"Well done Angel, you did amazing out there. See what happens when you listen and do as you're told?"

The backstage was filled with intoxicating red smoke that poured out of Valentino's mouth, swirling around his body and onto the ground. At his request he had the other performers leave so it was just him and Angel in the room. Angel was sitting in front of one of the dressers lining the back wall, his head lowered so all Valentino could see was his back. Valentino raised the cigarette up to his mouth and inhaled, blowing out more of the red smoke in Angel's direction causing it to swirl around his neck.

"You know Angel, it's bad manners to ignore someone who is addressing you." Just then the smoke itself seemingly wrapped around Angel's shoulder and pivoted him and the chair to face Valentino. "Listen if this is about what happened before the show I'm sorry, but I can't have you acting against my wishes. It sends the wrong message not just to the other performers but to my clientele."

Walking across the room to Angel, Valentino bent down and placed a hand below his chin lifting his face up to look at him, revealing a large black eye and small cuts around his face. Tears sprang up in Angel's fearful eyes. "It doesn't look that bad, at least the makeup did its job while you were out there." Valentino released his grip on Angel causing his head to drop back down again. Walking away from Angel he said, "Now normally you'd be given a break but someone has come to me with a lot of money to see you. So I suggest you put the makeup back on darling, would hate to have to re-explain myself if another client comes to me unsatisfied."

"It.. it hurts."

It was said barely above a whisper but Valentino heard it. Stopping short of the door he looked at Angel, "What was that Angel-cakes?"

Angel knew it was too late to back out and feign ignorance now, it would only lead to more trouble for him. "Val.. Mistah Valentino, the makeup burns my face... the cuts, I need just a couple minutes to heal, then I'll do whateva you want I promise."

Silence. Angel looked at Valentino, Valentino looked back at Angel. "Need?" Valentino questioned. He looked down at the cigarette between his fingers, slowly walking back to Angel.

Angel's eyes widened slightly, releasing that he made a worse choice. "I- I'm sorry Val, I'm just bein stupid again, I'll get ready right no-" Angel stopped when he felt Valentino's finger on his chest. Looking down he saw it trace down from his fluff slowly to his midriff and stopping there. He looked back up at Valentino who stared at him intensely.

"Angel baby..." was all Valentino said before Angel felt a burning sensation where Valentino's finger was. "Let me tell you what you need. What you need to do is listen, what you need to do is not scare away my clients, and what you need to do is get your shit together." Tears streamed from Angel's face, his face contorted in pain, as with each 'need' said Valentino twisted his cigarette deeper and deeper into his chest. Then, the pain was lifted as Valentino took the cigarette off his chest and dumped into onto an ashtray placed on the dresser. "Like I said," Valentino continued, placing a gentle hand on Angel's face, "you did amazing tonight. Keep it up and I can forgive you for your past actions. And you can continue by making yourself presentable for the nice gentleman who paid to see you. So put on the damn makeup, and cover that," he points to the mark the cigarette made, "up too."

Turning back towards the door his shoes clacked against the floor as he left the backstage, leaving Angel alone as he hugged his chest tightly waiting for the pain to recede. It wasn't until twenty minutes have passed that he heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" he said, trying to put on on alluring voice. The door opened slowly, eventually revealing a short spider demon that was black in color wearing a black and yellow suit. Angel raised a brow at this, he'd never seen another demon in hell that shared most of the same characteristics as him.

Smiling he stood up from his seat and smoothly made his was towards him. "Well don't just stand there all day babe, I hear you've been wantin' to see me. Well here I am~." He reached behind the small demon and shut the door behind him. "You are on the clock," Angel said walking his bottom hand's fingers up the spider's chest with every word finishing with a boop on his nose. The small spider continued to look silently at him, a look in his eyes that Angel couldn't quite place.

"Nervous type huh? Lemme guess, you never thought you'd get this far? Believe me, most neva do. Hang on, I got some good shit in my station that'll easy ya right up." Angel began walking back to his dresser.

"Anthony..."

Angel's eyes widened in surprise, he stopped in his tracks and shook slightly. He turned to face the smaller spider who was walking over to him. "I... I think you got the wrong guy, my name is Angel-"

"Fratellino mio, pensavo che non ti avrei più rivisto!" In a single motion he jumped up and wrapped his arms around Angel's upper body, bringing him down to his height to a close embrace. In that moment it all clicked to Angel, he understood why this one demon in all of hell looked so much like him.

