Arackniss narrowed his eyes as he and the other gang members stood in the office of their HQ. Henroin was discussing the terms with their new seller and everything seemed to go surprisingly smoothly. No guns had been drawn and it seemed that everything was going as planned...

Still, he had his guns hidden in his retractable arms on the off-chance the deal got sour(this had happened more times than he'd like to admit) and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of gun-fire just yet. He was keeping all of his arms except his main pair hidden just to make himself look inconspicuous.

As of today, Arackniss had actually bothered to change his wardrobe for once to look presentable.

He was wearing a pale black trench coat and pale yellow pants underneath, keeping his signature cap. He didn't wear any shoes( his feet were too small to get any that would fit) so he got used to walking around barefoot.

Considering his demon form was accustomed to walking on hard surfaces, this wasn't an issue as it would've been if he were still human.

Leaning against the wall, Arackniss decided to pull out a cigarette, lighting it up and leaving a trail of yellow smoke from his mouth. He noticed that one of the other men from the other dealer's team was staring at him intently. Raising an eyebrow, he coldly asked,"What are you looking at?"

"Oh nothing," One replied,"I just noticed how similar you looked to your brother."

Arackniss rolled his eyes, he heard that well over a million times by now. One of the downsides of having your brother be Hell's biggest porn star was that people kept assuming you were him when they saw you walking down the street.

He blew a puff of smoke,"I get that lot. What's it to you?"

"Well I was just wondering if you swung that way…"

Arackniss scowled,"Sorry to disappoint, but I ain't into men. Just because I look like my brother doesn't mean I'm like him. The similarities end at our appearance, we're nothing alike and I sure as hell don't share his sexual orientation. I'm straight as an arrow and unlike Angel, I won't fuck someone I ain't attracted to just to get my fix if they pay extra."

"No need to be so hostile, I was just wondering…"

"Well now you know," Arackniss retorted,'Fucking annoying assholes. Just because I look like Angel doesn't mean I'm gay like he is. I've had enough bastards cat-calling me because they thought I was him from afar and even when they saw me, they still thought I was fair game to go after…'

Seriously, it wasn't uncommon for male demons to look in Arackniss's direction because they found him attractive.

Most often assumed he was Angel from a distance and began cat-calling him, much to his annoyance.

Worst part was that even when they realized he wasn't his brother, they still thought he was fair-game and Arackniss often pulled out his gun on the off-chance they couldn't take the hint that he was completely uninterested in male advances. No matter how many times Arackniss hammered in the fact that he and Angel were total opposites in every way, nobody could take the hint.

"Arackniss, what's going on over there?" Henroin asked, apparently having heard some of the conversation during the deal, raising an eyebrow at the commotion. He had turned in his chair and gave them an intimidating glare, his cigar hanging out of his mouth, dark grey smoke clouding the air around him.

"Nothing, father. Just telling these people I ain't into men like a certain someone is…"

Henroin shot the henchmen a look,"Back off, my son ain't into dudes so I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. Remember, this is a business deal and I won't tolerate anyone laying their hands on my boy. This is a gang, not a brothel so I suggest you get your heads out of the gutter before I make you."

The henchmen straightened up and quickly took a few steps away from Arackniss, having got the message.

Arackniss smirked to himself as they kept their distance,'Suckers…'

The moment then passed and Arackniss went back to tuning everything out. He was certain that this meeting would be over and given the only moment of tension had already been quelled, he was preparing to take his leave.

Just then, the most unexpected thing happened. The door had suddenly been bust down and guns were blazing from all directions. Another gang forced their way inside with their guns firing rapidly, Arackniss forcing himself to duck behind a nearby desk to avoid getting ridden with bullets.

His breath heaved, guns drawn as he prepared to rise up and fire at whoever had entered the premises. This was THEIR drug deal and he was going to be damned again before he let a group of hot-shots ruin their perfectly good arrangement.

He was prepared to draw his weapon when he heard a familiar voice. One he recognized and made him immediately refrain from making any movements.

"Well well, what do we have here, Henroin? Having new deals without me?"

'Valentino…' Arackniss tensed from his hiding spot. The moth demon had attended a good portion of their meetings, often he was the one who told Henroin that he was raising the prices and that they need to get better batches at faster rates, forcing them to work themselves to double death just to comply with his demands.

