Tonight just wasn't my night.

It was supposed to be simple. Walk into Vox Tower and kill Vox. Instead it seemed like everything was conspiring against me, holding me back from the throat I wanted to tear out. From robots, to annoying snakes, to Vox himself. Now I'm trapped in a tin can of an airship slowly being crushed around me, while the person who should've been dead by now laughs at me as he does the crushing. Tonight just wasn't my night.

Fortunately, I'm not one to give up so easily. My eyes parted away from the annoying glow that was Vox's giant face to find Pentious's EVP box laying just in front of us. Metal whined and tore and the space got smaller and smaller, until eventually the giant window in front of us smashed open from the pressure. Between that and the box this gave me an opportunity, one that was rapidly slipping away. I wasn't the only one to see this, as I noticed Pentious was dragging himself along the floor towards his device. He was weak but not willing to go out just yet. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't going to give him a choice.

Despite the walls crumpling around us Vox was keeping the ship nice and steady, allowing me to shakily get back onto my feet. Reaching into my coat I conjured my knife and walked over to Pentious. He was so focused on the box in front of him he didn't even notice me approaching. Only when I was right next to him did he pause his movements long enough to glance up at me. I responded to his confused look with a stab directly into his tail, making sure to apply enough force that it went straight through and pinned him into the ground.

He cried out in pain and tried to reach over towards it, but his wounds wouldn't allow him to bend over close enough to grab it. He was trapped, just like I wanted him. Satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, I sauntered over to the EVP and picked it up, making sure my movements were slow enough to mock him. I figured I had some time to rub this minor victory in his face.

Raising the device up in front of my face, I sighed and shook my head. "Ah Pentious, it pains me to do this to you." I paused, then contradicted myself with a laugh, "Actually no, it doesn't. But come on, even you should have seen this coming. After all, you were thinking about doing the same thing to me weren't you?"

I wasn't expecting an answer from him, and he didn't give me one. But the glare I did receive told me that I was right. So with a smile, I decided to finish my piece and make a hasty exit, before the ship could get any smaller.

"I suppose that doesn't matter now. Now all that matters is killing Vox. That is what you wanted isn't it? Well don't worry. I'll make sure that happens, just for you." I walked backwards towards the opening in front, putting my hand up to my head in a salute. "Your noble sacrifice will not be in vain!"

Waving off the gesture, I turned and jogged to what was left of the window. Looking out I could see the distance between here and Vox was long, but it wouldn't be impossible to make the jump down onto the roof. I'd just have to make sure I didn't miss. I took a couple steps back to give myself a small running start. At that moment I could hear Pentious saying one last thing to me, having given up and succumbing to his inevitable fate.

"Joker… when I survive this… I will stop at nothing to bring you down. Even if it takes me another lifetime I will make sure you die again by my hands. Nobody double-crosses me and gets away with it."

I smiled at the threat, it was almost intimidating. Not bothering to give him a full look back, I tossed a final comment his way. Something for him to think about until we meet again. "I'll be waiting then."

With that last remark, and the box in my hand, I did the second most insane thing I've done that day and ran towards the window, jumping out into the cool night air. The wind rushed in my ears as I hurtled down towards Vox's face. If he could see me he didn't show it, his concentration still focused on the ship in his grasp. A few seconds later I heard an explosion behind me and felt the heat as what was left of the ship was finally destroyed. I didn't turn around to confirm this, instead I fell towards the tower faster. If he moved now I would become a Joker pancake on the street below.

Thankfully it only took a few more seconds before I finally hit the giant screen that was Vox's face. Doing so I felt more than a few bones break. Before I could even register my injuries I felt the screen tilt back down and I began to slide off. Ignoring my pain I tried to uselessly stay on the surface, unsure of where I would end up if I fell. With nothing to hold onto however, I inevitably felt myself falling once again. It was shorter this time, but the impact of the metal roof below managed to be the ticket to finally knock me out cold.

