"Charlie, I think we have a serious problem," Vaggie said as she hurried to Charlie's side the moment the blond girl returned to the foyer. "Angel's employer is an Overlord."
"An Overlord…" Charlie replied, somewhat confused.
"The one known as Valentino," Vaggie responded. "The leader of the Three-V's Triumvirate. Oh, Hun, this is bad! This is really bad!"
"I've heard of Valentino, and the Three-V's," Charlie said, though she did start to wonder. "But, all they do is run the media and entertainment companies right?"
"Yes...but it's worse than that," Vaggie stated. "Valentino is not someone we want to cross. If we do it could mean the destruction of this hotel and the lives of everyone in it."
"But…" Charlie said. "This building was acquired by me and I am responsible for it. It's still the property of my family, if it was destroyed my dad would want to find those who were responsible. Besides... we don't know Angel's side of the story, maybe we should learn what is going on and then figure out what to do from there."
"Sorry to interrupt," Alastor interjected. "But perhaps it would be a wiser decision to cut our losses with the Spider before things do get out of hand. After all, he has proven to be problematic. Spider Demons, in my experience, have always been a deceptive, distasteful, villainous sort. It is very likely he has been using you from the beginning, keeping him here would only bring trouble."
"Just a fair warning I would be mindful of your current *guest* if I were you...he can be...shall we call it treacherous."
"He has been jerked around by a lot of people so he's not going to open up and trust you immediately. Still, if there is one thing to be said about him, he is a listener and does pick up on things."
"That's not fair," Charlie insisted. As she remembered Vox's warning to her and the advice that Cherri had offered. "You may be correct that Angel, hasn't been completely honest with any of us. But I know in my heart he wants help...he wants our help. It goes against the purpose of this hotel to just abandon a soul in need because of the risks posed, and it goes against what I believe in."
"We are talking about the Three-V's...Overlords," Vaggie pointed out. "If he's associated with them, then how do we know he isn't here because of them."
"I don't think he's associated with them..." Charlie said. "Not by choice anyway. Remember when we first met him. He was willing to hear us out, but he wasn't particularly interested in the hotel, especially since redemption isn't something that has been proven. And it's not something that most demons believe in, but he...he still agreed to help."
"Yeah, out of pride" Vaggie pointed out. "I was the one saying that he wasn't cut out to be a candidate and he reacted to it and said he could be whatever he wanted to be."
"Perhaps…" Alastor remarked as though in thought. "Perhaps not...I admit I don't know Angel particularly well and I don't have any interest or respect for his brand of entertainment. However, he is still an actor...as such he likely does play a role to present himself as what he wants the world to see."
"That does make some sense," Charlie admitted. "When I gave him that money...he didn't exactly drop the egotistic act...but it was like something shifted."
"Ha," Alastor let out a bark that sounded like delight. "You took him by surprise. Kindness can indeed be something unexpected here in Hell, particularly by sinners."
His nostrils itched as he felt the all too familiar burn of the dust as he breathed in the line of white powder. In moments he would feel the embrace of detachment as the drugs settled into his system. Opening a drawer in his vanity, Angel quickly stashed away the plastic bag of angel dust he had recently purchased from one of the vending machines that offered drugs throughout the city. Using a makeup remover pad to wipe up any remaining crumbs and residue of the drugs and then disposed of it in the toilet of his suite.
Unplugging his phone from its charger he lay down on the bed to make use of the brief moment of emotional numbness. Vox's arrival at the hotel deeply bothered him, and he knew Charlie had noticed. It was clear the TV demon wasn't here at the hotel for personal interests, while he may have been interested in trying to entice Charlie into accepting what modern conveniences he could offer to the hotel, likely as a means to show that he was better than the Radio Demon. Regardless of the petty rivalry, he felt he had with Alastor that didn't avoid the likely probability that Vox was there on Valentino's orders. Likely a means to be sure Angel was aware he was under surveillance, and there was nowhere in the Pride Ring he could freely run to without the Three-V's knowing about it.