"Fratellone..?" Angel returned the embrace tears welling back into his eyes.

"Yes Anthony, I'm here. I... I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm glad I finally found you. There's so much I need to say, that we need to talk about."

"That can wait just... that can wait." As Angel hugged his long-lost brother closer he felt something he thought he'd never find again. Happiness. In that moment, Angel didn't want to let his brother go.

-Present Day-

"Angel... please." Cherri grabbed onto her friend again but Angel shook her off. It had been nearly an hour since they heard the explosion from Candy City, in that time they disarmed and took all the explosives back to Cherri's car and drove down to what remained of the Grind. As soon as the car stopped Angel rushed out and began searching, looking for anything that remained of Arackniss. He dug through rubble until his hands bled and stained the ground beneath him, and continued digging. He didn't stop until he saw the black-furred hand lying in the debris. Carefully, meticulously, he dug around it to reveal what was left of Arackniss; a gaping hole in his chest from where the spear punctured him and multiple angelic spears lodged in his head and body. Kneeling on the ground, in that moment, Angel didn't want to let his brother go.

"We didn't find Velvet Angel, she isn't here. We... we need to find and stop her, right now."

"Fratellone... fratellone... fratellone..." It was all Angel could say between sobs as he continued to hold Arackniss close to him.

They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity, then Cherri went to Angel again. Before she could speak, Angel spoke first, "This is all my fault."

Kneeling down to comfort her friend Cherri held him and said, "You can't blame yourself Angel, not now. Velvet is the one who did this, we need to focus on killing her now. If Valentino gets out-"

"Well that's the problem isn't it?" Angel faced Cherri, "This never would have happened, any of it, if we just killed Valentino that night. But every time I look at him all I can think of is the pain he has brought me. Him, Vox, and Velvet, all of em. And I always think that death wouldn't be enough for him, no, it wouldn't be enough for me. It could never be enough. I had to go one step further, I had to keep him locked up and tortured, force him to his lowest point. And then? Then I would kill him. And now... Niss..."

"Angel, look at me. We can't always dwell on the past, cause if we do we'll miss what's right in front of us. Right now Velvet is probably already at the studios. I don't know how she learned Valentino lived but we need to end this." She paused and looked down at Arackniss still held in Angel's arms. "We can put him in the back and give him a proper rest once this is all over."

"Husk..." Angel glared forward suddenly.

"Husk?"

"Before... on the radio, he said 'Husk', called him a son of a bitch. That's how Velvet knew, that fuckin bastard got my brother killed. When we're done with her, I'm going to skin that fuckin cat and tie his body up in the street." The ground began to shake as Angel's eyes glowed and cracks formed along the ground, hissing open with tentacles slowly creeping through and pleading screams echoing through the air.

"ANGEL STOP!" Cherri hugged onto Angel, her hands cupping his face. In that moment his eyes dimmed back to their normal coloration and the ground sealed back up leaving the area back as it was.

"Cherri... I'm sorry."

"It's alright Angel let's just focus on Velvet for now, Husk can come later."

"You're right. Besides, she won't be able to get to him just yet. The only way to get to Val is with a key, and I have the only... the..." Angel fumbled in his chest fluff and his pockets searching for the elevator key but came up with nothing. "No... NO NO NO!"

Cherri looked at him with concern, "Angel, where is the key to Valentino?""

"I.. I had it! I always keep it on me!" Scrambling, it wasn't until he looked back down at his brother and saw a familiar chain spilling from his pocket. Grabbing a hold of it he slowly pulled it out,, revealing a chain necklace with a broken clasp. The key was gone. "Niss... what have you done?"

-Elsewhere-

*That bomb wasn't a part of the fucking deal... but the dumb bastard got the worst of it, and I got what I need* Velvet thought twirling the elevator key in her finger. It didn't take long for her to get to the studios, after borrowing a car off a concerned demon the drive was relatively short. She gave a kiss to his corpse as thanks for the ride, and now she was walking to the entrance of the establishment. Standing in front of the doors she caught her faint reflection in the glass, most of the right side of her face was missing as the spears scraped it off, and a lone prominent spear was lodged in between her clavicles. *Lucifer I look like shit, this is really going to ruin my social media look.* With that thought she opened the doors and walked inside. Empty, just like he said.

"Oh honeyyyy, I'm hoooome!"