MAJOR CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. EXTREME VIOLENCE, TORTURE, AND PARTIAL MUTILATION. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin."
Gregory S. Williams

A century of raiding open territory in the wake of the annual Extermination wasn't enough to prepare him for this and while Pentious had fought plenty of other Kingpins and similarly armed foes, he'd had yet to work up the means (and, admittedly, the courage) to actively challenge one of the most powerful Demons in the Seven Rings.

Not that he had much of a choice in the matter considering how limited his options were, but at least he wasn't going in alone.

The eggs were working overtime, checking the ship's engines for any defects while Cherri and Angel raided the weapon and bomb caches. Of course he had to explain how the triggers, reloading, and detonation methods worked to them both (the last thing they needed was an improperly detonated explosive or a misfired gun while they were in the heat of battle) as they formulated their base plan.

Angel would take the finished knife to the Penthouse under the guise of meeting with Valentino and hide the weapon under the second couch cushion on the right-hand side. Pentious would arrive shortly after, delivering the Overlord a decoy navaja that he'd had an egg purchase from a local weapons dealer.

Cherri would take the minions and the ship, providing an outside distraction once Valentino realized he had been duped. With chaos breaking out around the block, Angel and Pentious would subdue the Overlord, force him to break the deal, and let them both leave with no plans for future retaliation against either of them.

It was all very simple on paper, but in practice, the plan would require a ridiculous amount of luck and good timing on their part. It also didn't account for potential surprises, but they couldn't spend the entire morning planning for every possible contingency.

They had work to do.

Pentious curled his tongue around one fang as he watched Angel get dressed, the spider's lower hands sliding his usual black skirt up his long legs while the upper set worked to close the buttons of his striped jacket. "If he tries to send you somewhere else-" Pent began, only for the spider to turn and press a finger to his mouth.

Angel smiled and withdrew his hand before grabbing his bowtie, tying the fabric against the base of his throat. "I know you're worried, but he wouldn't do that." Angel finished the knot and pet over the snake's hood, his warm palm gently cupping over the scales. "Remember, he knows you got the hots fer me and Val's a real sadistic fucker. He'll want you in the room so he can humiliate my ass and make you watch." Pent winced and Angel nodded. "Trust me, he's gonna be grabbin' away the whole time we're talkin' just so he can see you squirm."

Sighing, Pent chewed his lip before he reached out to straighten the other man's bowtie, neatening up the edges of the cloth. "And you'll be alright when we do this?" he asked softly, letting his arms fall as he tilted his head into Angel's palm.

Angel frowned, his eyes hollow in a way that reminded Pent far too much of the night Val had cleaved the spider's chest open. "I've been through worse. Not that I'm gonna enjoy it, but if it gets me outta my contract, I can handle bein' groped. Grabby hands ain't anythin' new." He exhaled and schooled his expression into a small, but reassuring grin before reaching out to adjust the brim of the snake's hat. "Imma big boy, Pen."

Nodding, Pent swallowed. "Ok," he murmured, letting the spider pull him into a hug. He quietly brought his own arms up to wrap around Angel's shoulders, eyes sliding closed as he rested his chin on the juncture of Angel's throat and collarbone. Normally the thought of a raid excited him, but this was truly a life or death scenario and the consequences were nothing short of tremendous. His heart pounded a heady tattoo against his ribs, but with worry and fear rather than anticipation.

Angel might have made his reassurances and told him what to expect, but it didn't help to ease Pentious' anxious mind. From what little he'd seen of Valentino (and that was comparatively tame according to Angel), he couldn't trust that the Overlord wouldn't do as much damage as possible before he arrived to play the decoy.

Suddenly Pent felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he frowned, digging it out to see Cherri's number lighting up the screen. He sighed and hit the call button, but he didn't even have time to issue a greeting before Cherri's voice was loudly proclaiming. "Hey snake-face, get your ass down here. We got a problem."

Pent blinked and glanced up at Angel who just shrugged. "What's the issue in question?" he asked as he slithered out of the bedroom and down the stairs to head to the workshop with Angel trailing behind him.

"I'll show you once you're here," Cherri said, ending the call as Pent thumbed at the panel for the elevator. Shaking his head, Pent chewed his lip and slipped inside the shaft, Angel following behind him before the carriage descended into the workshop.

Eggs flittered around the space, loading up the ship with various tools and weapons while Cherri sat at the control panel in the cockpit.

Cherri lifted her head as they approached and took another sip of the iced coffee she'd grabbed on her way over to the mansion. "Yo, this shit right here's the fuel gauge right?" she asked, pointing out a specific meter on the control panel before opening the short booklet that Pentious had given her so she could learn the basic mechanics. "Or battery charge? I don't know what the fuck you use to get this thing in the air."

Pent frowned and leaned over, confirming that the gauge was indeed the fuel monitor. "Yes, that's the-" he paused, eyes widening as he caught onto the problem. "Why the hell are these reading as empty!?" he snarled, turning to the eggs who immediately dropped what they were doing and exchanged guilty looks.

"Uh, well...we didn't...fill them," one of the minions said in a quiet voice, tapping their index fingers together. "We normally load the tanks up before the big Extermination, but you didn't go out this year and we didn't want the fuel to go bad if we weren't taking the ship out any time soon."

Pent took a deep breath and steepled his fingers together as Cherri nosily slurped her coffee behind him. "This vessel is to depart in less than two hours and you're telling me we have no fuel on hand? Is that correct?" he said in a steely voice.

The eggs nodded even as they continued to shake under his fierce glare. Exhaling, Pent flexed his talons as he resisted the urge to grab the nearest weapon and bash every single one of his idiot minions into an eggy pulp. "You're all very fortunate I require as much firepower as possible today," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Get these tanks fueled now or I will personally flambé the lot of you!"

Immediately the minions ran back out into the workshop, leaving Cherri at the control panel with the scrap of paper Pent had taped to the board to act as a cheat sheet and help her steer the damn ship. "So, what happens if the blimp is a dud?" she asked, leaning against the panel and kicking her boot up against the side of it as Angel stalked up the ramp. "Do we gotta scrap everything?"

"No, but we'll have to stall," Pent muttered, dragging a hand down the side of his face as he tried to estimate how much time they would lose to the refueling process. "Without the ship, we'll be missing the most important component of the plan aside from the knife itself."

Angel grinned and sidled up to Pent, bumping his hip before wrapping one arm around the snake's waist. "Stop worryin'. Burstin' a blood vessel won't help us figure this shit out. We'll just adjust the plan. It won't be that hard ta stall for a bit of time, trust me." Angel winked and Pent sighed as the spider pulled out the finished knife from inside of his jacket, opening and closing the navaja idly. "As long as we got this baby, we'll be squared away."

The spider paused and then added, "By the way, I need ta head out a bit early. I'm gonna drop Nugs off at the Hotel on my way ova to the studio so that the Princess can take 'em for their walks and make sure they're not eatin' shit they ain't supposed to while we're out killin' Val." He playfully pinched Pent's cheek, keeping his tone light and airy even as he said, "And if we do end up losin', I don't want Nugs locked up in this house with no one around to take care of 'em."

Pent grimaced and even Cherri pursed her lips into a firm line. That actually was a rather depressing thought. As terrible as erasure would be, he hadn't considered who would be left behind. Pentious might not have anyone who would miss his presence, but Angel did have some friends and literal millions (possibly billions) of fans across the city.

He would be sorely missed, at least for a time. Though no doubt some new up-start porn star would come along and fill the niche that Angel left...

But more importantly, Fat Nuggets would be left ownerless.

"Yes, that sounds about right," Pentious said softly as Angel slipped the knife back into his jacket. "Tell Miss Charlie that if we don't make it that she is free to use my home for her own purposes. I'd rather the property be left in the hands of someone who might actually do something with it."

Angel nodded and gently squeezed Pent's hip. "I will, but don't worry 'bout it. We're gonna kick ass." He pulled out his phone and gave it a pointed shake. "Also, remember not ta freak out if I don't respond to any texts. I'll read 'em, but Val will get suspicious real fuckin' fast if I'm too damn focused on my phone."

Before Angel could even turn to head back down the ramp, Cherri grabbed one of the spider's lower arms and yanked him back, dragging the taller Demon into a crushing embrace of her own. "You be careful, bitch," she told him in a firm voice as she gave Angel another tight squeeze. "Do what you gotta do, but don't let him fuck you up. We're done with that shit."

Giving them both a nervous chuckle, Angel nodded and said, "Got it. Can't say I'm not scared shitless at the idea of tellin' Val ta go fuck himself, but goddamn it's gonna be sweet to say it at least once." He turned back to Pent and raised an eyebrow, cocking his hip to one side. "Ya wanna come back up and say goodbye ta Nugs before I head out?"

"Sure, why not?" Pent murmured, leaving Cherri to supervise the eggs who weren't currently running to the nearest pump for fuel as they checked over all the remaining controls and weapons.

Once they were back in the elevator, Angel reached over and took Pent's hand, interlacing their fingers. Pent exhaled and met the other Demon's side-long gaze as the carriage ascended, stopping with a gentle ding before the doors opened. Part of him wanted to offer some reassurance of his own to Angel, but it felt like lying. Today would be a true test of their mettle and he'd count themselves lucky to survive it.

So rather than give the other man any faux optimism, he just squeezed Angel's fingers and slithered out of the elevator to head up to the bedroom.

Despite being an animal, it was clear that Nuggets understood that something serious was going on. The pig resisted the harness in a way that Pent had never seen before, forcing them to chase Nugs around the room until Angel cornered them in the closet and lifted them up. As soon as their hooves left the ground, the little piglet squealed loud enough to make Pent grimace and Angel heaved a tired sigh. "Sorry baby, but we gotta go," Angel murmured, holding Nugs still while Pent got the harness over their torso and clipped the leash to the top. "It's gonna be ok, Nuggies."

The pig just kicked out their legs in protest, scraping their hooves across Pent's forearm hard enough to make the snake wince, but not enough to break skin. Exhaling, Pentious handed the leash to Angel, letting the spider wrap it around his wrist and secure it tightly. "They're a sensitive little thing aren't they?" he said in a quiet voice, petting over the pig's soft ears.

"Heh, always has been. It's why I nabbed 'em in the first place," Angel said with a small smile, continuing to stroke over Nugs' back even as the pig wriggled in his hold. "Always had a thing for animals, but pigs are crazy smart." He glanced at Pent, adding, "And they're cute as fuck."

"They are rather cute," Pent agreed as he went to pack up Nugs' things, stuffing them inside of Angel's duffel before zipping the bag and handing it to the spider. "Hopefully they'll calm down on the cab ride over."

Angel shrugged and shifted his hold on Nuggets. "It'll be fine," he assured as he leaned over and kissed Pent, lifting his only remaining free hand to trail his fingers over the joint of the snake's shoulder. "I'll see ya in an hour."

Taking a deep breath, Pent nodded and said, "Be careful. We could very well be walking into a trap." He met the spider's eyes and rested both of his hands over the palm cupping his shoulder. "If we have to pivot and change tactics to keep you out of-"

"I know." Angel smiled, but the expression was tight and full of the same anxiety Pentious knew was clearly displayed on his own face. "Ya don't gotta spell it out for me."

Sighing, Pent squeezed down over Angel's fingers, murmuring, "I'm allowed to worry. We're both walking directly into a firing squad." He swallowed hard and raised one hand to cover his mouth in a rather weak attempt to hide his frown. "I'm trying not to dwell on the worst possible outcomes, but it's difficult to focus."

