Chapter 17: The Separation of Lust and Greed

Alastor walked into his family's hotel room, and he walked to Vixen, who was sitting by the window, looking out, worried. "My dear, i understand your worry, my dear….i am worried too. But….i believe that we can turn the tide." Vixen looked at him. "What do you mean?" "Well, it's clear that Valentino and Vox's partnership is at its peak. They're not working well together, but they're doing it anyway, so they'll never turn on each other. But….if we take out Vox, then Valentino will be vulnerable and won't have anyone to lean against." Alastor said, grinning. "Well, that makes sense, but you saw how powerful he was when he attacked the hotel earlier. He's got to have gotten more powerful as time went on. He may be too powerful for you and I to take on alone." Alastor nodded. "Yes, i know. But Alexander needs our children and everyone else by his side….besides, Vox only has a true grudge and rivalry with me. He couldn't care less about any of them. That's why it must only be you and me." Vixen stood up, a little nervous. "Are you sure though? What about the IMP idiots? What about them?" Alastor shook his head at her. "They went back to their normal business after they got better from the attack. Now darling, please. You must know that this could be the only way we'll be able to help Alexander with his fight. We'll even the playing field, so to speak. And you know that Angel Dust and Cherri will be there to help our children...Angel may have problems sometimes, but i trust him with my life to protect the children….please. We must." he said to Vixen. Vixen still felt like this could be the wrong move, but she knew he was right. This could be the chance that can turn the tide and help them win this war. "Oh….alright. But promise me that nothing bad will happen." she said. Alastor put a hand on her cheek, and nodded. "I promise….nothing bad will happen to you." he didn't mention himself, because he knew that he would get injured during this fight. Vox was indeed going to be more powerful, and he couldn't get the courage to say that he might get hurt. But he knew he could promise that she wouldn't get hurt. "Now then….the tall skyscraper is where he will most likely be." he looked out the window, seeing Sir Pentious' blimp on the roof of the other building. "And i know how we'll be able to get inside without raising suspicion." Vixen looked out the window. "I never thought i'd be happy for that snake to finally be useful in a situation like this." Vixen said.

Sir Pentious was letting his egg minions pilot the ship towards Vox's skyscraper. "I can't believe you two are actually going to try and kill this plasma screened faced asshole yourselves. You know that what you're doing is suicide, right?" he said to them. Alastor looked out the giant window at the skyscraper. "Yes i do, Sir Pentious….yes i do. But i'm going to make sure that my wife is in no way harmed….if he tries anything…..who knows how much pain i'll put him through." he said coldly. Vixen smirked. She loved it when Alastor talked all high and mighty. "Vixen, you can't really be on the same side as this horrible plan. Seriously, you could die facing someone as powerful as Vox." Sir Pentious said. "I know, snake, but my husband has never steered me wrong, and i know he doesn't plan on doing so now." she said. "Besides, Vox doesn't scare me in the slightest…..it's what he could do to our children if we fail that scares us." "but we are not going to fault, my dear. I promise you." Alastor said. Sir Pentious shrugged, and kept his men going to the skyscraper. Eventually, the blimp stopped at the top of the skyscraper, and Vixen and Alastor hopped off the blimp, standing on the roof. "Alright. Come back in about an hour. We should be done by then." Alastor said. "Can i still say that you're going to get yourselves killed and you shouldn't bother doing this?" Sir Pentious yelled. "Noted! Now get out of here!" Vixen said. "Alright, but you're crazy!" the blimp flew off, and Alastor and Vixen walked down the stairs, looking for Vox's office. "It should be around here somewhere. Keep your ears open." Alastor said. "My ears are always open." she said back. They walked down the hall, and walked into a giant room filled with tvs, all over the