AU:Ladies and gentleman of all ages...May i have your attention please...
You'll probably have noticed that there are lengty pauses between chapterupdates. While i was the one who came up with the stories and put them to paper (or computerscrean)...My partner Unknown294 , is the one who's doing revisions on them, making them the best they can be. Unfortunatley unknown294 has a lot going on right now and isn't able to keep up with the work. So we decided to RELEASE BOTH "ink virus" and "starlight asylum" in their current state so people no longer need to wait for the next chapters. Having said that, yes the revisions will keep going till the fics are completely done but in the meantime you can still enjoy them as they are. Ink virus was written before adding sertain family members and sertain traits relating to the characters...As a result you might descover that some character are speaking general english at one moment and with an accent at another... This will all be fixed while the revisions are going, please bear with us. Finally i hope you enjoy the adventures of "the benicio family"
Just like the mob boss predicted, no security measures were going about the place. Nobody to humbly greet them with their guns and bark at them to go away like the guard dogs they were. In actuality, the whole area almost has this desolate sense to it, save for the flapping of bat wings and their footsteps treading through the dusty dirt. With no gate nor guard blocking the rest of the way, their stroll towards the shed's garage entrance takes them under a minute.
The cartoon demon goes immediately to work in jamming the bent claw of the crowbar under the metal and prying the opening up like a bottle cap. The overhead door shoots above their heads, giving out shudders and bangs that are loud enough to elicit barks from nearby neighboring dogs.
Benicio faces the angel with that cheesy grin of his, pulling off jazz hands that gesture towards the doorway. "Ta-dah!" In the process, the crowbar slips out of his grasp and lands on the ground with a dull, tinny thunk. The toon boss quickly swipes it back up, a couple of chuckles slipping out.
Abel smiles in playful derision at the demon's antic. "Show-off." The angel makes his way in first. The demon follows suit, casually swinging the crowbar lightly by his side.
They traverse into the dark interior, the entrance leaving them with enough moonlight to see, but not enough to view everything in full sight. The two toons look around the expanse, basking in slight awe at the hundreds of crates that tower over them like ancient columns of a long, forgotten civilization's creation. In the dead stillness, the only noise they hear were the quiet clapping and scraping of their shoes and the pulsing of their ink in their non-visible ears. Both angel and demon could see these wooden boxes reaching to the ceiling beams as the luminescence shines through the skylights and coats much of them in an ethereal likeness.
These attributes didn't alleviate the oncoming tension, however.
As the toons make their way past several crate towers, Abel begrudgingly welcomes the welling uncomfortableness in his chest. His head swivels and his eyes glance around like an over-cautious rabbit for anything or anyone that could jump out at them. "I don't know about this, Benicio. Somethin's up with this place..."
The demon doesn't reply. The silence greets him in his stead.
Turning halfway around, the boss has seemingly disappeared from his sight. This fact adds more quail to Abel's jumpiness and annoyance to the entire occasion. He does a facepalm. "Oh, for the love of-! Hey, Devil Boy! Where'd the fuck ye go?!" While shouting, his halo melts from anxiety. "C'mon out, idjit! Don't be doin' this crap whilst we're on the clock!"
And as the angel's vision scatters to every visible point in the place, coming out of the darkness reveals two wicked hands and sharp claws readying to strike. They roughly clamp onto his shoulders. Just as they startle Abel into jerking his head over his shoulder, the demon's inked- face and broad grin scare the living bejesus out of him.
Benicio's "BOO!" strikes through the quiet.
A scream rips out of the rebel's throat. If he were a bird, feathers would've instantly popped off of his body and leave him in a naked mess just waiting to be preyed upon by bigger predators. He cartoonishly rockets up into the air like a cat finding out that there is a courgette behind them. Safely finding himself on top of a tri-column, from below, Abel hears hearty laughter echoing.
"Angel Face, I'm right here!"
Crawling on his hands and knees, from Abel's vantage point, Benicio looks up at him with a broad grin adorning his lips. "What? Ya chickenin' out on me already?" His extensive hands gesture toward the boxes. "We haven't even started searchin' through these puppies, an' yet, you're way up there!"
For the second time throughout that night, Abel wanted to deck the bastard in the face until he's akin to a knocked-out drunkard. Probably even put a handful of sour drops in his lunch when they get back later, especially in his coffee. Alright, that last part may sound childish, but damn it! Nobody should scare someone without a heart attack on the line! The fact that this place still provides him with enough tenseness to last him through the rest of this week isn't helping his case either.
Feathers comically ruffled, they almost mimic both a pissed-off turkey and a frilled-neck lizard. "Do ye want some fuckin' metal beatin' into that skull of yers, Devil-boy?!" The angel screeches, his words holding enough acid and heat in them to melt metal.
"Nah! No metal tonight, Wings!" Benicio waves a dismissive hand before gesticulating to his feigning suave face. "Gotta keep this face immaculate for the ladies, ya know?"
A flat look is sent after Abel recovers enough of his wits and bits of dignity. "Could've jus' fuckin' asked 'cause I would've absolutely reckoned givin' my brass knuckles to yer face!" The rebel angel sarcastically replies, resting his head on his lazing arms. "'N with the track record yer sportin' amongst the gals lately, they'd gladly see ye get pummeled in the face multiple times by me, followed by themselves."
Contempt briefly flashes on Benicio's face. "Oi, for the record, it's not that terrible! I'm great with them! My ideas just uh… need some time to be ironed out, is all!" An imitation of hopefulness at its finest... The toon points a challenging finger. "Just ya watch! Ya will see how amazin' I am at gettin' them!"
Abel mocks an innocent grin at the challenging demon. "I will, but wait until I get my popcorn before ye do it, though. Don't wanna miss all of it!"
As the angel half-heartedly chuckles, Benicio scoffs, his tail shaping itself into a semi-zigzag. He sets his hands on his hips, drawing out a slanted scowl. "Look, jokes aside an' me scarin' the livin' crap out of ya - purposely, this time - get back down here an' get to lootin' this crap before we get caught."
The chuckles stop, a grimace replacing it. Abel would rather stay on the tri-crate tower than be spooked a second time by the ink demon. One was enough, two was just pushing it, and three can be pummeling that toon until they sport some lumps on their head. Yet, Benicio is reasonably right in this situation. Both of them can get caught in case of anyone waltzes right in and finds them stealing their stuff. His being staying up here and Benicio waiting isn't going to abate that possibility.
After a moment's hesitation, Abel drops down and lands in a crouch. Then, straightening his posture with his wings temporarily act as a cape on his shoulders, the cartoon rebel glares at the ever-so-rarely patient mob boss once more. An irritating smile looks back at him as he returns to the duo's main objective. The boss follows suit, a pep in his steps.
