a guy who supposedly made a lot of money have all this?"

"Not only, but you'd think he could afford a car that didn't smell like used condoms." Bitzo found another item in the back. "Or learn not to forget his own god damn phone. Fuck, he is easily one of my more embarrassing lays. Like, fucking a guy named Dennis levels of embarrassing. Know what I mean?"

"...I really don't nor do I want to."

Blitzo figured out the phone's password easily, which was just numbers in reverse.

Lots of missed calls left to voicemail.

Play.

"Chaz! You there, you miserable cum-stain?! Look, if your penniless ass ain't out before the new tenants arrive, I'm gettin' the missus to kick you out personally and she's still pissy about you robbing her ma!"

"Damn it, Chazzy! You said you'd get me the money by now! Where the fuck are you?!"

"You fucking asshole! If I don't see even one soul next week, pray to Satan I don't find you!"

"Chaz's not rich!" Lincoln stated in realization. "He's flat out broke! He lied to Crimson!"

"Looks like it." Blitzo had opened the truck next and came across Chaz's little to-do list. "Fishboy seems to be looking to get himself and Mox hitched to make actual cash by marrying into the family."

"Married?! To Moxxie?!" Lincoln exclaimed wildly. "Is that why Crimson wanted Moxxie here?! That-That-That son of a bitch!" Lincoln slammed a fist onto the car's hood.

"Whoa, slow your roll there, tiger. You're not the only one pissed as balls right now. Ain't nobody fucking around M&M's marriage but me!" Lincoln gave Blitzo an unamused frown. "What? It's the tru-GAH!" Blitzo yelled once he felt a sharp pain in his neck.

Chaz had taken him by surprise and injected a numbing needle.

"Blitz!" Lincoln got tackled down by one of the imp henchmen, his arm held tight and nearly snapped. "Get off!" Brandishing a knife, Lincoln stabbed the imp's shoulder deeply and he rolled off, clutching the bleeding. Several of Crimson's men were out and shot at Lincoln as soon as he jumped across car roofs. Throwing magic spell notecards, the bullets hit each of the shooters' hands. Leaping off, Lincoln grabbed one Loan Shark's head and slammed it down on a car hood. Using the back to propel up again, Lincoln kicked hard across another imp's face and slashed vital spots to incapacitate them.

The pride Millie would feel if she were here right now would be immeasurable.

One henchman jumped right behind Lincoln and chopped his neck to knock him out.

"Whoo! You guys work fast!" Chaz claimed, hoisting Blitzo up. "I didn't even know big daddy Crim had night guards out."

"The boss had a feeling the little guy would've tried interfering with the wedding. Damn shame, but he was warned and now, he's gotta see what happens when he crosses Crimson." A henchman darkly said.

"Holy fuck, you gonna take the kid out?! That is some heavy dark shit, my dudes! I don't know if I can even stomach it…..which is why it's better to do that out of my line of sight!" Chazz chuckled "Don't wanna get bummed out on my wedding day!" He throws Blitzo in the back, locking it shut. "Sorry, babe! But, you aren't the only junk in my trunk!" The henchman stared blankly. "Fuck, you're right, that was just cringe."

"Oh….." Lincoln's eyes opened to see blurry images to fully see mobsters sitting across.

He found that he was on a wooden rowboat out on a lake and it was morning.

His cries were muffled thanks to the tape and struggled against the rope tied around him.

The goons confiscated all his cards, the gun, and his knife.

He had no means of freeing himself.

"Just a little farther, Mick." An imp told his Loan Shark cohort.

"Better be, Subby. At this rate, we'll be late for the wedding and you know Crimson doesn't tolerate tardiness."

Lincoln tried in vain to break free, but these ropes were done very well. "Hey, look who's up and about. Ya should've taken the boss's warnings to heart, kid. Would've saved you a very deep night swim." The boat stopped and Lincoln gasped behind the tape when saw the many items that were floating around the boat.

All that was left of the poor souls Crimson made an example of.

It was at this point that Lincoln saw the cement blocks connected to the ropes.

Good lord….

No brainer what was coming next.

Mick, being the larger one, lifted the blocks and Subby raised Lincoln up by his back.

Lincoln continued to move about in his bindings, if only these guys were able to hear what he was yelling at them.

"Nothin' personal, kid. Just followin' orders." Subby said.

Mick was a different story. "Well, actually, this is a dream come true. I've wanted to drown kids in lakes ever since I was about this fella's age…yeah, I was a fucked up child." Mick shrugged.

