Rolando Infests Barbie Wire

 

 

Barbie Wire’s fuming face tore into Blitzo’s core. A memory was brought to Blitzo’s attention on a green-tinted screen. It was back when he and Moxxie had encountered her in a boathouse at a human summer camp on Earth. She had been trafficking drugs with the help of a human camp counselor, Jimmy. While I.M.P. succeeded in seeing Jimmy die and avenging his Sinner camp counselor victim, Barbie Wire refused to accept Blitzo’s apologies. She promptly left him, warning him to never look for her again.

 

Then Blitzo’s teary eyes briefly lit up for a second. Peering closer, he could see a glimpse of a waterfall through the portal that Barbie Wire had gone through. Now he remembered…there had been pink lighting in the portal. That could mean…

 

…his sister could still be in the Sloth Ring!

 

“Looks like this asshole imp misses his dear twin sister…”

 

Blitzo trembled in his seat as Rolando peered into his thoughts. He felt the infestor demon’s long sharp claws dig into his shoulder. Blitzo struggled in vain against the rusted chains wrapped around him.

 

“You must be foolishly desperate if you think you’ll be able to see her again,” Rolando continued with a menacing grin. “We both know she hates your guts. It’s not surprising. You took away everything from her…her home, her family, and her future.”

 

“It was an accident!” Blitzo sobbed.

 

“Not to her it wasn’t,” Rolando countered. “You were the one who started the fire, and you couldn’t save your dear old mother. Barbie went from living the circus dream to drowning in drugs because of you.”

 

Blitzo choked. “I-it was her choice to do the drugs!”

 

“And you weren’t there for her. You never tried to talk to her!”

 

“You’re fucking wrong! I tried calling her, texting her, searching for her everywhere!”

 

“Only many years later instead of when you were younger,” mused the infestor demon. His eyes glowed an ominous yellow and he traced a claw under Blitzo’s chin. He let out a low sigh. 

 

“Oh well, you know what they say: ‘reconnect with family before it’s too late.’”

 

His sharp teeth were inches from Blitzo’s face as he whispered into his ear. “Too bad you won’t get a chance to say goodbye to her.” Rolando licked his lips. “Because I’m gonna enjoy how you taste when you drive away that sidekick hick friend of yours!”

 

Rolando vanished and dark water splashed over the theater seats. Smoke obscured the screen, blinding and suffocating Blitzo. He heard Rolando’s cackling before succumbing to the sinister sensations.

 

“Blitz! Are you okay…?” Millie began to ask.

 

Millie was punched in the face and sent back crashing into a pillar. Millie winced and rubbed her head. Her eyes grew wide in terror as a shadow rose over her.

 

Blitzo’s body cracked as it slowly stood up. Millie knew it was not Blitzo because the being in front of her had Rolando’s blank yellow eyes, yellow tongue, and eerie grin.

 

“Oh, the filthy little Wrathian wants to help!” Rolando mocked.

 

He slammed Blitzo’s head into the pillar where Millie had been moments before. He turned his head and grinned at Millie.

 

“You can’t help anyone, you’re just the muscle, remember? It’s all you and your imp kind are good for. You said it yourself.”

 

Rolando twisted in midair as he rushed at Millie. He grinned as he landed punches toward her.

 

“I’m in his mind, bitch! I see everything! Every thought, every opinion, and boy…”

 

He wrapped his tail around her, making her stumble to the ground. She barely avoided his leg crashing down where she had been moments before. He grabbed her wrists and was about to toss her into the pool.

 

“…does he have some nasty shit to say about…”

 

“SHUT UP!” Millie cut in. She elbowed him hard in the gut, causing him to let go with a grunt. Millie spun around and punched him hard several times. She tossed him against a nearby wall, cracks forming in the wall behind him.

 

“Your words don’t mean SHIT to me!” Millie grabbed him by the collar, pointing a finger at his face. “So buckle up, buttercup!”

 

After several more punches and Rolando crying out against the wall, Millie grunted as she lifted him up and slammed him on his back against the floor. Just as he lifted up his head, Millie landed a fatal kick to his chin, sending him backward with his head halfway into the pool. Rolando ejected from Blitzo’s mouth in black goo.

 

Blitzo groaned as he sat up. “Ugh. Good work, Mils.”

 

Millie punched him in the face.

 

“OW-HO! AH FUCK! IT’S ME!” Blitzo exclaimed.

 

Millie covered her mouth. “Oh! Shit! Sorry!”

 

She leaned down. “Good to have you back, boss.”

 

The imps stared down at the pool. Not a ripple could be seen.

 

“Did we get him?” Blitzo asked.

 

“I hope so,” Millie said with a tired sigh.

 

Blitzo glanced at his ghostfucker device and stood up. “Just in case…”

 

Rolando peered over the top of the pool when both of their backs were turned. He shifted into shadow and darted to a ceiling corner just before Blitzo kicked the ghostfucker device into the pool. Electricity sparked across the pool.

 

“AAANNND THAT’S HOW YOU GET GHOSTFUCKED!” Blitzo raised his fists in triumph.

 

“Let’s go home,” Millie said, putting a hand on Blitzo’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah, fuck hotels,” Blitzo declared, flipping the bird.

 

He kicked open the doors but paused just before he reached outside.

 

“Blitz? What’s the matter?” Millie asked, turning to face him.

 

“I…I think I have to go find her.”

 

“Find who?”

 

“M-my sister.”

 

“You haven’t told us much about her,” Millie mentioned. “We just finished one mission. Don’t you think we should rest, first?”

 

“I feel like I need to talk to her…at least try.”

 

Millie raised an eyebrow. “Based on what Mox told me last summer, she yelled at you for ruining her job and left. You don’t even know where she is.”

 

Blitzo paused. “I think I do know.”

 

Millie grumbled. “Please tell me she’s in Pride.”

 

Blitzo sighed. “She’s in the Sloth Ring.”

 

Millie folded her arms. “Look, if you want to talk to her, fine. But I ain’t gonna help you fight her when things go wrong.”

 

“Moxxie did with me when we killed her associate,” Blitzo mentioned. “You were busy playing guitar on stage.”

 

“But that was on a mission, Blitz. Perhaps it’d be better to let her work things out on her own.”

 

“That’s the thing…” Blitzo said, eyes downcast. “I make people’s lives worse, but I feel like…like I have to see her before it’s…”

 

He sighed, putting his fingers to his face.

 

“Like I said before, you’ve helped change my life for the better…along with so many other demons,” Millie said, reassuring him. She put a hand on his shoulder. “My advice is to let Barb figure shit out on her own. Hell, I’m surprised you’re suddenly concerned about her now and not…ya know…earlier on?”

 

“Who cares? I just need to see if she’s okay, okay?!” Blitzo spoke in a shrill tone before taking a deep breath. “At least make sure she’s not on meth or that H-8 shit.”

 

Millie sighed. “Fine. I’ll accompany you, but I’ll also need to let Rita know about the infestor demon’s defeat.”

