"MayDay"

I tapped his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel as the van rumbled with music down the streets of Hell, blurring by in a way that had become almost comforting. The city was as alive as ever, its chaotic hum buzzing through the air. Loona sat next to him, absorbed in her phone, scrolling through 'Envee' with a level of focus that was almost unnatural. In the back, Millie and Moxxie were deep in conversation about a recent job they'd pulled off, talking over each other in the usual banter.

in this moment I felt content, The business was growing, I had a team I could rely on (majority of the time), and I was starting to get the hang of this whole staying sober while working thing. The main reason I'd started in my past life was because the overwhelming pressure I had to be great to all the people who expected it from me, even though hells streets were filled with all kinds of goods on every corner I managed pretty well. 

We pulled up to the parking lot behind the I.M.P. building, a familiar sense of pride swelling in my chest. I had done this. I had built this place from the ground up well me and original blitz. Hell, we even had consistent clients now. Things were looking up. The business, despite its unorthodox style, was slowly growing, and I was finally doing something I wanted to due to pride, without the unnecessary pressure.

A car glided into the one remaining parking spot right in front of me. A car I would recognize anywhere., something made my chest tighten. It started with the car. A sleek, black vehicle that slid effortlessly into the only empty spot left I was about to claim. 

I froze, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. There, sitting in the front passenger seat of that car, was none other than Verosika Mayday. My ex-girlfriend.

I didn't even know what to do with that information. The memories of my past life—the original Blitzo—came rushing in all at once. Verosika. The pop star. The demon who I had once loved and, ultimately, pushed away. I remembered everything about her—her silverish white hair with a pink stripe, her voice that could melt steel, and her heart that I had taken for granted.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Loona perk up. Her eyes locked onto the car, and the next thing I knew, she was practically vibrating in her seat.

"Wait—is that Verosika Mayday?" she asked, her voice full of awe.

I didn't respond immediately. I couldn't. My mind was still reeling, the familiar rush of regret rising up inside me.

"Yeah," I finally said, my voice betraying a little more emotion than I wanted it to. "That's her."

Loona turned to me, her excitement palpable. "No way! She's like, my idol! How do you even know her?" Her eyes were wide as she leaned in closer, utterly oblivious to my internal turmoil. "Wait, didn't you—didn't you date her or something?"

I swallowed, trying to shove the guilt that was creeping up my throat back down. "Yeah, we... uh, we used to date."

Loona was practically bouncing in her seat. "Oh my god, Blitz, why did you break up with her? She's literally a pop star! She's amazing!"

The question hit me like a slap in the face. Why had I broken up with her? I mean, in my past life, I had been an idiot. An addict. Someone who couldn't see the good in front of me. And in this life, while I'd learned a lot and was slowly becoming someone who could actually manage a business—someone who could be better—I still wasn't sure if I was the person Verosika deserved. Even now. Even after everything I'd gone through. 

I clenched my jaw, trying to push the question aside. "It's... complicated, Loona," I muttered. The last thing I needed was to get into this right now. Especially not with her.

Loona, though, wasn't backing down. She looked at me with wide eyes, still in awe of the situation. "Complicated? She's like... famous, and she's, like, so cool. Why would you ever break up with her?".

I took a deep breath and forced a grin, the smile feeling fake but necessary. "Alright, Loona. Let's get to work, yeah? We've got a business to run."

Loona nodded but gave me a skeptical look. "Sure, sure, Blitz. But you're gonna have to tell me more about her one day. You know that, right?"

I chuckled, though there was no real joy in it. "Maybe. But not today."

As we walked inside, almost sneaking, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder one last time at Verosika's car. Part of me knew I wasn't finished with that chapter of my life. But I didn't know if I was ready to handle it yet, had I really even changed all that much.

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I walked into the building with Loona, and Moxxie, instructing Millie to finding a parking space for us. But I was still trying to shake off the weight of everything that had happened. 

We stepped into the building and Loona and moxxie also seemed to still feel the effects of the previous encounter. 

"Loona, you alright?" I asked, noticing the way she was squirming in her seat as we approached the door.

She shot me a glance, her anxiety palpable. "Ugh, I don't know... What if she sees me? I mean, I did my makeup kind of... shitty today," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean? It looks fine."

She pulled out a small pocket mirror from her pocket and quickly checked herself. "No, it's all wrong. I didn't have time for the usual routine, and I was rushing..." She looked at herself with a sigh, her eyes narrowing. "It's just... not good today, okay?"

I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head. "Loona, trust me. Verosika isn't gonna care about your makeup." I shot her a playful grin. "Besides, even if she did, I'm sure she'd be too busy tearing into me to notice how flawless you look."

