For those who are still sticking with the story:

Sorry for taking so long. I've been dealing with a lot of things. I got rejected twice in the same month, so you can imagine how awful I feel. On the bright side, I'm on vacation for a month so I can focus more on writing, and I have another RadioDust story I'll be working on soon. It'll be a one shot. Be on the lookout for that, if that's your thing.

For anyone who wants to chat with me and talk, you can catch me on discord at v48#5730. I've been wanting more friends to talk to.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a particularly long one.

Husk stayed put in his seat, watching Alastor pace back and forth. After going over the events of his magical exhaustion and the letter, the cat finally understood just exactly why the radio demon had been acting the way he was. It was a very unfortunate series of events, the stars aligning for the world to take him down, essentially. "They'll be hounding me any day now. Any hour. That damned mob... you know what they'll do. They'll... they'll... dismantle me! And I can't do anything to stop it." He motioned with his hands and made a ripping motion in the air. "How could this happen...?!" Somehow, word had spread, letter indicative of this. Alastor thought back to when he went to Gale. Gale definitely wouldn't backstab him, never taking any side over the other. Whatever the case may be, it didn't even matter. "They're going to take everything. Years of progress... erased. My side of the city will most likely be..." He did not finish.

If the Dellucci family knew, then chances were that word had spread to many others as well. No question, he was the top priority on a number of hitlists, and this news would be cherished. Even rival gangs would unite for this one occasion. Alastor wasn't exactly the kind of demon to have others backing him and never aligned himself with any specific group, preferring to work alone. He was just that good. But now, the world had flipped upside down on him. Facing Husk, he stood rigidly, the atmosphere feeling tense. Alastor had finally stopped moving. Covering his mouth with a hand, he contemplated his next words. "I need you to do me a favor."

Husk sighed, having anticipated this. "Ah geez... I already told you." The deer waited for an explanation.

"If they see me with you, then we're both going down. No question. Who exactly do you think I am?" Husk motioned with his paws, and Alastor was as still as a statue, stuck in the same pose.

The two looked at each other for a while until fear came upon Alastor, as if what was said had finally sunk in. He could see Husk's hesitation in denying his offer. "Listen. Please. I have money. I can get you anything you need, if I get out of this alive. Unless I willingly turn myself to them... they're going to raze this hotel in a few days." He spoke softly, yet firmly. "...Please. I have no one else."

This made the cat think as he thought of not just Alastor, but also Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel. But at the same time, what could be done? It's not as if he had any pull on the strings behind the scenes, or was some kind of legendary hitman back in the day. "I'm sorry, but I'm finished. I am done with all the killing. You could take them on if you still had your magic. But not me, or any number of other demons. You'd have to hire a whole damn army."

The radio demon turned around, facing the window again. This situation was made even more desperate as the only one he'd trust to have his back had refused. But, he understood. Husk felt regret for the things he had done, and wanted to change. This could be his only opportunity, and he'd be risking it all. Threatening him wasn't an option either, only breeding dishonesty and betrayal... nor did he have the power to threaten him right now either. Even if Husk had said yes, what then? Dread filled Alastor more and more as Husk stood up to leave. Opening the door, he gave one last look. "I can't do it. But, I know someone who can probably help you. He's way better at shooting than me, that's for sure."

At this point, the desperate red devil was open to any suggestions. "Yes?"

"Well, you know him too. Try asking Angel." The deer was left to his thoughts as Husk left, the door closing with a resounding thump.

"So, he's looking for protection?" Angel's brow raised, imagining Alastor with a bunch of bodyguards. The thought didn't feel right. He was always off on his own and never needed any help. Despite looking the part of an evil mastermind with henchman, the deer was pretty much a one man army. There were exceptions like Husk and Niffty, but they were more like acquaintances and weren't there to protect them as far as he knew.

"Yep. But I can't do it for him. I'm done with all that. I just wanna die drinking and playing card games. No more of that killing shit... I've done enough of that for a hundred lifetimes." Husk took a swig of his bottle, the talk with Alastor having stressed him out even though he wasn't particularly affected. "Even if I wanted, what can I do? This cat's already used up his nine lives."

"Fair enough." The spider understood. At times, even he considered quitting. But, it was good money, and he enjoyed the rush. He had 4 arms to take advantage of, helpful with many activities. Shooting in particular was one of them. He was practically made for it, his dominant spider DNA giving him an edge over most opponents. His reputation only backed this up. It'd be a waste to stop. "Well, I could offer my services to him, and more if he just asked." The implications of the last remark were made obvious as Angel licked his lips.