When it came to the current residents of the hotel, Alastor was a demon Angel wasn't entirely sure of. He had heard Vox talk about someone by the name of Alastor, and the way the TV Demon often spoke about him made the Alastor he met just days ago feel like a different person. Even the way Vaggie had spoken of him sounded like public rumors that had been blown out of proportion. He did get the impression that Alastor did have strong power and after witnessing the Radio Demon's abilities for himself he had more of an idea of what the Overlord could do.
He still wasn't ready to trust Alastor, and he was too much of a loose cannon to fully trust anyway. Still, Alastor was from around the same time he was from and he could sense the other demon did have more in common than either of them wanted to honestly admit. As much as he didn't really like Alastor, nor did he fool himself into believing that the psychotic Deer Demon would lift so much as a finger to help protect him from the Three-V's, not unless there was something in it for him overall. He still wondered what sort of ally the Radio Demon could be if he knew what was happening to him outside the hotel.
Then there was Charlie, she was certainly someone he knew he could learn to trust. There was a gentle earnestness that radiated from her, that always seemed to reach out to others around her. That was the sort of person his twin-sister Molly had been. And much like Cherri, Molly could be fierce and protective if she needed to be. That was also something he admired most in Charlie's demeanor, and it was also something that put him on guard as well.
Even just moments ago, when she came by his room to check on him. He had expected questions, concerns, or even demands that he tell her what was happening. But instead, she had opted to sit with him giving him the space to talk to her if he wished to. Possibly something that came up during the talk where Cherri had asked to be part of the hotel the previous day. Thanks to Vox's appearance today, that did bring Charlie and the rest of the hotel into his own problems.
He let out a frustrated groan before he looked out the window at the city...the studio. The plan had been so simple when he had plotted it out in the car the day Charlie had approached him about her hotel. The place offered free rent and board, which would help him hold on to what meager earnings he was making at the studio. When he felt he had enough money together and he knew Valentino wasn't paying him any mind he would ditch the Hellphone he had gotten through the studio. Since Val wouldn't know where he was staying all he would have to do is lay low until the moth had given up on looking for him.
When it came to the Princess, he knew he was going to have to let her know what had been going on at some point. That was something he couldn't get around, though he had hoped to save that issue until he had gotten to know her well enough to be sure he could trust her. Thanks to Vox visiting today, Charlie and everyone else was now aware something was happening with him outside the hotel. She did need to know what was going on, and that was something she needed to hear from him. She deserved that level of honesty at least.
But, once everything was said...she would be involved. She was the Princess of Hell, so that made her a powerful ally. Still, she could be rather naive, the hotel itself was proof of that. Though in his talk with Cherri the previous day, he was surprised he hadn't realized it sooner, Luci Morningstar, the King of Hell itself...Charlie's father. He was Lucifer...a fallen angel.
Being raised in a Catholic household, he had heard the story of Lucifer's Fall from Heaven. According to the religious mythology he had grown up with, Lucifer had blinded himself with his own pride to the point he dared to question and challenge God's authority. Swaying a third of the Host of Heaven to his side, he led a rebellion against God and his fellow Angels. At one point he transformed into a dragon as he battled against the Archangel Michael. Ultimately Lucifer and his followers were defeated and he was sent plunging into Hell. Angel himself, couldn't prove that story to be true. After all, even though Hell wasn't a good place to be for sure, it wasn't the place of eternal suffering and damnation that he and been told it would be.
While he had his own misgivings about the hotel and its mission. Now that he actually began to consider it the more things just didn't add up. Was Charlie even aware of her father's origin, or was the story of Lucifer the same as any other myth? Just a story of an occurrence and belief that was spoken of so many times it had become purely fictional.
