"Yeah, that sounds like Angie all right," Cherri laughed as Vaggie's account concluded."He does make it hard for people to know him." Cherri's single eye saddened somewhat at that statement. "Though that's probably so he isn't hurt by others. Still, I'm glad you guys did find him when you did and that the two of you are becoming people he is starting to trust as friends."

"So we shared our story," Charlie said brightly. "What about you, how did you and Angel meet?"

"I met Angie," Cherri stated. "About a few months after I arrived in Hell. It was during my first Cleanse. My first encounter with him was certainly different compared to yours, but things were different back then."

"12/31/1988"

The day had felt weird all morning. She had woken up and gone to get some coffee at the local shop. Unfortunately everywhere she went the places had lines that stretched for blocks with signs saying they were closed by two. Many of the stores and bars were either shuttered tight or had signs saying "Hopefully open soon". Even the clubs said they were closed until further notice. There was odd nervous energy everywhere around her. This was the last day of the year, but instead of being celebratory. All the denizens of Hell around her were agitated...scared, either huddling in their homes or finding different forms of shelter like they were waiting for a nuclear bomb to hit.

"Hey, Sista'" A tall demon with a New York accent said as he hurried past her. "If you're smart, you'd be hiding right about now." The demon was dressed in a pink and white Valentino Jacket and thigh-high boots.

"Hey," Cherri asked the stranger. "Do you know what's going on? Why is everything closed and shit?" The demon came to a stop in his tracks and seemed to consider something.

"Oh...you're a virgin," The taller demon stated, a single dark-colored eye regarded her from over his left shoulder.

"Excuse me," Cherri said, immediately reaching for one of the Cherry Bombs she carried on her person. She may not know what's going on, but she wasn't going to just let some rando on the street insult her.

"I wasn't meaning' that," The other demon said turning to fully face her for the first time. "Ya never even heard of the "Cleanse"?"

"I don't even understand the shit you're talking about," Cherri said in irritation. The taller demon seemed agitated about something that was going on but appeared rather conflicted too.

"I don't have time to tell ya the details," The taller demon said as he was becoming more stressed by the moment. "Look, how far do ya live from here?"

"Around the west side of the pentagram," Cherri responded. "Why?"

"Ya won't get there before lockdown," The taller demon responded, as he glanced around as though on the alert for something. "If they caught ya, you'll be erased before mornin'."

"If who caught me," Cherri demanded as she was getting irritated. "If you're thinking that sexist "I'm dumb, cause I'm a girl" bullshit, then I have something for you to choke on." The taller demon approached her; firmly but not ungently taking hold of her shoulder and started to pull her along with him.

"Come on," he said. "My place's not far from here. It ain't much, but ya can hide there 'till the whole things over." Cherri wanted to resist, but something in her told her not to fight him.

They arrived at the front doors of a dingy apartment building. Her unknown companion tapped in a key code into the security access panel. The door gave a buzz, immediately he opened the dirty and cracked glass doors as he pushed her ahead of him into the poor excuse for an entryway. The two stopped to catch their breaths. Now that things were beginning to feel more settled she was finally able to get a good look at her companion. He was obviously a bug demon of some kind, she wasn't certain as to what. He was covered in white fur though there were pale pink tones in it as well, including what looked like a large heart-shaped mark on his chest. While clearly male, he did have a rather effeminate appearance. Even the attire he wore looked like women's styled clothing. His dark pink eyes were an interesting contrast, with one gentle-looking white eye. While his second eye appeared to be his only physically intimidating feature as it was sinister-looking black with a single pink orb.

The other demon was gradually becoming less anxious, now that the two of them were indoors. She soon learned why he had been so stressed as a siren sounded and a metal grate fell in front of the glass doors they had entered.

"Bet ya glad you ain't one of the poor smucks still stuck out there right now," He said giving her a smirk, though there was a slight bitterness in his humor as well. Turning from the sealed doors he started towards an elevator bank. "Come on, it still ain't safe here." He had stopped physically guiding her, so he was leaving her to follow if she wished. Figuring having a companion would be better than sitting in this entryway alone for however long, she decided to follow. Taking the rickety elevator up to the sixth-floor the two of them got out. There were other demons milling about in the halls. And there were occasional sneers and jeers in their general direction. Cherri noted, that her companion ignored them or pretended not to hear them.

"Hey slut," One large demon called out. "How much did she pay you to give her a good time?"

"If she made a man outta him, it'd be an improvement," another demon added. "But then again she'd still be the one wearing the pants in the relationship from the looks of her."

