Disclaimer: Longer chapter than usual so I hope you're ready.
Back In The Other World
Since the time period they had all met up, tensions were rather high...
Even though they all agreed to work together there was always a sense of uneasiness within the group, Vaggie notably uncomfortable with Alastor's presence just by him merely existing in the same vicinity as her.
Not that Charlie could blame her, Al was a tad creepy even when he wasn't intending to and it didn't help that the blind man would stare at people for an uncomfortably long period of time despite not being able to see them.
Regardless, Al wasn't harming them so the most anyone could really do was brush it off.
They had been traveling for quite a while though they of course had to take stops during their journey. They couldn't go on forever after all and everyone needed breaks.
As they took a stop, Charlie felt a familiar itch in her arms and cringed,'Time to change bandages again…'
She then approached Vaggie who was currently having a quarrel with Angel Dust, the former moth demon glaring at the taller male harshly,"For fuck's sake, Angel, would it kill you to stop smoking all the time!?"
"What's wrong with it?" Angel retorted,"I'm not doing anything wrong toots, I'm just lighting up a ciggy that's all. Ain't like I'm breaking any rules. I didn't see a no smoking sign out in the wild so I don't get what the big deal is."
"Just because there isn't a sign saying you're not allowed to smoke doesn't mean you should. If you're gonna indulge in your vices could you do it in private? Not all of us like the smell of weed while we're walking around!"
"Sucks to be you but I ain't putting away my cigarette just because you got your taco in a twist…"
"Was that you trying to be sexist or racist!?"
"Whatever pisses you off more~"
Vaggie's eye twitched with unbridled fury, her charcoal hair flaring up to become like literal fire,"Why you little-"
"Hey, hey!" Charlie intervened, stepping in between them,"Let's not get violent you two! We're all friends here, no need to get feisty with each other!"
"Pfft, we ain't friends, Charles," Angel remarked,"I can barely stand this bitch honestly."
"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual, Angel…" Vaggie growled,"You are without a doubt the most annoying man I've had the misfortune of dealing with."
"Aw, thanks, I'm glad you think so highly of me…"
"That' wasn't a compliment…"
Angel smirked,"I know."
"Angel, Vaggie, enough," Charlie hissed,"I get you two don't like each other but that shouldn't overshadow what's truly important. We're all on the same side at the end of the day and it's in our best interest to try and get along until we get out of this situation."
"I'm trying Hon, it's just that SOMEONE is being an insufferable douche-bag on a daily basis that's a bit difficult for me to keep my anger in check…"
"Maybe if you weren't so easy to tease I wouldn't make fun of you so often," He teased.
"That's the flimsiest excuse I've ever heard…"
"Angel, enough," Charlie reprimanded,"I know you think it's funny but Vaggie doesn't find your mockery as entertaining and neither do I. Please refrain from doing so as often as you can, it's not helping anyone, not even yourself. Would you like it if Vaggie insulted you?"
Angel paused for a moment, usually he brushed off comments whenever people stopped 'offending' them with his trolling. Usually he'd pay it no mind yet when Charlie told him not to make fun of Vaggie, something in his eyes made him pause.
It wasn't like Vaggie who provided funny reactions to his jokes, her anger amused him. Charlie, on the other hand, showed no such reactions. Charlie was serious, showed genuine disapproval and that disappointment shook a part of him to his core that he didn't even know was there. It was like Charlie was gazing into his soul and trying to pry him open from the inside.
His composure faltered and the former porn star quietly said,"Uh..no…I wouldn't…"
"Then you should understand why Vaggie doesn't appreciate your taunting. It's not nice and it makes her very upset. I know you find her reactions funny but Vaggie doesn't like when you mock her. Can you promise me you'll avoid making fun of Vaggie and everyone else as much as you can?"
"I ain't good at making promises, Charles…But since you're special I suppose I'll try my best to abide by your word…"
"That still isn't a certainty," Vaggie huffed.
"Be grateful for what you get. If it was anyone else I'd tell em to fuck off but since it's Charles I'm gonna at least put some effort in this one," He then looked at Charlie before sighing,"Alright, I'll give it a don't be surprised when I muck up a few times cuz like I said, promises ain't my strong suite but I'll say that I'm gonna give it a go for your sake if anything…"
"Thanks Angel, your effort is greatly appreciated…" Charlie then winced, gripping her arms in agony,"Aw dammit..not again…"
"Woah, you alright?" Angel asked.
"Just my burn marks I got from Ozzie…" She grumbled,"It still stings and I need to replace the bandages. They always itch like this whenever I don't replace them in time. It's the reason I came over here in the first place. I was gonna ask Vaggie for some bandages…"
"Oh…" Vaggie stammered,"Sorry Hun, I didn't wanna tell you this but we just ran out. I'm sorry…"
"Of course we did…" Charlie grumbled,"Whatever…I suppose I'll just have to live with this…"
"Won't that get infected?" Angel asked,"I'm no doctor or anything but I know burns get infected if you don't tend to them regularly."
"It's fine…" She said,"I'll just deal with it later…"
"No it ain't," Angel said,"Ya can't just leave yourself hanging like that. You have to take care of yourself, Charles. We gotta tend to this right now…"
"But we don't have any bandages, Angel. I'd love to try it but without bandages I doubt there's much we can do…"
Angel narrowed his eyes, the brunette making a face,"There's gotta be something we can do. Come on, let's get those old bandages off ya so I can see what we're dealing with…"
Charlie sighed before removing her gloves and rolling up her sleeves. Angel made a move to undo the bandage and paused when he heard Charlie whimper, cringing as the old bandage clung to her skin.
"You alright, Charles?"
"Yeah. It just hurts a lot, that's all…"
"Try not to think about it. It'll be off before ya know it…" Angel muttered as he began working on undoing the bandages. When he got both bandages off, Angel cringed at the sight. Charlie's skin was heavily damaged and littered with blisters and signs and redness. Even after all this time, the burn mark still looked relatively fresh and smelled like dead skin with a hint of charcoal.
The smell was revolting and he wrinkled up his nose,"Holy shit, that's a bad burn, Charles. How have you been walking around with this on you? You should've sought medical attention for this. Why'd you let him walk around with these toots?