And if King Luci really was the angel who was expelled from Heaven after being blinded by his own pride. What did he have to gain by allowing Charlie to pursue her dream at seeing demons becoming redeemed? Unless...unless he was expecting she would give up on it once she realized it was impossible Or, she really was on to something, but for whatever reason, her father didn't want her to realize that.
In any case, he knew he would need more than just Cherri if he wanted to gain his freedom from Valentino. Since Charlie was the one who admittedly did want to help he had to learn how to trust her. And doing that meant he would have to reveal things that he didn't like to admit were happening. And also reveal other ties that could be a danger to this hotel as well.
As much as he was able to ignore the jokes and jabs of being gay or how he was offering his own body to people for money. That didn't mean they didn't sting...no one understood what he was forced to do in this world. What he had to become in order to survive. Few members of his family even knew who he had once been since he had dropped all connection to them, including his true name...at least in most cases.
Holding up the Voxphone he held in his hand he looked through the contact list. This wasn't the phone that was issued to him through the studio. This one was for his more personal contact numbers, to make sure Valentino or Vox didn't discover it he listed the account under his true name, Anthony Ragno. It felt weird to be using the name Anthony after using the name Angel Dust for so many years. But it was all worth it so Valentino didn't track down and hurt those who mattered to him.
Charlie and Vaggie's names had recently been added to the contacts, but he paused at the name at the top of the list...Enzo Ragno. Selecting that name he tapped the send text option and wrote out the word "Fratello…(Brother)" into the text bar, but hesitated on selecting the send button.
The last time he had seen his older brother at all was when he had appeared to him about a few years back. There was little talk between them, and there was an understandable resentment that seemed to form like a tense miasma between them. Both of them knew there would be trouble if they were seen together. And neither of them really wanted anything to do with the other.
"Here," his brother had said when he handed over a slip of paper with his Voxphone number. "Don't call, capiche!" Angel said nothing in response as he took the number he had been given and stashed it in his jacket pocket. Their exchange over the dark-furred spider had just slipped into the shadows and was gone.
After a moment, Angel ended the attempt at contact. His older brother would just respond with a terse: "It's your problem, leave me out of it." Moving down the contact list he selected Cherri's number instead. He needed the reassurance of a sister right now, even if it was an adopted one. The phone buzzed once before it was picked up.
"Hey Angie," Cherri said at the other end of the line. "What's up?"
"Hey Cher," Angel said in response.
"Okay," Cherri said, taking on a serious tone. "You sound like you're high right now, did something happen?"
"Vox showed up at the hotel," Angel responded.
"Vox…" Cherri's voice started to become alarmed. "The TV Demon...Valentino's fuck buddy...that Vox!"
"Yep," Angel sighed. He rubbed at the bridge of his snout to ward off the bloom of a headache.
"What sort of shit did that creep want," Cherri demanded?
"He was trying to sell Charlie on letting him sponsor the hotel," Angel remarked. "She, fortunately, didn't buy any of it. Perhaps he was wanting to outdo Alastor, as he was claiming. But he was also there hoping to catch sight of me, that way he could confirm to Valentino I was living here."
"Angie," Cherri stated in concern. "I know you have trust issues but…
"Yeah...I know I'll have to tell 'em," Angel finished the statement to let her know he was aware of what she was about to suggest. "I don't want to do this, but I'll arrange a meeting with Charlie and Vaggie."
"Do you need me to be there," Cherri offered? "For moral support or shit like that? If they kick you out, I don't think I want to be living there anymore."
"I don't believe they'd kick me to the curb," Angel stated after a moment of consideration. "Charlie wouldn't at least. Still, once they know they would be involved, I don't want to drag others into my shit. I've already done that enough times as it is."
"Charlie is the Princess, right," Cherri pointed out. "Her father is the fucking King of Hell. Val and his lackeys would have to be seriously itching to be erased if they want to harm her."