In no time, Lincoln was dumped into the water. The cements' block weight made him sink fast and very deep. He wanted to scream, but the tape held everything back, his vision was trained upwards and the poor child kept on trying to swim up.

But, he kept sinking and soon enough the water shall enter his lungs…..

A watery grave awaited him….

'Damn it…! Damn it….! DAMN IT!' He mentally roared, closing his eyes…..and then opening them again to show their red glow that soon evolved into the black and red from before….

Back on the boat, Mick and Subby checked to see if any bubbles were seen.

They usually don't last this long.

At that moment, the wind, which was relatively small, started to pick up.

Strong enough to send Subby's hat off to the water.

The imp reached to retrieve it until it was suddenly pulled in.

"What the-?" Subby peered in closer ... .and a hand shot out to grab his face! "MFF!"

"Subby?!" Mick's partner was pulled to the murky depths. "Oh, shit! Where are you, man?!"

Bubbles finally came.

A precursor for when the boat was immediately broken two when water shot out through the middle.

"Fuck! Oh, fuck!" Mick swam away, heading to the docks until in front of him, up starting to rise was the very same kid he nearly drowned. Lincoln slowly floated out of the water, his wet hair obscuring his eyes and the disguise he was using wore off after the mask slipped. "Bastard….!" He demonically growled.

His arms raised up as the water did the same at his command.

"H-Hold on….! Wait….Wait….!"

Morning had come which meant Moxxie had to face what may very be the rest of his natural born life.

He hadn't told Millie about the whole mess, either.

He was much too ashamed.

"There's the man of the hour!" God, did Moxxie hate that smug smile on his father's features. "Ready to get started?"

The monster was enjoying this.

"Hey, wasn't there a hot furry with you?" Chaz asked.

"She's still sleepin'. Now that I think about it, where are Blitz and Lincoln?" Millie looked around. "They weren't in their rooms."

Chaz fumbled about excuses. "Uh….said he wanted to get some fresh air or something and the kid wanted to see if Loo-Loo Land was rebuilt!"

"Uh-huh. Yeah, I'm not believing anything outta you." Millie decided to look for them herself. "Be back soon, baby." She kissed Moxxie on the cheek.

Moxxie smiled as she left, but frowned once it settled that he was alone with two of his least favorite people right now.

"Why so glum, kid? This is your wedding day! Happiest day of your life!"

Moxxie felt the exact opposite when looking at Chaz's sleazy grin.

The rest of his days being married to him…..

It was at that moment that Moxxie made his choice.

After that annoying little musical number Chazz serenaded to get Moxxie to accept the whole wedding and surveying all the happy memories with the people who actually makes him happy, the little imp decided then and there that it was high time that he stopped letting Crimson pushing him around like he's just another mook rather than a son. His family, his real family, was in I.M.P. He and Milie have built a great life together and can't imagine giving his heart to anyone else, especially not his self-serving obnoxious ex-boyfriend. For all their insults, Blitzo and Loona treat him somewhat better than what he has had to endure in this estate.

And Lincoln.

For a time, he didn't want to be like a father figure to the boy based on the fear that he may be the same as Crimson, but that was profusely unfounded.

If that kid had been willing to tell him countless times that he was good enough, then Moxxie has more than earned the right to be a father.

And thus, he finally became resolute in his choice.

"...I'm not doing it."

"What was that? I couldn't make it out over the sound of you being a whiny bitch like always." Crimson dismissed uncaringly.

Not this time.

Moxxie slammed the table, startling them. "I said I'm not doing this, sir! I've spent my whole being afraid of you and if you think I'm giving up the few good things in my life just so you can keep your fragile little sense of control over everything! Millie is a good woman! Better than I deserve! And if there's one thing I'm scared of more than you is hurting her! Not to mention, disappointing Lincoln!"

"Teh! All this over some little urchin-"

"He is not an urchin! By caring about him, I realized that just because I'm your son, that doesn't mean I'd be as shitty a father as you! Hell, I'm far better!" Crimson grew increasingly surprised at Moxxie's gall. "You always spew bullshit about blood being everything, but you never once took your own damn advice! Instead of whoring me off to Herpes the clown over here!"

Chaz cried. "Hey!"

"Hmph. And I suppose your boy would agree….even if he were at that Loo-Loo Land."

"...What?"

Crimson sought to crush Moxxie's bravada by shedding light on Lincoln's predicament. "The little guy tried acting tough, too and according to my boys, stuck his nose where it don't belong. Now, if you play nice like I gently asked, I might be inclined to tell 'em to go easy on-SON OF A BITCH!"

