Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Vinny deserved it, really. 

The bullet had struck his heart, aim straight and true. Warm liquid spread through his clothes, soaking the hands of the demon holding him. He should be dying right now- and, if he was being honest with himself, which he was, he deserved to. 

But Vinny wasn't stupid. He knew that he wouldn't win against the Irish Python, no matter how much Velvette wanted him to. Monty was an Overlord now, which meant that he was much stronger than any regular demon, and his physical prowess far outmatched any sort of tricks Vinny might have. He had known that Monty had had a gun ever since their... intimate night together, but he had chosen not to comment on it. He should've been scared when he felt the gun tucked in the snake demon's hair. 

But instead, he had felt a glimmer of hope. 

Velvet and Valentino wanted Monty, Arackniss, Sir Pentious, and Angel Dust dead. And they wanted Vinny to be the one to do it. He knew that as long as he was alive, he never had a chance of being free from the two Overlords. They would either force him to go through with the job, or they would kill him and find someone else.

If he was dead, however... that was a completely different story. 

This gave him the chance to escape from the Overlords. To find a way to help Monty from behind the scenes. This gave him a chance to for once do something right in his miserable afterlife. 

But in order for that to work, he had to die. At least in theory.

It was the hardest thing he had ever done to lie silent in Monty's arms. 

He knew that pretending to be dead wouldn't be easy. Sure, selling the appearance was simple- he had a bulletproof vest underneath his shirt, halting the bullet's progress. A pouch of fake blood had been sewn in earlier, and Vinny knew that Monty wouldn't miss it. He was the second best hitman in the Pride Ring for a reason. His tears had come from a place of genuine fear- fear not of dying, but of Monty being killed by Velvet and Valentino. He had allowed his shuddering breaths to slow, his eyes to drift shut, and his body to go limp. 

The hard part was not reacting to Monty himself. 

He had never heard the snake so distraught. Ever since the first time he had met Monty, he had been bold, strong, confident, and annoyingly charming. But in the brief days that he had gotten to know him, he had also discovered that Monty was kind, considerate, and so impossibly gentle. He would've expected the burly Overlord to be brash and uncontrollable, but Monty knew how to control his strength. He knew how to contain himself, and was respectful in every way. It was something that Vinny had never experienced before, not once in his time working for Valentino. And it was captivating. 

In the short time that he had known the snake, Vinny had fallen head over heels for the snake. And he knew that he would do anything for him. Even defy Velvet.

Which is why he needed to break his heart first. 

Monty shuddered with sobs, desperately whispering Vinny's name over and over, begging for him to wake up. Vinny wanted nothing more than to open his eyes, to offer the snake a comforting smile, but he stopped when he thought of what was at stake. 

If you go through with this, you can make it so that Monty never has to worry about being hunted again, he thought. You can redeem yourself. You can get your happy ending- you and Monty, together. You just have to be strong enough to stick to the bit. 

So he steeled his nerves, keeping himself dead still, even as Monty hunched over him, pressing their foreheads together, his tears soaking into Vinny's fur. 

Monty's hand brushed the phone in Vinny's pocket- Henroin's phone, the one he had stolen to communicate with Velvette. Normally, Vinny never would have let his point of contact be so vulnerable, but this was part of his plan. He needed Monty to notice. 

The phone was pulled out of his pocket. He could hear Monty's gasp as he recognized what it was, and could hear the faint sound of him clicking open the phone. The breathing hitched when Vinny knew he had found his messages with Velvette. All of the incriminating evidence against him, everything he had tried so hard to hide, was now out in the open. Vinny couldn't lie that he felt a huge weight off his shoulders now that he didn't have to hide it anymore.

“Arackniss was right,” Monty said, his voice filled with horror. Vinny flinched internally. Of course Arackniss had known. He wasn’t the best hitman in Pride for nothing. 

“He was right… you were workin’ with Velvette…” the snake’s voice broke. “Why, why, for once , couldn’t he have been wrong?” 

Monty’s voice ended with a sob, breaking Vinny’s heart even more. But he kept still as the snake continued. 

"I coulda kept you safe, boyo! I coulda protected you!” Monty snarled, his voice cracking slightly. But Vinny knew that the anger wasn’t towards him. 

"This is Velvette’s fault. She jus' couldn't keep to herself, huh? Her and Valentino, they jus' had to keep lookin' for whoever was the new Overlord. Whoever killed Vox."

He could hear Monty’s shuddering breaths as the snake ranted. "I was happy to lay low, to stay outta your way, but that jus' wasn't good enough for her, was it? She jus' had to send you after me. She had to force you to fight me- to make me-" A shuddering pause, then Monty kept talking, each word more hateful then the last. "Well it's too late for any sorta second chances. I'm comin' for her now. Her, an' Valentino, an' every other piece of shit that's helped them. They took away me only chance at being happy again- at havin' a meaningful relationship- so now, I'm gonna take everythin' from them. " 

Vinny just barely suppressed a shudder at the dark promise in the snake's words. He had watched videos of Monty in action. He knew that he meant every word he had said. 

He heard the phone clatter to the floor. He felt the slightest hint of victory- Velvette would soon find out that he was 'dead', and would tell Valentino, which meant that they wouldn't try to use him anymore, which meant he was free - but it was swallowed up as Monty let out another sob, hugging him close. 

"I'm so sorry, boyo," he whispered, his voice thick and broken. "I shoulda seen it sooner- I shoulda helped ya-" he broke off, sniffing. 

"I won't let you go in vain, though. Trust me, shortcake- I'll make sure they pay for usin' you," he said, his voice low and dangerous. Vinny practically bit his tongue in half to keep silent. 

There was a shifting, and then Vinny could feel himself being lifted into the air. Monty was carrying him... somewhere. He could feel the snake's shuddering breaths, his hesitation. "I don't know... I don't know where I can keep ya... shite, what do I do... anywhere I take ya, Velvette or Valentino might find ya... not that'd it do 'em much good, but..." Monty's grip tightened. "Even if you're not really here, I don't... I can't lose ya again, boyo," he said miserably. 

"I'll put ya in the basement. I'll find somewhere to bury ya later, a nice place- once I make things right... but they'll never be right, nothin's gonna feel right without you..." Monty was rambling now, desperately talking as if it would bring Vinny back. It hammered at Vinny's heart, but he forced himself to remain still. 

A door creaked, and then there was the feeling of moving downward. Then, he was laid on something soft, and he could hear cloth rustling. There was a beat of silence, broken only by Monty's shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry, boyo," he whispered. 

It took all of Vinny's willpower to remain still when lips pressed gently to his forehead, right between his eyebrows. He couldn't deny the butterflies fluttering in his stomach- something only Monty could make happen, that had made him so different from every other target. Then, the feeling of a cloth- probably a sheet- drawing over him, covering him. A warm hand rested on his forehead, gentle as could be. Vinny held his breath. If it traveled over his heart, Monty would undoubtedly feel his heartbeat, and his cover would be blown. 

But Monty's hand was gone a second later, leaving him feeling unnaturally cold. There was the sound of scales scraping on concrete, a door opening and shutting, then silence. 

Vinny lay there for what felt like an eternity. He didn’t allow himself to move, or open his eyes, he barely even allowed himself to breathe. He couldn’t risk this going wrong. He had to wait until he was sure Monty was gone in order to sneak out and plan his next step. 

He could faintly hear Monty moving around in the house upstairs, followed by violent Irish curses and the distinct sound of glass breaking. His mind unconsciously went to the vase he had seen in the living room when he had first arrived. I really hope he broke it. That thing was fucking hideous, he thought. 

The thought was so random, so out of place from his current situation that he nearly startled himself into laughing. He desperately bit his lip to keep from making a sound, even though he was pretty sure Monty wouldn’t be able to hear him if he did. 

Once the sounds of movement above him had faded, he allowed himself to open his eyes. 

A cloth was covering his body- white, from what he could tell from the faint light of a small window above him. He glanced to his side, the light making the cloth just barely translucent enough for him to see through. As far as he could tell, he was in a basement, with various boxes stacked around. 

Distantly, he could hear the sound of Monty crying, twisting his heart even more painfully. He steeled himself from blowing his cover. It won’t be like this for long. I’ll come back to you. I promise, big guy. 

I just have to protect you first. 

He focused on the position of his body, memorizing exactly how he was laying. Then, once he was certain that he knew how he was positioned and that Monty wasn’t going to be coming anytime soon, he began to move. Carefully, inch by inch, he began to move his arm up, ready to lift the cover off and begin the next part of his plan. The sound of car tires screeching on pavement outside made him freeze again, and he returned to his original position as quickly as he could without disturbing the rest of the sheet. 

There was the sound of a car door slamming, then a pounding. Someone was hammering on Monty’s front door. Vinny felt his heart leap into his throat, terrified that it was Velvette until he heard Arackniss’s angry shouting. He relaxed, but only by a little. What does HE want? he thought, confused. I thought he’d leave us alone, what with how Monty reacted to his accusations of me yesterday. 

Maybe that changed after recently…

He could barely hear the sound of scales scraping towards the door- Monty. Abruptly, the knocking cut off. He could faintly hear the sounds of conversation, and strained to listen. 

No words, but from their tones- Arackniss an angry, demanding snarl and Monty a tired, barely contained hiss- he could tell that the conversation was less than friendly. A few moments later, he could hear the sounds of a scuffle, then a scream that faded as if it were moving further away. Seconds later, a splash, clearly coming from the pool Monty had. 

Vinny had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. Did Monty just fucking throw Arackniss into the pool? As he thought about it, the more it made sense- Monty was an Overlord, and Arackniss was pretty small already. The thought of his cousin-who-didn’t-know-they-were-cousins flying helplessly through the air was hilarious, and he could feel himself trembling from trying to to laugh. 

A few minutes later, he could hear footsteps approaching the house again, with the sound of water dripping. The pounding started up again, then Monty answered a second later, sounding incredibly frustrated. Vinny cursed how little the small window allowed him to hear. 

The door slammed a second later, and Vinny held his breath. He knew Arackniss wouldn’t just walk away. If there was one thing he knew about Ragnos, it was that stubbornness ran in the family. 

True to his genetic anger issues, there was the sound of the door breaking down, followed by Arackniss’s furious shouting and Monty’s yell of shock. 

As much as he wanted to see where this would go, Vinny realized that with Monty sufficiently distracted, this would be the perfect opportunity to slip out unnoticed and continue his plan. 

He took a deep breath, then pushed the sheet off, sliding out from under it and setting it back down. Then, he glanced around the basement. There wasn’t much he could work with, but he didn’t need much anyway. Valentino had always praised his resourcefulness. 

Now, that resourcefulness would help him to take down that rat bastard. 

A bucket of folded linens sat nearby, presumably left over from the laundry. A quick glance told him that it was where Monty had gotten the sheet that had covered him, leaving the rest of the blankets twisted. He won’t miss it if I use another one…

Quickly, he grabbed a light gray blanket- the same shade as his fur- and tucked it under the sheet, molding it into the same shape he had been laying in. It was hard to go off of pure memory. The result was messy, and it wouldn’t work at all if anyone looked underneath the sheet, but he had to trust that Monty wouldn’t come down here to check on his body. 

With everything going on with Velvette and the bounty, he figured that there was a pretty good chance that his secret would remain hidden long enough for him to finish his plan.

The sounds of the scuffle were fading, prompting him to move quicker. Arackniss would distract Monty, sure, but he didn’t want to risk running out of time. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the leaking remains of the fake blood pouch. His shirt and bulletproof vest was stained with the red liquid, most of it having spilled out when he was shot, but there was still a decent amount left. He placed it where the fake-Vinny’s heart would be, patting it down to make sure it wouldn’t stand out too much. 

Finally, he pulled the sheet over it. It was easy enough to cover it with the sheet- it was made of a starched material, and the fake blood had left a spot on the white linen, making it relatively easy to place it back the way it had been. Then, once he was done, he stepped back to admire his work. 

It wasn’t foolproof, but his decoy looked convincing enough. The only way someone could tell was if they looked underneath the sheet, and Vinny trusted that Arackniss would keep Monty’s attention away for long enough. 