I knew the landing wasn't going to be soft, however the alternative was an excruciatingly painful death, so I really didn't have any options when I made that jump. But as the darkness surrounded me it felt like I was dying anyway. Would this seriously be how it ends? Me splattered on the roof of Vox's building like a bug on a windshield? Just when it felt like I had lost, that familiar voice scratched itself into my head and told me two simple words.

"Keep going."

That harsh, cold, voice was enough to cause my eyes to snap open. For a brief second I thought I saw a shadow of a man in front of me, looking to see if I was still kicking. But as I blinked and looked around, I found myself alone at the top of the world. Whatever I saw was just another figment of my twisted imagination. I should really get a doctor to look at that.

Shaking my head, I slowly sat up and felt pain sear up my side as a result. Letting out a hiss I ignored it and continued until I was eventually back on my feet. Knowing that my wounds slowly healed over time I took a moment to gaze out at the world around me. It was still dark, all the power Vox took had completely drained the city below. The tower wasn't moving though, and the giant screen was down, so Vox must've believed I died in the explosion and set the tower back to its normal form. Good, now I can finally wrap this up without too much trouble. It truly was just me and him, there would be no more distractions this time.

I could feel the pain that ached me dull to a numbing sensation; it would be a long time before whatever I broke fixed itself, but for now I could at least move again without issue. Searching the ground I found the EVP, luckily it too survived the fall, and I retrieved it. With the device in hand I searched the roof for a way inside, and quickly found it in the form of an elevator. I walked over to it and saw that the panel where a button would be was ripped open. At first I thought it was somehow damaged in the building transformation, but when I felt the box squirming in my hand I immediately put two and two together.

I held it up to the panel and the EVP opened up, wires coming out and connecting with the internal components of the elevator. A few seconds later I heard it begin to move closer to me. I couldn't help but crack a smile. For all his annoyances, Pentious was very crafty. In different circumstances he could've been one of my top henchmen. But I'll have to settle for this one box being able to do its job properly. Otherwise I may just have to kill him again.

The doors slid open quietly and the wires retracted back into the box before closing. I tucked it into my coat then pulled out a revolver in its place. He shouldn't be expecting me, but one can't be too careful. Once more I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the control room. The doors closed again and the elevator made a short descent before stopping at the selected room. They opened and this time I found my prize.

There was no mistaking it was Vox in the center this time. A giant cable was connected to the back of his head, suspending him off the floor, and several screens were placed in front of him. Whatever he was currently doing, he was very engrossed in it, as he didn't react to me as I stepped out of the elevator. I arched an eyebrow, wondering how I was going to do this. If what I remember was correct this box needed to go in the control center somewhere, then it would shut down the network Pentious was talking about. But would I be able to get close to him without him realizing I'm there? Let's find out.

Slowly I crept forward, making sure every step I took was deliberate. Vox had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, something I can respect on some level, and I didn't want to inadvertently set something off. Not when I'm so close. After a long, painstaking minute, I was halfway towards him. Still he hadn't acknowledged my presence. I took a few more steps, reaching into my coat and producing the box again. I could feel it rumble as I got closer to the console. It was yearning, just as much as I was, to kill Vox. My eyes were completely locked on my objective in front of me, drawing ever closer. This poor choice of tunnel vision made me completely miss the fist that swung into the side of my head.

It connected with a hard crack and I fell to the ground. Despite the surprise blow I remembered to keep a grip on the device this time, and I quickly put it back into my coat to avoid losing it. Then I twisted around to see what hit me, and my eyes widened in surprise. It was Vox, his familiar, twisted smile looming over me as he walked closer. Confused, I looked towards the center and saw Vox was still there, suspended by the cable, then looked back at the other Vox. He could see my bewilderment clear on my face, and he addressed it.