"Like you'd know," Cherri commented back. "He's probably a better man than you two fuckers will ever be." Her companion didn't say anything though he did give her an impressed smirk. Arriving at a door he pulled a key and unlocked it.

"It's a mess in here," He warned her as he entered. "To be fair, it ain't like I was expecting company today." Peering in she could see what he meant by "mess". The single-room apartment was littered with various sex toys ranging from dildos to vibrators, and some things she preferred not to know what they were. He was hurriedly picking those items up and stashing them in a cardboard box with the words "Work Shit" written on it. This he put away in the small closet which was full of more women's styled clothing ranging from fancy evening gowns to casual feminine attire. Cherri entered the small dwelling closing the door behind her as the androgynous male demon drew the blinds down bathing the room in darkness. Locating a small lantern and turning it on, he placed it on the floor so there at least was some light in the room. Settling on the floor himself the white-furred demon regarded her as if she was no more significant than the furniture, she was just something that was there.

Cherri took a seat on the bed, which wasn't so much a bed as much as it was a mattress placed on the floor. She wasn't feeling exactly comfortable with being in this cramped room with this unknown, but something about him told her he had no intention of doing anything to her. And even if he was inclined to try she had ways to show him she was not a girl to mess with. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket and shook one of the tobacco sticks loose. Before he took it, however, it seemed to occur to him that he did have someone else in the room with him.

"Do ya mind?" He asked, pointing at the cigarettes.

"Go ahead," Cherri shrugged. "This is your home...I'm just a guest for the time being. So what's all this shit going on? You were saying something about a 'Cleanse' earlier?"

"Today's what you would know as the last day of the year," The other demon said as he lit his cigarette and took a drag of the rank-smelling tobacco. "Think of the 'Cleansin' as a New Year's celebration. Except instead of toasting the coming year with Champagne and parties, it's welcomed with murder and mass genocide. This time every year some beings called the "Exorcists" come from Heaven and deal with the overpopulation. Any demon who can rub two brain cells together knows to be sheltered in place before lockdown starts. If you're unfortunate enough to miss curfew or be outside then you better find somewhere good to hide for the next several hours. Because if you're caught, you're a goner. The exterminations haven't started yet, but they will very soon. A member of Hell's royal family eventually comes out and announces when the whole thing's over, but we got a while until then."

"Oh," Cherri said, beginning to really grasp what had been going on the whole day. "So...what was the big idea of calling me a 'virgin' earlier?"

"That's just something we say at work," The other demon said. "We kinda call people who are new ta Hell and haven't experienced a 'Cleanse' before "Cleansin' Virgin's" and "Extermination Cherry's" things like that. As you may have noticed I am kinda involved in adult entertainment so it's a kind of an in-joke as it were."

"Okay," Cherri responded, really considering things from a different perspective. While these exterminations were bad, maybe there was still something to be gained from all of it. "And what happens when these 'Cleansings' are over. I mean if demons are actually killed off to the point they can't revive again, that's gotta leave a lot of places open for the taking, right?"

"Yeah," The other demon responded. "There are land and power grabs following these things, turf wars and stuff. It's mostly the Overlords seizing more power for themselves, though occasionally the other sinners or weirdo's around here try to take advantage of things too."

"I'm not exactly a pushover myself," Cherri grinned holding three small explosives between her fingers. "If there is a place to party, I'm there." Her companion raised the brow of his darker left eye, another impressed smirk appearing on his face. "I'm known as Cherri Bomb...and you?"

"Angel Dust," Her companion responded. "You gotta lot of spunk, Sista'...I like that." The two demons continued to chat amongst each other about what they had come to learn through their time in Hell as the time passed. Finding a needed companionship with each other for the time being. As the hours passed, Cherri felt herself lull into a comfortable sleep across Angel's bed grateful that she had found someone who could help her understand the chaotic world that she had come to find herself in.

As the clock tower struck midnight, Angel looked up as the sound of fireworks boomed overhead signifying the end of the lockdown period. Getting up he drew the blinds back up again, the phone on his vanity table rang seconds later. He immediately picked up the receiver to answer it, knowing exactly who it was.

"Angel Cakes," Val purred. "I hope you managed to get some money for me before it was time for lockdown."

"I did get a few Johns," Angel replied. "My last one was a cold fish, it was barely worth the money he gave me. I'm about the head over to the studio now, I just need to take care of somethin' first."

"Don't be too long, Sugar," Valentino purred. "You don't wanna make Daddy angry with you…" Hanging up the phone, he moved to the bed and started to shake Cherri's shoulder.

"Okay Cookie," He said. "Time to wake up." Cherri stirred as her single eye opened.