Resuming their quest, the two toons now and then quietly conversed about their findings, glimpsing in the stacks for anything withholding the spoils. Since they have one crowbar, when one of them discovers a crate that potentially has what they require and pops its lid open, the tool is given to the other until they come across the next one. Rinse and repeat. Why did Benicio bring only one crowbar for this operation instead of two? Possible answer: Unpredictable and forgetful preparedness. It's not the first time this has happened but he will spare you all the details. The easiest part was locating the taped papers and the inscribed words on each one.
It takes them around an hour's worth to gather over ten crates. They agree to have a short break after the fourteenth.
Perched on a random box, elbows planted on his thighs and palms holding his head, Abel watches Benicio carry the said fourteenth over to the pile in semi-absentmindedness. The demon's grunts of excursion sparsely kept the quietness at bay. While the crates are small to carry, they weren't exactly light in their weight. And adding to the fact that the adrenaline rush from getting jump scared was wearing off during their scavenge thus shrinking away into tiredness, it had lingered in a way of the angel not thinking straight and dozing in and out of awareness on the spot.
When his drooping eyes did close for a time, Abel didn't hear the crate producing a harsh thud nor the quiet, pained hiss from Benicio when he dropped the said wooden box on his toes. Sleep was calling to him once more. He was, figuratively and physically, leaning towards it; however, that plan gets foiled seconds later. Three-finger snaps at the face and a hand lightly jostling his shoulder are all it takes to startle the angel out of his drowse. The appendage relocates him back into its previous position just as both his arms fall across his lap.
Abel's eyes blink several times to rid some of the lingering tiredness. A mumbled "Huh?" comes through his lips, then his sight rises to meet the demon toon's own.
"While I don't condone sleepin' on the job, I get the gist of ya tiredness." A teasing smirk is plastered on his face. Giving two pats on the shoulder, his hand lets go once he deems the rebel angel is sitting steadily and stays standing next to his right. "Gotta stay awake just a bit longer, then we're done here."
True, Benicio does understand his tiredness. For Abel, the usual time is in-between ten and eleven. However, the thought of the boss knowing that little detail about his sleep schedule still weirds him out. Then again, Abel didn't tell the demon and Benicio excels at gathering intel on people and toons like some detectives do in novels... The clock hands within the cartoon angel's wristwatch as he looks down at it were approaching ten. This elicits a faint, disappointed sigh. Gonna be another late night when getting back home.
Stretching as a yawn escapes, the rebel situates his elbows on his lap. "Can't help it when it's this damn late." His wetted eyes settle on the gathered crates. "How much more do ye reckon we get before headin' out?"
The other toon shoots a calculating glance in the same direction. "Seein' how we've gotten this many, may as well load them in an' head back to headquarters for the rest of the night." Swiveling his head back to Abel, a grin peeks through. "In about a few days, if one of the scouts gets word 'bout the owner relocatin' their stash, we'll come back to get the rest before they move on."
The angel nods in agreement. Good enough decision to him. He's been done with this place as soon as they've started collecting those damn boxes. The thought of coming back here on the off-chance of the latter happening days later, however, was unpleasant to think about.
Benicio continues. "An' given how many there are still... if we keep goin' tonight, then we might as well overstep our boundary an' be caught." A grin spreads across his lips, though unease still flits in its satisfaction layer. When that shows up, it's a sign of a high-chance, chaotic idea that then turns into an Ah-crap-here-we-go-again! ordeal. "An' besides, it's not like they'd notice a bit of their inventory bein' missin'! We'll make a clean getaway right under their radar before they can get a whiff of it!"
A highly doubtful proposition, but Abel isn't going to voice his uncertainty. Not when the demon's this hopeful in getting an actual clean escape for once. "Then, gonna say this before karma bites our asses: Somethin's not been right since we've gotten here."
For a split second, Benicio's face morphs into questionable concern. It goes back to its previous expression, though, but that optimism is slowly trickling away like the sand in an hourglass. "Really? Are ya still that antsy 'bout this place?"
"No, it isn't about that at all!" An edge of defensiveness crawls through the dubious tone before Abel's voice lowers a few pegs. "All I'm sain' is, this is… jus' plain too easy. It's like when we got here, somethin' about this place didn't seem alright. Kept thinkin', at any moment, that somethin' was gonna hassle us. Ye know what I mean?" Abel lets out a half-hearted chuckle. "Then again... it could jus' be that, as ye put it, 'pessimism of mine' showin' again."
Benicio scoffs exaggeratedly, his grin weakening as both arms spread out to emphasize the building. "For Pete's sake, Feathers... This place's basically devoid of people! Even the guards haven't graced themselves in our presence for this long!" He walks over, then plops himself on a separate crate next to Abel. An arm is thrown around his neck, jostling him a little. "So, no need to be a worry-wart! An' if there are actual guards 'round, the two us will just kick their asses black an' blue!"
Abel rolls his eyes at the pointing finger, the tiny smirk helping itself. "Honestly, does nothin' diminish that over-confidence of yers or is it yer trademark recklessness makin' ye act like this…?"
There's a thoughtful look settling into Benicio's eyes and, for a moment, Abel believes the demon toon is seriously considering his question. However, the toon's tail simply sways and he lets out chortles, dispelling that belief in an instant. The angel joins him in this. In those seconds, their shared laughter eases the built-up tension permeating throughout the building.
When the merriment dies down into a short, comfortable silence, understanding takes hold in the demon's face and voice. "Alright, I'll tell ya what: Ya go open one last crate an' see if there's somethin' worth out of it. While ya do that, I'll go scout the area in case if anybody's 'round." The cartoon devil spins the crowbar around once, the bent claw aiming at the rebel's face. "If anythin' happens, yell for me."
Nodding, Abel takes ahold of the tool's end, then watches Benicio walk out of the building until he's out of sight.
The silence comes back to weigh him down. He sighs tiredly. What he wouldn't give to head back home right about now... Wanting to not waste any more time dawdling, he gets up from his spot. Shoulders slack, the crowbar hangs loosely from his fingers as his eyes dart to some crates on his left, none the wiser about what will come. Prying open the closest container, from the moment the lid pops off, a purple gas spritz out of it and begins to shroud the room.
"Shit... IT'S A TRAP!" The angel yells before holding his breath. It is, however, too late when Abel has already inhaled the gas and starts to feel nauseous.
From the moment Benicio hears Abel's scream, he bolts around the building, finding a ladder in the proces. Using the tool, he climbs up to the roof as he finds the skylight window. Peering through the glass, he tries to discover what is going on inside.
While dazed, Abel has managed to place his brass knuckles on his wings but the mob boss notices that the angel is struggling to stay on his feet. Four mysterious men dressed in black and wearing gas masks emerge from their hiding places behind some crates the duo hadn't been sniffing around in yet. Benicio has to watch how they surround the rebel angel.
