Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The humidity was probably suffocating for anyone who wasn't used to Louisiana and its weather, especially when the swamp was the little backyard for the cabin that stood above the foggy waters. The croaking of frogs and the buzzing sound of mosquitos were accompanied by the fireflies that were flying above the dark waters. It was near the end of dusk and the colors in the sky were fading adding to the already dark waters and deep greens in the swamp. 

It was the time he was allowed outside. 

The animal traps set around the house needed to be checked and they also had to be set up again. It wasn't just for protection but also hunting purposes. The old boat swung around as the person inside quickly hauled in another small fish cage. The two fish in the cage were flapping around, their wide eyes never blinking as the lack of oxygen became evident. They were dumped on the boat's floor before a knife quickly cut them open and their insides were spilled. The guts were easily dumped back into the small cage before it was dropped back into the water and the gutted fish were set inside a basket. 

One by one the cages were checked and more guts were spilled for lure before the clean fish were set aside. 

“Heeey! Boy! Alastor! Checking your catch so late again?” 

The boy who had been busy gutting another fish looked up to meet the man that was a few yards away from him on another boat. The boy was hardly twelve and was a scrawny kid with long limbs and a long neck. He had a round face with a straight nose and big eyes. The amber eyes that were looking at the man creased as he smiled and waved. The messy auburn hair went perfectly with the tan cool undertone and olive skin that had a few freckles across the cheeks. 

“Hello, mister Stewart!” Alastor said with a smile as the man on the boat laughed. He was a big fellow with a round belly and a long beard. He wore an old shirt with torn overalls and a hat that covered his messy hair. 

“Ya need to stop checking your traps so late, don't ya know the swamp is the most dangerous at night? That's when you can't see what's around ya and the gators can get ya.” 

It was the same lecture Alastor heard every time he met the old man, by now he had it memorized without doubt. 

“I would love to, sir but I can't leave my mother alone during the day! This is the only time I can go out.” 

“I heard ya, you really take care of that mom of yours.”

“Of course! She’s all I have.” 

The old man went silent for a minute before rowing his boat closer to Alastor. “Ya a good kid, tell ya what. Wait here for a few, alright? I’ll be right back, don’t worry it’ll be worth it!” 

Alastor nodded in response and watched as the old man started rowing away. It was a few minutes later that he disappeared from sight. Alastor stayed around the same area but kept checking the fishing cages. Some cages didn’t have fish but instead had a few frogs that he quickly gutted and threw in the same basket as the fish, by the time he was done checking his last cage the old man was back. He moved his boat next to Alastor’s and smiled at him. 

“Here ya go, my wife and I are old so we don’t really need this much stuff but our sons and daughters keep sending us things non-stop, I don’t know what to do with it anymore, better give it to someone else than let it rot.” 

Alastor quickly caught the first bag the old man threw towards him. It was a heavy bag of rice that he quickly placed on the floor before catching the next bag that was thrown in his direction. This time it was a bag of beans before it was followed by a sack filled with dry fruit and chilies. By the time the old man was done handing him things, Alastor was almost positive that his boat was going to sink. The last thing he was given was a large jar filled with crawfish and shrimp. 

“Mister Stewart, this is a lot!” Alastor said but still gave him a grateful smile. 

“It’s no problem, take it. Have that servant girl of yours make good food for ya mum, okay?”

Alastor’s smile became strained but nodded at the man. “Yes, of course, I will. Thank you again!”

“Don’t mention it, tomorrow if ya have time, come by our house, I’ll teach ya how to hunt other stuff besides fish. Your mum could use some variety y’know? Now get out of here, it's getting too dark and I don’t want ya getting lost. ”

The man left first and only after he was gone did Alastor start rowing his boat in the opposite direction. He wouldn’t get lost, of course not, he knew this side of the swamp like the palm of his hand. He was the one that took care of the cages since he was able to row a boat on his own, before that it used to be his mom and himself, but she always checked the cages at night so no one would see them together. 

A few minutes later, the boat hit a small deck and Alastor jumped out of the boat to tie a rope around one of the large logs near the edge of the deck. He tied the other end of the rope to his boat and then started to get the food out and near the end of the deck. The small cabin was glowing from the light coming from the windows, and in the distance, Alastor could hear music. The radio was playing loud and clear in the distance and Alastor started to hum along with the song. He went inside a small shack near the cabin and grabbed a wooden dolly with wooden wheels and a thick rope attached to it. He put all the food on the dolly and began pulling. He pulled harder as the ramp on the side of the cabin made it harder, especially with how much food he was able to get this time. It wasn’t a second after he opened the door that a voice was already calling for him.

“Alastor, is that you honey?” The voice came from the kitchen. 

“Yes, I’m back mum. Mister Stewart gave us some food,” Alastor said and rolled the dolly inside the kitchen. 

“You didn’t talk to them much, right?” The woman who turned around to face Alastor was tall. She had long limbs like Alastor but her body was naturally shaped with more curves. She also had large eyes like him. It was obvious that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, she looked a lot like Alastor, down to the bright smile on her lips, but her eyes were light brown and her skin was also a darker shade with a warm undertone that made her face look brighter. Her nose was straight but also rounder at the tip while her lips were fuller and were painted a deep red. She wore her curly hair in a bun with a headscarf around the edges that went alongside her bun. 

“I didn’t, I kept it short like you always tell me, but he asked me to come to his house tomorrow. He said he wanted to teach me how to hunt.” 

“That isn’t necessary, that’s what your mum is for,” She smiled again and tapped the wooden spoon she was holding against the table next to her. “I can assure you that I can shoot a gun just as good as that old man can.” 

“I know you can,” Alastor chuckled and picked up the bags to set them on the table. 

“Good God, he gave you so much food.” 

“Yeah, everyone thinks that you’re sick so…they try to help out,” Alastor said and picked up the last bag of rice. “He also called you a servant girl.” 

The frown on Alastor’s face wasn’t missed by his mother.

“And what did you tell him?”

“I…I said nothing.” 

“Good! Now let me see what we got, I’m gonna have to cook that old man something to show our gratitude, else he might get offended and won’t give us anything again!” 

“Not like he deserved it,” Alastor mumbled but his mumbling didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Alastor!” 

Alastor winced when his mother slammed her hand against the table and gave him a pointed look. He could feel his shoulders sagging as he stared at the floor and his mother’s feet. 

“That man just gave us a bunch of free stuff, so I say he has at least earned that much out of us!” 

“I know, I know, I just don’t like it when he calls you servant girl…that’s all.” 

The silence that followed was only interrupted by the radio that was playing in the background. The smooth blues playing through the radio was accompanied by a piano and guitar; it was a slow piece, with a quiet melody that was fitting for the end of the day. Alastor sighed when his mother’s hand reached for his face. She gently rubbed her thumbs against his cheeks and then leaned down to kiss his forehead with a warm smile. 

“I know baby, I know that well, but this is for the best, alright?” 

Alastor said nothing and it was his mother’s turn to sigh. She sat down on a chair near the table and pulled Alastor with her so he was standing in front of her. He was growing again, soon enough he was going to be as tall as her or maybe taller. She ran her fingers through his hair, and couldn’t stop herself from thanking her grandmother’s side that her son’s hair wasn’t as textured as hers. Her family was what many would call mutt ancestry, and she resented that name for years. She resented and hated it because that’s all she was reduced to, and now she couldn’t believe that she was actually thankful for that. It was something she never imagined as good until she moved here and had her son. 

“Alastor,” She said quietly and pulled her son closer. She gently held his hands and kissed them with a smile. “If they find out this house is mine, if they find out the mother they think is yours isn’t here but is instead me, we are going to be in danger, you understand that, right?” 

Alastor looked away.

“You understand, right? Baby, I need you to tell me that you understand this.” 

“...I do,” The quiet reply was hardly audible. 

“Good, good,” She rubbed Alastor’s arms and gently brushed his hair behind his ear. “Now, who am I, Alstor?” 

“My mum,” Alastor said with almost a hint of desperation in his voice. 

“That’s right, I am, but who am I to them?” 

“...Gabriela.” He mumbled again, not liking how he had to use his mother’s name. 

Gabriela smiled again and pulled her son into a hug. She let him lean against him as she tried to pull him into her lap just to laugh when she realized how awkward the two looked. “You’re too big for me to be letting you sit on my lap like this.” 

“I grew another inch.”

“That you did, you did,” Gabriela said and kissed his forehead. “Soon, you’ll be as tall as your mum.” 

“That’s the goal.” He just needed to grow older faster, so he could take good care of his mother. 

“Don’t let that old man get to you, okay?” Gabriela patted Alastor’s back. “He’s an old man and has one foot in the grave. Soon you won’t have to see him again, he’ll be gone! Then he’ll have to face the one and only judge that matters, God.” 

“You always say that.” 

“That’s because it is the truth,” Gabriela said and looked at her son’s face. “At the end of the day, we all have to face God, and he’s the one that gives our final judgment, so don’t worry baby.” 

“What if he finds out? What if he wants to come over? Your friend isn’t here anymore, so there’s no one to pose as my fake mum,” Alastor asked. The paranoia was just something that could never go away, not with how they constantly had to hide. 

“We’ll be fine, okay? No one would believe that you’re my son, if anything we can lie and tell them your mother had to leave for a doctor’s visit and so her family members came to get her. Alright? We can lie about a lot of things, Alastor, because no one would think that you are my child.”

“But I am, I am your son!”

“Yes, honey, yes, you are, baby, you are. But they can’t know that, okay?”

“Why can’t we just leave?” Alastor’s voice cracked as he asked this and his mother hugged him closer. 

“We will honey, I promise we will but when you are older. Then we can leave this place and go back to my home, okay? But I can’t leave this country without someone that looks like…” Gabriela’s words were cut short then. 

She looked at Alastor and he knew the answer already. His mother couldn’t leave on a boat, or leave the border without someone that looked like him because he looked like them. In the future Alastor was going to be able to blend in with them, and once he was grown he was going to be able to have the benefits that came with that. The only way his mother could leave this country and go back to hers, was if Alastor came with her and claimed to be with her. The idea made him sick to his stomach but he didn’t voice it out. 

“Okay,” Alastor said, not wanting to force his mother to continue what she was trying to say. “I’ll be good, and continue to lie to them but you have to promise that when I get older, the two of us are going to leave, okay? We’ll leave.”

“Of course, baby. We’ll leave together, I promise.” 

Alastor could lie to everyone else, but he wasn’t allowed to lie to his mother, in the end, it was his mother who lied to him. 

The wind outside was growing stronger and the cabin was starting to shake a lot more with every passing minute. The chimney was making loud whistling noises that sounded almost demonic. The radio was playing but the signal was getting lost here and there, as the wind outside became faster. Alastor finished boarding up the windows and made sure to lock the shack outside before adding a few more wooden planks to make it stronger. He used whatever scrap of wood he could find to fortify their home, but there was little he could do against the force of nature. 

“Mum, it’s getting worse,” Alastor said as he locked the door and squeezed his shirt to get rid of the excess water. 

“The last thing I heard on the radio was that it isn’t a storm anymore but maybe a hurricane. I don’t think we can do anything else but pray and wait it out,” Gabriela said and placed a wooden bucket under another leak on their roof. She worriedly tried to grab whatever could fall from how the house kept shaking and put it in boxes. If they were lucky then maybe they would only lose part of the roof or a few windows, nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a few weeks.

The worst part of it all was that, even if they wanted to leave to find a safe place, they just couldn’t. The wind outside was too strong and the rain was so heavy that it was impossible to see anything. The swamp was already a harsh environment but add a hurricane on top of that and it was almost impossible to navigate. Weather like this was hard to predict and there was little they could do about it once it landed on their coast. Living outside a city had its advantages for sure, they could hide better and live outside prying eyes but in times like this, Gabriela wished they lived closer to the city border, then maybe there they could find a safer place to stay.

“Mum!” 

Alastor’s alarmed shouting was what broke Gabriela out of her train of thought. She turned around and watched her son trying to rush towards her but she wasn’t sure why. The wind was so loud outside, there was so much noise that she didn’t hear the whining wood of the roof and walls around her. She didn’t know what was happening until pain blinded her vision and everything went dark. 

The next time Gabriela opened her eyes, she was wet and she couldn’t see well. The heavy rain was falling on top of her face, but she could feel movement around her. She turned her head and watched as her son desperately tried to remove the collapsed roof that had fallen on top of her. She tried to move but pain quickly shot through her whole body. A scream tried to leave her throat but she quickly pressed her lips together and stopped it. She didn’t want to alarm her son, she didn’t want to make the situation worse. 

Alastor couldn’t see well in front of him, his vision had never been the best but it was now worse. The rain was too strong and the wind was so fast it felt as if the raindrops were made out of wood instead of water. His vision was getting blurrier as he fought back tears that were welling up in his eyes. He needed to focus, crying wasn’t going to fix anything. He needed to hurry up and help his mother. The wood was heavy, and the wind that was blowing against him made it feel as if he was picking up concrete instead of wood. He shoved at it with his shoulders and arms, not caring as pieces of wood stabbed into his skin. He just needed to remove another piece, and then, he could free his mother. 

By the time Alastor was done he was ready to collapse from how exhausted he was. He turned to look at his mother and instantly turned pale. His mother lay on her stomach with a thick piece of wood piercing her stomach. She wasn’t bleeding too much, but it was probably due to the piece of wood not piercing all the way through, still that didn’t make it any better. If anything he wasn’t sure of what to do anymore. He was panicking, his breathing was short and he couldn’t think. He couldn’t think at all but he needed to force his brain to function. 

Alastor was desperate. It was as if his body moved on its own, his brain was blank but his body knew what to do. He knelt near his mother and pulled her onto his back until his arms were secured around her legs and she could hold onto him. He ran then, he ran as fast as he could, ignoring the sharp wind and the rain that was making it almost impossible to see what was in front of him. He knew this swamp like the palm of his hand, he didn’t need to be able to see ahead of him, his feet were taking him exactly where he needed to go. He wasn’t fully grown, he was still a kid, yet at that moment he felt like he could do anything because nothing else was going to matter if his mother died. 

The lights of a house became visible soon enough. Alastor felt as if his feet were going to give up on him but he still kept going. He could hardly breathe, his lungs were on fire and it felt as if he was going to throw up any second. His throat was dry and coarse, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to speak, still, he reached out and knocked on the wooden door in front of him. He knocked so loud that the door started shaking. It wasn’t long before someone angrily opened the door but their expression quickly changed when they noticed who was knocking. 

“Boy, what are you doing out there with this weather?”

“M-mister…Mister Stewart, please, o-our cabin…the roof, it collapsed,” Alastor said while trying to gasp for air. “She’s hurt, p-please. We need help.”

There was a short silence and the old man spoke again. “What about your mum, where is she? You got that girl on your back but where’s your mum?” 

“S-she isn’t home…left for the hospital with family. I-it was just us, please.” 

“She got lucky uh?” The man said and then pointed at Gabriela with his chin. “You can come in boy, but you’ll have to leave your servant girl outside, I don’t want none of them in my home, you understand?” 

“W-what?” Alastor said, his eyes wide as he stared at the man in front of him. “S-she’s hurt, I’m fine! I can stay outside instead! But she needs help.”

“Like I said, you can come in boy, but her? She can get eaten by the gators for all I care.” 

Alastor’s mouth went dry, his legs were trembling and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling anymore. “Please…sir, she’s all I got.” 

“Nonsense, ya can find another one like her in the market tomorrow, that ain’t an issue.” 

Alastor kept staring at the man in front of him, he couldn’t believe his words. He couldn’t believe what he was saying, but deep inside he knew that what this man was saying truly came from the bottom of his heart. What his mother told him before, the many tales of caution and the many times she warned him to be careful, everything she said was genuinely true, and Alastor, who was always only with his mother and was sheltered by him, was finally able to see the world for what it truly was…It was a swamp filled with rotten animals that called themselves humans. 

It almost felt like a fairy tale lesson. A story that was told to children before bed to warn them about the evils in the world. A kid dressed in red leaves home, and willingly knocks on the door of an awaiting wolf, ignorant of what was in front of him. 

The wind had settled down and the rain wasn’t as strong as before, Alastor wasn’t sure of what happened after he left Mister Stewart’s home. He could remember the old man shouting something at him, but all that Alastor could do was walk. He kept walking, with his eyes wide and a fake smile that was there to reassure him that everything was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine, no, everything needed to be fine. He made it to the city, and even there, he was told to leave multiple times. Every hospital he tried to visit, he was told to leave. By the time he found a hospital that was willing to take him, the rain wasn’t that strong anymore. 

The hospital was old, with many patients and only a few beds. His mother was rushed to a different room and Alastor followed behind them. He was able to sit on a chair as a doctor and a few nurses quickly tried to help his mother. How long ago did the accident happen? He couldn’t remember. The sky was still dark outside but he wasn’t sure if it was due to the hurricane or because it was still nighttime. He was so tired, so exhausted. He was struggling to stay awake. He did what he could, and now that his body was finally relaxing, he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. 

Alastor closed his eyes. 

The morning sun and the sound of a busy street woke him up. Alastor slowly sat up on his bed, he squinted his eyes, not used to the bright sun outside. It had been ages since the last time he saw the sun in the sky. His mother always told him to stay inside during the day, not wanting to risk his skin turning any darker if that was even possible. It was the main reason why he was only active at night and slept throughout the day. He frowned and reached out to close the window blinds to block out the sun. 

Where was he? His brain was lost and he couldn’t tell what was happening. Why was he in the city? Why would his mother let him out during the day when she was always so worried about him tanning?

Wait, his mother! What happened during the hurricane came rushing through his memory and Alastor jumped to his feet. He was just about to leave the room when a nurse opened the door and looked at him in surprise. 

“You’re awake!” 

“Y-yes! I’m awake,” Alastor said and looked around. He needed to find his mother, he needed to find her right now. 

“I’m so sorry, honey. You were out for a couple of days and we were worried for you.” 

“Right, yes, w-what about…” What about my mom? Alastor wanted to ask but his throat went dry. He remembered what his mother told him and he swallowed the knot in his throat. “What about, Gabriela? Is she fine?”

“Oh…honey.” The tone the nurse took and the way she was looking at him was all Alastor needed to know. 

It was as if the world around him went mute. The nurse kept talking but he couldn’t hear her, no, he could but his brain couldn’t register her words. He was nodding at what she was saying, and he could hear himself replying but what was he saying? The nurse was smiling and giving him a pitiful look, saying something about his mother leaving him a letter and talking about how she was still going to take care of him. Everything was too much, everything was happening all at once. 

Alastor was on auto-pilot, the way he was talking felt fake, and the way he was smiling was an act. Everything was a performance he was reinforced to play. Every word he spoke was a lie and his true feelings were buried behind a smile of compliance. He felt like crying and yet, crying felt wrong at the moment. What if they found out? What if they knew the truth? If everything unraveled then his mother’s efforts would be in vain. He couldn’t allow for that to happen, not now and not ever. 

Alastor left the hospital with a paper in his hand that had a date and time for a burial. 

The city around him was almost in ruins, with collapsed buildings from the hurricane and hundreds of wounded people. Half of the city was flooded while the other half was trying to set up stations to help those in need. It was a complete disaster and it was a miracle that Alastor was able to make it to the hospital during the middle of the night. He didn’t want to stay in the city though, not yet, he felt like he still had something to do back home. 

It was how he found himself walking through the swamp again. It had been so long since he saw it during the middle of the day that he forgot how it was supposed to look. The empty feeling in his chest was draining him, it was making him tired again. He was burning, his chest was burning, his throat was burning yet, his expression remained calm. It remained the same. His feet still hurt but he kept walking, and as he moved through the swamp he arrived at the edge of a familiar home. The house was for the most part fine, with only a few broken windows and the aftermath of some flooding.

What was it that his mother always said? Alastor could hardly remember. Oh, that’s right, she always talked about how God would punish those that deserved it. She was devoted and prayed every night. She would talk to him about God and his son. She would tell him every verse and would tell him to have faith because, at the end of the day, God was going to punish those who deserved it. 

Alastor thought about his mother’s words and then he thought about her. She was kind and faithful. She didn’t dare harm anyone even if she didn’t allow people to take advantage of her. She helped when she could and she taught Alastor everything he knew. Her only sin was to lie about him, that was it and yet that sin felt so insignificant to what happened to her. 

Did God believe his mother’s lies were worth punishing but not the animals Alastor saw in front of him…if so, maybe God wasn’t worthy of all the praises that were constantly thrown his way. Maybe God wasn’t worth anything. 

Alastor allowed his feet to move on their own, and as he set foot near the house in front of him, he grabbed the small ax that was stabbed on a log near the firewood. He kept walking and as he did he slipped the ax behind him and underneath his shirt. He hid the weapon and with a smile on his face he knocked on the door, this time he did it politely. He knocked once, twice and then the door opened. 

The old man in front of him was surprised to see him but he thankfully didn’t close the door in front of him. 

“Boy, holy…you had us worried boy, me and my wife were so worried we went to check on your home but we couldn’t find you. Are you alright?” 

“Ah, yes, I’m quite alright as you can see!” Alastor said with the same smile on his lips. “My mother gave me an earful after I told her what happened, so she sent me all the way here to apologize. May I come in?” 

“Ah, your mum did good. You were just scared, but ya, come in,” The old man moved to the side and then shouted. “Susan! We have company!”

Alastor stepped in and the door slowly closed behind him, the smile never left his lips as he stared at the two animals in front of him. It was a good thing one of the first things his mother taught him how to do was how to gut prey after the catch. 

The lies came to him easily, as he was used to lying his whole life. The kid in red came back to knock on the same door, the sheep’s clothing fit him nicely, and made it impossible for the wolves to see the monster underneath. 

It was getting dark outside. The sky was looking red, or maybe that was the only color Alastor was able to see. He was covered in blood, but he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was get home. He walked slowly, the ax that he used not too long ago was still in his hand. The swamp was a mess with fallen trees everywhere but he jumped over them or tried to climb them to reach his destination. 

The small cabin was a mess, with most of the furniture everywhere and half of the roof gone. The rain, mud, and high wind ruined almost everything but Alastor was able to salvage a few things. He found a few pictures of his mother and carefully put them away in a small wooden box. He needed to take care of them, it was all he had left. He also found their radio, hidden away in a cabinet. His mother probably put it there to try to keep it safe. 

Alastor flipped the switch on and was surprised when it actually worked. Who would have thought? His house was half gone and yet, the radio still worked. He chuckled and put the radio on a table, letting the long cord drag along with it. The blues were playing again, but the song was faster this time, and the guitar along with the piano were giving it their all. It was a good song, a happy, and loud song. It made Alastor hum as he sat by the door of his home and stared at the dark swamp. 

The blood clinging to his face and hands was starting to dry but once again he didn’t bother to clean it up. He just sat there, listening to the radio and humming along with the songs. 

It was a nice melody.

Chapter Text

It was a performance or maybe it was the brutal reality of what resides inside people. 

It was said before that humans only obeyed laws due to the consequences attached to them. If you killed someone you could be killed in return, if you stole something you’d be punished but before all of those pesky laws were made and before they were written in courtrooms and filled with cracks for people to exploit like the cheapest glory hole in a club, humans simply would follow the law of God. 

It was a book filled with tales that somehow managed to keep everyone at bay due to the fear of eternal punishment and the idea of burning in hell. 

Hell was real, it sure was, but it was also the end of the road. Hell was eternal, it was forever and when people faced eternity without any more consequences it made it quite easy for them to fall into greed, lust, pride, and boredom. 

Why did it matter if you committed evil? You were already in hell! How much worse could it get? 

Every day new souls would fall into hell, and every day they would look confused and lost. It could be that they weren’t so bad but just made mistakes, or maybe life handed them the wrong cards but all of them always thought the same thing…

“This can’t be real.” 

Of course, they would think so, after all, nobody imagined hell like this. It wasn’t as if there was a manual in the bible about how hell was supposed to be, people just knew it was a hole where people’s souls fell to rot. It was over the top, extravagant, and filled with malice. Everybody just cared about one thing and that one thing was themselves. 

Alastor smiled as another group of souls fell through the portal connecting them to heaven's gates. It was such a tease to die and wake up near the gates of eternal pleasure just to be dumped like garbage, yet, it never failed to entertain him. He was sitting at the very top of a high building with a coffee table in front of him as he took a sip of his coffee. The new souls looked lost and scared while others were already showing their teeth and were ready to fight anyone who got near them. The aggressive ones didn’t look too promising but the rest could be useful. 

“Ah, I wish I could just sit here and watch them squirm. It sure brings back memories!” Alastor laughed, finished his cup of coffee, and stood up. The table and chair disappeared as soon as he didn’t have any more use for them. “Come on Niffty, we have work to do.” 

“Oh! Oh! Are we going to kidnap people again? I want to tie them up, please, please, let me, let me!” Short, little Niffty said excitedly as she seemed to appear from underneath Alastor’s coat. She ran around him and only stopped when she was able to see the new people. She smiled so wide that it made Alastor smile just as much. 

“No, no, you silly girl. We can’t kidnap them, we are here to offer them salvation, remember?” 

“For the hotel? Yes, that means I can clean more rooms, hahaha! I can’t wait to get under their sheets after they are all dirty.” 

Alastor’s eyes narrowed at the last comment and he glanced at Niffty with a raised brow. “Your mind is truly an enigma.” 

Niffty only smiled in return and followed behind Alastor. 

Alastor snapped his fingers and a shadow minion appeared from behind him. He was holding a stack of colorful papers that was far too tall for his height but Alastor paid him no mind. He kept walking until he was near the edge of the building, it was only then that he handed Niffty a stack of papers while picking up a few for himself and reading over it.

Hello, new fallen souls! 

Are you feeling lost? Depressed? Maybe even ready to walk into your death? Well, that’s too bad! You are already dead and this is hell! 

Now that you know suicide is not the answer, unless you are into that in which case the marvelous Hazbin Hotel will not judge you but we will try to help you with your odd ways of getting off! 

That’s right! Even if you are in hell there can still be salvation! 

Charlie Morningstar, that’s right the daughter of Lucifer Morningstar is willing to help you! She might be trying her hardest to become a princess from a fairy tale that has copyright restrictions but she still gives a fuck about you! 

Come by the Hazbin Hotel and enjoy one of our luxurious rooms where we offer safety, alcohol, board games that will make you want to murder your friends, free food, free towels, and more alcohol! 

You get all of this and all you have to do is try to earn salvation! What a deal!

PS: Please do not hit on the porn star, he’s getting better. 

PSS: Do not hit on the manager either, he will eat you, literally. 

PSSS: Hazbin Hotel does not make itself responsible for any injuries or damage that might occur while you stay as a guest. 

“Everything looks in order,” Alastor said with a pleased smile before he started throwing the flyers into the wind with a graceful flick of his wrist. Niffty followed right after him, with her eye so wide it looked as if it was ready to pop out of her skull. She was grabbing fistfuls of flyers before throwing them in the direction of the new sinners. She was trying to throw them as hard as she could but the paper sheets were so thin they still flew with the wind and missed her target. The shadow minions distributed the rest of the flyers until the streets were littered with colorful papers. 

It was then that the large TV screen in the distance changed to a familiar News channel. The footage was a rerun of the fight that happened not too long ago, but the video was mostly corrupted. It was hard to tell what was happening, at least when a good chunk of the image was constantly being distorted. It was Adam fighting someone, but for the most part, it was hard to tell who he was fighting, even though everyone already knew who was behind the video distortion. 

Alastor glanced at the large screen that stood on top of a building and just smiled. The screen was plastered with different quotes or “news” that were happening during the fight, but the most amusing ones were the ones that mentioned him.

“The Radio Demon, is he as strong as he says he is, or is he a filthy liar? Maybe he’s too old and should consider retirement!” 

“The Radio Demon fled the fight against the exterminators! Has he become so weak that even a janitor is stronger than him?” 

“Lucifer Morningstar and the Hazbin Hotel’s maid are the true heroes of this tale!” 

The text kept changing over and over again but Alastor looked away after he lost interest. One of the main reasons why he needed to take Niffty everywhere with him was because newspapers and also annoying news anchors were constantly trying to interview her to the point that she couldn’t set foot outside the hotel or anywhere without a crowd quickly flooding around her. It wouldn’t be much of an issue if it wasn’t because Niffty would freeze in place as soon as a camera was pointed in her direction. Due to this Charlie was afraid for her safety and asked Alastor to take her out for a walk while keeping anyone else away and truly, who would dare to mess with him? 

The answer came in threes. 

For some God-forsaken reason, the Vees continued to insist that they also wanted to meet Niffty and even visit the hotel. They were trying to sweet-talk Charlie by mentioning how they could start a new show based around the hotel, which would skyrocket the hotel’s popularity and then make it a star in hell. Not to mention it could help entice new guests! Thankfully Charlie was cautious of them, especially after she met Valentino and saw firsthand how he treated Angel. 

At least Alastor didn’t have to worry about them for now…speaking of the devil. He smiled and his eyes shifted to his right while his neck twisted in an odd angle as he spotted one of the drones that belonged to none other than Vox. These pesky little things were everywhere, it didn’t matter where he was, he always found himself finding new ones. He was starting to believe that the drones were following them but Alastor wasn’t sure if Vox would dare to be this foolish and bold against him. He thought he taught him a lesson the last time he tried to mess with him but it seemed like the big-headed idiot hadn’t learned a thing. 

“Come now, Niffty. A few roaches are making this place unsightly,” Alastor said and left his shadows behind to continue to distribute the flyers. 

“Roaches? Where? Where!?” Niffty shouted and pulled out a knife from God knows where and started looking around. She wasn’t able to look for a single roach before shadows engulfed her and Alastor. The two were gone, leaving the single drone behind. 

On the other side of the screen, two pairs of eyes watched as the shadows left behind aimed for the drone before shooting it down. The last frame that was captured was the sharp grin of the shadow minions as the drone exploded. 

“Ohoho, he’s starting to become more sensitive to your toys,” Valentino said with a laugh. “Maybe you need to switch it up, nobody likes dealing with someone who can’t come up with new tricks.” 

“Oh shit, you’re right!” Vox said sarcastically and glanced at the other. “Let me pull a micro-camera out of my ass so then I can shove it inside one of his eyeballs!” 

“I mean, you could shove it somewhere else but if you’re into that, I can’t really judge you.” Valentino took a long drag from his cigarette and smiled at Vox’s glare. “That kind of skull fucking was popular for a while, you know?” 

Vox sighed so loud it sounded like a snort. “Don’t you have whores to take care of? Maybe try to hire someone new for once so we don’t depend on one single guy making forty percent of our porn profits.” 

“Hey! I make up the other forty percent, and it isn’t that easy! You know how hard it is to find someone with daddy issues so fucked up that they are willing to sell you their soul. You don’t find those very often! But they make the best porn, they’re always so eager to please to get praises,” Valentino chuckled and sat on the desk next to Vox’s chair. “Plus, I’m not the one you need to worry about, how’s your little side project with Velvette going? Are they still denying you?”

“Yeah, all thanks to you,” Vox sent Valentino a glare and tapped his sharp claws against his desk. “You really left a nasty impression on Lucifer’s brat, so she keeps shutting down all of our proposals. It doesn’t help that Alastor is her right-hand man and she’ll probably listen to whatever the fuck he has to say.” 

“Maybe you just need to make the reward a bit sweeter.”

“She’s the daughter of hell’s ruler, Val, what the hell could she possibly need that her daddy isn’t willing to provide for her!” 

“Not her, you flat-headed idiot, Alastor.”

Vox’s left eye twitched and started to spiral while the sound of TV static surrounded him. Parts of his screen were glitching while the red colors made it seem as if blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth. He was grinning as he turned towards Valentino but his left eye was twitching in anger. “You want me to make a deal with Alastor?” 

“I mean yes, but not THAT kind of deal, I’m just saying that maybe, just maybe, if you offer him something that he wants then he’ll convince that manly woman to let you in,” Truly, why was that girl always wearing slacks and a blazer? It was so unladylike. 

Valentino flicked the ashes out of his cigarette and blew the smoke towards Vox’s face. “Everyone has a weakness, right? That’s why we are here.” 

“You think if I knew his weakness I wouldn’t have killed him already!” Vox yelled and stood up from his chair. He was starting to get so frustrated that the TVs around him were all glitching while the lights kept flickering on and off. 

“Calm your dick, you always preach to me about not doing stupid shit but with your temper, I’m surprised you haven’t gotten us fucked already. I’m just trying to help but whenever the radio demon is involved it's like you don’t know how to behave anymore.” Valentino huffed and moved away from the desk. He started walking away but then spun around with his hands on his hips and a pointed glare at Vox. “We are able to fight angels and we no longer have to worry about the extermination but all your little plasma brain can think of is the stupid deer that survived.” 

Vox glared at Valentino and then took a deep breath. He fixed his suit and closed his eyes for a second before facing Valentino once again. “Okay, you’re right. I’m just frustrated, if it was only Charlie we had to worry about I wouldn’t care but whenever Alastor is involved it makes things complicated.”

“Right, he hates you, you hate him, blah blah blah,” Valentino waved one of his hands and rolled his eyes.

“That’s not it, Camilla made a deal with Lucifer, and now that crack house that calls itself a hotel is hosting the only fuckers that can get angelic weapons. Lucifer doesn’t trust other sinners with angelic weapons and is overlooking who can wield them. Who the fuck is in that hotel, Val?” Vox asked as his screen started glitching again and his grin became strained. 

“Oh…Oh, I see, I now see the issue,” Valentino said quietly with his eyes wide. It wasn’t just an issue with the Radio Demon, Angel was also staying in that hotel and had been using angelic weapons to fight against the exterminators. 

“The only thing that can truly kill us are those weapons, and now Alastor, the psycho that is known for killing overlords is standing next to that fucking bitch, willing to let her walk on his fucking back if it means getting what he wants. If she strikes a deal with Alastor, if Alastor tricks that dumb bimbo, we are all going to get fucked!” Vox’s voice cracked as the TV static came back and made his voice deeper and sharper. “So we really need to get on the good side of that brat.” 

“Okay but hear me out,” Valentino said, placing his hands on top of Vox’s shoulders. “We all know Alastor is known for killing overlords but he’s been back for months, right? But he hasn’t killed anyone. No one. No bitch has gone missing, that means maybe, just maybe, he isn’t into that anymore.”

“That’s who Alastor is though, he’s the reason so many overlords don’t care to fight between each other anymore because they are afraid of upsetting him and of him picking a side.” 

“Yeah, I know that. Who doesn’t? But, maybe his taste changed,” Valentino said with a smirk and led Vox back to his chair while he rubbed his shoulders. “That’s normal, isn’t it? No man stays the same through the years, believe me, I know. One day they are into choking and then the next they want to piss on someone. It could be that our antler friend also changed, and if so, then we just gotta learn what makes him tick.”

What made Alastor tick? 

Vox frowned and tilted his head. He tapped his claws against the desk as Valentino continued to rub his shoulders. Come to think of it, he didn’t know much about Alastor besides the tales everyone always told him. He came to hell roughly twenty years after Alastor and by then the Radio Demon already had a reputation of his own. He wasn’t as terrifying yet, but everyone knew of him and they knew not to mess with him. But just like every other overlord or smart sinner, he kept his human identity a secret and only talked about it here and there. If anything he only ever talked about his mother, which Vox often used against him until he learned not to when Alastor started to attack him without hesitation whenever he mentioned her. 

It was obvious that Alastor hadn’t been a good man when he was alive, but Vox wasn’t any better. It was the reason why he also came to hell stronger than most souls that fell into this pit. It was kind of a known secret between overlords that souls who committed grave crimes came to hell significantly stronger than people who ended up here due to unfortunate situations. It wasn’t fair that life dealt you a bad hand, but it also wasn’t fair that you decided to be a dick and sin. It was just how it was, whether they liked it or not. 

It was especially clear when it came to murder. Killing someone in the world above was the equivalent of claiming a soul, you technically didn’t own it but you were responsible for its suffering, meaning that those who killed people already had souls under their belts. It didn’t matter if you killed them with your own hands or not, as long as you were the main cause of their deaths you were already responsible for the sin. It was how Vox, Valentino, and Velvette ended up in hell with souls already linked to them. It was also why they were stronger than regular sinners and were able to climb the ranks faster as they claimed more souls. 

But there was also another way to claim souls and that was the reason why Alastor was so powerful.

Sure, you could kill a few scrubs and claim their souls or force them into a deal, but weak souls didn’t give you much power unless you claimed hundreds of them. On the other hand, if you killed someone powerful with a large number of souls under their control, then those souls would then belong to the winner and if the loser was forced into a contract then they might as well wait for the next extermination because their life was over. 

Alastor killed dozens of overlords or offered them a contract for their souls. Vox couldn’t even begin to imagine how many souls Alastar owned or if they even compared to a fraction of the souls that belonged to Vox. Still, something was very clear, Alastor came to hell with souls already linked to him, just like he did and all Vox needed to figure out was how they were linked to Alastor. It could be the key to understanding the old prick and figuring out how to finally hit him where it hurts. 

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Vox said, looking at Valentino. 

“Ohoho, where? I gotta say I’m not a fan of bites on my back, they get itchy and then I can’t tug my wings away.”

“No you fucking idiot. I’m saying I’ll go with what you’re saying.” Vox rolled his eyes and got his phone out. “But that still isn’t gonna open the door for us.” 

Vox moved his fingers over his phone until it started ringing, his phone screen automatically switched to his face but he changed it to one of his monitors so Valentino could be part of the call as well. 

A frustrated and tired-looking Velvette answered the phone. She sighed as soon as she saw Vox’s face and flipped him off. “What do you want? I already told you, I’m doing whatever I can to get those stupid fucks to agree to do a TV show around the hotel! But they keep saying no! I have exhausted every method and they won’t even agree to meet us!” 

“Ouch, I’m sure that hurts when you are used to always getting your way,” Valentino said with a laugh that showed all of his teeth. 

“Shut up! I don’t need a brain-dead slut insults. Unless you’re both going to help me figure out what to do, I don’t want to hear none of your shit.” 

Vox ignored how the two kept arguing in the background and instead tried to think of a solution. Charlie kept refusing all of their deals but everything they offered made sense. They were promising her free advertisement and if she agreed to a show she’d have prime timing in their exclusive channel. They were also offering her to stream all of her projects and advertise her on social media. The Vees were extremely popular, the vast majority of hell loved them. If they talked about anything, it would become viral within minutes. All Velvette had to do was name-drop someone and their social status would grow tremendously all across the board. They literally lived rent-free in people’s minds. Hell, Vox had freaking fan cam accounts that did nothing but stalk whatever he did and so did Valentino. 

They needed to come up with a different approach. It was then that Valentino’s words rang in his head. Alastor was different, right? So they needed to be different as well and think outside the box. 

Vox grinned and slammed his hands on the desk in front of him. “That’s it!” 

Valentino and Velvette looked at each other before Velvette squinted and glanced at him. “I don’t think adding another season and calling it ‘I fucked your sister and your brother, so what?’ is that bright of an idea Vox.” 

“How do you both manage to say something stupid every time I think of something smart.”

“Oh I’m sorry, maybe don’t randomly go silent and then shout!” Velvette huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “But alright, tell us oh big flat brain, what smart idea do you have?”

Vox grinned in the way he always did when he meant business and he knew exactly what he was doing, that level of confidence was already making Velvette and Valentino curious. “Simple, the little princess wants to play therapist, right? So let’s give her a new guest.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Valentino asked. 

“Wait, are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Velvette asked, her face moving closer to her phone while her eyes followed Vox as he walked towards Valentino.

“That’s right, I’ll become a new guest in this Hazbin Hotel. She can deny our deals all she wants, but she cannot deny someone who claims to want salvation, that would go against everything she preaches. It would sink her credibility into the ground if she refused me. So not only would she have no other choice but to accept me, but she’d also do us a favor and keep Alastor at bay. As long as I don’t do something crazy like try to fight him, then he’ll have to swallow whatever I give him.” 

“That sounds so hot, Voxy.” Valentino grinned and lit up another cigarette. 

“If luck is on my side then I’ll be able to figure out what the antique with antlers is doing in that pesky hotel and maybe I can figure out a weakness that’ll make him fall into the deepest part of hell. Then, we’ll really be able to take over and make the rest of the overlords fumble, if this goes well then not even Lucifer himself will be able to stop us.” 

“Ahahah! I like it, don’t worry about a thing,” Velvetta grinned and with a snap of her fingers she was dressed in a new outfit and looking more lively than ever. “I’ll take care of everything, and I’ll make sure VoxTek is running smoothly while you are gone. I can’t wait to see these fuckers’s faces when we stomp on them.” 

“It is going to be quite the show,” Vox said with a grin just as his left eye started to spiral. 

It was early in the morning and it was still dark outside. The majority of the hotel’s residents were still asleep but as always Charlie and Vaggie were the first ones awake and the ones trying to set up the new receptionist's desk. Now that the hotel was brand new and a lot bigger, it made things feel more official. The bright neon signs outside were on all night and thanks to Charlie’s dad who so graciously offered to run the graveyard shift until they found someone else, the hotel was open twenty-four seven, seven days a week! It was a vast improvement from before and so far they had been lucky enough to receive two new guests! 

“Woah, maybe Alastor’s flyers did help, we got two new guests so quickly!” Charlie grinned and started to set up the breakfast table near their new living room slash dining room. 

“I hate to admit it, but he did have a good idea.” Vaggie picked up a few plates and stacked them against the long table where the buffet-like breakfast was going to be served. “I don’t think either of us thought about trying to recruit newer souls, I guess we were too caught up thinking of the ones that have been in hell for so long that we didn’t give the new guys a chance.”

“Yeeeah! From now on I’m going to have to cover all of our bases! I won’t let anything like this slip by me again, nope!” 

“Yeah, I know you won’t.” Vaggie smiled, finished setting up the breakfast bar, and turned towards Charlie. “We are going to have to consider hiring more people. This place is too big for just us to maintain, well not counting Niffty.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that.” 

Vaggie almost jumped out of her skin when Alastor came out of nowhere and appeared right behind her. He was smiling and looking as obnoxious as ever. Even early in the morning this demented demon just had to pull some bullshit like this. Vaggie gave him a dirty look and walked away from him. 

“Oh, good morning, Alastor!” Charlie greeted him with a smile that Alastor returned right away. 

“Ah, Charlie, what a delightful face to see so early, maybe your little friend could learn a thing or two from you. She always looks so haggard.” 

The insult didn’t go unnoticed by Vaggie but by now she knew better than to try to pick a fight with Alastor. “Whatever, why are you here? Don’t you have something better to do?”

“Well, of course! I always have something better to do when it comes to talking to you, my dear. Fortunately for me, I’m not here to talk to you,” Alastor walked past Vaggie and draped one of his arms over Charlie’s shoulder. “I’m here to talk to our wonderful boss.”

“Oh! Alright, what is it that you need, Alastor?” Charlie asked with a nervous smile.

“I don’t need anything, no, no, what kind of manager would I be if I didn’t know how to handle a few new guests,” Alastor shook his head and lightly tapped the tip of his cane against Charlie’s nose. “I’m just here to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about hiring anyone new! After all, we wouldn’t want to mess up the atmosphere we have going on already.” 

“Alright, so who’s going to serve the new guests and cook, and clean?” Vaggie raised one of her brows and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Why me, of course!” Alastor grinned and within seconds his shadow minions crawled out from within his shadow. The small guys looked a bit lost at first but then they quickly figured out what to do and started cleaning the hotel while others disappeared upstairs. It was only a couple of minutes later that a few of them came out of the kitchen, carrying different types of food that they placed on the breakfast table for people to grab and eat. 

The last minion was the biggest one and he was carrying a dead deer on his shoulder but Alastor quickly shooed him away before giving the weirded-out Charlie and Vaggie a smile with a tilt of his head. 

“This is wonderful, Alastor but I don’t want to overwork you. I know you can probably handle this by yourself but I would feel bad for making you do all the work,” Charlie said and watched as a minion approached her and offered her a cup of fresh orange juice. “Oh! T-thank you, haha! They are kind of cute.”

“Nonsense, my dear. I can assure you, I have everything under contro-”

The doors of the hotel room slammed open, cutting off Alastor in the middle of his sentence. The Radio Demon turned his head and his smile became sharper when he noticed who decided to waltz in. 

Vox stepped inside the hotel with a pleased smile on his face. He had his arms tugged behind his back and his assistant was trailing behind him while a demon with a camera and a microphone hanging above his head was trying to stay close to him. He looked around the hotel, from his left to his right, and then when his eyes landed on Alastor his smile grew wider while his eyes became colder. 

“Hi there,” Charlie was the one that greeted Vox first. She wasn’t sure why one of the Vees was here but then again she didn’t know much about them besides the fact that they were big everywhere.

“Charlie Morningstar, I presume?” Vox asked with a smile and reached out to shake Charlie’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Vox, the owner of VoxTek, I’m sure you have heard of me.”

“Ah, yes, of course, yeees, who hasn’t, right?” Charlie laughed nervously and pulled her hand back once Vox was done shaking it. “May I know why you are here?”

“Yeah, what are you doing here?” Vaggie asked with a more direct tone and a glare. “We already told that girl that works for you that we are not interested in making a show. We don’t want people to see this hotel as some sort of freak show, but a true place for salvation.”

“That’s exactly why I’m here!” Vox said excitedly and pointed towards himself. “I’m here for that very reason! I would like to give this redemption scene a shot.”

“Excuse me?” Vaggie asked with a chuckle and rolled her eyes. “You honestly believe we are that stupid? You’re an overlord in hell, there’s no way you’re here for that reason. You all love chaos, destruction, and pain.”

“Ah, but don’t you have another overlord right next to you?” Vox grinned and motioned towards Alastor with a tilt of his head. The smug look on his face only seemed to grow stronger when he noticed Alastor’s lips curling as he continued to smile. 

“Well, yes, but Alastor isn’t here for redemption,” Charlie said with an awkward laugh and then mumbled. “He’s just here for entertainment.” 

“Well, that isn’t very fair is it?” Vox said. “You’ll allow an overlord to stay here for entertainment but you won’t allow me, someone who is truly trying to find salvation, to stay?” 

Charlie rubbed her lips together, her eyes never leaving Vox’s as he continued to smile at her in the same condescending kind of way. She wasn’t sure of what to say and what worried her the most was the cameraman that was standing behind Vox. She wasn’t sure if the camera was on, or if maybe it was live already. She wanted new guests to come and find salvation but an overlord? That had to be a joke, they were the ones that made hell their home and playground. All of them were egotistic, sadistic, and full of themselves, they wouldn’t dare to give that away, their status meant everything to them. 

