Disclaimer: Original is by Lady Gaga and I'm using Paranoid DJ's version for this chapter. The song is called 'Do What You Want'
Btw: Bold is for Val and italic is for Arackniss
Back In Hell.
"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?" Henroin shouted at his henchmen who all tensed up at the spider's wrath. It was no secret that Henroin had a bad temper and most knew to get the hell out of dodge whenever his fists came swinging.
"We don't know sir," The henchmen stammered,"We're sorry but no one has seen Arackniss. He's been missing for several weeks and he hasn't contacted us. It's like he just vanished into thin air…"
"You know damn well that people down here don't just 'vanish' into thin air. If they ever do vanish it's because someone grabbed em and is either holding them for ransom or killing them for kicks. Given our business it's likely the former, probably trying to use my son as a means to getting to me."
"What do you want us to sir?"
"Go through all of my connections and find a link between Arackniss's disappearance. I've already checked my rivals and none of them had anything to do with it so we need to dig deeper."
"And what will you do once we locate them?"
"None of your business,"Henroin retorted,"All I care about is you finding my son. I'll deal with the rest, understand?"
"Yes sir…"
The henchmen then scampered out of his office, Henroin sitting back into his chair as his dark red eyes flowed in the dark. He picked up a cigar, lighting it up and blowing a few puffs of smoke in the air in an attempt to reel in his sour mood.
The large spider scowled as his mind raced for an explanation. He was trying to think of who could've taken Arackniss. He knew his son well enough to know he wouldn't just run off on his own. It was out of character and three was no logical reason for him to run away when the mafia was all he knew.
Still, he couldn't think of anyone who would take Arackniss. His old enemies he had made in life and death had been thoroughly investigated and when he confronted them about Arackniss they all claimed to have nothing to do with his disappearance.
He didn't take their word for it of course but after checking their hostages, Arackniss wasn't among them and Henroin was forced to drop the subject. He even spoke on the line with other gang leaders asking if they were holding his son for ransom and they all told him they had no.
For several weeks, the results were the same and Henroin felt himself growing more and more infuriated at the lack of progress. None of it made any sense and he was about to lose his goddamn temper, wanting nothing more than to shoot someone with his gun to take out his frustration on something.
Henroin then reached for the newspaper in hopes to take his mind off the subject of his missing son. Down in Hell, Velvet, the Overlord of Social Media ran a newspaper line called 'Velogue' and it was rather popular. It was the way to keep up with Hell's scandals and what-not.
He wasn't into the flashy titles or anything but news was news and his old newspaper took too long anyway so this was the best he could get.
As he looked at the front of the magazine, he nearly had a heart attack at what he saw on the cover.
On the front page was Arackniss who was posing for the cover. Arackniss was sitting down and wearing a fancy suit with a cigarette in his hand that oozed with red smoke. His son's appearance had changed, now having aggrandized chest fur, longer legs and a more feminine appearance with visible lashes.
On the cover, the words were plastered in attention grabbing ways that slammed the point home:
"Angel Dust is old news, Arackniss is here to take the crown from his brother's throne!"
There's a new Spider in town and he's here to claim Angel's position as Hell's top porn star!
Sex, Drugs, Gangsters, Oh my!
Angel's replacement is…STRAIGHT!?
"Sorry to disappoint but I'm not gay like my brother, if boys want service they're gonna have to pay extra," ~Arackniss as he rejects men's flirtations toward him.
Valentino's new rising star gains popularity hell-wide with an upcoming show coming soon at Valentino's hottest club, Lustful Array!
P.S: You know he's better than you…
"Angel Dust Fanboys are outraged by Arackniss's claim that he is Straight and hate the notion of paying extra, causing controversy with other fans coming to his defense!"
"Go stick your dick's somwhere else, my decision is final. Men are extra and anyone who thinks they can bypass that rule can go fuck themselves with a cactus!" ~Arackniss
Henroin's eyes flooded with rage as he clenched the magazine furiously as it crinkled in his grip.
"That son a fucking bitch!" He shouted,"I'll kill that sick moth! How dare he take my son!" He tore the magazine up with his bare hands, hissing and growling as he did so. The Mafia Lord glared at the shredded paper on the ground before turning his head when heard someone behind him.
"Sir? Are you alright? One of the minions asked wearily,"You look…upset…"
Henroin scoffed before marching over and shoving the man aside.
"Sir, where are you going!?"