In all his years of waging war, of brawling in the city streets, and blowing up multiple buildings and Demons, he'd never had someone else to concern himself with. He'd never gone into combat with actual stakes.

And now he was betting everything on the roll of the dice.

Both for himself and Angel.

Said spider glanced down at the pig who was now looking a little more worn out from all their struggling and oinking weakly against Angel's fluffy chest. "We've got this, babe. If anyone's gonna pull off a goddamn coup, it's gonna be us." He leaned in and pressed their brows together as Pent's heart ached against his ribs. "You're a badass bitch."

Pent snorted at the absurd phrasing, shaking his head, but not pulling away from Angel. "That is absolutely ridiculous…" he muttered even as his lips quirked into a small smile.

"Well now I ain't leavin' until you agree," Angel teased, pulling his hand away and straightening up, lifting the duffel bag over one shoulder. "C'mon, say you're a badass bitch."

Rolling his eyes, Pent huffed and said, "I'm a badass bitch…"

"Oh for fuck's sake, say it like ya mean it!" Angel said, shoving the snake's broad chest with his one free hand. "Don't half-ass that shit."

Pentious folded his arms and lifted his chin. "I hope you know just how stupid this is," he said before clearing his throat and declaring in his most authoritative voice. "I'm a badass bitch."

Angel began to snicker and Pent found himself unable to keep the smile off his face. "Fuck, you're such a goddamn dork," the spider said, leaning in for one last kiss before pulling away. "Ok, I gotta ta get the hell outta here before I let you distract me. Last thing we need is Big V wonderin' where I'm at."

He gave Pent a pinch to the hip and Pent waved as the spider headed out with Nuggets, leaving the snake alone in his room.

After he heard the front door open and the close with the distinct chime of the security system reactivating echoing in the foyer, Pent pinched his brow and looked over to the bed which was still in disarray from last night. When he'd woken and couldn't feel the warmth of Angel's body next to his own, he'd been curious, but not immediately suspicious, assuming the spider was in the bathroom or having a smoke on the balcony.

When half an hour had passed with no sign of Angel, he'd decided to search the house.

It hadn't taken him long to determine just where Angel had gone, but the fact that the spider had been ready to steal his weapons to go take on Val by himself without telling Pentious...it had stung a little.

What if he hadn't woken up and Angel had gone out and gotten himself killed without ever saying goodbye?

Pent shook his head and began to fold the sheets, arranging the pillows around the rim of the basin before slithering back down to the workshop to help Cherri. Their time was limited and he needed to make sure everything was in order before he left the house to head to the studio.

They simply couldn't afford any more hiccups.

A half hour later, the minions had returned with the needed fuel. Without wasting another second, Pent set to work getting it pumped into the tanks while Cherri continued memorizing as many of the controls as possible. She'd still have access to the cheat sheet but in the heat of the moment, she would need to be able to make split-second decisions without having to fumble around.

"How long until we got a full tank, old man?" she asked as he directed the eggs at the helm. "Shouldn't you be heading out soon?"

Pent nodded and removed his hat to sweep a hand over his hood. "I'll be departing momentarily, but I want to ensure that the process is well underway before I leave the rest to my minions. It will take about twenty minutes to load up on fuel, but the eggs will be decoupling the canisters when we're ready for take off." He chewed his lip as he set the hat down on the control panel and said, "It shouldn't take me more than forty minutes to get to the studio, depending on traffic, but leave as soon as you're able and text me if you run into any road blocks. I won't be able to do much at a distance but I'll be able to instruct the eggs at the very least."

Cherri nodded and glanced back to the eggboiz who weren't working on fueling the ship. "Hopefully these little shits won't blow themselves up," she muttered as she watched them handle the dangerous looking weapons they had purged from the cache.

"You'd better not blow yourself up either," Pent shot right back, pointing to the satchel that Cherri had slung around her shoulders. "Some of those bombs have never been tested on a living target before so be careful where you throw them."

Chuckling, Cherri reached into the bag and pulled out a large red bomb, one of her own based on the logo printed over the surface. "I'll mostly stick to my shit, but if I'm running low, I'll grab one of yours."

As they spoke, Pent's phone went off and he frowned, pulling it out of his pocket to see a notification from his security system. "What on earth-" he muttered before his hood snapped wide open. "Why is he here!?"

Cherri blinked and scooted out of the chair bolted next to the control panel. "Who?" she asked, leaning over to peek at his screen, only for her single eye to go wide at the image of Valentino's limo parked in front of the mansion. "Holy fucking shit," she muttered before looking up to meet Pentious' horrified stare. "We gotta call Angie."

Pent swallowed and nodded as he used his phone to immediately lock down the entire house, auto-shuttering the windows and doors through the security system. "If he doesn't already know." Biting his lip, glanced to Cherri and said, "Keep fueling and leave the hanger as soon as you're able to. This could just be one of Val's lackey's looking to escort me to the studio…" He took a deep breath and said, "I'm not going to assume the best of intentions regardless."

Turning to the eggs, he put his hands on his hips and said, "You're to listen to Cherri Bomb while I'm gone. I'm disabling the elevator on my way out just as a precaution. We'll be sticking to the current plan until further notice." After they all gave affirming nods, Pent took a deep breath and slithered down the ramp of the ship and toward the elevator.

"Hey edgelord!"

He barely had time to catch the laser rifle before it was thrown his way, the body of the weapon smacking dully against his chest. "Just in case," Cherri said, giving him a thumbs up from the top of the ramp and one of her blink-winks. "You can't ever trust a rat."

Pent glanced down at the weapon and then back to her, nodding as he adjusted his grip on the gun. "I think that's the first thing we've ever agreed on," he murmured, shouldering it as he entered the elevator and slipped inside. She gave him one last wave and Pentious returned it as the doors closed and the carriage ascended to ground level.

As soon as he hit the main landing, Pent exited the elevator and waited until it was closed before using the keypad to send the carriage back to the lab. With a second passkey, he disabled all power to the system before hiding the pad behind the usual podium. He didn't know what Val's aim was, but if the workshop was discovered before Cherri could take off, the entire plan would be ruined. The ship was just too damn important both as a distraction and as a method of escape should things go south.

Steeling himself, Pent approached the door and turned on the security monitor, only to flinch as Val's smirking face immediately greeted him. He was suddenly very grateful for his past self's foresight in designing the video feed as a one-way system. Lowering the rifle to rest against the door, he cleared his throat and pressed the button for the outside intercom. "Valentino," he said calmly into the receiver, watching as the moth's simpering smirk only grew. "I was just preparing to head over to the studio. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" he asked snidely as he began to maneuver the camera around, his heart stopping when he caught sight of Velvet's skirt behind the Overlord's large hat. Shit…

Val chuckled and lifted the brim of said hat to scratch the side of his head. "I think you know why I'm here, worm. You're stupid, but not that stupid." He licked over his teeth, paying special attention to the gold tooth on the left-hand side before adding, "You probably thought you were being cute with our little deal, but I've met your type before." Val leaned in so that the entire frame was filled with his sharp teeth and Pent flinched, his talons releasing the intercom almost instinctively. "You're old-fashioned and think everyone is gonna play by the same rules you do."

Scowling, Pent pressed the button again. "What are you implying?" he murmured, knowing that he needed to keep Val talking for as long as possible. He still didn't know exactly what the Overlord's play was (though he could take a reasonable guess), but regardless, he needed to stall as long as the ship was fueling up.

Valentino laughed and the sound filled the speakers until they practically crackled from the volume. "You really thought I was gonna just have you bring the knife to the studio and then let you leave?" the Overlord said, lifting a previously unseen lit cigarette to his pointed canines. "Why on earth would I do that when I can take what I'm owed and get a new toy all at the same time?" He inhaled and blew red smoke into the camera lens, fogging it. "Surely you're familiar with the phrase, killing two birds with one stone?"

Pent went stiff as he watched the pimp smoke, letting the silence stretch between them. Taking Pent's lack of response as shock (which it was), Val only laughed all the harder. "Oh that's adorable! You really thought you'd saved yourself by using that little loophole in our agreement!" The Overlord stepped back, tapping the ash from his cigarette off to the side as Pent reached for the rifle, his talons hovering over the weapon even as his gaze remained locked to the screen in front of him. "Too bad you chose to specify taking it to the studio."

Val gave Pent a mocking wink behind his pink frames and added, "Probably should have considered that I'm not glued to my work 24/7." His pupiless red eyes flickered up, presumably looking over the house as he let out another plume of red smoke into the air. "Luckily for me, you chose to isolate yourself from any allies or protections that living in the city might have brought you, but I guess you didn't want to 'eat where you shit', hmmm?"

At that moment, Pentious' phone buzzed and he forced himself to look away from the monitor to check his phone, seeing a message from Angel. He chewed his lip as he pulled out the device and opened the text.

"Cherri just told me Val's at your place! What the fuck is going on!?"

He swallowed, the eyes on his tail keeping watch on the security monitor while he typed back: "He's taking advantage of a loophole I hadn't thought of. Have you already brought the knife onto the property?" If Angel had broken the deal then he at least wouldn't be bound by the conventions of the agreement.

On the security feed, Val stepped off to the side to reveal the significantly shorter Vox standing right behind him. Pent scowled, his suspicions confirmed as Velvet sidled up next to the TV Demon, waving enthusiastically at the camera as she shouldered what looked like a small battering ram against her arm. "Hello again, pet," Vox said with a toothy grin, waggling his fingers mockingly at the camera before his eyes darted around (no doubt taking stock of the equipment that secured the front entrance). "How about we make this quick and you let us in? I can promise it'll be less painful if you do."

Pent furrowed his brow and dug his thumb into the intercom receiver. "If you think I'm going to allow any of you pests inside of my home, you're sorely mistaken! Now bring back Valentino! My agreement was with him, not you."

Vox laughed, his smile not dropping as several plugs emerged from the interior of his suit jacket, the cords snaking up into the air and no doubt securing themselves to any outside ports they could find. "Oh I don't give a damn about the deal. I'm just here to dismantle your security systems." He winked and added, "I'm sure this level of technology is adequate for most threats, but I'll have you know that I've broken far more complex code."

Pent's blood ran cold as the feed died without warning and the console command box opened in its stead, new code appearing in rapid lines across the black screen.

Flinching, Pent immediately opened the manual control panel and deployed the keyboard, working as fast as possible to shut down everything that wasn't required to get the ship up and running. If the systems were locked and disabled, the Overlord would have to physically break down the door which would at least slow them down (though not by much, if that battering ram was any indication).

His phone buzzed again as he typed and fumbled with the device, nearly dropping it as he unlocked the screen to see Angel's response. "Yeah, got the knife in, but the guards won't let me fucking leave! Are you and Cherri coming to the studio!?"

Biting his lip as he glanced back up to Vox's codework, Pent's heart stuttered in his chest. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

He dialed Cherri's number with one hand, putting her on speaker phone as he continued to reroute all of his mainline systems to the workshop. "Pick up already!" he snarled as he worked, his eyes focused on the screen in front of him. Once the line connected, he breathed out and hissed, "Change of plans. Fuel the ship and get Angel out of the studio," he said before she could even attempt to ask him what the hell was happening. "He's being detained by the staff there."

"Yeah, he texted me too. Said he's in the Penthouse," Cherri said, her voice crackling slightly through the speaker. "We've got another fifteen minutes down here according to your little shits."

Fifteen minutes was rather short in the grand scheme, but it would no doubt feel like an eternity. The last five minutes alone had aged him at least 50 years.