""Medical attention? In this TIMELINE? Are you insane?" Vaggie balked,"This world doesn't have the medical assistance Charlie needs. If it was possible I wouldn't have had to bandage his arm up in the first place."
"I know, I just can't believe you've been walking around with this on ya. It's far worse than I imagined. I knew it was bad but GOD…this is worse than I thought it'd be. We gotta fix this pronto.."
"H-How?" Charlie asked.
He didn't answer, instead putting his hands on Charlie's arm, his grip was firm yet gentle enough to not cause her any pain. He then did the most unexpected thing and licked her arm. Charlie gasped in surprise, her eyes popping out of her skull.
"OH MY GOD! EW!" Vaggie screeched before slapping Angel across the face, leaving a bruise.
"Ow!" Angel growled,"What the fuck is the matter with you!?"
"What's the matter with YOU!?" She anpped,"You fucking licked Charlie's arm like some kind of pervert!"
"I wasn't being perverted, I swear to God I was just trying to help!"
"By licking his arm? What type of help does that provide!?"
"Because my saliva is capable of healing people, jackass!"
"It does WHAT NOW!?"
"It heals," Angel retorted flatly,"My saliva…it's like tree sap I think and it has the ability to heal stuff."
"How would you know? You've never demonstrated that ability before! How can I know you're not just using this as an excuse to be a pervert?"
"I'm many things but I don't like bragging about shit I clearly can't do. And for your information I discovered it when I was living out in the wild before you two came along. I cut my hand once. It wasn't a serious wound but it bled out a bit and I instinctively licked it like I always did whenever I got a cut and it healed instantly. I was trying to test if it worked on Charlie's wounds…"
Vaggie still seemed skeptical of him,eyeing the former porn star with suspicion,"You better be telling the truth else I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll be seeing Lucifer…"
"Oh,I'm so scared…" He replied sarcastically before peering back at Charlie's arm and shook his head in disappointment upon seeing her arm was still burned,"Sorry for nothing giving a warning. I was really just hoping it would work. I hope I didn't get your hopes up…"
"It's fine, Angel. You did try your best. It's not your fault your powers can't fix this. It probably only works for less serious wounds anyway. I wasn't confident about my wounds getting healed anyway…"
Angel sighed,"Still, there's gotta be something I can do about this…we can't just have your arm be left like this…" He racked his mind for a solution before snapping his fingers,"That's it!"
"What is it?" Charlie asked.
"I think I got something that'll at least hold ya until we can get you proper medical attention. Hold out your arm and I'll see if it works…"
Charlie handed him her arm again and Angel concentrated a bit before summoning a large blade of grass before wrapping it around Charlie's arms. The blade of grass wasn't ordinary as when Charlie touched it, it felt firmer like a bandage would be, as if it were meant to last a very long while…
"That should hold," He said,"It ain't like proper medical care but it'll hold ya until we can get you back home. Hell has shit medical care though so I'm not sure how we'll get you healed but if we make it that far I'll be sure to threaten them into giving you care, got that?"
"Angel, you know there's no need to joke about violence. I've managed this far, I'm certain we can find a way to deal with things once we get there.
Angel cocked an eyebrow,"Who says I'm joking? I'm 100% serious, Charlie. 'I'll go guns blazing if anyone thinks about denying you care."
Charlie nervously stammered,"Um…I…I appreciate the concern, Angel but maybe we should refrain from engaging in violent acts just because we don't get what we want. It's not like I can't manage after all…"
"Frankly Charles, I'm gonna be real with ya here. I don't give a shit. You'll get the care you deserve whether you like it or not and I'll shoot a bitch if they think otherwise cuz you've been the nicest guy I've ever met and I won't let some assholes in Hell get in the way of your wellbeing."
Charlie was uncertain whether she should be flattered or scared. Angel sounded 100% genuine and she doubted he'd say such a thing if he was aware of who she truly was and the image of Hell's top porn star going in a hospital with guns drawn for the sake of this hellborn he didn't know was hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.
"Oh…Thanks I guess, Angel. I get you're trying to be helpful but let's avoid inciting violence and anyone…"
"God you're such a fucking saint…it'd be admirable if it wasn't so annoying. I have no clue how Hell didn't eat you up by now…"
"Guess I just have my ways of pulling through…" She chuckled nervously.
Before anything else could be said, they all suddenly smelled something foul in the air. The smell of death was indistinguishable and Charlie wheezed,"EUGH! What is that awful smell!?"
They all turned their heads in the direction of the smell and saw Alastor was carrying a deer carcass over his back Vaggie covered her nose before screeching,"What the fuck are you doing!?"
"Bringing over food, I thought everyone might be hungry so I decided to go out hunting again and gather a meal that would feed us,"Al said,"Usually I only hunt for myself once everyone's asleep but I decided to be a bit generous today."
Angel cringed,"Uh Smiles…no offense but that doesn't look appetizing. Like at all. Second of all,HOW IN THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT? You're fucking blind for crying out loud!"
"Being blind doesn't prevent me from using my other senses,"Al retorted,"Just because I cannot see doesn't mean I'm incapable of securing my own kill. Besides,sight isn't a requirement for hunting when you can sense your prey's location through the ground…"
Charlie felt herself turning green, holding back the urge to puke. The stench invaded her nose and if she had an appetite in that moment it would've gone straight to hell in that moment. The sight of downright revolting
"So…is anyone hungry? I'm about to prepare the meal and I'm willing to share…"
Charlie gagged,"Um,I'll pass, Al. I appreciate the…effort in ensuring our survival but I'll pass on the gesture. No offense to you or your particular…tastes but it's simply not for me."
"What about the rest of you? Are you sure you don't want any?"
"I'm VERY certain…" Vaggie remarked.
"Sorry Smiles but my taste in meat doesn't include dead deer if you catch my drift. I'll stick to creating my own food with my powers. Thank you very much…"
"Suit yourself…" Al shrugged,"By the way, if anyone needs me I'll be over there cutting up dinner…"
Once Alastor was out of view, Vaggie scowled and let out a sigh of relief,"Thank god he left. That guy gives me the creeps…"
"Hey, he's not all bad," Charlie said,"At least it wasn't a person he was cutting up. That's something."