"Is it over?" Cherri asked as she started to sit up.

"Yep," Angel responded as he put the lantern away and checked the makeup he was wearing.

"Why did…" Cherri asked? His actions from earlier confused her. She may not have been in Hell long, but she had been there long enough to know most demons only looked out for themselves. Why would a demon protect another? And one that was a complete stranger no less. "You could have left me out there to be picked off by these 'Exorcists', why did you go to the trouble of helping me?"

"I guess…" Angel sighed as if he was contemplating. "I guess it's because no one was there for me my first time," He gave a bitter smile at the memory. "I managed to luck out and find a broom closet before the killing started."

"Well…" Cherri said as she made her way out of the room. "Thanks...maybe I'll see you around. I could use a guy like you if I'm gonna start taking over some turf around here."

"We didn't become friends overnight," Cherri admitted "But he did become an ally to me. He taught me about how this city worked, and I've been someone he could turn to for anything. The both of us are reliant on each other, but I know when he has something handled, I've literally seen him take on entire groups of demons on his own like it's nothing." Both Charlie and Vaggie look to one another briefly as though sharing a thought between them.

"I know," Cherri sighed. "All of that stuff is problematic and is something your hotel is trying to discourage."

"It's not that," Vaggie responded. "If Angel can take on groups of demons on his own, what is stopping him from going after Valentino?"

"I don't know," Cherri stated. "It might be the fact Valentino is an Overlord. I mean yeah, the two of us took on Sir Pentious together in that turf war we had some weeks back. But that wannabe, snake-brained, edgelord isn't really all that much of a challenge, he's mostly just all talk with nothing to back it up. But Valentino...I don't know what sort of hold he has over Angie. I mean, I know Val's abusive and manipulative, but... Still, I'm glad the worst he's done is forcing Angie to give him blowjobs at times."

"Excuse me, my dear," Alastor interrupted. "I'm not one to partake in the illicit pleasures of the flesh. But how can you be so certain that events that are worse than these occasional non-consensual fellatios have not taken place?"

"You aren't seriously suggesting...?" Cherri angrily demanded.

"He's just being realistic," Vaggie pointed out. "As much as I hate to say this, I do agree with Alastor. We can't be certain worse hasn't actually happened. Look at Angel's profession... look at what he does...is it that hard to believe that Valentino may have hurt Angel in that way?" Charlie's eyes widened in horror at the suggestion, but the more she thought of it...the more it made sense. Angel was guarded, he didn't trust people easily. And even if he did trust someone enough to talk to them, he would turn to crude comments or snide remarks as though he was trying to force others away from him. Even the times she had heard him laugh, it wasn't honest laughter. Or even laughter at all. It was always this bitter, angry-sounding raucous noise that was meant to sound like laughter. The egotistical mask he would wear whenever he was among others. Now that she thought about the way Angel reacted when Vox appeared at the hotel. Was it just Valentino, or were the other V's also doing their own versions of torture on him as well.

"This is ridiculous," Cherri protested. She knew in her heart what Vaggie was saying was true. Angel may have been raped by Valentino and possibly others. Val was sleazy and despicable, why wouldn't he stoop to something that was so humiliating. That didn't mean she didn't have a hard time believing it.

"He was with Valentino before he met you, Cherri," Charlie said. She also didn't like to think such awful things were happening. Particularly happening to someone she had grown to love and respect as a friend. No Angel wasn't just a friend, she didn't know him well but she had come to think of him as a member of her family. "He's probably never told you because he wants to spare you the truth of it...or it's something he hasn't admitted to himself." Cherri's cycloptic eye grew troubled as she shook her head as if she didn't want to believe that was so.

"No…Angie..." She said mournfully; gritting her teeth angrily. "I swear...I swear I'll kill that evil son of a…" Charlie put a comforting hand on Cherri's.

"He'll need you to help him heal from all that's going on," Charlie said. "Going after Valentino in anger is not going to help matters, it's only going to hurt him more. And that is what that Overlord wants, for you to act against him so he can hurt Angel because of it. Or he could hurt you or worse as means of hurting Angel."

"But things are getting worse," Cherri said. "I'm worried I'll lose him…"

"I'm worried about that too," Charlie said. "Maybe...maybe a change in scenery might help things. Leaving the city even for just a weekend might give him and the rest of us a chance to clear our thoughts and figure out what we could do."

"What about Valentino," Vaggie pointed out. "He will still come here looking for Angel, wouldn't he? Even if we can get out of the city without Valentino's knowledge...he could still destroy everything we're trying to do. We could return here and find the hotel just a pile of smoldering rubble or he could be waiting for us to return so he could force Angel to leave with him."