Husk rolled his eyes, knowing how that would usually go. "Yeah, well, it'd be best if you don't do that right now. The guy's already out of his mind as is. The last thing he needs to hear is another joke about blowjobs."

"I know." Angel cracked a knowing smile. "He's lost his magic for some reason, right? He told me about it when he fainted earlier." He almost laughed as he remembered how Alastor planned to use a flower vase as his defense. But, the situation was a lot more dire than he thought for him to make light of it.

"Yeah. He's gonna need some serious protection. Who knows how long it'll take until his magic is back, and he's not exactly Mr. Rogers in this neighborhood... won't be surprised if somebody tries him today." The opening of the front doors broke the train of thought, a couple of demons coming in. They had skipped the reception desk, looking like a rather rowdy bunch. Angel noted the weapons they had on them, packing a decent amount of heat. The biggest of them stepped forward, a bulldog with a large, rounded physique. By the looks of it, they were not seeking redemption.

"We've been hired to protect, uh... what was his name again?" Another one of them chimed in. "I think it was Astor. Errr... Aurora?"

"Close enough." Angel turned back to Husk, throwing his hands up. "Well, guess my help won't be needed."

Husk waved off the group, waiting to talk until all of them were gone. There was quite a number of them. "Looks like he took 'hiring an army' literally. Although... I thought he told me that he didn't want to hire randoms. I don't recognize any of them." This got him to think hard for a moment. Going to a nearby phone on the wall, he dialed up Alastor's room. It rang and rang, going unanswered. "Hmm..." Turning, Angel already knew what the bartender was thinking.

"...you think I should go check and see if everything's going well?"

The cat shrugged. "I dunno. Kind of strange that so many would show up now... he and I were talking just a few minutes ago."

That was enough evidence for him. Finishing up his own drink, Angel stood up, stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles. "You know what, I'm gonna go ahead and check. Juuust in case."

"Sure. I'll just be here with the booze." Husk laid back onto the counter, watching the spider disappear around a corner. Drinking some more, he gave a sigh, still feeling nervous for some reason. 'Something's not right here...'

"Perhaps... Angel..."

Another knocking on his door, Alastor was surprised, looking away from the window and to the door. "Husk?" However, from the shadows beneath the door, he could tell it definitely wasn't. Multiple figures moved outside, and there was another knocking. This time, it was more insistent. Adrenaline pumping, he jumped to his suitcase and took it quickly.

"Yeeeep! It's me! Husko! Your... uh... best friend!" The voice was not convincing in the slightest. "Wait, I don't think he would have any friends. NEVERMIND! Housekeeping!"

A ringing interrupted his thoughts, the old fashioned handle of the rotary phone rattling. He picked up quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey. Did you happen to hire... 20 or so demons in the past 10 minutes?" A louder, harsher knock pounded on the hotel door, loud enough that Husk should've heard on the other line. If he somehow didn't hear that, the door being forced open with a crunch was definitely audible, along with the steps of about a dozen, and the phone dropping. "Ah... well, shit."

Alastor let go of the phone and held his case in his hands, feeling the eyes on him as a number of demons surrounded him. He was practically a morsel to them; a sheep to a pack of wolves. Had his magic not been suspended, he could finish all of them right now. "You know why we're here, radio demon. Make it easy for us, will ya? You've been here for years... let us have our time too."

The deer continued backing up until he felt a fragile surface on his back, feeling like he could apply pressure. It was the window. "Hmm. I suppose that's fair! I give up."

"Really?"

Alastor grinned. "No." Crashing himself backwards, the window broke easily. Glass flying with him, he fell backwards and twisted midair, approaching the cement surface at a high speed. "Don't fail me now...!" Hands facing the ground, he hoped for a miracle, focusing his energy.

Looking outside of a window, Angel spotted a few vehicles pull up to the side of the hotel. As the people got out, they looked to be of the same crowd of the ones who just arrived. "Backup, huh..." A loud crash shook him out of his observation, glass shattering, then audible yelling from Alastor's room. There was definitely a commotion. "Looks like the hunch was right." Angel mused and immediately rushed up the steps to the radio demon's room, preparing himself for the worst.

"Shit, he jumped! Get outside now and grab the fucker! That's our money running away!"

"What about that Angel Dust? I saw him in the lobby!" One voiced was concerned, but the rest had already made up their mind on what to do, the sound of magazines loading and stomping.