Abel feels incredibly nauseous, his strength leaving him and the room spinning in circles, on top of that he is surrounded by the enemy.
"Hello boys...I'd like to say this is a surprise, but then I'd be lyin'...But hey, since ye were nice enough to prove my boss i was right …..Let's dance!"; the angel smirked.
One of the men runs towards the toon angel as Abel manages to hit the punk right in the face with his brass knuckles. A second guy tries to hit him in the head but the angel pulls his upper body back and follows with a side kick in the creep's stomach as a result. The man crosses his arms over his gut as he loses consciousness, joining his colleague on the cold hard floor.
The cartoon angel's vision becomes blurry as he murmurs to himself taking a small step to the front in an attempt to keep himself balanced. " Jeez, what the hell did I inhale?...I feel l-like I drank Elymas's bar d-dry…" The third guy manages to tackle Able to the ground while his brass knuckles fall off his wings on the floor.
The man gets back to his feet, dusting himself off. "Phew, the bastard packs quite the punch. The narcotic gas barely worked, he should've been sedated the moment the lid came from the crate." Frustration drives him to vengeance as he kicks Able over and over again, till the fourth guy eventually stops him by placing his right arm in front of him. "That's enough BS-102…..Believe me, i enjoy using a toon as a football just as much as you but unfortunately, we need him…..a-alive." The "alive" part came out in a disgusted tone, as if he smelled a fart or something.
The ink demon doesn't like the guy's tone, yet seems to be intrigued, raising a questionable eyebrow as he whispers to himself; "What the heck does BS stand for….."Bullshit"?
The fourth man gets out a radio; "At least we managed to capture one. There were two of them but the other one got away. The coward just abandoned his companion, that's a toon for ya".
Benicio grinds his teeth as it takes all his effort not to go down there and give those jerks a piece of his mind; "I'm not abandonin' Abel, I'm waitin' for the right time to save his sorry ass".
Even the mob boss knows it's pointless to fight a losing battle. When you're outnumbered, it's better to be smart then to try to be the hero and get yourself captured in the progress.
The fourth man talks through the radio; "Doctor? BS-90 here, come in….We got one ready for ya, we'll bring it over right away. Prepare the test phase. Black Scythe out".
Back on the roof, the mafia boss rolls his eyes. "Black Scythe….that's what BS stands for?...I liked 'bullshit' better. Why do they even give each other codenames? And what is this 'test phase' they keep blabbin' on about?"
The answers to the questions would have to wait as the conversation between the men continues. "What do we do with these two?" the third man asks pointing at the two unconscious men.
"Leave them for now, the test phase is our priority right now. When the deed is done, we'll come pick them up"; the fourth man instructs while eyeing the rebel angel.
Benicio watches 'BS-102' pick up an unconscious Abel and carry him bridal style, making their way towards a black car, a 1940's ford deluxe, which they had parked next to the left facade of the building. It's black colour makes it blend in well with the darkness of the night.
The mafia boss climbs down the ladder as fast as he can, holds his breath while he covers his mouth with his left hand and runs into the building to get the angel's brass knuckles. Afterward, he runs to his car as quietly as he can and places the weapons on the back seat. He turns off the head- and taillights and drives slowly to the front of the building.
The cartoon devil sees the black car leave as he starts to tail the vehicle from a distance. He keeps chasing the ford to a lone abandoned little house in the middle of an open field, surrounded by a forest as the night makes it look eerie. Benicio keeps his distance from the men, so he wouldn't get spotted. He sees how 'Bs-102 and BS-90' go inside the house, until they return with what appears to be a stretcher. BS-90 places Able on the stretcher and secured the toon in place with some brown leather straps as the two men wheel the cartoon angel inside the house.
Benicio makes sure everyone is inside before he gets out of the car and sneaks up to the house. He tiptoes to the window closest to him and peers inside. The inside of the house exists out of an open space, the right looks like a makeshift laboratory and the left looks like a makeshift hospital. The mob boss sees the men standing in the hospital section, Abel in front of them as they roll the stretcher in the middle of the medical lab.
"Here you go doc. Initiate the test phase and be careful, the gas wasn't as effective as we hoped it would be, and it's not a kitten to handle without gloves. This one has an attitude."
There was a third human of male origin already in the room, wearing a doctor's uniform and a mouth mask covering his face. However, Benicio notices a birthmark above the man's right eye as it has an arrowesque shape. He reminds the mob boss of "the mad doctor" from one of Mickey's cartoon shorts. The doctor places an electrocardiograph unit next to the unconscious toon's bed, taking off the angel's blouse and attaching an electrode on Abel's chest on the spot where his heart is beating in a soft rhythmic beat.
"Yeah well, we will see how big his attitude will be when I'm done with him." the strange man in the doctor's uniform replies.
There is a Surgical lamp hanging from the ceiling, illuminating Abel's body while the outer environment of the room gets blanketed with the cover of shadows. The doctor makes his way towards a wooden cupboard with glass windows as it is filled with medical equipment like medicine, syringes, medical tubes, etc . He pulls out a syringe and goes to the laboratory section of the room of the room.
"What the hell are they up to, in there? Come on angel face, wake up already." The cartoon devil mutters to himself.
Bs-90 is curious as he asks in an uncertain tone; "Hey doc. You sure that it's safe doing this unprotected?"
"Relax, it's specially designed for cartoons only, it isn't harmful towards humans. Besides, it isn't contagious. the contamination must be done manually".
The cartoon devil doesn't like the sound of that when he sees the doctor fill up the syringe. Instantaneously he realizes that they were about to use the cartoon angel as a guinea pig.
"Nobody's hurting one of my boys, on my watch"; Benicio gets into action as he enters the house as stealthy as possible, one could compare him with a ninja. Before the men could react or even notice him, he has already knocked one of them out as he throws his arm around the man's throat, dragging him back while choking him. The second man, however, detects the attack and runs towards the mafia boss as he manages to put the toon in a lock grip, twisting both Benicio's arms on his back which was painful towards his shoulders. The cartoon demon isn't about to make it easy on the man easy though. He stamps on the man's foot with a big force and wraps his tail around the man's waist, skeezing the living hell out of him.
"Hurry up doc, I can't hold him much longer"; the man gasps.
The demon starts to yell; "ABEL! WAKE UP! YOU LAZY SON OF A BITCH!"
Abel grunts to the loud noise while the doctor runs towards him with the syringe at hand, before the toon has a chance to wake up.
"OH NO YOU DON'T! COME ON YOU POOR EXCUSE OF AN ANGEL, WAKE UP!" The mob boss is violently resisting BS-90 as there's practically foam coming out of his mouth. He throws his head back, smacking the guy who was holding him in the face, who in turn loses grip on the cartoon demon and falls to the ground. Benicio uses the opportunity to run towards the stretcher, yet before reaching it , BS-90 has grabbed his leg, yanks on the limb and makes him faceplant the ground with a hard bump.