"You also need to remember what sort of forces are associated with this building," Alastor said. "I had promised to help this hotel, so I wouldn't just allow it to be destroyed. And while King Luci may have permitted Charlie to use this place for her own uses. He would not take kindly to someone willfully destroying it for any reason."

"Speaking of Legs…" Husk grumbled as he glanced at the wall clock by the bar. "Isn't he usually back by now."

"You…You're right," Charlie said. She pulled out her Hellphone to see if Angel had sent any texts informing her he would be late. There was nothing, not even a call from her mom. "Cherri...has he sent you any calls or texts?"

"No," Cherri admitted after checking her phone. "You don't think that…?" She didn't need to finish that question. As both Charlie, Vaggie, and everyone else had reached the same conclusion. Something was happening to Angel.

"I recall hearing that you are at that hotel my darling Charlotte is running," King Luci commented as he adjusted his jacket and bow tie. Angel just lay curled under the blanket.

"Uhh-huh," Angel said non-committally. He knew he wasn't at fault since the King of Hell had asked for him. Still, that didn't mean he didn't feel lower than dirt right now. How could he look Charlie in the face all the while knowingly stabbing her in the back by allowing himself to be screwed by her father? How could he live in that hotel where pictures of King Luci hung as he proudly stood beside his wife and daughter. He just wished that his royal anus would just go so he could get cleaned up, dressed, give Valentino the souls he had earned today, and finally return to the hotel. Returning to his private room so he could suffer alone until he needed to do this shit all over again.

"I do hope you are being good to her," King Luci said. "My dear Charlotte can be flighty and doesn't always think things through, but she does have a good head on her shoulders. Sometimes I wonder if she cares a little too much. Then again not everybody would see something redeemable in most demons...at least not in a whore like you." Angel hugged himself at that remark. People only saw what they wanted to, which was whatever was on the surface. Never the full story surrounding it.

Even when he had been alive, this had been his everyday existence. He was the child of a notorious Mafioso, so he must be destined to be a criminal as well. He got into fights with other boys at school because he was protecting and defending his younger sister from being bullied by them. He was automatically assumed to be a troublemaker. The Nuns at school looked down their noses and proclaimed that he had too much of the devil in him and that nothing good would ever come from him.

Even though he choose to enter the sex trade as a means of distancing himself from his relatives. He could still feel pain and loneliness at being cut off from those he knew. Accused of having forgotten what family meant and even if he did desire to return, he knew he would not be welcome. He was a freak, an anathema, and an unnatural creature because of his desire to love and be loved by someone of the male gender. And now...all people saw was a spoiled brat who was able to create an easy living for himself on his back. They didn't know the pain and humiliation he suffered as part of his existence, yet even if they did...most would say he still brought it all on himself...it was what he deserved.

Once the King of Hell had taken his leave, Angel located his clothing. The small whores suite didn't have a shower so he made do with running a damp washcloth over his body cleansing away any trace of his previous client. A hot shower back at the hotel should take care of anything he may have missed. Getting dressed he picked up the stack of souls that King Luci had left and made his way to the elevator. Once the doors opened to allow him into the box-like car he pressed the button for the penthouse. The door obediently closed but didn't ascend.

"Ah, Angel…" Valentino said.

"I have the payment from our VIP," Angel stated. He hoped he didn't sound as worn out as he felt. All he wanted was to just go back to the hotel...he wanted to cuddle Fat Nuggets. He wanted to curl beside Cherri as she wrapped her gentle arms around him and pulled him into a comforting embrace. He wanted to be with the only people in Hell who loved and cared for him as one of their own. Not what he can do to serve them.

"Excellent," Valentino remarked. The elevator rose straight up five floors without stopping until it arrived at Valentino's penthouse suite. The main room as always was tackily decorated. The entire room sitting area had deep-purple plush couches and chairs. A white heart-shaped rug sat underneath a taupe-colored coffee table. The plush carpet under the floor rug was a bright rosy pink, while the walls were all covered in Bordeaux red wallpaper lined with heart-shaped pinstripes. The walls had various framed posters of Angel Dust's photoshoots. Some photos had Valentino with Vox standing with Angel, Dia, Summer between them. Some with Velvet standing in front of the three porn stars like the four of them were the best of friends. All six of them standing in a gross facsimile of a family. Other photos were of Angel Dust standing or sitting with a decidedly forced smile on his face. While Valentino stood beside him or leaned around him and grinned like a proud papa. Making a show for the camera about how he treated and thought of Angel as a son.