“Well, I don’t think you need to give it much thought, dear,” Alastor interrupted Charlie’s pondering. He took a step forward and stood right in front of Vox with an amused smile that made his eyes turn a bit and look as if they were smiling as well. “Beggars can’t be choosers after all, if this good fellow wants to stay then I say you let him.”

“Wait what?” 

“This is a dumb idea.”

“Uh? Really?”

Vox, Vaggie, and Charlie all spoke at the same time right after Alastor.

“Oh don’t worry,” Alastor laughed and dismissively flicked his hand. “It’s not like good old Vox is a threat anyway.” 

Vox felt his left eye twitch but he didn’t allow Alastor to get under his skin. 

“Alright, fine, if Alastor is okay with it, then you’re welcome to stay,” Charlie said but then lifted one of her fingers and shook her head. “But! No cameras are allowed, Alastor doesn’t like them and we don’t want our guests to feel uncomfortable.”

“Oh, dear, you know me too well.” Alastor smiled while his half-lidded eyes glanced at Vox in that sly and condescending way of his that Vox knew too well. 

“Alright, no cameras then,” Vox agreed and snapped his fingers. The cameraman ran out of the hotel without a second guess but his assistant still stayed. 

“Great!” Charlie smiled and clapped her hands. “Well, then, I would like to officially welcome our new guest! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, Vox!” 

Chapter Text

The swamp wasn’t made for most automobiles but the old, noisy truck was able to get away with it due to its height. The road was wet with some wooden planks keeping it from becoming an unusable pathway. Once in a while the truck would hit a rough patch and would jump, making the two people jerk around inside the vehicle. The person driving was an older man with a full white beard but neat, short hair. The second person was a lot younger and looked to be in his early thirties. He had long, curly hair that reached his shoulders and was tied into a lazy ponytail. He was pale with green eyes and a suit that looked far too pristine for a trip to a swamp

The redhead was reading a letter he was holding. He read that letter so many times already but he couldn’t stop. The handwriting was neat but it was obvious that whoever wrote it was struggling while writing it, there were ink stains here and there from the pen shaking too much or having excess ink spill. He reached the end of the letter and put it back in its envelope before hiding it inside his breast pocket. They were near their destination. 

The cabin in the distance looked a bit too shabby, especially after the hurricane. 

The truck came to a stop and the redhead got out. He held a black cane with a golden handle in his right hand, while his shiny black shoes looked out of place against the wooden planks and the mud that was quickly sticking to them. He walked down the small pathway and reached the stairs that led to the door. He knocked once, then twice before footsteps were heard. The door was opened just a bit and an amber eye peeked out. 

“Who is it?” The voice sounded young.

“I’m here because of your mother.” The redhead said and stood there with both of his hands on his cane. 

Alastor stared at the man in front of him. He was tall, probably taller than his mother, and his clothes looked far too expensive for him to be a nobody. He was also good-looking, with a face that would make him popular amongst women anywhere he went but he looked a bit too cold, maybe even angry. 

“My mom didn’t know any men like you,” Alastor said, ready to close the door. 

“Oh? She didn’t?” The man chuckled and without giving Alastor a warning he pushed the door open, making the teen stumble backward. He almost fell but managed to keep his balance just as the man stepped inside without bothering to close the door behind him.

The cabin was small but clean and well-kept. The roof had signs of just recently being fixed but some windows were still broken with just wooden boards keeping them close. The whole place was a little bit too dark but the light coming from the doorway was enough for the redhead to take a good look at the kid in front of him. He took a step closer and Alastor took a step back until there was nowhere to run.

The two stared at each other for what felt like forever before the man reached out and gripped Alastor’s face with one of his hands. The gloved hand turned his face from left to right and then forced him to look straight ahead. It was as if the man was inspecting him, looking at every single detail on his face. He was staring at his hair, his eyes, his face, and then the rest of his body. 

Alastor felt like a bug being pinned to a table with needles. 

“It’s odd, you resemble her and you don’t,” The man said as he let go of Alastor’s face. “And yet, you also don’t resemble me at all. That makes things a lot easier.” 

It took a second for the man’s words to process. Alastor stood still, not knowing how to react at all. The implications of what the man said had his head spinning. It was as if a million thoughts were running through his brain. He wanted to say something, he wanted to ask so many questions, and yet his mind was blank. He couldn't say anything. It was as if his world was being warped again, just as when his mother died. 

“I see you’re surprised,” The man chuckled and leaned against his cane with a smile. “But I gotta say, your mother sure knows how to get on my nerves when she wants to. I thought after I left her she wouldn’t dare to cross me again but it seems like she still had some spunk in her.” 

Alastor said nothing, he just stared at the man in front of him. Why was he here? After so many years just why did he come? 

“Your mother threatened to tell everyone about my bastard child if I didn’t take you under my wing, if you want to call it that,” The man said and rolled his eyes. “So you’ll be coming with me, boy.”

“I don’t want to leave my home.” Alastor found his voice again. He shook his head and tried to get away from the man again but the black cane blocked his pathway while a hand gripped his arm and shoved him against the wall behind him. 

“I’m afraid you have no choice, your mother made it like so. She pretty much said that if I don’t take you with me, her friend Rosa is going to tell everyone the secret I should have shot and buried a long time ago,” The man said without hesitation. He sighed and let go of Alastor before tapping the handle of his cane against Alastor’s shoulder. “But here we are. We are both stuck in this predicament so we might as well start by introducing ourselves. What’s your name, boy?”

Alastor hesitated for a second but he eventually gave in and answered. “Alastor, Alastor Corbin.” 

“Alastor, it is a unique name that’s for sure. Well, Alastor, my name is Michael Beaumont.” Michael introduced himself with a smirk. “I’m guessing the Corbin last name was borrowed and faked by Rosa, uh?” 

There was no use denying it so Alastor nodded. 

“Great, makes things easier for me.” Michael walked across the room and sat on one of the table chairs. He tapped his cane against the seat across from him and Alastor dragged his feet before sitting down where he was told. “If I take you with me, we must establish a few rules first.” 

“Why is that?”

“Because nobody can know that you are my bastard,” Michael said with a condescending look as if he thought Alastor was stupid for even asking that. “I’m sure your mom trained you well by now, so you shouldn’t have too many issues. You’ll come to live with me, in my house but you’ll be the orphan son of a dear friend of mine that passed, while your daddy went off to war and got blown up, got it?”

“That leaves too many holes,” Alastor said with a frown and rubbed his sweaty palms against his trousers. “What if they ask more about my mom or my dad?”

“I’m sure you and your mother already had some bullshit made up, didn’t you? So just improvise and change it around. Just don’t go into too many details, we wouldn’t want you getting caught in some lies, right?” 

“Alright, but are you sure your family will fall for these lies?” 

“What are you talking about?” Michael furrowed his brows looking a bit confused.

“Well, your family doesn’t know me, neither do they know my mother or my fake dad, and yet you are coming all the way over here to get me. Doesn’t it sound a bit weird? If your friend was so dear to you then why didn’t you introduce them to your family before? And if your friendship was on good terms then how come you never talked about me or my family?”

The boy was smart. 

Michael stared down at the kid in front of him with a stare that was hard to read. Gabriela did mention that her son was smart, but he figured he was going to be book-smart, someone who could write, read, and maybe do some decent math. He wasn’t sure if Alastor knew any of these things but he for sure knew that the boy wasn’t an idiot. It was interesting. 

Truth be told, Michael wasn’t truly thinking of taking care of his little bastard. He was going to drag him to his home and was going to have him live with him, yes, but just until Rosa knew that he was doing what Gabriela asked of him, after that, he had every intention of getting rid of the boy. He was plotting to ship him into the army or maybe dump him and abandon him somewhere in the north or overseas. The options were limitless. An orphan wasn’t hard to get rid of after all. 

But if the boy proved himself useful and clever then, there was no point in just letting him go to waste, especially when he couldn’t depend on his other spawns thanks to his wife. 

“Alright, Alastor, then what do you propose we do?” Michael asked and leaned back against his chair. 

“Wouldn’t it be better to call me some sort of charity work? New Orleans just got hit by a hurricane, and tons of people lost their families. I understand that I can’t stay here and you need me so Rose won’t tell people what happened between you and mum, so what if you just call yourself my sponsor and then you can ship me to some school where you won’t have to worry about me.” 

“Alright, say I do that,” Michael leaned in against the table with a smile on his face. “I’ll pay for a private school and once you get out with good grades I’ll give you the chance to work under me, but if you fuck this up, I’ll have you shipped somewhere far and you’ll never be able to crawl your way back here. Understood?” 

Alastor nodded. Something was terrifying about this man but he wasn’t sure what it was. He looked well put together and spoke with a calm voice even when he was cursing. He would smile even when saying horrible things and worse of all was that Alastor believed him when he talked about getting rid of him. He wasn’t sure how to describe it but he could see it in the man’s eyes. He killed before and he wasn’t above killing a bastard son if it meant keeping the peace in his life. 

Michael stared at the boy in front of him with a satisfied smirk. He didn’t have much hope for his little bastard but he was clever, there was no doubt about it and he could see potential in him. A potential that he could nurture and take advantage of once the roots had settled in and flowers began to bloom. If anything it gave Michael something to look forward to. The two kids that awaited him back home were smart, sure, but they were too average. His daughter was only one year younger than Alastor while his son was a year older. It was funny how there was a point in which he truly thought he and Gabriela could work out, but then his father told him about his current wife’s pregnancy and there was nothing else he could do but run back home and abandon the woman he once thought he loved. Little did he know that Gabriela was also pregnant. It was quite a complicated time in his life.

Gabriela told him about the pregnancy but he chose to ignore her. He knew that she wouldn’t dare to try anything against him, or else she would put her son in danger but now she was dead and unless she did something to help her son, he was going to follow soon enough. It was a risky and bold move but it worked. 

But it seemed like Michael found something interesting as well. The boy was clever and used to lying and manipulating situations to his advantage, that was for sure. He didn’t want to go with him but he offered an alternative that benefited him and Michael. Sure, he was trying to make it sound like this was the best option for the two of them but it was obvious that the winner in this deal would be Alastor and Michael could see right through him. He was going to have to teach him better, but that would have to wait. 

“Once you graduate school, you’ll come live with me. I have a son and a daughter. Louis and Marianne. You’ll have to get along with them but luckily for you, they are quite good with people and have no issues making friends. My wife, Anna, spends all of her time at church dealing with charity crap that keeps our name squeaky clean, but she isn’t a stupid woman even though she has a soft heart so be careful with her.” 

“Alright,” Alastor nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was so nervous that he could feel his legs shaking. His fingertips felt cold and he was having a hard time keeping his body from trembling all over. He never felt this way before, it almost reminded him of a deer during hunting season when they were wounded by a trap and all they could do was struggle or tremble in fear until they met their end. 

Alastor was a deer caught in a trap and all he could do was wait to see if the hunter was going to come and finish him off. 

Michael was a hunter and he knew this because Alastor was one as well. 

It was as if fate was willing to prove him right. Alastor didn’t have time to react before a hand gripped his face again and pulled him over the table until he was only a couple of inches away from his father. The wood was painfully digging against his stomach and hips while the leather gloves were holding his face so hard that it felt like his jaw was going to break. He was breathing heavily through his nose while his trembling eyes stared back at Michael. He was looking at him with eyes that looked damned as if the devil itself was behind his stare. 

“If you get smart with me,” Michael said, dragging Alastor closer as he held him at eye level just by his jaw. “If your mouth becomes too loose, I’ll make sure to sew it shut in the most painful way possible before killing you. Do you understand?” 

Alastor’s response was to press his lips together before nodding his head as fast as he could. 

“Good boy.”

5 years later. New Orleans, 1920. 

The streets of New Orleans were buzzing with people rushing through the streets and automobiles trying to drive as fast as they could without hitting one another. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the majority of people were done with their work day. The hidden bars were open and awaiting their usual patrons while the restaurants were already full of hungry customers. The brothels were open with plenty of ladies leaning against the second-floor balconies. They smiled at the crowd and waved at the men with a coy smile. 

Nighttime was close and the nightlife in New Orleans could not be matched throughout the whole state. 

It was as if the whole town came to life as soon as the sun started setting and music began playing through the streets. The blues were replaced with their close brother, Jazz, which only made people more interested in finding a dance partner for the night as the beat and soul of the new mainstream music became addictive. 

It was within those hidden bars that a man in a black suit and a cane with gold stared down at the people as they danced. He took a drag of his cigar and tapped it against the railing to let the ashes fall. He stood on the second floor which was forbidden for regular customers. Two large men stood near him with visible guns strapped against their chests. 

Michael scanned the dance floor with uninterested eyes. He was waiting for someone. He should have been here by now. 

Michael took another drag of his cigar and then his lips turned when he saw the familiar face walking through the double doors. The boy had grown, that's for sure, but he still looked like a kid, there was no doubt about it. He was taller, but still scrawny, and with eyes that were too big but fit naturally on his face. His eyes were now half hidden with a pair of round glasses that hung near the tip of his nose. He looked innocent, cute even and that was an advantage in itself. 

The cigar was put off against the wall and Michael smiled when his eyes met with Alastor’s. The boy looked as afraid of him as ever, good, that didn’t need to change. Fear was what made one have power over people, and it was that fear that maintained people within Michael’s grasp. He motioned for Alastor to come over and the boy didn’t hesitate to move through the crowd until he was right in front of his father. 

“You have grown quite a bit, uh?” Michael said and moved closer to Alastor until he was uncomfortably close to the other. “Did you enjoy the city? It has been a while since you last saw it.”

“I did, sir,” Alastor said, not daring to call the man in front of him father, especially not in front of people…no, he wouldn’t dare to call him father even if it was just the two of them. 

“I received all your letters while you were away, I’m glad you followed my instructions and stayed in touch,” Michael said and turned around. He tilted his head towards the door, motioning for him to follow as he kept walking and talking. “Now that you’re out of school I gotta put you to work before anything else.” 

Alastor followed behind Michael and looked at the two large men who only spared him a single glance. They walked through the double doors in front of him and the flashing lights on the other side almost blinded him. The room inside was massive compared to the downstairs and the luxurious decoration was nothing like the bar below. The padded, red walls looked expensive while also making the room soundproof. The loud music that was accompanied by a talented singer left the atmosphere downstairs looking like a children’s party. The rows and rows of slot machines could be heard as people dropped coins inside before pulling the ladder in hopes of hitting the jackpot. On the other side, poker tables were set along with roulettes that kept spinning while the dealer called the numbers. It was a casino hidden within the bar downstairs and for the looks of it not everyone had access to it. 

Michael kept walking and didn’t stop until he reached another set of stairs. The third floor of the building was his office and once they were inside he waved his bodyguards away before closing the door behind him so it was only the two of them.

“Rosa came soon after you went to your new school. She still shows her face here and there but I think for the most part she just wants to make sure I don’t kill you.” Michael took a seat behind his desk and glanced at the chair in front of him. Alastor quickly sat down and Michael smiled. 

“She came to see me at least once a year,” Alastor said, even though he knew that Michael was aware of this. 

“Now that you are here, she’ll probably come more often. Just tell her to keep her nose where it belongs, I don’t want her sniffing around my home, got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

The music from the casino was the only sound cutting through the silence that followed. Michael reached inside his drawer and pulled out another cigar. He cut the tip with a cigar cutter before lighting it with a match. Cigars were different from cigarettes for sure, the smell wasn’t quite as strong and there was an earthiness to them. Alastor found himself not hating it, but the smell did make him uncomfortable. 

“You’ll start working the tables tomorrow.”

“Pardon?” Alastor gave his dad a confused look with a tilt of his head.

“I know you aren’t stupid, kid,” Michael said and took a drag of his cigar. “You might look all prude and innocent but I know how that little mind of yours works already. Did you think I didn’t hear about all the fights and issues you ran into while dealing with those nuns at your school? I’m sure you are wondering how does he knows. I blocked all the letters, I did everything to keep it a secret. So I’m gonna give you a lesson, for free, from your old man.” 

Michael watched as Alastor’s demeanor changed. The lost and pitiful look was gone and what replaced it was a cold glare that couldn’t hide the bit of hatred he felt for him. It made him laugh. Michael laughed and tilted his head with a smile that showed his teeth. He kept laughing as he talked. “Everyone talks for the right price, kid. If you don’t want someone to say something that’ll hinder you then I suggest putting them on a leash or killing them. Especially when you grow enemies. The kids you beat up ended up telling their parents and those parents told other parents and before you know it, I was hearing about it and I don’t know why but I knew it was you and look at that, I was right!” 

Alastor narrowed his eyes but before he could do anything a hand was gripping the back of his head and shoving his face on the desk in front of him. It was the same gloved hand that almost crushed his jaw when he first met this man. The sour taste in his mouth from that encounter still lingered on his tongue, and no matter what he ate, no matter how many times he brushed his teeth, he could still taste it. 

“I told you not to cause trouble,” Michael said with a cold voice that was void of the laughter and glee he had shown earlier. “Didn’t I? Were my words a joke to you?”

Alastor rubbed his lips together and shook his head. He tried to turn his head to look at his father but what he saw instead was the cigar coming down on him. The red ashes were just above him but instead of burning his flesh, the tip of the cigar was pressed against the wood next to his cheek. He could smell the smoke from the cigar and the wood. Michael tossed the cigar away, showing the burnt mark on the desk. 

“Next time you pull a stunt like that and try to hide it from me, I’m not going to miss,” Michael let go of Alastor and sat back on his chair. He was gloating at Alastor’s shaken expression and the fear that was now evident in his eyes. “Like I said, tomorrow you’ll start working the tables.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good boy.” 

Alastor's new home became his father’s office. Well, if it could be called that. He used the large couch as a bed but didn’t have any belongings inside. He was given a locker backstage where he kept all of his clothes and what little he owned. It wasn’t much but it was something he could call his, especially when everything else in this place seemed to belong to his father, including the people. 

The majority of the people working the casino didn’t have much of a choice, most of them owed his father money or were caught trying to steal from the casino or the bar downstairs, so in return his father gave them two options, they could be found floating by the river the next day or they could work for him. The majority chose life and the ones that didn’t, well, his father wasn’t one to give empty threats. 

The illusion of a choice was what always made his father succeed in all of his deals. It was something Alastor was quickly learning from him. In reality, Michael wanted free employees or people that he didn’t have to pay to keep all the profits for himself. It was always his main goal to get people to sign their lives away and serve him until they dropped dead. It was hard to convince people to just give their lives away but when you combined a horrible choice next to one that was even worse, then people often picked the lesser of the two evils. It was manipulation to its finest. 

Michael did the same with Alastor all the time, but unlike the other people he seemed to own, he liked to play around with him. It was almost as if he was testing him, waiting for him to make the right choice. He always smiled when Alastor picked the option he wanted, and when he didn’t, he would lecture him while pulling on his hair or rubbing his face on his desk like a dog that needed to be taught his wrongdoings. 

It was how Alastor learned to deal tables. He didn’t know much about playing cards but he was quickly taught the basics by another worker. He was named Tom and he looked to be in his early forties. He always looked absent-minded but knew what he was doing, the only time he ever seemed to get excited was when the band started playing and a pretty blonde girl, with a curvy body would go upstage. She always wore her hair short and was an amazing singer. 

Alastor could remember her name being Betty but he never spoke to her. He was always busy dealing tables and by the time he was done the singer was gone and only the band was left behind to play ambient music as the players continued their bets. 

The casino was pretty much a cage for people, and Alastor found himself thinking of the fish cages he used to throw around in the swamp. The cage made it easy for fish to swim in, but getting out not so much. The bait Alastor put inside the cages made it more tempting and before they knew it, the fish were trapped and what awaited them was the end of a blade as they were gutted alive. 

There was a reason why casinos were illegal and the one Michael ran was hidden behind a bar and bribes to the police and city politicians. He had everyone in the city in his pockets, yet his reputation was flawless on the outside. He was married to a woman who was pretty much considered a saint. She did charity work everywhere she went, helped the church, and brought her kids along to help. She fed the poor, helped children in need, and tried to educate those who didn’t know how to write and read. She was popular throughout the city and in return Michael was seen as a good man just by association. 

Alastor wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He lay on his couch with a blanket draped over his body while the radio played in the background. He was humming along with the song but he was starting to feel desperate. For how long was he going to be stuck underneath his father’s gaze? He wanted to just be free, to be able to do whatever he wanted even if it meant having to face the world alone. He wanted to play music again, it had been so long since the last time he touched a piano. 

It was funny how he could remember wanting to meet his father before, when he was a kid living alone with his mother, he used to wish to meet him. It was odd how other kids had their fathers but Alastor only ever had his mother. He could remember begging his mother for answers. He would ask time and time again about his father but all his mother could tell him was that he was gone and he was never going to come back. It was hard to miss something he never truly had, but there was a time when he wished that maybe he could be like any other kid out there.

Now he regretted meeting the man more than anything. He knew his mom did this for him, he knew that she wanted someone to be there to take care of him, but did his mother know what a terrible person his father was? No, she probably had no idea. The man she met before was probably gone and whatever was left of him was a man that his mother never knew. Alastor was sure of this because his mother wouldn’t have left him in the hands of such a terrible man on purpose. She loved him, she loved him more than anything. 

Alastor sighed and rubbed his face with one of his hands before getting up. He couldn’t go to sleep and laying there was doing nothing for his mood but making him think dark thoughts. He walked out of the office and was greeted with the empty casino. It was close to noon and no one was around yet. The place was already clean and set for the night but all it was missing were customers. 

It looked oddly haunted. 

Alastor walked down the stairs and across the tables until he made it to the stage. The guitar, saxophone, flute, and piano were already set for the band that was coming tonight. He walked towards the piano and sat on the small bench, his hands moved over the keys but he hesitated at first. He could still remember the first time his mother taught him how to play. The old piano she was able to get looked ready to collapse but it was theirs and she taught him how to play it and also how to read music sheets. It was a shame that the old thing wasn’t able to last longer than a few years.

The private school he went to had a music hall and also a chorus that sang during masses. He was able to join and secure a spot as one of the pianists. Church music was interesting to learn but it was dull and repetitive, worst of all was that the nuns wouldn’t let them play anything else. If he ever attempted to play the blues he was quickly reprimanded. He was able to play the piano but he wasn’t allowed to play what he wanted. 

It was kind of funny, really, he didn’t even have control over what kind of music he wanted to play with his own hands. 

Alastor touched the keys and tried to play some songs by memory. He could easily recall a few blues and a bit of jazz, plus he knew the songs that were played at the casino by memory now. The keys felt smooth but firm under his fingertips and his long fingers made it easy to reach in between each key. He missed this, he sure did. He couldn't listen to music without thinking of his mother, and that memory was enough to calm his nerves and the anxiety that was constantly building up in his stomach. 

“Oh, you are good, dollface.” 

Alastor stopped playing as soon as he heard the voice behind him. He turned around and was met with a familiar short blonde with a bob. It was Betty, she was smiling at him while seizing him up with her eyes. She stood just below the stage with a pretty dress that reached her knees and jewels that sparkled with the light. She was holding some music sheets in one of her hands and a bag in another one. It looked like she came back to the casino for something she forgot the night before.

“Betty, pleasure to meet ya,” Betty introduced herself and sat on the corner of the stage with her legs crossed and her face tilted in Alastor’s direction. 

“I know who you are,” Alastor said and awkwardly stood up. “You come here every night.”

“Obviously, darling. I was introducing myself ‘cause I wanted you to do the same.” 

“Alastor, my name is Alastor.”

“You’re the new guy, right? Well, not so new I guess. You have been here for a few weeks now.” 

Alastor nodded and found himself sitting down on the piano stool again but this time he was facing Betty. 

“You got talented hands there, dollface. I like it. Maybe you should tell our boss to let you play, god knows dealing tables gets boring as hell after a while.” 

“You know how to deal tables?” Alastor asked with a confused look in his eyes. He couldn’t see this woman dealing with the nasty customers Alastor was forced to deal with. 

“Yeah, I used to deal tables before, that’s how I earned a favor from our boss and now look at me!” Betty grinned and leaned back, her back arching as she stretched one of her legs. “I’m the star of the show and I’m moving up in the world. A few of my songs are even playing on the radio, ain’t that a thing?” 

“Oh! For sure, I didn’t know that!” 

“Yeah, we are all here for one reason or another, right? Better make the best out of it,” Betty smiled and leaned back against her hands. “If things go well then, I might end up somewhere in LA! Wouldn’t that be amazing? Little old me making her way all the way there!” 

Alastor could only smile even if he didn’t mean it. He wasn’t sure how else to contribute to the conversation. He didn’t have something similar to share with Betty, he had nothing. 

“What about you, hun? Why are you dealing tables?” Betty asked with curiosity in her eyes. 

“I don’t know.”

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward but the confused look on Betty’s face made it obvious that she didn’t expect that answer from him. “What do you mean by that? You aren’t working for the boss to get something in return? Or maybe you owe him money?” 

“Nope, sorry to disappoint but I’m neither one of those options.” 

“Uh, interesting,” Betty said, tapping her finger against her chin as if deep in thought. “Well, what would you like to gain by working for him then?”

Freedom. 

The word was stuck in Alastor’s throat. He couldn’t do anything with his father’s watchful eye always on him, and part of him somewhat resented his mother due to it but he was quick to kill that feeling. His mother only tried to help him, she probably didn’t know what a terrible man his father was, of course, she didn’t. But if he could, he would like to run away, he would like to go back to his swamp with nothing but the sound of crickets and frogs. 

“I’m not sure of what I could get.” Alastor finally answered with a helpless smile.

“Well, uh, you never had like a dream or something? Like, I have dreamt of being a singer since I was a little girl!” 

Alastor went quiet for a few minutes. He was thinking of Betty’s question and as he did all he could remember were nights with a warm meal and the smell of spice in the air. A beautiful smile was always there to welcome him home and his mother’s eyes showed him how much he was loved…but in the background, he could hear soft static as a new song was announced just before a man started speaking and laughing. 

“When I was a boy, I wanted to be a radio host!” Alastor declared with a smile. 

Betty turned out to be the helping hand Alastor needed. She was a bit of a handful but she wasn’t someone Alastor couldn’t handle, once he got to know her better he understood what type of woman she was. Betty was just a fighter and she didn’t like taking crap from anyone, especially men that loved to give her empty words. She would drain them dry and then dump them but they had no one to blame but themselves. 

She was greedy and loved money but who in the world didn’t? Money meant power and in New Orleans that meant a lot. 

It was no wonder she hardly had any friends but the ones she did were pretty honest and most of the time, nothing like her. Alastor was living proof of that, before he knew it he found himself being dragged around by Betty. They would go to different restaurants or music shops. Sometimes she would simply take him to a music cafe that she found and other times she would invite him to her home so he could play the piano while she wrote songs on her couch. 

It was a friendship like this that became Alastor’s oasis in a never-ending desert that isolated him from the world. 

It was also what reminded him that things never truly seemed to ever go his way.

“I’ll see ya again tomorrow night, darling! Thank you for walking little me home!” Betty waved at Alastor as she went inside her house. She sent a wink his way before closing the door behind her. It had become a habit of his to walk Betty home every night. The two of them did nothing but rant about work or talk about the latest asshole that went broke in the casino. 

Alastor knew his way through the streets by now, and for the most part, they were always empty late at night. The restaurants were closed, the music was gone and the majority of the illegal bars were closing just to open up again as another business. But if the streets were mostly empty then why did Alastor feel as if someone was watching him? He frowned and started to walk faster. The uneasy feeling that was crawling down his spine wasn’t going away. He turned on another corner and then the world went dark. 

It was as if a car like the ones his father drove ran him over. By the time Alastor was able to open his eyes again his head was pounding and his body was sore. He wasn’t sure where he was but the room was dark with only a small light on the corner. His arms were tied behind his back and against a radiator that was firmly cemented on the floor. The thick pipes made it impossible for him to even attempt to struggle. He did try but it yielded no result. 

Alastor tried to sit up but found it almost impossible. The odd angle at which he was tied up only made the radiator dig further against his back. The room was slowly becoming more visible as his eyes adapted to the darkness. He was in a living room, no, a kitchen? He wasn’t sure. It could be that the small apartment didn’t have much room but there was a couch not too far from where he was and then a table with a stove next to it. The windows were covered with newspapers and thin curtains that looked ready to fall apart. 

A door opened from the other side of the room and a man walked out. Alastor recognized him right away, it was Tom, the man who taught him how to deal cards. He looked a bit different out of uniform but what truly caught Alastor’s attention was the knife that he was holding in one of his hands. Tom’s face was drained and his wide eyes stared at Alastor with anger and hatred that he couldn’t begin to understand. 

Tom walked over to the table near Alastor and took a seat on one of the chairs. He rubbed his face with one of his hands and then stabbed the knife against the table with enough force for it to stay standing. 

“Tom…are you alright, buddy?” Alastor was the one who broke the silence. He wasn’t sure of what was happening but there was definitely something wrong with Tom. 

“Why did you have to get near her?” Tom’s voice was quiet but there was something sinister to his tone. 

“Close to whom?”

“Don’t play fucking dumb with me!” Tom shouted and stood up so quickly that his chair fell behind him.

Alastor hardly had time to understand what was happening before a kick landed on his stomach and he found himself gasping for air. Another kick soon followed and then another one and another one, by the time Tom was done kicking him he was drooling from the lack of air and the pain that was spreading through his body. 

He couldn’t breathe, he was gasping for air, he couldn’t move. 

Alastor groaned as a hand gripped his hair and yanked him up as much as his bonds would allow him. Tom was looming above him, his eyes looking insane. It was as if the man Alastor met not too long ago was gone and he was being possessed by some demon. 

It was the second time he faced this kind of evil. 

“I’m not fucking stupid, you asshole!” Tom yelled to his face. He looked ready to hit him again but held back. “You fucking jackass, why are you getting close to Betty? The two of you are always together! I have seen it! Are you fucking her?”  

“W-what?” Alastor stuttered as he struggled for air. “No! No, we are just friends!” 

“Don’t fucking lie to me you little shit!” Tom let go of Alastor’s hair and gripped his neck with one of his hands. “She’s sticking to you like a fucking bug! Don’t think I don’t hear what she fucking calls you, she has never called me that! Never! Even though I give her plenty of gifts she won’t even give me the time of day but then you, you showed up and started going out with her!” 

Alastor was trying not to panic, panicking wasn’t going to help him. If he struggled too much he was going to choke. Tom wasn’t putting enough pressure against his neck to strangle him, but it was difficult to breathe. 

“She even calls you dollface, hahaha!” Tom was losing it, he was laughing and there were tears in his eyes. He pulled away from Alastor and sat on the floor, running his fingers through his hair in a desperate way to keep himself calm. “Why the fuck would she call you that unless she likes you, that slut probably wants to fuck you that’s why she is getting close to you! And here we all thought you were just the boss’s bitch!” 

Alastor could feel his body turning cold at Tom’s words. The anxiety that was already building in his stomach was spiking up and making his body tremble. He looked pale with cold sweat clinging to his forehead and neck. 

Alastor didn’t want to hear anymore. The mere thought of what this man was implying was making him so sick that he could feel warm spit bubbling in his mouth as he fought the urge to gag and throw up. He was still struggling to breathe from the pain on his stomach and he was almost sure that Tom probably either broke or bruised his ribs. It was painful to move but at least the pain was keeping him from going into shock. 

The smell of copper brought Alastor back to his senses. The knife that he last saw on the kitchen table was now piercing the skin of one of his legs. 

It was as if the world around him wasn’t real. 

The blood was so red. 

Alastor could remember seeing this color but it felt so long ago. 

Michael closed the door to his studio and walked over to his desk before sitting down. He grabbed a cigar from one of his drawers but didn’t bother to light it up, instead, he stared at the ceiling above him. The studio was large with tall ceilings and crown molding that probably cost as much as someone’s entire salary. It was the life of luxury he was accustomed to and it was the life that his family deserved. 

A scrawny body with amber eyes came to mind at the mere thought of family and Michael found himself glaring at the empty ceiling. He cut the tip of his cigar and lit it up before opening the bottom drawer on his desk. He reached deeper inside until there was a soft click and a hidden compartment popped open. 

Michael looked through the many documents in there until he found a familiar letter. The ink was starting to fade just a bit, but he could still read it without issue. 

My dearest Michael, I know you must be surprised to receive a letter from me but do not worry. I’ll soon depart from this world and I can only hope that even after all my mistakes, God will be there to welcome me into heaven once I die. 

I made my peace a long time ago Michael. I know why you left, I know why you were afraid and I want you to know that I forgive you. Although you have done nothing to earn that forgiveness, the anger I felt before did nothing but destroy me and so I had to let go. You were a coward and a liar but I want to die in peace with no regrets. 

Alastor wasn’t sure what had taken over him. It was almost as if his body was moving by pure instinct and anger. He could feel his hands burning and his wrist twitching in pain but his hands were now free. He hardly noticed how bloody his wrists were because he was too busy taking action. The knife that was still on his leg was yanked out and more blood poured out, soaking his pants. 

“What the fuck, you little bitch, how did you get free!” Tom yelled. 

This is why I wish to ask you to take care of Alastor, our son. I don’t want to leave him alone, not in a world like this, please. I never asked anything of you but if you could please, just please take care of him, even if you don’t consider him your son, even if you don’t consider him anything. Please, I beg of you to take care of him. I don’t want him to be alone. 

Alastor could remember now. He forgot for a while, and he probably did due to the shock of what he had done but the memory of the two bloody corpses was now fresh in his mind. He remembered picking up that ax and knocking on the door of the two elderly people. It hadn’t been too difficult, of course not, they didn’t suspect him and so Alastor used that sharp ax to crack open the skull of the old man before stabbing his wife with it. He could still hear her horrified screams. The fear in her eyes when she realized that she was going to die. 

It was euphoric. 

It didn’t stop there, no, these people were animals and Alastor wasn’t going to be finished until he made sure to gut them. The ax was used instead of a knife, and he split open their bellies and chests until he was able to drag out all of their organs like he had done so many times before with his prey. 

What was the difference between a fish and these beasts? He couldn’t tell. 

Alastor is such a good boy. He is my sweetest treasure, but there are a few things you must know. 

Alastor watched as Tom launched at him but he was able to dodge just in time. The knife in his hand quickly aimed for Tom’s back and once the blade pierced the flesh underneath, Alastor could feel himself smiling. 

It was odd, maybe even eerie but he couldn’t remember ever smiling this much, even when his mother was alive. 

The smell of copper soon filled his nose and he watched as Tom cried and tried to get him off just for Alastor to pull the knife out and then bring it down again. He did it once, twice, and then a third time until Tom was struggling to stand.

The grown man was now reduced to a crying mess with snot and drool all over his face. 

He gets angry quite easily but never misbehaves. 

Tom deserved to feel pain, of course, he did, after what he did to him, he deserved everything that was coming his way. Alastor got to his feet and dragged the man to the middle of the small kitchen. He watched as Tom squirmed and struggled to breathe while blood was quickly pooling underneath him from the stab wounds. 

He can fidget a bit too much, but a quick word would make him stop. 

Alastor looked through the kitchen drawers until he found another two knives. The smile on his lips never left him and at some point, he started to understand, yes. He started to understand why his father smiled so much. It all made sense. It was hard not to smile when you were the one in control and when people underneath you were dancing to your tune while squirming underneath your foot. 

It was addictive. 

It was a high that was spiking his senses until his mind almost felt numb. 

He isn’t fond of people much, but he is polite and kind. 

Alastor tilted his head with eyes that looked clouded but sharp. He used one of the knives to stab through Tom’s right hand before doing the same with the left one. The man couldn’t move now, he couldn’t try to squirm away from him or crawl away, not unless he wanted to cut open his palms, and truly, who was him to stop him? 

If this perverted animal wanted to cause himself more pain, then Alastor would welcome it without a doubt. 

He might be a bit too aggressive sometimes, but what boy isn’t, right?

The knife with Alastor’s blood was the one that cut open the old, white shirt that Tom was wearing. Tom’s chest became exposed and Alastor used the scraps of fabric to gag the man. His sobbing and crying was starting to become obnoxious. Why was he crying anyway? Wasn’t this what he was planning to do to Alastor as well? 

Tom looked ready to kill him before. He beat him up and stabbed him but Alastor never cried once, but now this ugly animal couldn’t shut up and the tears falling from his eyes wouldn’t stop. 

He can be a bit too smart for his age, but that’s a virtue. 

The knife wasn’t sharp enough to cut through thick layers of human flesh but that didn’t stop Alastor from trying. He cut once, then twice, making sure to add more pressure as the blade pierced Tom’s chest just enough to cut the first layer of skin. He kept going then, making the wound longer and deeper until it reached just above the man’s groin. 

Blood kept pouring out and by now Alastor’s hands were soaked with it. 

He needs to keep busy, if not, he gets frustrated.

Tom was in so much pain that he ended up dragging his hands through the knives that kept him pinned down. His bloody hands were now split in half and they were reaching out for Alastor, trying to stop him, trying to get him away but he was already too weak from the lack of blood. Tom’s face was pale and he was trembling non-stop. He couldn’t control his body properly and no matter what he did, all he could feel was pain. 

The knife came down again and all he could do was lay there as the skin on his torso was split open until he couldn’t feel anything anymore. 

He has the sweetest smile and the brightest eyes. 

Alastor watched as what was left of Tom slowly came to an end. The man was close to dying, his body was almost void of color from the blood lost but what was truly killing him was Alastor’s hands as he gutted his insides without missing a beat. 

How many fishes and animals did Alastor kill while he was in the swamp? He had lost count. It came to him so easily, almost as if this was what he was always meant to do. 

A rib cage was busted open while a pair of lungs were scooped out before a beating heart was ripped out. The pool of blood underneath Alastor only grew bigger and the smell of copper was all that his senses cared for. 

The way his body moved, the way his muscles seemed to relax and the high that was driving his head into the clouds was all he needed to fulfill a satisfaction that he didn’t even know he needed until now. 

It was almost as if he was in heaven and if heaven was like this then he now understood why people fought for a place there. 

His mind had never been clearer than it was now. 

I just wish to be honest with you, so please. I want you to take care of him, my time is running out and you’re the only one left to protect him, to take care of him. He is only twelve. 

I do not wish to part this world with any dark thoughts in my mind, but I have sent a letter to Rosa as well. She’ll come to New Orleans to check on my son in roughly a month and if she finds out you haven’t taken care of him, she has my permission to tell everyone about us. 

I will not let our son rot in the shadows because of your cowardice. 

Do what’s right, for once in your life. 

Michael closed the letter and put it back in his hidden drawer. He took a drag of his cigar and leaned back against his chair. Gabriela must have been going crazy while she was dying. He had been around the boy long enough to know that next to Michael, Alastor was nothing but a trembling deer that hardly knew how to walk but he at least did have a nice smile, just like him.

Chapter Text

Life at the Hazbin Hotel turned out to be a bit more unique than what Vox first thought it was going to be like. 

The first shocker he found was that even though Alastor was there the whole time, he mostly remained quiet unless the conversation had nothing to do with redeeming souls. He was always busy managing the hotel, especially now that they had more guests so he hardly gave Vox the time of day. He was still a smartass and didn’t hesitate to make jabs at people when the time would allow it but for the most part, when Charlie spoke about whatever plan she was plotting, he remained quiet and listened carefully. He would nod along or shrug when the plan wasn’t to his taste while adding whatever constructive criticism was needed or if he had a better execution for the plan ahead.

The only time he showed his underlying distaste was when he truly hated something. It was the only time his passive smile would turn sharper and his eyes would narrow with dissatisfaction. Sometimes even when he hated something, it had to be done and he would begrudgingly do it but he also didn’t put much effort into it. He half-assed the job unless he was able to get something in return and that something usually had to do with him setting boundaries around what he was willing to do and what he wasn’t willing to do. 

It was a very…normal and dare say healthy work environment. Vox was shocked by this. He expected Alastor to go out of his way to try to manipulate every situation or maybe even threaten Charlie or other people around the hotel but he remained civil and even seemed to enjoy the company around him. The only thing he seemed to go out of his way to do was to scare people here and there, by showing up out of nowhere but he would laugh it off quickly enough and then move on. 

Vox knew about Husk and Niffty, fallen overlords who made a deal with him. He was used to seeing the two hanging around Alastor but he never truly saw their interactions in close and personal. Husk was always moody and didn’t seem to have issues showing his distaste towards Alastor even if Alastor would laugh it off and tease him about it instead. Niffty for the most part seemed to always attach herself to him whenever she could, whatever it was by climbing to his shoulder or head. Alastor didn’t even seem to mind, he would just smile and talk with her or get her off when he needed to do something else. 

It was very mundane, at least as much as it could be when they were in hell. It was completely different from Vox’s usual hectic days that were filled with appointments or issues going around his company and in some cases, issues he had to solve around his two partners, Velvette and Valentino. 

Velvette was at least less explosive and tended to keep her cool a lot easier, but her ego was her downfall. She couldn’t keep it in check and would allow it to reign her decisions and sometimes it clouded her mind far too much for her to think straight. Vox was egotistic himself but he was able to at least put it aside when it came to business deals. The fact that the last overlord meeting went to shit was mostly due to her lack of tact because of her egoistic personality that was ready to avoid any sort of accountability that implied she did something wrong. She was a narcissist to a T. 

Valentino on the other hand, wasn’t as mild and would go into rampages until he felt better, this meant that anyone who got in his way would face his rage. It didn’t matter if it was an employee, a random person on the streets, or even Vox himself. It was the reason why Velvette and Vox would let him be until his mood was composed enough to allow some sort of civil conversation. Vox could be violent and manipulative as well, but he never turned that rage towards Valentino or Velvette, he took it out on someone else or even went away for hours until his head was clearer. Valentino, however, made it everyone’s issue when he was in a mood, and during that time he didn’t care how far he pushed or how sadistic he turned, as long as he found his satisfaction, nothing else mattered. 

The contrast between the two places was as massive as the difference between hell and heaven and it made Vox wonder, just for a second, if this is the kind of company he would have had if only Alastor…no, thinking about the past wasn’t going to do him any good, even if he was still hung up on it. 

The only thing that Vox had come to hate about the hotel was the daily activities that he was forced to take part in. Charlie summoned everyone to their newly renovated conference room and made them sit around the hollow circle table while she stood in the middle with a smile. The four new guests were nobodies that Vox wasn’t interested in, but then Angel Dust walked in and he could feel his mood turning a little bit sour. 

“Hella, Charlie.” Angel smiled at Charlie and then petted the small pig that he was holding with two of his hands. “Whatcha have in mind today?” 

Charlie looked excited beyond belief, her smile was so bright that it could almost compete with Alastor’s. She was holding a letter in her hands, a golden envelope with an equally golden seal that was usually only used by angels. Vaggie was standing not far from her and looked just as excited if not more, it was the first time Angel was able to see a genuine smile that matched the brightness in her eyes. 

“Hello everybody! We are missing a few people but as soon as they get here we’ll start our weekly meeting and I have suuuuper exciting news!” 

It wasn’t long before Husk and Niffty joined as well, that was odd. 

Vox raised one of his brows and leaned back against his chair, for the past couple of weeks he was doing nothing but observing the group and Charlie’s staff usually didn’t attend these little meetings. Vox hardly took part in activities that had to do with the hotel and he didn’t even bother to stay the night. He would show up early in the morning and then leave late at night but even he knew at least this much. 

Alastor was the last one to show up and he took a seat between Niffty and Angel Dust. The two started talking and Vox rolled his eyes and swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. It was all Valentino’s fault, ever since he started to come to the hotel he wouldn’t stop pestering him about Angel. Vox was trying his hardest to avoid the stupid whore in an attempt to show some sort of goodwill but Valentino wouldn’t shut up about him. It was driving him nuts. 

Alastor must have said something because Angel hugged his little pig close to his chest while glaring at a laughing Alastor. 

“Alright! Now that everyone is here we can start our meeting!” Charlie said cheerfully and then held the golden envelope in her hands in front of her for everyone to see. “Do you guys know what this is? This is a letter from heaven with excellent news! I’ll read it for everyone!”

Charlie cleared her throat and then opened the envelope before taking out the golden letter. 

“Dear Charlie Morningstar. First and foremost I would like to apologize in the name of my elders and heaven itself for the way that the residents of hell have been treated in recent years. I would like to inform you that after the last extermination a miracle truly happened and I was there to witness it. I’m sure you are familiar with the name Sir Pentious, well, it is my pleasure to inform you that he is now a resident of heaven. Therefore, we now have concrete evidence that sinners can indeed be reformed and can join heaven after finding redemption. Due to this, Heaven has put a stop to the extermination and will be in contact with you and your Hazbin Hotel. We’ll give you our full support and hope that your hotel continues to help souls who want to better themselves. I hope to visit someday, with love and appreciation, Emily.” 

The whole room went quiet. Charlie was smiling from ear to ear, not being able to contain the excitement at all. 

“Holy shit,” Angel finally said something, his eyes were wide and the hopeful smile that was spreading over his face made Vox roll his eyes. “Pent is alive and in heaven? Holy shit, fuck…that means this is truly possible, it ain’t just a dream anymore.” 

The hopeful looks and smiles that filled the room were rare in hell. It was something Vox hadn’t seen in years or only ever seen when it came to new sinners, the ones that still didn’t have a good taste of hell and what it had in store for them. But those looks be damned, Charlie’s announcement changed the game once again. This wasn’t good, it wasn’t good at all.

“I’ll be taking my leave,” Vox said as politely as he could and then stood up. He got weird looks but didn’t bother to look back until a familiar voice filled with static decided to taunt him.

“Even if you leave to inform your little buddies, I doubt they’ll have a shot at heaven, my dear Vox!” 

Alastor laughed and all Vox could do was dig his claws against the palms of his hands to keep himself from turning around and saying something back. But Alastor was right, he was leaving because this was important news that he needed to tell Velvette and Valentino, and this changed things completely. 

Vox waited until he was a couple of streets away from the hotel before looking at one of the security cameras. It was thankfully one of his cameras and so he didn’t hesitate to turn into pure electricity to move through the different grids until he was able to reach their tower. He appeared right next to Velvette’s computer and without hesitating he started ringing every single phone in the whole building to get Velvette’s and Valentino’s attention. The whole building was ready to explode from all the phones ringing simultaneously. It wasn’t until the elevator opened up to reveal a tired Velvette and a hung-over Valentino that the ringing stopped. 

