Lucifer's palace was VERY far away. It was on an outer portion of the Pride Sector and even by car, it took hours to get there. The car ride was very tense as both Cherri and Val were sending each other looks the entire time…
Cherri narrowed her singular eye as they approached the entrance of Lucifer's palace, going past the guards at the front, who greeted Doom and allowed them to pass. Doom parked at the side, pulling up at front entrance to the mansion.
The four demons left the car, Doom adjusting the feather in his hat as he left the vehicle. Ada's gaze shifted to Valentino before saying,"You need to change before you are seen in front of our Lord…You look revolting and your smell is absolutely foul."
Val scoffed,"Babe, what the fuck did you expect me to look like? I was literally respawned in ash and cinder, sorry I don't smell like a bed of roses like you expected."
"Don't worry, I got this, Ada," Doom then used his powers and snapped on some clothes for Val while 'cleaning' up his appearance to the best of his ability.
Val had been given a red jacket with white fur and tiny hearts sprinkled on. He wore a pair of black jeans and high heeled boots and a new pair of heart shaped glasses. He had been given his hat back though the stump where his antenna used to be was still visible.
Val examined his appearance before smirking,"Not bad...not bad at all, Doom...Gotta say, you did a great job. Not exactly quite like the original outfit, but it'll do for now…"
The spider-like demon shrugged,"Don't mention it, we've got bigger problems to worry about and we can't have you looking like who shot John in front of Lucifer."
Cherri huffed, arms folded over her chest,"Look, can we just get inside. I'm tired of being out here…"
"Be patient, Cherri," Ada replied coldly, sending the cyclops a look,"We need to get inside the mansion before we do anything…"
"I know…"
"Yeah Cherri, learn to keep that mouth of yours shut, the adults are talking…" Val hissed.
Cherri snarled, baring her teeth,"I'm literally 22 asshole!"
"Oh really? Because you sure as hell don't act like one…" Val sneered, his magenta eyes narrowing at the shorter female with blatant hostility.
"Silence!" Ada demanded,"I tire of your bickering. None of us are here for your childish prattle. I understand not all of us are friends here, but can you at least pretend to like each other until later? I hate almost everyone but do you see me picking up a fight with every person around me? No? Then you two need to handle yourselves and shut it."
Val and Cherri both scoffed, rolling their eyes. It was best to stand down until further notice. It wouldn't look good on either of their parts to continue fighting at this rate. Best to save it for another time, at least not while these two were present…
"Good," Doom said,"Now let's enter the palace. I'm certain Lord Lucifer would love to hear about this one…"
The four headed inside the mansion, Cherri and Val shooting each other glares the entire time while Doom and Ada focused on their objective. Lucifer's mansion was fairly large and grand, even compared to other buildings in Hell. Pure white and gold lined the walls of Lucifer's palace.
They approached a room at the end of the hallway, Ada using her large claws to open the gold-plated double-doors ahead of them. Inside was a large throne room with three chairs. Cherri held her breath, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest when she saw Lucifer sitting on his throne, chair positioned in the middle and having the largest one out of the three.
The King sat at his throne, his domineering presence began intensifying as he gazed at all the people present. There he sat in all his glory, one leg draped over the other while carrying his apple themed staff in his right palm, lidded. His light blonde hair was slicked back in a formal style and his outfit was filled to the brim with pure whites and apple red colors.
'Holy shit…' Cherri heaved,'He looks just like he did on TV…' She had seen Lucifer on TV. She would've thought he'd look different when the camera wasn't on him, but it appeared Lucifer dressed the exact same when he was out in public and in the privacy of his own mansion.
Guess you could never catch a King looking mundane…
As they approached, Cherri noted how Ada and Doom knelt, Val following after. At Ada's glare, she did the same, awkwardly shifting her gaze. Her heart was still pounding, being in the presence of someone so powerful was enough to make her feel fear.
