"Oh god oh god oh god oh god…"
"Calm down, Vanessa! You'll be fine!"
"Why did I agree to this?!"
"It's just a ride! If it can keep my ass in a seat, you'll be okay!"
"Oh god oh god AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Vanessa's scream would've echoed for miles if the insane speeds of the rollercoaster had allowed it.
John had somehow convinced all of them to take a trip on the Rattlesnake.
Suffice to say, Vanessa was not happy.
"FUCK YOU!"
That was about the last thing John heard before she was screaming at the top of her lungs as the rollercoaster started its first drop.
When they had gotten off of it, John was laughing, immensely thrilled by the ride as he hooted and hollered. Meanwhile, Vanessa was pale as a ghost, and Cherri was supporting Angel Dust, who looked like he was trying not to puke.
"How the fuck do you ride that thing?!" Angel asked, only to grunt as he tried to stop himself from hurling.
"What? It wasn't that bad!" John remarked, glancing over at Cherri. "Did you have a problem with it?"
Cherri shook her head. "No, but I guess it's not for everyone." She said, glancing at Angel in sympathy.
John chuckled, and looked over at Vanessa. "You okay, Vanessa?"
Vanessa glared at John. "You're an ass…"
John simply grinned, nodding his head vigorously. "Uh-huh!"
Vanessa shook her head, but she had a small smile on her face. "It was… something…"
"It was fucking death trap!" Angel exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"Oh, you're whining." John said with an eye roll.
They're conversation was interrupted by a new voice approaching them.
"John? John Gallagher, is that you?"
Turning to the demon who spoke his name, he spotted a large black hellhound, standing at about 7 feet tall, with a scar running through his left eye. He wore a vest with red spikes on the shoulders, and a black tattered shirt. He also wore a pair of shredded black jeans, and he wore no shoes. On his left shoulder was a fur tattoo of a wolf's head spitting acid.
John recognized the demon, as it was one he hadn't seen for a while.
"Vortex? Is that you, you hairy sunuvagun?" He asked as he closed the distance between himself and the hellhound, who had a large smile on his face.
"It's good to see you, man!" He said as they high fived each other. "How've you been doing back home?"
John laughed. "You kidding? Same as usual, though I've recently taken up a… uh, a different, type of job."
Vortex rolled his eyes. "No, don't tell me, you went to work at the new hotel that the princess opened up?"
John chucked, before looking at Vortex with a shrug. "You know me." He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Hellhound. "So, where ya been, Tex? You didn't keep much contact after you left for Los Malvada."
Vortex looked apologetic. "Yeah, life got rough, not gonna lie. Nobody wanted to hire a Hellhound."
John rolled his eyes. "This bullshit with imps and hellhounds is so fucking stupid." He glanced at Vortex with a cheeky grin. "You could go back home? Or come to the hotel?"
Vortex laughed. "Hey man, I didn't it was bad now. I've been in Imp City for the past year."
John's eyes widened. "Really? How's things been there?"
"Well, I moved there after I got a job as a bodyguard. Take a wild guess who?"
John raised an eyebrow. "Give me a hint."
"She's pink, and doesn't know how to stay out of people's pants."
John looked at Vortex in disbelief. "Mayday? Verosika Mayday?! Are you serious?"
Vortex chuckled. "Hey, I know you don't like her but-"
"She doesn't know how to fuck off!"
"-but, she does pay well, and she isn't as bad as she used to be. She respects boundaries." Vortex said, defending his employer.
John rolled his eyes, before glancing at the hellhound.
"She still a bitch?"
"Well, that's a given."
John snorted, laughing at the answer. "No argument there."
"So, you gonna introduce us, or pretend we're not here?"
The familiar voice of Angel Dust caught John's attention, pulling both John and Vortex's attention to the spider-demon, as well as Cherri and Vanessa, all three looking at them in confusion.
"I know the porn star, but who are they?" Vortex asked, confused. John chuckled.
"Vortex, meet Angel Dust, Cherri Bomb, and Vanessa. Girls, and guy, meet Vortex."
"Nice to meet you." Vanessa said, waving shyly. Vortex smiled.
"Nice to meet you too."
"So, you know the big man?" Cherri asked with a grin.
Vortex chuckled. "Yeah. This big guy fell about four years ago. Ended up becoming my best friend for a long time."