"Oh Joker, do you think I'm an idiot? I told you, I see everything. As in I saw your dumbass jump out of the ship. I mean, for fucks sake, you were literally right in front of me!" He splayed his arms out after his exclamation to mock me. "Of course, granted, I believed you missed the jump at first. Or at least hit the roof and died on impact. That's why I summoned this copy," he gestured to himself, "to retrieve you."

Vox took a step towards me and I quickly pointed my gun at him and fired a powerful shot that went through his screen and destroyed it. The copy immediately fell to the floor, smoke pouring out of the damaged area. But before I could get back up, something kicked my hand and forced the gun out of it. I cried out in surprise and looked over to see another Vox had appeared by my side.

This one continued where the other one left off. "But when I got the notification my elevator was in use I held off and waited for you. I waited until you were far away from the elevator before ruining your illusion of stealth, wouldn't want you to run out on me after all."

I was starting to get frustrated at this point. I could tell he was toying with me, but even that knowledge didn't stop me from pulling out a crowbar. With a swift swipe I hit this Vox's legs and tripped him. I immediately climbed on top of him and brought the crowbar down repeatedly on his screen until it too was destroyed. It was slightly cathartic destroying two Voxes, but I knew he wouldn't really die until I put that box where it belonged. Getting away from the body, I stood poised, ready for whatever or whoever came next.

That's when, in the gloom of the room, I saw multiple screens light up one after another on the other side of the main Vox. They bobbed their way towards me, until I saw each screen belonged to another Vox. I couldn't tell how many were crammed in this one room, but it had to be at least fifty, if not more. In a matter of seconds they had me surrounded, the majority of them stood between me and the Vox that was hooked in.

A synchronous voice rose up from them. "Then I figured that one Vox wouldn't be enough, so I brought up every spare body I had available. Welcome to the final episode, Joker."

They all stood ready to attack. Although they clearly outnumbered me, I could still see I had a chance. The first two Voxes didn't have any weapons, or if they did they didn't use them. Considering all these Voxes only held up their fists I'm going with the former. But me on the other hand, I had a whole arsenal at my disposal, and I was going to use all of it. Crowbar in hand, I reached into my coat with my other hand and thought of three, no, four Joker bombs.

When my hand came out, I only held one. Tonight just wasn't my night.

Before I could process how unfavorable my odds became, a Vox charged at me, with others following closely behind. The one in front was ready to throw a punch, but I quickly stunned him with a kick to the chest. Lighting the bomb in my hand, I gave it to him.

"Here, hold this," I said then I kicked him again, harder so he was propelled back into the crowd. The explosion that followed took out a good number of them, but that still left at least forty to contend with. And I only had a crowbar.

I immediately set to work, bashing the screens of any Vox that came close. A few went down with ease, but the space around me was getting smaller. Pretty soon I couldn't even swing the weapon anymore as a couple Voxes grabbed my arm and held it back. Then a few others in front got their licks in, throwing punches and kicks that all made their mark. I was getting battered around like a punching bag, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get them off me. I was totally overwhelmed.

Eventually they managed to wring my hand open and I could hear the crowbar drop to the ground. Not like it meant anything to me at that point, they had more than successfully subdued me. But I suppose hearing it fall was enough for them to move on from beating me and continue to their next act, as a few of them removed themselves from me and left me in the hands of eight Voxes. Then, they forced me onto my back and lifted me up, holding me by just my arms and legs, two to each appendage. Already I could tell what they had in mind wouldn't be as fun as what most in my position would believe.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement, and I looked up to see the throng of Voxes that stood by was parting, making way until there was a clear path to the center of the room. The suspended Vox finally sank to the floor, the wire disconnecting from his head and rising up into the ceiling. This Vox turned to face me with a haughty smile and sauntered over to me, walking through the path that was created for him. As was typical for him up until this point, he started talking as he walked.

"And that's a wrap folks! Too bad I wasn't recording this, the giant mech would've grabbed me some great views. Then again, the disappointing anti-climax, plus the fact you're a total nobody… yeah, actually it would've been a waste of film. So I'll have to be satisfied with killing you privately."