"Fine. Just get out when you're able. I'll hold down the fort," Pent said before the lights went off around him as the main systems shut down, leaving him in a dark empty house. He ended the call and picked up the rifle, bashing the control panel with the butt until the screen and keyboard were in pieces. "I won't have my own bloody house used against me," he muttered as he scooped up his phone and went to the study, grabbing a few bottles of his highest proof liquor and a stack of matches from behind his desk.

It had been so long since he had to rely on something other than his machines in active combat, but he had little choice in the matter. All his best weapons (aside from the rifle) were in his workshop being manned by the eggboiz.

If he was to survive the day, it would be through his wit and tenacity alone.

As Pentious locked the study, his phone rang again and he picked up, slithering down the hall and toward the kitchen. "What is it now?" he hissed into the receiver as he held the sloshing bottles by the neck.

"It's pretty rude to ignore guests," Velvet's obnoxiously cheery voice came through from the other side, making him instinctively raise his hackles. "Like, we came aaaall the way out here and you just lock us out? Real bitch move, right there."

Pent scowled, but before he could hang up, a loud bang echoed from the front door, the sound closely mirrored by a slam to the back entrance just off the kitchen. He peered into the hall just as a second impact simultaneously shook both doors, the loud bang echoing in the empty foyer. His eyes widened and he hurried his pace, entering the kitchen and placing the alcohol on top of the stone island along with the rifle. "All three of you are trespassing on private property! If you want to talk about propriety with me, you'll leave and never return!" he snapped as he quickly removed his own jacket and shredded it in his talons, tying the lengths of fabric together to form a massive chain.

"We did ask nicely," her voice taunted from the phone sitting innocently on the counter as Pent dropped the coil of fabric next to the alcohol. He rolled his eyes and grabbed several knives from the wooden block on the counter, along with a pair of scissors and the fire extinguisher he kept inside the island. "It's not our fault you decided to be an asshole and lock us out!"

Another series of solid bangs traveled through the walls as she spoke and Pent shivered as he clutched his battery powered kettle and began to fill it with the liquor he'd grabbed from the study. "Hey! Are you still there?" Velvet called as Pent turned the kettle on, knocking his egg timer off the counter while he stowed the scissors and knives inside the long sleeves of his button down.

"If Valentino thinks he's going to have his way simply because he wills it, then he's sorely mistaken!" Pentious growled before ending the call with a firm tap to the screen. Taking a deep breath, Pent picked up the egg timer and set it back down on the bartop before slithering over to the oven. He couldn't let them distract him, not when every moment counted.

While Pentious had tested the window shields and doors with battering rams and low-level explosives during the designing process, he would have maybe ten minutes before they broke through (if the strength of their blows were any indication).

But he just needed to hold out as long as possible. If Val didn't have the knife, Pent couldn't be killed and with Angel having successfully gotten the steel into the studio, the deal was broken. All he needed now was for Cherri to get Angel out and bring him back here.

Then (and only then) they would have a fighting chance if any chance at all.

Shifting the heavy appliance, Pent took out the scissors and used them as a makeshift wrench to loosen the bolt on the gas line before turning the oven on. As gas began to fill the room, he grabbed the corded fabric along with what remained of the alcohol and tracked the length of the rope from the kitchen through the hall to the front door, dousing the line with liquor as he went.

Sighing as he stared down at the now stained carpet below his tail, Pent bit his lip and headed back to the kitchen.

It was a nice rug, a well-made jacket, and expensive alcohol, but all of these things could be replaced and rebuilt. It had taken him a decade to construct the house to his specifications and while he'd worked very hard to update and maintain the lair over the last century, he wasn't about to let his own pride be the thing that killed him.

At the end of the day, this house was just a house. The people who lived inside of it were what made it home.

He swallowed, his chest aching as he thought of Angel. For all he knew, the spider was being tortured by the staff there, but if they were to get Angel out, he had to give Cherri the time she needed to fuel and fly the airship. If his ship was found and destroyed before takeoff, they would be well and truly fucked.

Pentious quickly headed back as the kettle began to whistle, grabbing the container of boiling hot alcohol as he smashed the empty bottle of liquor and dropped the shards of glass into the steaming vapors. He ignored the banging from both sides of the house as he collected his gear and slithered out of the kitchen and toward the stairs. He dropped everything but the kettle to the steps before curling up onto the banister to reach the black chandelier hanging right over the front entrance. Pent wobbled, nearly falling as he placed the kettle between the metal rungs draped with black crystal, making sure that the steel frame would be able to securely hold the steaming basin in place.

Exhaling, he dropped back down onto the stairs and grabbed the rifle, fire extinguisher, and matches before adjusting the knives and scissors in his sleeves. The front door shook, causing the crystals on the chandelier to tinkle as they were rocked from the force. Pent gritted his teeth as he turned away from the foyer, glancing briefly at the kettle from where it hung over the entrance. They'd get through any minute now and he still had to get to the attic.

Racing up the rest of the stairs, he reached out and grabbed the pull handle that was only barely disguised in the intricate wallpaper to open the panel that led to his attic. Without looking back, he climbed inside and closed the door behind him.

This entire stunt was beyond dangerous and could result in many injuries to his own person, but there was only so much he could improvise in the span of a quarter hour. Hopefully he wouldn't end up blowing himself up (though this would hardly be the first time).

He really did hope that the ship was fueled by now. Depending on how badly this went, the floor might give out despite all the reinforcements he'd added over the decades.

Slithering to where the chandelier was bolted into the ceiling, Pentious tore off the cover and peered down to see if he had a good angle on the open top of the steaming kettle. Once he confirmed the positioning, he set the fire extinguisher and rifle to the side as he pulled out the scissors, beginning to saw at the thick cables keeping the chandelier in place.

Below him, there was a distinctive crash and a few beams of sunlight burst through the hallway. Swearing under his breath, Pent picked up the matches and ripped off one as he stuffed the packet in his mouth, continuing to saw despite his trembling fingers. If this didn't work he would be trapped up here until the Overlords found him. The attic was somewhat hidden, but with nothing to lock the door, he would be a sitting duck once they broke in.

His only escape was the small dormer window facing away from the front of the house, but then he'd have to climb down the roof and pray he didn't lose his grip.

Another loud bang sounded and more light cut through the dark hallway. "Hey snake-face!" Velvet's voice taunted as Vox stepped out into the foyer, brushing dust off his suit jacket. "We're heeeeere!"

"Goddamnit," Pentious hissed to himself as he scraped the loose match across the lighting pad clenched in his teeth, dropping the scissors to the floor as he groped behind him for the rifle.

"Oh, there you are!" Pent's eyes narrowed as Velvet stepped inside behind Vox, still holding the tall ram she'd used to break down the door. "We were looking for you," she said with a manic grin, peering up through the open ceiling panel as Vox gave his ever-mocking finger-waggle. "Now, why don't you come down and make this easy?"

Snarling, Pentious stood and hitched the rifle up, aiming the barrel at the damaged cable. "Forfeiture is a coward's play!" he growled, dropping the lit match into the kettle as he fired the gun. The cable was immediately blasted in two, the shot scattering shards of drywall and metal from the ceiling as Pent bolted, scooping up the fire extinguisher as he raced away from the open panel.

He gritted his teeth as he heard the distinct crash of the chandelier shattering against the floor and the explosive fwoop of flames as the alcohol vapors ignited and spread through the hallway below, licking up the path he'd made. Heat immediately choked the house as the fire ate through the kitchen and jumped gleefully onto the leaked gas, causing a second explosion as the flames hit the oven line.

Picking up the extinguisher, Pent bashed open the dormer window and pulled himself through, wincing as the broken glass scraped bloody gashes along his tail. Once outside, he took a deep breath and turned, catching sight of the airship through the clouds of smoke beginning to billow out over the roofline. His throat tightened and he swallowed. Oh thank god, Cherri had gotten out.

He then glanced down at the grass below before wrapping the hose of the fire extinguisher through the slots of the metal roof trim. Pent had never designed a smooth path to the ground from here, but there was also no way he could stay on top of a burning building. If he could just get to the forge, he might be able to hold out there a bit longer, maybe even last until Cherri and Angel came back and-

Pentious' body was rocked by an unseen force as a sharp stab of pain ripped through his shoulder. He yelped, nearly losing his balance as he touched over his back, outlining the handle of a long thin knife with his fingers.

"Blowing up the inside of your own house is pretty ballsy," Velvet said, stepping out of the cracked dormer window behind him, her hair and dress badly singed as several shallow cuts crossed her cheek and legs. "Fucked up Vox pretty bad, but he'll get a new screen tomorrow and be fine."

Pent whimpered as he lowered his arm back down, only to swing around with the fire extinguisher, bashing her in the face with the solid metal butt of the canister. He swore as he made impact, practically reeling from the throbbing sting that bloomed around his stab wound.

Velvet wobbled back and wiped at the blood that poured from her broken nose, dark red staining the neat white collar trim of her dress. "You son of a-"

He didn't wait for her to finish, instead clutching the extinguisher to his chest and holding on tight as he dropped over the side of the roof.

The hose only had so much slack, but Pentious managed to safely land on the awning of his back porch, sliding down the shingles before tumbling over the side. The knives slipped out of his sleeves and landed on the grass next to him a split second before the rifle fell, smacking Pent's tail before sliding off and onto the ground.

Pent gasped as all the air was forced from his lungs, blood now staining his white button-down. He pushed himself up to sit, fumbling with the rifle as his eyes frantically scoured the smoky roofline for a pursuing Velvet.

"I'll give you credit, you're a rather tenacious worm."

Pent inhaled sharply through his teeth as he looked over his shoulder to see Valentino step out from the other side of the house, the Overlord's jacket cast off to expose several burns seared across his body, including the moth's remaining antenna. "You've underestimated me for too long," Pentious panted, slowly standing as Vox emerged from behind Val, making Pent wince at the sight of him. The TV Demon had clearly taken the worst of the blast as the entire length of his body was scorched and blistering, most of the pixels on his screen deadened save for those around his left eye.

Val's mouth flattened into a firm line as he drew a pistol from his belt, making Pent raise his rifle in response. "Well, the game's over now. Gimme the knife and accept your fate. I won't hesitate to make this as painful as possible for you." Val ran his tongue over his teeth as a dribble of blood trailed down the side of the moth's jawline. "Those eyes of yours can take quite a few hits, but I doubt they'll withstand a bullet."

Pent bared his teeth at the other man, keeping his talons tight against the trigger as flames continued to lick the base of the mansion, hot air wafting out from the reinforced windows that had shattered under the magnitude of the initial explosion. "I don't have the knife," he spat as he heard a clatter and small thump behind him. "In fact, I haven't seen it since this morning," he said, shifting to keep the newly arrived Velvet in his sights along with the other two Overlords as the three of them slowly encroached on his space in a not so subtle attempt to cage him against the burning building.

Val scowled as Pent kept the rifle trained on him. "Where did you hide it you little-"

"Hey Val, isn't that his ship?" Velvet pointed with one of the knives in her hand, blood continuing to gush over her mouth and chin to stain the fabric of her already ruined dress. "He's got a weird ass blimp, right?"

Val's eyes flickered to the vehicle in question and Pent didn't waste any time, firing his weapon before taking off for the forge without waiting to see just where he'd hit the moth.

He had to get inside. He had to buy more time.
Anything for more time!

As he slithered, a bullet grazed his side and Pent winced, ignoring the burning sensation as even more shots whizzed past him.

Practically flinging himself into the door, Pentious dropped the rifle and put his thumbprint in the scanner, typing the passcode with his opposite hand. He ignored the yells and pounding footsteps across the grass behind him as he fumbled with the handle and snatched up the rifle. Pent threw himself inside and slammed the door, the locking mechanism sliding into place just as three heavy bodies made contact with the other side.