At that exact same time, Abel partially opens his eyes as the purple gas's effect is slowly wearing off. The angel's eyes jolts widely open once he feels this sharp sting in his left arm. The toon angel and devil watch in horror as they see the doctor administering the content of the syringe in Abel's inky veins. The rebel angel feels the fluid entering his circulatory system as it leaves this mix of pain and burning sensation wherever it reaches. He lets out a yelp just when he's having difficulty breathing while the heath is overwhelming him and every muscle in his body hurts. He starts to convulse while the electrocardiograph's readings are going crazy as his heartbeat beats irregularly in pure chaos.
In a fit of despair, Benicio cries out to his friend; "ABEL!"
Despair gets soon replaced by rage. The cartoon devil uses his free leg and kicks the man in the face, freeing himself in the process as BS-90 lets him go while grabbing at his face to lessen the pain, yet he quickly hits the mob boss in his back as a last attempt to stop the cartoon demon in his tracks but Benicio is having none of that shit as he's way too angry to notice any form of pain. He slowly turns around as he glares at the man, who's eyes go wide in fear once they lock with the demonic pair he's been shown by the demon, his trademark demonic black eyes with red glowing irises and black slit pupils supported by an angry fanged frown as his tail is menacingly swaying back and forth like a predator who's about to attack his prey.
The mere looks and presence of the mob boss overwhelms the man with anguish while he slowly drags himself back over the floor, in a poor attempt to outrun this dark feeling, this wrath. "W-What…...a-are you?"
The doctor is observing the scenario from a safe distance as he too seems to be shocked by the overwhelming aura the cartoon demon seems to emmit.
Benicio's frown turns into a sinister grin, just big enough to reveal his sharp fangs while his half opened eyes show a teasefull glint. "Me?...I'm your biggest nightmare. You fucked with the wrong toons" His tail hangs to the ground as he shows a calm demeanor stating those last words. He gently takes a few steps towards the man who's slowly shaking his head; "P-Please, No."
"A little too late for regrets i'm afraid." The mob boss places his hands around the man's head, and smacks his own against it, giving him another headbut, next he pushes his thumb in the man's right eye as tears of blood run down his cheek making the man crie out when he falls on the floor with a wound on his forehead and a closed bloody eye as he's unconscious.
The mob boss quickly turns around. "As for ya…." He stops mid sentence as he notices the doctor has fled the coup while he was busy dealing with BS-90. That man is the only one who knows what is happening to Abel and how to cure it, yet now he was gone and he took the much needed answers with him. "Damn it. YOU GODDAMN, COWARD! NOW WHO'S ABANDONIN' HIS PARTNERS, CAUSE IT SURE AS IN HELL AIN'T ME! Fuckin' Humans."
The cartoon devil rushes to Abel's side, as his demonic aura fades and he trades his look for the regular cartoony one. The convulsions have slowly died down and the readings on the electrocardiograph unit are going back to normal but Abel seems to be unconscious again. The mob boss gently tapps against the angel's cheek; "Come on sleeping beauty, wakey, wakey".
Abel moans but slowly opens his eyes again as his breathing sounds laboured. "Wh-What...h-happened...to me?" The angel heaves.
The toon devil doesn't dare to look at Abel, staring at the floor instead. He takes a deep breath; "They captured you, brought you to an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere and injected you with something".
In a flash, the cartoon angel remembers the few seconds he was awake and had felt the syringe in his arm. It stays quiet for a few moments until Abel's breathing returns back to normal. He notices the saddened and worried look he receives from his boss."That's funny, I remember, someone mentionin' back at the storage, that somethin' wasn't right, oh wait...that was me. I TOLD YOU IT WAS A TRAP!"; Abel boasted.
The devil is perplexed to find the angel left with so much energy after the ordeal. "How do ya have that much energy left...How are you even feelin'?"
"To be honest...In the beginnin' it actually hurt, but right now? I don't feel anythin' weird, quite normal even."
The mob boss doesn't seem too convinced.
"Hey Devil Boy, how about loosening these straps, huh?"; Abel suggests when he notices he's strapped to a stretcher.
The toon devil seems drowned in thoughts, however as he doesn't hear the angel. All of a sudden he notices a phone on the wall and goes towards it.
Abel gets inpatient as he wrings against the leather belts, eventually slamming his head on the pillow of the stretcher; "HEY HORN HEAD, MAKE ME LOOSE!"
"SHH!"; Benicio silences the toon as he holds his index finger against his lips, takes the horn of the phone and diales the number belonging to their HeadQuarters.
"Oh, I'm gonna be silent alright... IF YE DON'T OPEN THESE STRAPS RIGHT THIS SECOND, HELL WILL LOOK LIKE PARADISE COMPARED TO WHAT I'M GOIN' TO DO WITH YE!"
The mob boss just makes another gesture to be silent when suddenly, the person on the other end of the line answered the phone call.
"Jack? Yeah, It's Benicio... I know we should have been back by now but we had a few bumps on the way... No, we didn't get the loot, it was a trap... Look, just make sure Luna and Deeralyn are at the ready when we get there, alright?... What, now?... Okay then, give her trough... Hye Luna, what's up?"
All of a sudden, Able could hear someone yell at the other side of the line, it's a woman's voice for sure and boy did she sound furious. The mafia boss has to create some distance between the horn and his head to make sure he wouldn't become deaf.
The woman on the line stops screaming and Benicio places the horn back against his head; "Would ya pipe down? Nobody got shot... well, it depends on which kind of shot ya're talkin' about. They injected angel face with somethin'..." A second wave of yelling comes from the horn as Benicio glances at the rebel angel, making him nervous. When the screaming stops once more, Benicio replies with; "Only for a short period but yes...Give me a sec".
The mafia boss walks up to Abel and reads the results from the electrocardiograph. The wince on Benicio's face is enough to tell him that the results don't look too good. Abel could tell the devil was staring at him from the corners of his eyes, it makes him feel uneasy. Next, the demon places the back of his right hand on the Abel's forehead before taking the electrode from his chest, putting the electrocardiograph on an abrupt halt. The devil placed his index finger on the angel's chest, giving him this serious glare; "I'm goin' to open those straps for ya but i'm only goin' to say this once…...STAY DOWN! Am I makin' myself clear?"
The rebel is surprised by the boss's sudden temper, but is too tired to disobey anyway. He just nods, not saying a word.
Benicio tenseness makes room for a saddened smile as he gives him some supportive pats on his left arm before opening the straps and lays a hand on Abel's chest to make sure the Angel wouldn't sit up. The cartoon angel does as instructed as the mob boss aims his attention back to the phone.