Sometimes he looked at Arackniss at the meetings, flashing him predatory grins that made him sick to his stomach. Arackniss was ecstatic whenever Val left the meeting, secretly wishing to shoot the bastard's pompous smirk right off of his face for daring to look at him like he was eye-candy.

He heard about the Triple V incident. It hadn't happened too long ago but Henroin told him that Vox left the trio and made everything associated with the trio no longer as profitable as the reason they were cutting ties. Though it appeared that Val was not taking the new arrangement too well given his presence in stopping their deal…

Henroin, his father, shot back,"Didn't you get the memo, Valentino? We're through, we ain't doing business with you. Go find someone else to fuck with, you and I are done. There's no reason for me and my boys to stick around you anymore, especially now that Vox has left your sorry ass. Now get out before I make you…"

"Henroin, let's be honest, we both know you don't stand a chance against me," Val replied, his voice not raising in volume but Arackniss could still tell he was close by. He couldn't see him, but if he had to guess, Val was near the entrance and had his men holding everyone at gun-point.

Henroin didn't seem intimidated,"Like I give a damn. I still don't get why you're fucking here. We're Not doing business anymore and I ain't changing my mind on that front. Is it the drugs you want? Have you gotten that desperate you're gonna steal our shit because no one wants to deal with your ass?"

Val chuckled,"Oh me? I'm not here for that...Well, not completely. As good as the batch of drugs surely are, I didn't come here just for that. You know, Angel Dust? Your other kid?"

"Don't speak of him in my presence. He's a disgrace to our family," Henroin replied,"That bastard hasn't been a part of our family in decades. He ran off with you years ago and I haven't spoken to him since. His presence has no relevance in this conversation."

"Actually it does," Val replied,"You see….Voxy did something when he separated himself from me and Vel. He broke Angel's contract and fled."

"And? If you're looking for an Angel, you came to the wrong place. Angel clearly isn't here and you attacked us for no reason. Angel hasn't set foot in this building for years and he'd sooner overdose again before he shows his face around here…"

"Oh you must misunderstand, I'm well aware that you and Angel haven't been on speaking terms due to your little…'dislike' of his sexual preferences. While I couldn't care less about your little family drama, I do care about the fact that my number one money maker is unavailable. Which is why I need a replacement until I can get him back…"

"What the hell does this place look like to you? Late night auditions at your latest brothel? In case you haven't noticed, this is a gang for organized crime, not your strip club! If you want someone to work for you so badly, then go hire some homeless bastard off the street before you come here with your degenerate bullshit!"

"I know damn well where I'm at, Henroin. It's just, Angel is extremely popular you know. He's Hell's number one porn star and has claimed that title for decades. You should see the crowds that come to see him, the hordes of fuckers spend their money to come and see him, even the ones from the outer circles spent their hard-earned cash on tickets to his show. Employing him was what kick started my empire, but now that Vox has...pulled back I need a replacement to fill Angel's place. Which is why I need your other son to come with me…"

Arackniss remained in his crouched position, unable to move. If it was possible, his black fur would've lost all color in that moment just from sheer panic.

SHIT! That moth is here for ME! I'm so fucking dead!'

"Speaking of which, where is that kid of yours? I'd just love to see him…"

"He ain't here, asshole! Now fuck off!"

Val didn't sound convinced,'That spider is probably hiding somewhere. There ain't nowhere to run and Henroin is clearly just trying to protect his kid by lying his way out of the situation. Better try to lure the kid out because this game is getting stale…'

Val then aimed his gun at Henroin before saying,"I've got holy bullets in this pistol and I ain't afraid to use them. Arackniss, be a good spider and come out from your hiding spot, else I'll have to shoot your old man and the rest of his cronies. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, I suggest you act now before I make the decision for you…"

'He's gonna kill my Father if I don't come out! I better get this over with before he kills us all in a fit of rage. That bastard gets pissed when shit doesn't go his way so I can't risk testing him any longer…'

Arackniss made his decision before slowly rising upwards and saying,"No need for the warnings, Valentino. I was here the whole time and I heard you loud and clear…"