His smugness continued to grate on me, and now more than ever I wished to rip his throat out. He pulled out a knife, one I knew was made out of that Exterminator metal he told me about. I tried to struggle against the Vox copies but they held a tight grip on me. This really was the finale, all the fun I've been having up until this point was about to be cut short by a fucking television personality of all people. The only way I could die more embarrassingly right now is if one of the Robins burst through the window and beat me to death with my own hands.

I watched Vox come closer with the knife, until he stopped between my legs. Slowly, he brought the knife down onto my chest, threatening to cut me open but not yet doing so. Then he dragged it down until the tip of the knife was poised… well where do you think it would be if it went down from my chest?

I glared at Vox, and he smiled in return. Keeping the knife on my good bits, he asked me a question. "Do you know how Goetians handle those who try to challenge their rule?"

It was obviously rhetorical, but I decided to get a word in so I could hear someone more pleasant speak, "They give them a cookie and a slap on the ass?"

Vox clearly didn't appreciate my humor as I felt the blade press harder into me, threatening to cut me open. I gritted my teeth for the worst, but he stopped. "Those who try to kill a Goetia or take their throne are given only one punishment. Death. But that death comes in a very medieval form, which makes sense considering they're royalty. Death is dealt from being hung, drawn, and quartered. It's very gruesome, and all done in the eyes of the public. Of course, I can't get eyes on you at the moment since the city is still recharging. So I'll have to be satisfied with my audience of… me."

He drew the knife back sharply and stepped back. "Typically you'd be hung and disemboweled first, but I want to skip to the fun part." Pointing the knife at the Voxes that held me, he told them, "Whenever you're ready, stretch him out."

At his command they proceeded to pull back as hard as they could, their metal claws digging into my flesh. I clenched my jaw to keep from shouting in pain, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Yet the power in their pulls continued to build and I could feel my arms and legs being stretched beyond their limit. I tried to pull back but they were too strong to resist. As they continued to pull in four separate directions I felt my arms pop out of their sockets, and I knew my legs were going to be next. Damn you Vox. You, Batman, and whoever killed me first may be the only people to ever get the upper hand on me.

I unclenched my jaw just enough to let out a struggling gasp, much to Vox's delight. But as he leered over me I saw something strange happen around him. While the Voxes were preoccupied I saw the room start to grow dark. It wasn't like the lights in the room were failing, more like the shadows had a mind of their own and were covering the entire room. From the back they came along the walls, wrapping around to the floor and ceiling, and approached us like a rolling wave. At first I thought I was blacking out, with my arms about to be torn off it wouldn't surprise me. But as they passed Vox he noticed it too, and that smug smile he'd been wearing since I entered the room instantly disappeared.

"No…" he said, shaking his head, "not him, not now…"

The vague pronoun and his fear of it distracted me slightly from my pain. It also distracted the Voxes that were tugging at my appendages, but they continued to hold me up. It was then that a new voice entered the room. It came from all around us, as if the room contained hidden speakers. Similarly it sounded like it was speaking through an old radio.

"Well this hardly seems sporting Vox. Forty-five against one? Then again… I shouldn't be surprised. What else would I expect from a lying cheat like you?"

The shadows stopped moving now, having enveloped most of the room in darkness. At first nothing happened, the voice disappeared and left us in an empty void. Then I heard it. A hissing sound emanating from the floor. Although it was tricky, I craned my head down to see what it was. Tendrils of black that wormed up from the ground, snaking themselves around my captors. Thankfully they didn't try to go for me, but maybe that was on purpose. I looked up at the Vox with the knife, giving him a smile. Although I didn't know what exactly was going to happen, everything pointed to it not being good for him, and I made him aware of it.