"Lord Lucifer, we returned…"
"I see," The King replied neutrally,"Still, I noticed that you brought multiple visitors with you…" He said this, motioning to Valentino and Cherri Bomb,"It's been quite a while, Valentino, I didn't expect to see you around. Though I am curious why you brought the girl…"
"Cherri Bomb is a worker under my hand," Ada informed,"I found her prowling the streets and offered her a place in exchange for loyalty. As you can see, she said yes. She's been with me for a while, you just hadn't seen her since her presence wasn't required…"
"Hmph," Lucifer shrugged,"Fair enough. Still, I doubt you brought these two here for fun. There must be a reason for you to bring them here."
"Valentino has given us very crucial information about this Alastor clone we've been hearing about," Doom informed, the spider's eyes still averted to the floor out of the utmost respect for the King,"You see, he's not really a clone, moreso, a fusion of Alastor and his rival, Vox."
Lucifer blinked, visibly taken aback by this news. Even by Hell's standards, fusion was territory that was unheard of. It was considered impossible, however even those who believed it could be done didn't dare try it themselves, most considering it too dangerous and something that could easily backfire on those involved.
"Are you certain?" He asked,"That doesn't sound like something Vox and Alastor would do. Not to mention, aren't Vox and Alastor still here? How can fusion exist while its components are there?"
"Alternate timeline," Ada said,"An alternate version of Vox and Alastor must've fused and somehow landed in our era, a time where their union never occurred. This 'Volastor' is the end result of their merger. Valentino and Cherri have personal experiences with him and I'm of the opinion that he is incredibly dangerous and needs to be disposed of before he can cause any problems."
Lucifer narrowed his eyes,"So his name is Volastor, hn?"
"Yes, My Lord…"
The King's expression became unreadable, his hat hiding his eyes,"Hmph. If this is true, then something needs to be done about this...problem. I cannot risk something like this existing. If the power for demons to fuse spreads, the monarchy will be put at risk if others find a way to merge. Thus, this 'Volastor'," He put his hands up and used air quotes to emphasize his point,"Needs to...disposed of…"
Cherri mumbled something under her breath, Lucifer cocking an eyebrow and turned,"What was that, Cherri Bomb?"
"I said, how exactly do we do that again? Even if we get him, how are we supposed to get rid of him?"
Lucifer smirked,"Glad you asked. It's very simple. I'll explain how," Lucifer then summoned an apple,"You see this everyone?"
"Uh yeah?" Va blanked, cocking his head to the side,"Its a fucking apple. What about it?"
"Do you notice anything about it?"
Everyone stared at the fruit, trying to discern what Lucifer was saying. The apple looked exactly how you'd expect an apple to look. It was blood red and scarlet in color, having a stem and a small green leaf sticking out. Even in Hell, the apples looked similar to the ones of Earth and neither Cherri or Val, both of whom were sinners, could tell the difference.
"I don't get it, My Lord. It's a piece of fruit. What exactly are we supposed to be seeing? It doesn't appear to have any magical abilities from what I can tell. It just looks like a normal apple you'd see on the market," Ada admitted.
Lucifer smiled,"Because it is, my dear, Ada! It's just that, a normal apple."
"Ok, and?" Doom inquired,"What are we supposed to get from this? It's a fruit, big whoop. I'm certain all of us have seen about a million apples in our life."
"Hold your tongue, Doom. You of all people should know to be respectful of me," Lucifer reprimanded, sending the spider overlord a look as a warning, scowl visible.
Doom flinched before muttering,"Sorry, My Lord. It won't happen again." There was a visible trail of sweat running down his face as he quickly adjusted his position to appear more meekly in the face of the Ruler of Hell.
Lucifer rolled his eyes at this display, he was used to people sucking up to him that it no longer fazed him anymore, merely brushing it off,"Good. Now as I was saying, there is nothing special about this apple. However, I need you all to try and imagine this apple as Volastor. Imagine him as a whole being, an individual with great power as this apple."
Everyone merely nodded, allowing Lucifer to explain himself and his ideals further.
"Now of course, Volastor is many things, but while he is physically a strong person, he has weaknesses just like any other person. Like the core of an apple, it can become weak once you target its main points. He has imperfections, something that he inherited from his parts. And due to the nature of his being, he cannot ever escape that. Which is why, when you take away what makes him himself, you're left with nothing. Volastor's existence needs to be gotten rid of, which is why I believe the perfect solution to this problem is to-" Lucifer then split the apple in half, red juices pouring out and landing on the rug,staining the floor with thick icky goop that resembled that of blood, a sick smile remaining as a good portion of the content splattered onto his cheek,"Tear him in two…. Separate him back into Vox and Alastor so that the threat can be discarded."