"Luna? Yes, the readin's are back to normal though they were pretty messed up before...he doesn't appear to be, no...He says he's fine...Okay where comin' back to HQ, be ready". The devil hangs up the phone with a sigh.
"What was that all about?" The rebel angel is curious.
"Hmm, what? Oh just informin' the gang... ya know, the usual." Benicio replies while he picks up the blue blouse and gives it to the angel.
Abel eyes the cartoon demon; "Ye okay there bossman?"
The mob boss doesn't really react, he just answers with a simple; "mhm".
Abel sits up and puts his blouse back on. He attempts to get from the stretcher but loses his balance for a sec, Benicio catches him just in time. "Oh, Carefull…" He places Abel's left arm around his shoulders for extra support.
Abel hates to be dependent on others however as he begins to become annoyed."I can walk on my own ye know".
"Oh sorry, as ya wish"; the mafia boss gently lets go of the angel's arm.
Abel's shocked by Benicio's behavior, the cartoon devil hasn't teased him once since he has woken up on the stretcher, normally he would be annoying the crap out of him by now but the mob boss seems distant and quiet instead. The duo gently make their way outside and stumble towards Benicio's car. They sit inside the vehicle and just like before, Abel's already intensely grabbing the chair expecting another bumpy ride, imagine his surprise when Benicio turns out to be driving at the pace of a snail.
"Okay, that's enough... What's wrong with ye?" The angel asks while his frustration grows.
The mob boss has to split his attention between the angel and the road; "Huh? What're ya talkin' about?"
"Cut the crap, ye know what I'm talkin' about. Ever since I woke up on that stretcher, ye've been silent, ye barely dare to look at me, when ye do, ye look like you've seen a ghost and you're drivin' like a grandpa. Normally you would've gotten me bananas by this point and would probably already have arrived at HQ. So, spill the beans devil boy, WHAT'S UP WITH YE?"
All of a sudden, the mafia boss drifts the car to a halt as he slams the break with his foot. "I'M SCARED! OKAY?"
There's a moment of silence as Abel can't believe the words he just heard, he's in pure shock but curious at the same time; "Why?"
"Ya had to see yaself Abel...your entire body was convulsing and the readin's on your heartbeat went through the roof... I was scared, heck, I'm still scared! Whatever they injected ya with... it's doing bad stuff to your body. I WOULD LOSE ONE OF MY BOY'S AND IT'S ALL MY OWN FUCKIN' FAULT, BECAUSE I'M TOO GODDAMN STUBBORN TO LISTEN TO MY OWN MEN." Benicio feels engulfed with anger, anger toward himself and anger towards those 'Black Scythe' freaks, knocking on the steering wheel out of frustration.
Abel's shocked expression makes place for a soft smile, he places a hand on the devil's shoulder; "Hey Benicio, look at me".
The mob boss stared at Able from the corners of his eyes.
"Look at me, I'm fine"; the angel assured him.
"Yeah well, let's see for how long"; the devil mutters as he starts the car again.
"Though I wish I recorded that last part about you being stubborn and all. Sounds like music to my ears." the rebel teases in an attempt to lift the mood.
Benicio eyes the cartoon angel with one lifted eyebrow and a soft smile.
Abel is curious about one more thing as he asks; "Now, who's that charming lady I heard through the phone earlier?"
"Remember when I told ya, I recruited a new medical team? That was Luna, she's the personal doctor of our family and works together with her assistant Deeralyn, she would be the nurse."
"Wait...Hold your horses…. ye called a doctor on me?"
"Well, I had to be sure it was safe to move ya, they are waitin' for us at HQ and are just goin' to give you a basic examination."
"What, why? I told ye, I feel just fine."
Benicio smirks at him; "Now that you mention it, somethin' about me bein' stubborn?"
"Oh great... Now, he's actin' 'normal' again"; the angel rolls his eyes. "Besides, how are they goin' to help, they don't even know me or anythin' about me".
The cartoon devil glances at the angel; "That's not entirely true…. I created medical files of all my henchmen, including your handsome face. They know everythin' they need to know about ya, from allergies to certain body conditions.
Abel stares at the mob boss,his left eye twitching; "Wait...Ye created... medical files of me? BEHIND MY BACK...AND GAVE IT TO PEOPLE I DON'T EVEN KNOW? How in the hell, did ye even get all my medical data?"
"Good question…..I may or may not have held the director of the hospital in Toon Town hostage, till he coughed up the files." Benicio carries a sheepish grin, remembering that fun afternoon.
The cartoon angel shakes his head in disbelief. "Wh...Ho….How did ye do that without me knowing though, they should've at least informed me that my files were stolen…..I mean, there were other files stolen a while a go but they told me mine was still there…..w-wait a minute..." The angel's eyes go wide as realisation slaps him in the face real good, resulting at a glare towards the boss. " That was your doin', wasn't it."
"Welp to be fair, I did warn ya that public hospitals aren't really safe for mafia members. Heck if i could steal your files, so could another family, and don't even get me started' about the police. At least, they're at a safe place now. Besides, it was easy enough to keep the hospital director quiet about your files, turns out the guy likes money just as much as we do. Swell guy, maybe we can do some business one day."
Abel runs a hand down his face as it gets followed by a sigh; "I'll never be able to show my face in that hospital ever again."
"Good, glad we agree on something. From now on, Luna's gonna be your regular doctor. I mean, I didn't hire them for the funsies ya know? You're gonna love her, trust me, the doc is real good."
"Oh sure, I can't wait to meet little miss sunshine in person…...Does she at least come with earplugs?"
Benicio chuckles; "That's the spirit…..and no….Just don't make her angry and ya'll be fine."
It becomes quiet in the car, so Abel tries to start the conversation again; "Hey boss man, can I ask ye somethin'?"
"Ya just did".
"Oh, ha ha . No, I mean for real".
The devil gives the cartoon angel another glance; "Go for it".
"What's your name?"
The ink demon looks confused; "What did ya brain get fried back there? Ya know my name, it's Benicio".
Abel squints his eyes; "Yeah, ye can cut the crap now, I know that isn't your real name".
The mob boss gets startled by the rebel angel's sudden statement; "H -How...?"
"How do I know? Yeah about that, ye don't have to be Albert Einstein to figure that one out. Benicio is an Italian name and ye're so... how should I say this...not Italian".
The cartoon demon sighs; "It's that obvious…. huh? I...It's Bendy…..My real name is Bendy. I changed it to sound more italian because of the whole mafia shtick. I don't like my real name." Abel's about to ask why but the pained, angry expression of the demon says it all. He can hear him whisper to himself; "Too many bad memories".