"That's not saying much…" Vaggie growled,"I swear, I don't get why you trust that guy. He's so fucking sketchy and it's obvious there's something wrong with him…"
"Everyone has something wrong with them. Besides, Al hasn't hurt anyone yet and it's been quite a while so I think it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance. He may be…creepy and untrustworthy but he's still a reliable ally and we need all the help we can get out here…"
"Doesn't mean I trust him. It's only a matter of time before he cuts someone open in their sleep…"
"Hey, as long as it's not me, Wiggles or Charles I'm OK with that,"Angel chuckled.
"Not fucking funny, Angel…"
"What? I'm just giving my honest opinion on the matter. No offense to you but better you than me, am I right?"
"You are insufferable…"
The former porn star winked,"Thanks, I do my best…"
Vaggie facepalmed, pinching the bridge of her nose in irrigation,"Ugh…"
"Angel, didn't we just talk about not offending Vaggie?"
"Hey, I ain't breaking any promises, Charles, just messing around. Not hurting any feelings at all…"
"But you certainly are irritating my nerves…"
"Sorry, can't help with that one. There's no rules about not being a jackass."
Charlie sighed, this was going to be a long journey and having to keep this many people in line was going to be very difficult…
Though, now she felt something was missing. Or rather someone and the need to have answers overpowered her as she turned to ask her friends.
"Hey guys, where did Velvet and Niffty go?"
"Hell if I know,"Angel shrugged,"Haven't seen me in a while honestly. I think they went out doing 'girl stuff' if I had to guess. Probably doing each other's hair or nails right about now and going off about how 'pretty' they are."
"Or more likely they went out to get firewood like I asked them to," Vaggie said flatly.
'You sent them out to get firewood?"
"Someone's gotta get wood for us," She admitted,"Besides, I've been doing it for so long and I felt the need to press the need for shared responsibilities. We need to start taking turns doing things so it's more fair for us as a whole. And yes, that includes you, Angel…"
"Oh come on, I shouldn't have to get stupid wood…"
"You will when it's your turn. Now quit complaining. You can't only help yourself. We're all in this together and when it's your turn you better follow through just like the rest of us."
"Ugh…fine…" He grumbled.
Velvet grumbled, Vaggie had told her it was her turn to get the firewood(since apparently Vaggie was tired of being the only to get these sorts of things). Velvet of course complained and at first refused to do it but was told if she didn't she wouldn't be getting any dinner and was forced to comply.
The only solace was that Niffty had offered to help the young sinner, having taken pity on her and followed her in an effort to locate more firewood.
The place they were camping at was a bit far from any forests with decent tree branches so they had to venture out a bit.
'Stupid bitch…' Velvet thought to herself as she kicked a pebble,'I hate being out place sucks. There's no Wifi,no technology…no Vox…I'm all alone out here with a bunch of strangers..well mostly strangers if you count Angel…'
Still, she didn't know Angel Dust all that well anyway. The most interaction the two of them had face to face was sometimes doing makeup videos. This was usually to flaunt Velvet's channel as a social media influencer and trying on popular brands with Angel after asking to 'borrow' him from Val.
Even then, it was obvious Angel didn't really like her, he was just doing it to get Val off his ass. Sure, he'd smile for the camera and let her put makeup on his face but the moment the cam was off the spider was always quick to scamper away at a moment's notice.
Any other interaction with Angel was primarily for music videos where Velvet would upload the finished product to her Voxtube account.
Other than that…interaction was fairly minimal since he was Val's worker, not hers and Velvet preferred focusing on her own social media rather than Val's.
The other people she was stuck with were a mixed bag. She didn't like Vaggie, she was too strict and reminded her of her mom whenever she got angry.
Alastor…was Alastor. She had met him before but they hadn't spoken prior to this though she had gotten a gist of his personality from Vox(though it was admirably a biased source it was still a source nevertheless). He was definitely off putting and creepy but he did seem chipper whenever he wasn't creeping people out with his smile and tone.
Charlie was…strange. She had never met a person so nice and so trusting before in her life, not even when she was on Earth. Charlie was kind, sweet and very forgiving and it wasn't something she was used to.
She still had no clue why Charlie let her tag along but she figured the need for allies was more important than personal grievances.
Niffty was probably the only person she actually liked. She was like her, energetic, a little unstable and quirky. Sure, she was a bit of a neat freak and she couldn't personally relate to that but it was nice to at least have someone with some things in common with you…
Still, even Niffty's presence couldn't replace the hole in her heart that Vox. He was one of the few people she actually considered a friend in Hell and with him gone she felt rather empty inside. It just wasn't the same without him around and she couldn't find it within herself to be happy like she used to be.
Even when times were rough, she knew she at least had Vox on her side but that he wasn't there anymore, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. The only people she really had to hold for her comfort were her doll minions but they weren't really great company. Their souls were very simple and their main job was to obey commands, not be suitable friends.
Sure, they tried their best but it just wasn't the same as having an actual person to lean on…
"Any sign of firewood?" She asked in order to break the ice, the silence threatening to consume her soul. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since they walked and Velvet felt the desire to ease the tension between them.
"None yet so far," Niffty retorted as they trudged deeper in the forest,"It's taking a long time to find any suitable logs for some reason. You'd think we would've found something by now…"
"Yeah, it's really weird. You'd think finding twigs would be super easy in a goddamn forest. It's like someone's been gathering them all up before us,"Velvet mumbled as she kicked the pebble once more.
"Do you think anyone else is out here?" Niffty inquired, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Who knows?" She shrugged,"This world is full of surprises. Wouldn't be surprised if there were some species of freaks living out here. Anything is possible down here though I'd prefer not to run into anyone, especially since odds are they ain't friendly…"
As they were walking the two women suddenly paused when they heard a branch crack and a muffled voice mutter a curse nearby before dashing away.
"Was...was that a person?"
"Sure sounds like it. A stalker if I had to guess…"Velvet's eyes narrowed,"And just where do you think you're going buster? Cuz if ya think I'm gonna let ya get away with stalking then you got another thing coming! Ghouls, get em!"
The former Doll Demon summoned her ghouls and demanded they chase their stalker, the creatures eagerly obeying their master's command. The ghouls were fast and while their victim attempted to outrun them, they were unable to get away and screeched in response.