"Fuck!" Pent shouted into the empty forge, reaching back to touch the knife that was still embedded in his shoulder. As much as it hurt, he'd never be able to pull it out at this angle and he'd only lose more blood (and risk passing out) with it gone. Instead he slithered to his tool rack, taking his favorite work mallet and anything else he could use as a weapon. The rifle had a limited charge and once that was gone, he'd be left with nothing to defend himself so anything and everything that could serve as a weapon would have to be considered.

Outside, he could hear their muffled speech, but it was too quiet to make out any words. After a few minutes, his phone rang and Pent frowned as he pulled it out from his shirt, wincing at the horrible spider-web crack in the center of the screen. He picked up and brought the device to his face. "Real cute, worm," Val snarled, his voice openly displaying the moth's anger without a hint of composure tempering it down. "But if you think you're safe just because you fried Vox's cables, you're dead wrong. Once we get in there, we're gonna take our time with you before we collect the knife from your stupid blimp. Sending it off won't keep me from my prize."

Pent inhaled slowly, clenching the wooden shaft of the tool tightly between his fingers. "You and your little friends can eat my entire ass," he snapped before ending the call and opening his thread with Cherri.

"I'm running out of time. After you retrieve Angel, come straight to the forge. I'm surrounded and out of ideas." He sent the text and then followed up with, "Vox is weakened and I shot Val, but no one is fully incapacitied. They're all armed."

As he hit send, the entire forge shuddered under the weight of an angry blast and Pent's hood flared. That was far more powerful than the battering ram used on the doors. It had to be an explosive of some kind, though what exactly he couldn't name without having a direct line of sight.

Shivering, Pent lifted his phone and called Angel, though it was unlikely that the spider would pick up (if the guards hadn't already confiscated his mobile).

Another explosion made impact with the door and Pent bit his lip as the call went to voicemail: "Hey fucker, can't ya see I'm busy!? Leave a message if you think you're worth my goddamn time." Beep.

Pent took a deep breath as he stared at the door, a few cracks of sunlight peeking through from where the blasts had loosened the fit of the metal. "Angel, I don't know if I'll get to see you again or even if this message will reach you, but-" He winced as a third blast hit the forge, sending the entire building shaking until dust floated down from the exposed beams in the ceiling.

"Oh shit," he hissed as a fourth hit blew a large gap in the metal door, revealing Velvet holding a goddamn bazooka.

She grinned and saluted to him as Pent set his phone off to the side and fumbled with the rifle. "Well hey there!" she said, twirling her ragged skirt before aiming the barrel right at the snake. His eyes went wide and he dove to the ground as she fired, shooting a rocket into the wall behind him where it exploded and sent shrapnel flying across the room.

Pent fired back once, the beam grazing through her thick hair and singing the ends before he rolled behind the power-hammer, his heart beating a rapid tattoo as he looked down at the rifle in his lap and then the mallet at the base of his tail.

After everything he'd done, literal years of preparation and planning, he was down to a single gun and melee weapon.

Pent shuddered at the distinct whine of twisting metal as the broken door was pried open before the three Overlords entered the forge, their footsteps ominously loud in the quiet building. Then the steps stopped and Pentious took a deep breath, grabbing the work mallet before twisting around just as Valentino stepped out from behind the machine. The Overlord reacted quickly, one of his four arms catching the handle of the weapon in midair as he forced Pent back with the other three.

The snake tried to raise the rifle and fire with one hand, but his grip loosened as he was slammed against the control panel of the power-hammer, the knife in his shoulder turning the dial. Instantly the plates began to smack together rhythmically next to them, a pounding mantra just a few paces slower than the rhythm of his heart.

Val grinned as he twisted Pent's wrists, forcing the snake to drop the tool and rifle to the ground while one arm drew the moth's red pistol. He fired two quick rounds into the snake's gut, mirroring the shot that Pent had taken to his own abdomen, the laser having ripped through the Overlord's clothes to make a disgustingly inflamed burn that ran from his floating ribs to his hip.

Searing bolts of fire cut through Pent's side and he gritted his teeth, talons going slack as his body trembled. Valentino kicked the rifle and mallet away, both weapons sliding underneath the workbench before clattering against the wall. "Sit the fuck down," Val hissed, using the two hands holding the snake's wrists to shove Pent onto his tail against the vibrating machine as he kept his pistol pressed up to Pent's chest, the warm barrel cruelly digging into the yellow scales.

Groaning, Pent closed his eyes, breath shallow as blood sluggishly dripped over his scales and onto the floor below. He felt Val's boot press against the jagged holes and then suddenly the moth was stepping on him, digging the heel into his torn flesh. Pentious squirmed and growled, his tail lifting to weakly wrap around the other man's leg as his eyes snapped open, glaring hatefully up at the Overlord's smug smile.

"You really don't know when you're beaten, do you?" Val said snidely as Velvet and Vox rounded the hammer, Velvet still carrying her bazooka while Vox held a crowbar that he tapped menacingly against his palm. "I guess we'll have to smack the defiance out before we put you to work." He leaned in, pinching Pent's chin between the forefinger and thumb of his free hand, yanking the snake's jaw open as Pent's hood flared. "Everyone has a breaking point. Even stubborn little shits like you."

Pent just continued to snarl and spit at Val, making sure to hit the other Demon's glasses with a glob of saliva mixed with blood. The moth's smirk immediately tightened as Pent growled, "I already fulfilled our deal. You don't own me and you never will!"

Chuckling darkly, Val removed the glasses with his only remaining free hand, wiping them off on Pent's already stained undershirt before setting the frames back over his eyes. "Maybe not in the binding sense." He grinned and pushed his weight down into the bullet wounds, making Pent gasp and whimper below him. "But there's no one here to stop me, now is there?"

Pent gritted his teeth as he twisted in the moth's powerful hold. Of course he couldn't argue against that statement. There was no one who was going to keep Val from torturing him or from using him however he saw fit. The Overlord could hurt him, carve him up like a Christmas ham, beat him until every single one of his teeth had been knocked out, and there was nothing Pentious could do about it.

Aside from resist.

"Go to hell," Pent spat, earning another cruel laugh from the moth and an amused smirk from Velvet.

"Already here. Same as you, sweetheart," Val winked and let go of the snake's wrists only to grab Pentious by the throat and drag him away from the side of the mechanical hammer out into the middle of the forge. "Now. I had planned to take you back to the studio, but there's just so many fun looking toys in here…" The moth glanced to Vox and Velvet over his shoulder as Pent's talons scraped at the two arms holding his neck in a vice-like grip. "Don't you agree?"

Vox glanced around the industrial-looking equipment with his single eye and nodded, unable to speak without functioning pixels for his mouth. Velvet grinned and adjusted her hold on the bazooka so it more or less draped over her shoulder. "Yeah, I think this place has got some potential. Piss-poor lighting though. My pics will be soooo fuzzy! Oh, that reminds me-"

She whipped out her phone from inside of her torn dress and began taking pictures of Pent who winced and averted his eyes, not letting his scowl waver even through the harsh flashes. "Aw, c'mon!" she said, reaching over to grab his jaw and force him to look at her. "Smile!"

He bared his fangs and Valentino laughed, tightening his grip on Pent's throat. "He's a stubborn worm, isn't he?" the Overlord teased. "But I think that's because no one's given him a real beating yet. Little Kingpins don't know how the big boys play." Val leaned in and licked a line up Pentious' cheek, making the snake grimace in disgust.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed even as his lower body began to go numb, weak from blood-loss and the heady agony that throbbed through his stomach and shoulder.

"Oh, I'd do more than that if I could trust you wouldn't try to bite my dick off," Val taunted, tapping one fang with the barrel of his pistol as he squeezed down on Pent's windpipe. He smirked, clearly enjoying the way Pent began to wheeze and fight to draw air into his lungs. "Speaking of, these will be a problem. We'll have to put some veneers in at the very least."

As the Overlord inspected Pent's mouth, Vox scooped up the snake's abandoned phone, showing the voicemail that had timed out. Raising an eyebrow, Valentino stared at the cracked screen and laughed as he caught sight of Angel's number. "How sweet, you really tried to call Angel in your last moments." He shook his head and leered at the snake, pinching his cheeks with the hand not holding Pentious or the pistol. "You're so much more pathetic than I thought. Only a clueless moron would fall in love with a whore."

Pent just dug his talons all the deeper into Val's arm as Velvet rounded the two of them and grabbed the handle of the knife in his back, twisting it cruelly before yanking the blade out, making Pent's entire body twitch and shudder.

Velvet chuckled and lifted the shank, showing off the dark blood that coated the length of burnished metal. "He's a sad sack for sure, but he's got decent pain tolerance."

Nodding, Val looked back to the power-hammer which was still pounding away at the same pace they'd left it at. Pent's heart stopped as he watched the idea manifest itself in real time, a cruel smirk splitting Val's face. "We'll see about that," he purred, dragging Pent back over to the machine even as the snake began to thrash, forcing his stiff and aching muscles to fight against the exhaustion and stinging agony that threatened to paralyze him.

Velvet laughed as Pent only succeeded in scratching deep red gouges across Val's forearm, not even managing to loosen the moth's grip from his body as he was forced to lay down next to the slamming plates. "Vox, keep his tail from moving," Valentino ordered as he tucked his pistol back inside his pants and wrenched Pentious' right hand away from his bleeding arm. "Normally I'd see if I could pry off these claws of yours, but I think this-" he indicated the hammer with a tilt of his head, "-will do just fine."

"Lemme get a video!" Velvet insisted, sidling up to them both as Vox sat down on Pent's back, using his body weight to hold the snake down while Val dragged the snake's right hand toward the metal plates.

The moth grinned and met Pent's wide eyes as he said, "Make sure to forward a copy to Angel or at least tag him if you're going to post it online. The stupid slut needs a reminder of just what will happen if he sets another single fucking toe out of line."

Velvet nodded and raised the phone, adjusting her arm for the best angle. "Ok, aaaand we're recording!" she said, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she stared down at the screen.

Valentino grinned and tapped the space between Pent's brows as the snake swallowed, his gaze locking on the machine in front of him. "Your first mistake was thinking you could outsmart me, the second was trying to keep me from my rightful property," the moth whispered against Pent's cheek as he forcibly straightened out the snake's arm and brought his red talons just a few scant inches from the hammer.

Pent shook in Val's hold, his entire body trembling in a mixture of pain and fear. He wasn't strong enough to fight his way out of the pimp's grip or buck Vox off his back.

He could only brace for the impact.

At the last moment, Pentious flattened his palm and fingers, tucking his tongue away from his teeth as the crushing force sandwiched the delicate bones of his hand between the two unforgiving sheets of metal.

Despite his best efforts, he was simply unable to contain the high-pitched shriek that escaped his lungs as his entire body shuddered in pain. Pent's eyes watered and overflowed as Val removed his hand and playfully flicked the broken fingers, making the appendages flop uselessly back and forth. "There we go. Now he's crying," the moth taunted as Pent whimpered and weakly tried to pull his arm back into his chest, only for the Overlord to yank it out straight again. "So, you ready to give up or do we have to smash your other hand too?"

Hot tears tracked down Pent's cheeks as waves of stabbing pain throbbed out from his hand. He couldn't curl his fingers or even move them. Everything below the wrist was limp and useless.