"I know where Arackniss is. I'm going to confront that son of a bitch right now…"
"Wouldn't it help if you had backup?"
"Don't need it,"Henroin brushed off, too enraged to consider the suggestion,"And don't follow me else I'll make you wish I had pumped your head with lead the day we met…"
He stammered backwards,"Y-Yes sir…"
As Henroin stormed out of his office he loaded up his gun as he roamed the streets. He still refused to believe it to be true and he had to see it for himself that the spider in the magazine was truly his son. And there was only one way to find out…
"Time to pay that bastard a visit..And I know just where to look…"
He had seen the 'Lustful Array' club. It was one of the countless clubs Val owned in Hell and it was rather popular. He obviously never went there but he had heard enough from people around him that they loved all the entertainment Val provided…
It was one thing for Val to have Angel Dust, his son had made that choice long ago and while he didn't approve of Angel's career, he knew there was nothing he could do about it despite how much shame and disappointment it made him feel.
But for Val to take Arackniss and morph him into the creature he saw in the magazine…that was a line too far. He crossed the line and Henroin was going to confront him about his deeds.
Arackniss was in his room at the club. Well, technically it was Angel's room but given his brother wasn't here anymore it was pretty much his property now. Thankfully it wasn't anything like Angel's bedroom and actually looked neat and hygienic(probably because it was for Angel to get ready, not for him to sleep and lounge around in).
Regardless, Arackniss was just glad he didn't have to clean up after his brother like last time, relief flooding through his body. He put on his clothes for the show as he peered through the dresser.
Thankfully, Val had actually bothered to buy him proper clothes to choose from. There were a bunch of suits that ranged in style and length and Arackniss decided to choose the one that made him stand out since those were the ones Val liked the most.
Because what Val wanted was his utmost concern, for as long as he was happy, everything would go smoothly.
He applied some of the makeup that was in the bin, adding mascara to make his lashes stand out. As he was doing his makeup he heard heels enter the room and he tensed up when he heard Val's voice say,"We're on in five minutes, Nissy. You're almost done baby?"
"Almost, just a second," Arackniss muttered before finishing his lash and turning,"Alright, Val…I'm ready…"
"You know how this is gonna work baby? You're not nervous or anything?"
"No Val…I know what to do. I'm fine.."
"Good, I didn't want you getting any last second jitters. This is your first time on stage and I didn't wanna see any stage-fright up there. You know your lines, don't you?"
"As well as I know the moves…"
"Perfect, just what I wanted to hear,"Val cooed,"You're being so cooperative, baby. I like that. This duet between us is gonna be the best thing they're gonna hear tonight. Come on, let's' get up on stage because you're gonna be the headline on tomorrow's news, aren't you?"
"I will Val…"
"Great…Now take this," Val handed Arackniss a headset microphone,"The audience will be able to hear you better with this one…"
"Thanks, Val…" He mumbled as he followed the moth demon up to the stage, seeing the curtains were concealing the two of them from view. Arackniss gripped the pole and got into position while Val stood beside him confidently with his own microphone headset attached to his head.
Despite having practiced this countless times, he felt a tad nervous at what was on the other side…
The curtains lifted and the music began playing in the background. He took a deep breath before beginning to sing as the lights shone on him, the audience gazing at him with anticipation,
My bones hurt
From all the shows
But I don't feel the pain 'cause I'm a pro
I,I sink in
And then I'm okay
Cause my body belongs to you on stage
So do what you want, what you want with my body
Do what you want, don't stop, lets party
Do what you want, what you want with my body
Do what you want, what you want with my body
Write what you want, say what you want 'bout me
If you wanna know that I'm not sorry
Do what you want, what you want with my body.
What you want with my body
You can't have my heart and
You won't use my mind, but
Do what you want with my body
Do what you want with my body
You can't stop my voice 'cause
You don't own my life, but
Do what you want with my body
Do what you want with my body
Val then began singing with his microphone up to his face and approaching Arackniss who tensed a little at this presence when he grabbed his chin and made him look into his eyes,
Early morning', longer nights
Cameras on, private flights
Crazy schedule, fast life
You wouldn't trade it in 'cause it's our life.
Can't we just slow it down?
You know I'm the drink in your cup
I'm the green in your blunt, your pusher man
And I've got what you want…
I wanna escape
All the crazy shi-
Not a chance!