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

Nope.

Just another surprise when Moxxie brazenly grabbed a coffee cup and splashed the contents all over his father's face.

Hearing Crimson say all that….it just set something off…the fury of a true father.

"Oh, my fuck!" Chaz cowardly hid behind his chair.

Moxxie jumped over to tug hard on his father's shirt. He was actually starting to act like most Wrath ring imps. "What did you do?! Where is he?! Where's my son, you fucking asshole?! I swear, if anything happens to him, I will-URGH!"

His threat went unfinished when Alessio tasered him asleep.

"Sir, are you alright?" Alessio used a napkin to wipe his boss's face.

"Does it look like I'm fine?! Dammit, the nerve of this ungrateful little bastard!" Crimson's skin stung like hell. "Get him dressed and spread the word! Take care of the others!"

If Moxxie liked his new friends so much, then he'll have special body bags just for them.

Ever since I.M.P went down to Greed yesterday, Millie had a nasty feeling all over her body.

Moxxie's been acting like death was hanging over his head and now, her baby boy and best boss were missing.

To look for them, she'll need help.

"Loona! Loona, get yer furry baitin' ass up and about already!"

Even her harder door knocking got no reply.

When in doubt, just slam it wide open and look for a lazy Helhound. Strangely, Loona was nowhere in sight and Millie was unaware of a Loan Shark sneaking up behind him, gun ready to go off. Then, Loona finally showed up from behind the opened door just as the shark demon entered and bit down on his throat, tearing it off as the now dead goon collapsed on the floor.

"What in Satan's ass?! What's goin' on?!" Millie loudly questioned.

"If any of the mob shows Blitz binges on Vox Flix have taught me, it's to never let your guard down in a mob boss's pad! I mean, fuck, that honestly goes without even saying dick at all!" Loona spat out the dead goon's blood.

"Lincoln! And Blitz we hafta find 'em!" Millie threw a lamp desk out the window, allowing both women to jump out and to the parking lot. "You got their scent?!"

"Just Blitz's. He should be-" Tapping was heard inside Chaz's trunk. "Right there."

Millie lockpicks it with her knife.

Blitzo, awake albeit very buzzed from the sedative, waved amicably. "Mills! Looney-Tooney! Ya found me! Heeeey….who're your new friends….?"

Those so-called friends were more of Crimson's men.

Millie was quick on the reflex to stab one and jump over the other before knocking him into the trunk and closing the liner through his neck.

Opening the trunk again, Blitzo now had a decapitated head for company. "Can someone please explain what the hell is goin' on?!"

Loona helped her dad out so he can explain the problem. "That seductive dickhole is trying to marry Moxxie and the real kicker is that he's not even rich in the first place! Also, he's terrible at blowjobs! For real, even Stolas it better than him!"

Loona gagged. "Please no play by play, I already heard enough last night. Hang on, was Lincoln with you?!"

"The kid? Oh, yeah, we were snooping together and now-huh, where did he go? I sorta blacked out and now-and now-Heeey, Milly, I ever tell you how much I wanna fuck both you and your husband?"

Alarms blared out and blast doors kept IMP outside. "Fuck, the whole place is on lockdown an' we still don't know where Lincoln is! What are we gonna….." Millie's tail went sideways and Loona's fur stood on end. "Uh….do any of y'all feel that?"

"Bitch, I am feeling so many things right now!" Blitzo cackled, and looked up. "The water comet's kinda new, though."

"Water comet?" Loona and Millie also saw the oncoming mass of water that struck right next to them. The water splashed all the items from Crimson's dumping site with Mick and Subby shivering, looking like they've seen true hell.

Lincoln hovered down and while the women were relieved, they saw his eyes.

"Hi, guys. Sorry I'm late." Lincoln's hollow mixed voice was eerie and calm.

"Linc?! Y-You're fine! …..Are you?"

Lincoln tilted his head at Loona.

"I will be….." He flashed his razor teeth in a psychotic grin. "...as soon as I rip Crimson's fucking head off! Now, let's go! We got a wedding to crash!"

"Hells yeah, intern!" Blitzo reached to find the keys in a special hiding spot, and pulled everyone into Chaz's car. Before putting pedal to the mettle, he needed to find the fitting musical accompaniment and chose a song from Wrath's greatest hits. "Buckle up, gang! We're doing a Shrek!"

Big day!

A father is giving his-well, not a daughter since he only has the son-still, it was a…..confusing occasion where two people shall be wed in unholy matrimony and completely against the will of the imp who was playing the part of the bride.