Now that he wasn’t under the blanket, the chill of the basement started to set in, making him shiver. I guess that’s why Monty put me here. He figured that the cold would help to preserve me until he found a place to bury me where Velvette and Valentino wouldn’t find me, he thought. It was smart, but since he didn’t have a blanket over him anymore, he was freezing.

He poked around in a few of the boxes, doing his best not to disturb anything. An old hoodie, tossed haphazardly into a tote box, caught his attention. He smirked. Bingo, he thought, grabbing it. 

The material covered his stained shirt remarkably well, and the hood was big enough to hide his entire face. The hoodie was way too big for him, but that meant he wouldn’t look much different from the other scavengers out on the streets, making do with whatever pieces of clothing they could find. Which was the goal. 

Finally, he got a running start and leapt up, grabbing the bottom of the windowsill and pulling himself up. The window was incredibly small, but thanks to his diminutive size, he was able to push it open and slide through effortlessly. Once he was outside, he clicked the window shut and pressed his back to the wall, scanning his surroundings. 

Arackniss’s Toyota Supra was parked a few yards from the house, evidently in a hurry. Vinny guessed that it had something to do with his cousin’s mood. He debated taking the car, but knowing Arackniss, there would undoubtedly be fail-safes to prevent anyone from breaking in and hot-wiring it. Besides, it had been on the news. He’d only make himself a target if he took it, rather than a ghost. 

He settled for darting forward and slipping a tracker underneath the back bumper of the car. He wouldn’t be able to use it now, but where he was going, he’d be able to track the car’s- and by extension, Arackniss’s- every movement. 

He glanced back to the mansion, only for a moment. The door was shut, but it was cracked around the handle, as if someone had kicked it in. Monty and Arackniss were nowhere to be seen. His heart ached for Monty, wanting nothing more than to run in there and tell him that it had all been an act, but he knew he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to take down the two remaining Vees.

Once he was sure that he was in the clear, he ran. 

He didn’t like being without a weapon- his switchblade and the knife he had found to use against Monty were still back in Monty’s mansion, leaving him completely defenseless. Hand to hand combat had never been his strong suit, so for now, he had to rely on his running to get him around safely.

He had always prided himself on his speed. Where most other hitmen had superior size and brute force on their side, he utilized his smaller stature and agility to take out his targets. Now, that was exactly what he needed in order to disappear. 

The alleyways were his best option if he wanted to stay hidden. They crossed the city in a nearly indecipherable maze, impossible to navigate unless you had practice traversing them. He dove into the nearest one, dodging piles of trash and fires alike as his feet carried him lightly across the cracked pavement. 

There were a few moments when he saw other demons lounging around in the alleyways, but they didn’t notice him when he slipped by. He was barely a shadow, sweeping by without disturbing a thing. That was what he was trained to do. And he was good at it. 

Minutes later, he emerged from the alleyways on a completely different street from when he had started. He took a breath, then stood up, pulling on the hood and strolling casually towards an apartment building across the street. 

He climbed up the fire escape outside of the building, then jumped to a window just beyond the fire escape’s railing on the fourth floor. His fingers just barely found purchase on the sill, and he quickly pulled himself up and shoved open the window. He rolled inside, landing on a beanbag. Frozen, he glanced around the apartment, making sure that it was empty. Once he was certain that it was, he got up, shut the window, and began to appraise his surroundings. 

The apartment was clean, furnished with simple, comfortable furniture. Vinny smiled slightly at the bowl of chocolates left on the counter. Back when he had first started working for Valentino, one of Val’s most prized employees had approached him, slipping a piece of paper with the address of the apartment written on it into his palm. 

“Val can be a little… much, sometimes. He tends to lose his shit pretty easily if anyone makes a mistake, so it helps to have a place to go while he calms down,” the cat demon had said. She didn’t accept any sort of payment, just hugged him with a sad smile. 

“We’ve gotta look out for each other, y’know? None of us knew what we were getting into when we came to work for Valentino, but at least we can take care of each other.”

Even though he was pretty sure that there were no cameras hidden in the apartment, habit drove him to check every gadget and crevice just to make sure. Once he was certain that no one would be able to spy on him, he padded into the living room and sat down at the computer sitting on the desk. A sleek black V edged with blue was emblazoned on the back- the symbol of VoxCo. 

He clicked the mouse, causing the screen to flare to life in a blaze of white light, then typed in the password. From there, he clicked open the files. 

Vox’s files, which contained information on every being in the city. 

How ironic that the thing Valentino wanted access to most had been denied to him, and yet not his employees. Vox had always had a soft spot for Val’s employees, treating them well behind his problematic partner’s back. It was a ruse well maintained- Vox gave them  special privileges, and they wouldn’t squeal about some of the less… noble things that he had been doing that Val wouldn’t approve of. 

That courtesy had rarely been extended to Vinny, given that he had only worked for Velvette for a short time before Vox died, but he could still indulge in the collective gifts that Vox had given. Namely, the files. 

The only reason he hadn’t revealed that he had access to them to Velvette was out of his respect for Summer, the cat who had given him access to the apartment. Plus, it was kind of fun watching Valentino lose his mind over the situation. 

He opened the files, then clicked on the sector labeled “Overlords”. Then, he went to the first file that popped up. 

Valentino. 

Vinny couldn’t help but feel a stab of fear when he opened the file, revealing every secret the moth had to hide. It was as if by looking at Val’s file, he would unintentionally summon the moth. He could clearly imagine the pink smoke from his cigarette, the low, grating voice that filled his ears and made him want to claw his skin off. 

“Shortcake, sweetheart. Did you really thing it would be THAT fucking easy to take me down? I’m gonna have to make sure you learn EXACTLY how strong I am~”

He snarled, digging his claws into his arm. Valentino hadn’t ever been truly intimate with him, but he’d made it pretty clear that he could do whatever he wanted to Vinny without repercussions. It had made him feel so… unsafe. 

Nothing like what he had had with Monty. 

There. That. Use that to ground yourself. To remind yourself why you’re doing this. You’re doing this for him. For all of them. To make sure that they’re safe. 

He took a deep breath, steadily reorienting himself before looking back at his initial goal. He began scrolling through the information on the file, working on autopilot to memorize every bit of information there was. 

Birth date. Death date. Cause of death. Likes. Dislikes. Fears. Strengths. Weaknesses. 

The last sector was woefully uninformed, with barely a few words. Vinny leaned forward as he read them. Even if it was barely anything, he’d need every advantage he could get if he were to take down the Overlord of Addiction. 

He didn’t want to kill Velvette yet, but he knew that there would come a time when that would need to happen. Until then, he focused on his main objective- Val's weaknesses.

Minor addiction to Beezlejuice. Choleric temperament. Prideful- refuses to admit anything about relationships or otherwise, even in dire circumstances. 

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get a plan forming in Vinny’s mind. A plan that would require some help. 

He closed the files, then clicked open a map of the city. He typed in a few codes, then sat back and watched. Seconds later, an icon popped up on the screen. Exactly at Monty’s mansion. 

A rueful grin spread across his face. It’s not much, but at least I’ll be able to keep an eye out for you, cugino, he thought. It was strange, thinking of Arackniss as family, and yet at the same time it felt right. 

After watching the icon for another minute, he opened up a new tab. He opened up the messages, then typed in a quick, vague text to Summer. 

Hey, it’s Shortcake. I’’ve got some time off and wanted to know if you wanted me to get you some cupcakes. They’re your favorite, right?

Three dots popped up a second later, flashing for only a second before Summer responded.

I’d luv that! Make sure those cupcakes hit the money shot, tho. I only want the best <3

Vinny grinned. The Money Shot, huh? Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me, he thought. He had only ever been on Valentino’s prized ship once, but it was enough for him to know that the security was nearly impossible to get past. He could still remember Valentino and Velvette’s smirks as he was subjected to an unnecessarily thorough pat-down.

He knew that he’d need a specific ID in order to get onto the ship without getting gunned down. He also knew that only registered crafts could get onto the ship without being blown out of the water by Valentino’s prized rail gun. 

Everything that stood in his way was almost laughably easy to get past. He allowed himself a smirk. He may not have been the best hitman in the city, but he was smart, and he knew how to utilize his resources to the fullest. Getting onto The Money Shot was the easy part. 

The challenge began with his objective.

Reaching beneath the desk, he pried an object that had been hidden there free. He held it up, examining it in the light, then flicked the blade open. 

It was a switchblade, almost exactly identical to the one he had left behind at Monty’s. The only difference was that this one had bright silver, almost white markings etched into it, giving it the appearance of glowing. 

According to Summer, Vox had insisted that Val’s workers have at least one blessed weapon at their disposal, just in case things got nasty. He probably never imagined that such a weapon would be used against his former partner, but it would do the job nonetheless. Vinny smiled, then saluted with the knife. 

“Here’s to you, Vox, you clever bastard,” he said, grinning. “I’ll make sure you, Val, and Velvette are all reunited as a thank-you.”

He tucked the knife into his pocket, then sauntered off to take a shower. He was still a little… messy from his time with Monty, and the fake blood had started to crust in his fur. He needed to clean up.

If he was going to kill Val, he wanted to make sure that everything was perfect when he did so. Appearance was part of that. 

He looked back just once, at the monitor showing Monty’s location. He smiled sadly. “Soon, big guy,” he murmured. “Soon I’ll make things right. Then you’ll be free. 

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

The port was bustling, dozens of demons running around frantically to move cargo and load it onto waiting speedboats. They were all wearing an identical uniform, and each had a badge pinned to their shirt collar that gleamed hot pink in the light. 

Among them was a small gray spider with amber eyes. 

Vinny had waited two days before making his move, keeping an eye on Monty and the news alike while he gathered the supplies he needed. Rumor on the streets was that Velvette and Valentino had some sort of falling-out, and that she had been AWOL ever since. It didn’t matter to him much. His target was Valentino. He could worry about the doll later. 

It had been too easy to steal a spare uniform, and he already had an ID badge from the last time he had been on The Money Shot. The knife was tucked away in his waistband, and a hat was pulled low over his eyes to avoid suspicion. He didn’t know whether Valentino knew he had been shot, but he didn’t want to risk being identified anyways. 

He tossed another crate to another worker on one of the speedboats, then jumped onto the deck and began helping to tie them down. No one bothered to check his ID or make sure he was supposed to be on the boat- everyone was too busy scrambling to move all of the cargo as quickly as possible. 

According to what he had heard from the worker’s hushed conversations, Valentino was running out of patience very quickly in regards to VoxCo. He still had been unable to access the digital assets left behind by the Media Demon, so he had turned to seizing anything material he could get his hands on in an attempt to preserve his wealth and status as Overlord. Hence, the frantic effort to move everything to the ship, everyone being pushed to the max to fulfill the moth’s demands. 

Vinny wasn’t complaining, though. If it would help him get onto the ship and close to Valentino, he was willing to put in the legwork. Plus, it made things a little easier for the other workers. 

The boat rumbled to life under his feet, and he braced himself against a stack of crates just as it roared out of the port, speeding out into the bay. He couldn’t help but grin, the wind blowing salty mist into his face and stirring up the pleasant scent of the sea. Distantly, he could remember doing something like this back in the living world, but it was blurry. He pushed it out of his mind. 

Focus. You’re here for a reason. Don’t forget why you came here, he thought. He thought of Monty, of how all of this was for him, and determination flooded through his mind with a vengeance. 

They were only on the water for a few minutes before a looming shape appeared on the horizon- The Money Shot, Valentino’s prized cruise. Vinny flinched slightly as they approached. He had seen what had happened to unauthorized boats that had approached before, and he couldn’t shake the fear of being blown out of the water. 

The speedboat was registered, however, and they were allowed to approach without incident. Vinny glanced over in surprise when another boat, a simple fishing vessel, rode next to them for a minute before turning away. He was shocked that Val hadn’t blasted them away, but he guessed that their proximity to the speedboat protected it. 

Clearly, Valentino wasn’t going to risk losing anything from Vox. 