The boss quickly gets out of his trance like state, aiming his attention to the angel once more. "Oh one more thin', don't EVER tell anyone my real name. I know where to find ya if ya do and then I'll do more than take ya on a car ride. This is a secret between the two of us, alright. Ya, Alice, Boris, Charlie, Barley, and Edgar are the only ones who know about this and I'm planning to keep it that way. Capiche?"
The cartoon angel grins; "It seems like ye got yourself a deal boss man. What is said in the car, stays in the car".
" I knew there was a reason I liked ya"; the cartoon devil grins back.
The duo finally arrives at HQ, Fonzy has already opened the gate so Benicio can gently park the car into the garage in one move. A group of Toons are patiently awaiting their arrival. Abel knows Gizmo and Fonzy very well as they were the first members Benicio had recruited and welcomed in his family. well, other than Alice angel and Boris the wolf of course as they seem to have a closer bond with the mafia boss. Abel just assumed that they came from the same studio.
Though they're considered family members, they're just in the mafia family to support Benicio as they don't want to be involved in the 'illegal' part of the business. Still, they both have their jobs as Alice works as Benicio's secretary, keeping track of his appointments and keeping an eye on the stock in HQ, she takes care of new supplies. Boris on the other hand, helps maintain HQ doing repair jobs as the handyman of the family. The two of them live in a cozy house somewhere on the edge of ToonTown. Alice once has told him that they got the house from their creator…..a certain 'Henry Stein' was it? The ink demon himself lived there too, before he started his family empire in the mafia business.
Till this day, Abel has no clue why 'Bendy' has left the house he got from his creator, becoming Benicio in the process. Nor does he feel that it's his business to know. So he decides to let the matter rest.
He himself and Elymas became family members shortly after and in turn the famed "medical team" Benicio is so proud of ,were recruited a few months after them, though Abel has never met the duo before since he always went to the hospital in Toon Town. Even when the angel visited HQ, the duo were practically always in the infirmary, So he always missed them.
Next in line is a cartoon faun with brown hair, wearing a white shirt with grey onyx vest and a green tie, who supports goat legs like the bartender, though his are brown like his hair and adorns a small goat like tail.. This individual is known as Jack, the gunsman of the family as he's an expert on the weapon topic. He's a newbie to the family as he's been only a 'Benicio family' member for six months. Yet the guy seems always chipper as he sees the positive in everything, always carrying a smile. Abel likes the faun as they play some games together in their spare time, like poker or biljard.
Finally, there is Diana…..She's this beautiful cartoon fairy with pink long hair and blood red lips, wearing a light grey suit dress with pink vertical stripes and Black high heeled knee boots, she sure has some sexapeal, which comes in handy as the spy of the family. Diana's beautiful glittering wings come in handy as a scout as well, since being airborne makes it just a bit more easy to infiltrade places, Abel knows from experience as his own wings have helped him out of certain predicaments . The fairy is a real diva as she's always busy with her appearance, a real fashionista. Though she's got her heart in the right place as she's good at her job. Make no mistake, underneath that beauty she can be a fighting machine as she's more than able to take care of herself. She became part of the family on the same day as Jack as the faun and fairy formed a duo before being recruited.
The angel and demon got out of the car, Benicio glaring at the group of henchmen. "GIZMO, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" The mob boss practically growls, making the others jump as they stare at the crow, who has trembling knees at this point.
The crow runs towards Benicio; "C-comin' b-boss"
The devil grabs Gizmo by his bandana; "Who the hell gave ya that tip of the whereabouts of the storage buildin'?"
"I- oi don't k-know boss... dat person wus completely covered in de dark... i-i couldn't see it. oi d-didn't mean ter lure yer or Abel i-in a trap,boss. oi promise!"
Benicio slowly lets go of the crow's bandana, his expression growing soft as he hugs him instead; "I believe ya, I'm sorry for the hard approach, the last thin' I want is for one of my boys to be a traitor, ya know?" He breaks the hug.
"We nu boss, we're al' part av a clique 'ere, you've done so much for us. we won't chucker anythin' ter 'urt de family"; the crow beames.
The mob boss has a soft smile on his face and gently pats Gizmo on the shoulder; "I know, ya're a good kid".
Abel looks at the cartoon devil with a soft smile, he really starts to like the guy.
Benicio looked at the rebel angel and then to the female medical staff who were patiently waiting for them, he nodded. The nurse turned around and took something that appeared to be a wheelchair and slowly made her way towards Abel with it.
"Hello sir, I am Deeralyn. I will be your treating nurse. Please, have a seat"; The cartoon deer introduced herself gesturing at the wheelchair.
The cartoon angel felt uncomfortable again; "Oh, that's really friendly of you but I can walk and ..."
"ABEL, GO SIT IN THE DAMN WHEELCHAIR!"; Benicio yelled, He was staring at the rebel angel with cold, piercing eyes.
The cartoon angel knew there was no point in arguing with the mafia leader, not when he looked like that. Reluctantly, the angel did what was asked of him.
"Thank you sir"; Deeralyn, pushed Able towards the female wolf.
The cartoon angel could see that the wolf was wearing an eyepatch but she tried to cover it up with a wavy lock of hair, the rest of her hair was in a bun. "What do ve have here, let's see. Patient 00369 also known as Abel. Ah, here ve go, undervent several stitches, one of zem left skar on his left side, once had broken ving but vas fully restored vithout complikations but othervise in perfect kondition. Niet allergies are known yet and have not yet had any diseases. My..my... aren't you healthy boy?"
Luna eyed the cartoon angel; "Let's see if ve kan keep it zat vay, shall ve? Name is Luna but you kan kall me doc, I'll be your attending physician". She turned around to face the group of henchmen who were still standing there; "MOVE YOU LAZY BUNCH OF WIMPS, make vay, patient's koming through".
The group of toons made an opening as fast as they could, Luna kinda scared them. Deeralyn pushed Abel through the group of henchman; "Thank you for giving us some space everybody".
They made their way towards the infirmary and were followed by Benicio, Luna, Fonzy, and Gizmo. The group entered the room and Deeralyn rolled Abel to an examination table.
"Here, mister Abel sir, let me help you get comfy on the table"; The nurse suggested.
The cartoon angel wanted to protest again but when he saw the mafia leader staring at him, he swallowed his pride and accepted the nurse's help. When Abel sat on the examination table, the toon wolf walked up the him. She grabbed some kind of light and shone it directly in Abel's eyes.
"Pupillary reflexes seems to be in order, kan you follow light vith your eyes please"; Luna asked as she moved the light back and forth.
Abel did as he was told.
"Good nothing wrong vith eyes, please remove your blouse"
With a sigh, the toon angel did as he was told, again.
Luna took the stethoscope from around her neck, put the ear tips in her ears and placed the bell against Abel's chest.
The doctor squinted her eyes; "Hmmm, his heartbeat is stable but it seems like he has little fluid inside lungs of him. Open your mouth please".