Fit with his own dress, too.

While being held captive.

It was no exaggeration to call this a complete sham of a wedding and that Moxxie was in dire need of saving.

"Okay, is everyone here?" The shark demon officiating the wedding asked.

The turnout wasn't that packed, only a handful of Crimson's men were sitting.

The boss himself pushed Moxxie forcefully to the wedding altar. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Don't worry about it. Let's just get this thing rolling, eh?"

"Aw! You promised it'd be packed!" Chaz whined. "There are chairs not even filed!"

Crimson glowered.

The things he does for money.

One button push and the chairs now had the special wedding gifts which just so happened to be the welcome home gifts he had for Moxxie's "coming out". Two grunts happened to be sitting, and they honestly didn't mind that much after a brief surprise.

"There! Satisfied?"

Chaz grinned despite Moxxie and the demon priest's stupor. "Oh, fuck yeah~!"

The priest began the proceedings. "Dearly I assume to be beloved. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two demons in wedded bliss. Do you, Chazwick Thurman take Moxxie….Knolastname…." The priest stepped back as Moxxie kept struggling to break free. "...to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"You can bet my huge buddy I do!"

"Right and do you Moxxie whatever take Chazwick Thurman to be your….er….."

Moxxie's constant attempts to wrestle free from his father unsettled the priest. Crimson kept his unruly offspring in place, making his head nod. "Look at that! He's so freaking happy, he can't even form it into words!"

"Uh-huh. Okay, then. If any have ample reason as to why these two gentlemen should not be wed, then you may speak now or forever hold your-"

CRASH!

BAM!

Chaz's car driven by Blitzo went straight through the wall. "I object!" Blitzo wobbled out, collapsing.

Lincoln telekinetically opened a hole through the hood allowing the three remaining active IMP employees to jump out to face down the mobsters. "You want our Moxxie?!" Millie's nails clawed the ground and Loona growled ferally. "Then you gotta fucking kill me!"

"Did those dumbasses not pay attention when I told 'em to off-wait a second. The hell is up with junior?" Crimson squinted his eyes. Lincoln wasn't even worried that he saw him without the disguise. "You know what? Fuck it. Boys, you know what to do." Crimson was confident this was only a temporary problem how wrong he was.

Millie leapt onto a goon's face, ripping and treating the skin off like it was made of paper. Slithering to the side of one's head, she ripped out his skull and swung it like a whip by the spine to strangle and stab the next goon to go. She jumped to dodge the bullet fire coming for her before stabbing and cutting the shooter in half.

Loona took both halves to use them as fleshy clubs, swinging with enough force to crack some skulls.

The Hellhound tossed them up where a floating Lincoln launched them like missiles at more to send them flying into Loona's hands after she jumped for double eye gouging. The boy shot his recovered pistol and raised his hand, duplicated it into more bullets to shoot through several gunman's hands and levitated the guns for multiple pistol whippings into submission.

They weren't dead, but they sure suffered several head traumas.

Millie grabbed one by their teeth to pluck those suckers straight out the mouth to bite on the hands of a gun woman to make her shoot her fellow goons and ended up getting a face full of her own bullet rounds.

Crimson and Chaz watched in abject flummox surprise and panic.

Moxxie, by contrast, cheered his friends and family on.

He could always count on his wife to cut open and bite off an enemy's heart and spit it out like yesterday's lunch

All three of them were formidable against this army of mobsters.

Something that Crimson refused to accept. "What the fuck?! They're just two dames and a little shit!" An unfortunate goon was thrown and hung, hogtied to a friend's entrails. Crimson gets him down to scream at his face. "How the Heaven are ya having this much trouble?! Kill 'em already!" He throws him at Millie which only succeeded in the sap getting made into literal sushi. Crimson had no time to react when another dead mook dropped on him via thrown.

Millie was being choked until Loona grabbed the guy's arms and snapped the bones out. He screamed, allowing Millie to be free to pry off one of the wedding gifts to stick it somewhere lightless that made him freeze and blush before the imp lady stabbed the back of his neck.

Lincoln ran like a little dynamite, kicking legs hard enough to bend unnaturally and was lifted up by a hybrid shark/imp and it had a fist pulled back. To his shock, the kid actually effortlessly caught and even twisted around before using it to knock the goon out like a light. He clapped both hands to create a shockwave that slammed more through the estate's windows. Through his commands, the boy made the grass grow into vines that tangled all that Lincoln viewed as a threat and played whack a mole to the free ones.