"Hey, that runs both ways. You were the one who pulled my ass out of that deal with Alastor."
"Yeah, right after you stopped him from gutting me."
"Wait, this guy is who Alastor was trying to kill?" Angel glanced at Vortex. "What'd you do to piss him off?"
Vortex shrugged. "Didn't take his shit. He wanted to try to scare me, as he usually does with people."
John laughed at the memory. "I'm telling you all, that led to one hell of a fight, but if you could've seen Al's face when Tex here told him, without any sort of hesitation, to 'Go fuck yourself, you cherry colored prick,' you'd have been laughing your ass off."
Vortex rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I think you were laughing for all of five seconds before that asshole went full demon."
John's laughter died to a chuckle as he shrugged. "Still funny."
"So, how'd you all meet?" Vortex asked.
"Well, Angel here was the first, and only, guest of the Happy Hotel when I asked if I could help." John said, pointing to the demon. "Cherri here is his explosive friend, and the one who he obliterated half the West Side of Pentagram City with," He continued, pointing to the cyclops. "And Vanessa here was one of Valentino's victims before I tore him, and his studio to the ground."
Vortex nodded. "I still remember that motherfucker trying to seduce you. You ever had to eat someone else's hand off like that?"
John shook his head. "Nah. Though, to be fair, I did come close."
"Really?"
"Sir Pentious."
"Enough said."
"Hold up, wait a sec, you know that snakey prick?" Cherri asked in disbelief.
John nodded with an eyeroll. "Fuckhead doesn't know how to leave well enough alone. Met me after I stopped one of his takeovers of the Hell Hole. Tried to keep badgering me to 'join in hisss epic quest for evil!' and some shit like that." John shuddered. "I was so, so tempted to just munch his hand when he had the kahooneys to touch my chest like we were old friends."
"Touching your chest sounds a little… more than friends."
"Shut up!" John said quickly. "I don't like thinking it's anything past that. Otherwise, I will kill him."
Angel held his hands up in surrender. "Alright man, cool your balls."
Vanessa looked at Vortex with a head tilt. "So what do you do?"
"I'm a bodyguard for Verosika Mayday." He answered. "I keep people from getting a little too handsy… at the wrong time anyway."
"Wrong time?" Vanessa asked, glancing at John for an explanation.
"She's a succubus, like you. Difference is, she enjoys her nature way too fucking much." John explained with a shudder.
A thought occurred to Vanessa, and she glanced at Angel, looking horrified. "Angel, can I talk to you alone for a sec?"
Everyone raised an eyebrow at the sudden request, but Angel nodded. "Yeah, sure." He glanced up at John. "Give a minute?"
John nodded. "Not a problem." He glanced at Vortex. "What do you say me, you, and Cherri go ride the Lilly Screamer?"
Vortex grinned, before rushing off in that direction. "Last one there has to kick Lucifer!"
"Fuck you man!" John said as he chased after the hellhound, Cherri not far behind.
"No way am I gonna die in last place!" The cyclops remarked as she sprinted after the two.
Once they were gone, Angel turned to Vanessa, who looked pale. "What's up, Nessie?"
"Am I gonna have to have sex?"
Angel's eyes widened at the question. "Wha-Huh?"
Vanessa sniffled. "I'm a succubus… don't I have to have sex to live?"
Angel raised an eyebrow. "I'm not quite sure it works like that, sweetie. How else would you have survived at Val's for so long?"
At his words, Vanessa averted her gaze, and she looked like she was about to puke. "He…" She looked way to sick than Angel was comfortable with.
"Nessie?"
"He'd… feed me his… his…"
Angel had an uncomfortably solid idea of what she was about to say.
"His cum?"
She burst into tears at the words, and Angel pulled her close. "I got weaker after the first week of no takers… he forced me to drink it…" She wept.
Angel's eyes went wide. "Did he force you to-"
"No. He was too paranoid that I'd kill him in the middle of it, since I was an untrained succubus."
Angel couldn't fathom what he was hearing.
That was how she had survived? Val had…
Oh sweet jesus.
"I don't want to do that again… I don't want to!" Vanessa sobbed into his chest, while Angel could only hold the poor girl tight as he tried to calm her.
"We'll find something, sweetie. I'll fucking stomp up to Lucifer if I have too."
Vanessa looked up at Angel through her tears. "Do you think we can?"