Before he could protest, Val gripped his chin and lifted his head up, forcing Pent to meet the other man's eyes again even as his vision blurred from the tears and the paralyzing agony that lanced through him. "I asked you a question, gusano," Val purred, stroking one hand mockingly over Pent's hood, a too-gentle pass that made the snake flinch and shudder. "Answer it."

Pent just shook his head as little more than a pained mewl escaped his tight throat. He could barely draw breath, let alone speak, but Val took his silence for defiance and clicked his tongue, disappointedly tsking down at the snake. "You know, you're the worst kind of stubborn," the Overlord purred, releasing Pent's right arm and grabbing his left. "You only know how to dig yourself into an even deeper hole."

Whimpering, Pentious pulled against Val even as his opposite hand was dragged up to the hammer, the plates still merrily clacking away without a care.

"Stop," Pent whispered, his voice watery and raw as the Overlords snickered, the three of them pressing in on him as his fingers were brought closer and closer to the pounding machine. "For the love of god, please stop!"

BOOM

The entire forge shook with the force of an outside blast and no one had any time to react as the roof collapsed around them. Val immediately released Pent to roll out of the way as scraps of twisted metal and broken shingles rained down from the splintered rafters. Vox ducked out as well, practically leaping off the snake's back as Pent lifted his arms over his head to shield himself from the worst of the debris. He winced as he was battered with broken shards of slate while dust and pink smoke obscured his vision and made him hack with every breath.

Cradling his broken hand to his chest, Pentious sniffled and tried to slither away from the power-hammer, blindly dragging himself across the forge and leaving a bloody trail on the floor behind him. He bumped into something solid and froze once it moved, immediately backing away, his eyes wide as he shook his head.

"No...no, no no!" he cried as the person stepped forward and felt over his shoulders and face as if taking stock of him. "Leave me alone!" he shrieked, more tears spilling down his face as his arms were grabbed and steadied in a firm grip.

"Found him!" Cherri's voice called through the crackling fire and Pent's stuttering breath caught in his throat, watery eyes struggling to focus through the thick gray smoke. "C'mon and get up, old man. I can't carry you," she insisted, shifting to grab his broken hand and making him cry out as fresh tears bubble up to the surface. "Shit, they really fucked you up, huh?" He just whimpered as she knelt and lifted him from under his arms, forcing Pent up onto his tail with another pained whine.

"Bossman!"

Pentious winced at the sound of his minions' desperate calls and looked up as the smoke cleared to reveal the airship above them, a group of armed eggs waving from the ramp. "We're here to rescue you!" they called as the ship turned and began to sail out toward the expanse of grass in front of the forge.

He let out a burning exhale as he looked at Cherri. "Where's-?" Before Pent could finish his question, he heard the echo of a gunshot and Cherri was dragging them both behind an overturned workbench.

"Later!" she hissed, leading him through the destroyed forge as the eggboiz manning the ship began to fire back (missing most of their shots) at Valentino, who was bleeding from a fresh gash across his cheek and a deep gouge that cut down the length of his sternum. The moth snarled, wiping away some of the black soot that covered his mouth before he locked eyes with Pentious and Cherri, pink glasses cracked and barely hanging onto his face as he glared murder at them both.

Cherri just grinned and dropped Pent unceremoniously to the ground. "Hey fucker!" she shouted as she reached into her bag and chucked two handfuls of bombs at the moth. Val immediately ducked out of the way as the explosives collided with the warped walls of the forge and combusted in eruptions of fire and steaming sparks. Pent pushed himself back up as Cherri grabbed his elbow, yanking him out from behind the table. "C'mon. We gotta get to the-" as she spoke, the flying ship pitched onto its side, barely holding its position in the air before righting itself.

They both followed the smoke trail and caught sight of Velvet reloading her bazooka, the Overlord's manic grin still firmly in place despite the fact that her long hair was now torn completely free of its pigtails and her dress was little more than tatters clinging to her petite frame. "Aw, you do have friends!" she laughed before aiming the barrel at Pentious.

Baring her sharp teeth, Cherri dipped her hand back into the bomb bag, grabbing three small blast rounds. "Friend is a strong word!" she called as she whipped her tattooed arm around in an arc, launching the clutch of red bombs at the Overlord.

Velvet's loaded bazooka fell carelessly to the ground as she ran in the opposite direction to escape the blasts, only to get thrown a few feet by the following explosions and smacking hard against one of the few remaining walls of the forge.

"Let's get your ass on the ship!" Cherri called, dragging Pentious as the eggboiz maneuvered the vehicle down to land, the ramp partially destroyed and splintered from the hit it had sustained. Pent nodded and slithered as best he could, fighting through the pain and exhaustion that gripped his entire body. His vision was so blurry now and he could feel his heartbeat pulse through every scale, but he had to keep going.

Then a blast hit them from behind, sending both of them tumbling forward and slamming into the side of the ship with a dull thud. Pent slid down the polished metal and flopped to the grass, his ears ringing as he blinked and caught sight of Vox's encroaching silhouette above them. The TV Demon stepped through the smoke, shouldering Velvet's bazooka with a cold hatred in his single eye as he stared down at Pent.

Cherri was groaning next to him, lifting one hand to rub her head which was now bleeding heavily from her hairline. Pent's gaze flickered back to Vox as the TV Demon lifted the barrel and loaded another round into the back of the smoking launcher.

He knew they had to move, but Pent felt so broken. There was nothing left in him. Even the nerves that were screaming out had gone eerily quiet, snapped into submission by Valentino's unforgiving hand.

He'd finally hit the wall.

Pentious let out a deep breath, exhaling all the air from his lungs as he closed his eyes. His mind was full of buzzing sounds and pain, but when he thought of Angel, he found himself grounded if only by his own guilt. Whatever he'd gone through today, the spider would get multiple times over.

It was one thing to fail and suffer the consequences of his own actions.

It was another to drag someone else down into the pit with him.

Pent swallowed, shivering as he laid on the grass. He felt Cherri slowly stumble back onto her feet before the other Demon began shaking his bleeding shoulder and yelling at him to get his fat ass up, but he ignored her shouts. If she was smart, she'd leave him and take the ship. It wouldn't give her an eternity, but it would buy time.

Of course, the clock stopped for no one. It hadn't slowed for Simon Pearchwood or Sir Pentious no matter how hard he'd fought against the infernal ticking.

And it seemed that his time was finally up.

As he lay limp on the grass, several small shadows popped up to block the sunlight filtering through his eyelids. Pentious frowned and blinked one eye open to see that the remaining eggboiz had surrounded him and Cherri, all of them aiming their weapons up at Vox. "Don't you dare touch the Boss!" one of them ordered with far more confidence than was probably wise. "We'll fuck you up Mr. TV-Man!"

Vox rolled his single eye and simply raised the loaded bazooka.

A pink and white blur tackled the Overlord as he fired, knocking the weapon's barrel off-mark and firing the rocket into the ground next to the ship where it burst and ignited some of the surrounding grass. Pent groaned, refocusing his fuzzy vision as he slowly pushed himself up on his left hand, still holding the right against his chest.

Finally his vision cleared enough for Pentious to watch as Angel ripped the bazooka from Vox's grasp and bashed the other Demon viciously across the face with it. Cracks webbed out along the already damaged monitor as the Overlord twitched beneath the spider, but Angel showed no mercy and instead gave the screen another hard wallop, completely blinding the TV Demon as the remaining pixels fizzled out to a dull gray static.

The spider whipped around as he stood, his mismatched eyes softening as Pent met his gaze. "Shit, Pen…" he breathed, tossing the bazooka to the side as he stepped over Vox (giving the other Demon one last solid kick to the side before approaching). "What did they do to ya, baby?"

Pentious whimpered as he looked at the other man, part relieved, part terrified. Angel's clothes were torn and bloody, but aside from a few surface wounds, he seemed relatively unharmed. However the respite was short-lived and Pent's stomach dropped when he caught sight of the moth's silhouette behind the spider. "Valentino," he breathed as the eggboiz raised their weapons and tightened their circle around Pentious and Cherri.

Angel gritted his teeth and turned, pulling the navaja from his jacket and flipping open the knife as he glared at Val. The moth raised an eyebrow and then smiled, tilting his head to the side as his gaze flickered to the metallic blue blade. "Ah...so you had it all along, Angel?" Val said, his lips twitching in poorly masked annoyance. "I knew you liked this pathetic waste of air, but I assumed you were smarter than this, baby."

As the pimp spoke, Velvet emerged from the interior of the forge, clutching her left arm which was now bent at an awkward angle. She stooped down to help Vox sit up, the TV Demon shaking as he pulled his knees up toward his chest. "Val-"

The moth held up a palm to silence her, still facing Angel. "C'mon, darling. Don't be a fool. You know what'll happen if you don't hand that knife over." He chuckled and added, "Daddy will go easy on you, baby. All you gotta do is apologize."

Val stalked forward and Angel flinched, his eyes flickering from Valentino's face to the offered hand. "There ain't no goddamn future in that," the spider hissed, taking a step towards the airship. "There ain't nothing but more of the same and worse."

Val's mouth slowly pressed into a thin line. "You forget all the things I've done for you, Angel. I gave you whatever your slutty little heart desired. We had a deal, remember?" He advanced and Angel backed up again, his eyes never leaving the Overlord's. "Now, stop being a disobedient little shit and give me that knife."

A green glow engulfed Angel's upper right wrist and the spider winced as it seemed to tighten down over his arm. "There's always a price, baby. Are you willing to pay it?" Val asked as Angel stood frozen in place while the moth approached, his black boots crushing the disheveled grass beneath his heels with every step.

Pent shook his head in disbelief. Of all the possible outcomes, this was the one he feared more than any of them. "Don't..." he breathed as he saw the spider stand paralyzed, Angel's legs shaking from underneath him as Val's smug grin only widened.

"That's it, baby. You know who you belong to," Val purred, finally close enough to reach out and touch Angel's cheek, his petting gentle as one of his lower arms reached for the knife clutched in Angel's white-knuckled grip.

Desperate, Pent's eyes darted around before catching sight of Cherri's satchel. Without thinking, he dug his unbroken hand into the tote and grabbed the first bomb atop the pile, chucking it at the moth. "Duck!" he rasped as loud as he could through the fresh sting that lanced up his back in protest.

The spider leapt out of the way a split second before the black shell detonated against Val's chest. Rather than sparks, smoke, or fire bursting forth, there was only a flurry of sharp yellow nodes that embedded themselves into all three Overlords, Angel, and the surrounding grass.

"Angel!" Pent called, wincing as he grabbed the edge of his ship and forced himself to stand despite the pain. Shit, he hadn't realized they were that close. "Angel!"

The spider groaned and slowly sat up, grunting as he glanced down at the nodes sticking out of his chest and arms. "Fuckin' hell…" Angel muttered before getting onto his feet with a faint wobble, groping around for the knife that had fallen into the grass next to him.

Val hissed as he struggled to push himself onto his knees, looking at the nodes in mild confusion while Velvet immediately began ripping them out of her body. As she worked, her legs started to shake before collapsing underneath her in a heap. "The fuck!?" she growled as her arms went limp at her sides, leaving her sitting up straight against the scorched grass, held in place only by the balanced positioning of her hips. "What the hell is this!?"

Cherri blinked and then looked down at her bag, digging out another paralysis bomb. She turned it over in her hand and met Pentious' wide eyes. "These little fuckers told me those were smoke bombs," she muttered as the eggs just flashed them guilty smiles and slowly backed away from both Demons. "Shit, if I knew they did that then I'd have used them when we were at the studio! Woulda saved us a fuck-ton of time!"