"Ugh…"Arackniss rolled his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. It may have been part of the lyrics but goddamn was he wishing he could leave right about now even as he danced to the beat, forcing himself to smile for the audience as he danced with Val across the stage as he pulled him close.
You're the star, I'm the president
And I'm gonna make you sing, babe
Do what I want, do what I want with your body
Do what I want, do what I want with your body
Back of the club, takin' shots, gets naughty
No invitations, it's a private party
Do what I want, do what I want with your body
Do what I want, do what I want with your body
Yeah, we takin' these haters and we roughin' em up
And we layin' the cut like
We don't give a…
You can't have my heart and (FUCK)
You won't use my mind, but (My mind)
Do what you want with my body (Yeah)
Do what you want with my body (With your body)
You can't stop my voice 'cause (Oh..)
You don't own my life, but (Oh, baby, yes I do)
Do what you want with my body
Do what you want with my body (Body)
Val then chuckled madly as he gripped Arackniss's waist as he softly said,"Yes Val…"
He then gripped Vals' hands tightly, as if the moth would let him go though he knew better than that. He could feel people attempting to grab him off stage and he leaned more into Val to avoid being thrown off, people tossing money during the performance as they gazed into each other's eyes…
Sometimes I'm scared, I suppose, if you ever
Let me go…
I would fall apart if you break my heart
So just take my body and don't stop the party!
(Keep working it Nissy!)
You can't have my heart and (Yeah)
You won't use my mind, but
Do what you want with my body(Do what you want)
Do what you want with my body(Do what you want)
You can't stop my voice 'cause (Oh, my voice)
You don't own my life, but (My life,but)
Do what you want with my body (Do what I want with your body)
Do what you want with my body (Oh, baby, you are mine)
Do what you want with me (Hehehe…yeah)
What I want with your body
Do what you want with me
What you want with my body now (What I want your body now)
Do what you want with me
What you want with my body now (Oh, what I want with your body now)
Arackniss quietly whispered in a tone nobody would hear through the blaring music and screams of the crowd,"Help me now…"
The second the song was over, Arackniss and Val separated from each other, Arackniss forcing himself to smile for the audience and bow as they were bombarded with accolades and praise, the floor littered with money from the populace.
The feeling was…strange. He had never been in front of so many people and they were all cheering for him, calling out his name and showing…adoration towards him? He couldn't remember the last time anyone viewed him in such a positive light, even if it was for more…questionable reasons.
'God…there's so many people…' He thought as he looked through the crowd, he didn't recognize any of them(no surprise there) but he didn't mind that. It was easier to perform before a crowd of strangers than someone who knew him personally.
Suddenly, Arackniss's back straightened in horror when he heard a familiar voice call for him in the crowd,"ADRIANDO!"
His composure faltered when he saw his father in the crowd and holy shit did he look MAD. No scratch that, he was fucking PISSED! He was fuming and Arackniss feared he was going to blow his gasket with how badly he was frothing in the mouth with fury,pushing through the crowd with no effort as he paid no mind to the people he shoved aside in a brutal manner.
He jumped backwards when Henroin made his way on stage,"Father, what are you doing!? You're not supposed to be here!"
"Since when has not being allowed to be somewhere stopped me?" He snorted,"Did you think you could hide from me forever, son? I'm not fucking stupid and I keep my eye on the news, it was only a matter of time before I found you. I originally thought you were taken hostage but after seeing what I've seen…maybe that would've been preferable to what that bastard has done to you…."
Henroin's eyes tore through Arackniss like glass, staring at all the 'adjustments' Val made with disgust. He could hardly recognize his son anymore, the rough looking gangster he had raised had been turned into every woman's wet dream within the span of a few weeks.
"Henroin," Val sneered, his voice cutting into their conversation like a butcher's nice,"Long time no see. Can't say I expected to see you so soon. Though I'd like to ask what you're doing here since it didn't appear you've got a ticket to be let inside…"
"I've got your ticket right here," Henroin growled as he pulled a gun on Val and scowled,"Listen, it was one thing for you to use Anthony, but Adriando is off fucking limits. He had nothing to do with your shit and I want him back. He's not yours, Val, now hand him over and nobody gets hurt…"
Val laughed,"Is that supposed to be a threat, Henroin? Because if so then I'm afraid to tell you that you don't scare me. Your and your toys aren't threatening to me in any way or form and I suggest you get your hairy ass out of my club before I load you up with holy bullets."