Angel smiled. "Hey, up until we died, we didn't know that Heaven and Hell were real. Is it really that impossible to keep you from doing that stuff?"
Vanessa smiled. "Thank you."
Angel chuckled as he wiped her tears away. "No problem. Tell you what, we'll talk to Charlie when we get back. Maybe she can help."
Vanessa tilted her head in confusion. "Charlie?"
Angel nodded. "Her mom is a succubus. So she has to have some sort of idea."
Vanessa nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Angel."
Angel smiled, rubbing her head. "Not a problem, toots."
After a round on the Lilly Screamer, the trio of John, Vortex, and Cherri had found themselves laughing at the fun ride as the walked out of the exit.
"I knew I wasn't the only one who enjoyed that thing!" John said through laughs.
Cherri giggled. "So what if some people can't handle being spun around by a rotating pentagram?
Vortex chuckled. "Add in the fact that it doubles as a rollercoaster, and you have one hell of a ride."
John glanced at Vortex with a smile. "Man, it's been too long since we did this."
Vortex nodded with a smile of his own. "Yes it has. Y'know, tomorrow, I'm going on a trip with Verosika. She's got a concert in the-"
Vortex suddenly stopped himself.
Cherri turned to look at Vortex. "What, where does she have a concert?"
Vortex turned to look at Cherri. "Hold on."
Cherri narrowed her eyes. "What? Dude, where's she going?"
"Would you please stop?" Vortex asked, frustration leaking in his voice.
"What are you-"
"The Human World, right?" John asked, catching both their attention.
And Cherri could suddenly see why Vortex had silenced himself.
John had a look of pure and utter sadness, mixed with regret, all over his face. It seemed that the mention of the Human World struck a nerve with John.
Vortex looked regretful. "I… I'm sorry man, I wasn't thinking."
John raised his hand with a sigh. "You're good man. Anyway, you were saying?"
Vortex looked at John for a moment, before sighing. "After a concert tomorrow, I'm going on vacation next week." He smiled as he glanced at John. "Think we can hang out?"
John chuckled. "Next week? I promised Charlie to work all of next week without any interruptions."
"Charlie?"
"The Princess."
"Ah." Vortex nodded. "Well, I could stop by and visit while you're at work, right? Since it's a Hotel, there's not much you're gonna be doing, is there?"
John thought for a moment. "Well, I am supposed to be the security guard, but as long as I keep an eye on the place, you can hang out there while I'm working." He glanced at the hellhound with a grin. "Maybe we can go hangout after I'm off work one day next week."
Vortex grinned. "Here's hoping."
"Hey, John?"
The voice of Angel caught their attention, and the three turned to look in his direction.
He was approaching with his arm around Vanessa, who was hugging herself, keeping her gaze averted, looking like she was about to cry.
Angel looked straight at John. "I know we ain't been here long, but can we get back to the hotel, please?"
John looked at the two, concerned. "Is everything alright? What's wrong, Vanessa?"
Vanessa seemed to retreat further into herself, causing Cherri to walk up to her in concern, while Angel looked at John desperately.
" Please John."
John looked at them in concern for a few moments, before glancing at Vortex.
"Sorry to just run off-"
"Don't." Vortex said, raising a hand as he glanced at Vanessa. "Get her back home, man. We can hang out next week."
John smiled. "You're a good guy, Tex. Don't let anyone tell you different."
Vortex smiled, and glanced at the other three. "It was nice meeting you all."
Angel nodded. Cherri's attention was still on Vanessa, who smiled at Vortex.
"Nice meeting you too, Vortex."
Not a word was said as they made their way back to the Elevator. When they got back, they sat in silence in their own little area.
Vanessa sat between Angel, who was still hugging her, and Cherri, while John sat directly in front of her on the bench. He glanced back at the trio.
"What happened?" He asked, concern laced in his voice. Angel shook his head.
"She's fine, it's just-"
"She clearly ain't fine, Angel." John interrupted, looking at the spider demon in disbelief. "She looks like she's traumatized."
Angel froze at John's unexpectedly correct assessment, while Vanessa buried her face into Angel's side.
John felt guilt eat at him when he saw this, realizing he had made things worse, Cherri glaring at him as a result.
"Was that necessary?" She asked sternly.