“Look sharp,” Vox said and a small electric current traveled through the floor to zap them enough that their bodies started shaking. 

“Hey!”

“Don’t be a dick, Vox!” 

Velvette and Valentino shouted before trying to make themselves look somewhat presentable. 

“Shit has changed.” Vox waved one of his hands and one of the large screens in the room moved to stand right by him while another set of small screens followed along showing different angles of the hotel. 

Vox could already see the hotel from afar and knew what was happening outside but ever since he started staying at the hotel he had been carefully placing cameras all around. The micro-cameras were as small as spiders but were powerful enough to record everything in high definition, the only downside was that the audio was shit but they could live with that. If he wanted to find Alastor’s weakness or a way for the Vees to get the upper hand regarding the hotel then he needed to have eyes everywhere. 

The large screen next to Vox was showing a recording of Charlie’s meeting as she was reading the letter. He let it play, not saying anything until she finished, and only then did he pause the video and turn towards Velvette and Valentino. The two of them were staring at the screen with wide eyes and looked just as shocked as Vox probably did when Charlie read the letter. 

“Holy shit,” Valentino’s reaction was identical to Angels except he didn’t look hopeful and neither was he smiling. 

“I thought this was supposed to be a joke,” Velvette added and sat down, for once she was not on her phone. “This shit was all supposed to be a joke.” 

“Well, it isn’t anymore. Have you all gotten the angelic weapons that are still circulating the black market?” Vox asked. 

“Yeah,” Valentino was lighting up a new cigarette and he almost finished the whole thing in one drag. “I was able to get a few of my guys to contact imps that move through the different circles of hell, it was expensive but we were able to get a good bunch. Whatever else is out there, we can’t reach.”

“If souls can be redeemed and Charlie now has her eyes set on new souls because of Alastor, that means there is a higher chance of her succeeding. It's easier to change someone before they hit rock bottom, which means there will be fewer souls for us to own, which also means turf wars are going to start happening soon. I’m not sure how long it would be before this shit blows up, but hell is going to turn into a war zone and the issues are going to be with overlords, not just sinners.”  

Vox stared at the screen in front of him and the golden letter Charlie was holding. “I want you both to try to drag as many new sinners as you can into our territory. Offer them better deals, hell, be polite, I don’t care, but we need to be prepared for this. I don’t know when Lucifer’s brat is going to tell all of hell about this, but I’ll try to keep it off the air for as long as possible. That should give you two enough time to get more souls under contract.” 

“Are you going to still be at the hotel?” Velvette asked not sure if that was a good idea. She was already typing away on her phone, sending people she trusted to do what Vox asked. 

“For the time being, yes, I need to speed this up but I feel like being in the hotel will keep us updated with information like this.” 

“Yeah, good call,” Valentino said but then walked towards Vox and leaned in with a grin. “So, how’s Angel doing in that shithole? I bet he can’t stand being there, hahaha!” 

Vox’s eye twitched and then slowly glanced at Valentino while a smile tugged on his screen. “Are you seriously asking me about that stupid whore right now?”

“I just want to know what he’s doing there! He never calls me or texts me unless is for work, what if he’s fucking half of the hotel for free?” 

“Val,” Vox’s voice dropped as he gritted his teeth. “You do realize that’s the least of our problems right now, right?” 

“Oh, come on! I’ll get what you asked for, so at least let me know what he’s doing in there, maybe slip one of your cameras into his room, pretty please?” Val grinned and leaned in closer to Vox. He nuzzled his cheek against Vox’s face and then playfully licked his screen. “Do it for me, please?” 

For a second Vox pictured himself dragging Valentino’s face across the floor while ripping out his other antenna but instead, he suppressed those feelings and pushed him away. 

“I don’t have time for this bullshit, Val,” Vox stood up but to his surprise, Valentino dragged him back on the couch by one of his arms. He was glaring at Vox with two of his hands gripping his blazer. 

“And I’m doing all the bullshit you ask of me Vox!” Valentino shouted right in front of Vox’s face and pulled him closer. “So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me asking for something in return, right? I’m not tasking you to bring him here, I just want to know what the fuck the bitch that I own is doing in that fucking hell hole!” 

“And now it’s not the fucking time, Val! We have a fucking war ahead of us and you are worried about what some whore that isn’t even part of our team, of us, is doing!” 

“Oh? Are you jealous?” 

“What?” Vox asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. 

“Don’t worry honey, just because I have other holes I would rather fuck doesn’t mean I won’t come home to you when the time calls for it, but just like you have a hate boner for that smiling freak, I like to keep what’s mine under wraps so I don’t end up like you!” 

“Alright you two, knock it off!” Velvette finally stepped in and with surprising strength pushed the two of them apart. “Vox ix right Valentino, we have bigger issues at hand right now. If you want to see Angel so bad then just keep him booked but don’t fucking mess this up for us. All of our necks are on the line, you understand?” 

Valentino didn’t even bother to respond, he lit up another cigarette instead and left the room without saying another word. 

“He’s been in such a foul mood lately,” Velvette said and gave Vox’s back a gentle pat. “He’s probably stressed because of everything that’s happening. I’m sure he’ll get better.” 

Velvette was soon gone as well, leaving Vox all alone in his office. 

It was only a minute later that he couldn’t hold it in anymore, the anger burning in his chest was making it impossible for him to control himself. He punched the screen next to him until the screen cracked completely and the image became distorted. The cracks on the monitor were spreading all over like spiderwebs, making the image grainy while the different pixels started to crumble up and become blurry. Vox punched it again, making another big crack that spread all the way to the corner of the screen and stopped near Alastor’s face. 

Vox was about to punch the screen again but his eyes noticed something. He tilted his head and leaned in closer to the TV to stare at the Radio Demon. Alastor’s image was a distorted mess, just like always but that wasn’t it. The video was paused, and Vox was sure by now that the damage on the monitor wasn’t going to let him play anything new, yet Alastor’s distortion was moving. It was barely noticeable but the glitches that should have stayed still were flickering and twitching. It was such a minor movement that Vox never noticed it before. 

Vox frowned and rushed to his computer room. He almost tripped against the door when it didn’t open fast enough for him but he was able to recover pretty quickly. He sat on his chair and with a wave of his hands a few cables moved on their own to hook on his monitor. He quickly started searching through all the videos he had of Alastor, from the new ones to the old ones. Every single one started playing on the monitors in front of him. 

Each monitor was split into four, allowing four videos to play at the same time. Vox waited for the distortion to happen again and as soon as it did he paused the video. He did the same with every single one until the monitors in front of him were all filled with still images of Alastor, or at least they should have been. Vox waited, his eyes moving from one monitor to another. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was waiting for but there was a feeling in his gut that was telling him to keep watching.

Then it happened. The distortions started moving. The black magic symbols, along with the shadows and distorted colors all started to move differently in every single video. The recordings weren’t even playing, yet they weren’t staying still at all. What exactly was he fucking recording? Vox wasn’t sure at all. He never noticed this before. He never truly ever paused his feed or his videos, they were always live, playing on his screen. Vox knew that Alastor was the cause of the distortions which was something the Radio Demon was proud of, but Vox never expected it to be to this extent. 

Vox unpaused the videos but this time played them in slow motion. He did it as slowly as he possibly could, watching as the glitches changed and then it was for less than a millisecond that he was able to see something different. Alastor’s face kept changing, it would become a complete blur mess or even a black void but what caught Vox’s attention was the color green. The color that Alastor usually only used when he was getting serious. All of Alastor’s images reflected a green thread that seemed to move through his body. Not only that but his complexion changed completely, his smile looked ripped open with thread moving through his lips. That same thread seemed to move through his arms, wrists,  kneels, and feet. It was all over, like stitches that were keeping him together. 

Alastor looked like a rag doll. 

Vox played the videos again, slowing them down frame by frame. The images were becoming blurry messes but he kept going. He was close to seeing something he knew he shouldn’t but he wasn’t there quite yet. If he could do it a bit slower, just maybe, there! He stopped the videos and his eyes widened. In the frames in front of him, Alastor was perfectly cleared, with no distortion around him but Vox could see Alastor’s shadow in the background and that shadow was reaching out to him to cover his face, or parts of his body, causing the distortion that Vox had only been able to see before. The red eyes coming from the shadow were staring straight into the camera and the smile was wider than ever before. Those red eyes were staring straight at Vox, not blinking, not moving, but the color was twitching. They were moving. 

Vox looked away for just a split second and when he looked back the videos were playing normally. He lost his concentration and what he saw was gone. He wasn’t sure what exactly this all meant, but for the first time in a long time, Vox felt like he was finally getting closer to whatever Alastor was. 

Vox ended up back in the hotel that night. He didn’t feel like dealing with Valentino or Velvette at the moment. He wasn’t used to sleeping anywhere that wasn’t his home but at this point, he needed some time alone. The idea of sleeping somewhere that wasn’t his regular bed with his A/C blasting non-stop was already making him shudder. It wasn’t as if the hotel was dirty, well it kinda was, but it was something different. He just hated the idea of sleeping somewhere where other people might have slept before or maybe taken a shower. The idea of someone else touching what he was also about to touch made him feel somewhat disgusted. 

“Oh, you’re back.” Vaggie didn’t sound that excited to see Vox again but she still welcomed him back. 

“I had some business to take care of,” Vox said and pulled out his phone. He was trying to look as uninterested as he could to avoid a long conversation with Charlie’s girlfriend. 

“Well, just to let you know Charlie said that you can’t keep missing the group activities. You’re supposed to be trying to get better.”

“Noted.” Vox rolled his eyes with a shrug. 

Vaggie sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration. “Listen, I don’t give a shit if you want to redeem yourself or not, I know overlords like you’re all scum that lives for power and the need to fill your ego, believe me, I know, one of you is our manager, but when you are here, you have to follow our rules. If you don’t show up for the group activities then we’ll just assume you don’t want to stay here anymore and we won’t let you in again, do you understand?” 

As much as Vox hated to admit it, he was pushing his luck with Charlie and Vaggie a lot. He came and went as he wished and never even tried to do much with them, it was understandable if they were reaching their breaking point with him. 

“Alright, I’ll be here tomorrow morning for the group therapy bullshit, okay?”

“Great.” Vaggie gave him a half-assed thumbs up and then left. 

Vox’s brain felt like it was overheating at the moment. He was tired and wanted to just go to his room, shower and hopefully pass out without feeling weird about sleeping somewhere that wasn’t his room. If anything he could just forcefully shut himself down but he would rather avoid that, it left him quite vulnerable and it was a risk he didn’t want to take when Alastor was around. He was just going to have to deal with a rough night. 

The majority of the hotel guests were already in their rooms, either asleep or having their own private time. It was the first time Vox was this late at the hotel. Husk was still in his usual spot, cleaning some glasses while watching TV. Niffty was nowhere to be seen and neither was Alastor, maybe the two had gone to bed already. 

Vox never pictured Alastor as someone that went to bed early, but then again he also always thought of him as a damn deer and not some rag doll. He sighed. Vox was too tired to think of Alastor. He just wanted to relax and maybe steal a bottle of whiskey from Husk. It was a hectic day and dealing with an angry Valentino always sucked the life out of him.

Vox walked up the stairs and then realized something. He couldn’t remember his room number, was it on the fourth floor or the fifth floor? He wasn’t sure. He never used the god-forsaken room so he never bothered to remember it. Great, now he was going to have to walk through two floors while attempting to remember his room. The room had his name on the door so all he needed to do was find the right floor. He didn’t feel like asking for help or talking to anybody for the rest of the night, so instead he got in the elevator and clicked on the fourth floor. 

Vox got out on the fourth floor and looked through all the rooms but none of them had his name on the door. 

It had to be the fifth floor then, right?

It was a while later that Vox realized that all the floors looked the same but the layout was completely different. It felt more like a maze than a hotel, who designed it like this? Usually, all the floors in hotels were the same but here every floor was different! It almost felt like he was walking in circles with no way out. He couldn’t even find the elevator now. 

“I’m afraid, you’re lost.”

The voice had a light mocking tone to it and Vox recognized it right away. He sighed and held his hands up in the air to show Alastor that he wasn’t trying to do anything. Vox spun around on his heels and tried to keep his expression neutral, but the annoyance in his eyes was far too great to easily hide. It was one thing if another demon found him because then Vox could easily talk his way out of situations that could embarrass him. However, this was Alastor and the Radio Demon was just standing there, in the middle of the hallway with his signature smile. Alastor didn’t move, didn’t even blink, he was just staring at Vox as if he was waiting for him to say something. 

Vox sighed and gave in. He rolled his eyes, swallowing his pride for a second. “I am, I am lost. Now can you take me to my room?”

“Oh, I certainly could!” Alastor said in a cheery tone but didn’t move. “That is if you are truly lost.” 

“What?” Vox frowned in confusion, not knowing why Alastor might think he wasn’t lost when Vox had been walking across these god-forsaken hallways for about twenty minutes. If it was his tower then he could just move through the different electric currents to reach his destination, but this was a grid he didn’t know, and moving through it without knowing exactly which way to turn was the equivalent of flying in blind. He could end up in his room, someone else’s room, or even outside. 

Alastor tilted his head as if he was trying to study Vox. The look on his face clearly said that he didn’t believe what Vox was saying and it became even more evident when Alastor’s cane pointed towards the door next to him. 

Vox followed the direction of the long microphone and his right eye twitched. The pictures outside the door were all of Angel Dust or Angel Dust and his friends. In some unlucky play of destiny, he ended up on the same floor as the guy he had been trying to avoid this whole time. Truly, it would be his luck to end up like this, no wonder Alastor didn’t believe him. It probably looked as if he was trying to sneak around the hotel to find Angel Dust. It wasn’t as if Vox owned Angel’s contract, but Valentino still had a tight leash on him and the two were partners. 

“I see what you’re implying, but I assure you, I have no interest in meddling with Valentino’s whores,” Vox said with a confident smile and a light chuckle. 

“Oh? And here I thought you finally came to take care of your issues yourself, but then again if that was the case you would be aiming for another type of bug.” Alastor shrugged and walked down the hall. He moved past Vox without giving him another glance. 

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Vox asked and turned around with a glare. He was only able to see Alastor’s back and so he missed the glowing, wide grin that spread on Alastor’s face. 

The radio static filled the silence. 

Alastor glanced back at Vox, his smile still on his lips as he gave him a look that was filled with pity. “Now, now, let’s not pretend like you wouldn’t be happy if that slippery spider disappeared.”

“That’s not what you were referring to, don’t play stupid.” Vox took a few steps forward. His screen was lightly glitching as an electric current was already sparkling in between his claws. 

“Mhmm! Nope, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Alastor said in a cheerful tone and tapped his fingers against his microphone. “I just thought that you finally grew the guts to get rid of the fellow who keeps stealing the attention of one of your partners.”

The way Alastor said the word partners made Vox’s claws turn into firsts. It was mocking and borderline condescending. “Why would I do that? Angel brings our company enough profit to make up for whatever bullshit he throws our way. He is under contract and has a tight leash around him when in the studio.”

“Profit, profit, profit.” Alastor sighed and lightly rolled his eyes. “That’s all you ever talk about, I miss the days when it wasn’t so.” The melancholic tone in Alastor’s voice took Vox by surprise. 

“Are you stupid? Why would you miss that?” Vox asked, his voice glitching as he grinned. “I control most of this city, I became an overlord with enough fame and glory to compete against the infamous Radio Demon!” 

Alastor made a soft noise, his half-lidded eyes looking unimpressed. He took a step towards Vox and then lifted his microphone. He gently tapped it and then leaned it against his shoulder as voices started playing. 

Vox recognized those voices right away. 

“Haha! It is good to find company like yours, my friend!” Alastor’s voice sounded more filtered than usual, probably due to it being a recording. “I expected hell to be more entertaining than this, but it is missing something, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Vox recognized his own voice immediately, although it sounded slightly muffled due to being an older model of himself. “This place lacks entertainment.”

“I agree, I completely agree! I guess that’s why everyone is more interested in fulfilling whatever animalistic desires they possess instead of trying to make a name for themselves. No wonder the overlords hardly ever change.” 

“You say that as if you aren’t the one killing some of them, speaking of, I've been meaning to ask. Why do you do it?” 

Static filled the air for a few seconds. 

“Why? The answer is very simple my friend, I enjoy it. Did you ever go hunting during your human life, Vox?” 

“No, I was a city boy, born and raised.”

“Ah, I wasn’t you see, I was taught how to hunt since I was very young, by my mother. It became quite a hobby of mine, but the truth is that beasts come in all shapes and sizes, some of them even look human while others might look like demons. But that’s what makes hunting so fun! You find your prey, you chase it and then when they least expect it, you aim and before they know it they are dead!” 

Vox was heard chuckling. “I guess in some ways I did pick prey here and there, but of a different kind. I’m not in hell for nothing. I used to chase stars, and once I had them in my grasp I wouldn’t let them go. It was a collection I was quite fond of.” 

“Ah, a collector, I guess you and I have something in common. Once we have our eye on something or someone, it is hard to let go until we get what we want.” 

“Yeah, you could say that. No wonder we ended up in the entertainment business.” 

A comfortable silence filled the air. 

“Do you have a goal in mind, Vox?” 

Alastor’s question was one that Vox could still remember and he could feel his eye swapping colors as he tried to control the emotions that were burning in his throat. He wasn’t even sure of what he was feeling, shame? Embarrassment? Anger? No. He couldn’t tell, but there was a pain in his chest that was making his stomach turn. 

“I want to give hell a show that they’ll never be able to forget. No matter how many years pass, no matter if I die, they’ll never forget what I was able to burn into their memory.” 

“Lovely.” 

“Shut that shit up!” The present Vox yelled, his anger was finally getting the best of him as an electric charge left his body and blew up all the lightbulbs in the hallway. “You’re showing your age you outdated piece of shit, why the fuck are you holding onto memories like that, hahaha! It is so embarrassing and fucking pathetic!” 

“If only those words were truly aimed at me,” Alastor said with a grin. Now that the hallway was dark his eyes were glowing red. “We both know who you are truly talking about.”

“Did that bitch get close enough to you that now you feel like you’re some bullshit therapist?” Vox laughed and shook his head. “No, you jackass. It’s the truth, I did what I had to do, and what I did paid off. I am at the top, Alastor and it isn’t thanks to you! But because I clawed my way through hell to get to where I am!” 

Alastor tilted his head and took a step closer, the light coming from Vox’s screen was making his shadows bigger behind him and Vox could see the demented shadow with long antlers and a mocking smile. 

“Vox,” Alastor said his name with such clarity that Vox almost didn’t realize that voice belonged to Alastor. The static was gone for that one second but it was back when Alastor spoke again. “Every other overlord stands on their own two feet, alone, by themselves.” 

“Don’t give me your bull-”

“And you know why?” Alastor interrupted him without care. He was smiling, his half-lidded eyes never looking away from Vox as he started walking around him, forcing Vox to turn his head along with him. “Because they arrive here alone, with no one, just like when you die, you die alone. They all clawed their way through hell, just like you but they did it without having to rely on others.” 

“The truth is that the overlords that you spite, along with your little friends, are far stronger than you give them credit for and that strength comes from the fact that they had already experienced hell once when living. Tell me Vox, a rich, city boy like you, did you ever see hell on earth? Of course not, but you did give hell to people, that’s why you are here.” 

Vox gritted his teeth, his eyes had sparks showing while his hypnotic eye kept spinning as if it was out of control. Alastor stood right in front of him, his antlers were longer while his smile looked sharper but he didn’t look ready for a fight, it was almost as if he was mimicking Vox’s reactions, reflecting how out of control Vox looked at the moment. 

Alastor took Vox’s silence as his answer. “But we did, that’s why hell just became another playground for us, but you Vox, you are a collector that failed to collect the one star you truly wanted!” 

Alastor started to laugh, it was sharp and filled with static. It sounded demented, no, demonic, Vox couldn’t truly explain it but it was making his brain pound against his skull as his screen started pulsating non-stop. He couldn’t control his anger anymore, he just couldn’t, there was a limit to his patience and Alastor kept pushing that limit until the world around him became unimportant and the noises coming from him were something he couldn’t control. 

Vox gripped Alastor’s coat and pulled him closer, his claws digging into the feeble fabric until it was ripping. 

“Shut up!” Vox’s voice was low and deep but muffled, it was the same tone it always took when he couldn’t control his emotions anymore. “Shut the fuck up! What the fuck do you know!” 

“Oh, I know enough, old friend,” Alastor looked as relaxed as ever even when Vox was so close to him with nothing but animosity pouring out of him. “I know you, I know you are greedy, possessive, egotistic, prideful, and an amazing performer. You don’t enjoy sharing, you hate the idea. You don’t like when others take your things, they only belong to you. Your collection is meant to be only for you to enjoy, so that’s why I know that in that flat brain of yours, you want to kill the boy behind that door, you want to get rid of him and you wish to see him disappear so then maybe, just maybe, one of the second-rate gems you picked up from the streets will finally give you their individual attention again…how very pathetic, that even when you settled for seconds, you still didn’t win.” 

Vox’s anger was blinding him. He couldn’t see anything but red, red eyes mocking him and showing him fake pity. The never-wavering smile that always put a distance between Alastor and everyone else looked sharper than before and it drew a fine line between what Vox could reach and what he couldn’t. He was drowning in his emotions, in emotions he wasn’t able to reach before, even when he was alive he never felt this angry, this furious. It reminded him of the very first time Alastor looked at him the same way as he looked at everyone else, the change in his eyes after Vox made a single mistake was forever engraved in his memory. 

Everything was red and Vox missed when the door behind him opened and someone peeked out. 

Vox’s claws pulled Alastor closer and at the same time, his whole body started to glow blue as his screen started to crack and blood seemed to pour out of his mouth. The noises around them were like TV static that kept swapping into an odd noise that resembled a distorted white noise that was filled with dread. He was laughing, or at least he thought he was. Vox wasn’t sure anymore. It was odd how easy it felt for him to manhandle Alastor but in a matter of seconds he was shoving him onto the floor and his claws were holding his hands against the floor until they were digging into the old wood. Alastor’s wrists were firmly pinned to the ground and Vox was looming over him with his knees on either side of Alastor’s hips. 

Vox’s screen kept glitching, sometimes it showed his full face, and other times it swapped to black and white with only his hypnotizing eye showing color. The filter in his voice stayed even when he took deep breaths. 

“I can’t wait,” Vox’s voice grew louder and then softer as if he couldn’t control the volume at all. “When I take over this shithole of a city, when I own all of it, and whether I do it with the help of the other vees or not, I’m going to come looking for YOU. Then, you’ll have my individual attention again. I’m going to make sure to have you crawling under my foot until you beg me to kill you and I promise you that I won’t. I’ll keep you until the end of your wretched life or mine. When I’m done with you, when I do what I always wanted to do with you, you’re going to start wishing that Valentino is willing to find you an entertaining fuck because what I have in mind is going to make what he does to that whore of his look like a fucking game.” 

“Get off of him you freak!” 

Vox was shoved off of Alastor but the second he was touched he couldn't keep a hold of himself. The electric current that seemed to have been sticking to his body like glue finally went off, what followed was a loud scream and the lights from half of the city going off. The worst part of it all was that Vox couldn't stop it, he couldn't keep his emotions under control, which was nothing new when he was facing Alastor. 

It was as if he was there but wasn't, his vision was clear but the noises around him were far. Angel was on the floor with tears in his eyes as he stared at his hands. The gloves he usually wore were burned off and his palms were smoking from the severe burns on his skin. It wasn't long before Charlie and Vaggie showed up, the two rushed to Angel’s side and were quick to try to stop the pain by using whatever magic they could think of. 

Vox watched from afar. He was on his feet again with his unblinking eyes never looking away from the scene in front of him. He knew that he fucked up but there was also a strange feeling blossoming in his core. He felt lighter, relieved even, it was an odd sensation. Vox knew that this could ruin his plans and yet he couldn't stop how he felt, it was as if all the anxiety and fear that had been building up inside of him was gone and it left him the second he saw Angel's face twisting in pain. 

“Let me see the damage.”

Alastor’s voice broke Vox off of his trance. He let his eyes follow the other as he walked toward Angel. The shadows around Alastor were twisting and a glowing green light filled the room as it slowly moved toward Angel and his damaged hands. Angel was still crying but his tears soon turned into quiet sobs as the green light slowly started to heal the burnt flesh until it looked only bruised and a bit bloody. It was as if the other had fallen and scrapped his hands instead of being burned by electricity. 

“You!” Now that Angel was better it was as if the group suddenly remembered that Vox was there. Vaggie was glaring at him and her spear was already in her hands, ready to attack if Vox made a wrong move. 

Vox forced himself to snap out of it, to get a hold of himself. He could feel a twitching near his screen, something that was begging him to just kill them all, to stop holding back. It would be so easy, it should be easy. It didn’t matter if Lucifer’s daughter was there, she was inexperienced, too green around the edges. If he killed her first it would make everything so much easier, all of his issues would be gone.

The noise of radio dials snapped him out of it. Alastor was standing behind the group with a wide smile. He looked so amused, with his half-lidded eyes showing a hint of glee that was hard to hide. 

“What happened?” Charlie pulled Vaggie near her in an attempt to stop her from showing more hostility towards Vox. 

“I was asleep in my room and then I heard shouting,” Angel explained as he stood up. He was flexing his fingers, trying to see if there was any permanent damage but everything looked fine. He turned towards Vox and his eyes turned sharp with a hidden hatred that he didn’t want to even bother to hide. “When I looked outside my room, Smiles was on the floor with him on top!” 

Vox ignored the static that was clinging to his claws and instead tried to keep his expression as neutral as he could. He smiled and rolled his eyes, his usual demeanor back as if whatever happened earlier was nothing but an illusion. “It was a simple overlords squabble, nothing else. I wasn’t planning on hurting one of your people.” 

“Bullshit!” 

Angel’s shouting surprised even Vox, he couldn’t remember him ever raising his voice anywhere around him or Valentino. He gave Angel a cold look that the other had seen far too many times after meeting with him and Valentino. 

“Charlie.” Angel turned towards Charlie and gripped her shoulders. “He’s lying! It wasn’t a squabble, believe me! T-that shit wasn’t normal, h-he…he sounded just like Valentino, I promise!” 

The desperate tone in Angel’s voice was one that Charlie knew well, it was the same tone he took when he was trying to get her to leave the studio during their last incident. Angel’s voice was raspy and it was shaking. He looked scared, maybe even terrified. Whatever he saw or heard was serious, it wasn’t as simple of a matter as what Vox was making it sound. 

“Alright, I believe you, Angel.” 

The relief that took over Angel’s features was enough to make Charlie give him an encouraging smile. The issue at hand, however, made her turn toward Vox with a hard stare. She was upset but she wasn’t sure how to approach this. On one hand, she wasn’t sure why Vox was here at all and on another, she couldn’t just kick him out when he kept claiming that he was here for redemption. 

“I truly appreciate the help, my arachnid friend,” Alastor was the one who stepped in and lazily draped one of his arms around Charlie’s shoulder. He smiled when he noticed Vox’s eyes narrow with nothing but pure jealousy at their proximity. “But I believe we had incidents like these before, isn’t that right? Why, one of our guests was even guilty of such a thing and now he’s above the clouds living the perfect life!” 

“Al, are you crazy!” Angel yelled and pointed towards Vox. “That guy is nothing like Pent, they aren’t even in the same leagues, this guy…he’s evil, Smiles.” 

It was Vox’s turn to laugh. “I’m evil? Do you think the smiling freak next to you isn’t? He’s one of the most feared overlords with the worst reputation and you turn to him with words of morality? Fucking priceless!” 

The whole group went silent, it wasn’t as if Vox was lying, they knew about Alastor and his reputation, who didn’t? But it was different with him, they had grown attached to him and when push came to shove he was always there for them. He even healed Angel’s wounds without Charlie having to ask him for help. 

“As crazy as it might be,” Alastor said and smiled at his group of supposed friends. “I believe Charlie said it before, it starts with?” 

Charlie was lost for a second but then her eyes lit up and she nodded. “It starts with sorry! Yes!” 

Vox wasn’t sure of what exactly was happening in front of him, everything felt so alien to him that he started wondering if the people in front of him were fucking crazy because they were making him feel as if he was going insane. 

“Right, so!” Charlie took a step forward and pulled Alastor along so he was standing in front of Vox. “The first step towards redemption is admitting when you’re wrong! So Vox, why don’t you apologize to Alastor?” 

“You’re fucking with me, right?” Vox said right away without missing a beat. The whole idea was ridiculous. 

“Nope! Not a joke, if you want to find redemption then you need to cooperate and help us, help you! You can start by saying sorry, I know Alastor can be..mhmm…well-” 

“An asshole,” Vaggie said with a smirk.

“Yes! Well, no, well, I know he can be a bit rough around the edges and it seems like you two have some sort of bad blood but while you’re staying here you can’t just attack him! Alastor has been well-behaved and hasn’t tried to fight you either, so if you just apologize we can all move past this and go back to sleep.”

Vox tried to keep his cool but it was so hard when Alastor was standing there, looking so innocent, as if he hadn’t said all of those things to him earlier. He was just smiling, waiting for Vox to humiliate himself and do what he was told. He could tell Charlie to fuck off but what if he found his bags all packed up tomorrow and he was kicked out of the hotel. He couldn’t leave just yet, not when he hadn’t achieved his goal. 

Vox took a deep breath and then fixed his suit. “Alright, fine, I apologize,” he said, giving Charlie an impatient look masked with boredom. 

“Well, you kind of have to mean it but baby steps aren’t bad either,” Charlie mumbled the last part and sighed. “What do you think, Alastor?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, my dear! I can’t really fault our square friend. After all, if you hang out with the wrong crowd long enough, their nasty habits tend to rub off on you.” Alastor chuckled and tapped his fingers against his microphone. 

“Alright, now, please apologize to Angel too.” 

“I don’t need his bullshit apologies,” Angel said and glared at Vox. “He don’t mean them anyway.” 

Vox shrugged and Charlie sighed in defeat. 

“Alright, well, I guess we can all go back to bed then.” Charlie did what she could and the only thing she could hope for was that the two overlords staying at her hotel didn’t blow it up during the middle of the night. 

Angel glanced at Vox one last time and motioned with his hands that he was watching him. He went inside his room and slammed the door shut as loud as he could. 

Vox and Alastor were left alone again. 

“It felt good, didn’t it?” Alastor asked as soon as everyone was gone. His eyes changed to red and black. He turned towards Vox, his smile wide and sharp while an x kept glowing on his forehead. “Didn’t it? Didn’t it? Didn’t it?” 

Vox took a step back and narrowed his eyes. He was in control of his emotions now and he wasn’t going to let Alastor fuck with him again. He didn’t say anything, instead he turned around and started walking away. He was still lost but fuck it, he wasn’t going to risk getting into another fight with Alastor. 

“Fuck you.” It was all Vox said without looking back.

Alastor’s response was to laugh. The radio noises were so loud that Vox found himself closing his eyes and placing his hands on his screen as if he could cover his non-existent ears. 

Alastor was right though, it felt good to let go and truly do as he pleased. 

Chapter Text

Vox was getting used to waking up at six in the morning and watching the hotel staff running around like chickens without a head. It was mildly amusing without a doubt, and it made sense as to why Alastor was also usually awake at this hour with a cup of coffee in his hand as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. It was entertaining and there was always something new going on, if it wasn’t the kitchen catching on fire, due to Niffty trying to cook, it was Vaggie rushing to separate the guests who were trying to fight one another for food. 

It was one rowdy morning after the other but those same guests that were seeking salvation stopped their behavior as soon as Alastor or Vox looked at them. It was as if they sensed the danger right away and stopped in fear of offending or getting on the overlords' last nerve, especially when it came to Vox. He was less patient than Alastor and enjoyed quiet mornings so he could look at his emails and make quick phone calls. Even if he wasn’t in his office he still had a company to run and he didn’t believe any of his subordinates was competent enough to run it in his absence. 

Velvette was supposed to be taking care of VoxTek but she was already overwhelmed enough with the recruiting she was doing and Valentino, well, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He was amazing at what he did but only that. Plus, Vox was still angry at him and was giving him the silent treatment, he wasn’t going to bother to talk to him until Valentino finally showed his face or at least called him to apologize. The longest he had done this was two weeks but he could go longer if needed. The annoying, flamboyant moth was going to apologize or else he was never going to see Vox’s face again. 

That was if Vox could defeat the one person that made him want to step outside this damn hotel and never come back, Charlie fucking Morningstar. 

Vox just couldn’t understand how exactly Alastor managed to stand being near her. She was naive to the degree that it was just insulting. All of her little therapy sessions made no sense and felt like some outdated say-no to drugs commercial. She was a hell-born, sure, but there was no way in hell that this woman was this ignorant and stupid. She really thought that if sinners didn’t have sex or stopped doing drugs they were going to end up in heaven but the brain-dead serpent that was in heaven hadn’t been a drug addict and neither was he a player, he was just chaotic and probably got people killed in his previous life. 

It was evident to Vox that Charlie didn’t have a clue of what she was doing, she was just throwing ideas at random and hoping one of them would land and give her the result she wanted. She had no idea how she managed to get someone into heaven and worse, she didn’t know how to make it happen again. 

Sinners could go to heaven sure, but how? Charlie didn’t know. 

Vox enjoyed watching her struggle the same way Alastor apparently did. The two might hate each other's guts but they had a lot of things in common, like watching people they didn’t like struggle. 

After what happened a couple of nights before with Angel and Charlie, Vox was positive that Alastor was just playing games in the hotel. He showed him how easily he could manipulate any situation that involved them, and worse of all, he could paint Vox in the most negative light he could if Vox didn’t keep his violent urges in check, which was extremely hard when Alastor was around. It made Vox feel on edge every time he was left alone with Alastor but oddly enough, the Radio Demon started acting like his usual self as the manager in the hotel and was even being nice to Vox, as nice as he could be when he kept giving him condescending looks. 

It was how Vox ended up staring at the coffee in front of him with a suspicious look. Alastor was having his shadow minions pour coffee to everyone in the recreation room as Charlie tried to explain her new exercise. 

“I believe that trying to visualize a goal is very important when it comes to your rehabilitation!” Charlie said and picked up the whiteboard on the table in front of her. Everyone, including Vox, had a pretty similar whiteboard. “I want you all to draw what you want the most! Or visualize yourselves in heaven, basking in eternal salvation!” 

Vox picked up his whiteboard and marker. He gave Charlie an unimpressed look but then started drawing. The rest of the damn class was doing the same thing and he didn’t want to be the odd one out when he was already on thin ice with the hotel’s owner. 

It took everyone a good ten minutes to draw their goals but by the end of it, Charlie was smiling and having everyone showing her their drawings. 

“Everyone did such a good job! Alright so you want to go to heaven and see your family, and you want to break free from your family in hell, you want a new chance in life and Angel you want to break your deal, I hope that happens soon! Alright, and Vox…Vox that’s just you holding Alastor’s decapitated head.” 

Vox grinned. “I know, it’s great isn’t it?” 

Charlie tried to keep her smile but it was so obviously forced. “You are supposed to visualize a goal that’ll get you to heaven.”

“Oh, believe me, I’m going to see heaven when I make this happen.”

Charlie winced and glanced away. “That’s diiiisgusting,” She hissed quietly and looked away, ignoring what Vox was implying and instead trying to keep the conversation going with the rest of the sinners. 

The kindergarten exercises continued and so Vox decided to have fun with it, sure that meant Charlie was the one dealing with him the most, and her attempts to be friendly and kind were annoying as hell, but it was also fun to watch her face fall into frustration whenever Vox didn’t do what she asked of him. This place was great, Lucifer’s spawn was too much fun to mess with! 

“Vox, you were supposed to hold hands with someone to show them kindness, not electrocute them!” 

“Vox, I said to write your inner thoughts about what you wish heaven to be like for you and all you did was write ‘A place where I can mangle Alastor in peace’.” 

“You can’t have your assistant just do the community service for you!” 

The day was a delightful one for Vox, who just kept smiling at Charlie the whole time. She was trying to stay positive around him but at some point, she started to pay more attention to her other guests instead of Vox. It was a good idea on her part because Vox wasn’t finished yet and he could make this annoying, forced therapy even worse for her. 

“I think this week has been very productive for all of us, I’m super proud of everyone!” Charlie smiled and gently nudged Vaggie with her elbow. 

“Oh right!” Vaggie said and coughed against her hand before looking at everyone with a smirk. “Since you have all shown great progress, except Vox, we have decided you deserve a reward! We’ll be having a party tonight and we’ll have an open bar!” 

“Yay! Isn’t that exciting guys? I think you have all earned it!” Charlie squealed and hugged Vaggie. 

Everyone looked excited at the prospect of finally being able to let loose for one night. It was not going to be a night in town but it was still a reward to showcase how hard they were working. 

Charlie got the hotel ready for a party in no time, well, it was mostly Alastor but she helped in spirit. The shadow minions were busy trying to make the bar look like a nightclub and although it looked a bit dated it was still filled with flashing lights and neon signs. The atmosphere changed and the anticipation of a fun night had everyone in high spirits, especially when alcohol was going to be involved. The hotel guests could get drinks from the bar every day, but they had a limit and Husk was very strict with it. He wasn’t about to have people wasted in his bar and then have to deal with the consequences. 

Husk was working for his paycheck tonight, he was busy making drinks for everyone and since the bar was open for the rest of the night, no one was holding back. It was a reward Charlie wanted to give them after all. It wasn’t a lot but when everyone in hell was used to getting drunk or high off their minds to try to cope with the reality they were stuck in, well, it meant a lot to them. 

Vox thought about leaving for his room but he also wanted to drink except he didn’t want this cheap shit. Vox called his assistant and in a matter of minutes, a drone delivered a bottle of whiskey into his hands. He grinned and made himself comfortable on one of the tables near the stage before pouring himself a glass of the very expensive whiskey he was used to drinking at home. 

“Alright, everyone!” Charlie stood in front of the stage with a smile and a microphone in her hands. “To continue our little party, I asked Alastor to let us borrow some of his minions so they can play songs for us! I figured we could have a fun Karaoke night!” 

Vox regretted sitting near the front row. This was going to be dreadful. 

“Aren’t we always bursting into songs anyways,” Angel whispered to Husk. “Aren’t we pretty much on live Karaoke all the time?”

Husk shrugged with a smirk. “Let her have it, you know she loves singing.”

“Ye, you’re right.” Angel smiled and picked up his cocktail. 

A few of the hotel guests weren’t bad singers but were also not entertainers and the songs ended up feeling boring or too dragged on. Vox wondered if maybe he could speed-run how fast he could get drunk until these annoying voices became somewhat tolerable. He poured himself another shot of whiskey and gulped it down. Whiskey this expensive was supposed to be enjoyed by small sips but to hell with that, Vox just wanted to get drunk and maybe have some sort of fun tonight, but by his third shot, he found himself missing Velvette and Valentino. 

It was one thing if he was away in the hotel trying to spy on these fucks, and a whole other if he was here because he was trying to avoid another confrontation with them, especially Valentino. Velvette at least was smart and could focus but Valentino was more emotional and frustrating. Vox hated to admit it but the three of them were kind of attached now, and yet when Vox saw Angel walking up the stage, the anger he felt a few nights ago was back. It upset him how much it annoyed him that one of the people that was close to him was busy paying attention to some annoying whore instead of focusing on Vox’s own needs. 

It was selfish, yes, but Vox wasn’t a saint. He enjoyed those around him always having their main focus on him and no one else. 

Vox’s eyes drifted to his right and he stared at Alastor for a few seconds before looking away. He didn’t want things with Velvette and Valentino to end up like they did with Alastor. 

“It’s my turn baby, time to show y’all how it's done!” Angel grinned and grabbed the microphone from Charlie’s hand with a confident smile. 

Angel wasn’t new to putting up a show on a stage, it was his specialty after all. The shadow minions swapped instruments and a DJ showed up as music started blasting through the speakers. The pop song was fast and Angel sang along as he danced. He didn’t have a choreography memorized or a pole to use to make some different moves but he still kept it entertaining even when he ended up crawling over Alastor’s table which earned him a quick shove and a glare from Vox. Angel just laughed in response and kept singing, his mood was contagious as he smiled until the end of the song.

It was very different from his usual performances, Vox had to admit it. If anything it felt fresh, new, and oddly enchanting. 

“Alright! Who’s going to be next!” Charlie clapped her hands together and smiled at the crowd before her. 

Angel fist-bumped husk and grinned at him before sitting near the bar. He was handed a martini right away and he didn’t hesitate to start drinking with a smile. Vox watched the two from afar while trying to seem like he wasn’t staring, but the soft looks and intimate chat that the two were sharing looked very compromising. If Valentino found out about this, no, he needed to keep this a secret. Vox didn’t need Valentino getting distracted when he was already stressing out due to Angel. He was going to wait until the dust settled before telling Valentino anything, it was for his own good. 

Vox tried to distract himself by looking back at the makeshift stage. Niffty crawled her way onto the stage and grinned. She snatched the microphone from Charlie’s hands and stared at the crowd with one wide eye. It was as if the weirdo didn’t know how to hold a mic, even less be in front of a stage like this. It made Vox roll his eyes and pour himself another shot of whiskey. He was going to need it to get through this night. If any of these assholes showed up to his studio with talent like this, he would have killed them for wasting his time, all of them except Angel of course, there was a reason why he still worked under his brand. 

“Uuuuuh,” Niffty finally said something and tapped her chin with one small finger. “I don’t know what to sing, can I make my rats dance instead!” 

“Well, it’s a karaoke night, Niffty. You’re supposed to sing, just for fun!” Charlie explained and gently took the microphone from her. “We can have your rats dance tomorrow, yeah?” 

“Alright.” Niffty looked disappointed at first but her expression quickly changed to a wide smile. She ran as fast as her short legs could carry her and reached Alastor in seconds. She crawled her way to his shoulders and leaned her head against his with the same wide smile. “Alastor, sing me a song.” 

Vox was about to take another shot but stopped midway when he heard Niffty. There was no way in hell that Alastor was going to take part in this uninteresting, sorry attempt of a recreational night. He took another sip of his drink and pulled out his phone, it was going to be a long night.

“Oh?” Alastor smiled and easily picked her up to let her sit on the table next to him. “And what song would you like me to sing?” 

Vox choked with his drink. Did Alastor just agree? 

“I want a song that I know!” 

“Mhmm, you forget you died quite a few years after me, dear but thankfully I am quite knowledgeable when it comes to music, after all, you can’t be a radio host without knowing the greatest hits!” Alastor proudly said and stood up. He refused the microphone Charlie offered and instead waved his cane with a smile. He didn’t need another microphone, he had a perfectly working one with him at all times. 

The shadow minions swapped instruments again and looked far more excited this time. It seemed like while they found playing music for others a chore, it was different when it came to Alastor. The DJ table swapped to a piano and a bass and a guitar accompanied it, there was no need for other instruments. The shadow minions grinned, nodded at each other and their hands started moving. The slow melody started with the bass and it was soon accompanied by the piano and a few notes from the guitar. 

It was as if Vox was taken back to decades ago. The melody belonged in a piano bar with a crowd waiting for new songs to play and be given a new spin. The smell of cigarettes and high-end perfume was in the air, along with small laughter that was quiet enough to not be bothersome. It was the 1950s and the world was quickly changing. Something new was always happening with wild stories that seemed to belong in a fantasy. After the Second War, the country was thriving and Vox was as well. 

“I tried so hard, my dear, to show that you're my every dream.” 

Alastor’s voice didn’t break Vox’s illusion, if anything it seemed to enhance it. He was on his fifth shot and his mind was drifting but not enough for him to completely forget himself. It was a nice buzz that had him reaching for his bottle of whiskey to pour himself another glass. He lightly let it swirl against the glass and took another small sip with a smile. 

“Yet you're afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme.” 

The song reminded Vox of the times when he used to drive around with a new girl in his car every single time, each one prettier than the next. A winning smile and the money to back it up made him quite popular. If it wasn’t a singer, it was an actress and in some cases a dancer, they all smiled and laughed with him, talking about the latest gossip in Hollywood. Their hands were always linked to his arm and each one was a memory of something he had acquired that now belonged to him. 

“A memory from your lonesome past keeps us so far apart.”

Once Vox died and found himself in the gates of heaven, he honestly wasn’t surprised when his name wasn’t in that thick book. He somehow knew that if he was going to die, he was going to end up in hell. You don’t fuck over people one after the other without consequences, right? Even if those consequences only came after you died. Vox lived his life to the fullest and had no regrets, yet when the gates of hell opened and he found himself falling, he couldn’t stop the fear that was spreading through his mind. 

But hell wasn’t that different from Earth, except that there was a pecking order that everyone understood. Only the strong survived and the weak were used as stepping stones or fodder. It was a brutal reality but really, that’s just how life had always been. As long as you didn’t upset an overlord then all you had to worry about were the small fries, and Vox quickly understood that if he wanted to remain whole and not end up as someone’s next meal he needed to be smart and he needed to take advantage of whatever opportunity came his way. 

“Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart?”

Vox had been lucky when he was alive and that luck seemed to follow him after death. He could still remember it as if it was yesterday. He found a dinner that for once served normal food, or as normal as it could get while in hell, and ordered a simple meal with a cup of coffee. He wasn’t that interested in the food but in the script in front of him, trying to write a new screenplay that would get the attention of the citizens in hell was a challenge, especially when people’s morality seemed to hit the gutters as soon as they found out this was hell. They were interested in violence, depravity, gore, and senseless slaughter, and Vox never had to write anything like it, he usually had to stay away from it due to TV restrictions but now that he was free to write whatever he wanted, he found himself stuck. 

The dinner’s door opened and the bell attached to the door rang. Then it rang again, and again, and again and Vox found himself getting annoyed. He looked up to glare at the assholes that kept making that door ring just to find out that the whole dinner was empty. All the patrons were gone with Vox and one more guest being the only ones left. Dressed in all red, with a microphone as a cane and small deer antlers that were hard to miss. Vox heard this description many times before but never in his life did he think he would be unlucky enough to come across an overlord and not just any overlord but the Radio Demon. 