"Over my undead body, fuckface! Arackniss is my son and I'm not going without him…"
"Aw, how sweet, too bad that's not how things work down here. Family ties don't come over business deals. Arackniss is not yours anymore and it's time I hammer that fact into your skull…" Val then reached into his pocket in order to pull out his holy pistol only for Arackniss to snatch it from him.
Arackniss then held the holy pistol in his hands before aiming the barrel at his father's head as he hissed,"Not another step, old man. Else I'll be forced to shoot…"
The silence in the room was suffocating, nobody moved and Val himself seemed a little surprised by Arackniss's bold move. Henroin's eyes widened when he saw the child he had raised since birth aiming a holy gun at his head, threatening to erase his soul from existence with the coldest expression known to man.
"Did you not hear me?" Arackniss snapped,"Listen up, fuckface because I'll only say this once. Valentino says you're not allowed inside of his establishment. This is his domain and you're not welcome here. Not only did you interrupt our show but you ruined our encore! Get out before I shove this holy gun down your throat and make you choke on it…"
Henroin was gobsmacked; he had NEVER in his life heard Arackniss speak to him like that. It was like an entirely different person was inhabiting his son's body and was looking at him not as a father figure but as an obstacle in his way.
"Adriando…what has he done to you!? Has he got you hooked up on his drugs? Is he messing with your mind? Snap out of it, don't let that moth control you!"
Arackniss scoffed,"No one is controlling me you old fool, I'm merely upholding the rules that are set in place. Since you're a first-time offender I'll go easy on you but I won't be so lenient the next time we cross paths.." He then shouted,"SECURITY! ESCORT THIS INTRUDER OFF THE PREMISES AND BAN HIM FROM ALL LOCATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH VALENTINO!"
The security guards quickly got on the scene, the hell-hounds grabbing Henroin and dragging him back. Henroin attempted to fight them off but there were too many and he found himself overwhelmed, helpless to do anything other than shout and pathetically reach out for his eldest son,"ADRIANDO! HELP ME! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!"
Arackniss turned his back on him in response, ignoring his father's cries. Henroin scowled and viciously bared his teeth at Valentino who watched him getting dragged out with a smug smile on his face,"You! I'll get you for this you godforsaken moth! How dare you turn my son against me! I'll get you for this you hear!? Mark my words, I WILL make you PAY for what you've done to my son!"
Henroin's voice became quieter and quieter as he was dragged out of the club. When Arackniss couldn't hear his father scream any longer he turned to Val, walked up to him and handed his pistol back,"Sorry I took it from you, Val. I hope you can forgive me for snatching it…"
Surprisingly, Val didn't seem angry and chuckled,"Aw don't sweat it, Nissy. I was mad at first but after seeing what you did back there I decided to let it go. You've got some balls of steel on you for aiming that my holy gun at your sorry excuse of a father. I can't say I expected that out of you…."
"So…you think he'll come back?"
"If he knew what was good for him he wouldn't," Val remarked,"Assuming your father has any common sense he'd learn to back off. You are my property Arackniss and I don't take kindly to others messing with my things. If he thinks otherwise then he's got another thing coming. Next time he won't be so lucky."
Arackniss shivered a little at Val's overly comforting tone,"Don't look so worried, Arackniss. We won't have to worry about him for a long time. Besides you did a wonderful job tonight and I'm proud of you."
He then patted Arackniss over the head and ruffled his hair, Arackniss blinking in response. It was such an odd feeling to get patted over the head and he had to do his best not to flinch away from Val when he did it.
"Good job, Niss, you've earned a treat…"
Seriously? What was he? A dog?
Oh well, at least he wasn't mad at him…
"Thanks Val…"
"No problem, Nissy. Now let's get you out of here, I think you need a breather away from all the wandering eyes…" Val then led Arackniss backstage, grabbing a box before going around the bend to his car.
"Why didn't we go out through the entrance?" Arackniss asked,"Wouldn't it have been closer?"
"And get swarmed by the paparazzi?" Val snickered,"Nissy baby, you still got a lot to learn. Those people can barely keep their hands off ya, it wouldn't be wise if we went through the front with all those people there."
Arackniss narrowed his eyes, this must not have been the first time this sort of thing happened.
Given his limited experience with Angel Dust's fans, he was under the impression a lot of them were fucking nuts and had screws loose so it wouldn't surprise him if they outright stalked Angel after work.
Arackniss held no interest in dealing with stalkers and figured that Val would at least keep Angel's deranged fan base off his ass with his connections. One month was preferable compared to the thousands upon thousands of creepy fans.