 

“Understandable,” Blitzo grinned. “We need the money after all.”

 

Blitzo rubbed his Asmodean crystal, and the Sloth Ring appeared before them through the portal.

 

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Millie asked.

 

“What?”

 

Millie glared at Blitzo and mentioned toward the van outside.

 

“Oh. Right.”

 

He closed the portal.

 

Blitzo and Millie hopped into the van and Blitzo reopened the portal to the Sloth Ring.

 

Blitzo sat at the wheel, turned the key and slammed on the gas pedal…

 

…and the van creaked and cranked at a sail’s pace toward the opening.

 

Millie rolled her eyes. “You really need to get our van fixed.”

 

“I know!” Blitzo grumbled. “We’re almost there…”

 

Neither of the imps noticed a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a hunched shadow figure hanging from underneath the van. The portal soon closed, and the human realm vanished.

 

 

 

0 0 0

 

The van drove down the road and skidded to a stop in front of a group of goat demons doing yoga on lavender-colored grass.

 

The yoga instructor was facing away from the van. He had a tan face, long floppy ears and a blue flame candle on his forehead. Like many of the Sloth Ring residents, he had a dopey-eyed expression. He wore long white sweatpants and a light blue shirt with pink closed eye designs on it.

 

“Now bend down your arms low, until you can touch your hooves,” he instructed in a dreamy voice. The attendees stretched out on their mats, some touching their hooves, others yawning. One smaller pink goat was curled up asleep on her mat. An orange sheep was popping pills into his mouth and hiding the bottle under his mat as his eyes darted around.

 

“As we begin our meditation poses,” said the instructor, getting into a cross-legged position. “Stay completely calm…don’t feel the need to get distracted by anyth…”

 

“WHOAA!”

 

Blitzo opened the door and tumbled out of the van, tripping over his tail. He landed flat on his face and almost rammed into the instructor.

 

The instructor opened his eyes and whirled around, his eyes becoming blue flames.

 

“THE ACTUAL FUCK? WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING YOU BALD-HEADED PIRATE!”

 

“I ain’t a pirate, goat-boy,” Blitzo glowered, standing up. He brushed himself off. “I’m an assassin. You don’t wanna be on my long-ass target list.”

 

“IS THAT A THREAT? I OUTTA HEAD-BUTT YOU OFF A CLIFF!”

 

“Buzz off, buzzed nut,” Millie seethed from inside the van. She fired a bullet at the instructor from her gun, but it missed and hit a blue goat in the forehead meditating on a mat.

 

“My soul is freee…as can beee…” the goat bleated before collapsing into a bloody heap.

 

The instructor turned away from Blitzo and after a stunned pause, his face turned back to his dopey expression.

 

“Double death is but an illusion, my friends. Take your deep breaths and let your mind wander through the vast reaches of fucking bliss…” The other goats followed his movements.

 

Blitzo rolled his eyes and dragged Millie along.

 

The imps glanced up at various billboard advertisements high under the light pink sky:

 

“BELPHEGOR’S BLISS BITES: THE DRUG TO CURE ALL YOUR WORRIES, BUY TODAY!”

 

“BAPHOMET MATTRESSES, SLEEP ON OUR SOFT-AS-A-CLOUD MATERIAL FOR ONLY $699.99! COMES WITH BUILT IN SPEAKERS AND CUPHOLDERS!”

 

“THE DREAM-DUELING COMPETITION IS BACK! DREAMSVILLE AND SNOOZEVILLE DENIZENS CAN SIGN UP FOR A SNOOZEFEST OF A LIFETIME. WHO CAN MANIFEST THE CAZIEST WACKIST DREAMS FOR ALL OF SLOTH TO SEE? SIGN UP TODAY AND WIN A STASH OF BEELZEBUB’S BEELZEJUICE AND DISCOUNTS AT ST. AN’S HOSPITAL.”

 

Blitzo groaned. “Of all the places she could go, she chose the lowermost Ring with a bunch of high as fuck sheep with expensive ass drugs. Furthest from Pride, like that makes any fucking difference! I love her, but she’s a real bitch if she thinks she can avoid me forever!”

 

Millie sighed, certain that any interaction between the imp siblings would not go well.

 

Blitzo hurried forward until he stopped at a pink building with rows of windows. Nearby were waterfalls quietly streaming down onto pink rocks. Large willow trees were covered with big yellow and black eyes on the lawn.

 

“Blitz!” Millie called as Blitzo climbed up a white downspout. “The hell are you doing?”

 

Blitzo glanced down at Millie, halfway up. “Double-checking to make sure Barb didn’t get into rehab again.”

 

“Can’t you just knock on the front door?”

 

Blitzo rolled his eyes. “I would if I could. I did this last time, I know what I’m doing. Now stay here and keep a lookout.”

 

“This is a stupid idea! Get down from there!” Millie pointed a finger to the ground. “Someone might see you!” she hissed.

 

Blitzo ignored her and carefully moved sideways against the building until lifting up one of the windows. He snuck inside and glanced around. Silver Venus-fly trap plants were in pots around the room. A red couch sat under several windows and a bookshelf was nestled in a corner. A poster with a smiling cloud read “Enjoy your stay!” Hypnotic round lavender lights hung from the ceiling, creating a peaceful glow.

 

Blitzo began to stroll forward. ‘At least there’s no nurse bitches around…’

 

“AAAAACK!”

 

Blitzo flinched and cried out as electricity from a taser struck him in the back. He briefly collapsed to the floor before slowly looking up.

 

“Ugh, of course…nurse pussy-face…”

 

The nurse had her hands on her hips, wearing a pale green uniform with a pink upside-down cross logo with small hearts on her pocket. She had pencils in her pocket and a name tag off to the right of her shirt. A small candle stood up from the center of her head of dark purple short hair and in between two thick curved black horns with white stripes. Her face was dark pink, and her mouth was sideways. She also had a long tail.

 

“You know…” the nurse scoffed. “I’m starting to think you actually have a double death wish, trying to sneak in here…again!”

 

Blitzo stood up on shaking legs. “I’m just…checking to make sure Barb didn’t relapse and come back in here…”

 

“She still ain’t here,” the nurse glowered. “And last I heard, she lost her job because of her deadbeat brother!”

 

“I was trying to help her!”

 

“You ‘helped’ quite enough!” She held the taser threateningly. “I’m gonna give you five seconds to scram before I fry your insides!”

 

Blitzo pulled out his gun. “I’m a professional assassin, bitch. Nothing you do can…”

 

The nurse stepped forward and aimed her taser at Blitzo, his eyes widening.

 

“Shit…”

 

Millie watched from outside as she heard screaming, zapping and crashing from inside the room. After a few moments, Blitzo crashed through the window, having been tossed by the nurse. Glass shards rained down onto the grass. Blitzo yelled until Millie caught him.

 

“Thanks, Mils,” he groaned, his work uniform scorched from the taser.