Cherri's singular eye widened when she saw the apple be torn in two, shivering slightly. She knew it was just a piece of fruit and not a person, but the physical description did make her stomach turn to a degree.'Holy shit…'
"Ah…" Lucifer mused as he licked his cheek, his sinister tongue resembling that of a snake to remove the excess of apple juices from his face."I love the taste of apples. Blood apples aren't my favorite, but I believe they set the point across much better than a normal one would have…"
Ada narrowed her eyes,"So, if we are to tear him apart, how will we do that?"
"That is for me to find out, your job is to capture the fusion and bring him to my palace. I want that fusion within my grasp as soon as possible."
"But he's stronger than us," Doom said,"Why don't we just shoot him with holy bullets? That would solve the problem instantly and it could be dealt with from a long-range."
"Because, I want to see who he is first. I wouldn't want to kill Hell's first fusion without even getting a chance to look at his face. Not to mention, he could possibly be of use to me. He'd make a great personal soldier..."
"Are you certain? He could be dangerous if left alive…"
"Don't worry, if Volastor proves to become a problem, I'll separate him as planned. Regardless, either the fusion gives in to my demands or he dies and returns to being two people. What I do with the other version of Vox and Alastor from there is...questionable, but perhaps I can use them as my personal overlord right-hands…" Lucifer then smirked,"But for that to happen, I'll have to have someone capture that fusion. Can you four handle that job?"
"I believe we can, though we'll have to be cautious and attack him when he's alone. If he has backup, it would interfere with the capture. The longer he's able to fight back, the less chance we have at subduing him," Ada replied.
"So basically, all we gotta do is jump him and hope we can take him down?" Cherri asked.
Doom nodded,"It's pretty much our best bet. We need to subdue him as fast as possible and return him here immediately. If he poses a fight and attacks us in return, it would get ugly…"
"As long as we're properly equipped, we should be fine. Volastor is a fusion and while very strong, he is still one person. We can beat him if we prepare in advance…"
"So," Val asked,"When should we go and pursue him?"
"Personally, I believe you should all go and spy on him when he goes out. When he's outside by himself, that is the time for you to strike," Lucifer sneered, a devious gleam shining in his eyes,"I'm certain you'll be able to handle him from there once you've acquired the resources to detain him. Once you do, bring him to my palace and I'll be sure to imprison him in my quarters in a special chamber where I'm certain he won't be able to escape from…Though until that time comes, I suggest you all get ready and prepare yourselves. With that said, I believe this meeting is over, you're all dismissed."
Everyone slowly rose to their feet, Ada and Doom taking a bow while Val and Cherri merely watched them. They quickly left Lucifer's chamber, not wanting to risk angering the King if they stayed a second longer.
The moment they got out, Ada closed the doors behind them and sighed,"Well, that solves that. I believe that the mission is clear, we shall abduct the fusion of Vox and Alastor once we are prepared…"
"Indeed, though, we should make it quick. Lucifer isn't a fan of waiting,"Doom replied,"We can't risk upsetting his highness, especially when he's still in a good mood."
"Well," Val stated,"I don't get the rush. The fusion ain't going anywhere, we still have time. Besides, we still have to be careful in case he ends up causing problems. Believe me, that fusion can and will fuck you up, if you don't want to end up like me, I suggest we all be prepared for this."
Cherri laughed,"Honestly, I'll fucking thank him for doing that to you when we capture him…"
"Fuck off, Cherri Bitch," Val hissed,"I wasn't talking to your fat-ass."
"Who are you calling fat, asshole!?"
"I am!"
"Why I oughta-"
"Can you two shut up?" Ada growled,"This is ridiculous! We can't have you two arguing! We're all supposed to work together! Get over yourselves and act like adults!"
"I'll do it when she does…"
"You first, dick-head…"
Ada groaned,'Why do I even try?'
Valentino fished inside his pocket before turning to Doom,"Hey, you. Do you have a cigarette I could use?"