He must've caught the meaning behind my look, because he too looked at the floor, before looking back up with wide eyes. Swiftly he jumped and reached for the ceiling, cables breaking through the darkness up there for him to grab onto. The other Voxes weren't as quick, as the tendrils I saw earlier shot through all of them at the same time. Long thin spikes cut through them like they weren't even there, slicing them apart expertly. This also went for the Voxes that held me, and I was dropped unceremoniously onto the ground while bits of Vox fell around me. I glanced at my arms and legs to see if anything got chopped, but as I thought earlier they didn't attack me. Whoever was behind this only wanted Vox. And I had a good idea who it was.

Once all but one of the Voxes were diced, the tendrils stopped their assault and sank back into the shadows they came from. I then rolled onto one side, slamming my arm at an angle so it would pop back into my socket. Once that was accomplished I did the same to the other side. Crude, I know, but it wasn't like Vox would be willing to put my arms back in place. He was still on the ceiling anyways. Rotating my arms to make sure they were mostly functional, I stood onto my feet and watched the shadows regress until they found a point in front of me. Then they climbed out of the ground and formed the shape of a man, before dissipating entirely leaving an actual man in its place.

He wore a red tattered suit, and wielded a microphone that matched this color. His hair was also red, sporting two tufts that stood above the rest, along with a small pair of antlers in between. And when his eyes opened they seemed to glow; I bet you can't guess what color they were! As he looked at me, the smile he emerged with grew wider. There was no doubting it, he was the man I've been wanting to see since I first heard of him.

"Alastor I presume?" I asked casually.

He bowed at the question, and when he rose he said, "And you're Joker. Never heard of you before, but from what I've seen you've been very entertaining to watch."

I crossed my arms, "Is that right? How much did you see?"

His hand played around with shadows that flowed between his fingers. "More than enough to know that my familiars were correct in choosing you for this task." He paused when he heard Vox fall to the floor behind him. Turning around, he pointed his microphone at Vox and shadows emerged once more and ensnared Vox, holding him in place. The irony was not lost on me.

Alastor walked closer to him, and I followed behind, curious to see where this would go. "I suppose you want me to explain myself for influencing you to come here and face him?"

I shrugged, "Normally I wouldn't care, the fun is in the journey as they say. But you do have me curious. Between you, me, and Pentious everyone has it out for this guy. So just this once I'll bite. Why do you want to kill him?"

We stopped in front of Vox, held tightly in the tentacles' grasp. He didn't struggle, more than likely coming to the conclusion doing so would be pointless. As Alastor looked at him I could see a history in his eyes, one between him and Vox that somewhat explained his ire towards him. But I let his words do the talking.

"We've been at this game for a long time, our constant battling. It had nothing to do with power or control. We just wanted to kill each other, and we wouldn't stop until one of us lay dead. You might think it's because I prefer radio and he television, but that's just a coincidence."

I nodded my head, waiting for him to answer my question. Alastor continued, "So one day we grew especially tired of the game, and made a bet. We would meet in an area far from technology, and where my powers were weakest, and we would decide once and for all who was truly worthy of still living. It was a long and hard-fought battle, but I rightfully won. No matter how much he changes those simpletons' perceptions of events, he knows I won. That's why he ran. Found a telephone pole I missed and he used it to retreat into this…" his voice trailed off as he looked around him in disgust, "hideous monument to his own ego."

He stepped closer to Vox, getting right into his face. "He knew I couldn't follow him here, and ever since that day he's been more cautious about crossing me. Only throwing the occasional cowardly taunt during my daily strolls. Every day I waited for an opportunity for him to make good on our deal. When I saw you, I saw my opportunity."

Vox seemed to find his voice after Alastor's long explanation, as he cut in with, "Hey, that deal was never shaken on, so I don't have to make good on anything."

Alastor reached out and grabbed Vox by his neck, silencing him from any further comments. "A verbal agreement still must be honored, Vox. But now I know that honor is not a word you're not familiar with. Don't worry, I'll make you familiar."