Velvet and Niffty followed after and were met with a sight of the ghouls holding a middle aged man down who appeared to be dressed as some type of magician who struggled to free himself.
"LET GO OF ME!" He hissed.
"Not until you start talking," Velvet retorted,"I don't know who ya think you are but you've got some nerve to be spying on two young women in the middle of a forest. Were you a peeping Tom or were you trying to do something far worse?"
"I wasn't trying to do anything to you two, I'm not that type of guy!" He swore.
"Oh yeah? Then explain your reason for following us cuz something ain't adding up."
"I don't have to explain myself to you."
"You better start explaining before you get yourself hurt,"Velvet snarled.
"You're a crazy fucking bitch!"
"Aw, thanks for the compliment!" She giggled,"You ain't the first person to call me crazy, I know I ain't right in the head but you guys gotta come up with more original lines," She approached before using her fan and poking it under his chin mockingly, the elder male growling in response before trying to bite her,"Woah! You're quite the feisty one ain't ya? Already trying to bite me, you know that ain't helping your case right?"
"Fuck off,"He hissed,"I don't gotta prove myself to you. I suggest you fucking let me go because he'll come for me sooner or later."
"He'll come for you?" Niffty asked,"That…that doesn't sound good…Are you a spy? Were you sent after us?"
"I'm not a spy,"He scoffed,"I'm many things, but I'm not a spy. I was just wandering out here looking for some firewood when I noticed you two. I thought you two were threats so I decided to watch from afar but I wasn't watching my steps and got caught.."
"Hmm…" Niffty then turned,"Vel, do you believe me? I'm not really sure but I think he might be telling the truth. Something about him just makes me feel that way…"
"That's probably what he wants you to think. He could just be lying in order to get our guards down. I say we take him back to camp and decide what to do with him from there. I'm certain the others will know what to do with him…"
The elder male screamed,"You ain't taking me nowhere!" He then shouted,"HELP! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
"No one's coming for you out here. It's just the two of us,"Velvet sneered,"So quit whining. You ain't going nowhere, not while we have anything to say about it.."
The girls were about to leave their prisoner though he was still visibly struggling and showing resistance at every turn.
"Oh my god, will you shut up already?" Velvet asked irritability, the eighteen year old sending him a glance,"Seriously, no one wants to hear you scream. It's getting annoying…"
"Oh yeah, how dare I fucking upset I'm getting kidnapped! I should just be real quiet and complacent shouldn't I?"
"Maybe you should. It makes our lives a helluva lot easier…"
"Vel, I'm not sure about this," Niffty mumbled,"Something about him feels…familiar. Maybe we should let him go. He could be telling the truth…"
"Pfft, as if. He'll run away the second we release him. Believe me, it's much safer if we carry him like this. Who knows what he'll do the second we free him. My ghouls are the only thing keeping him in check and if we let him go he might just alert his squad and get us captured…"
"But Velvet-"
"My decision is final, we ain't letting him go until we get back to camp. No if's or but's about it. Unless you wanna question my authority I suggest you cooperate since I don't wanna hurt ya if I don't have to."
Niffty fell back at this and merely put her head down as they continued walking. The wind howled and a harsh breeze blew by, the wind picking up speed. The sudden chill in the air caught the girls off guard though Velvet was quick to dismiss this, believing it just to be the wind.
Their prisoner struggled to free himself yet the ghouls had him in their grasp, their grip tighter than steel and even managing to cut off the circulation to his wrists. He was helpless to do anything other than kick and scream yet found himself on the verge of exhaustion the longer he resisted.
The girls didn't manage to get far as within a few minutes, Velvet felt a familiar feeling crawl up her back .The feeling of being followed. She couldn't pinpoint the location but she could feel someone's watchful eye on her from afar…
Only after a few seconds did their pursuer strike and strike they did…with lighting of alL things. The girls screeched in response as bolts of lighting began flying in their direction like a barrage of arrows.
"EEEEKK!"
"OH MY GOD!"
The chaos caused the ghouls to rush to defend their mistress, leaving the prisoner and dropping him to the floor carelessly.
"Ugh!" He hissed,"My back…"
A chuckle was hard from above in the treetops,"Need a hand old man? You look quite sore…"
"Shut up…" The older male growled,"Just shut up and help me already…"
"If you insist…" A blonde male then dropped to the ground with rectangular glasses over his eyes before helping up to his feet. He then set the raven haired male a glare,"What? Not even a thank you? I'd think even with who and what you are that you'd at least be able to show some gratitude after we've come this far…"
"You took sweet ass time getting here…"
"Better than me not arriving at all," He retorted,"Besides, I saved you didn't I? Isn't that enough for you?"
"Need more than a one time save to get me to like you. I still don't trust you…"
They would've bickered more had Velvet not cleared her throat and interrupted the conversation,"Ahem! Just what the fuck do you think you're doing with our prisoner!? He was ours!"
"Rescuing him for you, what else? Sorry to disappoint you but he's with me and I don't appreciate others taking my allies from me…"
"Just who do you think you are?" Niffty asked,"Are you two working for someone? What are your motives?"
"Tch!" The blonde scoffed,"The only people we work for are ourselves. Second of all, what's it to you? Why do you care that we're here?"
"Because your 'ally' was stalking us!" The former Doll Demon shot back, putting her hands up in quotations at the word 'ally'.
"Only so I could keep an eye out. We have been living out here for a while and you two were the first people I've seen out here in a while and I had to be sure you weren't spies of some sort…"
"Why are you even worried about spies? Are you a wanted person?"
"What's it to you?" The blonde intervened,"We don't have to disclose this information to you. You're just a bunch of strangers and we have no reason to trust you, especially after the stunt you pulled mere moments ago. Now get out of my sight, I have no patience for foolishness and I won't hesitate electrocuting you two if you keep testing me. You two have caused enough trouble, now get out before we make you regret it."
Velvet felt rage boil up inside of her. This was so infuriating, being talked down to like she was a kid was something she couldn't stand. She hated it when she was alive and that feeling hadn't changed one bit after her expiration.
So, she did something stupid. She hit the blonde right in the face. Hard. Hard enough to knock those spectacles right off his nose. Hard.