When they boarded Val's limo, Val opened the box and inside Arackniss saw bundles of money, no doubt it was the money from the show. Val was counting the money for an incredibly long time as they drove before turning his attention to Arackniss and saying,"This is the most amount of money I've gotten from a show in one night. Not even Angel could get this much in one night…wonderful job, Arackniss. You're really something aren't you?"
"I guess…" He mumbled as he peered out the window, his mind still stuck on what he had done prior.
"Still upset about the issue with your Father eh? Don't worry, I know just what to do in order to cheer you up?"
"You do?" He asked skeptically."And what could that possibly be?"
"How about a nice relaxing dinner? I know a place with some high quality drinks and some food you'd like. How does that sound? And don't worry, I'll be paying for everything. This is a special treat just for you, Arackniss and I'll even let you pick off the menu."
"Oh…Ok then, thanks Val…I appreciate that…"
"Course you do baby," Val snickered as the car drove off further and further down the road until they pulled up to a nice restaurant. Val's overlord status granted them immediate entry and Arakcniss was allowed to eat pretty much anything he wanted.
Arackniss wasn't a big eater so he settled for what he knew would fit in his stomach while Val ordered his respective dish.
If there was one thing Arachnids didn't expect, it was that Val was a messy eater. You'd expect an Overlord to have table manners but apparently even rich bastards could be capable of being messy when it came down to it.
It was somewhat humorous but Arackniss knew better than to laugh. He had a good streak so far and he wasn't going to risk upsetting Val after he had come so far. Instead, he held back his laughter and focused his energy on his plate.
"Enjoying the food Arackniss?"
"Yeah Val…"
"Wanna have a toast?"
"To what?"
"Our partnership. I know it's just the beginning but I know we're gonna have some great times together," Val then held up his glass of wine,"Cheers to the beginning of a newfound fame?"
Arackniss reluctantly nodded and reached for his beer, allowing his and Val's drinks to collide,"Cheers to the beginning of a newfound fame…"
Henroin shuffled away in defeat. After being kicked out of Valentino's club he was left beside himself, visibly bruised and his fur messed up in several places. He had tried to fight back against Val's henchmen even while he was being dragged out yet they outnumbered him so badly that he ended up just getting hurt for his troubles…
Still, that wasn't the type of pain that was currently on his mind. He had dealt with far worse and a little bruises and ruffled up hair wasn't anything to cry home about. No, what he was upset about was the display he had seen of the damned club in the first place…
His son nearly shot him, and not with a normal gun either, it was with a holy pistol. Valentino was known for carrying weapons forged with holy weaponry inside and anyone who pissed him off the wrong way would get pumped full of divine lead.
Now, he could handle the prospect of Val shooting him. He never liked the moth that much anyhow but something made his stomach churn at the notion that Arackniss was mere moments away from shooting him in the head and only decided to let him off with a warning at the last second.
A part of him wondered if Arackniss was actually going to do it. Normally he'd dismiss the prospect of his son killing him but something about the way Arakcniss looked at him made him think otherwise. Made him think that he would've done so under the right circumstances or heaven forbid if Val merely asked him to do so.
The uncertainty was killing him and he wondered what Val had done to him. The Arackniss he knew wouldn't have ever contemplated aiming his gun at him, let alone threatening him with a holy pistol yet with just a month under his belt Val had managed to get his son to turn against him.
"It doesn't make any goddamn sense…" He muttered to himself,"How did Val get him to work for him so quickly? There's no way it was of his own accord. I refuse to believe it. Arackniss was never interested in porn. There had to be something else at play…"
His mind raced. Coercion was definitely on the table.
Manipulation was Val's most reliable weapon.
He may have been an Overlord with great power but Henroin knew him well enough that he preferred breaking people by talking rather than by killing since it was for more amazing and beneficial to him. He'd kill if they no longer served any sort of purpose but if they were more useful alive he'd toy with their minds and examine even the tiniest weakness to break those around him.
If it came down to it, Val would break the target in every way possible just to exploit them and Henroin feared that he could've done something to his son in such a short time frame that he already had him under his control.
Perhaps it was the drugs, maybe he had Arackniss hooked on something strong in order to keep him complacent. It was Val's MO, if he couldn't consistently control someone through manipulations he'd use his drugs as a direct way of controlling the person to keep them in line.
