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Authors Note: Ok, I know I said I was working on the Home Improver side of things. I'm sorry, it just kinda happened that this came to be out of a lot of story pieces I work on from time to time as well as to keep up with the Cut and Run series of my friend and fellow author Moongrim. He wanted to do a cross over with his characters and Donnie. Please note that the characters Allen and Frazziss are owned by him and used with permission as well as the scenes with them are co-written with him. I promise next story you'll see will feature your favorite hardware store. Ironically enough, this was supposed to be a short chapter and it turned into the longest story I've written. One last thing and more of a warning the chapter you will be reading does have themes of intense depression and suicide- if this is a trigger for you please do not read. Thank you- Bono
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June 30th.
"You've been spending too much time cooped up in your room, so I'm going to have you go with Molly and deliver some papers to an acquaintance of mine. She's the president of the San Jose State University, and it would do you some good to get out." Stated the Lilim that thought she ruled my fucking life.
We were eating breakfast that morning at the massive table in her dining room. The similarities between her, the Maou and even Misrelda were blatantly obvious when it came to choices of how they liked their homesteads. The comedic irony of the scene didn't fly over my head either. Her with her breakfast of a glass of wine with some dainty mini quiches, mine with a massive omelette and black coffee, it was almost dare I say... Domestic? If anything, let it also be said that Molly could make a damn good omelette! The perfect combination of bacon, sausage, cheese, eggs and veggies, but I digress...
"Yeah, no thanks. I'm good." I said dismissively around a mouthful. A road trip with Miss Blushy wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.
"Let me put this in another way, Donnie. You owe me a very large amount of money in medical billing from your housing and care at my facility. That is including what your pathetically inept insurance through work paid out which, by the way, ended a year ago because they went out of business." Druella paused allowing her words to sink in. Yeah, that electronic's store I worked at back in the day wasn't doing too well.
"So unless you wish to pay me back in other ways... Let's try this again," The Lilim continued, leaning in closer to stare me straight in the eye across from the table, "Donnie, I want you to go with Molly to San Jose State University and deliver some documents to the president there."
God damn it, she had me by the balls on that. Road trip with the Mantis or Auntie Dru firing up the ol' imagination on ways for my ass to pay her back. Finally, I grudgingly said,
"...Sure."
She leaned back with a smug grin, "Good boy."
God I hate that bitch.
"Don't look so glum, you'll be using a favorite car of Molly's. I have a feeling that you'll like it." She said with a mysterious smile as she got up and walked away, her hips swaying seductively with her tail as she left.
Huh, wonder what that meant?
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"Holy fucking shit, that's a Bugatti Veyron!" I exclaimed, staring at the European supercar. We were in the massive garage that held the 20 plus cars that Druella owned. There was a Benz, a BMW, Porsh, Ferrari, Lamborghini... just about every car enthusiast wet dream under one roof. I walked around the supercar, taking in every curve and crevice. The license plate said 'Druella 1' on it.
Vain much, Auntie Dru?
The Manits gave me a blank look as she raised the driver side door. I guess all this was all just old news to her. Taking cue, I raised the passenger door and jumped in. It was beautiful inside , glorious, a god damn work of art. Molly turned the key and the sound it made nearly gave me an orgasam. Yeah, it was that good. I buckled up just in time as the maid hit the gas and we sped out of the garage. I may have gotten whiplash from the sudden acceleration but I didn't care. It was worth it.
The drive to San Jose State from Druella's, according to the GPS, is supposed to take about 4- 5 hours. We did it in 2. During the trip, we passed multiple highway patrols and, oddly enough, none of them pulled us over. In reality, the drive would have been an hour and a half but I found that Silicon Valley traffic was just as notoriously bad as any major, metro area. Maybe even worse. Have you ever seen a Mantis riding the horn of a European supercar, clearly pissed off but utterly expressionless? Her antennae were waving about her head violently as if screaming every profane obscenity known to man. Internally, maybe she was. I wanted to laugh but thought better of it, I didn't want to mess with a Mantis sporting road rage. Those forearm scythes she had on her were nasty.
It was almost noon when we reached the school. Molly parked in the red zone right by the entrance to the office.
"Uh, I'm pretty sure we're not suppose to park here..." I commented to her as we both got out. She gave me her usual blank stare that I somehow translated into 'I don't give a fuck.'
That girl really needed to watch her language.
I took a seat in the waiting room inside the office while she took a Manila envelope full of paperwork to the president's office. For the sake of not causing a riot with the cops and SWAT team, I left Winona in the glovebox of the car. I did feel a certain amount of vulnerability without her but I figured it was a school, what's the worst that could happen?
A pang of nostalgia hit me as I looked around the familiar environment. At one time, I too used to be a college student. Just had to worry about getting good grades, studying for tests, mid- terms, finals and not spending too much money on crap I didn't need. Then I ended up on their world, became a Merc to survive, to find a way back home. A bittersweet taste filled my mouth, could I really return to something like this? Something so mundane and peaceful... After all I've been though? All I know?
"I can't help that she's a dumb bitch and she graded me wrong!" Came a raised voice from the desk.
"Miss ————, you will watch yourself when you talk to me and about your teachers!"
I looked over to see a Cyclops yelling at the receptionist. It was only when she turned her head that I started to have a panic attack. She looked exactly like Victoria! No, not exactly... while they both had purple hair, this one's was longer and in a pony tail, plus she had a shorter horn on her head, maybe a few slight facial differences.
"Take a seat and I'll see what I can do." I heard the weary voice of the office worker.
No, I had to calm down about stuff like that. There were other Cyclopes out there. I couldn't start freaking out every time I saw one. Trying to moderate my heartbeat, I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I had to get over this.
Much to my despair, the Cyclops sat down right next to me. She still seemed pissed over whatever she had going on as I could hear her grumbling to herself. Then she stopped and turned to me.
"Hey, you look really familiar. Are you in my Trig class with Miss Stevenson?"
Seriously?
My cool went to hell after she said that and I tried to refocus myself to speak over the returning panic along with the pounding drum that was my heartbeat. Finally after a few seconds and licking my dry lips I replied,
"N-no, I uh, don't go to this school. I'm just visiting to drop something off."
"Ah ok," She said cheerfully, "Looking to go here? They got a great engineering department, that's what I'm in. Plus of course coding and web design."
"R-really? That's... um, good."
Jesus why? Why did she look so much like her? Why was she going for engineering? Was this Gods revenge on me? His punishment to me for fucking up reality?