 

“Good-fucking riddance!” The nurse bellowed, peering her head outside the window before storming off.

 

“Sheesh,” Blitzo growled, plucking bits of glass from his arms. “Whoever thought lazy goats could be such assholes. Let’s keep going.”

 

They drove around in their I.M.P. van. Blitzo stared forlornly out the window…

 

…until he thought he saw a familiar figure.

 

A figure with gray skin, fins, and glowing yellow eyes glaring at him.

 

“The fuck?” Blitzo asked, rubbing his eyes. He looked out the window behind him, but the figure was gone.

 

“Everything alright, Blitz?” Millie asked, driving this time.

 

A pause. There was no way the fucker could still be alive.

 

“Yeah,” Blitzo shrugged. “Probably the atmosphere getting to me.”

 

 

 

 

Soon enough, the duo reached St. An’s hospital. The building was tall and pink with “ST. AN’S” in pink letters on top toward the roof. Other signs on the surrounding buildings read “Financial Processing,” “Surgical Wing,” “Emergency,” and “Pediatric Wing.” More water spilled from the sky and hovering rocky islands held smaller building structures.

 

“Hmmm…” Blitzo pondered. “Last time I was here, Loona got her hell-bies shot. What a nightmare. You don’t think Barb…got hurt?”

 

“I’m sure she’s fine, Blitz,” Millie said. “Can we please go back to the office? I need to check on Moxxie.”

 

“Not until I see Barbie safe and unharmed. Come on.”

 

Millie reluctantly followed Blitzo through the double doors and headed inside.

 

He walked up to the front desk and saw the female nurse sheep at the front desk. She had a dopey expression on her tan face, her three teal eyes lopsided. She had curved horns pointing backwards and light pink-orange hair. She wore a torn white uniform and nurse’s cap with the pink upside-down cross logo on them.

 

“Hello,” said the nurse. “How can I help you?”

 

Blitzo narrowed his eyes. “Oh great, it’s you again. Listen, I was just checking to see if my sister Barbie has been in here recently?”

 

The nurse paused. “What’s your name?”

 

“Blitz. The ‘o’ is silent.”

 

The nurse tried to spell. “B-L-I-T…S-O…”

 

Blitzo shook his head and spelled fast. “No, no, no! It’s B-L-I-T-Z!”

 

“Oh!” the nurse lit up, examining her clipboard. “I have you in my records! The one with the hound. Blitzooo, Blitzooo!”

 

Blitzo’s eye twitched in annoyance.

 

“And who’s next to you?”

 

“Millie,” said Blitzo.

 

“Nice to meet you, Pillie!” chirped the nurse, glancing at Millie. Millie paused in bewilderment.

 

“My sister? Has she been in here?” Blitzo asked, starting to lose patience. “Barbie Wire.”

 

The nurse looked at her clipboard again. “No, I don’t see any Carbie Fire here.”

 

“Oh, thank Satan,” Blitzo sighed in relief before glaring. “And it’s Barbie Wire.”

 

“Whatever,” the nurse dismissed.

 

“Learn to read and spell next time,” Blitzo rolled his eyes as he turned to leave. Then he muttered, “I’m surprised she still has a job.”

 

They exited the building and searched around some more.

 

 

Snoozeville wasn’t very exciting. Blitzo and Millie asked around but most of the residents were sleeping on clouds or beds. The city specialized in laziness and sleep substances. Blitzo pulled Millie out of a room just before pink sleeping gas put a group of demons to sleep.

 

“Barbie Wire, have you seen her?” Blitzo asked, showing his sister’s profile picture around.

 

“I sell barbed wire here,” answered a thick black goat at a desk. Various weapons were behind him. “Want some shoved up your…”

 

Millie promptly stabbed the muscular goat in the chest, and he collapsed. The other goat customers casually glanced at the imps as they left.

 

“Barbie Wire, where is she?” Blitzo asked an incubus at a “Sensual Massage” shop. (“Free sex included with rubs and elemental therapy!”)

 

“Don’t know who that is,” he replied, rubbing lotion on a naked succubus’ pink back. “Do ya mind? We’re in the middle of a massage session.”

 

The succubus moaned loudly as the incubus dug his claws into her back. Blitzo waved his hand in disgust at the various incenses and perfumes filling up the dimmed rooms.

 

“Barbie worked here, didn’t she?” Blitzo asked a pink incubus at a pharmacy. “Tell me where she is!”

 

“She doesn’t anymore!” he claimed. “She went on a pickup in Lust and I haven’t seen her since! P-please don’t slap me with your tail again!”

 

“Shut it, freak!” Blitzo warned before leaving with Millie.

 

Blitzo grumbled. “She has to be somewhere in Sloth!”

 

“What if she moved to Lust to…get away from you?” Millie asked.

 

“I know she’s here…I can feel it.”

 

Dreamsville wasn’t much better. Many of the demons were lost in their psychedelic painting, their psychedelic drugs and just being psychotic in general. The imps avoided drunken dancing sheep and succubi who wandered out of a “Sheep Sleep” club.

 

They searched high and low, over and under.

 

No Barbie Wire to be found.

 

‘Where, oh where is my sister?’ Blitzo asked himself, his eyes becoming teary.

 

 

0 0 0

 

‘Where, oh where are those pesky imps?’

 

Rolando stalked through the streets of the Sloth Ring, scowling and starving.

 

“Hey fish dude,” smiled a dopey-looking goat smoking a cigarette. Rolando shoved him aside and continued on.

 

‘So many of these people on mind-numbing drugs…it’s hard to access their traumas…’

 

Rolando briefly considered heading back to the One Star Wonder. He could continue his rampage on his human guests undetected…

 

…until he saw the I.M.P. van drive by…

 

…and thought he saw Blitzo stare at him with wide surprised eyes through the window.

 

‘What the…?’ Rolando began. Then he fumed. ‘Shit. He probably knows I’m alive and he’ll just come back to the hotel to hunt me down.’

 

He growled and raced after them as fast as he could, morphing into shadow. ‘Not if I hunt them down, first.’

 

Unfortunately for Rolando, the I.M.P. van sped through traffic and cars blocked Rolando’s way. He accidentally sped into one of them, brakes screeching and wheels spinning. A vehicle rammed into him, sending him flying backwards onto the sidewalk. He rematerialized into physical form, rubbing his head.

 

“Ow!”

 

He stood up and brushed himself off. He continued flying forward, trying to follow the thoughts of the imps.

 

Rolando paused when he stood before the St. An’s hospital building.

 

‘Blitzo and the hick were here,’ he thought, sniffing the air.

 

Rolando pushed open the double doors and everyone in the waiting room went quiet. Karen, an aquatic mother, sat with her baby boy.

 

Rolando glanced over at them, and the boy burst into tears at the sight of Rolando. The mother trembled.

 

Rolando went up to the desk.

 

“Welcome to St. An’s,” mused the tan sheep nurse. “How can I help you?”

 

“I’m looking for a lowborn imp named Blitzo. Where is he?”