Val loved control and Henroin knew he had to be controlling Arackniss in some way. Maybe he was on drugs or something, it would certainly explain the behavior.
Yet he remembered seeing Arackniss's eyes and he was…strangely sober. There wasn't a hint of haziness in his eyes and his behavior was normal so to speak. Nothing was found in someone who had drugs in their system and Arackniss remained calm and collected throughout the entire ordeal without batting an eye.
"No..he didn't do it on his own accord. I refuse to believe that. He would never harm me intentionally. Either that or Val's brainwashed him and I've only now just noticed how deep Val's bullshit has gone into his head.."
Henroin headed back to his office, trudging past his minions who gazed up at him with concern. One dared to ask,"Sir…how did it go?"
"What do you think?" He huffed,"It went terrible…Got kicked out of the damn club by my own fucking son…"
"You mean…you found Arackniss?"
"Oh I found him alright…" Henroin growled,"Just so happened to be that Valentino's got his disgusting hands on him. Not sure what went through that bastard's mind to think of taking him but he must've done something to Arackniss to make him obedient because he nearly shot me with a holy pistol."
"He did? That doesn't sound like him at all…"
"It's Val's influence on him. The moth must've done something to his brain. I don't know what he did in particular but I know the damage was severe if Arackniss actually considered blowing my head off with a holy gun. Worst part was that Val didn't even order him to do it, he just did it without being told and was ready to kill me on sight."
"So what should we do?" Another asked,"Are we just going to leave him there with Valentino? Because there's no way we can take him on. Val's got more resources than all of us combined and there's nothing we can do about it."
"Of course not!" He hissed,"We don't give up, not that easily. Val may be powerful but he's not invincible. We still have connections of our own and while it may not be enough, we'll merely have to look elsewhere for people who can help us."
"Like who? Who would help us get Arackniss back, sir?"
"Valentino has a lot of enemies. For the right price I could imagine people being willing to go on board with us in an effort to locate and rescue Arackniss. I'm certain we can find allies in people who Val's wronged before…"
"Still, where are you going to find those allies, Henroin? And how are you going to convince them to work with you?"
"Easy, nothing a little money and power can't fix,"Henroin says,"Easiest way to get people to do as you say is to offer them money in exchange. They'll be looking our way once I pull out the green, believe me…"
"Any ideas on who to reach out to first?"
Henroin narrowed his eyes, racking his memories for someone they could use. Only then had it hit him.
"I think I know a girl…"
"You know her?"
"Less know, more heard of,"Henroin admitted,"Hardly matters. All I know is that she's proven to hate Valentino and has a thing for blowing things up. Tell me boys, does the name Cherri Bomb ring a bell?"
"You mean that self-proclaimed powerhouse who's always engaging in turf wars with that snake? Yeah, I've heard of her. She's got nice tits but I'm not sure what use she'd provide against Valentino. She's just a small speck compared to him."
Henroin shrugged,"Just about every normal citizen in Hell is a 'small speck' compared to Val. Doesn't mean we can't make a difference. One small speck may not be able to beat him but several of us can. We need to fight fire with fire and the only way we're gonna do that is gathering up all the allies we can…"
"But how are we going to find her? haven't heard of Cherri Bomb in a while. I think she's on the run or something."
"She's bound to be around here somewhere. Ain't like she can leave the ring, she's a damned sinner just like the rest of us,"Henroin admitted before heading to his computer and doing his own research,"It says right here that the last reported sighting of Cherri Bomb was in Cannibal Colony."
"Shit," One muttered,"That place is filled with all sorts of freaks…Are you certain you want to head over there? She could've got eaten alive by those bastards. It's riddled with cannibals who eat outsiders, they might decide they wanna eat our flesh if we step foot in there…"
"If they want to get pumped full of lead they can be my guest,"Henroin huffed as he pulled out his gun,"It's not a place I want to go but if we're gonna find allies we're gonna need to tread territories we'd rather not step foot in. It's nothing we haven't done before, we've lived on the dangerous side our entire lives, only difference is we're gonna need to shoot some bitches if they think about tasting our flesh that's all."
"Any ideas on where she might be staying? Does anyone specifically control that area?"
"I've heard the Overlord called Rosie controls that area. She owns an emporium and while I don't know her personally I've heard she's on the prissy side of the spectrum. She's still dangerous but I think we might actually be able to talk to her if we play our cards right."
"Fair enough. When are we heading out sir?"