"Whatever! Cap the fucker too if he gets in the way!" That sealed Angel's next course of action, quickly hiding in the alcove of a random room. Steps were approaching fast, and he held his breath, reaching into his suit pockets. Four pistols donned in each hand, he felt his heart skip with glee, the hairs on his back rising, and the corner's of his mouth lifting to form an excited smile. Angel's senses heightened, letting him know exactly how many of them there were in the room. It was at times like this that he was thankful he was reborn in hell as a spider. "It's time to get to work." Hands simply behind his back, he emerged and walked casually towards the disorganized meatheads with a confidence brought by experience.

"Goddamn it, I told you to fuckin' watch h-" The body fell unceremoniously as Angel shoved the gun forcefully into the goon's teeth, interrupting his speech. A bang echoed through the hallways, the other demons in the hallway stopping dead in their tracks as they saw the hole in the back of their friend's head. This moment of distraction would be the end of most of them, bullet after bullet firing, every single target double tapped for safety. Only one would remain, intentionally so, spared with a shot to the knee.

"Too easy..." Angel stepped over the bodies nonchalantly. "Talk about speaking of the devil, hm?"

"Fuck you!" The bulldog quickly aimed, but unfortunately, there was a vast overestimation of speed. His yell bounced through the hallways, his hand blown off, disarming him. "Shit... you t-took off my...!" Angel gave a nod as he reloaded his magazines slowly, taking his time as the wounded demon before him shook. "D-damn... the rumors were true. You're faster than any draw I've seen."

"Why thank you." Angel sighed in satisfaction as he got on one knee, getting close and personal. "You know how this goes. Who sent you?"

"Heh. Go and fuck your-"

The retort was shut down quick as Angel shoved the dog's head against the wall and slid a barrel under his chin. Their eyes met, an intense gaze meeting a panicking, scared one. "I can make this a hell of a lot more painful. Start talking, or I'll be forced to fuck up that pretty face of yours even more."

"Ok! Please... it was Dellucci... he's got the whole city u-up against Alastor. He's fucked..." The bulldog's terrified expression turned into a wild grin. "And you're fucked too! This... shitty hotel? He'll destroy it! HE'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Angel had heard enough.

Bang!

Angel didn't so much as blink as he pulled the trigger. Blood splattered against the wall, some of it getting on his clothes and face. Staying in this position, he thought deeply. "This will be a bloodbath..." Then, the broken window caught his attention. Alastor wasn't in the room, leading him to look outside. It was a pretty high fall, but there was no body, thankfully. "He must've jumped... good call though." Running back down to the lobby, he encountered a held up Husk, his arms raised as a demon hoodlum kept the cat at gunpoint.

"Excuse me, do you know where room service is?" Diverting the attention, Angel dropped him, blood and brain matter unfortunately staining the once clean and shiny counter. Husk closed his eyes and backed up in vain as some got on him, giving an annoyed grumble. "Damn! Could've given me warning!"

"Listen, there's no time. Are you going to die here, or live to drink another day?" Tossing the now dead hoodlum's gun to the cat, Angel grinned.

Husk wanted to protest, but seeing as more demons were bound to show up and they were bent on killing anyone in the hotel, target or not, it'd be best that he got moving as well. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

Alastor had never run this much in his life. He gasped for air as he heard the steps behind him keep an even pace. Thankfully his magic was able to save him that one time earlier, but any further usage would be much exponentially dangerous. The only thing keeping him alive was his deer affinity. He didn't even know where he was going, only that the men after his life were right on his back, and that stopping would spell death; or worse. "This way! He went this way!" Legs feeling like they'd crumple, each step carried him slower, and with less distance. 'Me, of all people... to die running like a coward...' He cut across an alleyway, sloppily jumping over discarded boxes and trash. 'Just a little longer...!'

Turning a corner, he felt a hand grab him. Swinging his briefcase, he managed to nail the offender right on the face. Expecting to run again, he was met with even more of the gang. He was cornered. "Well. I've tried my best." The group surrounded him, making Alastor back up against the brick wall of the alleyway. "Now now, fellow demons! I'm sure we can work this out without violence..."

"On the contrary!" Looking up, a brief flash of white and pink breezed by from the rooftop, then landed squarely beside him. Hearing gurgling, he saw that the thug's neck had been crushed in with a heel.