Vox must have stared longer than he was supposed to because the Radio Demon turned his head and smiled at him with sharp fangs and half-lidded eyes. Alastor’s expression was that of surprise and it wasn’t long before he was walking towards Vox while humming a tune. Vox could hear the static in his voice and it made it impossible for him to look away, not now and not ever again. 

“Alastor, pleasure to be meeting you, sir, quite a pleasure! I couldn’t help but notice that you are the new presenter showing his face in everyone’s picture box! Why I have been enjoying the show quite a lot!” 

“Well, another love before my time made your heart sad and blue”

It was his first time meeting Alastor but it wasn’t his last. The radio host was surprisingly friendly and very social, quite unlike the rest of hell but maybe it was due to Alastor being powerful enough not to fear anyone. He could be friendly, rude, cruel, or nice if he wanted to, no one would dare to cross him after all. All of hell was afraid of him and in return that cleared a path for him, everyone ran away as soon as they saw him or were as polite and nice as they possibly could. It was a world in hell that Vox hadn’t experienced before, until now. Vox found himself walking next to Alastor more often than not. He was interested in whatever Vox was writing and would read it with greedy eyes and a smile. Vox wasn’t even sure if he liked it or not, because Alastor never said anything, he’d just ask him when he could tune in to watch it. 

It was also how Vox found himself cleaning his shabby apartment more often than not. Alastor showed up on his doorstep unannounced and made himself at home without Vox having much of a say. It wasn’t as if he could just kick him out, who in their right mind would try to do that to the Radio Demon? But Alastor always brought him something new. If it wasn’t a bottle of expensive liquor, it was wine or some things he’d tell Vox he needed in his home. At some point, he even brought Vox a typewriter, saying something about how one of his friends told him it helped with writing better. 

Vox ended up learning how to use a typewriter because of Alastor. It was funny how he refused to learn in his past life since he had someone always typing whatever he wrote and now he was in hell, in a two-bedroom apartment with a demon that brought fear to everyone playing the piano in a corner of his room. 

“And so my heart is paying dear for things I did not do.”

Vox’s connection with Alastor opened up a lot of doors for him. It wasn’t as if Alastor was truly doing anything for him, but people saw them together and so other demons started to want to be on his good side. The channel he was working for even started offering him more prime hours and his face was soon in more shows other than the news. It wasn’t unwelcome but Vox always saw himself as more of a producer than anything else, his true interest and passion were always from behind the scenes. He was used to highlighting the best out of people and finding the perfect role for them. He knew how to find stars and make them shine. 

If he could find a new star, one to outshine the rest. 

It was how Vox found himself listening to his radio every time Alastor was gone. The Radio Demon only truly went on air once he wanted to spread fear through people’s hearts, it was his medium of preference, but Alastor never played the songs he did when the two were alone, and neither did he sing. He was extremely talented, stupidly so, a diamond in the making or maybe one that just needed some polish. He was able to become an overlord by spreading fear and owning souls but there was so much more to him than just that. 

“Why can't I free your doubtful mind, yeah, and melt your cold, cold heart.”

Alastor was an overlord, Vox told himself every time the Radio Demon left his home with a wave and a smile. He was powerful and stood on his own, he didn’t need anyone; if he did, he surely wouldn’t need the help of someone like Vox. He was making a name for himself, sure, but he wasn’t quite there yet. He was heartless when he needed to be and was for sure greedy, it was how he ended up taking over the channel that he once found himself only writing for. The whole building was now his and he was the one in charge of every single hour. He changed things, made them better, and gave hell what they wanted in his own way. While Alastor grew his fame with fear, Vox was growing his by being idolized and fawn over, something he was used to from when he was alive. 

Yet, whenever he stood next to Alastor, he found himself feeling inadequate. He was nervous, anxious even and he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t afraid of Alastor, of course not, it had been years since Vox got over that fear. The two knew each other for two decades now but while Vox could see time moving ahead, it was as if Alastor didn’t. Unlike the world around them which kept changing, Alastor remained the same, like a painting frozen in time. Never changing, never wavering, never ending. 

It was then that Vox realized that somewhere down the line, he started to grow with the intention of standing next to Alastor on equal grounds. He didn’t care about just owning one channel, he wanted all of them. He wanted to become an overlord just like Alastor. He wanted to own part of this city, he wanted all of it if possible and only then would he present it to the Radio Demon, offer him all of it…just with the condition of being able to always stand by his side and claim that sole spot as his and no one else’s. 

“There was a time when I believed that you belonged to me.”

“Do you want to fuck the Radio Demon?” 

Valentino was the first one to ask him that question. Vox could still remember how mortified he felt and how he refused to speak to Valentino throughout the whole day. What the fuck did Val know about him? He was someone new to his channel and only worked in the after-hours shows, which were mostly porn or shows that were too lewd to be aired during regular hours. He was an amazing performer no doubt, and Vox quickly hooked him with a deal that even Valentino couldn’t refuse, that’s how he became the star of some regular shows and the majority of the adult films at night. 

Their ratings were only going up and everyone was always tuning in to watch what new show they were ready to air or what new spicy gossip they could talk about. It was pure entertainment and it wasn’t long until Vox was able to acquire more channels. The shabby apartment was a thing of the past and instead, he owned a whole building with a condo at the very top. He was successful, he was famous, and most important of all, he owned souls. Every new contract made him stronger and any new soul that came crawling to him gave him power. 

“I think you want to fuck him, you act like a puppy without his master whenever he isn’t around, it's kinda cute,” Valentino’s teasing didn’t stop and it started to imprint an image in Vox’s head. 

“ Lord, the more I learn to care for you the more we drift apart.”

Did Vox, like Alastor? Of course, he did, but not in the way someone liked a friend or family. Vox liked Alastor in the same way he used to like the sweet girls who would hook their hands around his arm and smile at him. But he had something to offer then, he had money, fame, and influence, everything that would make anyone want to be next to him, and up until now, he hadn’t realized that the reason why he was clawing his way through hell to reach the very top, to become an overlord was for the sole purpose of looking adequate to the one star he wanted to impress the most, it wasn’t about just business anymore.  

Alastor was special, not because he was powerful, not because he was influential but because he was the apple of his eyes. Everything he did, every action that pushed him to grow as fast as possible was because he saw Alastor at the end of his road. He was glad Alastor was an overlord because no one dared to get near him, nobody dared to touch him or even look in his eyes but Vox was able to do that, he was able to stand next to him and talk with him, he was able to make him laugh and was probably one of the few that knew he played the piano so well and his voice was lovely. It was all of these little things that he cherished above all else and greedily kept to himself. 

In the end, he wanted Alastor by his side, not as an equal, not as an overlord, and not as someone as powerful as him, no…he just wanted him the way he always wanted to own those stars that outshine the rest of the world. 

“Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart?”

Vox could do anything, he could own parts of the city and he could become an overlord. It was what he always wanted, it was everything he wanted. He made it happen, he could make anything happen. It was how he ended up inviting Alastor over to show him the new studio and set. They had known each other for forty years, a friendship that outlasted more than a dozen overlords. It was also why Vox was so confident about what he was ready to give the other overlord. 

The tour was taking a bit longer than Vox intended it to, but it was mostly due to Alastor constantly asking questions here and there, after all, he didn’t know how any of this worked. The naivety was sort of cute but Vox couldn’t wait to show him what awaited him on the other side, on a floor that shared Vox’s own office. 

Vox could still remember how his nerves were a wreck, how wet his hands felt from sweat, and how he kept looking over at Alastor as they rode the elevator to the top floor. The hallway was filled with pictures of people who worked at his studio but as they kept walking the colorful pictures changed to black and white and the faces changed to familiar ones.

Alastor gave Vox a confused look but his smile never left. Vox only smiled in return and then opened the double doors to his right. The room was dark but with the flip of a switch, it became a bit brighter even if the lights were still dim. The sleek and modern radio studio was big with deep reds and blacks that resembled Alastor’s signature look. The computers, soundboards, audio mixers, and microphones look all brand new and as if they were designed carefully and with a lot of thought in mind. 

Alastor’s radio noises fizzled around them and for once he remained quiet. He was pulled along by an excited Vox who started to show him everything, from the computers to the soundboards and the music library they owned. He held Alastor’s hand and opened a separate door that took them to the recording room. The thick and soundproof glass that separated the two rooms was wide and took over the whole wall including the door. The room had a high-end microphone hanging from the roof and a small desk with a smaller soundboard, a laptop, and a comfortable chair. 

All of it was perfect. 

Vox grinned and stepped out of the room to stand behind the glass. He pushed a button and his voice echoed inside the room. “It’s great, isn’t it? I figured after receiving so many gifts from you the least I could do was give you something in return!” 

Alastor was still smiling. He never stopped smiling, but by now Vox knew those smiles and his own soon left his face as Alastor remained quiet, not saying anything at all. Alastor was standing in the middle of that dark room, unmoving and unchanging, just as always but there was something off about him, something that didn’t feel quite right. The shadows in the room looked darker and it was as if that room itself was a void that was intending to consume everything.

“Alastor?” Vox said his name with a frown and before he knew it Alastor was turning into a shadow and appearing right next to him. 

“It’s great my friend! I’m sure whoever uses this will love it!” Alastor’s voice was rushed as he started heading for the door but a hand gripped his arm and stopped him. Alastor’s head snapped and his neck twisted at an odd angle. The radio dials in his eyes flashed for a second something that surprised Vox and made him let go of him immediately. 

Vox pulled his hand back and awkwardly coughed against it. “Well, that’s the thing, the studio is yours, that’s what I meant by gifting you something. I know you have your own studio and I’m not giving you this to try to replace it but as another option.” 

“That studio is mine,” Alastor said, the static in his voice was louder but Vox didn’t seem to notice it. 

“Of course! But I wanted to ask,” Vox took a step forward. “As you know my company keeps growing but I feel like it is missing something, something only someone like you can provide! So I wanted to ask if you would like to join us, well, join me. I feel like as the two overlords that control all media and communication, it would only increase our strength and put us at the very top and above everyone!” 

“Vox, I don’t control the media,” Alastor said and took a step back while his microphone rested in front of him with both of his hands gripping the top. “I am the Radio Demon, but the radio is a tool for me, like a butcher and a good chopping block. I don’t do what you do. I make people fear me, I make people desperate and I warn them that they could be the ones to become my latest radio show. That’s the kind of attention I want, that’s the kind of influence I desire.”

“Of course, I know that, Alastor!” Vox said and took a step forward just to notice that Alastor took another step back. “But…but you are so much more than that! You don’t understand the potential you hold! If you let me, I can show you that, I can show you that you could become so much more!” 

“I don’t need to become what you want of me. Everyone in this city knows my name, everyone knows not to stand in my way and every overlord is afraid that they’ll become my next meal.” Alastor picked up his cane and leaned it against his shoulder. “You should remember that as well, old pal.” 

Vox wasn’t sure of what to say, it was as if his voice was gone, all he could do was reach out for Alastor again as the other turned to leave. He needed to clear this misunderstanding, he needed Alastor to understand that Vox meant well! His claws dug against Alastor’s arms as he spun him around and held both of his arms to make him stay. He was panicking, not being able to control himself before a pair of tentacles shoved him back against the wall hard enough that he felt his screen crack. 

Alastor’s eyes were radio dials that kept twitching, his antlers had grown and his bloody smile was sharper than ever. He took another step and his shadow grew behind him. It was angry, showing a frown and then a smile, with red eyes that were pinning Vox in place against the wall. 

“Don’t ever touch me again,” Alastor’s voice was completely distorted as he kept walking closer to Vox. “You think I don’t know what you want, what do you expect from this? Did my friendship make you take me for a fool?” 

Vox wasn’t even given a chance to answer before Alastor’s shadow was clawing its way across the floor and gripping his throat. He was being pinned down against the wall behind him by long claws that made it impossible for him to speak. 

“I’m not stupid, Vox,” Alastor leaned in, his face only a couple of inches away from Vox’s. The red eyes were now completely black with only the radio dials twitching non-stop. “Did you think I couldn’t see it in your eyes? I see right through you. I noticed the change the second it happened, while your eyes held admiration before it changed into longing and want. Your tone of voice, the way you behaved. You’re the definition of an open book, I know you, did you forget that? After forty years, you honestly thought I wasn’t going to realize the second your feelings shifted to something else.” 

“But I ignored it and let it slide because you never acted upon those wretched emotions!” Alastor continued with his cane digging against one of Vox’s hands. “You aren’t the first one to look at me like that, and you aren’t going to be the last but rest assured that just like you failed they did so as well and they’ll continue to fail. Those disgusting thoughts, those disgusting feelings, keep them where they belong, in your pants and your mind.” 

The shadow let go of Vox’s throat and he found himself coughing non-stop. It was as if his windpipe was broken, it was hard to breathe and even looking at Alastor was difficult when half of his screen was cracked. It was painful, it hurt but bigger than all of that was the rage that was quickly spreading through his chest and filling his whole body. The world in front of him turned red and just as Alastor was getting ready to leave again Vox’s body reacted and the cables that were once behind the studio walls broke through and moved at high speed to pierce through Alastor’s stomach and shoulders. 

Blood started dripping on the floor and for a second Vox regained his senses. This wasn’t what he wanted, this wasn’t what he meant to do, but it was too late. Alastor’s neck grew and twisted at an angle before doing a 180 to stare at Vox. The blood that was dripping from his mouth only made his smile look more sinister and the condescending look he was giving Vox only made his blood boil once again. He made the cables throw Alastor against the bulletproof glass, over and over again until it shattered and the Radio Demon went through it. 

Vox stared at Alastor’s body from the other side of the room. He was on the floor, looking like a ragged doll with pieces of glass piercing his body and face. Yet, Alastor slowly got to his feet as if strings were pulling him up without a struggle. He grinned at Vox as he pulled out a piece of glass from one of his eyes. 

“It is a shame, old friend,” Alastor said with a sigh, his face was bruised as blood kept pouring out from his wounded eye. “That this cage you made and tried to gift me, will become the catalyst of your undoing. Next time you cross paths with me, next time you even look my way, I won’t hesitate to turn you into my new entertainment segment.” 

“Can you stop? Let me explain!” Vox yelled, his voice was hoarse and sounded robotic as he tried to heal his throat. “I'm not trying to fight you Alastor, I don't want to fight you!” 

“You could have fooled me.” Alastor chuckled.

“Fuck! You started it! I wasn’t going to just let you beat me into a pulp!” 

“You deserved it!” 

“For what reason?” Vox shouted as the lights around them started flickering and his claws started to sparkle with an electric current. “I was just trying to be nice! I wanted to give you something so maybe then you'll acknowledge me as your equal! As someone that can stand next to you without looking like your damn charity work!”

“And what difference does that make?” Alastor smiled, his head tilting as his hand gripped the piece of glass that was stuck to his chest and pulled it out. “Did you think that was going to sway me in your direction? That it was going to make me see you as a man?” 

The laughter that followed made Vox's blood turn cold. It was cruel and mocking, and Vox heard it many times but it was never aimed at him, never him, just other nobodies and losers that didn't deserve Alastor’s attention. Today wasn’t supposed to go this way! 

“I wanted you-” Vox wasn't able to finish, the piece of glass thrown in his direction cut him off and forced him to dodge instead. 

“I don't,” Alastor took out the last piece of glass and his wounds slowly started healing. “I thought your enthusiasm to claim souls and become an overlord was because you understood how this place worked. I never thought it was due to some silly fantasy like this!” 

“As if yours is any better! All you want is for people to fear you! You sadistic fuck!”

Alastor started at Vox and his grin slowly grew sharper while the fur in his ears seemed to become stiff. “Enjoying what I do has its perks for sure but that's not all you stupid, walking picture box. The ones at the top, the ones with power, and the ones that control and move people like game pieces are the ones that are always going to have the most freedom. I am free because I'm an overlord, I am free because people fear me and I am free because I have the power and strength to keep it that way!” 

There was a small silence and Alastor’s voice turned softer as he continued to speak. “I thought you understood this, that you understood me, but you turned into another disappointment.” 

The shadows around Alastor melted with him and before Vox could do anything, Alastor was gone. He was just gone. 

“Yes, melt your chilly heart.”

It was long after Alastor left that Vox realized what his words meant. Vox never thought of his present as a cage but it was obvious that’s what he meant to create since the beginning. It was obvious to everyone except him because he was used to being greedy and hoarding what he wanted the most by any means necessary. The towers, offices, and shops that belonged to Vox were all modern, with large windows and a cold but welcoming feeling to them. They were bright and open but the radio studio Vox created was completely different. It was right by his office, right by his watchful eyes, there were no windows, no other doors and the decor was obviously not of his taste but it was there to please someone else, like padding in a cage to make a new pet feel welcome. The glass door that led to the recording room only had one knob and that knob was on the opposite side. 

Alastor was right, he created a cage because that’s what he wanted deep inside. 

Alcohol always made memories like this so much more vivid. The song ended a few minutes ago and Niffty was running towards Alastor, cheering for him and clapping. The rest of the crowd was also pleased, and even though Vox was drunk, he could feel that green jealousy slowly crawling through his veins. There was a time when only he knew how good of a singer Alastor was, and there was a time when only he knew he could play so many instruments. He held onto those memories like a greedy dog that didn’t want to let go of a rotten bone, but now here he was, sitting in a crowd of nobodies, failures, and misfits, yet they were able to see what belonged to only Vox so long ago. 

In the end, Vox only owned his memories of Alastor, nothing else, he couldn’t own him. 

Chapter Text

New Orleans’s streets were busy as loud music played from every restaurant and hidden bar. The roads were filled with people dancing and trying to hide the spiked drinks masked as simple cocktails or fruit juice. You could never truly take the festivities away from a city deeply rooted in celebrations and music. People were laughing as they drunkenly moved to the next hidden bar while police officers pretended not to see anything and patrolled the streets with no real aim. It wasn’t as if they weren’t participating in the same festival.

Mardi Gras always brought new people to New Orleans but in recent years the city had an exponential number of tourists during this time of the year. It was no surprise as the prohibition laws that were causing misery everywhere in the country seemed to almost be forgotten during this time of celebration. Almost all drinks were masked as non-alcoholic wine and if it wasn’t wine it was a mixture of sweet juices that tasted nothing like alcohol, so how could they be breaking the law? It was a party for everyone and everybody willing to dump money into the illegal business that was ready to supply.

The loud music echoed through all the alleyways, making it impossible to hear anything but the beat that bounced against the walls. Nobody could hear the steps rushing through the dirty streets and the heavy breathing that was coming from the person rushing through the different alleys that seemed to lead to another dead end. The man hit his shoulder against the corner of a wall but kept running. The music was getting louder and he could hear the laughter from people that were on the main streets. If he could just make it there, then everything was going to be fine. 

Another street, another corner, and then a quick turn. It should have been the way out, it should have been but as he turned to meet a new street he found himself falling. A burning pain was spreading through his left leg and he couldn’t help the screams that came from his mouth. He was on the dirty floor with blood pouring out of his right leg as part of his bone pierced through the flesh. The pain was making him dizzy and snot and tears were soon covering his face. He was looking around, trying to figure out what happened, but his vision was blurry. 

“You know, people often try to outrun me but I truly know this city like the palm of my hand. It is such a chore when I have to give chase to a dead man walking.” 

The man tried to get back up, ignoring the pain that was shooting through his leg. He needed to get away, and even though deep inside he knew it was impossible, his brain wouldn’t allow him to give up just yet. He was limping, hugging the wall next to him as he dragged his broken leg in a sorry attempt to get away.

“Honestly, this is just sad to look at.” Alastor grinned and gripped the crowbar he was holding with both of his hands. He walked toward the man and then swung the crowbar as if it was a baseball bat. It hit the man’s good leg before the sound of broken bones and flesh tearing filled his ears. The screams were just a bonus. “There, now you don’t have to try so hard.” 

The crowbar slipped in between Alastor’s belt, letting it hook against it while he bent down to pull on one of his leg slacks to get the large knife that was strapped against his leg. The gut hook knife was easily spun in his hands as he tossed it from one hand to another. The man underneath him was a crying mess, he was babbling non-stop, asking for forgiveness, and saying sorry non-stop but what good were his apologies now? It was nothing but empty words that came from someone who was facing death. 

“You got no one else to blame but yourself, sir. Every year people like you come here and think they can do whatever they want with no consequences but sadly for you, you targeted someone that I know, and let's just say I don’t enjoy the company I frequent being hurt.”

Alastor hummed, gripped his knife with his right hand, and smiled. He dropped to his knees on top of the man’s thighs as he brought the knife down with the same momentum to stab through the man’s chest. The sharp blade easily pierced through the feeble skin but then Alastor twisted the knife, allowing the sharp hook on the opposite side to align with the man’s flesh. It was a swift and precise movement, the hook tore through the man’s stomach, splitting him open until his intestines were spilling and blood was bathing the rest of his body. 

Alastor lifted his knees and crouched on top of the man with his knife lightly poking at the exposed ribs. He was still alive but it wasn’t going to be for long. “I usually kill before gutting, but some animals just don’t deserve that type of mercy. You can wait to die or better yet, kill yourself by rolling around like a roach.” 

Alastor cleaned the blood on his knife with the man’s slacks and then slipped it inside the holster strapped to his leg. He kept walking down the alleyway, hearing the man's pain-filled groans. It was only when he was near the main street that he grabbed the crowbar that was hooked against his belt and tossed it near a few trash cans. The restaurant that came into view was busy with people drinking and patrons dancing to the music. Alastor easily blended in and picked up a cup of wine while the owner was distracted. He lazily spilled it on himself, hiding the blood stains with a similar color and the smell of alcohol. He dropped the cup on another table and then left the open restaurant to continue walking down the street. 

The festival was at full flow with small parades moving down the streets. Alastor waved at a few people he recognized and kept walking until he reached the familiar bar that led to a hidden casino. He went in through the backdoor and found his locker before quickly changing shirts and putting on a blazer. He washed his hands and face before fixing his hair and getting rid of any visible wrinkles. By the time he was walking out of the locker room a flustered Betty was heading in his direction. 

“Alastor! Where have you been? It’s almost time for our show!” Betty huffed and gave him a small glare. 

“Sorry, sorry, there were some issues with the tables, and then a customer spilled his drink on me so I had to go change. I’m here on time, aren’t I?” Alastor chuckled. He offered his arm to Betty and she took it with a frustrated sigh.

“Next time just tell me. I think I’m just so nervous lately, after what happened to one of my girls with that creep I’m just worried about everyone.” 

“I understand, my dear but I’m a man, I can promise you that I can take care of myself.” 

“You’re right, sorry, let’s just focus on the show!” 

“That’s the spirit!” 

The casino was overstaffed during this time of the year and it was bustling with people from all over the country. It wasn’t just their regulars but tourists who wanted to experience something new and the dangers of New Orleans. It was a running joke that during this time of the year, there were more people found floating down the river than alligators. 

Alastor led Betty to the stage and then took his rightful place by the piano. He relaxed his shoulders and rolled his neck before his fingers started moving. The bass came first, then it was his turn followed by the saxophone and the guitar. Betty’s voice was the last addition, she smiled as she started singing and heads turned to watch the show. The blues had now been completely replaced by jazz and the rhythm was quite different while preserving the soul of the music. It was the most popular genre in all of Louisiana and people were ready to line up and watch live shows in New Orleans. 

The casino was soon mostly focused on the show and the tables took this time to reset and set up new bets and ground rules. It was the perfect time to scam players out of money, they were distracted and paying more attention to Betty’s sweet face and fluent dance moves. Another song started and the dealers distributed the cards and waited for the patrons to bet or make a call. The music was getting louder and as the sweet voice kept captivating them they kept looking away from their hand, not caring about losing a few games in a row while not paying attention to the dealer’s high calls and increased bets. 

The third song had Alastor singing with Betty. He joined her without moving from his spot by playing the piano and she danced around him while still trying to captivate the attention of the crowd in front of them. Betty was used to playing for big crowds and it was rare when she did long live performances like this for the casino, but there were exceptions and those exceptions usually happened when tourists crowded the casino like this. Michael was willing to pay him plenty of money as long as she kept everyone distracted while the tables switched their methods to try to extort as much money off of the newcomers as they could. 

By the time the last song was finished playing, the money collected by the casino was enough to pay for live concerts like these for years to come. 

Alastor ended up back in his father’s office by the end of the night. He was reading a book without really paying attention to it while Michael tried to finish running the numbers for tonight’s profits. He was smoking, just like always, and by now Alastor was used to the smell of expensive cigars, and depending on the time of the year they had a different scent but this time they were earthier than before, with a hint of a citrus smell, they were probably from somewhere in South America. 

“I want to become a radio host.” Alastor closed his book and sat up.

Michael, who had been engrossed with the paperwork in front of him furrowed his brows and looked at Alastor in confusion. “What?”

“You said that if I continue this line of work with you appearances are important, so I want to become a radio host. I think it would be the right fit for me.” 

Michael took a long drag of his cigar and stared at Alastor. The boy had been working at the casino for over a year now, and maybe it was due to his job or maybe the fact that he now performed with Betty but he felt…different. The confident aura around him, and the way he carried himself were quite different from when he first arrived back in New Orleans. The boy had charm, yes, he was charming. He knew how to carry on a conversation with almost everyone, even Michael’s business partners. He knew when to say what he needed to say and when to remain quiet. He was a fast learner and could pick up on social cues quite easily compared to before. 

“You’ll still have to work for me and under me, you do know that, correct?” Michael tapped his cigar on an ashtray and kept his eyes on Alastor. 

“Yes, of course, I know that. I understand that this would be kind of like living a double life, like you do. You have the horse tracks and horse races to keep appearances and explain where your wealth comes from while doing the casinos underground. You also are very well known, along with your wife, so technically you are hiding in plain sight. I think radio hosting would do the same for me, and it sounds like something fun! I’m kind of getting bored of always being here, you know, at the casino, every day.” 

Michael shrugged his shoulders and took another long drag of his cigar. “Alright, I’m sure I can pull some strings.” 

“What? Really?” Alastor almost jumped off of his seat in excitement but instead stayed seated with a smile. 

“Yeah, my wife knows a few local music producers ‘cause they do recordings of church music for her. They are all linked to the radio stations around here as well, so I'll talk to her.”

Alastor was about to open his mouth to say something when Michael continued and sent him a cold stare that pinned him in the spot. “This means I’ll finally introduce you to my family. I was thinking of doing this after Louis was done with his studies and you could help him get used to this line of work, but I suppose that can wait, still, you better watch your mouth boy, as far as my wife is aware you are just some kid I found after the hurricane that I thought had potential for this business so you better play the part. Don’t speak too much, don’t try to get smart with me, and do not talk about my job with my wife and kids, understood?” 

“Yes, sir.” Alastor gave a firm nod. 

“Good, if you try anything stupid, I’ll personally make sure you aren’t able to sing ever again, let alone speak.” 

Michael’s home was on the outskirts of the city, in a gated community that hardly saw much traffic. The streets were clean and each house had large metal gates with front yards that were probably as big as a park. The cars were newer and made less noise than the ones downtown and it seemed like everyone knew one another by how people constantly waved at Michael as they drove down the road. The large trees and flowers that adorned the path were quite pretty and Alastor found himself staring at them. He had never been to this side of town and the truth was that he didn’t even know houses like this existed in New Orleans. The atmosphere was completely different and even the fashion sense wasn’t the same. Everyone was dressed slightly old-fashioned, especially the women. 

The car drove through a new set of gates and then parked near the entrance of a large house. Alastor’s eyes didn’t know where to look. The two-story house had a massive front yard that was paved with expensive stone and beautiful flowers, it was probably just as big as Michael’s casino if not bigger. Alastor could count at least fifteen windows facing them and he could hardly see the ends of the house on each side. The large, wooden, double doors had stained glass with religious symbolism like the birth of God’s son and angels flying around him. 

The double doors opened and the figure of a very slim woman came into view. She wore a white and pink dress that reached her ankles and had long sleeves and a long neckline, it covered every inch of her skin. She had a sweet face with green eyes that looked almost sleepy and long, light brown hair that was fixed in a loose braid that hung over her shoulder. 

She was Michael’s wife, Anna. Alastor didn’t need to be introduced, he just knew it. She looked kind, soft, and almost docile but the way she was looking at him was calculating beyond measurement, it was as if she was studying every part of him as Alastor walked closer with Michael next to him. 

“Anna, I thought you were going to a church function this morning.” Michael greeted his wife and kissed her cheek before stepping inside the house. Alastor stayed by the stairs, not knowing what to do until Michael motioned for him to follow. 

“I was, but I didn’t want to be impolite and not welcome our latest guest.” Anna closed the door behind her and turned to face the two again. She looked from Alastor to Michael with the smile on her lips never wavering. 

“Don’t be silly, he wouldn't mind.” Michael gently pushed Alastor in front of him. “Alastor, this is my wife, Anna Walker, Anna this is Alastor Corbin. He’s the one I have been telling you about.” 

“I have heard many things about you, yes. Please, follow me, have a seat.” Anna led the two to the small living room next to the main entrance. Her back remained straight as she walked while her steps were quiet. 

Alastor followed behind the two with his eyes looking around the living room. The furniture looked expensive but a bit dated. The white room was mostly adorned with other pale colors or faded blues and yellows that made the house look muted while also busy with how many decorations hung from the walls or adorned the coffee tables. 

Anna sat on one of the single couches and that left Alastor and Michael sitting together on the opposite end. She picked up a small bell next to the table and rang it once. In a matter of minutes, three maids were walking into the room with a tray of tea and some sweets. The three women were all dressed the same, with extremely short hair or no hair at all but what caught Alastor’s attention the most was that they were all avoiding eye contact and their skin color.

It wasn’t as if Alastor was ignorant of the world outside his own experience, but for the past few years, he was living in a bubble that was created by Michael. He went to a religious school and then spent all of his time at the casino working during the night and sleeping during the day. He was so used to living in this world that now that he was faced with the half of himself that was buried in the ground by Michael he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

It reminded him of the time when he was a boy and he would go into town with his mother while pretending the two weren’t related. The anxiety that would squeeze his insides and make him feel lightheaded was back. Was his hair fixed properly? Was the way he walked, spoke, and stood right? Did he carry himself like he was supposed to or did he reflect his mother? How exactly was he supposed to act? His mother’s words echoed in his head and he found himself smiling as a cup of tea was offered to him. He picked it up, staring at the light brown liquid that reflected him before taking a small sip. 

“You have a lovely smile,” Anna said and took a sip of his tea. “You look like quite the charmer, I’m sure plenty of girls are rushing to talk to you.”

“Oh! No, not at all, ma’am. I’m far too busy to consider things like that.” 

“Michael used to say the same and now we are married.” Anna smiled and put her cup of tea down. “But it is important to have a good head on your shoulders. If you lose it, it can make life quite difficult.” 

“I’m sure it wound.” Alastor took another sip of his tea, not knowing what else to say. In reality, just keeping eye contact with Anna was difficult, there was a level of intimidation that she had on her stare that was difficult to avoid. It was different from Michael’s, while Michael wasn’t afraid to glare, shout, or show hatred in his eyes, Anna was the opposite. Her green eyes were clear but the smile on her lips never matched her stare. 

“Michael.” Anna’s eyes moved to her husband's and her smile became sweeter. “I forgot to tell you that I told Louis that you were going to be the one to pick him up from his exhibit.” 

“Wait what?” Michael, who was busy eating some cookies, almost choked. “At what time is his exhibit over?”

“In thirty minutes.”

“Anna, it takes almost an hour to drive back downtown! You should have told me earlier, I would have picked him up before we came here!” 

“I forgot, I have so much in my mind with the church’s festivals during this time of the year that it slipped my mind.” 

“Alright, I’ll go get him, come on boy.”

“He can stay.” Anna’s eyes turned to Alastor and she lightly pushed the plate of cookies in his direction. “We can wait for you here.” 

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Michael said. 

“And why not?” 

Alastor smiled nervously as the two stared at one another. Michael’s face looked strained but Anna looked as calm as ever, like undisturbed water by a lake. 

“You’re right, I’ll be back then.” Michael left but Alastor didn’t miss the glare aimed at him as he left the room. It was a warning. 

The silence that followed was only interrupted when a maid came back into the room to refill their kettle with freshly brewed tea and added a new plate of cookies. The sweet pastries looked freshly baked but Alastor was far too anxious to even consider tasting one. 

“I heard from my husband that you went to a catholic school, it’s that true?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Why catholic if you don’t mind me asking?” Anna stood up from her chair and moved around the coffee table to sit next to Alastor. 

Alastor straightened his posture and linked his hands together on his lap. “My mother was catholic, so I figured that’s what she would have liked.”

“I heard she died during the last hurricane. God sure works in mysterious ways.”

“Pardon?” 

Anna only smiled and crossed her legs while fixing her dress. “Nothing dear, before going to school where were you living?” 

“I lived near a bayou but deeper in the swamp.” 

“Oh! A country boy, well kind of.” Anna laughed and one of her hands gently slapped Alastor’s knee. “I’m sure life is quite different here in the city.” 

“Yeah, for sure, I think it is a lot busier and chaotic.” 

“Oh, I’m sure. New Orleans is growing quite fast and unfortunately, some nonsense from the north is reaching us and now we have people mixing everywhere which makes it even busier. Honestly, even going out is somewhat unsightly now but I simply can’t live an isolated life when there is so much to do.” 

“Yes, I’m sure,” Alastor said but frowned in confusion, not understanding what Anna was talking about but not liking the tone or the words she was picking to use. “Michael tells me you are always very busy.” 

“Yes, I have quite a lot on my plate.” Anna picked up a new cup of tea and took a sip. “But let’s not talk about me, I’m more curious about you. So, you lived by the swamps, I’m sure you had to deal with a lot of wildlife there.” 

“Yes, certainly but my mother taught me how to deal with it from an early age. I know how to build traps and hunt pretty well, that’s how we kept food on our table.” 

“Oh! You know how to hunt?” Anna’s eyes lit up and her smile became wider. “I wish my son knew how, but he’s such a shy and delicate boy but my daddy loves to hunt, and he taught me how from an early age as well.” 

“Oh? Did he take you to swamps as well?” 

“Oh no dear, he is more into prey that he can also turn into trophies. He loves hunting deer, we always have ample venison in our household because of it.” 

“I don’t think I have ever had venison.” 

“Oh, you’re going to love it, trust me,” Anna reassured him and gently picked up a pair of cookies on a small plate before handing them to Alastor. “Sadly, he is always busy with work and hardly has time to come down here. He’s from Texas and spends most of his time there.”

“I hope to have the pleasure of meeting him one day.”

“Me too, but enough of that, Michael said that you were trying to become a radio host?” 

“Yes! That’s the plan, I think it would be quite fitting for me and I have been a huge fan of radio shows since I was a child.” 

Anna nodded and tilted her head as she studied Alastor’s face. “Are you sure you want to do radio and not television? I know picture boxes aren’t as common as radios but there are more job openings due to how unstable the job market is at the moment and how quickly it is expanding.”

“I honestly have never thought about that but I don’t think it would fit me. I think my voice fits the radio better.” 

“I can’t argue with that.” Anna smiled but moved a bit closer. “But your face, your features, they are unique and attractive. I’m sure you could get a spot right away, but if you don’t want that then I won’t push it. I was told you are also a gifted musician?” 

“I wouldn’t call myself gifted but I do know how to play plenty of instruments and aren’t a shabby singer at all. I used to be part of my school’s chorus.” 

“Oh, that’s wonderful, maybe you can come and play at my church sometime. We always welcome new musicians, plus it would give me a reason to introduce you to the producers that share business with the local radio stations. It would make things fit quite nicely.” 

“It sounds like a lovely time, ma’am.” 

The front door opened loudly then and Alastor and Anna turned to face the source of the ruckus. A young woman in her teens was standing by the door and taking off her coat in a rush. She had very long, orangy red hair that reached below her waist and was tied in a half-braid. She wore a white dress that covered most of her skin but was form-fitting and definitely more modern than what Anna was wearing. She had freckles across her cheeks and face, mirroring some of the freckles that adorned Alastor’s face as well. 

“Mom! Where are you? I can’t believe you made me go to that function all by myself, it was a disaster! The other ladies were all lost without you, they didn’t even kn-Oh! Hello!” The girl who was turning around and ranting to her mother finally noticed they had a visitor. She gave an embarrassed smile while her cheeks turned a bright red. 

“Darling, this is Alastor Corbin, he works with your father and is going to be staying with us from now on. Alastor, this is my daughter, Marianne, we call her Mary for short.” 

Alastor stood up and fixed his shirt and vest before approaching Marianne and lightly bowing in front of her. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Marianne.”

“Oh, call me Mary, please!” Marianne’s blush only seemed to grow as Alastor got closer. She quickly fixed her dress and ran her fingers through her hair as if trying to fix her appearance as much as she could. “It is a pleasure to meet you, I hope my father is good to you.” 

“Of course, he has been taking care of me for quite a while. He’s a very generous man.” 

Marianne clasped her hands together in front of her and smiled before looking over at her mother as she walked closer to her. “Mom, tell me next time we have visitors.”

“Why?” Anna gave her a sly smile and gently ran her hands through her daughter’s hair. “It isn’t as if he’s here to see you.”

“Mom!” 

Alastor awkwardly took a step back while trying to mask the discomfort he was feeling. He kept his charming smile but couldn’t stop the goosebumps that crawled over his arms. It was a good thing he was wearing long sleeves. Anna was looking at him and for a second Alastor saw nothing but pure amusement in her eyes. The stare she was giving him was of obvious entertainment as if she was having fun watching for his reactions. 

Anna was a woman around the same height as him but as she stood there with her back straight and her dress making her neck look longer, she looked towering, intimidating and threatening. 

Alastor’s smile slipped for a second, and the warmth that was once there turned cold. It was a slip-up but her face brightened and her smile turned wider. 

She knew. 

Michael was a fucking idiot if he thought Anna didn’t know about Alastor. She knew everything and she was testing him. She was making him feel uncomfortable on purpose. Anna wanted him to be the one to confess, to tell on Michael and reveal the truth. He was uncomfortable with Marianne and Anna’s comments because they were siblings, and she was doing this on purpose. Something like this was enough to make anyone feel disgusted on the spot but Alastor couldn’t give a normal reaction, he just couldn’t. If he did, then it would be all the confirmation Anna needed. 

Alastor gave Marianne an apologetic smile. “As lovely of a young lady as you are Miss Mary, I am unfortunately taken.” 

“Oh?” Anna tilted her head. “I thought you said you were too busy for dating.” 

“Truth is that I cannot speak about my relationship,” Alastor explained with a sigh. “The woman I’m dating is a very popular singer here in New Orleans, her name is Betty but due to her job it is best if our relationship remains a secret, I hope you can both understand.” 

Alastor internally apologized to Betty. He was going to have to talk to her soon and ask her to cover up for his lies, not for free of course, but he just needed a way out at the moment. 

“Oh my god, yes! I know about Betty, she is amazing!” Marianne excitedly clapped her hands and took a step closer to Alastor. “Could you introduce us one day? I would love to get her autograph please!” 

“Absolutely!” Alastor grinned. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Also please don’t mind my mom, she keeps trying to marry me off but I already told her I’m not ready.” Marianne gave her mother a small glare. “I’m trying to focus on my career! I’m a seamstress and designer, and a lot of my dresses are sold downtown. If you can let me meet Betty I promise to make it up to you by designing you an exclusive suit just for you! One of a kind, I promise!” 

“Who could refuse an offer like that?” 

“Great! I have to excuse myself now, I have to finish a few new sketches and get dressed for dinner but it was a pleasure meeting you Mister Corbin.” 

“The pleasure was mine, Miss Mary and please call me Alastor.” Alastor smiled and gave her a small wave as Marianne went up the stairs with a maid following close behind her. 

Alastor was so distracted with the two that he missed the way Anna walked around him and then one of her arms moved over his shoulders until her hand was gripping his shoulder. She was leaning in closer, making him flinch until her body was pressing against his back and her chin was resting on his opposite shoulder. Alastor’s entire body went stiff and he couldn’t move at all. He was frozen in place with no idea of what to do. 

“You’re a smart boy,” Anna whispered and her hand moved to gently hold his chin and turn his head towards her. “Smarter than the man I married for sure, keep your mind sharp like this and I’ll make sure you get exactly what you want.” 

Alastor nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat before flinching again when Anna’s hand moved from his chin to his chest. He didn’t know which direction to take, if he moved back then he was going to end up pressing against her and if he moved forward then he was going to be moving along with her hand. He wasn’t sure of what to do but what frightened him the most was when he saw the two maids from before closing the two doors that led to the sitting area. 

He was trapped.

What was he supposed to do? What could he do? The way his blood was pumping through his body was making him tremble and he was fighting to swallow the bloodlust that was building in his throat. If he did anything, if he tried anything, he was going to lose either way. There was nowhere for him to run. He couldn’t attack Anna, his father would kill him if he did. He couldn’t kill her, there were too many witnesses, and he couldn’t even threaten her when she already knew his and Michael’s secret. 

The long and delicate fingers moved lower and Alastor’s mind went blank.

It was two hours later and Michael was back with a young man who looked a lot like him. The redhead that stepped inside the large house had shorter hair but it was curly just like Michael’s while his skin was just as pale. He had a small nose and thin lips with sharp features but round eyes that softened his expressions. He was holding a large art portfolio made out of leather and also a bag holding multiple canvases. He was excitedly talking to Michael about his latest piece while Michael looked like he was ready to light up another cigar and hide in his study. 

“Dinner is served, sir.” A maid took Louis’s coat and the rest of his supplies while the two made their way to the dining room.

Anna was already sitting down next to Alastor while Marianne was talking about her latest project and how she was working on all the newest costumes for the ballet school and their new play. 

“Sorry we took so long, Louis needed to stop by his art studio and pick up a few of his projects for this weekend,” Michael explained and walked around the table to sit on his usual spot at the head of the table. He leaned down to kiss his daughter’s head and then glanced over at his wife just for his eyes to turn to Alastor. He furrowed his brows, noticing the boy’s idle stare with his usual smile. He looked…different but Michael wasn’t sure why. 

“Louis, this is Alastor Corbin, he works for me and will be staying with us for the next few weeks while he gets settled in a new job,” Michael introduced Alastor and he watched as the boy slowly stood up. 

“Alastor, it is a pleasure to meet you, quite a pleasure, your father has told me a lot about you!” Alastor’s smile was wide and his usual charismatic personality was back but it felt louder, more theatrical, almost like a performance. Michael wasn’t sure how he could tell this but he kept his eyes on Alastor as he shook Louis’s hand and the two started chatting. 

Michael sat down and his wife reached to hold his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. 

“Welcome home, darling.” Anna smiled. 

“Thank you, did you two get along while I was gone?”

“Yes, we did, he is quite a lovely boy.” 

Chapter Text

The hotel’s morning routine was in motion. Husk was restocking the bar while Angel talked to him about the latest gossip going on on TV. The shadow minions were busy setting up the breakfast buffet while the rest of the sinners were slowly coming down the stairs to sit and eat breakfast. Niffty was rushing to finish cleaning the floor and dust off the furniture that was already clean and had no dust to be seen. She grinned and rushed to try to clean up some of the guests until Charlie had to get her and give her something else to do instead. 

“I feel like we are missing someone.” Charlie frowned and looked around the dining room. “Wait, where’s Vox?”

Vaggie gave Charlie a confused look and tilted her head. “Alastor didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” 

“Vox checked out this morning. He left.” 

“What?” Charlie yelled, her mind already rushing to try to figure out the reasoning behind Vox’s decision. Was it going to affect the hotel? What if he went live and gave them negative publicity? Everything could go wrong if he said something bad about them! “Did he say why?”

“He said he found what he was looking for, whatever that means. Don’t let it get to you, honey. You know that overlords are, well, not all there. I’m sure he was just playing games with us.” 

“That might be true, but I was hoping that maybe he was being honest, that he truly wanted to change.” Charlie sighed and sat down with her hands on her head. “I don’t know why Alastor didn’t tell me anything…wait, where’s Alastor?”

“He said he had business outside and he’ll be back tonight.” 

“I hope he can talk to me about what happened, I just need to know, for closure.” 

Vox was back in VoxTek and the whole building was in disarray. Nobody expected Vox to be back so soon, they truly thought their boss was going to be gone for a few months but instead, he arrived at nine am sharp and had everyone dancing around his fingers while firing whoever wasn’t able to meet their deadlines. The small vacation everyone was enjoying was cut short and now everyone was stressed trying to set up the new plans for the latest prototypes and software updates. The latest phones didn’t have enough updates, their apps were all behind, and on top of that the branch in charge of the latest shows wasn’t even done writing the newest manuscript. 

“You sure know how to make a comeback,” Velvette said as she set foot inside Vox’s office with her phone in her hands. 

“Hello to you too, Velvette,” Vox’s greeting was dry but not cold. He was just too busy typing away on his laptop. 

The two sat in a comfortable silence before the door opened a second time and Valentino walked in with a cigarette already in between his fingers. 

“Nice to see that you still remember you have a home to come back to,” Valentino rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Velvette.

“I’m not talking to you until you apologize,” Vox said right away and gave Valentino a pointed look. 

“You are kidding, right?”

“You tell me, Val.”

The seconds dragged on and then Valentino sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’m sorry I was an asshole. You and Velvette were right! I’m stupid and need to stop thinking with my dick and use my brain, happy?”

“It’ll do.” Vox grinned and closed his laptop. 

“So, did you figure out how to deal with the Radio Demon?” Velvette asked, getting straight to the point. “Or at least how we can deal with the issues regarding souls and angelic weapons.” 

“Yeah, I figured it out. I guess I just needed to take a walk down memory lane.” The same memories Vox avoided trying to remember. “But I’ll need your cooperation, that means you have to trust me for this to work, got it?” 

“Oh, Voxxy, like you have to ask.” Valentino grinned and took a drag of his cigarette. 

“I don’t care as long as it gets us to number one on trending.” Velvette chuckled and flicked her hair with a vain smile. 

“Great, then I need you both to listen carefully, Alastor will be coming here any second now and we can’t fuck this up.”

The security guard outside The Vee’s tower was sure that at this point in his life, it would be easier for him to run away from Vox than the red-clad figure that was walking towards the entrance. He was trembling where he stood and as the Radio Demon came closer he started to sweat. He was supposed to stop the man from coming in but he couldn’t even bring himself to look up when the demon stopped right in front of him. 

A shiny, black, and blue envelope joined his field of vision and the security guard was finally able to breathe. It was an invitation from Vox, with a stamp and everything. The Radio Demon wasn’t here to fight. 