"Right now. Come on boys, let's pay that Rosie gal a visit. I think she might have who we're looking for…"
Cherri Bomb groaned, she had been staying with Rosie for around a month and while Rosie was quite hospitable her tastes in fashion were…rather questionable.
She wasn't trying to be a bitch but Cherri's tastes were far more modern and showy and Rosie's dresses were the exact opposite of that. It wasn't like the dresses were bad looking or anything but they were not Cherri's cup of tea so to speak.
The dress Rosie had handed her looked like it had been made for a woman in the Victorian era. It was red and black with roses. The fabric was soft and surprisingly flexible yet it wasn't her style, especially not with the stockings and high heels.
Rosie claimed that it would help her be more 'ladylike'(whatever the hell that meant) though Cherri found herself looking like some sort of elegant princess.
Not like that was a bad thing but it wasn't her, she was a spunky powerhouse, not a princess looking for her one true love. The fact that Rosie had made her get her hair down since in her words her hair was 'improper for a gorgeous young lady like yourself' she had to have her toned down a notch.
So far, Rosie was spending most of her time attending to her affairs. Cherri wasn't sure what any of that meant(it was Overlord business stuff) and her expertise wasn't in that area but she appeared to be keeping the territory she got from Al in her grasp.
Cherri laid on the spare bed that Rosie had gifted to her, laying on her stomach. She turned her head to the side and saw Fat Nuggets laying on the bed. He had gotten a bit bigger and while he wasn't a fully grown hog, he was still a fair bit larger and his horns were growing, the spots(more like eyes) on his back growing.
Rosie's food must've fattened him up, hogs in Hell grew slower than the ones on Earth did. She wasn't sure why but she figured it was a part of their biology as everything down here aged slowly though the quality of food must've sped up the growth a bit.
She patted the Nuggets on the head,"Hey baby, are you alright?"
Nuggets slowly nodded though he could sense the sadness in his eyes. Despite all the time that had passed, he still missed his original owner. Angel Dust's absence had taken its toll on him and he spent most of his time sitting in bed and not being as active as a hog his age should be.
Cherri sighed uncertainty, she wasn't quite sure what to do. She'd bring Angel Dust back if she could but that simply wasn't within her power. All she could really do was try and comfort the pig to the best of her ability.
"I know buddy, I miss him too.."
As she comforted him the hair on the back of her neck abruptly rose upwards when she heard the doorbell ring. She blinked before squinting, her singular eye narrowing in suspicion,"Huh? Someone's at the door…Strange, I don't remember Rosie saying anyone would be coming here…"
Suspicion crawled through her stomach as she stood up and reluctantly headed toward the door. She quietly snuck up and peered through the door's peephole and nearly jumped back when she saw a bunch of men standing at the door who appeared to be armed.
'Shit!' She thought,'Did Val already find me again!? Why can't that bastard quit!?' She quickly reached into her dress and held a bomb close to her, prepared to launch it into their faces the moment they tried anything.
She waited for the inevitable bashing of the door, fearing they'd bust the door down and attack her. Rosie was in her office and she doubted she'd make it in time so Cherri was really the first line of defense when it came down to it.
Suddenly she heard a muffled voice say,"Henroin, are you sure anyone is home? We've been waiting for several minutes and nobody has answered.."
"I know she's there, she's probably just hiding,"A gruff voice said,"She probably thinks we're with Val if I had to guess and she's thinking we'll leave if nobody answers the door."
Cherri heard several other voices though they were more muffled and she couldn't decipher what they were saying. She was uncertain whether she should open the door, or whether beating it was all a trick or not.
Rosie did tell her to not open the door unless she told her to and she'd be disobeying her rules if she engaged with her curiosity(and Rosie was a massive stickler for rules).
Reluctantly, Cherri reached for the door handle and opened the door. The first thing she saw was a large male spider with a gruff appearance with several other men behind him. Something was similar about the large one but she wasn't quite sure how since she hadn't seen him before in her entire life.
So far they hadn't pointed guns at her and told her to get down so she supposed this was a good sign. She cleared her throat and attempted to break the silence as she said,"Hey boys…you here for something…or rather someone?"
"You're Cherri Bomb, aren't you?" Henroin asked as he looked at her up and down skeptically.
"That's my name, don't wear it out," She retorted,"Still, gotta ask what you're here for…"
"We've come to speak to you about Valentino."