Crimson tried some more of his negative reinforcement to get his boys act together. "You freakin' goons! What the fuck is the matter with you?! Why do I even pay yar?! You stupid idiots!"

Predictably, that didn't work.

Millie kept wasting these guys like nobody's business.

She slammed them into spikes, jammed guns to explode, Loona's punches broke bones and stole weapons to shoot at them, and Lincoln continued to mix armed combat with his superb magic.

The female imp got hit back on the car's hood.

A ditzy Blitz came to her defense….and was still too woozy to fight.

No worries.

He still made a great distraction for Millie to jam an oil container at the shark's mouth.

Not only that, but Blitz was a perfect swinging weapon due to his sharp horns slicing a pudgy mook in twain, then shooting the oil container to blow up the lanky shark.

In response to the mayhem, the priest decided that sticking around wasn't worth it, leaving off and flipping two birds.

Loona wrestled one of the last two and forced his mouth open.

Millie placed the other one in the mouth before performing an epic elbow drop to the head that made the shark bite down on his own ally to bits. She wasn't even finished yet. Millie tied the wedding lights around his neck and went back into the car. She road-hauled the sap all around the greenery and made a beeline for the altar. How easy it'd be to run over her father-in-law and Chaz. But at the last minute, she hit the breaks as saving Moxxie was more important than delicious retribution.

Walking out in quiet fury, and punching one last mook away, her tail flailed like a whip as a silent warning to the remaining mobsters not to test her any further.

Crimson glared, but relented, allowing Millie to hoist her hubby over her shoulder.

"Hey! What about my wed-" Chaz's complaint was silenced by a gift thrown down his throat.

"This ass is mine!" Millie slapped Moxxie's behind to emphasize this point.

Blitzo gleefully decided to reveal certain facts about Chaz. "Oh, and bt-dubs, y'all should probably know that Chaz isn't even sugar daddy-levels of rich. Or even any level at all. Check his heep, the dumbass played you like a fucking rube! Alrighty, fam, let's head home. I call shotgun on the copter!"

Crimson blinked, turning his head at Chaz, outrage palpably rising.

"Leave? No, let's not leave just yet….." Lincoln swung both arms to move all the chairs out of the way and addressed Crimson sinisterly. "Hey, grandpa! How about a little gift from me to you?!" Lincoln's eyes unleashed an invisible force that made Crimson fall back.

The oddest thing was that it felt more like he was falling into water.

From his yard to apparently being underwater, Crimson's confusion didn't last.

He just needed to swim up to the surface.

But, he felt something grab his leg, though.

Someone was down there with him and was stopping him from going up by holding onto his leg. The mob boss tried kicking whoever it was away and his eyes shot wide when he looked and saw the emotionless glare of his own wife!

That shouldn't be possible!

He made sure she-

More hands grabbed his legs and like his deceased wife, they were other people he's met in the past.

Every victim that he personally killed by drowning them all.

They all wanted to pay him back in full.

A shadow swam near him.

Crimson stifled a gasp when he saw it approach like a shark about to consume its prey.

He gargled in the water as the red-eyed creature with antler horns and rabbit ears launched at him, mouth open….

Back in the physical plane, Crimson numbly slumped, staring into emptiness as Lincoln held his head.

Mental torture wasn't good enough.

He needed to pay more harshly.

Lincoln recalled seeing a heel in the water.

The same as the type that Moxxie's mother wore.

'…..Crimson deserves to pay….he needs to pay!'

Lincoln's hatred caused black colored fire to flicker on his right hand as the green skies darkened. Black fire pits went off and Lincoln's demonic shadow returned, the temptation to kill was even greater now. "BURN!"

"No!" Moxxie was freed.

Lincoln looked at his pleading look.

Moxxie was not gonna let his son lose himself. Crimson did deserve to die, but not at the expense of Lincoln's innocence. Saving that may make up for Moxxie failing to save his own as a kid.

Lincoln's fires went out and he was caught by Loona as he fell.

Moxxie looked down at the still unresponsive Crimson.

Glaring, he spat saliva at his father's face. "Hurt my family again, and I'll show you just how good I've gotten at my job!" He swore.

I.M.P went to the helicopter and flew away in no time.

The just married banner was changed to We're Married, Bitch!

Crimson woke up, panting heavily. "What-What the fuck just happened….?!"

"Here, sir. Let me help." The ever loyal Alessio came to Crimson's aid and both saw Chaz still struggling to get the gift out of his mouth until doing just that.