 

The nurse looked up. “What’s your name?”

 

“Rolando.”

 

“Hmmm…” said the nurse, looking at her clipboard. “I don’t see any ‘Ronaldo’ on my list.”

 

Rolando growled. “That’s not my name, retard. Have you seen Blitzo or not?”

 

“Oh yeah…” she droned. “There was a Blitzo here…and a Pillie with him.”

 

“Urgh! Just tell me where they went!”

 

“That way,” she pointed toward the doors. “Looking for someone named Garb.”

 

“Garb?”

 

“Yeah, Garbie Hire, his sister…”

 

Rolando paused. ‘Barbie Wire…of course he’d look for her here. If I could get to her first…watch as Blitzo helplessly tries to save her…’

 

“Where’s Barbie Wire?” he asked.

 

The nurse shrugged and drawled. “I don’t know. Blitzo asked me the same thing.”

 

Rolando paused…giving her an evil glare. She just stared into empty space.

 

Finally, Rolando growled and turned around. “I don’t have time for this. I’ll find her myself.”

 

The goat waved as he left. “Thanks for coming in, Romeo!”

 

Rolando fumed and stomped out of the hospital.

 

 

 

 

0 0 0

 

Blitzo sat dejectedly against the side of the I.M.P. van. Millie sat next to him.

 

“Blitz,” Millie sighed. “I know your sister means a lot to you…but this mission…if you can call it that…it’s futile.”

 

“I have to keep looking…” he sighed. “I can’t stand the thought of something happening to her.”

 

“We really need to get back to the office,” Millie told him. “The others will start to worry about us, and our client is waiting for us, too.”

 

She slowly reached for Blitzo’s crystal on his wrist. He quickly pulled away.

 

“Hey! Hands off the merchandise!” he spat.

 

Millie folded her arms. “Either you hand it to me, or I’ll take it from you!”

 

“I can’t go back yet!”

 

“We’ve been searching long enough, Blitz!” Millie chided. “Enough is enough!”

 

She grabbed the top of the crystal and Blitzo tried to pry her hands off.

 

“I’m your boss, so get off!” Blitzo seethed.

 

“I can still kick your red ass if I have to!” Millie countered.

 

They both grunted and yelled as Blitzo held onto his crystal for dear life. They rolled on top of each other in a fight. Rolling into the street and along a sidewalk, they knocked down a figure coming from an alleyway, holding a large white sack. The three individuals yelled as they all tumbled on top of each other. The white powdery contents spilled out of the sack and onto the ground.

 

“Will you fuckers watch where you’re going?!” swore an angry voice.

 

A very familiar angry voice.

 

Millie and Blitzo stood up. Blitzo gasped, eyes widening.

 

“BARBIE!”

 

 

“BLITZ?!”

 

 

 

0 0 0

 

 

“The next time you wanna find me, Blitzo, don’t!”

 

Barbie angrily stormed through the portal. The boathouse and her brother vanished into the fabric of reality, replaced by the Sloth Ring surroundings.

 

Barbie had red skin and large curly black horns with white stripes on them. Her black family circus mark had been crossed out by a white X and small hearts, signifying her rejection of her past. Her long arms were decorated with inflicted white scars. She wore a torn sleeveless black jacket and high black boots reaching up over her legs. Her dress was torn with red and white stripes. She wore a watch on her right wrist with her Asmodean crystal attached. She also had a long, pointed tail. Covered in the blood of her former colleague, out of a job, and exhausted, Barbie slid down against a nearby wall and began to cry.

 

Just as she was starting to get back on her feet, her brother had appeared out of nowhere and ruined her assignment. Manipulating Jimmy and other human teens in her human disguise had been a perk and so was getting the occasional sniff of the heroin she had been dragging along. Going up to Earth paid pretty good money too, considering the risks that came with humans discovering her true demon identity.

 

‘If my brother can so easily go up to Earth, perhaps I can too!’ she had thought.

 

Life wasn’t easy after the circus fire. She and her brother had been the star siblings of their shows…and thankfully, their father hadn’t been too harsh on them. Barbie was known for her daring tricks, her grace and her tightrope walking. She’d laugh as her older brother would try to blow up balloon animals or tell jokes to the audience.

 

But when her mother had died that fateful day…nothing was ever the same. Her father Cash Buckzo drank more and more. He was frequently counting his coins and grumbling. It was scary for Barbie and Blitzo to see their father on his bad days.

 

Barbie’s heart had shattered the moment she had witnessed her father slapping Blitzo hard in the face…blaming him instantly for the accident and their mother’s death.

 

Normally, Barbie would stand with her brother, letting herself feel innocent joy being around him. For despite their occasional spats, they were very close.

 

But the pain of losing their mother and family circus was too much. And the last thing she needed was for her father to blame the incident on her, too.

 

So she did what any sibling would do who had been favored by their stern father…

 

…she made herself believe that it was her brother’s fault.

 

It was easy to blame him, even if it was an accident. But it didn’t make it any less painful as the siblings grew apart. Cash Buckzo disowned Blitzo as a son then and there…ordering him to leave the circus. From then on, after Fizzarolli healed, there was more pressure for perfection than ever.

 

Her father’s pressures soon became too much. Life was not the same without her brother and mother. Fizzarolli soon became Mammon’s brand figure, her brother left to reluctantly become a clown at Loo-Loo Land, and she was left all alone to be the child star of her father.

 

It only took one failed performance at the circus and one harsh rebuke and beating from Cash for Barbie to flee in tears.

 

With nothing to do and no one else to comfort her, she soon turned to drugs and sex.

 

Heroin, H-8, meth…anything she could get her hands on…anything to numb the pain of her losses. Every week, she’d find herself in the brothels and bedrooms of many succubi and incubi…she’d lost count of how many times she fucked or had been fucked…the only things she counted were her money and her drugs...her precious commodities.

 

Her addictions spiraled out of control, and she found herself in a rehabilitation center in the Sloth Ring.

 

The nurses were surprisingly nice. One of them listened to her rants about Blitzo and didn’t seem to complain. In fact, the nurse emphasized with her…perhaps she had experienced something similar.

 

After Barbie was clean, she discovered a unique job in the Lust Ring that piqued her interest. “Demons wanted: seduce mortal humans and promote lust in Asmodeus’ name!”

 

Asmodeus handed her an Asmodean crystal…and she couldn’t wait to get started.

 

Seducing humans was fine…but she wasn’t quite as competent as the incubi and succubi. What else could she do to make ends meet? Most of all, she needed her daily fix of drugs or risk enduring very shitty withdrawal symptoms.

 

Peering through the black market, she found another job: smuggling heroin from the human world for demons to use. With access to Earth, the job was lucrative and risky…but Barbie felt like she found her new purpose.

 

That is…until that was taken away, too.