walls. "Hmm….this looks like the place….but where's Vox?" Alastor wondered, when suddenly, the screens all showed the same visual, Vox. "Well, well, well…..if it isn't my dear old friend Alastor...and his little bitch of a wife, no less." Vixen shrugged it off. Not the first time she's been called a bitch. If anything, she technically was one, given the definition of it. "Ah, with the 4 year old insults. Just like always, Vox." Alastor said. "And you're still full of yourself, like always, Al. you believe that because of your legend in the Nine Circles, you truly believe you can come away from this without a scratch….but your family has made you weak. You're nothing but a father. Fathers claim to be the protectors of a family, but you? You're nothing but a soft, whimpering, mutt." Vixen growled. "You stop calling my husband weak!" Vixen yelled. "Well, excuse me for being truthful. So, you believe that you can kill me? Is that your plan?" Alastor looked around at all the tvs. "If it comes to it. But we mainly want you to be taken down enough that you won't be able to help out Valentino." "Oh, please. I was never going to help that sniveling oaf. I only needed him to bring me off of that child's trail. That child…..he frightens me…..that anger inside of him….he scares me more than you do sometimes, Alastor." Vox said. Alastor raised an eyebrow. "Alexander...scares you?" he asked. "Yes…..oh, yes, he does…..i don't know what is causing this fear...but i sense a great power inside his anger…..and i'm afraid that his anger could destroy Hell itself." Alastor and Vixen looked at each other, confused. "But it matters not right now….i'll be gone from this city and away from that child….but killing you two will be a glorious way to leave." he said. "Then come out and fight us like a true demon!" Vixen yelled. "Gladly." he said, and the screens all turned off except for one, which Vox's face was still on the screen, and walked into the light. "Let us begin."

Alastor and Vixen stepped back, preparing for a fight. Vox chuckled, putting his hands behind his back. "I'll be a gentleman and let you give your wife a chance. Ladies first, as you know." Alastor didn't trust this. "I don't trust this, dear. You shouldn't-" but Vixen didn't listen. "I've got this, Al. trust me on this." she walked towards Vox, and he walked towards her. The two of them met eye to eye, or the best they could, since Vox was very tall. "Care for me to step do-" Vixen slashed his chest, cutting him. "Ah, fuck!" he backed up, holding his chest where the cut was. Vixen smirked, blood on her claws, and she licked them a little. "Think that we're so weak now?" Vox growled, and he zapped her with electricity, shocking her. "Aaaaaah!" she screamed in pain and was sent flying from the massive shock. "Vixen!" Alastor yelled, catching her before she hit the ground. She coughed a little, smoke coming out of the coughing. "Ugh…..i'm alright. That was just really sudden." she stood up, wiping the ash off her face. Alastor glared at him. "You dare hit a woman? My wife?!" he yelled. "It was her own fault for attacking me when I wasn't ready. Don't you know i prefer a sporting chance for everyone?" Vox said, wiping the blood off his chest. "If you think i'm going to do anything remotely sporting after the attack you tried to put out on my family and friends, then you must be absolutely crazy. Or crazier than you already are." Alastor said. Vox growled. "Fine then….if you don't like sporting chances….." he raised his hand up, and suddenly, a dome of electricity surrounded him and Vixen, Alastor pushed out of the dome. "What?! No!" Alastor said. Vixen turned around "Al!" "Vixen!" he tried to run to her, but the dome of electricity sent him flying back, but he was still on his feet. "g-g-g-g….Vixen….." "Alastor!" she yelled. "Aaah, now this is something i crave. True comeuppance. He asked for things to be unfair….what's more unfair than you against me….all by your lonesome." Vixen felt a little afraid, backing up, but she backed into the electric dome, and was shocked closer. "Ow!" Alastor was getting angry. "You son of a bitch! Let my wife go!" Alastor yelled. "Not until i teach you a lesson. If you can't care to be nice and accept terms, then this is the punishment." Vox said. He then started