Luna used the handle of a spoon to keep Abel's tongue down and shone a light in the angel's mouth to look in his throat; "Slightly swollen trachea..."
Before she could finish, Abel had pulled his head away as he suffered from a coughing fit. Deeralyn started to rub Abels back to make the cough go away. Luna and Benicio locked eyes with each other, they knew this wasn't a good sign. Luna walked to the supply closet and grabbed a syringe.
"Give me your arm, rather same arm where you vere injected before. I'm going to take some ink"; The wolf instructed.
The cartoon angel had stopped coughing and presented his right arm to Luna. In the meantime, Deeralyn went to get a glass of water, which she offered to the angel, who gladly accepted the beverage and drank it. The needle of Luna's syringe entered Abel's arm, the doctor pulled up the plunger and watched the black fluid fill the barrel. As the barrel was completely full, she gently removed the needle from the arm and stuck a band-aid on that place.
Luna injected the ink in a test tube but left one milliliter in the syringe. She labeled the test tube 00369 and placed it in a fridge. What was left in the syringe, she squirted on a little glass, covered it with another smaller glass, and placed it under a microscope. Finally, she faced the group of toons who were all staring at her with curiosity at this point.
Luna started her observations; "At first glance, he doesn't appear to have something serious".
"Ha, ye see? I told ye I was fine"; the angel interrupted her.
"Hovever, his respiratory system appears to have veakened bit, for moment it just looks like kold which is not bad in itself but I find it strange zat kartoon zat has never been sick before, kan suddenly katch kold".
Again the angel interrupted, he didn't like were Luna was going with her explanation; "So? It's just a stupid cold, I can handle something small like that".
Luna sighed; "Abel, i zink you'rrre missing bigger picturrre herrre. You've never or at least barely been sick before, zis may be small sickness to you but it shouldn't be zere in first place".
Luna looked at Benicio; "It vould be helpful if you kould give me some information about what he got injected vith".
The mob boss scratched his head; "Lets see. They were talkin' about it at some point, One of the men had asked that doctor of theirs if he was sure that it was safe doing the injection unprotected. Their doctor said that the injection was specially designed for cartoons only, it wasn't harmful towards humans and it wasn't contagious because the contamination must be done manually".
Luna and Deeralyn looked at each other as they simultaneously said their thoughts out loud; "VIRUS!"
Luna started to explain; " Abel has kold, kold is inflammation of lining of upper respiratory tract kaused by virus but viruses are normally kontagious and you just said injection isn't kontagious. Which leads me to believe ve're dealing vith mutated virus, probably some virus zey made zemselves".
"That would explain the makeshift laboratory in the house", Benicio added.
Luna looked at Abel; "Tomorow I'm going to do research on your ink to study virus. If ve're indeed dealing vith mutated virus, it probably for best if you vould sta..."
"I'm going to stop you right there"; the cartoon angel cut off the doctor.
Abel puts his blouse back on and got off the examination table, he walked towards the door.
"Where do ya think ya're goin'?"; The mafia boss asked.
The Rebel Angel faced Benicio; "HOME!"
"I really need to advise you to stay here where ve kan observe you and give you help you need"; Luna insisted.
"Ye can give me all the advice ye want doc, BUT I'M STILL GOIN' HOME!"
The doctor was about to insist but the stubborn angel had already left the room. Benicio followed him; "Come on Halo head, it's for your own good. We just want to be sure you're alright".
Abel halted and faced the mob boss; "Look, I appreciate the concern but I don't need a freaking babysit. You heard the doc, it's just a cold, I can handle it".
Before the cartoon devil could react, the angel had already run outside and flew to his apartment. For some reason the trip home was kinda draining him, by the time he landed on his balcony, he was out of breath and his wings were sore. The toon didn't make much out of it, he just thought he was tired since it was oh so very late already.
Abel got into his sleepwear and went to sit on the sofa for a while. He didn't feel so great and was about to go to bed as his phone suddenly rang. With a sigh, he dragged himself to the device.
"Hello? Abel angel speaking".
The rebel angel facepalmed himself with his free hand as he recognised the voice of his boss; "Hey angel face, just checking in on ya! We're kinda worried about you, you know? Is there nothing we can convince you with, to come back to headquarters?"
"Hey horn head, do you have any idea how late I…?"; Before the angel could finish his sentence, he felt his stomach turn. He dropped the phone's horn and dashed to the bathroom as he started to puke.
"Halo head, are you still there?... Abel, you okay?"
Since the cartoon devil didn't get a reply from the angel, he hung up the phone and made its way to the angel's apartment to see how the angel was doing for himself. In the meantime, the angel had made it himself comfortable on the floor of his bathroom next to the toilet. He had been there for a while as he kept feeling bad and kept on puking.
After some time the angel felt it was safe to go to bed, his stomach was empty anyway. He stood on his legs and looked at himself in the mirror, this time he didn't look so good as he had bags under his eyes and sweat dripping from his face. He ran the tap on his sink, caught some water in his hands, and splashed it in his face to refresh himself.
When he passed in the living room to go to his bedroom, his front door was suddenly kicked in. Abel's eyes went wide as he saw Benicio standing there; "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY DOOR? WHY ARE YOU EVEN IN MY HOME?"
The mob boss was leaning over and had planted his hands on his knees, he heaved; "S-So many…..S-STAIRS!" The cartoon demon soon recovered. He started to explain while pointing at the phone horn that still lays where the angel had dropped it; "I heard through the phone that something was wrong, so I came to check it out but I had to climb so many stairs. WHY IN THE HELL DO YOU LIVE ON THE TOP FLOOR?"
Abel rolled his eyes; "So i won't be bothered by certain people"
"Yeah well, like it or not, I'm here and you are going to headquarters with me even if I have to drag you there".
"For the last time, I'm fine. I don't need….." again the angel was interrupted by another wave of nausea and puking as he had dashed to the toilet.
This time however, Benicio was there and saw the whole thing happen; " uh-huh, that puke tells me otherwise. Look, either you are coming to headquarters with me or i swear i'll treat you myself".
"F-Fine, I'm coming, I'm coming, but you're still paying for my door"; the angel replied as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Abel took of his sleepwear and threw it with the dirty laundry, then he put his clothes back on and went to the stairs with Benicio. The devil groaned as he saw all the stairs leading to the exit; "To be clear, you do those stairs every day?"
"Don't be silly of course not, I throw myself off the balcony but since my wings are kinda sore and you don't like flying, I'll guess I'll take the stairs".
The devil subvocalized a 'What the fuck' as the angel started the journey down the stairs. The duo soon got to the exit, as both of them were panting. The devil soon caught his breath but the angel however had a harder time doing so. After a silent car ride, the two toons entered the mafia lair and went straight for the infirmary. Luna, Deeralyn, Fonzy, and Gyzmo were still there, waiting for the angel.