Currently, Val's back was to him. He was gazing up at a porn image of Angel costumed as a slutty mermaid who was in the midst of reviving a sailor he had rescued by giving him head. Angel said nothing as he entered as pulled out the souls he had earned and approached a console table where three reception boxes rested. Two already held earnings from Dia and Summer. Angel placed the souls he held in his hands in the box marked with his name. With that done he turned to press the elevator door so he could leave for the day.

Suddenly Val's hand clamped around Angel's wrist. Whirling the Spider around the moth grabbed hold of Angel's chin and gave him a forced kiss.

"Where do you think you're going?" Valentino demanded.

"Back…" Angel answered. Uncomfortable with the tension that filled the room. "Back to the hotel...I'm done for today and…"

"I didn't say you were free to go," Valentino glowered. "I still have need of you." He roughly pulled Angel behind him towards the bedroom.

"But...if I." Angel protested as he struggled to get out of Valentino's grip. "If I don't return to the hotel they'll…" Valentino responded by slamming Angel back against a wall.

"Remember, who is allowing you to even remain at that hotel!" Val snarled. "They'll be fine without you for one night."

"If this is because you and Vox aren't working out right now," Angel protested, but his words were quieted as the flat one of Valentino's hands made contact with his face in a hard smack.

"Don't ever speak that bastard's name again!" Val snarled as he tossed the Porn Star into the bedroom. Angel lay sprawled against the plush pink carpeting.

~Please...no...not this…~ Angel thought to himself as he fearfully turned to look behind him as Valentino stood glaring down at him. His eyes and smile glowing red in the darkness as he shut the door. Undoing his coat he revealed he was bare-chested with only a pair of black silk sleep pants. Angel scrabbled away in a futile attempt to prevent what he knew was going to occur.

"Come to Daddy, Angel Cakes." Valentino crooned, though there was an underlying tone that insisted that it was better for Angel to obey. The Spider just fearfully huddled in the corner.

"Please Val," Angel begged. "I've been good...I've been doing what you wanted...just...just let me go home."

"You are home…" Valentino growled grabbing the Spider by the ankle and pulling him forward. "Haven't I been a better father figure to you than your old man? I've loved you...cared for you, treated you as if you were my own. I've told you time and again how special you were. The day I bought you from that casino was the best day of your afterlife because I actually made something of you. And you prefer to spend your time with a bunch of people who barely know you. People who will just turn their backs on you the moment this hotel fails. Even that Aussie cyclops girl you're buddies with...she'll drop kick you the moment she doesn't need you anymore. You know as well as I do that end is inevitable. Just accept the fact you belong to me. When 'Daddy' tells you to fuck somebody, you present your ass and allow them to fuck your brains out. When 'Daddy' tells you to suck a dick, you say 'how many?' When Daddy tells you to come to him, you get on your hands and knees and crawl to me like a good little pet. I don't like to punish you, but I will if you force me to. So are you going to be good or do I need to get rough?"

Angel reluctantly rolled to his hands and knees once Valentino let go of his ankle. He started to act as though he was going to obey his captor. But then what...Val was inviting suspicion by keeping him here. Charlie and the others knew what Valentino was doing to him, what he had been doing to him. He wasn't expecting a rescue mission, but once he was able to return to the hotel...if he even was able to return. It would be obvious to everyone that Valentino had crossed a line and there was no going back. If he obeyed, Val would just keep him back from the hotel whenever he felt like it. This time it might be a night, but the next time could be two or a week. It would just be the same bullshit all over again. He was just so sick and tired of being afraid of this bastard. Tired of the pain and humiliation, it was no different when he had found himself being pummeled by his father's fists and struck over and over by the belt Pops had always used to discipline his sons. The day Molly had disobeyed their father's rule about entering his study, running to him protectively gathering him into her arms. His older brother standing at the door where he had been told to stand guard. He tried to maintain the mask of cold indifference, but he could see it in his brother's eyes. The look of shock and horror on his face, the thing he knew was happening that he had been forcing himself to pretend wasn't. That was before him now and he couldn't deny what he was seeing.

If I did anything that was honest since meeting you Charlie...it was that, because that was a choice I made on my own.

No Val, ~ Angel mentally said to himself as he stood up, his eyes met Valentino's with a glair of defiance. ~This time I'll be the one makin' the rules. You'll just have to deal with the consequences when they come.~

"So you want it rough..." Val said, a low growl present in his voice as he cracked his knuckles. "I can work with that...And I'll make sure they hear you screaming in the Lust Ring."

If anyone wants to read a spin-off of what occurs here with Angel, please let me know.