She shot me an incredulous look, but I could see the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, well... what if she's judging me, though?" she muttered, half-serious, half-joking.

I sighed, rolling my eyes but trying to reassure her. "Loona, you're great just the way you are. If anyone's gonna get judged, it's me—I'm the one with the history with her, remember?" I gave her a half-grin, trying to make light of the situation.

She didn't look entirely convinced by my speech but put the pocket mirror away regardless. 

It didn't help that as soon as we entered and almost made it to the front desk Verosika was entering inside the lobby. Her presence was suffocating, and I could feel Loona's discomfort radiating from her.

 Moxxie came up beside us, his usual deadpan expression showing no signs of the same anxiety that Loona was clearly feeling. But when his eyes fell on Verosika in the lobby, his lips tightened, and I could tell the tension had seeped into him, too.

"Hey, Blitz," he said, his voice clipped, "you gonna stand there all day, or are we actually going to get to work?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I found myself trying to calm Loona with a reassuring look before turning toward Moxxie. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go".

And then, as if on cue, I heard the sound of that unmistakable voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little imp."

I froze.

There she was. Verosika Mayday.

And she wasn't alone.

Loona stiffened beside me, her wide eyes darting toward the voice, and I could practically feel her buzzing with excitement. Moxxie, ever the professional, straightened his posture, his hand resting near his weapon, as if preparing for a battle of some kind. But it wasn't a physical fight that was coming—it was something much worse.

I turned slowly, my hands gripping my sides as I forced myself to face the music. And there she was, standing just a few feet away, leaning against the lobby counter like she owned the damn place. She was as stunning as ever her eyes gleaming with the same mix of mischief and bitterness I remembered all too well.

"Blitzo," she said, her gaze locking with mine, and I couldn't help but feel like I was drowning in it. "It's been a while."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My mind raced, but the words I needed to say felt miles away. All I could do was stand there, staring like a fool.

Loona, ever the eager one, piped up next to me, clearly starstruck by the pop star's presence. "Oh my god, Verosika Mayday? You're her? Like, you're real?" She was practically vibrating with excitement.

Verosika turned to her, offering a playful wink. "Yeah, kid, I'm real. What's your name?"

"I'm Loona! I—" she started but quickly stopped herself, realizing she was starting to sound like a fan too much. I could practically see the mental scramble as she cleared her throat. "I mean, it's nice to meet you! I didn't know Blitz knew you—like, that well."

Verosika's smile widened, the kind of smile that was just a little too sharp. "Oh, we go way back. Don't we, Blitzo?"

I felt like I'd just been punched in the stomach. I shot Loona a look, silently begging her to drop the subject, but she was too caught up in the moment to notice.

Verosika's smirk faltered slightly, and I could see the edges of her amusement start to melt away, replaced with something more... calculating.

"Oh, we didn't exactly have the best breakup, Loona," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Blitzo here had a habit of running off and leaving me with the mess." She gave me a pointed look. "Like the time he stole my car to go joyriding and maxed out my credit cards. Real charming stuff."

Loona, still blissfully unaware of the full extent of the situation, blinked at me in confusion. "Wait, so you stole her car? And maxed out her credit cards on... what? Horseback riding lessons?"

I felt my face flush with embarrassment. I really didn't want to talk about that, especially in front of my team. But Verosika was still having fun with this.

"Not just horseback riding lessons, darling," she teased, her eyes glittering with malicious joy. "Blitz had quite the habit of running off and causing chaos wherever he went. A real charming fella, let me tell you."

I forced a grin, though it felt more like a grimace. "Yeah, I was... an idiot back then. But I've changed. I'm trying to be better."

"Are you?" Verosika's voice was low, almost mocking. "Cause, last I checked, you were still playing the same game, just with different stakes."

Her words stung, but I couldn't argue with her. Not entirely. I had changed, sure. But some things... they never really went away. Some mistakes, no matter how much you try to atone for them, still linger.

There was a beat of silence before Moxxie, who had been observing the interaction with a mix of discomfort and curiosity, cleared his throat. "Blitz, Loona, we're here to work, right?" He shot me a pointed look, and I knew what he meant. We couldn't let this... drama derail us. Not now.

I nodded quickly, forcing my attention back to the task at hand. "Right, right. Let's get to work. No more distractions."

But as we turned to head toward the elevator, I knew this wasn't over. She'd come here for the same reason as we did-work, but hers was purely out of spite of me.

But I was going to have to be. Because I could already tell that Verosika Mayday wasn't going anywhere.