He stepped away, letting a rolling mound of shadow come up to Vox. He eyed it worryingly, but then the shadow moved past him towards the control panel in the center of the room. It stretched out of the ground, then found a door on the side which it smacked hard. This caused it to swing open, revealing an empty space. Alastor then turned to me, gesturing to it with his microphone.

"The device, if you please."

I already knew what he meant, as I pulled the box out of my coat. Through everything it was still intact, and ready to finally fulfill its purpose. Upon seeing it, Vox started to struggle against his bonds.

"Hey, HEY! Don't you fuckin dare put that shit anywhere near my shit. I'll have a whole army up here faster than you can blink! Then you'll both be-"

Alastor put up a hand, interrupting him, "I'm sorry, but didn't you say earlier that you brought up every body you had available? Considering the city is still in the dark, you have nothing. I'm afraid your threats carry no weight."

Vox's eyes grew wide and his mouth drew back into a grimace. Seeing that look gave me such a warm feeling in my cold heart, and it spurred me on towards the open panel. Once I walked past Vox, I could hear him talk again. This time his tone drastically changed.

"Alright, alright, Joker! Hey, listen to me, if you stop what you're doing right now I'll give you whatever the hell you want. Money? Fuck I make millions daily, I can easily give you a cut. Power? I'll personally make sure you become an overlord on the same level as me, no one will ever touch you! Just name it and all the shit we've been through will be water under the bridge."

I shook my head as I listened to him, uninterested in what he offered. "Sorry Vox, but money and power were never what I was pursuing when coming after you. There's only one thing I want from you." I tossed the box up and caught it a couple times as I neared the main console.

I could feel Vox seethe in frustration at my response, and he confirmed this with a frustrated growl. "God damn it, what is your deal with me? Him I get," he said referring to Alastor, "we have been trying to kill each other for Lucifer knows how long. But you? You clearly just dropped down here, what the fuck have I ever done to you? Don't tell me you're only doing this because he told you to."

I stopped in front of the open panel, the box in my hand opening up as it neared the circuits inside. Before I threw it in there, I thought of an appropriate response to his question. I thought of when I first saw him on the television, the one Alastor manipulated to convince me to go on this crazy crusade. Remembering that moment gave me my answer. Once I had it, I told him.

"Honestly, I just didn't like your face."

Then I placed the box in the empty space and watched it go, wires shooting out and attaching themselves at various points. Some even unhooked the wires inside and put themselves in their place. While it worked, I couldn't tell if anything was happening at first. Vox spoke up once more and I soon found out.

"Didn't like my…? What kind of bullshit is thAAAAAGGHHHH!"

Turning around, I saw Vox arching back to look at me, still held within the inky tendrils while electricity coursed through his body. His screen was flickering, pixels changing color rapidly and without any sort of pattern. Soon his screams became distorted, the flickering grew more intense, until eventually they stopped altogether. His body went limp and his screen went dark. The EVP worked, Vox was completely unhooked from his network. Now I just had to wait for him to come back.

Alastor looked curiously at the suspended body along with me, and for a while nothing happened. We stood together silently in the new darkness of the room. Then, without warning, Vox's screen flashed on and he gasped as if he had been held underwater for too long. He looked between us as he caught his breath, while we waited to see if he had anything to say. He did.

"It's… gone. Everything… gone. It's only me… it's so quiet now." His anger from before was gone too, in its place was an admittance of defeat. His posture and voice told us the same thing. He knew he lost, and he had completely given up. He looked over at Alastor to vocalize it. "You happy? You got what you wanted, so just get it over with. I can't stop you even if I wanted to."

Alastor cocked his head to the side with a slight chuckle, then opened his hand to the ground. The shadows beneath him rose up, carrying a small silver object with it. The Exterminator knife Vox had dropped earlier. Once it was in his hand, Alastor raised it up to Vox's throat and held it there. Vox's breathing grew shallower and he pulled his head away from the blade. Despite what he said, he wasn't yet ready to die.