 

She told herself things were fine. ‘I know I was just in rehab, but I’m only using heroin instead of H-8 now. It’s no big deal. Besides, I gotta get some benefits out of this job, right? Pray to Satan I don’t get arrested for this…’

 

Barbie washed herself off under a waterfall and taking a brave step forward, she marched into an alleyway.

 

“I’m here for the down-low drug operation interview…” she began.

 

 

 

Back in the present, Barbie carried her white sack of powdery drugs from the alleyway, trying to blend in. It was fairly heavy. It wasn’t quite the same as drugs from the human world, but it would have to do.

 

‘Just a few more blocks to the dealer,’ she thought. ‘Surely I can easily make…’

 

She gasped as a screaming blurry ball rammed into her, knocking her partially onto the sack. The contents spilled onto the sidewalk and a couple of goat passerby looked at her suspiciously.

 

Barbie Wire stood up. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse…

 

She spotted him once again.

 

“BARBIE!”

 

“BLITZ?!”

 

Blitzo and Millie dusted themselves off. As the imp siblings stared daggers at each other, Millie stepped back with a worried look.

 

“What the fuck are you doing here Blitzo?!” Barbie fumed, emphasizing the “o” in his name.

 

“Looking for you!” Blitzo declared.

 

Barbie put her hands on her hips. “I TOLD you I never wanted to see your shitty face again! You ruined my job, and you ruined my life!”

 

“I swear that’s not true, Barb!” Blitzo explained. “I miss momma just as much as you do. Perhaps we can just fix…”

 

“It’s too late to fix anything,” Barbie scoffed. “I was broken long ago and I still am. But I can still take care of myself. I don’t need anyone trying to sympathize with me, especially you!”

 

“Just give me a chance, please! I’m the only family you have left!”

 

Barbie folded her arms. “I don’t know who’s worse, you or papa. Papa may have been a harsh asshole but at least he didn’t burn down our circus!”

 

“It was an accident! I ran into a guy who had the cake…and it fell…”

 

“What a shitty excuse! How do you think Fizz felt after all that…after you abandoned him and he nearly died?!”

 

“I TRIED SO HARD TO SEE HIM! PAPA WOULDN’T LET ME IN HIS HOSPITAL ROOM!” Blitzo cried.

 

“Maybe I can see why he wouldn’t,” Barbie glared. “I bet you were jealous of him and me this whole time and couldn’t wait to take your place as the star to win papa’s favor!”

 

Blitzo growled and spoke sarcastically. “Oh sure. I bet papa DIDN’T tell you that bullshit just so he could replace me with Fizz as his so-called son!”

 

“Papa worked hard for our business just like momma. Why did you have to ruin it? Can’t you see he cared for…?”

 

“That prick never cared about me in the first place,” Blitzo ranted on. “Every day it was ‘Oh Blitzo, man up and give me the gold.’ ‘Hey boy, why weren’t you born with your sister’s agility? What a sissy waste of space you are!’”

 

“He never said any of that!” Barbie snapped.

 

“Because you weren’t around! He hates me!” Blitzo fired back.

 

“Well so do I!”

 

“You never bothered to call or text me!”

 

“Because you were a fucking coward who left the circus!”

 

“No! Because papa sent me away!”

 

“Ghee, I wonder why he did that?” Barbie added with sarcasm.

 

“You don’t know what I’ve been through!”

 

“I can say the same thing!”

 

 

As their arguing and shouting continued, Rolando’s yellow eyes flashed from the darkness of a nearby alleyway. Drool spilled from his mouth, and he licked his lips.

 

‘I found you, imps. Your fighting is making me famished right now!’

 

Rolando inched toward the arguing imps with a greedy look.

 

Millie gasped in shock as she spotted him. “Blitz!” she cried out in warning. Blitzo was too distracted to hear her.

 

Rolando extended a clawed hand, grabbed her shirt collar and yanked her toward the darkness. Millie managed to land a few hits to Rolando’s face, but he grabbed her wrists and slammed her against the wall. She struggled in vain to free herself as he pressed his weight against her.

 

“Goodnight, brute,” Rolando cooed, headbutting her hard in the forehead. Millie’s eyes rolled back as she slid to the ground in a heap, falling unconscious.

 

“I say enough’s enough with your drug hoarding,” Blitzo snapped at his sister. He picked up the bag and spilled more powdery contents onto the ground. “I thought you were clean!”

 

“Don’t you dare!” she seethed, her eyes glowing white briefly. “You’re not gonna mess up my job again!”

 

“I outta send your ass back to rehab!” Blitzo claimed as he and his sister fought over the sack. A few goats came over and started eating up the drugs, their eyes growing black and wide. Blitzo kicked the high goats aside before facing his sister again.

 

“I outta send your ass back to Loo-Loo Land like the fucking clown you are!” Barbie retorted. She pulled the bag away from him, placing it behind her. She landed a surprise punch to Blitzo’s face, sending him to the ground on his bottom.

 

“Just leave me the fuck alone, Blitzo!” Barbie seethed. “I have a job to do.”

 

Blitzo stared up at Barbie…then his face turned frightened.

 

“Oh, you surrender now, big bro?” Barbie mocked at her trembling brother, stepping back a bit. “You finally scared of me enough that you’ll admit you’re a failure?”

 

“B-Barb…” Blitzo began, shaking his head.

 

“Shut up! I don’t wanna hear any more from you!”

 

“BARB!” Blitzo spoke louder, raising a shaking finger.

 

“DON’T YOU THREATEN ME!”

 

Blitzo scrambled backwards, still looking up. “BARBIE, LOOK OUT!”

 

Barbie turned around.

 

“I SAID SHUT UP, BLITZOOOAAHHH!”

 

Rolando hovered in the air with a sinister grin. In the blink of an eye, he morphed into black goo and zoomed into Barbie’s forehead.

 

Blitzo raced forward in a panic and caught his sister as she fell unconscious.

 

Tears spilled from Blitzo’s eyes. “Shit, shit, shit! Barbie! Wake up! BARBIEEEEE!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 0 0 0 0 0

 

 

Barbie Wire snapped awake with a gasp. She looked around and saw herself in a dim dark place. It looked like an old movie theater with worn-out seats and bunches of coral and seaweed scattered around. Barbie strained against rusted chains binding her to her seat. She couldn’t move her arms.

 

“The fuck is this?!” she yelled.

 

Barbie grimaced as Rolando flowed out of her chest in a blue oceanic bubble. He snaked to the side and trailed his long yellow tongue up her neck. Barbie flinched in disgust.

 

“Blitzo’s little twin…welcome to your mind.”

 

Barbie tried to shake him off. “GET AWAY FROM ME!”

 

“Hey, take it easy,” Rolando mused. He manifested more chains, and the rusted manacles held her horns in place. “Don’t get me wrong, possessing your brother was quite enjoyable. He’s been envious of you since the beginning. But now here you are…”

 

Barbie shivered as Rolando trailed his clawed fingers in a spiral along her curved horns. “…a similar intoxicating insecurity to Blitzo…and just as tasty…”

 

“Get out of me you filthy fish freak!”