“R-right this way, sir, Radio Demon, sir!” The security guard led Alastor to a private elevator and finally found himself able to relax when the doors closed. 

Alastor hummed to himself as the elevator music played in the background. The Vee’s tower was huge and getting to the top floor was going to take at least a couple of minutes. It was a cold place though, with hardly any warmth to it and it was odd how it kind of made Alastor miss the hotel on the outskirts of Pentagram City. He chuckled to himself and shook his head, maybe Niffty was right, he was getting used to them for sure. 

The elevator stopped and Alastor stepped out and into Vox’s office. He remembered this path very well. The pictures in the hallway changed over the years but as he kept walking the posters didn’t swap to black and white but continued in color. Pictures of models, Angel Dust, Velvette, and Valentino were plastered everywhere but what made Alastor’s eyes change color was when he saw a pair of familiar double doors that were still there. The grip in his cane tightened but his smile stayed the same as his eyes changed back to normal. 

The end of the hallway opened up to a massive indoor tank with two sharks, a launch, a meeting room, a minibar, and Vox’s office. The owner of VoxTek was sitting behind his desk with a grin and sharp eyes that made Alastor want to smack him. 

“I see you decided to accept my invitation.” Vox stood up with his arms behind his back.

“I was curious as to why you would be so bold as to invite me into your territory, do you want to humiliate yourself in front of the souls you own?” 

“Drop the act, I’m not stupid.” 

“You could have fooled me, old friend.” Alastor shrugged and glanced at his nails, looking uninterested. 

Vox rolled his eyes and walked over to the minibar. “You want a drink?”

“That sounds lovely,” Alastor answered and made himself comfortable on one of the large couches with his legs crossed and his cane in between them. He looked around, noticing everything that changed over the years before Vox handed him a glass of whiskey. “Ah, same as always, I see.” 

“Some things don’t have to change.” Vox took a sip of his drink and sat across from Alastor. “I know you did this on purpose.” 

Alastor tilted his head, his half-lidded eyes staring at Vox with nothing but amusement behind them. As if he was encouraging Vox to keep talking, to tell him the tale he crafted for this meeting. 

“You deliberately targeted new souls to be redeemed not because it would be easier and it’ll help Charlie, but because you knew it would create conflict between overlords. We don’t deal with money or resources, we are above that, souls have the highest price. Souls are our currency, and if there is a shortage of souls, we are the ones at risk.” Vox took another sip of his drink and his eyes locked in with Alastor’s. “You were waiting for one of us to notice this and I bet you even knew we would come looking for you but…did you ever think it was going to be me?” 

Alastor laughed and put the still-full cup of whiskey on the table in front of him. “No, I gotta say that took me by surprise and I was also slightly disappointed. I was gone for seven years and it feels like most Overlords have lost their edge. Imagine my surprise when from all the Overlords, you were the first one to arrive at the hotel, one of the youngest ones.”

“Asshole.”

“No need for name-calling, I was truly impressed by you! Here I thought you were too busy playing house to pay attention to things like these.”

“Did you have fun watching me run around to the tune of your damn song?” 

“I can’t deny it, it was very entertaining.” 

Vox narrowed his eyes and finished his drink. “You continue to underestimate me, but now you are here, in my office, instead of another Overlord’s. I know you are trying to cause conflict between Overlords and that means you want a war, you want everyone to be at each other’s throats. Not only that, but it is very obvious that you hold a very important position next to Charlie and that damn hotel is what everyone talks about nowadays. They are the only ones getting news from heaven, them and you. I know you crave chaos but you have never done anything like this before, you usually just kill Overlords and rip their souls to shreds or stomp on whoever threatens you, why this?” 

“I’m afraid I cannot give you all the details, at least not yet,” Alastor leaned in with his chin resting against his hand. “They have a high price.”

“What if I am willing to pay that price?” 

The lights flickered and Alastor’s red eyes turned brighter while his radio dials switched to green. “What do you have to offer?” 

“What you want the most.” Vox stood up and walked towards Alastor. He stood in front of him with his eyes never looking away from him. “If you tell me what is happening, if you tell me what you know, the Vees will back you up in every way we can. We’ll preserve what you cherish the most, your freedom.” 

Alastor’s smile grew along with his deer antlers. Green eyes were now staring at Vox, with radio dials that kept twitching non-stop. Alastor stood up and as he was about to hold his hand out to Vox the other took a step back with a grin. Vox’s screen started glitching, showing noisy static that flicked to different colors and then his red and black eyes appeared. Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth while the room around him went dark with the only light source coming from his screen. The floor underneath them turned into the same colorful, noisy static that glowed with different shades of blue before reflecting two sharks swimming underneath. Vox’s body seemed to grow and his screen cracked like spiderwebs before color filled with static spilled from within those cracks. 

“This deal is under my terms.” Vox’s voice was completely distorted, it sounded as if multiple people were speaking with his regular voice being the loudest. “You will tell us what you know, and everything that’s going on in that ratty hotel from now on. You will cooperate with us to maintain hell as we know it, in return, we, the Vees, will guarantee your freedom against everyone and anyone, do we have a deal?” 

Alastor grinned and took a step forward. “Are you sure this is a good deal for you, Vox? It seems to leave a lot of loose ends and doesn’t even guarantee your safety or that of your colleagues.” 

Vox only leaned in closer, his form was bigger and his screen was reflecting Alastor’s face as it glitched non-stop from being recorded. He grinned and his distorted voice only grew. “I said I’m willing to pay the price, now make the deal or get out.” 

Alastor’s eyes turned green again and then without further hesitation he reached out to shake Vox’s hand. The room started glowing green and then blue, the two colors mixed as radio static filled the air. Vox stared at Alastor the whole time, and as the deal was made he was able to see the same stitches he noticed in his recordings. The same green threads that he hadn’t been able to notice before, and the new face that Alastor only showed to people when making a deal. He looked truly demonic, but it only made Vox’s smile wider. 

A deal was made. 

The lights flickered on again and by then the two were back to normal with Alastor smiling from ear to ear, his half-lidded eyes staring at Vox with a satisfaction that Vox had never seen before. It made his chest feel tight but he pushed those emotions away and instead sat on the table in front of Alastor with his arms on his knees.

“Now, spill it.” 

Alastor flopped back down on his seat and crossed his legs once again. “What do you think about souls, Vox?” 

“Souls? I mean, they are the true essence of life.” 

“Correct! That’s exactly what a soul is, you could say a soul is truly who you are and not the body you are given. Human souls are very special as well.”

“What’s so special about them?” Vox frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “They are the cheapest you can get and the easiest, it is way harder to own the soul of a hellborn than a human.” 

“Yes, you are correct, but that’s because that’s exactly what other hellborn and even the heavens want us to believe. Do you know why Pentagram City is separated from the rest of hell?” 

“All human souls go to the pride ring, that’s common knowledge, Alastor.” 

“Is it?” Alastor smiled and leaned in closer, his voice sounding a lot softer. “What if I told you that’s a lie? What if I told you the reason why we are separated from the rest of hell is to protect hellborn just like when Lucifer made a deal with Heaven to keep them safe? Lucifer sees us as much of a threat to his people as heaven itself. You’ll be surprised by what a mortal soul can accomplish once they take charge of their own fate. The book Heaven proclaims to be a testament to their faith showcases that as clear as day, even Adam was like so. He was once a mortal and became the first man in heaven, then he became the judge and executor for heaven against us.” 

Vox furrowed his brows and listened carefully, if what Alastor was saying was true then this completely changed the playing field and turned this demented game into something else.

“The truth, my old friend, is that heaven is afraid of us, and so is hell. We are the souls of the damned, the souls that grow stronger with time and as we consume one another, it won’t be long before we can reach the same level as the hellborn that sit on thrones and call themselves royalty.” 

“Say that this is true, why would you want to even consider being on the same level as ancient demons, do you understand how greedy that is? That’s beyond egotistic, Alastor, not to mention dangerous. They’ll put a target on your back the second you become a threat to them.” 

“I told you before, Vox. Only those that are at the very top can find true freedom. Why does it matter if I’m at the top in this city when any of those damned royals or ancient demons can come any day and threaten what I have worked so hard to achieve!” The lights flickered and Alastor’s eyes turned black with hostility behind them. “But this isn’t just about me, this affects you as well.”

“Really and how is that? I might be greedy and I might love power but I’m not stupid enough to try to fight against ancient beings that could destroy me in seconds.” 

“Lilith.” Alastor’s voice turned dark and his eyes locked with Vox’s. “She is coming back soon, and she will not be on our side. She’ll bring heaven with her and turn this city into heaven’s playground once more.”

“The queen is coming back?” Vox asked with his eyes wide. “But what about her daughter? She seems to actually give a fuck about sinners.”

“Charlie can only do so much, she is too naive, easy to manipulate, and worse…she loves her parents far too much. She’ll give her mother the benefit of the doubt and then we’ll have to pay the consequences.” 

“So what do you want to do?”

“We are going to kill Lilith.” 

The smile on Alastor’s lips was another that Vox had never seen before. It was a smile he was never able to witness because it almost looked too human, it almost looked too real. It wasn’t fake like most of Alastor’s smiles, this was the smile of a satisfied hunter who knew they were ready to go for the kill…Vox recognized it because he could remember seeing a similar smile on his face before when he greeted Alastor all of those years ago and showed him the studio he made for him. 

“You sure don’t hold back once you make a deal,” Vox said and picked up Alastor’s cup of whiskey to drink it. 

“Getting cold feet?” 

“No, I’m just not sure how the hell you want us to kill the queen of hell.” 

“Don’t fry your brain thinking about that. I’ll be cashing in a few favors to help us but it’ll be worth it.” Alastor smiled and leaned back. He looked more comfortable now, less tense and suspicious. 

“From who?” 

Alastor’s smile only widened and his half-lidded eyes glanced at Vox coyly. “Everyone, my dear Vox. There isn’t an overlord in this city that doesn’t owe me a favor or two. Well, with the exception of the Vees, of course. The amount that is owed isn’t enough to force them to go with my whims but enough to give me what I want.” 

“What happens after the queen dies?” Vox took the last sip of Alastor’s whiskey. 

“Why things would be the same as always, right? I say it might make Lucifer disappear again, his presence is quite annoying after all. Charlie can continue her senseless dreams and we can all enjoy their struggles. Doesn’t it sound lovely?” 

Vox put the whiskey cup down and stood up. He was looking down at Alastor without trying to show too much emotion on his face, after all, Alastor called him an open book before. “If this all works out, you’ll still have to work with us, you do realize that, right?”

“A few meetings here and there isn’t anything new for me, Vox.” Alastor linked his fingers together and blinked his big eyes at Vox a few times in fake innocence. 

“Alright, I’ll inform Valentino and Velvette about the deal and then we can have a meeting to figure out how the fuck you want us to pull a stun like this that isn’t going to completely fuck us over.”

“Sounds like a plan and like this meeting is over,” Alastor stood up and fixed his suit. He was about to start walking when Vox’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, what you said at the hotel about Valentino…you’re wrong, I don’t want to kill him. I was just angry at him, but I didn’t want him gone. I don’t want Velvette gone either. I like both of them.” 

Alastor’s eyes softened and he chuckled with a smile. “What a shame, to be quite honest it would have been fun if you did but I guess you just aren’t who I thought you were, just like you never understood who I was.” 

“You’re wrong,” Vox said and picked up the two empty cups of whiskey. “I understood enough, I was just greedy.”

“I suppose that’s a normal occurrence here in hell, isn’t it?” 

“Yes.”

“But don’t feel so down, old friend. I guess I’m somewhat to blame as well, I should have cut ties with you the second I saw the change but I was having fun and for the first time in a long while, I was simply hoping for things to end differently.” 

“I can’t change,” Vox admitted but before he could say anything else Alastor’s hand was in the air, stopping him from saying more.

“I know, we are all sinners for a reason, if change was easy for us we wouldn’t be rotting in hell.” Alastor shrugged and his usual smile was back on his lips. “What is done is done, and now nothing can change it.”

Alastor’s smile softened for a second and then he melted into the shadows underneath him. 

Vox sat on top of his desk with his screen facing the city view in front of him. It had been so long since the last time Alastor set foot in his tower but even after such a short visit, he could still feel his presence around him. He could smell the old cologne that lingered in the air and he could feel the odd static that Alastor left behind everywhere he went. It was a sensation that Vox knew too well, for he experienced it for over forty years. It was a presence that still haunted him and now that Alastor was near again he couldn’t help but to crave more.

It was as if an empty well in his chest was finally able to taste a drop of water. 

The last time Alastor visited they weren’t on good terms. Vox could still remember everything so clearly, almost as if it was yesterday. It all happened because Vox allowed his emotions to run wild and Velvette along with Valentino were pushing him to make a choice that he was going to regret later on. It wasn’t really Velvette’s and Valentino’s fault, they were just trying to help him feel better, cheer him up, and have fun. They didn’t know much about Alastor and they didn’t really know what happened between Alastor and Vox. 

“He seems like such a stuck-up prick!” Velvette said while trying to see if she could find any pictures of the Radio Demon. She hadn’t met him yet and she was the latest addition to the Vees. “I’m sure he was just leading you on, fuck him.”

“Yeah! Bitches like that just want the attention without putting out, like come on baby, you aren’t that good,” Valentino rolled his eyes and grinned. “So now he’s being bien puto and trying to call you out during overlord meetings, wow, nasty bitch.”

“It was so fucking embarrassing!” Vox’s screen glitched as he threw his drink against the wall in pure anger. “I know he did it on purpose! That fucker still can’t see me as an equal!” 

“What’s the big deal with him anyways?” Velvette asked and rolled her eyes. “So he goes live here and there and has people screaming while he tortures them, anybody could do that!” 

“Well, he does it to overlords so it has more of a shock factor, I guess.” Valentino shrugged. “I don’t get sadism like that, I only care for it when it comes to fucking.” 

“I still think we could do that.” Velvette grinned and motioned for the boys to come closer. “Think about it, what could be more humiliating than doing what he does but better? There are three of us, we could easily catch some weak overlord to mess with, but instead of doing it over the radio, we can do it live. We can have it blasting on every single TV, phone, and computer. We can make it so much better and then cash in on it.”

“Velvette you’re such an evil bitch, I love it!” Valentino grinned and lit up a cigarette right away. “That’ll teach that fucker not to mess with us, with Vox.” 

“What do you say, Vox?” Velvette asked. 

Vox was quiet for a minute. He was thinking. Ever since his friendship ended with Alastor the other was nothing but a complete asshole to him. He was constantly mocking him or ignoring him. He always talked over him during overlord meetings or went against any point Vox tried to make. It didn’t matter if Vox’s idea was good or not, Alastor was just going to go against it. He was getting on Vox’s nerves so much that he couldn’t handle it anymore, so yeah, putting him in his place for once didn’t seem like a bad idea, maybe then he would stop being such a dick. 

“Yeah, let’s do it.” 

The plan was simple, capture an overlord and torture them the same way Alastor did so many times in the past but by now there were fewer overlords thanks to Alastor so they had to get creative. It had to be a young overlord that didn’t have as much backup as older overlords and eventually, they were able to find one. It just happened to be a competitor for them as well.

The set was made, and the cameras were ready. It was going to be a long show, one that was going to frighten hell for days to come. The live stream numbers were climbing and all of hell was watching as the young overlord was slowly tortured until the floor was bloody and they could hardly be recognized. 

Vox was having the most fun with it, and for a second he wondered if this was exactly how Alastor felt. Did he do this because bringing pain to others gave him pleasure? Or was it because it made him feel powerful? Which feeling was the one dancing in his head as he stabbed and ripped flesh into shreds? Was it the power to control someone’s whole being like this, to have complete ownership of life itself? It was a high that Vox could feel but he couldn’t completely understand, because, amidst his torture, the only person that occupied his thoughts was Alastor. 

They were reaching the climax, they were finally going to torture the overlord’s soul but then the lights went off. 

“Vox?” Valentino asked.

“It wasn’t me.” 

The whole building was bathed in darkness until the blue emergency lights came on, and as they did the trio noticed the new figure. 

Alastor stood next to the overlord and pushed the camera near them away with his cane. He undid the overlord’s bounds and picked up the fragile body in his arms. The small overlord was trembling all over and her large eye was swollen up and bleeding. She couldn’t speak or say a word, her energy was completely spent just by trying to stay alive and awake. She was crying and then Alastor was leaning in to whisper something to her. She weakly nodded her head and then the room started glowing green as black magic symbols appeared and Alastor’s antlers grew. 

A large shadow minion appeared from behind Alastor’s shadow and grabbed the young overlord from his arms before disappearing. 

“What the fuck, she’s ours you fucker.” Velvette was the first one to speak.

Alastor just smiled, his head slowly tilted to the side and his half-lidded eyes turned sharper. Before Velvette could say anything she found herself spitting out blood. She wasn’t sure of what exactly happened, but there was a burning pain in her abdomen. She looked down and a thick tentacle was piercing her stomach. The tentacle had come from the shadows behind her and before she could do anything the tentacle was moving and dragging her across the floor like a ragged doll. 

“Let her go!” Valentino was the next one to react, in a matter of seconds he was armed with four guns that were aimed at Alastor. He started shooting without hesitation, aiming at the tentacles that were holding Velvette and the overlord who hadn’t moved from the same spot. Every time Valentino was sure a bullet would hit him, a shadow minion would appear and take the hit. 

Vox joined in next. He focused his energy around him and an electric blast filled the room and turned all the lights on again. The tentacle let go of Velvette and Alastor turned his attention towards Vox with a cruel and cold smile. 

“How dare you.” Alastor’s voice was completely distorted, it was hard to tell what he was saying and his black and red eyes weren’t fading. 

“You are in my territory.” Vox glared and sparks flew in between his fingers. 

“I have been wanting to destroy this tacky tower since I was last here, thank you for giving me an excuse to do it.” Alastor slammed his cane against the floor and the ground around him turned black. Dozens of shadow minions crawled out along with tentacles that quickly started to smash the studio into debris. The whole tower was trembling and Alastor’s neck twisted in an angle while his black and red eyes started to glow along with his smile. 

“Alastor!” Vox yelled, watching the destruction around him. Valentino was now shooting the shadow minions that were trying to attack the wounded Velvette. Vox moved to help them but then a tentacle threw him across the room and he could only watch as Alastor melted into the shadows just to appear next to Valentino and Velvette. 

Valentino reacted quickly, his gun was directly aimed at Alastor’s forehead where the glowing red X was situated but the second he pulled the trigger nothing happened. He was out of bullets. 

“What a shame, it would have been fun to feel another bullet digging into my brain.” 

“You fucking freak!” Valentino yelled and tried to aim his other gun just for a tentacle to slam his face against the floor. 

Alastor grinned, lifted his leg, and started to stomp on Valentino’s head. He did it once, twice, then a third time, his shoes were bloody now but he didn’t stop. Alastor’s claws reached out and started to blindly pull on the fur of his wings before he gripped one of his antennas and yanked at it, making the majority of the white fur come off. He was about to reach out for the other antenna when the cables hidden in the wall behind him busted through the drywall and tried to pierce through his body. He avoided all of them but one managed to grip his ankle and throw him across the room. 

Vox took this chance to rush towards Valentino and Velvette. The two were so wounded that he didn’t know what to do. He just knew he needed to get them out of here. Vox manipulated the thick electric cables and had them carefully pick up Valentino and Velvette before commanding them to carry them somewhere safe. The tower was out of the question and he doubted his power was strong enough to take them to a hospital but if they reached the first floor then maybe, just maybe they could get help there. 

Vox was so busy concentrating on trying to save the other two that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching him until he was being kicked. He flew towards the nearest wall, crashing against it and falling on his face with his screen cracking. He held his head and tried to get to his feet but then he was being kicked again. 

“You cheap, egotistic, unoriginal, worm,” Alastor said each word with so much malice behind them that they matched the strength of his kicks. “You continue to do one stupid thing after the other, I truly regret having ever met a disappointment like you.” 

Vox clenched his teeth as another kick came but then his claws started glowing and the lights flickered around them. The loud static coming from him filled the whole room as his screen started to spill colors and his eyes turned turn black and red. Blood was dripping from Vox’s mouth and his body grew bigger before cables ripped themselves from the walls and attacked Alastor in all directions. 

“Fuck you!” Vox yelled, his voice distorted as it sounded like more than one person was speaking. 

“Isn’t that what you wish?” Alastor said mockingly as his antlers started growing. The way his body was stretching and his limbs were becoming longer was disturbing, but Vox kept fighting. Vox’s large, blue claws aimed at Alastor while the big cables that were sparkling with electricity were trying to pierce through his body. 

Alastor kept twisting his body and avoiding his attacks but once in a while, he was able to hit him once or twice. The wounds were minor but it was enough for Vox to feel thirsty for more. He wanted to hurt Alastor. He wanted to humiliate him. He wanted to have him under his foot squirming in pain. He wanted all of this and more. Vox’s screams filled the room as he kept attacking, the electricity building up on his body was making the debris around him float in mid-air but he wasn’t paying attention to any of that. He was only aiming at Alastor, he was the only one in his sight. 

The thick and thin cables were like small blades that were slowly trying to take down a big tree. Alastor was bleeding but it wasn’t enough, not yet. He was wounded but it wasn’t enough to take him down, not yet. Vox’s claw slid across Alastor’s face, making his cheek bloody but then Alastor’s shadow gripped his body, pulled him down, and made him disappear within the shadows. Vox’s large body was shattering the floor with every step as he tried to look for him. He needed to find him. 

The lights flickered and then they went off again.

A green light then emerged around Vox and it took him a second to realize that he was in a dark room filled with Alastor tentacles. He could only brace himself as a tentacle gripped his leg and started to slam him against the ceiling and then the floor. Vox kept trying to control the cables around him, making them grip the tentacles or fight them. At some point he had the cables soften his blows but Alastor was merciless, each attack was linked to another until Vox was on his knees. 

“Any last words, old pal?” Alastor said, appearing from within the shadows with a grin that was dripping blood. 

A million thoughts were rushing through Vox’s head, but he couldn’t voice them. He wanted to say so much and yet he didn’t even know what to say first. He was angry, sad, frustrated, so many emotions were crowding his head but he couldn’t answer to any of them. He just wanted Alastor to understand. He wanted him to acknowledge why Vox did this, why he was pushed to do this but his voice was lost.

The sound of a gun going off filled the air.

Vox watched as a bullet pierced through Alastor’s skull before another one hit his chest, arms, and shoulders. 

“You got what you wanted, you mother fucker!” Velvette was holding Valentino’s gun while Valentino was carrying her as he flew with blood dripping from his head and mouth. 

Alastor’s body went stiff but then the grin on his face turned wider as his head did a 180 and turned to stare at the two, his limbs twisted in an odd angle, almost as if he was boneless and Vox took this chance to shove his claws against his chest and pierce through Alastor’s torso. The radio demon shrieked and static echoed all around them but it wasn’t enough. Alastor’s head turned again and his red claws pierced through Vox’s screen, just as Vox had done with his chest, then his other hand joined until he was gripping Vox’s head. In a swift motion, Alastor gripped the edges of the screen, letting the glass pierce against his hands as he ripped Vox’s head off. 

“Vox!” The combined screams of Velvette and Valentino were so loud but everything sounded muted for Vox. 

Everything was dark and as his screen fell on the ground, he could only watch as Alastor melted into the shadows while Velvette and Valentino rushed to his side. 

It was a few weeks after this incident that Alastor disappeared. Extermination Day was near and Vox, who wasn’t fully healed, ended up hiding with Valentino and Velvette. He was sure that Alastor was probably just as wounded despite his public appearances but he couldn’t bring himself to care about what the other overlord was doing, not now. After Extermination Day, Alastor was gone. He disappeared. Nobody knew where he went but the souls he owned knew that he was alive, they just weren’t sure where he was. 

Alastor was gone for 7 years and nobody knew what happened to him. Vox accepted the fact that he was gone and his hatred for Alastor only grew by the year, especially after what he did to Velvette and Valentino, at least that’s what he told himself every time he thought about him. 

“This deal is dangerous.” Velvette interrupted Vox’s thoughts as she sat next to him on his desk and stared at the view of the city. “If that freak betrays us, we’ll be in deep shit, Vox.” 

Valentino sat on the other side of the desk and took a drag of his cigarette. “I trust you Vox, but I truly do not trust Alastor.” 

“I know,” Vox said, his eyes still on the city in front of them. “But we have the only bait that’ll make him bite. We’ll come on top of this, I can promise that.” 

Valentino and Velvette just grinned and lightly nudged him. Vox stared at the two through the reflection on the window and grinned back at them. 

Vox had the right cards in his hand, now he only needed to wait for Alastor to make the call. 

Chapter Text

“Alastor! Dear, where have you been?” 

Betty was more than surprised when she opened the door to her home late at night just to see Alastor standing there, looking at her with a tired smile. He looked exhausted to the point that there were dark circles under his eyes. The spark in his eyes was dull and so unlike before when Betty last saw him four weeks ago. She knew that he left to work somewhere else for the time being but she figured he was going to be back soon enough instead it was as if he disappeared from the face of the earth. 

“Hello, may I come in?” Alastor’s eyes looked as if they were ready to close due to how tired he looked. 

“Yes, yes, come in, you made me worried sick!” Betty took a step back allowing Alastor to come in before she closed and locked the door right behind him. “Do you want something to drink? I can make us some tea.” 

“No, no tea, thank you.” Alastor quickly shook his head. The taste of tea always lingered in his mouth nowadays and he was sick of it. “Do you have some coffee?”

“I do, but dollface, I don’t think you should be drinking that, look at you,” Betty sat next to Alastor and reached out to touch his face just to pull her hand back when Alastor winced and moved away from her touch. “You look exhausted, you need to rest.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t even realize it was this late at night.” 

“That’s alright, I wasn’t asleep yet and when I saw your face I was more than happy to see you.” Betty gently patted his knee. “Last I heard from the boys at the casino was that you were going on a business trip with the boss but then no one heard of you even after the boss was back. Honestly, we all thought we were going to find your body floating down the river.” 

“I did what you said and asked for something.” Alastor leaned back against Betty’s couch. The place felt so familiar, like a home that was forgotten in the middle of the swamp. Maybe that’s what he should have asked for instead, to just go back home, to the place filled with memories that weren’t tainted by anyone else. “I asked to become a radio host, so I have been busy trying to secure the position.”

“Oh! That’s great, darling! I’m sure they are working you to the bone then, but you have to take breaks here and there, even I do!” Betty declared with a wide smile while pointing at herself. “I’m fully booked but still have to sneak in some me time or else it’s gonna wear you off.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just working too hard.”

It wasn’t just that he was working hard but that all of his time was being taken over by Michael’s family. It never occurred to him that something like this would happen, at first he thought he was going to meet his half-siblings and never see them again, it made sense. Michael was so afraid of introducing him that he made sure to prolong it as much as he could, at some point Alastor was sure that he was never going to meet his father’s other family and he was okay with that. He didn’t need to meet them or interact with them, after all, they were strangers. It all happened because he asked for something else. He wanted to be more than just what he was and now he understood why greed sometimes leads to misfortune. 

It was Anna, that woman was insane. She wasn’t normal and to some degree, she reminded Alastor of himself. She wore a mask that was perfectly crafted and gave her the image of a saint, a kind woman with a gentle soul and a docile face that one would write about in novels. She was feminine, beautiful, artistic, hard-working, and on top of it all, her reputation was spotless. Everywhere he went, everyone he met would talk about her or talk about how lucky he was to be working for her husband. 

It made Alastor sick.

Anna had a perfectly crafted persona that matched some of Alastor’s. He was known as a great musician, charismatic and polite, always gentle with the ladies, and never disrespectful. He had a spotless reputation even when working in shady places and was known for helping his peers and trying to always be the bigger man. He never looked for fights but knew how to end them, but he was also kind and soft-spoken when needed. They were all qualities that made him a man that was one in a million. It was the reason why he became so popular around the New Orleans party scene, not just his talent in music or duets with Betty. 

Just like Alastor had crafted an image that would allow him to do as he pleased behind the scenes, Anna had done the same and hers was far superior. She was a woman who spoke about virtue and salvation while being vile and disgusting. But it felt as if he couldn’t think this way, not when he wasn’t any better, not when Alastor could feel his heart pumping with excitement every time he killed someone or every time he gutted a new victim that was pierced by his knife. 

Anna was superior to Michael in every way possible and Alastor found an even match that he couldn’t beat. It was even more obvious when she took him to her church. The large building was filled with people who greeted her with smiles and gifts. She was loved by so many and yet Alastor could see that her smiles never truly reached her eyes. Maybe it was because the two of them were somewhat alike, or maybe because he already knew that this woman was a deceiver. 

Alastor was introduced to several people, including the producers Anna told him about. She kept her word, even though she didn’t have to, she did what she said. The producers welcomed him with open arms and smiles, looking friendly and interested in him right away. It was a kind of attention that Alastor never experienced before. Even though he was used to being the center of attention when he wanted to be, this was different, it was acknowledgment from people who ran the city and controlled hundreds of people every day. 

It was different from Michael’s underground world. 

“I keep my promises,” Anna said to him as the two sat by themselves in one of the small balconies the church provided to their VIPs without telling others. “You thought I was going to throw you away, didn’t you? Like your father wishes he had.”

Alastor didn’t answer, his eyes were on the large church windows and the extravagant decorations that made the church look almost inhuman. He truly didn’t want to give Anna much of his attention, not when just being near her made cold sweat cling to his back and goosebumps crawl through his arms. 

“Don’t be so cold dear.” Anna chuckled and gently placed a hand on his knee before smiling when he flinched away. “Please, don’t think so badly of me, I’m going to pray day and night to be forgiven for what I did, I guess you could say you aren’t the only one that regrets it but also we are nothing but weak to sin, aren’t we?” 

Alastor stared at Anna as she had grown a second head. What this woman was saying was demented. She was making it sound as if what happened was consensual between the two and as if she had the right to feel regret when she initiated everything and gave him no room to get away. He couldn’t believe his ears, he truly couldn’t. He wanted to say something but he was afraid that the only words that would leave his mouth were going to cause him more harm than good. 

“It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Anna’s hand moved to his inner thigh and he quickly moved back and pushed her hand away. She laughed quietly against her hand and smiled at him again. “You are cute to bully, dear but you can blame your father for this. You could say it is his punishment for bringing you into my home and thinking I didn’t know you were his little bastard, but at least you are cute and that makes up for it.” 

“You could have just kicked me out.” 

“What’s the fun in that? Then it wouldn’t be a punishment now would it?”

“I didn’t do anything to you.”

“You’re wrong, you were born.” 

Alastor sat there with his eyes glued to the floor. It wasn’t as if he asked to be born, but just thinking that made him want to smack himself. The smiling face of his mother flashed across his eyes and the coldness in his chest slowly melted away. “I don’t regret being born as my mother’s son.”

“Such a good boy.” Anna nodded with a smile. “I wish my kids were more like you, they like their father more than they like me but that’s because I’m the one that has to keep a tight leash on them so they won’t become an eyesore.”

“Sounds like you just want to control them.”

“It’s that so bad?” Anna turned his head to face him again, the same pleasant smile on her face. It was odd how despite her cold words and insane nature, she still looked almost angelic when she smiled and her green eyes smiled with her. “God failed to control our ancestors and now we are facing eternal punishment. I just wish to follow along his path and keep my kids safe and on the path of good. I might fall to sin here and there as I attempt to follow in his footsteps but I’ll make sure to pray for his forgiveness from the bottom of my heart. Then when my time comes, I’ll be welcomed in his eternal kingdom.” 

The words Anna used were so similar to the words his mother used to tell him, but while his mother spoke about eternal salvation with hope and love, Anna spoke of it as if it was a right that was owed to her. She believed this was her privilege and no matter what she did as long as he prayed enough and loved God enough, she was going to be forgiven no matter what kind of sins she committed. 

She was fucking crazy. 

Alastor was tired of dealing with that woman and her games. She was even more obnoxious after he spoke about his mother. It was as if she had found something fun or maybe she was just tired of her boring routine. The worst part of it all was when she would get him alone and her words turned dark and would drip with poisonous honey that made Alastor’s stomach twist in disgust. The idea of sexual intercourses never really crossed his mind before, even when he was a teenager he hardly had any wet dreams and when he had issues to deal with he did it quickly and as any normal teenager would but he never really thought about having sex with anyone, even less someone like Anna. 

“Betty, I think I fucked up.” Alastor found himself laughing, a helpless laugh that matched the exhaustion on his face. 

“Why do you say that?” Betty frowned and tried to reach out for him again but hesitated when she remembered his reaction from before. 

“I think I should have asked to leave this place instead.” 

“Well, you and I have that in common but hopefully that’ll happen soon.”

“Yeah,” Alastor turned his head and smiled at Betty. “Also I might have told a white lie about us, I told Michael’s daughter that we were dating.”

“What?” Betty shouted with her eyes wide. “Now why would you go and lie about that? You know that could come and bite you in the ass! I don’t want to have my patrons fighting my pianist.” 

“I told her not to tell anyone and I had to, she…she looked interested.”

“Oh! Ohhhhh!” Betty nodded and moved closer. She chuckled and gently reached out to hold Alastor’s face. “And what’s wrong with that dear? Maybe that’s what you need, a lovely gal who’ll make you happy, on top of that one of a good family.”

“I don’t know, I just feel like she isn’t the one.”

“You have been saying the same thing about every girl that shows interest in you, are you sure that, well, I don’t want to offend you buuuut.” Betty flicked her wrist forward, letting it hang long enough for Alastor to get what she was trying to imply.

Alastor just ended up laughing and shaking his head. “No, no, well, I don’t think so ‘cause I’m not seeing any guy that way either.” 

“Alright, but if so then why, love? You could at least give it a try, and see where it takes you.” 

It was probably due to how tired he was, but Alastor just couldn’t bother to even tell a lie. He looked at Betty with eyes that looked so drained that he couldn’t keep them fully open. It was so exhausting to continue to lie non-stop to follow along with whatever bullshit someone wanted him to follow. 

“I can’t Betty, because she’s my half-sister.” Alastor watched as Betty’s face slowly changed from confusion to realization, her eyes were wide and her mouth was half-open before she closed it and sat closer to Alastor. 

“Wait, dollface, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” 

Alastor nodded and Betty sat there in shock. She didn’t know what to say and so the two sat in silence until Alastor fell asleep and Betty draped a blanket over him. 

Alastor was right though, it was greed that became people’s undoing and it only took one push or the right information to tilt them in the wrong direction. 

Betty was a woman who knew poverty. She didn’t always have the life that she did now, a long time ago she was the daughter of a single mother with a father who died during the first war. The couple moved to America to run away and try to give their daughter a better life, but her father was shipped across the sea right away and he never came back. Her mother tried her hardest to keep them afloat by working two jobs but she was a woman and there was only so little she could do on her own and when she was being paid a lot less than her other peers.

Betty went to public school and it wasn’t long before her teacher discovered her talent for singing and dancing. She started by singing in churches and then in small clubs or plays. She was able to earn some money that way and help her mother but it was all washed away by the last hurricane that hit New Orleans. Their house was gone, their savings were spent and there was nothing they could do but live in the gutters and try their hardest to crawl out. 

Betty made it out, but her mother died while trying. She took every opportunity she could, from scamming people to drugging dates and stealing their money. She was not above anything, she was going to do whatever she could to survive, it didn’t matter if she had to step on people along the way or use them until they no longer had any value to her. She was going to do whatever she could to survive and leave this city to pursue her dream. She was going to become a star and then, no one would be able to ignore her again or pretend like she didn’t exist. 

“What are you doing here so early, Betty?” Michael didn’t even bother to greet her when she stepped into his office. 

“I just want to have a small chat with you, about me, and what you promised me.” Betty took a seat and fixed her coat. “About a year ago you said you were going to use your contacts in California to get me in a lineup for a producer in Hollywood, you said you would do this if I continued my shows here at the casino for free. I already paid what I owed you a long time ago and now I’m working for free without seeing anything in return. I think that’s a bit unfair, boss.” 

“I told you that these things take time, I can’t control what they want to do and wh-”

“But you did it for Alastor,” Betty interrupted him. “He’s already talking to producers I was never even able to meet before. He’s already got a job secured in one of our biggest radio channels at a prime time on top of it all.” 

“That wasn’t me, Betty, that was my wife. She has taken a liking to the boy and is helping him, nothing else. She has a bigger influence in New Orleans than me. You wanted Cali well, it’s gonna take longer.” 

“Or is it because you gain a bigger benefit by making him famous?” 

“What would I gain by making that brat famous?” Michael rolled his eyes and picked up one of his cigars.

“Because he’s your son, or am I wrong?” 

Michael’s eyes slowly turned towards Betty and the smile on his lips vanished. He cut the tip of his cigar off and used his usual lighter to light it up as he took a drag. “And who told you that?” 

“Please, as if it wasn’t obvious enough. You showed up with him out of nowhere and then always showed some sort of preference towards him. I’m not stupid.”

“Really? Are you sure about that?” Michael smiled again and took another drag of his cigar. “Or did the boy tell you?”

“Alastor didn’t tell me shit, it was just easier to figure out after how quickly he was able to get what he wanted compared to the rest of us.” 

“So what are you trying to imply, Betty? Tell me what you are really getting at.” 

“I want out of this place, I want the support that you promised me. I’m only asking for what I am owed.” 

“Or?” Michael leaned in on his desk, his smile growing. 

“Or I’ll spill your secret to everyone in this damn city. I know you probably don’t care but I’ll make sure the news reaches even your wife’s circle of friends, I’ll make sure she gets to feel this humiliation more than anyone else.” Betty knew Michael by now, he cared for his reputation sure, but not as much as he cared about his wife. He didn’t care if people talked smack about him as long as his wife’s name never crossed their lips. 

Michael’s smile was gone again and he sighed. “Fine, I’ll get the ball rolling for you, have you going to Cali next week and I’ll pay for everything until you get what you want but in return, you’re going to keep your mouth shut, correct?” 

“I won’t tell a soul, this secret will die with me as long as I get what I want.” 

“Great, now leave, I have phone calls to make to make sure you are taken care of.” 

Betty did what she was told. She left the office and closed the door behind her with a smile on her face. She was finally going to get what she wanted, what she deserved. She gave Alastor a small apology in her head but now the two were even, he used her and now she did the same. The two got what they wanted and Betty couldn’t be happier. She couldn’t wait to tell him, well minus the part where she blackmailed his father. 

It was a rainy day and Betty forgot her umbrella but it didn’t matter. She set foot outside the casino and stared at the dark sky. The rain felt refreshing against her face and even though she was going to get drenched, nothing could ruin her mood. She couldn’t stop smiling and wanted nothing else but to start singing. 

Betty stared at the sky one last time and then looked ahead, a man in a black suit stood there with a hat on. He looked dangerous and somewhat creepy, never looking away from her as he took a step forward. She frowned and turned around, trying to avoid running into the man but she was met with the same black suit again. The two men were walking towards her and Betty felt a shiver running down her back. She turned to her right and down the alleyway, she saw another man in black. She was surrounded. 

Michael took a drag of his cigar and leaned back against his chair. It was such a shame, now he was going to have to find a new singer for his casino. 

“Have you heard? They found another body?”

“Again? That’s the second one this month, so is it true? Someone is murdering these people on purpose?”

“Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing. The police aren’t sure how to deal with it but I was told by someone they are trying to keep things quiet and don’t want the newspapers and stations talking about it until they have more information.” 

“I heard it isn’t just men now but women too. No one is safe.”

Alastor stared at the roof of the abandoned building and listened to the rain. The metal roof made the raindrops louder but somehow the sound just made him feel relaxed, it brought some kind of rhythm to his foggy mind. He closed his eyes and leaned his hands against the cold floor while humming a song and lightly tapping his foot along with the tune. If only he could bring a radio everywhere he went, it would make things so much better to always have music playing whenever he wanted. 

The smell of copper filled the air and Alastor found himself tilting his head and looking to the side. The corpse next to him had long gone cold and yet he didn’t feel like moving. If someone showed up there was nowhere for him to hide but there was no urgency in his heart. He sat there, enjoying the sound of rain as blood dried around his arms, neck, and face. The knife he used was back in its holster, tucked away around his ankle. 

The humming turned into a song that he knew too well, it was a song Betty wrote a few months ago and was supposed to be in their new show but those thoughts and plans were long gone. It was as if it had been just yesterday when Alastor was given the news of Betty’s passing. He could still remember denying it, he could remember telling himself that it was a lie but once he saw her corpse, there was no lying to himself.

It was odd, he hadn’t lost that many people in his life, and yet Alastor didn’t feel the same way as he did when his mother died. He could remember crying for days after his mother’s passing. He was a mess, completely out of control with nothing but rage behind his screams. He could remember it as clear as day but now, he felt empty. He should have been mad, angry, or even sad but there was only a hollow feeling in his chest and he wasn’t sure how to fill it anymore. It was as if his heart had become an empty well, void of anything but dull emotions that felt so pointless. He was running dry, everything around him was crushing his soul and squeezing him dry and now he couldn’t control his actions anymore.

Alastor knew that he shouldn’t be killing people this often. He knew it was risky but the control he once had snapped the day he found out about Betty’s death. It happened with his mother as well but at least back then he was young enough to bury those thoughts and feelings away, to try to cope with what happened but not anymore. He couldn’t do that anymore. He felt hopeless but light as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders as he allowed himself to do as he wished. 

But he was alone, he was completely alone. There was no one in his corner anymore, no one to talk to, no one he could be himself with. The days were filled with nothing but fake smiles and words that never reached his eyes. They were filled with theatrics and motions to fulfill a role and nothing else. It was as if he couldn't be himself anymore unless he was killing someone unless he allowed his rage to take over and blind him with the hatred that was festering in his heart and spreading through his system like a sickness. 

Alastor got up and walked out of the building. He allowed the rain to drench him and wash away all the blood that was clinging to his body. He watched as the rain turned pink under his feet and through it all, he could see his reflection staring back at him. He couldn’t recognize himself anymore. It was as if he couldn’t see his reflection anymore and on the rare occasion when he did a stranger stared back at him. The way his mind was crowded with thoughts that numbed his senses and made him feel so tired, and then those same thoughts pushed him to grip his hair and chew on his lips even if it wasn’t helping. 

The thoughts in his head were never ending and they never shut up. Even as he tried to sleep, or even as he tried to work, and so on, it was as if voices were whispering in his ears and making it impossible for him to focus on what was in front of him. The world around him was becoming muddy and the colors were draining. Every day felt empty but he kept moving, tagging along like a puppet on strings. He smiled, sang, and gave it his all. He was praised and told he was doing a terrific job and for the most part, he believed it. He truly did. 

It was only those same thoughts that told him otherwise, spoke to him in condescending tones, and told him how worthless he was, how useless and pointless his existence was. They reminded him of all his wrongdoings and every single mistake he made until it felt as if he didn’t have control, as if his actions were not his own. It was only when he killed someone, when he finally felt blood on his hands and cut apart flesh that those thoughts and voices left his head. The feeling of a knife cutting through someone’s skin was the only thing that seemed to clear his mind but it never lasted for long.

It was how he ended up finding himself with his knife in his hands as he poked at his hands and watched them bleed. It hurt but it also didn’t. It was a numbing feeling that made his mind quiet for at least a few hours until it didn’t. He found himself using the knife on his legs, his arms, everywhere. It calmed him down, it gave him some sort of control, and satisfied his hunger for a few days. 

It was a game of playing pretend and the reason why Alastor didn’t want to lose was because he hated everyone around him. He didn’t want to give them a reason to bring him down. He would act, sing, play the role, and dance at whatever tune was thrown his way as long as he looked in control, as long as those around him didn’t feel the satisfaction of bringing him down. He couldn’t give them that, he was never going to allow them to look down at him as if they were winning. 

It was why he kept smiling, hiding his true emotions behind a smile that never left his lips and only showcased what he wanted people to see. He was always told his smile was lovely and fit his face so well, so there was no reason for him to hesitate. If that’s what people wanted to see, if that's what made people believe he was the one in control of his life then he wasn’t going to deny them. 

One day blended into another and then time went on. Alastor saw his face in the newspaper, he earned recognition, was charismatic, and was the center of attention. He was given new job offers, which included being a host during baseball games, and how exciting that was. He got to travel around the country and meet new places, yet he always came back to the same place, to the same house, and to the same people who welcomed him while he hated the sight of them. 

The same hands touched him and by now he found his mind wandering off somewhere else, away from the disgusted feeling that built up in his gut. It wasn’t hard for him to do so, he was living his whole life the same way. One day and then the next and then the next. 

Tick Tock. The clock kept moving, days went on and Alastor found himself staring at his face once again. He was older now and the memory of the people he once held dear was almost gone. He couldn’t remember his mother’s voice and could hardly recall her face without looking at pictures. Betty’s features were blurry and her voice was also gone. He completely forgot how she sounded, he could only recall when he listened to her old records and the unfinished songs that never made it live. 

It was on a Thursday morning that he received a letter that reminded him of the old days. The letter was addressed to his full name and came from California, specifically Hollywood. It was written in beautiful handwriting and was an invitation. Someone was trying to scout him to work in a radio station in Hollywood, not only that but they were proposing maybe joining TV interviews as a host. 

Alastor read the name signed at the bottom. “Vincent Wayne.” 

It was a name that many people knew, at least if you were part of the media industry. He was the son of Charles Wayne, a bank owner and one of the many investors in the music industry. They also owned shares in many record labels and Hollywood studios. Vincent was known for recruiting talent all around the country and was also a popular playboy who was seen with a new woman hanging from his arm every month. At least that’s what rumors said, Alastor never met the man but they were around the same age with Vincent maybe being one or two years younger than him. 

“Hollywood, uh? Betty wanted to go there,” Alastor said quietly. It would be nice to go there at least once, maybe he could fulfill Betty’s dream in his own way. 

It had been a long time since he wanted to do something for himself. He smiled and tucked away the letter in his jacket. He was going to have to talk to his father about this. 

“Absolutely not, you are not going, are you crazy?” Michael almost yelled as he shook the letter in his hands. “The festivals are going to start soon and I need all hands on deck, I don’t need you fucking off somewhere else during our busy season.” 

“Louis knows how to handle things by now, I taught him how,” Alastor argued and narrowed his eyes. 