Cherri frowned,"Oh..that's what this is about, eh? What'd he do THIS time?"
"He took my oldest son and…did something to him. Not sure what he did but he's got Arackniss under his control and I want him back. I take it that you know Angel Dust?"
"Angel was my best friend…before he died that is…"
"He died?"Henroin asked,moentaily caught off guard by the statement,"How!?"
"What's it to you? You don't know him."
"I'm his Father, of course I know him.."
Oh…that explains a lot.
"You are? Damn… I expected you to be taller…and less..hairy…" She admitted,"Still, since when did you care? You guys didn't exactly like Angel all that much when he was alive, why do you care that he's dead now?"
She had heard about Henroin and the way Angel was treated by his family. To say the least she wasn't a fan of them and she certainly didn't appreciate Henroin and his gang being at her(well technically Rosie's but still) doorstep.
"Just because Anthony and I didn't have a good relationship doesn't mean I wanted him to die…especially noted for real. There's no coming back from holy weapons after all. I never thought he'd actually meet his end by the Exterminators…"
"You can thank Val for that," Cherri said,"Fucker sent Angel out late and had the nerve to assume I had anything to do with his disappearance. He acted like it was my fault that Angel was gone and when he realized I had nothing to do with it he still tried killing me for kicks. Been on the run for months and it was only just now I managed to find a place to stay…"
"Is that why you look…so…"
"Different? Yeah," She said,"Rosie is a bit old fashioned…Think she hasn't moved on with the times..Though I could say that about this entire colony. It's like it's been stuck in time. Not like it's a bad thing but I prefer modernity over archaic crap any day of the week."
"Calling my tastes 'crap'? Really Cherri Bomb?" Rosie said behind, startling the cyclops,"You should know better than to insult a lady's taste. Speaking so vulgarly in the presence of others. That's not something a cultured lady should do…"
"Ugh…" Cherri groaned,"Come on, I didn't mean it I just think this whole 'cultured' stuff is a bit silly. We're not in the seventeenth century anymore, it's time to get with the times…"
"The days may have passed but there's no reason to have such profanity in my house..Speaking of which, do you mind explaining why you opened the door to these men?"
"They have a score to settle with Valentino. Apparently Val took one of their men in order to fill Angel's place. From the looks of things they want him back and they're willing to do anything to get him."
"I see…" Rosie then looked at Henroin before saying,"I suppose you are the leader of this gang of yours aren't you?"
"Henroin, and I guess you're the Rosie we've heard so much about though we've never met before…"
"Probably because selling drugs isn't my specialty," Rosie said as she fixed up her hair a little,"I can't say that doing business with you would be something I'd like doing, however we do both share a distaste for Valentino for multiple reasons. I've never liked that scoundrel but he's been quite the pain in my backside recently, constantly trying to claim my friend's territory as his own and threatening me for refusing to hand it over."
"He made Angel Dust suffer for years, raped him, tortured him in all sorts of ways. I could never hurt him but I always made myself the biggest pain in his side whenever I could…"
Henroin scowled,"And no doubt he's doing the same toy Arackniss…That fucking bastard, I swear if he laid a hand on him I'll make him wish the Exterminators got him…"
"So what do you say? Do you propose an alliance?" Rosie asked.
"Why not? Ain't like I got anything else to lose,"He shrugged,"Besides, the more people against him, the better odds we have at making a difference."
"Something tells me we're gonna need a lot more people though," Cherri said.
"That can be arranged…" Henroin said,"I have several men who work under me. I've got loads of connections, an entire web of them so to speak. A lot of them are family and they have my back like I have theirs…"
"That better not have been a spider joke…"
Henroin scoffed,"Quit being immature Cherri Bomb…"
"Ladies, gentleman, let's not fight. We're all allies here and there's no point in tearing each other apart so soon. Come on, let us discuss this more in depth over tea! That'll calm everyone's nerves!" Rosie assured as she dragged Henroin and Cherri inside,both of whom groaned in response.
'I'm already starting to regret my choices…' Henroin thought to himself.
'Why did I have to get stuck with Angel's asshole dad again?' Cherri thought, sending him a glare through her one singular eye and the glare was returned with an equally harsh glance.
They may have been allies..but that sure as hell didn't mean they were friends…
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Enigmus-288: Yeah the deal between Vox and Mammon is still active. They may have escaped but Vox is still bound to Mammon, soul and all. He just doesn't wanna talk about it with the other's for...fairly obvious reasons.