Before Pent could answer, a loud and distinctly cold cackle filled the air. His gaze flickered back to Angel who was now tearing the nodes from his own body, tossing the yellow canisters to the grass as a cruel smirk twisted his features. The spider's perverse grin only widened as he stepped over Val who was left twitching on the ground, several nodes buried in his chest with one sticking out his neck. "Angel Cak-" Val began only for the spider to slide the knife under his chin, forcibly tilting the Overlord's head up.

"Oh don't you Angel Cakes me you sick fuck," Angel growled, his eyes practically glowing as he stared down at the moth. "I've been waitin' on an opportunity like this for the last 30 goddamn years." He laughed even louder, tilting his head back as he purposefully stepped on Val's crotch with his heeled boot, grinding it deep into the other man's groin until Val's face was pinched with agony beneath him.

Slowly, Pent began to hobble to the spider, reaching out for him. "Angel, the deal-" he reminded, only for the other Demon to raise one of his palms in a snappy bid for silence.

"Hold on, baby. I ain't forgettin'." Angel took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose as he straddled Val's chest, lifting his three free hands before slowly curling his fingers into fists. "Lemme get this out and then we can go back to business."

Pent nodded, slowly sinking down on top of the uninjured section of his tail as Angel began to beat on Val with his bare fists. The spider didn't pull his punches, but Val to his credit didn't plead or beg, simply snarled every time Angel gave any sort of pause. Cherri stood and walked over as well, stopping next to Pent as the spider cracked the bridge of the heart-glasses in two, cutting his fist on the thick plastic as the rims slid off the Overlord's face and onto the grass.

When the spider's knuckles were broken and bloody, Angel finally stopped, panting deeply as he stared at the moth's bruised and swollen face. "I wish I coulda done that every time you dragged me into the Penthouse." Angel's shoulders shook as he raised the knife again, flashing the metallic blue blade in the light of the midday sun. "Either that or taken this sucker to your junk." He rotated the handle and grinned as Val's swollen red eyes went wide with the first hint of fear Pent had ever seen from the Overlord.

Clearing his throat, Pent frowned and lifted his chin pointedly, making Angel heave an exasperated sigh. The spider just glanced at them over one shoulder, his expression tired as he gestured back to Val with the tip of the navaja. "I'm gettin' to it! Sheesh, Pen I've been waitin' a real long time fer this! Let a man enjoy some quality goddamn revenge!"

"I know, but we shouldn't take any chances," Pent reminded quietly. "My venom could have them down for the count for a good while or it could wear off faster depending on their drug tolerance." He grimaced as Cherri helped him to stand again, letting Pentious lean some of his weight on her as the two of them joined Angel and leaned over Valentino in a huddled circle.

The moth managed to turn his head to the side, spitting out some blood and a loose molar before glaring coldly up at them all. "I assume you want your contract dissolved in exchange for my soul," Val growled, his bare antenna flicking back and forth in frustration as if to compensate for his paralyzed state.

Pent furrowed his brow and looked to Angel, raising his good hand to stroke over the spider's shoulder. "Remember to word this carefully. Leave nothing out," he said, meeting the other man's eyes as Angel pursed his lips and nodded, letting out a deep exhale.

"Alright Val, I won't end you if you do the followin'," Angel began, taking the knife and sliding the blunt end over the curve of Valentino's bruised cheek. "You break my contract...and every other contract you got unda ya."

Val immediately tensed, baring his teeth up at Angel. "You little-" But then Angel flipped the blade, pressing the serrated edge to the underside of his chin and the moth's lips quickly pursed into a tight line.

"I ain't fuckin' done!" Angel snapped, glaring down at the Overlord with nothing less than pure unadulterated fire in his dilated pupils. "You release all your goddamn contracts and you never come after me an' mine eva. No retaliation or contact of any sort, direct or indirect." He huffed and added, "I know how this shit works so no tryin' ta weasel your way around to get at me with one of your buddies or some shit. You break that deal and your ass is mine forever." He gave the moth a toothy grin and glanced to Pent for affirmation, which the snake provided with a small nod. "Got that, busta?"

Val hissed, twitching helplessly beneath Angel as the knife traced nonsensical patterns just a centimeter above the Overlord's exposed flesh. "You're never going to get work in this city again if you leave me, Angel. I run the porn industry. Every website, every studio is mine. No club will book you, no one will host your content. You'll be back to just working Johns and getting paid sag-scale while your little worm gets tossed around by Kingpins twice his size."

Pent raised his hackles and slammed his own fist down in the center of Val's chest, making the other Demon sputter and cough. "Better to be a worm than a rat," he groused, locking eyes with the moth in a spiteful glare.

Angel just snickered and grabbed Valentino's chin, forcing the Overlord to meet his steely gaze as Val hacked up phlegm and blood. "That's my offer, you poorly shaved nutsack. Take it or I'll gut you right fuckin' now without anotha thought."

The spider raised one of his free hands, closing it into a tight fist. "Ya got to the count of four. Would be five, but you don't deserve the extra finger." He winked and released his thumb. "One."

Valentino's eyes flickered from Pentious to Angel to Cherri as if trying to determine if this was really happening or not. Pent just continued to bare his teeth while Cherri laughed and crossed both arms over her chest, stepping on one of Val's hands before wordlessly digging her boot into the appendage.

Angel flicked out his index finger and licked over his teeth. "Two."

The eggs slowly approached, closing the circle with their weapons still drawn as they glowered down at Val. "This the guy who hurt you, boss!? Can we shoot him?" one of them asked, but Pent just put up his hand, pointing to Angel who was adjusting his grip on the navaja.

Angel chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss against Pent's bruised cheek as he moved the knife to Val's torso, miming a carving motion just underneath the Overlord's ribs. "Three."

Then Angel's eyes locked with Val's one last time, neither of them backing down as the spider flicked out his pinky. "Fo-"

"It's a deal," the Overlord hissed through tightly gritted and blood-stained teeth. "I'd lift my arm, but that's not exactly possible now is it?"

Pent inhaled sharply and raised his hand up to pet a soothing line down Angel's nape as the other man's entire spine stiffened in response. This was it. There was no going back now.

Quietly, Angel grabbed one of Val's limp hands, forcing their palms to clasp firmly. "Good, glad we could come to a motherfuckin' agreement," he muttered as an eerie green glow enveloped their arms from fingers to wrist before disappearing just as quickly as it came. Immediately Angel dropped Val's hand, letting it smack the moth limply in the face. "But I ain't done with ya juuuuust yet."

Angel raised the knife again and Val's eyes widened. "The fuck are you doing!?" he growled as Angel grabbed the side of Valentino's face, holding his cheek steady. "We have a deal!"

"Yeah...to not kill ya," Angel said with a rather manic grin before he looked at the snake who just raised an eyebrow, not sure what exactly the other Demon was planning. "And Pen here gave me the perfect fuckin' idea." He leaned over, pressing their foreheads together for a moment before pulling back. "So thanks, babe."

"You're...welcome?" Pent murmured, very confused, but too curious to look away.

Turning back to Val, Angel chuckled and said, "Remember, you agreed ta no retaliation." The spider winked and lowered the tip of the blade, carving deep into Val's forehead as the moth began to shake underneath him, pained grunts escaping through his firmly closed lips. "But I never fuckin' did."

Cherri cackled loudly as Angel worked, drawing the knife through Valentino's flesh like it was little more than paper. "Oh this is fucking perfect, Ange. Hold on, lemme snap a pic." She pulled out her phone, waiting until the spider had finished before taking a picture of Val's face where the letters R-A-T bled sluggishly over the sides of his skull.

"Enjoy that partin' gift, asshole," Angel growled as he stood up, wiping Val's blood off on the moth's shirt before giving the paralyzed pimp one last solid kick to the crotch. "And good luck hidin' it under your hat."

Pent took a deep breath as Angel stepped away with Cherri following him, leaving just the snake and his minions sitting adjacent to the hissing Overlord. "Bring these three back to the limo out in front of the-" He turned and winced at the sight of the smoldering wreckage that was once his home, the eggboiz all mirroring the expression sympathetically. "Just drag them out front. Their driver should take it from there…" he muttered, shoulders slumping as he tried to push the sight of his ruined house out of his mind's eye.

The eggs saluted him and immediately dumped their weapons to the ground, grabbing Velvet and Vox first and slowly ferrying them out to the limo. Meanwhile, Angel folded the knife and slipped it into his jacket, his posture looser and more relaxed now that he'd taken out some of his anger and frustration. "Sorry we took so long gettin' here, Pen. Had ta cut down the entire goddamn security team before I could get my ass back to the house." He touched over one of the deeper lacerations that ran down his side and flinched. "It wasn't exactly easy…"

"Well there wasn't much of a house for you to come back to anyway," Pent said with a tired shrug before raising his left arm to pinch over the tight furrow of his brow. "At least you saved my other hand."

"What the hell happened?" Angel reached out and took Pent's right wrist, frowning as the snake immediately winced and tried to pull the limb back. "Shit...we're gonna need to take you to the hospital…"

Pent sniffled and gestured down at his tail. "I also have two bullets in me...and a stab wound to the back." He clutched his broken hand to his chest and scrubbed away the tear tracks with the heel of his opposite palm while Angel scowled, shooting another glare to Val. "I'll live, but this will need to be splinted as soon as possible. I'd rather not have to rebreak any of these fingers should they not be properly set."

Nodding, Angel sighed and leaned down to gently envelop the snake in a hug, making sure not to put too much pressure or weight on any of his wounds. "Still coulda saved ya a lotta hurt if we'd been a lil' quicker." Angel bit his lip and added, "Or if I'd guessed Val was gonna bring the fight to ya in the first place. I thought I knew the sonofabitch, but I guess he still had some surprises up his fuckin' sleeves…"

"To be fair, I wouldn't have considered that option either," Pent murmured softly as he leaned into Angel, not caring that he was probably smearing even more blood on Angel's ruined clothes. "So ultimately you heading to the studio was still a boon. It broke the deal before he could use his power over me for anything nefarious."

As they spoke, the eggs returned and picked up Val, lifting the larger Demon with some difficulty compared to the much smaller Vox and Velvet. The moth glared at them all hatefully as he was carried past, his limbs twitching with his attempts to fight against the toxin's hold.

Cherri just flashed him two middle fingers and yelled, "See you never, fuckwad!" as Angel gave a mocking wave and blew the pimp an equally sarcastic kiss.

Val's gaze then shifted to Pentious and the snake flinched before childishly sticking his forked tongue out at the Overlord, earning him a hearty snicker and a soft kiss from Angel. "God, you're such a fuckin' dork, Pen." The spider murmured, reaching one hand up to stroke the side of Pent's cheek.

Exhaling through his nose, Pent smiled and pressed his face into Angel's palm, nuzzling the pink fingers that expertly traced along the smooth grain of his scales. "I think I've earned a respite from your insults after today," he rasped before meeting the other man's eyes with a cautious smile. "Speaking of respite, you're free."

Angel blinked, his smile slowly falling as he stared at Pent and then raised his own hand, specifically the one he'd used to break the deal. When Angel didn't respond, Pent bit his lip. "Angel?" he asked quietly, reaching up with his good arm to touch the other man's jaw.

As soon as his fingers made contact, the spider began to tremble and both of his eyes started to brim with unshed tears. Pent stiffened and almost removed his hand, but Angel's arms quickly came up to hold him, his shaking fingers burrowing deep into the fabric of Pent's blood-soaked shirt.

Cherri winced as Angel sank down, his knees hitting the grass hard and forcing Pent to coil fully on the uninjured section of his tail. "Angie...it's ok…" she murmured, petting a hand down the spider's back. "We got you, Ange."