The boat pulled up alongside a loading dock mounted on the side of the ship, then quickly tied it in place and began passing the crates over to more workers wearing identical outfits on the dock. Vinny took that opportunity to subtly slip off of the speedboat, helping to unload the rest of the cargo before the speedboat took off again back to the port. 

Once again, no one bothered to check whether or not he belonged their, or if he had gone back with the boat to port. He was practically invisible in the chaos. 

He waited a few minutes before slipping away, navigating his way through the maze of crates and workers alike in order to get to the main corridors of the ship. 

Once he was inside the ship, the next phase of his plan began. 

He still needed the uniform for a few more minutes- he was in the less populated area of the ship, the decks reserved for crew members and supplies rather than guests. He wasn’t out of place here with the uniform, given that he passed numerous demons wearing the same attire. 

A digital map of the ship was set into the wall, and he quickly looked it over to get his bearings. According to the map, he was on the second deck, and the fourth was when the guest rooms began. Tenth deck was the party deck, and would likely be where he found Valentino. 

So that’s where he headed. 

It was simple enough to make his way up to the fourth deck and slip into a bathroom. Once he was there, he quickly shed the uniform, bunching up the pants, shirt and hat into a tight ball. The ID pin was the only thing he kept. 

Then, he gently smoothed the folds in his outfit. 

It was the same one he had worn the first time he met Monty- dark purple crop top with off-shoulder sleeves and short black athletic shorts. A twinge of nostalgia echoed through his heart as he thought back to that night. He allowed himself a second, then shook himself off and walked out of the bathroom, stuffing the uniform into the bottom of the trash can as he went.

He knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be the only person dressed like this, especially on the party deck. If anything, it’d look strange if he showed up in normal clothes. There would be so many of Val’s workers that no one would look at him twice, thinking him just like the others. 

Well, maybe that’s not exactly a good thing… He could still remember the first time he had pulled a shift at Val’s club, the burly hellhound that had cornered him, the smell of alcohol on its breath, the way its eyes had taken in his form so… indulgently. He undoubtedly would’ve been taken advantage of had Summer not noticed him and stepped in, distracting the hellhound with her own curves and smiles while he slipped away. 

The switchblade pressed against his side, a comforting weight. It won’t be like that this time. This time, I don’t have orders not to fight back, he thought bitterly. How poetic that he would be fighting against the same person who gave him those orders in the first place. 

He opted to take the stairs rather than the elevator, not wanting to risk getting stuck, or getting trapped with someone who might blow his cover. As he worked his way upward, he passed numerous other demons, and was relieved to see that nearly all of them were wearing clothes that were just as, if not more so, provocative than his. 

The party deck was awash with light when he got there, speakers blaring music. Drinks and volleyballs were being thrown around everywhere, and the pools were in complete chaos. Vinny slipped towards stairs that led up to a walkway that led over the deck, hoping to deduce Val’s location. 

The wind was fiercer when he stepped onto the deck, but he ignored it and scanned the deck. His brow furrowed when he couldn’t see any sign of the moth demon. He couldn’t smell his signature cigarette smoke, either, so that meant he was somewhere else. 

Stay here a minute. He could’ve just gone to the bathroom or went to get a drink. He might be back. Or you might be able to get a hint as to where he is, his instincts whispered. He barely nodded, settling his arms on the railing as he stared down at the chaos. 

“Eyyyy, sweetheart, you come ‘ere often?”

Vinny nearly groaned at the slurred voice from behind him, but he forced a smile onto his face and turned to face its owner. “Well, can’t say I do,” he responded, scanning his new companion. 

A tall, skinny weasel demon, swaying dangerously with a half-drunk margarita in his hand. Clearly, it wasn’t his first. “Ey, then, whaddya say I show you ‘round… helpya getta know the place? An’ the people?” he said, leaning forward against the railing. His arm gripped the metal next to Vinny, caging him in. 

Vinny just barely felt a flash of disgust before he glanced behind him. There- a faint trail of pink smoke, wafting out of the doors that led inside. 

A sense of urgency welled up in his gut. I have to get there. Valentino won’t stay put for long, and I can’t lose that trail. It’ll be too hard to find him again, with how big this ship is, he thought desperately.

The weasel leaned close to his face, smirking and drawing his attention back in front of him. “Ey, sweetheart, I’m talkin’ to youuuu,” he crooned. “Whaddya think of my offa?”

“I think…” his eyes darted around, and he made his decision in half a second. “I think you should take a swim,” he said, then twisted out from underneath the weasel and, in the same motion, pushed him over the edge of the railing. 

The weasel let out a shout as he plummeted towards the pool, landing with a large splash. The other partygoers let out cheers and hollers of laughter as he floundered in the pool, allowing Vinny to slip in after the smoke trail unnoticed. 

The trail got brighter when he followed it, passing numerous rooms as he went. The scent of it got stronger, too; sickly sweet, like honey mixed with pungent alcohol. Then, without warning, it stopped in front of a pair of double doors. 

He pressed against the crack between the doors, then pulled back when he heard the sound of voices. Lots of them. He backed away, then slowly began scanning the hallway. 

The crew usually has a way to get around unnoticed- some kind of secret door. If I can just find it and slip in… 

His eyes locked on a door, made of the same material as the rest of the wall, intentionally designed to blend in. He strode over to it, the switchblade making quick work of the lock. Once it was open, he slipped inside, then quickly walked to the door that led into the room, and he opened it just a crack. 

Valentino was easy enough to pick out- his bright red trenchcoat and superior height didn’t exactly help him to blend in. His cigarette smoke filled the air, think and cloying. There were people all around the room, a mix of bodyguards and other partygoers, by the looks of it, but they all gave the moth demon a wide berth. When he followed Valentino’s contemptuous glare, he suddenly realized why.

His eyes widened when he saw the four figures before him, tied securely to chairs. 

Oh, hell, what are they doing here??? He thought in panic.

As impossible as it was, Monty, Arackniss, Angel and Sir Pentious had somehow managed to make it onto the ship. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were here for the same purpose as him- killing Valentino. 

And judging by Arackniss’s seething glare, this was not a part of their plan. 

Vinny’s heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the weapons stacked close to his door. He knew that Arackniss was a strategical genius- it ran in the family, after all- but he couldn’t see how any of them would make it out alive without their weapons, alone, surrounded by enemies in a ship filled with people who could kill them easily. 

But they aren’t alone. I’m still here, and I’ve still got the element of surprise, he thought, his grip tightening on the knife. I can’t act right now, though. He’s still on the defensive. I have to wait until he drops his guard… best to wait and see what happens. 

Despite the glare on the Overlord’s face, he was still smirking triumphantly. “Well, you bitches sure saved me a lot of trouble,” he said, his voice grating on Vinny’s nerves. “I was worried I was gonna have to waste all my fuckin’ time hunting you down. But I like this much better.”

Arackniss glared up at him. “Oh, would it have been too hard to track us down yourself? An Overlord- one of the Vees- can’t handle a couple of common sinners?” he said tauntingly. 

Valentino, to his credit, didn’t rise to the bait. “I think we all know that you’re not some regular demons,” he said, sneering. “An’ I know for a fact that this one-” he jabbed a claw at Monty, who was shaking in barely restrained fury- “is the new Overlord. You have a habit of making things real fuckin’ complicated for me, so I’m gonna take every break I can get.” 

“Of course, that also means keeping all of my assets close, including my business partners…” Valentino trailed off. Angel chose that moment to let out a snicker. 

“Oh, and how’s that goin’, Mista V? Last I heard, your little errand bitch had enough of your shit and ran off to do her own thing,” he said, smirking. Vinny felt a thrill of hope. Velvette really broke things off with Valentino? Please let that mean she’s not here…

Valentino looked away, and his shoulders shook. Vinny almost thought that he was trying to compose himself until the moth threw his head back and roared with laughter. It was a chilling sound- one that he made only when he knew that he had the upper hand in a deal. 

“You really are the stupidest whore I’ve ever had, Angel cakes,” he said, his face split in a terrifying smile. “You didn’t really think that Vel left, did you? You didn’t think that she’d just let you waltz up and erase me?” 

The four sat silent, an answer in itself. Monty looked like he would explode with rage, given how much he was shaking. “ Where is she?” he hissed, venom dripping from every word. 

Valentino raised an eyebrow. “So eager to see her already? Well,” he paused, grinning at Monty in vicious triumph, “why don’t we welcome our dear guest of honor?”

Heels clicked across the tiled floor, and a horrifyingly familiar giggle echoed through the room. Vinny’s blood turned to ice. No, no, no, she wasn’t supposed to be here-

Velvette stepped out of the crowd, taking her place next to Valentino. “What’s the matter, bitches? Miss me?” she said, a manic smile on her face. 

Monty began thrashing around wildly, straining against the ropes holding him in an attempt to lunge towards Velvette. “ YOU!” he roared, fury radiating from him in waves. “I KNEW  WE COULDN’T TRUST YOU! I FUCKIN’ KNEW! YOU DISGUSTING DOLL BITCH!” 

Velvette tutted, wagging her finger at him. “Now, now, we don’t have to get so upset, now, do we?” she said patronizingly, as if talking to a misbehaving child. Monty seethed. 

“Oh, you don’t get to talk to me like that, lass,” he hissed. “I have EVERY right to want to tear you the fuck apart! After what you did!”

She tilted her head. “Aaaaand what did I do exactly? There’s a bit of a list,” she said casually. 

Monty stilled, his chest heaving dangerously. “You don’t know? You’re gonna pretend that you don’t fuckin’ know? Are ya gonna make me say it? ” he seethed. Velvette tilted her head curiously, feigning ignorance, but Vinny could tell it was all an act. She wanted to hear what he had to say, and she knew it would hurt him to say it. 

“Vinny,” Monty whispered, his eyes still locked with Velvette’s. “You sent him to kill us. You made him feel like he had to! You- you made him- ya made me-” his voice broke, and he looked away. 

Velvette grinned. “Oh, and what happened to my wittle ewwand boy?” she said. 

Monty lunged for her. The ropes jerked him back, but it was enough to scare Velvette and Valentino into scrambling backwards. “ HE’S DEAD!” Monty roared, pain and fury in every word. “ HE’S DEAD, AND IT’S BECAUSE O’ YOU! I MADE A PROMISE THAT I’D KILL YA FOR ‘IM, AND I’M NOT ABOUT TA BREAK IT!” 

The two Vees looked scared for half a second, but then their twin smirks returned in full force. “Oh, wow, you actually did care about him!” Velvette said, sighing dramatically. She clasped her hands together next to her face. “Oh, it’s so poetic~ the mighty Irish Python, undone by the loss of a runty little slut ,” she said, smiling maniacally. 

Monty’s eyes narrowed in hatred, but he still flinched, enough so that the two Overlords noticed. They both grinned at each other, relishing the snake’s moment of weakness.

Valentino sneered at Monty. “ How are you even planning on avenging him, exactly? You’re not exactly in a position to bargain, and you’re in the perfect place for me to take that Overlord power you have running through your veins,” he said, smugness oozing through his voice. 

Monty apparently came to this conclusion as well, because he slumped back against the chair, looking down. His shoulders shook, whether from anger or heartbreak, Vinny couldn’t tell. Valentino’s smile widened, and he stalked towards the chairs. 

As much as his instincts were screaming at him to race forward and brashly attack the moth, his logic stopped him. Val’s distracted. Focused. He’d never see me coming, he thought. Now’s my chance to get close. 

He slipped out of the service door, then quietly ducked his way into the crowd. All eyes were on the towering moth demon in the center of the room- no one noticed the small gray spider sneaking towards him, closed switchblade in hand. 

He takes his position just to the left of Valentino, tucked barely behind two taller partygoers. He crouched, then scanned his surroundings, assessing what would be the greatest threat to him once he acted. 

The bodyguards, most likely. He would have to move quickly to cut Monty and the others free- they could easily be used as hostages, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to fight off everyone at once. He was counting on the fact that Velvette would be too startled by his appearance to fight him immediately. She wasn’t one to pull punches, and he knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if she regained her senses while he didn’t have backup. 

A plan formed in his mind. Faulty if he didn’t pull it off exactly, but possible. 