"Maybe," Angel remarked. "Though Velvet can use her social media influences to ruin Charlie's life. And Vox could use his own media businesses to smear Charlie and this hotel to the point where King Luci himself has to put his foot down about everything. He also could cut off resources needed by the hotel. Since this is Vox we are talking about, he would be arrogant enough to try and lay claim to Hell's throne if he knew he could get away with it. Then of course there's my Pops to worry about as well. My Fratello is a problem too, but not in the same way Pops is. With Pops,...he doesn't like the idea of anything that threatens or interferes with any standing he has. He wanted to be like mob legends such as Capone, Luciano, Masseria, and Maranzano. Still, if there is something that potentially could be a threat to the family then he would try to gain power over it or destroy it."
"But Val," Cherri sighed, obviously distressed by the prospects. "He knows where you are…"
"Yeah," Angel sighed, understanding what Cherri was wanting to say. "It'd be just like that shit-bag to take this away from me...cause he can. Like most of Hell, he is assumin' it would fail and that I'll have to come crawling back to him once it does."
"Well, let's say you are asked to leave," Cherri inquired. "What will you do?"
"I'm not sure," Angel said. "I don't see Charlie tossin' me out. If there were more people living here, she might ask me to leave since she would have to think of their safety. Even then she would try and find better options than simply letting Val come to collect me. I guess, on my end, I'll find an Inn that won't give me much trouble... at least until I find a place. Or since you're moving into the hotel anyway, I could move into your apartment, quick transition…"
"I don't know…" Cherri replied uneasily. "There have been some creepy jokers sniffing around my turf lately…"
"Hey, you've gone to the trouble of packing up," Angel responded. "The space is good...and the company's okay. Charlie really seemed to like you, and sure the place ain't what I'd call 5-star accommodations but it's alright once you get used to it."
"I'm going to head over," Cherri said. "I don't like what is going on."
"Alright," Angel said, as he concluded the call. "See you when you get here, Doll Face."
Angel sighed as he got off the phone. He breathed in a deep breath and slowly let it out. The detached feeling he had from minutes ago had mostly faded. He was still under the drug's effects, but not enough for the high to be noticeable.
He didn't want to be in this situation, but here he was anyway. It was good Val didn't really know how many people were are the hotel. Vox had seen Vaggie, Niffty, and Husk, and was aware of Alastor being there…but he couldn't verify how many others were actually living in the hotel. Even that was dangerous because it gave Val some idea of who could stand in his way if wanted to make himself a threat. The Moth Demon already knew about Cherri's existence and tolerated her. But he had used her as threats before as part of hinted punishments for Angel's misbehavior. At times Val would tell the Porn Star about the horrible things that he could do to her and wanted to do to her. Such as brutally rape and torture her all the while forcing Angel to watch. Nuggz was also on his threat list, though those were cruel jokes such as making bacon out of Angel's pet pig or serving him up as pork chops someday.
That was why he couldn't allow himself to be too close with Charlie or Vaggie. While Val physically couldn't do anything to Charlie. That didn't mean he couldn't harm the other people in the hotel. Most of the time if a demon was shot or brutally eviscerated, depending on the extent of the damage their bodies would slowly reform themselves and they'd be back to causing trouble. The only thing that could truly kill a demon were the weapons that the Exterminators would use during the Cleanse. Those were high commodities and sold for thousands on the black market. Val was prone to buying a number of the Exterminator's spears, and other weapons from the black market and having them melted down into bullets for his guns.
And he did have a lot of connections as well as associations that certainly could and would make Charlie's life Hell. Cherri was right, they needed to learn what was going on so they at least knew the truth from him. Otherwise, they could hear something from Val and there was no saying what anyone would believe when that happened. The Moth would threaten the hotel and say he couldn't be held responsible for what will come to pass if they don't surrender Angel Dust into his hands.