“Yeah, and he’s shit at it still! That boy is as fucking useless as always! He can’t learn nothing, his mother raised him weak by feeding into his bullshit art and now he can’t even stand the sight of the bouncers beating the scum that is trying to scam us!

“Maybe this will allow him to learn to do his job properly, instead of me always fixing his mistakes and carrying his weight.” Alastor knew he was overstepping his boundaries and so he wasn’t surprised by the slap that landed on his face. It was odd, but the blows he was used to receiving felt weaker with time.

Alastor stared at his father, he was still talking but he couldn’t listen to what he was saying instead Alastor’s eyes looked at him, truly looked at him. The red hair was filled with grays and the wrinkles on his father’s face were glaringly obvious. He wore glasses now and he didn’t stand with a straight back anymore. The cane he once carried to show off was now truly utilized as he struggled to walk like he once did. 

Alastor couldn’t remember the last time he saw his father for who he truly was, an old man who was struggling with age. It could be that it was his own mental state but for some reason time was frozen for him, it was hard for him to realize that it had been nine years since he last started living with his father. It was six since he started teaching Louis about the casino and it was four since the last time Anna showed interest in him. He wasn’t a young boy anymore, he wasn’t a kid. He was a man that stood taller than his father with a fully developed body at its prime. He was still very slim but by no means was he weak. 

“Why the fuck do you even want to go to Hollywood? Do you think a nobody like you can make it there?” Michael shook his head and slammed the letter on his desk. “I feel like I have spoiled you too much and now you feel like you can do whatever you want.” 

Alastor’s eyes widened at his father’s words, spoil him? He was spoiled? Alastor couldn’t help himself, he started laughing. He couldn’t believe what his father was saying, it was as if the world around him had truly gone mad and Alastor was going crazy with them. 

“What’s so funny, brat?” 

“Nothing, nothing, just listening to the nonsense of an old man.” 

“You little shit!” Michael hissed ready to strike him again. 

“I’m going.” Alastor’s words were firm.

Michael gripped his cane and without hesitation, he slapped Alastor with it but Alastor didn’t flinch. He didn’t even move, he took the hit straight on as blood started to pour out of his nose from the hit. “If you leave, I promise that you won’t make it out of this city alive.” 

“Really? You want me to believe that when you claim to need me so much?” Alastor mockingly smiled at his father, watching as his face turned red with rage. 

“You think I’m bluffing? I’ll have you killed like that whore you used to sing with, by the time I’m done with you your mother is going to be turning in her grave!” 

Alastor’s smile froze, his eyes turned cold and then narrowed as he stared down at his father. “What did you just say?” 

“I said I’ll have you killed like the pig you used to tag along with everywhere! That bitch had it coming for threatening me to tell everyone that you were my bastard just like you have it coming by thinking you can do what you please! I fucking own you boy, everything you are, everything you have gained is because of me!” 

Alastor knew when his consciousness snapped. He knew when his blood started pumping through his veins again because he could feel it like hot lava that was reminding him that he was alive, that he was still himself. It was as if the world came alive in front of him and the colors around him were suddenly so bright that he couldn’t believe this was the world other people experienced. It was a world he only got to see through small glimpses and windows that passed him by like a ghost town that he wasn’t allowed to reside in. 

In that world that he could only step in once his blood lust reached its peak, he was finally able to see colors and everything was bathed in red. The way his body moved felt so fluent, so weightless, and almost boneless. It was so different from his usual stiff back and rigid movements that were rehearsed over and over again. 

Alastor’s hands moved faster than his father could react, in a matter of seconds he was picking up the old man by his neck and slamming him face-first against his desk. He heard the sound of a nose breaking and it only made Alastor push his father’s face further against the desk until blood was pouring out non-stop from his broken nose. It wasn’t the first time he did this and his muscle memory was as sharp as ever. He punched Michael’s throat and only let go of him once he heard him struggling to breathe. 

“I learned that if you hit someone’s throat hard enough, it makes it impossible for them to speak for a while, let alone scream.” Alastor watched as his father fell on the floor, holding his throat as he struggled to breathe. He knelt and pulled out the knife that was always strapped against his ankle and walked towards his father with firm steps void of any sort of fear or hesitation. 

If he used his knife it would end too quickly, he didn’t want this, not today, not this time. Alastor kicked his father’s stomach and then pushed his foot against his throat even as Michael kept his arms around his neck. It was the middle of the day and there was no one at the casino, everyone had gone home or was asleep so there was no one who was going to interrupt them. 

“You’re wrong,” Alastor’s voice was firm but cold, it was so different from his usual charismatic and cheery tone. “I don’t owe you shit.” He pressed his foot harder against Michael’s throat and watched him squirm underneath him. “Everything I have, I earned it, I worked for it. I clawed my way through hell to get it. All you ever did was use me.” 

Alastor removed his foot from Michael’s throat and pulled him up by his shirt as he knelt in front of him so the two were at eye level. “You took me from my home when I was a kid, you took me from the only place where I knew happiness and you did all of this to keep yourself safe. Rosa stopped showing up years ago, for all we know she’s fucking dead! But you didn’t let me go even then. You shipped me to a school where nuns would punish us with hot irons and needles, and you knew this but you didn’t care because you thought that’s what I deserved just for being born.” 

“I was twelve, I was a fucking kid,” Alastor laughed to himself as he felt his eyes burning while his knife trembled in his hands. He used the sharp end to gently poke against Michael’s stomach until the man groaned and blood started to spill. “Then you brought me back here and forced me to work and serve the worst kind of people. You made me ruin lives. You made me watch as people crumbled because of your greed. You taught me that the only thing that mattered was those who stood above all, and you are right, that’s truly what matters.” 

The hot tears spilling from his eyes were something Alastor didn’t expect but they felt liberating, like a drop of water in the empty well that had become his heart. “I was only seventeen and you were ruining me but I did what I was told. I followed what you said because I was afraid, I was terrified of you. I was terrified of hurting and I was terrified of dying. I was so afraid of everything because that’s what you wanted. You wanted me to be afraid of you but you see, I don’t fear you anymore. I don’t feel much of anything at all.” 

Alastor let the sharp blade slowly cut through the flesh of his father’s stomach and his eyes never looked away from him. He took in the pain in his eyes as he struggled to scream just for his voice to fail him and for drool to spill instead. “Then I asked for one thing, just one and I was so happy that you were willing to give me something to call my own. I even thanked you, the person who ruined my life, that’s who I thanked, hahaha! Can you believe that?” 

Michael couldn’t reply to anything and Alastor couldn’t stop laughing. He truly couldn’t stop, it felt as if the tears in his eyes were just fueling the laughter that kept leaving his lips even as if felt hollow and deranged. The blade moved again and this time blood started to spill from Michael’s mouth. The sharp hook was cutting the flesh now, opening it.

“I was twenty when your wife fucked me,” Alastor’s head tilted as his smile grew while Michael stared at him in disbelief, it was as if he almost forgot the pain his body was trying to process. “She’s worse than you, the true scum on earth that preaches about salvation while being a fucking monster. She had her fun for years but I guess I outgrew her preferred age since she stopped looking for me, but back then she’ll find any excuse to get me off your hands and you agreed every time even when I asked you not to, even when I said I wanted to stop living in your home, even when I begged to live on my own!” 

“So, I’m sorry, father,” Alastor said with disgust in his tone. “But I don’t owe you anything, I paid my dues, I paid them with every single piece of myself that I lost since I met you. You don’t get to own me.” 

The blade slowly moved upwards and Alastor shuddered as blood started pouring onto his lap and chest. It was getting everywhere and his half-lidded eyes stared down at his work while the smile on his lips never left. He twisted the blade upwards and pushed Michael down against the floor. He usually gutted his victims and left them to die on their own. He watched them struggle and bleed to death with no one to help them but this time he didn’t want to stop. Alastor lifted his knife and in a swift motion stabbed Michael’s face. He did it once, then twice and before he knew it he couldn’t stop. He just couldn’t. 

Alastor laughed as his hand aimed to stab whatever part of Michael’s body it could reach. He kept going, even as his hand became sore, even as his wrist started to hurt and the hot tears on his face had all dried out, he kept going. The sharp blade kept piercing the body in front of him, chopping it up little by little until it hardly held the shape of a human. The floor was covered in blood and so was Alastor, his hands were bathed in red, and his clothes were soaked with the same color. It had even gotten on his hair as he continued to stab through flesh, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t stop until his body was exhausted, until his hands had ripped through flesh and destroyed the person who took everything from him. 

The silence that came after was peaceful and Alastor sat there, with his hands on his knees and gore all around him. He sat there and started humming a familiar song just as blood dripped from his fingertips and his bloodshot eyes stared into nothing. 

It was a new melody.

Chapter Text

Vox watched with a raised brow and unimpressed eyes as the little shadow minions materialized themselves around his office while carrying crates, boxes, or weapons that Vox had never seen before. Each little creature looked crazier than the next but they were walking with a purpose and so far none of them tried to attack the Vees. The two other Overlords were watching with him and while Velvette kept herself curled up against a couch and looked at the shadow minions with disgust, Valentino was curiously poking at them and following them around. 

“So, he can just make these little weirdos show up anywhere he pleases?” Velvette asked and lightly pushed a minion with her foot when it got too close to her. 

“They are kind of cute.” Valentino grinned and poked at one that just grinned back at him.

“I sure can.” Alastor was the one to materialize himself last. He appeared next to Vox and where his shadow had been. “I figured y’all should know that by now.” 

“You could have just used the front door,” Vox said and motioned towards the elevator with his hand. 

“No can do, old friend, not when I’m bringing you the toys that you wanted.” 

Vox frowned and then watched as the shadow minions dropped what they were carrying in unison. He walked towards one of the crates and opened it just to look back at Alastor with wide eyes. “Holy shit, is this what I think it is?” 

Alastor grinned and picked up one of the silver bars that were inside the crate. “Sure is, it is pure angelic steel. It is very hard to come by considering most of it was thrown away as a waste or in fear that it would be used against other demons, especially the ones in the lower levels of hell but I have my ways. I swapped a couple of favors with Carmilla to get other weapons as well, I’m sure you’ll have fun with them.” 

Velvette got up from her seat and walked over to pick up one of the steel bars before taking a picture with it on her phone. “Finally, something useful, I’m sure I can make something with this much steel that’ll help us kill the queen bitch.” 

“That’s what this is for.” Alastor’s grin only grew as his shadow appeared next to him just to melt away and reveal a long sniper rifle that was taller than Velvette and probably thicker than Alastor. It had silver ornaments through it, making it look kind of old school while being a newer model. 

“Ohhh, what do we have here?” Valentino grinned and walked over before picking up the sniper rifle and holding it with his lower arms. The rifle looked big next to Alastor and Velvette but when Valentino was holding it, it looked like the right size. “Now this is more my style.”

Velvette leaned in, examining the rifle, and then huffed. “Poor craftsmanship, terrible design, and urg, it looks so tacky. We can do better but it should be a starting point for us.” 

Vox was quiet the whole time but his eyes kept watching the group in front of him. One of his claws was lightly tapping against his chin and then his eyes shifted to Alastor. The Vees weren’t some silly overlords that were new to the game, Carmilla liked to claim that they were too green and rash but the truth was that it had become one of their strengths. They had connections everywhere and the majority of their tech wasn’t only sold in the pride right but all across hell. They had competition they couldn’t get rid of down there but for the most part, it didn’t matter since their products were superior. Yet, they were hardly able to get materials like this, whatever it was because they didn’t have the proper connections or they just didn’t know how to navigate to have them. 

Alastor however was able to deliver almost instantly. He was willing to help them this far just to kill the queen of hell. He was basically giving them the material that could for sure end any demon and now, any holy being but he didn’t look worried. It could be it was due to his ability to easily escape any situation no matter what. Alastor could just melt into the shadows and leave at any second but still, his lack of fear wasn’t normal. It was hard to get a good reading on Alastor due to the same smile always on his face but that was only hard for people who didn’t know him but Vox did. Vox knew Alastor and could read his expressions right away. 

It was fitting with the same thoughts that had been filling Vox’s head for the past couple of weeks. He smiled and walked over, his eyes looking pleased as he approached Alastor. “You sure look happy, but aren’t you afraid of giving us this much angelic steel? It could help us deal with other overlords and before you know it we could be the only ones around besides yourself.”

“Why should I be afraid?” Alastor tilted his head towards Vox and laughed. He lightly tapped his cane against his screen and shook his head. “It is quite hard for me to feel fear, old friend. If anything it is exciting. Do try, I would love to watch the three of you struggle again.”

Alastor missed the smile on Velvette’s and Valentino’s face as he kept his eyes on Vox. 

“So confident,” Vox chuckled and picked up one of the steel bars. “I’m guessing most of this is going to be used to kill the queen of hell anyways, I don’t think we’ll have much left over to spare.” 

“That’s the plan,” Alastor confirmed with a nod. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check on the hotel and make sure things are going well there.” 

Alastor and his minions melted into the shadows and then they disappeared within Alastor’s shadow until there was none of them left. 

“He’s such a diva and that’s something coming from me,” Valentino said with a chuckle and his cigarette hanging from his lips. “I hope he still pulls through though, I don’t want him to be a disappointment after you have spent years hyping him up Voxxy.” 

“He’s too sure about himself, and he only has that level of confidence when he knows he’s going to win,” Vox dropped the steel bar back in its crate. “For the time being, you two can fix that weapon and we can start making the ammunition later.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Velvette was typing away on her phone and taking pictures of the rifle while Valentino posed with it smiling. 

Alastor was sitting down in the hotel lobby when the announcement came. It was about damn time. 

Charlie almost couldn’t believe her eyes when a crow delivered a letter for her with her mother’s crest on it. She stared at the envelope for what felt like forever before a wide smile spread on her face and she started jumping and hugging her girlfriend. The commotion brought everyone’s attention to Charlie and it wasn’t long before a crowd surrounded her as she opened the letter with trembling fingers.

“It’s from my mom!” Charlie said excitedly and her eyes quickly read over the letter, she couldn’t even bother to read it out loud. “She’s coming back, she’s going to be here in one week! She’s really, really coming back! I have to tell dad!” 

Alastor’s eyes followed Charlie’s figure as she rushed up the stairs to try to find her father. It wasn’t until she was gone that he flicked his wrist and a notepad along with a pen appeared in front of him. He scribbled a note quickly and then ripped the paper off before handing it to his shadow. 

Alastor’s shadow took the paper and then melted into the shadows before merging again but in another building. Vox’s office was empty except for Vox who was looking at his phone and drinking a cup of coffee. The shadow moved over and then smiled as it appeared right next to Vox and twisted his body to appear in Vox’s line of vision. 

“What the hell?” Vox’s eyes followed Alastor’s shadow as it seemed to giggle and coil around him while holding a note in front of him. Vox took the note and read it. “So he wasn’t bullshitting, the queen is back. Tell him that we’ll need to have another meeting soon.” 

The shadow nodded and was about to leave when Vox stopped it. 

“Hold on.” 

The shadow turned his head and looked at him with confused eyes and a frown. Unlike Alastor, his shadow had a lot more expressions than wasn’t just smiling. Vox reached out and tried to touch it but just as he expected his hand went through it and the shadow found himself tilting his head with one wide eye, as if questioning what Vox was doing. 

“You’re always next to him, uh?” It was odd. Vox wasn’t able to touch Alastor’s shadow but he remembered the shadow being able to attack him before and had a solid enough form to always pull Alastor away from danger or save him whenever the shadow saw fit. 

The shadow nodded with a grin and his claws grew along with his antlers. He looked happy to be recognized but Vox only chuckled and waved the shadow off and the shadow’s ears visibly dropped before he disappeared. 

Vox took another sip of his coffee and his smile only grew wider. He couldn’t wait. 

It was that night that Alastor heard it. It was a melody that made his ears twitch as his head turned toward the direction it was coming from. He was the only one in hell that could hear it and he dreaded having to hear it again. He narrowed his eyes in disgust as the melody seemed to move around him and before he knew it, he wasn’t in his room anymore but in an auditorium with multiple instruments and empty seats. 

Alastor rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers against his cane. “You could just send me a letter like you do with your daughter.” 

A light chuckle came from behind the stage’s curtains and Lilith took a step forward, revealing herself. “Why would I bother with that when I can just meet you like this.” 

“Odd that you would do this with me but not your flesh and blood, I have to say I don’t know if to feel honored or sorry for Charlie.” 

“Sit,” Lilith said and Alastor did what he was told. She joined him soon enough, sitting across Alastor with her hands resting on one of her knees. “As I told you before, I'll be arriving in a few days, and soon after the heavens will start fighting to bring back extermination day. The death of Adam shook all of heaven, and while some of them wish to help my daughter with her whimsical dream, many wish to see it crumble and want to teach hell a lesson. I need you to cleanse hell again.” 

“Mhm,” Alastor let out a soft noise, and his unimpressed half-lidded eyes stared at Lilith. “Isn’t that funny, you forbade me from gathering more souls and punishing wicked overlords and sinners but now that you feel threatened by heaven, it is suddenly okay again? How funny.” 

“This is not the same, Alastor,” Lilith argued and narrowed her eyes. “I need to show heaven that hell can still be controlled by them, just enough to buy us some more time.” 

“Oh no, dear, I don’t think it is any different. Did you forget how you shackled my soul with hatred and rage because of what I had been doing to your people and why? I didn’t, I remember it quite often to be honest.” Alastor’s grin turned sharp as his head tilted and his eyes swapped to black and red. “Yet, here you are, the one that said that’ll punish me for all eternity, saying that you want me to do what someone you hate had already given me the freedom to do. How hypocritical, was your time in heaven so swell that you are okay with selling out your people now?” 

“Enough!” Lilith’s voice rang through the whole auditorium as she stood up. Her red eyes and horns were now showing while her hair wildly moved behind her much like Charlie’s did. “I will not be lectured by a soul that willingly chose hell to harm others, you aren’t any better than those damn exterminators, nothing but a plague in hell that I chose to control so you’ll do as you are told, or I’ll have you wishing that you died by his hands when I found you.” 

Lilith lifted her hand and a silver chain appeared in her hands. She yanked at it but the chain didn’t connect to Alastor’s neck, instead, he just kept smiling, not moving as the other end of the chain was lost within the shadows underneath him. 

“No need to get so angry,” Alastor rolled his eyes. “I was just making an observation, though I have to ask what should I tell your daughter when she starts questioning why I am suddenly killing her people again. She has grown quite fond of me, you see.” 

“Figure it out, I don’t care if she ends up hating you. It isn’t as if I asked you to bond with her, all I said was to help her, I never thought it would spiral into this.” 

“Of course not, because much like Charlie’s father none of you believed in her vision, and seriously, who could? I thought it was hilarious! But I’m a sinner, a damned soul, aren’t I? It makes sense for me to have such a low opinion of her and her dreams but her own parents?”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed again and she stood up before glaring at Alastor. “I don’t need you meddling.” 

“Am I meddling?” Alastor shrugged his shoulders. “Why, I wouldn’t even be in that hotel if it wasn’t for your orders. I’m just pointing out what I see, but since it upsets you so much then I’ll stop, still, how very sad. I guess humans aren’t so different from fallen angels and ancient demons, they both tend to make disappointing parental figures.” 

Lilith let go of the chain in her hand. “This meeting is over.”

“It certainly is.” Alastor nodded and when he opened his eyes again he was back in his room with the fireplace quietly crackling behind him. 

There was much to do and so little time. 

The day of Lilith’s arrival finally came. The news ended up spreading like wildfire, especially after Lucifer found out and started to tell everyone. It seemed like even though he wasn’t together with his wife anymore, he still dearly loved her and it showed. He even fixed the front yard of the hotel, making it look like an enchanted forest with beautiful flowers all around. It was a bit too colorful for hell but for the most part, everyone seemed to like it, even Alastor found the place nicer than usual. 

Alastor wasn’t really worried about the decor at the moment though, his mind was elsewhere as he waited patiently for Lilith to show up and for their operation to begin. He wasn’t sure if they were going to pull this through, especially when all eyes were on them and reporters were just waiting outside the gate with cameras and microphones. They couldn’t come inside yet, but if they were able to record the event then that meant there was a slight chance that it could be traced back to them. Vox reassured him that they would take care of it but he wasn’t sure how. 

The sky suddenly turned dark as black clouds surrounded the hotel before they dispersed in seconds as a carriage emerged from within them and flew across the sky. The purple and black carriage landed near the front of the hotel and as it came to a stop the crowd on the other side of the gates leaned in with anticipation. 

The carriage opened and Alastor’s ear twitched as he heard buzzing noises or bells ringing. He turned his head towards the crowd and noticed that all of them were looking at their phones with eyes that looked idle before black and red swirls flashed in their eyes. What Alastor wasn’t able to see was the big screens and everyone’s televisions changing camera views as sudden news came rushing through every single station. The spokesperson who was talking about Lilith’s arrival quickly changed the topic as the script in front of them was swapped for a new one. 

The newscast was constantly flashing with breaking news that kept arriving by the minute, there was no time to review every single one but they kept flashing on the screen one after the other. The camera kept changing from fights on the streets to actors fighting and trying to kill one another, everything was chaos and in the midst of it all Velvette was grinning. She was texting away on her phone and watching as after every text the TV was crowded with different segments or rushed news that kept everyone distracted and away from the one thing that was supposed to be the main event tonight.

“Alright, lights out, Voxxy.” Valentino took a long drag from his cigarette and then left it at the edge of the roof he was standing on. He spread his wings as he lay on the ground underneath him and positioned himself with the white sniper rifle he held. 

The rifle was the one Alastor secured for them, an angelic weapon that was sold at a high price in auction, and he was able to get through different hellborns that were now dead. It was a nice rifle but not enough for what they needed it for. Velvette and Valentino used more angelic steel to reinforce it and changed most of the mechanisms to make the range three times as long. It also used special bullets made of pure angelic steel that was dozed with some of Valentino’s poison. After testing it on multiple people they finally came up with a product that satisfied both of them. 

It was Valentino’s new baby and of course, he had to put his name on it. 

“Lights going off, now,” Vox said through the headset all of them were wearing. It was a nice piece of advanced tech that glued itself to people’s heads making it practically invisible. 

Vox closed his eyes, electricity started to spark around his screen before it moved to his claws, and with a snap of his fingers, all the lights of Pentagram City went off, leaving the streets in pure darkness. They had only a couple of minutes before the lights came back on and so now time was of the essence. 

“Give me eyes, doe.” Valentino snickered at Alastor’s nickname.

Alastor who was still standing next to Charlie lightly tapped his cane against his hand and his eyes swapped to radio dials. The radio towers moving through all of Pentagram City were still alive, and the frequency was quiet but very powerful, it was expanding through the whole city until it reached Valentino within seconds. 

Valentino’s antennas twitched and then he tilted his head, not using the sniper’s rifle scope to aim at all. He grinned, his golden tooth sparkling as the radio frequencies made his hearing even more sensitive than it already was, enough for everything to take shape around him and make him see throughout the whole city. He didn’t really need his eyes to see, that’s why he didn’t care how blind he was, all he needed was the sound of the radio waves around him and now his senses felt ten times stronger with Alastor constantly feeding him that frequency, and aiming it only at him. 

When it was dark and everything was loud, there was nothing Valentino couldn’t see. 

“There she is.” Valentino’s hands moved the rifle slowly as his third hand reached for his cigarette. 

The darkness around him had everyone blinded but he could see the white outlines he needed to aim for. She looked as confused as the group around her over the lack of lights but Lucifer was already lighting up a small fire in his hand and looking at her, welcoming her back.

How cute.

Valentino aimed and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced the air with such power that even his wings felt the recoil. The noise the bullet made was like a loud whistle as it moved at high speed. The first shot went off and before it reached its destination Valentino was melting into the shadows courtesy of Alastor. He appeared on top of another building and then aimed again. The second shot went off. The shadows took him again, and this time he was in a closer building. He spun around, took aim, and pulled the trigger a third time. Over and over, he kept moving throughout the city until he tried to shoot again but he didn’t have any more bullets. 

Valentino was left panting, his heart pounding against his chest as adrenaline rushed through his system and made him smile. He hadn’t felt this good in so long, he almost forgot what it was like to be as alive as one could be in hell.

Maybe Vox was right, some things were better than fucking. 

The multiple bullets that were shot were speeding through the city, shooting through buildings and windows without slowing down. It was a sight to behold and Valentino found himself taking another long drag of his cigarette as blood dripped down from his mouth. 

The first bullet barely missed and it only did because Lilith was able to avoid it. She felt the impending doom and turned her head just in time for the bullet to cut her face. The blood that spilled from her cheek had her eyes wide but what she didn’t expect was for more bullets to aim at her. She tried to avoid the next but it pierced through her shoulder, then a third one hit her stomach. Everything was happening so quickly and yet it felt as if time had slowed down for her. She wasn’t sure of what was happening, Lucifer was standing right in front of her, the smile on his lips was slowly changing into a look of horror, and further ahead, by the steps of the hotel, she saw her daughter and Alastor.

Alastor was smiling, his half-lidded eyes enjoying the show as he lightly waved at her with his smile only growing when he noticed that Lilith was staring straight at him.

For a second Alastor felt the chain around his neck, he felt the pull as Lilith’s eyes turned to glare at him, realizing what he had done but it was too late. In a matter of seconds, the multiple bullets that were aimed at the queen of hell reached their destination. The whistling sound was the only warning as a new bullet pierced through her body. The force of the bullets was devastating, taking chunks of her flesh and destroying everything in their path. 

The lights turned on again and the last bullet pierced through the side of Lilith’s head. 

It was a sight that no one in hell deemed possible. No one dared to say a thing, as if they couldn’t believe what just happened. Lucifer stood there in shock with his eyes wide as he stared at Lilith’s dead body. She wasn’t moving anymore and her eyes were closed, the long, beautiful blonde hair was drenched in blood and yet it was as if the scene in front of him wasn’t happening.

“Mom!” Charlie was the first one to snap out of it. She ran to her mother followed by Vaggie. 

Alastor watched from far as Charlie knelt and hugged her mother’s body, she kept talking to her, whispering words that Alastor couldn’t hear. It was odd, the second Lilith died Alastor felt those chains shatter and fall into pieces. He could feel the shadow behind him gleefully moving around before appearing next to him with a grin to watch the show. Alastor’s shadow was hugging him, leaning his head against his with red eyes that didn’t want to look away. Yet, the two of them didn’t feel completely satisfied, no, they did, but the scene in front of them felt just too familiar. 

It was a shame really, he liked Charlie, as frustrating as she could be she had a good head on her shoulders but maybe this was what she needed to finally become her best self. Now if only he could get rid of Lucifer as well but that was just wishing for too much. In a world where people gushed about keeping up with the times, they only ever thought about technology but they often forget that people can become just as dated. As old as Alastor was, he never made this major flaw, even if the world evolved around him he didn’t care, as long as he evolved with the people around him he was never going to be outdated. Lucifer and Lilith were though, and outdated people were as useless as outdated tech. 

Alastor went back inside the hotel while his shadow merged back with him. 

“What the hell happened out there?” Husk asked as soon as Alastor came into sight. Angel was standing next to him looking just as worried. They heard gunshots earlier or what sounded like it but they figured Alastor and the king of hell himself would be able to handle what was going on. 

“Lilith was killed.” Alastor sat on one of the barstools with his cane in between his legs.

“What?” Angel yelled with wide eyes and stood up right away. “Wait! What about Charlie, is she okay?”

“Charlie is fine, and so is Lucifer, the only target was Lilith.” 

“I gotta go see her!” 

Angel ran out of the hotel as fast as his long legs could carry him. Once he was out of sight Husk glanced towards Alastor. “Was this your doing?”

Alastor turned his head and gave Husk a smile that was matched by his shadow that appeared right next to him. “No, why I wouldn’t dare to do something crazy like this. You should know that Husker, aren’t I on a leash as well?” 

Husk narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything else, instead, he followed after Angel and left Alastor alone by the bar. Alastor tilted his head, leaning it against his shoulder and then the radio came to life and started to play music. He hummed quietly and his shadow looked through the bottles at the bar before picking up one and pouring a drink for him. 

Alastor looked at the drink and picked it up with a sly smile. “I guess we ought to celebrate, right?” 

The shadow only nodded with a quiet laugh as Alastor took a sip of his drink. 

Alastor had been to the V tower enough times that the security team didn’t even bother to try to stop him anymore. They learned to just let him go inside unless their boss said otherwise. Nonetheless Alastor always greeted them and then went straight for the elevator that was going to take him to the top floor. The annoying elevator music always made his ear twitch but he tried to ignore it and even wondered if he could suggest Vox to change the damned tune. He hadn’t even been to this tower that many times and he was already sick of it. 

The doors opened and Alastor stepped in and walked through the long hallway until Vox’s office came into view. Vox was typing away on his computer and only looked up when Alastor’s steps came to a stop and he made himself comfortable on one of the large couches. 

“You sure took your time coming here,” Vox closed his laptop but didn’t move from his seat on his desk. 

“I couldn’t particularly excuse myself right away after what happened. I’m sure you can understand that.” 

“I get it but, how are things on that side, are we good?” 

“Oh, everything is in shambles, it is quite amusing but the atmosphere isn’t of my liking, I’m sure you can understand why,” Alastor grinned and playfully tossed his cane from one hand to the other. 

“No shit, but that’s not what I’m asking. I want to know if they suspect any of us at all.” 

“Oh no, of course not,” Alastor’s eyes moved from his cane to stare at Vox. “Lucifer believes it was the heavens. It hasn’t even crossed his mind that it could have been someone from hell, he doesn’t believe we are powerful enough to pull a stun like this, even less against his ex-wife. He is sure that this has to do with heaven's higher-ups, and he is very angry! Why I feel like he might even finally grow some balls and declare war against the havens instead of being a waste of space.” 

“So they are blaming heaven for this?” 

Alastor nodded and made a soft agreeing noise. “Yes, that’s who they suspect the most. Isn’t that lovely for you? I remember you lot wanted to fight the havens, correct? Your little partner sounded very confident when she brought that head during the last Overlord’s meeting.” 

“Back then we wanted to stop extermination, something that already happened. If a war started now it would be due to Lucifer’s anger and it wouldn’t benefit us at all. I would rather lean back and watch it happen, it would be more interesting that way.”

Alastor smiled. “Smart man.”

“I have my moments.” Vox grinned 

“I believe this report is all you needed then, so rest assured that you, that we, are safe. So have a good night, old friend!” Alastor smiled and was about to turn and leave when he heard Vox standing up with his claws scratching against his desk to get Alastor’s attention.

“I guess this will be the last time I hear from you, right?” Vox walked around his desk and moved towards Alastor with a straight back and his arms behind his back. 

“What would make you think so?”

Vox chuckled at the fake innocent look that Alastor gave him. “Because you’re not going to be staying at that hotel any longer, right? You are planning to do the same as I am, you are going to watch Lucifer go to war with the hellborn and fight a battle where we would be the ones to reap the benefits.” 

Alastor only smiled, his half-lidded eyes looking as playful as ever when he wanted to hear more. 

“When it comes to making deals, you’re one of the best, there’s no doubt about it, but I’m not stupid. Now that Lilith is dead you have no reason to uphold your end of the deal, and I have nothing to force you to continue. The deal was that you’d tell us what was happening inside the hotel, but if you aren’t there anymore, then our deal becomes pretty much useless.”

Alastor’s fingers tapped against his cane. He shrugged. “I did warn you that you were making a poor deal, didn’t I?” 

“It was a poor deal, on both sides.”

Alastor tilted his head and his eyes narrowed. The smile on his lips wasn’t as wide anymore as he tried to go over the deal he made with Vox. It didn’t matter how he thought about it, Alastor was the only one who truly benefited from it while Vox got absolutely nothing. Even if he didn’t give the Vees any sort of information, they were still required to help him if so he needed or keep him safe. It was so one-sided that Alastor figured Vox was just desperate due to the pressure surrounding the idea of the city’s hierarchy crumbling. 

“You must have been so desperate.” Vox’s grin only grew and his left eye swapped colors to black and red. The frequency around him grew higher along with the sound it made while sparks flickered on his claws. 

Alastor's smile became strained as his mind kept going over their deal over and over again. His eyes were turning black and red while they desperately moved back and forth as if he was physically reading a contract right in front of him. The Vees would secure his freedom, they'd help him, they would. The Vees. 

Alastor’s eyes widened as the radio dials in his eyes came to a stop. He looked up and met Vox’s eyes just as he snapped his fingers and static noise rang behind Alastor. 

Velvette teleported behind and above Alastor. She was holding a silver and white dagger in her hands that sparked with angelic steel. It all happened so fast that the two didn’t even give Alastor time to react or notice that he was being attacked, especially when he never thought of this as a possibility, he came here with his guard down and no strategy whatsoever. 

Velvette’s dagger took aim and she stabbed her target. 

Alastor stood still with his eyes wide as blood started pouring out of his mouth, yet there were no wounds on his body. The dagger wasn’t aimed at him but instead, Velvette was on her knees grinning with her dagger piercing Alastor’s shadow that was now twisting in pain while silently screaming. The shadow was squirming and twitching non-stop, with antlers that had grown while his eyes started glowing red. Alastor’s shadow was usually immune to touch but it wasn’t the same when it came to angelic steel. 

“You owe me that one you fucking bastard, how does it feel?” Velvette grinned, her eyes meeting Alastor’s shocked expression. 

“Y-you wretch-” Alastor couldn’t even finish what he was trying to say. Blood was freely pouring out of his mouth, and he couldn’t speak. He could only use a shadow tentacle to try to shove Velvette away but she easily avoided it and took whatever chance she could to continue to stab the shadow that was now trying to run away from her. 

Alastor was so distracted by Velvette that she didn’t notice when Vox got closer until a hand was gripping his jaw and forcing him to look at the other Overlord. Vox’s screen was glitching, showing his delight and the pure bliss in his eyes as he watched him struggle and bleed. Alastor choked with a mouthful of blood and tried to push Vox away just to go stiff when Velvette managed to stab his shadow again. 

Alastor’s eyes were turning green then red and then black again, they kept swapping as he tried to summon his magic but the shadow minions would hardly materialize before becoming puddles of black ink that couldn’t move. Even his tentacles were struggling to fight against Velvette. 

“I forgot to tell you,” Vox’s voice was distorted as he spoke while blood dripped from the corner of his mouth in pure delight. “The Vees disbanded earlier, it was on the news but you never watch them, although there are rumors that they might make a comeback sometime in the future with a new addition.” 

Alastor growled and his claws gripped Vox’s vest. He was about to summon whatever energy he had left to attack the bastard in front of him but then bright lights filled the room, making him close his eyes while he felt his body tremble. It was as if he was burning, but he wasn’t, his skin was on fire and it was so painful he fell on his knees and tried to cover his head with both of his arms. He was hissing and coughing up mouthfuls of blood as the pain started to numb his senses. 

Valentino was standing nearby with stage lights all around him and a cigarette in his hands. He flicked the ashes and winked at Alastor while turning up the brightness. “It took some time to make these, but who would have thought you could make angelic light from those same weapons you gave us? It must be painful for a cute demon like you that dwells in the shadows.” 

Alastor’s shadow was twisting in pain as it tried to make itself as small as it could. The room was too bright, and those lights were burning him, they were hurting him. Something like this never happened before, this was all new to him. The shadow kept screaming, rushing through the room as it tried to hide but there was nowhere, everything was so bright, it was so blinding and then, he saw it. Darkness. The shadow rushed to the small heaven, hiding in the small crowded space that kept him safe from the lights. 

Velvette smiled as she closed the small silver box she was holding and clicked the lock shut. The ornate box she held was made with the same material that was able to bring down the queen of hell and now it was holding Alastor’s shadow inside. 

Alastor was panting, his eyes wide as his brain tried to keep up with everything that was happening. He was still in so much pain and it made it so hard for him to think about anything else but the burning agony that was spreading from every single wound he received. He couldn’t even try to stand on his own, his legs were trembling and he had to hold onto Vox just so he wouldn’t fall on his knees again. 

“When I realized why I couldn’t beat you, why not even Adam was able to kill you, I honestly felt so foolish for not noticing it before.” Vox turned Alastor’s head again, forcing him to look at him as he spoke. “But it made sense once I figured it out. We were just aiming at the wrong target, it doesn’t matter how many times I tear you apart, or how many wounds you receive, the you that’s standing in front of me is never going to die. You are always going to come back because this is just a shell, a fucking doll that you call your body!” 

Alastor staggered on his feet as Vox pushed him away. He needed to get away, he needed to leave but no matter where he looked there was no way out. He couldn’t even melt into the shadows, he couldn’t do anything but feel as his shadow struggled to try to break from inside the box Velvette was holding.  

“The real you is in there now, isn’t it?” Vox pointed toward the ornate box and then snapped his fingers again.

A loud whistling sound was heard and Alastor quickly ducked to avoid whatever was aimed at him, except it wasn’t alone. Another whistle pierced the air and this time Alastor didn’t have time to avoid it as something tight and sturdy wrapped itself all around his torso and waist, bounding his arms to his side and making it impossible for him to move them. He struggled, trying to pull his arms apart with all the strength he could muster but it was obvious that it was going to be impossible for him to break free. 

Alastor’s eyes swapped to green as stitches appeared on his mouth and the rest of his body. The green neon thread was keeping him together as he struggled and tried to free himself from his bounds. Through it all, he was still glaring at Vox, with a smile so wide that it showed his gums and looked deathly. 

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Alastor’s voice was so distorted it was painful to listen to. Valentino flinched and Velvette covered her ears with one of her hands and the box she was holding, Vox however just took a step closer, his eyes not looking away from Alastor even for a second. 

“Are you now? I would love to see you try when I have your soul under key and your body like this.” Vox laughed and reached inside his jacket to pull out a thick, white blindfold. He moved closer and unbuckled the blindfold before showing it to Alastor and holding it in front of him. “I made sure it’ll be comfortable.” 

Alastor could only struggle as Vox gripped one of his ears and tried to slip the blindfold around them and behind his head. He kept turning his head, twisting his body, and trying to pull away from Vox until the two were on the floor and Alastor could only keep shaking his head as a last-ditch effort to stop the inevitable. He started to kick his legs as the loops of the blindfold slipped around his ears and then the buckle was tightly secured behind his head. He couldn’t see anything anymore and yet he was still kicking his legs, still struggling and trying to push Vox away until it was too much.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way.

Alastor tilted his head back and a loud inhuman shriek left his mouth. The distorted noises were mixed with radio waves and not even Vox was able to withstand it as it cracked his screen. Valentino and Velvette were on the floor covering their heads in an attempt to stop the noise from drilling into their brains. The screens all around them shattered, along with the different bottles of alcohol and lastly, it was the windows. All the windows in V tower came crashing down as Alastor’s antlers grew and the stitches on his body started glowing again. 

Vox gripped one of Alastor’s ears again and reached inside his coat once more to get out a white full muzzle this time. He shuddered as his screen cracked again but then quickly shoved the muzzle against Alastor’s mouth, muffling his scream and making it bearable for those around him. He hooked the muzzle with the loops that went along with the blindfold and then connected the zipper behind it to close it. The belt buckles were last, adding extra security to the muzzle that covered all of Alastor’s jaw, neck, and mouth. 

Vox rolled off of Alastor and sat on the floor leaning against the table behind him. He was panting heavily, with his screen glitching and parts of it giving him error messages. He figured it was going to be a lot easier to deal with Alastor after their small ambush but the Radio Demon was truly willing to fight until the bitter end. He ran a hand over his screen and ripped the glass off of his face that was shattered. The screen underneath was still intact and now that the glass was out of the way he could see clearly again. 

Alastor was on the floor struggling against his bonds and trying to get free. His claws were scratching at the floor underneath him while he kept hitting his head against the floor over and over again in an attempt to loosen the muzzle and blindfold. He was behaving like the rabid animal Vox knew he could be but it was still shocking to him. 

Vox had never seen Alastor this desperate, frustrated, and out of control. He kept screaming against the muzzle but all of it was muffled. He kept trying to break free from his bonds but he couldn’t do anything against them, not when they were made from the same material he willingly gave the Vees with such confidence thinking that he’d be safe. 

Alastor kept rubbing his face against the ground, trying to get the muzzle off before he started hitting his head again until a hand stopped him by grabbing his ear. He tried to pull away right away but then another hand was holding his hair and keeping him in place. 

“You’re gonna give yourself fucking brain damage,” Vox said and kept him still until Alastor tried to kick him and he was forced to dodge. “We should have thought of something for his damn legs.”

“Well, we didn’t have much time did we?” Valentino took a drag of his cigarette and walked over to examine their handiwork. “Honestly, I can’t believe this worked.”

“I really thought we were going to have to evacuate the whole tower and disappear for a few days if your plan didn’t work,” Velvette said and walked over. She was still holding the silver, ornate box but as soon as she was close enough she handed it to Vox who took it with a grin. 

“This is why I told you both that you needed to trust me.” 

“Hard to do that when you sound crazy while trying to explain your wild theories,” Valentino said. 

“Agreed,” Velvette said with a firm nod. “You kept going on and on about finally being able to see the truth, for a second there I thought you were falling for some bullshit conspiracy theories.” 

“But I was able to see the truth!” Vox argued and pulled Alastor closer by his ear. “I just never noticed it before, this whole time I thought my video feed was being corrupted by Alastor. He despises technology and video cameras so much that I figured he was doing it on purpose to be a petty asshole, but that wasn’t it. The videos weren’t corrupted, they were seeing what we couldn’t see, they were picking up the frequency of his magic and showing me that he wasn’t real, no, it’s not that he isn’t real, he just isn’t like us.” 

“That’s why you hate being recorded, isn’t it?” Vox's grin grew wider and he gripped Alastor’s jaw as he pulled him closer until he was forced to lean against him. “You hate it because you noticed it as well, you noticed that it gave you away, it showed your true weakness but you hid it behind pretentious words that fit so well with your lies.” 

Alastor yanked his head free from Vox’s hold and tried to kick him again just to feel himself falling before a hand gripped the back of his suit to keep him up. 

Valentino held Alastor with his third arm while he continued to smoke with a grin. “Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?” He chuckled and without hesitation pushed the end of his cigarette against Alator’s ear until the other was struggling and screaming against his muzzle. “That’s for my antenna you fucker.” 

“Stop that, Val!” Vox lightly smacked Valentino’s hand and pulled Alastor towards him. 

“Hey,” Valentino’s voice echoed as whispers started to surround him and his eyes glowed red. “What I did to your putita is nothing compared to what he did to me, so don’t you fucking dare give me that look. I would have the right to do much more but I’m being nice because, after our latest stunt, I finally understand why the fuck you wanted him so badly.” Valentino smiled again and then roughly petted Alastor’s head before he started walking toward the elevator. “I look forward to having my senses amplified like that again, little doe. It’s going to be fun.” 

Velvette gave Vox a pointed look and then sighed. “Vox, I trust you but Valentino has a point. That asshole hurt us, he did a lot to us. He destroyed half of our tower before and left us out of commission for weeks. You can’t expect us not to want revenge. I don’t care if you wanna pretend to be a fucked up prince charming to him while you lock him up, but we are going to use this fucker to our advantage in any way we can, whether you like it or not.” 

“I never said we wouldn’t,” Vox answered with a glare. “I just don’t like what’s mine being damaged.”

Velvette’s eyes widened at Vox’s words and she just laughed. “God, you and Valentino are both so fucked up. Alright, got it, have fun then. I’ll try to clean up this mess, urg, it’s going to be so much work.” 

After Velvette was gone, it was only Alastor and Vox. 

Alastor’s ears twitched as soon as he felt Vox’s hand on his wounded ear. He quickly turned his head away and tried to arch away from him. He was squirming all over, with his shoes slipping on the floor against the shattered glass and alcohol from the bottles that were nearby. 

“Stop moving…Alastor, fucking stop…I’m just trying to see how bad it is! Quit moving,” A kick on his shin had Vox’s patient snapping. He gripped Alastor’s shoulders with both of his hands, his claws digging into the flesh but not breaking it. He shook him once and then pulled him closer as his voice turned deeper and louder. “I said fucking stop!” 

It only made Alastor struggle more. He was trying to get away from him, not caring at all that as he moved Vox’s claws started to pierce against his skin and cut through his flesh. The hands on his shoulders let go instantly and Alastor fell to his side. 

What was left of Vox’s patience was gone. He could feel his left eye twitching as the black and red colors started to swirl and sparks flickered against his fingertips. He gripped the back of Alastor’s suit and without saying a word started to drag him across the room. He could feel Alastor kicking his legs and twisting his body, trying to get away from him but Vox’s grip only tightened as he kept walking. The hallway for the elevator came into view and then a set of double doors that Vox knew too well. The grin on his face was back as he kept walking and dragging Alastor behind him.

The kicks became more violent. 

Vox could hear screaming against the muzzle, raw screams that were only getting louder. The radio static around Alastor was being contained by the angelic bounds around his body but Vox could still feel it and he could still hear it. 

The double doors opened and Alastor’s claws tried to cling to the floor but he just couldn’t. He was pulled inside and the cold floor was replaced with a soft carpet. The room around him was warmer than the rest of Vox’s office but Alastor was hardly able to register it before he was picked up and pushed against something soft and plush. It was a sofa. He couldn’t remember the studio having a sofa before. 

Alastor tried to jerk away when a hand pulled him up but all that Vox did was help him sit up. He was panting, breathing heavily through his nose as sweat clung to his forehead and back. Alastor heard Vox sitting in front of him and then his hands were reaching out to undo the blindfold but he left the muzzle on. 

Alastor’s black and red eyes blinked slowly as he tried to adjust to the light. Everything was blurry but slowly things started to take shape and his eyes widened. The studio that was once supposed to be a gift to him was completely different and it resembled a room that he knew too well. The older furniture, the black and white pictures with old antique frames, and a piano in the corner of the room with a typewriter that sat on a table not far from it. It was the exact same room he could still recall in his memory from long ago.

Vox’s hands moved to Alastor’s face and he held him so carefully, his fingers were gently fixing his hair, tugging it out from underneath the muzzle so it would frame his face again. Alastor wanted to move, he wanted to pull away, to kick, to even scream again but he was too stunned to do anything. He just stared at Vox with wide eyes and Vox stared back at him. He never looked away from Alastor and Alastor could see madness behind his stare, a type of emotion that had evolved into something else, something calming and dangerous.