Valentino was ranting on and on about his plans for the four of them- handing them over to his workers for “training”, then handing them over to Velvette, then torture, then, once he was done with them, death. He was pacing back and forth during the entire talk, but once he finished, he stopped directly in front of Monty. 

“You don’t need to worry about your little boyfriend anymore,” he sneered. “You’ll get to see him again soon enough. But for now…”

A knife flashed out of his coat, and he leaned over, grabbing Monty’s face and forcing him to look up. He placed the tip against Monty’s chest, right above his heart. “I’m gonna have a lotta fun cutting out that bleeding heart of yours,” he snarled. 

Red flashed in Vinny’s vision. His instincts pulsed. 

NOW. 

He moved so fast he could barely register it himself. Darting out from behind the two demons he had been hiding behind. Knife clicking open in his hand. Running towards the towering moth demon who had, however unintentionally, lowered himself to Vinny’s height. 

Diving down. Then, thrusting the blade upward with all of his strength. 

The knife sank into Valentino’s chest with a wet shhhhk. The Overlord of Addiction gasped, then staggered backwards, coughing. His eyes went down to the blade in his chest, then raised slowly, disbelievingly, to Vinny. He smirked. 

“I lived, bitch,” he said, then jumped up and yanked the knife out of Valentino’s chest, causing the moth to fall forward with the momentum.

The room erupted into chaos. 

The bodyguards were the first to react- some reaching towards their weapons while another group herded Velvette protectively out of the room. Partygoers streamed towards the door, eager to get away out of fear that they might get cut down too. Finally, Velvette, staring back at him in shock and growing fury. 

All of this was processed within a second, and Vinny was on the move in half that time. 

He darted behind the chairs, frantically slicing away the ropes that held his friends in place. He didn’t stop to look back, didn’t stop to gauge their reactions, because he knew that if he did, it could cost him his life. 

The weapons were still piled in the corner, so he grabbed them and ran back towards the four demons, practically throwing them at them before turning to stab one of the bodyguards that rushed him. “Don’t just sit there, HELP ME FIGHT THEM!” he yelled. 

Arackniss was first to break out of his shock. He grabbed his pistols and began firing them with deadly accuracy, taking down a bodyguard with each hit. Angel and Pentious joined the fray seconds later, with the former smashing skulls using a baseball bat studded with nails and the latter firing his ray gun. 

Monty was the only person who didn’t start to attack. He was simply staring at Vinny, dumfounded, a look of hope and grief creeping across his face. “Vinny…? Is it really… you?” he whispered, his voice somehow catching Vinny’s attention despite the chaos happening around them. 

He pulled the knife free from a goat demon’s eye socket, twisting it while he went, then flipped away, landing next to the blue python. “Yeah, Monty. It’s me,” he said, offering a shy smile. 

Tears began to well up in the snake’s eyes, but he glanced up and his expression quickly turned to one of cold fury. There was a blur of motion, a gunshot, then the sound of a body hitting the ground behind him. He whirled around to see a lizardlike demon laying on the ground, a bullet hole leaking blood from its forehead. 

“Suppose I should be doin’ something to help, eh?” Monty said ruefully. Vinny only smiled at him again before diving back into the fight. This time, Monty was right behind him. 

There were dozens of guards flooding into the room, all firing with the intent to kill. Each had blessed guns, and the ones that didn’t had hunting daggers that they pulled with the intent to cut down and weaken anyone who got in their way. They all had some kind of bulletproof vest, and were clearly fighting to the death. 

Those guards never stood a chance. 

Vinny took the stealth approach, darting like a bullet through the fight and cutting away the vests in order to allow Arackniss a clear shot. The former Ragno hitman’s aim was true, never missing any of the target’s Vinny provided him. Pentious’s ray gun cut down swathes of guards at a time, and Angel’s bat was a merciless weapon, incapable of being blocked by any sort of protection. 

And then there was Monty himself. 

It was clear that the snake’s years as a street fighter had served him well. He fought with the air of a trained boxer, and his Overlord strength made him a true force to be reckoned with. His power allowed him to break bones, shatter skulls and altogether obliterate his opponents. Obviously, the Irish Python was far from being past his prime. 

When Monty suddenly and violently ripped a demon’s head clean off of their shoulders with his bare hands, Vinny couldn’t help but feel scared and the slightest bit turned on. 

“Damn. That’s hot,” Angel said behind him, echoing his thoughts. Vinny simply rolled his eyes and sliced open the neck of his next target. 

It only took a few more minutes for the flood of guards to finally stop. The five stood panting in the middle of the room, covered in blood and viscera. Angel primly fixed his hair, then looked down at the blood coating his boots with a critical eye. “Dammit, that’ll cost me a fortune to get cleaned…” he muttered. 

Now that the adrenaline from the fight was draining away, Vinny was left with the prickling sensation of four sets of eyes on him. He tensed. No point in delaying the inevitable, I guess… 

He sheathed the knife, stuck it back into his waistband, and turned around slowly, keeping his eyes to the floor. “...I guess there isn’t really an easy way to explain this, but I just wanna sa- mmph! ” 

Monty’s lips suddenly crushed against his, successfully cutting him off. Clawed hands- capable of crushing bones and yet so frighteningly gentle with him- ran through his hair, along his wrists, cupping his face. He melted into the kiss, a sudden swell of longing welling up in his chest. I’ve missed this…

A hand pressed against his chest, and he finally pulled away from the kiss to look down. Monty was staring at his chest- specifically, his heart- with a steely intensity. It took Vinny a second to realize that he was searching for his pulse. 

He smiled, then took Monty’s other hand and brought it up to the crook of his neck and let it rest there. Monty was staring at him, then, slowly, a smile broke out across his face as he felt the gentle pulse there. “You’re alive,” he whispered, hope in every syllable. 

Vinny smiled, pressing another kiss to the snake’s lips. “Yeah, big guy. I’m alive,” he said softly. When Monty pulled him protectively into his chest, he didn’t resist, instead sinking into it with his eyes closed. Everything about it felt so right. 

Arackniss cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “Look, I hate to interrupt whatever the hell is going on here, but we have a plan we needa finish if we wanna get out of here alive,” he said bluntly. 

Monty glared over at him as if he were the bane of his existence, but Vinny nodded and stepped away. “Right. Right,” he said. Then, a thought struck him. “Why the fuck were you on this ship?! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?!” he snapped. 

His cousin raised an eyebrow. “Could say the same for you. Let’s save the explanations for later, once we’re off this death trap of a ship,” he said. He reached into his coat pockets, pulling out four black boxes. Explosive charges. 

“Once these are set, nothin’ will turn them off, so we’ll have six minutes to get off the ship before it’s blown to pieces,” he said. “We need to locate the vault first, though. We have to hold our end of the bargain.” 

“Bargain with who?” Vinny asked. 

“I.M.P.” 

“That explains a lot,” he muttered. 

Arackniss grunted. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the vault is, do you?” he asked. 

A light clicked in his mind. He did know where the vault was. He had seen it on the staff map. “It’s on the second deck, port side towards the back,” he said. Arackniss nodded in approval, then passed the charges out- two to Monty, one to Pentious, and one to Angel. 

“As much as I hate to do this, it’ll be faster if we split. We travel to the second deck together, then go in different directions and set the charges. Monty, Vinny, you take the front. Angel, go starboard aft. Me an’ Pen will handle the port aft,” he said. 

Vinny nodded in understanding. “I won’t let you down,” he said. After a pause, he added, “ Cugino. ”

Arackniss raised an eyebrow. “And that’s one more question that you are definitely answering once we get out of this shit hole,” he muttered. 

A weak groan caught the group's attention. They turned around to see Valentino stirring weakly, a hand limply pushing at the blood leaking from his chest. 

He’s still alive. Which means he still has his Overlord power. But if he dies, then that means that I’D get that power… 

I don’t want that. I can’t have that. I wouldn’t be able to handle having that type of power. 

He whirled towards Monty, grabbing onto his arm desperately. “Monty, please, you have to kill him,” he said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “If he dies now, then I’ll get his power, and I don’t want that, so please, kill him instead-”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, boyo,” Monty said, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Vinny resisted the urge to press into the touch. “I can kill ‘im for ya, but are ya sure ya don’t wanna be an Overlord? I mean, it’s a little much at first, but-”

“No,” he said quickly. “I’ve made my choice. I don’t want that. Never,” he said firmly. I’ve seen what power like that did to Velvette and Valentino. Besides, I don’t want anything that ever belonged to him. 

Monty nodded, then slithered towards the moth. A dark expression came over his face, and with a smooth motion, he swept his tail up and brought it crashing down on Valentino's skull. 

It shattered, killing him instantly. Just like his partner before him.

“...can already lift my car, I don’t wanna see what he’ll be able to do now,” Arackniss muttered behind him. Vinny ignored him, focusing instead on the intense amount of relief he felt. 

He didn’t have to be an Overlord. That power now belonged to likely the only person he would ever trust with it. 

Monty turned back to him, offering a reassuring smile. “There. Now, he’ll never be able to hurt ya again,” he said softly. This time, Vinny didn’t stop himself from running and hurling himself into the snake’s arms. 

“We’ll have plenty of time for that later. We need to get a move on now if we wanna make it out alive,” Arackniss snapped from behind them, although there was much less bite to it than usual. Vinny reluctantly pulled away, then turned to face the rest of the group. 

“Vinny, you clearly know this place best. Lead the way,” Arackniss said. Vinny nodded, then marched out of the room, then began running towards the stairwell. 

A hand slipped into his, and he looked over to see Monty, slithering in time with his quick footsteps. The python didn’t look his way, focused on scanning the hallway for threats, but Vinny felt a reassuring squeeze. The message was clear. 

I’m not letting go this time. 

Chapter Text

The ship was in absolute chaos. Everyone was scrambling around, desperately trying to find a way to a speedboat or gather up their friends. Crewmates ran around, with no sort of order now that their leader had been killed. 

No one noticed the small group of five slipping down the stairwell among the crowds of others. 

Vinny was at the head of the group, leading the way down the stairs to the second deck. Monty was right behind him, his bulk clearing the way for the rest of their group. Despite the sounds of angry shouting behind them, Vinny didn’t dare look back, instead focusing on the task at hand. 

He practically leapt down the last stretch of the stairway, landing lightly on the floor. The map on the wall labeled it as the second deck. He paused, flicking open his knife as he waited for the others to catch up and catch their breath.

Arackniss took one look at the map, then pointed to each of them and gestured to where they needed to go. He added in a few more indecipherable motions, gave a thumbs-up, then grabbed Pentious’s hand and darted off without a second glance behind him. 

Vinny looked at Monty. “You understand what he just did?” 

“Not a fuckin’ clue, boyo,” he said breezily. “We know where we needta go, though, so we’ll jus’ wing it.”

Angel fluffed his hair before cocking his gun. “Well, then, see ya on the other side, handsome,” he said, winking at Monty. Vinny felt a flare of jealousy flash in his heart as Angel waltzed out of the room. Gunfire soon echoed from the corridor he went down, along with his maniac cackling. 

“So much for stealth,” he said ruefully. Monty chuckled behind him. “Oh, don’t act like we were about ta keep quiet,” Monty said playfully. “I know for a fact that gettin’ loud is all part of the fun. ” 

A claw ran up Vinny’s spine, causing him to shudder and flinch away. “ Monty, ” he hissed, trying to stay serious despite the smile tugging at his face. “We have a ship to sink, save it for later.”

Monty looked disappointed, but smiled suggestively anyway. “Oh, believe me, boyo. I intend to,” he said, his voice dropping to a husky tone that was unfairly hot . The snake reached over and gently tipped Vinny’s chin up to look him in the eye. 

“An’ I hafta say, you’re lookin’ all cute, dressed up the same as when we first met~”

Vinny pulled away, his cheeks flaring. “Figured it’d be poetic irony,” he mumbled. Monty made a noise of approval. “Well, ironic or not, you pull that outfit off quite well,” he said. Vinny’s blush grew, but he wasn’t about to be outdone in their little game. He smirked at Monty, biting his lip suggestively. 