"I am such a stupid, stupid, slut," Angel said, as he gave himself a bitter laugh. "Why did I agree to do this? Was I so full of my pride that I had to insist that I was the best person they could have for this project? I knew I was taking a risk in participating, but if I'd only stopped to consider that I was draggin' more people into my problems. I'd have just gotten out of the car and that would be the end of it. Cherri only knows what's happening because she refused to leave the issue alone. And she's in danger for knowin'. If I'd been think'n I'd have left this place the day Val, started poking into my business here. But then what...the landlord was all too happy to see the backside'a me when I moved out of my SRO and started living here. I don't got enough to get a new place to live, and wouldn't it be so appropriate for the Princess of Hell herself to screw me over...why not?... It's not like everyone else hasn't already? The only possible place is the studio...and I don't wanna live there. Particularly since Val would just..." Angel paused and shuddered at the memories of spending unknown periods of days in a chamber with a chain padlocked around his ankle. "
"I guess I'd bettah get this shit done." Angel sighed to himself. "At least Charlie might be willin' to look after Nuggz until I can get somewhere else to live."
Leaving his room he had started down the hall towards the stairs, he could overhear the girls conversing, and it sounded like Alastor was with them. The white-furred spider knew exactly what the subject matter was about. ~Oh great…~ Angel mentally sighed. ~First Vox, now Alastor...I really fucking hate Overlords."
"Maybe…" He could hear Charlie say. "But you didn't see what Vaggie and I witnessed. It wasn't an act, what I saw wasn't something you can just pretend to be. I don't know what's going on, or why, but I know what I saw...what I had experienced today was real. One of the things his friend Cherri Bomb said to me last night is that he has been hurt by others in the past. I have gotten the feeling at times that there are some things he does want to let us know but is unsure of what will happen as a result or how we will take it."
Arriving at the second-floor landing he watched the two girls and the red-haired demon gathered in a small circle.
"Ah-ha," Alastor proudly deciphered. "So the Arachnid has a metaphorical psychosis known as 'Porcupine's dilemma'. He doesn't wish to be close or have committed relationships with others since he associates that with pain. So, he withdraws in order to avoid being hurt in the process."
Angel bristled in response. The Deer Demon wasn't exactly wrong, but it just felt too simple. The Radio Demon didn't know what life has been like for him for the past seventy-three years since he awoke in Hell. It was true he didn't trust others because he had been hurt or betrayed in the past. But it also was foolish to openly trust others here. In Hell the only person you could count on at all was yourself. Everyone else used you until they didn't need you anymore. The worst sort were the people who made you believe they cared about you, just when you thought you had people you can actually trust, they stab you in the back both figuratively and literally.
"If you put it that way…" Charlie started to say.
"Ya makin me sound defective, Smiles," Angel interrupted as he stood perched against the second-floor railing. "Though I gather from the conversation you're havin' the jig is up."
"Ah Angel," Alastor said nonchalantly "We were just wondering about you."
"Il bastardo mi mette comunque alla prova (The bastard tests me anyway)." Angel growled under his breath in Italian as he started down the stairs. He didn't bother with plastering any fake smiles or trademark smirks. Mentally he assessed those gathered. Husk and Niffty were minding their own business, though Husk did cast a critical eye towards him. Alastor continued to regard him with that infuriatingly self-righteous smile. Vaggie sternly regarded him, her expression betraying no emotion. Only Charlie seemed to regard him with any sort of compassion.
"We need to talk," Charlie said, choosing her words carefully. None of them wanted to say it but they all knew once things were in the open, everything would change.
"I know," Angel calmly said. He maintained a calm facade, internally he could feel his emotions racing a mile a minute. This was happening way too fast for his liking, even Cherri had been his friend for several years before he finally admitted to her about being smacked around by Val.