 

“Out of a tasty mind plagued by drugs and conflict? Not a chance.” Rolando chuckled darkly. “You always were the favorite, right? Up there with Fizzarolli? But now you’re just as pathetic as your brother…perhaps even more so. I mean, I’d much rather be an assassin than a groomer to human teens!”

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

“So much for making a life for yourself. Your current job barely gets you by, you haven’t connected with your brother or your family in years…perhaps Fizz has forgotten about you by now, living the high life as Asmodeus’ little boy toy…”

 

“N-no, that’s not true. W-we’re still friends…”

 

“Stop lying to yourself, Barb. You have nobody and you ARE nobody! Fizz and Blitzo have gone their separate ways. All that’s left for you is a pathetic impoverished lifestyle trying to resist the temptations of drugs and sex. Your family is gone.”

 

Barbie saw flashes of Blitzo, Fizzarolli, Cash, and Tilla smiling warmly at her.

 

“Papa? Momma?” she whimpered.  

 

“Perhaps you should do yourself a flavor…”

 

Barbie trembled as green flames began to blaze through the illusions of her family members. She saw the flames race up their arms, chests, and legs, creeping closer to their faces. She could even feel the uncomfortable heat near her face.

 

It was like being in the circus fire all over again.

 

“No, no, no! FIZZ! MOM!” Tears fell from her face and her voice cracked. “DON’T LEAVE ME! I’M SORRY!”

 

“You weren’t perfect enough for the show business…” chided Cash Buckzo as his face was melted by the flames.

 

“Barbie, I miss you…” Tilla smiled before her face was replaced by a skull from the flames.

 

Fizz sobbed as his arms and horns melted to stubs. “There’s nothing you can do…”

 

And the Blitzo illusion hit her the most…he glared into her soul as he burned away and stated, “I’ve always wanted what was best for me.”

 

 Rolando laughed evilly as he finished: “…and let your drugs end it all for you!”

 

“NOOOOO!”

 

Barbie lowered her head and closed her eyes, desperate for the nightmare to end. It felt worse than the many withdrawals she had experienced.

 

‘No this is worse than that,’ Barbie thought. ‘I’m trapped in my own fucking head!’

 

Rolando grinned as he leaned his face uncomfortably close to hers.

 

“And it will only get worse from here, sweetheart. Now let’s dive in, shall we?”

 

Barbie looked up in horror as her memories flashed across the green screen.

 

0 0 0

 

 

Barbie Wire went over to her father and sobbed into his arms. Cash Buckzo spoke lowly to her, then she, too, glared at her brother.

 

“Y-you, you did this?”

 

“Barb, no, I didn’t! I didn’t! It was an accident.”

 

“Where’s Momma?”

 

Blitzo stared sadly at his feet.

 

Barbie Wire seethed and leaned toward his face.

 

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

 

“G-g-gone,” Blitzo stuttered, his voice cracking. “I tried to save her…”

 

“But you didn’t!”

 

Barbie Wire sighed. She turned to her father.

 

“What do we do, now?”

 

Cash Buckzo sighed. “Check on Fizz, rebuild from scratch. Try to impress Mammon enough to maybe get a stable budget. You’ll be my new star. Your brother…is no longer welcome here.”

 

“What?!” Blitzo cried.

 

Cash Buckzo whirled around.

 

“YOU HEARD ME, YOU SISSY EXCUSE OF A SON! You are no longer welcome in this circus, this family. Leave us.”

 

Blitzo hesitated.

 

Cash Buckzo growled, “NOW!” He turned around and angrily stomped away.

 

Barbie Wire wiped her eyes with her arm and began to turn around.

 

Blitzo reached out to her in desperation.

 

“Barbie, please, I’m sorry. Please don’t leave…”

 

“I don’t wanna see you again…ever.” Her voice cracked. “I…I have to stay with Dad. Goodbye, brother.”

 

 

0 0 0

 

 

Barbie was slapped in the face by her father.

 

“I was about to redeem our family business…” he glowered. “You’re the only one left to maintain my circus…but what did you do instead?”

 

“I…” stuttered a teen Barbie. “I fell off the tightrope…”

 

“Yes, you did…your mistake frightened the animals and almost caused another fire! I raised you better! I trained you better!”

 

“It won’t happen again, papa! I swear!”

 

“Blitzo betrayed our circus…I don’t want you to do the same thing! The last thing we need is to go broke!”

 

“Y-you never cared about him! Or Momma!”

 

“Shut it! I put everything into our lifestyle…hours of planning and training. Now the masses think we’re a flop!”

 

“I can’t take this anymore!” Barbie cried. “I quit!”

 

Cash let out a forced laugh. “You quit?! You really wanna leave the one place you’ve ever known and live on the streets like a hell-rat?”

 

Barbie paused. “W-well, it’s better than sacrificing my sleep and sanity trying to match up to your standards.”

 

“Well, go ahead then! I bet you’ll be crawling back here like a pathetic little cunt after an hour or so. You’ll never leave...”

 

Barbie flipped him off and ran.

 

“Oh, you will.” He paused in confusion, then shouted, “WAIT BARBIE! PLEASE COME BACK! I DIDN’T MEAN…”

 

But by this time, Barbie was through with his broken promises and false comfort. After she stopped to catch her breath, she took a knife and Xed out the black family mark on her forehead. Then she carved scars all over her arms and hands…just to feel something other than the nagging of her thoughts.

 

Barely getting by, searching for food and water for days, she found the one thing that could help her forget her pain…something that she let herself be consumed by for years.

 

H-8, heroin, meth…

 

Nothing else seemed to matter…

 

…until she collapsed and almost stopped breathing.

 

 

0 0 0

 

Days passed by as she lay in her hospital bed, IVs and medications in her system. Vomiting, sweating, shaking, sleeping…

 

…dreaming of death…

 

0 0 0

 

She searched for jobs high and low. She peered at a poster: “Do you have a seductive charm you want to express? Sign up in the Lust Ring to spread lust to the human world in Asmodeus’ name!”

 

Seducing humans and traveling up to Earth with her new Asmodean crystal was enjoyable.

 

Being fucked and bullied by incubi and succubi was not.

 

“Look at that twinky little imp,” mocked a succubi. “Does she really think she can spread lust like we can?”

 

“She came from some poor circus, I heard,” remarked an incubus. “Ain’t even cute.”

 

“I think she is,” purred another succubus.

 

“I’m surprised Ozzie let her team with us,” said another succubus.

 

“That’s because you have strange tastes in mates,” said the first succubus. She turned to Barbie. “Look, if you want to travel to Earth and work hard in search of your drugs, go ahead.”

 

She handed Barbie a pack of H-8, which she eagerly consumed.

 

“But we should warn you…” the succubus mocked.

 

Barbie screamed as flashes of assault and withdrawal overwhelmed her senses. Scenes of her vomiting and crying whenever she couldn’t get her fix. Nightmares of her brother turning her back on her and blaming her for their mother’s death. “It was an accident, Barbie! I did all I could! It was you who stayed in the background and didn’t help anyone!”