“I think I’d like it better if you were pulling it off~ of me~” he said, relishing the blush that spread across the snake’s face. 

“I thought ya said we should wait, boyo,” he said, sounding slightly nervous. 

As much as he wanted to keep going ( -he’s definitely turned on right now, it’d be fun to mess with him a little more- ), he knew that Monty was right. They needed to get off of the ship before it got blown to pieces. He could handle waiting a little longer before making up with Monty. 

He sighed and pulled away, gesturing around them. “Well? You’re the sailor, lead the way,” he said. Monty smiled, then grabbed his hand and began pulling him down a hall. 

The hall was bigger than the others he had been in, allowing for more room for the pair to move around. He wondered if the size was so that different cargo could pass through to the upper levels easier. 

He had just finished that thought when a group of crewmates carrying VoxTech crates appeared from a door in front of them. He quickly scanned the hall, then crouched and leapt over the box- and crewmen- in one smooth motion. The sailors shouted in surprise, but were quickly silenced by Monty’s tail crashing into their heads. They crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as Vinny and Monty kept running.

Finally, the hall took a sharp right. Monty stopped, gesturing for Vinny to as well. “This is where we need ta set a charge. Down this hall is the other end o’ the ship- set the other one there,” he said, panting. Vinny nodded, then held out his hand. Monty slipped one of the charges into it, then curled Vinny’s fingers softly around it. 

“Be careful, love,” he whispered. A warm feeling bloomed in Vinny’s chest at the nickname, and he smiled softly. “I’ll see you in a minute, big guy,” he said. He jumped up and planted a quick kiss on the snake’s cheek before darting away. 

The sounds of alarms were still blaring, but they were thankfully quieter on this deck than the others. The hall was surprisingly empty, which automatically set Vinny on edge. The staff is probably just helping to evacuate everyone. That’s their job, he thought in a vain attempt to calm himself down. 

He nearly ran into the wall because he was so busy scanning for any potential hiding spots- whether to hide himself or for an opponent to hide would be decided by the situation. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he pressed the charge against the wall and pressed a button. Automatically, the charge sealed itself against the wall, and a countdown timer lit up, set to six minutes. 

For a moment, he was so relieved that the timer hadn’t started counting down automatically that he didn’t register the sound of footsteps pounding towards him. His first thought was that it was Monty, but Monty didn’t have legs. 

He dropped to the ground and spun around just as a bullet buried itself into the metal of the wall right where his head had been. A squadron of bodyguards had come up from the hall to his right, weapons loaded and aimed at him. 

He didn’t hesitate. His switchblade was out in an instant, and he darted towards the group, keeping low to the floor. The demon that had fired at him initially was cut down first, jugular severed with a smooth motion. Vinny grabbed the gun from the dead guard and fired. 

The guards might have been wearing bulletproof armor and helmets, but they didn’t have any sort of protection around their knees. The remaining three fell to the ground with howls of pain, where his knife made quick work of their necks. He wiped his forehead, then flicked his knife shut and turned around.

Monty was standing behind him, staring at him in awe with a blush rising up his neck. 

He blinked, then smiled nervously. “Heh… I guess being a surgeon comes in handy?” he said, knowing full well that that bullshit cover had been blown ages ago. 

“Shite that’s hot,” Monty said unashamedly. 

Vinny coughed, then glanced down at the mess around him. “Uh, thanks?”

A flash of blue, and Vinny suddenly found himself pinned against the wall, Monty leaning over him. The snake leaned over, his lips brushing tantalizingly against Vinny’s cheek. 

“As soon as we get out of this,” he whispered softly, “I am going to fuck your goddamn brains out.” 

Vinny swallowed, causing Monty to chuckle. As if to tease him further, the serpent pulled away and swept him up into his arms, then began slithering back the way they had come, nuzzling at Vinny’s neck all the while. 

“Montyyyy, stop,” he hissed, pushing at his face to no avail. Monty laughed huskily, then nipped at the exposed skin of his neck, causing him to yelp before slapping his hands over his mouth. “Seriously! Save it until we’re out of here!” 

Monty sighed, then leaned back and smiled at him. “Whatever ya say, love ,” he said, emphasizing the last word. Vinny flushed and looked down at his lap, twisting his hands to try and distract himself. 

For a while, they moved in silence, content to simply be comfortable in each other’s presence. However, Monty stopped suddenly, emotions warring on his face as he stared at the hall. Vinny looked in front of them. 

They had arrived back where they had first defended themselves against the sailors. The crewmen were still unconscious, breathing evenly. Monty sucked in a breath. “We’re gonna sink this ship, an’ no one on it’s gonna survive,” he said slowly. 

It didn’t take long for Vinny to piece together what Monty meant. He shook his head. “Monty, we can’t take them with us, you know that,” he said. 

The snake frowned, but nodded. “Ah know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get ‘em out o’ here,” he said, gently setting Vinny down. He grabbed the nearest crewmate and slung them over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “C’mon, boyo, help me move ‘em. There’s a loading dock jus’ through that door, an’ we’ll be able to get ‘em out an’ pass ‘em off to one of the boats,” he said. 

Vinny opened his mouth to protest, to insist that they didn’t have time and that they needed to escape before Velvette found them, but the pleading look in Monty’s eyes killed all resistance. He sighed, then seized one of the crewmen under the arms and began dragging them towards the door. He wasn’t happy about it, but the gratefulness on Monty’s face made it worth it. 

It was slow work, but they were able to carry all of the sailors out of the hall and to the loading dock. The other sailors there were shocked at first, and many looked ready to attack, but after a few warnings of the imminent sinking of the ship and some not-so-veiled threats from Monty, they had evacuated, taking the unconscious crewmen with them. 

Vinny and Monty didn’t stick around for long. They needed to find the others and get out of there. The halls passed in a blur as they raced through them, Vinny’s quick pace keeping him just barely ahead of Monty. 

They finally made it back to the bottom of the staircase, where Arackniss, Pentious and Angel were waiting. Blood was splattered across the spider brother’s faces, while Pentious’s outfit had remained pristine. He had been scrubbing at Arackniss’s face with a handkerchief in annoyance, ranting about the importance of keeping clean. 

“...can’t possibly expect your opponents to respect you if you’re unkempt, so maintaining a good appearance is one of the most important aspects of combat! Surely you’d- Montgomery!” he said, turning his attention towards them immediately, much to Arackniss’s obvious relief. “It’s about time you got here, we were beginning to get worried!” 

“Don’t worry, Penny. We’re fine,” Monty said reassuringly. 

“Would’ve been here sooner, if he wasn’t such a bleeding heart,” Vinny muttered. Monty batted his shoulder. 

“Well, now that the gang’s back together, how are we gonna get outta here?” Angel asked, picking at his gloves. Arackniss jerked his head towards the vault. 

“I.M.P.’s in there. They’re our way out, soon as they’re done gettin’ all the money they want,” he said. Vinny padded towards the vault, then patted the steel door. 

“That’s great and all, but how the hell are we supposed to get through this? It’s indestructible. Valentino designed it specifically to be impenetrable unless someone has his DNA,” he said. 

“Well, I’m pretty good at… penetrating things, if ya know what I mean,” Angel said, smirking. Vinny grimaced, and Arackniss mirrored the expression. 

“Not the time, Anthony,” he muttered. Angel shrugged and began humming, a shit-eating grin plastered onto his face. Arackniss rolled his eyes.

“ Anyways, we don’t need any sort of DNA. We have our own key,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “Vinny, step away from the door.” 

Vinny half expected Monty to try to pull the vault door off of its hinges, or for Angel Dust to just roundhouse kick the door. He didn’t expect Sir Pentious to pull out a fucking ray gun and just blast the door to ashes. 

He stared at the dusted remains of the door, dumbfounded. “Holy shit,” he said, for lack of anything better. He glanced over at the cobra demon. “You could’ve fuckin’ erased me with that a million times over.”

Pentious looked incredibly smug. “And don’t you forget it. If you plan on betraying us again, that is,” he said, the amusement disappearing from his face. Vinny shook his head quickly, holding up his hands. 

“No, no, no, I’m not going to betray you guys. I had a reason, and besides, it worked out in the end, didn’t it?” he said nervously, looking for support. 

“Oh, yes, it worked out splendidly. Especially so that my hand-built, state-of-the-art bunker was completely and utterly destroyed! We don’t have anywhere to go that Velvette wouldn’t be able to find us!” Pentious said, hood flaring. 

Arackniss put a hand on his arm. “We’ll figure it out, Noodle. Right now we jus’ need to take one thing at a time. Let’s get outta here, then we’ll find a new place to hide,” he said soothingly. Pentious didn’t look less angry, but he calmed down enough to nod. 

“Yes, yes, you’re right. We’ll focus on that later,” he said, more to himself than anything. 

Vinny’s nervousness at the snake’s reaction was cut off by a whoop of excitement from behind him. He turned to see three imps and a hellhound walking out of the vault, cash overflowing from backpacks and pockets and… did the female imp have money stuffed into her bra?

“Okay, shortie, I might’ve had my doubts, but your crazy-ass plan actually worked! ” the tallest imp crowed. “Oh, me and my Loonie are going to be set for fuckin’ life. First order of business, I’m getting a pony,” he said. A shorter imp with white hair sighed and slapped his forehead, while the female imp hugged him reassuringly. 

“Calm down, Mox. We’ve got plenty o’ dough o’ our own now! We’re goin’ an’ gettin’ you that new guitar you wanted,” she said with a thick country accent. The white haired imp looked up, staring at her with what were no less than stars in his eyes. 

“You really mean that, Millie? I mean, I know you were looking at some new weapons, and I wouldn’t want you to have to go without those for me,” he said. The female imp- Millie- put a finger on his lips and smirked. 

“Ah mean it, baby. You’ve been savin’ up for that guitar for-fuckin’-ever, an’ I wanna see you get it,” she said, hugging him. The white haired imp smiled, then hugged her back. “Thank you so much, honey! Don’t worry, we’re getting your weapons, too. If I get what I want, so do you,” he said sweetly. 

The hellhound gagged behind them. “Fuckin’ simps,” she said, startling a laugh out of Vinny. 

The tall imp tutted. “Now, now, Loonie, be nice,” he said reprimandingly. The hellhound snapped her jaws at him, closing just inches shy of one of the imp’s horns. He stumbled back, then glared at her like a stern father. “O- kay, young lady, we’ll talk about that once we get home.”

“Like hell we will. Kiss my ass,” she snarled, reaching into her bag and pulling out a worn book. Vinny realized with a start that it was a grimoire. A Goetian grimoire. 

How the hell did they manage to get their hands on one of THOSE? Vinny thought in amazement. 

The hellhound flicked through the pages with practiced ease, then traced a shape in the air. Seconds later, a glowing portal flickered to life, with a dingy office on the other side. The two smaller imps jumped through together, holding hands the whole time. The tall imp stepped back and bowed exaggeratedly to them. 

“Well, ladies first,” he said, smirking. Arackniss walked forward to give him a handshake. 

“‘Preciate it, Blitz. Even if you did fuck it up an’ drop us in the middle of a crowded room, you got us on the ship, an’ that’s what matters,” he said. Blitz laughed. 

“Please, you just made us a fucking fortune. You can call us anytime if your targets are gonna have shit like this, ” he said, gesturing to the vault behind him. “Now move your ass or get left behind, I don't give a shit which.” 

Arackniss nodded, then hopped through the portal. Vinny startled when he realized that he was standing alone before he heard shuffling coming from the opened vault. Pentious slithered out of the vault, wads of cash in his arms, before following his partner. Angel Dust sauntered out of the vault as well, money poking from his chest fluff and nearly spilling from five of his six arms. He paused next to Blitz, running the index finger of his free hand along one of the imp’s horns. 

“Thanks for the ride, B.D.B,” he said seductively. “Next time you call me, I’ll give you a good time for free.” 

The imp’s tail twisted, and a cheeky grin spread across his face. “Oh, you better, slut,” he said, chuckling. He glanced down at his watch, and he froze. “SHIT! I forgot I was gonna hang out with Fizz! I gotta be there in five minutes! Okay, move your asses, boss coming through!”