"I'm not going to force you to reveal anything you are not comfortable with or ready to say," Charlie stated emphatically. Angel crooked the brow of his darker eye questioningly. Was she giving him an out? Was she honestly saying he didn't need to go through with this...at least not at this moment. Even Vaggie seemed to regard Charlie with a 'What are you doing?' expression. "If you would prefer to have Cherri with you, she is free to be here. But we do need to know what is going on outside this hotel. I want to help in any way I can, but…"
"You need to hear it from me," Angel finished the statement. He closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration. "I'll go ahead an' say it. I don't want to do this...but we're here now. Let's just get this stuff over with already. However, I'll only say what I'm going to say once...and only to you two." Angel pointed at Charlie and Vaggie since both girls were management. Alastor didn't protest or argue, he just respectfully nodded as though confirming the other man had made a wise decision and trapesed away without a care.
The three of them had gathered at the front office. Charlie had taken her place behind the desk, the subject matter was not something that made her comfortable. But she needed to know what was going on so she could assess and prepare for what challenges lay ahead. Vaggie was standing close behind Charlie. She wanted to understand what was going on as well, as she didn't want Charlie to wind up hurt by it. Still, if Angel was a danger or had nefarious intentions behind his reasons for participating in the hotel she had to be ready. While she didn't believe that Angel had any conscious desires to hurt Charlie, she had pledged to King Luci and Queen Lilith herself that she would give her existence to protect the blond girl. If there were people behind Angel that were a danger to Charlie or the hotel, they had to know what to prepare for.
Angel Dust sat before them. He didn't hide the fact he was uncomfortable with what he was about to reveal, but it was better said now... than later by someone else. Especially when the truth could be twisted to make him sound like he was as monstrous as his own father.
Even if all this was a lost cause, even if he could never actually escape, Val. Perhaps, the hotel would be willing to help him save others...start with the brothels and get other demons that Valentino kept under his chains. Maybe two or three at a time, get them out as he could so there would never be another demon who was treated as he was. So there would never be another demon given the label of "Valentino's personal whore".
Eventually and hopefully he could get Summer and Dia out at some point. He may not be fond of the two of them, but that didn't mean he didn't feel guilt during the moments he was forced to watch as Valentino hurt one or both of them. While the Moth tells him that they are suffering, because he displeased him and that he would have to exist knowing he brought pain to them by his actions. Charlie may not be able to redeem any of them, but she'd be able to keep 'em safe for a time, possibly help them find better lives here in Hell.
Angel longed for a cigarette at that moment, but Charlie had made it clear the office and foyer were non-smoking areas when he moved in. If this was to be his last night in this hotel he could light one anyway. But he wanted to show that he at least had some respect for their rules, even if he didn't really like to acknowledge them.
"Where would you like me to start," Angel asked cautiously. He couldn't really wear his mask of cynicism now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag. But that didn't mean he was ready for them to really see him for who he truly was just yet.
"How long has this been going on," Charlie asked. The question wasn't angry or disappointed ,but still demanded an explanation.
"How long have I been with, Val," Angel inquired, tilting his head slightly. "Or how long have I been in the sex trade in general? It's been a rough ride, either way, I'll give ya that. I guess the best answer I can give for both questions is ...a while. Valentino's not the first person to have ground me into the dirt, there have certainly been a number of douchebags who have used and abused me before I met him. Fortunately, you don't gotta worry about any of them, but Val...Val ain't someone you want coming here. And Vox, don't get me started with him, he's not as sleazy as Val, but ya' girls don't need to be told how dangerous he is. Both Vox and Val are kinda like off and on lovers, and Velvet is like their psychotically insane, surrogate daughter." Angel closed his eyes, it was so much easier to reminisce on the painful memories if he didn't have to look into Charlie's eyes as he spoke.
"I met Val…oh I don't know...a handful of decades ago," Angel continued. "I had been working at this Casino where a previous...I guess I'd call him a boyfriend had bartered me into the winnings and the house won. So there you go, an automatic job I never really asked for and no more boyfriend so he's out'a the picture. I had been working there as part of the "entertainment" I guess you can call it. Fortunately, the Casinos tell you how much you have to earn so you can buy your way out. It takes a few years and some of the other people put in the same position do try to swipe from you if you ain't careful. I had managed to get the money needed to pay off my time. Except when I go to give it to the manager, he tells me I have been sold to somebody, but he still takes the money as payment for my time there. And that's how I met Val, in the car ride to the studio he had told me he saw me worken' there and thought my face looked like star material. That he had plans for me...big plans, bullshit like that."