Taking out his signature pistols, twirls around the fingers flashing flourish, the spider smirked. "Violence is going to solve this just fine!" The sudden burst of firing made Alastor duck down, his pursuers gunned down cleanly as their once already ugly faces somehow became even more ugly, holes of red decorating torsos and giving facial makeovers. With a single, sweeping spin, the pillars around them were knocked dead. Looking up, he saw the one who rescued him. The radio demon took a moment to rest, his hands on his knees. He had been saved by the one person he didn't think would come.

"Are you alright, hun?"

"I'm... I'm fine." Alastor was still in a daze, confused as to why Angel, of all people, would come to his rescue. He should've been finished right there. Yet here he was, staring at the spider with disbelief. He was alive.

"What's up?" Angel blinked, seeing a look Alastor had never given him. He couldn't read it.

The deer shook out of his stupor. "Ahem... nothing. I believe I should... ah. Thank you." This got the spider to smile, the radio demon looking away as he saw this. For some reason, he couldn't help but smile too.

"You're very welcome."

The sound of distant yelling definitely meant that wasn't all of them though. Another whole group was at the end of the alleyway, letting their presence known as they began shooting instantly. Pulling the deer with him behind a dumpster, the two both ducked, loud clanking as the metal box shielded them. "Ah, shit. Where the hell is..."

The sound of a car revving came from the other end. Barely fitting, a jet black coupe annihilated the polluted alleyway, running over all its obstacles. There were more than a few speedbumps, the car tumbling. "Right on time!" Angel took Alastor's hand and got out of the alleyway to make way, their transportation sliding out into the street with a screech. The deer and the spider immediately got into the passenger seat.

Husk stepped on the gas as soon as they were in, speeding away. Looking in his side mirror, he flinched as some shots popped off from behind, hitting the driver side mirror square. Pushing down Alastor into his lap, Angel fired back blindly, forcing their pursuers to stay back. Taking a second look and seeing no one in sight, Husk sighed, shaking his head. "What a mess. What the fuck have I got myself into..."

Angel in the meantime was carefree, caressing Alastor's hair in one hand, who was still covering his ears in fear. "Aw, look at him. He's so adorable like this!" Tempted, Angel pet over an ear, causing the deer to immediately shoot up. Now he was face to face with a beaming Angel. Out of context, it looked like Alastor was straddling Angel, but there was just no room to move. "Relax, Al'. We're safe."

Shifting uncomfortably, he had no choice but to sit on the spider's lap, looking out the window to avoid Angel's knowing look. The mischievous smile said it all. "...Could you have chosen an even worse vehicle, Husk?"

The complaint was ignored. "We're safe for now." Husk added as they headed to the freeway, speeding off from the city. "The hotel is fucked and we're going to be on the hitlist of every single fucking gang." There was a period of silence as the idea settled into Alastor and Angel's heads. Angel didn't seem to care, shrugging. Alastor on the other hand, could not say anything, the fact that he was on top of Angel forgotten. Even after escaping with his life, they were bound to hunt him, and by extension, Angel and Husk as well.

The spider simply rested his hands behind his head. "Oh well. It is what it is."

In anger, Husk turned to the spider. "Yeah, because fuck MY life, right?! Maybe you don't care about yours, but... shit, shit, SHIT!" He slammed the steering wheel with a single fist. "There goes my redemption..."

"Hey, just relax. Chances are, they haven't ID'ed you. For all they know, I forced you to drive at gunpoint."

Husk resisted the urge to take his anger out on his car again, running a hand through the top of his head. "Angel... do you have any idea who we're dealing with? If Dellucci sent them-"

Riiiing!

"Ah, sorry. Give me a second." Angel stuck out a single finger as if to say 'pause' and answered the call. "Heeeello?"

"ANGEL! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Even without speaker, the voice was heard clearly. It was Charlie. Typically, she'd never get mad. She'd just get disappointed kind of like how a puppy would react if they were denied attention. Obviously, today was different. "I poke my head out of the hotel for ONE freaking minute and fate shovels SHIT in my face! Have you seen the news?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything! Don't go pinning it all on me when you don't know the details! Listen, we've skipped town, and-"

"Oh, so you ditch us after you've screwed the hotel? Ohhhh, faaaaanTASTIC!"

"Get some sleep! Talk to you tomorrow! Byeeee!" With a beep, the three were saved from an intense lecture. "...well then." They all went silent for the next half an hour, their destination still unknown. Alastor's magic was temporarily gone. Husk had most likely thrown away his only chance at being free from the crime world. And Angel had come along for the ride.