Despite her soft assurances, Angel just continued to shake and Pent swallowed, feeling helpless as the other man began to openly sob. Angel's cries only grew louder and more uncontrolled the longer they sat there until the spider was practically wailing against him, salty tears and snot dribbling over Angel's chin in equal measure. It was as if over a decades' worth of pain was being expelled all at once in a single hailstorm of emotion.

Pent exchanged worried glances with Cherri and she sighed, but didn't offer any words. It didn't feel right to speak in the moment so they didn't. Instead they just sat there and let Angel wordlessly weep under the overly cheerful glow of the mid-afternoon sun.

They were eventually interrupted by the returning eggboiz, but Pent quietly directed them to go and salvage as much as they could from the wreckage of his home and the forge so he could continue to pet over Angel's trembling shoulders. "Load everything onto the ship. We'll take care of the rest another time," he said in a low voice as the spider buried his face even deeper in the juncture of Pentious' throat.

Angel clung to him for maybe another fifteen minutes before finally coming to, his face an overwhelmed red and covered with a messy mixture of tears and mucus. "Shit...I'm sorry," he muttered in a watery voice as he continued to weakly sniffle. "You're like bleedin' out and shit while I'm just sittin' here like a goddamn baby." He raised a hand to wipe his face, but Cherri stripped off her black arm-warmer for him to use instead.

The spider gave her a grateful, albeit exhausted smile before cleaning himself up as best he could, loudly blowing his nose into the torn fabric. "Let's get you to a fuckin' doctor," Angel murmured, slowly standing on shaky legs before lifting Pent back up. The snake hissed as his wounds began to ache again and Angel pursed his lips, glancing to the eggboiz who were still loading up the cockpit. "You guys got anymore shit ta grab? Pen really needs some help."

The eggs nodded and immediately dropped what they were carrying to surround the two of them. "The Bossman's health is priority! We can always come back later and salvage the rest."

Pent sighed and as he looked over the burnt foundation that was once his house, the melancholy cutting him deeper than his wounds as he allowed Angel and Cherri to walk him up the ramp and onto the idling ship. "I suppose it's not going anywhere…"

They sat him down in a chair bolted to the floor and Angel smoothed over Pent's hood while the rest of the eggs piled in, Cherri taking the wheel behind them. "It'll be ok, babe. We'll make ya a new house, one with blackjack an' hookers," Angel teased in a watery voice, clearly trying to get Pent's mind off the worst of the damage as he massaged over the snake's undamaged scales.

Rolling his eyes, Pent just shook his head even as the other Demon amended the statement to, "Ok, maybe just one hooker then." Angel nuzzled him while Cherri retracted the ramp and sealed the exit with a hiss, the cabin pressurizing around them within seconds. "Me, I'm the hooker-"

"Yes, I understood what you meant," Pent said with a snort, allowing his lips to quirk up in mild amusement before awkwardly clearing his throat.

With the adrenaline and fear slowly dying down, more insidious thoughts were starting to bubble in his mind. They were of no threat to his physical form, but nonetheless held the power to cleave his soul in two depending on the answer. "Actually, if you don't mind my asking...what do you plan to do now that you're free from your contact with Valentino?"

Despite everything, there was a very real chance that Angel would decide to leave. It was one thing for the other man to fight alongside him and make grand emotional declarations in the heat of the moment, but now they truly had no obligations to one another. For all Pentious knew, that meant they would be going their separate ways once the emotions had died down.

After all, what did they truly share now that the primary obstacle in their afterlives was more or less removed from the equation?

Angel frowned as the thrusters roared to life beneath them, Cherri leveling out while the ship began to lift off the ground. "Do I really gotta repeat myself?" he asked as Pent averted his eyes, both of them vibrating in sync with the purr of the engines as the remaining eggs scurried to their posts.

Sighing, Angel shook his head and pinched Pent's chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently turning the snake's face to meet his line of sight. "I made my intentions pretty fuckin' plain last night, Pen. Is the blood loss hittin' hard or are you gettin' cold feet now that we're in the clear?"

Pent winced and shook his head, biting his lower lip and chewing on it for a few moments before saying, "Yes, but that was before. Now you don't need me to be the distraction from your pain and-"

He was silenced with a soft kiss, Angel swallowing his words without any hesitation while the airship sailed over the top of the smoking remains of the mansion. Pent felt his throat tighten as Angel pulled back, the spider nuzzling against his cheek before saying, "You ain't ever been just a distraction or some cheap diversion. Fuck, I'd only need a bag of powder if that's all I wanted." Angel smiled and closed his eyes as he let out a deep contented sigh, leaning his head into Pent's uninjured shoulder. "But if you suggest breakin' up with me again, I am gonna have ta deck you. So stop bein' stupid, ok? I get that your brains are a lil' scrambled right now, but seriously, stop that shit."

Slowly, Pent nodded as his heart ached beneath his ribs (not throbbing half as deeply as his wounds, but it was a rather close call to make). "Alright...but in the meantime, we'll need to find somewhere else to stay. It will be several months before I'm healed enough to construct a new home, nevermind being capable of seeing the project through to completion."

The spider chuckled and gave Pentious a playful wink before drawing a familiar metal key from inside of his bloody jacket. "Then it's a good thing we know a place that's got plenty of open rooms, huh?"

Pent's gaze flickered to the key and he found himself returning the smile. "Indeed," he said softly as they began to glide down the burning hill and toward the mess of a city below.

Behind them, Cherri leaned over the helm and began to make exaggerated gagging noises. "Are you guys done being mushy?" she asked with a mocking smirk on her face as she bent down and lifted up Pentious' top hat from behind the control panel. "By the way, you left this shit in here, edgelord. Guess you're pretty lucky it wasn't back at the house, huh?"

Pent blinked, touching the top of his bare hood in mild shock. He had completely forgotten he'd left it in the ship, but he'd also had far more pressing matters to attend to at the time. "I suppose I should thank you for taking care of it," he murmured as he watched Cherri twirl one finger around the interior of the brim. "Well, give it here then." He held out his good hand and Cherri just grinned, tossing the hat to them like it was a frisbee.

The accessory's single eye went wide with panic, only relaxing once Angel caught it in midair, brushing his pink palms over the black fabric before settling it on Pent's head with an amused laugh. The snake smiled and touched over the brim with his good hand, already feeling a lot better with it on (though the pleasant sensation hardly detracted away from the more intense physical aches and pains that were currently stabbing through his corporal form).

Turning to stare out at the massive windshield of the ship, Pent sighed and sank deeper into the chair, letting his exhaustion finally take hold. He only bothered expending enough energy required to lift his left hand and loosely curl his fingers around Angel's. Immediately the spider snorted and tightened his hold, gently squeezing Pent's palm while his other hands continued to stroke down the snake's back, being careful to avoid the stab wound in his shoulder.

Pentious had lost the battle, but at the very least, they had won the day.

Hours later, they were discharged from the clinic: Pent having been thoroughly stitched up and given a heady dose of painkillers while his entire right hand was splinted before being cast in red gauze. The doctors projected a long and slow healing process which meant he would have to wait several weeks before even attempting to start construction on a new house, but at least they wouldn't be without a roof over their heads in the interim.

Cherri landed the ship down as carefully as she could in front of the Happy Hotel (managing to only break the asphalt as the heavy vehicle dropped to the ground). Once the ramp was deployed, Angel wheeled Pent out in his temporary chair as the remaining eggboiz flanked them on either side, all of the minions still carrying their weapons in a bizarre facsimile of an armed guard.

Almost immediately after they'd dragged the wheelchair up the steps of the Hotel, both double doors flew open and Charlie emerged, her expression tight and watery. "I'm so glad you guys are ok!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at Angel and embracing the spider tightly before looking down at Pent, placing a gentle hand on the snake's chest "Sir Pentious...you're-"

"I'll be fine," he assured with a loose smile, his eyes slightly out of focus as he stared up at her. "Though do try and direct all queries to Angel. I'm still a bit…" He paused, pursing his lips as he struggled to find the right word, "-toasty."

"He's high as balls," Angel corrected with a dismissive snort as he patted the snake's collarbone. "The docs doped him up nice an' good so he doesn't have to feel the holes in his gut all goddamn night. Right, babe?"

Pent just shook his head, waving his good arm at Angel. "I'm not that bad. Earlier was worse," he assured as Charlie raised a palm to hide her chuckles behind well-manicured fingers.

"So what happened exactly?" Charlie asked as Cherri came out of the ship with a bag slung over her shoulders, the ramp closing up behind her before the lights on the vehicle went dark and dormant. "I imagine you don't have a very high drug tolerance, Sir Pentious."

"The old man didn't recognize Angel at all and hit on him bad," Cherri said with a mocking snicker, nudging Pent's uninjured shoulder with her elbow as she sidled up to them. "Like we're talking full blown 'What's a guy like you doin' in a place like this?' sorta crap."

Angel just grinned and cupped his chest, pushing his breasts up through the V of his jacket collar. "Couldn't stop starin' at my titties either." He winked as Pent blushed, though his dopey smile didn't fall.

Today had been a true odyssey, but the relief that he felt was better than any of the hard drugs coursing through his system. Pentious might have made a fool of himself, but the embarrassment was worth it because he was alive (well, his soul was intact anyway) and he was still free. There was simply no price he could ever put on such a gift.

"In any case, I am considerably more sober now," Pentious said, glancing up to Charlie as the princess continued to giggle behind her palm. "I assume you got the text that Angel sent?"

Charlie nodded and cleared her throat, straightening her posture into something a touch more professional as she tugged at her suspenders. "Yeah, the room's yours as long as you guys need it, though I imagine you'll be taking the elevator rather than the stairs for quite some time." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the spare key to Room 404, placing it in Pent's uncast palm. "I know it's only until your home is rebuilt, but we're glad to have you back at the Hotel, Sir Pentious."

Closing his fingers around the key, Pent chuckled and nodded to her in turn. "Your unwavering trust and generosity is much appreciated as always, Miss Charlie," he murmured, his hat drunkenly leaning forward in a small bow, only to tumble off his head and into his lap.

Still beaming, Charlie helped prop open the doors so Angel could wheel Pent into the lobby, followed closely by the troupe of armed eggs. Cherri entered as well, dropping the bag containing what few personal items they could salvage from Pentious' destroyed home onto the worn carpet. "Well as fun as it'd be to stick around and chat, I should head back to my own place, Ange. Queef's gonna need to be fed." She sighed and hugged the spider tight, giving him a few pulsing squeezes before releasing him. "But shoot me a text in the morning and promise to keep my ass in the loop for a while just in case Rat-bag finds some sorta bullshit work-around to your deal."

Angel nodded and kissed her cheek. "Got it, bitch," he said with a toothy smile before he leaned over and grabbed the bag, tossing it across his own back. "Thanks again fer savin' my ass. Woulda still been stuck at the studio if you hadn't come in."

Cherri flashed them both one of her wink-blinks and said, "Just know that when it's my turn to beat up an Overlord, you owe me one. Both of you." She pointed to Pent who simply yawned and waved her off before lifting his hat back onto his hood.

With that, she gave them a two finger salute and headed out, leaving them in the lobby with Charlie and a bored looking Husker sitting behind the Welcome Desk. Once the doors closed behind Cherri, Husk heaved a tired sigh and shook his head, stepping out from around the bar with a bottle clutched tightly in his fist.

"Y'know, when I said you'd be back, this wasn't exactly how I thought it'd go," he muttered as his yellow eyes flickered to the eggboiz who were curiously wandering the lobby like a gaggle of lost tourists. "All these little fucks staying with you two?" he asked, gesturing vaguely with his free hand as he took a deep swig from the bottle.