Val turned his head in his direction,"Knew you wouldn't be able to continue hiding. Glad to see my suspicions were right. Now, Arackniss, put your guns down. I know your retractable arms have weapons on them so don't think you can pull any shit on me. Put all your firearms on the floor and come to me…"

"Grrr…" Arackniss frowned before reluctantly revealing his other set of arms and emptying his pockets, tossing his guns on the ground and kicking them away for extra measure. He then put his hands behind his hands up in the air to further ensure he was not seen as a threat. He knew one wrong move could end up costing his father his life and that complying was in their best interest…

Val smirked, eyes filled with glee at his compliance,"Good boy, Arackniss. You're proving already to be more obedient than Angel-Cakes is. Normally I'd probably have to shoot someone to get his amount of cooperation from him."

The shorter demon scowled,"I'm not my brother…"

"Course you aren't, baby. Now be a good little spider and come to Daddy."

The shorter demon's face wrinkled in disgust. He and Val barely knew each other and the moth was already hitting on him like he was one of his prostitutes. Still, he didn't want to test Val and made his way over to him step by step.

When Arackniss was halfway towards Val, Henroin suddenly shouted,"Adriano D'Ambrosio, don't you dare take another step towards that fucker!"

Arackniss blanked,"W-What? B-But he said I have to go towards him…"

"I don't give a damn! You listen to me and you listen good, you're not taking another step towards him, that's an order."

"Arackniss, baby, don't listen to your pop, he's just being delusional. After all, I have the upper hand in numbers and man-power. It would be unwise to verse me…"

Arackniss seemed ready to take another step but Henroin then said,"Adriano, listen to me! I know I wasn't exactly the father of your dreams, the work environment wasn't exactly suitable for a child. I'll admit my life choices may have dragged you and Angel down here, but I'll be damned if I'm losing you to this depraved freak!"

Henroin took his chance to shoot Val, Arackniss immediately ducking in order to avoid the gun-fire. Seconds later, Val's men began firing with Henroin's returning the favor, engaging in a bloodbath. Shots rang out, screams in agony were heard as the battle rained on.

Eventually, Val's forces managed to get the upper-hand. Henroin's men gave it their all, but Val not only had caught everyone off guard but even with there being two groups present, only certain members of Henroin's gang and the other person's team were there.

Had all of their family been there it would've been different, but a handful of individuals versus a team of over two dozen was bound to end in disaster.

Still, Henroin refused to stand down despite being the only man left standing, shooting at Val's men like a crazy person with all his arms sticking out.

The burly spider demon was shooting many of Val's men down to the point that Val was worried his continued survival would cause problems if he wasn't taken out. As a result, he aimed his gun at Henroin and shot him right in the chest multiple times, knocking him to the ground.

"Grah!"

"Heh," Val blew off the dust from his pistol,"Always wanted to do that. I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd cause this much trouble for me. Good thing these bullets work just fine at putting troublesome demons in their place…"

Henroin growled in agony, he was dying fast and was lying in a pool of his own blood inside the very establishment he owned. He was hoping it would be instantaneous but it felt like time was passing slower now that he was dying for real….

Suddenly, a small smile became visible before it turned into a full-blown smirk and then a laugh.

Val stared at him with a raised brow,"What the hell are you laughing at? Do you find the idea of your own death funny?"

Henroin snickered, struggling to speak as he grew weaker,"N-No...not really. I just know that my plan worked…"

"Your plan?"

"Look around you, Val...My son is gone...He took his chance to flee in the chaos and that gun-fight was the perfect distraction. You fell for it hook and sinker too...Though I wasn't anticipating getting shot like this, I guess you should always expect the unexpected in circumstances like these…"

Val scowled,"Why you little bitch! I needed that fucker to be Angel's replacement!"

"Too bad. Arackniss will never be your whore and I'll fucking die before I let you turn my son into one of your sex slaves. But know this, all of your actions will come back to bite you, Val. Even if I don't live to see it, I know that somehow, my sons will contribute to your downfall. The path you're taking will seal your fate. So don't get so comfortable, you'll meet your end much sooner than you think. I'll see you in Double-Hell Val…" Henroin then chuckled before falling limp, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Val scoffed before kicking his body,"Hmph. Fucking typical bullshit. Fat bastard doesn't even know what he's talking about. Still, that plan of his worked and I feel awful for falling for it. Who knows where Arackniss could be..."