attacking Vixen, Vixen defending herself, but taking punch and hit after punch and hit. "No! Vixen!" Alastor yelled, and he started to shoulder barge the electric dome. Each hit shocked him twice as hard, but he didn't care. He kept barging the dome, each shock making him weaker and weaker. Eventually, he almost couldn't even stand up, falling to his knee. "V-Vix….." he looked up and saw Vox grabbing Vixen by the throat, and throwing her into the electric dome. "Aaaaaaah!" she screamed in absolute pain, and she fell down with a thud. "V-Vix…..no!" Alastor tried to get up, but he fell over in pain. Vox chuckled evilly, walking over to Vixen, who was writhing on the ground in pain. "This is what happens when you fuck with me, Alastor." he kicked her in the gut, making her yelp. "S-Stop….." Alastor begged. "You let your mother die." he kicked her in the side. "Aaah! Please!" Vixen cried, tearing up from pain. "You let that boy die." he slammed his foot on her stomach, making Vixen scream in pain again, and cough. Vox held her down with his foot, and he held a cane in his hand, but he pulled the top off, a sword hidden inside the cane. Alastor stood up, his eyes turning to dials, his anger boiling over, going into a form past his normal demonic form. "And now….you're letting your own wife die." Vox didn't notice Alastor changing, looking down at Vixen, holding the sword over her neck. "Shame, isn't it?" he brought the sword up, about to swing it down, when he heard an inhuman yell. "The fuck?!" he looked over and saw Alastor, his frown the angriest he's even been, his mouth bleeding a little from how sharp his teeth were. "Keep your hands off my wife!" he grew claws on his fingers, and slashed through the electric dome, the dome disappearing. "What the fuck is going on?!" Vox yelled. He pulled out a gun and tried to shoot Alastor, but Alastor grabbed his hand, crushing the bones in Vox's hand. "Aagh, fuck!" but that wasn't all. Alastor proceeded to rip the arm completely off of Vox's body. Vox screamed in absolute pain and surprise, blood spurting out of the wound, and he fell on his back. Vixen looked like she was out cold, and Alastor grabbed his cane, walking over to Vox, who tried to go for the gun, crawling with one hand. Alastor stomped on his other hand, breaking it. "Aaaah! You f-f-fucker!" Vox yelled. Alastor kicked him over so Vox was on his back, looking up at Alastor. Alastor's face went from angry to a calm neutral expression, and he looked at his cane. "Is that screen face of yours shatter-proof?" "w-what?" Vox asked as Alastor lifted his cane up. "Let's find out." holding his cane like a spear, he held the bottom of the cane up to Vox's face. "W-wait, Alastor come on…..are you rea-" Alastor didn't care, and he stabbed his cane through Vox's head, the screen cracking and bleeding, staticing as well. Vox went limp, and Alastor panted heavily, and spit in Vox's face. He was tired. He never had to do something like that before. He wanted to sit down, but he had a job to do. He walked over to Vixen, who wasn't out cold, but tired from the fight, asleep. Alastor picked her up, holding her bridal style. Vixen laid her head against his shoulder, and he sighed, walking out of the office. A few of the mercenaries that Vox hired for Valentino, about 50 of them, were preparing for the fight next week, but Alastor walked out of the office, carrying Vixen out. He ignored all of the mercenaries, walking to the door. "Hey, what the hell are you doing here?!" one of them said, putting his hand on Alastor's shoulder. "Speak to m-" Alastor gave a thousand yard glare at the mercenary, and the mercenary backed up slowly. "If you all value your lives….you'll leave now. And leave the boy you were hired to kill alone. If you don't…..i will hunt you down." the mercenaries all ran in fear out of the building. This gave him and Vixen some time alone. He carried her to a couch, and he laid her on it. He sat down at the end, placing her head in his lap, letting her rest. He rubbed her ears gently, and laid his head back, staring at the ceiling. "Heh…..this is the first time that i've felt tired…..it feels rather nice…." and with that, Alastor closed his eyes, succumbing to his tiredness. The battle had been even more in their favor, but by how much?