The blow was enough to send him flying backwards onto the ground, the blonde letting out a screech in agony. Velvet felt satisfaction flood through her veins though it was short lived when she made eye contact with the person she hit, her jaw dropping,"V-Vox!? Is..is that you?"
Vox blanked,"V-Velvet?" He rushed back to his feet and blinked several times to see if she was truly standing there before his very eyes.
The two Overlords stared at each other for a very long time, the silence pervading before Velvet made the first move, rushing towards him and embracing Vox in a tight hug, leaping on him in a state of hysteria,"OMG! YOU'RE ALIVE VOX! YOU'RE ACTUALLY ALIVE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
The former TV Demon was trapped in an iron grip, the younger woman clinging onto him for dear life, as if he'd evaporate into thin air if she let him go. She sobbed into his shoulder and the former TV Demon was left in a state of shock.
Vox then returned the hug and allowed a small smile to spread across his face as he pulled her close.
"I'm sorry I attacked ya! I didn't recognize you with those big dorky glasses…"
"They are not that dorky…"Vox then grabbed Velvet's chin and looked her in the eyes as he reached out to wipe the tears that trickled down her face."Hey, no need to cry, Vel. It's not that big of a deal..It's not like I recognized you either…"
It had been so long and they hadn't expected to ever see each other again…to meet like this was VERY unexpected.
"But…how…I thought you were dead…They told me you fell…and drowned…"
"Who told you that?"
"My group did…"She grumbled,"You know that Charlie guy?"
Vox paused as he racked his memories for Charlie and remembered that Charlie was the one who lit Ozzie's on fire from the inside and attempted to catch him to no avail. He remembered how guilty the guy looked as he plunged into the depths before nodding in response to Velvet's question,"Yeah, I remember alright. What about him?"
"He told me that you tried to save ya and he was really upset when he couldn't save ya. Everyone believed you died and I sort of gave up hope for ya. I didn't think you were alive after all this time…"
"Honestly, neither did I," Vox admitted,"I thought Asmodeus got to you…"
"He probably would've had I not run into the others…" She mumbled,"Still, I don't understand. How'd you survive? You should've died…and Val…what happened to him?"
Vox tensed, he didn't want to tell Velvet the horrid truth that he had killed Val. Even if it wasn't the Val they were familiar with he knew Velvet wouldn't look at him the same way. It was a heat in the moment reaction and a part of him still regretted going through with it after all this time…
So he decided to tell a little white lie to avoid telling her the dark truth.
"I…I'm not sure. When Val tossed me overboard with him we were together but the waves were really rough that day and we got separated. If I had to guess he probably drowned or something, a creature underwater got to him…"
"Oh…Damn..I was hoping that wasn't the case…" Velvet sighed,"That's a shame. I know he ain't our Val but I was hoping we could've been friends. Guess it just wasn't meant to be…"
"Relax, it wasn't your fault…Besides, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that we're alive…"
"Still…I gotta ask, Vox, why are you with this guy? Is he your new boyfriend or something?" She asked, looking at the other male questionably,"You know I try not to judge your taste in men, Vox but is this really the best ya can do?"
Vox spluttered,"VELVET! He's NOT my FUCKING boyfriend!"
"You sure? You two look kind of close. Especially since you looked like his knight in shining armor when you saved him from us…"
"That's your inner fan-girl talking," He said,"I only rescued him out of a sense of pragmatism. Husk over here is only an ally and he's most certainly not my boyfriend…"
"Husk?" Niffty asked,"You're here too? Do…do you recognize me?"
"Niffty?" Husk gasped,"Holy shit, how many people from Hell are down here!? I couldn't even recognize you…you're a lot taller than I remember."
Instead of standing at his legs, Niffty was now at his upper chest. She was still short but the height difference was no longer as exaggerated as it had been back in Hell.
"Probably because you're not a 7ft tall demon anymore," Vox reminded,"Our height has reverted back to the heights we had when we were alive so our forms are not as exaggerated as a result."
"That makes a lotta sense…" Vel said as she compared herself to Vox,"Even Vox shrunk a bit! No longer super tall aren't ya?" She teased as she stood up on her tippy toes and made fun of Vox's height.
"Don't act like you're unaffected, Vel," He scoffed,"Everyone here shrunk one way or another…"
"I know, I'm just messing with ya," She giggled,"Still, Vox, I wanna know something. What have you been doing and how'd you meet up with this guy? There's no way ya swam back on your own."
"Because I didn't," He said,"A siren saved me…"
"A siren? I thought those were myths…" Niffty said,"Are you sure you weren't hallucinating?"
Vox rolled his eyes as he reached to pick up his glasses and put them on his face,"We're currently living in a world where people live far longer than expected and a rare group of people have elemental powers, are you really going to question the existence of sirens in a world like this? Especially after you saw me nearly strike you all with a lighting crossbow?"
"You used a crossbow on us!?" Velvet exclaimed,"Damn, that sounds so cool! I wanna see! I wanna see!"
Vox chuckled,"Maybe another time, Vel. I'll show you later. I promise…"
"Yay!"
Niffty and Husk both glanced at each other, the older male sighing at the display of affection,"Suckers…"
"Don't be like that, Husk. You know that's just how friends are with each other…"
"How would I know? I don't have friends…"
"What about me? Am I not your friend?"
Husk flinched before mumbling a response,"Well…you're a person I can tolerate more than the other bozos so I guess that's something…"
"Aw, see, I knew you cared!"
"Don't get your hopes up, kid. My heart died years ago…"
"Are you two done or what?" Vox called out,"Because we'll leave you here if you don't follow us…Not that I care either way, we could always just leave you here and head off on our own…"
"Quit your bluffing, we both know you wouldn't leave me, Vox…"
"Don't test me…"
"God, the sexual tension is thick…" Velvet whispered, Vox and Husk's necks snapping in her direction as they sent her death glares,"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking…"
"If you don't quit yapping about us having 'sexual tension' I'll throw you into the eye of a hurricane," Husk threatened.
"Alright alright," Velvet grumbled,"Sheesh, nobody can take a joke can they?"
"Because your jokes ain't funny," Husk retorted,"Now are you done wasting time or are we actually gonna get moving?"
