The plan was in motion, but it wasn't going to be easy. I had just set the foundation for what I hoped would be the start of a reformed I.M.P. when things took a turn, right back into the chaotic hellhole that was our normal routine.
Moxxie, Millie, Loona, and I had gathered together in the office that morning, each of us standing in our respective corners, when the buzzer went off. We were finally getting a new job. At first, I thought we could take it slow, maybe handle some smaller assignments and ease into our "new and improved" approach to business. But life—especially Hell's life—had a way of throwing you into the deep end.
"We got a new assignment," Moxxie said, his voice calm, "I'll go get the details."
I glanced at him, wondering just how many times Moxxie had said those words before and never gotten a "normal" job. The disorganized state of this business wasn't just a pattern but became our lifestyle. I could feel the weight of it, my responsibility now, and I wasn't going to let this job be a repeat of the disaster waiting to happen that most jobs here turned into.
Moxxie handed me the folder. The job seemed straightforward: a simple assassination of a demon who'd angered someone important in Hell's politics. But I couldn't just throw the team at this job the way Blitzo would have. Not this time.
"We're going to do this differently," I said, pulling out a notepad. "Moxxie, you'll take lead on some of the intel and preparation. Millie, you can back him up. Loony, I'm gonna need you to be our comms. This is going to be structured, and no one's going to be flying by the seat of their pants. Understand?"
There was a beat of silence.
I wasn't sure if they fully believed me yet, but this was our first real test. If we did this right, it would set the tone for everything that came after.
"Fine by me," Millie grinned, always ready for action. "I love the idea of a plan!"
Loona rolled her eyes but didn't protest. She always loved getting to sit in her corner and do her techy stuff. As long as she didn't have to deal with the aftermath of Blitzo's messes, she was usually fine with whatever.
Moxxie, of course, looked like he was trying to decide if this new plan was a blessing or a curse, but he didn't argue.
"Okay, let's make it quick," Moxxie said, adjusting his tie and pulling out the small tablet that detailed the assignment.
We prepared to head out, and I couldn't help but keep a nervous grin on my face, this mission will show if we could actually work together as a team? Could we execute a clean hit? Could we avoid the usual messes?
Hell, the first step of my goal was to reform this team, and if I couldn't do that, I might as well kiss the whole "business" idea goodbye. We could no longer just get through the day. I had to make sure this team worked in sync, that could execute jobs without leaving a trail of destruction behind.
The job wasn't glamorous for sure. it wasn't even particularly interesting. But as I stood in front of the targets paper, watching Moxxie handle the negotiations with the potential client, I had a moment of clarity outside my own thoughts this was it. This was the kind of work I wanted I.M.P. to be known for—efficient, effective, and professional.
And then, as usual, it all went to hell.
No sooner had we secured the contract and headed out our target, some pompous guy with a taste for expensive wine decided to make a run for it. I didn't even have time to blink before Moxxie was off, chasing the bastard through a narrow alley while Millie and I stood there, watching the whole thing unfold in perfect, slow-motion disaster.
"Damn it, Moxxie," I muttered, hands on my hips. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. A mission that should've been clean had now turned into another damn chase.
I was about to say something when Loona's voice cut through the tension.
"I've got eyes on him. If you want to catch up, I can get a path for Moxxie."
I took a deep breath. Loona was staying focused on what mattered at least, I had to do the same. Thank goodness hell had a few things better in tech compared to earth, If we were going to pull this off without another disaster, I had to keep everyone focused on their roles, no distractions.
"Alright, Loona, give Moxxie the route," I ordered, keeping my eyes on Millie. "You're with me, Millie. We'll catch up to them and finish the job."
"Finally," Millie said with a grin, cracking her knuckles. "I was really starting to get bored."
I didn't even have time to respond before taking off after Moxxie and the target. We tore through the streets, past the usual crowds, I couldn't tell if the residents where even paying attention to us or not but I had no time to dwell as we twisted through the architecture, until we finally cornered the bastard.
"Alright, pal," I said, as I locked eyes with the target. "You're coming with us."
The next few minutes were a blur of violence when his goons arrived, and we needed to make rapid decisions. Moxxie was quick on his feet, Millie was a wrecking ball of force, and Loona's intel made everything flow smoothly. Even with all the setbacks, we pulled off a clean hit. By the time the job was over, we had the target bagged, the contract signed, and our client satisfied.
I could've stood there, basking in the small victory, but the thought of what we'd just done hit me. This job had been a mess, sure, but we'd done it together. The execution was for us, or me, more about the way we worked—planned, and unified.
"We did it," Moxxie said, panting, wiping sweat off his brow.
"Yeah, we did," I said, turning to face my team. A wide smile tugging at my lips. "And That's, how it's supposed to be done!"
And for now, I felt like we were on the right path. There were still plenty of kinks to work out, but this job, this small victory—it showed me something important: maybe, with enough sweat, I could reform this place.
One mission at a time.
We headed back to the office, I couldn't help but think about what was next. The road to reforming I.M.P. was going to be long. There would be more chaos. More jobs. More difficult decisions. But this, this team. I wasn't about to let them fall back into the same cycle that had kept this business in the gutter for so long. We had potential. I had potential.
Maybe we were just getting started, but I had a feeling we could shake Hell up in ways no one had ever seen before.
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