Abel faced the group of toons in the room, they were all staring at him.
The mob boss gave the group an update; "He was puking his guts out. I was finally able to convince him to come here".
Luna was about to have an 'i told you so moment' but was interrupted by the angel; "Don't you even dare….".
"What? I didn't even say anything yet"; the doctor stated.
"No but I could see it on your face, you were about to give me a lecture"; Abel replied as all of a sudden he started to breath heavily. Benicio recognized this from back in the little house when the cartoon angel had just woken up.
The mob boss took a step towards the angel; "Angel face, You okay?"
Abel raised a shaking hand and placed this on his chest, it felt like someone was stabbing giant needles in it. He looked at Benicio with a pained expression while he was gasping for air, tears forming in his eyes.
The cartoon devil ran towards the angel for support; "ABEL?"
Abel fell to his knees, grabbing his chest with both arms and screamed in pain as the pain got more intense. The mafia leader sat next to the angel, he looked at Luna; "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HIM?"
"I DON'T KNOW, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WHEN I FIRST EXAMINED HIM! I BARELY GOT THE TIME TO STUDY HIS INK SAMPLE!"; She replied.
Luna looked at Fonzy and Gizmo, while she took the stethoscope; "Don't just stand there, help us to get him on the examination table".
Fonzy and Gizmo tried to pick up the cartoon angel, which was easier said than done since Abel was tensing up his body the moment they tried to move him, the cartoon angel shook his head; "N-No... please... I c-can't...it hurts".
Fonzy and Gizmo looked at Luna not knowing what to do when all of a sudden Benicio placed an arm behind Abel's back, underneath his arm and his other arm below the angel's knee folds; "Hey halo head, look at me...LOOK AT ME".
The cartoon angel was able to turn his head a bit in the direction of the mob boss, barely capable to open his eyes.
The mob boss informed him; "I'm going to carry you to the examination table..."
Abel managed to shake his head.
"Yes, I am, I know it's gonna hurt, but you're strong, you can do this. You have to bite through, okay? On the count of three. One...two...three"
As fast as he could, the mafia boss lifted up the angel all on his own and carried him to the examination table. Abel screamed as an immense jolt of pain went through his body. Benicio gently lied down the angel on the table and gestured to Fonzy and Gizmo to come help him restrain the angel, who was in too much pain to lie still.
Fonzy and Gizmo each grabbed an arm as Benicio held the legs in place. Again Luna used the stethoscope, only to find that this time Abel's heart was beating way too fast and unstable. She placed her hand on the angel's forehead.
"HE'S BURNING UP!"; she yelled in the direction of the nurse who instantaneously grabbed a cool, wet cloth and placed it on the angel's head.
All of a sudden, Abel started to calm down, he stopped screaming as his eyes were closed and his body became limp. The cartoon angel's breath sounded labored. The three toons let go of him.
"Abel, can you hear me?"; Luna tried to get a response.
The angel opened his eyes halfway, he managed to give a small nod; "T-The...p...pain's...g...one"
"Shh, don't try to speak. Take it easy"; Benicio suggested, he placed his hand on Abel's arm.
The mob boss looked at Luna; "We'll leave you alone for now, give angel face some rest. Keep me updated".
Luna bowed her head; "As you wish, boss"
Benicio nodded at the direction of the door making Fonzy and Gizmo clear they needed to follow him outside. The trio made their way to the living quarters for the henchman. Fonzy and Gizmo went to join the others when the mob boss suddenly started to scream out of nowhere, in a fit of frustration and rage. All the henchman looked at him as he punched his fist into the wall.
The mafia leader retracted his hand, leaving the henchmen shocked when they saw the wall was broken and had actually a hole in it. Ink was dripping from the demon's fist. Some of the henchmen gulped, they would give their lives for their boss as he cared for them but sometimes the mafia leader was just downright scary, definitely when he was angered.
Benicio turned to face his boys; "Is everyone here? Good, then listen up! The man who made one of our own suffer is a human doctor, he has a star-shaped birthmark above his right eye. Find him! I don't care how but find him and bring him to me, alive!".
The group of henchmen toons, stormed outside to follow their boss's order. Benicio looked at the clock, it was then am already.
The devil chuckled as a tear ran down his cheek, he murmured to himself; "To think this was supposed to be an easy job, get in, get out, nothing more. It should have taken us only four hours".
The mafia leader raised his hand to wipe the tear away. He turned around and walked to the infirmary again. Upon entering the room he saw that Luna was looking through the microscope, he walked up to her; "How is he doing?"
Luna looked up at her boss; "His heart is stable again, the fever went down and his breathing is back to normal... It's just like what had happened earlier... didn't happen".
The mob boss was confused; "How is that even possible?"
The cartoon wolf looked back into the microscope; "I was wondering the same thing, that's why I am looking at the ink sample. I see the virus but it's strange, normally a virus would attach itself to a host cell and then injects its own hereditary material into that cell, there are also other types of viruses which completely merge with the host cell and then they would multiply, but this virus seems completely dormant for the moment".
"And now in English please"; Benicio raised an eyebrow.
Luna sighed; "normally a virus reproduces itself in the body of a host, Abel in this case but this virus does nothing, it does not reproduce, it's just there. The thing is, as long as the virus doesn't reproduce, it's not supposed to make Able sick".
"What is your conclusion about all this?"
"I don't know... The angel definitely wasn't faking his sickness earlier and he certainly has a virus. The virus is obviously the cause but at the same time it can't be the cause if the virus isn't active. My guess is that those humans programmed the virus to act in a certain manner and I can't tell how i can only figure something out like that by observing the patient but by the time we'll have an answer it may be already too late".
"Well, then it's a good thing i sent out the boys to find the guy who does know about this virus".
"Not to offend you, boss but what makes you think he will talk?"
"I have my ways"; the demon grinned. He stared at the examination table to find it empty; "Where is Abel anyway?"
Luna pointed at a hospital bed in the corner of the room, Abel was lying on it while Deeralyn sat on a chair next to it.
"Did she carry him all alone to the bed?"
"Don't be silly, of course not. I helped her. The angel had fallen asleep soon after you left, we tried waking him up to see if he could help get himself to the bed but I guess he was too exhausted from what had happened. I can't blame the guy, that attack from before seemed to have drained him and the fact the angel was awake the entire night wasn't helping either".
Benicio nodded, thereafter he stretched his body and yawned.
"It seems like you could use some shut-eye as well boss, you've been awake the entire night too"; the wolf suggested.
"Can't argue with that"; the mob boss glanced one last time at the sleeping angel before he made his way to his living quarters on the upper floor. The cartoon devil walked straight to his bedroom and let himself fall on the bed, not even bothering to take off his clothes as he falls asleep instantaneously.