"Fine…lead the way, Vox…"
"On it…"
Vox and Husk lead them back to their camp which was in a deeper part of the forest. They had been hiding out there for a while by the looks of things, having set up a mini-camp out in the wilderness.
"Wowie! Velvet exclaimed in disbelief,"This place sure is big! How long have you guys been out here?"
Vox shrugged,"Probably almost a month. We've been living out here for a while. It's not perfect or anything but it's better than where we were prior…"
"Are the sirens here?" Niffty asked,"I want to see what they look like…"
"Oh yeah, they're nearby…" Vox said,"We just let them out at the pond in order for them to stretch their legs…er…fins…"
They headed towards the pond, the group standing before a body of water. Velvet narrowed her eyes as she turned her head back and forth,"So…where are they exactly?I don't see anyone out here. Are you sure they didn't swim off?"
"Trust me, they're here. They just need to be called that's all…" Vox took a deep breath before shouting,"HELSA! SEVIATHAN! COME ON OUT! WE'VE GOT SOMEONE TO SHOW YOU!"
Seconds later, two figures emerged from the surface, jumping out of the water in an elegant fashion before swimming over to them. Niffty and Velvet's jaws dropped at the sight, amazed by the sight.
The twins then approached them, Vox smiled as he said,"Nice performance you two…"
"Thanks, we made it up ourselves…" Seviathan snickered,"Though I have to ask,Vox,who are those beautiful ladies you brought with you? It's been a while since I've seen any attractive women around here."
Vox scoffed,"Keep it in your tail,Seviathan, And for your information, the one with pigtails is my friend, Velvet. I've talked about her with you two prior. The redheaded one is called Niffty…"
"Pleasure to meet you ladies," Seviathan said,"By the way, in case you didn't hear the blonde, my name is Seviathan, Prince of the Envy Ring…or at least I was until I got here. And this is my younger twin sister, Helsa. She would do the favor of introducing herself but due to…an unfortunate mishap she has lost her voice and is unable to communicate. Thankfully she still has her other senses so she can still understand you two just fine."
Velvet paused, she had heard of Helsa before. They never spoke in person but she had heard of her online,"Helsa, huh? I think I followed your account on Voxstagram. I always liked your style, it was killer. Gotta say I never expected us to meet, at least,not like this. So…which one of ya rescued Vox? He told me earlier that one of ya saved him from drowning."
"My sister did that," Seviathan said,"She saved him. I have no idea why she did but she must've wondered what would happen if she saved someone's life for a change instead of ruining it. Regardless of her reasons, saving his life ended up getting us into a whole lotta trouble and we got sent to Mammon's shitty circus since our shitty parents decided we were too troublesome to handle."
"Mammon? Seriously!?" Velvet growled,"What's with us and attracting the attention of Deadly Sins!? It's like we can't catch a break!"
"Trust me, I know the feeling," Vox mumbled,"Thankfully Mammon was foolish enough to let me join his little circus crew and granted me the perfect opportunity to infiltrate from within. I'll spare you all the extra details and make a long story short by saying we eventually hatched a plan to burn Mammon's carnival down. It didn't go entirely to plan but we managed to make the end goal work. We burned his carnival down and fled for our lives. We've been on the run for a while but I think we've managed to escape...for now at least."
"Well, none of that matters now, all that matters is that you're alive,"Velvet assured,"Besides, I'm certain a few more allies wouldn't hurt now would it?"
"Are you proposing an alliance?" Seviathan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Duh, what else would I be proposing? Ain't like you got anything to lose do ya? We're all wanted people and I don't see how banding together would hurt."
"She is right,"Vox said,"We need allies at the end of the day and the more people on our side the better chance we have at pulling through. Besides, Mammon and the other Deadly Sins are still out there and if we stay in one place too long they might catch up with us and that is the last thing ANYONE here wants."
"That is a fair assessment, still, I'd hate to have to be confined to that damn wagon…" Seviathan grumbled.
"I understand your discomfort but it's the only way we can carry you two. Until you two are back in the ocean this is the best we can do…"
"I know..doesn't make it any less horrible…"
"So are you two on board?" Niffty asked.
"Well I am…What about you sis? What do you think?"
Helsa slowly nodded her head. It did seem wise to join another survival group, especially if it increased their own chance of survival in the process.
"Well that settles it. Let's pack our things and see who these other people are…" He sighed,"Come on, Helsa, Seviathan, you know the drill…"
The twins irritably groaned before following along and getting into their respective wagons, Husk and Vox assisting in tugging the vehicles for the sirens.
"That should be everything," Husk admitted, only for Velvet to curse, taking the group by surprise at her sudden outburst.
"Shit!"
"What? Is something wrong?"
"No, I just forgot me and Niffty were out searching for firewood. That's the whole reason we came out here. Now Vaggie is gonna be on our asses about it.."
"Don't worry Vel," Vox said,"Husk and I gathered some sticks in our spare time. I'm certain they'll suffice." He held out the sticks for her and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Aw geez, thanks. You're a lifesaver, Vox…" She smiled warmly at him, relief flooding into her system upon being given the twigs,"Alright everyone,follow our lead…"
The girls soon lead them back to their base, treading through the forest.
Vaggie scowled as night fell upon the horizon,"Where the hell did those two go!? They should've been back by now!"
"Let's not get angry, Vaggie. I'm certain Velvet and NIffty will be back soon," Charlie assured,"Just give them time…"
"I've BEEN giving them time. It's been several hours and there's no sign of them…It's getting late and I'm worried that they might not come back…"
"Don't think like that, Vaggie. I'm certain they'll come back…eventually…hopefully…" The Princess mumbled, a pit of dread threatening to bloom within her stomach.
"Relax, Charles,"Angel said,"Vaggie's just being paranoid. Those girls ain't weak…I'm certain if they encountered trouble they kicked its ass to hell and back."
"I hope you're right, Angel…"
Their attention then shifted to the sound of wheels digging into the ground, the sound becoming closer and closer. They all looked up, Vaggie and Angel on guard for a moment while Charlie reached for her sword.
They all relaxed when they saw it was Velvet and Niffty, Charlie smiling as relief flooded into her voice,"Oh my god, you two finally came back! We were so worried about you and-"
Charlie's sentence was cut off by the sound of Vaggie screeching,"OH MY GOD, WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU TWO DONE!?"
