Chapter 4: Just a Smidge More Progress

Balthazar manages to protect Monica from her assailants, but little does she know that he has ulterior motives behind his actions.

Up on the rooftops, Balthazar and Queen Cobra kept their heated brawl going. The latter kart-wheeled out of the way as the former leapt upwards and brought his hands together, attempting to nail her in the head with a two-handed chop. She then prepared herself for an incoming shoulder-bash, but was caught off guard as the move turned out to be a feint; Balthazar quickly scampered behind her and roundhouse kicked the back of her neck, knocking her onto her stomach.

Queen Cobra didn't have enough time to react as she found herself lifted up by her legs and swung around in circles, before being let go as she flew towards the edge of the building they were on. She barely managed to stick the landing with a handstand, but was unprepared for when Balthazar leapt after her again; he used the same two-handed attack, except now his hands were curled into fists.

Down below, Monica looked up and was able to see the fight occurring above her. Knowing that it would likely come back down to her level at any moment, she decided to think on her feet and look for a way to seal Queen Cobra's fate. Looking around haphazardly, she noticed an old toaster lying right by the flooded dumpster. Smirking, Monica stepped over and picked it up, keeping her eyes focused on the quarrel above.

After a brief melee face off, Cobra ultimately lost the fight and was sent flying off the roof by means of a sneaky two-fisted thrust to the gut from Balthazar. Letting out a Goofy holler, she didn't even have time to try and break her fall as she plummeted into the water-filled dumpster. She popped up at the surface, but Monica quickly tossed the toaster into it. As she was abruptly electrocuted, Cobra let out a gargly scream of agony, before finally falling unconscious and sinking beneath the surface.

Balthazar took the time to slide down the same gutter he'd previously climbed up as though it were a fireman pole and hurried over towards Monica, who shut the lid on the dumpster and placed a few cinder blocks on top.

"Good to see you're safe and unharmed. I have no idea what I'd do if you got hurt," he said as he wrapped her in a tight hug, resisting the urge to kiss her too. "But uh, did you do this?"

"Indeed," Monica chuckled lightly.

"You're a resourceful woman, you know that?" Balthazar continued.

"Tell me something I don't know," Monica said in a faux-egotistical tone, flipping her hair all the while.

"At any rate, why don't we get back on the road now?" Balthazar suggested.

Monica wanted to question him on the odd things he'd done just minutes earlier, but she decided against it. It was incredibly late at night now, and she was a long way from home. Besides, her first priority was to locate and speak to her biological father before it was too late.

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It turned out that the station the two intended to use to finish their journey was closed for now, and would not open until around 11:30 the next morning. So Monica and Balthazar decided to check into the nearest hotel and wait until then. For the latter, he was subconsciously hoping he'd get to share a bed with his crush, spending the whole night cuddling with her, or better yet trading virginities. Sadly for him, that wish didn't come true. They ended up renting a room with two beds in it, and both went to bed pretty soon after being given their key.

Balthazar didn't dare to mention the thoughts going through his head as they bid each other goodnight, but it took a lot of self-control to not blurt them out as he eyed Monica stripping down to her vibrant undergarments with laced edges as she climbed into bed. She also took the time to remove her glasses and place them on the bedside table, which instantly made her borderline unrecognizable. A small part of him figured that she always dressed the way she did just to try and get a rise out of him, to work through him like a cancer. But the rest of him knew that wasn't true. Of course lust wasn't the only thing that came to mind whenever he thought about her, but it was just a natural side-effect of everything else.

Monica fell asleep rather quickly and slept like a baby for the rest of the night, but Balthazar had a hard time following suit, continuing to toss and turn as he tried to suppress his urges. Eventually he got tired of doing this and got up, rummaging through his satchel and pulling out that same petri dish. A pentagram was drawn along the inside in blood, which hadn't quite dried out yet. Kneeling in the corner of the room, he pulled out a flashlight with a black-light bulb installed, shining it over the dish as he shut his eyes and prayed.

"Satan, lord and savior of the underworld," he whispered. "Bless me with the power to make Monica mine, and protect her from all oncoming harm."

As he spoke, various demonic shadows appeared all over the walls as they surrounded the boy who summoned them, all the while Monica continued to sleep and was none the wiser as to what was going on. A few of them let loose sinister whispers, completely incomprehensible to those who did not summon them.

"Yes, yes, I know the previous attempts didn't work… moreso Pygmy Hippo; he's so hilariously incompetent even when possessed," Balthazar continued. "But please, I need you to keep it up. For the sake of our love."

Radio silence.

"By golly, I'll make Monica love me, for my heroic efforts if nothing else… and I'll make damn sure she won't get that life-saving kidney until she does!"