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"Hey there pal," Diel mocked sarcastically before Valentino's massive fist again crashed against Diel's face. This looked like it was going to turn out the same way visits to the Prince's mansion usually do. The punch sent Diel's chair tumbling backwards and Diel with it. By this time, Diel's nose was completely smashed in and a few of his piercings lay on the floor. Valentino's massive arms lifted the chair Diel was tied to and righted it back up so that he was once again facing the Prince. Of course, the Prince was just sitting there at a table sipping blood out of one of goblets that one sees in those old vampire movies. The Prince was dressed in his usual Armani business suit, a tasteful navy blue with a matching tie ensemble. The Prince was anything if classy. But he was also ruthless, and Diel was sure that smug son of a bitch was enjoying himself just a little too much. The Prince was an old acquaintance of Diel's, he knew that sick shit would get a kick out of this. Especially since he considered Diel his prized pet. That came with some advantages, but in this case it meant that he needed to be disciplined. Not that Diel wasn't enjoying every little bit of it, but it's the principal of the thing that counts.

"You will address the Prince with the proper, respect!" Valentino yelled at Diel.

"Now Now, Valentino. Let us remember that dhamphyrs do not know any better," the Prince said in his usual slow, deliberate tone. "Now, Diel," The Prince began while getting up and lifting Diel's bloody face so Diel's eyes met his, "You must be wondering why I brought you here, hmm?"

Diel spit some blood onto the Prince's Armani shoes, "I thought you needed a new fuckbuddy."

This comment got Diel a hard backhanded slap across the face from the Prince. Diel needed to learn when to keep his fucking mouth shut. The Prince recomposed himself and straightened his tie. He wasn't going to let a worthless maggot like Diel fluster him like that. He was too good for that, besides Diel was HIS property and was his to break in.

Let me tear his fucking throat out!

"Now, Diel Azazel. As you know I still retain the rights to you since my deal with your father was for the rest of your life. Now, seeing as you ran away for 15 years I feel that you should explain why you came back."

"I had stuff to take care of."

"Ahh of course, that band of yours. Well, your new one at least. I heard you got kicked out of Germany. What a shame."

Look at that nice scrawny neck of his. I'd snap it like a toothpick and then I'd bash Valentino's brains in.

It was tempting, very tempting. But pacts with one's demon never end well.

"What happened to that other band of yours...Mayhem was it? Oh right, your friend Verg got jailed for stabbing you to "death"," At this point the Prince chuckled a bit to himself, "Then that other guy, what was his name?"

"Ded"

"Ahh yes, that's it. Ded slit his wrists and put a shotgun in his mouth."

"Never happened."

"Of course it did, Diel. Only a genius like you would have the foresight to take pictures of it before the police got there. The PR from the suicide and the backlash when you made it the next cd cover was brilliant. My pretty little pet has learned oh so much," The Prince said while stroking Diel's cheek with his freezing cold hands.

I'll rip that fucking hand right off!

Sometimes his demon made some sense, that hand would look great on a necklace.

Diel ground his teeth to keep from lunging at the Prince. While the small man before him looked like he would be easy enough to break in two, fighting him was pure suicide. "Get to the point."

"Oh, my my, you sure are feisty tonight my pet. All right, I shall get to the point. You see, I brought you here because of the Xavier Institute."

"Huh? You mean the one on television?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. The one that those mutants came from when this country went up in arms at their discovery of mutants. Personally, I'm surprised it took those pathetic little humans that long to figure it out. But I digress. Those mutants live in Bayville, which is dangerously close to my territory, and I unfortunately cannot allow beings with such power to live without me knowing exactly what they are doing at all times."

"So you are scared of them?"

"Tsk Tsk, have you learned nothing? They are insects compared to the power which my position wields, but I have learned not to take any chances."

"Why not send one of those ghouled humans of yours?"

The Prince's face contorted into a slight frown as he let out a deep sigh. "First off I cannot trust a mere human with a task of this magnitude, nor will a mere human be able to infiltrate a group of mutants."

"I got ya. It takes someone who can both walk in the daylight AND masquerade as a mutant."

"Very good."

"Now, what am I going to get out of it?"

The Prince was taken aback by such a comment. This was his pet, when did he learn such audacity!?

"I won't kill you for starters!" The Prince yelled back, once again flustered by his ingrate pet.

"Ok then, how do you propose I do this?"

"I propose you do it with the utmost haste before I grow tired of your incompetence!"

"Alright then, all I ask is that you pull some strings with the local television stations."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that from what I have heard the Xavier institute is there to help mutants with problems, so I'm not going to get in if I am under his prospective radar."

"Go on."

" The way I see it the Xavier institute must be exclusive if it really is all just charity work. So, I'm going to need to get his attention. What better way than an intricate story on the underground black metal scene, say that I'm a mutant and throw in the fact that I am now in Bayville and the humans should do what they do best, fight off anything they perceive as a threat. Shit, someone might even try to kill me! Wouldn't that get noticed!"

"This seems that you just want me to help your career."

"It is a nice bonus."

"I still don't get how this is going to get anything accomplished."

"That's just phase one, those Xavier kids go to a high school around here, right?"

"Yes, but get to the point. This drivel is boring me."

"Well, enroll me there. Bring it right to em. I'll just take a bunch of modern history classes or something, I was alive for must of it anyway. After that, just let things happen as they will."

"Unlike you, I do not believe in just allowing events to occur, I like being in control of the situation."

"Don't forget you are talking with a dhamphyr, a creature basking in improbability. Joss will make something happen, I can assure it."

"Fine, but remember, Diel, I'm giving you a second chance at life, so don't fuck it up!"

Second chance at life? That sure was a grandiose way of saying be my bitch or I'll kill you. But, this did buy Diel some time to figure out what's going on, the Prince wouldn't go to all this trouble for something as pathetic as a bunch of mutants.

******