 

Barbie moaning and crying as pink clawed hands, pink breasts and dicks throbbed and invaded her body. Sharp teeth sinking into her skin as she was held down.

 

“…you won’t last long in our beds.”

 

 

 

0 0 0

 

“BARBIE?!”

 

“BLITZ?!”

 

“What the fuck are you doing here, shithead?” she snapped.

 

“I should be asking you the same thing!” cried Blitzo. “You check yourself out of rehab, no call, no note…and I have to track you down to this shithole with...who the fuck is this?”

 

She shoved Jimmy aside.

 

“No one…he works for me. And who’s the little twink here?”

 

Blitzo glanced at Moxxie. “No one. He works for me.”

 

“Sir! That guy’s the target!” Moxxie exclaimed.

 

“Oh shit, Barb! Looks like your little boy toy got himself into some trouble.”

 

“The fuck are you talking about?”

 

“He killed our client, and now our client wants to kill him back.”

 

“You fucking WHAT?!” Barbie Wire glared at Jimmy.

 

“He found out about your drugs.”

 

“I don’t want to fucking hear it, kid.” She glared at her brother. “Look, you’re not killing my supplier.”

 

“Oh fuck, supplier of what? You’re not back on that H-8, are you?”

 

“FUCK NO! It’s just heroin!”

 

“Oh, thank Satan! So now you’re peddling heroin? What’s the point? That shit barely gets rid of a headache!”

 

“It’s honest work, okay? And I thought it would be sure to keep me as far away from you as possible.”

 

“So you teamed up with genius here, because?” Moxxie asked.

 

 Barbie Wire smirked. “Do you have any idea how easy teenage humans are to manipulate?”

 

“Hey! No, I’m not!” Jimmy protested.

 

Barbie Wire wiggled her butt at him. “Oh Jimmy-wimmy, can you pwease keep loading up deez dwuggie-wuggies for me?”

 

“Heh. Sure Barb, whatever you say.”

 

“Sir…I’ve spent a week on this, I’m finishing it, one way or another,” Moxxie waved his knife.

 

“Don’t you dare!” Barbie Wire growled. “Come on, Blitzo! Haven’t you fucked my life enough already?!”

 

After a long fight in the boathouse, a rocket smashed through the window and exploded against Jimmy’s head, raining blood onto Blitzo, Moxxie, and Barbie Wire.

 

“SATAN FUCKING DAMMIT!” Barbie Wire yelled. “Thanks a lot, Blitzo, I’m out of a job! FUCK!” She stomped away.

 

“Barb, wait! I want to help you! Let me help you. Please? You’re clean now, right? Let’s…grab dinner, we’ll catch up and we’ll talk about…”

 

Barbie Wire laughed forcefully. “You don’t fucking GET IT!”

 

She got into his face. “Just cause I’m outta rehab doesn’t mean I wanna see you.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I DON’T WANNA SEE YOU EVER!”

 

She created a portal with her Asmodean crystal on her wrist.

 

“Next time you wanna find me Blitzo…DON’T!”

 

She vanished back to the Sloth Ring.

 

Covered in blood, she slumped against the wall and cried.

 

‘I just lost my brother…again…’

 

0 0 0

 

 

“Hello,” Barbie said as she entered an alleyway. “I’m here for the down-low drug operation interview…?”

 

“We saw your profile,” said a shadowy figure. “You were a performer, yes?”

 

“In my family’s circus, yes,” she said.

 

“And you seem to have experience in the Lust Ring as well,” said the interviewer, glancing at her watch with the crystal on it.

 

“Yes,” she said. “Though my last operation on Earth was…compromised.”

 

The figure shrugged. “Drugs and drugs, no matter where they’re from. H-8 is quite expensive as are drugs smuggled from the human world. You clean?”

 

Barbie nodded.

 

“You willing to risk getting arrested or killed by any party including us?”

 

Barbie nodded again.

 

“And are you up for providing us with some…’performances’ now and again?”

 

Barbie grimaced as she heard low leering laughs from the other mysterious demons.

 

Barbie gulped. “Yes.”

 

“Yes, what?”

 

“Y-yes, sir!”

 

“Then, you’re hired, pretty thing!”

 

He handed her a list and instructions: “Tomorrow, meet one of our men in the Lust Ring by Ozzie’s. He’s the one in the trench coat with blue horns. Bump into him and speak the phrase, ‘Oh man, what a clumsy bitch am I! I would H-8 for someone to take notice.’ He’ll slip you a pack of H-8 encased in a small cereal box. Bring it back to me and if you succeed on your tasks, you might just have enough souls to rent your own place.”

 

Barbie turned to leave, when she felt a claw on her shoulder. “Start by stealing us a sack of heroin across the way. Don’t disappoint me.”

 

0 0 0

 

 

 

Rolando licked Barbie’s tears from her face as she sobbed.

 

“You said you never wanted to see Blitzo again, yes? Well after I’ve had my way with you, you’ll get your wish…and his blood will be on your hands…”

 

Barbie shook with fear. “Wait, no! I don’t want him…”

 

Rolando dug his claws into her shoulder. “Trust me...it’ll be better for the both of us when he’s dead. And when you start grieving over him, I’ll find out just how delicious you taste!”

 

Barbie screamed as Rolando cackled and vanished in black goo. Dark water and smoke rapidly filled up the room, causing Barbie to choke. The darkness and pressure overtook her, and she closed her eyes in surrender.

 

 

0 0 0

 

 

“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Blitzo leaned over Barbie. Her eyes snapped open, and a blast knocked Blitzo backwards into a brick wall.

 

Blitzo grunted and stood up, clutching the wall with his hands in fear.

 

Barbie stood up with a sickening crack. Only…it wasn’t her. The grin on her face was too wide, her teeth were too sharp, her body was unnaturally stiff, and her eyes glowed a sickly yellow.

 

‘Could this be how Millie felt when she fought me?’ Blitzo wondered.

 

Blitzo barely had time to leap out of the way before “Barbie” slammed her fist into the wall where he had been moments before. Cracks formed in the wall and pieces of brick fell to the sidewalk.

 

“Looks like it’s double trouble with the amazing wimp siblings!” Rolando sang, a combination of Barbie’s voice and his sinister voice. Blitzo blocked Rolando’s punches but was already starting to falter.

 

“Barbie wants you dead, Blitzo! You ruined her life and couldn’t be bothered to say goodbye! More proof that you ruin everyone’s lives without a shit to give!”

 

Blitzo stepped back as Barbie/Rolando swung a leg under his legs, nearly tripping him. Barbie was agile and equal to him in fighting…he remembered the experience back at the boathouse.

 

He had Moxxie with him before…Millie was with him the last time…but now…

 

“You’re all alone!” Rolando mocked, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down. “No sidekick imps to save you now!”

 

Blitzo punched him in the stomach hard and shoved him slightly backwards.