The slippery shark demon saw the murderous look Crimson was giving him. "Crimson! Uh, super stoked we're all okay!" Crimson didn't cease. "What? Don't tell me you actually believe that shithead! You saw how jazzed he was! Probably just the H-8 talking!" Alessio collected the damning evidence in the trunk to show his boss. "...Okay, so I might have fibbed a little about my fortune, but at least I didn't maim your guys….a-and have I ever told you how you're way sexier than Mox?" Chaz laughed weakly.

…..

Yeah, he dead.

Riding back to Pride was quiet.

Not much to speak about after what they went through, though, it can be said the ordeal was tougher on Moxxie. If there was any good that happened the past few days, it's that he managed to survive the reunion with his dad after years of dreading it. Both parties expected Moxxie to be the same scared imp boy that adhered to his parent's every word, but now, Moxxie realized that he was all grown up now and if he was gonna be the father Lincoln needed in Hell, then standing up to Crimson for the first time was necessary.

He just couldn't but worry what may happen from here on.

They arrive back at the I.M.P building and jump across the hole in the wall, letting the copter crash land below.

"Careful handling him, Loona!" Millie advised.

"As if I want to actually drop him." Loona carried Lincoln and planted softly on the couch. "Always freaks me out when the little man loses it."

Moxxie roamed a hand through the kid's hair.

Part of him was now accepting blame for Lincoln having to experience that phenomenon once more. "Not gonna sugarcoat it, Mox. But, your dad is a major dick." Blitzo was coherent enough to say that.

"Believe me, Blitz. I know….and thanks. All of you." Moxxie shared his gratitude. "You really came through for me. And Mllie, you were amazing out there."

The married assassins shared a hug. "Next time, just tell me your daddy's a psychopath. I can handle it." Millie smirked.

Moxxie didn't doubt it and his eyes then spotted the photo of him and his mother.

He picked it up, staring in wonder at how it came to be here.

"Surprise…." Lincoln coarsely said, mentally telling himself to open his eyes. "I….portaled it here from the estate…..figured you'd like it…."

This kid.

Lincoln truly was part of Moxxie's true family.

The marksman got a blanket for Lincoln. "Just get a lot of rest, Lincoln. You've earned it. I'm…so proud of you, son."

Millie covered squealing mouth at the tender moment.

Even Loona looked a little happy.

"Yep, I say thank balls everything turned out okay!" Blitzo got M&M in closer for some big news. "And don't worry about it, Mox. I know a thing or two about daddy issues." He playfully messed up Moxxie's hair. Also, I got to plow your ex-boyfriend! Now, all three of us have fucked the same guy! May not be my fantasy threesome, but it's close!"

Moxxie deadpanned. "A great consolation prize indeed, sir."

Annoying per the norm.

And Moxxie wouldn't have it any other way.

This was home.

Crimson Knolastname wasn't the type to be embarrassed of himself.

For the rare times that he was, it caused him nothing but aggravation and indignation.

To think that some two-bit screw up like Chaz actually managed to fool him into almost marrying into the family over non existent riches. Not only did he lose half of his manpower, the son he always wrote off as weak actually fought back.

It'd be a miracle if he didn't lose face in the eyes of other big shots in Greed.

All he got to show for this debacle was a new trophy for his wall.

Chaz always was a mouthy demon, which made it oh so fitting that Crimson mounted his teeth on the wall.

Crimson wasn't satisfied, though.

He still felt he was owed more blood.

The blood of his rebellious offspring, said offspring's woman, the co-workers and last but not least, the blood of that boy. The boy who had turned to only be posing as an imp, making it twice that Crimson was fooled. He did the one thing no one should ever pull off, make Crimson feel fear for once in his miserable life.

That helplessness.

The desperation.

Crimson hated it so much!

Looking at the family portrait, the sight of his own son made him angrily throw a knife to hit the mark….and it was caught in the hands of Moxxie's mother.

She gave her ex-husband a dark look, drenched in water and her western styled dress tattered.

Crimson went pale and tripped over backwards.

Just like that, she was gone.

The knife had hit its mark.

But it just seemed so real.

He rubbed his sweating temple.

Just what is that kid and what did he do to Crimson's head?

"Master Crimson." The maid called. "You have a phone call, they told me to fetch you."

Crimson recomposed. "Tell 'em to leave it! I'm busy right now!"

"I'm afraid it's a rather important call."

"Oh, yeah? What? Is Jesus announcing his return?"

The maid gulped. "No, sir…..it's Mammon."

"...Fuck."