"Holy shit, my ears!" Angel hissed,"Are you trying to break my eardrums, toots!? Some of us like our eardrums being intact ya know!"
"Are you not seeing this!?" Vaggie shot back,"Those two brought INTRUDERS into our camp!" She then pointed at the people behind Velvet and NIffty who flinched at her venomous tone.
Vaggie's hair looked like it was on the verge of erupting into fire as she began tearing into them like paper,"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US CAUGHT!? YOU COULD BE LEADING THE DEADLY SINS RIGHT TO US!"
"Take a chill pill woman," Velvet spat,"Seriously,being a hot tempered bitch ain't gonna get you nowhere. Especially since you haven't even bothered to hear us out yet."
"HEAR YOU OUT!? WHY THE FUCK DO I NEED TO HEAR YOU OUT!? IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS YOU'RE TRYING TO LEAD US TO OUR DEATHS! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU TWO, BRINGING THESE RANDOM STRANGERS INTO OUR GROUP WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION FOR HOW THE REST OF US WOULD FEEL!"
"Probably because we didn't bring random strangers into the group. We brought allies and they are here to help despite what you may think. If you just gave us a chance to explain, we would gladly explain the situation."
Vaggie was fuming with rage, as if she were about to explode with anger only for Charlie to put her hand on her shoulder,"Vaggie, please, give Velvet and Niffty a chance. I'm certain there's a good reason for this…"
"Ugh…fine…Just this once, I'll listen…but only because you're my friend."
The former TV Demon whispered into his friends ear and he gently pushed her aside"Vel I got this…''
"Go right ahead. I won't stop ya…."
Vox then stepped forward before saying,"Recognize me you three?"
"Vox...you're alive?" Charlie asked,"But I-you don't look-how is that even possible!?" She sputtered as her sentences became mixed up in the process.
"It's a long story but I'll spare you all the details by saying a certain siren saved my ass…" He then stepped aside so they could see the twins,"The one who saved me is named Helsa and the other one is her twin brother, Seviathan. They're royalty back in Hell and their parents rule the Envy Ring. Seviathan, Helsa, meet Charles."
There was a long awkward pause when the trio made eye contact, their expressions going blank. Charlie felt nervousness threaten to consume her at the sight of her ex boyfriend and her rival gazing back at her, fearing they had recognized her.
'Shit! Of all the people who fell down here, it just had to be my ex and his bitchy sister didn't it!?' She thought,'Do they recognize me? God I hope not…maybe if I play up my lower class facade they'll think I'm someone else…'
"Uh…Hi. I..I don't believe we've met before but I just wanted to say it's a pleasure to be face to face with actual royalty. Like Vox said,"I'm Charles but you two can call me Charlie!"
Seviathan and Helsa stared at her with bemused expressions. The twins minds were flooding with thoughts though the one they both shared was,'What the fuck?'
Not only were they confused on why everyone was addressing as a boy and using he/him pronouns for her but they were gobsmacked that Charlie didn't recognize them. They knew it was her but she was looking at them like they were total strangers.
'The blonde bitch must've hit her head or something..' Helsa thought to herself,'Normally I'd find this hilarious but this is actually terrifying given how she thinks she's a peasant like everyone else. How dare she forget me!'
Seviathan would've questioned Charlie's state of being however he was interrupted by the arrival of Alastor who must've sensed the commotion from afar.
"Darling, you've finally come back," Al said to Niffty,"I was waiting for you…though I must ask why are there so many people here? I don't remember our group being this large…"
"Uh, Al…we found some other people who fell down here just like us. The good news is that Husk is here as well!"
"Husker!" Al brightened up,"You're here too! Fascinating! And to think Niffty was the only one who I could friend down here!"
"Oh great…" Husk growled,"Of all people I get stuck with, it always ends up leading me back to you…"
"Oh don't be such a sourpuss, Husker!" Al said before moving to hug him and pausing as he patted him down a bit,"My…you're a lot less fluffy than I remember you being…"
"That's cuz I ain't a fucking cat anymore. Ain't that obvious? Shouldn't you have been able to see that?"
Niffty then coughed,"Husk…he can't see.."
"What?"
"Al went blind when we fell down here. We're not sure why but he lost his sight the moment we entered this world. He's been making due with what he was but it's still a bit difficult as you can see. "
Husk blanked, he was confused at the sudden change, wondering how this could've happened until he remembered prior to entering this world something he had wished for…
He wished Al could never see him again. Of course it was just a passing comment he made since he was irritated with the Radio Overlord's wacky personality.
Needless to say, someone took his phrasing seriously and decided to strip Alastor of his vision…
When the realization hit him, it felt…strange. He was a little terrified his words held so much power and a part of him felt guilty. Just for a moment since it was still Alastor but he was a little hesitant on making any internal threats fearing that they might come true again.
"Husker, are you alright?" Al asked as he touched Husk,"You feel a little cold. Is something bothering you?"
"It's nothing…" He lied,"I was just…thinking that's all…"
"Oh..that's alright…" He shrugged, brushing it off as Husk just being himself,"Regardless, I'm glad to see that you're , you know I can't see but you get what I mean…"
"Yeah…I do…"
Al then turned his head,"And who may I ask are the other people with you? Something about one of them is…a little too familiar…"
"Miss me, Bambi?" Vox asked,unable to help himself when he saw Alastor's expression change from joyous to hostile.
Al's smile remained though his tone became more serious,"What are you doing here, Vox?"
"Same reason you're here, Bambi. I fell down into this world just like you did."
"No, I mean, what are you doing with this group?"
"Because we've Deadly Sins on our asses and we don't wanna die," Vox retorted,"I'm certain you know the feeling wouldn't you?"
Al growled, he hated admitting Vox was right…but he really was."Is that why you are? Because you wanted to drag us into your mess?"
"No, we came here to form an alliance. Not exactly something we set out to do but considering our options, it's in our best interest to join forces."
"Are you joining forces with me? And I thought Hell would freeze over first…"
"Trust me, I'd rather not be on the same side as you but that's not really my call. I doubt the vast majority of people part of this group like each other, it's just that we're all in the same boat and we've realized that being at each other's throats won't get us anywhere. I hate saying this but perhaps we should put our differences aside just once until we can get out of this world."