He leapt through the portal in a move that would’ve been graceful had he not slipped and landed face-first in the office. Vinny barked out a laugh, then jumped through the portal himself, looking back for Monty. 

The Irish Python slithered through the portal, smiling a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. Vinny ignored the hellhound walking through and closing the portal, ignored the way she scoffed when she saw the two of them staring at each other. He took Monty’s hand, looking up at him and tilting his head. 

“What’s wrong, big guy?” he asked. 

Monty’s smiled disappeared, and he looked away. “The countdown on the charges started. It’ll only be a few minutes ‘fore that ship gets blown out o’ the water. I was jus’ thinkin’ about all those sailors… there’s no way they’ll all get out o’ there in time…” he faded off, looking haunted. 

Vinny wrapped his arms around the snake, who didn’t hesitate in hugging him back. “I know it’s hard for you, what with being a sailor and all, but most of those guys were corrupt assholes anyways,” he said. “It’s probably for the best that they’re joining that bastard Valentino at the bottom of the sea.” 

“An’ what if they aren’t? What if they were forced into it? The way… the way you were,” he said softly. Vinny tensed. 

“I wasn’t,” he said softly. “I went to work for Velvette on my own. I just ended up working for Valentino through that. I did it to myself.” 

Monty’s arms tightened around him. “You didn’t deserve that. No one does, ” he snarled. Vinny blushed, burying his face in the snake’s chest. “You don’t have to be so protective of me,” he murmured. 

“Ah, see, I do. I already lost ya once. I’ll be damned if I lose you again,” Monty said. Vinny smiled, hugging the snake tighter. 

Someone coughed behind them. Vinny didn’t bother looking up. He could clearly picture Monty glaring at the person who was going to comment. 

“Alright, lovebirds, let’s get the hell out of here,” Arackniss said gruffly. “We have questions to answer and an Overlord to avoid.” 

Vinny reluctantly let go, but before he could step away, Monty’s arm slipped around his waist, pulling him close. He leaned into the contact, ignoring the way Arackniss raised an eyebrow. He might’ve been imagining it, but he could’ve sworn that the corners of his cousin’s mouth twitched into the barest image of a smile. 

As soon as they stepped out of the office into the hall, Angel rounded on Vinny. “Alright, shortcake, I want answers, an’ I’m gonna fuckin’ get ‘em. SO, ya better start talkin’,” he said, practically looming over Vinny. Vinny unconsciously shrank against Monty’s side, which didn’t go unnoticed by the python. 

“Hey now, Angel. Back up a bit. We’ll talk ‘bout all that once we find a place to stay,” he said. Angel, thankfully, gave him some space, but watched him with a mildly displeased expression the entire time. 

“Oh, yes, the matter of lodging. I don’t have any other bunkers beyond the city borders that would go unnoticed by Velvette that we can use, so I’m afraid I’m rather useless in this particular issue,” Pentious said sadly. 

Vinny cleared his throat awkwardly. “I, uh, have a place we can use,” he said shyly. 

Everyone looked at each other, as if having a mental conversation. Arackniss sighed after a minute and pointed at him. “We don’t have anywhere else to go, so… I guess we’ll have to trust you.” 

There was a click, and then both of Arackniss’s pistols were aimed at his chest. “But if you rat us out again, I’ll pave the way to second hell jus’ for you,” he snarled. Vinny nodded frantically, fighting to keep his nerves. He knew that his cousin meant every threat he made. His rank as the best hitman in the city was proof of that.

“I’m not gonna betray you! I only did that so that I could get close enough to Val to kill him!” he said, holding out his hands. Arackniss stared at him for a moment more, red eyes boring into him as if they could see his very soul. Then, another click, and his guns were back in the holsters. 

Vinny let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Monty rubbed his side reassuringly as they began to move towards the exit. “Where’s that place ya had in mind, lad?” he asked. 

It was clearly an attempt to distract him from his nerves, but it worked. Vinny inhaled shakily. “Well, before Vox… y’know, he had a pretty good relationship with Valentino’s workers. Offered them gifts, including a weapon to defend themselves if things go to shit-” he patted the Carmine-crafted blessed knife at his hip, “-and a place to stay that Valentino and Velvette don’t know about if things really go to shit.” 

Monty frowned nervously. “Vox did that? Boyo, are ya sure we can trust anythin’ from ‘im?” he asked. Vinny nodded.

“He didn’t give it to me. Su- one of Val’s workers gave me the address for the place. She said that Val had never found anyone who hid there. My guess is that it’s in some kind of technological blank spot that Val couldn’t use Vox’s powers to detect. Trust me, it’s been in use for years and hasn’t been discovered by any of the Vees. It’s safe.”

The snake still didn’t look convinced, but he smiled anyway. “Okay, love. If ya think it’s safe, I trust ya,” he said. Vinny sighed in relief. Looks like there’s still a chance I can make it up to them, he thought hopefully. 

Once they walked out to the car, Arackniss opened the car doors and nodded to Vinny. “You know how to get there, or do I need the address?” he asked. 

Vinny could’ve easily pointed the way. He could’ve given directions if he wanted to. But Monty’s hand had slid down to his hip, squeezing suggestively. It was pretty clear what the snake had in mind, so Vinny shook his head. 

“Here, lemme give you the address. You can’t get to it with GPS, Vox made sure of that, but it’s easy enough to find with street signs… do you have paper?” he asked. Arackniss reached into his car, rummaging through the center console before pulling out a pad of sticky notes and a pen. Vinny scribbled the address down and passed it to him before climbing into the back. 

He ended up sandwiched between the door and Monty. Angel was on the other side of the snake, while Pentious and Arackniss took up the front. The car had barely pulled out of the parking lot before Vinny felt a hand slip up his shirt. 

“ Monty, ” he whisper-hissed, glaring at the snake pointedly. “ Not now. ” 

“Why not?” Monty asked, voice low. “It’s not like anyone’s payin’ any mind to us.” 

Now that he thought about it, Monty was right. Angel was on the phone with Cherri, chattering excitedly about Valentino’s death. Pentious and Arackniss were engaged in their own conversation, though Vinny couldn’t hear what they were saying. Probably for the best. 

He sighed and redirected his attention to Monty. “Just be quiet, okay?” he asked. 

Monty chuckled huskily, which was unfairly attractive given his current position. “Boyo, I think you’re the one who has to worry about bein’ quiet,” he whispered silkily.  

Vinny flushed, but he didn’t get a chance to respond before Monty’s lips crushed against his, tongue slipping into his mouth with practiced ease. He let out a quiet squeak before melting into the touch. Monty pulled him into his chest, one arm wrapped around his wait while his other hand held the back of his head, pushing them together. He wrapped his arms around the snake’s neck, eager to return the gesture.

It felt like flying and lightning under his skin and fire in his gut all at the same time. 

He’d fake his death a million times over if it meant he could have this. 

He let out a quiet moan when he felt Monty’s teeth against his lip, then wrapped his legs around the snake. He could feel Monty’s hand travel from his waist up underneath his shirt, then down to the waistband of his shorts…

“If you two start fuckin’ in my car, I will throw you out onto the damn streets,” Arackniss snapped, breaking the spell. Vinny flushed, pulling away from Monty. He opened his mouth to argue, but Angel beat him to it

“Ay, Nissy, why’d ya make ‘em stop? This is good entertainment,” the pink spider said. Arackniss glared at him from the corner of his eyes. “The least you can do is wait ‘til we get to the safe house, you horny shits,” he muttered. 

Monty grumbled in annoyance, but pulled away anyways. Vinny snorted, leaning against his side. “We’ll jus’ hafta finish later, then,” the snake murmured, resting a hand on his thigh. Vinny shuddered at the contact, but smirked up at him anyway. 

“Oh, I can’t wait, big guy~” he said, biting his lip. Monty’s cheeks turned red, and he quickly looked away, causing Vinny to laugh. 

Thankfully, the rest of the ride was mostly uneventful. Arackniss pulled into the back parking lot of the apartment, parking in the nearby garage. From there, Vinny led the way to the fire escape that went up to the apartment. He didn’t want to risk cutting through the lobby in case the receptionist recognized them. 

As soon as they were in the apartment, Arackniss began poking around, searching for hidden cameras or microphones. Pentious helped him, and Angel slid onto one of the barstools and began devouring the chocolate left in the bowl on the counter. Monty slithered over to the couch and fell onto it, groaning in exhaustion. 

“Shite, this feels good,” he muttered. “Haven’t been this tense in months…”

Once Arackniss was satisfied that they were alone, he marched over to the couch, poking Monty in order to get him to move. Then, he and Pentious sat down, adjusting to make themselves comfortable. Once they were done, however, they both looked at him expectantly. 

It was that moment that Vinny realized that he was the sole focus of everyone in the room. 

“I guess there’s no point in avoiding it, huh,” he said weakly. 

Arackniss shook his head, red eyes piercing him. “Nope. We want our answers. You’re gonna give ‘em to us. So, sit, an’ you’re gonna answer every fuckin’ thing we ask you. Capiche?” he said. Vinny nodded, then sat down awkwardly in the plush armchair across from the couch. 

“Yeah. You guys deserve at least that much,” he said softly. Steeling himself from the inevitable interrogation, he sat up, locking eye contact with his cousin. 

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know."

Chapter Text

Vinny didn’t regret a single thing he had done. He was finally free from the Vees. Monty and the others were, for the moment, safe. He wasn’t under anyone’s control anymore, and didn't have to fear the pink smoke or evil laughter or poisonous touch of the moth Overlord. Faking his death to go after Valentino had been the best idea he’d had in a long time. 

If he’d have known how bitchy his cousins were going to act about it, though, he prolly would’ve just let himself get shot. 

“How the fuck did you know we were on the boat?” Arackniss snapped. Vinny flinched back at his aggressive tone, which didn’t go unnoticed by Monty. He steeled himself and answered before the snake could say anything to draw Arackniss’s attention. 

“I didn’t. I put a tracker on your car the day I faked my death, so I had the basic idea where you were, but I didn’t check it before I left to sneak onto the ship,” he explained, hoping that the honest answer would diffuse the venom in his cousin’s words. 

Arackniss raised an eyebrow. “Right. And how, exactly, did you fake your death? Good enough that everyone thought you were dead, including the literal fucking Overlords you worked for?” he asked. 

Vinny sucked in a breath. He knew this question was going to come. He glanced over at Monty, who was sitting with a clenched jaw. That day has some pretty shitty memories for both of us, but… I’m gonna have to explain eventually. 

“Bulletproof vest under my shirt, plus a fake blood pouch. Got both from working for Valentino- easy enough to sneak some supplies from his clubs and sets every once in a while, and I thought they might come in handy sometime. When Velvette told me that I needed to… finish the job, I just made sure I had those close, then slipped them on when I went to actually… do it,” he said awkwardly. 

Angel snorted. “Ya can jus’ say you were here to erase us, we all know it’s true,” he said. 

On the couch, Monty shifted slightly, betraying his unease. Vinny did his best to avoid the snake’s eyes as he continued. “I knew Monty was the best assassin in the city- besides you, Arackniss- and I knew that he wouldn’t live without having some kind of weapon close by, so I knew that if I did try to… erase him, he’d defend himself. He’d kill me if he had to, and I knew he wouldn’t miss. That’s what I was counting on in order to fake my death,” he admitted. 

Arackniss still didn’t look convinced. “Yeah. And somehow, the second-best hitman in the city didn’t realize that you were still alive? Even when he was movin’ you around and shit?” he said skeptically. 

“Well…” Vinny grimaced. This is gonna make me sound like such a manipulative bastard… “Velvette said that there were two steps of the plan- first, fuck Monty, then erase all of you. I figured that if I got close to Monty, that’d lead to step one, which would free me up to move onto step two. But… when I started to fall for Monty, and I realized he felt the same, I… figured that his emotions would, well, blind him while I was pretending to be dead. That he’d be so upset that he wouldn’t realize I was faking, or he wouldn’t bother to check,” he said. 