"We should probably get the eggboiz settled in the room next door," Charlie suggested, slipping behind the bar to grab a key for room 403 in the back office. "That way you guys aren't too crowded but they're still nearby if you need their help."

Pentious nodded and looked back to Husk, smiling softly as he met the cat's eyeline. "Unfortunately my home was destroyed in the battle." He sighed and lifted his broken hand, indicating the thick red cast. "I'll have to rebuild it, but that will come after I've had time to heal."

Husk leaned his elbows against the bar and took another swallow from his drink as he looked them over, taking in the various injuries that dotted their bodies. "Yeah, you both look pretty wrecked, but you guys did pick a fight with a goddamn Overlord." He shrugged, his red wings shifting out behind him before refolding against his spine. "Guess the fact that you survived at all is impressive."

Laughing, Pent stiffly twirled the arm of his broken hand and said, "Well, as a fellow gambler, you know that every bet is a combination of skill and luck." He winked and Husk snickered, a small smirk cutting through his sour expression.

"Yeah. Lady Luck sure don't smile on your ass at the tables, but she seems pretty damn fond of keeping you alive," the cat murmured as Pentious lifted his chin and loosely crossed his arms on top of his chest.

"Time is the ultimate prize," Pent declared as he felt Angel's knuckles brush over his shoulders fondly. There's always more money to be won, but we only get so many days."

At that moment, Charlie returned with the key so they ended the conversation and bid their goodnight to Husk before piling into the elevator (the eggs and wheelchair making it quite the tight fit). Pent couldn't help but feel a warm tinge of nostalgia as they arrived at their old floor with a gentle chime of the carriage bell, the doors opening to reveal the all too familiar fourth level. He had truly thought he'd never return, but now that they were here he was almost happy to be back again…

Even if it was just until he was able to rebuild everything he had lost.

With the eggs settled in their room, Charlie gave them both a quick hug before departing to let the two men get some much needed rest ("Please don't hesitate to text me if you guys need any help! You know where to find me.").

Angel had barely unlocked 404 when they were accosted by a very excited Nuggets, the pig eagerly nosing at the snake's tail as Pentious reached his uninjured hand down to let the piglet sniff his fingers. "I know, you must have been worried sick," he remarked as Angel closed the door behind them and tossed the bag containing Pent's clothes on top of the dresser.

"Well of course. They didn't know if daddy an' papa were ever comin' back," Angel said, helping Pent out of the chair and up into the bed, getting the snake comfortable before plucking the hat off his head to set it down on the nightstand. Their eyes met and Pent felt his breath catch as Angel smiled down at him, the spider passing a hand over his hood as he murmured, "Nugs is gonna have ta get used to walkin' around the park again rather than the nice big field at your place."

"I'm sure they'll survive the disappointment," Pentious hummed as Angel pulled back, moving the wheelchair out of the way before going to the other side of the bed to kick off his shoes. Once the spider was dressed in little more than a loose sleep shirt and panties, Angel picked up Nuggets and set them down on the bed to let the pig cuddle between their legs and tail. Pentious smiled and idly scratched over Nugs' back spines. "Perhaps I'll enclose a small yard in the back once construction begins? That way they can run around outside free from a harness."

Angel raised an eyebrow as he clapped to turn off the lights. "You ain't just gonna be copy-pastin' what you made before?" he asked as he rolled over to stare at Pent in the dark, raising his phone up and illuminating his face with the bright screen.

"Hmmm, yes, but I might as well take the opportunity to add onto the existing foundation." Pent smiled softly and took a deep breath. "I hadn't intended on blowing up the house today, but I was rather short on time and I wanted to give Cherri every second she needed to get to you."

Frowning, Angel nodded. "If it makes you feel any betta, we destroyed Val's place too." He paused and flicked his thumb across the screen. "Ya wanna have a look? We got some pretty sweet pics."

Pentious snorted and then scooted a bit closer as Angel rolled onto his back and raised the phone between them, opening an album while Nuggets curled up against the spider's side. "You shoulda seen this shit. I tried ta leave when I got Cherri's text about Val bein' at your place, but the guards locked me in and barricaded the goddamn door. I just about broke everythin' in the room until Cherri flew in with your stupid fuckin' blimp."

Angel flicked through the pictures and Pent smiled as he was given image after image of Val's destroyed Penthouse, ranging from smashed bottles of expensive looking liquor to shredded couch cushions and shattered windows. There was even a short video of Cherri blasting open the door and throwing a set of molotov cocktails into the hall at the guards before ducking behind an overturned table with Angel. "Looks like you both had fun," Pent murmured as Angel opened some pictures of the eggboiz tying up the burned guards and threatening them with their guns.

The last photo in the album was clearly taken from inside of the airship with the studio in the center of the frame. The roof of the building was on fire and slowly burning from the Penthouse down with both Angel and Cherri's disembodied hands on either side, middle fingers proudly displayed in a defiant manner that was art all its own.

"Almost got caught up in the chaos before I remembered we needed to save your ass," Angel murmured, kissing Pent's cheek. "And shit, Pen when I got your voicemail, I just about fuckin' lost it." He shuddered and closed his eyes. "I knew Val couldn't do anythin' permanent, but he didn't need the knife to fuck with you."

The spider lifted Pent's cast with two hands and pressed apologetic kisses all over the red gauze. "I'm real sorry, Pen. We shoulda gotten there sooner."

Shaking his head, Pent murmured, "It's unfortunate, but we can't change it now. It is what it is." He then smiled softly and brushed the back of his cast along the length of Angel's jaw. "The important thing is that you saved me."

Angel shrugged, his eyes hooded as he stared at Pent, the shadows of his face made all the harsher by the bright screen. "I mean, you're still the hero. You made the damn knife in the first place," he reminded as he carded one hand down the side of Pent's hood, careful to stroke along the grain of the black scales. "I couldn't have done any of this shit without you."

"Hmmm...so now you finally acknowledge the role that weapon manufacturers play in the sins of those who partake in their work?" Pent teased, his lips curling into a smug smirk as Angel just groaned and rolled his eyes at him.

"Shut the fuck up," Angel groused, though there was no real heat behind his words as he kissed Pent's forehead, smoothing out the skin that bunched between the snake's brows. "I swear, you're so goddamn stupid sometimes it makes my head spin…"

Still grinning, Pent just chuckled. "In any case, I'm happy to have supplied you with the necessary tools to break your own chains," he murmured as he closed his eyes and settled down against the soft pillow. "Though I will need the knife back. Once the forge is rebuilt, I'll have to melt it down and manufacture the cuffs and key again so we aren't ripped apart by that infernal owl."

Angel pursed his lips and stroked his hand down the side of Pent's face. "Yeah, speakin' of rebuildin'-" He leaned in, nuzzling Pent before pressing a chaste series of pecks to his brow, his cheeks, and finally his mouth. "We gotta make some changes if I'm movin' in. First thing is first, you're puttin' a pole in the bedroom."

Pent blinked his eyes back open, confusion twisting his exhausted expression into one of complete and utter disbelief. "What?" he asked, raising one eyebrow incredulously as he stared at Angel in the dimming light of the mobile. "That's your first request?"

The spider shrugged, his lips slowly curling up into a small smile. "I got priorities. Sides, it won't all be for work..." He tickled under Pentious' chin as the phone went into sleep mode, leaving them in total darkness save for the red moonlight filtering in through the curtains. "Got some private shows for a pretty handsome Kingpin lined up."

Pent coughed, his cheeks tingeing pink as Angel affectionately thumbed along his jawline. The spider's smile was short-lived though and Angel began to chew his lower lip as the silence stretched between them. "By the way, we should probably talk about my job cuz...well, I know a lotta guys ain't inta datin' a-" Angel sighed and stretched out, shifting Nugs down the mattress so he could press his hip to Pent's. "If we're doin' this for real and I move in, are you gonna be ok with me doing cam shows and strippin'? I'm down for leavin' whorin' behind because cuz fuck the Johns are such a pain, but I like dancin', I like doin' porn-"

Without another word, Pent leaned in and shut Angel up with a kiss, his good hand delicately cradling the back of Angel's skull in his palm. The spider gave a small grunt of surprise, but didn't pull away until Pent separated after a few long moments.

Looking the other man in the eye, Pent let his talons twist around the shorter strands of the spider's hair, not pulling, but not quite braiding either. "If you enjoy doing it, then by all means, continue your work. This was your life long before you met me and it's hardly my place to condemn it." Pentious exhaled and added, "Though I would appreciate it if you refrained from using our bed for your streams and shows."

Angel blinked, his grin slowly returning as he trailed a finger down Pent's chest, careful to avoid the thick bandages. "Shit, it's nice to hear you say 'our bed'," he teased, nuzzling the snake's cheek as his other hands came to wrap around Pentious' torso in a loose hold. "Mmmm, think we can add a room then? You get your study and I get a private place ta film?"

"I think I could work that into the blueprints," Pent murmured, his mind already abuzz with potential layout concepts. He hadn't designed an entire complex since he first built his lair over a century ago and while the loss weighed heavy on his heart, the potential for an even better draft was actually kind of exciting. "Maybe I'll make it three stories instead of just the two."

Angel laughed and pinched Pent's cheek between his index finger and thumb. "Gettin' big ideas already?" he asked as he began to cuddle into Pentious, lifting one leg to wrap around the lower half of the snake's tail while Nuggets squirmed to get out from the tight press of their bodies (laying back down at the foot of the bed). "Well you better run it all by me then before you go pickin' out the curtains. The goth grandma look is officially out."

Huffing, Pent just closed his eyes and yawned as Angel stroked over his skin, his hands a gentle and soothing touch even through the mild haze of medication. "We're not making everything pink either," he said in a stern voice, knowing that would do very little to dissuade Angel from trying to cover the new house in pastels.

Still, he had to at least try and put his metaphorical foot down.

"Eh, we'll figure it out. Gotta adapt to each other's shit an' all that mushy garbage, right?" Angel said as he snuggled into the pillows. "But we can save that crap fer tomorrow. Right now you need to sleep, fucker." He yanked the covers up over them both and added, "I only want your ass gettin' up if ya need me to fetch your meds so we can dose you again."

Pent nodded, exhaling slowly as he felt Angel shift even closer against him under the sheets. Then suddenly an idea came to mind and he opened his eyes, prodding Angel's cheek with one talon. "Wait, before we go to bed, let's take a picture."

Angel yawned and lifted his phone. "The fuck do you wanna take a pic for?" the spider asked as he woke the device up and turned on the front-facing camera.

"Just take the bloody selfie," Pent said, adjusting himself so they were both in frame before smiling up at the overly bright screen as Angel snapped a series of shots. After selecting the best one, Pent slipped the mobile from Angel and opened the spider's social media, typing a caption into the dialogue box before handing it to the other man with a small tired grin.

Taking the phone back, Angel cackled, playfully shoving Pent's uninjured shoulder. "You cheeky fuck," he said before hitting the "Post" button at the bottom of the app UI. "Alright, now seriously, go the fuck to sleep," he ordered, rolling over to plug his phone into the charging cable on the nightstand before coming back up to cuddle against the snake's warm body.

Yawning again, Pent just smiled and laid back on top of the pillows, letting his eyes drift closed one last time. His breathing deepened as the exhaustion combined with the powerful dose of drugs began to pull him away from consciousness. As he nodded off, he couldn't help but repeat a single mantra over and over again in his head as the ultimate affirmation of their success.

"We lived, bitches!"

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