"And once we return to Hell?"
"Assuming we get that far, then all bets are off," Vox retorted.
The two men didn't say anything because words were no longer necessary. It was an unspoken deal that had been made, no contracts or handshaking required. The tension between them was thick enough to cut a knife and Charlie had to cough in order to break the silence,
"So…does that mean we're all friends here?"
"Pfft, not a chance," Vox said,"The day I become friends with Alastor is the day Hell is frozen over. We are merely tolerating each other until it is no longer required, that is all.."
"Well, so long as you are putting your differences aside for the greater good, I'm alright with it. I'm kind of proud of you Vox…"
Vox's face shifted,"What? Why? What is there to be proud of?"
"You knew your conflict with Alastor would cause problems and decided to deal with it right away rather than waiting for it to bubble up to the surface at a later date. That takes some maturity and I'm glad the both of you have come to an agreement to put your hatred aside until we make it back home," Charlie then outstretched her hand and Vox reluctantly let her shake his,"Thank you, Vox. Welcome to the squad.."
"Thanks…" Vox then hissed as he gripped his hand,"Argh…dammit…"
The Princess tensed,"Did I hurt you? I swear, I didn't mean to-"
"It's not your fault. I just hurt myself back at Mammon's carnival and it still hasn't healed yet…" He remarked.
"Oh, an injury? Well, in that case I think Angel Dust can help! He can lick it better!"
Vox's expression morphed into one of utter disgust,"Ew! That's disgusting, why would I let him lick my hand!? Are you trying to infect me with an STD or something!?"
"What? No, it's just that Angel's saliva can heal minor wounds. I know it sounds nasty but I'm certain Angel would be willing to help…right Angel?"
"Uh…Charlie, no offense but I'm not really comfortable with giving Vox a lick."
"Angel, it's for healing…" She urged,"I get you two aren't fully comfortable with each other but there's no need to act all shy. Besides, it's just a wound. All Vox said it's not major so I'm certain you can fix it." She then held Vox's hand,and noticed the bandages on his hand."Now Vox, we gotta get rid of those bandages so Angel can heal the wound."
He jerked his hand away from her, scowling as he snarled,"No! You can't do that…"
"Why not? It's just a wound,Vox..Just let me help you and-"
"No, you can't.." He said,"Listen, it's not that big of a deal. Let's just drop the subject and move on. I'll tend to my wound later, no healing saliva required."
"Sheesh,he was just trying to help you ,Vox. No need to be such an ungrateful dick," Angel grumbled.
Vox scoffed,"And what would you know about being ungrateful you damn whore? You know nothing of the sort. Now back off before you enter subjects beyond your comprehension."
"Hey, I may be a whore but I ain't an airhead," Angel shot back,"Take your self importance and shove it up your ass, Vox. Then again, you might enjoy that considering how many times you let Val use you."
"Why you little-" Vox was mere seconds away from striking Angel with lighting until Charlie got between them.
"Guys, enough fighting. I understand there is tension between you two but could we please hold it off until we get home…"
"I'll try, Charlie."
"Hmph. Whatever…"
"But Vox, what about your hand?"
"I'll live,"He said simply,"Look, can we just drop the subject because I am already having a hard time putting up with Val's whore and unless you want me to shock a bitch I suggest we end this conversation here and now…"
Charlie sighed as she reluctantly fell back, dropping the subject of Vox's injured hand in favor of trying to keep the group under control. With more members to their party with conflicting personalities it would require a more steady and firm leadership to keep everyone in line, else they would all fall apart…
Thankfully it was already late and the others began to eat their food(Al ate his respective food and offered to share some with Husk who declined due to having a less…bloody palette). The others took time to catch up with their friends who they hadn't seen in a long time…
When it came time for bed, almost everyone headed off in their own tents they had sent up and went to bed in pairs.
Helsa and Seviathan of course had to sleep in the wagons since there weren't any ponds nearby. It wasn't the first time they had done this but it was still far from comfortable.
The only one who was awake by the end of it was Vox, who sat by the fireplace alone, unable to sleep. His gaze fixated on his bandaged hand and flinched,sighing wearily at the sigil that he knew was imprinted onto his skin.
Vox hissed when he got a headache, growling in agony when a familiar pain attacked him. It was like someone was tearing his mind apart and he was resisting the urge to scream out in pain, knowing it would alert the others…
"Dammit…not again Mammon…Get out of my head…"
Just then, he heard Mammon's voice whisper to him,"You can't run forever, Vincent. Your allies won't be able to save you and I will have what is rightfully owed. So keep running, it won't save you. We both know that it's only a matter of time before I find you. Enjoy the time you have because it won't be enough to help you get away from me…"
Vox panted as Mammon left his head with a parting message, sweat trickling down his face. Mammon had sent him taunting messages like this before while he was living with Husk but it felt more personal now. He was supposed to feel safe yet he never felt so these allies and yet he couldn't dare speak of the marking on his hand lest he face the consequences.
A part of Vox wanted to sleep yet his eyes refused to do so. He simply couldn't sleep. He grumbled, this always happened when Mammon caused him headaches like this, he had trouble sleeping and often decided to forfeit the idea of rest all together whenever this happened. Instead of sleeping as planned, Vox decided to merely stare up into the sky and pray to the heavens that the morning would arrive soon.
Thanks for 7,605 views, tell me what you think everyone and feel free to ask question below!
Enigmus-288: If Arackniss shot Val he'd have to deal with literally all the people who Val has connections with. Besides, it's not like he's alone and let's be legit, Val has another pistol on him. He's multi-armed so he always carries more than one gun. The only reason he didn't snatch it out of Arackniss's hands was because he aimed it as his Dad wanted to watch what happened.
He may not technically be bound by contact but he may as well be since he can't leave. Val won't let him leave and he's basically stuck there. If It was just Val, Henroin and Arackniss in a room he probably would've tried to shoot him but since there was an ENTIRE CLUB around them(plus Val's guards) Arackniss knew he stood no fucking chance against an entire horde of people and decided it was best to get his Father out before Val decided to actually kill him.