“I fixed it in a rush, but I think it looks just like it used to, right?” Vox was sitting on the coffee table in front of Alastor. His thumbs were gently stroking Alastor’s face, holding him as if he were some sort of delicate piece that he didn’t dare to damage any further. 

Alastor forgot how to breathe. Everything was happening too quickly, everything he planned, everything he thought he knew, it was too much. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t get his brain to function. He could only watch as Vox pulled him in for a hug with one of his hands around his waist and the other holding his neck. It was too much, this was too much. The edges of his vision were getting darker as panic finally started to settle in his heart before it spread through his whole body.

How did he lose? How did it happen? Had he been that desperate? Alastor’s thoughts kept rushing through his head as his eyes looked through the room around him. 

“See? It’ll be fine, it’ll be as it should have always been!” Vox’s voice was getting louder and the TV filter that made his voice sound deeper when his emotions were running wild was already shadowing his voice. “Alls forgiven, alright? I’ll take care of Velvette and Valentino and as long as you do as they say, they won’t have a reason to bother you! You’ll be safe here, with me. You just have to do what you’re told, what I say, that’s it!” 

Alastor wasn’t sure when his eyes started burning or when his breathing started to come in short gasps. He could feel his shoulders trembling as Vox’s words echoed in his head. Just do as he is told? Just do whatever other people want of him and then come here or wait for Vox to come for him to play this deranged game of house while he smiles and nods? No, he couldn’t do that, not again. He couldn’t go through that again. He hated it. He would rather be tortured, he would rather have Valentino burn as many cigarettes as he wanted on his body, everything but this. He would even rather die than live through a facade like this once again. 

This was his true hell. 

Alastor pulled away from Vox and lifted his leg to push him away. He kicked at his chest as he fell back against the couch and tried to get away from the other demon. He was twisting his body, feeling his arm burning and his bones screaming at him as he tried his hardest to break free but it was only hurting him. The world around him was blurry again and then a pair of hands were pinning him against the couch as he continued to fight. 

Kick, struggle, fight. Not again. It wouldn’t happen again. 

Alastor was gasping for air, the muzzle making it so hard to get air in his lungs when it felt like he couldn’t use his nose. He was getting dizzy and now Vox was on top of him with his eyes narrowing as he held him in place. 

Alastor played with fire. He only meant to remind Vox of his feelings for him to get him to lower his guard, to make him think about those memories that he knew meant so much to Vox. He did all of this to trick him into a deal, to trick him into fighting a battle he couldn’t fight on his own while walking away with everything he wanted and more. He wasn’t even sure if it was going to work but he knew the second Vox pinned him down that night in front of Angel’s dust room. He knew it would work and he went along with it but he never expected the result to be this…this delusion. 

Alastor swallowed the lump in his throat just as Vox gripped his face and brought him closer. He looked away, his eyes back to their regular red color as he continued to try to avoid looking at Vox. It’ll be fine, it has to be fine. He kept telling himself the same thing over and over again but then he met Vox’s eyes and he knew, he knew it wasn’t going to be fine. 

Crazy came in many shapes and sizes, Alastor knew this well because he knew his own type of crazy. He knew he wasn’t all there and the tics in his head were a memory of his time when he was alive, but what he failed to realize was that while some people go crazy for many reasons, some others go crazy for a singular person. 

Alastor flinched as the white blindfold slipped back around his ears and buckled up behind his head. He couldn’t see again and the hands touching his face, his hair, and his neck felt sharper. His breathing came to a halt as Vox gripped the back of his neck and then swapped places with him. He pushed Alastor against the table and just as he did the cables buried underneath the carpet crawled out to tie his legs against the table, keeping him from kicking while another cable moved around his neck and tied itself against the table as well. He couldn’t move at all now, he truly couldn’t do anything. 

“I think some alone time will do you some good, and it might help you understand the situation you are in now. You gotta understand, Alastor, you aren’t in control anymore, I am.” 

Alastor heard Vox’s footsteps as he walked away. The double doors opened and closed again, leaving Alastor behind in complete darkness. 

Chapter Text

The sound of a rifle going off made him cringe and almost fall on the ground in front of him, but he was able to steady his balance and keep running. The dense trees around him were giving him the perfect cover but it didn’t matter much when the chase had just started and the longer he ran the dizzier his head became and the more blood he was losing from his wound on his side. The outskirts of New Orleans were quiet compared to the rest of the town and the thick and large trees that hugged the city reminded everyone of the swamps and lagoons surrounding the place. 

Alastor was sure that as long as he made it to the lagoons he was going to be safe. Another gunshot went off and this time it hit the tree next to him. Even if he had a plan, he couldn’t allow himself to relax, not yet. He needed to keep running, he needed to move faster but he could feel blood running down his leg and the sound of loud barking not far from where he was. 

The large black and brown dogs were chasing after him and even when Alastor had the chance to run ahead of time they were quickly catching up with him, but if he was able to get in the water, if he was able to reach the lagoons and then rush to the swamp then he was going to be able to get away and lose them. 

The wound on his side was screaming at him to stop running, to slow down and stop panicking but he couldn’t. He knew he was losing a lot of blood, his body was shaking but the adrenaline and the fear of what awaited him if he stopped moving were winning. If he stopped to take care of his wound he was dead, but if he hoped for the best and waited to take care of the stab wound on his side, there was still a chance of survival. 

It was funny, maybe this is what people called karma or why religious people spoke about divine punishment. It hadn’t even been a week since he killed his father and planned to leave this place, yet here he was, running for his life while trying to cling to the idea that once he got away, once he made it out of there alive, he was finally going to be able to live his life and claim it as his own. 

It could never be that easy. 

Alastor heard himself laughing as he gasped for air and sweat kept running down his forehead and neck. 

The funeral for Michael attracted people from all over Louisiana, showcasing how many connections he had and how many people knew him and were willing to mourn his death. Mary and Louis were the ones who took it the hardest, even after Louis joined the casino and was forced to face what kind of man his father was, he still highly respected him and loved him, Alastor knew this well. In Mary’s and Louis’s eyes, Michael was the father who was always willing to do everything he could for them, even if he was harsh and not a good man. 

Alastor attended the funeral and paid his fake respects to an empty casket with only Michael's ashes inside. The body that was found was damaged beyond recognition and so there was no body for the funeral to show, but instead of telling the truth people were told it was the family’s wishes and to respect them. It wasn’t as if they wanted everyone to know that Michael was brutally killed otherwise people would start asking questions, like why would anyone want to kill him? Who could hate him? And for what reason? All of these questions risked the family’s reputation and also brought Michael’s character into question.

Anna was wearing black from head to toe, with even a veil covering her face the whole time as she cried quietly and surrounded herself with her close friends. Her whole family came to the funeral, including her father who was a tall man who towered over his daughter, and still, he hugged her with the utmost care. 

The family brought trucks of supplies to feed everyone attending the funeral and they also brought a dozen dogs with them that Anna would raise for hunting when she went back home during hunting season. The dogs were all purebred with large bodies that looked intimidating yet soft. They were sitting near Anna the whole time as she hugged them and petted them before welcoming more guests who hugged her and offered their condolences. 

It was an act that Alastor couldn’t stand and so he found himself hiding in his room for most of the funeral. He was finishing packing most of his stuff and was already planning to leave first thing in the morning. He told Louis about his opportunity in Hollywood and he seemed happy for him, just sad that the timing could be this bad but he understood Alastor’s position and wished him good luck. He thought about telling Mary but there was no reason to, he didn’t want to make this a big deal. 

It was later that night when he was busy finishing packing his last trunk that his door was opened and Anna stepped in. She was still wearing all black but her black veil was missing. She wasn’t the same woman Alastor met ten years ago but she was still years younger than Michael and stood with a straight back and that odd beauty that belonged only to her. The brown hair that used to always be in a braid was now tied in a neat bun but her outfits remained the same, uptight and without an inch of skin showing. 

“I heard you’re leaving,” Anna said and looked around Alastor’s room, her eyes staring at the large suitcase and two trunks filled with all of his belongings. 

“I am,” Alastor replied without looking at her and closed the last trunk. “I got a job offer from Cali and plan to accept it, but I’m sure Louis already told you if you know I’m leaving.” 

“He did, I asked him where you were and he told me what you were planning.”

“I expected him to tell you but I didn’t think he would be so eager.” 

“My children tell me everything.” 

“Good for you.” Alastor pushed the two traveling trunks together and then dragged his suitcase over as well. “I’m sure you’ll be happy that I’m leaving, so you can drop the act. I know you don’t care about where I go or what happens to me, you never wanted me here to begin with.” 

“Oh no, you are wrong, this would never make me happy.” 

Anna took a step forward and Alastor fought the way his body wanted to recoil away from her. He didn’t want her anywhere near him but he knew how Anna worked and the sooner he finished this conversation with her and gave her what she wanted the sooner she would leave him alone. He turned around to face her and was a bit shocked by how close she was but that wasn’t what truly surprised him. Alastor stared at Anna as a burning pain flourished from the side of his body and then something wet started to cling to his skin. He slowly moved his eyes from Anna’s face to her hands and his eyes stared at the knife that was piercing his side. 

“But this, this is starting to put a smile on my life.” Anna smiled and her half-lidded eyes stared at Alastor as she pulled her knife back and watched him quickly trying to apply pressure to his wound. “You have no idea how long I had to wait to do this.” 

Alastor pressed his lips together and ignored the pain on his side as he quickly tried to apply more pressure on his wound by taking off his jacket and tying it around his waist. He wasn’t sure why Anna wasn’t attacking him again but just by looking at her Alastor was able to tell that she wasn’t planning on killing him so quickly. Her eyes were shining in delight as she kept smiling with a blush on her cheeks. She was finding pleasure in this, a different kind of pleasure that wasn’t the same as what Alastor felt when he killed people. 

“The day I found out about you, I wanted nothing else but to find you and tear you apart in any way I could.” Anna stared at the knife in her hands and gently touched the blood with her fingertips. “You were the last thing that reminded me of that wretched whore that took Michael from me. She seduced him, and made him think that he could have a future with her, ha! Her? That bitch doesn’t even have the right to fucking dream and she thought she could make him happy? Everything was going well between us, and then she came and destroyed us!” 

Alastor kept his distance away from Anna and slowly bent down to try to reach for the knife strapped against his leg without alerting her as she continued to speak. 

“But when Michael came back to me…he was different, bitter, a changed man who acted the part of a perfect husband. He was weak, your mother made him weak, she filled his head with bullshit ideas and what I got in return was a man that couldn’t stop thinking about another life and another woman! Then he brought you here, the spitting image of that bitch and he thought I wouldn’t notice, that I wouldn’t know. I knew I couldn’t kill you then, he wouldn’t have let me. If I tried anything, he was going to know and then it was going to be over between us and I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t. I wanted to kill him as well to end it all but I love him.”

Alastor swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at Anna with wide eyes. The look on her face, her wide eyes filled with tears that kept spilling and ruining her makeup made her look haunting. Her smile was trembling as she kept talking and the hold on her knife was tightening. 

“I love him and I hate him so much. I wanted him gone, I wanted him punished for abandoning me, for taking someone else above me. I have hated him for so long but I also love him and my love isn’t wrong, the only reason why things turned out like this was because of that filthy whore. I’m the victim here, I’m the one that was played with. It isn’t my fault, it never has been. I have wanted to kill you, to hurt you, for so long, I’m sure your mother was twisting in her grave every time I shoved your head between my legs, hahaha! It felt so good, it was too good but Michael tried so hard to keep you near him. I’m sure at some point he wanted to kill you just like me but eventually he saw her in you.” 

Anna took a step closer, her clear eyes were trembling while her lips twisted into an ugly smile as her knife pointed towards Alastor again. “The only reason why you stayed alive for so long, was because he grew fond of you. He cared for you in his own twisted way, all to keep that woman’s memory alive in his head. The way he looked at you, the way he picked you above my son to deal with his business and his deals. He saw her in you and what he saw in me and my family was resentment.” 

Alastor moved out of the way just as Anna aimed to stab him again. He shoved her away and ripped his knife out of its holster before aiming towards her chest. He was about to stab her when Anna shoved her hand against Alastor’s wound, making him flinch and instead aim for her shoulder and stab through the flesh there. 

“You filthy, fucking mutt!” Anna yelled and kicked Alastor away. She was panting heavily with her hair loose while the smile on her face grew into a grin. Alastor’s knife was still piercing through her shoulder but she didn’t bother to pull it out. She brought her fingers to her lips then a loud whistle rang through the whole house.

Alastor could hear the dozens of small steps rushing through the house and up the stairs. It was her damned dogs, they were coming. He couldn’t bring himself to worry about Anna anymore, instead, he ran towards his window and before crawling out through it he grabbed a letter opener from his desk and jammed it against the window frame as he closed it to keep the window from opening again. It was only going to buy him a couple of minutes but it was enough. He ran through the small balcony and easily jumped off of it to land on the bushes underneath. It was painful but he couldn’t worry about the pain at the moment. He needed to run and get away. 

Anna stared at the closed window with narrowed eyes. She whistled and got her dogs to follow her as she moved down the stairs. She ripped the sleeves of her dress and used them to tie her skirt up as she walked into Michael’s old studio and grabbed one of the rifles that hung there. She checked the chamber and found the ammunition inside Michael’s desk before loading four bullets and flicking the safety off. 

The house was empty with no one to stop her as she set foot outside and whistled twice. “Follow him, boys.” The dogs that were inside the house came rushing, easily keeping up with the scent of blood that was still fresh in the air. 

Alastor kept running, it was getting hard to breathe and he looked far too pale. He could feel his fingertips turning cold and his legs were starting to tremble far too much. The trees in front of him were starting to double as his vision became foggy but he needed to keep running. He needed to. 

Another bullet was heard but this time it pierced through his shoulder and sent him tumbling into the ground. He groaned in pain and forced himself to get up but he just couldn’t get his legs to run anymore. He could hardly walk and it wasn’t long before he heard barking behind him and the hunting dogs surrounding him. He didn’t have anywhere to go. The large dogs were all around him, with their teeth showing as they growled at him and barked while threatening to bite if he tried to move. 

“You’re trembling so much, you look like a scared little deer.” Anna smiled and aimed the rifle at Alastor. She stood a few yards behind him, watching him as he struggled not knowing what to do. “You should feel honored, really, I usually just use my dogs to help me track prey but this time, I bought them specifically for you. After all, I don’t want to leave any evidence of you.” 

Alastor turned his head to look at Anna. He was panting heavily with his half-lidded eyes struggling to remain open as more blood poured out of his wound. He watched her whistle and then the dozens of footsteps rushed towards him.

The dogs all attacked at the same time and Alastor couldn’t do anything. The sharp fangs pierced through his arms, legs, and thighs, they were ruthless as they shook their heads and ripped through the flesh and moved his limbs as if he was nothing but a rag doll. They ignored how his bones complained, how they whined and snapped until Alastor wasn’t sure if he was screaming or crying. The pain was so intense that at some point he was sure that he couldn’t feel anything, as if his brain couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him anymore. The smell of blood surrounded him. He couldn’t feel his arms and legs anymore, but he could still feel the dogs tearing through his body and ripping away flesh. Everything was blurry. He couldn’t see well anymore but as his head turned and what remained of his body trembled, he could see his own arm on the grass not far from him, while also being able to feel as a dog chewed its way through one of his ankles until it snapped. 

Footsteps approached him but Alastor couldn’t turn his head. Anna stood above him with her gun gently lifting his chin as she smiled and tilted her head. “Such a pretty face, I made sure they wouldn’t chew it off, maybe I’ll keep it as a trophy, another cute deer to add to the collection, isn’t that right, dollface?” 

Alastor felt blood pouring out of his mouth as Anna moved her gun and aimed straight at his forehead. He heard the trigger moving and then everything went dark. 

The next time Alastor opened his eyes he was in a dark room with nothing around him. The floor was warm and comfortable but he couldn’t see anything, not even his own hands. It was as if he was dreaming, he could move his body but he couldn’t really feel it. He walked around, trying to find a door or touch anything that would tell him where he was but the room kept going and going, with no walls for him to touch or a door that he could find. 

If it was a dream then he was going to wake up soon, but if this wasn’t a dream then why was he here? He sat and thought about it, but it was as if his memories were jumbled up and out of order. He knew who he was, he knew his name but trying to recall anything else was an agonizing task he had to push through. 

If Alastor was his name then what else was there to know about him? He sat there, in the darkness for what felt like an eternity but then he was able to remember how he died and it was as if everything made sense. The puzzle was solved and his memories became clearer than water as he recalled the dogs tearing through his body and dragging him around limb by limb before Anna finished him off. 

He died. Alastor was dead. 

Alastor stared at the darkness around him and wondered if this was what hell was supposed to be, nothing but a space filled with loneliness and despair. The worst part of it all was that it became somewhat comforting. It was empty and lonely but no one could hurt him either, there was no one around him and for the very first time in a long time, he found comfort in his loneliness. It reminded him of when his mother passed away and he found himself alone, with a broken home and no one around him. He started fixing his home, covering the holes in the roof and the broken windows until his little home became whole again, the only thing missing was his mother. 

It felt like so long ago since he was able to think about her and then he couldn’t stop himself but to think about Michael and what he did to him. Alastor didn’t regret what he did, not one bit, but what Anna told him made him wonder if the only reason why he was able to be alive for so long was due to the odd affection his father had for him due to his mother. It was so laughable, that the man that ruined his life actually cared for him enough to protect him from the real danger that wanted to destroy him, yet now that he knew the truth it was funny. Alastor chuckled and then laughed. That wasn’t love, it was sick and twisted, it was emotions that were clinging to someone who was long gone. 

It was the same sick feelings that Anna had for her husband. She didn’t love him, she just thought she was owed love and affection, that it should belong to her and no one else because that’s what she wanted, that’s what she had always wanted. She was sick and crazy but her feelings were real, her emotions were real and Alastor wondered if maybe Michael and her were really meant to be with one another. The two were so alike in their weird ways. 

Alastor knew what love was, that’s why he couldn’t be fooled by lies and play pretends. Love was a gentle smile that greeted you with eyes that smiled as well. It was a warm home with music and a singing voice. It was a pair of hands that touched him with care and tenderness that couldn’t be imitated. Love was happiness that made him feel calm and made the fuzzy feelings in his head vanish and shut the whispers that made him feel worthless. It was the true love that he came to experience only once and it was the love his mother gifted him when she was alive.

If he could, he wanted to experience that love again, maybe a friendship like the one with Betty at least. 

“Hello! Are you awake?” 

Alastor jolted at the loud voice that started to echo around him. He quickly got to his feet and started looking around but there was no one and even if there was someone, he couldn’t see them. 

“Oh good, you are awake! Great!” 

Alastor rubbed his lips together and turned around just to come face to face with an eye the size of his head. The large golden eye blinked at him and then turned upwards as if it was smiling. Alastor swallowed a scream and turned to run just to come face to face with another eye. He turned again and another eye greeted him, the whole room was surrounded with eyes that were staring down at him. All of them were watching him, following his movements. 

“Who are you?” Alastor finally managed to say, his voice was quiet and rough from not using it after so long. “Where am I?” 

“Oh, you are in purgatory buddy! Sorry it took me a while to get here, there are a lot of people in the queue, I’m sure you can understand, government offices are a pain after all!” 

“Purgatory?”

“Yep!”

“I don’t get it, I thought I would be going to hell,” Alastor said honestly and flinched when the voice started laughing. 

“I mean sure, you killed a lot of people but let’s be honest it isn’t as if they didn’t deserve it!” 

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, let’s just say I’m a fan of your work, and that’s why you’re here instead of hell or heaven.” 

The dozens of half-lidded eyes around him were following his every move, never looking away and never blinking. It was frightening and alien. He was a caged animal in an exhibit that was showcasing him. 

“Where will I be going?” Alastor frowned and the eyes around him disappeared until only one pair was staring down at him. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“That depends on you!” A laugh filled the void. “Listen, I could send you to heaven but I don’t think you would like it there. It isn’t for people like you, everyone tends to be a bit bland, and let’s be real you have a head with a few loose screws, am I right?”

Alastor said nothing. He couldn’t understand what the voice was talking about but then there was a pair of hands touching his arms and before he could help himself he aimed to strike whatever direction he felt was right. The rage and anger that quickly filled his stomach at the mere thought of someone touching him without him allowing it was making him see nothing but bloody red. It was such a strong emotion that it blinded his reasoning and pushed him to take action before anything else, to kill. 

“See?” The voice chuckled. “You are damaged goods.” 

Alastor watched as the pair of eyes stared at him with a playful undertone until they disappeared. The dark room was void of light again but then he heard quiet footsteps approaching him. It was as if the darkness around him was nothing but a curtain being lifted by a white, gloved hand. The man who took a step forward was smiling at him and Alastor recognized his eyes right away as the ones he had been speaking to this whole time. He was extremely tall, with a straight back and a soft smile that looked kind but didn’t match his eyes. The sixteen wings on his back were all spread out and the golden color matched his hair and eyes. 

“You’re an angel.” Alastor’s eyes were wide and he couldn’t stop staring at the man in front of him. 

“The name is Michael and I’m sure as a good catholic boy you have heard of me, of us, the archangels, blah, blah, blah.” Michael waved his hand dismissively with a bored look before his smile was back. “So here’s the problem, Alastor. I don’t really think you belong in hell, I’m a fan of punishing the wicked after all, but I also don’t think I can allow you in heaven either. I wouldn’t want you attempting to murder someone up there just because they did something to trigger your human mind.” 

“What if I don’t hurt people? I can do that, I have only killed people that deserved it.”

“Here’s the thing, unlike hell where you can do as much as you want at any point, heaven has very strict rules and that’s why some souls, like yours, end up here, in purgatory. Like, to be honest, we don’t know what to do with a lot of you but it is up to us to judge where you belong. After going through your human life, great movie by the way, love the enthusiasm and mental breakdowns, I have decided that you would be much happier in hell.” 

“What?” Alastor wasn’t sure if he was hearing this right, how the fuck was he supposed to be happy in hell? The place where a burning fire was always torturing the souls of the damned. 

“Oh don’t look so sad, please, don’t believe everything that outdated book tells you!” Michael grinned and appeared behind Alastor. He gripped his shoulders and pulled him in a half-assed hug. “Hell isn’t like what you imagine, yeah sure, it isn’t filled with kind people like heaven is but it is filled with enough decent people that just got dealt a bad hand. Plus the hellborn aren’t that awful, if anything you just have to worry about other sinners.” 

Michael’s smile only grew as he used one finger to nudge Alastor’s chin upward. “You could say it is an all-you-can-eat buffet for someone like you. Think about it, no restraints, no moral codes, no police or authority that can stop you from slaughtering all of those that you see fit. On top of it all, you’ll go to hell already claiming ownership of the souls you sent there! You’re basically going there boosted already, buddy. As long as you keep claiming souls, you’ll become stronger and then no one will be able to mess with you again, no one.”

Alastor stared at Michael, the idea of having met an angel that shared the same name as his father was already sickening enough but it also made him wary. He just didn’t trust him. “It sounds like you want me to go to hell.”

“I do,” Michael said with blunt honesty. “I really do, not only because I know I would have to end up killing you in heaven due to your crazy, little head which I consider wasted potential but because you would be a great help to us all. Hell is growing by the second and to be honest, we don’t really like that, so once in a while, I like to send someone down there who has the potential to do some good amongst the filth and that’s you! Congratulations! Now, you can go to heaven and wait for your instincts to take over and do a fuck up, or I can keep you here and you can chill in purgatory for all eternity or you can go to hell, have fun, grow your power, and enjoy your time there!” 

“So I basically have no real choice.” 

“You do, you certainly do, I’ll follow whichever choice you make. I'm just telling you the choice that I believe is the most fitting for you.” Michael leaned in with his finger still keeping Alastor’s face tilted upwards. “Do you want to follow a path that will give you fulfillment before your inevitable death? A path that leaves you all alone here, for eternity, or a path that is befitting for you, that you were born for. The choice is yours but let me remind you of something…only one of those paths leads you to meeting the person that sent you here in the first place.” 

Alastor’s eyes widened for a second time and the burning hatred that was always bubbling in his stomach was back. He could feel it. It was taking hold of him, making him see red until there was no stopping him. If this was true, if he was able to see that woman, if he was able to get his hands on her then there was no other place he wanted to go but there. 

“I’ll go to hell.”

“Wonderful.” 

Alastor knew that this angel was using him like many people did in the past, but his thirst for vengeance, and his hatred towards that woman was the only emotion guiding him at that point. It maybe wasn’t his fault, or maybe it was because he wasn’t able to let go of those awful emotions but in the end, he made that choice and he shook hands with an angel before waking up in an unknown place for a second time.  

The angel Michael was very much manipulating him but he also didn’t lie. Hell wasn’t what he imagined at all, it looked like a regular city except for its inhabitants. Alastor couldn’t judge anyone though, not when he woke up in the shadows without a shape. He couldn’t speak, and no one seemed to notice him. He moved through the city, learned everything about it and yet he wasn’t part of it. He was the shadow behind people’s footsteps or underneath their beds. He was always awake and didn’t need to sleep but he couldn’t communicate with them or even be acknowledged. 

But Alastor could hurt them. Michael once again told him the truth, he was stronger than most sinners or small hellborns. The greatest part of it all was that they never knew what happened. Alastor knew how to hunt his prey and it wasn’t long before they were being swallowed by the shadows around them, never to be seen again and with no body left behind. 

Every victim was a new meal and Alastor could feel himself growing stronger, strong enough that his palette was asking him for stronger demons. He was starving for more. He spent life like this until he realized that he was getting strong enough that he didn’t have to hide in the shadows anymore. It was as if he was becoming aware of a new existence within him and before he knew it, he saw himself crawling out from within the same shadows he was used to calling home. 

It was him but also it wasn’t because his shadow was still himself. Alastor’s existence felt so complicated but it felt right. It combined so perfectly as if this is what he was always meant to be. 

The hands he was able to move again were different from what he remembered having, and then he was able to see himself reflected against a broken bathroom mirror. He looked so unlike himself but he could also recognize himself. He could see his mother’s eyes and his old nose but his hair was red and black with small antlers that made him roll his eyes. This is who he was now and what made Alastor’s eyes narrow with glee was the smile on his lips that never seemed to fade. It was the same smile he used to wear so long ago but now it felt fitting. 

It was a smile that finally made him feel in control. 

Nobody knew who he was and yet he knew everyone around his little corner of hell. He appeared unannounced with a smile and an attitude that made everyone hate him but even if they tried to fight him none of them could win. It was how his name came to spread through the pride ring and it wasn’t long before he was hungry for more. There was nothing that mattered more in hell than power and Alastor knew that rule since his human life. As long as he stayed on top, as long as he consumed as many souls as he could, he was going to be able to do as he wished. He was going to be able to finally enjoy a life of his own. 

It was a little bit sad that it wasn’t until he died and went to hell that he was finally able to start living. 

Michael had been right, this was the perfect place for him and now he didn’t have to pretend. He didn’t have to mask being someone he wasn’t, yet he did it for fun. He tricked people, made them fall for his deals, and started to own souls just for fun. It didn’t matter if he needed them or not, it didn’t matter if they were useful to him or not. It was just fun to do as he pleased for the fun of it. It was a playground he was given and he was taking full advantage of it.

It was how he met Rosie, a lovely overlord that Alastor became friends with and enjoyed talking to the most. It was also how he met Betty again, even if now she used the name Mimzy. She was crazier than ever and she also changed quite a lot. Alastor cared for her the same way he did when he last saw her but hell hadn’t been kind to his friend. It was just how the afterlife was. Some people were winners while others had to make do with the cards they were dealt and the few chips they were given. 

Hell wasn’t all black and white, there were good souls here who were just trying to live a normal life even if that was almost impossible. Alastor didn’t care to harm sinners like that, they didn’t deserve it unless they decided to change and take part in the atrocities that made hell the place of the damned. The rest of hell wasn’t so lucky and they took part in his radio show, the one everyone spoke about, and how he gained the reputation that even reached the other rings of hell. It was less likely for people to attack him if they feared him and it was less likely for him to fight unnecessary battles when fear was already dominating his enemy's mind. 

It gained him the title of an overlord and Alastor smiled as he stood above other sinners and continued to play the city around him in any way that would guarantee his safety and his freedom. 

It was how he came to meet Vox, the little picture box man who was showing his face on everyone’s television with a smile and a newscaster's voice. It would be smart of him to earn a connection like him, one that already had a foot in when it came to other business that Alastor didn’t want to meddle with. In the end, they all needed him and his radio signals so they liked to stay civil with him but it wasn’t the same as knowing someone in the business, just like he knew Carmilla and Rosie for more than one reason. 

The small meal and the strong cup of coffee turned out to be more enjoyable than he first thought. 

Vox was a silly man who laughed easily but was always on edge. Alastor didn’t know for how long he had been in hell but it was obvious that he wasn’t used to this kind of living. There was a part of him that almost acted sheltered and there was something about his body movements that felt posh. It reminded Alastor of Louis. It could be that Vox was a spoiled little master before he died, someone who was used to living a luxurious life. It fit him, especially when he saw blood or organs lying around on the street and looked queasy. 

He was funny. Alastor found himself snickering at his actions with a real smile on his lips. 

One encounter led to another and Alastor found himself playing the old keys of a piano that needed a bit of tuning, something his shadow quickly fixed for him until he was satisfied. The old piano brought back memories that were blurry in his mind but his fingers moved over the keys as if it was impossible for him to forget. It was the memory of an old house by the swamp with a warm smile that welcomed him back as he came home with a new catch. The smile on his mother’s lips was a fuzzy memory that he kept alive and as he played those keys and looked to the side, he watched Vox chewing on his newest pen. 

Alastor wondered if maybe he could bring things to him as well.

It was how small presents found themselves in his hands as he knocked on Vox’s door and stepped inside without being invited in. The smile on his lips was wide as he shoved the present in Vox’s hand just to see a smile and eyes that shone with gratitude. It made Alastor stare at him for longer than he would have liked but the warmth in Vox’s smile was what made him stare a bit longer than he intended. 

Alastor sat on that piano seat with his eyes closed as he hummed along with the melody coming from his cane. It was a soft song, that was younger than Alastor but he always wanted to listen to the latest tunes. Vox was writing another segment for TV and he looked as frustrated as always but he was also so focused. He obviously loved his craft, much like Alastor once used to love being a radio host, it was the distant dream he was able to achieve by selling his soul to a monster of a human. 

One day turned into another and then another, it wasn’t long before Alastor came over carrying a typewriter that he claimed was a recommendation from a friend but in reality, he knew it was something Vox desperately needed. He was given another genuine smile and Alastor’s eyes softened as he gave Vox a reassuring slap on his back and told him to get to work. 

The small apartment with dirty walls and loud steps that came from the tenants above wasn’t perfect and yet, Alastor found himself lying on that old couch with his cane next to him while his shadow watched over Vox’s shoulder to see what he was typing. It was calming, it was relaxing and it brought another memory back to him. It reminded Alastor of Betty and their life before hell, before she became Mimzy. Her house was warm and welcoming, it was the place where they wrote songs and got drunk while complaining about work and the people around them. It was the home Alastor found in New Orleans, his little piece of heaven in a world where he had no control over his life and who he was. 

In this small place, with Vox typing and mumbling to himself, he was starting to feel the same way he did so long ago. The warmth that he lost, and the smiles he thought he was never going to be able to see were back. It was here that he felt his shadow curling around him and for the first time in a long time, he went to sleep. 

It was a short sleep and when Alastor opened his eyes again the small apartment was empty and the old piano was broken with missing keys while the typewriter lay on the floor not far from him. He looked around him and stared at the dull colors. The old walls were peeling but there was nothing he could do about it anyways. He couldn’t even move. He couldn’t even do anything as his body gently swung back and forth from the cables that were holding his body high in the air and near the ceiling. 

The angelic bonds around his body wouldn’t let him move and the muzzle in his mouth wouldn’t let him speak but at least, the blindfold was gone, showing his tired, half-lidded eyes that were staring into nothing. 

The door opened and Alastor’s upside-down eyes stared at the figure that was coming in. Vox came in and the cables that kept his body suspended in mid-air slowly lowered him until he was sitting on the table where the typewriter used to be. 

“Are you going to throw another fit?” 

Vox’s voice sounded distant and Alastor tilted his head back to stare at him with the same half-lidded eyes that held no emotion behind them. He looked away, avoiding looking at Vox even as the other set a plate in front of him and uncovered the lid to show him a perfectly grilled cut of venison. 

“If I remove the muzzle, you have to promise to behave.” 

Alastor kept his eyes on the table even as Vox’s hands reached for the muzzle and freed his mouth to reveal his strained smile that looked disgusted. He avoided looking at Vox even as his hands started cutting the venison into small pieces. 

When did it all go wrong? Alastor asked himself, as his mind drifted elsewhere and the first piece of venison was brought to his mouth for him to eat. It probably started when he noticed the shift in Vox’s eyes. It probably started when he came knocking on the small apartment just to find it empty and cold. It probably started when Vox invited him to his new home and the warm smile was replaced with a confident grin that was a mask much like the ones Alastor was used to wearing. 

He should have killed him so long ago. Alastor should have killed Vox the same day that he was given that damned studio because it was on that day that Alastor was able to see the person that Vox had turned into, just like he was able to see it in Mimzy so long ago as well. The eyes watching him, the longing stares, and the fake smiles, it was all Alastor could see within Vox but he was still able to withstand it, just like he could withstand Mimzy using him. On that dreadful day, Vox’s eyes showed him something else, it was a stare that Alastor was able to see so long ago, it was the same mad eyes that reflected nothing but sickness that was branded with obsession. Vox looked at Alastor with the same eyes that Anna gave him when speaking about his father. It was a type of madness that scared Alastor. It was a sick love that was void of anything but obsession and it was the opposite of what Alastor knew to be good. 

Alastor should have killed him. He should have eaten him whole and chewed his soul into pieces but he couldn’t. He just wanted to be as far away from him as possible. It was fear that he hid within his heart that made him leave that day and it was the nostalgia of those memories that he still held dear that made him hesitate later on. 

If he stayed away, if he showed Vox nothing but repulsion then maybe he would change, maybe he would let go of those feelings but no, they stayed dormant, festering and growing. Alastor saw it when he tried to use him for his own benefit but he thought he could handle it. He truly thought so. 

The last piece of venison was fed to him and Alastor found himself staring back at an empty table. 

“Velvette wants to use you as a new model for her latest lineup. She believes it would be fitting and it could reintroduce you to Pentagram City as one of us.” 

Vox was talking but it was as if Alastor’s ears were filled with cotton. It had become so easy to tune him out, his voice was nothing but a faraway whisper that meant nothing to him. He was lost in his thoughts again with his head leaning against his shoulder while his hair covered half of his face. 

A hand reached out for his face, holding his jaw and forcing Alastor to turn his head and stare at Vox. 

“I’m talking to you!” Vox said with his claws fighting the urge to break the skin underneath them.

Alastor stared at Vox, with eyes that didn’t look afraid nor interested in what he was saying, instead his smile just grew as his ears pulled back and his eyes swapped to red and black. “Just kill me.” Alastor’s voice was distorted and the satisfied look on his face as he stared at Vox’s helpless expression truly showcased how cruel he could be.

“Why? Why would I do that?” Vox brought Alastor closer and his other hand gripped Alastor’s neck. “Why?” 

“Would you be more willing if I said please?” Alastor laughed. He laughed as Vox’s face fell and his eyes widened. 

“Would you rather die than do what I ask of you?” Vox’s hand gripped Alastor’s neck tighter as he brought him closer. “Would you rather die than stay by my side?” 

“Yes.” There was no hesitation and Alastor’s face didn’t change even as Vox’s hands trembled against his skin. “I had a good run, better than most. I bet everything on this hand and lost. I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated you.” 

“I haven’t even done anything bad to you. I just want us to go back to how it once was, I want you to smile for me like before. I want you to greet me. I want you to be by my side, that’s where you should have always been, that’s where you belong.” Vox’s voice cracked as he spoke and his hand moved from Alastor’s neck to stroke his face and run his fingers through his hair. “Just give me a chance, just let me work on this.” 

Alastor leaned his head away from Vox’s hand, his words playing in his mind and blending in with the same obsessive tone he heard so long ago from a woman that he hated more than anything. 

“You’re outdated, Vox,” Alastor said with a cold tone. “You have the latest tech, the latest displays and you have all of this in the palm of your hand but you are outdated trash. Your head is rotting away, it is filled with memories that no longer exist, it is filled with one-sided emotions that were never going to flourish.”

Vox’s hands trembled as he tried to control himself from holding Alastor’s neck and twisting it off of his head. He swallowed the anger down his throat while his screen went dark before showing his glaring eyes that were staring directly at Alastor with no more sadness or desperation. 

“Nice try, you asshole but I’m not going to let you manipulate me into doing what you want. You might know me, but I fucking know you too and I know that you hate losing more than anything. You don’t want to die, you wouldn’t dare to wish that, not when you love this place. Not when hell is so much fun to you.” Vox grinned and gripped Alastor’s jaw, pulling him closer while his other arm moved around his waist. “So I suggest accepting the opportunities I’m giving you!” 

Alastor’s eyes narrowed and then his head twisted to the side just to bite Vox’s hands until his sharp teeth were sinking into the flesh and ripping through the skin. He smiled as he heard him scream, making his little defiance worth the punishment that would come after. The cables that hid underneath the carpet moved faster than he anticipated and it wasn’t long before he was hanging from the ceiling again with blood dripping from his mouth as he smiled. 

The electric current that came after made him grit his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut. He still wasn’t used to it, and the way it made his body stiffen up before his muscles started cramping was painful, then it would stop and it was as if his body had forgotten how to function. Alastor’s body became soft and pliant with no strength left behind in his muscles. He was sweating and panting heavily, with his chest rising and falling far too quickly. 

“I told you to behave.” Vox gripped his wounded hand and gently shook it before sparks flew from his claws to his wound, making it heal slowly until it wasn’t bleeding anymore. 

Alastor only smiled in reply and shrugged his shoulders as much as he could. 

“Your shadow keeps complaining, you know that, right?”

Alastor’s smile stiffened up and his eyes narrowed.

“I know you are close to reaching a breaking point. I hear him every night. The noises he makes, they sound so miserable, it’s kind of cute.” Vox grinned and motioned for the cables to bring Alastor down so they were at eye level. “So while you can pretend all you want, while you can keep smiling and trying to fight me, I know it won’t last for long.”

“It’ll last for long enough.” 

Vox furrowed his brows and then started laughing. “You think someone is going to come and help you? You already disappeared without telling anyone once, and now people just expect it from you. Who’s going to come looking for you? The people whose souls you own? They are probably celebrating that you are gone. Charlie? She is busy trying to keep the peace between heaven and hell while her father is bombarding the heavens with attacks.”

“Who said the people looking for me were going to be allies?” 

Alastor tilted his head back and his smile only grew as he felt his right hand slowly growing warmer. He felt this once before. He felt it so long ago, seven years ago, no, it was eight years ago now and he had been waiting to feel this again. He had been waiting patiently since Lilith died and he fell for Vox’s trap. 

The extermination after his attack on the Vee tower was going to be brutal. Alastor wasn’t able to completely recover from his fight with Vox but he already had plans to hide within his swamp, a world made out of magic and illusions that the angels weren’t able to penetrate without getting lost. It was how he was able to survive through every single extermination without having to even run or worry about being attacked. 

Except this year extermination brought a new guest that was looking only for him.

Alastor wasn’t expecting to ever meet the angel that greeted him in purgatory so many years ago, at least not again. It was a bit shocking and almost unnerving when that same angel was smiling down at him as he easily pushed through his illusion and greeted him with the same golden eyes that looked void of kindness and didn’t match his smile. He wasn’t alone though, another angel was with him but this one was slightly shorter with black hair, tan skin, and black eyes with white irises. 

“Alastor, long no time no see! Love the red, it fits you so well. I like it!”

Alastor’s head tilted and his smile became strained. “Michael, pleasure to be meeting you again.”

“It has been so many years, hasn’t it? And for the looks of it, you are sure enjoying your time down here. I guess I was right about you.”

“Certainly, I cannot disagree.” Alastor lightly tapped his cane against his hand but his eyes narrowed as he looked at Michael again. “Why are you here?” 

“Well, it’s extermination day, right? And once in a while, we like to stretch our wings as well. You could say we like to participate in this little game just for fun and to tidy up some loose ends.”

“Get on with it, Michael,” The black-haired angel said with a glare.

“Chill out, Gabe. I know you didn’t want to come here but I need a witness so let me do my thing.

Gabriel only sighed and rolled his eyes before pulling out his phone to start texting. 

“Anyways,” Michael continued, turning his attention back to Alastor. “I’m here to exterminate only one demon and that demon is you.” 

Alastor wasn’t surprised by Michael’s words. Why would an archangel like Michael ever bother to come to hell if it wasn’t to tie some loose ends that he personally couldn’t let anyone else know about? It was painfully clear why he was here. 

“Why?” That’s all Alastor wanted to know, why? Why let him come down here knowing that it would be the best place for him if he was still going to put an end to him? It made the choice he made feel almost worthless. 

“Why should he tell you? You are about to die,” Gabriel said and looked up from his phone with a glare. “A mortal, no, a sinner, questioning an angel? You shouldn’t even be in our presence.” 

“Well, he is going to die anyway,” Michael shrugged with a chuckle. “You aren’t the first one that had this happen to them if that makes you feel better. I have been doing this for centuries to fuck with Lucy and his people. I really hate that loser so I pick a strong soul that I know will do well in hell to fuck over as many sinners as they can, which keeps sinners in the pride ring weak and as fodder for exterminators. Then when that sinner reaches a level of strength that starts to go far above the norm, I kill them.”

“So what you’re saying is that my strength isn’t normal?” Alastor asked with a wide smile.

“For a sinner? No, of course not but I mean, there’s been plenty like you before, they were just always under me and met their ends with me.” Michael took a step forward with a wide smile, his curly, golden hair was hiding half of his face but the threatening smile on his lips was dangerous. “Thank you for your service. I sure enjoyed the show.” 

Alastor wasn’t expecting Michael to be so quick and so he was hardly able to dodge the sharp sword that was aimed at his head. He quickly melted into the shadows under him and ran. He wasn’t stupid enough to try to fight an angel. It was one thing if it was an exterminator, but this was an archangel and one of the oldest beings in the history of humankind. If he was able to get away and hide then there was nothing he had to worry about. 

“Quit playing around, Michael, we can’t stay here for long. You know they’ll be able to tell if we are here.” Gabriel put his phone away and sighed just as his eight wings appeared on his back and he started flying in the same direction as Michael. “Uriel can only bullshit his way around for so long, he’s an awful liar.”

“I know that! But he’s slippery!” Michael hissed as he threw his sword at Alastor’s shadow but he was able to jump into the next just before it stabbed him.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and then flew ahead of Michael and as he opened his mouth an eye opened within while his eyes rolled back and his voice changed. It was as if multiple people were speaking at once. “Stop, baby, stop running.” 

Alastor did as the voice told him to, not just because the voice itself forced him to stop but because he could recognize that voice. It was his mother’s voice. He hadn’t heard it in so long that his defenses instantly dropped. He couldn’t keep moving, even if he knew it wasn’t his mother, that voice was tugging at him, like a spell that was drilling through his ears and hooking his mind. 

“Come out, please come out, baby, please. I want to see you.” 

Alastor’s body twitched and twisted on its own as he crawled out from within his shadow just to come face to face with the two angels. Michael was smiling at him while Gabriel’s eyes rolled back and stared at him with a glare. 

“Honestly, you ran farther than Lucy did when I had to fight him,” Michael laughed, and then his sword pierced through Alastor’s shoulder. The golden eyes narrowed as he leaned in closer to Alastor. “You should have let me kill you earlier, when I felt merciful, now you just pissed me off, so it won’t be as painless.”

Alastor swallowed a pain-filled noise when Michael’s sword pulled back and then stabbed his side. He wanted to melt into the shadows again but every time he tried he just couldn’t move. Gabriel was still watching him, keeping him from moving as the eye in his mouth kept Alastor’s body in place and stiffened his muscles. 

“What do we have here?” 

Alastor was blinded by a golden light that was also filled with darkness, by the time he was able to open his eyes again a woman was standing in front of him. She was tall with long blond hair and two large horns on her head. It was impossible not to recognize her, it was Lilith, the queen of hell and one of the strongest beings in all the rings of hell. She glanced at Alastor with a confused look and then turned her face towards Michael with an unimpressed stare. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” Lilith said with her eyes looking from Michael to Gabriel. “Both of you aren’t allowed here. The contract that allows extermination specifically forbids high-level angels from ever entering hell. You are both trespassing.”

“Lilith,” Michael said, his voice was soft and kind again but his smile was strained. “I’m just trying to spread my wings, y’know? It gets boring when you’re in heaven and there’s no action happening.”

“Then kill your kind, I see one right next to you.” Lilith turned her eyes towards Gabriel again. “Or would that be too much for you?”

“You know it wouldn’t. I have done it multiple times, you should remember that.” Michael’s voice dropped and his tone became chilly. “Now move, I’m only here to kill that demon and leave.”

Lilith said nothing and instead, she glanced at Alastor and held out her hand. “Give your soul to me, swear to me your loyalty and servitude, and I won’t let you die by them.” 

How many times had Alastor offered the same deal? He had done it not too long ago with Niffty and now he was being told what he said so many times. 

He hated it. Alastor wanted to refuse, the idea of being owned by someone, to have a chain attached to him that could tug him anywhere he wanted was not only humiliating but something he was deeply afraid of. He didn’t want to be under anyone’s control but he also didn’t want to die, not when he was finally living. 

Alastor took Lilith’s hand. 

“You fucking bitch,” Michael sighed loudly and his sword disappeared from his hand. “You’re going to regret this, believe me, that one next to you shouldn’t be left alive for long.” 

“Let the unloyal witch be, maybe she’ll finally die this way.” Gabriel giggled. “We can’t hurt you but I guess we can only keep praying for you to die.” 

“Oh, before we leave.” Michael turned his head towards Alastor with a playful smile. “That woman, the one you are waiting for? You’re never going to see her. She died long ago and went to heaven, isn’t that funny? She was rewarded for killing a revolting sinner and for praying for forgiveness every single day. She helped those in need, donated her money, and prayed every single day for her sins. She repented before her death, so I guess you picked hell for nothing, uh?” 