Angel grit his teeth as he felt tears threaten to well up in his eyes. He wouldn't cry, he forced himself not to cry. There was more pain coming, and he didn't want to show weakness by breaking down now. The only person he trusted enough to see him in tears, from the sound of things had just arrived in the foyer. He could hear what sounded like Alastor enthusiastically weirding her out by making her acquaintance.
"And yeah he made me a star... '' Angel forced himself to continue the story and ignore what was going on just beyond the door. "Or what people saw on the surface as one. Behind the scenes, it was a different story. I wasn't too thrilled about thinkin' I had earned my freedom only to have it all snatched away from me. And Val made it clear that I was expected ta use my body to make the money spent on me worth it. When I asked how much I needed to make before I had paid him off, he responded by saying 'Until they don't want you anymore.' The abuse became part of the everyday norm—beatings, starvation, isolation, threats of violence, and worse punishments if I fought back or resisted. Even when I did everything he wanted, Val would still rip me a new one just because he felt like it. He never went for the face much- bruises and shiners aren't really all that marketable. But that doesn't mean he couldn't make me hurt for days on end. Some years after this started I met Cherri.
Like you, I didn't tell her what was going on. Val had a thing of seeing me broken and miserable. He enjoyed watching all his employees suffer, but I was the one he took particular pleasure in tormentin' cause of how resistant I could be. So if there was anything I liked, anything I cared about...he'd take it from me. And yeah, he has threatened to serve Nuggz up as dinner more than once if I misbehaved. When Cherri came into my life, I didn't want her to know...I didn't need her involved because she'd only get hurt. We had been buddies for a good number of years before she started to notice some things were going on. Eventually, she pulled me aside and demanded to know what was happenin' because it was obvious something was going on at my job. That's when I finally told her about all the abuse that had been taking place. She was horrified and immediately wanted to get me out of Val's clutches.
The only reason I'd stop her was that Valentino did not take losing credibility lightly, and anything that pissed him off he'd take out on me. I knew from experience that if she acted against him he'd possibly hurt or kill her as a means of hurting me. At least I wouldn't put it past him to do that. But I knew for sure, he'd hurt me and punish me out of principle...you know in case I was colluding with her or something. So…I never let her go after him, because if one of us had to get hurt in all this it was better that I was the one taking it. It's a really shitty and cowardly thing to go after someone you care about, and I didn't want to give that bastard an excuse to.
Cherri also was the first person that really got me to question, why did I allow this shit to happen to me? Why do I put up with it? In the past, I had always used the excuse that this was how things were because that was how this world was like, that I had no choice but to do it. But that's also why I fought Val and some of the shitheads before him. Because something in me knew this wasn't what I wanted my existence to be. I guess that's what attracted him when he first laid eyes on me, he saw me as something he felt he could control...something he wanted to break into submission. I'd been broken decades ago...and I sometimes had given in to the 'just let 'em do what they want' way of think'n, but I just refused to let it all destroy me."
"Oh my," Charlie let out a cry of horror when he had finished."Angel...I...I don't know what to say." She had felt there was something that wasn't happy with what he was doing in his life. But she never knew how unhappy he really was. Given all this, it was a wonder he was even sane given how long this had been taking place, even for demons...there had to be a breaking point.
"So when we met you," Vaggie inquired "You were offering yourself on the street because…"
"It's one of the things Val expects me to do," Angel growled bitterly. "You honestly think I'd be out there because I actually like the taste of some rando's dick in my mouth. Trust me, honey, if you've been suckin' dick for several years they all start tasting the same. What's even worse is how much Val stiffs me in all this. The shoots, the shows, the performances, they usually net about fifty to a hundred grand each, serving as an escort for a private function or servicing exclusive clients, that's around ten grand a night. Out of all of that...all of that! I typically earn about 1% tops maybe 0.5% depending on how generous Val is feelin'. When there's nothing on the schedule, Val needs me to do something besides hanging out at the studio just for the "fun" of it. So he has me out turning tricks on the street. On a good night, I'd make about a few thousand, on slower nights maybe about five hundred if I'm lucky, most of which of course goes to Val.