Val felt rather bitter over the loss of a potential star, as he knew how much money Arackniss could've racked up had he just got his hands on him. If it weren't for Henroin's interference he would have succeeded in his goal.

"Valentino, sir?" One of his men asked.

"Yes?"

"Since the spider escaped and everyone currently here is dead, shouldn't we confiscate their things?"

"Splendid idea," Val smirked,"Glad you asked. Considering they won't be using these things anymore, I don't see why not. Come on boys, take everything of value and hoard it up into the truck. Now hurry up and make it snappy."

To hurry his men along, Val used his gun as a warning shot, making them quicken the pace to avoid his wrath, watching with a smile as his men got to work.

And after everything of value had been stripped from the building, Val demanded for it to be burned down. He watched the flames from a distance, calmly smoking his cigar as the flames consumed the building.

"Ha...The smell of burning always brings a tear to my eye. Mission wasn't as big of a success but I guess watching the damn place burn makes up for it. Too bad I couldn't have had that spider watch me burn his father's empire to the ground. The devastation on his face would've been priceless...Aw well, at least I won't have to worry about that place again. Better head back to the Studio and plan for my next attack…"

With that in mind, Val entered his limo before fleeing the scene with his vehicle.

Arackniss had been taught many things in his life. Given his profession, fleeing was often seen as a way of escape on the off-chance a deal went sour and they were heavily outnumbered. This was different however, as not only had he nearly been taken by Angel's former boss but if it weren't for his father's intervention, he would've gone with him too.

While Henroin didn't say it, Arackniss knew the moment he created that distraction that it was a smokescreen for him to escape. He had run away so fast that any of Val's men guarding the outside of the entrance had failed to shoot him in time and while some of them did try to pursue, they lost track of him and were forced to retreat.

To say he was running on pure adrenaline was an understatement. He had never run that fast in his life and yet he had managed to bolt at such speed that most Olympic level athletes would be awestruck at his performance.

As he fled, he smelled….smoke in the air from behind. Arackniss clenched his teeth, he was all too familiar with the smell of burning fire to not know what it was. He already had a feeling Val would burn Henroin's place to the ground once he was done with it, but he didn't think it would actually happen…

And if Henroin's place was burned down, that could only mean one thing. His father and everyone else in that building was dead.

The worst part was that Val had holy bullets on him so any sinner he shot was dead for good. He knew that Val and Henroin were always on rigid relations and that they never liked doing business with each other. It may have had to do with him taking Angel under his wing, but even before that point it seemed like Henroin had a natural distaste for Val and the feeling was returned.

'D-Dammit…' Arackniss scowled,"That fucking son of a bitch..He killed him...He killed them all and I couldn't do anything other than run. I'm a fucking coward. Couldn't even save anyone…"

He wondered what he was going to do now that Henroin was gone. He was always his right-hand man and now that his father had been killed, he'd have to live on his own. And with Val running around, continued his father's legacy would be impossible. He'd just try and hunt him down again…

The urge to kill someone had never been so high. Usually when Arackniss killed people, it was dealt with as quickly as possible with little emotion involved. Val had entered personal territory and Arackniss's eyes were burning with a vengeance for blood.

"I won't let them go unveiled. That bastard crossed the line. I want to kill him...strangle him even with my bare hands but...I can't do it alone. I'm too weak to do anything to that moth fucker. And if I stay out here too long, Val's dick riders might try and snag me. There's got to be somewhere I can run to…"

He then noticed a building in the distance and saw it said,'Happy Hotel' at the front. He narrowed his eyes,'That's the place where Angel's staying...I may run into him on the way inside, but I'll take my chances with him over Val…'

Without any second thoughts, Arackniss rushed to the door and banged on it aggressively, shouting in a panicked voice,"LET ME IN! LET ME IN! LET ME IN! ITS URGENT!"

Moments later, Charlie opened the door in confusion,"A-Are you alright?"

"No…" He answered darkly,"J-Just let me in...I need...your...help…"

Charlie tensed, Arackniss was staring at her with bloodshot eyes, panting heavily as his body twitched violently."O-Ok...Come inside...errr...What's your name?"