"The end seems so frightening, doesn't it?" Alastor asked. "Before we thought there was nothing past our previous lives, but now that we know that's not the case we cling onto that second chance we were given. Because we know after this there is truly nothing. I will miss the bouts we've had, my old foe, but we always knew this would only end one way."

Vox looked at him with a deadpan expression, waiting on that final cut to be delivered. But Alastor didn't give it to him. Instead he pulled the knife away, causing Vox to gasp, then he turned to me.

"However, it wouldn't be fair for me to cut in and take the prize away from the hunter. Not after he worked so hard to get his kill." He rotated the knife in his hand and held it by the blade tip, pointing the handle at me. A clear gesture for me to take it.

I smiled. This Alastor guy wasn't so bad after all. He knew how to practice common courtesy, as well as have fun. I can only imagine the things we'll do together. But let's save the future for then, now it's time to do what I came here to do. I walked over to Alastor and slowly took the knife from his hand, careful not to cut him while doing so. I eyed it for a moment, catching my reflection in the glare of the metal. That's when I felt something I have only felt a few times before while I was down here. An urge that was almost primal. My teeth felt sharper in my mouth, and I could taste something coming off of them. My venom. Suddenly, the knife didn't seem as appealing as it was earlier.

"Well?" I heard Vox ask. "Enough jerking me off, just fuckin' stab me already."

I nodded my head, only half-listening to him. "Yes… actually, I have a better idea," I said, dropping the knife onto the floor.

Before he could ask what my idea was, I snapped my head towards him and felt my mouth crack open along the sides like it did all the way back in the Cannibal Colony. A bloody smile that forced my jaw to unhinged open and display rows of sharp, toxin-filled teeth. Vox's panicked face was the last thing I saw before I clamped down on his shoulder. My teeth, much to my surprise, easily chewed through his metal body. Toxin ejected from my mouth as they did so. He screamed into my ear, a mixture of pain and surprise. Once I had my fill I pulled away, taking a chunk of his body with me which I quickly spit out. He didn't taste nearly as good as that other demon.

The tendrils that held him released their hold and retreated into the ground, dropping him to the floor. He continued to scream a little while after, until he caught himself with panted breathes and looked over to assess the damage. A huge portion of his shoulder was gone, the metal frame that laid under his skin was bent and chewed outwards. Blue fluid mixed with green acidic toxin, flowing out of his wound and through his body. He then turned to me.

"What the fuck is the matter with you?!" He looked at the ground and, seeing the knife, quickly picked it up and held it towards me. "You should've just killed me when I told you to. You fucking freaks like eating people? How about I cut you up? Get some nice venison and clown meat. I bet you'll taste fu- haha."

He paused, confused by his random bout of laughter, then shook his head. "You'd taste… hahaHAHAha."

His screen flickered to one of manic laughter for a brief second before it changed back. His hand grew shaky and he dropped the knife. He too then fell to the floor on his knees. He placed a hand on his head and shook it slightly.

"N-no, this… haha I've seen this. You hahaha… poisoned me. That's not HAHAHAA possibleeeahahHAHAHAHAHA-"

His screen distorted again and he fell onto his back, a smile forcefully manifesting itself onto his screen. With it came screeching laughter, one I knew wouldn't stop, not until he had no more breath left to laugh with. I looked over at Alastor, expecting him to be disturbed by the display. Instead his expression was one of fascination. It was as if he were a child learning something wonderful and new, and he paced around Vox like a doctor examining his patient. He didn't want to miss a single moment of this.

As the toxin took over Vox's body, the events transpired like they always did. With the laughter came the near-instant rigor mortis, his arms and legs locking up as he kicked and clawed. Then his laughter became more choked as his lungs became empty. Finally, as he gurgled and gasped for air his body wouldn't allow him to breathe, he succumbed. A new smile broadly displayed on his screen. His eyes were completely blank.

Vox was finally dead.