He didn’t look at Monty. He didn’t want to see what sort of expression the snake had. 

“That is the most fucked up shit I have ever heard,” Angel said. Vinny tried to smile, but it felt more like a snarl. 

“Yeah. I know. I’m fucked up, we all know it. Anything else?,” he said harshly. 

“How did ya know he would aim for your heart, an’ not somewhere else like your head?” Arackniss pressed. 

Vinny glanced down at his hands. “I didn’t,” he said softly. 

There was the sound of fabric tearing, and he glanced up to see that Monty had gouged claw marks into the couch. “Sorry,” he said quickly, folding his arms to prevent himself from damaging the furniture any more. Vinny couldn’t blame him for the reaction. 

Arackniss looked slightly shaken, but he quickly recovered. “So what, if it went wrong, you were jus’ gonna let him kill you?” he asked. Vinny laughed bitterly. 

“It’s not like I haven’t let people try and’ kill me before. I thought I was dead when Velvette made me fight you, back when we first met, and I was fine with that. When she told me that I needed to kill you guys, I knew that was practically a death sentence, and I was fine with that too. My afterlife has been complete shit and I was just ready to give up,” he said simply. 

After a pause, he sighed. “Monty was the first person I’ve met who made me feel like I should keep living,” he said softly. 

There was a beat of silence as everyone in the room processed what he said. 

Arackniss cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “Makes sense,” he said bluntly. He stared at Vinny intently. “But what did you mean when you called me cugino? Either it was a spur of the moment nickname, or…”

Vinny laughed again. “Nah, it wasn’t unintentional. My dad was brothers with one of your dad’s cousins, and they both worked for the same family. We never met in person, but we’re definitely related,” he said. 

Angel looked like his mind had been blown. “Holy shit, that means you really are our cousin!” he said. Then, he frowned. “Hey, how come you were still tryin’ to kill us if you knew?”

“I didn’t! I swear I didn’t. Not at first. I did some digging in your files after Vox was killed. That’s how I found out we were related,” Vinny said quickly. “Trust me, I never would’ve attacked Arackniss back at Vox’s base if I had known we were cousins, no matter what Velvette said.”

Angel tilted his head slightly, thinking over his words, then shrugged and leaned back with an easygoing smile. “Eh, sounds good enough to me,” he said casually. “How ‘bout you, Niss? Gonna get off his ass?”

Arackniss was silent, looking at Vinny thoughtfully. He might’ve been imagining it, but there seemed to be less hatred in the older spider’s eyes than before. His expression softened, almost changing to… something understanding? If he understands what I did and why I did it… maybe we’re more similar than I originally thought. 

“Yeah. I guess. That’s all the questions I had, anyways,” he said. He glanced over at Pentious and Monty. “Anything you guys wanna say?” 

The two snakes shook their heads. “I believe all my questions have been answered. If I have any more, though, I won’t hesitate to ask them. And I expect an answer,” he said, glaring at Vinny sternly. He held up his hands in surrender. 

“If it’s alright with you lot, I’d like to have my own talk with Vinny,” Monty said. His expression was inscrutable, but Vinny felt a sinking feeling in his gut. This isn’t gonna be fun, he thought hesitantly.

Arackniss waved his hand. “Yeah, sure. Go ahead. We’ll figure out what our next move’ll be in the morning. This place might work for a few days, but we’ll need to find a more permanent safe house soon,” he said, hopping off the couch towards the computer on the desk. “Pentious, can you help me brainstorm?” 

“Of course, Nissy,” Pentious said, slithering off the couch. Monty followed, gesturing for Vinny to follow him. Vinny hesitantly stood up, a sick twisting feeling forming in his gut. He’s never gonna want to talk to me again. After how I manipulated him, even if it did turn out alright, how can he even stand to be close to me?

Monty went to the end of the hall, then pushed open the door to the last bedroom in the apartment. He held the door open, allowing Vinny to walk in before he did. The click of the lock sliding into place as Monty shut the door didn’t go unnoticed by him. 

He sat on the bed, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. “Monty, I’m so sorry,” he blurted before the snake could say anything. “Your feelings were so genuine, and I took advantage of that. It was so fucked up of me, and I can’t apologize enough. I’m no better than Valentino with how I used you…” he said, his voice cracking. He took a deep breath to steel himself for what he had to say next. 

“If you don’t want me around, I get it. I’ll leave. Tonight, even, if you want. I understand if you want me gone,” he said, fists clenching. It’ll kill me a million times over if he tells me to leave, but that doesn’t mean I won’t listen. I’ll leave for him. 

“Vinny…” Monty said hesitantly. Vinny closed his eyes and braced himself for what he would say next. 

Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. He glanced up in shock, then melted into the embrace. Monty pressed a kiss to his forehead, so incredibly gentle. More gentle than I deserve. 

“Vinny, the thing I want most is for you to stay,” he whispered. “I’ve been lookin’ for a relationship that really means something for a long time, and I think I’ve finally found that with you. So no, Vinny, I don’t want you to leave.”

He tilted Vinny’s head up to look in his eyes. “Jus’ promise me you’ll stay, boyo. Stay with me,” he said, his voice heartbreakingly soft. A look of hopeful desperation crossed his face as he looked down at Vinny, waiting for his answer. 

A flood of emotion swept through the spider, and he buried his head in Monty’s chest. “Monty…” he said, voice trembling. He swallowed, trying to speak past the lump in his throat. “Of course I’ll stay. Please let me stay, please don’t ever let me go, I don’t ever want to leave you-”

“Shh, shh, it’s alright, it’s alright,” Monty said soothingly, running a hand through his hair as he cried. “I’m here. I’m not goin’ anywhere, love.” 

Vinny sniffled, wiping at his face before laughing despairingly. “Thank you,” he whispered, resting his head on the snake’s chest. 

Monty smiled, kissing the top of his head. “Anythin’ for you, love,” he said. 

For a while, they sat together in silence, comforted by each other’s presence. Vinny finally took a deep breath and leaned back. “I needed that. Haven’t cried that much since I was a kid. Prolly look like shit,” he said, scrubbing at his face with his arm. Monty smiled, tenderly brushing the hair out of Vinny’s face.

“You look perfect to me, lad,” he said. Vinny scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t lie to me, Python,” he said reproachfully. Monty laughed, then leaned in close, their faces barely an inch apart. 

“Oh, but I’m not lyin’, boyo. In fact, I think you look good enough to eat~” he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. Vinny’s eyes widened, and he backed up to the head of the bed. 

“Heh, don’t you think we’re getting a little hasty?” he said, nervously tugging on his collar. 

Monty smirked at his discomfort, then tapped his chin in mock thoughtfulness. “Last time we did this, my mind wasn’t fully focused, an’ that’s not very fair to ya. Plus, if I remember correctly, I think I made you a promise, back on that boat. And now- ”

He lunged forward without warning, pinning Vinny’s hands next to his head. “There’s nothin’ standing between you and me,” he said, eyes glowing dimly in a way that was almost hypnotizing. 

It was definitely getting warmer. Monty practically dragged Vinny down, forcing him to lay on his back. Vinny let him, because it was annoyingly hot, even though he’d never admit that out loud. 

The snake pressed his lips against Vinny’s, pushing his head into the sheets. His tongue slipped into Vinny’s mouth, causing Vinny to let out a squeak as the slender muscle wrapped around his own tongue, deepening the kiss. He closed his eyes, shuddering in pure bliss. 

When Monty began to tease the first buttons on his shirt, though, he pulled back, panting slightly. “Wait,” he said breathlessly. “Aren’t you worried the others will hear?”

“Hmm… no, not really,” Monty said. He grinned playfully at Vinny’s shocked silence, followed by a fierce blush. “Why would I be? It’s not like they can get in. ‘Sides, if they do hear, they’ll know exactly how much you mean to me,” he said silkily. Vinny stared at him for a moment, processing this information, before making his decision. 

He dragged his teeth across his lower lip, arching against the bed while staring up at Monty with half-lidded eyes. “Well, then, what are you waiting for, big guy? I’m all yours, ” he said smoothly. 

Monty flushed in surprise, but quickly recovered, grinning. “Good to know,” he said, a genuinely delighted expression on his face. His lips met Vinny’s again, and this time, there was no hesitation as Vinny wrapped his arms around the snake’s neck, pulling him closer. 

I’d kill every Overlord in heck for this, Vinny thought in a daze as they kissed messily. He could feel Monty tugging off both of their clothes, and he arched against him, breathless as the snake’s lips pressed against his neck, then his chest. The kisses slowly turned to nips, then bites, ruthless in their affection.

Nothing's gonna take this from me again. Nothing. I swear it. 

For the first time in a long time, Vinny finally felt alive. 

---

An alarm blared, startling a groan from the small spider. He turned to glare at the offending clock, then sluggishly slapped it off of the nightstand. The clock let out a final, desperate chirp before shutting off with a whine. Vinny smirked, then flopped back onto the pillow. 

Next to him, Monty stirred slightly, then reached out and wrapped an arm around him to pull him close. Vinny sighed in contentment, resting against the snake’s chest, the warmth slowly dragging him back towards sleep. 

If this is what death feels like, then shoot me and throw me off a cliff, he thought happily. 

Not more than a few seconds later, someone pounded noisily on the door. Monty grumbled curses in Irish, then groggily propped himself up on one elbow. “The fuck do you want?” he yelled, voice slurred from sleep. 

“It’s morning. Breakfast is gonna be served any minute now. Get your asses up an’ get ready,” Arackniss called from outside. He walked away before they could say anything to protest, his footsteps fading quickly. Monty grumbled angrily again, his arm tightening around Vinny. 

“...don’t wanna fuckin’ get up,” he mumbled, burying his face in Vinny’s hair. His breath tickled when he exhaled. Vinny smirked, then looked up at him. “Y’know he’s not gonna stop bothering us unless we do, right?” he said. 

Monty cursed under his breath, then sighed and sat up. He lifted his arms over his head in a stretch, muscles rippling. His blond hair, free from its bun, reached down to his shoulders, and his yawn made his fangs shine in the dim light of the room.

  Never gets any less hot, seeing him like that, Vinny thought. He couldn’t help but feel smug when he thought that he was the only person who got to see Monty like that anymore. Monty had promised to remain faithful, much to the disappointment of practically everyone who saw him, and he had kept that promise since the day he had made it. 

As if he could hear his thoughts, Monty glanced over at Vinny and smirked. “What, ya like seein’ this, boyo?” he asked teasingly. Vinny flushed. “It’s pretty damn hard not to,” he admitted. Monty grinned proudly. 

“HURRY UP, you two, I’m not gonna tell you again!” Arackniss called from outside the door. Monty’s smile quickly turned into a grimace, and he rolled his eyes. 

“We’re awake, Arackniss, we’re awake! Fuckin’ hell,” he grumbled, sliding out of bed. Vinny reluctantly got up as well, heading towards the bathroom to get ready. Every muscle in his body ached, including ones he didn’t know he had. It took everything in his power not to limp. 

His struggle didn’t go unnoticed by Monty, though, who watched with a smug, satisfied grin. Vinny side-eyed him as he slid on a high-collared shirt, buttoning it up completely to hide all the marks the snake had left the night before. Monty’s smirk only grew wider, and he practically swaggered into the bathroom. 

Vinny shook his head. Bastard, he thought grumpily. Secretly, though, he enjoyed every twinge of pain that shot through him.

At Arackniss’s persistent insistence, the pair was ready within a few minutes. They walked out of the room and into the halls of the hotel. Towards the end of the hall, Arackniss and Pentious waited. They nodded at each other, then began their trek down the stairs towards the lobby.

It had been three weeks since they had moved to the Hazbin Hotel. Surprisingly, it had been Angel’s suggestion to come to the hotel for refuge. 

Arackniss’s first response had been simple: “ Fuck no.”

It had taken Angel a while to convince his brother, but eventually, they all agreed that it was for the best. Velvette wouldn’t be able to attack them if they were at the hotel, given that it was under Lucifer’s protection. It would likely be one of the last places she’d look, too. There were plenty of open rooms that Charlie was more than happy to offer to them, and she was delighted to have her star patron back. 