The day I met you two...I had been scheduled for a film shoot. And I had overheard Val talkin' about a drug deal going on with some shitty cartel and he needed someone to handle it. You see...most don't know this about me but I'm kinda connected to crime. Not just to Val and shitbags like him...I do literally have family connections to well a crime family. I was never interested in the mob life, still, that was the world I was raised and exposed to when I had been alive. At the time, I thought it didn't seem like such a big deal. I knew how these kinds of transactions went. And if I was gonna be stuck with Valentino, I could show him there was more to me than just being a two-bit whore. So I took the chance to tap into my Mafia roots and prove myself. Unfortunately, Val found out what I was up to and wasn't too happy about it. So as punishment he had me offerin' myself on the street to make up for the work I missed."
"So we found you purely by chance," Vaggie stated.
"Maybe it was chance," Angel sighed and opened his mismatched eyes again, though they remained focused introspectively on the floor. "The truth is I had been wantin' to leave Val for a while. As I had told you, Cherri's been wanting to get me out...she would love it if she could do that. And a couple of years before I met Cher...I actually did try to run for it. I had been holding on to what earnings so I could save up for a bus trip to another city in Hell. I didn't care where I wound up, it could have been Imp City for all I cared. Just so long as it was far away from Val. Unfortunately, the boss kinda has eyes everywhere. Resources, associations, things like that...his relationship with Vox also makes things easier for him since that literally gives him eyes and ears throughout the city. So as you can possibly imagine I was pulled off'a the bus and was smacked around by Val until I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was tied down to a metal table and was given this gold tooth here." Angel pointed a finger at the single gold fang. "Val, told me it was to mark me as personal property and to remind me of what happens if I do stupid stuff like trying to run from him. That's why…that's why Vox being here bothered me...you see Val does know about this place and that I had agreed to be a part of all this. If I did anything that was honest since meeting you Charlie...it was that, because that was a choice I made on my own. I mean the whole pitch about demon redemption and all that...it was...far-fetched. Still, after I got out of the car following our talk, I actually had this feeling I haven't had in ages...a feeling of hope. Since he knows I'm here, Val has been sorta grillin' me to make sure I'm not tryin' to run for it again. I've been tell'n him that I've been foolin' the two of you into believing that I'm being good just so I have a rent-free space to live in. He's buyin' it...sort of or at least keep'n tabs to make sure I'm doing exactly what I've been saying I'm doing. And he's probably assume'n this whole thing will fail since he would be more of a problem if he does get the notion that redemption is possible.``
"And he's not going to let you go easily in either case," Vaggie sighed.
"I ain't saying I'm not a good choice for all this," Angel stated. "But I do come with a lot more baggage than you girls probably expected. And if...if this continues...you should be warned that sooner or later…Val is gonna come looking for me. And he could burn this entire hotel down if that's what it takes. If that's too much of a risk...I can leave, save you the trouble of me bringing disaster upon you. But now you two know what's been goin' on."
I do have a vocal recording I did of Angel Dust giving his explanation and can be found on my youtube channel.
I don't quite capture Angel's voice and I know the series version of Angel Dust would be more likely to wait until more shit hit the fan before spilling his guts if he figures it's best he do so. But I do manage to accurately display how he would act if he had to be in that situation which would be starting out with a "I don't want to do this, but we're here now so let's just get this shit over with." attitude, become steadily emotional as things progress though still trying reign it in, and then making the mature offer of leaving if they feel that his presence is too much of a risk for the Hotel to deal with.