The two angels left in a burst of light and Alastor stared at the empty space they left behind. He couldn’t look away as Michael’s words played on repeat in his head. She died and went to heaven? There was no way. What about him? What about what she did to him? What about what she did to other people? The idea that someone like her was able to make it to heaven when she was so sick and evil was making his stomach twist with rage. She was allowed to live the rest of eternity in peace while Alastor was here, in hell, for the rest of his existence. 

“Now,” Lilith turned to face him and one of her hands gently touched his face. “Tell me why they wanted you dead.”

It wasn’t as if he could lie to her, not when she was now the one holding his soul. He told her everything, from when he died to when Michael offered him to go to hell, and as he continued to tell her the truth, he could see her eyes shifting from sympathy to rage and then a chilly hatred that was only directed at him. He understood why, of course, he did, he was basically telling her that Alastor was here due to angels and he was willingly destroying the pride ring to fit his own selfish needs and it was all due to his thirst for vengeance and Michael’s influence. 

By the time Alastor was done, Lilith’s hand was gripping his face and her nails were digging into his skin. She looked at him one last time and then Alastor’s body became engulfed in flames as she burned him alive and turned him into ashes. It was painful, it was excruciating and the whole time Alastor was screaming with static that filled all of hell. He could feel his skin burning and then the flesh underneath until it was as if his body had fallen apart and was nothing but dust. 

Lilith stood up then, her glare never leaving the ashes on the ground until she noticed the shadow not far from her. The shadow had the same shape as Alastor but as she took a step closer he flinched and his ears flattened while his red eyes looked sad and the smile on his lips was gone. 

“What?” Lilith’s head tilted and she pulled on the chain that belonged to Alastor’s soul, it should have been gone after she killed him but instead, that chain connected to the shadow that was trembling. “Oh, this is interesting.” Lilith leaned down to try to touch the shadow but her hand went through it. “Alright, maybe you are worth keeping around. You’ll come with me, you can stay in my shadow in the meantime but you will not consume another soul ever again and you will not senselessly kill my people. Do you understand?” 

The shadow nodded and crawled inside Lilith’s shadow. 

Alastor left hell for seven years, it took him that long to remake his body again and the whole time he lived within Lilith’s shadow, listening to her and doing what she asked of him. 

Lilith was dead now, the one person who kept him safe from angels was gone and Alastor knew that he was going to have to deal with them sooner or later, what he didn’t expect was for the Vees to be able to figure out his weakness and also for him to be forced to be stuck in the same place without Charlie around. The favor he asked of her was going to come in handy when Michael showed up again, but now he wasn’t going to have to use that favor at all, he was just waiting for the fuckers to show their faces again. 

Alastor could feel his skin tingling again, he could feel the hand that shook Michael’s hand growing warm as the other got closer. It was the same odd feeling he felt before but wasn’t able to explain why, but now he knew better and he could only smile at Vox with satisfaction as the alarms in V tower started blasting all across each floor. They were under attack. 

“What the fuck is happening,” Vox said with his eyes narrowing as the lights went off and the emergency power kicked in.

“I told you, didn’t I? I said to kill me, but you didn’t.” Alastor took a step forward but was held back by the cables keeping his body in place. “So now, someone else is coming to get it done.” 

Vox frowned and stared at Alastor in confusion, even if someone came to try to kill Alastor, Vox knew that it wasn’t that easy to kill him. Alastor wasn’t like normal demons, the one in front of him was Alastor but also it wasn’t, he was two different beings with different powers but only one of them was able to walk amongst them and blend in while talking and smiling. Even if the Alastor in front of him was to die, he wouldn’t really be dead. Vox knew this, yet the anxiety building in his stomach was telling him that there was more to this than just Alastor claiming that he was going to die.

Vox glanced at Alastor one last time, and he saw it in his eyes, the confidence and glee filled with the victory that Vox thought he denied him weeks ago. He needed to take Alastor somewhere else, he needed to. Vox needed to move but it was too late. 

The wall next to Vox was blasted off and the two overlords flew against the wall next to them from the blast. Vox was the first one to get to his feet but he wasn’t sure of what to do when he saw two glowing angels standing not far from them. The angel with golden hair was staring straight at Alastor while the other was looking around with a grin. He looked excited to be here and was taking pictures with his phone. 

“Woah, well, aren’t you all tied up and ready for me?” Michael laughed and then grinned with his sword already in his hands. “I wanted to come deal with you as soon as Lilith died but one of my ex-family members is throwing a hissy fit and trying to fight all of heaven!” 

“He has always been so childish and dumb,” Gabriel added and rolled his eyes. “Truly a pain.” 

“Agreed but we are not here for Lucy, I’m here for you.” Gabriel’s sword pointed towards Alastor. “You got lucky last time, but I need to tie my loose ends. I wouldn’t want other people in heaven to find out about my little game. It could be annoying for us if you open your mouth, though, by the looks of it, you were already tied in a very nasty situation.” 

Alastor shrugged and his smile widened. “Hurry up and get it over with, before the one next to me has time to do something.” 

“I’ll take care of that,” Gabriel put his phone away and stood in front of Vox with a smile. “Love, your shows by the way, too bad I don’t have enough time to ask for autographs!” He sighed and then Gabriel opened his mouth just for another eye to become visible just like last time, except the white pupil was staring straight at Vox, not looking away or blinking. 

Vox stared at the eye in front of him, it reminded him of his own when it swapped to black and red and he used it to control people but this one was different, it was making him feel calm and relaxed. The panic he felt before was gone and instead, it was replaced by nothingness. The thoughts rushing through his head were gone and the sense of urgency he felt before didn’t make sense…why did he want to leave again? There was nothing to worry about, he just wanted to know what he was supposed to do next. He was waiting for an order. 

Alastor looked away from Vox and his eyes turned back to Michael. “You aren’t going to kill him as well?”

“No, Gabriel will take care of scrambling his mind, also, who’s going to believe him? No one would ever believe that two archangels came down to hell just to kill a sinner. The only one that knew about it is dead and now I can finally get rid of you. Thank you for your services, you served heaven well.”

“Oh, I didn’t do it for heaven, you know that.” Alastor smiled even as Michael’s sword slowly started to pierce his chest. 

“Yeah? Then why?” 

Alastor’s smile turned into a grin as his eyes swapped to black and red and his antlers grew. “Because it was fun, Michael. I did it because it was pure entertainment.” 

The sword in Alastor’s chest moved upwards, splitting his body in half before swiftly moving across his throat and cutting his head off. The blood that splashed against the wall behind him reached the roof before Alastor’s head fell on the ground and it slowly started to change colors. The bright red hues turned dull and little by little they turned gray until what was left was nothing but a pile of ash in the shape of a person. 

“Well, I’m glad we took care of that!” Michael grinned and his sword disappeared. “Gabriel, let’s go.”

“Coming!” Gabriel’s mouth closed and he stood up before taking a quick picture of Vox with a smile. He ran to catch up with Michael and the two disappeared behind a blinding light with only feathers being left behind. 

Vox wasn’t able to move even after the two angels left. It took him a few minutes before he was finally able to blink and take control of his body. He rubbed his screen with one of his hands and blinked a few times before finally looking around him. His office was mostly destroyed with a massive hole in one of his walls and another one of his windows but why? It was almost as if he couldn’t remember what happened, everything was blurry. Did Alastor attack him again? No, wait, it couldn’t have been Alastor.

Alastor, Alastor couldn’t attack him, right? Yeah, he couldn’t. Vox’s head was a mess but it was quickly trying to make sense of everything, trying to remember what happened. Alastor didn’t attack him and he couldn’t have because he was able to capture him, that’s right. He had Alastor now, he did but why was dread slowly twisting in his stomach? Why was he so afraid to move? 

Vox slowly turned his head and his eyes stared at the pile of ashes that were shaped like Alastor. The body was missing a head but it lay not far from it. He stared for what felt like an eternity as if his mind didn’t want to process what he was seeing. Vox’s screen twitched and it turned dark before it glitched and white and black static showed up. The static was loud, it echoed all around him, and then his screen turned black again but his eyes were staring at the body in front of him. The wide red and black eyes couldn’t look away and yet it was as if his volume was gone and he couldn’t scream. 

Vox couldn’t remember. He was trying to remember. He saw two people and then he was lost in memories he couldn’t even recall anymore. He was lost in memories with a familiar scent and a melody that was sung by a voice that he adored. Then, then he was awake again and the only thing left behind was the ashes that he didn’t dare to touch. He wanted to reach out, to do anything but he knew there was nothing he could do.

Alastor’s smile remained but it was empty, hollow. 

Vox moved closer with his fingers trying to reach out and touch Alastor’s face. He stopped himself but just the slight movement was enough to disturb the ashes in front of him. Vox’s eyes trembled as the ashes crumbled in front of him into nothing but a pile of dust. The shape was gone, the smile was gone and all that was left was ashes that could be blown away by the wind. 

Vox’s screen glitched again and then it cracked. The black and white static started to spill from his screen, covering the floor underneath him as colors threatened to spill just to become static as well. The noise was becoming louder and louder until it was mind-numbing and heartbreaking. 

Vox tried so hard, he tried so fucking hard. The blue claws slammed against the floor, cracking it and then he dragged his claws across it. An empty scream full of nothing but TV static filled the silence around him. Vox’s eyes turned black and white as he struggled to keep a hold of his emotions. The static was getting louder and louder and then, everything went quiet. The silence that followed was numbing but it didn’t bring him any comfort. He couldn’t even bring himself to speak.

The room around him was in complete ruins with the old piano now in pieces and the typewriter missing all its keys. The memories of endless days with nothing but music and soft songs weren’t going to come back, they didn’t belong to him anymore and Vox sat there, helplessly as his black screen didn’t change, as his wide eyes couldn’t look away from the ashes in front of him. 

Vox could fix this, he could fix anything if it had to do with Alastor. He could make any bet, he could play as many games as the other wanted, as long as it was him and only him but in doing so, he was going to lose control. He was going to lose his control over Alastor and anything he still owned of him. 

It was laughable, who was Vox kidding? When had he ever been in control of Alastor? It was the same as trying to block a river with a rock. It wasn’t possible. He won the game, there was no doubt about it, he won plenty of games but in the end, there was always a new one for him to play. The game never had an end. 

If he could let go, he could fix everything. If Vox could let go of the leash he had been trying to wrap around Alastor’s throat this whole time, then he could fix him but why was it so hard? Why was it so hard to just let go, to just give in, to allow his emotions to win? He couldn’t change, he truly couldn’t. It was probably the reason why he was in hell but right now, he wished nothing else but to be able to change who he was. 

A time long ago, when Alastor gifted him his first typewriter, he could remember telling himself something different. The voice back then was so different. It wasn’t filled with the same obsession and malice. It was warm and he told himself so many times the same words, if it was for Alastor, if it was for him, he could do anything. He could become an overlord, he could become stronger than him, he could offer him hell itself, and now, that old voice was winning. It was tugging at his heart and deciding for him. 

Vox snapped his fingers and a flash of static filled his claws before a small, silver box appeared in his hand along with a key. He slid the key inside the keyhole and then slowly twisted it. The lock came undone with a soft click and then the box opened. 

Vox saw a smiling shadow and he felt himself smiling as well. 

The key and box fell from his hands and that missing weight felt liberating. 

Chapter Text

The small bar was located on the corner of a street overshadowed by large buildings with big neon signs. It was a bar that looked slightly out of place, the decor was different from the buildings around it, yet it blended in as well. The lights from the neon signs reflected against the bar’s windows and lightly illuminated the dark tables inside. The door was heavy, made out of solid wood and as it was pushed a small bell rang and announced to the whole bar that a new customer was walking in. 

Vox stepped in and the bartender stared at him with wide eyes. It wasn’t long before most people in the bar rushed out the door while hastily paying their bills. The bartender changed the sign on the door to close and left a bottle of whiskey on the countertop before rushing to hide in the back. 

Vox grabbed the bottle of whiskey and two glass cups with ice. He walked to one of the booths at the very end of the bar and set the two cups on the table before sitting down and pouring two shots into the cups. 

“I saw you on the cameras, you can stop pretending now.” Vox picked up his cup of whiskey and took a sip.

“Always the one to keep your eyes on those screens, do your eyes not get tired?” Alastor’s voice came from the shadows as they moved to the booth in front of Vox and his body took shape.

Vox stared at Alastor for longer than he intended. He took another sip of his drink and leaned back against his seat. “Not like you tried to hide unless your way of hiding is by staring directly at my cameras.” 

“Old habits die hard, don’t they?” Alastor smiled and leaned his chin against one of his hands while the other reached out for his cup to play with the ice. 

“They sure do.” 

“How long was I gone?” 

“Five years.” Vox sighed with his eyes looking back at Alastor. 

“I took less this time, maybe if I keep losing my body like that I can start working on shortening the time, what do you say?” Alastor laughed and brought the cup of whiskey to his lips to take a sip. 

“Don’t say that,” Vox mumbled and looked away. He poured another shot for himself and left the bottle open between them. 

“You missed me that bad, old friend?” Alastor’s smile was back while his half-lidded eyes stared at Vox. 

“I did.” 

Alastor’s ear stiffened and spiked up at the blunt confession. He was not expecting that from Vox and his wide eyes couldn’t hide his surprise.

“I did miss you,” Vox said again but didn’t dare to look at Alastor. “I knew you were going to come back but that didn’t help at all.” 

Alastor sat straight on his seat with his eyes not looking away from Vox. The smile on his lips was straining and he wasn’t sure what to tell the Vox. He expected the other to put on his usual fake bravado that didn’t allow anyone to see him as weak no matter how much his actions told an opposite story. That perfectly crafted mask that was plastered all over Pentagram City wasn’t present. Vox sat in front of him, with not a smile or a frown. He sat in front of him like so many years ago in that small dinner that had changed to a bar. 

“This place looks different,” Alastor took a sip of his drink. “I never thought I would be able to visit again after you bought the building and refused to sell it or do anything with it.” 

“Yeah, well, I figured it was time to let go instead of letting it rot.” Vox chuckled. 

“It isn’t the same though.” Alastor’s eyes stayed on Vox even as he drank the rest of his whiskey. 

“No, it isn’t, but I think it is what it needs to be right now.” Vox shrugged and reached for the bottle of whiskey to pour Alastor another shot. 

“What if it changes again?” 

“Well, I guess only time will tell, uh?” 

Alastor stared at the cup in front of him. He could see his reflection against the ice and whiskey. He could also see his shadow and how it was sticking close to him the whole time. He could feel fear, he could feel a restriction that was suffocating, still, he didn’t let those thoughts take over. Disappointment was something Alastor knew well, it was something that every relationship he ever had brought him. It could be that it wasn’t just disappointment, but maybe even sadness, yet, those emotions were so muted for him that he couldn’t fully grasp them before they slipped in between his fingers like quicksand in the desert. 

The idea of showing weakness was repulsive. It made Alastor believe that he was starting to have hope again, and his head was quick to remind him of how dangerous that was. The thoughts rushing through his head were loud, like static making everything fuzzy and hard to understand. The voices that never stopped and sounded so much like his own and yet not the same at all were shouting at him, reminding him of everything that once was and how many times his foolish hopes led him to the path of hell. 

Yet, Alastor felt his shadow behind him. He leaned against his back as he looked at Vox and never looked away. The fear, anger, and frustration were still there, festering deep inside of him while maggots crawled underneath his skin and brought those hopeless emotions to his mind, and yet, he never looked away. 

Alastor sighed with his smile softening as his half-lidded eyes moved from his cup to Vox. “You are frightening.” 

Vox’s eyes quickly turned to Alastor. “What?” 

“You are frightening,” Alastor repeated himself. “Your emotions, your actions, your behavior towards me, all of it scares me.” 

“Why? No wait,” Vox quickly corrected himself and took a deep breath. “I get why, I get it. I just wasn’t expecting that. It caught me by surprise.” 

“I’m glad you know why, I would start questioning your intellect if you didn’t.” 

Vox ignored the insult. “When did it start?” 

“When indeed,” Alastor made a soft noise and his finger lazily spun the large cube of ice in his cup. “I guess when you decided that being a big shot would be your only personality.” 

“What? Because I became an Overlord? Were you intimidated by me?” 

Alastor laughed and his shadow did too. “What? No, I’m afraid that even now if we were to fight I would still win, dear friend. You might have caught me by surprise once but that won’t happen again…but I guess that’s not the point right now.”

“No, not right now.” 

“It had nothing to do with you growing in power, Vox. I like power, I like having powerful allies as well. It is beneficial for me. Do I enjoy being the one in power the most? Yes, but I am also not stupid.”

“Then why?” Vox’s question was filled with as much confusion as his expression. 

“You just changed,” Alastor’s tone was soft as he weakly smiled. “You changed your behavior towards me, you changed your goals, you changed everything. I was fine with it at first because change is needed sometimes, especially if you want to grow in power. I figured that’s just what you needed and what was going to help you become an overlord but then your view of me also changed.” 

“It didn’t change,” Vox tried to start arguing but then Alastor slightly raised one of his hands to ask him to stop. 

“It did, Vox and maybe you didn’t notice but I did. I knew you had feelings for me for a long time, that’s not what frightened me, but the change in those feelings and what you twisted them into.” 

“That’s not how it is!” Vox yelled and slammed his hand on the table. He could feel his eyes shifting colors while his voice changed depth. He realized what he was doing then and quickly leaned back against his seat while trying to control his emotions. He couldn’t behave like this, he couldn’t get mad or upset like this, what if this only motivated Alastor to run away? He needed to calm down. He needed to control his anger and his emotions. 

Vox’s breathing became erratic and then he felt a hand on his shoulders. He looked up and Alastor’s shadow was peeking at him from behind with his hands on his shoulders as he watched him. 

“Vox, it isn’t your personality or erratic outbursts that bother me. I am used to those, in fact, I find them charming. It might be due to my inability to showcase emotions like you do but I’m used to you being emotional and wearing your heart on your sleeve. That’s not what I mean, so think.” 

It wasn’t as if Vox didn’t know what Alastor was talking about, but it was a part of him that he was ashamed of. It was a part of his past that reminded him of a weaker version of himself that according to him didn’t deserve to exist. That part of him didn’t deserve to be in Alastor’s presence, at least that’s what he believed.

“I was weak,” Vox’s voice was quiet as he spoke. 

Alastor's eyes shifted from Vox’s face to his hands, the way he was holding his hands and nervously rubbing his thumbs against his hands was a habit of his that he hadn’t seen in a long time. It made him smile. 

“I thought I just wasn’t good enough,” Vox finally confessed with his shoulders slumping down. “I’m an idiot okay? I thought I wasn’t good enough and then when I thought I was finally good and perfect and everything I could be, you rejected me and then I hated you. I hated you so much.” 

Alastor remained quiet, not saying anything as his shadow stayed next to Vox watching him. The two pairs of eyes never looked away from Vox as he helplessly stared at his cup of whiskey as if it held all the answers to the thoughts rushing through his head. 

“I hated you enough to want to kill you,” Vox continued, his voice was softer this time and one of his fingers gently touched the rim of his cup. “No, I never hated you, never, I could never hate you. I was just angry, frustrated…I felt like I was going mad. You were my everything, the music in my afternoons and the laughter during the darkest days of my life. The melody that made me close my eyes and sleep in a world that was evil. In this hell, I found heaven with you and only you.” 

Vox felt his screen glitching, or maybe he was limited to what he could express when it came to the pain that was making his breathing short while his throat became dry. He was cold and then his shoulders were trembling but he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to hold it in. He tried to hold in the sadness and pain that was finally exploding inside of him after years of suppressing those emotions. 

“I am not normal, Vox,” Alastor felt Vox’s eyes on his face while he looked at the window and his reflection. He could see himself and yet, it wasn’t him. It was as it had always been, even in death his mind hadn’t changed. “Even before I came to hell, I never was. Your world is different from mine and it’ll never be the same. The world you live in only reaches me by small glimpses of passing windows. I’ll never be able to behave like other people, and I’ll never be able to give you what other people can when it comes to relationships like the one you seek.”

Vox felt his screen glitching again, the sound of TV static filled the air while colorful lines glitched near his eyes just to disappear and then appear again. The pain in his chest was growing and he knew what was coming next, so he braced himself and closed his eyes. 

“But, I can give you a home.” 

Vox's eyes snapped open and he stared at Alastor with wide eyes. The glitching on his screen stopped and his eyes couldn’t look away as Alastor smiled at him, except this smile was different. It was a genuine smile that made him look almost human as if the man in front of Vox was completely different, and for the very first time, he was showing Vox who he truly was. The way that smile changed Alastor’s eyes, and his features made Vox reach out and touch Alastor’s face with the utmost care he could master. 

“I would love that, yeah.” And Vox's smile was just as sincere.

Chapter Text

Vox was sure that being sexually frustrated was one of the most annoying things to experience. It affected him both physically and mentally, while he could maybe deal with one symptom or the other, having to struggle with both simultaneously was truly a pain in the ass. On one hand, he couldn’t stop his dick from getting hard, and on the other, he couldn’t stop thinking about Alastor, and that only made things ten times worse. 

It had been a few months since the two decided to give their unique relationship a try. Alastor came and went whenever he pleased, but at this point, V-Tower was like his second home. He slept in Vox’s room and took long baths in his big bathroom. He cooked whatever he wanted in the kitchen and also messed with Vox’s computer when he was bored. Alastor found playing solitaire quite fun. What an old man. 

Vox, in return, ended up crashing Alastor’s flat, which was located in Cannibal Town. It was a small space with only one bedroom, a combined living room and kitchen, and a small bathroom. The place was a bit cramped, but it was charming and filled with Alastor’s own personal style, which differed completely from Vox’s. While Vox liked minimalistic and sleek designs, Alastor was kind of a maximalist with a Victorian style. The place always smelled of old books and wooden furniture, which was a delightful change for Vox. 

It was rare when the two didn’t meet one another for lunch or dinner, and it was even rarer when they didn’t at least make time to see one another every day, even if it was only for a couple of hours. Vox was always busy running his company and trying to keep Valentino and Velvette out of trouble, while Alastor was well, Alastor and he was always trying to find a new way to entertain himself. 

Their relationship was going great, amazing even, and Vox couldn’t be more excited, except over the fact that Alastor was still avoiding as much physical contact as possible. He would let Vox hold his hand or hug Vox’s arm when the two were walking. Alastor would even sometimes give him a small kiss here and there, but the touches were very innocent, even if they were tender. 

Vox wasn’t used to high school touches like these. He was far too experienced and had slept with enough people to lose count. He had sex with women and men alike, and at some point in his life, it all blended together to the point that he just didn’t care anymore. Sex was sex, and all he wanted was to fulfil his urge and get it over and done with. 

But sex with Alastor? The idea made Vox blush without even noticing. It made him nervous, and as if he was ill-prepared, all those years of experience meant nothing. He knew that Alastor had no interest in sex, hell, it took him weeks to even decide if he wanted to hold Vox’s hand or not. He avoided physical contact like the plague but could eventually give in, and now he seemed to enjoy it. 

Vox always waited for Alastor to make the first move, to show Vox that he was ready to take things a bit further, but Vox was certain that this was something that would probably never happen. 

It wasn’t as if Vox was stupid, of course, he wasn’t, he would be blind if he didn’t notice the tension in Alastor’s smile or the way that he would sometimes flinch when an intimate touch wasn’t to his liking. He hid it behind a smile and would roll his eyes or try to change the topic to something else, but the response was still there, and it made Vox realize that something must have happened in the past that made Alastor so disgusted with intimacy. 

Vox wasn’t sure if whatever happened happened when Alastor was alive or in hell, but it was obvious that it still haunted him. He could understand this, that’s for sure. Vox could try to take things as slowly as he could just to avoid scaring Alastor. But Vox still had needs, and he felt like such an asshole for thinking this way. He didn’t want to ruin things with Alastor, but fuck, he was dealing with blueballs every day for months now, and the only thing on his mind was Alastor. 

Vox did whatever he could to deal with his issue on his own. He was sure that at this point, he owned every sex toy that he could put his dick in. He would fuck a fleshlight that would squeeze his dick just in the right way while all his mind could picture was how it would feel to fuck Alastor. He didn’t want to scare Alastor, but at the same time, the idea of the deer looking slightly frightened by Vox’s cock as he was about to fuck him made him shudder and fuck the toy harder. 

It was how, one evening, Vox found himself fucking a brand new fleshlight. This one was see-through, making ‌his dick‌ visible as he fucked the toy and used it to jerk off. The whole time, he was thinking about how much he wanted to bend ‌Alastor over his desk. He would interrupt the radio demon from playing his silly computer games by gripping his ears before bending him over the desk with his perky ass firmly pressing against Vox’s crotch. He would grind against him first, making sure Alastor felt how hard he was making him. How much his dick wanted him. Then, he would use one of his sharp claws to rip through his clothing, leaving him half-naked with only his shirt on. 

Alastor was shy when it came to his body, or so Vox thought, based on how he avoided being seen naked when he showered. He would probably try to cover himself with his shirt and tell Vox to stop fucking with him, but then Vox would just spread open his legs with his thigh before slowly gripping the back of his neck, and pushing his fingers inside Alastor. He wanted to feel that tight heat on his fingers. He wanted to know and feel how Alastor’s insides were. He dreamt of it. Hell, he wanted to taste him and shove his tongue so deep inside of him that Alastor wouldn’t even know what to do. 

Vox had been so busy fantasizing and jerking himself off that he didn’t notice at all when Alastor came into the room. Vox also didn’t see how Alastor froze in place and just stared at what Vox was doing. He looked disturbed at first, maybe even embarrassed from walking in on a scene like this. Alastor could feel his face growing warmer, and before he knew it, he was blushing. How was he blushing? That couldn’t be. He wasn’t some kid that would get shy over watching someone masturbate, and yet, here he was, with a red hue over his cheeks and nose that he couldn’t hide. 

The blush only grew darker when Alastor heard Vox saying his name. By now, the Radio Demon was holding his staff with both of his hands, his ears pinned down, and his eyes unable to look away from the scene in front of him. He must have stared for what felt like forever, but then Vox was groaning and fucking his toy harder as he finally reached his peak and came inside the fleshlight. 

Vox opened his eyes and leaned back against his chair with a satisfied sigh. He was even smiling, ‌until he noticed something red from the corner of his eye. He slowly turned his head, and his mind went blank when he saw that Alastor was standing there, his face red and his body stiff. 

“Al?” Vox asked as if the Radio Demon in front of him was an illusion. 

The only response Vox got was Alastor melting into the shadows and disappearing. 

Oh no, he fucked up. The post-nut clarity was finally hitting, and Vox panicked. He was so fucked. He had fucked up so badly. 

Or at least that’s what Vox thought until he met Alastor again the next day. 

“I suppose activities like that are normal between people in a relationship,” Alastor said, while avoiding eye contact with Vox. He was gripping his staff with both of his hands like the day before, almost as if it were some sort of security blanket. 

Vox couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he was also not going to deny that he hadn’t dreamed of Alastor saying something like this before. “Yeah, they kind of are.” Vox agreed with a nod as he sat next to Alastor and leaned in a bit closer to him. 

Alastor leaned back in response, his eyes still looking away as he continued to speak. “I hadn’t really thought about it, and quite honestly, I don’t really feel the urge to do things like this…but, if you feel like you need some help, I wouldn’t oppose the idea.” 

Vox died and went to heaven. No, that couldn’t be possible, but that’s all he could think about. “Y-yeah? I mean. I-if you want, yeah, sure. We could give it a go! But, uh, why now? What made you change your mind?” 

Alastor’s eyes shifted to look at Vox and then glanced away. The same blush as the day before was back, but now Alastor looked a bit uncomfortable, as if what he was about to say was too embarrassing or mortifying to come out of his mouth.

It took a couple of minutes, but the Radio Demon could finally open his mouth again to speak. “I…I want to see…I want to see you looking like that again.” The blush on Alastor’s cheeks turned darker. 

Vox’s screen went dark. He probably shortcutted himself from the heat that rushed to his head the second he heard Alastor’s words. 

Vox needed to make this right, no, he needed this to be perfect. There was no room for mistakes or slip-ups. He needed to plan everything accordingly and ensure that Alastor enjoyed this thoroughly, because if he did, then maybe it wouldn’t become a one-time thing, and perhaps he would want to do it more often. 

The issue was that Vox didn’t know how to be gentle. It wasn’t something that naturally came to him, especially during sex. He was going to have to hold back a lot. He needed to find inner peace and plan accordingly. 

The day came too fast. It was too soon, and yet Vox had been counting the hours. 

It was a good idea that they picked Vox’s place, otherwise, he was going to have to walk around with a backpack full of stuff that he was going to bring just in case things didn’t work out or he needed a helping hand. He had everything he could ever need in his room. Hell, he even made sure to get all types of different condoms, especially the lubed ones, you could never use too much lube, that was a law. 

Vox was nervous beyond anything else. He sat on his bed with his foot twitching and tapping against the floor. He couldn’t fuck this up. He just couldn’t. It was then that the bathroom door opened and Alastor stepped out wearing only a blue bathrobe. His hair was still wet, but he wasn’t bothering to dry it; instead, he looked back and gave Vox a helpless smile as his eyes softened. 

The nerves that were twisting and twitching in Vox’s stomach vanished in a second, and all he could do was watch as Alastor walked over and sat next to him. 

“So what now?” Alastor asked and tilted his head. Water droplets were falling from his hair onto his chest and shoulders, sliding over the smooth skin and disappearing underneath the bathrobe. 

Vox stared harder. He blinked once, then twice, before finally snapping out of it. “Well, you usually start with foreplay. Y’know? To try to set the mood.” 

“I don’t know,” Alastor answered honestly and glanced away. 

“W-what?” Vox’s voice grew deeper with static while his screen twitched. He could feel his heart beating faster against his chest. “Have you never done this before?” 

Alastor tilted his head, looking away as his half-lidded eyes got lost in thought. It was true that he had never done anything with a man before, but it wasn’t as if his experience with women was normal either. For starters, it had only been one woman, and it was never consensual, which meant that he never truly experienced what regular sex was like. He didn’t know what steps to follow or how things usually went. 

The thought of that woman made him feel hatred bubbling in his stomach, but he forced himself to calm down and sigh softly. It was all in the past. It wasn’t the same anymore, and he didn’t want that woman to have any control over his emotions. 

Alastor wasn’t going to let his past control his present. He wanted to move on. He needed to move on. He wanted to do this. 

“No, I have never done this before.” It wasn’t the complete truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. Alastor was choosing to make this his first time. He was removing the control that wench had over his intimate life and giving it a new start. It was his choice this time. 

“Oh,” Vox said quietly, and one of his hands moved to hold Alastor’s cheek. He slowly turned his face, so they were facing each other. “I can be a bit of a brute, haha, b-but I’ll try to go slow, yeah? Just tell me if you want me to stop.” 

“Come now, Vox. It isn’t as if I’m not used to you roughing me up,” Alastor was, of course, talking about all the times they fought, but this was different! At least for Vox. 

“We aren’t fighting, Alastor,” Vox rolled his eyes, but then allowed his hand to move from Alastor’s face to stroke his neck and slowly push the bathrobe off of his shoulders. 

Alastor’s frame wasn’t imposing at all; most of his presence came from how intimidating he could be. He was frightening when he needed to be, but although he was tall, he was also very slim. Once his suit was off, the large, square shoulders were gone, and he looked a lot smaller. Vox was surprised at how small he looked at the moment. The intimidating presence was gone, his ears were flat against his hair, and he wasn’t standing with his back straight to make himself look bigger. 

Alastor looked perfect. Vox’s heart was pounding against his chest, and then he couldn’t control himself anymore. He gripped the back of Alastor’s neck and brought him closer while also pushing him down against the bed. He leaned in, his flat screen moving to kiss Alastor’s jaw as his hand worked on removing the rest of his robe. He hastily undid the knot that kept the robe closed and then removed the fabric, his claws scratching the fabric and tearing it without hurting Alastor. 

Vox couldn’t feel touches against his screen like the rest of his body could. There was a fuzzy static between him and everything he touched. It was the same odd sensation he felt on his claws. He felt cold to the touch, and oddly enough, the static was the only thing bringing some sort of warmth to his face and fingers. People always took a while to get used to him, after all, his composition wasn’t exactly normal or like many sinners. He used to worry about it before, but he no longer cared. He especially didn’t care now that Alastor was slowly leaning his head against his touch, letting him kiss along his neck before his tongue licked his jawline, and his sharp teeth gently nibbled on it. 

“Your saliva is cold,” Alastor mused with a chuckle. “I thought you usually ran hot because of all the updates you stuff in that head of yours.” 

“I’m not all hardware pieces, Al,” Vox said while his hand was busy moving over Alastor’s thighs to spread them open so he could crawl in between his legs. 

Alastor watched as Vox made himself comfortable between his legs. He guided Alastor’s legs to rest on top of his thighs and then squirmed closer so their hips were grinding together. Alastor shifted in discomfort, his eyes narrowing as his bare member rubbed against Vox’s slacks instead of his skin. He didn’t like the rough friction, and so he reached over to clumsily try to undo Vox’s pants. 

“I was about to do that,” Vox mumbled and helped Alastor unbutton his slacks and undo his zipper. He pulled his pants down and then did the same with his underwear. 

Alastor’s eyes widened a bit, and he blinked a few times as he stared at Vox’s cock. That couldn’t be normal, right? It had to be one of the many upgrades that Vox made to his body because his dick was too big. How the hell did he manage to hide that under his pants without it showing all the time? 

Yeah, Alastor saw Vox’s dick before, but it was when he was buried deep in a fleshlight. Now that he was seeing it up close, it was a bit intimidating. 

“It’s not gonna fit,” Alastor said without hesitation as one of Vox’s cables reached for a bottle of lube to squirt some on Vox’s hand. 

“Uh? Yeah, it will,” Vox said without a worry. He coated his hand with lube and then reached out to stroke Alastor’s cock against his own. He shuddered at the warm contact, and his body slowly relaxed as his nerves were soon filled with pleasure. 

“Okay, then, why do I have to take it? How about we switch?” Alastor was getting defensive, even if he couldn’t stop the goosebumps that crawled all over his skin when Vox started to stroke his cock against his. Just like Vox’s claws, his dick was also cold; it was such an odd contrast between their temperatures, yet Alastor didn’t really mind it. 

Vox’s hand stopped what he was doing, and a look of panic quickly took over his eyes before he tried to compose himself. “I kind of don’t like to bottom.” He mumbled quietly. 

“Why not?” 

“Bad experiences, and I just don’t get off on it. Don’t get me wrong, I have tried it with people and done different things to make it feel good, but I can’t even cum from it most of the time,” Vox shrugged, and his cable squirted more lube in between their cocks.

“What if I don’t like it either?” Alastor raised one of his brows and narrowed his eyes. 

“Then I guess we won’t know until we try it, and if you don’t like it, then we can try other stuff.” Vox was really hoping Alastor liked it, but if he really didn’t, then at least the two could jerk off together or use toys. There were multiple different things that they could do together that didn’t require penetration. 

It seemed like Vox’s answer satisfied Alastor because he was relaxing again and letting Vox take the lead. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna make sure to stretch you nice and wide so you won’t hurt.”

“Is it supposed to hurt sometimes?” Alastor asked. 

“Well, it depends on whether you like it like that or not, also, it depends on how much of a rush you are. But if done right, then nah, it isn’t supposed to hurt,” Vox answered and stared at one of his hands as it slowly changed shapes. The long claws became more rounded, and the sharp edges melted into the rest of his fingers to leave behind round edges instead. The once dangerous claws were gone, and now Vox could slowly reach underneath Alastor’s balls to gently stroke the opening that he couldn’t wait to stretch open.

The warm lube from their cocks was all Vox needed to slowly pry open the tight ring of muscles. He had wanted to feel this for so long that he felt his dick twitching as his finger pushed inside Alastor. He was so warm and tight. The muscles were tense, and they were clamping down against his finger, but Vox slowly started to stroke Alastor’s cock with his other hand, rubbing the tip with his thumb as he forced the Radio Demon to relax against his touch. The tension slowly disappeared, and Vox was able to move his finger. He curled his finger inside Alastor, stretching open the narrow insides before gently pulling on his assring to stretch it further. 

Alastor’s half-lidded eyes were staring at the ceiling. The intrusion was uncomfortable, but it was probably because he wasn’t used to doing anything like this. It didn’t feel too bad. Vox’s finger was moving inside of him, gently fucking him and stretching him out until Alastor was arching and he could hear himself panting quietly. At some point, he even lifted his head to look at what Vox was doing, his curiosity getting the best of him. 

Vox’s fingers were cold like the rest of him; they made Alastor shiver, but he also welcomed that coldness against the warm inner walls. It was lewd how the temperature of Vox’s fingers told Alastor exactly what Vox was doing and where he was pushing and touching. The act made him blush and look away from the scene in front of him, but even if he wasn’t looking, Vox’s finger was still stretching his hole. It was then that a second finger was added, and Alastor felt his back arching off the bed. 

“You’re so fucking tight, you weren’t lying when you said you hadn’t done this before,” Vox grinned and wriggled his fingers. He slowly pulled them out just to pour more lube on his fingers before slowly pushing them in again until his knuckles were touching Alastor’s asshole. 

Of course, he hadn’t lied. Why would Alastor lie about this at all? 

Alastor’s insides were twitching. One of his eyes was closed, while the other was struggling to remain open. He could hear the heavy static in his voice as noises he had never heard himself make were slowly leaving his mouth. Vox’s fingers were buried so deeply inside of him that he truly couldn’t understand how Vox’s dick was going to be able to get inside when his fingers already felt like so much. 

Vox pulled his fingers almost all the way out before shoving them back inside Alastor’s hole while also spreading them open. He was stretching the moist insides slowly, making sure to stretch Alastor’s asshole along with it. He needed the tight ring of muscles to relax, to become soft and puffy before it was able to take his cock. He needed Alastor’s opening to be twitching for him, to stay open, and to beg for him to fuck him and make him full again. 

A third finger was added. 

Alastor's mouth fell open, and a noise filled with static left his throat. It wasn’t as if Vox’s fingers were small to begin with, so having three stretching him out was pushing him to his limits. He was sweating, with his hair clinging to his forehead, while soft panting noises left his lips. He could feel the long fingers thrusting in and out; they were moving faster this time, stretching him open before curling up and pushing against a spot that made him gasp and arch his back. 

Alastor felt his mind going blank for a second as Vox's fingers pushed against his prostate. Earlier, Vox was trying to stretch him open and get him used to the feeling of being filled, but now that Alastor was getting used to it, he was introducing him to the pleasure that was going to come from getting fucked. That bundle of nerves was adding to the odd pleasure from being stretched and filled. He could feel his insides relaxing and even welcoming Vox’s fingers, almost as if he needed more. 

Vox grinned and moved his fingers faster. He didn’t want to fuck Alastor with his fingers until he came, but he wanted to edge him enough to crave and want more. He wanted Alastor’s insides to welcome his cock and willingly suck him in until he was able to thrust inside of him without feeling any sort of resistance. 

Vox leaned his head down, and then his long tongue slipped out to lick and wrap around Alastor’s cock. He could taste the lube, but underneath that flavor, he could also taste Alastor’s skin, his unique flavor, and he could feel himself starving for more. 

Alastor’s whole body froze when he felt the tongue on his member. It was as if his mind went blank, and the scene in front of him changed. He could feel his head looking down at what was happening, but instead of seeing Vox, he saw brown hair that quickly made him go stiff before he started flailing, and one of his hoofs quickly pushed on Vox’s head to try to get him off. The scene was melting into two, the blue room was filled with browns, and Alastor could feel his skin turning cold. 

It wasn’t long before he started kicking and clawing at the bed until he was ripping the blankets. Alastor’s eyes turned black and red as his sharp smile grew dangerous along with his deer antlers. But then Vox was in front of him again. He was holding his face and saying something, something he couldn’t understand, but those cold, familiar hands were touching him, grounding him. He was panting heavily, and the cold sweat clinging to his body was making him shudder. 

It all happened so quickly that he wasn’t even sure of what exactly had happened. For a second, he thought Vox was someone else, and he reacted before he could distinguish between reality and not. 

“Al, hey, Alastor,” Vox was calling his name, and Alastor’s tired eyes glanced at him. “You with me?” 

Alastor nodded slowly and reached out to touch Vox’s screen. “I don’t know what happened.” 

Vox had a good guess of what happened, but he also didn’t want to force Alastor to try to explain himself. “Are you okay?” 

Alastor blinked slowly, and instead of replying, he slowly got on his hands and knees before crawling over Vox until he was sitting on his waist with his eyes looking down at him. He wasn’t going to let the past be his present. He wasn’t going to allow people who didn’t deserve his attention to own him. To imprint themselves on his memory until he was a mess. Not again. Never again. 

“I think I’m ready,” Alastor said softly. He was resting his cheek against his shoulder and looking at Vox with a coy smile that only made Vox stare at him with wide eyes. “No more fingers.” 

Alastor lifted his hips and slowly reached between his legs to hold Vox’s cock in place. He had never done this before, so he was struggling a little, but he wanted to do it. Vox’s hands reached out to try to stop him, but Alastor used his tentacles to hold Vox’s hands and keep them pinned against the bed. 

The head of Vox’s cock was pressing against his ass, and Alastor felt how the tight ring of muscles was slowly stretching around the round head until he was able to push it in. By now, he was panting with his mouth open. One of his eyes was twitching, not believing how much just the head of Vox’s dick was stretching him open. It was a lot thicker than three fingers for sure, but it didn’t hurt, it was more of a burning sensation than pain. It stung, yes, it was stinging, but not in a bad way. 

Alastor slowly lowered his hips, and shaky moans left his lips. Vox’s cock was slowly piercing his insides, spreading him open and filling him to the point that his inner walls were trying to push him out just to pull him in again. The need to try to push out the large cock that was penetrating him kept growing, but as he ignored it and pushed against it, his inner walls would go into spasms that were making him twitch in pleasure and arch his back. It felt good. It felt really good. He had never felt something like this before. 

It was then that Alastor glanced down, and his ears twitched as he could see the outline of Vox’s cock against his navel. Was it that big? He couldn’t believe he was inside ‌him like this. Alastor’s eyes moved from his stomach to look at Vox, and he almost melted at Vox’s face. He looked just like yesterday, with his teeth grinding together to suppress any noises while his eyes slowly became clouded with pleasure. It was a look that Alastor had never seen before, and he found himself liking it quite a lot. 

“You look good,” Alastor said ‌between moans and slowly lifted his hips just to bring them down against Vox’s cock again. He was slowly riding the other, rolling his hips and lifting them until Vox was thrusting against the right spot inside of him. “Y-You look so good like that.” 

Alastor smiled, and he let go of Vox’s hands, his tentacles turning back into shadows. 

Vox reacted right away, his sharp claws were back, and he quickly gripped Alastor’s hips before pulling him close to his body as he sat up. “You feel so fucking good. F-fuck, I should have done this sooner. I should have done this fucking sooner!” 

Vox’s arms moved around Alastor’s waist, pulling him flush against his chest as he slowly thrust his hips against Alastor’s hole to meet the other’s movements. He was panting, trying to suppress the noises that were trying to come out of his mouth, except he couldn’t, not when those noises were turning into static instead, static that Alastor was meeting with his own, making Vox’s head twitch and go crazy as he felt Alastor’s frequency against his own. 

“It feels good,” Alastor said and dropped his arms on top of Vox’s shoulders. He was smiling while his eyes were slowly getting foggy with pleasure. He could feel his head floating, as if it wasn’t part of him anymore. Every time Vox’s cock thrust inside of him, and his length brushed against his prostate, all that he could see were stars, and then black spots started to cloud his vision. It was so hard to keep up with everything he was feeling. The sensation of being so full was overpowering, and it was making him groan in pleasure, but then the way his prostate was being abused with each thrust was also making him moan. He didn’t know what felt better or if he could even pick one thing over the other.

Alastor just wanted Vox to move faster, to fill him harder, and to make him stop thinking about anything else but the two of them together like this. 

“Good, fuck, I want you to feel amazing!” Vox groaned and buried his face against Alastor’s chest as he gripped him harder and started to guide him against his cock to bounce faster on it. “I’m gonna fuck you hard and long like this from now on, you ain’t going to think about anyone else but me when someone touches you, fuck. You only need to think about me, just me. Just remember I’m the one doing you like this, I’m the one that’s making you feel this good.” 

Alastor nodded along with Vox’s words, his voice lost in between his moans as he found himself unable to do anything other than let out pleasure-filled noises. He could feel his insides twitching and becoming softer. He was melting against Vox, and soon enough, he couldn’t move his thighs anymore. But Vox was quick to react. He reached down and gripped Alastor’s ass, lifting his body and making him move against his cock again. All Alastor could do was lean his head against Vox’s face, his cheek resting against the cold screen as he felt saliva slowly dripping from the corner of his mouth.

It just felt too good. 

He was melting, Alastor was melting into nothing but a puddle of pleasure. 

The world around him was turning white, and all he could hear was the static in between them. It was too much. Alastor’s cock twitched, and then he felt his balls tighten before he came against Vox’s stomach. The pleasure from his release pushed him over the edge. He could feel tears falling from the corner of his eyes, and then his insides grew tight, making Vox’s cock feel even bigger than before. It was so tight, it was too tight. But Alastor didn’t have to wait long before he was being filled anew, this time with Vox’s cum as he came inside of him. 

It was an odd feeling, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. 

Alastor kept his face leaning against Vox’s screen, not feeling at all like moving. He wanted to remain like this a bit longer. The cold screen felt so good against his warm, flushed cheeks. Alastor even found himself turning his head just a bit so he could lick Vox’s screen with a mischievous smile that matched the pleasure high in his eyes. 

It was only a few minutes later that the two were able to catch their breath. 

Vox kept Alastor on his lap, not wanting him to move at all. He didn’t even want to pull out. “That was…wow, holy shit, that was fucking amazing. I fucking saw heaven.”

“Mh, I hope it looked nice.”

“It looked fucking fantastic,” Vox said with a wide grin and pulled Alastor closer again to nuzzle against him. “We need to get you in the shower.” 

“Later, plus there isn’t a point.”

“Uh? Why not?” 

“Who said we were finished?” Alastor was smiling again, that coy smile of his that matched his half-lidded eyes. 

“O-oh…” It was all Vox could say while Alastor’s words went straight to his dick.