John glanced at the cyclops, guilt on his face, before looking back at Vanessa. "I… I'm sorry. I'm just worried." He glanced up at Angel. "It's her first day of true freedom, and considering where she's been the past few months, I… I just want to make sure she's okay."
Angel glanced down at Vanessa, still tucked into his side, and then back to John, before looking at Vanessa again. "Sweetie, can I tell him?"
Vanessa looked up at Angel with wide eyes. "But…"
Angel smiled. "I promise you, he won't say anything, and he won't judge you."
John glanced at Angel with a raised brow, and then at Vanessa. "Why in the hell would I judge you?"
Vanessa glanced at John for a few moments, before looking at Angel and nodding.
Angel smiled down at her, before turning to John. "She was… well, I'll be as blunt as I can. She was raped before she died." Angel revealed, causing Cherri to gasp next to her and John's eyes to shoot wide. "That's why she-"
"-shot herself…" John finished, disbelief on his face as he looked at Vanessa, who at this point, was crying. He felt a wave of horror wash over him as he realized just how bad Vanessa had it. "And she's a succubus?!"
Angel nodded.
Cherri looked at Vanessa, sympathy on her features as she wrapped her arms around Vanessa as well. "You poor girl…" Vanessa couldn't state how much she appreciated the cyclops at that moment.
John looked at Vanessa, before looking up at Angel. "If she didn't… if Valentino wasn't able to find a customer for her, did he-"
"No! Thank fucking god, no!" Angel said, interrupting John before he had a chance to finish the question. "Though, honestly, I'm not sure what he did." At John's questioning gaze, Angel turned green as he answered the unspoken question. "He was feeding her his… stuff…" He was trying to be thoughtful at this point, he was sure Vanessa didn't want to relive that.
It took John a moment, but when it registered just what Angel meant, his eyes widened in horror. "Are you fucking serious?"
Angel nodded. "It's why she wanted to speak to me alone. After what you said about that succubus girl you were talking about…"
"...she's afraid she's gonna have to have sex to survive, isn't she…"
Angel nodded.
John looked at Vanessa, sympathy all over his face as he realized the poor hand fate had dealt this girl.
Spinning around, sitting with his knees now in an odd position, he leaned close to Vanessa. "Hey, Vanessa, look at me."
Hesitantly, the succubus lifted her tearstained face to look at John.
John looked at her. "I'll be honest with you, you can go without shit like that. As a sinner succubus instead of a Hellborn, the lack of… well, sex fluids, won't kill you."
"But I got weaker after a week of no… sex stuff, when I was with Val." Vanessa told him.
He nodded. "Weaker, because the power and sustenance you get from sex was leaving you. Look, I don't know how that shit works, cause I'm not a succubus or an incubus. But I do know this: If there is anyone who can help, It's Charlie."
"That's why we asked to leave so soon." Angel told him. "Charlie's mom is the first succubus, so it'd make sense that Charlie's also-"
"-also a succubus." John finished his sentence. "Or at least, a succubus in some sense."
Angel nodded, grinning a little. "You catch on quick."
John chuckled. "Too quick, sometimes. Can't tell you how many people I've pissed off by interrupting on instinct." He joked.
The words brought a smile, however small, to the faces of all three of his companions.
"But, let's not think about this longer than we have too, huh?" John proposed, smiling. "We don't think about depressing topics!"
"But-" Angel started, though John interrupted him.
"Nope."
Cherri tried to say something as well. "Shouldn't-"
"HSHUP!" John interrupted once more.
Vanessa lifted her head slowly to speak as well. "But shouldn't we-"
"AHDIDBFC!"
None of them were really sure of what to make of the gibberish that left John's mouth as he waved his hands back and forth.
"But-"
"SHDBJDA!"
"How about-"
"BJKIOIOH!"
"John-!"
"NONODBDAJODHAOCA!"
At this point, his gibberish, mixed with his comical display, had all of them, even Vanessa, laughing.
Inside, John was proud of himself.
Even if only for a little, he had distracted them from the depressing possibility and brought a smile to their faces.
Sometimes, he loved being an idiot.
A/N: Yeah, just so you know, I have no clue how Succubi actually function, or if they actually need sex, and I don't know if Vivziepop has confirmed anything about the specifics of Succubi in Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel, so I'm kind of creating my own thing here.
Then again, that's what fanfiction is, isn't it?
Also Yes, John knows Vortex.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment, and as always, stay tuned.