"Arackniss…" He replied coldly, forcing his way inside and shoving Charlie away. He didn't get far in his journey as he stopped abruptly and said,"Hello...Anthony…"

Angel stared at him, immediately becoming hostile,"Who the hell let you in, Arackniss? I thought you didn't want to see your 'faggy' brother again. Are you here to gloat about how much better you are than me? About how pops loved you more cuz you weren't a 'fag' in his words? Is that why you're here? Cuz I wont hesitate shooting your ass if you fucking insult me, brother or not…."

Arackniss scoffed,"I'm not here to listen to your emotional drivel, Anthony. Not only because it is not relevant to this situation, but because we have problems to worry about."

"Whose we? I thought you and pops stopped considering me family years ago because of my sexuality?" Angel asked bitterly,"You fucking ostracized me for years and now you're suddenly trying to act all buddy buddy with me? Do I look like a joke to you? You put me through all that shit and you think you can waltz your way back into my life like it was nothing?"

Arackniss scowled,"Listen here, Anthony. I'm not here because I want to be here. I am here because this is probably the only place that your excuse of a boss can't follow me to!"

The taller spider gave his older sibling a look,"Ex boss, actually. And second of all, why would Val want anything to do with you? "

"Because he thought I was a suitable replacement for you, jackass! He wanted me to fill in your place as a porn star! He busted in our operation and held everyone hostage. I was about to go with him until Dad fucking started a gunfight and I had to flee the situation. I didn't see it for myself, but Valentino...he fucking killed everyone...He killed them all and burned that place to the ground."

"Wait...Pop's is...dead?"

"Deader than dead," Arackniss retorted flatly,"Which is why I came here in the first place. I heard about this little hotel on the news, and thought it was a joke. But considering it kept you safe for the time being...I figured staying here would keep the moth away. I'm not certain for how long though. Valentino has made it clear he wants both of us, Anthony. Neither of us are safe so I suggest you get used to my presence…" Arackniss then walked past him, rubbing his eyes as he got into a separate room.

Charlie tensed,"Was that your little brother, Angel?"

"Older," He corrected,"Pops always liked him cuz he was straight...But I guess pops doesn't have an opinion on either of us anymore. I knew Val was messed up but I didn't think he'd resort to trying to get my brother to do this shit. I guess these are the consequences of what Vox did, Val's getting desperate and targeting people. Who knows what he'll do…"

"Don't worry, Angel. I'll protect everyone if it comes down to that. You won't need to worry, as long as I'm here, it's going to be fine…" Charlie then gave him a comforting hug before walking away and tending to her other business.

Angel then narrowed his eyes before asking a question that directed more at himself than the princess,"But what if you're not there to protect us, Charlie? Then what?" He didn't want to think about the possibility and merely turned his back, going off to his room to absorb himself in his thoughts on the current matter.

He already had a lot on his mind and his estranged brother showing up with the news of his father's death had put him in an emotional roller coaster. That the fact his old boss was still proving to cause trouble made him uneasy about their future, feeling less and less safe as time went by.

'It ain't a question of whether Val will attack us...it's a matter of when...And if Charlie ain't here to protect everyone, who knows what will happen...'

Thanks for 7,984 views! Be free to ask questions if you want and tell me what you think below.

Enigmus-288: Val's planning on targeting Vox when Charlie is out so that he doesn't have to worry about her. She's the only reason he doesn't go in immediately because he knows how powerful she is(well not really but he knows how strong she could be and doesn't want to be on the receiving end of that). Vox didn't wanna hurt Val and only did so when forced, so he figured destroying Val's empire would cause problems and get him off of his back for the time being.

Mitsuru6: Arackniss in my story is completely heterosexual and heteromantic so it wouldn't work out anyway. (Like legit, he'd have to bribe him to get Arackniss to even consider looking at him). Eh, I won't judge, there are...weirder ships out there...

Guest: Honestly, that requires Val to care. Like straight up, if Val thought about it, maybe he'd be like,'Wait a sec, why are there two of them? The only difference is that one is more injured than the other.' But since Val ain't really thinking about that, it slips his mind. He never really cared about Vark and viewed him as a pest that he put up with because Vox would lose his shit if he hurt him.