Angel was just happy to be close to Husk again, but he was kind enough not to say that to her face. 

The group made their way down the stairs, Vinny grimacing slightly with every step. As soon as they reached the lobby, though, they were immediately greeted by a bouncing ball of energy. 

“Good morning, guys!” Charlie said, beaming at them. Vinny smiled at her. Despite her overbearing, sometimes annoying energy, he enjoyed having her around. He had spent too much time around a bunch of pessimists (no offense to his present company), and her boundless optimism was a pleasant change of pace. 

“Morning, princess,” Monty said, smiling at her.

Charlie grinned, then rubbed her hands together excitedly. “I have some good news for you all!” she blurted. 

Arackniss raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is it?” he said, his curiosity well hidden behind his neutral expression. 

“Welllll, I know that the main reason you guys came to the hotel was to hide from Velvette, and that’s completely okay! Even if it is a little counter-productive to redemption, you’re still welcome here! Buuuuut, I thought you’d like to know that my dad told me that Velvette just announced that she’s giving up the search for you!” she said, spreading her hands in a grand gesture. 

Vinny’s jaw dropped. “She’s just giving up? After all the shit she’s pulled trying to find us?” he said, shocked. A glance around told him that the others felt the same. 

Charlie nodded, her grin shrinking somewhat. “Yeah, she had a whole interview with Katie Killjoy about it. She said she’s “shifting her focus to solidifying herself as the head of the Vee Empire”, she said, making air quotes. “She said she doesn’t give a shit what you guys do anymore, and that she’s not gonna bother looking for you anymore.”

She let that process for a second. Vinny could practically see the wheels turning in the heads of his friends. Pentious was the first to react, practically dancing with joy. 

“Oh, that means we can finally go and retrieve the Aranea! I can only imagine what sort of questions Molly has been getting with it hovering over her apartment for the past three weeks, and the Egg Bois must be terribly lonely,” he said, twisting his hands nervously. Arackniss glanced at him, amused, and he quickly straightened up, flaring his hood. “Of course, if I return and they’ve destroyed the place, I’ll have to do the same to them ,” he said, halfheartedly attempting to sound cruel.

Arackniss snorted. “Riiiiight,” he drawled, smirking slightly. 

Charlie was still watching them all, and Pentious bowed to her. “Thank you for your hospitality and generosity, Princess Morningstar. We’re quite grateful for your kindness in offering us refuge,” he said magnanimously. 

“Yeah, thanks for lettin’ us crash here,” Arackniss said bluntly. 

She smiled at them. “Of course! This hotel is here to help people who are lost or need help. But… does this mean you’re leaving?” she asked, sounding disappointed. 

They glanced at each other, silently communicating, then nodded. “We’ve been gone from home for a while, Princess. Honestly, I just want to go back and have some quiet,” Arackniss said. Charlie looked disappointed, but she nodded in understanding. 

“I get it. There’s no place like home, huh?” she said, smiling. Vinny felt slightly relieved that she understood. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings, especially since her girlfriend was sitting on one of the couches, spear in hand as she watched them all carefully. 

Charlie shook Pentious’s hand vigorously, her smile back in place. “Well, stay safe out there! You’re all welcome here anytime if you ever need a place to stay,” she said. Vinny smiled at her. “Thanks, Princess,” he said, meaning it. 

As soon as she trotted away, humming under her breath, Angel sauntered over, one pair of arms folded and the other resting lightly on his hips. “Takin’ off already, tiny? You gonna leave before saying goodbye to your baby brother?” he said, pushing his lips out in a mock pout. Arackniss shoved him playfully. 

“Course not, Anthony. I’d never leave without sayin’ goodbye. But, are you not coming?” he asked, tilting his head towards his brother. 

“What, and leave the fine comforts of this magnificent hotel?” Angel said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. “Nah. As shitty as this place can be sometimes, I’m not leaving. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun fuckin’ up shit with you, but I think I’m ready to stay put for a while. ‘Sides, I’ve got a pretty hot reason to stay,” he said, glancing over at the bar- specifically, the bartender. 

Husk glanced up at him just as Angel winked flirtatiously. He coughed, flushing, then began chugging the booze in his hand with renewed vigor. Angel giggled, then looked back at them. “He likes the attention,” he said teasingly. 

Arackniss rolled his eyes. “Don’t get into too much trouble without us,” he muttered. 

Angel grinned snarkily. “Wouldn’t dream of it, brother dear,” he quipped. 

The two stood in silence for a minute, then, without warning, they hugged each other tightly. “I’m gonna miss ya, Nissy,” Angel said, his shoulders slumping. Arackniss just hugged him tighter. 

“It’s not like I’m dying, fratellino. We’re jus’ not gonna be as close to each other. You can always text and call, and if you need me, I’ll be there,” he said firmly. Angel smiled halfheartedly before standing up and blowing out a breath. 

“Are ya leavin’ right now?” he asked. Arackniss shook his head. 

“Nah. We gotta pack up our shit, and figure out a plan about movin’ the airship. We’re prolly just gonna take it, fly it outside of the city, then leave it for a while and stay at my apartment. Can’t trust if Velvette really meant what she said, so stayin’ off the grid there’s prolly the best idea,” he explained. 

Angel’s face brightened, and he gave him a cocky grin. “Well, then, good to know ya aren’t going too far. If I ever need a ride again to get some McDonald’s, I know who I’ll call,” he said. Arackniss’s eyes widened, and he shoved Angel playfully. 

“Call me for that again and I swear I’ll ditch your ass,” he muttered. Angel laughed, then tilted his head towards Vinny and Monty. “What ‘bout you? You gonna leave, or stay here?” 

Monty tilted his head. “Honestly, I’ve been wanting to go back home… I mean, what’s the point of havin’ a mansion if you’re not gonna live in it?” he said, grinning. He wrapped his arm around Vinny’s shoulder, tugging him to his side. “‘Sides, I have a few ideas that I want to discuss with my little burrito… in private, ” he said, squeezing his shoulder slightly. 

Vinny stiffened, his face heating up. “ Monty, not here, ” he hissed, jabbing an elbow into the snake’s side. Monty chuckled, shifting away slightly. Angel smirked. 

“Oh, well, I certainly wouldn’t want to keep you from that, ” he said. He fluffed his hair and winked at Monty. “Though, if you’re ever free, or if ya change your mind, I’d be more than happy to come over for a night~”

“I am going to stab out your eyes,” Vinny said flatly. 

Monty laughed nervously, pulling him away from Angel. “A generous offer, Angel, but I’m afraid he gets a little jealous. Wouldn’t want anything happenin’ to ya, would we,” he said, glaring sternly at Vinny. 

Vinny stuck out his tongue at Angel, who flipped him off in response. “At least I got more arms than you, ya little bitch,” Angel said teasingly. Vinny opened his mouth to respond, then sighed. Don’t really have a good way to answer that, he thought sourly. Angel’s grin only grew wider at his silence. 

“Don’t get yourself in too much trouble, cugino, ” he said, waving cheekily. He blew a final kiss to Monty before sauntering back towards the bar. Vinny rolled his eyes. “He’s such a pain in the ass,” he growled.

Monty’s arms wrapped around him. “Please, y’know he only does it to get a reaction out of ya. And I’d enjoy it if ya didn’t go around stabbing anyone who made you jealous, boyo,” he said. Vinny chuckled darkly. “Why shouldn’t I? I’ll make it quick, and we both know how to get rid of the bodies,” he said dangerously. 

Monty winced. “Y’know, sometimes I forget how scary you can be,” he said, sounding slightly nervous. Vinny giggled madly. “Guess I’ll have to make sure you don’t forget,” he said, baring his teeth in a wide grin.

“You worry me,” Monty said. 

“You love me,” Vinny said, leaning his head against Monty’s shoulder.

He chuckled. “That I do,” he said softly.

“When you said you had… ideas, did you mean that in a literal sense, or as an innuendo?” Vinny said, twisting to look at Monty. 

The snake shrugged, flashing a fanged grin. “Both,” he said lightly. He glanced towards the bar, where Arackniss and Pentious sat deep in conversation. “Whaddya say we get some food, then we can talk about what our next plan is?” 

Vinny nodded, feeling a slight thrill go through him. Our. Whatever Monty had in mind for the future, he was going to get to be a part of it. He wouldn’t want it any other way. 

They grabbed some food from the kitchen (where Nifty was obsessively cleaning every speck or crumb that fell on the counters), then sat on one of the couches facing the bar. Vinny stared down at his plate, lost in thought. What does the future look like? All my life and afterlife, I’ve always just followed orders. Whether from the family, or from Velvette and Valentino. I’m not even sure I know what I want. 

Well, he thought, glancing up at Monty, that’s not entirely true. I know at least ONE thing I want.

A gentle nudge startled him out of his thoughts. “You’re not eating, boyo,” Monty said gently. Vinny looked down at his untouched plate, then sighed. “Just thinking,” he said quietly. 

“Do ya wanna talk about it?” Monty asked. 

After a pause, Vinny slumped. “I’m free. I don’t have anyone telling me what to do anymore. And I know that’s a good thing, and I should be happy, but the problem is, without someone telling me what to do, I don’t know what I should do, or even what I should want. The only thing I’m sure of is that I want to stay with you,” he said quickly, the words pouring out of him. 

Monty reached out and took his hand. “Then stay with me,” he said. When Vinny looked up at him, he smiled. “We don’t hafta know what’s gonna come next. We can take it one day at a time. And, after a while, we’ll figure it out,” he said reassuringly. 

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Vinny’s chest. He leaned into Monty’s side. “I’ve been worrying about that for ages,” he confessed. “I’d always wondered what I’d be able to do if I were free, but…”

“...it’s different actually havin’ it,” Monty finished. He ruffled Vinny’s hair affectionately. “Don’t worry, I get it. It was sorta like that when I quit workin’ for Vox. Though, I have had a bit more time to come up with a few ideas for what to do next,” he said. 

“Well, what are they?” Vinny asked. “I’m curious to hear what you’ve come up with.”

Monty’s smile grew, and he leaned forward excitedly. “Y’know how I’m an Overlord now, right? I’ve got the power of two Overlords, which makes me a lot stronger than most other demons out there in terms of physical power,” he said, grinning.

Vinny winced slightly. He knew exactly how strong Monty was. He had the sore muscles to prove it. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Every Overlord has their own thing that they’re in charge of- like Alastor with radio, Velvette with social media, and Carmella Carmine with weapons. So, naturally, I’m gonna have to find somethin’ to take over, to make myself known,” he said, excitement speeding up his voice. He rushed on before Vinny could interject. 

“I used to be a street fighter, love. And fighting for sport has grown a lot more popular over the years, much more so than when I left to work for Vox. So, I was thinking…”

“That you’d go in and take over the fighting industry,” Vinny said, pieces clicking together. “There’s no one in charge of that business right now- it’d be super easy for you to go in and take charge, especially with twice as much power as most other Overlords, and with your fighting abilities, you’d be the champion in no time!” 

Monty’s eyes were shining with excitement. “I’ve been lookin’ into it, and I think I found where to start. We’ll have to travel ‘round a bit, going to all the different fighting rings, dethroning their champions and makin’ soul deals and whatnot, but with my strength and your smarts and sneakiness, it shouldn’t take long ‘fore we have an empire ,” he said, his grin growing a little more dangerous. 

There it was. The same desire for power that came with every Overlord’s rise. Vinny had seen how terrible it had certain people, how many people had gotten hurt from such a vicious want. 

But one thing had been made clear in Monty’s statement- if he was going to have an empire, he wanted Vinny right beside him.

There’s nowhere else I would rather be.

Vinny’s grin widened, and he leaned his forehead against Monty’s. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get started,” he said eagerly. 

The delight on Monty’s face and the steady beating of his heart as he embraced Vinny was everything he had been fighting for. He regretted nothing. Every tear spilled, every drop of blood shed, every punch he had taken, it was all made worth it as he envisioned his future unfolding- a future of safety, of power, of love. 

As he sat, safe in the arms of the love of his life, Vinny had never felt luckier.