 

“Where’s Millie?!”

 

Rolando grinned. “I killed her while you were out.”

 

“What?!” Blitzo gasped.

 

He barely had time to react when Rolando knocked him to the ground, pressing his face with Barbie’s black heeled boot.

 

 

 

Millie moaned and shook herself awake. She stood up and brushed herself off. Checking her belt, she was dismayed when she found she had lost her gun.

 

‘Hand-to hand combat it is,’ she sighed.

 

Millie stepped out of the alleyway. “Blitz?” she called. “I hope the infestor didn’t get you again!”

 

Millie raced over and found the two imps fighting. Her hands covered her mouth as she watched Barbie beat up a sobbing Blitzo, hard.

 

“Your hick friend is dead and soon you’ll be, too!”

 

“BLITZ!” Millie called.

 

Blitzo looked at her and coughed. “What…Millie?!”

 

Rolando paused and looked over. “So, the hick survives. Not for long.”

 

Millie breathed a sigh of relief, looking at her boss. “You’re okay!”

 

“NOPE!”

 

Rolando lifted a screaming Blitzo up by his legs and spun him around before letting him go. He flew haphazardly and would’ve slammed into Millie had she not moved away just in time.

 

Blitzo winced and grunted.

 

“What happened?” Millie looked down on him in concern before helping him up. “Where’s the infest…?”

 

Blitzo pointed a shaking finger at the possessed Barbie.

 

“Bring it on combover…!” Millie began just as Rolando leaped toward them, feet outstretched. Millie got hit in the gut and she cried out as she flew against the wall. Blitzo grabbed one of Rolando’s wrists and yanked it hard. Ducking under Rolando’s punch, Blitzo headed-butted him to the side, giving Millie time to recover from the blow.

 

“GET…”

 

Blitzo punched Rolando hard in the face with every word.

 

“THE…”

 

He punched again and again.

 

“FUCK…”

 

SMACK!

 

“OUTTA…”

 

SMACK!

 

“MY…”

 

SMACK!

 

“SISTER!”

 

“Nice one, boss!” Millie cheered.

 

Rolando cried out as black blood spurted from his mouth. He proceeded to spit into Blitzo’s face, making him flinch. He wrapped Barbie’s long pointed tail around his leg and yanked him to the ground.

 

Rolando punched Blitzo hard in the neck, holding him down with his knees on his chest. He leered down at Blitzo as he began to choke him.

 

“STOP IT! PLEASE!” Barbie sobbed inside her mind. Rolando laughed and ignored her. He grinned down at Blitzo.

 

“You don’t have a sister anymore. You have no idea what you put her through. Soon you both will be nothing but memories and flesh going down my throat!”

 

Millie jumped at Rolando with clawed fingers out, teeth barred…

 

…but he caught her wrists before she could reach him.

 

He laughed and tossed her aside.

 

The distraction was enough for Blitzo to ram him hard in the groin with his knee. Rolando let out a distorted cry. “How rude!”

 

Blitzo and Millie yelled at the same time, punching and kicking Rolando as hard as they could.

 

The imps stood over him after Rolando moaned in pain.

 

“The stomach or the face?” Millie asked Blitzo.

 

“Perhaps a third option?” Rolando asked.

 

“Okay!” Millie and Blitzo both answered with grins, and both of their fists made contact with his groin.

 

Barbie’s mouth opened up and a distorted cry echoed against the alley walls. Rolando was soon forced from Barbie, leaving in a black gooey form and retreating. He glared from a spot in the shadows and weakly waved his hand.

 

Barbie groaned and slowly sat up, her eyes back to their normal red and yellow.

 

“What happened?”

 

Blitzo was overcome with emotion. He hugged Barbie tight, thankful she was alive.

 

For a few blissful seconds, Barbie cried quietly and let herself be embraced by her brother’s hug.

 

“I love you, Barb.”

 

“I love you Blitz,” Barbie groaned.

 

Millie showed a small smile as she watched the hugging imps.

 

But all too soon, the bonding moment was gone.

 

Barbie huffed and stood up, separating from Blitzo and shoving him aside.

 

She started to walk away.

 

“Barb, wait!” Blitzo called.

 

“I’m done waiting for you,” Barbie said in a low voice.

 

“I saved your life…”

 

“And you think I should forgive you just like that?” she scoffed. “You’ve ruined my life too many times and I’m fucking sick of it!”

 

“I’m so, so sorry about everything that happened,” Blitzo pleaded. “Can we…please stop fighting and figure things out?”

 

“I’d be glad to stop fighting with you…so I can be alone!” she emphasized. “I don’t want you or any of your…” she glanced at Millie, “…crazy coworkers following me.”

 

“I just wanted to make sure you were safe… that you didn’t relapse!”

 

“You’re not my parent, asshole,” Barbie glared. “And in case you didn’t notice…”

 

Rolando grinned as he appeared behind her…

 

She whirled around and clawed into him with all her might, knocking him down on his back. She mauled and screeched until the infestor demon was a black bloody pile of flesh and organs by her feet.

 

“…I can take care of myself.”

 

She tapped her crystal, and a portal appeared.

 

“Don’t look for me again or I’ll…”

 

“You’ll what?” Blitzo asked.

 

Barbie hid her tears and looked off to the side. “Goodbye, Blitzo.”

 

“NO!” Blitzo cried.

 

But his sister had once again vanished before him.

 

Blitzo collapsed onto his knees and sobbed. Millie bent down and embraced him. They remained together for a while.

 

When Blitzo’s sobs began to slow, Millie looked at him with concern.

 

“I told you this was a bad idea, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Blitzo replied, too sad to make a comeback.

 

Millie held his hand. “I’m sorry about all this. But…you may have to let her go. Really.”

 

Blitzo knew that wasn’t going to be easy. Deep down, he hoped he would get another chance to reconcile with her.

 

“Now that you know she’s okay…” she grinned, “…and we finally defeated Ronaldo or whatever his name was…can we please go back now?”

 

Blitzo nodded. “Yeah, you’re right…I need to see what Loona’s been up to. And I think I need more ice cream.”

 

Millie rolled her eyes. “No more ‘coping’ off our money, please.”

 

Blitzo perked up. “Rita’s got plenty of money for us, I’ll bet! Can wait to tell her about how I fucked up that ghost!”

 

Millie glared at him.

 

“Uh…we…both of us…” he corrected himself. “Let’s go, then!”

 

The duo headed back toward their van and stepped inside. Blitzo tapped his crystal and a portal to I.M.P. Headquarters opened. Without another word, Blitzo drove the van through, and the portal closed.

 

Back in the shadows, a clawed hand tapped another crystal, and another portal opened.

 

“That illusion of me really had them fooled!” Rolando said with an evil smirk. The One Star Wonder hallway appeared in front of him.

 

“Time to get back to work…and feast on my precious hotel guests!”

 

Rolando spread out his arms and laughed evilly as he walked through the portal. It soon closed behind him.