Doom blanked before handing him one,"Here. You can have it, I don't really smoke all that much anyway…" He even handed Val a lighter before taking his leave,"Come on, Ada. We should get going and prepare."
"Fine," She then asked,"Cherri? Are you coming?"
"Yeah…" Cherri followed after her, giving Val the middle finger as she left, Val scoffing as she did so. He knew she was no threat to him at this point and decided to take a break by smoking.
He looked at the cigarette, it was a bit plain by his standards, but given Doom wasn't a massive smoker, he probably didn't bother to get any expensive brands for an item he barely used. Still, considering he lost his signature pack of cigarettes, it would do for now.
"Hmph…" Val huffed, he didn't like the idea of having to work for anyone, let alone Lucifer, but considering the alternative was being out in the streets of Hell, he decided to stick with the lesser evil. In the very least, he was safe here, he was deemed useful and while Cherri was clearly pissed at him, she was being held on a leash and thus, couldn't do anything without angering her superiors.
At this point, Val was adamant about his vengeance on Vol, clenching his fist with rage. That fusion destroyed his empire and forced him into hiding, if it weren't for Ada, Cherri would've killed him and possibly done it over and over again without giving him a chance to recover. His old allies had turned their backs on him and his Studio was nothing but ash and cinder.
As Val was smoking, he blew multiple puffs of smoke, seeing purple dust come out. He was used to cigarettes coming in different colors, so a contrasting shade wasn't all that surprising. He figured that was just how these cigarettes were made.
Still, as he stared at the smoke, he couldn't help but feel it reminded him of someone. He sneered,'Reminds me of a certain bastard I know, this color is identical to his…' As Valentino stared at the smoke, then used his powers to manipulate the smog. He bent the fumes to his will, creating a version of Vol in the air.
When Val did this, he remembered Vol's features. He despised the man, his personality and nature of constantly resisting the former pimp. He embodied all of Vox and Alastor's traits into one being, the stubbornness, coldness and fierce determination.
As much as Val abhorred the fusion, he couldn't help but feel attracted to Volastor. His deep purple eyes could scorch the souls of dozens just by a glance. His silky smooth raven hair, soft enough that Val could imagine putting his own clawed hands into it. His pale grey skin, skin akin to that of satin, his parted lips likely defined yet velvety to the touch, something he desired to bite into and draw blood from with his pointed fangs.
Curious, he allowed his imagination to wander. He wondered what Vol felt like, how soft his lips were, how toned that slender body was underneath that knitted sweater. How he'd sound like when he screamed beneath him, the images of having the shorter male at his mercy causing his eyes to glow with burning lust.
Gods, he could already hear the shrieks as he mounted on top of him, forcing the fusion to scream out for him over and over again, hoping to drag him to a low-point and break him for good so that he'd submit to his will.
This turned to manifest in a version of Vol that he imagined in his visions, the smoke creating a version of Vol gazing back at him with a sultry smile, blowing a mocking kiss in his direction. The smog fusion was nude before him, revealing a lean yet muscular build that most models would kill for. The allure in his deep purple eyes deepened as the smoke manifestation reached out to Valentino, grabbing his chin, the desire radiating off of him.
Val was tempted to kiss the manifestation, trying to wrap his hands around his waist. However when he did, the smog evaporated into thin air when Val tried to keep him, much to the moth's dismay.
"Dammit…" Val hissed,"Got all hot and bothered by a fucking manifestation of my imagination...What a bummer," Val then looked at the cigarette before smirking,"But not for long. Once we capture Vol, I'll be able to have my fun with him. Maybe I can cut him a deal...make him mine forever. And if he refuses, I can at least take solace in enjoying him while I can before he's set to die for good~"
The moth demon smirked as he leaned against the wall, a sadistic grin rising on his lips,'I'll see you soon, Vol, baby….Daddy is coming to getcha..."
Thanks for all the views! Tell me what you think below, feedback is appreciated and be sure to follow/fav as a way to let me know your interested. See ya next chap!
Mitsuru6: We'll get back that later. Cuz right now, I think the group has...bigger problems at the moment.
DogFighter12: Ha lol. Thanks. But if I had to guess, I'd be a unicorn demon cuz I like ponies and stuff.